The Car Doc on battery lifespans, airbag recalls, 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: My wife and I both drive cars that have current recalls on the airbags. Her car is a 2011 Honda CR-V and my car is the 2014 Mustang GT. I believe the same company manufactured the airbags: Takata. We were notified by our dealerships that there is no inventory for the replacement bags and they would contact us when the new bag is ready for installation. Do you have any updates on this recall? Is the recall more about liability than reliability? A: It is my understanding that vehicle manufacturers are repairing the older models first. As the airbag ignitors get old especially in high humidity areas coupled with high temperatures, and age, this defective combination can cause the inflators to explode and cause serious injuries or in in some cases even deaths have been attributed to this recall. Regarding reliability versus liability: I would say, certainly a combination of both, some reports show that the recall may not be completed until 2019. To keep track of the recall go to www.safercar.gov Q: I have been following your comments about dead batteries in Subaru cars that get left unattended for short periods of time. For the first time ever I will be going to Florida for three months and will leave my car in my garage. Do I need to do anything special to insure the car restarts?A:
Connecting a “float” style trickle charger like the Battery Tender is a simple solution and the battery will stay fully changed and ready for you when you return. The second option is disconnecting the battery. Some cars when disconnecting the battery can activate the cars radio anti-theft system. Read the car’s owner’s manual to see if you will need a code when you connect the battery. The best option always is to have someone drive the car for 30 minutes or so every couple of weeks. This will help keep the battery charged and “exercise” the car a bit.
Q: I have 2015 Chevrolet V-8 pickup truck purchased used with 20,000 miles on it. I have noticed over past couple of months that the transmission or engine vibrates a bit at 30-40 miles per hour. The dealer told me this is normal, but I’m concern about a long term problem. Any ideas?
A: I would start with a scan of the trucks computer system just to make sure everything is within normal limits. What I suspect the problem is that you are feeling the engine changing from eight-cylinder to four-cylinder operation. In addition to the vibration you may also notice a slight change in the exhaust sound. This is a normal condition of the active fuel management system.
Q: Recently the battery in my car died after leaving a door open overnight. My next door neighbor tried to jump start my car. The car started but now the speedometer and radio are not working. Any ideas or information on how to fix this problem?
A: I have seen this problem before and providing nothing was damaged (batteries connected backwards) when the battery was jumpstarted it may be able to be fixed quite easily. Similar to a computer being re-booted the car’s problems can be remedied in the same fashion. Have someone disconnected the battery cables from the battery and hold them together for about a few minutes, then re-connect the battery. This procedure will sometimes exorcise the electrical gremlins. If this doesn’t fix the problem, then you will need to look at the individual components and wiring for problems.
Q: A friend of mine has a 2000 Chevrolet Suburban that he uses for odd jobs. The problem is the rear window won’t go up but only sometimes. He doesn’t have much money to spend on this and I’m trying to help him out, any suggestions?
A: The intermittent part of the problem actually helps with the diagnosis. I suspect a broken wire to the rear gate. The wiring could have become damaged over the years of constant opening and closing of the rear gate. The other issue could be the motor itself is just starting to wear out. These little motors get rusty and will fail over time.
John Paul is AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor. He has over 40 years’ experience in the automotive business and is an ASE certified master technician. He answers reader’s questions every week. You can tune in to his radio program Saturday morning from 8:30-10:00 on am950 WROL or www.wrolradio.com. Email your car question to [email protected] Follow John on Twitter @johnfpaul and friend him on Facebook mrjohnfpaul.
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