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Does Kevin really need new tire-pressure sensors?
Dear Tom and Ray: I live in Albany, N.Y., and I own a 2009 Dodge Journey, all-wheel drive, with 19-inch wheels and tires. I didn't realize it at the time, but getting these optional huge wheels has made it impossible to find winter tires. So I have to buy another set of smaller, 17-inch wheels to put my winter tires on. Here's my question: The car has a tire-pressure monitoring system that tells me when the pressure is low in one of the tires. Do I have to buy new tire-pressure sensors for each of these new wheels, or can I get by without them? Or can I buy a cheaper, aftermarket system? -- Kevin
NO TRUTH TO THIS OBSERVATION
Dear Tom and Ray: Was it just me, or did my Jeep really seem faster this morning in the cold, -15 F air? I've always heard that the colder the air, the better the combustion. Is there any truth to my observation this morning, or was I just driving faster so I could get out of the cold car quicker? -- Matt
READER NEEDS HELP CHOOSING A MIDLIFE CRISIS CAR
Dear Tom and Ray: Guys -- you probably have been asked this before, but here it goes anyway. I am 46 years old, divorced for two years, recovered financially, and I am ready to purchase a new car. This purchase would not be out of spite to show I have recovered from the divorce (maybe a little), but I am now looking for a new or certified pre-owned car that would be a great "midlife crisis car." It should be sporty, interesting to the opposite sex and show some level of status and sophistication (I don't have a hairy chest, don't own a big gold chain and don't like unbuttoned Hawaiian shirts). However, I still want to maintain some sanity and don't want to break the bank, have crazy insurance payments or spend every month in the repair shop in hock to someone named "Claus." Here are the cars I'm thinking about: 1. 2006 Lexus SC 430 2. 2008 BMW 335i 3. 2008 Infiniti G37 coupe 4. 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T Please give me your opinion. Thanks. -- Matt
SHOULD DRIVER INVESTIGATE DEALER MISHAP FURTHER
Dear Tom and Ray: I have a 2003 Toyota Prius, which has gone 67,000 miles. I always take it to the dealer, and recently had it there for its 65,000-mile service. After a fairly long wait, the service manager came to me to tell me that there had been an accident. They had driven the car crooked onto the oil-change rack, and "the wheel fell off." I have to admit that I really didn't know exactly what that meant, except that it didn't sound too good. He took me into the work area, where they were already doing a front-wheel alignment on my car. He said that the realignment was being done because of possible damage when the car's wheel fell off the rack. There was no charge, and he admitted they were at fault here. They also are replacing some rubber thingie under the front bumper that has had a rip in it for about four years. So I do not have a problem with the dealership in this respect. My questions are these: Could there be further damage, such as hairline cracks and bent or dented pieces under the car, as a result of this accident? Is this something that may show up later as a serious problem? Thanks. -- Mary
Today: What to do if unintended acceleration happens to you.
Dear Tom and Ray: Recently, there was a large recall of Toyotas because the gas pedal could get stuck on the floor mat and cause the car to keep accelerating wildly. Yesterday the pedal got stuck in my 2008 Honda Accord. What should you do if such a thing happens? -- Dan
Today: Click and Clack weigh in on lead weights.
Dear Tom and Ray: It turns out that lead wheel weights are the biggest source of lead in California's waterways. There is a bill that would ban them in favor of safer alternatives, especially stainless steel. My question is, Exactly what do wheel weights do? I know they are used to balance the wheels, but what exactly does that mean? -- Ang
Could a foreign object really get into the insides of an engine?
Dear Tom and Ray: My daughter bought a 2005 Kia Sorento nine months ago, and was given an extended warranty by the dealership. A week ago, it started running badly, so she took it back. The technician said two cylinders were not working. He said they found a piston ring in the oil pan, and corrosion on the top of one piston. Now they are telling her that the damage was caused by an "unknown foreign object" that got into the engine. They are calling this a "road hazard," and won't pay for the large repair bill. Does this diagnosis make sense to you guys? -- Jennifer
Should Art get his TV up and running in his conversion van?
Dear Tom and Ray: My problem is my 1995 Chevy High-Top Conversion Van model G20. I am a fanatical sports fan. I never miss a football or baseball game. I also do a lot of RV-ing, so I spend a lot of time on the road. My RV van has a TV screen for the second and third row of passengers. In order to indulge both my sports and RV hobbies at the same time, I have set up a large mirror on the seat back of the second row so that it reflects the image on the TV. Then I adjust my rearview mirror so that I can see the TV image reflected on the large mirror behind me. This way, I never miss a touchdown play or game-winning home run while I am driving. My problem is that since the conversion from analog to digital TV, I can no longer enjoy the games. I have been unable to find a 12-volt digital converter for the TV. Can you help me? -- Art
Today: find out why Tom put Filippo Berio Olive Oil on his windshield.
