Web buzz boosts Super Bowl ads

Many of the buzzworthy commercials that will air during Super Bowl XLVIII have already hit the Web, racking up several million YouTube hits before the big game even starts.

"The trend is to preview the spots, and it's a smart strategy," said David Swaebe, a senior vice president at Boston advertising agency Mullen. "It creates ambassadors out of viewers — people who have already seen the ads will encourage other people to watch them, and it amplifies the impact." Plus, it drives up social media engagement, Swaebe said. "Anything that's dialogue-driven, it's better if you've seen it in the quiet of your own home first rather than in the party atmosphere. And if you've taken the effort to go look (for the ad ahead of time), you will be a better tweeter."

People are clearly making the effort: take the 24-million plus views that Budweiser's Clydesdale spot "Puppy Love" has already scored. "People know to look for Budweiser," Swaebe said. "Each year for them it's, 'What are they going to do to the Clydesdales?' The marketing power behind Budweiser as they're related to sports is supercharged."

Not all the commercials are benefiting from pre-game buzz, though. The much-touted debut of GoDaddy's first "not sexy" ad, a spot centered on bodybuilders racing to a tanning salon, is hovering at around 800,000 YouTube hits. "GoDaddy is maybe going to fall flat this year," Swaebe said. "People expect to see something outrageous from them."

Butterfinger, not a frequent advertiser during the big game, has one teaser with only about 2,000 hits. "Butterfinger is brand new and they don't have a spot that's in the same league."

So which ads should you check out before kickoff? Swaebe likes the aforementioned Budweiser spot, along with the "Finger Cleaner" Doritos ad, the Kia spot parodying "The Matrix" and a Hyundai advertisement featuring "Dad's Sixth Sense."

"But I bet you the best creative spots haven't been released yet," Swaebe said. "Someone's got a surprise that will generate a lot of buzz."

Swaebe's money is on Chrysler, rumored to be doing a commercial with Bob Dylan. As for the trend overall, Swaebe predicted the ads will be "a little less sophomoric and a little more intelligent. Less slapsticky."

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Owner of RAV4 isn’t raving about ‘check engine’ light

I have a 2007 Toyota RAV4 I bought from a large car dealer. After two months the "Check engine" light came on. The Toyota dealer said it was a defective oxygen sensor, which I had replaced. The next day the same light came on again. What control does a dealer have over the check-engine light? Can they set the codes to defer for a period of time? It seems curious that the light came on two months after driving off the lot.

Would it have been more "curious" had the check-engine light come on the day after you purchased the vehicle? Without knowing the DTC fault code that has triggered the light this second time, there's no way to know whether the recurrence is related in any way to the original oxygen sensor fault.

Assuming the original DTC pointed to a failed oxygen sensor, the dealer would have replaced it and cleared the fault code from the computer's memory. That means the light coming on a day later was generated by a completely new fault, or the same fault recurring. It's important to remember that there are several fault codes related to oxygen sensor(s) and their performance that do not indicate sensor failure. Replacing an O2 sensor when the fault is a harness/connector/heater or rich/lean air-fuel mixture won't prevent the code from recurring.

To put your suspicions and paranoia to rest, I don't believe there's any way to manipulate an engine management system to "defer" fault codes in order to conceal a problem. And of course, to do so would — like odometer rollback — violate federal law.

I drive a 2003 Chevy Impala with 106,000 miles. Several months ago the "Service traction system" message came on. I took it to the dealer and their diagnostic check found code C1218 — "Pump motor circuit open." Their test found that the ABS pump motor has had an internal failure and needs to be replaced, at a cost of over $2,000. Would it be helpful to flush the hydraulic lines to clean out any debris that might have caused this failure? Would not replacing the pump have any effect on the ABS braking system?

According to my Alldata automotive database, the C1218 code indicates a voltage issue with the pump motor in the BPMV (brake pressure modulator valve), part of the EBCM (electronic brake control module). A special test lamp can test the EBCM's ability to control the BPMV. If the lamp lights up, the pump motor circuit within the EBCM is good.

Until the cause for the ABS and TCS warning lights and "Service traction system" message is identified and corrected, the ABS and TCS are disabled.

Bleeding/flushing the hydraulic system to remove moisture and debris every two years or so is routine maintenance in my book.

I have a 2002 Chevy 2500HD Silverado with 156,000 miles. About six weeks ago the ABS started activating when stopping from a very low speed with little pressure on the brake pedal. It sounds like the left front wheel. No dash warning lights are on before, during or after this happens. It's like the wheel speed sensor thinks one of the front wheels is locking.

That's exactly what's happening! Because of an increased air gap between the wheel speed sensor and reluctor ring on the hub due to a buildup of rust and debris, the sensor can't accurately read the rotational speed of the wheel. And since no rotational reading is interpreted as lockup by the system, the ABS engages to bleed off hydraulic pressure to that brake in an attempt to restore rotation.

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn. 55488 or via email at paulbrand@startribune.com. Leave a daytime phone number.

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