TTAC Commentator PartsUnknown writes:

I just picked up a 2010 Accord sedan (don’t start – at least it’s a 5 speed stick) a month ago. Last weekend I was driving with a full, 2 gallon gas can in the trunk. I was forced to stop short due to some creative driving by some jabroney in a white panel van ahead of me. The ensuing gas spill wasn’t quite BP/Gulf of Mexico, but it did manage to soak part of my trunk carpet, and in a stroke of good fortune, the nozzle managed to wedge itself between the seatback and trunk floor, allowing gas to flow underneath my back seat cushion.

TTAC Commentator 67dodgeman writes:

Sajeev, I have a question for the Piston Slap expert. My son drives my old ’99 Ford Ranger (extended cab, 4 cyl, manual, 2WD) with roughly 130,000 miles on the odometer. I had new tires put on 5 months back at the Firestone place. Then last week, the anti-lock brakes started acting up. As in heavily manipulating the pedal even during very light braking. I assumed the sensor was fried and pulled the fuse, after which everything worked normally. There was a slight ticking sound from the drive train, so I replaced U-joints. Still ticking, but no other obvious issues.

Then, Friday, the driver’s side rear tire and axle came loose. Luckily he was making a low speed U-turn and the last 6” of axle was still in the housing by time he stopped. We jacked the truck up, pushed the axle back in, and pushed it home (two blocks – very very lucky it happened there and not on I-45). I pulled the differential cover and immediately found the (bleeping) C-clip loose in the housing. The anti-lock sensor works off of teeth on the ring gear (just now figured that out), so I’m assuming that having about half the teeth ground off is the cause of the brake malfunction. The oil appeared original, had that burnt smell, and was full of grit. I’m now in the process of changing the whole assembly with a salvage yard spare due to the gear damage.

While LeMons’ Judges Jonny and Phil took a breather to get married (not to each other) I was one of four people with the honor of taking their place. It’s true, there was a quartet of judges needed to do what those two professionals do on a regular basis, no matter what previous accounts may suggest. So I inspected close to 100 crap cars to see if they meet LeMons’ $500 purchase price criteria. And while I did, I found the Ten Coolest Engineering Feats of The 24 Hours of LeMons. So let’s get right to it.

Jim writes:

I had a transmission problem with my Fusion. Dealer tells me lots and lots of people are having the problem, and parts are backordered. It appears 2010 Fusions being sold today have defective transmissions. Ford has a TSB on the issue to dealers. People claim transmission leaves them stranded on freeway. Search Fusion Transmission Problems on Google and you will see. I think someone in the media needs to do a story on this.

TTAC Contributor David Holzman writes:

Sajeev, my friend Polly, an avid sheepdogger, wants to know how much weight her early to mid-80s Vanagon can pull. Specifically, she is interested in buying a 700 lb trailer, in which she would haul up to six sheep, each of which weighs 100-150 lbs. Thus, she could end up pulling as much as 1,600 lbs, and who knows, maybe more. How much can she pull without damaging her pride and joy?

The Vanagon has a ’94 engine from a Subaru Legacy–she doesn’t know which engine–but is otherwise all old Veedub. 212k miles on the car, less on the engine, but how much less is unknown. No rebuilds that she knows of. I don’t believe she’s going to be doing any major hill climbing.

John writes:

What do we know about the 1.8L V6 used in the 1990s’ Mazda MX-3 sport coupe? Why such a small engine and where did Mazda get it from/how did they design it and market it in the MX-3?

Chew Bacca (no, really) writes:

I have a 1963 Ford Ranchero with the 144 cu in six, it hasn’t run in 8 years, but I recently got the go ahead from my dad to work on it, in addition to changing the oil, oil filter, draining the gas tank, and fuel filter, I replaced the spark plugs, spark plug wires, and ignition coil, and it still won’t spark. I put a charged battery in and the starter works, strong enough to move the car, any suggestions?

Sajeev, I was hoping you’d have an answer to my unusual problem and post my letter so I may get some feedback from the brilliant people who visit your website. I bought a 2004 GTO (automatic) back in September ’09. It’s in beautiful condition, yet has an unusual plight. Here goes:



John writes:

Hello: I have a question about a 2003 Toyota Camry with 130,000 miles. Every time I get the oil changed the attendant comes out with a clipboard and a long list of items needed to be done. Such as flush the engine oil, flush the power steering fluid, start using high mileage oil etc. Should I do this? So far I have not given in as the car runs good and it’s paid for.

TTAC Commentator Daanii2 writes:

Hello, I enjoy your Piston Slap column. My question is this: my 1994 Honda Accord gets less than 10 miles per gallon. In fact, in mixed city and highway driving it gets about 7 miles per gallon. The figures are supposed to be 20 in city, 27 on highway, and 23 combined.

