CLICK & CLACK : Hold His Horses

Q Dear Tom and Ray: My fix-it-type father is offering to give my 16-year-old daughter (and new driver) his old car. It will be in perfect running order, with new brakes and a sound engine. He is even offering to pay for insurance. Unfortunately, his car is a 25-year-old GM sedan without any of today's safety features, such as air bags or anti-lock brakes. He dismisses that by saying the car is "as solid as a rock," "you know where it is on the road" and "they don't make cars like this anymore." My maternal impulse is to say "thanks, but no thanks." -- Donna

A TOM: Gee, that's really nice of your father. But I have to side with you, Donna.

RAY: He's right that they don't make cars like that anymore. And I, for one, am grateful. Modern cars are much safer. Plus, they drive better, stop better, are more reliable and are easier to handle. That's especially important for a relatively new driver, who has enough to concentrate on without worrying whether the starboard outrigger is clipping a mailbox.

TOM: I'd tell your dad that it's a wonderful, sweet gesture, and you're very grateful that he has such a great relationship with your daughter. But you want her to drive a car that has modern safety features.

RAY: You can suggest that he sell the old heap, and then he and his granddaughter can make a project of using the proceeds to find a newer used car. He'd get to spend time with her and help her check out and buy her first car.

TOM: And you can set the minimum conditions. You can say it has to have a driver's air bag, anti-lock brakes and a five-star crash-test rating. By the way, the more air bags, the better. Electronic stability control is also looking like a real life-saver, although that's been widely available only for a few years now.

RAY: If he doesn't bite on that suggestion, maybe he'll let her drive his new Lexus once in a while (we know he's getting one with air bags, stability control, anti-lock brakes and seat heaters as soon as he dumps his old clunker).

Dear Tom and Ray: I have a 2004 Honda Accord, which I recently took to the dealer for the 30,000-mile service. He tells me my oil pan has a large dent, though there is no oil leaking. He says I should spend $400 on getting this replaced ASAP, since otherwise my oil pressure could drop to zero. How urgent is this problem? Why would a dent affect oil pressure if the pan is intact? -- Amit

RAY: Well, there are two ways in which a dented oil pan can affect your oil pressure. The first is if it actually breaks. Then all of your oil will leak out and you'll have no oil to pressurize!

TOM: You're fortunate to have a steel oil pan on this car. Steel often can survive a dent. As long as there's no actual "crease" in the metal, you're probably okay.

RAY: But the dent itself may be pushing up against, and blocking, the oil pickup tube. The tube that sucks the oil out of the pan and delivers it to the pump sits very close to the bottom of the pan. If the dent were in just the wrong place, it could create a phenomenon called "oil starvation" -- especially at high engine speeds or on hills.

TOM: Another mechanic can perform a complete oil-pressure test for you. He can even jack up each end of the car to simulate going up and down hills. He'll hook up a gauge to your car, then run it at various RPMs, and see if the pressure meets specifications for all the engine speeds. RAY: Of course, if the test determines that the oil pressure is low, you'll be out the cost of the oil-pressure test and a new oil pan. So speak to your dealer again . What, exactly, is he concerned might happen?

Got a question about cars? Write to Click & Clack in care of The Post, or e-mail them by visiting the Car Talk Web site at www.cartalk.com.

2007by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman