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Cars > Past Chats
AAA CAR DOCTOR
JOHN PAUL
02/13/2004 |
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Presidents' Day
New cars and
Presidents' Day
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On February 13, 2004 at 1 p.m. . . .
JohnPaul (Moderator)
12:59PM The Car Doctor is in. Lets talk about all the new makes and models.
crattey (Moderator)
12:59PM John Paul, AAA Car Doctor is ready to answer your questions about new cars for Presidents' Day and repair questions.
Judy'sFrostedCaddie
01:00PM My husband just bought me a brand new Cadillac and to put it mildly, I'm FROSTED. He continues to eat his takeout chinese food in the car, and he has stained the beautiful leather seats. Any help in getting the soy sauce stains out?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:01PM Judy, go to a professional reconditioning shop (auto detailer) and let them take a look. Any cleaner you may try might take the color out of the leather
Poo Poo Platter
01:03PM John Paul, I'm a little on the husky side so I can't get into an SUV. I'm looking for a car with the widest doors. It has to be a 4-door car though, because I am constantly carrying my three grown sons along for the ride.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:04PM PooPooPlater, I would try a Ford Crown Victoria or maybe a Buick Lesabre for cars. For SUV maybe the Chevrolet Suburban
jumpstart
01:05PM every jump start cable indicates never to place the negative cable to the dead battery negative post. Howerever, i have always done so and never had problem. I asked a AAA repairman tow-truck driver and he said their is no concern with this. If i don't attach to the dead battery negative post then where should it be connected
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:06PM jumpstart, the problem comes if the cable sparks. discharged batteries produce hydrogen gas which could explode, the idea is if there is going to be a spark get it as far from the battery as possible
Chinese blame pie
01:07PM I was thinking of buying one of those Joe Jager signiture series SUV's. Any word on the street?
#1 Son
01:07PM Hi John, I am the Fabulous mother of three A number one sons. What would be a good family car to fit all of us comfortably while traveling the US in our quest for the best Chinese Food?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:11PM #1 son, get something comfortable and easy to drive try a small SUV RAV4, CRV. You can sit up high and get decent fuel economy
Gazillion Times
01:11PM Hi Dr...Always love your advice. I'm in sales and spend a lot of time driving in my car. I don't know if I'm unlucky, but I've had to replace my windshield 13 times, although it feels like a gazillion times! I use the standard replacement companies, but is there a stronger glass that can withstand comment road shrapnel?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:13PM Gazillion times, no such thing as a stronger windshield. Some cars due to shape will tend to just toss stones at the windsield. If this is an SUV or truck try a bug shield it may help
Lynnfield Eddie
01:13PM John, I notice all kinds of accessories available for cars today, is it possible to have "steamer" installed? I'd love to be able to steam some hot dogs as I head into work, thanks.
1love PBSC's car
01:14PM JohnPaul, I'd like to buy my girl (PBSC) a new car for president's day. (She's a big fan of the pres.) what is a good one for her she's a dorf?
PorscheCars
01:14PM John Paul, what have you heard about a new 911 turbo body, what may be different, and in what year it is expected to come to the US?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:15PM PorscheCars expect the new body style next year. All the spy photos show some minor differences but it still is very much a classic 911 shape
Rollin'w/theColonel
01:15PM John, I have been having some heart problems, but still need to drive on a regular basis. What is your take on OnStar, in terms of emergency response?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:18PM Rollin, OnStar will put you intouch with their roadside program but not that much different than a cell phone. What they can do is perform some minor diagnostic over the phone as well as unlock your door. Recently I was road testing a Caddy and the radio went into code mode(shut down) I pushed the onstar button explain the problem and they set up a service appointment for me with the local dealer
Dead Zone
01:18PM JohnPaul, what do you know about antennaes?? Is it possible to get a stonger one than factory-installed? I can't seem to get my favorite sports talk station located in Burlington, even though I live in an adjacent town.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:19PM DeadZone, not much you can do. the best antenna is 32 inches of stainless steel. You may be in the shadow of the tower and that could be the problem. I have never seeen a car antenna booster
Norman
01:19PM What is your opinion of thye current Hyundai & Kia products?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:21PM Norman, the latest Kia's, hyundai are very good. Not quite a toyota or Honda but they are getting there. The biggest problem is with resale, they don't get any respect
WILLIAM
01:21PM I have a 04 honda oddesey. when I first start the van in the morning, if I do not warm up the car, I can feel a transmission shake when I put the shift to Reverse? Will this do any harm to the transmission?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:21PM William, probably not, but bring it to the dealer and leave it overnight so they can at least note the problem
alittlesumthinaboutc...
