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Can you trust your brakes Lack of agreement among automobile manufacturers for properly maintaining one of the most important car safety systems the brakesmay leave motorists in doubt and behind the wheels of potentially unsafe cars Unlike standard recommendations for changing engine oil changing brake fluid is viewed differently by individual car makers Generally brake system mainten ance is deemphasized by North American Manufacturers In the effort to promote how simple and inexpensive their cars are to maintain Most foreign manufacturers on the other hand take a more approach to brake system safety by providing car owners with belter maintenance guidelines The Hamilton Automobile Club warns that without periodic maintenance a cars brake system may be subject to a vapor lock which is similar to what happens to a fuel system Just as a gas line may get so hot that the gasoline in it is vaporized depriving the engine of fuel heat can cause brake fluid to vaporize blocking braking action The vapor lock will disappear without a trace after the brakes have cooled and the brakes will operate normally The of brake systems brake fluid Is chemically formulated with a high boiling point to resist vapor problems However brake fluids are also hygroscopic which means they absorb water out of the atmosphere As the moisture builds up in the fluid over a year or more the physical characteristics of the fluid change and the boiling point la lowered When the moisture buildup and boiling point loss arc vapor lock is possible The danger is that the driver cannot detect an imminent problem in advance be cause the brakes will operate normally until the right combination of heat and water contamination cause the vaporization of the fluid Water contamination In brake fluid also hastens corrosion which may mean early replacement of brake system parts dam aged beyond repair GeorgetownActon Wednesday April CAR CARE Your Guide to Safe SpringSummer Driving A Community Newspaper The best way to prevent vapor lock is to treat brake fluid like engine oil Flush out and change the fluidevery I2tol8monthsas a preventive measure especially on a new car Debris and sludge may be present in the system of older car with no previous history of fluid changes In this case a complete disassembly and cleaning is recommended before the first brake fluid change Not un like again the procedure for an engine in which oil changes have been neglected There are no uniform moisture standards as yet for in use brake fluid bo the onus is on the owner to make this routine brake system maintenance a part of their personal auto safety program Preventing rust is easier than trying to cure it Once rust becomes entrenched It is dif ficult completely Despite great strides by automakers in the use of more rustresistant materials in constructing cars many car owners want Increased rust protection Here are some tips from the Hamilton Automobile Club to help select the type of rust proofing most desirable to you Rust proofing Is the application of supple mentary sealing materials to hidden metal surfaces that ore exposed to water snow and salt Often the rustproofer has to drill holes to reach hollow areas inside places such as doors and rocker panels Arustprooflngjob is most effective if done before rust ha a chance to start Contrary to popular belief does little to stop rust Since it is simply sprayed on the exposed surfaces under the car It cannot protect hollow areas Its primary purpose is to dampen noise and protect against stone chipping Rust proofing can be done by car dealers auto body shops and fulltime specialists whose primary business Is only that service Auto dealers these days often use rust- proofing to increase their profits on a car sale by charging specialtyshop prices for a less comprehensive service In shopping for rustprooflng be leery of services that claim to do the Job quickly Properly done the car must be left at day for preparation application and cleanup Be suspicious of shops that claim holes i need not be drilled to reach bidden areas I The suggests you inspect the work yourself afterward Look for the plugs where holes were drilled and remove some of them Probe gently in the hole with a screwdriver to the tip chances are coverage is skimpy Warranties should be compared while shopping for a rustproofer Check for who I stands behind the work Is it the parent company or only the local agent What happens if the local shop changes owners Are certain parts excluded What happens if the rustproofer misses an area that later rusts Watch for exclusions that only properly treated areas are warranted or I rust due to neglected maintenance is not CeaUaaedoBPageS Spring conditioning important for cars Spring is here If you havent made an appointment to have your car prepared DO today Many of the spring conditioning pro cedures are important for the proper func tioning of your car Not to do them could cause damage to the vital running ports The Hamilton Automobile Club offers these suggestions for getting the job done Have the an freeze solution checked Have radiator drained and flushed if not done for years Check the cars transmission and dif ferential These are among the cars vital organs Clean or replace the cars spark plugs Faulty plugs or those corroded with carbon waste gasoline make starting difficult and cause inefficient operation of your car Check the battery and charging system for proper operation Repair or replace if they are not providing the necessary power Winter driving takes a heavy toll on bat teries and charging system Check the fluid in the master brake cylinder You might also have the cars brakes checked for wear and adjustment Have the tires checked for proper tread depth cuts breaks or bruises The safety of you and your passengers rides on the con dition of your cars tires Have the underneath portion of your car checked Rain sleet snowdrifts mud and water can break or bend mufflers and tailpipes and corrode or damage springs and shock absorbers Run your car through the car wash Then inspect the paint and chrome for chips and rust Small paint chips can be spot painted but large rust spots should be repaired Check tires periodically Sometimes its easy to spot car problems such as an oil leak or a weak battery However tire problems are different report the engineers of a well known tire company These days you cant kick a tire to see if the air pressure is right and Its impossible to check inflation Just by looking at a tire says Hess manager of passenger tire project engineering The reason for this according to Hess is because todays tires especially radials often look as though they are underinflated when they are not Look at safety features when buying a car that carries the load of the vehicle To be sure the air pressure your tires is correct consult the car owners manual and check the inflation every few weeks Safety belts head restraints padded dashboards sidedoor reinforcements and collapsible steering columns are crash- worthiness features that improve the ability of an automobiles occupants to survive a crash Yet other safety equipment items known as crash avoidance features are used more frequently in everyday driving The better the crash avoidance features of a car the fewer opportunities the driver will have to assess the crashworthlness features Tires rated A for traction and A for temperature resistance can provide an extra safety margin even in ordinary driving The ratings have been molded in the rubber on the lires to guide consumers Halogen headlights are a must Their improved performance especially on the highbeam setting make a difference in safety and comfort during night driving A headlightflasher control located on the turnsignal stalk allows the driver to flash the headlights high beams quickly during daylight driving The conspicuous alter native to the horn should make other drivers notice your car Cars with amber turnsignal lenses at the rear of the car usually have their fourway flashers wires spearately from the brakes Drivers can simultaneously brake for unexpected highway traffic backups ahead while using their flashers to warn traffic approaching from behind at high peed Check the differences in windshield wipers and washers when shopping for a new car Is each front fender visible through the portion of the windshield cleared by the wipers Do the washers flood the windshield with solvent or do they make a couple of wet spots on the windshield Do the wipers come on automatically with the washers The driving mirrors contribute much to a drivers ability to maintain a cushion of space around the vehicle A tall driver should look for an inside mirror that can be tCoattaMdeaPageO