CLICK & CLACK’S CAR TALK
Posted on Saturday, November 1, 2008
Click & Clack (Tom and Ray Magliozzi ) dispense advice about cars in Car Talk every Saturday. E-mail Click & Clack by visiting the Car Talk section of www. cartalk. com DEAR TOM AND RAY: I was given a 1987 XJ 6 Jaguar. She’s one finelooking lady. But she smells. I recently spent $ 1, 100 having the car completely cleaned on the inside. My mechanic (a very honest small-town guy ) took out all the carpeting and the seats and cleaned them. He replaced the roof lining. He then scoured the entire inside of the car before putting the seats and carpet back. He used a cleaning machine recommended by another client who’d cleaned his pickup after a fire. He sprayed everything with Febreze and placed packs of charcoal under the seats. I picked it up after a month in the shop. It’s better. But only marginally. Any other suggestions (we’ve done the cut onions, the dryer sheets, an air freshener bomb, etc., prior to this very expensive last resort )?
— Jill TOM: There are two possibilities. One is that you’ve got a bad case of mold. Cleaning the seats and carpets might not be enough if you didn’t specifically treat for mold. You need bleach or a biocide to kill the spores. Soap, odor removers, onions and old gym socks are all useless against a huge mold spore invasion. RAY: The other possibility is that a small animal died somewhere in the car. If a mouse or rat got stuck in a ventilation duct or in your air cleaner, it can produce a disgusting and almost unbearable odor that can last for months until the carcass eventually disintegrates. TOM: What you need is someone with a good nose.
RAY: You need to find someone who’s familiar with those smells. Your best bet is an automotive detailer or someone who works in a body shop. Ask him to sniff your Jaguar. Make sure you give the appropriate background before making that request, because someone could take it the wrong way.
TOM: Once you know what you’re looking for, you can form a plan to get rid of it. Animal remains can be searched for and removed or simply waited out. Moldy carpet and its underlying padding can be treated with a biocide, or can be replaced.
RAY: Or, here’s a creative approach. You already know of a cleaning machine that works on smoke odor. So, light the interior on fire, and then use the machine !
DEAR TOM AND RAY: I have a son who is passionate about the environment, recycles religiously and is very focused on gas mileage. He owns a ’ 98 Honda Civic. He shifts to the highest gear possible, as soon as possible. (Technical note: On a flat stretch, he may shift to fifth gear at 25 mph and 1, 000 rpm, causing the engine to shudder. ) Consequently, when he’s driving me somewhere in his car, our conversation goes something like this:
Me: “Why are you lugging the engine ?”
My son: “Because it saves gas.” Me: “What’s the point of saving gas if it destroys the engine ?” Which one of us has the right idea ?
— Dave TOM: You both have some right ideas, Dave. Your son is absolutely right that shifting into the highest possible gear as quickly as possible gives you the best fuel economy. And we commend him for doing his part to help save the planet. RAY: You’re right, too, Dave, that if you shift too soon, you’ll lug the engine, which is harmful to it. And I’m sure your son will agree that throwing away engines isn’t a good thing for the environment, either. TOM: The trick is to shift up through the gears quickly, getting to the highest gear as soon as possible without lugging the engine. If you shift up and the car shudders or pings on acceleration, you’re making the engine strain and run hot, and that’s injurious. So if you experience lugging, shuddering or pinging, that’s a sign you’ve shifted too soon. And next time, you want to stay in the next-lowest gear a little longer. RAY: You’ll find that there aren’t hard and fast rules about when to shift; it depends on the conditions. If you’re just trying to maintain your speed on a flat road, shifting into fifth gear at 25 mph may be fine. But if you’re trying to accelerate or climb a hill, you’ll probably lug it. And that will eventually take its toll. TOM: So give your son a pat on the back for being interested in something bigger than himself. But tell him to let the car be his guide. If it shudders and pings, it’s a sign that he’s shifted too soon. If not, then he’s hugging trees with the best of ’em.
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