Send your comments or questions for Tom and Ray to: Car Talk Plaza, P.O. Box 3500 Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA 02238. Listen to them Saturdays at 10 a.m. on 91.3 FM or 88.5 FM. Visit them on the Internet at www.cartalk.com.
Dear Tom and Ray:
So, should you tip your mechanic? Would it be insulting? Would it be appreciated? How do you know how much you should tip if, indeed, you should tip at all? I ask because recently I went to a mechanic I found in The Mechanics Files on your Web site (www.cartalk.com/mechanics). I had two problems. No. 1: I had a nail in my tire (turns out it had not created a leak, but they spent some time searching, to be sure). No. 2: My engine was dying at awkward times, and they discovered that a little hose that connects the vacuum sensor had a tear, and replaced it. They didn’t charge me a penny! When he told me this over the phone, I was astonished. They get paid a lot for their time, and they could have spent that time earning money by fixing someone else’s car. I decided to insist they take some money. But when I got there, it occurred to me that it might seem ungrateful of me, or insulting, so I chickened out and thanked them too many times and left. The next day I brought them a homemade chocolate cake, and thanked them again. But I wonder if I’m ignorant of some code or courtesy that would make a tip appropriate. — Kyleleen
TOM: What you did was perfect, Kyleleen. A mechanic might be uncomfortable accepting a cash gratuity, but no one will ever turn down chocolate cake!
RAY: Wait, Kyleleen. How do you know these guys aren’t just lulling you into a false sense of security? And setting you up for a $4,000 transmission rebuild next month? That’s what I would do!
TOM: That’s why no one brings you cake, you knucklehead. Mechanics and tradespeople usually are not tipped, like waiters or taxi drivers are. This is especially true in smaller, independent shops, where the mechanic may also be the owner.
RAY: But that doesn’t mean you can’t express your gratitude. The best ways to do that are by (1) giving a sincere compliment, (2) becoming a regular customer and (3) recommending him to your friends.
TOM: An honest “thank you” and an expression of appreciation means a lot to a mechanic. Think about all the complaints we get, most of the time. We encounter a lot of suspicion and wariness from our customers — and rightfully so! But when we do a good job, it’s awfully nice to have someone smile and tell us how much they appreciate it.
RAY: Especially when it’s sincere. And remember, nothing says sincerity like baked goods!
Newly changed brake-light bulb is still on the blink
Dear Tom and Ray:
I have a 1997 Plymouth Breeze with 110,000 miles on it. I changed the brake-light bulb in the passenger-side taillight, and now none of the lights in that taillight works.
When I turn on my right blinker, the indicator on the dashboard blinks very fast. I think I may have blown a fuse, but I don’t know which one to look at. Any suggestions before another kind police officer pulls me over to give me a warning? — Margi
TOM: Well, if you still have your owner’s manual (that’s the flat thing still wrapped in cellophane under all the nonworking pens and old maps of Historic Boise, Idaho, in your glove box), there’s a map of your fuse box in there. You can identify which fuse controls your taillights and how many amps it is, and replace it with a new one.
RAY: But I doubt that’s going to solve your problem. More likely, I think you put in the wrong bulb.
TOM: This car uses a single, two-filament bulb in each taillight assembly. It uses one filament for the taillight, and the other for both the brake light and the directional.
When the brake and directional are operating simultaneously, it cuts off that brake/directional filament to create the flashing effect.
RAY: If you just went to the store and picked out a bulb that looked like your old one, you may have taken a one-filament bulb that looks identical but doesn’t work in your car.
TOM: The fast-flashing directional signal is a sign that a bulb is not working.
RAY: So here’s what you do. Go to an auto-parts store, and ask for a 3057 bulb. That’s the number of the bulb you need. And then make sure you push it in all the way, so it makes good contact.
TOM: How do you know if it’s installed correctly? Well, the lights will all work again. Good luck, Margi.
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