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Showing posts from June, 2021

Car Talk Podcast #2119: The Scrape Theory

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Car Talk Podcast #2119: The Scrape Theory ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You're driving down a long hill in San Francisco. Your brakes fail and there's a stop sign at the bottom. What do you do, aside from uttering every prayer in the book? This week on The Best of Car Talk, Tom and Ray offer two suggestions, one of which might actually help avoid a big hospital bill. Elsewhere, Robin loves her Tourismo, even though it needs more than $1000 worth of repairs and it's causing a family rift. Is it time for her to kiss it goodbye? Also, Alex thinks her boyfriend's technique may have led to the premature demise of his Jetta's shifter; Finley needs help convincing his friend to baptize his new truck by hauling some manure; and after losing a lot of money to the IRS, will Ruth have to lose even more to her mechanic because of her Achieva's coolant leak? All...

Car Talk Podcast #2120: Garage Camping

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Car Talk Podcast #2120: Garage Camping ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This week on The Best of Car Talk, is there a better Mother's Day gift than a kid helping his mom work on her car? Well, Anne might have done better with breakfast in bed. Her four-year-old son Matthew "helped" by pouring Ring Seal into her Jeep steering reservoir. Is next year's Mother's Day gift going to be a new car for Mom? Elsewhere, Bruce's tire is being attacked by air pressure goblins in the night; Ellen wants her Accord's door to stop squeaking so her new neighbors won't know how late she's getting home at night; and is it time for Steve to say goodbye to his beloved, wallet-draining Datsun or could it have a future life as a coffee table? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

Car Talk Podcast #2118: The Rhinestone Sundance

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Car Talk Podcast #2118: The Rhinestone Sundance ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This week on the Best of Car Talk, Savannah wants to decorate her Plymouth Sundance with rhinestones because, well, they couldn't make it look worse, could they? Is she going to appear even more wacko by asking Tom and Ray for advice? Elsewhere, Peter may wish that the whining sound coming from his car is his mother-in-law after he finds out what it's going to cost to make it go away; over in Germany, Steve is wondering whether his Tracer can survive keeping up with the BMWs going 100 on the Autobahn; and Richard is so desperate to find out why his cab has vapor lock, he's willing to kick out a passenger so he can talk to Tom and Ray. All this, plus one listener's fond Puzzler memory, and lots more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

Car Talk Podcast #2122: Automotive Marital Wagering

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Car Talk Podcast #2122: Automotive Marital Wagering ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This week on The Best of Car Talk, Cynthia is so convinced her gas mileage improves when she gets her oil changed, she bet her boss 100 bucks. If she can't win on technical grounds, might Tommy the Philosopher King be able to bail her out? Elsewhere, Linda may be on firmer scientific footing by claiming her husband's "wah-wah" pedal driving style is doing more harm than good. Also, Joyce's hood won't open, and given the overall condition of her car, an air chisel might be the right tool; Scott is looking for eco-friendly windshield washer fluid, and on Stump the Chumps, we find out if Tom and Ray helped Laurie's Pathfinder lose its nickname, "Wobble Butt". All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

Car Talk Podcast #2121: All's Well in Endwell, NY

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Car Talk Podcast #2121: All's Well in Endwell, NY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Slackers of the world, unite! Ah, never mind, that's probably too much effort. But this week The Best of Car Talk pays tribute to those dedicated to avoiding the rat race. In matters automotive, Liz's husband really wants to celebrate the end of his medical residency by buying a used Porsche, but Liz is worried the repair bills will negate any salary increase he's about to receive; Julie is wondering if her Accord's electrical problems are related to the series of "encounters" (accidents) she's had; and Marc's gas mileage appeared to increase by 20 percent after he left the gas cap off. Should OPEC be worried? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

Car Talk Podcast #2123: But it Drives Pretty Good

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Car Talk Podcast #2123: But it Drives Pretty Good ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This week on The Best of Car Talk, Ellen's Civic has been in three crashes, vandalized nine times, and had a tree fall on it, all of which has somehow convinced Ellen the car is cursed. If she tries to sell it, does she have to divulge these mishaps? Elsewhere, Keller's Beetle is missing its front passenger floorboard. Will a "found" street sign and a friend with an oxyacetylene torch cover the hole, without a 911 call? Also, Peter's Jeep knows when he's in a hurry, and chooses those moments to not start; Sandra accidentally pumped five gallons of diesel into her Odyssey, and can Warren really live a happy life without a working oxygen sensor in his Camry? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

Car Talk Podcast #2124: Empathic Shared Meaning 101

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Car Talk Podcast #2124: Empathic Shared Meaning 101 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This week, The Best of Car Talk kicks off with some of our favorite Country song titles. Can anything top, "I'd Rather Pass a Kidney Stone Than Another Night With You?" Then it's off to Maui, where Jeff would be advised to stop bragging about the weather if he wants to find out why his brake pedal is sinking to the floor. Elsewhere, Inga is wondering which of her several mistakes caused her parked car to lurch down hill; Matt's brother talked him into a DIY timing belt change on his Acura, and a month later, the car still isn't running right; Bryan would like his vintage pickup truck to handle like a Dodge Viper; and can Stephanie's Corolla survive a cross-country trip? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk. Souce: Cartalk.com

Car Talk Podcast #2125: The Spark of a Bad Idea

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Car Talk Podcast #2125: The Spark of a Bad Idea ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This week on The Best of Car Talk, Steve left a fresh turkey in his car for a week, and well, things don't smell so fresh anymore. Will any combination of soap, air freshener, and bad cologne get the stench out, or does Steve need to call Vinny the Torch? Elsewhere, Michael doesn't know if he should be worried about a couple of green spark plugs; Maggie's son has fallen in love with a hand-me-down Buick Regal that could kill him; and Linda is about to relocate from Ohio to the Virgin Islands. She wants to know if she should bring her Corolla. Tom and Ray want to know if Linda can fit them in her suitcase. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

Car Talk Podcast #2126: The Secret Male Handshake

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Car Talk Podcast #2126: The Secret Male Handshake ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This week on The Best of Car Talk, Katie's roommate's pseudo-scientific explanation for getting her Civic's door stuck on a sidewalk struck her as bogus, so she's turning to two pseudo-MIT grads. Can Tom and Ray separate truth from bogosity? Elsewhere, Tim and Pam need a ruling on whether his joyride on a washboard road crushed her Saturn's engine mounts. Also, can Gene's Corolla survive 100,000 miles with a leaking fuel pump and axle seal, and a dope slap reminder to check both daily; Flo's Mazda has bad universal joints or jockey shorts that are too tight; and after two years of driving with a wobbling rear wheel has Keller's luck run out? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.