DRIVERS ASK, TOM ANSWERS: SERVICE

PROBLEMS SOLVED

Dear    Tom,

Q I have a ‘92 Dodge Spirit (four-cylinder) that has 76,000 miles on it. The

car has an oil leak, but is not so bad that I can’t drive it (it’s a slow drip leak).
I had it checked out and the mechanic told me that since the car is 10 years
old, it would not be worth fixing. Is this true?

Randy—Massachusetts

Randy,

A While I would agree that one should exercise caution in performing

extensive repairs on an older vehicle, I would disagree that “it isn’t worth
fixing” without proper evaluation first. Have a professional technician
determine the source of the leak and get an estimate for repairs. Then, have
the vehicle evaluated to determine its overall condition. Only with this
information in hand can you make an informed decision as to whether or not
to repair it. For example, if the underside of the vehicle is rotted and it
appears as though extensive repairs will be required to the fuel tank and fuel
lines, brake lines, and floorboards (in addition to fixing the oil leak), then I
would back away from repairing it.

If the overall condition of the vehicle were good, then I would
strongly consider fixing the oil leak if the repair estimate is within reason and
you’re OK with driving the car. A good repair shop would be willing to help
you make this decision. Good luck.

Tom

Tom,

Q I took my car to a local quick lube to get my oil changed. They didn’t put

enough oil in my car, and they didn’t put the drain plug on tight enough. This
caused the oil that they did put in to leak out. Now my car is making a loud