Answers to your car questions

QUESTION

I can hear water moving around in the doors of two of our vehicles. One is a 2010 Ford Escape and the other is a 2005 Nissan Altima. I am obviously worried about the rust this will likely cause. How do I correct this problem? Thanks! Nick from Binbrook

ANSWER

I suspect that the drain holes in the front and rear of the doors are plugged, possibly if the vehicles were rust protected, there was too much rust protection material used in the doors. Take a thin screwdriver and clean out the holes in the bottom of the doors until you see the water being released. Try not to penetrate the rust protection on the door skin and remove any debris from around the door drain hole.

QUESTION

I enjoy reading your column. My problem is that the doors of my 2009 Chevy Uplander will not always unlock. It may happen once a week or two, or throughout the day. It is hit or miss. It usually happens in hot weather but not always. The repair garage has been very accommodating. They have replaced the BCM and the driver side lock/unlock switch. They have had the van many times checking things to see what is happening then it will start working again. They seem to be stumped. Any help would be appreciated. Ted from Burlington

ANSWER

There is a real possibility that it is the remote that is giving you the problem of the doors not unlocking. I would first try to replace the remote battery and see if that makes a difference. I have some questions for you: Is it all the doors that will not unlock or just the driver’s door? Do the doors automatically lock when the gear shifter is moved to the drive position? Do the doors unlock when the gear shifter is moved to the park position? Answer these questions for me and maybe I can do a better diagnosis.

QUESTION

Great column! Perhaps you can point me in the right direction to solve an issue that I am having with my Mazda CX-9 Touring edition. These are the symptoms, which have started occurring regularly:

1. If I turn on the rear window defroster while the radio is on, I get immediate static across the entire radio spectrum.

2. When I turn the car off, the interior climate control blower turns on and runs for about 30 seconds. I would appreciate any troubleshooting hints. Thanks Alex from Stoney Creek

ANSWER

The static in the radio is not a fault with only your vehicle but with any vehicle that has the radio antenna and the rear defogger together. This could at times, on certain weak radio stations, cause static. I have heard of cases where the dealer replaced the rear glass and this has stopped the interference but if the antenna and rear defogger are together, there is the chance that it will cause interference in weak radio signals. One reader was so upset that he put an after market antenna on his vehicle and no more static. Is the car still under warranty and have you been back to the dealer with your complaint? I would be interested in knowing what they tell you.

Replacing the heater resistors will stop the heater fan from coming on when the ignition is turned to the off position. It is also recommended that you replace both the front and rear resistors at the same time.

QUESTION

I just want you to know that new car dealers love to rip off their customers. My brother had work done on his vehicle when it was out of warranty about one to two months. We both purchased the same vehicle from the same dealer. The dealer gave my brother about fifty per cent off his bill but charged me the full bill for the same work. When I questioned the dealer about the repairs, I was told that they do not discuss other customers’ invoices. What a crock! I think it was the fact that my brother, who came to the dealer with a suit and tie, versus me when I came in work cloths. I would like these people to be exposed for discriminating against working people that get their hands dirty when they work.

ANSWER

I do not believe nor have I heard about any new car dealers discriminating against a valued customer based on the clothes that they are wearing, while getting work done to their vehicles. It is for this reason that I decided not to put the dealer’s name in this column. I have a different theory as to why your brother received out of warranty consideration and you did not and it was not based on what you were wearing. It could have been that you never did visit the dealer for any maintenance work other than warranty work and your brother was a regular customer for all maintenance and warranty work since he owned the vehicle. Another theory is that maybe it was because your vehicle had thirty-four thousand more kilometres on the odometre than what was on your brother’s vehicle. Any out of warranty work performed on your vehicle is at the discretion of the dealer’s service manager and his or her contact with the manufacturer. If you have been maintaining the vehicle with them from the start, it makes it very easy for the service manager to ask the manufacturer for some consideration. There is going to be more consideration given to a loyal and valued customer when it comes to any assistance for out of warranty work. To my readers: If possible, it would be appreciated if your emails would indicate the town, city or village that you live in. Please be advised that not all emails can be answered. Send your questions (be sure to include your address) by email to:: dennis.osullivan@cogeco.ca