AAA CAR DOCTOR JOHN PAUL 7/19/2001

July Chat Fun in the Sun

John Paul
The Car Doctor is in!

EscortBoy
John Paul, I have a 1991 Ford Escort that needs a new manifold. The one I have is leaking, and a mechanic offered to shop around for a used one. The car may be better off being traded in. How long can I wait before either having it fixed or trading it in.

John Paul
EscortBoy Your car is worth about $1500.00 in good shape. a leaky manifold may drop its value to almost nothing. A used one may be the best way to go, and if the car is in good shape maybe you can get some more time out of it. Driving with a cracked manifold can cause engine problems,polution problems and possibly a ticket for a leaky exhaust

Mark
John Paul, how often should you get your car washed? John Paul
Mark, Washing it at least once a week is a good idea. Wash it after a rainstorm due to the high acid rain content here in New England Wax the finish at least 4 times per year

Graham
Hi. I heard that cars from 1983 and older don't have to take the state enhanced emissions test. Will this cut-off year move as the years go forward or is 1983 the permanent cut off year?

John Paul
Graham, 83 and older will not be tested for emissions unless the recent report from the National Academy of Science suggests a rule change

Anonymous Coward
Is it possible to mount a snow removal blade and a rear guard on my Honda Civic for crash protection

John Paul
Anonymous Coward----no, your car could never hold the additional weight---perhaps just a bigger car would be a good idea

FunkDat
Hi John...I;ve been wondering about this for a while now. I drive a 1999 Ford Escort ZX2, and it has 44,000 miles...so the warranty is long since expired. I've had a few problems with it (replaced the alternator twice, and the serpentine belt once.)Right now, it seems to be running fine. However, do you think purchasing an extended warranty from Ford is worthwhile? Most people tend to put the "extended warranty" in the same category of paying for rust-coating on your undercarriage...they think it's a sham. I;m curious to know what you think?

John Paul
FunkDat Extended warranties or service contracts are a good idea if you are worried about a big repair bill. Keep in mind they usually don't cover items that just wear out. Ford has a good product and so doesn't AAA

Valex
How do you know if your car has platinum plugs? The manual gives two time frames for changing plugs, one for regular and one for platinum, but it does not say which the car has. Are they only on high-end cars?

John Paul
Valex, platinum plugs can be on just about any car. Short of taking one out to look at it is about the only way you can tell what's really in there.

Vinman
My 1993 Isuzu Rodeo 3.2LV6 needs new valve cover gaskets. He also said there are plug tube gaskets that also need to be replaced. What is a reasonable cost for this?

John Paul
Vinman Its a pretty pricey job, your looking at 5 hours labor for the valve cover gaskets--say $325.00 plus $30.00 for the gaskets

Mike
If I had my 97 ford escort emissions tested last year. does it have to be tested for emissions again this year?

John Paul
Mike Emissions get tested every 2 years generally if your car was made in an odd year you have the emissions test in an odd year. When you go in for your test the computer should know it was tested last year and only a safety test will be performed

BruinsFan
Seriously, how often does a cars oil need to be changed.

John Paul
BruinsFan, follow your owners manual. With most cars every 3-5000 miles is best.

Bob
Hi John- I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee with 40K. The dealer recommended that I have the automatic transmission fluid changed. Is this really necessary at this time? They wanted $100 to do the job. Thank you in advance

John Paul
Bob Depending how you use your Jeep really depends on when you change the fluid. If you go off road, tow a trailer or just work it hard, changing the fluid is a good idea. If the fluid has started to become discolored this also indicates the fluid needs changing

Indiana
How do you know when to change your tires? I had a leak repaired last month and (no surprise) the tire service man said I needed a whole new set. I presume there's a better way than trusting salespeople?

John Paul
Indiana, when the tread has worn down to 1/16 of an inch or if the tread has worm very uneven. In general most tires last 4-5 years and 40-60,000 miles. whenever in doubt get a second opinion. If you buy new tires have the wheels aligned to help improve wear

stevenj44
i bought a 93 lesabre with only 25k miles from an elderly couple. do you think i should have a full servicing of trans, tune up to "start fresh"? how extensive of a tune up would you recommend?

John Paul
stevenj44, Is is a good idea to go through all the fluids including brake fluid. The tune up should include plugs perhaps wire and filters as well as an overall performance check. By starting new you will know when additional maintenence needs to be done. Keep in mind sometimes lack of use is worse for a car than abuse

joe
why are the mass excise taxes so ridiculous?

John Paul
Joe the tax is based on $25 per $1000 of the invoice price with prices ranging from 90-10% based on the year of the car---Perhaps this would have been a better question for Daniel Grabausas to answer

Ron
My car failed expection for emissions do I have to go to one recommended shop or can I try myself

John Paul
Ron you can certainly try to repair the car yourself.Most cars fail due to lack of maintenence and yours may need plugs, wires or even an air filter.

YNot
I have noticed that I keep having to re-fuel my car more often than before. I'm not driving longer distances or less highway. What could be the problem?

John Paul
YNOT, perhaps the car is not running as efficantly as it once was. check you miles per gallon between fill-ups to find out. To check you miles per gallon fill the tank, drive X number of miles and refill the tank. Then devide the miles driven by the gallons used to find your MPG. If it seems low the oxygen sensor could be bad or even a faulty thermostat could be the problem

alange
My wife has been after me to get her a remote starter. Can they potentially cause problems?

John Paul
alange, remote starters other than wasting gas are sort of nice on a hot or cold day. A well installed remote starter shouldn't cause any problems