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ASK THE NEIGHBOURHOOD MECHANIC
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Recently Tom Hnatiw, the big fella from TV's "DREAM CAR GARAGE" was on my radio show. He brought up an interesting point. Cars today are so reliable people are avoiding maintaining them. The new stuff out there is low maintenance not NO Maintenance. The point we're making here is, don't avoid servicing your car just because it feels "OK". Check your owner's manual for the service requirements on your vehicle. Remember in the "snow belt" we use the severe service schedule. Another TV mechanic once said, "pay me now or pay me later". A profound statement if I ever heard one.
I have a 2000 Mazda Protégé. I have never had it undercoated. Assumed it was done at the factory. But the other day when I was washing it I thought it looked rusty underneath. Is it worth it at this point to have it undercoated now? I plan to keep the car for several more years
Rosanne
Mazda is a good quality car and should give you at least another five years of care free service. Undercoating the vehicle will not only stop that rusty look, it will lubricate the suspension and other components mounted under the vehicle. I recommend an annual application such as Krown Body Maintenance. Krown uses an oil spray that is applied under pressure. The application is relatively cheap and is well worth the effort.
I replaced the engine in my 2001 Dodge Intrepid last summer. The car was inactive for months. Ever since that time it has a very bad smell whenever I turn on the air system. Same smell whether its heat or air conditioning. It seems worse in damp weather. Before I take it in to a mechanic is there something simple I can do ?
Ken
Hard to tell what kind of smell you are encountering. If it's coming out of the heater assembly it's usually mould or mildew. Run the system. Spray an ammonia based cleaner into the vents at the bottom of the windshield. Shut the system down and wait 10 mins. This should kill any foreign matter that is making it's home in your HVAC system. If the smell continues you may have to dismantle the system.
Dave Redinger a mechanic with over 40 yrs of experience. Dave operates his shop "DOCTOR H HONDA SPECIALISTS in Toronto for the last 25 yrs.
Email : davidredinger@rogers.com ( we respond to every email)
LISTEN TO DAVE ON 1050 CHUM EVERY SATURDAY @ 9:00 AM OR ON THE WEB LIVE "1050 CHUM.COM
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