The Best of Car Talk: Recent Episodes
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America's funniest auto mechanics take calls from weary car owners all over the country, and crack wise while they diagnose Dodges and dismiss Diahatsus. You don't have to know anything about cars to love this one hour weekly laugh fest.
Judith is in possession of a machine that can determine when a person is lying just by measuring intonations in the voice. This is a mechanic's worst nightmare. Will Click and Clack pass the test, or can they find a way to deceive this devious device? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Becca's '75 Dodge Dart doesn't seem to want to shut off sometimes. Will a potato in the tailpipe cure this one, or will Click and Clack find a better way? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Lisa Carr should be the head of some Texas dealership's leasing office, right? Instead, she's duking it out with some mechanics telling her that her car has 'issues'. Find out if Click and Clack solve Lisa's 'issues' and maybe offer her a job on our staff as the head of the 'money burning division' on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Eric isn't done with medical school yet but he's already being called-in for second opions... by his mechanic. Can Doctors Click and Clack help to save this patient? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Teddi and Gloria both have stumbled onto personal rituals to deal with their unreliable cars. In Teddi's case she's struggling to start her car in the driveway, but Gloria is convinced that turning her car off and back on while flying down the highway is 'the cure'. Can Click and Clack get Teddi going and stop Gloria before she crashes at high speed? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Jann is willing to consider several different vehicles to replace her Honda, but her labrador retriever is a little pickier. And the doggie expresses her displeasure by barfing all over car interiors. Will car salesman be suspicious when Jann starts covering everything in plastic before test drives, or do Click and Clack have a surefire puke prevention plan? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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There are thrill seekers and then there is Dinesh. Dinesh wants to walk through Death Valley in the middle of Summer -presumably because 'it's there', or something. And somehow this involves a car question that isn't a hearse. Can Click and Clack throw some shade on Dinesh' crazy plans? Or will they just try and convince him to add their names to his life insurance policy? Find out on this parched episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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To combat the curse of regular, expensive, brake failures Tamitha has made an offering to the brake gods of a donut that sits on her dash. Months later the donut is getting pretty nasty up there next to the windshield and the brakes keep on failing. Can Click and Clack reverse the curse -or at least offer Tamitha a fresh cruller? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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We've noticed that Consumer Reports doesn't have a category for choosing the best vehicle for the upcoming zombie apocalypse. Find out what all the best zombies will be driving on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Hannah is about to graduate from college and move in with her boyfriend. They will be sharing everything with the possible exception of his car. Should Hannah immediately assert herself and claim some right to use of his car, or should she play the long game here? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Nat was absolutely beaming as he proudly showed off his new Saab to his soon-to-be inlaws. Beaming that is right up to the moment that it started to roll downhill without a driver. Could Nat possibly have made a worse first impression? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Calls about smells, burping and an incident at a topless bar on this all-too-typical edition of the Best of Car Talk.
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Yasmina knows that she has transgressed by letting the sleazy repair shop on her street rip out her car's emissions controls, but will Click and Clack Condone this Catalytic Conversion? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Kathy from Oregon is the Den Mom for her son's local Cub Scout troop and she's bound and determined to teach the little guys important lessons about craftwork, sportsmanship and how parents can mess up a good thing by hijacking their kids' fun. Ladies and gentlemen, start your wooden engines and check out this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Did you know that Click and Clack's roots in car care stretch back to 'hippie days' and their 'Hacker's Haven' DIY Garage? Ed was a customer then and remembers a few of the nutty approaches the boys took to educating beginner mechanics. Change your Patchouli oil & filter with us on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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When John called us from '200 miles north of Hawaii'' it took Click and Clack a minute to realize he meant 200 miles 'straight up'. Boy, NASA budget cuts get must be bad if they're calling us for help. Houston definitely has a problem on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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It used to be that the biggest obstacle to getting where you were going wasn't a poorly built or maintained car -it was the guy behind the wheel. Men famously hated asking for directions, preferring instead to try and read a paper map with one eye while keeping the other eye on the road, sort of. Journey back to the 'not-so-long-ago-days-of-pre-GPS-yore' on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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While doing some maintenance on his Mercury, Bob from Washington used one of his athletic socks to keep things from falling into the car's manifold. After finishing up he took the car for a spin on the highway until he heard a horrible noise and the car died. That giant, sock-sucking-sound on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Max needs help keeping his junker going in Hawaii. John has to tell his Honda mechanic in the most tactful way possible that he's incompetent and Jill and her Ford have to rely on the oracles 'Clickus' and 'Clackus' to appeal to the God of thermostats on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Barbara's 'grandmamobile' is perfect except for one thing. Every time she leaves something on the dash it slides into the vents. And just the other day that vent swallowed up her car keys. Surgical extractions with Click and Clack on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Truth Shmooth! Mere moments after Click and Clack help Victoria from Tucson dismiss her husbands fibs about putting an air conditioning unit in their old car, our boys are making up stuff so that Reed from North Carolina can talk his wife out of pulling a horse trailer with his beloved Ford. It's a delicate dance on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Sierra's Dodge groans when she's steering it and the boys want her to test it before they give her an answer. So what will our two hosts do while their guest hangs up to go for a short drive? Adventures in 'dead air' on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Elysa and her boyfriend have been 'shacking up' for some time and her parents have just approached him to say that they are willing to give them a car as an inducement to tie the knot. Will Click and Clack hit the brakes on this arrangement? