Q: My new car is not garaged. What do you recommend for methods to maintain the exterior finish of the painted surfaces, glass, lights, chrome and tires? The car is a 2020 Honda Civic LX.
A: It is always good to start with the basics: washing the car often.
Here in the Northeast we are faced with tree sap, bird droppings and even acid rain. To protect the paint and chrome, wax the car at least quarterly with a quality wax. Being a little lazy, I prefer a liquid wax over a paste wax, it is just easier to apply.
Keep the windows clean using a good glass cleaner, finishing with a microfiber cloth.
Some car owners speak highly of ceramic coating. Ceramic coating lasts a long time, is expensive and best applied by a professional.
A quality car cover will help preserve the exterior of the car and minimize interior fading.
If you don't enjoy washing and waxing your car, a twice yearly trip to a detail shop can help keep the car looking like new.
Q: My 2016 Subaru has needed to jump started three times in the past seven weeks. What is the problem?
A: Subaru vehicles have had their share of battery issues if the cars sit for any period of time. Subaru did update the computer program that controls the charging system, and — in some cases — Subaru upgraded the battery to a one with more electrical reserve.
At this point you will need to have the battery completely recharged using a battery charger and then have the battery retested. Chances are if the battery completely discharged three times it will need to be replaced.
Q: Why do tires crack (dry rot?) so fast these days? Are they still safe to use? Do tires now have an expiration date? I don't remember having this problem 20, 30 or 40 years ago.
A: Tires will develop some cracking with age. In some cases, it can be more of an appearance issue but other times it can be dry rot and in those cases the tires should be replaced. True dry rot is caused by ultraviolet light, heat, ozone and under inflation.
I personally think tires are better than they have ever been. My first job decades ago was in a tire store. Only the best tires lasted 40,000 miles with most lasting only 20,000 miles. Even the most inexpensive tire today lasts at least 40,000 miles. The typical useful life of a tire is somewhere between 6 and 10 years, depending on usage. All tires have a date code to determine when the tire was manufactured.
My suggestion it to have a professional inspect the vehicle's tires at least yearly.
Q: In May I bought a low mileage 2015 Nissan Rogue SV from a local dealer. I liked the look of the vehicle and the dealer added an additional one-year bumper to bumper warranty.
After a month or so, I started to notice a vibration in the steering wheel primarily when driving between 20 and 45miles per hour at a constant 1250 RPMs. I took the vehicle back to the dealer and they looked at it for a few days. They told me they found and replaced a bad exhaust mount and that the vibration was virtually gone. Unfortunately, that didn't take care of the vibration.
I took the Rogue to a second dealer and was told that the transmission is designed to cause the vibration. I asked them why I didn't feel the vibration in any of the other new or used Rogues I test drove. They just answered that the car is supposed to have a vibration and suggested that I call Nissan if I wasn't happy. I can't believe that Nissan has sold over one million Rogues and all have a built-in vibration in the steering wheel. I really like the vehicle, but the vibration is annoying when driving on local roads. Do you have any suggestions?
A: Some continually variable transmissions (CVT), like the one used in your Rogue, have a somewhat undesirable vibration, but it is a characteristic of the design. Before I wrote this off as normal, I would want the dealer to check for any technical service bulletins that address vibration. Using AllData — the technical database that I use — I found one that describes a low speed vibration caused by the electric controlled coupling for the rear drive unit. In addition, I would want the dealer to perform a vibration analysis to determine the source of the vibration and to determine if it is in fact a normal characteristic or if something wrong.
Reader's Comment: I enjoy reading your column about car problems and solutions. Recently a Q&A described a Honda Sensing System that activated/deactivated for no apparent reason. Your good advice was to check out the camera and possibly reboot the computer. I had a similar problem with an EyeSight system on a Subaru Forester. After a down power reboot didn't fix the issue, I headed to the dealer to see if there were any error codes. The dealer checked for error codes and none were stored. Turns out the erratic activate/deactivate behavior was caused by a spider web in front of one of the two camera lenses. The web was removed and the erratic system behavior ended.
A: Thanks for the tip. In this age of electronic bugs, sometimes it is an actual bug that causes the problem.
John Paul is the AAA Northeast Car Doctor. He has more than 40 years of experience in the automobile industry and is an ASE-Certified Master Technician. Write to John Paul, The Car Doctor, at 110 Royal Little Drive, Providence, RI 02904. Or email jpaul@aaanortheast.com and put "Car Doctor" in the subject field. Follow him on Twitter @johnfpaul or on Facebook.
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