Is friend who never changes motor oil onto something?
Q: Afriend ofmine never changes the oil in his car. He has gone 70,000 without a change. He claims the oil never wears out. He cites a study oftwoNewYork taxicabs going40,000 miles each. Onehad regular oil changes and the other none. Both engines were examined andno wear or tearoncylinder and pistons oneither. Whatare your thoughts?
B.F., Plymouth, Minnesota
A: Motor oil does not wear out. The additiveswear out. The base oil remains and is often refined and fresh additives blended in. What are those additives? Detergents, corrosion inhibitors, dispersants, oxidation inhibitors, viscosity modifiers, pour point depressants, anti-foaming agents and more. If I owned acrummy cab, I maynot care, but I don’t, so I change the oil in my vehicles on schedule. If you need more information, get in touch with a tribologist.
Q: I’m an86-year-old femalewhoreads your column all the time.
I live intheMojave Desertwherewe have windand dust storms all the time. Oncea year there’s a sprinkle of rain so our windshields are constantly dirty. By accident oneday I grabbed a Mr. CleanMagicEraser Sheet andused iton my windshield. Wow,
I couldn’t believehow clean it got. No smudges anywhere. I then used the good old microfiber towels to give a finishing touch. It alsoworks great onall lights and chrome. My 2016Buick Enclave shines like anewdollar. B.L., MojaveDesert
A: This tip sounded so good, I had to try it. Wow is right. Tree sap (actually honey dew) and bugs came right off. Iamalso a big fan of microfiber towels for washing andwaxing the car. They hold dirt and grit between the fibers instead of on the fabric’s surface.
Q: Thankyoufor answering the questionof moisture inthe fuel tank. I parkmy car outside. Iamconcerned aboutsomeoneputting something into the tank deliberately. Are locks available to prevent this?
MyChevydealer didn’t have an answer andI can’tfindone online. Thankyou.
M.K., DesPlaines, Illinois
A: Yes. They are called locking fuel plugs. Ford has offered them for some time. They are lowprofile so as not to interfere with the door.
Q: Ihave a 2000Dodge Ram1500with 100,000 miles. After start-up warmor cold, it sputters and misfires. No check engine light has lit. Have changed the fuelpumps, crankshaft position sensor and tuned itup. My local shop has been unable tofinda solution. Any thoughtswouldbe appreciated.
T.D., Chicago
A: This type of problem is often due to a faulty throttle position sensor but can also be due to a dirty throttle body. Ona vehicle that age, have the throttle body thoroughly cleaned. Youmay or may not need to replace the sensor.
Q: I bought a used 2005 JeepWrangler X. While drivingonthe expressway, the front end began to shake violently, at speeds over 50mph. WhenI got home, I noticed all four tireswere different sizes. I replaced the tires, and this helped for a while. Nowthe shaking is back andworse.
I Googled the problem and found that this is commonwith Jeeps and is referred to as “death shake.”
S.O., Yorkville, Illinois A: Jeep has released an improved steering damper that allows the fluid inside to transfer faster than the previous design. Steering dampers are like shock absorbers that reduce oscillation.
Send questions along with name and town to motor mouth.tribune@gmail. com.