Repair and Maintenance

1998 Questions and Answers with Bob Hagin

• Week 1 In Kitty Hawk, NC, a Buick owner can't heat up the interior. An Isuzu owner in Greenfield Center, NY wonders about the oil consumption on his second-hand Isuzu. In San Francisco, CA an amateur mechanic wants the name of a technical automotive magazine.
• Week 2 In Milton, WA a Hyundai keeps going slower and slower. Grandmother's '50 DeSoto hardtop is a curiosity for its new owner, her grandson in Virginia Beach, VA. In Sacramento, CA the owner of a vintage Dodge pickup wants to know how to make it pull stronger.
• Week 3 A tow truck driver ruined a readers transmission in Redlands, CA. A teen-ager in Carrollton, VA wants to know the details of auto writing. In Cleveland, OH, a Chevy needs a new gasket and the owner wants the factory to pay for it.
• Week 4 "I can't get my air bag disabled," complains an Infiniti owner in Concord, CA. A reader in Bellevue, WA needs a mechanic to find a miss. Going a step further, a motorist in Portland, OR wants to know how to find a reliable shop.
• Week 5 In Eugene, OR, a '90 Chevrolet started losing its paint after three years. A vintage Mercury is filling its air filter with oil in Virginia Beach, VA. An Oldsmobile is suffering from sticking steering in Sacramento, CA.
• Week 6 A reader in Scotia, NY wants a wood trim kit for his Pontiac. A Toyota Land Cruiser has trouble idling in Kill Devil Hills, NC. When it's cold, a Ford roars in Seattle, WA.
• Week 7 An elderly reader in Sacramento wonders if she should keep her recently won Chevrolet. A Honda owner in Eugene, OR wants to know the most dependable car for a newspaper delivery route. In Virginia Beach, VA, a Volvo has gasoline fumes in the cockpit.
• Week 8 A Ford owner needs a factory shop manual in Lynwood, WA. An Eagle can't maintain its balance in Bennington, VT. In Richmond, CA, a Toyota is grinding its life away.
• Week 9 A Mercedes owner in Bakersfield, CA has a question about tire rotation. A reader in Norfolk, VA wants to convert his Ford from a stick-shift to an automatic. In Olympia, WA, a son wants to know what his dad's "risque" radiator mascot is worth.
• Week 10 In Seattle, WA, a Ford owner can't get any brakes. "Where do I get MG parts?" asks a prospective owner in Cleveland, OH. A reader in Alamo, CA want to know about working on a vintage Mercedes diesel.
• Week 11 A Volkswagen enthusiast in San Antonio, TX wants a new old-style Beetle like the ones he saw in Mexico. A Nissan clutch judders in Bakersfield, CA. A brake squeal on a Mercury is driving a retired couple crazy in Sun City, AZ.
• Week 12 A Dodge owner gets "shined on" in Eugene, OR. A Toyota owner is fearful of ethanol in Seattle, WA. In Virginia Beach, an Oldsmobile is knocking when the engine gets warm..
• Week 13 In Portsmouth, VA, a Dodge owner worries about an oil overfill. A Honda owner in Cool, CA wonders about a CD player installation. "What does the 'Service Engine Soon' dash light mean," asks a GMC owner in Springfield, OR.
• Week 14 A '68 Chevrolet owner in Tampa, FL wants to do his own restoration. The front brakes on a Thunderbird in Pleasant Hill, CA have worn out three times in 50,000 miles. A Dodge Omni in Lansdale, PA shuts down after panic stops when the fuel level is low.
• Week 15 The speedometer needle fell off a Nissan in Rialto, CA. A Ford Probe leaks water into the trunk in Virginia Beach, VA. In Seattle, WA, a popular model Honda is laid up for lack of a body panel.
• Week 16 As it approaches 200,000 miles, a Nissan owner in Tepoca, CA wants to know what to expect. A Honda in Eugene, OR pulls to the right. A Chevrolet owner wants to know about thermostats in Edmonds, WA
• Week 17 A father in Fair Oaks, CA wonders about the sagacity of buying an unfinished street rod for his 16-year old son. A Mazda in Norfolk, VA gets the shakes going over train tracks. In Bellevue, WA, a hobbiest wonders about new car press kits.
• Week 18 A Toyota pickup is knocking in Plymouth, NC. A Chevrolet in Virginia Beach, VA won't start after a two-day shutdown. A rebuilt Jeep engine in Boise, ID burns oil and the rebuilder is gone.
• Week 19 In Kill Devil, NC, a Cadillac gets gasoline in its oil. A Zimmer owner in Bakersfield, CA want to know if these cars are still made. A Ford Taurus runs rough in Lafayette, IN.
• Week 20 A backfiring Buick in Memphis, TN has a reader's wife thinking about buying a new car. In Virginia Beach, VA, the owner of a new Chevrolet pickup truck can't get his dealer to fix a noisy rear end. "What causes low oil pressure in my Mercury even when it's full of oil?" asks a Cougar owner in Merced, CA.
• Week 21 In Apple Valley, CA an aging Mercury periodically shuts off. "Is a quart of oil in 3000 miles OK in a new Ford truck?" asks a reader in Shawboro, NC. In Seattle, WA a neophyte auto hobbiest wants to know how to get started.
• Week 22 "Is there a future in auto mechanics for my boy friend?" asks a reader in Eugene, OR. A Ford in Carmichael, CA runs too cold. A Volkswagen in Portsmouth, VA has a miss in the engine but only on bumpy roads.
• Week 23 A high-mileage Honda needs a belt change in Eugene, OR. An old Isuzu isn't powerful enough for a reader in Virginia Beach, VA. A neglected Volvo transmission is acting up in Pacific Grove, CA.
