Dear Tom and Ray - A tragic accident happened this past spring in the Denver area. A woman was driving a U-Haul truck on the interstate when the accelerator stuck in the full open position. She fought it for a mile apparently, before hitting numerous vehicles and stopping on top of a passenger car. One of the car's occupants was killed, and a number of other people were injured. My husband says the driver could have stopped by putting the truck in neutral. I say perhaps she could have stopped by turning off the ignition. In your opinion, was there any way the truck could have been stopped by the driver? Your answer may save many lives. - Dorothy
TOM: Sure, Dorothy. Turning off the ignition OR putting it in neutral would have stopped the truck. But putting it in neutral is by far the safer way to do it.
RAY: Turning off the ignition would have stopped the engine, but it would have turned off several other things as well. Most notably, the power steering and power brakes. And while it's possible to stop and steer a vehicle without power, it ain't easy . . . especially when you're driving a truck with three-quarters of your worldly possessions crammed into the back.
TOM: The other problem is that on some vehicles, turning the key to the off position locks the steering wheel. That's supposed to be a theft deterrent when you park it. But when you're driving a runaway vehicle - and suddenly you can't steer anymore - that certainly adds one more little annoyance to the situation.
RAY: So the best thing to do if you're ever in a "runaway vehicle" is to put it in neutral. That disconnects the engine from the wheels, so no matter how fast the engine is going, the car is just coasting. If you're in neutral and the engine is still running, you'll still have your power brakes and power steering, and you can simply pull over carefully, stop the car and then shut off the ignition.
TOM: There is, of course, some chance you could damage the engine by letting it rev so high in neutral. In fact, it probably would sound like it was screaming. But in circumstances like this, who cares? C'mon! What's worth more, your life and the lives of other people, or a lousy engine?
RAY: Especially if it's a rental!
Dear Tom and Ray - I recently noticed oil leaking from my 1990 Pontiac Transport. A small puddle each morning has become annoying and I took the van to a Pontiac dealership for a checkup. They told me that oil was leaking from the rear main seal, which was not unusual for this vehicle with 85,000 miles.
They recommended replacing the seal at an estimated cost of $550 to $600. They said they would need to remove the transmission to fix the seal, which is why the price is so high. I checked with a reputable transmission shop and asked if they could replace the rear main seal. They said they could at a cost of $200 labor plus the cost of the seal. Why such a price difference for the same job? - Roy
RAY: Because the dealership is giving you the good old proverbial shaft, Roy, and the transmission shop isn't.
TOM: In my estimation, this is about a five-hour job. So the transmission shop is charging you $40 an hour for labor plus the cost of the seal, which is about 30 bucks.
RAY: I have to assume, then, that the dealership is either inflating the number of hours needed to do the job, or they're charging you over $100 an hour for labor.
TOM: But don't forget, that includes the coffee and non-dairy creamer in the waiting room.
RAY: So if this transmission shop is reputable, and you believe they can do the job, I'd go with them and save 300 bucks - and bring your own coffee.
Dear Tom and Ray - I own a 1991 Honda Civic with nearly 40,000 miles on it. I have had the oil changed religiously every three months or 3,000 miles since it was brand new. I recently have been going to one of those quick-lube places, and the last time I was there, the guy said, "You've heard about the problem with Honda oil pans, haven't you?"
I said no, and he proceeded to explain that the oil pan on my model was made of soft metal - aluminum - and consequently, after so many oil changes (he said at about 40,000 to 50,000 miles), the threads on the oil pan get stripped, and the entire pan has to be replaced at a cost of $300.
He, of course, had a lower-cost solution: A "permanent" bolt, with a hollow center filled with a rubber plug, costing about $10. This bolt, he said, would never have to be removed (therefore no stripping), and instead, the rubber plug would be pulled out to drain the oil. Is this true about the oil pan? And if so, does this plug really work? - Alan
TOM: My guess is that he's already stripped the threads on your oil pan, or he knows he's about to. That's why he's softening you up with this little lesson about Honda oil pans.
RAY: The pan is made of steel, not aluminum. But any oil pan can be stripped, especially if the drain plug gets overtightened - like this guy's probably been doing for the past five oil changes.
TOM: If yours is stripped, I wouldn't trust a rubber plug to hold the oil in the engine. If it were my car, I'd want a more time-tested drain plug in there. The rubber plug might work, but if it did happen to fail, you'd lose all your oil and your engine would be casserole.
RAY: So instead of spending $10 on a rubber plug, spend a few extra bucks and get it fixed right. Several manufacturers make "replacement kits" for stripped Honda oil pans. They're easy to install. There's an insert that widens the existing hole and replaces the stripped threads so that a real metal drain plug with a gasket will fit right in there. And it works. We've used it many times.
TOM: Have another mechanic check it out, Alan. And if it is stripped, get it fixed. Hondas are really reliable cars. But even they don't run so great when they run out of oil.
TOM: Hey, do you think you're taking good care of your car? Are you sure?