Questions and answers from the ‘Car Doctor’

Q. I removed a large mouse nest from the cabin air filter box but can’t get rid of the smell when I run the heat. Is there anything I can spray in there that won’t damage the heater core? have read about 10% bleach/water mixture, Ozium spray, Pet Urine Eliminator sprays as suggestions but I am unsure. Would a pot of boiling vinegar in the passenger compartment do any damage to the car electronics? Is there any way to access the heater box without removing the dashboard? As a last resort, would an ozone generator be safe to use?

A. You can try spraying a disinfectant such as Lysol into the vents and then turn the fan on to circulate it around. Ozium and Fabreeze are designed to trap the smell and something I would try after the disinfectant spray. Depending on the car you may have some access to where the air comes in for the heater and if you can spray in that area and let the fan draw the disinfectant through the system. Recently I was sent a product called NoNaste (https://nonaste.com/) and it did a pretty good job or getting stinky sneakers to smell better. Don’t pour a pot of water/vinegar in, since it won’t drain fast enough, then you will have a second problem. Ozone generators can work, although ozone is not healthy to breathe. A reader told me that they purchased one on amazon for less than $100 and ran it in hourly sessions and eliminated smells. Finally, when you are satisfied with your cleaning, use a charcoal/carbon impregnated cabin filter, it will help filter out residual odors.

Q. I have a 2017 Honda Accord and I purchased four new tires in 2022. How many driven miles is needed before I get a tire rotation?

A. Generally, every 7500 miles or yearly is a good number. You want to rotate the tires before any wear starts. Once tires start to wear they will continue the same pattern. Also rotating the tires is a good excuse to check the brakes since you have the tires/wheels removed and the technician can take a good look at brake pad wear.

Q. I’m driving a 2007 Toyota Solara. I had/have a leak in the car and was using moisture absorber hanging bags to dry out the interior. One of the bags in the back developed a leak. Long story short, where can I find a service to dry out the car interior? I have no idea how to go about this search.

A. To dry it out properly, you will need to remove the carpets and “under-mat” wash and dry the carpet and install a new mat and then re-install the carpet. This will be costly, one alternative is to go to a reconditioning shop, sometimes called a detail shop and see if they can just shampoo the interior with a extractor style cleaner and then use a combination of fans and a small dehumidifier to dry out the interior. Running the air conditioner will also help, but first you need to clean the interior of the salty/water mix from the moisture absorbent.

Q. We had AAA come and do a roadside service with a battery replacement and the car still won’t start. We are trying to figure out what to do next with our car and getting it started back up. The tech that came out was nice but couldn’t offer much of a suggestion other than call for a tow.

A. Our roadside technicians can perform some basic diagnostics and on a “no-start” and may try tapping the starter or fuel pump or looking for obvious electrical problems. For a car to start you need fuel, spark and proper timing as well as solid engine compression. The first step is to find out what is missing, is there fuel to the engine, is the ignition system working etc. At this point I follow the directions of the roadside tech and would consider having the car towed to a garage for a proper diagnosis. Actually having the car not running will help with the diagnosis and repair.

Q. I Read and enjoy your column regularly and wonder if you could comment on the auto industries move toward high intensity headlights. I find at times oncoming vehicles that have to be at the least, annoying and at the worst, dangerous as they can have a blinding effect. Is the NHTSA doing anything to regulate the brightness? Are they totally in our future.

A. Currently, headlight are regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Unfortunately, the rules are quite old. AAA has been working with NHTSA on some new rules that will allow Adaptive Driving Beam headlights. These are a better, smarter headlight system that is currently available in Europe and produce almost no blinding glare. One of the current problems that I see in my day-to-day driving is replacements of conventional headlights with aftermarket LED headlights. These LEDs are sometimes brighter but poorly aimed and are not legal for on road use. The other issue I see is many drivers that drive with their high-beam headlights on with no regard for other drivers.

Q. I was going to work one morning when my car was ice covered and I went online and read that vinegar was a good emergency ice melt. I dumped a bottle of vinegar on the driver’s door and windshield, and it did melt the ice, but now the car smells like vinegar. Now what?

A. Time will eventually rid the car of the vinegar smell. You could also try trading one smell for another with some citrus cleaner. Chances are the vinegar made its way into the door cavity and heater. If your car has a cabin air filter, I would change it and run the car through a car wash, maybe more than once.

Got a car question, email the Car Doctor for a personal reply. jpaul@aaanortheast.com