Get to Know a ge

IF you want your
vehicle to remain in
excellent, dependable
working order, you
know that. you huve to
give it some tender
loving care in the form
of regular and preven-
tative maintenance.

Don’t wait until it breaks
until you fix it — that could
cost you a great deal of
money,

The average Canadian
consumer spends more than
$750 per year on mainte-
nance.

But by practising regular
maintenance you can reduce
that amount and prolong the
life of your vehicle.

But how do you find a
mechanic (or automotive ser-
vice technician) you can
trust?

Rule nurnber one for
finding a good
mechanic/technician: don’t
wait until, you’re desperate
for help.

¢ finding 3 doctor or a
ter — you need to build
a relationship based on trust
and mutual respect.
These things don’t hap-
pen overnight.
Most of the business for a
repair garage is from refer-
ral

The only way to get refer-
rat business is from satisfied
customers.

So, if you are looking for
a mew automotive service

backseat driver

Reuse of plastic
parts increasin

From previous page

auto manufacturing and recy-
cling industries are on top of
that too. ~

Ir’s not that difficult to
separate aluminum body pan-
els and engine. components,
but plastics have always pre-
sented a different set of prob-
fems. 6
_ Significant gains have been
made in the business of recy-
cling plastic auto components
and while the material docs
not match the performance of
steel as far as re-use goes, it
does have its uses.

Most plastic parts used in
automobiles now have recy-
cling code numbers moulded
into them. You'll find them
displayed next to those litde
arrowed recycling symbols on
parts of yous new or late
model vehicle if you look
carefully.

Plastic materials can be re-
processed into bumper parts,
battery stowage boxes,
soundproofing material, inte-
sior trim components and all
kinds of other bits and pieces
around the car.

Some manufacturers have
even displayed the plastic
recycling process at auto
shows. At some shows carlier
this year, Volkswagen engi-
neers were feeding pelletized
plastic “scrap” into a machine
which pumped out little
moulded models of its Jetta

and Bectle automobiles. Even
translucent tai! light material
can be used again.

Tires present an even
greater problem than plastics,
but the industry is gaining
ground on wastage.

Old tires can be burned in
electrical generating plants
very productively since they

. have a high calorific (heat-

producing} valuc. Tires can
also be ground up to make
sports plaving surfaces or
shredded for inclusion in
non-slip paint products.

T suppose that old tires
will always find a home as
dock bumpers, but techno-
logical advancements are
helping industry discover far
more productive uses for
them.

In some European coun-
tries, auto makers are
required by law to take back
old vehicles when their life
comes to an end, so it’s no
surprise that they’re making
vehicles as casy te recycle as
possible whatever they’re
made from.

When we’re handed the
keys to a spiffy new car, it’s
not easy to imagine that one
day it'll be a candidate for the
scrap yard, but it’s comfort-
ing to know that not too
much of it will be wasted.

— Tony Whitney’s column
appears courtesy of the B.C.
Automobile Dealers Association
(BCADA).

TOYOTA REPAIRS|

20 years in the same location

1124 West 15th Street, North Van

off Pemberton Ave
) 988-7671 Fax: (604) 883-0315

1, ask ground.
atives,
church

— anyone vou can

technici

memb
think of.

Youll probably gee a
more reliable fect for who is
good and who is not by get-
ting several opinions instead
of just onc,

If vou get a chance, drop
in and meet the technicians
who will be working on your
ear.

Is the shop tid
organize

Do they have th
computer equipment?

Is there evidence that the
mechanics in the shop take
regular training courses on
the latest automotive and
diagnostic technology?

The days of the mechanic

and well

latest

35 TOYOTA 4 RUMIER

V6, SRS, 54%, ike new $25,995

$12,895

a

$17,495

under the hood with a serew-
driver, tuning things until
they sing just right, are a dis-
fant memory.

Now, mechanics have to
be computer literate techni-
cians, interpreting the com-
munications between the on-
board computer system and
the diagnostic computers in
the shop.

Whether you go to an
independent = garage. a
department store, or a fran-
chised repair centre doesn’t
matter all that much.

In the end, it all comes
down to trust.

You're looking tor some-
body who is willing to tell

yhich repairs Id be
immediately, which can
be delayed without affecting
safety, and which are com-

97 4-RUMNER LIMZTED
_ koaded, must be seen, ke new 55

$5 EGA PSNEROEY TAM OES
4X4, 5 spd, 00s & uns reat $1185

riday, October 8, 1999 — North Shore News - 25

- openiroad

pletely optional for perfor-
nance upgrades

Look for certificates and
diplomas on vour service
technician’s wall indicating
that they are continuously
upgrading their skills by tak-
ing courses and completing a
variety of programs in their
field

You car
motive serviee tec
help vou, too,

When vou take your car in
with a problem, tell the tech-
nician what the symptoms
are (not what vou think the
problem

Deserib:
pens when the car
cold, at highway spe
the city, stopping or acccler-
ating, etc.

Get ta know your car,

2ur AuLO-

$9,585

SS HONBA ACCORD LX
4dr, auto, ex. condition $13,495

pwr window/ocks/mirrors $17,995

ad mechanic... and your car

too.

Read through the owner's
manual so yau knaw what to
expect.

And turn off your stereo
onee in a while and listen ro
the sound of your car when
it’s healthy, you're better
able to notice when it needs

Feet retum, 10km Seve Theasande

4 dr, 3 spd, looks & runs
great

99 TOVINA COROUA VE,

auto, 4 dr