20 - Wednesday, March 9, 1988) - 8 SPRING CAR North Shore News R I CARE chedule a SPRING IS he-e, and now is the perfect time to do a maintenance inspection of your car fallowing winter driving conditions. The following checklist can be performed in fess than two hours. © Check the level of coolant in the plastic overflow reservoir and the radiator. If necessary, add fluid so that it tests out to be a 50-50 mixture of ethylene glycol and water, If the coolant is rusty, it should be teplaced and, possibly, the system should be drained and flushed. @ Hoses and belts are vital com- ponents of the cooling system if summer overheating is to be avoided. A good hose will feel firm. If it is soft, or if.cracks or cuts and abrasion are visible on the cover, it should be replaced. INSPECT BELTS Drive belts shauld be inspected for proper tension, cracks on the underside and sidewall wear. Many mechanics will agree that belts should be replaced, regardless of condition, if your car is four years old. ® In addition to coolant, four other fluids should be checked and topped off. , These are the engine oil, and the brake, power steering and AUTOMATIC transmission Muids. Your owner's manual will show you the locations of the dipsticks and the proper fluid to use for replenishment. Your car engine has several filters, which, if they be come par- tially blocked or clogged, could cause the engine to stall, idle rough , or lack power. The major filters are the fuel, oil and air cleaner elements. Some of the engine's filters can be cleaned and reused, but most must be replaced. © Sophisticated and often com- plex electronic systems should be checked by a mechanic using mod- ern testing equipment. CHECK WIRING The car owner can check the ex- ternal condition of the battery and all wiring for corrosion and loose or exposed cables. The belt on the alternator drive also should ‘be inspected and replaced at regular four-year inter- vals. ¢ Modern radial tires generally will fast at least 65,000 kilometres. But they should be checked an- nually for air ‘pressure,and especially for tread wear. Tread patterns can tip you off to other problems such as over or. underinflation, misalignment, im- proper wheel balance or a dam- OLD FASHIONED SERVICE aged suspension system. Replace a tire that has bulges or cuts, and remove stones and other foreign material from between tread ribs. This also is a good time to check the brakes and wheel bearings, and to have the car lubricated. e Examine the muffler and the connecting pipes. They must be free of breaks, holes and rust. An emissions test will determine if the catalytic converter system is doing its job. * Although undercarriage mate- tials are made of plastic, or aluminum or metal with under- coating, this is a good time to spray away mud, salt and sand left over from winter. * Wash the car’s exterior thoroughly and wax it as well, Look for water leaks at the wind- shield and rear window and, if necessary, apply a rubber-based sealer. If water is leaking into the reventative checku; trunk, check the condition of the gasket. * Be sure to touch up any scrat- ches, dents or nicks with a mat- ching paint to prevent corrosion and rust. Before choosing a paint color, look for the vehicle identification number in your owner's manual or on a plate in the engine compart- ment. A car dealer can read the code and sell you the original paint color. Car performance measures change IT USED to be that performance was measured in terms of straight- line acceleration, Today, however, performance has come to mean much more. Now, it includes not only accelera- tion, but fuel economy and han- dling. Handling used to be determined by the roughness of the ride. ‘‘The harder the ride, the better the han- diing,"’ was the common adage. But, with the increasing demand for high performance cars, and the increasing competition of foreign vehicles that ran circles around domestic madels, car com- panics shifted their attention toward developing suspensions which offered a smooth, comfor- table ride without sacrificing han- dling or ‘‘control."" “People want the best of both worlds,’’ says Dick Guldstrand, president of a suspension and ride control consulting firm which does development work for the auto companies. “The public is demanding cars from automakers that handle like a Corvette or Porsche, but have the ride of a Cadillac,’’ Guldstrand says. “Even luxury car owners want this, which is one reason why they are buying BMWs and Mercedes in record numbers. In the new world of car suspensions, a car that wallows around is unacceptable.” As a result, shock absorbers manufacturers have turned their attention toward developing high performance lines of shocks and struts both for the auto companies and for the multi-million dollar automotive aftermarket business. | One auto equipment company invested two years and several mil- lion dollars in the design and development of its line of gas- charged shocks and struts. The units were designed for day-to-day driving, yet project engineers say this product will See Shocks Page 21 3 i I Show your ELECTRONIC - TRANSMISSION SERVICE Road test, remove & clean S _ oil pan, replace filter - and pan gasket, adjust bands & linkages G95 PLUS PARTS WITH THIS COUPON AIR CONDITIONING RECHARGE © | 357 95 WITH ‘THIS COUPON "On most cars Freon not included ~~ COMPUTERIZED HIGH SPEED WHEEL BALANCE 2 wheels Sf §00 (mags not included) WITH THIS COUPON OIL LUBE & FILTER Check emission system, vac, hoses, air filter, ex- haust system & under carriage, power steering fluid, diff. fluid, trans fluid, brake S 95 hinges, latches & lock cyls., 24 check w/s washer fluid. fluid, brake & power st. hoses, eng. belts & battery, lube door WITH THIS COUPON proper alignment and ad- just Torsion Bars, Inspect WHEEL ALIGNMENT Adjust Camber, Caster and Systems, Parts extra if 30 Toe-in (where applicable) to “required. WITH THIS COUPON "NORTH VANCOU 1177 MARINE DRIVE, N. VANCOUVER TUNE UP Replace spark plugs, fuel filter, check plug wires, coil distributor, belts, hoses, com- pression & complete ignition analysis, 4 & 6 cyl. only, V6 & V8 cyl. slightly extra. 551] 95 PLUS PARTS WITH THIS COUPON COOLING SYSTEM TUNE UP $3495 Includes Drain and Flush PLUS PARTS Cooling System. Install autopar 4 Season Coolant WITH THIS COUPON (max. 4 litres). Check Radiator Cap, Thermostat, Belts and Hoses.