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Did swapping an ignition switch do more harm than good?
John Paul, AAA Northeast's Car Doctor, answers a question from a reader who ran into trouble after installing a new ignition switch.
Q. I have a 2009 Chevy Cobalt. The car was running but had some fault codes, one being a faulty ignition switch. I replaced the switch and did a key relearn, and now the car will not crank or start. Do you have any suggestions?
A. I would start by following a wiring diagram and checking fuses and the starter relay. Since it started with the old switch, I might even try putting that switch back in just to see what happens. I have seen many new parts that are faulty right out of the box.
Q. My 2014 Subaru Forester has a rusted lower radiator support bracket. The dealer suggested it needed repair. I was wondering if an experienced welder that works on car frames regularly could take out the bracket and weld in a new one, or if I need to go to an auto body shop.
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A. Certainly, a good fabricator could weld it, but you can buy a new after-market replacement, lower radiator support for less than $50. Rather than weld it, to me it makes more sense to replace it. Any repair shop can remove the radiator and the lower support and install a replacement.
Q. Like one of your other readers, I have a Honda Ridgeline with a transmission shudder. In your answer, before replacing the torque converter you mentioned that Honda states flush out the transmission fluid three times. How long do you wait between flushes?
A. Basically, all you are doing is letting the new fluid come up to temperature, run through the gears and then flush out that fluid. Although this is what Honda states to try, my experience has been this may only be a temporary fix, with a replacement transmission in the future.
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Q. My son owns a 2013 Nissan Frontier with about 60,000 original miles. I got it new for him. He experienced a stall a week ago and the truck would not start again. He brought it to the Nissan dealer where he usually gets his oil changes. They could not duplicate the condition and suggested that it could be three-position sensors, so they are trying that this weekend. He really wants to keep the truck since he is the original owner. Any ideas or suggestions?
A. For an engine to run it needs ignition, fuel, and proper timing. The crankshaft and camshaft sensors control the timing part. Although doing all three is a pretty expensive guess, two camshaft sensors at $175-$200 each and a crankshaft sensor at $100 plus a couple of hours labor. Depending on where you live, that could be a $1,000 guess. If I had to guess at just one thing it would be the crankshaft sensor, which could also have oil contamination at the connector. I always prefer to test rather than guess. I would also want to do a very thorough visual inspection looking at all the wiring involved in the sensors and even the fuel pump.
Q. I enjoy reading your column weekly. Through reading it, I learned about TopTier gas. I was particularly, recently struck by your recommendation that it be used for a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. I have that car (a hybrid) with less than 5,000 miles on it. My question is whether there are additives that I could use that would mimic the benefits of TopTier gas, and if so, what are they? The thing is that I would prefer not to do business with the stations in my area (and likely everywhere) that sell TopTier gas. I have an Irving station down the street and would prefer to deal with them. Your assistance would be much appreciated.
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A. Using a fuel additive like Techron (which has been around forever) every 3,000 to 5,000 miles will provide about the same benefit. And even though it costs about $12 per bottle over say 3,000 miles, that is only a couple of cents per gallon of gas used.
Q. I purchased a 2024 Honda Accord LX at the end of last year. Like my 2018 Accord, it tells me when I need an oil change. It took 10,000 miles before the maintenance minder went to 15 percent. The 2018 Honda usually was around 7,500 miles under similar driving conditions. Does 10,000 miles seem like a long way to go before an oil change?
A. I agree that 10,000 miles between oil changes is a long time. What is important is to check the oil regularly and add it if needed. These newer cars with very thin oil will tend to use oil between changes and need to be topped off. Honda states if a Maintenance Minder indicator does not appear more than 12 months after the display is reset, change the engine oil every year.
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.
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