Motormouth: Why a tachometer?
Published in Automotive News
Q: I've wondered for a long time why most automobile manufactures include a tachometer in their instrument display. Is it a symmetry issue; they'd like their display to have a balanced appearance? What frustrates me is that they eliminated instruments that are useful, i.e., temperature and oil pressures gauges, and replaced them with an instrument that is, in my view, practically useless.
J.P., North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
A: It really doesn’t have a practical purpose. As our friends at CarTalk once said, with the advent of digital clocks, the tach filled the hole left when the analog clock went away. Sometimes I glance at the tach to see if the engine is running. If the needle points to zero, it isn’t. Never try to start an engine that is running. You’ve probably heard the nasty noise when someone tries to start an already running car. It makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Q: My wife drives a 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and has experienced issues with an inaccurate gas gauge. Frequently, starting at roughly 50 miles after filling up the tank, the gauge will drop to empty and will slowly climb back up until 100 miles or so at which point the reading is where it should be. We've had it to the dealer where they tried resetting some related software, but it seemed to have little effect. Their next step would be a repair that involves dropping the gas tank and replacing the fuel sender unit, but at my own (considerable) expense. If not, we might be resigned to continue using miles driven as a way of seeing if we are OK on fuel in the 50-100 mile range.
A: I, too, have heard that the fuel gauge sending unit is sometimes the culprit. Try the simplest option first. Pour a bottle of fuel system cleaner in the tank. Give it several days; this may help. Otherwise, look for issues with the wiring outside the tank. The worst-case scenario is, of course, lowering the tank and replacing the fuel level sender. If you know your mileage range, of course, you can reliably use it to calculate your need for fuel.
B.S., Woodridge, Illinois
Q: I am in a quandary. I own a 24-year-old car, which has been good to me, but at my age, I need something reliable, and major things are starting to break down (on the car -- on me, too, but that's different). It has 110,000 miles on it, and I have been averaging 2,000-3,000 miles annually. The costs of the repairs, so far, never exceed the average monthly payments on a newer car, but I need reliability and newer safety features. I have been considering a sedan in the $15,000-$18,000 range, less than 8 years old, but all the ones I see advertised have over 100,000 miles on them. Why should I trade 110,000 for a similar one? Would it be better to opt for a 2- to 4-year old car that someone trades in just to have the latest model?
C.H., Hampton, Virginia
A: Chances are the breakdowns will be few and, as you say, it beats paying a monthly automobile mortgage. But only you can decide about safety features. I have seen cars of a more recent vintage go well over 200,000 miles with regular maintenance. One option is to buy a certified used car that comes with a warranty that’s nearly as good as a new car. The later model’s prices may shock you.
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