Four years ago, I scrapped my gas lawn mower for an EGO battery mower.

I have some gas left that I would like to dispose of. Could I just put this old gas in my car where it would be diluted with fresh gas and not damage my engine?

If you have a neighbor who’s always bragging about his great gas mileage, sneak over and put it in his tank, Dave. Then you can laugh when he starts bragging about getting 60 miles to the gallon — and then has to replace all his injectors.

Untreated gas that’s been sitting for years will slowly turn to varnish, a substance gummier than gasoline. And that’s not great for your fuel injection system.

Given that your fuel system is very expensive and a few gallons of four-year-old gasoline is not very valuable, I don’t think it’s worth the risk, Dave.

If you’re really determined to use the stuff, I’d recommend you do it a little at a time. Put 8 or 10 ounces in a full tank of fresh gas and repeat that process until your old gas is used up. That’ll reduce the chances that the gummy, old gas will plug up your injectors and increase the likelihood that the detergents in your fresh gasoline will wash away any of that crud as you drive.

I think you’d be better off just disposing of it. Most communities have hazardous waste recycling centers where you can drop off gasoline, oil and paint. Or, if you have a regular mechanic, he might be willing to take it and toss it in with his petroleum waste products for you.

If that sounds like too much work, I bet if you put an ad on Craigslist that reads “Free Gas,” explain that it’s for a lawn mower you no longer own and you disclose its age, within minutes someone will be heading over with their gas can to claim it. Probably several people.

My 2004 Buick LeSabre is the perfect car for me, but, in the past year, the right front tire has gone flat six times. One of the AAA guys who came out to rescue me said that the axle is probably “bowed,” something that happens on older Buicks. My mechanic just shook his head and filled up the tire today when I stopped by.

I’ve done all the normal stuff — new tire, repaired tire, cleaned rim. I’m a little old lady who puts all of 1,500 miles a year on the car. Is the bowed axle an actual thing?

I’ve never heard of a bowed axle. I’ve heard of bowed legs. But I don’t think your LeSabre has those. It’s also interesting that your name is Carlene. Because a car lean is exactly what you get when one of your tires goes flat.

I’m going to assume that when you had the tire replaced, they also replaced the valve stem. If not, I’d recommend trying that. That’s a part that can fail and allow air to leak. It used to be standard practice to replace the valve stem when you replaced a tire, but in modern cars, the tire pressure monitor is embedded in the valve stem, making the part more expensive. That’s why it’s no longer done routinely.

If the valve stem was replaced or if you replace it and still have the leak, then I’m going to suggest that it’s the rim.

I know you had the rim cleaned. And most likely, after cleaning rust off the rim and mounting the new tire, the tire shop would have submerged the tire/wheel combination in water to check for leaks. And they obviously didn’t see a leak. But sometimes a leak won’t show up unless the weight of the car is on the tire. All that weight deforms the tire and can expose a spot on the rim that allows air to escape.

The rim could be bent, or it could just have 18 years’ worth of built-up corrosion on it that prevents a tight seal with the tire, despite some cleaning and sanding.

So, I’d replace the wheel itself. It might cost you a few hundred bucks, but I think that’ll eliminate your car lean, Carlene.

Post questions online at CarTalk.com. (c) 2022 by Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate Inc.

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