Q: This is my first winter with my 2011 Lexus CT200h. I plan to just keep it in the garage until springtime. How concerned should I be about the Hybrid System Battery draining all the way down? So far, I’ve been starting the car for about 15 minutes every two weeks. I also thought it would be a good idea to drive it around for a few miles at least once a month. Is that really necessary? How long can I go without starting it, before worrying about the Hybrid battery?
— M.M., Chicago
A: In addition to the normal 12-volt battery, your hybrid car has an HV battery. Toyota calls it the Hybrid Vehicle battery, most people thinks it means High Voltage. The 12-volt battery is charged by the HV battery whenever the “Ready” light glows in the instrument panel. Running the engine charges the HV battery and, thus, the 12-volt battery. You need to run the engine at least 30 minutes after the “Ready” light comes on. Driving the vehicle is our preferred method, and we suggest you do so at least monthly.
Q: I would like your opinion on a gadget called the Fuel Doctor. Their ad says it increases “your vehicle’s MPG up to 20 percent.” Is it good? Could it cause damage?
— J.N., Stevens Point, Wis.
A: We have not tested one, but Consumer Reports has. They state on their website: “When we first reported on the (Fuel Doctor FD-47), we said the $50 to $60 device, which claims to boost fuel economy by as much as 25 percent, failed to deliver any benefit in our tests. The manufacturer challenged that conclusion, saying we should have used different test procedures and older vehicles. So we recently ran a new set of tests deliberately designed to reflect many of the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Bottom line? Our conclusion remains the same: No improvement in miles per gallon with the FD-47. We continue to rate the Fuel Doctor a ‘Don’t Buy: Performance Problem’.”
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Q: I think I can help the reader who wants his daughter to learn to drive a car with a manual transmission. I used to teach at the Excel school in Naperville and they had a Corolla for that purpose. Their website (http://www.exceldrivingschool.com) indicates they still offer this instruction.
— L.C., Naperville
A: Thanks for the lead. We called Excel and they have one 1993 Geo Prizm with a manual transmission, but only at their Naperville location. The school offers a one-hour session for licensed drivers for $70. The phone number is 630-983-9235.
Q: Would it harm my 2004 Toyota Camry if I add my Toro snow thrower’s unused 50:1 mixture at the end of winter? This is two-cycle oil mixed with 1 gallon of unleaded gas.
—F.D., Chicago
A: Fifty parts gasoline to one part oil is very lean. Poured into a car’s tank before filling up at the gas station would disperse that oil so much that its effect would be negligible.
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