G fstbam Outlook W»d
June 16, 1982. Sondy Po*», Thun. June 17, 1982 _9
Thinking ahead can save breakdown on trip
by MARK STEM ART
of The Outlook staff
A pretrip check could save motorists a lot
of heartache on this summer’s vacation
drive.
I t ’s usually minor items which lead to
breakdowns on long trips
“ Most of the breakdowns which do occur
could have been taken care of with a little
preventative m aintenance,” says Bill
Dolby, manager of the Oregon Automobile
Club’s road service department.
Dolby says his crews have found that
most breakdowns could have been
prevented by p re -trip m aintenance.
“ Things do happen which are completely
unexpected (such as engine and transmis
sion failures), but not often,’’ he says.
The detail to which a vehicle should be
• Check the head and tail lights and turn
signals
Drivers also should carry a number of
items which could come in ^andy in case of
a breakdown, Dolby says This includes a
basic tool kit of screwdrivers and wren
ches, jumper cables, a container for water
or gas, a syphon hose and flares or reflec
tive devices to warn drivers of trouble
ahead
He also recommends carrying a tow rope
and spare belts and hoses if possible This
could allow a passing motorist to provide a
tow or a simple repair.
“ The better prepared you are before the
breakdown . . . the better able you’ll be
able to get out of it more easily.” Dolby
said.
If a breakdown does occur, there are
some common sense things which a
prepared depends on the length of the trip
and the destination “ If you are traveling
over 200 miles of nothing, you v int to be
prepared," Dolby says. Most people do a
good job of preparing their vehicles for a
long drives, he indicates
Dolby says a pre-trip check should in
clude :
• Giving the car a regular maintenance
including a tune-up and an oil change;
• Checking all fluid levels including the
battery, radiator and all power accessory
units;
• Inspect the belts which drive the cool
ing fan and power accessories Those which
are cracked or excessively worn should be
replaced;
• Inspect tires for cracks or nails Also
check the spare to make sure it has enough
air;
Caring for tires can be very simple
by MARK STEWART
of The Outlook staff
T a k in g c a re of tire s
doesn’t require a lot of time
or work, but it will increase
tire wear, safety, ride com
fort and fuel economy.
Basic tire care consists of
maintaining proper pressure
and rotating them every
5,000 m iles, says M ark
Musico of the Gresham Les
Schwab Tire Center, 390 E.
Burnside Road.
A ir pressure in tires
should be checked once a
month, he says The amount
of pressure depends on
recommendations for in
dividual vehicles It should
be checked when the tires
are cold
Keeping tires properly in
fla te d w ill in c re a s e a
motorist’s margin of safety
while driving Comsumer
Reports magazine says an
underinflated tire will im
pair normal braking and
tr a c t io n ; in c re a s e the
chance of overheating or tire
blowout especially at heavy
loads or high speeds, and
cause
a w k w a rd
or
dangerous handling. It also
will reduce fuel economy.
An overinflated tire also
provides a rougher ride, the
magazine says In addition,
a tire with too much air will
lack the “ give” tires need to
help avoid damage from
road hazards
M a in ta in in g
p ro p e r
pressure in tires also will
help them last longer, says
Randy Roberts of Master
Tire Center, 996 N E Division
St. An underinflated tire will
wear more rapidly at th
edges while an overinflated
tire will wear more quickly
in the center.
Rotating tires also is im
portant because it will allow
a set to wear evenly, he says
Radials must be rotated
from front to rear on the
same side. If they are moved
to the opposite side of the
vehicle, their internal belts
could slip which would riun
the tire.
However, bias-ply tires
can be moved across the car.
The usual method to rotate
this type of tire is to move
the front tires to the rear on
the same side and the rear
tires to the opposite front
side.
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it.”
Then place flares or reflective triangles
at the front and rear of the car to warn
passing drivers of the situation
The next step depends on the type of
breakdown If possible stay out of the road
way, he says However, this often is tough
when changing a flat on the left side of the
car on a narrow road If possible, use a
passenger to warn of oncoming traffic
The best rule of thumb to use during
breakdowns is to use common sense. Dolby
says.
Keep spare fuses around
reduced, which leads to bet
ter fuel economy, and belts
— usually steel cord — circle
the plies to provide lengevi-
ty, about 40,000 miles for the
average tire
Bias-ply tires have plies
and sidewalls which are stif-
fer, which affects handling
They also don’t roll as easily
as radials and usually do not
have steel belts to protect
them so they do not last as
long, usually about 25,000
miles
HARD TIMES
Coupon
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which provide better handl
ing, increased fuel economy
and longer life than bias-ply
tires. However, they are
more expensive than bias-
ply tires.
R adials handle b etter
because of their design —
body plies run from sidewall
to sidewall and perpen
dicular to the roadway This
allows the sidewalls to flex
and the tread to maintain
contact with the road.
Rolling resistance also is
motorist should do to increase his margin
of safety, he said.
Most important is to get off the road as
far as possible If the roadway has a fog
line on the shoulder, the car should be park
ed well inside it, Dolby says. “ If a car is a
hazard, the Oregon State Police will tow
,
To most car owners, fuses are
like volcanoes. They don't think
about them un til they blow
Then, certain accessories in the
car stop w o rk in g — p o ssib ly
windshield wipers, lights, radio
or whatever is on that circuit.
Caught without a spare, you
could be in trouble
Protecting the car s electrical
system, fuses open and shut o ff
current when overloads occur
that could damage w iring or
other components. To get a c ir
cuit back in business after a fuse
blows, the fuse has to be re
placed If it blows again, find
out why and correct the prob
lem
u m y sen, u n n t K
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