Q: I recently went to a Toyota dealership to have work done that required the wheels to be removed. I thought it also would be a good time to rotate the tires. I assumed that there would be no additional charge to do the rotation because the wheels already were off. However, I was later told that there still would be a charge. When I mentioned to them that the tires were purchased there, they said that it didn't matter. Is this a customary practice, or was that just an example of gouging?
A: I think this is a bad practice. Somebody who is treated like this can't be blamed for never coming back. If I were the service writer, no matter the rules of the dealership, I would have waived the charge.

Mirror image

Q: My wife has difficulty seeing approaching cars on the driver's side, especially when entering a highway. We are experimenting with those small, stick-on, wide-angle mirrors. This made me think: If the wide-angle passenger-side mirrors are helpful, why aren't they on the driver's side, as well?
A: The driver's side mirror reflects a normal image. A convex mirror would show a distortion. That would be dangerous.

Disappearing signals

Q: I have been noticing that a lot of cars have rear turn signals mounted very low at the outer corners of the body. They are invisible in crowded traffic conditions. Am I the only one who has noticed this? I have (jokingly) told my wife that perhaps Detroit is phasing out turn signals because no one uses them.
A: I have heard from several readers about the hidden turn signals. If you are stopped behind a vehicle like this at a red light, you can't tell if they plan to turn when the light turns green. That's one of the reasons I stop far enough from the vehicle in front of me so that I can see the tires touching the road. Turn signals should not play hide-and-seek.

Is too clean a thing?

Q: Can you overdo car washes? I have a 2018 Nissan Rogue. Recently a new car wash offered a deal: If you bought a membership for $25, you could come through the wash as often as you wanted. It got to be addictive, and I went every time there was a speck on my car. Now I'm seeing marks and blemishes that weren't there before. How often can you wash a car without ruining the finish or paint?
A: There is virtually no limit to the number of times a car can be washed, according to car wash professionals. Maybe the marks and blemishes were already there but weren't noticeable until you started the white glove treatment.

Bob Weber is a writer, mechanic and ASE-certified Master Automobile Technician. His writing has appeared in automotive trade publications, Consumer Guide and Consumers Digest. Send automotive questions along with name and town to motormouth.tribune@gmail.com.