| [an error occurred while processing this directive] |
Cars > Past Chats
On May 30, 2003 at 2 p.m. . . . JohnPaul (Moderator) 01:53PM With June right around the corner, it is time to take care of your ride. The Car Doctor is now in. jeff01 02:02PM I have a BMW and need to keep it in good health (sever years old). I have a few small surface rust spots. One very small, one medium by the lights. Should I worry about this, or do anything about it? Also, what is the best way to see if there are any rust spots under the car (beside the obvious)? JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:04PM Jeff01, try to get to the rust as soon as possible. Any surface rust means there is moisture under the paint. A rust spot the size of a nickel will require sanding 10 times that much. As far as under the car, it is more rust resistant but you should still wash the underside with fresh water to minimize the chances of rust matt 02:05PM I have a 99 buick regal and my service vehicle soon light, trac control, low tire, and anti-lock lights are on. I have just recently replaced a speed sensor and that eliminated the lights in the past, but now the low tire light is on as well as all the others and I don't have a low tire. Could the computer in the car be broken? JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:06PM matt, anything is possible but you should have the computer scanned for codes. Very common with that model is the wiring to the left front wheel sensor developes a break and set a code. car4sale 02:06PM I am getting ready to sell my car on my own. What steps should I do to prepare it to show potential buyers? JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:08PM car4sale. Collect all your records and clean the car and take out any personal items(junk). Any obvious problems should be repaired and top off all the fluilds. A little wax and interior cleaner will go a long way. Once the car is sold the new buyer needs to get it inspected within 7 days If it fails and the cost of repair is more than 10 percent of the purchase price they can return the car to you mwoods 02:09PM Hi John Paul, I have a Mazda mini van and know NOTHING about cars=) When I start the engine the car makes a screaching sound. What could be wrong? Thanks for any advise M JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:10PM mwoods, loud noises like that are usually the generator (alternator) belt. You should bring it in to a repair shop and have all the belts checked and replacd if necessary. If that belt breaks it could leave you stranded tone 02:10PM i have a 92 Caddy Seville, over a 110k, the passenger winshield wiper doesn't work very well, and the horn has gone silent, also the shocks are gone, and I have an exhaust issue, but I'm recently laid off, and I need to pass inspection next month, any ideas? THX. JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:12PM tone, the horn and wipers and exhaust are necessay for a sticker. Perhaps before school end you might try a local votec school in your area for a discount repair. me 02:12PM can you recommend a brand of wax? JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:14PM me, I like the Meguires products. they are easy to use and work well. BL 02:14PM Doc I have a 1989 Dodge Caravan that has a oil leak and when the oil level is low it burns oil (smoke come from the exhaust) Is there any thing that can slow or stop the leak and what maybe causing the smoke, thx JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:16PM BL more than likely worn valve seals and guides. This is a fairly expensive repair. You could try one of the many additives on the market, they won't do any harm and might help. I have seen some results wit a product called Restore--like chicken soup for a cold it can't hurtPam 02:16PM I own a 2002 Audi TT Roadster. I would like to treat the seats and dash with a protectant, so they do not crack or dry from the sun. (On my last car, I used baseball oil for the leather seats and hand-cleaner (like Goop) for the dash)....Any suggestions? JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:20PM Pam, Armor all makes products for both as does Mequires and Zymol. Mike 02:20PM JohnPaul, I have a 1990 Jeep Cherokee and it's been running very hot lately. I had the thermostat replaced, but it didn't help. It seems like the electronic fan is not coming on all the time. I noticed it does come on while in park, but I doubt it comes on while in drive. Is that the fan clutch that if failing? Thanks Rick 02:20PM I had the breaks & rotors changed on my F-150. There seems to be a rubbung sound now...vumm, vumm, vumm. Is that normal and will it go away as the pads wear down a bit. JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:23PM Mike, could be the radiator starting to clogg up or rusting away. Your jeep uses an electric fan so no fan