Q. I wanted to let the gentleman with the Infiniti G35 know that I had the same experience with slippage with my G35 (Transportation, Jan. 23).
I went through last winter at a snail’s pace and prayed I make it to work every day on snowy days. This year, during the first major snow storm around Thanksgiving, I bought a 70-pound bag of sand and tossed it in the trunk. Since then, my car has been super stable. You can feel it working. I would suggest my colleagues invest $4 on bag of sand. Remove the sand when snow is not in the forecast to prevent drag and save on gas. B.S., Schaumburg
A. That’s a good, old trick, especially for rear-wheel-drive cars. Some people use cat litter. Plus, you can toss that under your wheels for traction if you get stuck.
Q. About four months ago, I was driving at night when all of the lights went out–every light including those on the dash–on my 1996 Lincoln Town Car. I hit the flashers and pulled on the dimmer handle and the lights came back on. This happened a couple more times in the next 15 miles. The next day, the Lincoln dealer replaced the multifunction switch. The car was OK for about four months, but now it is happening again. The dealer says it may be a relay or the headlight switch. G.S., Streator
A. As soon as said your lights went out, we thought of the multifunction switch or relay. But when you mentioned that the dash lights went out, too, we eliminated the relay. That leaves the headlight switch or a connector in the wiring harness. Please let us know when you get it fixed, as we hate to be left in the dark.
Q. I recently had a rust-related repair on my front disc brakes. The dealer said that rust repairs are common. I asked why those parts were not made of a rustproof material. He did not know. Do you? M.S., Wheeling
A. The discs (rotors) are made of cast iron, or more likely, sintered iron because it is strong, dissipates heat well and provides a good coefficient of friction for the brake pads. Unfortunately, iron rusts and there’s not much we can do about that.
Q. I have a 2003 E500 Mercedes. The original equipment tires are 245/45VR17 and the wheels are 17 x 8 1/2. In a fit of vanity, I replaced them with 245/40WR18 and 18 x 8 AMG five-spoke wheels. The car now drifts right, off the crown of the road. It did not do so before. I had the alignment checked at the dealer with the 18-inch tires on, and they said it was right on. The car still pulled. I then put the original tires and wheels back on and had them check the alignment again. It was right on. In the meantime, I switched the tires right to left with no change in the pulling. I then replaced all four tires with another brand, thinking that maybe they were all bad. No change. The tire dealer does not think the half-inch difference in the wheels should make a difference. C.M., Chicago
A. We posed your question to our technical expert at Tire Rack, who told us this is a challenging one because of numerous variables.
The two sets of tires you purchased are aftermarket tires. The only difference our expert could conjure is that carmakers often require the original equipment supplier to provide a tire designed to complement and enhance the model of car it is used on. For instance your original tires may have self-centering characteristics.
That doesn’t mean that the 18-inch set-up shouldn’t work. It means that since replacement tires are designed to accommodate a range of vehicles, you may need to tweak the alignment settings beyond factory specs.
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Bob Weber is an ASE-certified Master Automobile Technician, having recertified every five years since 1978. Address your technical questions about cars and trucks to him in care of Motormouth, 17717 Silcott Springs Rd., Purcellville, Va., 20132. Send e-mail, including name and town, to motormouth(underscore)trib@verizon.net. Answers will be supplied only through the newspaper.
