Doug McAllister
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When to change transmission fluidNov 19, 2011 11:00 pm - Q. My 2005 Chevy Cobalt has 70,000 miles on it I am thinking of changing the transmission fluid. Is it necessary at this time? How much should I expect to pay? I re...
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Doug McAllister/Under the Hood: Gas gauge failsNov 06, 2011 12:00 am - Q. I own a 2002 Buick Rendezvous with approximately 102,000 miles. About six months ago the gas gauge started to improperly sense the fuel level. I checked that the ...
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Doug McAllister/Under the Hood: “What causes engine ‘tick’Oct 23, 2011 12:00 am - Q. When I first start my car in the morning, I hear a ticking noise coming from the engine. It’s a 2003 Ford Escape Limited with a V-6 engine and 70,000 miles. It go...
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Doug McAllister/Under the Hood: A/C system doesn’t take the winter offOct 16, 2011 12:00 am - Q. Why would I want to get my A/C repaired before heading into winter? A. This question comes up quite often as we get toward the end of the summer cooling season a...
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Doug McAllister/Under the Hood: Tire pressure systemsOct 02, 2011 12:00 am - Q. I worked for an automotive center and I’m wondering if TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) is really necessary as opposed to traditional valve stems for automo...
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Doug McAllister/Under the Hood:Sep 25, 2011 12:00 am - Within one week we had two cars come into the shop that were very low on oil. When I say low, I mean like one to 1½ quarts left in a five-quart system. In one case the e...
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Doug McAllister/Under the Hood: Most vehicles have two air filtersSep 18, 2011 12:00 am - Q. The dealer I always take my car to sent me an email saying On Star had emailed them about a problem I’m having with my car. The problem is with the engine air fil...
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Doug McAllister/Under the Hood: Minor incident can cause major damageSep 11, 2011 12:00 am - A couple dropped off their BMW with what seemed to be a minor problem. One of them had run over a rock while dropping a child off at a soccer field and damaged the lower...
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Doug McAllister/Under the Hood: Mildew can grow in A/C systemSep 04, 2011 12:00 am - Q. The ventilation system on my Infiniti G35 smells like a musty basement when I start the car and occasionally smells when the air conditioning is on. The car is ga...
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Under the hood: Checking a code is not diagnosisAug 28, 2011 12:00 am - Q. I recently had a “check engine” light come on in my Toyota. I took it over to one of the parts stores and they diagnosed the car for free. They said it had what t...