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Mar 6, 2012

How to Prevent Chattering Windshield Wipers

Q: I think I saw an ad in a recent issue for some kind of radical new windshield wiper. The wipers appeared to be very different...they looked like a solid white plastic piece, with a black line down the middle. I'm in desperate need of windshield wipers that actually work on my Volvo S60.

A: I can’t help you with the ads since I don’t see them at all until the magazine is back from the printer.

Usually poor windshield wiper performance is fixed by new blades. Chattering can involve judicious tuning of the blades’ angle to the glass.

My suggestion is to try thoroughly cleaning the glass with some non-scratching cleaner like Bon-Ami or Bar Keepers Friend, and follow up with Rain-X.

Horsepower vs. Fuel Economy

Q: It seems like your magazine features at least one excessively over powered gas guzzling car every issue, which seems to be in keeping with our country's obsession for ever more horse-power. The Japanese seem to hit their stride in terms of efficiency and reliability in the 1980s, and ever since, with a few exceptions, they have been jumping on the horse power wagon too. I had the opportunity to borrow a friend's late 80s 4-door Civic and was pleased with the car's acceleration and amazed by the gas mileage, 44 miles per gallon on the highway over two tanks. The mileage of Civics built in the 90s and in this decade still doesn't come close, so why should we get excited about some new Fiat 500 that is reported to only get 40 mpg and is much smaller than a 30-year old Honda?

A: Don’t forget to factor in that cars new emit less than 100th of a percent less emissions than a ‘70’s vintage car and are far safer in a crash thanks to engineered structures that crush and as many as a dozen air bags. All of that adds weight and complexity, which affects mileage.

My Car Radio Stopped Working

Q: Recently I replaced the battery in my 2006 Mazda, but now my audio system doesn't work. What did I do wrong?

A: Interrupting the voltage to the battery has activated the radio’s anti-theft code. That way, if someone steals a radio, it’s useless.

Somewhere in the paperwork in the glovebox that the car came with should be a sheet of cardboard with the radio’s security code. If you can’t find it, you’ll have to go to the dealer and pay to have them reset it. If it gets to that, be sure they give you the code for next time.