Dear Tom and Ray:

A guy that I have been working with over the past two decades and I have a running argument about regularly parking on a slant. At two different companies where we've both worked, the parking lots are multilevel, and there is head-on parking on the sides of the ramps that go from level to level. I maintain that it's better to park in a level space than in a slanted space (with the left side of the car higher than the right, for instance). I say that the slant will stress the car's suspension system, and it may also cause problems with fluids like oil and their related gaskets. Bill (who, by the way, works for me now!) maintains that it makes no difference. He parks in the first space he can find, whether it's on a slant or not. Who is right? -- Powell

Ray: Unfortunately, Bill is. There are only two problems I can think of with parking on a slant. If you park with the driver's side up the hill, gravity forces the door to close on your leg when you try to get out.

Tom: And if you park with the driver's door facing downhill, your door tends to fly open into the boss' Lexus.

Ray: It really makes almost no difference to the car. The suspension is far more stressed from the raw weight of the car than from a slight incline.

Tom: But if you're really worried about it, here's what you should do. Since you're Bill's boss, whenever you park on a slant, order him to go out and turn your car around during lunch!

Auto repairs can be costly! Save money 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.

© 1999 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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