Car Care '91The Daily Tar heelTuesd'ay,' November 19, '19$ 13
It takes more
than antifreeze
to face winter
The Associated Press
Along with getting the woolies
and heavy coats out of the closet, it's
time to get your car ready for winter.
Here are some things the Michi
gan auto club, AAA Michigan, sug
gests doing during those autumn days
when all the leaves are raked.
Clean battery terminals and cable
ends. This can be done with a com
mercial battery terminal cleaner or
with a wire brush dipped in a solution
of baking soda and water. Don'tsplash
the solution on painted surfaces.
Check antifreeze level and
strength. A gauge found at most auto
parts stores called a hydrometer can
be used to test the antifreeze. Consult
the manual to see what strength should
be used for your climate.
Don t forget to check the fluid in
the radiator overflow tank, too.
Inspect the brake-fluid level. The
fluid should be within a quarter-inch
of the top of the reservoir. Some
brake-fluid tanks are translucent and
can be checked without opening them.
Tops on others have to be removed to
check the fluid.
Change the oiL If the motor oil
hasn't been changed within the sug
gested time, usually between 3,000
and 5,000 miles, have it changed,
along with the oil filter. The owner's
manual will recommend what grade
oil to be used for your weather zone.
Check the power steering and
automatic transmission fluids. Fol
low the owner's manual directions
for finding and inspecting the levels
of these two fluids. Add fluid slowly
to avoid overfilling.
Carefully inspect tires. Check
tires for tread depth and inflation
pressure. Do this when the tires are
cool, usually three hours after stop
ping. Don 't forget to check the spare.
I Inspect belts and hoses. Look
for cracks, leaks and connections on
hoses. Press on the middle of belts
and tighten or replace those that give
more than I to 1 12 inches.
I Look at the lights. Take a walk
around the car when lights, blinkers
and flashers are operating.
I Check the air filter. If you have
an oil change done commercially, the
air filter usually will be checked. If
not, hold it up to the light and replace
it if you can't see through it.
I Check wipers and washers. In
spect the windshield wipers to be
sure the rubber is in good shape and
doesn't leave streaks when operat
ing. Keep the windshield washer res-
ervoir filled with cleaning fluid.
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Do-it-yourself repairs can save money
Simple checks
and fixes you can
do without help
ByGillamHall
Staff Writer
Each month. University students
make trips to local mechanics that could
be avoided. From letting the oil gauge
get too low to allowing some warning
light to burn for months, we are all
guilty of some form of "car abuse."
As much as we depend on our cars, it
is unfortunate that they are not without
their share of problems. To reduce the
cost of needless car maintenance, here's
a list of things that you should do to
protect your car and reduce those ex
pensive trips to the garage.
Flat tires
Because of the differences in cars,
the first step in changing a flat tire is to
check the car's maintenance manual.
Whatever you do, don't ride on an
entirely flat tire; it will cost you far more
to drive with the flat tire than it will
simply to call a tow truck. If there is no
available manual, try the following steps:
1. Get everyone out of the car and
make sure no one is near the car when it
is lifted off the ground. Changing a tire
can be dangerous if all 2,000 pounds fall
on you.
2. Locate the jack, spare tire and tire
changing ratchet for your car. Most are
located in the trunk.
3. Take these out and put the spare
tire and ratchet aside. Before you jack
the car off the ground, loosen the lug
nuts so you can remove them off with
your hands later.
4. Place the jack firmly underneath
the car's steel frame and slowly jack up
the car. Raise the car high enough off
the ground to remove comfortably the
old tire and put on the spare (leave a
leeway of a couple of inches between
the ground and tire).
5. Take the lug nuts off with your
hand and place the new tire on the axle.
Resecure the bolts with your hand.
Lower the car, and then tighten the lug
nuts with the supplied ratchet so they fit
snugly.
6. More than likely, the spare tire is
small. Do not drive on this tire indefi
nitely. Spare tires are not meant to re
place your old tires for very long (pref
erably only for a couple of hours). It is
best to stop at a service station for fur
ther advice.
Oil
Don't assume that all you need to do
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Check
as far as oil is concerned is to add more
when the light comes on. Once the oil
light comes on. your engine is in serious
need of oil.
One of the easiest, most inexpensive
ways to get the full lifetime out of a car
is to change the oil on a regular basis
(about every 3 months or 3,000 miles,
whichever comes first). Many car shops
will do this for about $20.
You can do it yourself, but many find
it easier to allow a professional to handle
it. If you're interested in doing it your
self, check your car's manual for more
information.
Warning lights
Those lights on your dashboard are
there for a reason. Because they are
controlled by a temperature- and moisture-sensitive
computer, they can make
mistakes, but the golden rule is this: If
the light is on, take it to a service station
as soon as possible. The mechanic will
advise you about your next step. If you
are in doubt about alight and don't th ink
you can make it to the nearest mechanic.
See CARE, page 6
Day Thorpe
Owner & Mechanic
2$)QM2
Simnn iirvr fyrriincri)
under the hood yourself to find potential
8 Ways to
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Durham Chapel Hill
919-493-7411 919-942-4155
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