Two weeks before his death in March of 2005, I had a conversation with John DeLorean, the storied car creator, General Motors executive, creator of the GTO and the infamous DMC-12 gull-wing sports car that starred famously in "Back To The Future." The reason for the conversation? At the time I was talking with an inventor named Tom Kasmer who was requesting an interview on my national radio show,

Dear Tom, I just bought a 2009 KIA Optima. The owner's manual says I should use 5W20 oil in the engine. My dad used to fix cars and he said that this oil is too thin and that I should use "Straight 30 weight" in the winter and the 5W20 in the summer. Is he right? Sandy from Salt Lake City, UTSandy Gently tell your dad to stifle himself. Use the 5W20 oil in your KIA. The carmaker

Dear Tom, I own a ‘97 Honda Accord SE Coupe. I want to replace the front and rear struts. What safety precautions should I take? Can I  jack up each corner of the car with the bumper jack and replace one strut at a time? Jack from Seaport, FL Jack, If you are determined to do this job yourself then you will have to use more than a bumper jack to safely replace the struts on your car. Ge

Dear Tom, My 2003 Chevy Cavalier makes a clicking sound in the front when I make a right turn. It doesn't do it when I turn left. Should I be concerned? What could cause this noise? Larry from DetroitLarry, My first thought ... your car probably has a bad front CV joint. Get the vehicle into a shop and have them check the CV joint on the side of the car where the clicking occurs. Tom After I

Dear Tom, I just bought a used 2003 Ford Taurus from a local dealer. The first time I hit the brakes on wet pavement it scared the devil out of me! The pedal bounced back and there was a loud noise coming from the front of the vehicle that sounded like a motorboat. What is wrong with my vehicle? It doesn't do it on dry pavement. Should I take it back to the dealer? Sharon from Dallas, TXShar

Dear Tom, I own a 2006 Chevy Silverado 1500 pickup with a 5.3-liter V8 engine. My air conditioner is weak. Do I need to recharge it? Should I take it to the dealer or can I go to an independent repair shop? If it's expensive, how long can I go without repairing it? Shannon from Lubbock, TXShannon, When you say "weak" do you mean warm air temperature or low air volume? The answer to this question w

In today's hectic fast-paced world, it's easy to forget the importance of thorough communication in any transaction. There is evidence of this constantly in the auto repair business. A common part of conversation between a repair facility and a customer might be "I didn't say that!" or "You never told me it would cost that much money!" How about "I never promised that!" and the classic, "That's no

Your vehicle carries some pretty valuable cargo. Let's talk about a major safety aspect of your car, the braking system. The braking system on most people's cars goes unnoticed since it is "out of sight, out of mind." That is, until a problem crops up, which is usually in the form of the proverbial grinding when you push the brake pedal. What are the most common signs of brake failure? Common Warn

Have you ever walked across a hot asphalt parking lot, and, with each step, dreaded the moment you have to open the car door and climb into an oven? That hot summer sun: we love it, we hate it. But who enjoys burning their hammies, their hands, and every other body part that makes contact with a car's interior on a hot summer day? The good news is that I am the "Sultan of Cool," bearing tips to he

Dear Tom, Smoke is coming out of the tailpipe of my 2002 Chrysler Sebring with 90,000 miles. Is this a big problem? I have to put a quart of oil a week in the engine. What should I do? Sally from The Bronx in NYC Sally, Generally, engines burn oil due to a few reasons: bad valve seals, worn valve guides, pressurized crankcase (oil pan) due to a clogged PCV valve or breather system, and blow-by fro

Dear Tom, I own a '99 Ford Taurus. It's so loud that it sounds like a truck. Do I need a new muffler? If I have to fix it, can I repair it myself? What happens if I don't fix it immediately? Joe from Burlington, VT Joe, I would fix the exhaust system for a few reasons. First, the safety of you and your family is of critical importance. Exhaust systems are designed to channel the burned gases, whic

Dear Tom, I own a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica with 87,000 miles. There is a green liquid on the floor of my garage and I think it might be anti freeze. Can I add that stop leak stuff to it? Will it work? What happens if I don't fix the leak? Sharon from Memphis, TN Sharon, Based on the color of the fluid it is probably anti freeze leaking from the cooling system. Do NOT put stop leak in the cooling sys

Dear Tom, I own a 2006 Chevy Impala and I change the oil and filter every 3,000 miles. How often should I change my air filter? Jack from Saginaw, MI Jack, According to GM's normal maintenance schedule, the air filter should be replaced arbitrarily every 60,000 miles whether it needs it or not. However, I replace it every two (2) years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. I base my recommendati

Dear Tom, Every time I hit the brake pedal, my brakes make this awful high-pitched squeal. When I stop at a light I get stares from people. It's embarrassing! I just had the brakes done last month, so why are they squealing? Help! Melissa from Manhasset, NY Melissa, Take your car back to the shop. Sounds to me like the pad insulators, anti rattle clips, or calipers are loose. The squeal you hear i

Dear Tom, I own a 2008 Ford Taurus. The dealership told me that I should take my car to them to have the oil changed to insure that my warranty stays intact and that the proper oil and filter are used. I don't like to go to the dealer because I have to make an appointment and wait. I prefer to go to my local Jiffy Lube where I can get in and out quickly. What is your opinion? Janet from Los Angele

Dear Tom, I own a 2008 Chevy Malibu. Is it necessary to warm up my car for up to 20 minutes before driving it? My father told me I should because the engine could stall and/or get damaged. Thanks for your advice? Celene from Buffalo, NY Celene, Running your car to warm the engine before driving is no longer necessary. Today's cars have computer driven performance systems that compensate for outdoo

I have been in the auto repair industry since 1972 ... hummmm, a simple calculation of the math illustrates that I have been in car repair for, uh, well, let's not go there. It makes me depressed. You do the math and keep it to yourself. At any rate, enough about my mid life crisis. Let's talk about oil change intervals.For years the accepted oil change interval (as per the carmakers) has been eve

With the explosive growth of the light truck segment as well as the impending onslaught of winter, I thought it would be fitting to write about four-wheel drive systems. There are a few different types available; and there are special maintenance practices that might cause some confusion. So let's get enlightened!4WD systems can be classified as Part Time 4WD, Full Time 4WD, and Permanent 4WD.Part

The headline of this article illustrates the feeling people get when they encounter small, annoying maladies in their vehicles. Squeaks, rattles, leaks, and vibrations are so irritating to motorists that the carmakers have created a separate category in their labor guides for warranty repair. The average time paid by the manufacturer to track down and repair these annoying gremlins is about a half

For those of you who are schoolteachers, you will understand what I am about to relate. You lay out a lesson plan to teach a particular topic, for example, how to solve a basic algebraic equation. You proceed to follow the plan, working with your students until you feel they understand the necessary mathematical principles. A couple of weeks pass and, low and behold, you discover that there are se

We keep our cars tuned up, but what about our automobile insurance? Recently I had a chat with an insurance broker. The topic of conversation? Smart insurance buying. After our conversation I realized that the biggest mistake an uninformed consumer makes is to regard insurance coverage as a commodity... as generic as the oil purchased for the car. An insurance policy is a personalized service cont