Q. I have a 2000 Dodge Neon with only 55,000 miles on it. Recently the red brake light started coming on. I checked the brake fluid and discovered that it was low; I filled it with the proper fluid. The light is still coming on and there is an electrical burning smell under the hood. Do you have any idea as to what the problem could be?

A. The red brake warning light will illuminate for two reasons. The first is when the parking brake is applied or is not fully released. Try setting the parking brake repeatedly, if the light flickers, then the problem is related to the parking brake warning switch. The second reason is due to a hydraulic failure of the brake system. This could be a leaking brake line, leaking brake caliper, wheel cylinder or faulty master cylinder. The smell could be brake fluid burning on the hot exhaust system. Whenever the brake warning light is on, you should have the car checked immediately.

Pulling to the left

Q. I rotated the tires on my Honda Accord and now it pulls to the left. The car always drove perfectly until this change. Is it a tire problem, an alignment issue, or something worse?

A. The problem is most likely with your car’s left front tire. The tire condition is known as camberism or conicity. Think of the tire as a cone, depending on the degree of angle, it will make the car lead in one specific direction. If you rotate the left side tires again and the pulling subsides, you have identified the defective tire.

Sparking a discussion

Q. I am changing the spark plugs in my 1997 Toyota RAV4 and am installing NGK iridium plugs. The specified torque is 13 ft/lb (156 in /lb). My question is, do I use a lower torque setting with anti-seize lube on the threads? These new plugs stay in the engine so long, I don’t want them to be difficult to remove next time I change them.

A. This is a case of a simple question with a complex answer. As a general rule, whenever a lubricant is applied to a fastener it will change the torque required, in some cases by up to 25 percent. Your question of anti-seize brings a little science and engineering into the picture. Since the anti-seize is a lubricant it will change the torque needed, this is generally referred to as the K factor. The technical support staff at Loctite use an equation of T (target torque) = K (coefficient of fiction) x D (diameter) x P (desired load) If all this gives you a headache, here is what I have done in the past. Start with a cold engine and clean the cylinder-head threads. When installing most spark plugs, use just a dab of lubricant and reduce the stated torque by a value of 20 percent to 25 percent. Just to add a little more confusion to the question, AC Delco with their sparkplugs doesn’t recommend using any lubricant on spark plug threads.

Steer to a repair center

Q. What are the possible causes to having a fair amount of difficulty turning the steering wheel in one direction? A friend of mine has a 2002 Subaru (not sure what model) and this has started happening recently.

A. Your friend’s Subaru, like most cars today, use rack and pinion power steering with a strut style suspension. The steering can bind in one or both directions due to a faulty power-steering control valve, loose power-steering belt, worn struts, bearing mounts, or other worn suspension and steering components. A good technician will first isolate any power steering problem and then look at the individual steering components.

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