Jaguar XKR is one classy cat

With the curves of the narrow road coming quickly, we climb up the edge of Silicon Valley toward the white domes of the observatory on the top of Mount Hamilton.

The top’s down in the early morning sun, but the heater warms us against the spring chill as the 2008 Jaguar XKR convertible torques up the steep switchbacks of Quimby Road, its agile and quick handling belying its size and weight.

Adding refrigerant not the solution to car’s air-conditioning woes

Q:The air conditioner in my vehicle is not blowing cold air. My neighbor thinks it might just be low on refrigerant and wants me to let him top it off. He says it would save me a lot of money to do that first rather than take it to a shop for help. Does this make sense to you?

How to replace damaged plates

Q:I recently got into a collision and my front license plate was damaged in the process. The plates on the back of my car are fine. Can I just remove the front plates or do I need to get a replacement plate?

A: The DMV requires that all license plates and registration stickers be replaced immediately when they are lost, stolen, mutilated or become illegible. Plates must be mounted to both the front and the rear of the vehicle (CVC 5200(a)).