Q. Two years ago, I had the fuel pump replaced in my 2012 Ford F-150. Less than a minute after leaving the garage, the “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” light came on. I went back and was told “that happens sometimes – not our fault.” I have tried cleaning the fuel inlet with WD-40; I bought a new gas cap; but the light stays on. I am guessing there is an air leak somewhere, but the truck runs fine; gas mileage is unaffected; and other than that annoying light, I have had no problems. Is there a reason to get this fixed or can I just keep on truckin’?
A. I do think it had to do with the fuel pump installation and there is a vapor line leaking. Yes, you are correct that the car will run perfect and fuel economy will be normal. To do the job properly the fuel tank and all the lines needed to be disconnected. At this point it seems you have two choices, have someone test the system, including the purge valve/solenoid (usually the issue in most cases when the tank has not been removed) and repair the issue or “keep on truckin” Keep in mind, that the check engine light is on because there is a vehicle emissions issue.
Q. I have a 2012 Ford Fusion whose air conditioner will randomly start blowing hot air. It is inconsistent and arbitrary. I have done slight research into it and unofficially been advised not to put it “full blast.” I removed the blend door in so in the summer it is incapable of blowing hot air. I’ve heard this is somewhat common. Have you experienced it with this vehicle?
Q. It is possible it is a little low on charge and the evaporator is freezing up. The suggestion on no max air sort of helps eliminate that. Low refrigerant equals low pressure, which equals low temperature which equals ice. The ice blocks the air flow. At this point considering the car is 12 years old, test the system for proper pressure and leak checks and as well as clutch operation. Always best to test first before replacing parts.
Q. I have a car-adjacent question I thought you might be able to answer or opine on. I have two teenage drivers in the house (one home from college for the summer, one high schooler), both of which will have full-time summer jobs. We are two parents working a mix of hybrid/in-office and we own three cars, so in theory we could figure out a schedule of carpooling/stranding someone at home, carless, for the day, but what I could really use is a fourth car for a few months. (first world problems, I realize). I will not say “money is no object” because it is! And as a matter of principle, I am not going to spend $5000 to rent a car for months so my teen can earn about that much!) We are in the ‘burbs so public transit is not an option, nor is walking/cycling. Any kind of peer-to-peer marketplaces out there for medium term car “borrowing” or anything else worth considering?
A. Similar to Airbnb, there is Turo where you rent cars from private hosts. Some people do this with an extra car, other more entrepreneurial folks have small fleets of used/older cars. Entering my zip code I found cars Nissan Versa, Toyota Echo renting for $20 per day.
Q. I have a 2008 Chevy Cobalt with 80,000 miles. The factory burglar alarm keeps going off every 30 to 40 minutes. Occasionally the alarm goes off when the lock button on the fob is pressed twice, which is supposed to set the alarm. I was told this could be due to a weak battery in the fob, but the same thing happens with both fobs. Any thoughts?
A. The most common issue is the hood switch, but here are some things you can check without any tools. The first thing is to verify the system is working properly. Individually open and close each vehicle door, trunk and hood while observing the door ajar indicator/message. The indicator/message should accurately transition between the door ajar, and door closed message when each is opened and closed. If this does not happen the switch could be intermittently faulty.
Q. I have a 2017 GMC with the 3.6-liter engine and the check engine light came on. The repair shop told me the truck needs a thermostat. Then they told me the price was almost $1000. When I was a kid, I replaced the thermostat in my Chevy pickup for $10, why is this so expensive?
A. General Motors in some vehicles incorporates the thermostat into the water outlet. So instead of a $20 thermostat you need to replace the $250 water outlet. Then there is the location, the outlet is under the intake manifold. The flat rate time to replace the needed parts in 4.2 hours. With labor rates in the $150-$250 range it is easy to see how the repair would cost $1000.
Q. I have what I hope is not a dumb question (you have written there are no dumb questions). I have a Volkswagen that kills the battery when not used for a couple of days. Now the dumb question how do I check for a parasitic drain when I open the door and all the systems come back to life? It is not like I can crawl in through the window and start pulling fuses, I need to have the door open and there is no door switch to hold closed.
A. You can trick the system with the doors, hatch and hood open by takings a screwdriver shaft and trip the latch mechanism. This will trick the car into thinking the doors are closed. You just need to flip the latch in the other direction to close the doors and hood. The only dumb question is the one you did not ask.
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