Q: It would not be surprising if you have already addressed this in a past column, but is there a resource to tell me what preventative services need to be done and which are less urgent as well as the timing of those services? We have four cars ranging from 2009 to 2014. I am tired of the list of suggested preventive services at every oil change. I would prefer to not depend on our mechanic in terms of the importance and timing of each one. I trust them, but I know they need to make money so I would prefer to be a little more educated. Based on our cars' ages, we keep them for a long time and want to care for them appropriately.

D.B., Highland Park, Illinois

A: Yes, there is a resource: the owner’s manual. The items listed are the things you must do to keep your car operating properly. Your mechanic may suggest other services, but they are only that: suggestions. You may politely refuse, just as you may pass on the apple pie at a diner. Your mechanic is in business to make a living. He needs to feed his family. And you need money to feed your family. With that in mind, follow the carmaker’s maintenance schedule. Do not pay to change the air in the tires from summer air or winter air.

Q: I've got a 2002 VW Golf, and my boyfriend has a 2006 Honda Accord, and both cars have the familiar push-button AM-FM radios with CD slots (and my VW must be a transition model, because it has a cassette player too). I'm starting to look at 8- to 12-year-old Golfs, and they all have Bluetooth, something I know nothing about. (Full disclosure, we're seniors.) When did car manufacturers stop putting push-button AM-FM radios in cars? I can't find anything online about it. How far back do I have to go to find a VW Golf with a normal radio and a CD player? I thought insisting on a stick shift was hard, but the radio issue caught me by surprise. I just want an easy transition from this car to the next.

K.F., Chicago

A: It seems that you don’t find push buttons on anything anymore. There was a time when we had to get off the sofa and walk across the room to change the TV channel. Sometimes through deep shag carpet! Thank you, remotes. Touch screens have replaced mechanical buttons almost everywhere. The transition came to automobiles as carmakers needed more space on the stack for other stuff, especially touch screens. With a little practice, they are actually simple to use. Sorry that I can’t help you locate a car you’ll love.

Q: I have a 2011 Honda Accord with 233,000 miles. It's in decent condition for its age, however it's going to need a clutch soon, possibly some brake work as well. I've been quoted $1,800 for a new clutch plus whatever else they find wrong with it while in the garage. I hate the idea of spending over $2,000 but I also hate the idea of a monthly car payment. I don't have expensive tastes. Cars with a $250-$300 monthly payment would put a crimp in my budget. Any suggestions?

M.S., Russell, Massachusetts

A: If it costs you $2,000 to fix your Honda, it works out to about $165 a month for the next year. But where are you going to find a decent car for $2,000? Even a decent 2007 Honda Accord goes for about $5,000. And, as they say, you may only be buying somebody else’s troubles. I have kept some vehicles for 20 years.

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