Over the months I've given you an overview of what possible breakdowns your vehicle could have. In response we've gotten a lot of e-mails containing a lot of questions on the general health of your cars. Now it's time for me, Mechanic Mac, to police, sort the e-mail into categories and come to your rescues. My mascot Seagustock will go to work answering your questions and comments.

From Pittsburg, Pa. Daniel asks: Why do we have to change our brake pads so often here? What can I do to prevent such rapid wear and tear on my brake system? It seems that my pads and shoes wear down so fast -- almost every six months. At this rate, with the high price of brake jobs, I'll have to learn how to change them myself.

Seagustock says: Well, gee whiz man, you do live in a very active city! Stop and go traffic all the time, right? And I bet you live far from your job too! Maybe out in the boonies where there are lots of hills --or do you call them high mounds mountains?

So considering your location and your supposed life style, you're supposed to know what I know, what everybody knows -- that given your conditions, just such excessive wear happens. You'll have to realize that brake pads and shoes are made of unstable organic material and the friction that occurs when you apply pressure on them to stop your car wears them away mille inch by mille inch -- (How's that for my Italian?) much like the bike rider who sets his boot heels to the pavement to stop his bike and soon finds the heels of his boots are gone. How would you know when your brakes are worn out? Well, if you were hauling passengers, say your brothers or your cousins or just friends and they would have to jump out of the car and run to the front of it to bring it to a halt, then I would say that your brake pads and shoes are worn out!

But how does all this happen you ask me? How does your car transmit the force from your leg to its wheels? How does it multiply the force so that it is enough to stop something as big as a car? What's a typical brake system like? Well, slithering succotash! Under any conditions, more so under conditions like yours, because the brakes transmit the force you apply to the pedal it's transmitted to the tires using friction, and the tires transmit that force to the road using friction also. Crawling cucumbers! In my book that translates into, 'Friction causes wear and tear!' The more friction the more wear and tear. Hence where you live you have to change your pads and shoes more often than say those cowboys do in Los Angeles, where the organic components of his brakes could last as long as a snake's lifetime. That's the way it is and that's your plight in life. And if because of economic reasons you have to do the work yourself rather than have a mechanical professional do it, then have at it!

So, in conclusion, if you need to consider the safety and preservation of your life and preserve the integral beauty of your car, then I would say be cognizant of how your brake system works and maintain it so that it gives you optimal performance.

Bet you thought that because we Seagustock Snakes mobilize by slithering that we didn't have an extensive vocabulary and that we didn't know that much about your mobilizers -- your cars! And, by the way, do you know the complete history of the wheel? Maybe I'll catch you on that next month.