Q: “Dad,” said my son, “I bet nine out of 10 Teslas do not have a front license plate.” I must admit, I had never noticed this before, but after he alerted me, I started to pay attention. Sure enough, I’d say 90% of the Teslas I observed did not have a front plate. That is illegal in Minnesota and the fine is anywhere from $100-200. With maybe a touch of sarcasm he said, “They don’t like how it looks. It messes up the car’s smooth lines.” Would I be correct that the dealer does install a front plate and then the owner removes it later?
D.B., Stillwater, Minnesota
A: Of our 50 states, 31 do not require a front license plate. If someone drives an un-tagged vehicle in any of the 19 states, they risk a fine. Enforcement seems to be rather lax, though. I have seen plenty of these cars with and without plates and must admit that plates do look out of place and mess up the cars’ smooth lines. The Tesla Model Y comes with a bracket to be glued to the vehicle. Front brackets are widely available separately.
Q: My daughter is moving from hot Las Vegas to cold South Dakota. I am concerned about preparing her Honda for winter. I know she needs snow tires (with studs if legal?), a flush and fill of her cooling system and other stuff. What type of oil would you suggest: synthetic or regular? What weight of oil? She will keep the car in an unheated garage.
D.H., Las Vegas
A: I have been to Mount Rushmore, but not in the winter. From my research temperatures seldom go much below zero or over 100 — kinda like Chicago. Check the owner’s manual for oil specifications. I would suggest 5W-30 and synthetic is always a better choice. Studded tires are permitted from Oct. 1 to April 30. (If she trades her Honda for a school bus, studs are allowed all year round.)
Q: Is there any harm in regularly using an automatic transmission instead of braking when slowing down, making certain there is no traffic behind you as the brake lights won't come on? My 2015 Lexus RX350 has a way to manually shift to a lower gear, I suspect mostly for descending steep, long grades. I have thought that using the engine to slow down would save on brakes. How does one tell if it is safe to engine brake in a particular vehicle?
K.C., Cohasset, Minnesota
A: It depends on the make, model and year of the vehicle. Many cars now have the driver option to shift gears or leave the transmission in the automatic mode. If you have the option to use the manual mode, no harm will come to the transmission. I use the paddle shifters in my car for improved control while driving spiritedly on twisty roads. Your Lexus has the paddle shifter option, too. If the engine rpms get too high, the rev limiter will kick in and you will have to shift up or slow down. If a shift is disallowed, you may also see the message on your instrument panel.
Q: I have a 2016 BMW X4 with about 60,000 miles. The car is supposed to have “lifetime” transmission fluid, which never needs changing. I can’t help but be skeptical. What’s your opinion?
L. M., Pompano Beach, Florida
A: If your car breaks down due to not changing the transmission fluid, you would not be happy with BMW. You would likely be reluctant to buy another BMW. That’s not good for business.
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