She's been naughty, but does she really deserve to be in prison when the real criminals - like the producers of this show - are still on the move? The AP reports that L.A. prosecutors will ask to revoke Paris Hilton's probation for a Sept. 9 reckless driving incident in which she was ticketed in her Bentley GT for weaving around West Hollywood, reportedly looking for an In-N-Out Burger. Officials suspect our gal has been driving on a suspended license - which could eventually mean 90 days in the slammer. She'll find out April 17, if there's no plea or god forbid, another album coming soon.

UPDATE: Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail in a court appearance on May 4.

Prosecutors: Revoke Hilton's probation --The Associated Press

You have questions—and Bob Weber, TheCarConnection.com’s on-site mechanic, has answers. This week, Bob’s big riddle concerns anti-lock brakes, or ABS.

“I have read a lot about using ABS—that you should continue to put constant pressure as you brake when the system activates—but I have not read about the usage of traction control systems,” a reader asks. “When it engages, should you release pressure on the gas pedal or let the system work during slippage? What damage could result (to the engine or brakes) if the system is allowed to stay engaged until the tires grip?”

It comes down to integration, Bob says. “Traction control is integrated with the ABS. If one or more wheels are spinning too fast from lack of traction, the brakes are applied until the spinning stops. If the condition persists, the control module will begin depowering the engine until traction is reestablished. In answer to your question, keep your foot in it. Nothing will be damaged.”

Bob has all the answers. Get more from him over at the main site.

ASK A MECHANIC: MARCH 29, 2007—TheCarConnection.com

Will the UAW finally get its chance to organize the imports? That’s what union boss Ron Gettelfinger is counting on as Toyota takes a rare misstep that has apparently angered workers at its expanding network of plants across the U.S.

Perhaps you’ve seen the latest Toyota commercial, the homey tale told by a folksy announcer, bragging about the plants the automaker has set up and which now employ tens of thousands of workers. Those plants pay good wages, especially in the South where those employees were often making lower wages until Toyota came along. Perhaps too good, the Japanese maker is starting to wonder.

Kudos to the Detroit Free Press which, last month, uncovered a secret company document underscoring the need to hold down labor costs. Where Toyota – and most of its import rivals – wages are currently pegged to what Detroit’s automakers pay, that could change dramatically, with individual Toyota plants paying, in the future, pegged to what workers make in lower-wage states like Mississippi.

Japanese makers have long argued workers don’t need unions to represent their interests, and as long as companies like Toyota continued matching Detroit, there was no real interest. Union drives at places like Nissan, in Smyrna, Tenn., and at Honda’s big operations in Ohio, were routinely beaten back. But this time, “There is a lot of interest,” Gettelfinger told reporters following a two-day UAW conference. But he quickly added that, “I won’t say that there’s enough interest to hold an election.”

The last thing the UAW needs is to march off to another defeat. There was a time when several million men and women paid their dues to the UAW. Today, the membership rolls are down by nearly three-quarters from that peak, even with the union spreading out and organizing other fields, including nurses and university workers. Even among the faithful following at Ford, GM and Chrysler, there are growing doubts about the relevancy of a labor movement that is being forced to retreat on benefits like healthcare that took decades for workers to win.

There are those who believe the Japanese – and Germans and Koreans – will never permit unions in their U.S. plants (with the exception of a few joint venture operations, like the GM/Toyota factory, known as NUMMI, near San Francisco). But as the number of transplants grows, as workers age, costs rise, sales occasionally stumble and manufacturers face the challenge of maintaining costs, they start taking steps that can anger the workforce. And sooner or later, the UAW is hoping, (praying?), the doors to unionization will open. Opportunity or delusion? We’ll have to wait and see.

The Detroit Free Press on the UAW

We have to admit to the guilty pleasure of in-car satellite TV, via a TracVision A5 setup that seems to play HGTV exclusively. Now Chrysler is jumping on the bandwagon with satellite provider Sirius, which says it will start streaming three channels of programming into Chrysler minivans for the 2008 model year. To start it’s strictly kiddie fare – SpongeBob and the like—and the Sirius setup will run about $2000 plus $20 a month once you take the required DVD player setup. Whether the Sirius system will work as well as other setups, since it has smaller antennae, or if the streamlined channel lineup will be worth the charge remains to be seen. We’ll be observing from the back seat—it is Nicktoons time, after all.

Chrysler, Sirius Putting TV In Minivans—TheCarConnection.com

There’s no doubt that we’re more interested in subcompacts, here in the days of $2.50 a gallon gas. But can Chevrolet make it happen where Toyota, Honda, even smart, have such a head start? The brand will test the waters at the New York auto show with a trio of 1.0-liter concept cars—which you can vote on at vote4chevrolet.com. After the show, no doubt, hundreds of GMers will spend thousands of hours dissecting the data from the poll and from the show, trying to figure out if enough people would buy something from Chevy instead of a Yaris, a Fit, or an xB. There are good signs for Chevrolet—the Aveo’s been a solid success. And the lessons from the Aveo are already being put to use with the Trax concept (the other two names will be revealed in New York). The Trax, for example, has been designed in South Korea to meet all relevant regulations in all markets. That means U.S. safety, Europe pedestrian, Japan emissions. Will it fly worldwide, under a bowtie logo? We’ll let you know as we cover the New York show.

GM Has Trax Concept for New York—TheCarConnection.com