Cowl Shake

Question: We read a review of a car my husband is interested in buying, and it said it had rather severe “cowl shake.” What does that mean? Answer: Clearly, he’s interested in buying a convertible! Cowl shake is the term given to the slight rocking motion or vibration you get when you ride over bumps or take turns pretty fast. It happens because, without the metal roof, there’s significantly less rigidity in the vehicle. This allows for some flexing, often most clearly detectable in the windshield and front dashboard area. It won’t vibrate you off the road. But some people find it more unsettling than others. That’s why, if you’re considering a convertible, you need to test drive a considerable distance with the top down, going over bumps and tight curves so you’ll know how much cowl shake happens in this particular vehicle (they differ in degree of cowl shake) and whether it bothers you much. And you need to do this as both the driver and the passenger. A reader comments: “This isn’t car advice in the strictest sense, but I wish you’d suggest to readers that they keep their vehicle’s key fob next to the bed at night. If someone tries to break into their house, they can hit the ‘panic’ button on the fob and the car horn will go off. That will make most criminals run, because neighbors will be getting up, turning on lights and looking out windows. This advice came from a cop who came to our house after we had a midnight break in.” I’m happy to share this tip. And I’m very sorry for your ordeal. This is a great suggestion, and one that was given at a home and personal security session that the police put on in my city recently. You should do a test to make sure activating it from your bedroom works. The range on most is pretty good. They also suggested having your key in your hand when you’re walking across parking lots so you can hit the panic button if you need to, and even hanging onto it when you’re unloading your car after a shopping trip or vacation so you can hit it if some jerk decides to finish the emptying-out process. What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, driving and repairing your vehicle. Email Sharon@ctwfeatures.com.