Q. We own a ’95 Chevy Silverado 2500 with a diesel engine. It runs fine on the new low-sulfur fuel, but a friend told us that since it is an older engine, it should have a diesel additive with each fill-up. I have not read anything about this. Is this necessary?
Also, is it necessary to put an additive in the red-dye diesel fuel for our tractor that may sit for six months before it is used.
A. It will do no harm and will probably help if you pour an additive in the tank every 2,500 miles.
A good additive contains a lubricity component that prevents premature wear of the costly high-pressure fuel distribution pump.
Low-sulfur fuels don’t have the lubricity of higher-sulfur fuels, and oil companies are supposed to put in the additives. According to a reliable source at Gold Eagle, an automotive chemical company, nearly 20 percent of the fuel it tested lacked additives.
Off-road diesel fuel, which is dyed red to show no highway taxes are paid on it, contains about 500 parts per million sulfur so your tractor will be fine. But speaking of fine, you risk a big one if you put dyed fuel in an on-road vehicle.
Q. My 2000 Honda Odyssey has 91,000 miles on it. Usually, at this point, I would change plugs, rotor, cap and wires. Do the individual plug coils wear out and should I change them too?
K.D., Naperville
A. The coil-on-plug ignition system is very robust thanks to its coil for each cylinder, instead of one for all.
Q. Regarding fuel-injection cleaners sold at retail, some brands are $2.99 a bottle and others $6.99. What should I be using in my 2003 Mercury Sable with 100,000 miles?
D.B., Chicago
A. The old cliche that you get what you pay for applies to fuel-injection cleaners. The cheap ones, usually less than $3 a bottle, have few or no cleaning agents. Many are upper-cylinder lubricants or simple solvents.
The better, mid-price products, contain polyisobutylene amine (PIBa), which does a fine job of injector cleaning. These generally cost $3 to $6 and have familiar brand names.
The top-of-the-line products contain polyether amine (PEa) that will not only clean fuel injectors, but also intake valves and even carbon buildup in cylinders. You won’t see these chemicals listed on most labels.
Q. I own a 2002 Hyundai Elantra. Hyundai advised me that to maintain my warranty I must follow the severe maintenance schedule because I live in the “Chicago area.” The severe schedule does not apply to my driving habits. I live in Bartlett and do not drive in Chicago. Does this make sense, or am I being scammed into a transmission flush every 30,000 miles?
E.L., Bartlett
A. If you do not drive your car under the conditions listed as severe in your owner’s manual, you will not void the warranty. If someone tells you that, ask them to put it in writing. We bet they won’t.
But, unless you do most of your driving on the highway, you may fall into the severe maintenance schedule.
Q. My brother gave me a 1994 Toyota Tercel with 130,000 miles.
Is it practical or wise to do some changes to it, like shocks or struts, which cost around $200 for parts alone? Brakes are rusted, too, and need changing. That will cost another $200. The CV boot is leaking and needs to be changed for $300.
The engine is fine and the body is fine — just little rust on the door. What can you expect from this car?
G.Q., Joliet
A. We expect you to take the money you would have spent on some used car whose history you know nothing about and put it into the Tercel.
Where will you find a reliable ride for less than $800? With TLC, we expect it will go another 70,000 miles.
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Bob Weber is an ASE-certified Master Automobile Technician. Write to Motormouth, 17717 Silcott Springs Rd., Purcellville VA 20132. Send e-mail, including name and town, to motormouth.trib@verizon.net. Answers will be supplied only through the paper.