Is the car just drinking gas because it’s old? It has less than 100,000 miles on it. It has been maintained fairly well (although the paint has peeled and looks like crap). The idle is a bit rough, and seems to be getting rougher.

If something can be done to get better gas mileage, I’d like to do it. If it’s time to put the car out to pasture, though, I’ll do that too.

TTAC Commentator Windswords writes:

My co-worker told me the other day that her daughters brand new 2009 Honda CRV (11,000 miles) was making a noise. Her daughter described it as a “chirping” sound. Thinking it had something to do with the belts I told her to see the dealer about it. She later told me that the dealer found the car was low on oil. As a matter of fact the car was 2.5 qts low. The car has the 1.6L 4-pot motor which takes (according to her) 5 qts. The car had just had the oil changed at the same dealership. They gave it another (complimentary) oil change and made sure it was filled this time. The noise is gone. The engine light did not come on during this episode.

TTAC Contributor David Holzman writes:

Sajeev, my ’99 Accord (2.4L 4cyl, 170k) when cold makes noises that sound like slightly loud tappets. If the engine is around 10 degrees (scan gauge) when I start the car, I’ll hear it. If the temp is more like 30 degrees or above, if I baby the car until it’s around 140-150, I won’t hear anything, but if I push it, I’ll get the noise fairly loudly. So I don’t push it. When I described it to Ray Magliozzi (Clack, from NPR’s Car Talk show) he thought it was piston slap. What do you think?

Andy writes:

TTAC: I have a question. My fiancée owns a 2008 Audi A4 2.0T with just under 15,000 miles on it. Tonight, the low oil indicator light came. So I said I’d get it checked out tomorrow. But before doing that, I figured I’d do a quick search to search about other A4 owners having oil issues. Turns out, they are. Both on topix.com and facebook.com, there are posts regarding the 2008 A4 2.0T burning a unexpected amount of oil and essentially Audi dealership and corporate claiming this is normal for turbo engines.

What do you guys think? Have you heard of this?

Ken Dowd writes:

I’ve got high compression readings of over 190 lbs on all cyls on my TR4. The head has been reworked twice that I know of, about .050 has been shaved. I got these readings after putting the engine back together with all new sleeves, pistons, rings and a head/valve job. I CCed. the head at 55cc and crunched the numbers on several online compression ratio calculators and figured my compression to be about 9.5:1 Compression ratio on the stock engine is 9:1. Would you expect to see such high compression readings with such a small increase in compression ratio?

I’ve searched the world over and cannot find a spec for compression on a healthy 2138cc TR4 engine. Do you have any experience with after market solid copper oversized (thicker) head gaskets to bring down compression? That is the only thing I can come up with. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

T.W. writes:

Hi Sajeev,

Is it nuts to buy an original, low mileage ‘88 Mazda 323GTX that has not been rallied to death, even if I don’t need another car and have no place to park it?

As you probably know these cars are usually spoken about with a hushed reverence from the rally car crowd, they’re quite rare, and I’ve wanted one for years. It’s over 20 years old so it will need paint and other assorted repairs, and parts are getting scarce as well, but it may be worth it.

I thinking more of a long term investment while understanding it’ll never have a return like a 69 Super Bee, GTO, or what have you.

Christopher writes:

Are you familiar with the Land Rover Three Amigos? I have a 2003 Discovery SE. The ABS, hill decent and traction control lamps all on at once. My mechanic says it’s the ABS module and the fix is $1200-1500 and may not solve the problem. What’s up with this? Sell the vehicle? How do you sell a broken car?

Steven writes:

I’m in the midst of an automotive dilemma: I’ve got two cars: a 2007 Nissan 350Z and a 1998 Volkswagen Jetta. I picked up the Jetta this fall to serve as a winter car. The Jetta turned out to have a brake problem (fixed), leaking shocks and a hole in the muffler. I really wanted something a little sportier for the winter. The Z is my baby, and I want to retain money to continue refining it into an AutoX menace, but the Jetta is killing me, Smalls! I see three alternatives: 1. Fix up the Jetta with nice suspension parts and a new cat-back, making the daily drive less slow. 2. Sell the Jetta, buy something else in its place. (Focus ZX3, GTI 1.8T, E36 BMW, Civic?) 3. Fix the Jetta to OEM specs, save money for the Z. What should I do?