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Every time Nancy drives little 3-yr-old Sam in either of the family cars he pukes. But it never happens when Dad is driving. Can Click and Clack help Nancy improve her driving technique before Sam ruins the upholstery? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Sharon loves to settle into a comfy seat and read a book before and after a hard days work. That the seat in question is the driver's seat of her car as she travels to and from work -should that bother the rest of us? Click and Clack supply the outrage on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Lea is a lost college freshman looking for meaning in the rigors of her academic existence. She somehow got it in her head that Click and Clack, being MIT-trained car mechanics, might be able to help her put things in perspective on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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If a tree falls in the forest and there isn't a man there to tell us why it just fell over... did a tree really fall? Click and Clack mansplain it all on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Christine's hubby has a habit of eating sesame bagels in his Honda. A delighted colony of ants has taken notice and taken up residence somewhere inside the car. Can Click and Clack the entomologists solve this one? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Leif fr Pennsylvania has a theory that if he cleans his car thoroughly inside and out before bringing it in for service he'll get a better result at his local repair shop. Is he right? And why not? Check it out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Sarah Volvo and Mr. Mercedes shared everything -including a wonderful car mechanic- until Mr. Mercedes was caught looking under someone else's hood. Now that she and Mercedes are kaput, Sarah wants to know who gets to keep the mechanic? Oye, oye, Divorce court is now in session with the honorable Click and Clack presiding on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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When she was growing up, Linda's family went everywhere in their '66 Rambler Station Wagon. But just the other day, her dad sold it to a neighbor instead of offering it to Linda. Should she just let it go and be satisfied with eyeing it in the neighbor's driveway? Find out what Click and Clack think on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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It's bad enough that Gayle's new boyfriend hogs the tv remote all the time. Now he's speeding around in her car and Gayle is worried that he's wrecking the engine. Can Click and Clack help Gayle talk some sense into Mr. Leadfoot? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Jaime from Virginia must be a longtime listener because he's asking Click and Clack how to put an old Hyundai out of his misery. Creatively euthanizing cars on this episode of the best of Car Talk.
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Scott from Scottsdale is an attorney suing a local mechanic who cracked the engine block on his client's car. The mechanic fessed up immediately and offered to fix it with epoxy. Will Click and Clack side with a lawyer preparing to pounce on a fellow mechanic? It's shark vs grease monkey on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Greg from Long Island is pretty sure that his radiator is now holding a mixture of equal parts water, coolant and sealant resulting from his vain attempts to plug up his leaking heater core. Is there any hope for Greg or should he just relocate the cat's litter box to catch the drips? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Spencer from Florida was riding down the highway in his Honda without a care in the world when he was hit with an urgent need to touch his lug nuts. How normal is that? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Dr. Christine scored herself a plum gig in South America digging up ancient ruins, but unless her stalling Landcruiser gets fixed she might just bury it for a future Indiana Jones to dig up. Can Click and Clack help her explain to Titicaca Toyota's service manager what it needs? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Pat from Colorado got a sizzling surprise from her Suzuki Sidekick at the Self-Service Station the other day. Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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A classic Car Talk diagnosis is derived from our hosts' intimate knowledge of modern automotive systems and their failure points, plus a healthy dose of finger-crossing in the hopes that the caller doesn't add that one last detail that flushes an otherwise elegant diagnosis right down the tubes. Listen as Click and Clack circle the bowl on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Click and Clack pride themselves on their subtle communications skills. But every once in a while you have to make your point any way you can. To whit, Ray employs 'The Costanza Method'(Yell at everybody) on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Poor Keller. She just wanted help with her Toyota pickup, but Click and Clack want to discuss anything but that. Will she hang on the line long enough to get an answer? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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John's dipstick keeps popping out and it's kind of embarrassing. Will Click and Clack tell him that it happens to a lot of guys, or do they have a serious automotive diagnosis to offer? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Brian wants to spend only a few bucks to make his antique pickup truck handle like a sportscar. Candace's hubby thinks she can save a few pennies on gas by coasting whenever possible. And Keller has purloined a street sign to use as a floorboard in his VW Bug. Who will win 'The Cheapskate Sweepstakes' on this episode of the Best of Car Talk?
