Dear Tom and Ray:

What would happen if you suddenly thrust your shifter from Drive to Neutral while the car is on cruise control? Does it screw up the transmission at all? I want to try it but I am scared that it will mess up my car. -- Dave

Tom: You're such a chicken, Dave! Fortunately, we here at Car Talk Laboratories are at your service. Since we test drive all kinds of cars that don't belong to us, we're the perfect people to answer this question for you. So we went out in the car we happen to be test driving at the moment -- a Chrysler LHS -- and tried it.

Ray: I should point out to those considering the purchase of this car that the LHS was a very nice vehicle; powerful, smooth, nice looking ...

Tom: Wait. Did you say "was"?

Ray: Actually, here's what happened, Dave. We set the cruise control at about 50 mph and then popped the shifter from Drive into Neutral. The engine speed climbed a measly 200 or 300 rpm, and then the cruise control disengaged. We tried it several times, once while climbing a hill, and each time the cruise control automatically shut itself off before the rpm could climb much at all.

Tom: We don't know if all cars are this smart, or how long cars have been this smart. But we can say with authority that the engine will not rev out of control when you do this on a 1999 Chrysler LHS.

Ray: We don't want to encourage anyone else to try this. But if you happen to borrow your brother-in-law's late-model Mercedes, and accidentally push it into Neutral while in cruise control, let us know what happens, OK? (We're collecting data in the interest of science, of course). Just contact us in care of this newspaper, or by e-mailing us through the Car Talk section of cars.com.

Wait! Don't buy another car without the mechanic's checklist that's included in Tom and Ray's pamphlet "How to Buy a Great Used Car: Secrets Only Your Mechanic Knows." It will help you get a good used car and avoid the clunkers. 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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