Could the windshield on a Subaru Outback be scrambling GPS signals?
Q: I recently bought a Garmin DriveSmart GPS. I have a 2013 Subaru Outback. When the Garmin is mounted on the dashboard, it keeps losing satellite reception. When it is lying on the passenger seat, it works perfectly. Garmin support has no answer for me, and neither does the dealer. I think it has something to do with the windshield. A year ago I had the windshield replaced with an aftermarket one rather than an OEM. What do you know about this situation and is there a solution so that I can mount it on the dashboard? — C.H., Chicago
A: We turned to Nik Frye at Auto Glass Fitters for insight into aftermarket windshields. Frye said Subaru Outbacks have a heating grid attached to the underside of the bottom of the windshield. When activated, this grid heats the wiper park area of the windshield in order to melt ice and snow off the wipers when they are at rest. His sources agree that it is most likely the heating grid causing the interference. Try mounting the GPS directly to the glass, but higher up. And, if your windshield heater has an on-off switch, be sure to switch it off.
Q: I put synthetic oil in my 2008 Toyota to stretch the oil changes. But the dealer says that the 2008 model was not certified (I’m not sure that’s the term) for synthetic oil and oil should be changed every 5,000 miles. True or false? — B.H., Center Valley, Pa.
A: We have never heard of a car requiring certification for any oil: synthetic, conventional or a semisynthetic (combination of both). Synthetic oil is superior to conventional oil and oxidizes less quickly, reducing sludge. That is why extended oil changes are permitted. However, we have heard of owners being denied warranty coverage if they cannot prove that oil changes were done in compliance with the published intervals. Your car is well out of warranty.
Q: I have a 2017 Ford Escape. My two side mirrors look cloudy. If you rub the mirror with a dry rag or your fingers the cloudiness goes away. It returns by the next day, repeatedly. The local Ford dealer did not have any ideas or suggestions. Mirror replacements are $150 plus labor. Any ideas? — R.C., Princeton, Ill.
A: Our first guess is that you park the car in an environment that leaves something on the mirrors. Moisture, for instance? If you think that new mirrors are the answer, you can buy replacement glass for a lot less than a complete mirror assembly for which the dealer may be quoting the price.
Q: The emissions test center could not communicate with the engine control module (ECM) on my 1998 Toyota Camry XLE. I was told that if trouble codes can’t be read I will never get a waiver. I contacted four emissions shops and one dealer and they can’t diagnose it. The ECM and harness are very expensive. My car runs great and has served me very well. Why junk a good working car and pollute the grounds of a junkyard? — S.W., Arlington Heights, Ill.
A: We really don’t have any easy idea as to how you can pass the emissions inspection. But we do have an idea for an alternative. Sell the car. But be sure the buyer lives outside the area.
Q: I get your enthusiasm for fuel filler doors on the left. There’s just one snag: international trade. Even assuming every manufacturer had to put the fuel door on the driver’s side, if you buy a car from a Japanese company (there are a few of those), the United Kingdom, Australia or India, those countries drive on the left. So, my Nissan 350Z with the fuel door on the right is on the driver’s side, in Japan. — Anon.
Q: I agree very strongly with your position. I remember being on vacation some years back and was filling the tank at a gas station with a car with the driver’s side fill. I was paying attention to the location of the gasoline entering my car in case the auto stop did not work. I felt a jolt and heard a bang. Another car ran into the passenger side rear fender. If I had been filling on that side I might not be around today. — L.W., Chicago
Q: Love your column and I agree with you about fuel filler location but for a much different reason. As a woman driver, I feel it is unsafe to have the fuel filler on the passenger side. Also, the first thing I will do if my next car has that feature that automatically unlocks the doors when I put it in Park is CHANGE IT. I can only begin to tell you how unsafe that makes me feel! A feature that was clearly never screened by a female! Am I overcautious? Am I paranoid? Possibly. But better safe than sorry. — D.V., Chicago
Q: I have to disagree with the notion that gas tanks should be on the passenger side of the car. With the uptick in carjackings it seems to me it is far safer if you do not have to leave the driver’s side of the car. I pull close to the pump, with enough room to open the car door; it’s that simple. This way it’s harder for people to approach you without being noticed instantly. The door and the pump provide a safety net. It’s also easier to jump in and close the door if you’re threatened. Having traveled for work, I was always nervous when I had to rent a foreign-made car, which usually has the tank filler on the passenger side. This troubles me because I travel alone. The fear of someone stealing your purse or car, or holding you at gunpoint is far easier for the perpetrator when you’re outside your car, on the passenger side. I will never again buy a car with the tank on the passenger side. — E.J., Chicago
A: That leaves us with the final word. (What a great position in which to be.) As we have discovered, there is no rule or even unwritten law (“Show me where it’s not written”). It frankly boils down to where it is most convenient for the engineers. The fuel door on my car is on the left. The fuel door on Mrs. Motormouth’s car is on the right. When one drives the other’s car, there is a brief moment of refueling frustration when approaching the gas pumps. That frustration is quickly overcome with a quick glance at the fuel gauge. There sits a little triangle pointing to the side on which to find the fuel door.