Barbara Terry

Barbara Terry's Official Tumblr - America's Favorite Auto Expert, Spokesperson, Author, Off Road Racer, Columnist, and Show Host. http://www.barbaraterry.com

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Audi’s A5 – Buy Now or Later?

My wife and I are shopping for a new car and discovered Audi’s A5. We absolutely love the looks and how it drives. We were smitten as soon as we drove it. We understand there is a difference in performance between the A5 and the S5, but the car seems to be what we want. Our question is: Have you heard anything about the A5/S5? A good build or so/so? We know it is on the A6 chassis, but this is a new design for Audi. Does this look like a model that will have to go through numerous years of maturation to get right or can Audi get it right the first time? Any info you can offer up on this car will be greatly appreciated. It is way too expensive to make a mistake on it. Answer - You obviously have your doubts about buying the new Audi its first year out of the gate, and rightfully so! I always tell everyone to wait until the second year of any new make and model no matter the manufacturer, so that it gives them time to get out all of the kinks. I have heard all of the hype about the A5 and think it will be a great ride once it hits the streets. Audi made a ton of improvements in 2001 and I have always recommended and stood behind their product by giving the consumer all of the luxury amenities without breaking the bank. By waiting until the second year of this beast being out of the gate, you will save yourself a lot of time by not having to repeatedly go into the service department at your local Audi dealership. Thanks for writing in, Barbara Terry

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2001 Ford V6 Showing “Check Engine” Light

Question - Some time back, you were kind enough to help me with an oil change question and now I have another one I hope you can help with. 2001 Ford F150 4.2 V6 59,000 miles. The weather here in Texas has been quite cold the last couple of days, so I let my truck warm up for a few minutes in the mornings. This AM I came onto my office (9 miles) and out of the blue, the check-engine-soon light came on. Took it to my local shop; and they advised that this is a well known problem. It seems that the cold weather causes the intake manifold gasket to shrink; hence the “check engine light. It also seems that there is a kit just for this problem, total parts and labor around $450.00. They tried to reset the light but it just came back on again. I trust your judgment; so does this make sense? And if so, have you heard of this problem before? Answer - Okay, Ford did have issues with their 4.0 liter V6 pertaining to the upper intake/plenum. This particular problem on the 4.2 liter V6 problem is not so common. Unfortunately, you will have to get this addressed to correct the problem and keep that annoying check engine light off. I suppose your truck is running real rough too, probably like a train on a track that is being shook up by an earthquake! The repair should cost more like $275.00 to $325.00; so shop around and get a better price. Thanks for writing in, Barbara Terry

[barbaraterry]

Toyota Camry’s Nonresponsive Window

Questions - When I try to roll down the passenger window on my Toyota Camry, it whines and has now completely stopped working. Is this a quick fix? Answer - In the old days, you did not have to worry about this problem occurring; you just simply had the only option available and that was to roll the window down manually. Power windows these days are controlled by three main parts and more than likely, your problem has to do with one or more of these three: the window motor, the window regulator, and the control switch. When you move the switch one way or the other, an electrical current is sent to the window motor that will force the window to go up or down, depending on the direction of the switch; and by the sounds of it, your window is non-responsive! I would suggest that you take your Camry and its power window problem to the pros to fix or you may blow a fuse of frustration yourself after taking the door apart and possibly getting confused with the fix itself or trying to put all of the intricate parts back together exactly as they were before you started tinkering with it. Thanks for writing in and good luck!

