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Goodyear: Don't Go Looking for Trouble on Summer Trips

18 June 1998

Goodyear: Don't Go Looking for Trouble on Summer Trips

    AKRON, Ohio, June 18 -- Cracked automotive belts and nerves
often go together, as do overheated engines and tempers.
    But it doesn't have to be that way, according to Goodyear Engineered
Products, if motorists take the time to inspect their automotive belts and
hose this summer.  Ignored, aging rubber under the hood can fail and strand
drivers along highways.
    "Few automotive component breakdowns disable a vehicle faster than a belt
or hose failure," said Paul Foley, general manager of the company's
transportation replacement products.  And yet there are a few simple things
drivers can do to avoid this difficulty.
    Simple inspections detect noticeable signs of wear.  For example,
according to the American Automobile Association, 33 percent of more than
4,400 vehicles it inspected last year revealed faulty belts or hose.
    "That means one in every three vehicles was not getting optimum
performance from its engine," Foley said.  "Worse yet, the driver is flirting
with disaster."
    To avoid the frustration -- and the danger -- of waiting for a tow, Foley
advises vehicle owners to visit their nearby Goodyear store for a belt-and-
hose inspection.
    For the do-it-yourselfer, follow these simple inspection tips monthly or
before a long trip -- making sure that the engine is cool:

    *  Turn belts over using fingers and thumb and visually inspect their
       condition.  A belt that is unevenly worn, frayed, glazed, oil-soaked or
       damaged should be replaced.  Although minor cracking on a Poly-V belt
       is common, deep cracks or missing chunks are signs that a replacement
       is overdue.
    *  Visually inspect hoses.  If cracking, bulging or swelling is present,
       replace the hose.
    *  Use fingers and thumb -- not the entire hand -- to squeeze a hose near
       its ends; then, try the middle.  Internal hose degradation usually
       occurs within two inches of the hose ends from difficult-to-detect
       striations or micro-cracks.  If the ends are soft and spongy, replace
       the hose.

    Most manufacturers recommend replacing coolant hose and v-belts every
three years or 36,000 miles and cooler-running serpentine belts every five
years or 50,000 miles.  Check your owner's manual for specific recommendations
for your vehicle.
    Goodyear also advises motorists to inspect tires for incorrect inflation
pressure and unusual treadwear patterns.  Tires should be inflated to the
vehicle manufacturer's recommendation (as stated in the owner's manual), not
the maximum limit stamped on the tire's sidewall.  Running a tire
underinflated not only wears the tire faster, it lowers fuel mileage.
    "A breakdown is one of the last things you want to have happen when the
family is taking a summer vacation," said Foley.  "This is one instance where
an ounce of prevention is really worth a pound of cure."