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THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1998 Fall: Time to Check Your Automobile's Health 2 ee (MS) - Now that summer's over, it's time to check the overall health of your car to prepare for a smooth ride this winter. The summer's heat, dust, and stop-and-go traffic all have taken their toll on your vehicle, and when com- bined with the effects of last winter, you could be poised for serious car problems. The following tips, can help you get the most from your car this winter: Tires - Check your tires' air pressure at least once a month, and be sure to rotate them as suggested in your owner's manual. Check the tire tread for wear, cuts or lodged obstacles that can puncture your tires. Also, check the inside and outside tire walls for cuts, bubbles or blemishes. Brakes - Be alert for noises. A "squeak" can be a warning of brake-pad wear or a buildup of foreign matter, and a "grinding" usually sig- nifies serious damage to other é é brake parts. As the most im- portant safety feature on your car, don't take chances with your brakes. Get them checked this fall and con- sider it a winter insurance policy for your family. Shocks, struts and sus- pension - If your car sags, sways or "dives" when brak- ing or cornering; has a harsh, bumpy ride, espe- cially after hitting a bump or pothole; or your tires have Cleaning Up Your Car's for the Winter Driving Season (MS) - If you're like most homeowners, the arrival of fall usually signals the begin- ning of the big fall cleanup. Maybe you'll clear the yard and gutters of fallen leaves or prune that weak branch that may succumb to the weight of upcoming snow and ice. Have you ever con- Alliance Tire 5 OPE! QUEEN'S TIRE & SERVICE LTD. BRIDGESTONE MICHELIN BLIZZAK ARTIC ALPIN |. Member of VITO MANCHISI 387 Queen Street E. ACTON mobile 519-362-VITO (8486) 19-853-3940 N SATURDAYS 8-2 uneven wear - your shocks, Struts and suspension parts may be worn. Batteries - Car: batteries tend to fail when you least expect it, especially if they are more than 31U2 years old. In fact, it's the combina- tion of heat and natural vi- bration during the summer season that causes battery problems in colder tempera- tures, not the cold itself. The sidered preparing your car for the long winter months? Sure, cleaning the car is a warm-weather ritual, but winter is the time when your car needs the most attention. Second only to your home, a car probably is the biggest investment you will ever make. That's why it's important to protect your in- vestment from all the mud, snow, rain and road salt that Old Man Winter can dish out. Following are some sug- gestions to help you get your car's exterior prepared for the cold winter. First, rinse the vehicle thoroughly with a strong, steady stream of water to re- move any loose surface dirt - otherwise, when you wash your car, you'll just be moy- ing the dirt around and pos- ALSO While They Last. Used Tires Available Firestone PERFORMANCE YOU CAN TRUST 4STHDGESTONE FALL SPECIALS Rust Protection Special BOOK NOW Cooling System Service Includes 2 gallon Anti-freeze flush system, pressure test 4 cylinder 6 cylinder 8 cylinder Tune-Up Special Includes Spark Plugs & Labour Additional Parts Extra Gil, Lube & Filter $18.95 Pius FREE Tire Rotation & 2 Inspectic Brake Specials Front Brakes............ Rear Drum Brakes ...$74.95* *Parts and Labour most cars $79.95* HALTON HILLS TIRE CENTRE LTD. 68 Main Street North, Moore Park Plaza, Georgetown 905-877-5110-9 Established since 1979 at same location é only accurate way to deter- mine battery strength is to let a certified technician with professional equipment verify its level of charge. Therefore, get your battery checked before the cold weather sets in. What Can You Do? If your car shows any signs of excessive wear, take it toa reputable service center that offers certified techni- cians and written guarantees on all parts and labor. Act - sibly grind it into the paint. It's a good idea to hose down the inside of the wheel wells, undercarriage and any cracks, like the gas filler area, to remove road debris that can contribute to corro- sion. After preparing the exte- rior, fill a clean bucket with lukewarm water, and use a detergent specially formu- lated for auto finishes. Avoid using household detergents, since they may contain ingre- dients and abrasives harmful to your car's finish. Next, take a clean sponge and, starting with the roof, clean a small area of the car at a time. Avoid letting the soap dry on the car. To re- duce the chance of scratch- ing the paint, wring out the sponge before you start a new section. If the sponge should drop on the ground, rinse it thoroughly with a hose. This will help minimize the risk of dragging small stones and debris across the finish. Now, your car is all dressed up and ready to go anywhere. With this advice, winter won't catch your car looking less than its personal best. all YOURWAY > MUFFLER ACTON'S ONLY EXHAUST SPECIALIST FREE BRAKE OR EXHAUST INSPECTIONS ANYTIME! e Custom Pipe Bending e Licensed Safety Inspection Station 17 Agnes St. Acton 853-0900 'ys © \ IT IS IMPORTANT for car owners to use a motor oll that is not too thick, or too high in viscosity, to help cars perform in cold winter tempertatures Four Simple Steps for Winterizing Your Car It used to be that the ar- tival of Old Man Winter went hand in hand with switching to a lower viscos- ity, or thinner, motor oil more suitable for colder tempera- tures. Today's technology, how- ever, has provided car own- ers with a number of highly engineered options that are versatile enough to perform year-round. Engineers rec- ommend checking the own- er's manual to determine whether or not your particu- lar car requires a winter-vis- cosity motor oil. The majority of late- model cars specify an all-year viscosity product. However, cee PLUS about 20 percent of cars made these days still require a different viscosity in the winter than in the summer." For cars that fall in the latter category, itis important to follow the manufacturer's specifications, since using a motor oil that is too thick, or too high in viscosity, will delay the flow of oil into the engine upon start-up in ex- treme-cold conditions. This can result in increased en- gine wear and lower gas mileage, and even can pre- vent the engine from turning. This applies more to cli- mates with extreme differ- ences in temperature from winter to summer. In terms of an overall checklist for winterizing your car, having your service location also check the following three additional items: * Check the undercoating for corrosion - Over time, a car's undercoating gets abraded from the elements. It's areal good idea to get the undercoating touched up, es- pecially in areas where there's a lot of salt on the toad. This important meas- ure could prevent rust from developing in the future. * Check the freezing point of the coolant - Most car manufacturers suggest changing the antifreeze every two years, but there are some long-life antifreeze products on the market that only need to be changed every five years. * Change tire tread and adjust tire air pressure - Standard tread tires should be replaced by either winter tires or all-weather tires. Once your car is fitted with the proper tires, make sure that they are adequately in- flated. Generally, a car's tires lose approximately one pound of pressure for every 10-degree decrease in tem- perature.