Long time readers of this series know I’m a big fan of modifications to achieve a vehicle’s maximum potential. And there’s no better example than a switch to GM’s now legendary LSX small block V8. To prove the point, I saw an LS6 powered, 1980s vintage, Porsche 911 partnered with a LS1 powered 914 at the 2005 Houston Autorama. Lo and behold, that 911-LS6 arrived at a recent Sunday morning cruise-in. So I got to touch it. And then it started up for me. It was Epic.

Anthony writes:

I currently own a 2006 Acura TSX, 6-speed manual, with 32,000 miles. I’m also leasing a 2008 Mazda Miata for 2-years. I’m giving the Miata back in September of this year and it’s way under milage. I have two questions about my TSX:

1) Because of the mileage, I want to drive the leased Miata as much as possible. How little can I drive the Acura without it becoming detrimental to the car’s health? Is there anything I should be doing when I am driving it? Currently I drive it about 1 day every 2 weeks and make sure the A/C compressor is on.

2) How similar is the 6-speed transmission in the TSX to the 6-speed unit in the Civic Si. I’ve heard that’s a problematic transmission and that you should not skip-shift it. I’ve had no problems with the TSX’s transmission thus far. Your thoughts?

TTAC Commentator Shane Rimmer writes:

I have a 2002 Ford ZX2 5-speed with about 80,000 miles on the odometer. For peace of mind, I plan to change the transmission fluid soon. The book calls for Mercon automatic transmission fluid, but I have read that synchromesh is the better choice. I’d like to get the thoughts of the best and brightest on which I should use or if I should just leave it as is since there are no problems.

Joel writes:

I have a manual transmission car and am traveling on the highway at a speed that has my RPMs low for mpg. Now say I come to a hill, and my car can hold its speed and rpms, but I have to floor it or nearly floor it to keep my speed. I could downshift, where my engine rpms would go up, and I wouldn’t have to give as much gas through the pedal. My question is, is downshifting using more gas than keeping it in the same gear?

Now, I do realize that this is pretty much an OCD kind of question, but then again, if the answer is rather large, it would be good to know. And, if the answer is negligible, that would be cool too. So, if you know the answer, or is the kind of thing to put on the website, I’d love to know the answer. Thanks in advance.

FYI: the cars in question are a 2001 Honda Civic and a 1985 Volvo 245, and a 2007 Honda Fit, and all are sticks. That said, I even converted the wife to driving a stick, the Fit is hers!

TTAC Commentator cc-rider writes:

Hi Sajeev- I am a huge fan and advocate of TTAC. I have a co-worker and friend in dire need of some good advice from the best and the brightest. She has a 2002 Jeep Liberty with 110,000 miles. Last week her car had to be towed to her mechanic. She found out the engine is toast.

Turns out it is a victim of engine sludge. After the fact, it seems that this is a fairly common issue with the Jeep 3.7 V-6. It seems that a new engine would be $3,000 in parts and at least another $2,000 to be installed.

In my opinion, it seems pointless to spend that sort of money on a car that’s maybe worth $4,000. She doesn’t have a lot of money to spend on another car- maybe $2,000 at most. She doesn’t put many miles on in a year and goes mostly to and from work. I am very familiar with the Nissan SR20 engines and am partial to them. I was recommending she find a used 1st generation Infiniti G20. They seem to give a huge bang for the buck at that low price point.

I’d love to hear everyone’s take on her situation. By the way, she is in the NYC metro area for anyone with a cheap ride for sale.

Jon writes:

Hi Sajeev, I own a 2002 Subaru WRX wagon, and live in Tennessee. Last month, Subaru and the NHTSA issued a recall for certain 02-03 WRXs in northern states. The recall states that in cold weather, there may be an underhood fuel leak. Tennessee is not considered a cold-weather state, so my car is not officially part of the recall. But I’ve noticed that if the temperatures get down to the 20s (not particularly cold, in my book), I can definitely smell raw fuel coming from the engine bay. I’ve called two dealerships in my area, and neither of them have heard anything about the recall. I called Subaru directly, and they are insisting that I take my car to a dealer for an inspection. Naturally, the cost of this inspection will only be refunded if the car is then included in the recall. I do not at all like this option. Any ideas on where else to turn?

TTAC Commentator Libertyman03 writes:

Hi, just wanted to say that this is one of my favorite posts on TTAC. I look for Piston Slaps everyday. And since I value the advice, and the comments from the others, I decided to write in with my question: I have a Jeep Liberty (hence my username), and I like it a lot. But it uses SO MUCH GAS.

I have tried changing my driving style, change the oil regularly, change air filters and what not, and still it sucks down gas. It’s an ’03 with 82,000 miles, so it still has lots of life, but I can’t help but think getting rid of it for something more fuel efficient would be a good idea.My question then; what else could I do to stretch the Jeep’s fuel mileage?