Dear Tom and Ray: We had a big snowstorm this week. Not wanting to scrape the ice off my windshield, the night before the storm I looked around for something to put under my wipers to keep the ice off. Unable to come up with anything, I contemplated alternatives. Then it came to me: Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil! I smeared some Filippo Berio on the windshield and waited for the snow. The next morning, the snow slid off the windshield like a greasy zeppole. Great, I thought. When the snow stopped, I noticed a haze on the windshield. I figured it would wash off. Well, I was wrong -- the stuff has adhered to the glass as if it were baked on. I'm still scraping off the hardened oil. Help! -- Tom
Is a block heater a must-have in extremely cold climates?
Dear Tom and Ray: I live in interior Alaska, and it gets cold. How cold, you ask? It's been -40 F (that's negative 40) for the past week or so. My husband and I go back and forth as to whether to keep the car's block heater plugged in all the time, or whether to use a timer and run it only some of the time. I've heard that too much heat is bad for the oil. This morning I used the timer, and my car decided it was too cold for the transmission to engage. I was stuck. At -45 F, I don' t have to go to work. At -40 F, I do (administrative policy). I want to use this as leverage to get my husband to let me keep my car plugged in more of the time. What do you think? -- Christie
Today: the case of the misaligned hub covers.
Dear Tom and Ray: I live in New Hampshire, and have a 2002 Saab 9-5 Aero. About 10 weeks ago, after putting on the snow tires, I personally put the little blue "hub covers" with the Saab logo on the center of each wheel. Just for kicks, I put on the covers so they all were facing exactly the same way. The other day, I was walking up to the car and noticed that all the covers are now misaligned. I'm thinking to myself: "How did that happen? Did someone sneak into my garage at night and purposely reposition the hub covers?" This is really baffling me, and I've come up with several possible explanations: (1) Remember the movie "My Cousin Vinny" when Marisa Tomei gives her courtroom explanation of Positraction? I am thinking that maybe there's a similar system in my Saab that's causing this phenomenon. (2) Maybe the front wheels spun unequally on ice. (3) When taking a corner to the left, maybe the left wheel spins less than the right one does. In any case, please provide an explanation for this. I know it doesn't really matter how the hub covers are positioned, but it's driving me nuts. Thanks! -- Phil
Should John the valet be warming up cars?
Dear Tom and Ray: I am a valet at a local country club in Wisconsin. As you well know, it gets very cold here in the winter months, and that leads to my question. As a favor to the members who choose to valet park with me, I like to warm up their cars before they leave. I let the cars run anywhere from two to 15 minutes, depending on how long they take to get ready to leave, get their coats, finish conversations, etc. So my question is: Am I doing any damage to these automobiles? Would they be better off next winter driving away in ice-cold cars? -- John
Today: Technical Service Bulletins, explained.
Dear Tom and Ray: I've heard you refer to "bulletins" ("maybe there's a bulletin on it") in addressing repair problems. My question is this: If there is, in fact, a bulletin out on a repair, does that mean the dealership cannot (or ought not) charge full price for the repair? My Saturn wagon just had a transmission pressure-control solenoid replaced, to the tune of $800. As I was writing out the check, I noticed a bulletin that the technician had clipped to the bill, and I asked the serviceman if I could see it. He was hesitant, especially when I asked him for a copy of it. Is the bulletin just an aid for the technician to follow, or is it a correction of a defect, and therefore something that should be covered under warranty? -- Bill
today: How would you price car sharing?
Dear Tom and Ray: I'm living with a bunch of poor, just-out-of-college/sometimes-in-grad-school folks who are planning to share my car. I don't want to sell it. I'd like to come up with a way to let everyone contribute based on how much they use the car and how they use it. How does highway driving compare with city traffic for wear and tear on the car? It obviously has an effect on gas, but what about the engine and other parts? -- Dan
Today: an airbag answer that's "no charge."
Dear Tom and Ray: I recently purchased a 2009 Chevy Traverse. My wife, who is a vertically challenged 5 feet 1 inch, likes to sit on a cushion to gain greater visibility. However, when she sits in the front passenger seat with a fabric material cushion, the warning light indicates that her seat's air bag is off. So, currently, in order to ride as safely as possible, she does not use the cushion. Is the air bag really turned off when she sits on the cushion? If it is, please explain to this non-automotive engineer how her sitting on a cushion is compromising the system. -- Calvin
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