Page 14 - Auto Features News Today

Q: I have a question about my 2019 Pilot Elite. I read in some Honda Pilot blogs about the long term benefits of disabling your VCM (variable cylinder management system). We bought our Pilot new and always thoroughly maintain our vehicles at the Honda dealership and look to keep this Pilot for as long as we can. But I read that the VCM causes premature wear on some cylinders and other engine parts. Do you think it is advisable to disconnect the VCM? Does doing this void your warranty? J.G., Las...

In a year when some automakers see little reason to even offer sedans, or offer a handful of aging perfunctory models at best, Volkswagen has given its premium sedan, the

Q: I bought a 2012 Ford Escape. About three years later, it would not start. Went to Auto Zone and bought a new battery. About four week later, same thing. I went back to Auto Zone and they gave me a new battery. Three weeks later, same thing. Took it to a local garage and no faults were stored in the computer. They took down starter and cleaned it. No problem after that. T.B., Allentown, Pa. A: What occurred is that they cleaned the connections. Dirty, corroded connections create resistance th...

The U.S. auto industry sees President Joe Biden’s infrastructure package as accelerating a global shift toward electric vehicles, thanks to the $174 billion proposed for charging stations, planned consumer rebates for American-made EVs and a pledge to electrify the government’s fleet. The proposal, which requires congressional approval, is likely to be targeted by progressives as too little in scope and by Republicans as unfairly using taxpayer funds to help the alternative energy sec...

Q: With the advent of EVs and the need for thousands of charging stations, who is going to pay for them and will there be a cost to use one?

It may sound shallow, but great design always wins out. It is why Apple has become one of the world’s most highly valued companies, a lesson not lost on Dell

A new pickup truck from Ford Motor Co. quietly began rolling off assembly lines at the Dearborn automaker’s Hermosillo plant in Mexico last month, according to production data reported to

Q: In a recent column, you mentioned that a vapor storage charcoal canister can flood by overfilling your gas tank. If you squeeze in extra fuel over a long period of time, how would you know if the canister is actually flooded and not operating correctly? R.M., Elk Grove Village, Ill. A: The check engine light will come on. The evaporative emissions control system routinely performs self-tests. If it fails for any reason, including the vapor canister, it gets reported. Q: Chicago, like most of...

Life has changed in so many ways. We no longer think it’s strange when someone wears a face mask, once common only among bank robbers and surgeons. We’ve become accustomed

Q: I have a 2020 Subaru Forester and it has something called a “vehicle descent assist” feature, which I’d love to use, but, according to the manual, it is designed