Water coming out of vehicle’s tailpipe is normal
Q . I was following my wife as she was driving her 2017 Toyota Camry down the highway last week heading to Maine. When she first got on the highway there must have been a gallon of water that came out of the tailpipe. Is this serious?
A
. When an internal combustion engine burns a gallon of gasoline it makes nearly a gallon of water. Generally, this water gets so hot it disappears as steam vapor. If your wife’s car is driven for primarily short distances the water collects in the muffler. When she accelerated out on the highway the collected water was forced from the exhaust system. This is completely normal and also explains why muffler systems rust from the inside out.
Q
. I have a 2002 Hyundai Elantra that has a crankshaft seal leak.
The mechanic is suspicious that the engine has a problem. As of right now, he is saying that I might be looking at as much as $2,500 to fix the oil leak. Can you give me some advice?
A
. There have been problems with the thrust bearing wearing on the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines in some Hyundai models. When these bearings wear or in some cases fall out altogether the crankshaft “walks” in the engine block and causes the crankshaft seal to leak. To replace the bearings is a big job, taking nearly 13 hours. At 20 years old it may make more sense just to live with the oil leak. Q
. My check engine light came on and I had a diagnostic check, and nothing was wrong. Since then, the light comes on once every two weeks. What should I do?
A
. If the check engine light comes on there is a problem of some kind. When the light is on, go back to the repair shop and have them check the car for a trouble/fault code. This code won’t pinpoint the exact cause of the problem but will lead the technician to the proper repair.
Q
. Could you give your safest advice as to when to change the oil and filter in my 2019 Subaru Impreza? Currently, we are changing the oil every 3,000 miles but feel maybe it could go a bit longer since this is the first fully synthetic oil car I have owned since new. I don’t mind changing it every 3,000 miles, which is way cheaper than having an engine issue repaired. I just wanted to get your thoughts since I get different answers from many sources.
A
. Whenever in doubt go to the manufacturer, which in the case of your car recommends oil changes every 6,000 miles. Now, of course, with these longer oil changes it is critical to check the oil and other vital fluid between services. Additionally, with extended oil changes, you may see some oil consumption, and that is perfectly normal. Q
. Electric vehicles are always in the news and I don’t go a day now without seeing some electric vehicle. But my question is when will we see real self-driving cars?
A
. Self-driving cars are divided into different levels of autonomy from 0 to 5. At Level 0 you are in full control, Level 1 is typically smart cruise control, Level 2 has some steering assist and Level 3 the car drives itself until it can’t and then the driver needs to jump in and take over. Level 4 is full self-driving on certain roadways and finally level 5 is completely self-driving on all roads and, in fact, the car may not have a steering wheel. Currently, Mercedes Benz is offering some Level 3 cars in Europe and maybe offering them here sometime next year in their new line of EQ electric vehicles.
Q
. My car coolant and transmission fluid started mixing, causing my transmission to fill up
with a yogurt-like substance. I believe the head gaskets are blown out. What is the best solution for this? A . If it were a head gasket there would be coolant in the oil and oil in the radiator. In the case of your car, there is oil in the coolant and coolant in the transmission fluid, which indicates the transmission oil cooler has failed. The transmission cooler is part
of the radiator. Depending on how long the fluids have been mixed together the transmission may need an overhaul and the cooling system completely flushed out as well as the hoses and thermostat replaced. Sometimes you can get lucky and flush out the cooling system and the transmission and everything will operate as designed.
Q . I always read your column and now I would like your honest opinion. I have a 2003 Mazda Miata that I bought new. It has 115,000 miles and is well taken care of and I love this car. However, I just paid $1,200 to have a new brake line replaced, an axle seal leak fixed and some other maintenance stuff. I have been averaging $1,000 for repairs every year for a few years, sometimes a bit more. Friends say get rid of it, it’s too small, it’s too old, I’m too old and it’s a money pit. The problem is short of buying a new Miata there isn’t anything I like better. I like the simplicity of this car and how much fun it is to drive. Is this crazy? My other car is a 2015 Lexus LS. What do you think?
A
. Repairing an old car is always cheaper than buying a new car. If the Miata is structurally sound(some Miatas can get very rusty), fairly dependable, and satisfies your needs, spending $1,000 a year isn’t crazy. For many cars today $1,000 would be two or three months of car payments. Although at some point you may need to consider a replacement when dependability becomes more of an issue. Since you also own a very dependable Lexus, I vote to keep and repair the Miata. By the way, who says you are too old to drive a Miata? Certainly not me. Q
. Do you really send a personal reply to every question you get? I think you once wrote that there are no stupid questions. I have a couple of questions that I want to send and feel they may be too trivial.
A
. Yes, I will try to answer every question. In fact, readers if you don’t hear from me in a few days, email me again. And like my fourth-grade teacher said, the only stupid question is the one you didn’t ask. Although just to prove the point, I think the original source of that statement is Confucius, who said, “The man who asks a stupid question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask a stupid question is a fool for life” So, readers, was it Confucius?