Check Junkyards for Hard-to-Find Parts
Question: I have the darndest problem I hope you can solve, though I doubt you can. I own a 1982 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. The ashtray is held in by four ball bearings. About three years ago, the ball bearings fell out and three were lost. I have checked with GM dealers all over and none carry the ball bearings. To this day, the ashtray remains unusable and a nuisance. My using a bean-bag ashtray in a nice car seems ridiculous.--G.B.
Answer: There are certain times when you can count on only one reliable source of parts for your car: another car just like it. You find them at junkyards, which every car owner should visit at least once in a lifetime. It’s enlightening to see where your own wheels are going to end up someday.
Junkyards are a great source of inexpensive parts for most cars, even nice cars that still have shiny paint and seats without holes in them. You can buy little brackets, ball bearings, mud flaps, ashtrays, sun visors, among many other things that don’t have to be brand new to do their job.
Your ball bearings would probably cost a small fortune at a dealership, if a dealer even bothered to carry such an unprofitable item. But if you put on a pair of old shoes and trudge through the oil-soaked junkyard grounds, you would probably get them for no more than a dollar or two.
Q: I have a 1985 Toyota Camry. I recently heard something regarding a lung disease caused by reaction to the fungus in certain air conditioners. I have been seriously disabled with some kind of lung disorder, and several thousand dollars of tests have been done with no findings. The doctors feel that I may be hypersensitive to fungus from air conditioners. Have you heard anything about this?--V.G.
A: Toyota said it has not received reports of this problem. However, all types of air conditioners can foster the growth of fungus that is then blown into the environment.
An air conditioner cools the air by blowing air over a heat exchanger, called an evaporator core. It looks like a radiator. Moisture usually condenses on the cold surface of the evaporator core, and this constant wetness promotes the growth of fungus.
I can’t give you any advice on whether this fungus causes lung conditions, but it can create an unpleasant musty odor. Toyota has received complaints about the musty odor. The company has developed a new evaporator core with a surface finish that retards the growth of fungus.
The new cores are available for older models. You might consider replacing your evaporator core; see if that helps your medical condition.
Q: A friend of mine immediately changes the oil and filter when he buys a new car and continues to do so every 1,000 miles afterward. He says the trick is to stop a buildup of hydrocarbons, acid, dirt and other deposits in the motor. Is my friend right?--V.A.A.
A: Your friend is wrong. When a car manufacturer puts oil into an engine for the first time, it is not the same type of oil that you will use in later oil changes. It is specially formulated oil to help break an engine in, a process in which moving parts slightly wear down so they conform to the other parts they rub against.
If you change this special oil too soon, it will cut short the break-in period. It is best to follow the manufacturer’s recommendation. But on subsequent oil changes, it may help extend your engine’s life to change the oil more frequently than recommended. But I think every 1,000 miles is excessive. A change every 3,000 miles is more than adequate.