Or should I just trade the Jeep on something smaller and more fuel efficient? My parent’s are leaning toward the latter, but I like the 4WD of the Jeep (I live in Pennsylvania, and winters can be pretty bad). If I get a new car, what should I get? I want something pre-owned, preferable 4 or 5 doors, and manual. I would also like to keep it under $8000.

Andy writes:

Sajeev, I enjoy your posts on TTAC and I wanted to ask a quick lease negotiation question. Currently BMW has very good lease rates on their 5 series models. Is there a smart way to renegotiate the 10k mile/year limit? That just seems like a lot of money for 10k miles per year.

Steven writes:

Hello Sajeev, I have a question along the lines of the Piston Slap article “ Save Me From My X5.” I have a 2007 four door GTI with DSG that I purchased new on October 12, 2006. The car has just about 35,000 miles and the factory warranty is expiring October 12, 2010. I really like the car and would be happy to keep it for a few more years. I’m dreaming of no car payments.

TTAC Contributor Ingvar writes:

The family household beater has a limp. It’s a 1993 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer, four door, with the 4.3. It’s original country of purchase was Germany, at least it says so on the dealer engraved license frame. Sometime in its life it moved to Sweden, my mother bought it from a neighbor some four years ago. She needed it to have as a trailer truck dragging the horse trailer around, so it only sees occasional use.

However, from the start, it has had a small but significant lean to the front right, as though the frame was slightly bent. If that is the case, what could we do about it? And if it isn’t, what is it then? Shock absorbers, or wheel alignment, or something else?

I haven’t had it checked, the only thing I have done, is usual maintenance, oil shifts, and getting air in the tires. Please Sajeev, you are my only hope.

TTAC reader Tiburon Guy writes:

Hey Sajeev: Long time reader, first time e-mailer. I have a 2001 Hyundai Tiburon that I inherited from my wife when we got married (dowrys are making a comeback!). It has 70,000 original miles and I’ve maintained it properly. Recently a problem arose that the dealer could not point out nor could my personal mechanic (ASC Certified) determine the cause or solution to.

It’s an automatic transmission. Sometimes when starting the car, pushing the release button on the shifter is downright impossible. It’s stuck and won’t engage, which means I can’t shift into gear. After a few moments of wiggling and pushing and jerking (and crying on my wife’s part) it will give and we’ll be on our way.

This doesn’t happen all the time though, it’s once every month or so. Any idea what could cause this and if so, what can I do to fix or prevent it from occurring? We are the only owners of the car and have not raced or abused it. I’ve hunted the forums on the Hyundai fan sites and I can’t find anyone with the same issue.

TTAC Commentator Robstar writes:

Hello Mr. Mehta, I am currently in Brazil visiting my in-laws. I am more and more falling in love with the 1974 1.5L Fusca (what the Beetle is called here) my brother-in-law owns. I can’t imagine they go for much in the US, and I thought it might be another fun car to stick in the garage. I’m not much of a do-it-yourself’er, so I have the following questions…

1) Is it going to be impossible to find a vintage “Fusca” that is not rusted out? (I’m in the Chicagoland area)

2) How hard is it to find parts for these? Considering the production run, I’d imagine it should be pretty easy.

3) What should I be cautious of when purchasing? (Also, I only want the 4MT. Not sure if they were made in an AT form)

4) Any idea what price range these go for? How about insurance for a married male in his mid 30s.

I’d be appreciative of any discussion & insight TTAC readers can give. I’m including (scaled down) pictures of the Fusca, the car that brought about this question…thanks!

James writes:

I have a 1995 BMW E34 530i, and I’m looking into getting it lowered. At first I thought this was a simple affair, that I just needed lowering springs. But some people are telling me that I can’t just put new lowered springs without buying new shocks that are designed to handle these lowered springs, for fear that I’ll wear my tyres out and possibly other components. I thought this might be true for going super-super-low, but these springs will only lower my car 1.5″ at most (Bavauto springs 1.0″-1.5″), if I’m lucky. Is this just my mechanic trying to sell some extra parts, or do I really need new lowering shockers, even for going just a little lower?

Scott writes:

Why is it that the radiator fan turns on when I switch the heater knob to “Defrost” and not in any other mode? I have a 2001 Subaru Outback that does it even with the engine off. Turn the key to “On”, set the vents to blow on the windshield, turn the fan speed on any speed except off, and the radiator fan will turn on (and I’m not confusing it with the heater fan. Open the hood and it’s one of the radiator fans spinning). My 1999 Toyota Camry doesn’t do it with the engine off, but does when it’s on.

