Q & A #58 With The Auto Specialist
Q & A #58 With The Auto Specialist
Thanks for joining me for the latest installment of the Auto Specialist. From looking at our numbers, this column is receiving a healthy stream of new readers. For those of you who have recently started reading this regular feature, I’d like to encourage you to explore our archives when you get a chance. I’ve been diagnosing car problems for readers for the past several months. During that time, we’ve amassed an impressive library of automotive knowledge.
Today, we’re going to answer Gerri’s question about oxygen sensors and spark plugs. We’ll also help Tom with his Infiniti’s fuel injectors. Lastly, we’ll take a look at whether replacing the water pump in Jack’s Dodge Ram is necessary.
Let’s get started.
Question: My car is a 2001 Toyota Camry with almost 117,000 miles. I took it in for a basic oil change last week. The mechanic said my spark plugs were fouled and needed to be replaced. He also said I should have the oxygen sensor replaced since that was fouling up the plugs. Honestly, I don’t know much about cars. Does his advice sound right to you. Or, is he just trying to get me to agree to more repairs? Thanks for any help you can give me.
Answer: Thanks for sending in your question, Gerri. Regarding whether your oxygen sensor can foul your spark plugs, yes. It can. The sensor’s job is to monitor the exhaust coming out of the combustion chambers. It sends that data back to the computer, so the computer can adjust the amount of fuel that enters the chambers. If the oxygen sensor fails, or sends bad data to the computer, it can set the stage for a rich air-fuel mixture. Over time, the rich mixture can produce deposits on the spark plugs. These deposits can foul the plugs.
Whether the oxygen sensor is actually fouling your plugs is the question. Fouled plugs can occur for many reasons. I recommend have a couple of mechanics run a diagnostic test to see whether the sensor is working properly.
Question: I’m driving a 2003 Infiniti G35 with 86,400 miles on it. I had some routine maintenance done a few days ago at the dealership. The technician on duty told me that my fuel injectors were clogged and needed to be replaced. This news isn’t surprising to me because I’ve been noticing a sporadic loss in power during acceleration. Even so, I wanted to ask you whether this sounds legitimate and whether I should run a cleaner through the injectors.
Answer: Thanks for your question, Tom. With the mileage on your vehicle, clogged fuel injectors are common. So, no surprise there. If you’re not already doing so, I suggest using a good-quality gas and swapping out the fuel filter every 30,000 miles. Brand name fuels already have cleaners in them, so there’s no need for an additional cleaner. If your injectors are already clogged, you’ll need to replace them.
Question: I have a 2004 Dodge Ram with the mileage at 73,000. My mechanic wants to change the timing belt in my truck and suggested that I replace the water pump, too. At the moment, the water pump is fine (though the timing belt is on its last legs). Given that, why is there a need to replace it? It seems like a waste of money to me.
Answer: Thanks for writing in, Jack. You’re mechanic is actually doing you a favor. In a lot of vehicles, the water pump is nearly impossible to reach without first removing the timing belt. If you were to have your mechanic replace the belt, but not the pump, he would need to remove the belt later when the pump eventually fails. In the long run, it’s less expensive to simply replace both at the same time, even if the water pump is still working fine.
That’s it for today’s installment. I’d like to say thanks again to Gerri, Tom, and Jack for letting us help with their car problems. We’ll have another batch of questions ready in the near future. Until then, drive safely.
