Drive it forever: Just keep new motorhome waxed

Sat., Oct. 28, 2006

Mike Allen c.2006 Popular Mechanics

Dear Mike: We recently bought a new motorhome. It is a small Sprinter chassis-based unit and looks wonderful!

The dealer is trying to convince us to buy a paint shield — an acrylic ceramic-type polymer coating. Are any of the claims about this stuff true? We do live on the coast, which is a harsh environment. Since the vehicle is new and we want it to look good, should we buy the protectant? The RV will be stored outdoors since it won’t fit in our garage. Thank you in advance. — J.L.

A: Most new car dealers have stopped heavy-duty marketing of those polymer coatings by now. I’m guessing he wants a couple of hundred bucks for this application. Just keep the vehicle waxed instead.

Dear Mike: I have attached an e-mail I received that has a video claiming that a company in Clearwater, Fla. is ready to manufacture a device that uses water and converts it to hydrogen that can propel an automobile. I thought I would get your opinion. Thanks for your time and any assistance you can provide. — A.M.

A: First, all readers can stop forwarding that video to me, please. I’ve gotten it hundreds of times. Yes, you can make hydrogen from water. But it requires a lot of electricity, expensive electricity, more expensive than burning gasoline, so what’s the point?

Dear Mike: My 1998 Chevrolet Corvette was recalled because of the steering column lock. I had the recall work completed by my local Chevrolet dealer. Since then, the car stalls (fuel shuts off) intermittently after start-up when it’s put in Forward or Reverse; the message reads “pull key and wait 10 seconds.” After I pull the key and wait 10 seconds, it is fine. The stall doesn’t happen every time, and I haven’t been able to make it happen while at the dealership. I never had this problem occur prior to the recall.

The dealership recommended I purchase a new battery, which I did, but the stalling continues. Can you help me? The car is now back at the dealership for the fourth time. I’m getting very frustrated at their inability to remedy this problem. — J.C.L.

A: According to the Lemon Law in almost every state, the dealership has three tries to fix a problem before they have to buy the car back from you. Start reminding them of this — it may motivate them to try harder. They may need keep the car for a few days to get it to reproduce the problem, though.

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