KIDS ARE GROSS -- NOW CAR NEEDS TO BE DEEP - CLEANED ALL OVER

Dear Car Talk: How do I completely take out the third row of seats in my 2002 Acura MDX? I need to deep-clean under it, thanks to the kids. -- Ashley The third row in that car is a bench seat, and it’s held in place with bolts that go into the floor. I can’t remember if there are four or six of them. If you open the rear liftgate and follow the seat posts down to the floor, you’ll find that there’s a flap in the carpeting. If you fold it back, you’ll find bolts. The bolts come out, and then that bench can be lifted up and removed. But it’s pretty heavy. My suggestion would be: Next time you take your car in for any kind of service, ask your mechanic to remove the third row of seats for you. It’ll be easy for him to do in the shop. And he can get another guy to help him lift it out. Then have him put it aside while you take the car home, or to a local napalm factory, and steam-clean whatever disgusting bodily products your kids deposited in the carpet. When you’re done, drive back to the shop, and have him put the seat back in for you. He’ll charge you a few bucks. Or if you’re a good customer -- and you come back for your seat in less than a year -- he might even do it for nothing. In which case, brownies would be the appropriate payment. Just make sure the kids don’t grind them into the carpet on the way back to the shop, Ashley. Changing your oil regularly is the cheapest insurance you can buy for your car, but how often should you change it? Find out by ordering Car Talk’s pamphlet “Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It!” Send $4.75 (check or money order) to Car Talk/ Ruin, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. Got a question about cars? Write to Car Talk in care of this newspaper, or email by visiting the Car Talk website at www.cartalk. com. (c) 2016 by Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.