Trending
Dear Doctor: My mother is a senior citizen and drives a 2005 Toyota Camry. She has been driving around for two months with the seatbelt light indicator “Off” and the dash display icon “airbag with a person in seat” as “On.” Is it dangerous to drive with these indicators illuminated?
Paul
Dear Paul: Whenever there is a dash light indicating SRS airbag it means the system has a problem. And, whenever any SRS light is on, the entire SRS system is shut down and there will be no airbag deployment protection in the event of an accident. The SRS system needs to be checked with a scan tool to read the fault code.
Dear Doctor: I have a 2012 Ford F-150. You have addressed wiper blade chatter in previous columns, and I recall you mentioning that if the chatter doesn’t go away with quality blades, then the wiper arm needs a slight bend in the opposite direction of the chatter. I am confused: The arm can be bent in or out from the windshield. How does this relate to the direction of the chatter? Also I never had this problem with the original OEM blades that came with the truck.
Richard
Dear Richard: All you need is a small adjustable wrench to bend the wiper arm toward the wiper blade. The chatter is caused from the wiper edge of the blade angle as the wiper blade is sweeping up or down the windshield. If the blade edge is at the wrong angle going up or down, then it will chatter. All it takes is a slight bend to the arm to have the blade angle change and the problem is gone.
Dear Doctor: I have 2001 Dodge Dakota Sport with 135,000 miles – always well maintained. It has developed a noise that sounds like the old carburetor cars. This is intermittent and 98 percent of the time the truck runs perfectly. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Martin
Dear Martin: The old carburetor sound could be a spark plug misfire or an intake valve. I would suggest you have a technician perform an advanced engine performance test, including a compression test.
Dear Doctor: I’m considering switching over to Evan’s waterless coolant. I understand the coolant seems to be very effective in all climates. Are you familiar with this product?
Andy
Dear Andy: There are many products that are formulated to lower engine operating temperature, as well as displace heat. As long as the product is compatible with the vehicle, it will not cause any problems. I personally use name-brand or factory coolant in my vehicles.
Dear Doctor: I just purchased a 2016 GMC Canyon SLT Crew Cab with the short 5-foot bed. Do you think it’s possible to lower this compact pickup truck by about 1 or 2 inches? This would be for easier access – not for cosmetic reasons. Would this create any problems with the ride or handling of the truck?
Russ
Dear Russ: There are many companies that offer lowering kits that will not void the warranty or ruin the ride. I install lowering kits weekly to reduce entry and exit to the vehicle.
Dear Doctor: I just purchased a 2016 Chevy Equinox. The owner’s manual recommends Top Tier fuel. Not all gas is labeled Top Tier, so just how important is this? I have to pass four filling stations in order to purchase the name brands of fuels that are listed on the toptiergas.com site.
Bob
Dear Bob: Top-Tier gas describes the amount of detergent additives in the gasoline. Because some car manufacturers do not believe that EPA minimum detergent requirements go far enough to ensure optimal engine performance, they have joined together to establish and encourage a higher additive standard. Lower detergent fuels that don’t meet Top-Tier standards can result in carbon build-up (or sludge) on critical engine parts, which can affect an engine’s performance. This is different from octane, which provides a measure of a fuel’s anti-knock or anti-ping properties. High-performance engines often require high-octane fuels to deliver optimal performance and fuel economy. You can learn more at toptiergas.com.
Junior Damato is an ASE-certified Master Technician.
E-mail questions for publication to info@motormatters.biz.
Mail questions to: Motor Matters, PO Box 3305, Wilmington, DE 19804.