When I sit with it idling and have the vents pointed at the windshield, you can hear the radiator fan kicking in intermittently as needed. In both cars, with the selector in any other position, the fans don’t run nearly as often. Both cars are the base four-cylinder models with the typical three-knob HVAC layout (both lack automatic climate control). Thanks in advance.

I have a question regarding cold weather starting my 2001 GMC Sierra P/U. When the temperatures dip to -40 C (-40 F) wind chill is there an advantage to starting my truck and leaving the transmission in neutral (with the parking brake on)? It has 235,000 kms and is the S/L version (strippo) with the 4.3 V6 and 4 speed auto. The transmission is original and I had the fluid changed at 215,000 kms. I bought it with 206 on the clock, not sure what was done before me, but I check the fluid regularly, and it has remained the same colour and viscosity as it was originally.

The problem is that when I start to drive after the vehicle has been warming up for 5 minutes, it takes another 10 more minutes or so for the transmission to shift up into 4th gear. This adversely affects my fuel economy, and I’m worried that long term this may not be good for the transmission. I haven’t noticed too much of a difference this week warming the truck in neutral, but it’s been so cold that I don’t know if it’s helping at all. My father, who is in his 80’s, always advised to warm the transmission in neutral in winter conditions, but I’m concerned that he may be using a trick from the 40’s or 50’s for manual transmissions, and it may not help with the automatic version. And yes, I use a block heater once the nighttime lows exceed -15C.

In case you missed it, Paul Niedermeyer’s excellent overview of Lincolns greatest hits and misses is worth a second look, considering the “firsts” attributed to the Lincoln brand: halogen lights and clear coat paint (Versailles), gas charged shocks and auto dimming rear view mirrors (Fox Continental), composite headlamps (Mark VII) and the industry’s first use of High Intensity Discharge (HID) lights in the Lincoln Mark VIII. And while some innovations quickly spread elsewhere, Lincoln’s HID system was outdated and orphaned in less than a decade. If you are crazy enough to drive an HID-equipped Mark today, finding a new bulb for less than $600 is impossible. And a used bulb fetches $100 or more on eBay. Such is life when you live on the bleeding edge far beyond anyone’s expectation.

Jason writes:

Sajeev, I have a 2002 Mercedes C320. I replaced the pre-cat O2 sensors at 94k miles as recommended by my service technician. This was in the summer of last year, so roughly a year and a half ago. Since then I have had the CEL twice for O2 heater circuit malfunction on the pre-cat sensor on the driver’s side. The first time I replaced the sensor and that was six weeks ago. Yesterday I start the car up and it’s back (verified at the Advance store with OBDII). Have I received two bad O2 sensors in a row, or could I have something going on with the car that is causing the O2 sensors to have problems?

Karl writes:

Sajeev, I am not sure if this has been covered before, but I am writing about washing cars in winter. I finally have a car that is new enough and nice to worry about keeping the body in good shape for a long time. It will not be driven that regularly, so I expect to keep it for a decade–I tend to keep my cars a long time. I remember reading long ago (okay, long, long ago) about not washing vehicles in freezing weather. Well, I live in Wisconsin, so that is a third of the year. I want my new purchase to last, so what should I do to preserve the paint and the body?

TTAC Commentator NN writes:

My wife’s 04 Mercury Mountaineer (V6, AWD) recently hit 65k miles. The transmission had been clunking around noticeably lately, and I realized that:

a) These trannies are prone to fail

b) We hadn’t yet changed the ATF on the vehicle.

I am aware of the argument that some people make that when tranny fluid is old not to change it because the varnish build up, etc. helps to hold things together. But I thought 65k was still pretty young so I told my wife to take it in and get the fluid changed. She took it to a local non-franchise, non-dealer mechanic–just a fluid change and flush, no filter change as the mechanic said it wasn’t needed. The very next day the “O/D Off” light starts flashing constantly, which suggests that the transmission needs service. This is the first time we have seen this light.

Dave writes:

The bottom of the steering wheel in my A6 is starting to fade and crack a bit. I was hoping you could give me the definitive answer on what to use to clean and protect a leather steering wheel, as I would like to keep the damage from getting any worse. I’ve searched a number of forums, and every suggestion has been immediately followed by “never use that on your steering wheel!” so I’m unsure what to do.

