Q: I own a '95 Buick Regal Custom and the brake lights on either side of the car do not work. The center high-mounted third brake light in the back window is working. I wonder if there is a relay or something between the third brake light and the other brake lights. I don't think it's the brake light switch since the third brake light works. What do you think? -- B.R., Tinley Park

A: B.R., you are correct in thinking that the brake light switch in your Buick is good because the same switch is used for all the brake light bulbs. However, the center high-mounted stop lamp does not provide a feed circuit to the other bulbs. That's because the other bulbs are tied-in with the turn signals. So, the circuit to those bulbs goes through the turn signal switch. On your Buick, there's a WHITE wire that comes from the brake light switch and it plugs into cavity A6 of the turn signal switch connector. I suspect that there's a problem with this wire (or terminal) at the turn signal switch connector, or the turn signal switch itself is at fault.

Q: I own a '96 Toyota Corolla and I'm having trouble with the brake light bulbs. Every so often one of the bulbs stops working. But, when I take it apart and attempt to remove the bulb, it comes back on again. If I move the bulb a little, the bulb will go out. The socket that the bulbs plug into is only about a year old. I'm hoping there's something simple that can solve this. Please help. -- W.M., Chicago

A: W.M., there has to be a poor connection between the bulb's terminals and the metal terminals inside the socket assembly. It could be due to moisture. You might be able to eliminate this problem by putting a small amount of lithium white grease on the bulb's terminals. Another acceptable method would be to use an electric contact enhancer like Stabilant 22.

Q: I own a 2005 Mazda 6 with a 3.0-liter V6 engine. I want to know if I can use 5W30 oil. -- Lewis, Chicago

A: Lewis, according to the service information, your Mazda's engine requires 5W20 motor oil. I would not recommend using 5W30.

Q: When I first start my car there's a sound like the belt is too loose. I took my car back to the dealer and they tightened the belt. However, the noise is still there only when I first start the engine. I'm wondering what's causing this noise? Could it be the water pump? -- G.W, Chicago

A: G.W., if the noise eventually goes away, it's likely not being caused by the water pump. It's more likely that the belt is slipping. Usually when a tight belt slips, it's because the belt is damaged or glazed. The belt can become glazed from operating it in a loose condition whereby it slips causing the rubber to get extremely hot. When you first start up a car, the alternator needs to charge the battery back up and creates a significant increase in load on the belt. Once the battery's voltage level increases, the load on the belt decreases. A properly installed quality drive belt should solve your woes.

Questions for Ira Siegel? Call the Auto Adviser Hotline at 708/633-6839 or e-mailAutoadvisr@aol.comAutoAdviser: Ira Siegel is an Automotive Instructor and ASE Certified Master Auto Technician