How To
John Paul, AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor, hears from a reader seeking cold-weather advice for their new electric vehicle.
Q. I recently purchased an electric car. The car I purchased was the Hyundai IONIQ 5 which you have spoken favorably about. As my first electric car, and with winter on the way, do I need to do anything differently than I have in the past with my gas cars?
A. Just like a gasoline car, where you would keep a full tank of fuel, it is a good idea to keep the battery fully charged. If you charge at home that should not be an issue. If you rely on public charging, try to top-off the battery often. Public charging stations can get crowded in cold weather. At home, precondition the battery and the cabin. Warming the car when it is plugged in will help maximize range. The IONIQ 5 uses a heat pump rather than resistance heating, which helps maximize range. With some electric cars, using the seat and steering wheel heater can help keep the cabin comfortable while minimizing range loss. Electric cars have instant torque, to prevent wheel spin, winter tires or all-weather tires can improve driving performance. Keep the charging port door clear of ice and snow. Just like any car, periodically check tire pressure and top off the windshield washer.
Q. Last April I had the brakes replaced on my Ford Edge. In June the brake pedal became very mushy and went down to the floor. The mechanic replaced the brake power booster. Now every six weeks or so the brake pedal gets hard and extremely sensitive. When I get to my destination, the car smells hot and if I go to stop at a light, the car does not roll when you release the brake. I have had it in for service twice, and the answer is “the brakes are fine.” I asked about replacing the booster and the service manager said that would be ridiculous because it is fine. Any thoughts?
A. The characteristics of a faulty power booster are typically a hard brake pedal, not mushy. A faulty brake master cylinder can cause a low brake pedal especially when waiting at a stop light. The burning smell you describe does sound like the brakes are being partially applied. This could be due to a new defective brake booster, master cylinder, or even a misadjusted stop light switch. Since the garage changed the booster, it is possible the brake light switch is causing the brakes to be partially applied. If you notice the brakes are dragging and you can safely stop, put the car in park and see if the brake lights are on. If they are on, the brake linkage or even the brake light switch is causing the brakes to be partially applied.
Q. My 2019 Mazda CX-5 has a navigation screen with a mind of its own. It jumps around, changes stations, and generally does not function properly. We received notification in the spring that there was an extended warranty resulting from a class action suit for this problem. When we went to the dealer a few months back they knew nothing about it. Do you have any information or ideas on this problem?
A. There was a class action regarding the infotainment system. I found a link to this website. The issue is caused by delamination of the infotainment system which causes bubbles on the screen. When this happens the screen can jump around or have missing information. Not sure how it played out, and there is a Mazda technical bulletin. Between the possible class action and the technical bulletin, I would have a conversation with the dealer.
Q. My daughter has a 2019 Acura. She is now on her forth rear-side window replacement. The first window was broken at her son’s little league ball game with a foul ball. The rest have been spontaneous shatters. They have all been replaced by reputable glazers. She is taking it to the dealer once again to have this last one fixed, but do you have any knowledge of this being a repeated issue with these cars? What would cause this? She is considering getting rid of car now because this is such a problem.
A. There are no technical service bulletins that would apply. I am suspicious that the issue may stem from the first replacement. It may be possible that once the first window was installed the window mechanism began causing too much pressure on the glass. I would let the dealer know that this started after the first window replacement. This way they can be very particular when installing the new window.
Q. I just purchased a used Saab. It was cheap but runs pretty well. The previous owner covered up some less-than-professional body repairs with vinyl wrap. How can I clean it?
A. Wash the car with a mild car wash soap and remove stubborn stains with a mixture of one part alcohol and two parts water. There are car wax products designed for vinyl wrap and matte finishes. Using these products will help protect the vinyl. Also avoid automatic car washes. Hand washing will help extend the life of the wrap.
John Paul is AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor. He has over 40 years of experience in the automotive business and is an ASE-certified master technician. E-mail your Car Doctor question to [email protected]. Listen to the Car Doctor podcast at johnfpaul.podbean.com.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
