Letters: There are many choices for ‘grandkid hauler’

• Reprints

Updated: October 25, 2011 11:49AM

Q: My wife is looking for a vehicle that would hold five grandkids for local trips once a week. All of the choices are expensive SUVs or vans. I have been asking her to consider one of my all-time favorites, like a good used Mercury Marquis or Chevy Impala. They’re a fraction of the cost of what she’s looking for.

Could you convince her to at least take a test drive? By the way, my brother drives a Nissan Armada in California and he recently rented a Marquis while visiting us. He said it was the best car he ever drove. Figure that. Please help. – Don B., e-mail

A: What about a wagon or crossover SUV with a third-row seat? There are more choices than you think. Don’t push your wife into a car she won’t be happy with. Before deciding on a vehicle, though, I’d recommend a thorough test drive. It would be best if she drives the vehicle with the grandkids, too. See if the dealer will let her borrow it for the day so she can see how it fits the bill.

Q: I’m having starting problems with my 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer (67,000 miles). It seems to take a long time for the engine to start and it was diagnosed with a bad fuel pump. The fuel pump was replaced with one from General Motors and the fuel line was cleaned. However, the problem is still there. Adding fuel system cleaner to the fuel tank seems to help for about a week. I trust the repair facility as I’ve been doing business with them for 20 years. Is there anything else I can do to fix this problem? – Flecia Y., e-mail

A: Since adding fuel system cleaner to the tank seems to help, it would seem like the problem is related to the fuel system. The first thing a technician should do is to measure fuel pressure with the engine running and with the engine off. Fuel pressure should be within specifications with the engine running, and it shouldn’t drop off too much after the engine is turned off. If fuel pressure drops significantly when the engine is turned off, the problem could be a faulty fuel pressure regulator, faulty fuel injector(s) or a faulty one-way check valve in the fuel pump. Yes, new parts can be problematic, too.

Q: I have a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 with the 5.2-liter V-8 engine (167,000 miles). The problem is that the air conditioning doesn’t work and the AC compressor is noisy. I want to put a new drive belt on, eliminating the AC compressor, if possible. Do you know if this is possible and if this will have any effect on the computer? – Mike, e-mail

A: You should be able to do this without a problem. The belt tensioner on your truck has an indexing mark, though. With the new belt installed, the arrow should be within 1/8 inch of the indexing mark. Bypassing the AC compressor should have no effect on the operation of the computer.

Questions for Ira Siegel? Call the Auto Advisor Hotline at (708) 633-6839 or e-mail autoadvisor.irasiegel@gmail.com. Siegel is an automotive instructor and an automotive service excellence-certified master auto technician.