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Page 2 NORTHWEST HERALD Section C Friday, September 27,1985 drainpan ADVANTAGE OF BIG SAVINGS BUY DIRECT from the , BUSS FAMILY Wheels With cold weather coming, check car's cooling system By Ray Hill With cold weather on the way. it's time to pay close attention to your cars cooling system. In some cases, you may have to drain the radia- tior. Here's how: Some radiators may not have drain petcocks at the bottom of the radiator. In this case, you must disconnect the bottom hose from the radia­ tor to allow the coolant to drain out (see drawing). r Drain coolant from the radiator only when the engine is cold. This way you won't risk burning your hands. Remember, draining the radiator does not drain the coolant from the engine. To do this you must remove the drain plug (or plugs) from the engine block. If you can't find the drain plug, ask a mechanic to point it out to you. The cooling system should be drained, flushed, and new coolant < half water, half anti­ freeze) added eviery two years. Dealing with a stuck lug nut Flat tires usual­ ly aren't thoughtful enough to happen in front of a garage. Sometimes you may find that you can't get enough leverage on the lug wrench. If your car uses a bumper jack, you may be able to get the leverage needed by slipping the hollow end of the bumper jack over the lug wrench. The bumper-jack shaft is long enough to give you the leverage you need. Stopping car thieves By Ken Franckling UPI feature writer BOSTON - Tick, tick, tick, tick. Every 31 seconds -- nearly twice a minute -- a car is stolen somewhere in the United States. Across the country, the odds are l-in-169 your car will be stolen this year. The bigger the city, the higher the odds. Statistics from the National Automobile Theft Bureau show that the crime of car theft costs $5 billion a year, including the value of the vehicle and the cost of trying to find it. So what can you do to keep your car from be­ ing purloined? To stay on the good side of the odds? There are a lot of things. Some involve nothing more than com­ mon sense, when statis­ tics show nearly one in five stolen cars was left u n l o c k e d b y i t s operator. The crime prevention organization also rec­ ommends parking with thfe front wheels turned sharply to the left or right, making it diffi­ cult for the professional thief to tow your car away. With front-wheel- drive cars, pull on the emergency brake and put the car in park. With a stick shift, leave the trnsmission in for­ ward or a reverse gear, so all four wheels will be locked. Here are some of the consumer agency's oth­ er tips: -- Park in a well- lighted area; put pack­ ages and valuables out of sight. -- Activate any anti- theft device you have because they create de­ lays and buy time. "The more time it takes a thief to steal a car, the more obvious he be­ comes, the more likely he is to be discouraged and the more likely he is to be caught," NATB says. -- If you park in a lot or garage, leave only the ignition key with the attendant. -- Keep your license and registration in your wallet or purse. If left in the car, thieves can use the, documents to sell the car. or to imper- s o n a t e y o u w h e n stopped by police. Several years ago. I received a letter from a Lowell, Mass.. man who was serving time in a Virginia prison. In the previous seven years, John Graham said he had stolen more than 200 cars and had infor­ mation that might help people from losing their cars. His commonsense tips are worth sharing again. -- \ev '• leave yc keys in the car. even in your driveway. -- Replace knobby lock buttons on car doors with a "slip lock" , stem that cannot be ma­ nipulated from the out­ side by a coat hanger. -- An alarm will al­ ways put a scare into a car thief, although it may not always prevent your car from being stolen. -- Install a hidden switch that must be flipped before the car will start. -- If you're really < worried, open the hood and disconnect one end of the coil wire when leaving the car. "The car won't start and most won't go under the hood to look for a prob- 1 e m , ' ' G r a h a m explained. -- A gas lock is also effective. -- So is a dog. Simple suggestions like Graham's may de­ ter most thieves, even though he concedes there are some hard­ core crooks who enjoy a challenge. "I've seen car thieves who want a car so bad that they'd steal a tow truck and use it to bring the car to an isolated place so the ignition could be worked on," Graham said. There is another car theft problem to consid­ er -- the fear of buying a "hot car" on the used- car market. If you knowingly buy a stolen car, you can be arrest­ ed. If you buy one un­ wittingly, you can lose both the car and the purchase price. NATB recommends buying a used car from a reputable, established dealer. When buying from an individual, be wary of a seller with no * fixed address or job. In addition, ask the seller about past financ­ ing and insurance, then verify it with the bank or insurance, agent. Check the vehicle iden­ tification number for possible alteration or replacement. And, be suspicious of a fresh paint job on a late model car. which could indicate a cover- up by thieves. Check keys and locks, and make sure you obtain at least one set of original manufacturer's keys, not a replacement set. >bu can't eat fish TPom - foul water. When doing this, though, be sure the lug wrench is securely over the lug nut before you push down. This way the lug wrench won't "slip off the nut. Your car pulls to one side while driving. One possible cause for this is uneven tire pressures. Be sure that each tire is inflated to the pressure recommended in your owner's manual. Another possible cause is a sticking front brake. Have a mechanic check it out. When should I replace the spark plugs In my car? This confuses a lot of people, partlv be­ cause there are still many older cars on the road which require more frequent plug replace­ ment than newer cars. Basically the story is this: Older cars that use mechanical (breaker point) ignition and burn leaded gas require new plugs about every 10.000 miles. Newer cars with electronic ignition which use unleaded gas can go longer before needing new plugs. To find out for sure, consult the owner's manual or service manual for your car to deter­ mine at what mileage intervals new plugs should be installed. The important thing to remember is this: Nothing hurts a car's performance more than worn-out spark plugs. They're not all that ex­ pensive. Replace them at the mileage interval recommended by the manufacturer. A stitch in time saves nine. There are some things it pays to practice at home before an emergency strikes on the road. Two of these are changing fuses and changing a flat tire. For the round barrel-type fuses you need an inexpensive fuse puller, available at auto parts supply stores. Carry spare fuses in the glove compartment. For a flat, you merely need the equipment supplied with the car. Follow the instructions in the owner's manual for changing a flat -- so you'll know that everything is there and that you know how to use it. 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