Q: Can a spark plug save your life? I had planned to buy one of those gadgets that can be used to break a car window if one is trapped in their car. My 20-something nephew said not to bother. He said to just buy a spark plug and keep it in the glove box. When he was young, he said that he used to go to a junkyard with his friends and throw spark plugs at car windows, and they would easily break. Can this be true?
— J.K., Bolingbrook, Ill.
A: Yes, a spark plug thrown at a car window will break it. So will a rock, a good-size ball bearing or a ball-peen hammer. The side widows are made of tempered glass that, while strong, can be broken with a strong blow. The glass will then shatter into cubes instead of shards so you are less likely to be seriously cut. Don’t try breaking the windshield, though. It is laminated glass.
Q: I purchased a used vehicle from an established car dealer approximately 10 years ago, and at the time of purchase, I was shown a Carfax (report) showing a clear record. Unfortunately, the dealer did not give me a copy of the report, and I just discovered that the car had a severe accident six weeks prior to my purchase. I suspect the dealer has a legal obligation to present accurate information to me at the time of purchase but wonder if it has any liability 10 years later? I realize the dealer may claim that the data did not get reflected in the Carfax report in the short period between the accident and resale, but the current report shows the car was serviced at this dealer for two years prior to its being sold to me. I find it difficult to believe the dealer did not know about the damage caused by the accident. Do I have any recourse?
— L.K., Mount Prospect, Ill.
A: Carfax information is only as good as the intel it receives. Sometimes this is timely, and sometimes not. Sometimes repairs are done and no information is forwarded to Carfax. Much of the information about accidents comes from police reports, but there is no telling how quickly those reports are submitted. Sometimes, people have their cars fixed by shade tree mechanics and body men. No report. The used-car department may not have been informed by the collision repair department, and many dealers don’t even have their own body shops. They farm the work out. Finally, the seller has no obligation, even a goodwill promise, after all this time. Since you drove the car trouble free for 10 years, count your blessings.
Q: Why is the price difference between regular gas and other grades so much? Being a codger, I recall midgrade costing 10 cents more than regular and premium 20 cents more. Now midgrade is 30, 40 or 50 cents higher. And I have seen premium as much as $1 more. What gives? Greed? Increased costs?
— C.N., Oswego, Ill.
A: According the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a branch of the Department of Energy, the difference between the U.S. average retail price for premium and regular gasoline — the premium for premium — reached 30 cents per gallon for the first time at the end of 2012. However, on a percentage basis, the price spread between premium grade and regular grade gasoline has actually remained relatively stable since mid-2009. For more, check out www.eia.gov.
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