VEHICLE MAINTENANCE

Each year more than 5% of all vehicle accidents are caused by unperformed vehicle maintenance. These accidents result in 2,600 deaths, 100,000 disabling injuries and a financial cost of over $2 billion.

The good news is that simple and inexpensive steps such as properly inflating tires, securing gas caps, and routine check-ups can increase vehicle safety, benefit the environment, preserve precious energy resources, reduce cost of ownership, and help to protect the value of the motorist’s investment.

WHAT IS THE AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET?

The motor vehicle aftermarket industry is one of the largest US employers and contributes 2.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It encompasses all products and services purchased for light and heavy duty vehicles after the original sale including replacement parts, accessories, lubricants, appearance products, service repairs, as well as the tools and equipment necessary to make the repair.

The Automotive Aftermarket represents:

• $247.8 billion in annual sales (2.5% of GDP)
  
  
  
• More than $60 billion in annual unperformed vehicle maintenance
  
  
  
• 2.6% of the workforce (3.7 million jobs)
  
  
  
• 11th largest contributor to the GDP

What are the Benefits to Vehicle Owners?

IT’S ALL IN THE TIMING

With automotive engines as with many aspects of daily life, timing is critical. One vehicle component often overlooked during routine maintenance is the engine timing belt. If it fails, the engine will stop and the car will coast to a stop. The lucky motorist will only have the inconvenience of being stranded on the side of the road until the car can be towed to a repair facility to have the timing belt replaced. On the other hand, the engine might suffer severe, if not catastrophic, damage to its internal components.

This potential disaster can be avoided easily and relatively inexpensively by replacing the timing belt within the required replacement interval.

Timing belts resemble an engine accessory serpentine belt in appearance only they typically have square teeth on the inside surface. They usually are constructed of rubber reinforced with nylon. The timing belt transfers the rotation of the crankshaft to the camshaft. The rotating camshaft activates the valves which provide air and fuel to the cylinders and expel combustion gases to the exhaust system.

The valves and pistons are constantly moving up and down at very high speeds. When the pistons are down, the valves are open; when the piston is at the top of its travel, the valves are closed. Some engines don’t allow clearance between a valve at its lowest point and a piston at its highest. The timing belt, therefore, is the critical link to ensure that these components don’t collide. If collision occurs, damage to the valves, pistons, cylinder head and cylinder walls can result. This can be an expensive repair.

Timing belts usually are protected from foreign objects by a cover, making visual inspection impossible.

Many domestic vehicles built within the last several years and the majority of imports are equipped with a timing belt. Other engines rely on a timing chain rather than a belt. Refer to your owner’s manual or take your car to a repair facility if you are unsure. The owner’s manual maintenance schedule is a source of timing belt replacement intervals, typically every 60,000 to 90,000 miles.

Timing belt replacement usually requires removal of the engine drive belt that operates the alternator, water pump, power steering pump and air conditioner. Consider replacing this belt, or multiple belts, when having a new timing belt installed.

 

PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST BREATHING IN ROADSIDE DIRT ...

BROADVIEW, IL, September 19, 2011 – Your car’s windshield protects you against stones, bugs, sand, grit and other roadside debris. Your car’s windows protect you from heat, cold, rain and snow. Your car’s brakes protect you from dangerous collisions. … No less important is your car’s cabin air filter which is designed to ‘safeguard’ your respiratory health and well being – especially when the windows are rolled up and the A/C or heating is turned on.

A fresh and clean cabin air filter protects you from breathing in roadside air which is normally contaminated with all manner of pollutants ranging from dust and dirt to smells and odors. The cabin air filter is generally located under the hood or behind the glove box and with most applications easy to change out.

“The air inside a vehicle with a dirty or clogged cabin air filter can actually be six times more polluted than the air outside,” said Chuck Kerrigan, Director of Marketing for Purolator, manufacturer and supplier of BreatheEasy cabin air filters to the North American aftermarket. www.BreatheEasyCabinFilters.com

“With an ever growing number of people driving with their windows rolled up and the AC/heating turned on, we are trying to educate drivers to replace their vehicle’s cabin air filter in the interest of their own respiratory health and safety,” he said.

For best results, Purolator recommends changing your vehicle’s cabin air filter every 12,000 to 18,000 miles or per the vehicle’s manufacturer’s suggested intervals in the owner’s manual.

Two kinds of cabin filters are available for modern vehicles – the particulate cabin filter and the activated charcoal cabin filter. Purolator offers both particulate and activated charcoal cabin air filters for many vehicles. Either type may be available depending on the make/model of your vehicle. Refer to the owner’s manual or visit the Application Guide on Purolator’s website atwww.BreatheEasyCabinFilters.com to see if a vehicle has a cabin air filter.

Purolator’s BreatheEasy cabin air filters feature specially engineered media that can capture and hold even the finest particles of contaminants such as dust, soot, pollen, fungus and bacteria. These filters are electrostatically charged, similar to many household HVAC filters, to ensure that particles stay attached to the filter.

The activated charcoal cabin filter adsorbs most toxic and foul smelling gases such as ozone, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and hydrocarbons keeping odors out of the car’s cabin.

According to Kerrigan, cabin air filters can be installed anywhere from less than 10 minutes to about an hour, depending on the location. Look for them under the dash, behind the glove box, or in the air box in the engine compartment. Purolator BreatheEasycabin air filters come packaged with clearly illustrated vehicle specific instructions that make installation simple for do-it-yourselfers(DIYers) or professional technicians.

Look at it this way. By replacing your vehicle’s dirty cabin air filter – a relatively inexpensive device – with a fresh clean one you ensure that you are protected against breathing in dirty, polluted air while driving with the windows rolled up. What a small price to pay for breathing clean air inside your car.