Q. I recently took my 2020 Toyota Highlander with 38,000 miles into my local Toyota dealership for its 40,000-mile service. When the service was completed the service manager told me that I had an oil leak. The front cover was leaking, and I was five days past the warranty. When I asked why there was no evidence of a leak in my garage, she said that the front seal cover was wet and they needed to reseal it. The cost was estimated to be $3,300. She said that they reached out to Toyota to see if they would consider honoring the warranty. When I reached back out 10 days later, she said that Toyota was willing to absorb half the cost. My portion would be $1825.00. She told me they see this issue with higher mileage vehicles, but it is unusual to see it on a car with only 38,000 miles. This is a garaged vehicle in excellent condition that still has its original brakes, tires, and windshield wipers. Your thoughts?
A. The dealer is correct, it is a big job taking about 14 hours. Now the leak is not going to get any better, but who knows if and when it will get worse. If your plans are to keep the car for a long while, then is may make sense to fix it. From your description, I would call this a seep not a leak. Will it get worse, perhaps, but at this point and considering your driving habits (less than 8000 miles per year) watch and wait would be my recommendation.
Q. I am confused as to who to follow. The door frame tire guide on my Subaru Forester says 34 PSI front and 33 PSI in the rear tires. The pressure statement that came with my new tires shows that all the tires are set to 35 PSI. The local Subaru dealer told me the tires should be inflated to 35 pounds of air, what recommendations do I follow?
A. Following the tire pressure recommendation on the door placard is what is best. The only time you would vary that would be if you changed tire size or were carrying extra weight. The vehicle manufacturer works with the tire manufacturer to set a tire pressure that maximizes fuel economy while still providing a comfortable ride.
Q. Not a question but a comment on the smelly car issue. Thumbs up on mentioning the headliner. This is often overlooked when attempting to eliminate tabaco odor. Common sense says smoker’s cigarettes or cigars are inches from the headliner while indulging so smoke goes right into the fabric. The next owner’s nose is also inches from the headliner, so the permeated tobacco residue is right there. Just another reason I so enjoy your column pertinent useful down-to-earth suggestions and solutions.
A. Thank you; my answers are based on what I have learned and discovered over the years. Sometimes my answers are as simple as reading the vehicle owner’s manual, other times it involves reading repair data, looking at technical bulletins, and reading wiring diagrams. The important thing to me is to keep on learning.
Q. My 1966 Ford Galaxie does not always go into park and slips into reverse. Any idea why?
A. I would start by looking at all the linkage from the shifter to the transmission. If any of the bushings are worn it will not go into park, and it will be hard to shift out of park. Also if the shifter feels vague and loose there could be wear inside the steering column. Could it be the transmission, perhaps but wear in the shifter and linkage are more common. Hopefully, you have a working parking brake. I would hate to see a 60-year-old Ford roll away.
Q. Have you ever heard of co-ownership of a vintage car? I was talking with someone recently and they said they were looking into something where you actually own (not rent) a classic car and use it when you want. Your thoughts?
A. I have heard of something like this with airplanes and boats. Even property time shares and quarter-shares where you as an example would own 25 percent of a ski cabin. To me cars are more personal, but I suppose the idea of using a share of a classic Corvette, Plymouth Roadrunner or even an exotic supercar may appeal to some.
Q. When I release the brake pedal after stopping, I hear clunking noise. The car is a Nissan Sentra, and I recently did a full brake job new with rotors, drums, and master cylinder. Any thoughts on the noise, I hope to get pointed in the right direction.
A. If the noise is new since the brake job, check the caliper mounting, brake shoe hardware and of course wheels. If all looks good, then perhaps something in the suspension is moving and shifting around. Start by looking at the steering system, then the bushings and mounting points. Look for rusty dust, this is a telltale that indicates the bushings are worn.
Q. I am mounting an electric fan on my old Ford that I am restoring. The fan uses a relay, and I think I have the wiring worked out. I would like to add a manual override switch to turn on the fan if the engine gets warm.
A. The relay is fairly simple. You need to supply constant power, power with the key on, power from the relay to the fan and a wired connection to a temperature sensor. On the temperature sensor wire is where you would add a switch to ground. When you turn on the switch it grounds the relay the same as it would when the temperature sensor triggers the fan.
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