Dear Tom and Ray:
I am an owner of a 1989 Ford Crown Victoria, which I purchased new. I've not encountered any problems in the 87,000 miles I've driven it. Lo and behold, when I had my oil changed a couple of weeks ago, I was told by the mechanic that my oil pan was starting to rust away. I am in my 70s and have never heard of such a condition, having owned many, many American cars in the last 50 years. Does this seem kosher to you? - Julius
RAY: It's not unusual these days, Julius. Here's why. Since the energy crisis in the early 1970s, automakers have been obsessed with improving gas mileage. And one way to improve gas mileage is to reduce weight.
TOM: So when they asked the folks in the engine department to cut out some weight, one of the things they did was use a lighter oil pan. And the lighter the oil pan, the quicker it rusts through. So instead of rusting through after 200,000 miles in the old days (after the rest of the car had long since been rendered useless), modern-day oil pans sometimes rust after 100,000 miles, when the rest of the car is still in decent shape. And it's not just Ford. All the manufacturers have been doing this.
RAY: They're learning, Julius. They probably figured the first owner of the car would keep the car about 90,000 miles (six years at 15,000 miles a year), so they tried to time the oil pan to last at least that long. So give them a break. They were only off by 3,000 miles!
TOM: Actually, the oil-pan problem is even more pronounced on front-wheel-drive cars, where the exhaust system runs right by the oil pan. That extra heat from the exhaust speeds up the rusting process that much more.
RAY: So replacing the oil pan is just one of the prices we have to pay for increased fuel economy, Julius. Think about all the money you've saved on gas over the last 87,000 miles in this modern, fuel- efficient luxury car.
TOM: And write a check for that amount and buy yourself a new oil pan.
Dear Tom and Ray:
I have a 1988 GMC pickup with a V8 engine and automatic transmission. It is in excellent shape with approximately 85,000 miles on it. Recently, each time I step on the gas pedal a little extra hard for passing, the windshield wipers turn themselves on. Do you have any idea what would cause this? - Robert
TOM: We want to be perfectly clear about this right from the git-go, Robert. We have absolutely no idea. But, of course, we won't let that stop us from speculating.
RAY: My guess is that something in the engine compartment is shifting when you accelerate hard. And that's somehow pushing against a wire and creating contact or interrupting a ground and somehow power-ing the wipers (notice the frequent use of "somehow" to mask lack of actual knowledge).
TOM: The problem is, it's going to be tough to find. If it's simply the torque (a.k.a. "twisting") of the engine that's causing this, youshould be able to re-create the effect in the garage. Your mechanic can "load up" the engine by stepping on the brake and the gas at the same time with the transmission in gear. By the way, kids, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Garage Doors suggests you don't try this at home.
RAY: If your mechanic can re-create the symptom in the garage like that, then you have a chance of finding the cause.
TOM: If not, then you'll have to try my method. I remove the hood, strap my brother to the engine compartment and drive around 'til he figures it out . . . or threatens to tell Mom.
If you want to ruin your car, we have 10 ways for you to do it. If you don't want to ruin your car, we have "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It!" You can order this booklet by sending $3 and a stamped (55 cents), self-addressed, No.10 envelope to Ruin No.1, PO Box 6420, Riverton, NJ 08077-6420.