CARDOCTORQ&A
Q. I purchased new, a 2016 Jeep Compass Latitudewith a 2.4Lmotor and automatic transmission. It has 27,000miles on it. I recently took it to the local repair shop that I have been dealing with for the last 30 years and asked him to do an inspection and to change the transmission fluid and filter. When I went to pick the car up he told me that Jeep doesn’t require that service until 50,000 miles, because they use synthetic transmission oil. I use the car mostly around town. I can’t even check the fluid because there is no dipstick. I would like to know your opinion on waiting that long to do the service?
A. I have no problem staying with the service recommendations provided by the manufacturer. When I looked up the service interval it was actually 60,000 miles. The most important aspect of servicing the transmission is to use the correct fluid. Jeep uses completely different fluid for the conventional transmission versus the CVT transmission. Using the improper fluid will result in shifting problems.
Q. What is required to replace the conventional headlights onmy 2000 Toyota Corolla without causing either flickering or damage to the circuit? I have daytime running lights and do not wish to disable them. I do not know how the daytime lights operate, not sure if the voltage is reduced or something else. The local Toyota dealerwas of no help and warned that LED headlights would cause damage. Any thoughts?
A. It is understandable that the Toyota isn’t answering your question. As a general rule most new car dealers won’t modify a vehicle with non-factory parts. When converting to LED style bulbs there can be challenges. On some models an adaptor needs to be added so you don’t get a message that you have a light out, although that is not the case on your Toyota. Unfortunately, the daytime running lights will need to be disabled for the LEDs to work properly.
Q. I have a 2009 Jeep Wrangler Sahara with 80,000 miles on it. The compass in the dash reads Swhen goingNandEwhen going W. I tried the spinning around in a circle and even replaced the compass module, but it still does not work. Any advice?
A. I have only seen this happen once before and that was when someone used a magnetic roof sign on their vehicle. The first step would be to degauss the module and the instrument panel display using a special degaussing tool. Once that is completed you should be able to reset the compass function.
Q. On a recent visit to my Toyota dealership to get an oil change. After about 30 minutes the customer rep came out to inform me of one nail in the right front passenger tire and one nail in the driver’s side rear tire. The tires could be repaired at $35.00 each. Be a victim of being there at the dealership I said OK. At about 12:30PM I saw my car in the area ready to be picked up, but then someone drove away. After another 15minutes no one came to me I walked out of the waiting area to see where my vehicle was. I couldn’t see it around, so I went looking for the customer rep and found her and asked where my carwas. She said it was taken for a test drive because the tire pressure sensor light would not go off. They the rep informed me that the tire pressure sensor was bad. When I asked what the options are? she said, replacing the tire pressure sensors at a cost of approximately $500.00. Do I need to replace all four sensors? Also, I know that sometimes with the change in the weather or road temperature the light will come on and they reset it. Now could the tech have damaged the sensor when repairing the tire? I know if the light stays on I won’t be able to tell if the car has a low tire. Will it hurt the engine in any way? Do I really need to spend the $500.00 to fix it? The car is a 2009 Toyota Corolla with 72,363 miles. We drive only about 7500 miles a year. Another example I asked to check the coolant, the answer it is OK. I was looking for a temperature that it was good to. I really have reservations about these dealerships now.
A. If the lowtire lightwas not on prior to your visit it is entirely possible that in the process of removing the tire the tire pressure sensor was damaged. The typical life of a factory tire pressure sensor is eight to ten years. Your car is a little unique because the batteries which are the usual point of failure are replaceable. You may not need to replace all four sensors, but at this age it does make the most sense. The factory sensors are $80 each, online you can purchase four replacement sensors for (depending on the manufacturer) for $120-$150. Driving with the low tire light on will not cause any other issueswith the vehicle. That being said the TPMS system is a safety system and depending where you live, an illuminated TPMS light is a safety failure and your car will fail most state inspections. Regarding checking the coolant, most shops will tell you both the condition and the level of protection. Typically engine coolant is 50 percentwater and 50 percent antifreeze which protects the engine against freezing to minus 34 degrees.