Source of gas smells takes time to diagnose

Dear Marge: Gas smells can be difficult to find. Gas vapors, unlike liquid leaks, are invisible. We use our gas analyzer to locate gas fumes. There might be rotted vent lines under the car.

Dear Jim: I suggest checking the MSD ignition company for its distributors. They have high-quality performance complete distributors with multiple spark output per cylinder. They also have distributors without the side vacuum advance unit. Back in the old days Ford had a dual diaphragm advance unit on the distributor. One side was to actually retard the timing at idle. This feature was to lower emissions.

Dear George: This is a very common problem on Jeeps from this particular model era. As in most vehicles, the Jeep's heater box is composed of plastics, including the internal vent doors and moving levers. There is a small screw that breaks off the defroster door in the middle of the heater box. This is usually caused from something like a small object falling down from the top defroster vent, such as a pencil or other item. Repairs can sometimes be made without removing the dash.

Dear Mark: There is a company out of Canada that has the answer to an overloaded suspension without altering the ride quality or ride height. They work on a variety of cars and trucks. The installation is simple and results are great. The item is a hollow rubber cushion that replaces the hard rubber bump stop that is standard on most vehicles. I have evaluated these on my own Chevy 2500 pickup and our 1998 Jeep Wrangler using the heavy Fisher snowplows.

Go online www.timbren.com. This hollow small rubber enhancement will take care of your problem. Installation on your Jeep is less than two hours. It involves disconnecting the front shocks, sway bar links and removing the front coil springs one side at time. Once the spring is out, pry out the old small bump stop. Next unbolt the metal spacer. Bolt in the new Timbren hollow bump stop and reassemble the spring, etc. The job is done.

Dear Marvin: I drove the 2010 Taurus SEL over some rough roads and to my surprise there was no front-end noise or bump steer. I also thought the new model's engine and transmission offered ample power and was very smooth. If this is the direction Ford is going, keep your eyes on a great car company.