The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Car Doctor
mechanic. If the fluids look good, at 18 years old it may be best to leave well enough alone. Where I would have concerns is with the cooling system, hoses, and drive belts.
These rubber parts can all deteriorate with age. My advice is when the car goes in for service, let the technician give the car a thorough visual inspection and follow their advice on fluids and other repairs.
Q I have a 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis GS. I suspect there had been a small leak coming in the driver’s side front dripping onto the floor. The last couple of storms left a large puddle on the driver’s side. I cleaned the door rubbers and molding. The windshield looks okay. There’s too much water coming in to be that. The wiper motor was changed in May 2023. Could the fresh air vent be the culprit and if it is how do you clean it?
A With the hood open just below the windshield you will see what looks like a large plastic cover and in each corner, there are drain holes. I suspect that the water is going down the drain holes, but is finding a leak in the firewall, perhaps a deteriorated grommet or leaking seam. A little investigation with a helper, a garden hose and a good light should be able to determine the source of the leak.
Q I recently had a repair on my 2013 Buick by a GM dealership that I’ve been using for several years. I think it was pretty expensive and I’d appreciate your assessment of the bill which was $1000 for repair of the left rear hub/bearing. I was driving merrily on the parkway and suddenly I was getting messages on my information screen regarding the ABS and traction control systems. I got off the parkway and headed right to my dealership and they did the repair while I was waiting a few hours. All is fine now.
A Thanks for sending along the invoice. The cost of the part and labor hours are correct. I live in Massachusetts where the typical labor rate according to CARMD is $130 per hour. I will say I was a bit shocked to see $246 per hour labor rate listed on your invoice. Using the dealerships listed labor rate as well as the part cost, the price you paid was correct.
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