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Cars > Past Chats
AAA CAR DOCTOR
JOHN PAUL
11/04/2003 |
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November Chat
2003 Auto Show
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On November 4, 2003 at 3 p.m. . . .
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:45PM The Car Doctor is just back from checking out all the new vehicles at the New england Auto Show
less gas, please
02:57PM Hi — what can you tell us about upcoming hybrid vehicles? I've heard the new Prius makes real improvements. Anything else to get excited about?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:00PM less gas, you can check out my first drive on Boston.com site. I thought the new Prius was a big improvment over the past model. The new Prius is bigger more powerful and get better milage--and still costs about the same. Ford looks like it will be a year away from a hybrid escape
4 motion
02:42PM Any comments/feedback.opinion of VW's all wheel drive?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:44PM 4 motion I have driven the passat in terrible weather and found the all-wheel drive system to be quite good, seems better than audi and I'm not sure why. The Audi system works great with snow tires but it seems to need the extra bite of a snow tire
pj
03:01PM Hi John,I drove my honda password to Buffalo NY from half way to Buffalo I pull to a gas station I noticed oil was over the engine especially near the sparks plug any idea what may cause that
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:02PM pj, could be as simple as a loose oil filler cap. The best thing to do at this point is clean the engine compartment then check for leaks.
BR
03:03PM Regarding the 4 motion comment, don't you think it's mostly tires anyway? Most performance cars (Passsat included) come with racing slicks. I put winter tires on my Saaband even in 55 series the snow performance is terrific.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:06PM BR tires make a huge difference. Some audi's especially the TT seem RWD biased. this is where tires count the most. My family cars are FWD and have good tires and seem to work well in the winter. But for maximum traction AWD adds that extra margin
pride023
03:06PM John Paul. I am in the market for my first SUV. Nothing too big.. I'm thinking maybe a Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. But I was also thinking about the new Chevy Equinox, any word on that.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:08PM pride023, The eqinox is to new to comment. The Jeep is better than ever. If you are in the 30K range look at the Toyota Highlander and the Honda Pilot--seems to be the best quality
pj
03:08PM I have a dumb question how do to determine the mileage per gallon, John
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:11PM pj not a dumb question. Fill the tank write down the milage drive a resonable distance then refill. Divide the miles driven by gallons used to refill. ex. 100 miles 5 gallons to refill= 20 miles per gallon. Do this several times for an average
cargal
03:12PM Hi, I have an older Honda Civic and I think both the alternator and the clutch need to be replaced. Is there a certain mileage that those need to change at? What are some warning signs?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:14PM cargal, the clutch life is based on the driver. Some people can get 100,000+ miles others are lucky to get 20K. If you are having trouble shifting into gear or hear the engine speeding up and the car not you need a clutch. The alternator could last the life of the car, but could fail tomorrow
catrinky
03:14PM hi I have a 93 Dodge Stealth...I need a new catilitic converter and engine pipe the cost at the dealer is going to be around $1700...should I look into a custom exhust and do you think it includes a cat converter??
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:19PM catrinky, check around for better prices. Alldata.com lists the cat at just under $600.00. I would be cautious about the custom route. Your car has a 3 way cat and some aftermarket unit don't clean up NOX very well
cleoibizanhound
03:19PM What was the most impressive car at the auto show today?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:20PM cleoibiznhound, the Ford GT or the Enzo.
GTOgal
03:20PM I'm in love with the new Pontiac GTO. It seems a little pricey though (32k ish), for what it provides — another bigger two door sedan with updated styling. Do you think it will come down in price?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:22PM GTOgal the jury is still out. To me I think it is a few thousand overpriced. It does look a little bland but promises to be a rocket. I don't think you will see any deals for a while
celtics_16
03:23PM I'm in the market for a minivan, and am considering either the Honda Odyssey or the Nissan Quest. Which would you recommend?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:25PM celtics_16 The Quest has just won the New England Motor Press Association Family vehicle of the year award. It is new different and loaded with features. For outright reliability the Honda--a little bland but works very well
D.Wayne Johnson
03:25PM Wow.. How timely this chat is for me. While driving my car to work today I noticed a shaking of my steering wheel once I got to around 65 MPH and heard some clanking and scraping type sounds from the front end. I pulled into a gas station and looked under the hood and the engine seemed to be shaking and moving much more than it usually does while it's idling. Any ideas?? I was thinking maybe it was a broken motor mount...
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:28PM D.Wanye. Anything is possible. look at motor mounts, loose exhaust miss-firing engine. A trip to the repair shop is in order
Monkeylove
03:31PM I have a 96 Explorer and the transmission went. What should a rebuild cost including labor?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:32PM monkeylove, a rebuild will take about 14 hours labor at $80 hour. The parts fluid etc will bring the cost to over $2000. A complete rebuilt $2500 or better
InMyElement
03:33PM Hi, I have an Element (been following since it was a prontotype) -- great utility car, 4WD, easy to clean, tons of space inside, stadium seating backseat... But 2 big items for a wishlist: They need a hybrid version of the element (seems a natural with it's unique look) and needs a split bench backseat to fit 3 seat beltable backseat riders. any word from Honda on any updates?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:34PM inmyelement, hybrid is a natural but i haven't heard of anything yet. The split back seat I think is coming for this year
cargal
03:34PM kind of car related...but if your license is expired, does anything bad happen besides the obvious of when you get pulled over? Insurance cancelled? Extra fee to renew? I need to get my picture retaken, so that's slowing things up....
