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Maintainance Car Owners’ Neglect Can Spell Nightmare Thousands of car owners risk serious car trouble by ignoring ba sic car maintenance. At the same time, auto repair shops pass up opportunities to sell customers needed repair work. Amid frequent charges that repair shops sell customers services they don't need, obvious car problems go unattended. "Automobiles are under-re paired," says George Giek of American Automobile Association (AAA). Giek, AAA's managing director of automotive engineering and road service, cites figures from AAA research that highlight the contradiction in repair industry practice. In inspecting 114,000 cars over an eight-year period, AAA found 43 percent had worn or un der-inflated tires, 30 percent had worn or misadjusted belts, 30 per cent were overdue for an oil change or were low on oil, 26 per cent had emissions problems, and 21 percent needed battery mainte nance. Giek feels strongly that repair shops could earn back customer re spect and loyalty if they did a bet ter job attending to their customer's real needs. "There is no need for the indus T4e>e'* hit Bette> T«**e To A - And hit kuW Mo 'imk Three Days Only Thursday - Friday - Saturday Every Vehicle On The Lot Is Tagged With The Lowest Price Pnces valid 6/24/94 through 6/26/94 only. Add tax, tag, title, rebates applied try to over-repair vehicles," says Giek. Car Care Council observations parallel those of AAA. "For car owners, inattention to the basics of underhood fluid checks and simple tire pressure maintenance lead eventually to problems only a trained technician can solve,” says Car Care Council president, Don Midgley. Instead of practicing preventive maintenance, people tend to ignore those easy car care procedures that can keep them out of repair shops. This often results in a roadside breakdown rather than a safe trip. "Somehow," concludes Giek, "we need to create a partnership between car owners and the repair industry." A few moments taken to refresh their car care knowledge can help drivers feel more confident that ever on the road. The Car Care Council offers a free pamphlet called, "How to Find Your Way Under the Hood and Around the Car." To obtain a copy, just send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Car Care Council, Department UH, One Grande Lake Drive, Port Clinton, Ohio 43452. NO lUSSLF No Haggle No iUiU Hamby Has It Alt! Saturday, June 25,1994 Houston Times -Journal- Special Edition ‘9O Dodge Caravan SE - $7,495 ‘BB Honda Prelude - $6,995 ‘9O Honda Prelude - $9,950 ‘9O Chevrolet Silverado Stepside - 350, Loaded - $11,500 ‘Bl 380 SL Mercedes Roadster (Both Tops) - $14,500 fitjsaa ssa S & E Auto Sales 520 Gen. Courtney Hodges Blvd., Perry 987-0865 HAMBY Chrysler Plymouth Dodge Jeep Eagle /912/988-8444 /800/ 988-JEEP Exit 42 off 1-75, Perry, Georgia Page 11C