Dear Tom and Ray:

When should the battery be replaced in a car? My husband says that I should get a new one for my '89 Olds Cutlass Supreme that has 71,000 miles. Since the battery has never acted up, is it really necessary? -- Marilyn

Tom: This is really a lifestyle question, Marilyn. Are you the kind of person whose day would be ruined if you got stranded somewhere, or would breaking down be a little adventure in an otherwise dull and dreary life?

Ray: If you got seven years out of your current battery, you've done very, very well. And you probably should expect it to die in the relatively near future. How soon? Who knows? It could be tomorrow, it could be a year from tomorrow. But it's certainly near the end of its useful life.

Tom: The question is, do you want to drive around with a brand-new battery, secure in the knowledge that your battery is not going to die and strand you? Or do you want to get every drop out of this battery and take your chances that some morning you'll come out and the battery will be dead? For some people, getting stuck like that is a terrible, awful experience, and they want to avoid it at all costs.

Ray: Then there are people like my brother's wife who look forward to it. She figures the next breakdown might be her chance to meet a handsome young tow-truck driver and finally dump my deadbeat brother!

Spending a little money now on "preventive maintenance" can save you big bucks down the road. Find out how by ordering Tom and Ray's pamphlet "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It!" To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1996 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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