clutch. You can check to see if there is power to the circuit when the engine is hot if this is the case then you may need a fan motor. JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:25PM Rick there shouldn't be any noise and no wear in necessay. Go back to the repair shop road test the truck with the tech who did the repair. It may be as minor as a clip or one of the pads not seated properly dasha 02:25PM How important is alignment and tire rotation? How often should they get done? JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:26PM dasha, you should rotate your tires every other oil change(so every 8-10,000 miles). Have the car aligned once a year or if you hit a big pothole. alignment doesn't just improve tire life but also improves handling and can even help your gas milagepg 02:27PM My 94 Camry pulls to the right a bit and needs an alignment. What should I expect to pay for a front end alignment? JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:29PM pg, depending on how much work is necessary $60-$80 seems to be a going average. MARK65 02:29PM What is your opinion of the 2003 Jeep Liberty Sport 4x4 with Auto Trans? JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:31PM MARK65 the Liberty is pretty good off road but get poor fuel economy and has poor rear visability. The overall reliability has been just fair. The CRV and RAV are better chices if you don't plan on going off road. For off road stay with the Jeep rust2 02:31PM Both of my back doors are beginning to rust at the bottoms (97 Chrys Concord). It's not something that I want to spend a ton of money on, what are the going rates for body work these days? JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:33PM rust2, the going rate for body work at least for insurance purposes is $35.00 per hour. But you really get what you pay for. To do a good job you could easily spend several hundred per door ---or more if the doors need substantial metal repair batteryboy 02:33PM about car batteries — can any battery fit any make and model car? are they universial? what should I look for in finding a replacement? Thanks JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:35PM batteryboy, although batteries are similar there are specific batteries for each car. You want to buy the most battery you can afford and try to get one with a national warranty. Sears Exide and Interstate are all good batteries kks 02:36PM Car Doctor. I recently purchased a 1991 Lincoln Continental Signtature Series. It has about 146K, and runs like a dream. I've had it for a month and suddenly the right passenger side drops. Ride Control alarm because the care is air suspension. I brought it in and they immediately said new airbag. It was installed and after a few days, the same problem. It occurs when I drive over bumpy (not potholes) terrain. I have to pull over go into the trunk turn of the air suspension, wait a few seconds, turn it back on, start the car and it usually rises again to a normal level until I hit a few bumps. What's the cause. I've brought it back to the mechanics and I alluded to them that I feel its as if its a communication problem, maybe a sensor (I don't know), but they seemed perplexed by it. Got any ideas? Thank you. JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:38PM KKS, Like all computer controlled parts you can check for codes. It may be a problem with one of the height sensors or the arm that connects to the sensor. The air bags were very common failures as they got old and dry-rot set in. Like any leaks. From your description check all the sensors and connections dmr1168 02:39PM I own a 1995 Pontiac Bonneville SSE....it has 188,000 miles on it....it is in great shape, but there is a noise that a repairman says is coming from the supercharger. He said it was a bearing problem which causes two noises. One is a rumbling sound that I hear at stop lights and the other is a buzzing sound that I hear at stop lights as well. He says there is no need to repair the problem if I can live with the noise. Does this sound accurate? JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:40PM drm1168, It could very well be a supercharger bearing. The problem is there is no repair other than replacement of the supercharger. If it were me I would wait it out. Oz 02:40PM I have a 96 Explorer and I am hearing squeaking while driving and if I am parked and rock the front end also. I went to Meineke and had them lube it but its still squeaking. What's wrong? JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:42PM Oz, have them keep checking it could be a bushing, faulty shock or very common worn stabilizer bar links. With the truck on a drive on lift keeping all the weight on the wheels (rather than a lift where the wheels hang) it should be fairly simple to pinpoint the noise.bill 02:43PM JohnPaul: I own a 97 Grand