How long will my car battery last?
Dear Motormouth: I have a 2008 Honda Civic that I have driven once a week for the last five years.
Will the life of the battery be extended due to the limited use or is the determining factor the actual age of the battery with all other conditions being equal? Is there a more relevant factor?
— B.H., Center Valley, Pennsylvania
Dear B.H.: A car battery typically lasts 3 to 5 years. Lack of use won’t save the battery, just like it won’t save batteries in a flashlight you haven’t used. Extreme cold in the winter or heat in the summer take a toll. If the battery terminals are corroded, the charging system may not be able to provide the voltage the battery needs. Finally, leaving your lights on can kill the battery. Repeated deep cycling shortens battery life.
Dear Motormouth: My 2004 Nissan 350Z roadster convertible top stops and starts many times when trying to put the top down. The dealer proposed a fix that costs several thousand dollars. Is this a common problem? Is there a fix that I can do myself ?
— G.M., Lafayette, California
Dear G.M.: Take your car to a shop that specializes in convertibles. They have seen it all and can often offer a much less expensive fix. It may be as simple as a poor electrical connection, weak lift cylinders, low fluid or a bad pump. It seems like the dealer wants to replace everything. I doubt there is much you can fix yourself.
I have a 2021 Chevy Colorado V6
Dear Motormouth:
with about 14,000 miles on it. The check engine light comes on intermittently while driving, but never when it’s being serviced. The mechanic is unable to verify any problem, and tells me that unless it’s blinking, not to worry about it. It unnerves me to see it on. Any suggestions?
— B.F., Pahrump, Nevada
Dear B.F.: Whenever the check engine light comes on, it is reporting a problem and stores a trouble code in the car’s computer. The code remains there for 50 engine restarts. If the problem doesn’t return, the code is erased from memory. It’s time to find a better auto technician who has the equipment to read the codes and track down the source of the problem — even if the check engine light isn’t glowing.
Pep Boys wanted to charge me $188 to install the rear lift gate struts that I had already purchased for my old (2008) but very sturdy Volvo XC90. I declined and looked on Youtube and did it myself in about one minute with a 2x4 for a prop. Those gates are heavy. The same Pep Boys charged me $40-something to replace a driver’s side headlamp and $60-something to replace a passenger’s side headlamp
Dear Motormouth:
a week later.
— D.S., La Grange, Illinois
Dear D.S.: That’s the difference between home cooking and dining at a restaurant.
An easy way to remove the annoying film that builds up on the interior glass is to use good old inexpensive Lemon Pledge applied with a microfiber cloth. It may take a few passes, but it comes off easily. An old Mercedes mechanic told me about Lemon Pledge years ago, and it can also be used on any nonporous surface in your car interior. It leaves no dust-catching film behind and leaves a nice lemon scent. I don’t work for S.C. Johnson, I’m just a retired guy who has used the stuff to detail my vehicles for decades.
Dear Motormouth:
Dear B.C.: I pledge to give it a try. Clearly, we must move on from this topic. It’s becoming a pain.
Bob Weber is a writer and mechanic who became an Ase-certified Master Automobile Technician in 1976. He maintains this status by seeking certification every five years. Weber’s work appears in professional trade magazines and other consumer publications. Send questions along with name and town to motormouth. tribune@gmail.com.