Q: I have a 2001 Lexus ES300 with just over 70k miles. Within the last 12 to 18 months at random times, it will not start and run unless you hold your foot down on the gas (not all the way to the floor), turn the ignition key, and continue to hold your foot on the gas until it runs (just a few seconds). It does not happen often and there seems to be no pattern to it.  Happens more often when you have driven it, turned it off and come back a while later and tried to start it.  Any idea what's going on?

A: Textbook example of a leaky injector flooding the intake manifold with fuel after the engine is shut off. Holding down the throttle lets in enough extra air to dry out the plugs enough to start.

Give this car a steady diet of Top Tier gasoline and some fuel injection cleaner for a couple of weeks. If that doesn't help, you may have to have the fuel injectors cleaned, either on the car with a machine, or off the car on a bench cleaning machine.

Q: I have a 2007 Dodge Charger R/T with the Road/Track group, 5.7 HEMI , Country of origin-Germany 5 Speed Auto Stick Trans. I wanted to check the fluid level in the trans, but there is no dipstick. I checked the owners manual and discovered I have a sealed transmission and have to take the car to a dealer to check the fluid levels. How can I do this at home? What fluid do I use?

A: Here’s a dipstick: http://www.denlorstools.com/home/dt1/page_20329/assenmacher_ah_cry933_automatic_transmission_dipst.html.

Apparently it’s possible to adapt a Mercedes dipstick and housing, but it’s more expensive than this part. But maybe if you ask the dealer nice, they’ll check it for free. You can’t really check the fluid without a scan tool that will give you the transmission temperature. The level changes appreciably with temperature. The service manual has a chart telling what the level should be at any given temp.  The trans fluid—which is specified in the owner’s manual—is Mopar ATF+4. ATF meeting that spec is widely available. Yes, it’s synthetic.

Q: In the September issue there is an article on how to make a lead hammer. Where can I find the molds?

A: Graham Tools carries them: http://www.grahamtool.com/foundryman.aspx

Q: For years I have been hearing about a man in the '70s having invented a carburetor for the small block Chevy that gave it incredible gas mileage, with some loss of power. The story claims that the patent was bought by "big oil" or one of the "Big Three", and then shelved so as to hide the technology. It also claims that it was in an article printed in Popular Mechanics.  Any truth to this?

A: It's an urban legend. We never wrote about, but others did: http://www.snopes.com/autos/business/carburetor.asp