2Car Care '91 The Daily Tar Heelfluesday, November 1 9, 1 991
Inside CAR CARE '91
Self-checks to save $$$ 3
Winterizing your car 3
Car troubles from hell 4-5
Post-wreck face-lifts 6
Seat belt statistics 6
New safety devices 7
Musclecars revisited 7
Packing it in 8
Preparing for all weather ....8
Night driving safety tips 8
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Warning signs to look out for
and have your car checked soon
By Valerie Fields
Staff Writer
For most people, buying a car is an
investment. But what happens when
that Investment lets you down?
Every day and night people dish out
dollars having their cars towed or re'
paired. Below are some hints, tips, and
advice from mechanics about keeping
your car in tip-top shape.
Most cars give a few warning signals
before they quit completely, so here's
an Idea of what to look for.
If you are driving, and the car runs
rough or uneven, It's probably due to
improper tire Inflation. Oo to a service
station and check the air pressure. Tires
should be filled with the manufacturer's
recommended amount of air. Pressure
levels vary for different models.
Proper tire rotation keeps cars bal
anced and aligned. Tires should be ro
tated every 3,000 to 6,000 miles from
front to back. Average prices for tire
rotation are $8-$ 10. Cars with locked
hubcaps will be charged more. Air for
tires ranges from no cost to 23 cents.
Now that you are driving smooth and
even, you can focus your attention on
that clicking sound coming from under
the hood. Unfortunately, this sound rep
resents a little more than a lack of air. It
probably means you're low in oil.
Again, go to the nearest service sta
tion unless you want to get that new suit
stained, or if you're a practicing me
chanic. Oil should be changed every
three months or 3,000 to 4,000 miles.
Including oil Alter changes, that should
cost about $20 for small and average
sized American or foreign cars. Larger
cars and cars with diesel engines usu
ally cost more.
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Another possible source of a Clicking
sound is the battery or i disconnection
In the car's electrical system. Leave it
up to a mechanic to find out.
As you turn out of the station, you
notice a groaning sound coming from
the steering wheel. Before you can iden
tify what it is, though, you slam on the
brakes but still manage to hit a Duke
student. All you remember is a scrub
bing brake sound. You have two prob
lems. The steering wheel sound is prob
ably due to a malfunction in the power
steering System. The scrubbing brakes
mean you need new brake pads and
should have the brake rotors and drums
checked. Prices vary for these services.
You've managed to hit a Dookie, but
the car still isn't accelerating as fast as
you'd like. If it seems to drag or falter
when changing gears, there may be a
problem with the timing belts. They
should be checked every four years or
48,000 miles.
So you finally get home, and your car
Is running like new. But you never know
what can happen, so just take It in for a
complete tuneup to ease your mind.
The radiator should be checked ev
ery year or two. If it's dirty , it will need
to be flushed. Belts and water pumps
need to be checked and possibly re
placed along with the hoses. New cool
ant, or antifreeze, also should be re
cycled. The total cost for having the
radiator cleaned, flushed and recycled
ranges from $40-$60 with parts and
labor included.
The transmission should be checked
every 13 months. If necessary, trans
mission fluid should be added, and the
filters should be changed and replaced
afterabout23,OOOto30,OOOrniles.Most
service stations can do the job for an
average price of $60.
Now that everything Is working, all
you need to do is start your engines.
This shouldn't be a problem if the bat
tery is in good condition. This power
source has a problem if It needs to be
Jump-started more than once in the
morning. Allow the engine to warm up
before driving, especially in cold
Weather. Older cars without fuel Injec
tion should warm up for 10 to 13 min
utes. Newer cars require only five min
utes to warm up during cold weather.
Now your car is running like new.
AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR
foreign and domestic
specializing In
automatic transmissions
tune-ups
air conditioning
general repair
Wilson & Staples, Inc.
610Hwy. 54 West
Chapel Hill
967-4392
please call for details
But for those lucky people who actually
have new cars, there are things you can
do to keep them running well. Mechan
ics advise following the manufacturer's
book guidelines forupto lOO.OOOmiles.
Then start over and go through the book
again, rechecking everything.
Other signs to look for are smoke and
leaks. Smoke coming from under the
hood could mean an overheated radia
tor or a car which Is "running hot."
Loose gaskets on hoses or the water
pipe also could be a source of smoke.
Spilled oil or an oil leak may result in
darker smoke.
Dim lights or a hom that doesn't
blow are results of a failing battery. The
car will probably need a jump-start. If
the engine does not tum over at all,
you'll probably need to get a new bat
tery and "rev up" the charger system.
Again, a horn that doesn't blow, in
addition to non-functional automatic
locks and power windows, signifies a
failure in the car's electrical system.
This probably can be fixed by replacing
a circuit for a cost of $3.
For foreign cars, mechanics suggest
the same maintenance techniques. Ex
pect to wait a little longer because parts
have to be shipped, and expect also to
pay a little more.
For those who aren't mechanically
inclined, there are still a few things you
can do at home without crawling under
the hood.
Always keep tires properly inflated
to the recommended level. Tire levels
should be checked once a month.
Keep all fluid levels maintained (wa
ter, oil, coolant). If you don't know
what to look for, take a look at the
dashboard. Most cars are equipped with
a basic warning system to help detect
things which aren't running smoothly.
The fluid warning lights represent low
gas and oil levels. The temperature light
signifies an overheated engine, and the
voltage light warns of possible engine
failure.
Just a reminder that once your car is
running smoothly, don't forget these
things to keep it on the road legally. The
horn should blow, all lights should work,
windshield wipers should work, all tags
need to be visible and yourcar should be
inspected properly every year.
Most of these services can be found
light here in Chapel Hill. Local stations
offer balancing, brake work, electronic
tuneups, front-end alignment, lubrica
tion and tire service.
Special thanks to Troy Barnes of the
Glen Lennox BP service station and
Ron Ragan of East Franklin Car Care.
EAST FRANKLIN
SCAR CARE
General Auto Repairs
Tires and Alignment
AAA 24 Hr. Towing
Service
Ronald Ragan
OwnerManager
1 710 E. Franklin St.
Chapel Hill, NC27514
Day 642-4284
Nlqht 942-7675