01:22PM I saw one of the Jager series SUV's once. Never again though.
Lynnfield Eddie
01:22PM I once read it's possible to cook hotdogs by wrapping them in tin foil and placing them on top of your engine, is this true?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:23PM Lynnfield Eddie buy the book Manifold Destiny, its all about cooking while you drive
hot dog circus
01:23PM how do you feel about K&N performance filters, do they really help any?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:24PM hot dog circuis, K&N product do work. You want better performance its all about more air in more air out. Good or bad a K&N filter will give you a little more engine noise-that could be a good thing
Hands of a Fisherman
01:24PM John Paul, I'm looking for the ultimate "chick magnet" car. Money is no object, since my dad will be picking up the tab.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:25PM Hands of a fisherman, Try a viper or Porsche 911 it has to be a convertible. Drive slow and turn up the tunes
Godfather of Sports ...
01:26PM John, I'm going to be buying a new car soon and I was wondering if there have been an advancements in windshield technology? It seems like in my old cars I've had my windshield replaced like a gazillion times.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:27PM Godfather of Sports, no new windshields some do have a sawdwich style glass quieter but I don't belive any stronger
Fredsoe
01:27PM Hi John, I may be taking a new job where I'd need to commute from Waltham to Buffalo NY, 20 times a year. I'm a big guy, so a compact won't cut it, where should I be looking for a good fuel efficent car
jim
01:27PM Are side impact bags worth the money? I'm not referring to the standard front driver and passenger bags but the side bags and rear curtain bags.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:28PM Fredsoe, try the buick lesabre big car and the last time I had one about 30 mpg on the highway
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:31PM Jim, they are worth the money. As an example the Honda CRV without side air bags get an average rating with side bags the rating goes way up. The curtain bags help minmize head injury
FatGuyInALittleCar
01:31PM John: I am a rather portly gentleman and many of today's cars don't support a man of my carriage. Do you know what is being done for the larger driver to redesign the smaller cars?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:33PM fatguyinalittle car, try and look at something like the VW Beatle, pleanty of room.
thanksdad
01:33PM John Paul, I have three sons who like to mooch of of me and borrow my car. What is the most durable car out there.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:34PM thanksdad, the most dependable have been the toyota Camry and the Honda Accord, but with a little maintenence any car should go 150,000 miles
GoldJerry
01:34PM John Paul (were your parents Beatles' fans), do you know of any car stereos with better AM reception? I can't get my favorite station 5 miles out of Burlington.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:35PM GoldJerry, the german imports in general have awful am reception. Ford seem to have a much better am radio
The Fabulous Judy
01:36PM John, my husband is not handy so I take care of the cars in my family. My boys keep telling me I need new tires for my 6 month old Cadillac, but I can't see how that's possible since they still have the factory air in them? Please help me set them straight.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:37PM FabJudy, Tires today easily go 50,000 miles. rotate the tires every 8,000 miles and align the car once a year
GrandMarshall Mo
01:37PM Hi John Paul, I had a rollover on 95 one rainy night in my SUV. Although it was quite a few years ago, I'm finally ready to try another SUV...any suggestions on which ones perform best in rollover studies?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:39PM GrandMarshall, Check out www.nhtsa.gov they have the rollover ratings posted. If you don't want a huge SUV look at the Subaru Forester
eddieisannoying
01:39PM Brady or Bledsoe?
GoldJerry
01:40PM I am trying to attract the ladies, cocktail waitresses especially. What new cars are chick magnets?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:40PM I'll take opinions from other on these two
Lynnfield Eddie
01:40PM John, I'm a "hockey krishna", how can I get that hockey gear stink out of my car? Combined with the smell old chinese food and my "fabulous" wifes perfume, it's sickening.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:41PM Lynnfieldeddie, try Fabreeze works great
eddieisannoying
01:41PM Shouldn't we all be riding bicycles and eschew the automobile?
Portuguese Man Of Wa...