TTAC Commentator sastexan writes:

Hi Sajeev,

Long time fan, never called in. Here’s my problem hope the TTAC community can help with – my sister’s ’01 Escape 2WD 68k miles with the Duratec 3.0 V6 threw a P0304 (Cylinder 4 misfire) as she was driving up to Dallas from Austin for Thanksgiving (as she was stuck in traffic around Temple). She said car was running fine, so I said no worries keep driving but keep engine speed down. Indeed, the misfire was apparent when the engine hit around 4000 RPM – violent stuttering. Replaced the ignition coil, no effect, and the spark plug was clean. Ford dealer pulled valve cover off and said no springs broken, so did compression test – one of the exhaust valves is leaking, 22%. Rest of the engine is fine. Maintained perfectly.

David writes:

This is a quote from Nissan’s specs for the current Sentra SE-R Spec V: “6-speed close-ratio manual transmission with dual-mass flywheel.” Ok, so I am interested in buying one of these top dollar Sentras, but would like to know what a “dual mass” flywheel is. The Spec V is the only Sentra with it. Thanks!

Jeremy writes:

Hello Sajeev, I have a 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis that I picked up from a family member a couple years back. I registered the car in my name with only 37,000 miles on the clock, it now has just over 51,000. The car was garage kept for years. I have updated the fuel filter, spark plugs, tires, air filter, and the regular oil changes.

After driving the car for a while I noticed the transmission shifted with a slow “shudder” from 3rd to 4th gears. The transmission seemed to shift smoothly under light acceleration but mild to brisk acceleration is accompanied by the transmission shudder.

Michael writes:

Sajeev, you always hear the advice to have a used car inspected before purchase by a reputable mechanic. But how do you implement that advice at your typical car lot? Dealer or independent, I can’t imagine they are excited about having someone drive off for several hours.

How does the B&B make this work? Leave your existing ride? Partially fill out a purchase contract? Leave your kids the showroom? Ideas, please, on how I phrase this “request” and what is reasonable to guarantee my return with their vehicle.

Anonymous writes:

I love this column, great advice every time. That’s why I decided to ask for your opinion on something that’s been bothering me for a while. I have a ’07 Mazda3 hatchback with a 5-speed manual. Currently I’ve crested 23,000 miles and the car is still under warranty.

Ever since I bought the car (brand new), the shifter has been a bit notchy going from 1st to 2nd. It could also be smoother from 3rd to 2nd. Another thing that bugs me is that during our cold Chicago winters, until the car/transmission warms up, the shifter is very mushy and stiff. Otherwise, the car is a blast to drive.

Fast Driver writes:

I used to be a major hooligan, taking cloverleaf offramps every morning at speed in my E46 3 Series with tires squealing and occasional stability control intervention. I also enjoyed revving the German machinery to about 3500 rpms and dropping the clutch for a warp speed launch. After 20 or so launches like that with the car, nothing broke, fell off, or otherwise malfunctioned. It’s like the car was made for that kind of abuse.

TTAC Commentator PG writes:

Sajeev, In their December 2009 issue, Car and Driver has a great article about how extended warranties — such as those offered by U.S. Fidelis and others — are largely scams that deceive customers, don’t really cover the cost of repairs at all, and don’t give refunds at cancellation.

My parents own a 2002 BMW X5 4.4. They bought it from Carmax and have the extended warranty from that dealership. It’s a fantastic car, but it’s had some very costly repairs — thankfully, those have been covered in full or at least in part by Carmax’s warranty. The thing is, that warranty expires this month and can’t be renewed.

The ‘rents are thinking of getting an extended warranty for the Bimmer, but after reading that C&D story I’m pretty convinced they would be throwing their money away. My question: are there ANY extended warranties out there that they can use? What can they do to help avoid the full cost of repairs?

Buying a new/different car isn’t really an option right now, because they want to keep the X5 as long as they can. The car has about 80,000 miles on it and still runs well, except for the occasional hiccup, but those can be pretty pricey on a BMW.

If you or the best and brightest have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them.

TTAC Commentator 1981.911.sc writes:

So, today I passed a guy putting gas in his Prius on the side of the road. I assume he ran out of gas. Irony?

My question: can a Prius run on just battery power when the gas tank is empty? And if this guy ran it out of gas AND drained the battery, was he FUBAR? I assume it has to have a good battery to run, gas in the tank or not.

TTAC Commentator osnofla writes:

I have a 2000 Kia Spectra GS manual with about 97k miles on it and lately it’s been doing something really weird. I’m pretty sure it has to do with the clutch. When I upshift the engagement is very rough, especially below 3k rpm. It kind of lunges forward and stops and forward again then finally picks up roughly around 3k rpm and the rest of rev range is smooth. On top of this there is also the matter of the tightening the belt for the power steering because it squeals at full-lock and fixing the brakes because I’m pretty sure the rotors are warped and need new pads and shoes.

