Dear Tom and Ray:

OK, I've had it. My soon-to-be-wife has a commercial driver's license and assumes that she knows a lot about driving. Well, she does, but this is something I can't understand. Her car is a 1996 Escort with automatic transmission. She insists that when I park the car, I a) shift into Neutral, b) apply the parking brake, c) release the foot brake, and then d) shift into Park. The rationale for this is to relieve pressure on the automatic transmission; she was told to do this by her colleague "Dan the Van Man." I don't understand. I am happy to apply the parking brake with the foot brake firmly applied (thus making sure that the car is resting on the brakes, and not on the transmission), then shift into Park prior to releasing the foot brake. But she demands that I do it her way. Is there any rationale for this? -- David

Tom: You want car advice or marital advice, David?

Ray: We'll give you both. Car advice first. No, there's no rationale for what she's doing. She's got several extra steps in there. And what you do is not only perfectly acceptable, it's absolutely right.

Tom: When you come to a stop, your foot is already on the foot brake, right? Then, with your foot still on the brake, you put the car in Park and apply the parking brake. Then you release the foot brake. Voila!

Ray: Doing things in that order leaves the weight of the car resting on the parking brake rather than the transmission and makes it easier to get the car OUT of Park later (when you reverse the order), especially if you're parked on any kind of a hill.

Tom: So the answer is, she's wacko, David.

Ray: Now for the marital advice: Tell her she's absolutely right. While she's going through several unnecessary steps, she's not harming anything by doing so. She's still ending up with the same effect. And since this is obviously important to her, just do it because you love her.

Tom: And every time you go through this stupid, time-consuming routine, you can think about how charming and unique she is, and how lucky you are to be married to such an unusual woman. After all, which do you want to last longer, David? Your marriage or your car?

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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