Auto Doc: Potholes and performance tires

I brought the car to a Goodyear tire dealer and had all four tires replaced because they were worn out. When balancing the wheels the Goodyear employee told me that all four wheels were warped. The new tires and balancing has not fixed the vibration. Is the vibration being caused by the warped wheels? Martin

Dear Martin: Welcome to the real world of potholes and low-profile performance tires. My advice to you is that you have a few choices: new factory rims, reconditioned rims from a company like Keystone, aftermarket rims from multiple companies, or new take-off rims (look online). You could also check your insurance company for possible coverage.

Dear Sheree: There are many built-in safety factors in today's electronics, including the cruise control system. To troubleshoot this -- and many other faults -- the technician will need to follow a trouble flow chart. The resources I use are Identifix for any recorded failures in history and Alldata for additional wiring and component location. The technician will first check for any trouble fault codes and then look up any history related to these faults. If you choose an independent shop, then make sure the technician has ASE-certification in electronics.

Dear Lou: I looked on Identifix and Alldata and no ongoing history of the issue is reported. With no codes to help identify the problem, your next step is a road test using a professional scan tool connected. Once on the road, drive the car and observe all the input data and record it. Your technician then will compare the actual sensor information from the engine to known good signal patterns from Identifix or Alldata. A qualified technician should be able to compare the input sensor value with a correct sensor value. The fuel pressure also needs to be checked. A lazy EGR valve or intermittent vacuum leak will also cause this problem.

Dear Arthur: Most independent shops will service hybrids. The area that can be a problem is with the electric drive part of the vehicle. The "check engine" light service can also be an issue because of the complex drive system. Most independent shops do not have factory scan tools to properly scan the systems and check for problems. We do service hybrids at my shop and when help is needed we contact Identifix and/or Alldata. As for a service charge to replace a light or even wiper blade, if a flat-rate technician has to do the job then he needs to get compensated. If the service advisor does the job there would be no labor cost because the service advisor is not on a flat-rate pay as he does job. You should talk to the service advisor and tell them how you feel.

Dear Don: Document fees have been around for many years. Check with your local laws on DOC fees, as they all vary. I will tell you I do not want to pay the DOC fee -- and do not. The salesman will say every one has to pay it and they cannot take it off the billing invoice. But what they can do is deduct the DOC fee amount from the sales price and leave the DOC fee on the sales form. I see this practice all the time and it is legal and you should insist on it, or go elsewhere to buy the car. -- Junior Damato, Motor Matters