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A Brake Question and Heater Problems
by Bob DeP. AskBob@stretcher.com
Bob,
I have a '92 Geo Storm with a manual transmission. I have a question concerning downshifting to slow down. I was taught that it is better to gradually downshift as you slow down before braking to save wear and tear on the brakes. Doesn't that wear on the transmission though? If it does, is it worth the trade-off to save the brakes? Looking forward to your reply.
Teresa
Teresa,
Now here is a good one! Basically, when you down shift, you are using the engine to assist you in braking. And you are correct, you will "wear" out the tranny or the clutch a little faster. Since brakes are much cheaper than any tranny repair, I use the brakes, unless more braking power is needed. It basically depends on which "school" you learned.
Bob
Bob,
I have a 1992 Chevy Cavalier with about 112,000 miles on it. Nothing really major has had to be done to it, outside of the routine maintenance. Just recently the heater blower stopped blowing air. The heater still gets warm, but the blower doesn't blow any air when turned on. I have checked the fuse, for the heater, but this seems fine. Any ideas on what the problem might be? Thanks for your help in advance.
LB
LB,
Since you checked the fuse, maybe the control wires became disconnected at the blower. They are usually located in the engine compartment against the firewall. If you have a volt meter, you might want to check to see if you have voltage there. If you do, then the blower is bad (most likely). If not, then you have to trace the wires back until you find 12 volts.
Bob
Hi Bob,
I have a 1990 ACURA Integra with 212,000 miles. This winter, a problem has begun with the heater. Everything operates normally until I come to a stop, then the heat drops off to cold air within about 10 seconds, and returns to hot when the car is up to full speed again. The temperature gauge does not move. Any thoughts?
Mike
Mike,
I have been getting a lot of these type questions. Maybe because it's cold outside. But anyway, the response is always the same. Did you check to see if you have enough coolant? If it is low, then the first thing you lose is interior heat. If you have enough coolant, then it is possible that the thermostat failed.
Good Luck!
Drive Safely!
Bob, The Auto Answer Man
If you have a question for Bob send it to: . He's able to answer many of them personally and we'll include the best questions in future issues of The Dollar Stretcher.
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