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14- PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, October 31, 1995 "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice " The facts of engine life Ecological issues An early warning sign of engine wear is excessive oil consumption, usually accompanied by blue- black exhaust smoke. A common reason for this condition is worn valve guide seals, according to Car Care Canada of the Automotive Industries As- sociation of Canada. The valves in a typical engine may open and close as of- ten as 100,000 times per hour at highway speeds. The stem of the valve, slid- ing up and down its guide, 18 fitted with a special seal designed to permit only a limited amount of oil to pass. (Some oil is neces- sary for lubrication.) When these seals wear or harden, oil burning be- gins. Many to the condi- tions which cause an en- gine to burn oil prematurely are due to ve- hicle neglect. Piston rings, for example, can wear out Road Safe it ty sup to MAXIMUM you! prematurely because of the owner's failure to change the oil and filter regularly. Worn rings lead to excessive oil consump- tion. There's only one satis- factory cure for worn pis- ton rings: major engine work, which normally is accompanied by replace- ment of bearings, timing belt or chain, valve guides and other worn internal components. At that time valves are ground or re- placed. This procedure, com- bined with a complete tune-up, usually will re- turn the engine to nearly new performance. With proper mainte- nance an engine should go well beyond the 160,000 km mark without needing an overhaul. Check engine oil regularly, recommends Car Care Canada. If oil is over-full or smells like gasoline, it may be diluted with gasoline, thereby Lube, oil, filter check all levels X $179 Lube, oil, filter CS Cv having lost some of its lu- bricating qualities. If you have to pump the accelerator to keep the en- gine from stalling, you may be pumping raw gaso- line into the crank case. This situation can be avoided by keeping the en- gine in tune. Misfiring spark plugs can aggravate a situation such as this because they permit raw, unburned gasoline to wash into the crank case. Not only does this create hard starting, it also accelerates wear due to diluted engine oil. Another factor in oil burning is a malfunction- ing positive crank case ventilation (PCV) valve, which is intended to route oil vapors through the combustion chamber rath- er than permitting them to escape into the atmos- phere. If the PCV system is not In proper working order, it can cause oil burning. Remember: excessive oil burning is a condition that gradually worsens and can affect other aspects of the engine. Like so many other car troubles, says Car Care Canada, early detection and correction are essential. Beyond keeping up with changing technology, au- tomotive service techni- cians now face a new chal- lenge: keeping up with the automotive "green" list. Air conditioning service, for example, now demands sophisticated equipment and procedures; drain oil, tires and batteries must be properly disposed of. Depending upon provin- cial regulations, anti- freeze and oil filters are on the list. It's unpopular, if industry not illegal, to throw tires or batteries in the trash. Cleaning solvents, anti- freeze, even shock absorb- ers, which contain oil, are among materials to be dis- posed of properly. It all adds up to a clean- er environment, says Car Care Canada of the Auto- motive Industries Associa- tion of Canada, but at a cost that must be shared by vehicle owners and the that services them. Maintaining car cuts pollution The environment soon may surpass our other worries as the primary is- sue of concern to Canadi- ans. Increased fears about the quality of our air and water are heightened by recent reports of holes in the ozone layer. Nearly two-thirds of to- tal carbon monoxide, more than quarter of the hydro- carbons and a third of the nitrogen oxides which pol- lute our atmosphere come from motor vehicles. These percentages will de- crease dramatically as the vehicle population, with enhanced emission control systems, gets younger (a 1972-1975 model car pro- duces as much pollution as four new cars). Another factor: as we improve the overall main- tenance of existing vehi- cles we significantly re- duce harmful exhausts. Periodic checkups, along with necessary maintenance, can make a big difference in exhaust. emissions. Even the sim- ple replacement of a dirty air filter, one of the most offending components, can reduce emissions and save gas. The Car Care Council of the Automotive Industries Association of Canada of- fers a few more things you should know about engine conditions: If your engine is smok- ing out of the exhaust, it may mean: * The fuel system is mal- functioning; | IW eloome: * The engine control computer system is mal- rotate tires. Cooling System flush & fill $49.99 $39.99 Jeff is formerly from the Uxbridge area and has been in the car business for the past 7 years. Competitive pricing and long term commitment to his customers has been and will remain to be Jeff's philosophy. He would also like to thank his previous customers for their business, loyalty and FORD « MERCURY Sales & Leasing » Parts & Service Hwy 7A West, Port Perry 085-3655 fe functioning; * The engine may need 4 99 to be overhauled due to «| Jeff Ireland worn piston rings or If an exhaust analyzer shows high carbon monox- ide content, it may mean: *The air filteris dirty; * The PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) systems clogged; * The cold start system 1s operating too rich; * The ignition timing is incorrectly adjusted: * The thermostatic air friendship. control i8 malfunctioning; "I look forward to continuing our relationship in to The air injection sys- mis malfunctioning. Front end the years to come". If an exhaust analyzer shows high hydrocarbon content it may mean: alignment » Fouled spark plugs; * Faulty spark plug wires; ~* Faulty ignition tim- ing; * The fuel system is too rich; *There's a vacuum leak.