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THE OAKVILLE BEAVER M^ V ^ ^48i)esday, October 27, 1999 ______ ___________________________1 _______________ IS YOUR GARAGE PROTECTING YOUR CAR BEnER THAN YOUR BARGAIN-RATE CAR INSURANCE? Don't trust just anyone to insure your car, see me: John Baumann 627 Lyons Lane #308. Oakville | 8 4 2 -2 2 2 5 Id e elltflJjjjT fciJr A little complacency goes a long way L ittle things mean a lot - especial ly when it comes to being your car's best buddy. And like a real-life buddy, if it tries to talk to you, it's not a good idea to stick your head in the sand. 'Cause whatever's wrong is bound to come out sooner or later. There are often a lot of little signals you can pick up from your car before the repair bill gets out of control - as long as you pay attention. For example, you may think that leaky tire just needs a shot of air once in a while to keep going. But let it go, and you could find yourself with an emer gency blowout, or simply what used to be a tire, now strewn in a trail of chewed-up chunks behind you. If you're lucky, you won't permanently damage the wheel or the fender . . . or the bumper. And what started as a $10 patch job has suddenly become a hundred-dollar new tire, or more if you damage other components. Indeed, a little complacen cy can go a long way. Another common disaster-waitingto-happen proves that even a car's beau ty only runs skin deep. "If people don't treat minor scratches or dents on the sheet metal of the car, and they leave scratches down to the metal exposed for any length of time, it creates premature surface rusting," says John Vincente, a Volkswagen service manager. "That expands into full-out rust if it's not treated properly. People get a door dent and don't treat it, and three years down the road they wonder why they have a rust hole in the door," he says. In colder climates, where salt is used to thaw the streets, Vincente adds it's vital to keep cleaning that salt off the car throughout the winter. But when it comes to going below the surface and keeping the actual engine from harm, the key, says one mechanic, is to accept the reality that cars need regular maintenance, and that they will die sooner without it. Sid Minuk, who owns a repair shop, says a lot of people turn a blind eye to warning signs because they believe that since cars are more efficient than they used to be they don't need regular main tenance. But they're wrong - little things only get bigger. "A lot of it is wear and tear," Minuk says. "I see cars in here that need so much work they're not even worth fix ing, because the owner just drove it and drove it and drove it until it quit." Minuk says climate is one of a car's most hostile enemies. "Weather wreaks a lot of havoc," he says. People in warmer climates tend to need air condi tioning or cooling system repairs more often, for example, whereas in colder regions, extreme weather can knock out the heating system, leaving parts of the engine susceptible to the cold. In fact, many people don't realize that poor interior heat is often an early warn ing sign of trouble; it doesn't just mean your fingers and toes are cold. Interior heat is drawn off the engine. If there's no heat, something in the engine isn't work ing - like the cooling system, for exam ple - which can lead to very expensive repairs as the breakdown starts a chain reaction that damages other parts of the engine. "A lot of people hear noises and think, 'Ah, it'll go away,"' Minuk says. But it won't, he stresses. If you do pull your head out of the sand long enough to actually take the car in for maintenance, don't underestimate the importance of using a good shop. "It's the bargain hunters who get taken to the cleaner's," Minuk says. "You get what you pay for." He warns against getting repairs done outside an established shop or by some one who's not licensed. "Everybody's got a friend of a friend who works on cars," he says. "Would you go to a dentist that's not licensed?" He points out that it's not necessarily mandatory to have a licence to open a repair shop; but if you needed to bring a lawsuit against the shop, they may have no liability insurance. So if they make a mistake on your car that causes an acci dent and injures you, he says, the owner could simply declare bankruptcy and close the shop instead of facing the courts. Or if it's a friend who has done the repairs, lawsuit or not, you can guar antee the friendship will be over, he says. What's more, even your own insurance may not cover you if the repairs were done by an unlicensed per son. "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing," Minuk says. "You have no busi ness doing brakes in your backyard. "If something happens and there's an investigation, you're liable." - By WBC News Services Chiysler LHS combines power and luxuiy lhe Canadian-built LHS is a high ly-stylized version o f the Concorde, offering more power and extravagant looks. Physically, the LHS retains many of the Intrepid/Concorde's styling cues, but sports a larger grille and ground effects that make the other LH cars look like their missing something. Under the hood remains the all-alu minum 3.5-litre SOHC V6 that pro duces 253 horsepower coupled to a four-speed automatic transmission (without AutoStick). It's the same engine found in the 300M and Plymouth Prowler. Along with the power comes a load full of standard luxury features, includ ing climate control, leather hides, power eight-way heated driver's and passenger's bucket seats, 17-inch cast- T aluminum wheels, traction control and a nine-speaker Infinity cassette/CD sound system. As a nice retro touch, the LHS's round gauges are trimmed with chrome rings, as is the standard centre-dashmounted analog timepiece. For 2000, LHS receives many of the same upgrades as the sportier 300M, including revised rear suspension that reduces noise, some chrome interior switches and several new colors. Type: Sedan Base engine (hp): 3.5-litre SOHC V6 (253) cty/hwy): 13.0/8.9 Safety: Front airbags, ABS, traction control Optional engine: None Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel drive Base price: $41,400 Transmission: 4-speed automatic Fuel consumption (1/100 km, Weight (kg): 1,630 Basic warranty: 3/60,000 Roadside assistance: Yes Web site: chryslercanadaxa Tire buying tips Where do you do your dri ving? Do you drive mostly around town? Then you probably don't need to spend extra money for a speed-related tire (unless your car came fitted with them). Do you drive fre quently on gravel? Then there are cer tain tread designs you should avoid. The answer to this question can point your tire dealer to the most appropri ate and cost-effec tive tire for your needs. At what speeds do you nor mally travel? If you travel at higher speeds, or own a sports car, you may need a speed-relat ed tire. However, if you always drive at moderate speeds, you proba bly do not need to go to the expense of buying a speedrelated tire. · · · · I on demond · 4-wheel drive · air conditioning · 4-wheel disc (ABS) · power steering power door locks · power front seats AM/FM/CD stereo cassette · remote entry olarm system · tilt steering · spoeed control s598°° $1000 DOWN *568°° $2000 DOWN ·537" $ODOWN 'tea se based on 3 t months, ?0 MOkaVyeor, plus tone, license, freight & administration. OJU. · «r conditioning · AM/FM stereo cassette and six speakers · 4-wheel fully independent suspension* tilt steering $ODOW I\I »full console with centre armrest · 60/40 spkt-folding rear seats $1000 DOWN · dud exterior mirrors with driver's side manual remote $2000 DOWN · front & rear floor mats · tinted glass · child protection *48 morth lease. Qomelres trailed to 100,80dm. Lease excludes heigh, b a n , insurance, registration 8 taxes, 0AC rear door locks · "Next-Generation" dual airbags 25/ 236U <21400 175 W yecroft Road, Oakville (BETWEEN KERR & DORVAL) * k www.lockwoodchrysler.com a r ~ r a r~ r