01:41PM John, it takes me a long time before I fall in love with a car. Can I return a car within 30 days if I’m unhappy? I’d rather not lease.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:42PM eddie, when possible it is a great idea
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:43PM PM of war, no return policy on new cars, not even a three day policy. If you are not sure you might try renting for a couple of weeks
WILLIAM
01:43PM Thanks. Is this has anything to do with the transmission oil?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:43PM William only if the fluid is low
thanksdad
01:43PM John, my dad is selling his surburban hom e for one of those trendy apartments in the city... what is the best city car available
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:45PM thanks dad, trendy apartment trendy car, A mini would be a great choice easy to park and still fun to drive
eddieisannoying
01:45PM SOme muscle cars are decribed as "on steroids". Given the controversey with Barry Bonds, shouldn't this be removed from the car reviewer lexicon?
Allison11
01:45PM I am looking to buy a used car for about $4,000. Something not too dorky...any ideas...price/value wise?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:47PM Allison11, $4000.00 doesn't buy what it use to Look for used Honda Civic. Good cars with a good track record
Chinese blame pie
01:47PM What kind of engine does the Oscar Mayer weiner mobile have?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:48PM Chineseblamepie, I doesn't have a Hemi in it. Actually I think it is a chevrolet drivetrain
Kenny
01:48PM What's your take on the Acura TSX? It seems like it has every option you could imagine for less than $30K
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:50PM Kenny the TSX is actually a European Accord. good handling, decent interior but it could use a little more power.
CorollaGirl
01:50PM Hi JohnPaul — I've been driving the same car for 10 years (Toyota Corolla) and I would love to buy a new car this year. I'm interested in your opinion on the new Volkswagen Toureg.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:51PM CorollaGirl, the new VW SUV is a good performer, I recently road tested the V-6 decent power great off road not so good fuel economy
upsetwindow
01:52PM JOhn...I had 800-54-giant replace the windshield on my audi...and they came back 3 times due to seal it properly....now i feel like it is still noiser than the origanal....what can i do?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:53PM upsetwindow, keep calling if they have the trim out of position or the windshield not quite seated it will have wind noise
eddieisannoying
01:53PM Have you ever run out of gas on the highway?
paul
01:53PM John Paul — Fredsoe, DeadZone & Lynnfield Eddie are Patriot fans just pulling your leg.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:53PM Paul thanks, and what is with all the food references
fredsoe
01:53PM can the LeSabre tow a bike trailer behind it? I'd like to bring my Harley
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:54PM fredso, you can but there goes your fuel economy
GoldJerry
01:54PM I am quite worried about injury from airbags. Are they really safe for women, who are, not flat as a pancake?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:55PM goldjerry, airbags save lives sit at least 12 inches from the airbag and wear your seatbelt
BertSugar
01:55PM JohnPaul, where's the best place to get a car painted, I'm looking to get my Caddy painted "boneless sparerib red"
Lynnfield Eddie
01:55PM JohnPaul, where's the best place to get a car painted, I'm looking to get my Caddy painted "boneless sparerib red"
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:55PM popular color that boneless sparerib red
Pete the meat
01:56PM I've applied for a job in Burlington but i don't think i'll get it due to my size, if i drive in behind the wheel of a _____ i'll be sure to get the job. (can you fill in the blank)
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:57PM petethemeat, go with the practical choice the Crown victoria
Portuguese Man Of Wa...
01:57PM John, everyday I drive my car to the local high school track and run my mile. My wife complains because I sweat on the car seats. Are seats are leather so I tell her wiping them clean if good enough but she insists I buy car seat covers. What do you recommend?
Kowloon Cuckas
01:57PM John Paul, I like to patronize Chinese restaraunts quite frequently (probably more than I should). What you recommend I use to eradicate the smell of my Dim Sum wonderfulness?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:58PM PortManof War, what you are doing is fine but why not put a towel down
The Humorless Ghoul
01:58PM John, what's the latest in retractable roofs?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:59PM HumorlessGhoul, the hottest roof are from MB the SL500 and the Caddy XLR. They are all magic to watch
tes
01:59PM My 93 Lexus ES300 has 110000 miles. Service guys say it is burning oil and the O ring needs replacing. Say they must drop the tranny to fix it--$100 part, $1200 labor--can I keep driving it and keep an eye on temp and oil level?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:01PM tes, sounds like two different things, top off all the fluids and check them every 100 miles. As long as everything stay full you should be okay
Honda Rattler
02:01PM John Paul, I have a 96 honda civic. I tore off the rattling heat guard from underneath the car over a year ago, but now I'm getting a similar noise. What could be causing it, and where might I look to stop it? thanks!
