Car Doctor Q&A
By John Paul, Senior Manager, Public Affairs and Traffic Safety, AAA Northeast
Q. I took my 2019 Toyota RAV4 with 15,800 miles on it for 5,000-mile interval service to a local Toyota dealer. The usual fluid checks, tire rotation, topping off of fluids was $119.99, using a $10 coupon. After waiting about two hours, the rep came by, and we were told that the car warranted a brake fluid change. This eventually boosted the ‘out of the service department’ price to a grand total of $494.88, including the afore mentioned $119. As I am not a mechanic, and as it was presented as a necessity, and as it is brake fluid, so I bowed to their expertise. Was this really necessary at less than 16,000 miles?
A. Generally, we recommend brake fluid changes for safety every three to five years. Some cars require it, others never mention it. At AAA, our engineering department has seen brake fluid break down after three years which could cause costly brake problems. At five years old replacing the brake fluid is money well spent. The cost for a brake fluid flush typically falls between $150 and $250, depending on the service provider, make and model of your car and the type of brake fluid. The $375 cost seems excessive.
Q. When I start slowly in my 2020 Genesis G80 it feels like the transmission clunks four or five times on the way up to the road speed. This occurs when going from stop to 20 MPH over about 10 seconds. If more gas was given, I do not feel it. It is ‘like going over 4 or 5 small speed bumps. Any ideas?
A. There have been a couple of issues with speed sensors and transmission temperature sensors. At this point, considering the extensive warranty, it would be best to bring it back to the dealer so they can check for transmission trouble codes and perform a full scan of the vehicle.
Q. I am thinking of buying a 2024 Honda Civic hatchback. However, it does not come with a SXM satellite radio or a CD player, I know, I am old. Can I have these put on the car without voiding the warranty or causing any problems for the car?
A. Several vehicle manufacturers, both new and old, have not opted to add satellite radio to their vehicles. Even the latest high-tech vehicles such as Rivian, some Tesla models, and the new Vietnamese manufacturer VinFast have skipped SXM. Yes, you can have these items installed without voiding the warranty (you are protected by the Magnuson Moss law). Although the most economical solution would be to subscribe to satellite radio on your phone and connect it to the car with Bluetooth and Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.
Q. I have a battery question not related to automotives. I have a battery backup system for my sump pump that was installed six years ago. I checked the battery’s cells about a month ago and noticed a white coating over some of the cells; since the battery was five years old, I went to the auto parts store and purchased a deep cycle marine/RV battery. When I got home, I checked the cells and noticed the white coating on some of the new battery cells. Last Wednesday we had a very strong rainstorm that dumped over three inches of rain in the area, along with all the rain we have had since December. The rain poured into my sump pump activating the backup pump for over 24 hours. Once it subsided and the backup was in standby mode, I checked the cells and noticed a white substance/coating over the cells, similar to the old battery. Is this normal or is the battery defective? The battery was charging and did not return to full charge status until late Saturday or Sunday morning. The battery is under warranty for a year. Should I return it?
A. As batteries age they tend to sulfate (the white substance on the plates in the battery) To me it sounds like that battery sat around for a while (a fresh battery is no more than six months old). Look for a sticker on the battery indicating the age. I am not sure that they would take it back based on the sulfating of the plates, since testing would likely show the battery is performing normally. Sometimes charging at a very low amperage at a slightly higher voltage will de-sulfate the battery. If your charger has a de-sulfate mode it can really help. A battery with sulfating plates just will not last as it should and if you can find a bate or date code, I would consider returning the battery for a fresher one.
Q. A while ago my driver seat was not able to move front and back, it seemed as if something was stuck on the rails. I took my car to Toyota since my car is still under warranty but when they performed a diagnostic, they saw that there is a broken part due to a foreign object being stuck there. Toyota told me in order to fix my driver seat issue, I would have to replace the whole bottom piece of my car seat and would have to pay $2,300. The dealer is saying it is not under warranty due to the foreign object that is jammed in the track. I took my car to a mechanic, and he wanted to fix it, but he said the same, that the seat needs to be replaced, but he also thinks that the foreign object may be from the car. He did tell me that I should “fight” with Toyota to replace the part because it should be under warranty. Do you have any advice/recommendation on what I should do?
A. You but you may be correct that the part is from the car. I also believe that even if something did jam in there that the seat should have just stopped and “blew a fuse” and not have broken. This seems like a pretty weak design if that happened. I would do two things I would first call Toyota customer service, but also write an actual letter to Toyota’s corporate office in Texas. In this day and age letters seem to get better response than emails according to my readers. A question for shop owners, what are your labor rates? Are you using different rates for diagnostic labor? Let me know, send me an email jpaul@aaanortheast.com