Should I change my transmission fluid?
Q. I’ve been reading your articles in the paper the last couple of weeks and they are terrific. I’m an older guy and a question in this week’s column caused me to write. I’m trying to hang onto a 2004 Hyundai Sonata with about 105,000 miles on it. I don’t know that I’ve ever changed/flushed the transmission fluid. The car seems in decent shape but of course with age I have had repairs over the years. My question is, if I haven’t changed the transmission fluid, should I? I don’t have any issues that I’m aware of and I do have a very good mechanic that I have been using.
A. One of most important thing you can do to maintain a transmission is to change the fluid as recommended by the manufacturer. Fluid that has been overheated and contaminated will surely shorten the life of a transmission. Hyundai has two recommendations for fluid changes. The first one is for heavy duty or severe service and in that case change the fluid every 30,000 miles. In the normal service category, there is no specific recommendation except check the fluid periodically and changed it as needed.
Q. I have a 2015 VW GTI and am experiencing problems with the collision sensors. A dozen times driving on the highway with no cars near me, the dashboard alert screen sounded and showed I was going to collide with cars on both sides, and in front and back of me. Again, absolutely no cars were near. After the last snowstorm, when I removed as much snow as possible from the hood and bumpers, the collision screen was on continually until about 20 minutes into my ride, due to maybe a little snow left near where the sensors are (?) Is this a common occurrence? Is my car just unusually sensitive? While it is annoying, it isn’t reason for a major overhaul, is it? I purchased it new in June of 2015.
A. False alarms from blind spot monitors and collision warning systems can happen for a variety of reasons. It can be a result of rain, snow, dirt and even extreme temperatures. There have been some new cars that I have driven where I have shut the system off due to the false warning. These systems as good as they are were never designed to replace mirrors and common sense.
Q. Have you heard of any malfunctions in the Mazda CX3 accelerating without stepping on the gas? What is your general opinion of the 2016 Mazda CX3?
A. I have not heard of any unattended acceleration issues with the Mazda CX3 or any Mazda model. One simple item is the gas and brake pedals are close to each other which does make it easy to push both on the gas and brake pedal at the same time. I did spend a few days in a CX3 and found it to be a nice little SUV. It is fun to drive, not a hotrod but peppy enough, comfortable and quite economical. I did find it a bit noisy out on the highway and the infotainment system was a bit awkward to use, but overall one of the better subcompact SUVs and actually quite fun to drive.
Q. I own a 2005 Chevy Colorado LS, Z71, which I bought new. It’s a great winter truck in reasonably good shape and currently has 92,000 miles on it. I put about 5,000 miles per year on it, as it is now a third vehicle. The engine is a five-cylinder, and it has an automatic transmission. Unless something mechanically bad happens, I intend to keep it forever. Here are my questions: does the 2005 Colorado 5-piston engine have a timing belt (in which case I will need to have it replaced really soon) or a timing chain? In either case, what is Chevy’s recommendation for the belt/chain replacement?
A. The five-cylinder engine in the Chevy Colorado uses a timing chain. Like most vehicles the timing chain should last the life of the truck. Two areas that this engine had some problems were the valve seats in the cylinder head could wear and cause a slight misfire and could also trigger a check engine light. The other issue is the PCV system can clog and cause pressure to build up in the engine and cause some oil leaks. At 11 years old and 92,000 miles I think your plan to drive the truck forever is a good one.
Q. On my new car, well not really new, a 2005 Toyota Highlander with only 90,000 on it, for the first time ever, I heard a noise. It was 5 degrees outside, and when I cranked up my car, at the end of the starter cranking cycle there was this grurrrr sound for about 1/2 second, after I let go of the key and the engine started. I am thinking that the starter drive-gear, is hanging up. This only happens when it is very cold. Is the return spring weaker in cold weather?
A. The starter driver gear will spin and retract once the engine starts. More than likely a combination of a weak spring and the lubricant on the starter drive gear thickened up from the cold temperatures. You have a couple of choices, remove the starter and inspect the drive and repair and lubricate as necessary, replace the starter and or drive assembly or move to Florida.
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