Questions and answers from the 'Car Doctor'

Q. I have a Nissan Rogue that's due for 60,000-mile maintenance. The dealership is quoting me about $1000 to perform the 60,000-mile service. I'm considering taking it to a private automotive shop which could be cheaper. Any thoughts or recommendations on a non-dealer doing this as well as any automotive shops?

A. Any good repair shop that uses AllData or similar repair databases (or even the vehicle owner's manual) can perform the 60,000-mile service. There are a series of checks which take a little time, plus oil and brake fluid change, tire rotation, replacement of the cabin and engine air filter and interestingly the key-fob batteries. If you are looking for a shop look for the ASE (technician certification). For a AAA Approved shop (also ASE certified techs) go to aaa.com/repair

Q. I have 2021 Ford Bronco Sport (1.5L Turbo), I am trying to decide whether to purchase breakdown insurance for 10 years 100K miles. If I follow fluid changes recommended by Ford, will I have any issues before 100,000 miles? Just wondering what your thoughts are. I understand there not much history with this engine, but you may have some insights.

A. This engine has been used in the Ford Escape for several years and it has had less than a stellar record. There were issues with head gaskets and other problems that in some cases required complete engine replacement. If it were my Bronco I would wait until the factory warranty was near the end of its term and then consider buying an extended service contract/warranty. There is no sense in buying in now and paying for coverage you already have.

Q. Will AAA come out and charge the battery in my car or is it just a jump start? What about changing the battery?

A. AAA will come out and test the car's battery as well as the starting and charging system. We will jumpstart a dead battery if possible. We don't have on-board battery chargers, although your vehicle, if operating normally will charge the battery to some extent. It is best when a battery is completely discharged to have it fully charged using a battery charger. If the battery is in poor condition, the roadside technician can install a battery on the spot and properly recycle the old battery.

Q. I have a 1969 3/4-ton Chevy truck with a 350 cubic inch V-8 engine. The engine has a dead cylinder when idling and if I rev the engine up the number four cylinder-header will than get hot but at idle the same cylinder is cool. What could be wrong?

A. The exhaust port staying cool indicates there is no or incomplete combustion at the number four cylinder. The best way to determine what is wrong is to first remove the spark plug and see what it looks like. If it is heavily oil fouled, the piston rings or valve seals could be bad. The issue could also be a faulty ignition wire or even a crack in the distributer cap. If it is white, the engine could be very lean from a valve that is burnt or a vacuum leak. The next step would be a compression test or cylinder leak down test. The spark plug will give you the beginning of the story of what is wrong.

Q. I recently bought 2023 Lexus IS300. The dealer says I should use 93 octane gas to get the best performance and best mileage. Performance not important to me (I'm in my mid 80's) but I don't want to hurt engine! The 93-octane gas is a lot more money that the 87-octane gas, what do you recommend?

A. The dealer is correct that the best performance will come from using premium fuel. To determine if it is needed is based on what it states on the fuel cap door. If the door states 91 octane fuel required, then you need to use premium fuel to prevent engine damage. If the fuel door states 91-octane fuel recommended, then you can use 87 octane fuel. Recently I was driving a four-cylinder turbocharged vehicle and octane choice according to the manufacturer could make a difference. Using 87 octane fuel would not harm the engine, but the stated horsepower was 275, moving up to premium fuel the horsepower jumped to 300.

Q. I am about to purchase a 2023 Subaru Forester and saw a very disturbing YouTube video concerning the emergency brake. In the YouTube video it showed that if the battery dies and the car is not in park that neither the braking system nor the emergency brake can be engaged in order to keep the car from rolling. Is this true? And what do you do if something happens, and the battery dies while the car is not in park, and you can't engage the emergency brake! This seems to be a mechanical flaw if it is the case and a very scary one!

A. This sounds like a bit of a parlor trick and a YouTuber trying to get their views up. Although if the car is in drive and the battery is completely discharged the electric parking brake will not work and it is a bit tricky to get the car in park. That being said, the service brakes will still work. Under anything but extreme or made-up conditions I can't think of anytime that the battery would fail completely, and you would have the car in any gear other park.

Got a car question, email the Car Doctor for a personal reply. jpaul@aaanortheast.com