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.
Q. My father recently received an airbag recall on his very low mileage 20plus year-old Volvo. The problem is the nearest dealership to him is three and a half hours away over a curvy mountain road. My father is 87 years old and cannot make that drive. And there is no one else, friend or family, that can make that drive for him (honestly with drive time and repair time this would end up being an overnight visit). What happens in a case like this? Does the car manufacturer still have to make the repair on the recall? If so where, a local certified mechanic?
A. I would start with a call to Volvo customer service (800-458-1552). In nearly every case when a vehicle is recalled, and the owner pays for the repair that would have been performed under a recall, the automaker will most often reimburse you. Considering where your father lives and that this is safety issue, Volvo may even be able to contract with a local nonVolvo facility to get the recall performed.
Q. What might be the cause of intermittent “no sound” from a 2015 Buick Lacrosse. Periodically the radio and “blinker click” go silent — both at the same time. This only seems to happen when you start the car. Once working, it stays working until maybe turning the car off (to run errand) and back on. The blinkers still work during the “no sound” episodes since I have gotten outside the car with the blinkers going and the lights outside are flashing. Just no sound inside the car. We garage the cars. This has happened intermittently since January. Sometimes (but not always), turning the car off and restarting and everything is fine. I do not know but I am suspicious of outside temperature might be a factor since the “silence” seems to happen in colder weather. Also, could something (bag of golf clubs?) be hitting something in the truck to somehow affect the wiring?
A. As you have discovered the blinker “click” sound comes through the radio speakers. What is happening is the radio, amplifier or wiring is an issue. Just like nearly every component in a car today, it can be scanned to look for fault codes. I have found two possible issues the audio unit itself is faulty or an issue with the wiring. In this case just like any computer network, an issue with the CAN buss. The CAN buss allows computer modules to communicate with each other.