Dear Tom and Ray:

I've talked to several Honda Accord owners who, like me, have had to replace cracked CV joint boots around 90,000 miles -- at great expense. If ozone and the weather make the rubber boot brittle and it cracks, then why doesn't the manufacturer recommend spraying vinyl/rubber protectant on them at every oil change? Better yet, why not design a two-layered boot with a sacrificial outer layer? Seems like everything else underneath the car is coated to protect it from the elements. -- Stuart

Tom: Weather and ground-level ozone are only part of the problem, Stuart. The bigger factors are 1) the steepness of the angle between the engine and the wheel (which differs from car to car) and 2) Use. Just driving the car wears out the CV boots. Every time you turn the steering wheel those rubber boots are getting stretched and pulled and twisted.

Ray: We recommend that you have them visually inspected on a regular basis, so that they can be replaced before they crack. Once they crack, dirt and grit can get inside and ruin the joint itself, and THAT gets really expensive.

Tom: But there have been improvements in CV boots over the years, Stuart. And in my opinion, paying a few hundred bucks to replace them after 90,000 miles is not that bad. No doubt they could improve them more, and I'm sure they will over time, but I'd hardly put this at the top of the world's list of urgent engineering priorities.

Ray: Yeah. I'd certainly put it below home hot-water heaters. When they break after three years, your basement floods. And even if you get a free one under warranty, the plumber charges you $300 to install it! Now that's a serious problem, Stuart!

It's NEVER cheaper in the long run to buy a new car. Want proof? Order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1996 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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