Q: We took delivery of a new Toyota in late 2022. The dealer gave us only one key fob and said that the second would be delivered sometime later. We are at four months now and still no key fob. I have checked with the dealer every month and get the same “I don’t know” answer. Do your contacts have any idea when we might see them?
E.M., St. Charles, Illinois
A: I’m afraid I can’t twist any arms. But if you are getting stonewalled by the salesperson or parts department, ask to see the dealer principal. If that gets you nowhere and you desperately need another fob, they are available online, but need a locksmith or car dealer to program them.
Q: Thank you for your continuing column on automotive advice. I worked on cars a lot when I was in my teen years and early 20s, and I appreciate the details and common sense that you offer. I have questions about my vehicle's timing chain. When I saw your column (published in 2021), it reinvigorated some of the discussions I had about the timing setup for my 2005 Toyota Scion xB. I noted at the time that it was a timing chain (like the triple primary drive chain on my Harley, with metal links as I imagined it). Does the fact that Toyota calls it a chain make a difference in wear and tear and longevity? Do you have any specific replacement advice for a car such as this with 210,000 miles on it? I have seen posting of people's cars with over 400,000 miles, and so I hope to keep it for quite some time.
P.C., Clarendon Hills, Illinois
A: Timing chains traditionally have no service interval. They last the life of the vehicle. Keep on motoring!
Q: I am an ASE-certified Master mechanic with 30 years of Cadillac dealer experience and I can’t tell you how many oil economy tests I have performed on customers’ cars equipped with the infamous HT4100, HT4500, HT4900 engines. I hope this information will shed some light on oil economy usage. One quart per every 1,000 miles is the industry standard. All modern engines use oil, some more than others as you stated, but here is the main reason why. As manufacturer’s look for more ways to increase fuel economy, one way is to reduce internal engine drag from the rotating components, mainly the great amount of drag from the pistons going up and down in the cylinders. So, they reduced the amount of tension on all the piston rings thereby creating a rotating assembly that turns over much more freely and causes the engine to operate much more efficiently.
L.C., Chicago
A: Th-th-that’s it, folks. Check your oil levels regularly.
Q: Your comment about the minimum amount of space (10 inches) to have between the steering wheel and the driver prompts me to ask about a related issue: Both of my sons-in-law like to drive with their seat tilted back quite far. It has occurred to me that if their airbag deployed it would smack them in the face rather than the chest. This seems dangerous to me, both in terms of the injury that it could cause them, and the airbag being less effective generally than it should be.
B.C., Minneapolis
A: In the blink of an eye, the airbag inflates, but stays put. The passenger then flies into the bag.
