4 • EAST OREGONIAN/HERMISTON HERALD
But I remembered
to check the oil...
By TAMMY MALGESINI
Community Editor
Reminiscent of the fa-
miliar line “This one time,
at band camp ... ” in the
1999 ilm “American Pie,”
my husband, John, doesn’t
let me forget about this one
time I added oil to my pick-
up.
My irst vehicle, a 1973
Ford Courier pickup, ran
like a champ. The only
problem is it burned oil.
I had just graduated
from college and struck a
deal with the youth pas-
tor of the Free Methodist
Church. I gave him my 100
Honda motorcycle and a
couple hundred dollars and
he handed over the keys to
the baby-poop brown col-
ored pick-up.
I loved that truck. It
gave me the freedom to
throw gear in the back and
hit the road. Since I wasn’t
able to afford to get it ixed,
I bought a case of oil and
always carried a couple of
quarts with me.
When I irst met John,
he had an old 1971 Volk-
swagen Beetle. To start the
VW Bug, you often had to
be on a hill to get a roll-
ing start and then pop the
clutch.
So, when we were tak-
ing a trip to Seattle, we
decided to take my truck.
In preparation for the long
drive, I checked the oil lev-
el and topped it off.
I was proud of the fact
that I was an independent
woman with a college de-
gree and could take care of
my own rig. I made a point
of telling John that I added
oil for the trip.
After packing, I went to
John’s apartment to pick
him up. He tossed his bags
in and then slid behind the
steering wheel. I igured he
had driven that rode numer-
ous times and could deal
with city trafic better than
me.
We also picked up an-
other George Fox student,
who hitched a ride with
us. We laughed and talked
as we cruised up the road.
Everything was going
smoothly until we dropped
the gal off in Tacoma.
Stopping at a mall just
off the freeway, John turned
off the engine while we
waited for her ride to pick
her up. All hell broke loose
with black smoke pouring
out of the engine compart-
ment.
John opened the hood —
that’s when he noticed that
the oil cap wasn’t on (and
the inside of the hood was
covered in oil). Evidently
in my excitement about the
trip, I forgot to put it back
on. By some stroke of luck
— after driving 150 miles
— the cap was still sitting
in the engine compartment
where I put it while adding
the oil.
To this day, John grins
and shakes his head when-
ever we recall this story.
And, if I add any luids to
vehicles, he double-checks
to make sure all the caps
are secure.
Tammy Malgesini is
the community editor. Her
column, Inside my Shoes,
includes general musings
about life and appears every
other week in the Hermiston
Herald. Contact her at tmal-
gesini@eastoregonian.com
or 541-564-4539. Her car
care tips are something of a
cautionary tale of how not to
best care vor your vehicle.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016
HOME IMPROVEMENT & CAR CARE
A cold weather car care checklist
Prepare your vehicle for
challenging road conditions
To ensure vehicles are
prepared for fall and winter
driving conditions, AAA
Oregon/Idaho
suggests
drivers follow a mainte-
nance checklist to deter-
mine their vehicle’s fall and
winter needs.
AAA
recommends
checking the following
things:
Battery and Charging
System — Have the battery
and charging system test-
ed by a trained technician.
A fully charged battery in
good condition is required
to start an engine in cold
weather.
Battery Cables and Ter-
minals — Make sure the
battery terminals and cable
ends are free from corro-
sion and the connections
are tight.
Drive Belts — Inspect
the underside of accesso-
ry drive belts for cracks or
fraying. Many newer mul-
tirib “serpentine” belts are
made of materials that do
not show obvious signs of
wear; replace these belts at
60,000-mile intervals.
Engine Hoses — In-
spect cooling system hoses
for leaks, cracks or loose
clamps. Also, squeeze the
hoses and replace any that
are brittle or have an exces-
sively spongy feeling.
Tire Type and Tread —
In areas with heavy winter
weather, installing snow
tires on all four wheels will
provide the best winter trac-
tion. All-season tires work
well in light-to-moderate
snow conditions, provided
they have adequate tread
depth.
Replace any tire that has
less than 3/32-inches of
tread. Uneven tire wear can
indicate alignment, wheel
balance or suspension prob-
lems that must be addressed
to prevent further tire dam-
age.
Tire Pressure — Check
tire inlation pressure on
all four tires and the spare
more frequently in fall and
winter.
As the average tempera-
ture drops, so will tire pres-
sures — typically by one
PSI for every 10 degrees
Fahrenheit.
Proper tire pressure lev-
els can be found in the own-
er’s manual or on a sticker
typically located on the
driver’s side door jamb.
Air Filter — Check the
engine air ilter by holding
it up to a 60-watt light bulb.
If light can be seen through
much of the ilter, it is still
clean enough to work effec-
tively. However, if light is
blocked by most of the il-
ter, replace it.
Coolant Levels
— Check the coolant
level in the overlow tank
when the engine is cold. If
the level is low, add a 50/50
solution of coolant and wa-
ter to maintain the neces-
sary antifreeze capability.
Test the antifreeze pro-
tection level annually with
an inexpensive tester avail-
able at any auto parts store.
Lights — Check the op-
eration of all headlights,
taillights, brake lights, turn
signals, emergency lashers
and backup lights. Replace
any burnt out bulbs.
Wiper Blades — The
blades should completely
clear the glass with each
swipe. Replace any blade
that leaves streaks or miss-
es spots. In regions where
snow is common, consid-
er installing winter wiper
blades that wrap the blade
frame in a rubber boot to re-
duce ice and snow buildup
that can prevent good con-
tact between the blade and
the glass.
Washer Fluid — Fill
the windshield washer lu-
id reservoir with a winter
cleaning solution that has
antifreeze components to
prevent it from freezing.
Brakes — If there is
any indication of a brake
problem, have the system
inspected by a certiied
technician to ensure all
components are in good
working order.
Transmission, Brake and
Power Steering Fluids —
Check all luids to ensure
they are at or above the
minimum safe levels.
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