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PAGE 2, WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 1979. WHITBY FREE PRESS, NEW CAR SUPPLEMENT Traveling by ,Car"?Read .TheseTips: Roa4worthy cars- should be able to pass. a few criti- cal., operational tests. Most of these inspections can be performed easily by your- self or a member of your family. Begin by checking the brake system. With the en- g ine idling, place -your foot on 'the brake pedal while your car remains stationary for at least fifteen seconds. If the pedal falîs away underfoot,' it's a sign of a possible leak in the brake's hydraulic fluid system. 'As fluid is necessary for proper operation ' of ýyour auto's braking system, it is impor- tant to have ar.v velated problem corr ected. as soon as possible. As an additional safe- guard, you'll want to drive the car on a dry, smooth road where there is light traffic. Briiqg the car to a slow stop and apply the brake pedal with varying de- grecs of pressure. .-At each stop, check for shuddering," sponginess, or hardness, where excessive pressure. is n.eeded to ,stop, the-car. I-f* any' of these, signs, appear, there, is'a raonbechance your brake system needs* at- tention. You dani avoid costly transRmission renairs bv fre- quently testing your auto fluid dipstick. Draw the stickfrom its tubular hold:- er and examine the fluid -it contains under normal con- ditions. It,,should appear red in colër. and have a pleasant 66un-varnish like" odor. color of exhaust smoke. White ýsmoke indicates nor- mal condensation purged fom inside the engine. Blue o r blue-gray smoke, mdi- cates, your engine is burning ou and may need mechani- cal repair. Clanking noises and con- tinuous bouncing might be signs of worn shiock absorb- ers. You'Il also wànt to be You are now ready to bo- aware of the need to over- cate the carburetor air-. steer after turn ing corners. cleaner, a large.component If even one of these signs ap- found in the. middle, of your pears,, it is best to purchase car's'engine. It's easy to un- four new absorbers and in- screw the cover and remove stail themn as soon- as possi- the carburetor filter from its be housing., By tapping thi fil- Ct, nVntedae ter, you should be able to see Cus-nee9redae any accumulated dirt. and 'bulges: in icate more Clogged filters should be re- serious tire pr blems and placed imfmediately. This is are usually an idication of. also a zood time to note the needed, replacelent., Tires should be replaced in twos, and new research indicates plcment in the, rear o0th auto. Anytime tires are re- set, an "alignment" or auto balance should bceier formecl by a skilled mech- anic. Other potential trouble- spots to look out for in- clude windshield wipers that may need replacing, broken or loose rear-view mirrors and, lights. Make sure sig- nais, taillights, and brake lights are working *right and that bieadlights 'are properly adjusted. ' Once you're sure your car is in good shape for the trip ahead, make sure it's also well-equiipped w*ith a ire ex- tinguisher, road flares, tire inflators and a first aid kit. A good first-aid kit should contain items such as gauze bandage, -a 3-inch elastic bandage, heavy-duty feminine napkins (to substi- tute for gauze), distilled water in a plastic bottle (to cool burns), adhesive tape, ammonia inhalants,- scis-' sors and safety pins. It's also a good idea to pac k a sheet that you_ can cut up for slings and band- ages, plus a blanket. If there, will be children along, take extra safety pre- cautions. Safety studies in- dicate that children should travel in -the back seat and be restrained with a seat beit or other restraint especially' designed for thonm. They should never travel unre- strained in the front sea t! (Ai thserecommenda- tions assume that the car in question does flot have auto- matic restraints.) Once you're on the road, enjoy yourself, but don't for- get to keep an eye out for road hazards. Some of the most common hazards seem to be narrow bridges, rail- road crossings, and sur- faces that are slippery when wet, for instance. Bad signs can also cause accidents due to a driver's inability to read themn or due to poor place- ment. Watch out also, for guarçirails that have sharp ends instead of curved ones ... they pierce your car's body. Too-narrow roads, sharp curves, broken pave- ments, and steep unguarded embankments are other road hazards to be alert for. Safety experts advise keeping an eyç out for such potential hazards 'and for emergency escape routes as' you drive. It's best to drive in the middle of your trafic lane, rather than hug- the shoulder. It's vital to take frequent rest stops when you're driv- ing. You'll stay alert longer and enijoy traveling more if you stop regularly to sec the sights or just to take it easy. Make sure wi*ndshield wipers are in shape for use ii bad weather v As, with so many other via omponents on your car, your windshield wip- ers, are most likely to fail just when you need them the most - like during the next storm. In the -summer, heat, smog, and even your serv- ice station attendant's wIndshield washer spray are working together to reduce the efticiency of your-wiper system. It's no wonder, af ter sitting quiet- ly on your windshield and deteriorating day-mn and day-out, that they o!ten fait to do their job. Check whert raining The best time to check your windshieid wiper sys- tem is during a rainstorm. Or you can check it the next time you go through a car wash. You can also perform a good check while someone sprays your wlndshield with a garden hose. However you choose to check your wipers, you should check them on botb- the fast and slow speeds. If any trouble symptoms are present, you should replace as much of your wiper system as is neces- sary to eliminate the prob- lem. In many cases, aH that la needed are new squeegees (the rubber 'Parts 'that contact the windshield). Replace hotlu bladcs When you do replace all or part of your wiper Don'î kili Sometimes it isn't "busi- ness as usual"ý when serv- icing a new model car equipped with a catalytic converter. Take the mat- ter of using a carburetor cleaner or other fueliddi- blades, malce sure ytuii z-- place both sides ati thé' same time. If one wiper la shot, it's a good bèt the other one is about to go, too. Sale vision during- hazardous road conditions is too Important to risk for a few dollars. Here are five visible or audible Indicators that will 'signal the need for attention to your wind- shield wipers. Clear dniv- ing vision is especially. Im- portant during' the bad weather season. Check.for the followIng signs of mal- functioning: 1. STREAKING - arcs of unwiped moisture with- ln the wiping, area. 2. HAZING - a thin, hard-to-see-through film covening most or ail of the wiping area even a! ter the blade has just been wiped. 3. CHATTERING - a "stuttering"l motion of the blade accompanied by a "chattering" noise as the blade sweeps across the windshield, with some areas le! t unwiped. 4. SCALLOPINO - a ragged outer edge ln the wîping pattern. 5. RATTLING - no vis- ible signs o! problems, but the wiper blade sounds as if it were very loose. Can be reduced or eliminated by swltching to polycar- bonate blades. 'cal' t.ive. Uniess these sub- stanccs are used in a cer- tain prescribed way. they couid cause damage to the converter, rendering It useless. Read and follow the'directions exactly.