Winter traction likely depends on proper tires

Q My mom owns a 2006 Ford Fusion, which she bought new. It has been a great car except for one major problem: When the roads are icy, it does not handle well. She has not experienced the problem yet; she is almost 80 and just stays home when roads are icy.

My brother-in-law and niece have driven it on ice and commented on how hard it was to handle. Both are very experienced drivers on Minnesota roads, accustomed to icy conditions.

I have tried to find if this happens to other drivers with Fusions, but found no complaints. Mom had the wheel alignment checked and everything was correct. Do you have any idea of how we can fix this problem?

A Focus on the tires, not the car. Poor handling/traction in slippery conditions is primarily a function of the contact patch of the tires -- that portion of tire tread that is in physical contact with the road. Whether the tires are simply worn or their design is a poor choice for Minnesota winters, I think the best answer is to have a tire professional help you choose a new set of tires for your mom's vehicle. Chris Mortenson at Samaritan Tire in Minnetonka suggested we install Goodyear's Assurance TripleTred tires on our '02 Passat. We did, and have been completely satisfied with their performance in all conditions, including slippery roads.

Q I bought an '03 Grand Cherokee with 75,000 miles on it. A bad smell is in the carpet, so I had it cleaned. The smell did not go away. I pulled up the carpet and found four areas with black, smelly stains. I scrubbed the entire floor with a solution of dish soap, bleach and water, but the smell is still there. I don't want to put in new carpet until the smell is gone. What can I do?

A An auto body shop or detailer might be able to help here, but I suspect the permanent solution will be to replace the carpet padding and then thoroughly clean or replace the carpet itself.

Q I have a 1985 Pontiac Fiero. With gas prices so high, I've decided to take it out of storage, but it hasn't run in a year and the clutch pedal is frozen. Any suggestions on how to solve this?

A Your Fiero's clutch release mechanism is hydraulic, so if the clutch pedal will not move at all, either the physical linkage on the pedal is rusted solid or the clutch master cylinder is frozen. Try disconnecting the clutch pushrod at the clutch pedal to see if the pedal will move. If not, the problem is in the linkage. GM published a service bulletin addressing a "squeak" in the clutch pedal by suggesting the installation of a plastic bushing in the pushrod and lubricating the clutch pedal pivot bushing.

If the pedal moves freely when disconnected from the pushrod, the problem is likely a frozen piston in the clutch master cylinder or possibly the clutch slave cylinder. Either way, if this is the problem, replace them both.

Q I have an '89 BMW 635csi with about 140,000 miles. The car has become increasingly difficult to start. It turns over fine, and once it gets going it is fine. I've replaced the distributor cap, rotor and spark plugs to no avail, and I don't want to continue to throw parts like a coil and plug wires at it.

The only clue is that the longer it sits, the harder it is to start. Starting is usually not a problem when the engine is warm, but I've experienced a few difficult starts with a warm engine. It's always difficult when cold.

A I think you may be looking at the wrong end of the equation. Yes, engines need spark to start and run, but of course they also need fuel. I suspect a fuel delivery problem more than a spark problem.

There's an easy way to find out: Just pull one spark plug wire off, install a spare or old spark plug in the boot, solidly ground it to the engine and hit the key. Do you see a consistent blue spark? If so, the problem is fuel delivery. If not, well, you were right!

If there's spark but no fuel, with the plug wire reinstalled try turning the key to the "run" position for two seconds, then off -- without engaging the starter. Repeat this a half-dozen times, then hit the starter. If this shortens the crank time before the engine starts, the problem is a loss of ready fuel pressure at the injectors.

A fuel pressure leak-down test likely would confirm that the problem is either a leaky fuel injector or a failed fuel pressure regulator. If there's liquid fuel in the vacuum line to the regulator after shutting off the engine, the regulator diaphragm has failed.