Troubleshoot tranny before condemning it

Dear John: Your car, like most vehicles built since the mid-1990s, is electronically controlled. The transmission has many inputs to upshift and downshift as needed. When these transmissions were designed the engineers made sure that when a problem appeared it would store a fault code. Before rushing to condemn this transmission, I suggest checking with Alldata for the proper troubleshooting procedure and line pressure specifications. If the transmission does need an overhaul, then the $1,900 price quote for a complete overhaul is very reasonable.

Dear Rich: Head gasket failure on Subaru vehicles is much too common. I have seen many failures due to oil and coolant leaking. There are many brands of head gasket sealant -- some for coolant and some for oil. However, I would not use any sealant for an oil leak. As long as the oil leak is not significant and not a fire hazard, I would leave it alone. I have used a coolant stop leak for leaking head gaskets called Blue Devil with good results. I would recommend getting a second opinion from an independent technician.

Dear Ray: Some manufacturers have switched over to full-synthetic fluids. You can take the car to any shop, or even do the oil change yourself. You must use the factory recommended oil and a quality oil filter. You can use any brand oil and filter that meet or exceed the manufacturer's specifications. The time interval and mileage recommended in your manual must also be followed at the minimum. You can change it more frequently if you like. You must keep a record of the changes and keep all of your receipts.

Dear Robert: Vehicles with alloy rims can develop slow air leaks around the tire to rim contact area from corrosion build-up. We use a handheld electric grinder with a flexible wheel. Once the rim is cleaned you can apply a rim sealer. The tire valves are another problem -- some of the cheap imported valve stems do not seal and will crack prematurely.

Dear Colby: The Bluetooth operates on a wireless signal from the device to the audio input. If there is a lot of electronic noise in the air, then you'll experience connection problems. If you are using a plug-in iPod device and having a problem, then I would try another iPod in order to try to isolate the problem. -- Junior Damato, Motor Matters

(Manufacturer photo: 2000 Mazda 626)