Dear Tom and Ray:

My husband says that the car radio should be turned off when the car is being started. Would you please tell me if it makes any difference? Thank you. Betty

Ray: Gee, Betty, this sounds like one of those classic marital disputes...to leave the radio on or not to leave the radio on. I guess you didn't put this into the pre-nuptual agreement, huh?

Tom: Well, the good news is it doesn't matter. When you turn the key to the "crank" position to start you car, all accessories (except for the headlights on most cars) are AUTOMATICALLY turned off until the engine starts.

Ray: That's so you don't have to remember to turn off the radio, the air conditioner, or the built-in head-rest/electric hair drier. The car does that automatically so that the maximum amount of current will be available to start the car.

Tom: I hope this explanation allows you and your husband to put this difficult period behind you. Now you can move on to more serious marital issues, like whether the toilet paper should come over the top or under the bottom.

It's NEVER cheaper in the long run to buy a new car. Want proof? Order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1993 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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