CAR DOCTOR Q&A
Q. During a recent visit to a Honda dealer for an oil change on my 2018 Honda Accord Sport with 33,000 miles it was recommended that I replace the brake fluid (they said brake fluid was dirty) as well as the transmission fluid. I declined as I did not have time to wait and, I wanted to research Honda’s own recommendations. What is your opinion.
A. Honda uses a maintenance minder to tell you when things need changing. Honda’s on-board computer will remind you to change the fluid in the sub item menu as item seven. At AAA, our engineering team has seen a safety benefit of changing brake fluid every three to four years. Transmission fluid on many of today’s cars is a lifetime fill. If you were using your car like a taxi/Uber, then I would change the fluid every 60,000 miles. If not, wait until the maintenance indicator comes on. Based on previous Honda models that used maintenance schedules, the service interval is in the 90-100,000 miles range.
Q. I have a 2017 Ford Truck F350 4WD Super Duty that I use for my landscape business and plowing. Now that the weather is colder the heat on the driver’s side isn’t working. I took it into my repair shop, and they found that the temperature blend door was binding up. They replaced the heater box and it worked for about a month and the same thing happened. No one wants to drive a truck in the winter with bad heat. Any ideas on this?
A. Ford issued two technical service bulletins. When the temperature is very cold and you have poor heat on one side of the truck, the fix is a replacement heater core. The second bulletin describes a binding temperature door actuator. The TSB is titled Lack of Heat or Cooling from the Cabin Vents — Temperature Door or Door Actuator Binding/Inoperative — DTC B1081:07. The repair is quite extensive, and it may make sense that you are this far into the repair to replace the heater core at the same time, since it will be out in the open.
Q. About a month ago a purchased four new tires for my car at Walmart. The tires say Goodyear but made specifically for Walmart. After about three weeks a low tire warning came on. I checked the tires, and one had a nail in it. Now two more weeks later another tire has a nail in it. I drove the car for six years and never had a nail in any tire. My friends tell me it is because these are cheaper tires made Goodyear. My other question is are the repaired tires safe?
A. Flat tires happen. The quality of the tire has nothing to do with if a nail will puncture it or not. If the tire was repaired properly using a plug/patch combination, there is no reason to think the tire isn’t as good as new. Regarding the tire quality, Goodyear would not put their name on an inferior product.
Q. My very dependable 2005 Chrysler 300 has a vibration that only happens when I’m slowing down on the highway to take an exit. The vibration is in the steering wheel and only when my foot is on the brake to slow down. I have owned this car since new and never have done much more than replaced all the fluids and tires.
A. I suspect you have an out of round brake rotor combined with a little suspension wear. As the brake rotors get hot the vibration will get worse. As you are slowing down to take the exit the rotors start to build up heat then as you apply more brake pressure the vibration gets worse.
Q. How do I lower the headlights on a Toyota Tacoma? I get flashed often because the lights are high on a low beam setting. I asked at the dealership, and they will charge me $79.00 to lower the lights. Can I do this myself; I’m just trying to be both safe and save some money.
A. Start with checking the overall headlight alignment, you may find the headlights are fine. There is a specific procedure to check the headlights. Pull up your truck near the wall and measure the center of the headlight bulbs and transfer that measurement to the wall. Now back up 25 feet and see how the headlight alignment looks. The alignment should be checked on both low and high beam settings. Although there are only two adjustments, vertical and horizontal, it is easy to get the headlights further out of adjustment, making the lights both offensive and ineffective.
Q. I have an old car and I can’t get the wiper fluid to squirt. I have checked the pump and even tried a used one from a junk yard (I can’t find a new one) and it still won’t work. The hoses and switch all work and the pump makes noise. Why can I get the washers to squirt?
A. This is a simple system, a switched circuit, pump and hoses. I would start by making sure the hoses and nozzles are clear. Then test the pump, not that it just makes noise, but has the ability to pull fluid from the reservoir and push it to the washer nozzles. If all else fails, you can easily purchase a universal washer pump or an entire kit that even includes the fluid reservoir.
Q. Every weekend I open the hood in all four of our family cars and check all the fluids. When I was checking the fluid level in one car, I must have got distracted put windshield washer fluid in the radiator tank. Will this cause any harm to the engine, it was only about a half pint.
A. Windshield washer fluid is alcohol and water. Most antifreeze is water and ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. Considering the small amount, you added I can’t see how there would be a problem. Also keep in mind today many cars use a specific type of engine coolant, and it is always best to use the correct type and color.