Q: I just switched my car insurance to one where they track your mileage and charge you accordingly. I was able to plug the device into the OBD compartment, but now that door won't close! For now, door is off.
C.C., Indian Head Park, Illinois
A: When I began reading the first sentence of your message, I was expecting a pitch to switch my car insurance. Whew. Find the two retainer tabs on either side of the OBD II connector socket. Unlock the tabs and you can push the connector and accessory deeper into the dashboard.
Q: I see TV ads showing people plugging in their EV and showing the outlet on the wall. Does that charger come with the vehicle? I've never seen or heard anything about the cost of charging a vehicle from zero to 100 percent.
D.N., Wheaton, Illinois
A: Electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) come with a Level 1 home charger. According to the U.S. Department of Energy - Renewable Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center, many EV owners are able to meet their daily driving range requirements by charging overnight with a Level 1, typical residential 120-volt outlet, requiring no additional cost or installation. Level 2 charging equipment can be installed for drivers with less regular schedules, longer commutes or EVs with large batteries that require more than overnight to fully charge. The Level 2 charger requires a dedicated 240-volt circuit. Electricians can inform homeowners whether their home has adequate electrical capacity for Level 2 equipment and can add circuits to accommodate the capacity needed. The fuel efficiency of an EV may be measured in kilowatt hours (kWh) per 100 miles. If electricity costs 10.7 cents per kWh and the vehicle consumes 27 kWh to travel 100 miles, the cost per mile is about 3 cents. To compare the fueling costs of individual models of conventional and electric vehicles, see the DOE Vehicle Cost Calculator.
Q: No offense but the person who wrote about the heat affecting their serpentine belt said it looked shiny and new. You might have suggested they replace it now since serpentine belts aren't supposed to be shiny. That usually suggests a pulley dragging. Just my two cents.
K.L., Chicago
A: It is said that the best offense is a good defense and I defend my answer. The back of a serpentine belt often rides a tensioner pulley and sometimes drives an accessory. That keeps the back (as opposed to the ridged side) smooth and usually shiny.
Q: Loooong time reader. I hate to use the phrase "back in the day" but cars used to have an accessory option. When the car was off, you could turn the key backward one notch and listen to the radio. I assume that worked by using the battery, but I believe it took very little juice. On my latest car, you can't do that. So, if you want to access the radio, etc. with the car off, you need to turn it upward one notch. I'm wondering if this operates the same as the old accessory function and would this be using more battery juice, more than back in the day ?
A.E., Chicago
A: Back in the day — way back — car radios had vacuum tubes that consumed lots of juice. When transistors replaced tubes, the power consumption went way down. Your “transistor sister’s” radio played for weeks on a nine-volt battery. Modern systems sip juice. The accessory position still has the same function.
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