European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 8, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                June 1985 the stars and stripes Page 17 summarizing your car modern living United press International w Ith a Winters Worth of Wear and tear behind its now time to prepare your car for the Rigours of hot weather drive some checks easily performed in ones driveway can go a Long was toward reducing the Chance of being stranded on a hot Summers Day and avoiding an expensive before going ahead with summer Prepa its a Good idea to undo what old Man Winter has thoroughly clean the car inside and including a com plete Wash of the underbody and fender a Strong blast from a Garden Hose will loosen packed Winter mud and Salt from inside the fender Wells and a bristle soapy warm and some Elbow grease helps get rid of Winter Road the main cause of rust and Cor while the engine is inspect the cars underside to make sure the exhaust system is secure and a Quick drive will reveal any Muffler or suspension vacuum the trunk mat to get rid of All those dead Christmas tree Pine Needles and other while the mat is Check the trunks floor and Wells for signs of moisture or which could mean a Loose or missing body plug or a poor Seal around the deck if moisture is Spray a Strong Stream of water on the lid while closed and Shine a flashlight at night up through the rear wheels to spot any after a Complete Wash and before waxing use an automotive tar remover to get rid of stubborn Road these most Likely will appear on the body behind the wheel inspect the whole because often those Little specks Are mis taken for chips in the touch up any chips or Mak ing sure the area is dry and larger areas should be sanded and primed according to save the Wax for when All other maintenance is assuming the car has had its Snow tires removed or has Al season Check the tire pressures including the make certain All Jack equipment is there and in working change the Oil and filter with the recommended making sure the car is securely raised with if the car has not had a tuneup since last Check or change the spark pc valve and Gas also change the air filter and clean any debris out of the air cleaner a typical engine uses More than 14 parts air to one part so a clean filter is very make sure the Power steering Brake fluid and Battery Levels Are a Small indicator on most maintenance free batteries will let you know its Condi Check Battery terminals for any Cor your owners manual will Aid in Check ing these and other Check the Radiator hoses by squeezing if they feel spongy or look in change All belts should have about a half Inch of tension Between the two have them replaced if they appear glazed or if they crack when while the engine is off and grasp opposite Blades of the Radiator fan and wiggle if there is a lot of it could mean a bad water leaks or Knock ing sounds from the front of the engine Are also telltale signs of potential next Check he coolant in the Reservoir to make sure it is at the proper remove the Radiator Cap and make sure the Spring and rubber Seal is Cool ant should be changed every two a 5050 mix of Antifreeze and water works with the engine running in Park with the hand Brake pull the transmission dipstick if the car has an the fluid should be at the proper level and Reddish and not Brown and a Burnt Almond odor usually indicates a potential have it Check the operation of the air Condi make sure the wipers work and the Windshield Washer tank is apply a Good coat of Wax to protect the cars finish from the hot and youve just increased your Odds of having a Trou Lefree tools for the trip by Jan 2verina United press International a recent Survey found that Al most 30 percent of american motorists who use cars Only and More than 40 percent of those planning to campers or trailers will travel More vacation Miles this year than the study by Champion spark plug strongly recommends All motorists have their cars or Tow vehicles thoroughly checked before starting the it May reduce chances of being stranded and ruining a but the of quoted Murphys Law states that if it can it and anything capable of breaking will usually do so at the worst possible and that time is very often during the sacred even if your Mechanic gives your car a clean Bill of it is Wise to take some precautions so minor repairs wont disable you just because your tools Are in the a not the heres some vacation insurance that could go a Long Way in determining whether a night is spent at a hotel or Camp ground instead of a service garage or Road Side pack at least two Flat Blade sizes and two of the crossed or Philips head different lengths should be carried because often those minor adjust ments Are hard to Check to see if your car requires a torn screwdriver to change headlights or other Many late Model cars use a special six pointed available at any discount or Auto Supply a torn Driver could save labor and possibly a ticket if youre Able to change a headlight take along a set of Allen the hexagonal Allen screws Are used in Many applications on older such As setting the ignition Points or making a carb newer cars May use them in other including a Needle nosed pair that is Able to strip electrical Are Handy for making any emergency especially on trailer lighting adjustable Locking commonly called Vise Are also useful to turn stub born a set of wrenches and sockets Are a but first Check if your car uses Stan Dard sized or metric bolts or up until recently All american cars used Stan Dard size bolts and All imports used metric now Many Domestic cars use some smaller items Are just As import a pen shaped Magnet comes in real Handy if a screw is dropped in a tight location during and a multifunction pocket knife can also save the dont forget to carry a tire pressure gauge and a can that Little and often overlooked utensil opens anything from an Oil can to a soda Check the condition of the Jack equipment and spare make sure you never crawl under the car while it is sup ported Only by the throw in a Good set of jumper cables and a Siphon just in Case you need some fuel or you Spring a leak in the Gas some extra parts should be like a spare set of hoses and assorted even if you Are unable to change the someone May be Able to it could also avoid delays if a service station Doest have the part in a filled water Container and a can of rust pen Trator Are As Are electrical duct and a length of electrical Check the Type of fuse your car needs before you buy a spare it May be the tub Type or the newer Plugin some Road safety and a Good flashlight Are absolutely Essen As Well As a readily placed dry fire extinguisher and a fir staid some hand and an old Shower curtain make Roadside repairs easier and Erma Bombeck the track was 30 meters to the it was Everest on a Slipp Ery a boy named Ron took seven seconds to get to the end of in his wheel a 7yearold girl became so she lost her Way in the race and wandered into the she was a child sat at the starting line and threw a Small Ball for a total distance of 30 he could not stand up without i defy anyone to View a special olympics und not be changed by i have written before about the parents of these Spe Cial people their their their their doubts about themselves and their open love for this child that was Given to them for a reason they Hope to and i have heard some parents of handicapped Chil Dren criticize these events that to them seem Why would you put handicapped children in a competitive Arena do they feel the thrill of Victory the agony of defeat do they even know where they Are i dont have the answers any More than they but suppose just suppose the guttural cries that make no sense were really i did it suppose behind the empty the Gold medal on the White and Blue ribbon dazzled them and meant is it possible that the Mouth that could not control saliva was willed by the brain to but the Muscles just  do it As in any i watched the Winner and immediately went to the contestant in last place to watch for a there want he didst seem to know be had lost a Gold Only that he was struggling for something that pushed him beyond anything he had Ever he never gave something else was unlike olympic there were no tears of no excuses for coming in no rhetoric on How they did or How they were a strange we talk to never knowing if they we talk to animals like there Harvard we even talk to recordings All Day pouring out our deepest some Are ready to write off a mind that somehow got trapped inside of a body that is less than Pearl Buck once the test of a civilization is in the Way that it cares for its helpless How much longer can the helpless go on making us look Good c c us Angeles times Syndicate