Dear Doctor: I own a 1991 Cadillac DeVille with 130,000 miles. While driving the speedometer goes all the way over and all the dash lights come on and the engine stalls. I wait awhile and the engine will start up and run fine. I replaced the alternator, but that made no difference. I replaced the computer and that seemed to take care of the problem. Now there is a vibration up front and a vacuum leak in the intake manifold gasket. The repair would be another $700. August

Dear August: As long as the exterior body and the interior are good, the engine and transmission are free of leaks, then $700 is not a lot of money to invest. Make sure to have your technician check and run an additional ground wire from the engine to the body. Poor grounds are often overlooked and cause lots of electrical nightmares for technicians who are not aware of these little gremlins.

Dear Doctor: I own a 1998 Toyota Avalon with 114,000 miles. On two occasions on cold mornings the brakes felt like there was no power assist. I took it to the dealer, but they could not find any problems. After pumping the brake pedal several times the brakes acted normally. What is your advice on the Toyota brakes? Marge

Dear Marge: First, remove the wheels and remove the brake calipers and check and clean the caliper's slides and lubricate them. Second, flush the brake fluid and replace it with new fluid. Brake fluid attracts moisture and will cause the kind of problems you are having with your brakes on your Toyota.

Dear Doctor: I own a 2006 Honda Pilot that makes excessive tire noise at 35-50 mph. We replaced the original Goodyear Integrity tires with Michelin Cross Terrain tires. The new tires are just a loud as the old ones. Why do I have loud tires? Tyler

Dear Tyler: First, you have to understand is that large tires with cross-tread designs will generate some unwanted noises at certain speeds. The smoother the tire tread pattern (summer-like tread design) the quieter the tire, but you will loose a bit of traction in snowy weather.