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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 2015)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL February 25, 2015 5B Don’t forget headlights when performing routine maintenance Veteran and even novice drivers understand the im- portance of visibility when they get behind the wheel of their vehicles. When visibility is not an issue, drivers can more easily see their fellow motorists and better anticipate potentially dangerous situations. But when visibility is compro- mised, drivers and their passengers are vulnerable to a host of dangers, including inclement weather and aggressive motorists. Many things can affect drivers’ vis- ibility on the road, but those who take a proactive approach to improving their visibility can put themselves in a better position to handle any negative situa- an engine of power. Drivers may notice tions that may arise. One of the ways to sluggish acceleration. do just that is to pay more attention to Air fi lters also can get so dirty that the your headlights. Often overlooked when engine stalls completely. But such a performing routine vehicle maintenance, problem only develops after considerable headlights must be maintained to ensure neglect. optimal visibility for drivers. Air fi lters may not need to be replaced at The following are a few ways drivers can each and every oil change service call. improve the performance of their head- Many technicians advise replacing the lights to make their vehicles safer for fi lter every 8,000 miles. However, driv- themselves and their passengers. ers who live in particularly dry and dusty • Pay attention to the headlights’ output. regions may need to replace fi lters more Perhaps the most noticeable indicator frequently. of an aging headlight is its light output. Mechanics can often detect when an air As bulbs start to dim, drivers may fi nd fi lter needs to be replaced. If he or she themselves struggling to see during notices the air fi lter is particularly dirty, twilight and at night. That diffi culty is then it’s probably time to replace it. not necessarily because drivers’ own Replacing the fi lter is a relatively inex- vision is failing, but may be a result of pensive repair for the amount of perfor- aging bulbs whose light output is gradu- mance and peace of mind a new fi lter ally reduced by the effects of humidity, provides. electrical resistance and fi lament fatigue. Drivers who notice their headlights are not producing as much light as they once did should know that reduced output is a telltale sign of aging bulbs that need to be replaced. • Say “so long” to the status quo. Rec- ognizing dimming bulbs is just the fi rst step toward improving the performance of your headlights. The next step is for drivers to recognize that all headlight bulbs are not cre- ated equal. Instead of replacing OIL CHANGE W/WIPER BLADES existing bulbs with with Multi-Point Bumper to Bumper Inspection the same Diesels Excluded. type of bulbs Coupon includes 5 quarts of non-synthetic oil provided Coupon Expires 4-15-15 by their Mention this ad for pricing. vehicle’s manufac- 518 Hwy. 99 South turer, drivers (541) 942-7112 can vastly Please call, Appts. Appreciated Why a clean air fi lter is important in your vehicle Motorists routinely check their tires for proper infl ation, top off engine fl uid lev- els and maintain oil change schedules. But some drivers do not understand the importance of keeping engine air fi lters clean. Engine air fi lters are a relatively inex- pensive vehicle part, but they perform a very important job. For every gallon of gas a car burns, it uses the equivalent of 12,000 gallons of air, and that air must be fi ltered to help keep an engine clean. Air fi lters catch all of the dust, grime, insects, sap, leaves, and any other de- bris that may get sucked up past the air intake of the vehicle’s grill and into the engine itself. Without the air fi lter, those contaminants may compromise the engine, causing corrosion and abrasion. If the air fi lter in the engine becomes too dirty and is not changed regularly, the engine is starved of air. Clean air fi lters allow just the right ratio of air to fuel to enable the engine to function properly. Engines need ad- equate air for the combustion process to take place. Without the proper com- bustion levels, vehicles cannot perform properly or effi ciently and the engine may burn more gas or get fewer miles to the gallon. A dirty fi lter also can rob $ 34.95 improve their visibility by upgrading to a bulb designed to provide more light than the standard halogen bulbs found in many of today’s vehicles. Leading automotive lighting manufacturer Philips produces a range of Upgrade Headlight Bulbs that offer up to 100 percent more light on the road than standard halogen bulbs. That’s a signifi cant benefi t to driv- ers, as motorists’ visual acuity is reduced by 70 percent at night, when statistics from the National Highway Traffi c Safe- ty Administration indicate 49 percent of all fatal accidents occur. The NHTSA also notes that the fatality rate per mile driven at night is roughly three times as high as it is during daylight hours. • Find the right fi t. The right headlight bulb can dramatically improve visibil- ity when driving at night, but what’s good for the goose is not always good for the gander. That’s because motorists drive for various reasons and on various roads, so the right bulb for seniors who don’t often take to the highways will not necessarily be the best fi t for commuters who routinely drive long distances. Phil- ips makes a headlight bulb for every type of driver, and each Upgrade Headlight Bulb creates a better beam pattern that is dramatically longer than that provided by standard halogen lights, ensuring drivers can safely see no matter how ac- customed they are to driving at night. • Let there be light. Regardless of how effective a bulb has the potential to be, drivers who don’t routinely clean their headlights will continue to have their visibility compromised. Certain preven- tative measures can help drivers address headlight issues before they appear, ensuring their visibility is not compro- mised. When checking your oil in the driveway or even when you’re fi lling up at the gas station, take a few moments to inspect your headlights and address any issues that arise as soon as possible. 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