What are your ideas on the Airmoto Tire Inflator? Car Doctor

• Portable tire inflators might be helpful, however guarantee they continue to be charged for emergencies.
• New automobile inventories are enhancing, however common fashions should still promote above the producer’s instructed retail value.
• If your automobile has a persistent noise, take a mechanic for a take a look at drive to reveal the problem earlier than repairs start.

Q: My granddaughter drives to work and has requested for a conveyable tire inflator for her birthday. A buddy instructed the Airmoto Tire Inflator. It bought excessive rankings and appears easy and too good to be true. What are your ideas on this? She is planning a protracted highway journey within the spring. What else would you counsel she carry along with her?

A: The Airmoto seems positive. Like many issues offered on-line, it seems as whether it is marketed below completely different names. I’ll say I’m all the time suspicious of opinions. I are likely to imagine the one- and two-star opinions greater than the glowing opinions.

The one concern is that it’s essential to be certain that it stays charged. If you place it within the automobile and 9 months later you want it and the battery is useless, then it does not do a lot good.

In my emergency package, I maintain a conveyable air compressor, moveable bounce pack, additional oil and engine coolant, emergency reflectors and a spare cellular phone charger. Make positive that the spare tire is correctly inflated and the lug wrench and jack are nonetheless within the automobile. Also, if she doesn’t know the way, educate her the right way to test tire stress, change a flat tire and test the engine oil and different very important fluids.

What’s the car-buying panorama like lately?

Q: From a client standpoint, has something essentially modified in shopping for a brand new automobile since COVID-19 and stock shortages? Are we at extra of a drawback now as a consequence of provide and demand, normal availability, provide chain and tariff points, and many others.? How would you describe the present panorama? How a lot negotiating energy does a purchaser have these days? I’m contemplating the 2026 Toyota Camry. Your ideas?

A: Inventories are higher, however common automobiles are nonetheless promoting above MSRP. Just driving by dealerships, I’m seeing an increasing number of stock sitting on tons. Inventories look higher and there are seemingly higher incentives in addition to some low-interest loans and low leasing funds.

If you haven’t bought a brand new automobile shortly, put together for some sticker shock. The common new automobile value is hovering round $50,000. My recommendation is to web store for the perfect value and let sellers bid towards one another for your corporation.

As for the 2026 Toyota Camry, which now solely comes as a hybrid, it’s a superb alternative. It has glorious gas economic system and traditionally good reliability.

Honda CR-V makes a helicopter sound whereas driving

Q: My 2010 Honda CR-V has a vibration and helicopter sound whereas in drive. I took it to the Honda supplier and bought the starter motor, engine belt and belt tensioner changed and the gas injection serviced. The downside continues to be there. I took it again and was instructed I wanted motor mounts. I had that work carried out and the issue continues to be there. Any ideas?

A: The neatest thing to do is to take a mechanic for a trip to reveal the noise so that you simply each are on the identical web page. Then there isn’t any concern in the event that they change elements and the automobile shouldn’t be repaired. It is their mistake, and also you shouldn’t be charged for that.

Once the automobile is repaired, I’d even go for a trip with the mechanic to make sure that the issue is actually fastened earlier than I paid the invoice. I keep in mind one one that had a vibration and related “helicopter” sound with an SUV, and the dealership tried a couple of issues. The automobile was not repaired, in response to the proprietor. The proprietor was trying to return it below the lemon regulation.

I went for a trip with the proprietor with the rear home windows open (that they had a canine and all the time drove with the rear home windows open) and the automobile made noise. Unfortunately, in some vehicles with solely the rear home windows open, the automobile will flutter and vibrate.

I known as it a traditional attribute, possibly not fascinating however regular, and never a defect.

Should I be apprehensive about ‘tinkling’ sound when automobile is turned off?

Q: I purchased a 2023 Nissan Frontier a couple of months in the past with 24,000 miles on it. Now that it’s chilly and I drive it to work, I’m noticing it’s making a “tinkling” sound once I flip it off that continues for a few minutes. Is this regular? I used to be going to carry it up whereas it’s nonetheless below guarantee at its subsequent oil change later this month. The sound jogs my memory of the ducts in my house heating system that make noise when the furnace comes on.

A: Great analogy with the heating ducts, as a result of I imagine it’s the identical sort of noise. It is greater than possible the warmth protect on the catalytic converter increasing and contracting because it heats and cools. This is kind of regular and occurs on many automobiles and is nothing to be involved about.

Do you could have a automobile query? Email John Paul jpaul@aaanortheast.com and put “Car Doctor” within the topic subject. Follow him on X @johnfpaul or on Facebook.