OPINION

CAR TALK


DEAR CAR TALK: I am a dinosaur when it comes to new technology.

I parked my wife's new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid in our garage. Not hearing the engine, I went in the house. But the ignition was still on. Fortunately, my wife needed the car 15 minutes later, and there were no fumes in the garage.

Would the electric motor have just died if she had not used the car so soon after I left it on? — Xavier

DEAR READER: No. This is a pretty common problem — we've done that ourselves at the garage.

We'll have a hybrid in for an oil change, and one of the mechanics will put it up on the lift and drain out the oil. Then, all off a sudden, the engine will start up. Usually, the guy's eyeballs will pop out of his head, like in an old Saturday-morning cartoon. Then, he'll climb up the lift like a guy who's escaping from prison, to shut off the ignition.

Fortunately, in your case, Xavier, the car would have turned itself off. If a Toyota hybrid is stopped and the transmission is in park, the car will shut itself off after about an hour — figuring another numbskull did what you did, Xavier. It's also smart enough to know that if someone taps the brake, there's a human in the car, so it'll reset the timer.

Now, depending on the condition of the battery (whether it needs charging), the powertrain management software may turn on the gasoline engine from time to time to charge the battery.

So, if your garage is attached to your house, keep in mind that it can produce some exhaust fumes. But given the number of minutes it'll be running, and that cars these days produce so little carbon monoxide from their tailpipes now, I don't think you'd be in any danger.

Fortunately, Toyota had you (and me) in mind when they created this feature, Xavier.

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DEAR CAR TALK: I have a 2008 Honda Civic. Recently when idling, I've noticed a chattering noise coming from the left side of the engine compartment. Also, my headlights and map lights flicker. Could it be a belt or alternator? — Clark

DEAR READER: Yes. And by the time you read this, Clark, you may have already been towed in for a new alternator.

My guess is your alternator is failing. You probably have a diode or two in the alternator's rectifier that are on their way out.

Your lights are flickering because the alternator isn't producing a steady stream of electricity. But don't worry about the flickering lights. As soon as the alternator dies, the flickering will stop, too.

Unfortunately, once the alternator dies, your battery will discharge and the car won't run. A shop with the right equipment ought to be able to test your alternator and confirm that its output is low. If so, replace it.

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DEAR CAR TALK: I just bought a 2022 Ford F-150 Hybrid. I love it, but since I'm replacing a 2011 F-150, the new technology is daunting.

I was looking forward to sitting in front of the fire with a cocktail and reading my owner's manual when I discovered that Ford doesn't provide a hard-copy manual anymore, and it's only available on the beautiful, enormous screen on my dashboard.

So now I have to sit in my pickup and read the manual online! Not a fan! What if my battery goes dead, and I need the manual? Is there any way to get a good old-fashioned hard-copy owner's manual? — John

DEAR READER: I think I remember Emily Dickinson writing about sitting by the fire with a good owner's manual.

Would you settle for an iPad, John?

You can find your owner's manual at ford.com/support/owner-manuals/. You can download it, and if you really want to, you can then print it out. You can even have it leather bound if you want.

You can also bookmark it, so you can always get it on your phone in an emergency.

Ray Magliozzi dispenses advice about cars in Car Talk every Saturday. Email him by visiting cartalk.com


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