Q.Every week, I read you. I appreciate all of your insightful counsel and fascinating anecdotes. Recently, my son texted me to let me know that his 2011 Jeep Compass’s headlight went out. I looked up “headlight change” on Google and found a video that covered several years of Compass vehicles because I used to do a lot of my own maintenance. I was shocked to learn that changing a lightbulb required removing the entire front end—not even the complete lamp! Are automakers really going to make changing a lightbulb take at least an hour of work? Is there a simpler alternative to seeing our vehicle mechanic?
A. In order to access the headlight bulbs, it is necessary to remove the bumper cover from vehicles other than the Jeep Compass. These days, headlights are frequently included into car designs, sometimes as a result of advancements in aerodynamics and crash testing. This design can sometimes lower production costs. The Jeep’s flat-rate headlamp replacement will take one and a half hours. Are you able to do it on your own? Indeed. The fascia is fastened to the car with a few pushpins and bolts. Having a few of these push pins and clips on hand is usually a good idea because they may break depending on how old the car is.
Q. In order for our car to pass the emission test, we need to drive it more. How long and at what speed? Please assist!
A. When driving on both city and highway roads, the majority of cars will set the different pollution monitors. Most shops will advise you to drive about 100 miles, even though there is no set number of miles. It’s critical that you drive at both low speeds (less than 30 mph) and high speeds (up to 55 mph). Additionally, you must keep the gasoline tank above a quarter of a tank and below three-quarters of a tank in order to set the EVAP monitor. There are ways to speed up this process using a very precise driving technique, depending on your vehicle.
Q. I need someone who knows how to open a stuck hood to help me boost my battery. Before, I had no trouble opening it using an under-dash latch, but now I can’t. Since I don’t want to give up my parking space in my neighborhood, I don’t want my car towed. How can I help?
The majority of tow truck drivers are able to get around a trapped hood. The problem is that while a jumpstart will start your car’s engine, it won’t fully charge the battery. The alternator in the car isn’t meant to fully charge a dead battery; it’s meant to maintain one. To keep your parking space, you might have a fully charged battery installed in lieu of the old one. Even if it nearly looks like you might not need a car if you let it idle long enough for the battery to go completely dead.
Q. I spend the winter in Florida, just like you do. I’ve never used a trickle charger to charge a car battery. After learning that’s what you do, I’m considering doing the same. My Acura is a 2019 model. Which charger would be best to purchase for a minimum of six months from now? And if I were linked up and lost the electricity, what would happen? Would it resume its regular functions? For the winter, the vehicle will be kept in a garage.
A. I use Deltran’s Battery Tender. These devices are made to keep a battery charged without going overboard. A traditional trickle charger has the potential to cause this. In my many years of using different battery tenders, I have never experienced any problems when there is a power outage. C-Tek is the other brand that receives excellent feedback. Many premium cars and high-end sports vehicles employ C-Tek maintainers.
Q.For my job, I drive a 2014 Ford E-250. My problem is that there is a noise and it feels like the air flow changes without my touching any settings when the heat or air conditioning is on. On the highway, this occurs. Do you know what’s happening?
A vacuum system regulates air flow for the climate control system in your van, as it does in many other cars. In order to maintain engine vacuum while driving normally, this system makes use of a vacuum reservoir. A leaking vacuum reservoir and other vacuum leaks could be the problem. Many cars’ temperature control will automatically switch to the defrost setting for safety reasons.
Q. I purchase Costco premium fuel where I reside. Are the cleaning products comparable to name-brand gasoline from companies like Sunoco, BP, Shell, Exxon, and others? What’s the difference?
A. The Kirkland brand is usually used by Costco to sell gasoline. TopTier fuel is Kirkland gasoline. All of TopTier Gas’s gasoline grades have extra additives. By the way, 87 octane is usually sufficient unless your vehicle explicitly requires premium fuel.This website provides information about TopTier gas, a list of stations in your area, and a locator.
John Paulis is the Car Doctor for AAA Northeast. He is an ASE-certified master mechanic with more than 40 years of automotive industry expertise. Send an email to [email protected] with your Car Doctor query. Visit johnfpaul.podbean.com to listen to the Car Doctor podcast.
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