Q: What happened to the “gas wars” that were so prevalent years ago? It seems now that all gas stations have the same price per gallon.
— T.Q., Bluemont, Va.
A: You can remember gasoline price wars? We are sad to report that they went the way of S&H Green Stamps; free tumblers with the oil company logo; a free six-pack of soda pop with every fill-up; an attendant (who arrived promptly whenever the driveway bell rang) who pumped your gas, washed your windshield, checked your oil and the air in your tires — all with a smile. Gas wars? It was such a peaceful era.
Q: A few months ago, I bought a 2008 Volkswagen Jetta, but it did not come with an owners manual. I’m not stupid, but I needed help from my family on how things work inside the car. I am still finding things. I contacted Volkswagen customer care in Michigan and even wrote to VW in Germany but got no help in obtaining a manual, just a letter from the customer care advocate (attached).
A: In the letter, it stated: “The only option we suggest is locating your manual at vw.techliterature.com.” We entered that address and got an error message telling us that the site could not be found. We tried again, but placed “www.” at the beginning of the address and found your manual. SKU number 1KM012003CT is a complete kit with the owners manual, warranty and maintenance booklet and the wallet for $65. We also found a used kit on eBay for under $30 here.
— J.N., Plano, Ill.
Q: I own a used 2000 Pontiac Grand Am SE. Last winter I had a dead battery, and when I replaced it, my radio went into LOC mode. I have no code to unlock it. The dealers I contacted cannot help me. Is there anything I can do to get my radio to play again?
— J.G., West Easton, Pa.
A: There is a way to obtain the code to unlock your radio. Here are the steps:
1. Turn the key to the run position, and then hold the first and third station preset buttons down for at least six seconds.
2. Record the code (it may be two or three digits) you see in the display.
3. Press the AM/FM button, and record this code too.
4. Turn off the ignition.
5. With this backup code, contact your dealer, which should be able to provide the unlock code.
6. With code in hand, turn on the ignition, then enter the code using the HR (hour) and MN (minute) buttons.
7. Press the AM/FM button again, and the radio should be unlocked.
You may wish to go here for your owners manual.
Send questions along with name and town to Motormouth, Rides, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave, Fifth Floor, Chicago IL 60611 or motormouth.trib@verizon.net.