Your car may be a victim of ‘vinyl fog’

Dear Bob: How do you get the inside of a windshield clean, so that oncoming traffic headlights won’t look smeared and the setting sun won’t put a haze over oncoming traffic?

Even so-called “professional” products don’t seem to do the job. Or is it my technique?

— S.V.W., Spokane, Wash.

A: It sounds as if your car — you don’t say what make or year — may be a victim of vinyl fog, that persistent, tough-to-remove film that is caused by plastic/vinyl interior parts, especially the dashboard, slowly bleeding fumes.

This was a major problem 10 years ago, but I haven’t heard of it cropping up lately. I’m guessing that you have an older vehicle.

All vinyls contain plasticers, liquid ingredients added by the manufacturer to give the vinyl flexibility. As the plasticers are lost through evaporation and through chemical reaction with heat, the residue clings tenaciously to the windshield.

We used to use carburetor-choke spray cleaner to get the tough stuff off, and then follow with a commercial glass cleaner. Be sure to spray the cleaner on a cloth first and then use the cloth to apply it, rather than spraying it directly onto your windshield, and make sure that you cover the dash before applying the cleaner, because this stuff can damage the vinyl.

And speaking of covering the dash, a dash cover of some sort will help keep the plasticers in the vinyl, where they belong, and reduce their impact on your windshield.

Dear Bob: A friend recently mentioned a device that, he says, our state police have installed in their patrol cars. It’s mounted in the trunk and acts as some kind of balance arm, shifting weight from one side of the car to the other, permitting high-speed turns that, without the device in place, might result in rolling the vehicle.

In the 1970s, when I was trained in high-speed pursuit driving as a law-enforcement officer, we quickly learned on the obstacle course that even the average sedan of that time was considerably more difficult to roll than many of us expected.

Granted, today’s suspension systems and tires are even better, but has applied technology also evolved to produce the “secret” antiroll device mounted in the trunk, as I’ve been told?

I have not been able to confirm that such a device actually exists, and wonder if you have ever heard of it.

Thanks,

— E.W.R., Spokane, Wash.

A: I’m not familiar with any such device, nor have I seen anything like it at any of the various trade shows I attend.

I’m skeptical about this “secret” device, because there would be no reason to keep it secret — if it worked as stated, it would be a great safety enhancement for selected vehicles.

If this device indeed exists, perhaps some reader out there can share information about it?

Dear Bob: I have a 1997 Toyota Camry with a four-cylinder engine.

The owner’s manual says to use 3.5 quarts of oil when changing the oil and filter. I change the oil about every 7,000 miles, and the shop always overfills the crankcase by a half-quart or so.

Will this extra oil damage the engine?

— T.P., Salem, N.H.

A: I doubt if an extra half-quart will do serious damage to the engine, but it’s always better to abide by the amount stated in the owner’s manual.

Seems like it would be simple to ask the shop crew to add only 3.5 quarts of oil when they do the oil change. If they are using bulk oil, it’s simply a matter of setting the oil gun’s dial to 3.5 quarts and pulling the trigger.

If they insist on using four quarts, there are other shops that I’m sure will happily comply with your request.

AMERICAN DRIVERS FIGHT BACK

Here’s a tip that will help you get better gas mileage while fighting terrorism and cutting our nation’s dependence on Mideastern oil:

Weather conditions can have a pronounced negative or positive effect on your fuel economy. Here are some conditions to be aware of, and the fuel-economy penalty you’ll pay, or the bonus you’ll get, when driving under those conditions. The fuel-economy percentages are based on comparison with a steady cruising speed of about 50 mph on a straight, level, asphalt-paved road with the temperature at 78 degrees F.

An 18-mph crosswind leads to a 2-percent penalty, while an 18-mph headwind will produce a whopping 17-percent penalty. On the other hand, an 18-mph tail wind results in exactly the opposite: a 17-percent increase in fuel economy.

In terms of temperature, an ambient temperature of 50 degrees F will cost you 5 percent of your fuel efficiency, while a 20-degree day is good for an 11-percent penalty. As you can see, the warmer the day, the better the fuel economy — one small consolation when you find yourself baking in 100-degree weather next summer.

Where you drive counts too: Compared to driving at sea level, driving at an altitude of 4,000 feet above sea level will cost you about 15 percent of your usual mpgs, due to your engine operating less efficiently in the thinner air.

Conversely, driving at 4,000 feet below sea level should provide a boost in fuel economy - but I don’t think it’s ever been tried.