John Paul
·4 min read
Q: I have an older Lincoln Navigator and it has a CV boot that is leaking grease. I took it to two shops and they both want to replace the axle, not the boot. Is this necessary?
A: Making some assumptions, if this is a 10-year-old Lincoln, the out boot is about $25 and it will take about two hours of labor to remove the axle, clean and lubricate the constant velocity joint and install the new boot.
The issue is that if enough grease leaked out and water/sand got into the CV joint, the damage has already been done.
Depending on the quality of the replacement axle, a new axle can be purchased in the $80 to $200 range. If the boot is torn open and has been leaking for some time, it would be better to replace the entire axle.
Sickened by offensive smell in new Kia
Q: Last May, I bought a brand-new Kia after driving my previous Hyundai Sonata for 21 years. I hate this Kia due to the sickening smell, and therefore I only put 3,622 miles on it within 12 months, part of which was a round trip from Tampa to Charleston, South Carolina. We both felt sick the entire trip. I feel so ripped off having spent more than $20,000 on a car that just sits in the driveway. This Kia smells offensive and dangerous, especially in the Florida heat.
Airing it out repeatedly helped, but the stench returned each time. Whatever causes this unhealthy overwhelming stench is no secret to Kia; they just do not care, and there is no recourse for me.
A: At this point, I would call Kia customer assistance and ask to have an engineer meet you at the closest Kia dealership and evaluate the car. The new car smell is a combination of volatile organic compounds that are found in the foam and soft plastics that release gases. Some people find it pleasant, while others find it nauseating. I have seen, with other manufacturers, that entire interiors have been replaced to rid a vehicle of noxious odors.
Reader shares a tip to keep headlights clear
Q: When it comes to keeping headlights clear, what has been working for me for many years is a product such as Meguiar's PlastX. Every time I wax my cars, I apply it to both headlights and taillights. I guess this can fall into the realm of preventive maintenance.
Also, in a recent column, regarding the "three days to return a car" question: In my 40 years at dealerships, the three-day law applies to agreements or contracts signed not at a business location. It protects consumers from high-pressure sales. Conversely, if consumers chose to visit a place of business and conclude an agreement there, the presumption is the consumer could have walked away but chose not to.
A: That's a good tip on the headlight cleaner. On my own cars, I always give the lenses a light coat of wax. I will have to try the PlasX product.
Yes, the three-day law, I believe, dates to door-to-door salesmen (vacuum cleaners and encyclopedias maybe). Thanks again. It is comments like this that keep me writing columns and talking on the radio.
Does power steering fluid need to be changed?
Q: We took our 11-year-old Subaru in for service and had all the fluids replaced due to time, not mileage – which is very low. We also replaced all four tires due to age, as you have recommended in past articles.
When we got home, I noticed the steering fluid looked dark in the reservoir. I called the service adviser. She said they do not do that service. I also asked her to ask the mechanic. He also said it does not need to be done and he has not had to change steering fluid in all the years he has worked there. Why wouldn't the steering fluid need to be changed on an 11-year-old car?
A: For many years, no one changed power steering fluid. If it was full, it was left as is. This service did not start to become popular until a company made a machine to make it easy and profitable.
I do not know of any manufacturer that recommends power steering fluid service unless the fluid is contaminated.
Unlike oil that gets contaminated from fuel or automatic transmission fluid that can overheat, power steering fluid can last a very long time.
Have I changed power steering fluid? Yes, but not very often.
John Paul is the AAA Northeast Car Doctor. He has more than 40 years of experience in the automobile industry and is an ASE-Certified Master Technician. Write to John Paul, The Car Doctor, at 110 Royal Little Drive, Providence, RI 02904. Or email jpaul@aaanortheast.com and put “Car Doctor” in the subject field. Follow him on Twitter @johnfpaul or on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Is it necessary to replace the axle due to a CV boot leak? | Car Doctor
