a RE ti, NET a a th hm TT ERECT RRR 55 RRC ar a iy Sut NNR Dp vis fw v "WEEKEND STAR" No matter where you live, Canada is a cold country in winter. When the first severe cold wave arrives you may discover that your battery no longer has the power to get your car started. A battery's output decreases as tem- perature drops, so a battery that was doing its job during the warm summer months, may only have half of its out- put when the thermometer dips below freezing. Meanwhile, your cold engine may need twice the starting power. If your car is hard to start because of a weak battery, you should consider replac- ing it. When buying a battery you'll be selecting from among several within the size range that fits your car. In addition to the price, there are other factors which you should consider: cold cranking amps, reserve capacity, and length and type of warranty. Cold cranking amps firs to the engines starting (cranking) output at -17 degrees Celsius for 30 sec- onds. A starter may draw 400 amps, so at -17 degrees C it would not take long on a cold winter moming to drain a battery rated at 300 cold cranking amps. Reserve capacity refers to the length of time the bat- tery will hold up without recharging. This usually is expressed in amperes of output per so many min- utes. When comparing bat- tery specs, you should com- pare output and reserve on the same amperage per time basis. Typically, the reserve capacity rating will refer to the amount of time a battery can produce 26 amps at 27 degrees Celsius. (Headlights may draw about 15 amps versus a tail light's 1.5-amps.) When idling along in stop- and-go traffic, with the heater, defroster, tape deck, and lights turned on, the electrical system is carrying a heavy load. That security is well worth the effort of eval- uating the best battery for your particular car. Remember, replacing the battery is no substitute for regularly maintaining your vehicle. If an engine is in borderline condition, needs a valve job or tune-up, even a strong battery may not get the car started. "Late 1s very short. enough? , Where can you get an auto- motive battery? In addition to retail outlets and depart- ment stores, you may also want to go to your local auto- motive parts wholesaler. Many of them will also accept your old battery and dispose of it properly. Did you know that one pound of lead from a battery or other source can contami- nate 7,000,000 gallons of water, making it unfit for human consumption (the average car battery contains 17 to 23 Ibs of lead)? Canadian automotive -bat- tery manufacturers partici- . pate in battery recycling programs across the country. Today, batteries are returned and disposed of in an environmentally safe fashion. ™ All CovtifioA All Ces tifred Emession Tested Selling cavs J om this location for 'the past 10 pears 166 Reach Park Rd., Port Perry 985-3885 And there's no time for fussing and fighting." No arguments here. ~ The BEATLES Haggle free ~ hassle free pricing. All year long. MOTORCITY SATURN Ssuau A DIFFERENT KIND o COMPANY. WWW. motorcitysi.com A DIFFERENT KIND o CAR. Tel: (905) 430-2350 Toll-Free: 1-877-SATURNG 1520 Dundas Street East, Whitby, Ontario, L1N 2K?7 UI one