Senior Editor Mike Allen answers readers' car questions.
Q: A year ago, my car started making sputtering noises when I accelerated from an idle. I put fuel injector cleaner in the tank and the problem went away. Now, to be safe, I add fuel injector cleaner about every 10,000 miles. Is this good preventative maintenance, or am I doing more harm than good? Sincerely, ADAM J. BENNETT, Columbus, OH
A: Good plan. Keep it up.
Q: I took my 1999 Toyota Camry LE for the 90000 mile servicing to a Ourisman Toyota Dealer. They told me that the transmission gasket and the engine gasket need to be replaced and I asked them to do it. Total cost $650. I drove to my house (10 miles) and then to my work place (20 miles) the following day. As I was driving at 55 miles/hr on the interstate, the car seemed to stop and start as if it had been braked and then released a couple of times. I had the car towed back to the dealership and they told me that the service mechanic had forgotten to put fluid in the differential and it was damaged. Question is: They are ready to rebuild the differntial and give 1 year warranty on their work. How can I be assured that nothing else was damaged or that the differential box can be rebuilt without any problems down the line. Do I have any recourse against the dealership because of whose negligence I was nearly mowed down by the car behind me? Please advise!! SHIVA VERMA
A: There's no way to tell if nothing else was damaged beyond the differential. It will need to be totally disassembled to remove any stray metal left after it failed. A good mechanic should be able to spot big problems while it's apart, like spalled bearings. For your second question—you need an attorney, not me, to answer that.
Q: I want to install an exterior antenna on my 2002 Buick LeSabre. The wire will enter through the trunk from the outside but how do I keep the entry-point seal water-tight? Thanks for any help, DIANE
A: I can only assume you need to install an antenna for the FM radio in the car. The antenna will have a rubber gasket at is base that keeps water and dirt out.
Q: Why does the alternator on my 92 Dodge Dakota (3.9 Engine) show overcharge, then cut back to normal, then sometime shows discharge, then goes back to normal, engine light comes on and code 22 and 41 show up on engine light? Also, engine idles rough. Thanks for your help. JAMES MONGER
A: Anytime I see an intermittent charging system problem, I look at the battery-frame-engine block grounding strap first.
Q: I have a 1996 Ford E-150 van with ABS. The light will come on randomly when driving, and when I shut off the van, it does not come back on when I start it again. I have disconnected the neg. cable for a period of time to hard reset the computer and it doesn't affect it. I know that the light does not affect the braking ability of the van. Is there any way to check the 3 speed sensors that are on the van by a ohm meter or some other test? I am considering replacing the sensors to see if that makes a difference. I know that it could be a problem with the pump ( a very expensive piece). I did find a tech bulletin on the problem, but bulletin doesn't say how diagnose the problem. Thanks for you advice. ERIC VAN BUREN, Waterloo, IL
A: Get the service manual and do the diagnostics. You can check the wheel speed sensors with a DVOM.
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