1. Friday, April 29, 2011Page 104 • S t a r s a n d S t r i p e s •
SHIFTING GEARS
Dear Tom and Ray: We have
a 1996 Plymouth Voyager with
more than 130,000 miles on it
that I use to transport our kids
everywhere. On four separate
occasions, the brakes have failed
completely with absolutely NO
warning. Each time, it was re-
vealed that a brake line had
snapped (and each time, the of-
fending line was replaced). My
husband insists that as long as
the brake lines are replaced, it’s
safe to drive. What do you think?
— Alexis
RAY: We replace miles of rust-
ed-out brake lines and fuel lines
every year.
TOM: Your husband technical-
ly is correct — once all of those
lines are replaced, they shouldn’t
break again for a long time.
RAY: But here’s the mistake
he made — and why you’re driv-
ing around in terror: Once one of
the brake lines failed, he should
have insisted that all of them be
checked and replaced.
TOM: The car is a decade and a
half old. If one brake line has rot-
ted away due to age, weather and
road conditions, don’t you think
the other brake lines are in ap-
proximately the same condition?
RAY: You need to have a me-
chanic check all the brake lines
and fuel lines. The mechanic
also needs to check everything
else that wears out on an old car:
the ball joints, steering compo-
nents, the shocks and springs,
the brakes, the tires, rust on the
frame, mildew on the fuzzy dice
— everything.
Got a question about cars? Email by
visiting the Car Talk website at
www.cartalk.com.
King Features Syndicate Inc.
Click &
Clack
Tom
and Ray
Magliozzi
When one brake line goes, it’s time to replace them all
The electric car’s currentAll of a sudden, it seems hybrid/electric cars are everywhere. But beyond the excitement, how do
the numbers break down on the auto industry’s new mobile darling? 2011
2014
Budget batteries:
Hybrid automakers spend up to
$12,000 building the vehicle’s
battery alone. But engineers
predict the price of producing
that battery will fall by at least
half — to $6,000 — within
the next three years. A higher
demand for hybrids as costs
decrease also should help keep
vehicle prices down.
The check is in the mail: Hybrid and
all-electric vehicles cost more than gas-powered ve-
hicles, but the government offers a tax credit of $2,500 to
$7,500. (The better a vehicle’s battery life, the higher the
credit.) Just don’t forget you’ll need a charger; the Nissan
Leaf’s home charger runs about $2,000.
Sheer volume: By 2015,
President Barack Obama wants 1 mil-
lion electric cars driving the U.S. roads.
He’s challenged automakers to reach the
goal. One million vehicles would
account for one-twelfth of all cars
sold last year.
Nissan Leaf
On the road: Not all hybrids are created equal.
Vehicles vary in how far they can travel before switching
to gas-electric power — except the all-electric Volt.
Nissan
Leaf
40 miles
electric
375 miles
hybrid
Chevy
Volt
100 miles
electric
$12K
$6K
Source: MCT
Christina Alexander/Stars and Stripes
Ford
C-MAX
Energi
20 miles
electric
500 miles
hybrid