Top-notch mechanical service can be rewarded with a tip
at a restaurant, who gets paid 75 cents an hour and counts on tips to afford his or her daily gruel, tips for mechanics really are optional. They’re a “thank you” for particularly good service. So if you call a mobile mechanic, and he goes above and beyond what he has to do, that’s when you would say “thanks” with a tip.
For instance, if he arrives right away, is friendly, fixes your car in the rain, takes the time to give you some good advice about ho wt o avoid problems in the future, charges a very fair price and doesn’t break anything else or clean out the chang ein y ourc up holder ,thoseallcanbereasons to tip him.
I would not base it on a percentage of the bill, like you would at a restaurant. Instead, I would offer something between $5 and $20, depending on just how grateful you feel. Giving a mechanic an extra $ 5is a nice way to say, “Thank you for getting here on time and fixing the problem.” Giving a mechanic an extra $20 is an unmistakable way of saying, “Wow, this was great service, and I am very thankful for your extra effort.”
Of course, nothing bea tsa pan of fresh, warm brownies, but not everybody drives around with one of those just in case, Mark. That’s why the $20 bill was invented.
Bad injectors could be cause of engine’s hesitation, stumbling
Dear Car Talk:
I’ve never had any problems with my 2012 Hyundai Elan- tra, until now. It has a 1.8-liter engine, automatic transmission and 156,000 miles. At speeds between 35 and 45 mph, it sometimes will hesitate and clunk. I installed new spark plugs andhadamotormount replaced. Also, the idle is running really high. And there’s a growl under the hood.
My mileag ehasg one from 33.5 mpg to under 20. I changed out the catalytic converter, replaced the serpentine belt, and cleaned the throttle body. Nothing has helped. Is the timing too rich? The check engine light is not on, and I don’t have any fault codes stored in the computer. Any ideas? – Bill
RAY: This sounds li keareal sweetheart, Bill. The most interest ingclueyougavemeis that the idle is running high.
There’s actually no way to adjust the idle on modern cars, like you could by turning a screw on your father’s Chevy . It’ s all computer-controlled now. So if the idle is consistently high, that means something’s wrong. The fact that the check engine light has not come on tells me it’s not likelytob eaneng ine sensor, or anything in the computerized engine management system. So it’s got to be something that’s fooling the computer into thinking you’re stepping on the gas.
And while it could be a vacuum leak, my first guess would bea bad injector ort wo. Or four. If one or more of your injectors were sending too much gasoline into the cylin-