Q: I purchased a used Kia Soul based on your recommendation. It is a great vehicle, economical, and I can carry all my art supplies. Also,my dog likes it.
My father taught me to check my car's oil every week, which I do. I noticed the Soul's engine uses oil. I need to add about three quarts of oil every six months or about every 5,000 miles.
I have had it checked and the dealer says everything is fine. I get the feeling what they are saying is everything is okay "little lady" and hoping I will go away.
Is there something wrong or not?
A: Oil gets burned during the normal combustion process, but some engines use more oil that others.
Kia has very specific oil consumption tests and considers one quart of oil used in 1,000 miles or more normal.Based on Kia's criteria for oil consumption, the engine is operating as designed.
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Q: I'm looking at a couple of SUVs. I'm shopping price, so base engines and front-wheel drive. My three choices are the Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson and the Mitsubishi Eclipse-Cross. They all have great warranties and seem similar. Do you like one better than the other?
A: I would rank the Sportage and the Tucson almost identical.The Hyundai is slightly larger and has a a little more horsepower, but not enough to matter.The Mitsubishi uses a turbo-charged engine where the base model of the Kia and Hyundai use normally aspirated engines.
I prefer the 8-speed transmission in the Hyundai versus the 6-speed in the Kia and the CVT transmission in the Mitsubishi.
Interior room is almost identical in all three vehicles. As good as the Mitsubishi was, the interior on the latest model felt a bit dated. The infotainment system worked great and was simple to use but the display looked like it was from a 5-year-old vehicle.
My choices would be Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. To me the deciding factor would be the servicing dealer. If you had good dealer experience when shopping, it would make choosing your new vehicle easier.
If you can wait, Hyundai has a Tucson hybrid and plugin hybrid coming. I recently drove a preproduction Tucson hybrid and it preformed well and returned 40 miles per gallon.
Q: I have a 2001 Honda Civic with 40,000 miles. Recently, a malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) came on pointing out a problem with one of the emission control systems and warned that continued operation may cause serious damage. It suggested that I tighten the gas cap which I did but the light has stayed on. What kind of problem is this? What should I expect needs to be done and how expensive might it be?
A: Although a loose gas cap can cause a check engine light (MIL) to come on, the car should be checked with a computer scan tool. A technician with a scan tool can test the car, retrieve the trouble code and, using that code, offer a diagnosis.
When the check engine light is on, your car is wasting fuel and potentially harming the environment. If the check engine light is flashing, the car should be taken to a repair shop as soon as possible. A flashing check engine light indicates an engine misfire which could permanently damage the car's catalytic convertor.
I would expect to pay about one hour labor to have some basic diagnostic work performed.
Q: Is there anything I can do with rust build up on the brake rotors of my car? When the car sits just overnight, the brakes grind until the rust wears off.
A: Some brake rusting on the surface of the brake rotors is perfectly normal. Although, due to the composition of the rotors, some are more prone to rusting than others. Even the new cars that I evaluate will have rust on the brake rotors sometimes as quickly as overnight.
When I replaced the brake pads on my previous vehicle, I also replaced the brake rotors.For whatever reason the new brake rotors didn't rust as quickly. Prior to replacing the brakes, the front and rear rotors would get a even coating of rust. After a few stops the rust wears off, again perfectly normal and nothing to worry about.
Q: I have a 2020 Hyundai Kona. I really like this little vehicle except for one thing: The blind spot monitoring system works great some days and can't be trusted other times. I have gone to the dealer where they have tested the system and they say (of course) it is fine. I believe something is wrong.
A: Blind spot monitors in the Kona use two magnetic radar wave sensors in the rear bumper. These systems can be fooled by a host of items. As an example, steel plates on the roadway or over a subway, bridges, snow or heavy rain, bikes and bike racks — even driving near large trucks — can cause the system to malfunction.
As good as these systems can be, they are designed to work with a thoroughly engaged driver, not take the place of one. You and your car are a team out on the road and the goal is safe driving.
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.
