Dear Tom and Ray:

I was traveling along the highway in my 1994 Pontiac Transport. Suddenly, the "Service Engine Soon" light came on. I drove about 10 minutes to the next exit, turned off the engine and waited. After a while, I turned the engine back on and the light had gone off. Great! But next time I drove on the highway, the same thing happened. I took it to Pontiac and they say I need a new EGR valve for $250 plus another $200 labor. That sounded like a lot for a part I never heard of. So I looked it up on your web site (cartalk.com) and found out what it is! Now the question is, do I have to fix it? I've been driving for weeks now with the light coming on. -- Michael

Tom: Michael, I can tell from your letter that you're a complete and unmitigated cheapskate.

Ray: My brother doesn't mean that in a bad way, Michael. It's just that one cheapskate is always quick to recognize a soul mate.

Tom: Right. And even though I support you in your frugality in general, Michael, I think you should definitely spend the money and fix this problem. After all, the light says "Service Engine Soon." It doesn't say "Ignore This Light" or "Don't Fix Anything, Mikey," does it?

Ray: The EGR valve, for those of you without internet access, is the Exhaust Gas Recirculation valve. It takes a small amount of exhaust gas, and feeds it back into the cylinders in order to cool the fuel/air mixture. Cooling the mixture helps reduce engine pinging and cuts down on the engine's nitrous oxide emissions.

Tom: So by not fixing it, Michael, you're poisoning the rest of us.

Ray: Plus, you may be disturbing the global economic balance. How? Well, if you don't give the guy at Pontiac $450 to fix this, he won't go out and buy expensive presents for his kids' birthdays. Then the toy store will cut back its inventory, the U.S. trade deficit will balloon, and the currencies in various Asian countries like Thailand and South Korea may struggle and collapse. You wouldn't want that on your shoulders, would you now, Michael?

Ray: Hey, did you hear that our pamphlet, "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It," is a million seller!

Tom: That's not what I said, you knucklehead. I said I had a MILLION of them in the CELLAR!

Ray: Oh. Well, it still has lots of good information on how to make your car last forever.

Don't get stuck with a lemon. Be an informed shopper. Read Tom and Ray's guide "How to Buy a Great Used Car: Secrets Only Your Mechanic Knows." To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1998 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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