Cat on a hot car hood; Porsche’s Sirius solution
tal Porsche in Tallahassee. The procedure took him only a couple minutes, but as you stated, the owner will lose everything that was ever saved.
Q: As a kid I remember that when I was in junior high, we always had air conditioning in our car, but my dad would never use it saying it killed the gas mileage. He believed in 4/40 A/C. Now I never hesitate to turn on the A/C and I don’t seem to see a lot of gas mileage difference. Do the electronics in today’s cars really compensate the gas usage when the A/C is on?
R.F., Warrenville, Illinois
A: Ah yes, the 4/40 — four windows down at 40 miles per hour. It was the poor man’s air conditioning for cars that did not have the system. Early automotive A/C was indeed a power hog. Compressors were large and clunky. Terribly inefficient. Automotive systems have come a long way becoming highly efficient. The electronics in a car are not really a factor.
Q: The maintenance manual for my 2016 MB 450 GLE Coupe says replace the spark plugs at 5 years/50,000 miles. But at my four-year service the dealer said 4 years/40,000 based on the MB 2016 Service Sheet. Customer service says it’s a typo in the manual, which I question.
F.G., Libertyville, Illinois
A: You would be surprised how many dealerships print up their own service guides. All they need is some imagination, a computer and printer to make them look professional. Some service departments go as far as to post their service intervals boldly on the wall.
Q: I don’t understand how a fuel filter can be considered a lifetime part. I have a 4WD, 2003 Tacoma with 162,000 miles and when I asked the dealership about replacing it, I was told it does not need to be replaced. Nearly every other filter, like air and oil, are changed routinely so why not fuel?
C.M., Quakertown, Pennsylvania
A: There is a filter on the fuel pump pickup pipe. Often called a sock, it protects the pump and everything beyond. Gasoline is much cleaner nowadays and gasoline dispensers have filters in them. I have seen cars go hundreds of thousands of miles without a fuel filter replacement.