Q: I recently changed the cabin air filter on my 2008 Honda Civic. Upon removing the old very dirty filter I found two peanut shells lying on top of the filter. I never had shelled peanuts in my car. Any thoughts on how these shells ended up on my filter?

— J.G., Chicago

A: There may be a link to the many clown sightings lately. As you know, peanuts are a staple under the big top and the shells never seem to be disposed of in an environmentally proper manner, but end up all over the place. Of course, we cannot rule out a squirrel or chipmunk.

Q: When I am unable to ride my bike, I drive 6 miles round trip to the train station. I rarely drive more than 25 miles on the weekends. My dad insists that I am damaging the engine in my car by not giving it time to warm up and burn off any moisture that has accumulated overnight. He thinks an all-electric car would be the best option for me. I will need to replace my old car soon; should I be concerned about damaging a gas engine and focus on an electric model or are newer gas engines built to handle short trips?

— E.D., Naperville, Ill.

A: An electric car such as the Nissan Leaf or Chevy Bolt would suit your needs. But so would a hybrid like the Toyota Prius. Although hybrids have small gasoline engines, if you keep the batteries charged the engine will seldom have to run — especially if all of your driving is local surface roads. Water vapor is a byproduct of combustion and can collect in the crankcase and exhaust system, so it is good to cook it off.

Q: I have seen a few people in your recent columns asking about ways to keep rodents away from eating the wires of cars. My friend, who had this issue with his RV, swears by dryer sheets. Something about the fragrance keeps them away. He would put a few in the engine compartment and a few more under the body where the harness was exposed. He changed them every couple of months. He replaced a lot of wiring before trying this, but once he started using the dryer sheets, he never had a problem again. Hope this helps.

— P.W., Naperville, Ill.

A: This is a new one on us so we are passing it along in hopes that it will benefit other readers. Speaking of dryer sheets and RVs, those same sheets help remove the dead bugs that cover the front of the vehicle. Wet the surface and scrub. Voila.

Q: This summer, I changed the HID lights on my 2007 Volvo C70. One bulb was brighter than the other, and the driver's side bulb would intermittently go out. Since the bulbs have been changed, the driver's side bulb illuminates on startup, but a couple of minutes later goes out again. It will happen intermittently while driving, just as before. The replacement bulbs are Phillips, which I believe were recommended. Does this sound like the igniter or ballast needs replacing? It appears that the connections are good.

— B.S., Michigan City, Ind.

A: A technician from Philips said it could be either, but he would try the igniter first. A bad ballast would probably result in the lights not working at all. The bulb is not the problem.

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