Why Does My Pontiac’s Horn Go Off at Night?
Q. I enjoy your column in the paper and I have a question. I have retired and as a result drive my car less than 7000 miles a year. I was wondering if I need to replace my tires due to aging of the rubber or only after they wear out from driving?
A. There is no hard and fast rule on how long tires will last. It has more to do with how they are used and what they are exposed to. If this were my car I would have the tires inspected once they are five years old. A good technician will look for dry-rot and age cracks. If one tire shows any signs of age related wear I would replace the entire set.
Q. I have a 1992 Pontiac Grand AM. When it gets real cold the horn goes off, often in the middle of the night. What can I do to prevent this from happening and not irritate my neighbors?
A. The problem is not an inexpensive one. The issue is the airbag cover which also incorporates the horn switch shrinks in cold weather and activates the horn and will need replacing. As a temporary inexpensive solution you could remove the fuse or run a switch to deactivate the horn.
Q. I need your advice on this one. A friend has a 2007 Volkswagen Beetle convertible for sale at $3000. The car has 107,000 miles and transmission has had a repair performed. The car is over all is good condition. My question is, will I have to replace transmission and at that high mileage, will engine need work? Should I buy or move on?
A. The engine should last another 100,000 miles without any serious problems. The transmission could have an issue especially if it was run low on fluid. That said at $3000 the car is a bargain. Similar Volkswagens of this age and miles are selling for $7000-$9000. Even if you had to replace the transmission and do some other repairs at $3000 this Volkswagen would be very well bought.
Q. Just got a new battery installed and it starts fine but keeps stalling out, also there is a lot of smoke from exhaust on starting the car. The smoke was going on before the battery was replaced, what could be wrong? Is there anything I can do myself without going to a garage for repairs?
A. The problem is certainly related to the fuel system. The issue could be a leaking fuel injector(s), faulty evaporative fuel system, fuel pressure regulator or even a clogged fuel return hose. Unfortunately there are not to many things you can do without the proper tools and equipment.
Q. How important are snow tires with an all-wheel-drive vehicle? I’m considering a Jaguar with all-wheel-drive wanted to know. Should I spend the extra money for snow tires?
A. In all cases dedicated winter tires will improve the vehicles winter weather performance. That said, it really depends on your driving situations and the tires on the vehicle. I recently drove an all-wheel-drive car in the snow with 19 inch performance tires and the car was terrible. Last year I drove essentially the same car with winter tires and the car was remarkable in the snow. If you need to be out before the snow plows, my advice purchase four winter tires.
Q. I recently locked my keys in my car. I was at a parking garage and the attendant used a “slim-jim’’ to open the door. Although I was happy to get the car open later I found out that he damaged the wiring for the power lock. What does AAA do and can you warn motorists to be careful if someone is using one of these tools.
A. At AAA we use a variety of specialized door opening tools along with vehicle specific manuals to prevent any damage. Of course over the years’ vehicle manufactures are trying to make their cars more theft resistant making it even hard for professional to open car doors without damage.
Q, I was listening to your radio program and heard that you attended the auto show in Detroit. If you had to pick one car that was a standout what was it?
A. My favorite was the Acura NSX it looked great and with its combination of a purpose built V-6 engine and three electric motors totaling something more than 550 horsepower it should be a phenomenal performer. Something a bit more sedate but still a head-turner was the Buick “concept’’ car the Avenir, this four-door Buick was stunning.
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