Q: I need some advice on storing a car. One of my children will be going off college and needs to take the car off the road for at least a year. It is a 2002 Toyota Corolla with 42,000 miles (and it is a great car). I've had mechanic check it over and the only thing he needed to replace was the serpentine belt. He also changed the oil and filter, transmission fluid and coolant and rotated the tires. My questions are: 1. Should I disconnect the battery and store it in a heated basement or unheated garage for a year? 2. Add dry gas to tank? Any other additives? 3. Turn over periodically and move to prevent tire flat spots? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
A: Great question. Different technicians will give you different answers, but what follows are my personal and professional opinions concerning storing a car. Add the appropriate amount of "Stor" additive to your gas tank. Stor is available at most automotive retailers including Napa. Remove the battery from the car. Store in a heated safe area, off the floor. Put a cookie baking pan under the battery to catch any leaking. Put the car up on jack stands or cinder blocks to prevent the tires from flat spotting. Further I would put some de-humidifying pouches in the car to prevent a moldy build smell.
Q: I have a Nissan Altima and the air conditioning recently stopped working. Levels 1, 2, and 3 won't blow cool air but level 4 will. I know the AC unit isn't totally broken since it works on the highest setting, which I never use. Any ideas how big of a fix this will be?
A: The most common cause of this problem is the resistor for the fan speeds located in the car. In most cases the resistor gets water on it, and rots out. Sometimes the wiring harness needs to be changed as well if there are any signs of melting or burning.
Q: Recently when I have been trying to fill the gas tank in my 2001 Toyota Camry I can not go full pressure with the nozzle because the gas splashes back at me. I have to run the pump real slow to get gas in. When I have a attendant fill it he can only get about a gallon in, then the handle clicks off. Any suggestions as to what the problem can be?
A: Two things could be going on. If you are using the same gas pump each time, it could be a bad nozzle. But, assuming you have tried different filling stations, the problem will be with the gas tank's vent tube. The tube runs parallel to the gas fill pipe. It sends the displaced air in the gas tank back up through the vapor vent portion of the fuel pump nozzle. If the vent is not working the pressure is coming back up into the fill portion of the nozzle and cutting it off as if the tank were full.
SFlbCar Care Tip: The owner's manual for the car you drive has the listed service schedules. You should discuss the needs with your local technician, and save your receipts in case of a recall or warranty work.
Larry Rubenstein is a master technician who owns a North Shore service station. His column appears Sunday in WheelsNorth. Write to Larry c/o The Eagle Tribune, 100 Turnpike St., North Andover, MA 01845, or send e-mail to scanauto@aol.com.
