Don’t take car’s tires for granted IT’S QUICK, it’s easy, it’s free, and best of all even the home mechanic who’s all thumbs can do it. The ‘‘it’’ is checking the pressure in your car’s tires, some- thing you should be doing on a reguiar basis. Air is still free at many service Stations and inexpensive tire gauges are even available in supermarkets. But improper tire inflation takes its toll of tires through uneven wear and, in some cases, accidents. In addition to forcing you to teplace tires more frequently, an underinflated tire creates more rolling resistance. More simply put, it means that your car burns more sasoline try- ing to push itself along on underinflated tires. Estimates show that a tire underinflated by only five pounds of air increases fuel consumption by as much as seven percent, ac- cording to one industry source. What is the right amount of air to put in your tires? This depends not only on the tire but on how you plan to drive your car, Most manufacturers list recom- mended tire pressures in owner’s manuals supplied with their cars. If you don’t have an owner's manual for your car, look inside the glovebox or on your car’s sun- visor for a sticker listing pressures. Recommended pressures nor- mally apply to cold tires, meaning that you should check your tire pressures early in the morning, be- fore you begin your drive. Also listed on the table are recommended tire pressures for cruising at certain speeds with a given number of passengers and baggage. The rule of thumb here, is to in- crease tire pressures as anticipated cruising speeds or loads rise. If underinflating a tire is bad what about overinflation? The answer is that putting too much air in your tires is not advis- able, because, like underinflation, this can also cause tires to wear Prematurely, decrease ride com- fort, alter your car’s handling per formance, and reduce the tires’ contact patch, that small! square of your tire in contact with the road’s surface at a given moment. How do you know if you car's tires need more or jess air? One way is that an underinflated tire will often show wear on the outer surfaces of the tread. An overinflated tire will show wear by smoothing of the tread in the middle of the tire, but your best bet is keeping a tire gauge in your car and taking readings regularly. Maintenance is complicated A WORD to the wise: do-it- yourself spring motorcyle maintenance can cause more head- aches than it cures. According to a leading motorcy- cle technician training facility, to- day's sophisticated motorcycle technology has made some repairs too difficult and even too danger- ous for garage-trained mechanics to handle. “It is no longer feasible for the average motorcycle owner to per- form many service procedures “Not exactly as tlustrated (7 PASSENGER) 89 EXECUTIVE * SALE PRICED $25,995 safely,’’ said one technician, ‘‘im- proper maintenance of modern braking systems, for example, can cause brake failure and, in turn, serious injury to the rider."’ Experts advise that novice mechanics can still perform routine maintenance such as oil changes and chassis lubes, but more com- plicated procedures involving vehi- cle handling and ‘sophisticated braking, electronic and carburation systems should be left to certified professional technicians. 5 DAYS ONLY MAR. 29,30,31 APR.14&2 TRAVEL VANS by SUPER-VAN Equ:pped with Aw‘cona PS PB FW P Locks Auto (OD) Tit Crume Deiue Stereo Cass Radials Raye wheets Crome Peg Ju FFB? Tone Clearcoat Paint Captans Seats Rear Bed itn Tirved Geass & LIST $32,852 (Limited Supply) $4,200 DOWN/S4H4 A Month OAC (Or Lease fo Suilj t Wholeasate, GM Chaser, ght & PDI. Ford Entre Crag McKEE'S RV CENTRE 11351 Bridgeport, Richmond 279-9038 INDOOR SHOWROOM — OPEN LATE 57 - Wednesday, March 29, 1989 - North Shore News WIDE BODY VAN with 6'4" upper bed WIDE BODY FEATURES INCLUDE: ¢ 2 Holding Tanks ¢ Fibreglass Showerstal! ¢ Flush Toilet. plus morel Introducing you to HONDA SPREE Scooters ony *699 Cheaper than most bicycles! NGSO G SPREE —50cc 2 Stroke Motor —Electric | Start Starting from as low as REGULAR VANS as iowa $2,900 Trades Welcome The Ultimate Touring Motorcyle Lease or Buy GL 1500 GOLDWING —6 Cylinder —1500cc Motor om mer VANCOUVER 2 ser ‘CARTER ncouye jee ‘ae