With 130,000 miles, your car probably needs more octane
Dear Bob: I have a 1998 Ford Windstar with 130,000 miles. This car had been very good to our family until about a year ago. That’s when it began pinging, only when accelerating.
I had a tuneup, and the plugs and wires were replaced. We also put in a new air filter. We have tried all types of cleaner fluids and gas additives, with no luck.
If I use high-octane gas, it doesn’t ping. However, I would like to fix the problem, not cover it up. With the price of gas, paying for high-octane will put me in the poor house before long!
— “Pinging in North Carolina,” via e-mail
A: You weren’t “covering up” the problem when you used premium gas, you were finding its cause: insufficient octane. Remember that, as a vehicle ages and accumulates mileage, it needs more octane to give new-car-comparable performance. With 130,000 miles, your Windstar qualifies as a candidate for a higher-octane gasoline than the one recommended when it was new.
As I’ve noted many times in the past, you might try mixing half regular and half premium. This mixture may provide enough of an octane boost to stop your vehicle from pinging while costing enough less than pure premium to help delay your trip to the poor house.
Dear Bob: Will you be so kind as to explain why my charger indicator doesn’t show a charge much of the time?
I have a 1991 GMC Suburban. I’ve checked the alternator with a battery-alternator tester, and it shows that the battery is fully charged. My alternator gauge is analog with a needle, and most of the time the hand stays on the negative side — but I never have any problems starting the engine.
Should I ignore this? Or do I have to replace the gauge, which I don’t think would be easy?
Thanks.
— A.S., via e-mail
A: There are a number of reasons why your ammeter or charging indicator might be reading on the negative side. It could be that the gauge itself is bad, or it may be that a faulty voltage regulator isn’t allowing the proper voltage to reach the gauge cluster.
It may also be that there’s a loose connection between the alternator/regulator and the ammeter gauge. You should check to see that all connections are tight, especially the two terminal posts on the back of the ammeter gauge. The needle should read slightly to the negative side when the ignition is turned on, and then move to the plus or charge side when the engine is started and running.
Because you noted that your battery stays fully charged and that the alternator has also been tested, I’m guessing that the problem is either in the gauge itself or in the wiring or connections mentioned above.
If the wiring and connections prove to be intact, it will be a judgment call on your part whether you want to spend the money and time to install a new gauge or whether you can live with the old one and its frequently erroneous readings.
AMERICAN DRIVERS FIGHT BACK
Here’s a tip that will help you get better gas mileage while fighting terrorism and cutting our nation’s dependence on Mideastern oil:
Dear Bob: I enjoy your column, especially the part each week on saving gas.
I am curious. Does using cruise control save gas? The men in the family say no, unless the highway you are on is essentially flat.
Thank you.
— I.S., Martinsburg, W.V.
A: The men in your family are pretty smart cookies, at least where automotive matters are concerned. Cruise control can save gas, but mainly in highway driving.
When used on the open road, cruise control is more efficient than the vast majority of drivers, because it can maintain a steady speed with minimal application of throttle. The average driver can’t do that, either gaining or losing speed as his or her foot becomes heavy or restless on the gas pedal.
It’s not wise to use cruise control in mountainous country, because it will try its best to keep to the set speed regardless of the terrain. A great deal of gas can be wasted by the cruise control trying to maintain the set speed even when climbing steep hills.
It can also be dangerous in mountainous, curvy country, because the set speed may be too fast for the road conditions. But you’re from West Virginia, so I don’t have to tell you about steep hills and sharp curves.
Use cruise control when conditions dictate, though — conditions such as the men in your family suggest — and you will indeed save gas.