Central Michigan Life

Issue date: 2/6/08 Section: News

Dan Needham, manager of Tuffy Auto Services of Mount Pleasant, located at 4703 E. Pickard Road, checks various fluid levels in a car being checked for winter performance in the Tuffy garage. [Click to enlarge]

Darren Needham, left, Weidman resident, and son of Dan Needham, right, Manager of Tuffy Auto Services of Mount Pleasant, located at 4703 E. Pickard Road, prepare to remove the air filter to a car in the Tuffy garage to check for blockage from debris that could lower gas mileage and car performance. [Click to enlarge]

It's 10 minutes before class in zero degree weather and your car won't start.

What do you do?

By taking proper care of their vehicles, students can help prolong their vehicle's lives, experts say. Routine maintenance can help students survive Michigan's winters with their cars intact.

Dan Needham, manager of Tuffy Auto Service Centers, 4703 E. Pickard Road, said most students don't know enough about their vehicles.

"I think the most common things I see ... have to do with antifreeze levels, oil changes and wiper blades," he said. "Most people don't realize that the average oil will get about 3,000 miles of life until it needs to be changed."

Needham suggests students carry washer fluid, a quart of oil and an extra set of wipers or wiper blades in their vehicles at all times. He said all three are inexpensive items and can be found at retail stores such as Meijer, Wal-Mart and Target in the automotive section or most automotive parts stores.

Along with preventative maintenance, dropping temperatures call for routine checks on other important vehicle components. Checking the tread and the air-pressure level of your tires are critical to how your vehicle will handle in the snow and any other slick conditions.

Katherine Blystone, chemistry faculty member, teaches her students to better understand their vehicles through chemistry.

"With air pressure, we need to go with Gay-Lussac's Law," she said. "Pressure is directly proportional to temperature. As the temperature drops, pressure drops.

"It's important to check to make sure your tires are full. With oxygen, some of the air molecules will permeate through the tire walls, causing your tires to lose pressure. Even in warmer temperatures you should check your pressure and deflate your tires a bit if the pressure is too high."

Blystone recommends students fill their tires with nitrogen instead of oxygen.

"Nitrogen will stay in your tires and keep a constant pressure," she said. "I've only seen it at Costco, though."

Blystone said antifreeze levels are critical to the cooling of engines. If the engine reaches too high of a temperature, the engine will seize, resulting in a costly replacement fee.

Needham suggests students take care of their cars sooner than later because proper care will lead to less problems.

"We recommend you come in around October and April," Needham said. "October helps prepare you for the winter weather season and April prepares you for the spring and summer."

Some local auto repair shops offer free inspections, where oil levels, transmission fluids and a battery charge are tested.

Needham said students who let their oil run too low may have to replace their engine. He said students should check their oil regularly to make sure this does not happen.

"You can check your oil once a month, or every other time you fill up your vehicle (with gas)," Needham said.


news@cm-life.com

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