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:36PM cargal, In Mass. you may be able to renew on the www.massrmv.com site. If you are driving with an expired license and you get pulled over you will need a ride home.
hot pepper
03:37PM Is the Porsche Cayenne as cool as it seems? Sounds like it has room for 4, is comfy, drives well, is a rocket ship, and boasts all wheel drive. Ex*****e yes, but offers a lot. no?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:39PM hot pepper, you nailed it. The cayenne does everything but push snow with a plow. On top of all the on road virtues, it is an animal off road---I'm am will to bet it could go one on one with a Hummer H2
bean
03:39PM I think my transmission is going....is it worth replacing? I (almost) own a 97 Pontiac Grand Prix with 108,000 miles on it.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:41PM bean, depends on the rest of the car. As a trade a 100,000 mile GP with a bad trans is worth nothing. If the engine body, steering and brakes etc are good why not rebuld the trans and get another 50,000 out of it.
Milford Bob
03:41PM I'm heading to the Auto show tomorrow night. What should I definitely NOT miss?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:44PM Miford Bob. depends what you are looking for the Envoy XUV is a cool sport ute. The Ford GT and Enzo are something you may not see very often. The RX8 and the 911 Turbo Cabrio are to oposite looks at sports car. Then there are the turner Honda, Mazda and Subaru. think about a Subaru WRX that goes 0-60 in 5 seconds
bostonlou
03:44PM how about the BMW mini suv?? when will that be around and at what price?? thanks
bostonlou
03:44PM another honda question... any idea when the Honda CR-V will be updated??
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:47PM bostonlou, Mini SUV I don't think you will ever see one. The BMW X3 is there now and looks like a smaller version of the X5. My guess is big on sport small on utility The CRV was updated two years ago. I don't think you will see a complete re-do for 2-3 more years. then maybe a hybrid or a 6 cylinder
tapabc
03:47PM I am looking at Mercedes midsize sedans. I keep reading about problems and unreliable service. Is this true of all MBs or just certain years and models?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:50PM Tapabc, Merecedes has suffered from some quality issues but mostly from all the high tech features. Nav system electric locks etc. The drivetrains seem as solid as ever.
Dilly
03:50PM Hi. Sometimes when I accelerate quickly from a stop the front end of my 98 Grand Prix shakes pretty hard for a couple seconds like it's trying to find a gear or something. What gives?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:51PM Dilly, sounds like a faulty motor mount. A trip to a good repair facility sound pinpoint the problem. Make sure you good for a road test with the technician to some them the problem
vlad
03:52PM what can i do to reduce static when on the am radio band in my car
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:53PM vlad, a poor antenna connection can be then problem. For a simple test take a walkman into the car if you hear static on the walkman it is the car causing the noise if the portable radio is clear then it is the radio or antenna in the car
bob
03:53PM I have a cracked windshiel on my new lexus RX330 from a rock on the MassPike. Should I be wary of any glass replacement places/techniques or are they all pretty much the same?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:55PM bob, In my opinion factory glass is the only way to go. A por installation is not just a wind noise or water leak but can effect how the airbag will perform.
Monkeylove
03:55PM Is it true about Jaguars, that you need to have two? One for when the other is in the shop?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:56PM Monkeylove, in the old days yes. Since Ford took over things have gotten much better. Although the X-Type has had it share of problems
bostonlou
03:57PM thanks for the reply... I was thinking about the X3 I just wasn't sure if it was out yet... what's the price range on that vehicle?? would you say it's best in it's class?
bostonlou
03:57PM my wife has a daewoo... know anyone that would steal it for me?? I mean... have you heard anything about their reorginization that I should hold out hope for?? I would like to trade it in but she's so upside down it's crazy
JohnPaul (Moderator)
04:00PM boston the X3 is to new to comment--There may be better choices but time will tell. With the Daewoo all you can do is drive it and hope for the best. Perhaps GM will come to the rescue of former owners but I don't think so
walker
04:00PM What's your opinion on the Cooper Minis? Are they overhyped and overpriced?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
04:01PM walker, the Mini is a lot of fun and I don't think over priced. The first year bugs seem to have been worked out. The biggest problem is a very limited dealer network
JohnPaul (Moderator)
04:05PM An hour has come and gone. check out the updates of the autoshow on the website. If anyone has addtional questions you can email me at jpaul@aaasne.com or check out the Car Doctor radio program on WJDA am1300 and WESX am1230 on Saturday starting at 9:00am.
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