Are You Ready For The Road?

With more travellers opting for road trips over air travel, the highways again will be packed. It's going to be especially important for motorists to see and be seen. Two simple checks that will increase your chances of avoiding a vision-related crash involve wipers and lighting.

WIPERS - In the 2001 National Car Care Month vehicle check lanes, 21% percent of participants had wipers that smeared, streaked or chattered across their windshields. Although climates vary, wipers generally need replacing every six months. An easy reminder is to change wiper blades in the spring and fall when you change your clock. Be sure the windshield washers are working properly, too, and keep the reservoir filled with solvent.

LIGHTING - Another important pre-trip check should be exterior and interior lighting. Vehicle check lanes revealed an overall failure rate of over 25 percent in the lighting category. The Car Care Council reminds motorists to check their lights monthly. Other suggestions from the Council include turning on headlights both day and night. This helps define your car's position on the road, and its distance from other drivers. When your vehicle's lighting is defective, other motorists may not get the message that you intend to stop or turn. The end result could be disastrous.

BATTERY CORROSION - Many battery problems can be traced to poor connections and/or excessive corrosion build up on the battery posts. At Marion Tire and Muffler, our trained technicians will clean the battery terminals, remove the corrosion and apply an anti-corrosion spray to prevent any further build up. This service combined with a new Interstate battery is a simple and efficient way to insure starts in any weather.

Car trouble, usually a result of neglecting preventive maintenance, brings an abrupt end to vacation plans. The situation usually means more than just a repair bill. It can involve towing charges, lodging and possibly a rental car. Add to that the cost of extra phone calls, meals and general inconvenience, and the ordeal becomes expensive. This scenario usually can be avoided with a pre-vacation inspection performed by a qualified automotive technician.

• Cooling
• Braking
• Emission control
• Steering/suspension
• Fuel  
• Electrical and ignition

Marion Tire & Muffler