Motormouth: Don’t fiddle with tire pressure

Q: Recently you fielded a question about loss of air pressure on vehicles. I have had this problem with my vehicle (F-150). I believe a lot of people go to oil change chains. Part of their service is adjusting tire air pressures. I have found they release hot tires’ air to adjust the pressure down to specifications. Then when the tires cool off, they’re low. Whenever I take my vehicle in, I tell them to not adjust my tires, and so far, I haven’t had any problems!

A: This sorta of fits the saying: No good deed goes unpunished. They believe they’re doing a good deed, and you’re being punished. I’m passing along your tip.

Q: We recently changed the batteries in the key fobs for our 2019 Hyundai. The car showed the low battery warning, but because we didn’t know which of the fobs was low, we changed them both. The car still is indicating that the battery is low. Is there something else we should be doing? Is it safe to drive with it showing low battery every time we turn off the engine?

A: It is perfectly safe to drive. The new batteries may have expired before their use-by date. I had a mentor who used to say “do the simple things first,” so you may want to try new, fresh batteries in the fobs. If they are nearing the expiration date, don’t buy them.

Q: I have a 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid AWD that I absolutely love. After our first snowfall, the wheel wells became filled with ice and packed snow that caused several of the wheels to vibrate at higher speeds. It was very difficult to remove the snow and ice from the wheel wells. Do you have any suggestions on how to prevent the wheel wells from getting filled with snow and ice?

A: Short of leaving the car at home, there is, unfortunately, no simple solution. You must simply dig out the glaciers from time to time.

Q: Does the front suspension on my 2016 Escalade ESV have shocks or struts? My independent mechanic called them struts. The Cadillac dealer said they are shocks and, therefore, are not covered by my extended warranty; struts are. Is the Cadillac dealer trying to avoid its responsibility?

A: Shocks and struts both absorb and dissipate road bumpiness. You could say that struts have shock absorbers built into a single assembly that includes the coil springs. Shock absorbers are standalone devices. If you want to split hairs, struts are in essence, shock absorbers, so they should be covered.

Bob Weber is a writer, mechanic and ASE-certified Master Automobile Technician. His writing has appeared in automotive trade publications, Consumer Guide and Consumers Digest. Send automotive questions along with name and town to motormouth.tribune@gmail.com.