DEAR CAR TALK: Why do car makers these days seem obsessed with push-to-start ignitions? With keyed ignitions, it's possible to get into "accessory" mode without starting the engine, so you could listen to the radio and use other powered accessories.

I guess we've lost that feature now? To put air into my tires with a 12-volt air compressor, now I need to run the engine? Thanks — I enjoy your column. — Joe

DEAR READER: As my late brother frequently said to me, Joe: Au contraire, piston puss!

Cars with push-to-start ignition systems do have accessory modes, and I'll tell you exactly how to get your car into accessory mode.

First, sit in the driver's seat, as you normally would. Then, with your right hand, reach over and open the glove box on the passenger side.

Next, remove the fat thing that says "owner's manual" on it, and check the index for "accessory mode." Actually, you may even be able to skip that step, Joe. Pretty much every new car I drive now has push-to-start ignition, and they all work like this:

If you want to start the engine, you step on the brake pedal and push the start button. If you want to go into accessory mode, you don't step on the brake pedal and push the start button. That's all there is to it.

Some cars have two accessory modes: one which operates low-power items like the radio and a second one that allows you to use higher-powered items like the window motors and the fan. In that case, you push the start button once for the first mode and twice for the second mode, both without touching the brake pedal.

Try it next time you're in the car, Joe. And, if that doesn't get you into accessory mode, check your owner's manual, because I'm not aware of any newer car without an accessory mode. Happy tire filling.

DEAR CAR TALK: What makes hot-rodders' cars so loud and raspy? Back in the day, gearheads had loud hot rods that they clearly modified, but it seems like some everyday cars are now really loud.

Some Mustangs and Dodges seem especially annoying. Their drivers have made an art of continually accelerating and backing off to make the greatest possible noise. — Joe

DEAR READER: If you've ever listened to a car that doesn't have an exhaust system at all, you know that engines are really loud. A car without an exhaust system sounds like a Gatling gun. After all, a gasoline engine works by making explosions, right?

That's where the muffler comes in. It has baffles inside it, which create a "maze" that the exhaust has to pass through. And as the exhaust bounces around in that maze, it loses energy, including sound energy, and comes out the tailpipe quieter.

If the exhaust avoids those baffles, its noise comes out louder and more obnoxious. Or, as your friends with Dodges call it, "cool!"

Because exhaust that avoids the muffler is also "unrestricted," it improves the airflow in the engine and makes the car a bit faster, too. So, it's doubly appealing to hot-rodders.

In the old days, kids who wanted all that noise and power would install a mechanical bypass. They had a lever that pulled a cable to make the exhaust bypass the muffler and come out directly, through different pipes, often under the rocker panels.

Today, like everything else, technology has made things easier. You'll find that certain sportier cars now have selectable settings for exhaust noise. So, you can choose how loud you want your car to be.

There's the "tick off my neighbor when I leave for work at 7 a.m." mode. There's "remind everyone I peaked in high school." And then there's "I'm sneaking home late at night after losing the rent money at the track and please, for the love of everything holy, don't let this damn car wake up my wife."

My guess is that most modern cars with selectable exhaust use electronically controlled gate valves that redirect at least some of the exhaust around the baffles to make it louder.

After all, if you spend $75,000 on a Dodge Challenger Hellcat, you want to make sure everybody turns their head when you drive by. Even if it's just to say "Wow, that's obnoxious."

Ray Magliozzi dispenses advice about cars in Car Talk every Saturday. Email him by visiting cartalk.com

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