Design for license plates flawed
Dear Motormouth: I enjoy reading your column in the Sunday Boston Herald. Here in Massachusetts, front registration plates are the law. Not all motor vehicles are designed to mount the front registration plates, so dealers attach a bracket to the front bumper or some other place for the plate. Number one, it looks like hell. Number two, it usually gets mangled. So why do so many states require front number plates when most vehicles are not designed to accept them?
— H.H., Melrose, Massachusetts
Dear H.H.: Only a few states don’t require front plates, so most cars have dimples where holes are to be drilled and brackets installed. Yes, on many cars the plates detract from the beauty, and some drivers just leave them off. I see tons of Teslas and hundreds of other highend cars without front tags. Confession: I was once pulled over and said the tag may have come off in a car wash. The cop took a look and then said, “We police may not be Rhodes (road) scholars, but there aren’t even any holes in your bumper.” I got the message.
Dear Motormouth: I’m with those who think the push-button start is highly annoying and ought to be an option. The push button allows my wife to take the key away in her purse and then if I drive off some distance to do another errand, I can’t start the car again. The computer chip key costs upward of $200 and can only be reproduced by a dealer, and the nearest is 50 miles away. Of course, my car has another, very effective, anti-theft device: It has stick shift.
Few thieves can drive a stick shift.
— G.W., Deltaville, Virginia
Dear G.W.: Many locksmiths now carry popular fobs and can also program them. Sure, the fob and programming are expensive, but the locksmith is usually cheaper than the dealership. Maybe you could ask your wife to leave the key fob with the car, or you could carry your own fob. It won’t get locked inside; grab it when you exit.
Dear Motormouth:
Regarding cleaning windshield interiors, thanks to Youtube I found the best solution. Wipe the interior down with a microfiber towel, then wash it by wiping up and down then side to side with a damp Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Then dry with a microfiber cloth. I finish it up with a clean microfiber towel and Stoner’s Invisible Glass, which is the best glass cleaner I have ever used. I’ve tried everything else: newspaper, different glass cleaners, etc.
— M.K., Chicago
Dear M.K.: I’ll give it a try. The last time I went through the car wash, I swear that the attendant used the same rag on my windshield as for the tire shine. Ugh.
Dear Motormouth: I have looked at the AAA research on Top Tier gas being recommended by many different car companies. The Consumer Reports review suggests using Top Tier gas. Can you please advise on your recommendation for using Top Tier gas in the tank?
— R.L., Bartlett, Illinois
Dear R.L.: The Top Tier gas designation was created by BMW along with several other automakers and awarded to gasolines that had more than the paltry minimum amount of detergent required by the U.S. EPA. I do recommend it. The higher dose of detergent helps keep intake valves free of buildup. It is still useful to use Top Tier gas, and there should be a label on the gas pumps at the stations. You can find a list of marketers at toptiergas.com.
Bob Weber is a writer and mechanic who became an Ase-certified Master Automobile Technician in 1976. He maintains this status by seeking certification every five years. Weber’s work appears in professional trade magazines and other consumer publications. Send questions along with name and town to motormouth. tribune@gmail.com.