Does a convertible make sense in the Northeast? | Car Doctor

Q: I am considering a BMW 4-series soft-top convertible. Do you have any thoughts on this car? Does a convertible make sense in the Northeast? 

A: We have had convertibles in our family for more than 20 years starting with a Volkswagen Cabrio. To this day, I still have a Beetle convertible. In the four convertibles we have owned, I always found the heat to be more than sufficient to warm the cabin.

If you don't have a garage, you will need to be careful with snow removal. Generally, depending how you take care of the car, you can expect the top to last about 10 years.

Regarding the BMW, I recently evaluated the BMW 430i and found the 2.0-liter engine performance to be solid, the ride and handling comfortable.

The interior is well thought out and logical. The front seats were comfortable and supportive. The rear seats were cramped and at best are for occasional use if a tall person is sitting up front.

With the top up, the 430i was as quiet as any sedan. Even during cooler weather — with the top down — it was glorious.

Q: I have a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe. The moon roof is a problem. While I was driving down the road recently, the glass shattered.

I took the car to a glass shop and was quoted more than $1,500 to repair this. The man at the glass shop covered the hole with a piece of heavy cardboard.

What can I do? The car only has 90,000 miles on it. Financially, times are tough right now.

A: You may be in luck. Hyundai extended the warranty on the sunroof to 10 years or 120,000 miles, whichever comes first. Call your local Hyundai dealer and tell them the problem and have them look at technical bulletin "19-BD-007H."

Q: After reading all of your columns over the years and your talk about the importance of properly tightened wheels, I just purchased a torque wrench.

I'm switching to my winter tires and want to tighten everything evenly. How tight do I tighten the lugs on my 2014 Mercedes GLK? Is tighter better as long as all five lugs are tightened evenly? 

A: Wheel lugs, just like almost any fastener on a car, have a certain specification for proper torque. If the bolt or nut is undertightened, it could become loose. If that same nut is overtightened, it could fracture and fail.

The lugs should be tightened in a star pattern, a little at a time, until you reach 130 newton meters of torque. This translates into about 96 foot-pounds of force. 

Q: I have a 2019 Subaru Forester. Up until now, the car has been perfect. I recently noticed smoke from the exhaust.

I took it to my local shop. They changed the oil (it had been about six months) but the car is still smoking a little.

I have about 75,000 miles on the car. Is the engine wearing out already? 

A: Although some Subaru engines have had problems with piston rings, the first place I would start is with replacing the PCV valve.

Some Subaru models had PCV valves that would fail and cause oil to be burned during combustion.

If this doesn’t solve the problem, then it is time to do some additional engine testing as well as contacting Subaru for any assistance. At three years and only 75,000 miles, if the car has been properly maintained, I wouldn’t expect to see engine wear. 

Q: The horn on my 1995 Toyota stopped working. Thinking it was the horn itself, since it's 27 years old, I purchased a new set. It still doesn’t work. I have checked and replaced the fuse. Could it be the horn button? 

A: The horn system is pretty simple: electrical power, ground, horn button, wiring and a horn relay.

The first and easiest place to start is checking the horn relay. Have a helper press the horn button. You should be able to hear and feel the relay click.

You can buy a horn relay for less than $15. 

John Paul is the AAA Northeast Car Doctor. He has more than 40 years of experience in the automobile industry and is an ASE-Certified Master Technician. Write to John Paul, The Car Doctor, at 110 Royal Little Drive, Providence, RI 02904. Or email jpaul@aaanortheast.com and put “Car Doctor” in the subject field. Follow him on Twitter @johnfpaul or on Facebook.