A few more tips for the do it yourself group.
1. Checking belts and hoses: Knowing how to be able to check
accessory drive belts and cooling system. Hoses can save you
becoming one of those people that you see standing by the side
of the road with steam coming out all over. V-type belts can
be checked by looking for fraying on the top edges and naturally,
looking for cracking on the bottom side. However, you cannot
see the whole belt at any one time so you will have to turn
the engine over repeatedly in order to check the whole belt.
I have always used a quick method of just looking at the top
of the belt as it sits in one of the pulleys. If the top of
the belt has a CONCAVE appearance, the belt is getting weak
and due for replacement. Serpentine belts require a very close
inspection as some CRACKING is considered normal. However, look
at the edges for signs of fraying and top surface cracking.
IF YOU ARE NOT SURE, CHANGE IT ANYWAY. It is always better to
be safe than sorry. Also, every time a serpentine belt is changed,
don't forget to check the tensioner and idler pulleys. These
things have bearings that wear out and when they go, it is never
nice.
Hoses should be checked by feeling along the ENTIRE length
of the hose, try and find any soft spots, as there are likely
weak areas. Also check for signs of bulging near the connectors,
as well as bulging caused by corrosion building up under the
hose. Most clamp type hose connections will have a slight bulge
by the clamp because the fitting the hose goes onto has a lip
on the edge. However, a bulge of more than twice the thickness
of the rubber used it the hose, (About a quarter of an inch.)
can be a problem. IF IN DOUBT, CHANGE THEM. Hoses are cheaper
than breakdowns. When checking hoses, don't forget the little
ones that go to the windshield washers, they get old and break
too.
2. Tires: These things seem to be one of the most IGNORED
items I see on vehicles and it is largely because many people
fail to understand their importance. Think about it. Walk out
and take a REAL CLOSE look at how much of the tire is in contact
with the ground. That LITLE bit of contact area is all you have
to control and stop your vehicle. I prefer to have the BEST
control and stopping ability I can get and that is why I pay
more attention to my tires than most people.
All tires are made with a specific tread depth and there are
even TREAD WEAR GAUGES available that will show you how much
tread is left. However, in order to measure the tires correctly,
you will need the specifications from the manufacturer of the
tire. MOST tires have a WEAR BAR built into the tread of the
tire and these show up as little bars ACROSS the tread. If you
can see that these bars are showing the same as the tread, THE
TIRE IS WORN OUT AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. A tire should have
even wear across the whole surface of the tire and if the wear
bars are showing in ANY place on the tread, THE TIRE IS WORN
OUT.
I have seen many people that think a tire is still good as
long as it has some tread in the center and worn on the edges
only. This is TOTALLY WRONG. A tire that is worn out on the
edges, is a tire that IS WORN OUT and not SAFE to use.
When looking at your tires, also look for any signs of cracking
on the sidewall. Also look for any small cuts that can be caused
by hitting curbs etc. ANY damage on the sidewall where you can
see the material used for the cords makes the tire unsafe for
use.
Just a little extra note: NEVER HAVE A REPAIRED TIRE ON THE
STEERING AXLE OF A VEHICLE. Repaired tires blowing out, causing
a loss of steering control cause many accidents.
More next week.
