Enter code when radio crashes
Bill Love
Auto Columnist
Dear Mike: I bought a used Daewoo. Currently my mileage is 85,049. The battery died last week, so I had it replaced. Since then, however, when the radio is turned on, it flashes "COD----."
I have gone to three auto-parts stores, back to the dealer where I bought the car and back to the mechanic who replaced the battery to get this fixed. Everyone tells me that I need a four-digit code, but no one has it. I did not receive an owner's manual when I bought the car.
Do you have any advice?
A: That code needs to be entered every time the radio loses power, whether it's due to a new battery or simply a blown fuse. It's intended to prevent the radio's being useful to anyone who might steal it out of your car.
If it is the original-equipment radio, a Daewoo dealer can give you the code. If it's an aftermarket radio, though, you'll have to go to the manufacturer of the radio.
Dear Mike: I recently installed a short-ram, APC-brand air-filter element in my car. How much will this increase my horsepower and torque?
In a few years my car may have to have a smog check, since I live in California. Do I have to replace it with my stock air-filter assembly in order to pass the visual inspection?
By the way, this filter has a California Air Resources Board number that is registered with the State of California.
A: If the filter is CARB-listed, it should pass inspection. How much will it increase your horsepower and torque? Probably not enough to measure.
Dear Mike: I have a 2007 Toyota Prius which is approaching the 10,000-mile mark. I had the dealer change the oil and filter at 5,000 miles, but I normally handle that chore myself. So at 10,000 miles I'll give it a try.
The problem is that I don't normally use synthetic oil, and the dealership used synthetic when it changed the oil. Would there be a good reason not to use synthetic oil when I do the second oil change?
A: The Prius is engineered to use synthetic oil. I would continue to use it.
Dear Mike: Regarding your October 2007 article in Popular Mechanics on how to install vinyl graphics on a car: That was a great article. Good to know how to put them on. Now, how do you get them off?
In my case my wife and I have a motor home, a 30-foot, 1996 Gulf Stream Class C with gel-coated-fiberglass sides, with faded and cracked graphics that I would like to replace. I've tried a decal-remover product from an auto-parts store with no luck.
The coach itself is in good shape - only the stripes need updating. I even thought that, if they can't be removed, I might lightly sand over the cracked areas and put new graphics over the old.
I'd rather replace them though. What can I do?
A: Sometimes a simple hair dryer is enough. But, if they have been on there long enough to crack, the hair dryer won't cut it.
I use 3M Woodgrain and Stripe remover, part number 08907, and Woodgrain and Stripe adhesive remover, part number 08908. I also like their Stripe-off wheel.
Dear Mike: I have a 2004 Nissan Quest minivan. My current tires are size 225/65R/16.
Can I safely use 225/60R/16 or 215/70/16? If so, is one more suitable than the other?
A: I'd use the 215/70/16 size, which should be pretty much the same rolling radius. That way your speedometer and odometer readings will not change much, if at all.
Mike Allen is a senior editor for Popular Mechanics, the 104-year-old magazine that has long been a bible for home mechanics and car buffs. Questions or comments of general interest should be sent via e-mail to driveit@nytimes.com. We regret that questions cannot be answered individually. Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate.
