August 11th, 2009
Question:
I have a 2004 ford freestar. They replaced the rotors,pads,tires ect..
I replaced the power steering hoses..
my question..
while driving at higher speeds (over 80kms on the freeway) I hear this high pitched squeal sound coming from the front end. It doesnt do it when I drive under 60km p/h or when I stop, just when I go really fast.
My hubby thought it might be a belt, but I dont know..
help..
Answer:
It could be a belt, but you would hear it at upper RPMs as the van goes through the gears and gets up to speed. It could be the air vibrating some of the body work, if something is loose in the front end. Does the van click when turning sharp left or right? A bad CV joint could be the culprit, but it would be a very loud whining. I would have a mechanic look at it ASAP since at high speeds things happen fast and if its a CV joint, you dont want to chance it.
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Posted in Body, Suspension | No Comments »
October 4th, 2006
It’s getting to be that time of year, time to break out the Halloween costumes and get ready for the cooler weather. Now is the time to start thinking about your car and what it needs to survive the bitter cold of winter.
The most critical and often overlooked part of your vehicle is the cooling system. Without the proper protection, your coolant can freeze in the winter temperatures and destroy your engine. The coolant in your engine is a mixture of water and anti-freeze, which is supposed to lower the freezing point of the coolant. If the ratio of water to anti-freeze is wrong, the coolant mixture will freeze. Since water is one of those goofy liquids that actually expands as is freezes, it can exert extreme forces on your engine and actually crack the engine block. You can check your coolant’s freeze point with a simple tool called a Ball-Type Tester. You suck up a little bit of coolant into the instrument and count the number of balls that float. Then using the legend on the tool, you can determine the freezing point. There are also testing strips available, which you dip into the coolant similar to a pregnancy test to check the freezing point. If your coolant is more than 2 years old or you have over 30,000 miles it should be changed regardless of the freezing point.
Posted in Body, Cooling, Site News | 3 Comments »
August 19th, 2006
Question:
Brown speckles began appearing all over my white yukon. The dealer said rail
dust, fix with claybar treatment, $300 thank you! The spots started to come
back within 2 weeks. The GM dealer now does a tap dance and with lot of BS.
Who can I take this vehicle too to find out what is really happening to
this paint job. No other cars where I park this car are similarily
afflicted. Thanks
Answer:
I am guessing you are in the mid-atlantic region. I too have seen the little black spots on my car. My spots looked like little balls of tar and you can scratch the tops of the ball off, but a small spot still remains which is hard to remove? Is this what you are seeing? If it is, you problem is not rail dust, but Artillery Fungus ! Yes I said fungus. In the mid-atlantic region there has been a real problem with this little known fungus which shoots a sticky liquid from it’s insides up to a couple of feet away. The wind can then carry them even further. They grow in rotting wood and mulch. It may not be from your place of business, but rather from your house, or even the gas station you may visit every morning for coffee. (if they have mulch around)
For more information, Dr. Donald D. Davis of Penn State is currently doing research on this annoying fungus http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/d/d/ddd2/
Posted in Body, Car Care | 3 Comments »
August 19th, 2006
Question:
My new 2006 G6 was left under a pecan tree while I was on vacation for 2
weeks. Upon returning I quickly washed it off, but now have brown spots
all over the finish. What can be done to remove the brown spots?
Answer:
I would try bug and tar remover first. Make sure to use a 100% cotton towel and make sure it’s clean. You want to avoid grinding any dirt into the finish. If that does not remove it, I would try a clay bar. Most auto parts stores carry Mothers Clay bar, which should get your spots off. Again, be cautious with the clay bar… read the directions and knead/fold the clay often to prevent dirt trapped in the clay bar from becoming like sandpaper.
Good Luck,
Kevin
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Posted in Body, Car Care | 1 Comment »
August 18th, 2006
Question:
Hi Kevin,
I found your blog very useful… I bought a new car last week and unfortunately scratched it on a pole in the apt parking garage. The scratch, some a little deep, are just above the rear right wheel. A little bit, 1/4 inch, extends into the door/bumber. I went to several auto body shops and their estimate range from about $300 to $1000. The one that I’ve been recommended is about $750 and I’m leaning towards that since they seem to do good job. Am I being over charged? I feel if I go to the $300 one I’ll get a crappy job. The mgr explained the big job is the painting and blending it into the rest of the car. When they paint it, would it be noticeable after several yrs when the color starts fading?
Thanks,
Answer:
Since the car is fairly new, the paints should age about the same, so years from now when the paint starts fading, you should not see a difference. I would go with the shop you trust, it is not an easy job matching the paint. While computers make it easier to match the paint, there is still a human making the final judgement. Even the weather conditions can effect the final color, so going with someone you trust is very important. Without seeing the damage, I can not say if you are being overcharged, but it sounds about right for a scratch that big.
Kevin
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