So actually my question is whether I should actually fix these things since — and I’m going out on limb here — the repairs probably cost more than the car is worth. I’m in grad school and will be for the next year. As a result, I have very little money to go out and get another car, though my parents said they could help me out if I really need it. I’m not really attached to this car at all even though I learned how to drive with it. I just don’t see that many options for my tastes: I like manny tranny wagons and hatchbacks. Should I use my parents money while I still can?

TTAC commentator Kericf writes:

First, an update: I submitted a question on my Rodeo ABS and brakes before. It was just a bad sensor (probably from driving in high water). And I chose not to replace the brake lines yet after inspecting them.

Now, my new question comes way of a transmission fluid change on my wife’s 2005 Pathfinder. As usual the manual calls for only using official Nissan Matic J at almost $13 per quart. The local auto parts store sells Castrol Tranny fluid that says on the label it is a replacement for Matic J. I do not have any warranty left so I’m not so much worried about fighting over what was used, I just don’t want to have to replace the tranny because the fluid wasn’t the right spec? Am I worrying too much about it? Should I just dive right in and go?

I would also like to get some suggestions by the B&B on the best way to flush more fluid out than the standard drain 5qt out of the pan method. Is there a way to really get it all out on your own? I saw the product review on the oil extractor and was contemplating trying one out for the tranny fluid as it seems a lot easier and cleaner.

TTAC Commentator NICKNICK writes:

Mr. Mehta, my 1999 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT often loses power in the first hundred yards of driving. It has never failed to start, and it has never stalled during the period of power loss. It does not matter if the car is started cold, or if it’s been running for an hour on the highway and restarted after a 3 minute stop for gas. When it loses power, it doesn’t lose ALL power—it feels like it has about as much power as it would idling in gear. Flooring the accelerator does nothing…until it does, at which point it wants to break ya neck. This happens about 80% of the time. If I catch it starting to get fussy, I disengage the clutch and wait three seconds. The problem time passes while I coast, and I can be on my way without any more trouble. The other 20% of the time is trouble-free like a normal car. After the first hundred yards it runs great, sounds great, and gets great gas mileage.

Shawn asks:

I have a 2006 Mazda5 GT which has blown it’s second rear shock in less than 87,000 km. My question is whether I should just replace it with yet another Mazda part, or whether I should go aftermarket and replace both rear ones at the same time. My concern with this option is whether or not the ride quality will be maintained. I do not want to end up with a harsh ride with an aftermarket part. Does anyone have any suggestions? What is a good brand for shocks? Does anyone have any experience with the Mazda5 or have a suggestion for shocks? I am also tempted to just rid of the car altogether :( This would be the fifth repair related to the suspension in three years of ownership.

TTAC Commentator Robstar writes:

My wife has a 2000 Neon we bought used with 125k. It just passed 50k miles in the 4 years we drove it. We have had no issues with this car so far, although the first owner (we are the third) replaced the tranny at 70k.

At about 35mph the engine starts making a loud “ooooooooo” sound (kind of like a deep throated turbo or a vacuum cleaner). There is no “windup” to this sound — it’s either on or off. It does not matter if you are accelerating hard or not. Since we do mostly highway driving, this sounds tends to blend into road noise once we are up to highway speeds. The engine is not short of oil (although it does need 1/2 qt every 1500 or so). We have driven the car for ~ 3k miles with no issues….but I’m getting nervous.

Tom in North Carolina asks:

Thanks for taking on the synthetic vs. standard oil change question on my 2005 Dodge Durango a few months ago. Now for a new challenge: the same Durango, 78,000 miles, 5.7 Hemi with 5 speed automatic (trailer tow package and transmission cooler). It’s a highway cruiser, bought it to tow a boat with trailer. Except I have a boat slip now so there’s very little towing needed.

The dilemma: the manual says nothing about changing the transmission fluid if the vehicle is not used in severe service. Since I am skeptical of lifetime fluids, I think the fluid needs to be changed but don’t have any idea when to do so (FWIW: it is still a nice shade of red on the dipstick).

TTAC Commentator dastanley writes:

I saw an ad in a magazine for G Oil a biodegradable motor oil. Green Earth Technologies (GET) makes and sells this biodegradable motor oil from American sourced beef tallow (or so they claim). GET claims that the API has certified this oil with an “SM” rating. They also sell a full line of other automotive and lawn and garden products that they say are earth friendly.

Do you have any info on this? Is this the real thing or just beef tallow bullshit?

TTAC commentator SpeedJebus writes:

I’m writing this as I sit in the service department of my Honda Dealership. My car (LINK: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/piston-slap-the-annoying-lazy-civic/) was due for a service, and I had enough: I was going to get results from the dealership regarding my lazy drive by wire system in my 2007 Civic. Long and short, they test drove my car against a new 2009 Civic, and (finally) found that there is definitely something wrong with my car.

