How do I stop damage from undercarriage rust without storing car in a garage? | Car Doctor
Q: I live in Southern New England and, in the past, I have had problems with undercarriage rust ruining brakes, mufflers and even the frame of the car. I get the same story: Drive it more, keep it clean and park in a garage.
I don’t want to drive it more and I don’t own a garage. How do I resolve this? Do I need a different brand, a different engine type or a higher car?
A: Unfortunately, cars are made of mostly iron and steel. Steels rusts and, if you live near the water or drive on treated roads in the winter, rust happens.
Today, exhaust systems are mostly stainless steel and can last a very long time, but the undercarriage can still rust, and body panels can rot.
Waxoyl, a rust preventative that is used on high-end restorations, can help prevent rust and might be a consideration on this car or your next car. So, until car bodies and their chassis are made completely out of stainless steel and carbon fiber – or you move to a dry climate such as Arizona – rust is just part of life in New England.
Do I need to buy a special wall box to charge my BMW i4?
Q: My garage already has a 240V outlet with a 50-amp breaker in the circuit breaker panel. Do I really need to buy a wall box from BMW or another third party to charge the BMW i4 I recently ordered? The charging cable that comes with the car has an adapter for a 240V outlet that supposedly will charge up to 9.6kw/35 miles per hour of charging. The salesperson told me it was not necessary to buy the wall box, but I would like that to be confirmed by an expert.
A: That option should work fine. The charge rate may be a bit optimistic, but it should be fine.
The actual charger is in the car and not on the wall. The wall box – technically an EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) – just gets the house power to the vehicle. The idea of a wall box is a cleaner-looking, weatherproof system. Some home units allow bidirectional use to power the house if it's wired correctly.
A few wall boxes, depending on where you live, can even sell battery power to the grid. The other helpful option with home charging is that most have internet connectivity. This can help to schedule charging off-peak, putting less stress on the electrical grid and your home power.
2017 Honda Civic keeps needing a battery jump
Q: I bought my 2017 Honda Civic new. I drive both city and highway, but only a total of about 4,000 miles per year. Many days it is not driven at all, but it never goes as long as a week without being driven. My issue is that it keeps failing to start, and AAA sends out a truck. Each time, the mechanic tells me I do not need a new battery; I just do not drive enough.
One time I had just driven 20 miles for a quick errand. When I got back to my car, less than 30 minutes later, it would not start. I do not want to drive just for the sake of driving. I do not need to drive more, and certainly the planet does not want me to drive more. How do I resolve this, even if it means buying a different car?
A: At this point, if the battery has died that many times, it is certainly at the end of its life. The average life of a battery is about five years. We have seen some Honda batteries with a shorter lifespan.
If you are thinking of replacing the battery, work with your repair shop to find the battery with the highest reserve capacity. As a general rule, it is a good idea to drive – not just start a car – once per week for at least 30 minutes.
You could also look at adding a battery maintainer, if you have power nearby. These devices plug into a wall outlet and have a simple connection to the car’s battery.
The other option, depending on where the car is parked, is using a solar battery charger. Your local mechanic should be able to help with either option.
Also, just to rule out parasitic drain or other electrical issues that could discharge the battery, have a repair shop perform a full electrical system test.
Who does the Car Doctor write for?
Q: I occasionally read your column on my Yahoo news page, and it takes me to articles in The Providence Journal. Do you write for Yahoo News or The Providence Journal? How does your Journal column get to Yahoo?
A: I provide content for The Providence Journal and other publications as AAA’s Car Doctor. I am an employee of AAA and not the publication. I can only imagine that my column appears on Yahoo’s page due to search engine optimization and the excellent editing by The Providence Journal.
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.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: How do I stop costly damage caused by undercarriage rust? | Car Doctor
