Q.

 I have seen a number of commercials for the Keilini IceBuster 6; a battery-powered windshield ice scraper.  I was wondering if you have any experience with this device.  Is it worth the price? 

A.

 I have not tried it, but after watching their video, it looks like it wouldn’t work much better than a traditional ice scraper. The idea of warm air and shaving the ice off the windshield using a rotating 200 RPM blade to me just doesn’t look like it would work. This would certainly be the case on thick ice and substantial snow. Also, if you have ever left your phone in the car on a cold night the battery is usually discharged. I suspect the battery on this would do the same. I’m sure the company (which does not get more than 3-star reviews) sold plenty of them for the holidays. Readers, did you buy one and what is the verdict? 

Q.

 I recently purchased a Tesla Model 3, used with only 9000 miles on it. Any advice for winter use? 

A.

 Preconditioning the cabin while the car is plugged in helps maintain battery range. I would avoid using regenerative braking in the snow. It is like applying the brakes and can cause a skid.  Also, unless this Model 3 is all wheel drive, winter tires or all weather (not to be confused with all season) tires are needed. Even with the weight of battery electric vehicles, tires provide traction. Some single motor EVs are rear wheel drive and with the instant torque of an electric car can easily skid. Similar to a gas car, where we recommend topping off your fuel tank in winter, also top off your car’s battery. Electric cars are great when stuck in traffic since they use very little electricity, but starting the day with a battery at 90 percent will help prevent running out of electricity. Also, if you rely only on public charging, these stations can get crowded (especially with ride hailing drivers) if there is a prediction of extremely cold /wintery weather.

Q.

 I have a 2013 Nissan Sentra, I purchased four new sets of wipers, they all make a tremendous amount of noise.  My mechanic suggested new wipers again, which we did, and the blades still chatter. What can we do?

A.

 I would start with cleaning the windshield. I have used Bon Ami powdered cleaner or Bar Keepers Friend to remove any waxy film and deposits. Then follow up with a good window cleaner. The Car Doctor’s wife is a fan of SprayWay. Once you have purchased quality wipers, the next step is making sure the wipers are perpendicular to the windshield. Over time the arms bend and no longer provide good contact to the windshield. Sometimes just tweaking the wiper arms using an adjustable wrench as a tool can quiet the noise and chatter. If all of this does not work you may need to replace the wiper arms, which may not be keeping enough tension against the windshield. 

Q.

 Could you answer a snow blower question? I took a Craftsman (MTD) with a “Powermore” engine from the curb. There was water in the fuel when I drained the tank, and a little reddish gunk in the float bowl. The tank is plastic.  The float bowl is steel with a “brass” coating that wears off. I looked inside the engine intake hole and saw the intake valve. Is there a way to clean that, short of disassembly? Can I just run it that way?  It’s a 2015 model so it is only 10 years old and does not look like it had much use. I don’t like these cheap engines, but that’s what MTD has been using on all their brands for many years.

A.

 A little outside of my area of expertise, but I have tinkered a bit with these engines. I have seen some of the valves rust into the cylinder heads and become unusable requiring replacement. At this point I would remove the spark plug and spray some Marvel Mystery oil in the cylinder and let it sit overnight. Rather than normal fuel, use some 50 to 1 two-stroke premixed fuel for the first startup attempt. The little bit of oil will help lubricate the engine and clean it up. Run it for a while and then switch to straight gasoline or better yet, non ethanol fuel and hope for the best. A tip for storing power equipment is to add some oil to the cylinder and then turn the engine over slowly until it reaches the compression stroke and then stop and reinstall the spark plug. This way the combustion chamber is sealed off and minimizes rusting.