Am with 63,000 miles on it. It's been a low maintenance car since I bought it new. I just paid $99 for the AC service at Valvoline because my AC wasn't cold enough. It comes with 3 more refills in case I have a leak which I think I do. What might it cost me to repair the leak if I bring it to the dealer? Is it worth it? -- Bill JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:46PM Bill, if it is something like a compressor or condenser or evaporator it will be fairly expensive. the evaporater for example is $310.00 plus 6 hours labor. Sven14 02:46PM Hi John- Any good tips for caring for leather seats in the summer sun? JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:48PM Sven14,leather seat suffer when they dry out keep them condtion with a good leather treatment them --although not a problem this year keep the sun off of them--One of those windshield sunshade look awful but do help. scott 02:48PM how about ford? what do you think about explorers? I have been thinking of selling mine (99) due to rollover fears and minor problems (airbag light malfunctioned, auto locks are unreliable) JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:51PM scott, the new Explorer or Montaineer are really much better than the earlier models. The rollover thing is more if you drive outside of the limits of the vehicle. If you want to go all out the new Volvo XC90 has a anti-rollover feature--the vehicle is very nice and didn't roll over during my road test, but then that has never happened in any vehicle that I have road tested and I have been driving a different car each week for 10 years bob 02:52PM My 93 T-bird has gone thru 4 1/2 quarts in a month and 1 week. There is no leaks or white smoke? JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:53PM Bob, the oil has to be going somewhere. More than likely it is buring under acceleration and you just don't see it. Fill the oil and have someone else drive and you follow in another car. Have them accelerate then just cruise then accelerate you will problably see plenty of blue smoke westcedar 02:53PM I just bought a 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe. Having never owned a brand new car is there anything I need to do differently to break the car in? JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:56PM westcedar, treat the vehicle just like what it is a new car. Take it easy for the first 1000 miles, at about 2000 miles change the oil then every 3-5000 miles after that. Watch the maintenence schedule in the owners manual and hopefully it should last a good long time. As a side note Hyundai is the most improved vehicle I have seen in a loog time. ack 02:56PM What is your impression on the Nissan XTerra? JohnPaul (Moderator) 02:58PM ack, XTerra, it has a basic feel like the Jeep. Good off road and pleanty of power with the V-6. The four even with the manual is really underpowered. overall it feels a little rough around the edges. reese 02:58PM I have a pontiac grand am 2000 and I'm having problems with the blinker working only sproadically when it wants to. This also goes hand-in-hand with the service light going on and off for the past few months as well. What could the problem be with the blinker? JohnPaul (Moderator) 03:02PM reese, the two are probably not related. Next time the service light comes on get to a repair shop and have them "scan" the computer this will at least give you someplace to start. Nest time the blinker doesn't flash have a helper check to see that all the lights are coming on the other problem could be a faulty flasher. tammyk 03:02PM I have a 95 firebird that gives out a loud crunching sound about 5 secs after the car is first started in the morning. Mechanics can't duplicate it if the car is started after that 1st time. What could it be? JohnPaul (Moderator) 03:04PM tammyk, all I can suggest is leave the car overnight at a repair shop so they can here the noise. The only thing I can think of is perhaps a ABS brake pump cycling noise bob 03:04PM I have a 1998 Mercury Villager my rear fan doesnt work what do you suggest? JohnPaul (Moderator) 03:07PM Bob, like all electrical problems start at the begining. Start wit the fuses, electrical connections fan controls then the fan motor itself. The fan switch is the common problem on that vehicle irish 03:08PM I have a 2000 Honda Accord LX, auto transmittion. When I first start the car up in the a.m., back down my driveyway, then put in in drive it seems to "coast" and I have to hit the accelerator hard to get into gear. Is this a sign of transmission problems? JohnPaul (Moderator) 03:10PM irish, as good as Honda vehicle have been they have had some transmission problems. start wit the basics and check the fluid level. This certainly could be a sign of a problem, atoth 03:10PM Hi John Paul, I have a 1988 Volvo Turbo. When I really put the hammer down