Dear Tom and Ray:

I enjoyed your pamphlet on ten ways you may be ruining your car without knowing it. I'm guilty of all of them! Here's another habit I'm worried about. How much damage does it do to your car to start it with the air conditioning on? Shirley

Ray: Not to worry, Shirley. It doesn't do any damage.

Tom: Power to all the car's major accessories (including the air conditioner) is automatically cut off when you turn the key to start the engine.

Ray: Right. That's so all available power can go to starting the car. Then, the moment the engine starts running, power is restored to your AC, your radio, your cellular phone, your microwave oven, etc.

Ray: So don't waste your time trying to change this habit, Shirley. It sounds like you've got your work cut out for you changing the other ten.

Tom and Ray lead you step by step through the process of finding and buying a reliable used car in their pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1994 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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