Q. After last week’s blizzard on my way to work my car was shaking as if the tires were going to fall off. On my ride home, the car was not perfect but better. Now a week later, things are back to normal. What happened?
A. This is quite common with alloy-style wheels. Snow and ice build up in the wheels and cause the tires to go out of balance. After the car warms up and with the heat of the sun the snow melts and the wheel balance return back to normal. It is a good idea after you have removed all the snow from your car, use your snow brush to remove the snow from the “spokes” of the wheels to minimize this annoyance.
Q. I have been reading your column for many years and look forward to reading them on a weekly basis. My question pertains to my vehicle, 2015 Toyota 4Runner. Recently, I brought my vehicle into my mechanic for an inspection, oil change, and tire rotation. The 4Runner has one locking lug nut on each rim. The mechanic called me and said he was unable to locate the lug-nut tool to remove the tires/rims to perform the tire rotation, so he was not able to perform the job. My question to you, is there a universal lug-nut removal tool to remove a locking lug nut? If there is not, what happens if someone loses them? I would think that a good garage would have these needed tools or perhaps there is no universal lug nut tool to remove these locking lug-nuts. BTW, when I went to pick up my vehicle, the lug-nut tool was exactly where I told the mechanic to look for.
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A. Some older wheel locks had an actual key, but most wheel locks there days use a special socket that fits the wheel lock. When the wheel lock key/socket is lost some mechanics will use a close fitting 12-point socket and force is over the wheel lock. There are also universal wheel lock removal tools that can in most cases remove a wheel lock. In some cases you need to use a bit of destructive force. This usually involves an air hammer and a punch to remove a stubborn lock. One of the best gifts you can give to your mechanic when you are having work performed, is to clean your car and put the wheel lock key in the cupholder.
Q. My 2024 Honda CR-V makes a whirring sound from the rear and gets loud when I hit 35 miles per hour. The tires are good and there is only 16,000 miles on the car. My mechanically astute friend states he thinks it is a wheel bearing. How can one tell if a bearing is bad?
A. A worn wheel bearing can usually be identified when being driven and how the noise changes when turning. Also in the case of your Honda, there should be no play or movement. Any movement would indicate wear. Although with such low miles and a relatively new car I would suspect irregular tire wear before a worn bearing. At this point I would check the components and rotate the tires. If the noise changes, I would suspect a tire issue.
Q. I have a perplexing problem with my 2010 Mazda 6. We had a dealer installed remote start when we bought the car. In the last couple of years, the alarm would go off for no reason. We took it to Mazda which diagnosed it as a bad system and took it out, along with replacing two rear door latches. That problem stopped. However, the other persistent problem was that sometimes the car would not start when the button was pushed. We had to open the doors, push the lock/unlock buttons to get it to start. It has not happened nearly as much since the remote start was taken out. Have you ever run into this problem before, and if so, what is the fix?
A. The problem could be a result of a wiring issue when the remote unit was removed. I am guessing they removed the entire remote start unit. If the shop left in a safety relay that required the doors to be closed for the car to start, the relay may be an issue. Short of that there is no easy answer, but if the car does have a fob, I would make sure the fob battery is good and if you have two fobs and or keys, try using the other one. This would rule out any key issue. Finally, the starter could just be nearing the end of its useful life. The locking and unlocking the doors could just be enough to jar the starter to get it to work.
Q. I have been told my catalytic converter is wearing out. I saw a product that is supposed to clean catalytic converters. Does this stuff work?
A. The product is most likely Cataclean, I have never used it, but I have heard positive reports from people who have used it. The product could clean up a fouled converter but if you bang on the converter with a rubber mallet, and hear a rattle, it is time for a new part.
Q. More often than not when I lock my car with the remote the car beeps twice. Why is this happening?
A. The most common cause is one of the doors is not fully closed. The issue could be a faulty door, trunk, or hood switch.
Q. My 2013 Volkswagen has two fault codes that are coming up. Both codes indicate some sort of lean condition. The engine runs quite smoothly, any thoughts?
A. The two common issues are the N80 valve which is a purge valve and the oil separator which is basically a fancy PCV valve. These cause internal vacuum leaks which cause the lean running condition. This valve is something you should check after looking for external vacuum leaks and poor electrical connections.
Do you have a car question? Email the Car Doctor for a personal reply. jpaul@aaanortheast.com
