Tire warning light pops on when temperature drops
Q: I have had several Hondas, and the same situation has existed with each. When the weather changes from warm to cold, the yellow tire warning light goes on.
When the weather goes from cold to warm, the light turns off. This has happened with each vehicle for as long as we have owned them! Is this something I should worry about?
— D.B., Chicago
A: A simple rule of thumb is that tires lose one PSI of pressure for every 10-degree drop in ambient temperature. Make sure your tires are properly inflated in the winter. The warning light comes on when tire pressure gets unsafely low.
Q: I own a 2011 Honda Accord with 92,000 miles. I had an oil change done and the dealership said that my right axle seal would be “in need of attention soon.” I decided to hold off for now. What would happen if the seal would fail and (assuming there is a left seal) should both be replaced at the same time?
— D.K., Deerfield, Illinois A: Axle seal leaks, where the axle enters the trans-axle, are common on Accords. These seals will not fail catastrophically but leak more and more over time. Keep an eye on your garage floor and if the leak grows, have the seal replaced. You need not replace the seal on the other side until it leaks.
Q: Your recent answer to the question of spare tires and flats, etc., reminded me that my Ford dealer told me not to use Fix a Flat tire sealant as it can destroy the sensor for the tire pressure monitoring system. I used to carry a can of it in my car, but now just rely on the spare. What is the true story?
— S.P., Elwood, Illinois
A: There are several brands of aerosol puncture sealants on the market. Fix a Flat is one of them and it is perfectly safe for tire pressure monitoring sensors. Years ago, when TPMS was introduced, sealants did affect the sensors, but that is history. Read the label on the can to make sure the product you choose is safe.
Q: My big beef is at night you will see an oncoming car with one headlight that is blinding you. My theory is that that fender/light was replaced at a body shop and the mechanic never aimed that particular headlight correctly.
— D.H., West Dundee, Illinois
A: You may well be right about a collision repair, but better shops take care to aim the headlights before returning the
industry-related sites. Weigh tried-andtrue options such as referral bonuses. And consider getting help from a trusted recruiter or outsourcing company.
Fast-changing regulations are the second trend. Regulations have changed more in the last 10 years than the previous 50 and at all levels of government — federal, state and local. Here are the top four areas to watch.
1. Fair Labor Standards Act: I wrote about this in October. Going into effect Jan. 1, the federal law raises the “standard salary level” to $684 per week (equivalent to $35,568 per year for a full-year worker) and also changes the rules for highly compensated employees and bonuses and incentives, among other changes. This will be the new normal in 2020 and beyond.
2. Medical marijuana: Employers face a confusing patchwork of federal, state and local laws regarding the drug and the process of testing for it. At the federal level, marijuana is still illegal. States range from fully legalized for recreational use to total prohibition. In Maine and Nevada, where both medical and recreational pot are legal, lawmakers say employers can’t make adverse decisions about most workers’ employment based on their marijuana use outside of the workplace. And in New York City, new laws tackle the issue of a job candidate’s marijuana use and prohibit most preemployment tests for marijuana. This will continue to evolve.
3. Sexual harassment: Training and mandatory requirements in many states have arisen as a result of the #Metoo and #Timesup movements. Thirty states require or recommend training. The laws vary in the amount, type and even format of training required. Start annual training to get ahead of any problems. It will also help you in the event of a lawsuit, and sends a good message to your staff. Regardless of the law, it’s the right thing to do. This is not going away.
4. Pay history questions and pay equity: While pay or salary history was once a common feature of the interview process, it’s now prohibited in many places.
An increasing number of state and local governments, including Massachusetts, Hawaii and New York City, have adopted laws that ban employers from requesting salary history information from job applicants. Proponents believe this kind of legislation will help eliminate pay discrimination among women, minorities and other historically underpaid workers. Meanwhile, the Equal Pay Act requires that men and women in the same workplace be given equal pay for equal work. The jobs need not be identical, but they must be substantially equal. Job content (not job titles) determines whether jobs are substantially equal. More facts about equal pay and compensation discrimination can be found at www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/fs-epa.cfm.
What issues are on your mind heading into a new decade? Send me an email and we’ll address them in an upcoming column.
Tina Hamilton is president and CEO of myHR Partner Inc., a Lehigh Valley human resources outsourcing firm that manages HR for clients in 26 states. She can be reached at tina@myhrpartnerinc.com.