Car Doctor Q&A

Q I have a 2007 Hyundai Sonata and when I first take off in morning the front of the car bounces a lot. After a few miles of driving, it seems to lighten up to almost unnoticeable. My mechanic said to replace tires and have the wheels aligned, but all to no avail. Any idea what this could be the car has very low mileage.

A

I suspect the front struts after nearly 15 years have worn out. The best course of action would be to recheck all the suspension and steering components and if needed replace the front struts. Today in many cases when struts are replaced, you also replace the springs, bearing and mounts. Although the parts are more expensive, the labor is less, and you are replacing th most common components that wear with age.

Q

When a car has a “ECON” switch, can this be turned on and off while driving. Will doing this do any harm also can I leave it in the economy setting at all times?

A

The econ setting in most cars will limit climate control operation and change the transmission shift points to maximize fuel economy. You can leave the car in econ mode all the time or turn it on and off as desired. When turned off the car may have a slightly sportier feel with longer, crisper shifts. Q

What is your opinion of solar powered trickle chargers? I have a car that is not garaged and sits for a couple of months while I’m in Florida. A

Solar powered trickle or float style chargers are designed to maintain a fully charged battery. If you can position the solar panel to get maximum exposure to the sun, your car’s battery should remain fully charged. I have seen solar chargers used successfully on cars, boats, and even heavy equipment.

Q

Do you have any recommendations for my 2013 Toyota Prius problem? Often, but not always, when I first start the car, my main console display will not show the normal colors, having a hard to read blackish background. Maybe four or five minutes later the display will again be normal. Once it has reverted to normal, even after subsequent stop/ starts it will be fine — until the next day. My guess is that I have a loose multi pin connector, but no idea how to locate. I sure would appreciate your professional advice!

A

The was a software update that corrected among other things the display would stay in nighttime mode (dark). When night mode is selected during the day it is very hard if not impossible to read. which may be happening. If the software version lower than 5.1.0 then it should be upgraded. If you go into the settings, you should be able to see what version you have.