EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA
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Wheels
Air bags are low-maintenance
Published: March 18, 2007
I recently purchased a 2003 Chevy Suburban, and I was wondering if it is necessary to service or perform any maintenance on the airbags for this vehicle and/or any vehicle as it ages.
Matt by e-mail
Your Chevy Suburban has an air bag monitor. If there is a problem with it, you will get a warning light on the dash board. There is no maintenance needed.
I recently purchased and am expecting to take delivery of a 2007 Subaru B9 Tribeca. Their brochure (I have not yet seen the manual) recommends 91 octane. The footnote (and my subsequent call to Subaru of America) revealed that 87 octane is OK. Performance won't be as good, but no harm will come to the engine. With gas prices seeming on the way up again, I am tempted to start with the regular gas. What is your feeling on this issue?
Rick in Peabody
My advice would be that you stick with the manufacturer recommended octane while the vehicle is covered by warranty. Should you have a catastrophic failure of any sort, the manufacturer will be looking for any reason to not honor the warranty. Once the vehicle is out of warranty, feel free to experiment as you please.
I recently purchased a 1998 Volvo V70 wagon. The previous owners took very good care of this car. It had 133,000 miles but didn't show it. I had an oil change done when I reached 136,000 miles. The mechanic told me I was due for a new timing belt because it is supposed to be changed every 70,000 miles. I was quoted a price of $550. Does that sound right? He also said I needed outer axle boots on both sides at a price of $549 what is your opinion?
Joe from Gloucester
The timing belt should be 2.4 hours of labor cost plus parts. The pair of axles should be 21/2 hours of labor cost, and remanufactured axles are $150 each at Napa Auto Parts in Peabody. Napa also has new axles available for $230 each. You should be aware, you have an interference engine in the Volvo, which means if you having a timing belt failure while driving, you may experience major engine damage.
We recently purchased a 2006 Toyota RAV4. When we drove with the front windows closed and the rear windows open two inches or more, we felt a fierce piercing, pulsating, air hammer-like vibration that caused physical pain to our ears and heads, forcing us to close the rear windows immediately. Vibrations started at about 35 mph and increased in intensity as speed increased. Why does this happen? Can it be fixed mechanically? We rarely use the AC and don't like road noise up front, so driving with the front windows open is not our style.
Matt by e-mail
Your Chevy Suburban has an air bag monitor. If there is a problem with it, you will get a warning light on the dash board. There is no maintenance needed.
I recently purchased and am expecting to take delivery of a 2007 Subaru B9 Tribeca. Their brochure (I have not yet seen the manual) recommends 91 octane. The footnote (and my subsequent call to Subaru of America) revealed that 87 octane is OK. Performance won't be as good, but no harm will come to the engine. With gas prices seeming on the way up again, I am tempted to start with the regular gas. What is your feeling on this issue?
Rick in Peabody
My advice would be that you stick with the manufacturer recommended octane while the vehicle is covered by warranty. Should you have a catastrophic failure of any sort, the manufacturer will be looking for any reason to not honor the warranty. Once the vehicle is out of warranty, feel free to experiment as you please.
I recently purchased a 1998 Volvo V70 wagon. The previous owners took very good care of this car. It had 133,000 miles but didn't show it. I had an oil change done when I reached 136,000 miles. The mechanic told me I was due for a new timing belt because it is supposed to be changed every 70,000 miles. I was quoted a price of $550. Does that sound right? He also said I needed outer axle boots on both sides at a price of $549 what is your opinion?
Joe from Gloucester
The timing belt should be 2.4 hours of labor cost plus parts. The pair of axles should be 21/2 hours of labor cost, and remanufactured axles are $150 each at Napa Auto Parts in Peabody. Napa also has new axles available for $230 each. You should be aware, you have an interference engine in the Volvo, which means if you having a timing belt failure while driving, you may experience major engine damage.
We recently purchased a 2006 Toyota RAV4. When we drove with the front windows closed and the rear windows open two inches or more, we felt a fierce piercing, pulsating, air hammer-like vibration that caused physical pain to our ears and heads, forcing us to close the rear windows immediately. Vibrations started at about 35 mph and increased in intensity as speed increased. Why does this happen? Can it be fixed mechanically? We rarely use the AC and don't like road noise up front, so driving with the front windows open is not our style.
CF by mail
This wind and road noise problem is common to SUV's. This auto writer experiences the same problem with a Dodge Durango driven daily. The way I have gotten around it is installing a small fan in the rear of the vehicle to move trapped air and experimenting with the rear windows open different amounts. The air being trapped in the back of the vehicle is the vibration and pounding problem. Since the rear window is fixed in place, there is no where for the air to go. Remember the old days, when you could open a rear window on a station wagon? Those days are over though, and we have to play the cards we were dealt. The auto manufacturer has not listed any technical service bulletins for this problem, even though it's very common. Since hindsight is 20-20, I can only recommend renting a car for the weekend and drive the wheels off of it, trying all driving features before you fork over $20,000 to $40,000 dollars.
Car Care Tip: Your air conditioner also serves as a rapid window defroster as well as a source of comfort when driving in hot weather.
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Larry Rubenstein is a master technician who owns a North Shore service station. His column appears in the Sunday in the Wheels North section. Write to him at The Eagle-Tribune, c/o Auto Scanner, 100 Turnpike St., North Andover, MA 01845 or e-mail scanauto@aol.com.
