Drive it forever : Never mix your coolant types

Dear Mike: We have a 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan — bought new — that has 20,646 miles on it. I noticed that the radiator level was low two weeks ago so I added a 50/50 mix of water and Prestone — we live in Washington state.

When we took it in for a winter servicing, I asked them to pay special attention to the cooling system, since we’d never needed to add any fluid in the three years we’ve owned it. They found that the water pump is leaking, which seems early with so few miles on it.

But they also told me that since I added “green” antifreeze to the manufacturer’s “red” antifreeze, it would require a coolant-system flush. They said that only their antifreeze can be used in Chrysler vehicles. Is this true? It seems to me that antifreeze is antifreeze.

And what if I had used a brand that was red? They never would have known and then what would have happened to my engine?

A: Never mix coolant types. And just because they’re the same color doesn’t mean anything.

It used to be that coolant was coolant. Now there are at least a half-dozen variants. The additive packages are mutually incompatible. This can lead to corrosion in the cooling system and the early demise of things like water pumps and radiators. I don’t recommend even mixing brands, much less types.

And if you’re changing a water pump, the system is going to be empty anyway. Start over with the correct coolant.

Dear Mike: My Dodge dealer tells me I have power-assist power steering, but it drives like a truck without power steering. Is there such a thing as power-assist power steering, or do I just have a bad power-steering pump? I have a 1999 minivan and have just over 100,000 miles. Any assistance would be appreciated.

A: Power assist means power steering. Obviously, there’s something wrong with it.

Dear Mike: I have a 1996 Ford Taurus, and yesterday I shut my door and all the interior lights stayed on, as well as the “door ajar” light. I got out and securely closed all the doors. I can assume only that one of the sensors that recognizes when the door is closed is broken. But I looked on the door and am having trouble finding the sensor.

Until I get it fixed, I’m attaching and removing my battery every time I get in and out of my car. As you can imagine, this problem is costing me a lot of time. Can you help me fix my car?

A: Are you sure the switch on the light hasn’t been turned from the “door” position to the “on” position?

Dear Mike: I recently went to the Jeep dealer to have my 2004 Grand Cherokee’s front and rear axles drained and refilled. The cost for the four quarts of replacement gear lube was over $80. I felt this was too much, and told the service manager. He said it was synthetic and mandated for use by the factory to keep the warranty in effect. What do you think?

A: I agree that it’s too expensive. But so far I haven’t found any substitutes on the market that Jeep considers an acceptable alternative. It’s unacceptable.

Dear Mike: I plan to leave my 2000 Acura TL idle for six weeks. The Acura dealer advised me to remove the negative battery cable. Do you agree with this advice?

A: You could do that, and for free. Or, for 20 bucks or so, you could use a battery maintainer. You’ll need power nearby, of course. A third option is to get some responsible adult to drive the car for an hour or so at the three-to-four week point.

Dear Mike: I have 2005 Kia Optima LX sedan. A couple of weeks ago I found two dents on the hood, on the left side and one on the top right quarter panel — but we didn’t have any hail. Now there are three dents on the top of the quarter panel, two more on the roof and about five on the hood. The dealer said there is no warranty because the dents do not have paint damage.

Could you tell me how I can remove the dents?

A: Stop parking under that tree! The squirrels are using your car for target practice.

More seriously, look up paintless dent repair in the local Yellow Pages.