The Car Doc on the new Cadillac CT6, air conditioning woes, and more
Boston.com Cars is your go-to resource for coverage of local car news, events, and reviews. In the market for a car or truck? Check out our new car specials and used car specials curated by our local dealer network.
Q. I currently own a 2008 Cadillac DTS. It has been a great car with no real mechanical problems. I am a senior citizen that buys American automobiles and like the room and size of the DTS. With the DTS approaching 100,000 miles the other Cadillac models were small compared to the DTS. I am now looking at the new Cadillac CT6. The car with the conventional V6 engine looks like a great replacement for the DTS. Any thoughts about the new CT6?
A. The Cadillac CT6 should be a good replacement for the DTS. During my limited test drive I found the 335 horsepower engine performed well and the overall ride and handling was quite good. I was also impressed with the fit and finish of interior. I the spirit of full disclosure I haven’t spent my usual road test time behind the wheel of this car. It seems as if Cadillac spends their budget on big events rather than putting cars into press fleets for evaluation.
Q. I own a 2008 Mercury Sable; it is a decent sized car with a generally nice ride. The problem is that when people ride in the back seat the car rides low. I have asked about adjusting the ride height with new springs or shocks/struts, but no one seems very interested or confident that this will fix the problem. If its new springs are the answer do I replace front and back springs?
A. Chances are that over the past eight years the springs have started to sag which has resulted in the low ride when the car is loaded. There is a specific ride height for every vehicle including the Sable. If you were to replace the springs it would make sense to replace the rear springs and struts as one unit. They will be a matched set and replacing them as a component will help keep labor costs down. A cheap alternative that was once popular was spring stabilizers. These are plastic spacers that are placed between the spring coils that can to some extent make up for weak springs. In my opinion a temporary fix but it may help.
Q. I own a 2013 Cadillac XTS4 with 25,000 miles. On a recent trip from New Jersey to Rhode Island, I was in bumper to bumper traffic through New York and Connecticut. After about two hours, the A/C went from cold to warm and the blower, from high to a trickle. I went to the Cadillac dealer and they said nothing is wrong with the air conditioner. Any suggestions?
A. More than likely the air conditioner evaporator (the coil nearest the cabin) froze up, this can happen if the air conditioner is slightly low on refrigerant and the humidity levels are very high. This is a fairly common condition that can happen with both vehicle air conditioners and even home units. At this point if you find yourself in the same situation and the A/C stops cooling, shut off the A/C wait five minutes or so, if it operates normally again have your dealer check the state-of-charge for the climate control system.
Q. I have a 2009 Lexus RX350 and my question is why would one of the covers blow off the battery?
A. This is typical when a charging system allows the battery to overcharge. The charging system voltage should read about 13.2 to 14.8 volts. If the charging voltage is high there will be an excess or hydrogen gas and the cover can pop off due to pressure over in more serious cases a slight spark causes the hydrogen to ignite. I would have the charging system and the battery tested and most likely replaced.
Q. With all of Volkswagens issues would you buy a Volkswagen? I’m looking for a small four-door car and the Jetta still looks good.
A. I did buy a Volkswagen, right before the cheating scandal and it is a fun to drive little car that has performed well. I recently thoroughly evaluated the 2016 Jetta with the 1.8 liter four-cylinder engine. It was peppy, handled well, returned 36 miles per gallon on the highway and was comfortable for four adults.
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