Q. My daughter loves to camp and go off road. She has become enamored by the old Toyota Land Cruisers from the 1990s. I know these vehicles have a tremendous reputation, but it seems the cult like following has led to some ridiculous prices. I have seen prices of $20,000 or more for a 30-year-old car with over 250,000 miles, which to me seems insane. Can you recommend a few alternatives which may not be as cool but can also go off-road and will be more contemporary with better safety features at a similar price point.
A. I would look at the Toyota FJ and the Nissan Xterra. Both can handle off road excursions and are a interestingly quirky. I would also look at the Subaru Forester or Outback. These later models have modern safety features, over eight inches or ground clearance and owners seem to love them.
Q. Last week you answered an octane inquiry from an Audi owner. I continuance of that question: My Mercedes E 450 requires 91 octane fuel. Most stations have 89 and 93. In what ratio would you recommend mixing these two grades to make a 91-octane blend?
A. Here is what Mercedes Benz states: Refuel only with fuel that has at least the octane number specified on the information label on the fuel filler flap. For maximum engine output: refuel only with premium-grade unleaded gasoline with an octane number of at least 91 octane. As a temporary measure, if the recommended fuel is not available, you may also refuel with regular unleaded gasoline with an octane number of at least 87. This may reduce engine output and increase fuel consumption. Regarding mixing your own fuel, a 50/50 mix should bring you slightly above 91. Most gas stations only have two tanks, one regular 87 octane and one 93 octane. Similar to what you want to do, the pump mixes the fuel when you select 89 octane.
Q. I was in the car repair business for decades. When asked how to find a good independent shop, I always suggested finding the auto parts store in town that offers machine shop services. They’ll know the good shops in town (the ones who don’t order a battery, then a voltage regulator, then an alternator). What do you think?
A. Good idea, also ask around, word of mouth can be good too. Look for a clean well-kept shop. Look for the ASE credentials. ASE is voluntary testing that better shops may use. At AAA we have Approved repair shops. These shops offer a two-year, 24,000-mile warranty, have proper insurance, training and certification. If there is an issue with a repair, AAA can arbitrate complaints. For a listing of AAA AAR shops and more details go to aaa.com/repair.
Q. I have a 2025 Ford Maverick hybrid and would like to add a dash cam but are worried about battery drain. Which battery would drain, the main battery or the hybrid electric battery. Some dash cams plug into the OBD port, but I don’t think this port shuts off when the truck is shut down. Also is it a wise decision to use this diagnostic port rather than wiring it directly. Some cameras plug into the cigarette lighter receptacle, but in the Maverick it is always powered even when the truck is shut off. So I would need to unplug it to prevent battery drain, however I don’t trust myself to remember to do that all the time. In short, do you have recommendations of a good quality dash cam?
A. In your car and most hybrids accessory power is supplied by the 12-volt battery. With your Maverick the OBD port and 12-volt outlet stay on when the key is off. I have a Garmin Dash Cam and although I have never needed to document any footage of emergencies, I do like the idea of having it recording just in case. I recently received a VEUROID dash cam to try out and it claims to shut down at a certain voltage-just for this reason. Also from what I have read the 12-volt outlet in your Maverick should power off after 75 minutes or sooner based on battery load. Regarding using the OBD port to supply power, for low power devices it should be okay. Although I have seen some devices actually cause interference in the CAN (computer) network.
Q. The interior lights of our 2018 Toyota Sienna have not been working for over a year. When the doors are open the interior lights would turn on. We tried everything to get them to turn on to no avail. This is a problem especially at night, any thoughts.
A. This is a is a rather complicated system. I would start with the simple things first, fuses and bulbs. There are actually five fuses that run the lights, although only one runs the dome light circuit. There is also a relay that times out for the dimming effect when you close the doors. In the worst case the issue could be a harness or even the body control computer. At this point someone with a scan tool (not a code reader) needs to check to see if the door light switches are behaving normally. Of course you would only perform this test once the fuses and bulbs have been verified as good.
Q. I am thinking of buying a 2022 Toyota RAV4. I always buy a few years old to let someone else bear the burden of the depreciation. What to you think of the RAV4?
A. Recently I was a judge for WheelsTV for their Previously Owned Vehicle award. This year the panel of experts picked the Toyota RAV4 as there overall winner. The RAV4 is solid, economical, practical and a good value. As with any used car have it looked over by a qualified technician.
Happy Holidays.
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