Answers to your car questions
QUESTION
I purchased a 2017 Toyota Rav 4 and I have an issue with the passenger’s side window. When it is wet with dew or rain in the morning and when you roll down the window, it removes absolutely no water whatsoever. This creates a safety issue because you often cannot see out the window unless you physically remove it. Is this normal? The dealer says it is. I have never had a car where this happened. Secondly, if this is normal and it doesn’t remove the water OPU FWFO XBUFS ESPQMFUT UIFO XBUFS NVTU mPX EPXO JOUP
the door panel. Wouldn’t that create a corrosion problem? Thirdly, all SUV’s seem to have plastic around the bottom of the vehicle’s wheel wells, door panels and rocker panels etc. What is the use of this? Is it for rust protection, stone chip protection, strictly for aesthetics or what? Thank you, Rick from Hamilton.
ANSWER
The molding that you are talking about is called a Window Trim Seal and it is designed to prevent most of the rain from entering the door. Any rain that does get into the door is leaked out from the drains in the bottom of the doors. It is not necessarily designed to clean the dew off the window but the window sometimes can be adjusted from inside the door to do just that. Any body shop should be able to do that for you. The trims around the wheel wells are both for aesthetics and for stone protection but many owners complain that this is a breeding ground for rust since the plastic mouldings hold salted water during the winter months.
QUESTION
I am presently driving a 2017 Cadillac with the idle stop GFBUVSF * IBWF USJFE UP lOE PVU IPX UIF GFBUVSF XPSLT
however I have been unable (at this time) to have any success. I understand that the car starts with the starter UVSOJOH UIF mZXIFFM IPXFWFS VQPO SFMFBTJOH UIF CSBLF
and the engine restarting, I cannot hear the starter turning over. Can you advise me if the engine is restarted by anything other than the starter? I would like to know the mechanical function of this feature. I have asked a number of mechanics with negative results and have been in touch with GM with no reply. Is it really that big of a secret? Thanks in advance. Ron from Binbrook.
ANSWER
A Stop Idle feature is a system that shuts down the car’s engine when coming to a stop and this feature has been put into most high-end vehicles over the last few years. Many people like the Stop Idle feature system in their vehicles but there have also been some complaints and/or concerns that it might cause more expense to the owner over time if the battery and/or starter needs to be replaced. When the vehicle comes to a stoplight or other types of stops, the engine computer cuts spark and fuel and when the driver takes his or her foot off the CSBLF UIF FOHJOF lSFT CBDL VQ VTJOH
the starter to do that. The start up usually takes much less than a second and cannot generally be heard from inside the vehicle. To counter this extra stress on the vehicle, the battery, starter and its moving parts have been made much stronger to withstand the constant on/off cycling of the engine.
QUESTION
Can you help me with a problem that I am having with my used car dealer. I purchased a 2013 Dodge truck
about one month ago and was promised that a small bit of damage on UIF QBTTFOHFS T EPPS XPVME CF lYFE
When I took the truck back to have UIJT EBNBHF lYFE UIFZ SFGVTFE UP EP JU
for me stating that I took the tires and rims off my vehicle before I traded it in. It is written on the bill of sale that I would be taking the tires off my old truck so that I could use them on my new truck and they agreed. Now, they are reneging on that deal. The dealer who knows about you told me to write to you and see what you had to say. The dealer told me that they would abide by your decision. Can you help me? University student from Brampton.
ANSWER
I generally do not respond when I do not get a name but your story intrigued me so I went ahead and looked into your complaint. What I have been able to gather is that you and your father did agree that the tires on your truck that was being traded in were going to be removed and exchanged with the tires on the truck that you purchased. You wanted the fancy rims that were on your old truck and the dealer agreed to do that for you. That did not happen. What happened is that when you dropped your old vehicle off at the dealership, the dealership did not realize until the next day that the tires on the truck that you traded in, had not been changed with the tires that were on your new truck. What they EJE lOE JT UIBU BMM UIF UJSFT UIBU XFSF
now on your old truck would not have passed on a mechanical safety and the rims were quite rusty and one was CFOU :PVS USVDL T EPPS XJMM CF lYFE
as promised as soon as you live up to the deal that was made on the bill of sale. Sounds fair to me! PS: To my readers: If possible, it would be appreciated if your emails would indicate the town, city or village that you live in. Please be advised that all emails cannot be answered. Send your questions (be sure to include your address) by email to:: dennis.osullivan@cogeco.ca or mail: Box 10019, Winona, ON L8E 5R1