Q. When I’m parked on a hill, it’s very difficult to get the car out of park and reverse or drive. What could this be and is it expensive?
A. The problem is probably a worn parking pawl. The parking pawl engages a gear/drum in the transmission to prevent the car from rolling. Depending on the vehicle, the repair can be quite expensive if the transmission has to be removed to service the worn part. At this point, when parking on a hill, apply the parking brake and then shift into park. When leaving, put the car in gear and then release the parking brake. This method will take the stress out of the transmission and make shifting easier.
Q. I’m buying an old Ford Falcon that hasn’t run for at least 10 years. Any advice on where to start to get the car going?
A. The first thing you need to do is make sure the engine is not frozen. I would remove all the spark plugs and add Marvel Mystery oil to the cylinder and let the engine sit untouched overnight. Then at this point try cranking the motor by hand, if it moves it’s a good start. Do not attempt to start the engine with fuel in the fuel tank, it may have “seized”. Install new spark plugs and check points, condenser, cap and rotor. If all looks good then instead of regular gas buy some premixed 50 to 1 ethanol free gas and install a temporary fuel tank and boat tanks work well for this. A little extra oil mixed with the gas will help lubricate the engine on the first starts. Use the temporary tank until you can check the integrity of the fuel tank and replace the fuel filter. Do not rely on the brakes, inspect the brake system thoroughly and also the cooling system. This is just the starting point, look at each system separately, inspecting and evaluating each component.
Q. I have a 2012 Honda Pilot and the car alarm goes off when it goes off. Sometimes it turns off after five minutes of being closed and other times it can take hours. Our local repair shop was unable to identify the problem. Some idea?
A. The first place to start is to make sure your car battery is in good condition. A questionable battery can cause false alarms. The most common problem is that the hood sensor has become too sensitive. As a test, you can try having your repair shop disconnect the sensor. Although it’s best to have someone with a Honda-level scan tool read the car’s computer to see when the alarm went off, which sensor it read last, hood or which door to identify the exact cause
Q. I think my car may need a tune-up. How much can this cost?
A. There was a time when cars were serviced twice a year. Spark plugs, ignition points and capacitors, distributor caps, ignition rotors and spark plug wires were replaced. Carburetor and engine timing were adjusted. Today it is not like that. Today spark plugs last 60-120,000 miles, engine air filters can last three years, fuel filters can last the life of the car. If your car isn’t running well or has a check engine light on or a maintenance reminder, it’s time to go to a shop and have it serviced. If you’re looking for a good shop, go to aaa.com/repair to find an AAA approved repair shop near you.
Q. I recently test drove a new 2022 Dodge Challenger with the 5.7-liter hemi V8 and eight-speed automatic transmission. This vehicle goes into eco mode and shuts down four of the cylinders when driven at a constant speed. While it went smoothly between eight and four cylinders, the engine didn’t run as well on four, and I could occasionally feel a vibration in the steering wheel until I hit the gas and went back to eight cylinders. Is this how you should expect this transmission to feel? The seller had one of the dealership mechanics drive it and check the codes and he said everything was fine. It was suggested that the problem I am describing would subside after a period of rest. Should I expect that to be the case? Could it be that I’m hypersensitive because I haven’t driven an eight-cylinder car with the “eco” function? I have a 2013 Honda Pilot that goes into eco mode and I rarely feel the shift. I would appreciate your feedback.
A. Every eight-cylinder vehicle I’ve driven that uses cylinder deactivation loses some of its smoothness, and I’d consider that a normal engine characteristic. The idea that it will decrease as the engine comes in is unlikely, you might get used to it. Just to be safe, try another of the same vehicle for comparison purposes.
Q. I’m thinking of buying a used Tesla, but my regular repair shop won’t recommend it because they can’t find any repair information for the car. I believe it uses AllData and there is no list of Tesla vehicles. What do shops and owners do?
A. I also use two of the most popular repair databases, Mitchell and AllData and your mechanic is correct there AllData does not include Tesla and Mitchell has limited information. I recently found that the Tesla service is available from Tesla with a free and paid option and it is surprisingly good. Http://service.tesla.com. This makes sense to open up the information (right to repair may have helped) as Tesla vehicles age and given the limited network of “dealers” someone needs to repair the vehicles as they age.
Have a car question, email the Car Doctor for a personal answer. jpaul@aaanortheast.com
