Q. I have a Toyota Tacoma that has a problem, the battery goes dead eventually. The shop thought a parasitic drain, but after doing some testing after about 20 minutes any drain is gone. They suggested a new battery and alternator. The battery because this one has died a few times in the last month. The alternator because it did not seem right. I replaced both myself and now eight weeks later, dead battery. Any thoughts on this?
A. It certainly sounds like the shop was headed in the right direction. If this were my car I would look for a voltage drop. Measure the charging voltage at the alternator, then at the battery, those numbers should be almost identical. If not start looking for corrosion at the power and ground wires. A tight but dirty ground connection can limit charging and over time allow the battery to discharge to the point the car will not start.
Q. This may be a silly/dumb question. I watch a lot of YouTube videos on car repair, and I have heard several of the hosts talk about letting the smoke out when testing electronics. What does that mean?
A. That is an old expression. It comes from the idea that all electronics run on smoke and when you let the smoke out the part does not work. Well, the components do not have smoke in them, but if you short out an electrical component, it will overheat and burn/smoke. A functional part that has been tested improperly can short out and fail, because you let the smoke out. By the way, the only dumb question is the one you did not ask.
Q. I am an avid reader of your weekly column and need your opinion. We just leased a 2025 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy. A beautiful car with all the toys too. I have noticed that the new car smell has a light scent of being musty. I checked around the vehicle and wondered if sitting on the dealer lot for a while maybe the cause. I am leaning to maybe the cabin filter might be the culprit, but I am unable to find it in the manual nor where I might look. Lastly, I would imagine this is a dealer covered problem as well, right?
A. The Palisade and its stable mate the Kia Telluride are still extremely popular, so it is doubtful the car sat on the lot for a long time. I also checked for technical service bulletins for off smells and did not see anything. As for the cabin air filter, it sits behind the glove compartment. You open the glove compartment, push the lock tabs in so the door drops all the way open. Now you should see a compartment that holds the filter. According to Hyundai’s website, wear items are covered by the one year/12,000 miles warranty. That includes belts, brake pads, wiper blades, bulbs, fuses, and filters.
Q. My 2014 Nissan Murano mileage has approximately 140,000 miles on it. The engine light came on, and it will not go off. Also, the car needs four new tires. What do you suggest? Is it worth it to keep putting money into it or should I be looking at new models?
A. The answer really depends on your personal financial situation. As a general rule it is always cheaper to fix an old car than buy a new one. What I recommend is to have a full vehicle checkup performed to see how the vehicle is doing. At 11 years old it could need some work, such as brakes, radiator, coolant hoses, drive belt, belt tensioner as well as whatever is making the check engine light come on. There is always a reason and solution for a check engine light. The car has a value of between $6-$10,000 depending on the condition. If the repairs, including the tires, can be performed for less than say $3500 and you can get a few more years out of the car without any other major repairs, then it would be worth it.
Q. I have a 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross XLS Hybrid. The fuel range indicator is off, not by a little, but by a lot. It understates the remaining fuel range by about 85 miles. I have asked two different dealers for an explanation and they both essentially blew me off and said those things are not accurate. I think that is a little ridiculous; they have always been quite accurate on Hondas and Subarus that I have owned. I have double checked the mileage, filled the tank, and measured gas usage, etc. Everything checks out except the fuel range. Any ideas?
A. So, I am guessing the car’s computer is being much too conservative with the range and perhaps miles to empty? I looked for technical service bulletins and did not see any that would apply. I did a Google search, and this seems to be a common topic on Reddit, I found several mentions of this with the hybrid. The total range should be about 400 miles under average conditions. I suspect the range is poorly calculated because of both the way you drive and the efficiency of the hybrid drive. I suspect in the future there may be some software patch to correct this issue.
Q. My Nissan Cube is losing power while I am driving, and the car slows down to nothing. I pull over the side of the road shut the car off start it up and it goes again for a while before it happens again. Do you have any idea what it could possibly be? The check engine light has been on for a long time before this issue happened.
A. It could be any number of things, from a faulty catalytic converter to a weak fuel pump, clogged fuel filter or some electronic/wiring issue. The check engine light should be certainly investigated. A good technician will typically start with a road test to verify the issue, followed by a visual inspection, then a scan of the car’s computer system.
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