The tire store didn’t put factory tires on my vehicle | Car Doctor
Q: I purchased two front tires for my car that rub under the wheel well when I make a sharp turn. It turns out the tire store didn’t put on factory tires. The factory specs for tires are P215/45R17, but the tire store installed P215/55ZR17 front tires. The tires rub a little on sharp turns, but not that bad. What should I do?
A: The new tires have almost a 1-inch larger sidewall and are almost 2 inches taller than the factory-installed tires. This difference can have an effect on braking, handling and overall ride. It was their mistake, and they should install the correct tires at no cost to you.
Q: I’m considering an electric car. Should I buy or lease? Over the last 20 years, I have done both.
A: Typically, I’m not a fan of leasing (could be a generational issue), but when it comes to the rapidly changing technology with electric cars, it can make sense.
The future may be similar to how people think about phones today, where basically they lease the phone from the carrier and upgrade when the new ones are released. EVs could be the same.
Q: I have always taken my cars to the auto dealer because I have always felt that OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts are the best to use. However, I am never comfortable going to the dealership, because I do not necessarily trust them, as I never know who is working on my car and their skill levels, experience, etc. I also feel that many dealerships like to upsell services that you do not need to make money. I also miss having that personal relationship with a facility and the person who works on your car.
Do independent shops install OEM parts on request? If not, are the parts they use just as good, if not better than OEM parts? The only reason I go to the dealer is for the OEM parts. Perhaps this reason alone does not justify going to the dealership for service.
I just do not want to degrade the quality and performance of my vehicles by having parts installed that are less superior than what was installed when it was manufactured. What are your thoughts on this?
A: Dealers do great repair work, but so do independent repair shops.
Regarding parts, no independent repair shop wants to install inferior parts and will usually use the parts that have the highest success rate. Keep in mind, many original equipment parts and aftermarket parts are made by the same manufacturer.
Many independent repair shops will use original equipment parts on request. Highly experienced repair shops will know when to use OE parts. Catalytic converters are a good example.
If you are unsure of using an independent shop, talk to friends, go to AAA.com/repair, or try a less complicated job, such as an oil change, to gauge your experience.
Q: I have a 2012 GMC Acadia with 53,000 miles. Last year, when we went to start the car, it shook. The stabilitrak/traction control alerts were flashing, as well as the check engine light. It blew out smoke and smelled like gas.
We took the vehicle to the mechanic. They couldn't find a problem. The same thing has now happened three times in the last month. I had a friend check the code and it says misfire. As predicted, we brought it to the mechanic and by then there were no codes. My mechanic is hoping the code is for a specific cylinder and not a "generalized" misfire code this time. Any suggestions if it isn't a specific cylinder misfire code?
A: Over time, we have seen combustion chamber deposits causing random misfire codes. Carbon builds up in the engine and causes the valves to not fully close. At this point, if you don’t get a specific code, perhaps have your shop try a combustion chamber cleaning. The other option is to try a combination of TopTier gasoline and a cleaner such as Techron or Seafoam.
Q: In a recent column, you answered a question about a leaking booster vacuum diaphragm. I have a two-part follow-up question about a hard brake pedal. If neglected, is the condition potentially dangerous? And, in a car with automatic transmission, could this impede the ability to start a car with a push-button ignition if the brake pedal cannot be depressed sufficiently?
A: If the power booster fails completely, the brakes will still work, but it may take two feet on the brake pedal to overcome the power booster.
So if the booster was leaking, you may need to push the pedal quite hard to start the car. Once running, the power brakes would more or less work OK.
For safety reasons, vehicles with both power brakes and power steering will work when the engine is off, but will require a lot more effort on the driver’s part.
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: The tire store didn’t put on factory tires on my vehicle | Car Doctor
