Question: I'm thinking about taking a cross-country trip next summer with my son and am having great fun with him highlighting all the places to see on a giant map.I have a 15-year-old Camry and am hoping it's up to reliably taking us to these places. Is a car this age OK for a trip like this? It seems to run fine.What things might give us trouble? What should I do to prepare the car? I figured I should get a head start on this, or at worst nip our plans before dreaming further if it's not a good idea with this car.Answer: Keep on dreaming and planning _ this can be done. I'd start with a thorough professional inspection of the vehicle, by AAA or any competent technician following a similar format. At the top of the priority list are tires, belts and hoses, battery, and cooling system, followed by overall vehicle competency.Driving a vehicle over long stretches of road is actually easier on the engine and transmission than repeated stops and starts.The main difference is the vehicle is likely to be more heavily loaded and will encounter occasional high stress situations in hot climate areas and climbing hills/mountains.Long driving intervals on hot pavement will certainly test the tires. In addition to adequate tread, they should be less than 5 years old, free of noticeable weathering/cracks and tread damage, and properly inflated.I'd renew all accessory drive belts and cooling system hoses if they are more than a couple of years old, and check to see if your timing belt has been renewed at the recommended interval. On many vehicles a broken timing belt can result in a huge expense, as the valves and pistons will collide.Your Camry is a non-interference engine, so if the belt should break, the engine simply stops _ dead in it tracks _ with no internal damage.It's a good idea to renew the water pump along with a new timing belt, as the parts typically work together and are accessed at the same time. If the radiator shows signs of leakage or restriction, repair or replacement is a must. Aftermarket replacement radiators are surprisingly inexpensive, and typically carry a lifetime warranty.Other things to check are the battery and charging system, tune up status (spark plugs, wires, filters, etc), lights, wipers, brakes, shocks, suspension, the spare tire and jack, and other inspection checklist items.If the A/C is presently blowing cold, it isn't likely to need attention. I'd carry a gallon of drinking water, a can of Fix-a-Flat, an emergency meal or two, and a couple of space blankets _ just in case you end up in a tough spot, away from help.Other handy trunk items include a flashlight, flares, a roll of duct tape, vise grip pliers, screwdrivers, a spare quart of motor oil, and a bottle of Bar's Leaks (radiator sealant).This sounds like a great trip, and with some prior attention, your Camry should be more than up to the job.

Question: About a week ago I accidentally hit and destroyed the passenger side mirror on my 1995 Mercury Cougar. I would like to have the mirror replaced, but would rather not go through the motions with my insurance company. I'm also on a fixed income, hoping to do this in the most economical manner possible.Can you give me any ideas about the best way of fixing this? If it's not terribly difficult I can ask a neighbor or relative to help.Answer: This couldn't be simpler. A used replacement mirror can be obtained economically from an auto recycler and is quite easy to replace. Let's start by removing what's left of the original mirror.The three nuts holding the mirror in place are easily accessed once a triangular plastic trim piece is unsnapped from the front/top/inner corner of the door (use finger tips or a blunt screwdriver to remove the trim and a 10mm wrench for the nuts).If the mirror is electrically operated, there will be several wires leading from the mirror down into the door. Unplugging the wiring connector from the door will require removal of the door trim panel. While this would be the best way to deal with the wires, trim panel removal and installation may be tough for a non-professional helper.Another option is to cut the wires (as close to where they disappear into the mirror as possible) and splice them to the matching wires of the replacement mirror (these should be left as long as possible, allowing lots of room to work with).Be careful not to let the cut wire ends fall into the door cavity while removed, and carefully insulate and protect the final connections.Now let's recruit your helper to make a visit to a self-service auto recycler in search of a replacement mirror.A full-service recycler is more convenient, but the price of the mirror will be higher, as they will be removing it for you.Walking a wrecking yard is a fascinating experience. One quickly gains appreciation for the complexity of the automobile when seeing them so vividly dissected. It's also interesting that many of the vehicles haven't been seriously crashed, they're simply cars and trucks that are not economically feasible to put back on the road.It shouldn't be difficult to find an identical mirror, as the same part is also used on Thunderbirds, and possibly even in the right color.If electric, there'll be about a 70 percent chance the mechanisms will work you won't know for sure until attempting installation (try it before cutting any wires).Should the mirror not move, it can typically be swapped for another, or the mirror face can be gently clicked to the desired position, and left there.If a different color mirror is all that's available, a do-it-yourself spray can of the appropriate color paint can be purchased from an auto parts store.The color will likely match nicely, but the luster and durability of the paint finish will be somewhat disappointing. With luck, the entire job can be done for less than $50.

Brad Bergholdt is an automotive technology instructor at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose. E-mail under-the-hoodearthlink.net. He cannot make personal replies.