Car not driven for years will need some work
Q . We have a 1987 Oldsmobile Delta 88 4-door Royale Brougham that my wife used to drive. It has 64,000 miles on it and is in very good shape. The interior is pristine, but it could use a wax job. The problem I have is that it has not been driven in almost 10 years. It has been sitting in my garage. I had a trickle charger keeping the battery charged, but that stopped working about a year ago. A couple of the tires look low, but it has not leaked any fluids onto the garage floor. I think it might still make a good car for someone, but I don’t know how to proceed. What would you recommend?
A . Not being driven in that long I would start by finding a good garage and have the car towed to them. I would start by draining and refilling the gas tank, changing the fuel filter, engine coolant, thermostat, oil and check all the other fluids. Also check the brakes, brake fluid (both probably need replacement). You may even find out the fuel pump needs replacement just due to sitting idle for that long. Check and change the drive belts and hoses and, of course, replace the battery and all four tires. It sounds like a lot, but once completed it could be a very good car.
Q . Due to the infrequent amount of time one purchases tires for their vehicle, would you recommend changing the tire pressure monitors?
Is this something I should include in the purchase when it is time for new tires?
A . There are two types of tire pressure sensors as part of a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). One is an indirect type, where the antilock brake system measures tire rotation. A low tire rolls at a different rate than one that is properly inflated. These systems have no parts that can wear out, but only tell the operator there is a low tire — not which one. The second type is the direct type. These systems are more accurate and use radio transmitters in the wheels that measure tire pressure. Typically, these battery-powered sensors have about a seven-to-ten-year life. If you are putting tires on a 10-year-old car and plan on keeping it, spending the money on the sensors will keep the system accurate and the TPMS light off, unless a tire is underinflated.
Q . I live in New York and read your column every week. My question is: I have a 2020 Chevy Blazer front-wheel drive SUV with 18,000 miles. At 58-65 MPH, the car makes a rumbling sound as if I’m running off the road and hitting the rumble strip on the side of the road. I’ve made sure I’m in the middle of the lane and I still get this noise. If I speed up it goes away and below 55 MPH and around town it doesn’t happen.
I’ve checked for vibrating parts under the hood and found nothing. Any suggestions will help.
A . Chevrolet issued a technical service bulletin about certain noise and vibration issues. The problem is one I had not heard of before: Over cured Continental Tires. Apparently, certain tires cause noise at varying speeds. I would check with a Continental Tire dealer and see if the tires on your Blazer were kept in the mold a little too long and are part of the problem.
Q . I have a 2019 Subaru Forester with 6,027 miles on it. About a week ago I received a notice on my smartphone that some warning lights were on. I checked when I turned the engine on and sure enough the check engine light was on with a bunch of other lights. All the safety features now do not function. I took the car to the dealership’s service department and they had it for six hours. When I called to see if the car was ready, they said I needed a Thermo Control Valve, and they would have to order the part and I would have to bring it back when the part was in stock.
They told me it was safe to drive the car even without the safety features. When I got home, maybe about 20 miles away from the repair shop, and turned off the engine I heard a lot of clicking sounds coming from under the hood. What do you think? Is it safe to drive without those safety features and the part needed? Will it cause damage to the engine or other parts?
A . Think of the Thermo Control Valve as a complicated engine ther--
mostat. From what I can tell the TCV defaults to the open position which keeps the engine running cooler than normal. When the code sets and the check engine light comes on the Eyesight safety system shuts down. This is the case with just about any system in Subaru vehicles. I recently witnessed a Forester that the owner unplugged a sensor, tinkering under the hood. Even when reconnected the traction control, ABS and Eyesight system were still shut down, until I cleared the code. I think you can drive the car, but I would watch the temp gauge just to make sure it doesn’t run hot. The other option is perhaps the dealer can give you a loaner car until the car is properly repaired.