Steering You Right with Sharon Peters
Q: I’ve just relocated to a town that experiences summer days that are typically 100 to 110 degrees. There’s no shade where I park. Is there an exterior car cover that covers my car’s top and windows to keep the interior cooler?
A: I found some online vendors offering products that seem to fit the bill.
Budgetcarcovers.com offers such an item for about $50 (in different sizes for SUVs, sedans and so on.)
I’d never considered this as a plausible approach to keeping cars cooler, but others, like you, obviously have thought it through and arrived at this solution, so there are options.
You can find more vendors by doing a search on top-half covers.
Q: I’m changing a water pump on a 1999 Toyota Sienna, 157,000 miles. We intend on keeping it. Is there anything else to worry about changing at this time?
A: Yikes. You didn’t specify what’s already been replaced; I imagine it’s plenty with that mileage. So it’s hard to be specific. I’d suggest that if you haven’t replaced the timing belt, you do that, as a broken one can damage that water pump you just put in.
Other things to think about (and this is by no means a complete list): replace (don’t just top off) the coolant, which is usually recommended at 125,000 to 140,000 miles, and have the mechanic check out the fuel filter and shocks and struts. Best to consult the owner’s manual and make some decisions based on the recommendations there.
Q: Many of the new SUVs look like minivans. I don’t purchase vehicles based exclusively on looks, but I certainly reject them based on looks, and there’s a definite no going on. Have you noticed this?
A: I have. Many of us are referring to this is the minivan-ification era (though the vehicles are generally not as tall as minivans and don’t have many of the features that have made true minivans so popular with some people).
I actually think most look not so much like minivans as they do the Subaru Outback, a very popular vehicle with a design that reminds me of 1950s and 1960s station wagons.
Sedans have settled into a certain sameness in looks, too. It’s not a good era for car design.
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What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, driving and repairing your vehicle. Email [email protected].