• Week 24 A cat pulled a dirty, smelly trick on the a/c unit of a Ford in Suffolk, VA. "Why do we have right-hand and left-hand drive vehicles?" questions a reader in Seattle, WA, An air conditioning system isn't working right on a Camaro in Pleasant Hill, CA.
• Week 25 "What's the story on antifreeze for my Toyota?" asks a reader in Kill Devil Hills, NC. The warning light on the dash of a Plymouth in Seattle, WA stays on even after the owner spent $600 to turn it off. A reader in Pleasant Hill, CA is told that toilet paper filters motor oil too well.
• Week 26 "My car smells like rotten eggs!" says a Mercury owner in Chesapeake, VA. A 35 year-old Plymouth had a brake job done that failed in Eureka, CA. "Do I need a wheel alignment after I get new tires?" asks a reader in Phoenix. AZ.
• Week 27 In Norfolk, VA a Hyundai has trouble shifting, A Plymouth Sundance needs new shocks in Concord, CA. The new owner of an old Chevrolet is looking for restoration advice in Drain, OR.
• Week 28 A two-wheel drive SUV rides too rough for its owner in Redlands, CA. An eight year old Infiniti has noisy brakes in Chesapeake, VA. In San Antonio, TX, a Mitsubishi downshifts hard.
• Week 29 A thousand miles after a brake check an Acura needs a complete and expensive brake overhaul in Moraga, CA. A reader in Crestwell, OR wants to inspect a Hummer SUV but can't find a dealer. The automatic transmission whines on a Nissan in Athens, GA
• Week 30 A Plymouth in Fairborn, OH has a problem maintaining its cool. "Why do auto makers put convex mirrors on the right door?" asks a reader in Yachats, OR. "Is a rough, rusty Chevrolet El Camino worth restoring?" queries another in Norfolk, VA.
• Week 31 A Buick in Virginia Beach, VA needs speedometer help. In Redlands, CA parts of a Nissan's brake system were left off. "Why won't my car move?" asks a '79 Cadillac owner in Bremerton, WA
• Week 32 A couple in Suffolk, VA wonder about replacing their tow rig. In Oakley, CA a Fiat owner has questions about collectibility. Super Glue in a door lock in Seattle, WA has a Toyota owner in a sticky situation.
• Week 33 A reader in Bakersfield, CA wonders about the use of an overdrive. A vintage GM truck owner in Renton, WA is worried about using a gas additive. A Reno, NV owner of a Dodge Neon has cruise-control "hunting" problems.
• Week 34 "How can I get my '90 Volvo aligned?" asks an owner in Rancho Cordova, CA. A GMC truck owner has a noisy rear end in Colon, MI. In Las Vegas, NV, a Toyota owner asks about used parts.
• Week 35 A '57 Ford in Carmichael, CA has a slight stumble. In Alexandria, VA, a Chevrolet pickup smells like it's new transmission is burning. A reader in St.Paul, MN wants to know about an amphibious auto.
• Week 36 The Buick of a reader in San Bernardino, CA dies at stop signs. A modified elderly VW Bus in Seattle, WA backfires to the distress of its new owner. A newer VW has an unidentified noise in its engine in Eugene, OR.
• Week 37 A Subaru in Denver, CO has dimly-lit dash lights. "Is the HT4100 Cadillac engine a lemon?" asks a reader in Antioch, CA. A Toyota goes into cold storage in Virginia Beach, VA, and the owner needs instructions.
• Week 38 A Cadillac owner in Tehachapi, CA can't get a quiet steering pump installed. A parent in Portland, OR wants help in picking a first car for his son. A Dodge Ram wore out its rear brakes prematurely in Virginia Beach, VA.
• Week 39 A Ford Tempo has "eaten" five alternators in one year in Eugene. OR. A Toyota in Highland, CA suffered from frozen lug nuts on one wheel only. "Why does my '80 GMC pickup lose power and stop running?" asks a reader in Tampa, FL.
• Week 40 In Oroville, CA, a Sterling owner needs information on parts availability. A vintage GMC van in Southmills, NC won't stay running unless the owner "plays" with the throttle. In Milton, WA, a Dodge Neon "pops" when it goes through a turn.
• Week 42 A Jeep in Vallejo, CA can't retain its clutch action. A new car buyer has questions on the window sticker in Virginia Beach, VA. Another parent asks about his son's career choice in Seattle, WA.
• Week 45 The owner of an '87 Cadillac in Springfield, OR wonders if he's facing an engine catastrophe. The relined brakes on a Buick squeak on Mercer Island, WA. The owner of a second-hand Infiniti wants the factory to pay for a faulty a/c unit in Shafter, CA.
• Week 48 An Oldsmobile in Fontana, CA has a slight noise at start-up. The steering on a BMW in Sparks, NV wobbles. A Chevrolet IROC-Z has gone through three radiators in Cleveland, OH.
• Week 49 A high-mileage Thunderbird in Frisco, NC, is making valve noises. A BMW owner in Virginia Beach, VA experienced a run-away car after it was repaired. A vintage photo invoked World War II tire questions in Tulare, CA.
• Week 50 The new owner of a street-rod wonders what engine is in his specially constructed roadster in Highland, CA. In Eugene, OR, a Toyota Camry smokes when it's first started in the morning. The brakes drag a bit on a Ford in Chesapeake, VA.
• Week 51 A Dodge van has low oil pressure in Elizabeth, NC. A vintage Chevrolet in Enumclaw, WA "pops" going down hill while pulling a trailer. A Honda has premature rear wheel bearing troubles in Danville, CA.