How often should I change the transmission fluid? Car Doctor answers to 5 questions.
Q: I recently completed a cross-country trip in my newly acquired 2011 Mercedes-Benz GLK. Does this vehicle have a timing chain or timing belt (car currently has 80,000 miles on it)? How often do I change the transmission fluid?
A: This model of Mercedes-Benz has a timing chain. So, under normal circumstances, there is no maintenance.
Regarding the transmission fluid, Mercedes-Benz uses indicator bases maintenance — the car will remind you when the fluid needs changing.
According to AllData — one of the technical databases that I use, this translates into a rather aggressive 40,000-miles service. Based on this information your car is about due or extremely overdue for a transmission service.
2015 MINI Cooper message 'Secure vehicle against rolling'
Q: I just purchased a 2015 MINI Cooper. It was a really good deal because it needed some work, and apparently the previous owner had a dog that must have spent many hours in this little car.
After hours of shampooing, vacuuming and even using a carpet steamer/extractor, the car smells pretty good. The one weird thing now is that when I stop, the car puts up a message “secure vehicle against rolling.” The shifter is in park and the emergency brake is on. What more can I do?
A: If you remove the shifter assembly, you are likely to find two things wrong. The most common is the shift interlock lever is broken, and the sensor doesn’t know the shifter is in park. The other possibility is that the mechanism, lever, solenoid or magnet are caked with debris, cookies, coffee, dog treats and soda. If this is the case, cleaning should solve the problem.
Mercedes-Benz S-580 review
Q: During your radio show, you mentioned the big Mercedes-Benz S-580 and how you liked it and how you hated it. What caused you to hate this beautiful sedan? Would you buy one?
A: I don’t think I said I hated it. I was more annoyed with it. The infotainment system doesn’t use any knobs for volume or channel tuning. On the steering wheel there was a volume adjustment, but it wasn’t a knob but more of a touch-sensitive slider.
Then there were some odd features: If you were not sitting just correctly (according to Mercedes-Benz) you would get a message that you should readjust the seat and steering wheel until you could see six dots on the dash.
Now, this big Mercedes-Benz was extremely comfortable, rode wonderfully, had all-wheel-drive and was amazingly powerful and, since it's a hybrid, the fuel economy was pretty good.
Would I buy this car? If I could afford it, yes!
Storing a car for the winter
Q: What are some tips to put my car away for the winter? We have two cars; one we will drive to Palm Beach for the winter and the other car will stay home parked in the garage. I’m not too technical, so any real repairs will be handled by my repair shop.
A: When you bring the car in for service, let them know the car will be sitting for several months. Start with an oil change, top off and check all of the fluids and add a little extra lubrication to anything that moves. This would include locks, cables and anything that could stick.
Prior to putting the car away, add fuel stabilizer to a full tank of gas and inflate the tires to the maximum inflation pressure. Keep the battery charged using a float-style battery charger. These battery chargers maintain the battery and will not overcharge it.
A car cover — even when parked indoors — is a good idea. And if there is any chance that there are rodents around, try some chemical deterrents.
2016 Ford Explorer making a banging noise
Q: I have a 2016 Ford Explorer, and it has been a pretty good vehicle. Recently, it started making a banging noise from the rear. I had the shocks and exhaust system checked during a recent oil change and they told me everything looked fine. Any thoughts?
A: Common on some 2013-2017 Ford Explorers was failure of the rear suspension toe-link ball joint. This is especially common in areas that use ice-melting chemicals. The issue was problematic enough that many Ford Explorers were covered by a recall.
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: AAA Car Doctor provides advice on 5 questions about your car
