CAR CHRONICLES
Auto News that's fit to Print

Had a fender-bender-or worse? Here's what you need to know to get it fixed right.
by Joe Mielty

No matter how carefully you drive, the odds are that sooner or later your car will suffer body damage. It may not even be your fault, but that's not what's important when it comes to repairs.

What is important is getting a professional repair that will maintain your vehicle's resale value. A bad repair job on a minor fender-bender can lower the resale value by 10 percent or more, making the vehicle difficult to sell later. What's more, if you get a bad repair job on a major collision, you could end up with an unsafe, unsellable vehicle.

A professionally repaired vehicle, however, will be safe, have no drop in resale and maintain the original factory appearance. In short, the repair will be undetectable. But getting a quality repair isn't always easy.

There are a lot of "Bondo Bandits" out there doing poor-quality repairs. In order to get that quality repair, you have to know how to separate the pros from the "bums." Here are a few tips:
1. Find a shop before you need one Most people look for a body shop after their vehicle has been damaged. The inconvenience of having no vehicle often leads to hasty choices. Look for a repair shop before you need one. Look online or in the Yellow Pages, ask friends where they got their cars repaired and if they were happy with the results.
2. Inspect the shop first First impressions are usually the right impressions. Although body repair is a messy business, the shop should still look organized and have a neat appearance. Ask if they are certified in advanced collision-repair training by such national organizations as I-CAR (Inter-Industry ASE Conference on Auto Collision Repair) and ASE (National Association for Automotive Service Excellence).
3. See what they are fixing Look in the repair bays and check to see what's parked out back. If you notice that the shop is only fixing "beaters," and not new cars, it may be an indication that they do low-priced "quick and dirty" repairs.
4. Ask questions Performing a quality repair job on today's vehicles requires the use of some pretty sophisticated equipment. Ask if the shop has a unibody frame repair machine and measuring equipment, MIG welders, a dust-free paint room and personnel trained in the latest repair techniques. Also, ask if they have experience in repairing your type of vehicle. Body shops often specialize on a particular type of vehicle or body repair.
5. Price Isn't Everything Don't pick your repair shop by price alone. Different shops often give very different bids on the same repair. Low prices may indicate that the shop has not properly assessed vehicle damage or that it specializes in quickie repair jobs. Ask the estimator to explain why the quote is significantly lower than those provided by other shops.
6. OEM vs. Replacement Parts There are three categories of repair parts:
(1) OEM (original equipment
manufacture) parts are made by the vehicle manufacturer or one of its certified suppliers.
(2) Aftermarket or non-OEM parts are made by various body-parts suppliers not endorsed by the vehicle manufacturer. Many aftermarket parts meet original factory specifications but some may not fit your vehicle properly.
(3) Used parts are taken off vehicles previously wrecked or otherwise scrapped. If undamaged, these parts will fit as good as new parts. On some older vehicles, using used parts is often the only alternative as OEM parts may be discontinued. Ask the shop which category of parts they are recommending and why. Repair parts for your vehicle should be equal in quality to those installed when the vehicle was built.
7. Ask About Warranty A reputable repair shop will stand behind its repairs by offering a warranty. The length of the warranty will vary
- from 30 days to lifetime
- and covers the labour, materials used and installation. The actual parts installed will be covered by the manufacturer's warranty.

With the current radical hikes of fuel prices, here are several ways for you to reduce the cost of driving. Some simply require a bit of attention to apparently insignificant details and habits.

Tip #1 - Regular Servicing Is Important
Keep your vehicle well maintained with regular servicing to keep it operating at peak efficiency. An inefficient engine-with fouled spark plugs, for example-won't make optimum use of fuel. Be sure the air filter and the fuel filter are clean. Put in new ones if they're not. A new oxygen sensor alone can improve gas mileage by as much as 15 per cent, according to technical experts.
Don't forget little things like the air in your tires, either. Having tires inflated to the maximum recommended pressure can improve gas mileage by as much as 6 per cent, while periodic wheel alignments can help improve fuel economy up to 10 per cent.
And clean out that trunk and back cargo area. Take out unneeded items that only add weight to your vehicle. Extra weight decreases gas mileage. Every 100 pounds of unnecessary weight adds 0.1 gallons per 30 miles to your vehicle's fuel consumption.

Tip #2 - Be a Different Driver
Change your driving style. Accelerate gradually, drive smoothly and with care and you could see as much as a 20 per cent gain in fuel economy compared with what you'd get with an aggressive driving style. Skip those jackrabbit starts and sudden pedal-to-the-metal manoeuvres if you want to save gas. Anticipate stops so you avoid sudden braking, and take a long view of the road ahead, coasting safely to an intersection in front of you where you see traffic stopped.
Don't speed. A car moving at 40 miles an hour can get about 15 per cent better fuel economy than the same car going 50 m/h.

Tip #3 - An all-important label
But the first and, likely, the most important measure in reducing your fuel costs is to compare fuel economy ratings when you shop for a vehicle. And the best way to achieve this is to take a careful look at the clear and comprehensive fuel consumption rating. Bear in mind, always, that bigger vehicles, bigger engines, four-wheel drive and lots of optional equipment add to a vehicle's weight and, as a result, increase fuel consumption. Even larger tires can have an effect. A tire with a larger "footprint" on the road that doesn't have a special rubber compound designed to improve fuel economy has more rolling resistance than a comparable smaller tire, and this can lower fuel
economy: More so if it is improperly inflated.

