Q.
Here in Florida we have a problem with hard water, which leaves spots on the finish. An employee at a car-detailing shop said that I should wash the car in a solution of 1 ounce of kerosene to 5 gallons of clean water. This is supposed to help with the water spots, but he also claims that I’ll never have a problem with rust on the car again. Will the kerosene leak into the undercarriage and take off some of the factory rust-proofing? – J.S.
A.
Since factory rust-proofing is put on electronically, I doubt kerosene will affect it. Worse things get into your undercarriage as you drive.
Years ago, when I was working in the oil fields, the drillers on the rigs used to wash their cars using the exact kerosene solution you described. It gave the cars a lot of shine, and I never saw any with rust on them.
Remember that kerosene or similar substances are used in many car polishes. I’ve never heard of this dilution doing any harm to the finish and, indeed, the coating should keep saltwater and salts from eating away at your car’s exterior.
For years, Canadians have used a kerosene spray on the undercarriage of their cars, before the onset of winter, to protect the cars against the ravages of road salts.
Q.
A famous oil-change franchise tells me that the PCV valves and breather elements on my cars need to be changed regularly. I don’t see any mention of this in the car’s maintenance schedule. What do you think? – J.M.
A.
The PCV is a one-way valve that directs crankcase and engine oil fumes back into the intake manifold where they can be mixed with the incoming fuel/air charge and be burned in the engine instead of vented to the atmosphere.
While PCVs get dirty, they can be cleaned. Unless the piston inside the valve is stuck, you rarely need a new one. Cleaning will do just fine.
The breather element is also something that can be cleaned. Again, you only need a new one if the old one gets so dirty that regular cleaning fails to remove all the dirt.
These parts are cheap and easy to replace. You can do it yourself with ease.
Q.
I work at the Kennedy Space Center on the crawler transporters that carry the space shuttles. Recently there has been some question about engine oil for our diesels. A NASA lubricant expert was called in for samples and analysis of the oils we used. He found traces of babbitt, moly, fibers and more in brand-new oil. He then bought four quarts of new engine oil at a parts house and found the same items in the new oil that he had found in the diesel oil.
His conclusion was that these oils weren’t new but re-refined oils.
Are the oil companies doing this to the public as well as the government? If this is true, do you know of a company that sells 100 percent new oil? – J.W.
A.
I doubt that the oil the chemist analyzed is re-refined. There are a number of industry studies that show even brand-new oil is likely to have contaminants in it.
Samples analyzed in these studies all showed that traces of foreign materials somehow got into the oil during the formulation, storage, blending or packaging processes.
So – no, the oil manufacturers aren’t perfect, and no, they aren’t selling re-refined oil as new. Small traces of foreign matter in new oil is common and won’t hurt a thing.
High mileage club
From James Wheeler: In 1984 I bought a brand-new Honda Prelude right off the transport truck in Simi Valley. I now have 240,000 happy miles on it with the original engine and transmission.
I’ve replaced all the brake disc pads twice, the timing belt twice, the alternator twice and the clutch twice. I change the oil every 5,000 miles and change NGK spark plugs every 30,000 miles. The original paint still looks very good. I’ve taken the car across the country and have always taken the curviest roads possible. I still enjoy my Prelude, and it has never disappointed me.
Bob Sikorsky has written several automotive books. Write to him c/o Lifestyle, Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33301-2293.
