Questions and answers from the ‘Car Doctor’

Q. I have a 2018 Honda CR-V that I brought to a Honda dealership to be serviced which included a transmission fluid replacement and an oil change. After the car was serviced, I drove to Rhode Island and noticed something was leaking on my driveway and went to a local dealership and they found the drain plug was loose and leaking transmission fluid. They test drove the car to verify transmission health after they replaced the transmission fluid. I do not know how much fluid leaked out after driving 10 hours. My concern is that the transmission may have been damaged by not having enough fluid in it. Is that possible?

A. If the drain plug was just loose and dripping chances are the fluid was not low enough to cause any problems. Low fluid can cause the transmission to overheat and certainly shorten its life, but typically you will notice the car is not shifting quite right or even a check engine light. At this point you have full documentation of the issue and if something happens in the future you should be able to go back to the Honda dealer to cover any out of warranty issues.

Q. Since you answered a boat question once before, here is another one. On our outboard motor I cannot remove a slotted screw which allows us to drain the gear oil. The screw at the top was removed with no issues. I have tried spraying it with Kroil penetrant, heating the metal around it with Mapp gas but the screw does not budge. I have inadvertently widened the slot, so it is tough to get a good bite with the screwdriver. Help, the boat cannot be launched until this gets done and the season is ticking away.

A. Generally, a large screwdriver and an adjustable wrench around the screwdriver shaft is the answer, which I’m guessing you have already tried. I would try an impact driver, using the tip that best matches the drain plug. Get the tip as tight to the plug as possible and hit the impact driver with a hammer-do not get crazy a couple of well place medium taps usually does it. Anyone who has ever owned a motorcycle is familiar with stuck bolts in aluminum. Once you remove the drain plug replace it with a new one as well as the little gasket that seals the plug.

Q. You answered a question about tools for cleaning the inside of a rear window; neither the questioner nor you addressed the issue of the conductive grid on the inside of most rear windows. Will cleaning solutions damage the grid? Will sponges, squeegees, cloths or paper towels damage the grid? I have always sprayed the solution on a paper towel or rag, wiped the glass between the wires, and dried the glass with a dry cloth or paper towel. Am being too careful? Is the grid robust enough to survive being sprayed with cleaning solution and dried with a cloth or a paper towel?

A. The heating grids that are above the glass (some are imbedded) are quite robust and a typical spray cleaner causes no issues. When I clean any window, I am a fan of foamy spray cleaner and microfiber cloths. It has been my experience that most defroster grids are damaged by hard objects, or cats and dogs.

Q. I replaced my 2016 Chevy Z71 Colorado front brakes with ceramic disc pads approximately two months ago. To me, the pedal feels a little spongy when I push down to stop. Also, this is a bit of a “grabbing” noise prior to stopping after a while. Could it be a result of the pads heating up? I did bring the truck right back when I drove it home from the shop. They said there was no issue. Any thoughts?

A. All brakes pads have certain characteristics, but overall, I have found that ceramic pads are quiet, produce less dust and stop smoothly. The most popular brakes pads and what your vehicle likely had were semi-metalic pads. These pads have between 30-70 percent mixed metal content. For some drivers, especially those with performance-oriented vehicles, they tend to prefer the metallic brake pads because they offer improved braking performance. This is because the metallic pad is a good conductor of heat and will transfer heat quicker providing more controlled stopping in high performance situations. Overall, under hard braking a semi metallic brake pad offers a firmer brake feel.

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