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:02PM Honda Rattler there are several heat shields. It needs to go on a lift to be checked out
tom
02:02PM Hi. I purchased a new Acura, and the manual says I only have to change the oil every 10,000 miles. I've put 3,000 on in the first four months. How often do you recommend I change the oil?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:03PM tom, I hate to disagree with the people who built the car but I still beleive in every 3-5000 miles.
SedTarandis
02:04PM hi John, I have to reduce my car payment, Boston College is looking for $100 a game parking charge, how can I get a car with a lower payment than my $220 a month Kia Sephia without sacrificing quality
IhateBSMW
02:04PM Why can't I get the clock on my car stop blinking 12:00am. What do I need to do?
upsetwindow
02:04PM please answer how to get my windshiled quiet again help
Kelly
02:05PM The other day my 2000 Nissan Altima would not start. The car acted like the Battery was dead. Nothing was left on to kill the battery and it was just replaced 7 months ago. The lights and radio did not work, the only thing that did work was my interier light. My father came to pick me up and he tried to start it — it started then and has been starting fine ever since. Should I be concerned? What would the problem be or have been?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:05PM Kelly, have someone check the battery connections
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:08PM The Presidents Day chat is over, You can email me at jpaul@aaasne.com or listen to my radio show on WJDA1300am and WESX1230am saturday mornings from 9-11
85BuickRegal
02:09PM My steering is a fraction off (the steering is not dead center when the wheels are straight), and I recently had a tire repaired, but I can't recall when I first noticed it (before or after the tire). What could be causing this?
MG
02:09PM I'm looking at a 2001 Mustang GT conv w/10k miles on it. What should I look for that could/would go bad? Any idea what I should pay for it?
intrepid
02:09PM john paul, i have a 1998 dodge intrepid .last year i put in a cam sensor because my car was stalling at red lights and the code that i got stated it could be the cam sensor,so i replaced it . it's been fine until a couple of weeks ago .i'm not getting any codes but when im stoppoed the rpms go from 7000 to 5500 it dosn't stall but im concerned ????
upsetwindow
02:09PM why you got to ignore me
BobNeumeircheckingin
02:09PM I'm looking to buy a smaller SUV. what's the word on the BMW X3?
BobNeumeircheckingin
02:10PM What are the rules for tinting your windows? I would like some "privacy" in my vehicle but I believe mirrored tine is now illiegal?
The Death Mobile
02:10PM JohnPaul- My carbeurator's got mice living in it. What is this, come kind of ****ing hotel? I want to charge these rat bastards rent. Will PETA pull a fast one on me or what?
eddieisannoying
02:10PM John, paul is a Carolina Panthers fan or a Herald columnist. Just ignore him. We love you!!
upsetwindow
02:10PM hey john i want to buy a pick up truck and tie you up in the back of it...till the sun melts you...which do you suggest
The Death Mobile
02:10PM Hey JohnPaul. I just hit some bastard over on Chauncy St,. and he looks pretty dead. What can I do to get this goddamn dent out of my fender. I won't even MENTION the paintjob.
JohnPaul's biggest f...
02:10PM Big fan. Just wanted to get that out there
The Death Mobile
02:13PM JohnPaul- I would like to electrocute my passengers when I become annoyed with their small minded conversation (usual American car-ride fare). Can I just install a metal seat and run that to the battery? If so, what terminal? Does polarity not matter because it's AC?
tes
02:13PM great job you're doing moderator
The Death Mobile
02:13PM JohnPaul- you're not as funny as Click and Clack. What's up with that?
sheppards pie
02:13PM john, i'm kinda a portly fellow. do they make seatbelt extentions for us big guys
1 Paul is a rat
02:13PM Sometime in the very near future I may need to utilize a car with a lot of trunk space. What car would you recommend to suit my needs?
MAZDA3 ROCKS
02:13PM what do you think of the Mazda 3? What would you give it out of 10.
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GALLERIES 
