Q: Three months ago, I bought a 2006 Ford Fusion SEL from CarMax.
I had my first oil change yesterday and a “full inspection” as part of the service. They said the power steering needed a flush and fill as well as the brake system.
The manager showed me a dip strip, ostensibly from the brake fluid, that had changed to a red color. He told me this indicated contamination of the brake fluid by free copper in the lines. He said this will destroy my brake system from the inside out, causing expensive repairs in the future. Might there be some truth in it?
— M.S., Chicago
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A: The test strips with which I am familiar turn lavender, then purple, when copper is detected in the brake fluid, indicating the need for changing. Get a second opinion if you don’t trust the shop you used. Copper indicates that the fluid’s corrosion inhibitors are depleted.
Q: I have a 2006 Mercury Mountaineer. If the auto sits for a while, on startup there is a large puff of smoke from the exhaust and a little tapping noise from the engine, which stops after a few seconds. Otherwise, there are no other problems when starting. Should I be worried?
— A.P., Willow Springs, Ill.
A: Our hunch is that oil is seeping past the engine’s valves and into the combustion chambers as the car sits. When you start the engine, the oil burns away. This is usually due to worn valve guide seals or, in a worse case, worn guides. This is not a major problem, but if it gets worse, have it repaired.
Q: I have a 2008 Chevy 1500 Express van with 115,000 miles. My instrument panel shows a warning message of “service Stabilitrak” and the ABS brake warning light comes on.
It started out when I made a sharp right turn or hit a bump. After driving a while, the panel would issue a ding and the warning lights would go out. Last year, I had the same problem and the dealer replaced a rear-wheel speed sensor that failed. It cost $364, and that solved the problem, until now. Can I ignore the warning lights, or do I have to keep paying the dealer $364 a year to keep replacing them?
— W.D., Bolingbrook, Ill.
A: If you ignore the problem, your vehicle will be safe to drive, but the brakes will behave like a system without ABS. Steering control will revert to the basic system, without the safety feature of Stabilitrak. For your safety, and in consideration of others on the road, we would suggest replacing the faulty sensor. Any good independent shop can do the job; you are not required to use the dealer.
Clarification: Several readers contacted us regarding the question about who is responsible for a flat tire on a rental car.
We answered that the rental agency will cover road service based on our contacting the agency from whom we regularly rent.
Other agencies have differing programs.
As such, we suggest you ask when making rental arrangements.