Car Care Council

High Tech TLC For Your Car

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When the family car gets sick you probably worry about it. You're anxious to get Old Faithful into the shop, where you'll find a technician trained to diagnose its symptoms. His diagnostic equipment may look like the props from a science fiction movie but that's often what it takes to locate the trouble in today's complex, computer controlled vehicles, says the Car Care Council.

High-tech methods notwith-standing, the human element still must prevail. The service personnel generally do their best to maintain a high level of customer confidence, to treat every vehicle as if it were their own.

Performance problems in a late model car can be like human malfunctions except the car has several "brains," about a mile of wire and a complex system of sensors. Computers may play a role in numerous functions, including starting, steering, braking, climbing a hill, changing the inside comfort level and on and on. Micro-processors can turn on the lights, tune the radio, report how many miles until the gas tank is empty and, in some cases, lead the driver to his destination.

When any of the above functions and others fail, your technician turns to a computer to diagnose and correct the problem. Eventually he or she may tackle the repair with hand tools (special, of course) and the repair generally isn't likely to be a speedy one because of the crowded conditions under the hood.

Today's vehicles, despite their complexity, require far less maintenance and repair than their forefathers, says the Council. Unfortunately, as in the case of high-tech medical care, training and equipment don't come cheap.

Our cars not only are thinking for us, in some cases they can diagnose their own problems. With the help of computerized test equipment, trained technicians can locate and correct most driveability problems that, only a few years ago, would have eluded the best of them.

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Urging motorists to recognize and act on signs of pending car trouble, Car Care Council offers a pamphlet entitled, "The Eight Most Common Signs Your Car Needs a Tune-Up." For a free copy, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Car Care Council, Dept. T, One Grande Lake Drive, Port Clinton, OH 43452.

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