Tip #4 - Other Costs Affected
Keep in mind you might pay a bit more for that next new car. With the Turks & Caicos custom's duty calcuated as it is, the consumer pays less duty on vehicles equipped with smaller sized engines. Less duty, and more economical gas consuption equals more money in your pocket at the end of the day.

Tip #5 - An Eye to the Future
Think about how your fuel conservation efforts benefit the Earth and future generations.
Scientists say global warming and its projected disastrous effects on weather, rising sea levels and heat deaths are due, in part, to the burning of fossil fuels.
So, every gallon of gas you don't use can help ease global warming.

There are nearly a dozen liquids that can leak out of your car. Only one type of leak is desirable and one other is of minor importance. Leakage of other fluids, however, can lead to an expensive breakdown if not corrected.

Some leaks affect driving safety. Gases leaking from the exhaust system can let deadly carbon monoxide enter the passenger compartment. Air leaking out of a tire can create a serious handling problem. Of the liquid leaks, fuel and brake fluid are the most serious, windshield-washer solution the least.
A puddle of clear water under your vehicle on a warm day is probably condensation from the air conditioner - the only desirable liquid that vehicles produce. If no condensation is formed, the air conditioner is not dehumidifying the air inside the car.

Leaks make themselves known in various ways. Oil leaks can slowly coat the outside of an engine. Or perhaps you've noticed a spot or puddle on the garage floor or frequently used parking space.

A frustrating thing about fluid leaks is they do not always show up in obvious places. Sometimes brake fluid or oil will run along the outside of a pipe or body flange to drip at a point several feet away from the source.

Fluid in Motion
When you see the telltale signs of a leak, don't ignore it. The first thing you should do is identify the type of fluid so you can identify the source. If you are lucky, simply tightening a clamp may yield a permanent repair.
If you're not sure what liquid is leaking, first check all fluids in the car to see if any are obviously low. If this fluid check doesn't reveal anything, place a large piece of cardboard on the ground and park the car over it. Some leaks are only apparent when the engine is operating, so run the motor for several minutes, revving it occasionally.
After letting the car sit overnight, carefully inspect any spots that have appeared.

Familiarize yourself with these common types of fluids and what (if anything) to do about them.

Black or dark-brown slippery fluid most likely is motor oil. A few drops once in a while is OK, but if your car starts to leave puddles, have it checked out. Oil leaks are most often found under the front of the vehicle under the engine, but can occur the length of the vehicle.

Clear, oily liquid with a pungent odor is usually brake fluid that shows up around the wheels. Consult your mechanic immediately - it could lead to brake failure.

Pink, red or clear drops may be either automatic transmission fluid
(ATF) or power steering fluid. ATF will leak under the front seats; power steering fluid leaks are under the front of the engine compartment. Check both reservoirs and refill them as necessary. If such leaks are a regular occurrence, see your mechanic.

Green, yellowish or reddish spots with a faint, sweet smell indicates that antifreeze is leaking from the cooling system and is usually found under the front center of the car. Check the coolant level in the overflow tank immediately, and have the system checked for leaks. Too little coolant causes overheating and serious engine damage.

Heavy, light tan or black oily liquid is a sign that gear oil is leaking from the steering gearbox, manual transmission, axle or differential. Because of the various types of components, gear oil can appear anywhere under a vehicle. Delaying repairs will become expensive.

A dark stain on the shock absorber body gives this away as shock absorber fluid. This fluid usually does not appear under a vehicle. The shock needs to be replaced. (Shock absorbers are best replaced in pairs.)

Thin fluid that smells like gasoline probably is. It can leak from the tank (generally in the rear of the car), from a fuel line that runs from the tank to the engine, or from the engine itself. This leak needs to be repaired immediately. Fuel leaks are a leading cause of car fires.

Light oil that smells like home heating oil is diesel fuel and should be treated like a gasoline leak above.

Blue or pink tinted water points to a leak of windshield washer solution and will be found in a broad area under the engine compartment. It may not seem important, but when you need the streaks on the windshield cleaned on a dark rainy night, you will most likely wish you had taken care of this.

A clear fluid that smells like rotten eggs is probably sulphuric acid leaking from the battery and can appear in a number of locations under a vehicle. Sulphuric acid is corrosive and poisonous; if it touches skin, wash it off immediately and flush with water immediately. Have the battery replaced at once.

Clear water is just condensation from the air conditioner that drips under the front of the engine. Don't worry about it.

1. Water must contact bare steel for rusting to occur, since it takes part in the cathode reaction, and also provides a conducting path between the anodes and cathodes to complete the electrical circuit.

2. Oxygen is also required for rusting to occur. Oxygen will tend to react at spots that are well aerated. Conversely, iron will tend to dissolve at spots that are low in oxygen; for example, stagnant sheltered areas inside crevices.

3. Dissolved salt increases the rate of rusting by

a) creating a more conductive path between anodes and cathodes, and

b) by disrupting the natural protective oxide films on steel, allowing the underlying iron to dissolve more easily.

4. Temperature affects the rate of rusting; the higher the temperate, the faster rusting will occur, providing the steel does not dry off (The presence of salt deposits will tend to keep surfaces wet).

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