COVID-19 and dead batteries

June 4, 2020

DEAR READERS: With the COVID-19 pandemic, most of us are staying home and not driving. When you go to start the car you may experience instances where it won’t start. This is a dead battery, likely. For a proper and safe jump-start, call your AAA-approved technician. I do not advise car owners to disengage their own batteries for two reasons: 1.) you may lose the computer memory, and 2.) when reconnecting the battery, it’s possible you’ll spike the computer, resulting in extensive and costly computer damage. — Junior DEAR DOCTOR: My 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser has 150,000 ...

Foam in tires cuts road noise

January 16, 2020

Dear Doctor: I have a 2019 Volvo with Pirelli tires. I recently got a flat tire and the mechanic took the tire off the wheel to patch the tire and he discovered the inside of the tire lined with foam, to his surprise. He removed the foam in the area of the punctured tire to patch it. Why is foam in the tire? Sarah Dear Sarah: The foam is used to help cut down on road noise. The foam has been used for a few years on certain vehicles. More and more car manufacturers, as well as tire manufacturers, will be using foam-filled tires in the years to come. The foam is not related to a tire ...

Mysterious start is in atmosphere

October 31, 2019

DEAR DOCTOR: I have a 2009 Chevy Traverse. Twice during the past week we heard our car "turn over" as if attempting to start. No one was in the vehicle, nor was anyone pushing a remote start button. The car did not actually start up. Is there a danger of fire? Could it be a bad starter? The dealership has never heard of this. — Jane DEAR JANE:: There's a lot of electrical current in the atmosphere and you are not the first owner to have this event occur. We call this electronic magnetic interference, or EMI. It's also possible that there could have been someone in the area with ...

Battery life relies on list of factors

August 29, 2019

DEAR DOCTOR: I have a 2013 Lincoln MKZ with the four-cylinder engine. I’ve had to replace the battery two times in five years — that’s three batteries in five years! Why would this be necessary? The car gives no warning; it just won’t start, even with a jump. — Wilma DEAR WILMA: Average battery life is three to four years, though some batteries can last a lot longer. Much depends on the climate, how often the car is driven, and the type of driving. Lots of local driving and short trips, stop-and-go traffic, and hot climate all shorten battery life. Like any other ...

Engine on 2017 Toyota Highlander keeps on ticking

August 22, 2019

DEAR DOCTOR: My wife has a 2017 Toyota Highlander that she loves, except for a loud ticking noise from the engine compartment when in gear. The car has 12,000 miles. The noise has been there since day one. On one visit to the dealer, two tech reps from Toyota listened and said “it is a characteristic of the model,” but to us it sounds like a cement mixer. That’s not normal! As a former service manager I can honestly say I have never heard a car that didn’t have a serious engine problem make noise like this. Do you know anything about this? — James DEAR JAMES: My wife ...

Student wants Nissan for winter driving

August 15, 2019

DEAR DOCTOR: My daughter is attending college in an area away from home where it gets more snow. She wants to take her 2012 Nissan Maxima, which is equipped with all-weather 245/40R19 low-profile tires. Here are options I'm considering: buy four rims and snow tires; have the existing rims fitted with snow tires; leave her car as-is and hope that she can drive it in the winter; give her my 2017 Honda CR-V with all-weather M+S tires. What would you do? — Chris DEAR CHRIS: First, there is no substitute for snow tires for winter driving conditions. Snow tires have a softer rubber ...