Q. What is the most neglected car part in winter? I say it's the engine coolant. --E.W., Chicago

A. I'd say windshield wiper blades. Car service shops say most motorists pay no attention to the blades until it's almost impossible to see out the windshield. They're backed by a recent survey by Rain-X, a glass treatment outfit, that says 78 percent of motorists change wiper blades only after the blades "begin to impair their visibility and have become a potential safety hazard." The blades should be checked every six months and changed once a year -- or more often if a car isn't garaged.

Q. There was only one diesel-powered car in your (Jan. 21 AutoTimes) article on the most fuel-stingy non-hybrid cars? Doesn't Volkswagen sell diesel-engine cars here anymore? --S.K., Chicago area

A. The only diesel auto that qualified for the article was the Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec sedan, which delivers an estimated 23 mpg in the city and 32 on highways with its smooth, quiet diesel V-6. Volkswagen once sold many Rabbit diesel autos in America, especially during a gasoline supply crunch, but now only offers its Touareg 2 SUV with a diesel. No fuel miser, that 310-horsepower engine is a turbocharged V-10 that provides 15 mpg city, 20 highway. Expect more diesel cars from foreign automakers because the new low-sulfur diesel fuel works well with modern diesel engines.

Q. Not to sound naive, but should I believe ads for used cars -- usually collectible vehicles -- that say an auto has been kept in such good condition that it "has never seen rain." --D.W., Western Springs

A. That's one of the oldest used car sales hype advertising lines, although it may indicate that the car's owner took especially good care of his auto. Personal aside: I owned a 1965 Chevrolet Corvette convertible with an $8,000 bright red acrylic lacquer paint job that NEVER saw rain -- because I sold the garaged car soon after it was painted. The most common line for sports cars in the 1950s and 1960s, when racing such cars was affordable and fairly common, was "never raced or wrecked."

Q. I hear that the muscle car sales boom is over. Correct? --F.S., Berwyn

A. Not according to results of the recent Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event auction in Scottsdale. Ariz. It reports record attendance and Web site hits, besides high prices for top cars "with three cars hitting at least $1 million." Legendary racer Carroll Shelby's 1969 Mustang GT 500 hit $675,000 and even the 2008 Ford Shelby 540-horsepower GT500KR sold for $550,000. The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, driven by Jay Leno across the auction block, sold for $1 million, and a 2008 Dodge Challenger went for $400,000. A 1962 Corvette sold for "merely" $91,000. Such a big, well-known auction helps establish street values of collector muscle cars. However, the market has reached a point where only top-notch cars draw big dollars.

Q. My 2007 environmentally friendly Chevrolet Monte Carlo can use regular gasoline or E-85, mostly composed of ethanol. But I find that I get additional fuel economy with regular gas. Also, does Chevy plan to drop the Monte Carlo? --E.S., Chicago

A. Regular gasoline packs more punch than ethanol, so it delivers better fuel economy. Also, finding a fuel station that sells E-85 can be difficult. The slow-selling Monte Carlo was dropped last June.

Q. My 2007 Ford Taurus driven only 14,000 miles has been sitting outside for four months without being used. I can give the low battery a charge, but will there be problems with the car next spring? I know that lack of motion isn't good for anyone or anything. --J.S.J., Cicero

A. Leaving a car undriven is one of the worst things you can do to it. But the fairly new Taurus should be OK with a charged battery. Just drive it gently for a while, especially making sure the brakes feel OK. If problems exist, they'll show up now, not in spring. But are you saying that you don't plan to drive the Taurus until spring -- and that it thus will be sitting for about eight months? If that's the case, have a friend or relative drive it at least once monthly until the engine reaches operating temperature. If that's not possible, at least start the engine and let it idle for a while. It also will help if you drive it forward and backward a bit to at least activate the transmission and brakes. And it won't hurt to use a fuel stabilizer.

Car question? Send it to Dan Jedlicka, Chicago Sun-Times, 350 N. Orleans, Chicago 60654, or e-mail djedlicka@suntimes.com. Include name and hometown.