Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
What’s the best way to un-fog my vehicle’s headlights?
John Paul, AAA Northeast's Car Doctor, answers a question from a reader dealing with foggy headlight lenses.
Q. What is the best way to clear a foggy headlight lens? Is this something I can do myself or do I need to go to a repair shop or body shop to get this fixed? Any help will be greatly appreciated.
A. Today, plastic headlights lenses can get cloudy over time, but in many cases, they can be cleaned up. I found the best products require a certain amount of elbow grease to get satisfactory results. The product I used on the oldest car in our family was made by Sylvania and it is their headlight restoration kit. I have never had any success with any spray-on, wipe-off headlight cleaning products. The other option is to replace the entire headlight assembly with a quality aftermarket light. To prevent future deterioration from ultraviolet light, apply wax to the lenses when cleaning the car.
Advertisement:
Q. I’m shopping for economy tires. Why do some new tires come with only 9/32 tread? Should I pass on those? There are 20 to 50 percent price drops on some tires sold on Walmart and Amazon, so I’m assuming they’re two to four years old. Does age really matter if the car isn’t driven much? Some tires in my size weigh 15-17 pounds, while others are 18-20 pounds. Should I look for the heaviest?
A. A tire that has 9/32 of tread depth could be considered 12 percent worn compared to some other tires. This could be one reason that some tires are cheaper than others. About overall tire weight, some two-ply tires have the same sidewall thickness as four-ply tires. That being said a four-ply tire may be more resistant to puncture. Tires do age out, and buying a three- or four-year-old tire is like buying food near its expiration date. Typically, most tires last six to seven years, and even good-looking tires should be replaced when they are 10 years old. I recently replaced Michelin tires that were seven years old on a car that only gets driven 1,500 miles per year. The tires were Waterfall Eco Performance made in Turkey, and they were $50 each. So far, I have no complaints.
Advertisement:
Q. My 2016 Ram 1500 pickup truck with the 5.7 Hemi engine has 116,000 miles, I’ve kept up on the maintenance, changing the oil and filter every 5,000 miles and besides replacing the water pump, other wear-and-tear items. Other than having the rear-end rebuilt, the truck has been trouble free. I recently replaced the spark plugs as indicated in the owner’s manual. My question is about the automatic transmission fluid. I don’t see any change/flush recommendation in the owner’s manual. My mechanic told me if I never have changed it to leave it alone. I’d like to keep this truck for a few more years. Any thoughts on leaving the transmission fluid the way it is, and is there anything I should be keeping an eye on?
A. Chrysler only recommends transmission fluid changes if the vehicle is used for police, taxi, fleet, or frequent trailer towing. If this is the case the fluid should be changed at 60,000 miles. So, unless you routinely tow a heavy trailer, at this point if the fluid looks good (full and a good color) I agree with your shop’s advice to leave well enough alone. Other than that, keep following the advice of your mechanic and the maintenance schedule in the owner’s manual.
Advertisement:
Q. You mentioned that you replaced the brakes in your car with PowerStop brand brakes. I have read mixed reviews on the PowerStop brake parts. You also said you would tell us how they are doing.
A. After a 1,600-mile road trip and six weeks of city driving, so far so good. There is no noise and the rust resistant brake rotors, even after sitting for a few days, only have the slightest hint of rust. This light surface rust wears off after the first couple of stops.
Q. I have a Cadillac that is three years old, and it has an oil change maintenance reminder. How accurate are these systems? Should I trust them, or should I go with a typical 5,000-mile oil change?
A. Some maintenance reminders do nothing more than keep track of mileage and time. Others, like the one in your Cadillac, use a very sophisticated algorithm to calculate oil life. This system looks at time driven, engine temperature, and in some cases even moisture in the oil. I recently saw an independent engineering video that stated the Cadillac oil change reminder was quite accurate and added an extra margin of safety to the reminder.
Advertisement:
Q. I recently purchased a 1998 Lexus ES with 125,000 miles. The timing belt was last changed 8 1/2 years and 40,000 miles ago. The manual calls for six years and 90,000 miles. Should I go by time or mileage to decide when to change it? The car was always garaged and only driven about 6,000 miles a year.
A. It is entirely possible that the timing belt is in good condition, but there is no way to know unless you actually inspect it. Rubber timing belts (and many rubber parts) can fail due to mileage or age. If this were my 26-year-old Lexus and I planned on keeping it and driving it for a while, to be safe, and have a dependable worry-free car, I would replace the timing belt.
John Paul is AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor. He has over 40 years of experience in the automotive business and is an ASE-certified master technician. E-mail your Car Doctor question to [email protected]. Listen to the Car Doctor podcast at johnfpaul.podbean.com.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com