Barbara Terry

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Outside Temperature Indicator in Ford Expedition, Limited 4x4

Question - I enjoy your column and always find something beneficial and interesting, especially since my only and most talented activity in a car is turning on the ignition! Here is my question. I just purchased a new Ford Expedition, Limited 4x4. I love the truck and hope to put many interesting miles on it as my wife and I really enjoy driving around the country. I thought, however, that the Limited edition would have a feature indicating the “outside air temperature”. The manual shows that some models of the Expedition have that feature, but as I am getting familiar with the truck, I can’t find it. There are three scenarios in the manual and it seems I got the one without that feature. Is there some after-market device that I can get that would provide me that feature? I had it in the previous car and got used to it. Answer - Oh how I have been spoiled by driving and loving my Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited! They all come equipped with this feature and it is so nice having it, especially when the weather is touch and go around freezing temperatures to be able to keep an eye on the temperature outside to know whether it has dropped to freezing, especially if you are driving in wet weather, and to know if it is freezing on the roads, black ice can be very tricky and dangerous. One of my brothers just recently bought this temperature gauge and loves how easy it was to install and how it did not break his bank account! You are so correct regarding the fact of having something in the past and getting used to it and how we miss it in the future if we do not have it. I have just spent a couple months in a small one-bedroom cabin on a lake in South Carolina, and this cabin did not have a refrigerator, stove, dishwasher or washer/dryer; however it did have running water and a killer shower, so I should not be complaining, right? Thanks for writing in,

Barbara Terry

[barbaraterry]

My car’s oil pan is leaking

Question - My car’s oil pan is leaking. How did this happen? Did the mechanic that changed my car oil the last time do something wrong? Answer - There are several causes for the ole oil pan to start leaking. The most common are the pan gasket, drain plug, or a simple crack in the pan caused by age or rust. Be sure to locate the exact cause of the leak before replacing the oil pan or oil pan gasket. Check the pan bolts and tighten if they are loose. You might want to then clean all of the oil from the bottom of the engine and see if tightening the bolts stopped the leak. On a clean engine, the leaks show up close to the leaky areas. When replacing the pan gaskets, if need be, always remember to use a thread lock on the hold-down bolts. This will prevent the bolt from backing out when the gasket compresses. Thanks for writing in, Barbara Terry

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Problem in timing chain - 2007 Toyota Avalon

Question - I have a 2007 Toyota Avalon that the valve cover oil baffle has come off and is jammed in the timing chain.

I know there is a service bulletin out on this as well.

Do you know any others this problem?

I think there is a problem with the design and should be Toyota's problem to repair and not mine.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

  Answer - Yes, you are correct about the existing service bulletin and this is a common failure with your make and model.  I have received a ton of emails such as yours and have tried to help as many consumers with this particular complaint as humanly possible.

Most importantly your Toyota is still covered under the factory warranty so you need to take it to the dealer and have them fix it and while you are there you should ask for a loaner vehicle.

The only other thing that I can suggest at this point is calling Toyota corporate to see if they will be of any assistance.  Toyota unfortunately will never issue a factory recall pertaining to this issue being as it is not a safety issue.

Sorry that I can not be of any further/positive assistance.

Barbara Terry

[barbaraterry]

Reoccurring intermittent problem with my 2003 Ford Expedition

Question - I have a reoccurring intermittent problem with my 2003 Ford Expedition (Eddie Bauer). It is equipped with a 5.4L V-8, with towing package. This vehicle has never been in an accident and I am the original owner.

For the past 5 years or so there has been a problem with the “check charging system” alarm going off for 1-2 seconds for no apparent reason. The gauges read fine and there seems to be no real problem.

This may occur every 5 minutes for an hour, and than not again for one or two months. It happens with all driving conditions and temperatures.

I have had it checked out at an auto Electric shop 3 different times, and they have even taken off the battery and alternator, as well as checked all wiring and cables for problem  however could never duplicate anything wrong or could never see the actual problem as it occurred (very intermittent) . 

I have considered taking it to the Ford dealership, but they are going to charge me several hundred dollars just for an electrical analysis, regardless if they see discover anything wrong while they are checking.  

Answer

I would suggest looking into getting a new alternator. The part inside the alternator could be going out that sends the signal for the dash light.  Also, if the gauge doesn't drop then it will not hurt to drive it.

Thanks for writing in,

Barbara Terry