Why is My Radio Still On?
Q. I have a 2007 Pontiac G6 with 60,000 miles. Recently when I shut the engine off and got out of the car I noticed the radio kept playing. When I tried to restart the engine it would not start, it didn’t make a sound of any kind. The car was towed to the dealer who said the alternator and the battery needed to be replaced at a cost of $650. For a month the car ran perfectly; then it happened again and again the car was towed to the dealer. After a few hours of trying to figure out what was wrong, the mechanic said the problem was caused by the after-market remote car starter. This remote car starter was installed by the dealer at the time of original purchase in 2007. He removed the remote starter and charged me $350 for labor. The car has been fine ever since but I am concerned that it will happen again and that at $1,000 I was overcharged for the work. I would appreciate your opinion of what happened.
A. I suspect at eight years old the battery had failed (legitimate repair). The alternator if it was tested with a faulty battery could have had a false reading and may not have been charging properly (perhaps a misdiagnosis). Although it is certainly possible the alternator was faulty as well. Some remote car stating systems like all electronics can fail with age and could have been damaged due to low voltage from the faulty battery. Regarding cost; it takes about 1.5 hours to replace both the battery and the alternator. The dealer cost (as compared to aftermarket) for an original alternator is $260. The cost of the battery varies, as an example a AAA battery similar to the one in your car delivered and installed is $116 (member price). The cost to diagnose and remove the remote starter system sounds high, since you could have had a new system installed for a similar price.
Q. I am interested in purchasing a 2015 Subaru Forester or Outback. I have read on the internet that the Subaru engines have an oil consumption problem and it burns or leaks excessive oil. It also requires Subaru synthetic oil and Subaru coolant. There is a class action suit against Subaru on this issue. Is this a real concern and has Subaru fixed this problem on 2015 models?
A. Some Subaru owners have reported oil consumption issues. The repair is replacement of the pistons and piston rings. I have also heard that in some cases the engine block also gets replaced. Since there is a repair I would suspect that any new Subaru would have the updated parts and there wouldn’t be a problem. Regarding the use of a special brand specific coolant and synthetic oil this is becoming much more common with all vehicle manufactures and wouldn’t deter me from buy any car.
Q. Please settle a little debate my wife and I have. We have a 2014 Subaru Impreza that has a little blue light that comes on when you start the car. She says that we must let the car idle till the light goes out or we’ll decrease the life of the engine. I say that idling and not driving results in a lot of wasted gas and more pollution and it is not necessary.
A. The light you are referring to is common in a couple of different cars. This blue light reminds the driver “take it easy’’ until the engine warms up. It is not necessary to sit and idle, only to avoid hard driving. This is a habit we should all practice until our cars warm up. This easy driving when the car is cold will help promote longer engine and transmission life.
Q. I’m interested in a new Honda Accord hybrid EX-L and was told this car is only available in New York and California and not in Massachusetts. I was also told that if I purchased it in New York (I live in western Massachusetts) I still wouldn’t be able to register it here. Is this true?
A. The ice may be the salesperson is a bit confused. The “plug-in’’ hybrid Accord is only available in New York and California. Chris Naughton the Northeast Regional Manager for Honda Public Relations explains that the Accord EX-L hybrid is available for sale in all 50 states. However, the Plug -In Hybrid Accord is only available for sale in NY and CA. Both models share the same two motor hybrid powertrain under the hood, the biggest difference between the two is the size/capacity of the battery. The ‘regular’ hybrid can go about 1 mile in all electric mode, whereas the Plug In version of the Accord Hybrid can go approximately 10-15 miles on electric only.
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