News and Reviews

My horn beeps when I put the key in the ignition

John Paul, aka "the Car Doctor,'' answers readers' car-related questions.

Q. I have a 2007 Chevy Uplander and when I put key in the ignition the horn beeps instead of the car starting. What is wrong?

A. Start with a test of the battery and the main battery connections. The horn is beeping because of the antitheft system. There is a procedure that resets the system. It starts with disconnecting the battery and holding the cables together for 10 minutes to clear the computer. Then you go through a series of key-on for 10 minutes and off for 10 seconds, repeat that three times. Then remove the key and use it to open the driver's door. This procedure will need to be done with both keys. If you are not sure of doing this have the car towed to a repair shop.

Q. I own a 2014 Nissan Altima and I notice a sound at certain times when I'm driving from underneath the car. When I mentioned it to the dealer, he asked if it sounded like a rumbling sound. I said yes and he said that was normal. The sound indicates that the car is operating at maximum fuel economy. Have you heard of this before?

A. Interesting answer and perhaps correct but hardly the result the Nissan had in mind when they built the car. When the car is in its most fuel efficient mode the engine will "lug'' slightly and produce a bit of a vibration. Now that the car is two years old and loosened up a bit at just the right speed I can see how you may feel a bit of a rumble. That being said I would want the dealer to look over the car and look at and if necessary re-torque all mounts and brackets. I would continue to check in with the Nissan dealer to see if they come up with an actual repair solution.

Q. Can I get some advice for selling an auto? My daughter has to move to NYC in July to complete a graduate degree program and subsequently won't need her 2005 Acura TL. Can you recommend the best sales venues to sell a car giving the fact that she will not be trading it in to purchase a new car? The car is in very good shape and rides very nicely.

A. Many people have good luck with Craig's lists, but there are many horror stories as well. Two companies that I have been in touch with and are very professional are www.iseecars.com and www.cargurus.com. Both of these companies have easy to navigate websites and make it easy to determine a fair selling price. Be very suspicious of a buyer who overpays with a check and then asks you to pay a transport company. These are typically scams using counterfeit checks.

Q. I would like to purchase a new 2016 Prius for my wife with key safety features such as auto braking, blind spot detection, etc. We are in our 70's and need all the help we can, to protect those around us. Which least costly Prius model would you recommend?

A. Depending on how you drive rather than buying a Prius a lease might make more financial sense. To get the features you want it looks like you will need to spend $28-$30,000. Over the years Toyota has offered some very competitive lease rates on the Prius. This way you can keep your monthly payments low while still getting the safety features you want.

Q. I had new tires put on and an alignment done on my Camry this week. When driving on the highway, my car now pulls to the left. I brought it back to the shop to fix this and though they tried to adjust it, it still pulls left. They mentioned something about a new Toyota bolt package they could try. Before this, the car drove fine. What's going on?

A. This is a classic case of a tire conicity sometimes called radial pull or camberism. When the tire was manufactured it came out of the mold slightly cone shaped and this shape causes the car to pull. A simple test is switch the tires side to side, if the car now pulls right, replace that tire.

Q. I have a 2008 Ford F150XL pickup truck with a 4.6L V8 engine and automatic transmission and about 160,000 miles on it. Over the last year I have noticed the idle become more and more erratic. After warm up at a red light it almost seems like it could stall. Yet the truck runs great off idle and gets about 17mpg on the highway. The truck sets no codes, I've driven with a code scanner for 40 miles and no codes ever set. Occasionally I do get a hint of gas but that is about it. My mechanic is waiting for the check engine light and codes that don't seem to be coming. Any ideas?

A. There are a couple of places I would start to look and the raw gas is a clue. Start with an inspection of the purge valve, this could cause the gas smell and the rough idle. The other area is a possible leak at the intake manifold. A smoke machine is a good tool to find this kind of leak. Lastly the idle air controller (IAC) is leaking or sticking it will affect the idle and in most cases will not set a code.