and the boost gauge rises to about 3/4 the engine starts to sputter, loses power, and it feels like it's going to conk out. I've read possibly that it might be the vacuum tubes or the fuel regulator. What's your take? Thanks. JohnPaul (Moderator) 03:13PM atoth, sounds like a fuel issue. Have the repair shop check fuel pressure under the same conditions if you see low fuel pressure you should have your answer. If you don't have 40 pounds of fuel pressure then you have a weak pump or restricted fuel filter ralph 03:13PM Hi! I have a 99 altima with 130k miles with a perpetual squeaky brake problem. Even after new pads and rotors, it doesn't take long before the squeaking starts again.. ANy suggestions? JohnPaul (Moderator) 03:15PM ralph, brake noise comes from brake pad movement. make sure the repair shop replaced all the brake hardware and cleaned all the mounting surfaces. benz 03:15PM I have an 81 Mercedes and it seems to be having some electrical problems, for example, the sunroof is slow to close at times and the interior lights don't always work. Is this a common problem? what would it take to get something like that fixed? thanks! JohnPaul (Moderator) 03:16PM benz, it could be a battery wiring problem. As a start clean all the battery cables and body connections. With a 22 year old car it could be almost anything. mingshan 03:16PM Hi, I have a 1986 Chrysler LeBaron GTS. It has a bad power-steering fluid leak and there's an engine smell in the car when I have the heater on in the winter. Do you think these are both problems with old hoses, or perhaps something else? Thanks. JohnPaul (Moderator) 03:18PM mingshan, It would be best to have someone give the ca a good once over. The power steering leak could be a hose the pump or the steering rack None are cheap to fix. Before you spend anymore money, spend about an hours worth of labor at a good repair shop and get a complete check-up to know where you stand taz 03:18PM hey john. have a 300 M with 40k miles. Transmission seems to be pushing harder than usual on hills and in traffic. Have you heard of this type of thing with this car before? Is there some specific checkup I should do? JohnPaul (Moderator) 03:21PM taz, may not be the transmission at al but a engine miss-fire. something like a spark plug or clogged fuel injector could give the same symptom. Regarding Hyundai they have come a long way. But they have poor resale value, so if you buy one plan on keeping it for a long time. culops 03:21PM john, the driver door of my 2002 nissan altima is very hard to open and close. i suspect rust in the door brackets and/or hinges. any advice on what king of oil or grease i can apply to coorect the problem? JohnPaul (Moderator) 03:25PM culops, use light oil not wd-40 or other penatrating oil. there is an actual door grease --sort of white grease in a spray can jackie 03:25PM I just bought a 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan. It is silver and I want to know how long a new car should go through the summer before giving it a nice wax job. JohnPaul (Moderator) 03:30PM jackie, wax it anytime. I hate to sound like a commercial for Mequires wax but they can give you a prescrition for the proper wax for your car. jeepster 03:30PM My brakes are squeaking but I had my mechanic look at them recently and he said they look fine. I have 4 wheel disc brakes. What could be the problem? Should I find a different mechanic? JohnPaul (Moderator) 03:31PM jeepster, many brakes squeak and work fine. You can get it fixed but if they are working ok it may just be cheaper to put up wit it. vroom 03:31PM This isn't a direct maintenance questions — but — if you drive 40,000 miles a year — should you buy a car or lease one? JohnPaul (Moderator) 03:33PM vroom, I have to think if you drive 40k per year you would get killed in over milage fees. One of the rules of leasing is talk to your acountant first if yon don't have an accountant don't lease. jb 03:33PM What do you think of the Volvo C70 Convertible? I heard they may be discontinued. JohnPaul (Moderator) 03:34PM jp, the first c70's were terrible. when the roof was cut off the cars shook and rattled. For my money I would be the new Audi A4 Cabrio. Check this web site on tuesday for the video review RK 03:35PM I just bought a 2 year old Nissan Maxima. I was told to use only synthetic oil. Does this really make a difference? JohnPaul (Moderator) 03:36PM RK it isn't necessary but may help prolong engine life.If you continue to use synthetic oil still change it at the reccomended intervles. JohnPaul (Moderator) 03:38PM The 60 minute chat has turned into 90 plus minutes, thanks to everyone for the great questions. If you need more info or would like a personal reply to your question email me at jpaul@aaasne.com and you can always tune into the Cardoctor radio program saturday from 9-11 on am1300 and am1230 |