TTAC Commentator Detroit-Iron writes:

I have a 2000 Ford Ranger, 2wd 3.0L V6 with 143k miles. The CEL has been on for at least last 70k and I finally went to AutoZone and got the code read. Turns out the O2 sensor is bad and the EGR valve is stuck. Is that the kind of thing that I can fix myself? I don’t want to put a whole lot of money in this truck seeing as it has a lot of miles and has been running reasonably well, if inefficiently (21 mpg all highway), for so long. I have an ok tool set and I do my brakes, but I recently paid $70 to have the fuel filter replaced-I’ve done it before and I didn’t want to do it again. The truck is going back to my parents to be semi-retired and put into “farm use” so I wouldn’t mind fixing it up a little before giving it back but I don’t want to spend a lot.

Chris writes:

Thank you all for your input on my question. I took the truck to my mechanic and he gave it a good go over and could not find anything wrong. He was said it might be the heat shield on the exhaust system vibrating at that RPM however he could not find anything loose. I did get the transmission fluid changed and everything looked good there. Thanks to you and the readers of Piston Slap for all the good advice.

Steve from Seattle writes:

As regularly mentioned on Piston Slap, the LS-X engines are the best in the world for their compact size, low weight, simplicity, reliability, cost and ability to make more power with simple bolt-ons. So I wanted to share my project to TTAC’s readers: we put a ’99 LS-1 and T56 into our BMW E30. Everything works, A/C, cruise control, etc. Seriously.

It’s a sleeper, except for the “357i” numbers on the trunk (nice of BMW to make a “735” that we could cut apart) and our “E30-LS1” license plate!! Only those ‘in the know’ get it.

We published a “How-To” CD, which documents how to build the E30-LS1. It contains pictures from the build, Catia drawings, wiring, fuel system, driveshaft mods, engine mounts, radiator system, A/C, HydroBoost, etc. I also have more pictures here.

Thanks and I hope everyone likes it.

Longtime TTAC Commentator mikey writes:

Sajeev I have a 2009 black Impala and I plan to keep it a long, long time. I’ve always been a twice-yearly wax guy. Black paint is always different. Should I wax twice yearly? Do I need to buy different wax?

TTAC Commentator xyzzy writes:

One of the O2 sensors on my 1998 Lexus LS400 recently failed, throwing a P0161 OBDII code (at 175K miles). I’ve cleared the code and verified it comes back, so I don’t think it’s a transient failure. I haven’t yet replaced it, but I have noticed that my gas mileage, as reported on the trip computer, has improved significantly since the failure. Before it was 23-24 mpg, now I’m looking at 26. I know that one of the functions of the O2 sensor is to help regulate mixture, so I’m guessing the mixture is now leaner without one of the O2 sensors. I’ve noticed no discernable change in performance of the car. Assuming I can clear the error code before taking it in for OBDII emissions inspection, is there a downside to just leaving it and running aggressively lean (if that’s in fact what’s happening)?

Anonymous writes:

I have a 2008 Kia Sorento with the 3.3L, about 11k miles. The other day, I took it to my local mechanic for an oil change. Drove it all over town during the course of the following couple days. Then, last night, as I am about 3/4 mile from home, my low oil pressure light goes on. At that point, I roll down my window to listen to the car and can hear a grinding type noise (valves sticking?) on acceleration. I limp the rest of the way home and turn off the engine. This morning, I call the mechanic and they send the service manager right over. No oil on the dipstick whatsoever. He adds oil to the engine and drives it down the street to the shop. They inspect, and tell me it is a bad o-ring on the cone filter that caused all the oil to leak out over the course of 2 days, and that it is possible that they had not tightened it sufficiently when the changed the oil. They said no other damage had been done, replaced the o-ring, changed the oil and filter and sent me on my way.

So my question is this…what is the possibility that other (long term) damage could have been done? Should I have the vehicle checked out by another mechanic, or even the Kia dealership? Should I not even inform the dealership, as they may use it as a way to deny future warranty claims? The vehicle is no longer making the grinding type noise, and seems to be fine. I may drive it lightly the next few days just to be sure.

Ben writes:

Hello Sajeev, my father owns a 2005 Ford Focus wagon. The car has 100,000 km’s on it (Canadian) and it has been well maintained. The car has never given him any issues and runs very well but the paint is in horrible condition. He purchased the vehicle after the lease was up and soon after the paint started peeling. He didn’t think too much of it, but recently it has gotten much worse… Ford did not apply primer on the car.