Motormouth: What is a dead man's pedal?

Q: When I purchased my 2013 Malibu, a dead man’s pedal was listed on the invoice. What is a dead man’s pedal and can I assume that it is employed every time you take your foot off the accelerator? Is it important enough to be listed on the invoice and that every vehicle should have the feature?

J.A., Cetronia, Pennsylvania

A: I haven’t heard of a dead man’s pedal. However, many vehicles have a “dead” pedal. It’s a pedal on the left side of the footwell upon which you can either rest your foot or brace your foot during spirited driving. The pedal doesn’t do anything else. It’s dead. (“It isn’t dead, it’s only resting.” – Monty Python)

Q: My 2018 Subaru Impreza's owner's manual specifies 0W-20, full synthetic oil. Our 2010 and 2011 4-cylinder Toyota Camry owner's manuals specify 0W-20 oil, but they do not specify synthetic oil. If I am replacing the oil in these Camrys, faithfully, every 5,000 miles, or 6 months as the owner's manual recommends, is there any reason not to use non-synthetic oil to save some money? The Camry owner's manuals do specify the oil grade must be ILSAC multigrade engine oil. Is non-synthetic oil ILSAC grade?

R.K., Colchester, Connecticut

A: According to its website, the International Lubricants Standardization and Approval Committee was formed in 1992 by AAMA (American Automobile Manufacturers Association) and JAMA (Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association) to define the need, parameters, licensing and administration of lubricant specifications. Since ILSAC’s inception, all motor oils, synthetic or conventional, bear the ILSAC grades. Zero (0-xx) oil can only be made from synthetics. But other grades such as 5W-30 may or may not be synthetics. BTW, ILSAC is not an ailing tote bag.

Q: I found your answer to K.C. of Elwood, Illinois, to be flippant and incomplete. Are you claiming that car washes are not actually providing the extra services added with the upgrades?

J.M., Middletown, Connecticut

A: I apologize if my answer came across that way, but as you may recall, everyone got what they came for despite all the Oz Wizard’s flashing lights and noise. If the flashing lights come on in the tunnel, you are getting what you paid for. I personally prefer car washes over doing it myself and I am a fussy guy. I even purchased unlimited wash passes and frequently opt for the extra services. There are some car washes I don’t trust, but if the business belongs to the International Carwash Association (carwash.org), trust it.

Q: I have a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 77,000 miles on it. Periodically I am driving and the whole front end and the steering wheel shake very badly. I have to slow down then it goes away. I can drive it for the next two or three weeks without it doing it again. I did some research online and it seems to be called “death wobble.” I took it to the Jeep dealer, they kept it for two days, checked everything on the front end and periodically drove it, and they could never get it to happen. Any ideas?

J.D., Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin

A: Replace the steering damper. It looks like a large shock absorber attached to the front of the steering linkage. But don’t overlook other worn parts like ball joints, tie rods and especially the track bar attachments. The damper may help, but in the long run the wobble will return if any steering or suspension parts are worn.