A: I tend to go with a name-brand tire. These could be from Goodyear, BF Goodrich, or Bridgestone. I tend to go with major brands due to availability and overall quality. Although this year, I broke my own rule and replaced the tires on my vehicle with a set of tires from Nokian. Nokian, a European brand, is now making tires here in the United States. So far, I have been quite happy with them.
Q: I recently purchased a new truck. It's my first vehicle with built-in tire pressure monitoring. The dash display can display the approximate pressure of each tire. I am wondering what happens when it is time to rotate the tires. Will the dash display tell me the right front tire is low when it is actually the right rear tire that's low after the tires were rotated? Dvr
A: Your truck has what is referred to as a direct-style Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). These systems inform the driver if one specific tire is low.
Typically, these systems need to be reprogrammed after the tires are rotated. There are exceptions. A few manufacturers use a more sophisticated system that has antennas at each wheel location. These systems can read the sensor ID and then tell the car which location it is in. Most tire stores, dealerships and repair shops will perform the TPMS relearn as part of the tire rotation process.
Q: I have a two-door 2008 Honda Civic. The car needs an engine. How much would that cost?
A: The typical time/labor cost is 11 hours to remove and replace the engine, which in many locations is about $1,600.
You have two choices for engine replacement: a used or remanufactured engine. Online used engines run between $800 and $1,800, depending on mileage. A fully remanufactured engine is $3,300 to $3,600.
Considering the age of the vehicle, check all the other major components, as well as possible rust, before investing this much in an engine replacement.
Go to aaa.com/repair to find a AAA-approved shop in your area.
Q: I own a 2018 Subaru Forrester with the original battery. No problems with starting, etc. Do you think I am "stretching" the life of my battery, since it is now 2024 and a six-year-old battery? Should I think of purchasing a replacement to avoid problems with winter? What would you recommend?
A: The average life is a battery in the Northeast is about five years. Now that is an average, and some batteries will last longer. It has been my experience that Subaru batteries tend to be at the low end of the average. If this were my Subaru and I wanted to avoid problems, I would replace the battery. I would also try to find a battery that exceeds the factory specifications both in cold-cranking amps and reserve capacity.
Q: I am a DIYer with different brands of cars, both foreign and American. I would love your thoughts on what to look for in a scan tool. What you would suggest is a reasonable price, as the cost of top-level units does not seem to be practical for a non-professional.
A: I have a couple do-it-yourself type scan tools, plus a code reader/scanner. The more basic reader uses Bluetooth to connect to my phone. The brand is BlueDriver, which costs about $100. I keep it in my car just in case the check engine light comes on during a road trip.
The other one I have is from Innova. What is nice about this scan tool is that it connects to their Repair Solutions app, which gives you suggestions on repairs. They have several levels, from simple code readers to bidirectional scan tools.
The latest tool I have is from Xtool. It promises a lot on paper, and it does surprisingly well delivering what it promises. At $600, it is pricey, but it comes with three years of support and updates. Unlike many scan tools, the Xtool is capable of programming some key fobs, resetting TPMS and other special functions.
I would stay away from very inexpensive code checkers. Readers have told me about some that caused issues. Those are the scan tools that are currently sitting in my toolbox.
Tpms Scan Tool 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.