#PistonSlap

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.