user: News: By Andrea Romano2015-05-10 16:14:33 UTC

Saturday Night Live has the perfect, last-minute gift for mom: Just say you're sorry.

Reese Witherspoon was the guest host on May 9 — so as a special Mother's Day treat, she and the rest of the SNL cast brought their real moms on stage to apologize for all the weird things they did when they were kids.

Thankfully, these successful comedians have loving moms who understand their quirks — no matter how strange. May we all be that lucky.

Title: Reese Witherspoon and the SNL cast apologize to their moms for Mother's Day


News: Q: Two months ago the check-engine light in my daughter's four-year-old Honda Element came on and the dealer said she needed a new catalytic converter. She didn't have the money so she didn't get it fixed. The light hasn't come on again and the engine seems fine. Should she replace the catalytic converter or should she wait until the light comes back on?

A: Your car may be fine, as the light would almost certainly continue to illuminate if there was a problem with the catalytic converter. Still, you might have a nondealer mechanic run an emissions test to see if the catalyst is working properly. It's better to check now than wait to possibly flunk your next inspection.

Q: I have a 2007 Sienna. When the car was newer, I could average 22 to 23 mpg on the highway. On a recent trip, we averaged around 19.5 mpg. Driving environment, hills, etc., were pretty similar to earlier trips. Why the decline?

A: The problem could lie in gradual changes in traffic trends like increased congestion or higher cruising speeds, which lead to higher fuel consumption. Your driving style may also be getting slightly more aggressive with time. However, it may also be time for a tuneup. Your van could have a faulty sensor or its engine-management electronics may need an adjustment.

Q: I have a 2004 Acura TL and I have always used the "Maintenance Minder" to determine when oil changes, tire rotations are needed. To date, the Maintenance Minder system has not indicated a need to replace transmission fluid, spark plugs, timing belt, engine coolant. Should I wait for the Maintenance Minder or should I have these things taken care of now?

A: The car's automated system of maintenance monitoring is supposed to base its alerts not only on time or mileage, but driving conditions as well. It may be that your car has had an easy run thus far.

If you worry about certain maintenance tasks, you might ask your mechanic to take a look at the timing belt and take samples of coolant, transmission and other fluids to check their condition.

Q: My new Porsche Panamera automatically turns itself on and off when I am stopped at lights. Should I anticipate higher maintenance costs in the future because of this?

A: The stop-start feature you mention is gaining popularity as car makers intensify their efforts to save fuel and increase fuel economy. Many drivers have turned their engines off manually during short halts for decades and the practice has long been common in Europe. It seems reasonable to assume that doing so will shorten the life of certain components, your starter in particular, because it simply increases the amount of work those parts must do. However, I haven't heard of a notable increase in starter failures among people who do this.

Cars that do it automatically have special systems designed for the stop-start function, so they should put even less stress on the starting system. I wouldn't worry too much about it, but it is possible that in a few years we will be talking about all those ruined starters resulting from the "spot-start craze."

A version of this article appeared Mar. 28, 2012, on page D4 in some U.S. editions of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Columnist Jonathan Welsh answers readers' questions about automobiles.

Title:

assistant: Is It OK to Ignore the Check Engine Light?