Winter gas blends don’t give freeze protection
Question: I understand the major petroleum companies formulate their gas according to the seasons. If they formulate their gas for cold weather, do I need to also use gas-line antifreeze in my car?
M.G. Answer: The seasonal gasoline blends are adjusted to provide good starting, not freeze protection. When gas is shipped to the stations it is supposedly dry. Water in your gas tank is often the result of condensation due to temperature changes. Ice is prevented by using fuel system antifreeze. Most gasoline antifreeze products are some kind of alcohol. Since most gasoline already contains 10 to 15 per cent alcohol, additional antifreeze might not be necessary.
Q: I have a 2016 Kia Sorento. As I was pulling out of my garage, the rear window on the lift gate exploded into a million pieces, scaring me half to death. There was no damage to the car other than the rear windshield wiper mechanism. Meanwhile, nobody can explain what caused this. Looks to me like Kia is installing inferior glass. I’d appreciate any thoughts you might have.
J.K. A: All automotive glass must meet Society of Automotive Engineers standards, so we can dismiss any carmaker’s use of substandard glass. Yet spontaneous glass breakage does occur. Fortunately, auto glass is tempered and, as you found, breaks into countless cubes instead of sharp shards. Breakage might be due to thermal shock, a nick or chip caused during installation, body damage or occasionally from contaminants during the manufacturing process.
Q: We had a new battery installed at a local dealership. Once we got home, the sunroof would not operate. We brought it back the next day. The dealership charged $135 to “recalibrate the sunroof.” Were we fleeced?
E.B. A: “Fleeced” might be too strong a word, but you certainly should not have been charged to reinitialize the sunroof. During the battery swap, the technicians should have used a “keep alive” device to prevent power to the electronics from being interrupted. They goofed and you should get a refund.
Q: We recently bought a 2017 all-wheel-drive Subaru Forester. I have heard that after a certain amount of miles, if only one tire is damaged and has to be replaced, you must install four new tires because the difference in tire diameters between the new and older tires could damage the AWD components. If so, are there any mileage guidelines? B.B.
A: A rule of thumb about mileage is hard to come by. Different brands and models of tires wear at different rates. That is why it is better to measure the tread depth of the remaining tires and compare with to the tread depth of a new tire. Most owners’ manuals will provide the maximum allowable variation. About the only alternative to replacing all four tires is to have the one new tire shaved down to match the tread depth of the others.
Q: I have a Dodge Challenger. After completing a left turn, the ESP/BAS light comes on, along with a beeping sound. The light does not do this on right turns. I just had new front rotors and pads installed. Please help.
N.B. A: A front brake job, huh? During the work, one of the wheel speed sensor connections might have come loose — probably the right wheel, since the wire to that side would be stretched during left turns. The beeping sound is there to get your attention to look at the warning lights. Bob Weber is a writer and mechanic who became an ASE-certified Master Automobile Technician in 1976. Brad Bergholdt is on holiday and returns next week.