No 13351, Tuesday 14 Sep 2021, Dr. X

Solution to 1D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

ACROSS

1   Inform about trouble with power converter’s core in part of vehicle (8) TAILPIPE {T{AIL}{P}IP}{c..vEr..r}

5   Gone in a second, stolen by criminal (6) ABSENT {A}{B{S}ENT}

10 Beat slippery character smuggling unknown drug (5) EXCEL {E{X}{C}EL}

11 Most miserable friend seeks bit of therapy (9) PALTRIEST {PAL}{TRIES}{Th...y}

12 Thinks about models in film (5,4) CHEWS OVER {C{HEWS}OVER}

13 Creep in party, suppressing liberal (5) SIDLE {SID{L}E}

14 Some praise a mercurial bowler (6) SEAMER [T]

15 Good-natured female crushed by a lie (7) AFFABLE {A}{F{F}ABLE}

18 Editor harassed model in American city (7) DETROIT {EDITOR*}{T}

20 Pay for fine ready-made clothes (6) DEFRAY {DE{F}RAY*}

22 Cave is right inside volcanic mount, going west (5) ANTRE {E{R}TNA<=}

24 Piece of cake given by owner in bar leaves wife happy (2-7) NO-BRAINER {OwNER+IN+BAR}*

25 Remains enthralled by heavenly body, most attractive (9) COMELIEST {COME{LIES}T}

26 Listens to husband expressing new desires (5) HEEDS {H}{nEEDS}

27 Bear in river swamp (6) DELUGE {DE{LUG}E}

28 Move to have payment distributed proportionately in America (8) PRORATED [CD] (Correction - {PRO{RATE}D} - See comments) 

DOWN

1   Wild time for fellow getting three-card sequence of same suit (6) T?E?C? (Addendum - TIERCE (-f+t)TIERCE - See comments)

2   Nasty workers involved in troubling client (9) INCLEMENT {INCLE{MEN}T*}

3   What a kabaddi player might do to deceive playfully? (4,8,3) PULL SOMEONES LEG [DD]

4   Father finished hollow muffin (7) POPOVER {POP}{OVER}

6   Like-minded people’s efforts to control Republican oaf after he lost (5,2,1,7) BIRDS OF A FEATHER {BI{R}DS}{OAF+AFTER+HE}* Nice one!

7   Editor inspires chaps to improve (5) EMEND {E{MEN}D}

8   Chained revolutionary after smashing teeth (8) TETHERED {RED}<=>{TEETH}*

9   Famous song a girl composed about love (6) GLORIA {A+GIRL}* over {0}

16 Most powerful star consuming fresh dope endlessly (9) BRAWNIEST {B{RAW}{NIt}EST}

17 Commercial vehicle reviewed last month is state-of-the-art (8) ADVANCED {AD}{VAN}{DEC<=}

19 Painful time, isolating millions, about to conclude (6) TENDER {T{END}ERm}

20 Delivering a concoction of tea and bread for panellist (7) DEBATER {TEa+BREAD}*

21 Forced spider out (6) PRISED*

23 Onset of melanoma in dog’s tongue (5) TAMIL {TA{Me...a}IL}

Reference List

Power = P, Second = S, Unknown = X, Drug = C, Liberal = L, Female = F, Model = T, Fine = F, Right = R, Wife = W, Husband = H, New = N, Time = T,  Fellow = F, Republican = R, Editor = ED, Millions = M