Q: I love my Honda CRV, but the car clock and radio/CD no longer function. A notice appears on the panel stating: “Enter Code.” I have no idea what the code is. This is a very recent dilemma. Is there a simple answer to this?
— E.J., Chicago
A: It is an anti-theft feature. Anyone who steals your radio will discover that it is useless. Since nobody has removed your radio, we suspect that your battery was disconnected and the code got erased. It should be in your owners manual, but if that is also lost, your dealer can quickly reset the radio.
Q: I have had fair success using DuPont Polishing Compound (white) or Rubbing Compound (red) to restore cloudy headlight lenses. I’ve even used 600 grit wet sandpaper on my daughter’s 10-year-old vehicle. The lenses were really bad. If you use the sandpaper, you must follow up with the rubbing and/or polishing compound to get out the microscopic sandpaper scratches. Using these products requires a lot of hard rubbing. But it is 20 minutes well spent.
— T.K., Naperville, Ill.
A: Most of the headlight lens restoration kits contain two or more sheets of wet/dry sandpaper of differing abrasion ratings. The steps go from using the most abrasive to the least, but your idea of rubbing compound for the final finish sounds great.
Q: I have a 2002 Toyota Camry XLE with 131,000 miles. Recently the check engine light came on and was diagnosed as the purge valve and the vapor canister. The estimated cost to repair by my regular shop was just over $900. Is it worth doing on an almost 14-year-old car? I plan to drive this car only 3,000 to 4,000 miles per year.
— J.G., Naperville, Ill.
A: The things you describe are all parts of the emission control system. All vehicles dating back to the 1996 model year are subject to periodic emissions inspection in Illinois. Ask your shop to reset the MIL (malfunction indicator light) and clear any codes. Then keep your fingers crossed that the MIL does not illuminate again.
Q: I just had repair work done on a 2010 Accord with 53,000 miles. The dealer referred to service bulletin 13-078. They replaced spark plugs on cylinders 1 through 4 and “updated software,” but then I read that the bulletin mentions rotating piston rings as the cause of the fouled plugs. Does this make it more likely that I will have problems in the future?
— P.A., Chicago
A: Honda issued a powertrain warranty extension resulting from a settlement, covering repairs of engine misfire, regarding piston rings on certain cylinders that rotate and their gaps align which can lead to spark plugs fouling, on some 2008-12 model year vehicles. There are two rings on each piston. Piston rings are not full circles, but have a gap so that they can be installed. If the gaps line up, the rings cannot seal properly and oil gets by and fouls the spark plugs. If this alignment is not corrected, yes, you will have future problems.
Q: I’m in the midst of a getting-older quandary. I’ve come across some old muscle cars, one or two of which have had their engine compressions significantly increased. Going back to my teenage years, it was Sunoco 260 that propelled these beasts. Have you any idea where in the Chicagoland area I could find 96+ or higher octane gas?
— A.B., Chicago
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A: Anyone who races cars knows where to buy high-octane fuel. But if you have no friend who is into racing, check out the racing gas website www.racegas.com/fuelfinder, and type in your ZIP code. We tried it, and the nearest source to you is the Citgo station at 5549 W. Diversey Ave.
Bob Weber is an ASE-certified master mechanic and freelance writer.
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