CLICK & CLACK : Between a Rack and a Pinion

RAY: Make sure you have fire coverage on your car insurance.

TOM: There are several possibilities, Laura. One is that you do a have a systemic electrical problem. How many accidents did you have in this car? Systemic problems are often related to grounding. So you might suggest to a mechanic that he run you a new ground from the battery to a solid metal piece of the car's frame.

RAY: While you changed all of the fuses, it's possible that there's something wrong with your fuse box that's not allowing electricity to get to that fuse. So, you might want to have a mechanic look into that.

TOM: Or you could have a broken wire leading to the cigarette lighter. No amount of grounding or fuse-box fiddling is going to fix that.

RAY: So, if all else fails, or you don't feel like going through the trouble of diagnosing the real problem, you can always hook your Sirius radio adapter directly to the battery -- provided you put a fuse in the circuit. You'll have to find out what size fuse you need to protect your radio, but it's probably a five- or 10-amp fuse.

TOM: If you want to go this direct route, take the car to a car-stereo shop instead of a mechanic. This is their area of expertise.

Got a question about cars? Write to Click & Clack in care of The Post, or e-mail them by visiting the Car Talk Web site at http://www.cartalk.com.

Copyright 2007 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman