When a beloved 16-year-old Taurus starts to burn oil precipitously,
Dennis cautions its owner to not invest a lot in its repair. He does suggest some inexpensive alternatives to a costly engine overhaul, however.
QUESTION
I hope you can shed some light on my problem. I have a 2001 Ford Taurus with one hundred and sixty thousand kilometres and it is starting to burn oil at the rate of one litre every two thousand kilometres. The body is in excellent shape. This car used to go more than five thousand kilometres before it burned any oil. I had it into the dealer and they told me that I would need to have an engine overhaul so I went to another mechanic and was told me that it might be just the valve seals that need to be replaced.
The problem is that I do not see any evidence of smoke coming out of the tail pipe. The difference in repair price is almost two thousand dollars. I do not know who to believe but I do not have that kind of money to spend.
If this was your vehicle, what would you do? Terry from Hamilton
ANSWER
I certainly would not spend any money on a 2001 car’s engine with one hundred and sixty thousand kilometers that is only using one liter of oil in two thousand kilometers. The next time that you get your oil changed, ask the attendant to use an oil additive that helps prevent oil usage. Also ask your mechanic to check and maybe replace the inexpensive (PCV) Positive Crankcase Ventilation Valve.
QUESTION
I had my car in at my local dealership to have some warranty work done and when I picked up the car, I could smell the distinctive rotten smell of cigarette smoke. Someone was smoking in my car!
I immediately went to the car wash and had a full wash done and thankfully, the smell is no longer there. I did not want to go back to the dealership because I was afraid that I would be labeled as a troublemaker.
I am very disappointed in the dealership and I will later decide if I will go back or just use the dealership in Burlington where I purchased the car.
I would like you to let them know that I was very disappointed when I drove the car off their lot. Marion from Brantford
ANSWER
I let the dealership know of your disappointment by sending them your email. The service manager was very upset that you did not contact the dealership first about the smell in the car and they were very apologetic. The dealership will contact you very soon to offer you two free car washes and a gift.
To my readers: Never feel afraid about immediately contacting the dealership or any garage for that matter, if you believe that someone has been eating or smoking in your vehicle. Ninety-nine per cent of the time, you will be looked after immediately.
DIFFICULT TO PLEASE EVERYONE
A week ago, I wrote about a lady from Freelton who purchased a car “As Is” and before she could even get off the lot, the engine failed. I intervened for this lady even after it was established that the used car dealer was not legally responsible to do anything for her. The used car dealer did, however, take the high road and returned all her money back except for one hundred and fifty dollars for administration fees. I received four responses that were happy that I could help this lady but Harry from Dundas felt that I did not do enough.
QUESTION
Mr. O’Sullivan, I hope you are enjoying the slush fund that is being given to you every time that you stand behind these... used car bandits. You make me sick!
I have never seen a used car dealer take the high road – more like the low road to further rip off another unsuspecting customer. They should have given that women all her money back and not held back the one hundred and fifty dollars. Then you took the credit for getting the money back to her.
I would have taken the dealer to court and won.
Where did the one hundred and fifty dollars go to, you? You would make a good car salesman since you fit in well with the bandits.
MY RESPONSE TO HARRY
With that much hatred, I am sorry that you have to wake up every morning and look at yourself in the mirror but we have to deal with what we have made of ourselves. No, there isn’t any slush money and no, I did not get the one hundred and fifty dollars. Yes, she might have won in court and maybe not. It might take about nine to ten months to get to court – time that she did not have because she needed a car right away. I did the best that I could for her, based on the situation that she got herself into and she was very happy with the outcome, even though you were not.
Dennis O’Sullivan can be reached by email at: dennis.osullivan@cogeco.ca or by regular mail at Box 10019 Winona, ON, L8E 5R1. Be sure to mention where you reside when writing to Dennis.