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Althea's car stalled on a highway up thar in Maine. Then a kindly old priest happens by and offers to 'breathe into her gas tank'. Lo and behold, the car starts again! Click and Clack sermonize on this miracle and other automotive lessons from the good book of the Best of Car Talk.
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Beth is pretty sure that her husband is wearing out the clutch on their Honda. If Click and Clack agree that she's right, how much fun is she allowed to have reminding him of this for the rest of their marriage? Click and Clack explore automotive 'love languages' on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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On this episode of the Best of Car Talk Click and Clack handle(in no particular order): Where to hide a dead guy's ashes, A young man's descent into existential irrelevance and Barry's libido.
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Jackie is tough, so the squeaky brakes on her Ford only bother her a little bit, but her pet Chihuahuas aren't so happy and Jackie needs to scrape the little guys off the ceiling everytime. Can Click and Clack placate these puppies? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Were Click and Clack part of some horrible experiment in child-rearing or were they just born that way? Their mother, Elizabeth, joins them on Mother's Day to ponder where she went so terribly wrong with these two on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Longtime friend of the show and self-described rotund raconteur Daniel Pinkwater stops by to share his wisdom on the subject of doggie carsickness on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Liz has it so bad with her Volvo that she's giving us the details in a sad song, and Marietta's got the blues because her toddler has jammed his binky into the seat adjustment motor. Sing along with this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Billy the Kid, John Dillinger, Al Capone and now... 'Gail the Tollbooth Fugitive' takes her rightful place among America's most notorious criminals. Find out how wrong your life can go when you don't have exact change on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Stephan from Wyoming probably likes a cup of hot coffee for the road to keep warm, but he was shocked when his mechanic came out with a steaming coffee kettle and began pouring it into his carburetor. One lump or two on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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For decades American men drove hot rods and muscle cars produced with their testosterone levels in mind. Then came the 'automotive vasectomy' that is the minivan. How's a guy supposed to feel macho cruising into the Costco parking lot in a Dodge Caravan? Take off your fanny pack and ponder the wussification of the American male on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Eric's Dad wants to do a once-in-a-lifetime roadtrip to Alaska but no one wants to join him. Are his kids obligated to go? And which is more important: finding a safe car or not falling prey to an enraged family member after 1000 miles cooped-up together? Join our trip to Walley World on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Leland lives just outside Atlanta and his car won't 'pull a heel'. Has Leland stumped Click and Clack with a bit of local automotive jargon? Or is Leland pulling their heels and their legs, too? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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When Valerie ended up in the hospital her boyfriend didn't bring her flowers or donate his kidney, but he did take her brand new car out onto the highway to see how fast it would go. How fast did Click and Clack tell her to dump him? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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What are you going to do if two NPR hosts proclaim that you are so friendless you have to hang a porkchop around your neck just to get the dog to play with you? And what if those heartless hosts were your very own uncles? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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Sid from San Francisco has a problem with his Ford SUV: he misplaced a live rat inside it that eventually died deep in the dash and the smell is pretty nasty. Did we mention that Sid is a python? His friend and owner Jacquie fills us in on Sid's tale of rodent woe and intrigue on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. And if you want to listen to more Car Talk, sign up for Car Talk+ Car Talk+ is the easiest way for fans to access more than 800 Car Talk episodes, wherever you listen to podcasts. Find out more at plus.npr.org/cartalk or find the Car Talk channel in Apple Podcasts.
Kristy from Wyoming wants to learn how to work on cars so she enrolled in her high school's auto shop class. Her male classmates aren't taking her interest seriously, though. Should Kristy try to become one of them by smearing grease on her clothes and dragging her knuckles on the ground(hey, it worked for us!), or is there a better way? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. And if you want to listen to more Car Talk, sign up for Car Talk+ Car Talk+ is the easiest way for fans to access more than 800 Car Talk episodes, wherever you listen to podcasts. Find out more at plus.npr.org/cartalk or find the Car Talk channel in Apple Podcasts.
'Locally-sourced' and 'tarmac-to-table' are hallmarks of the Roadkill Cafe. Tommy reads from their revolting menu and we promise that if you've never actually considered a vegan diet, you will after this episode of the Best of Car Talk. And if you want to listen to more Car Talk, sign up for Car Talk+ Car Talk+ is the easiest way for fans to access more than 800 Car Talk episodes, wherever you listen to podcasts. Find out more at plus.npr.org/cartalk or find the Car Talk channel in Apple Podcasts.
Ann from Boulder, CO has a wonderful mother who gave Ann her car. How did Ann express her thanks to dear old Mom? She sold it and bought a different car! Will Ann do the right thing and fess up to Mother before she visits next week or do Click and Clack the tattletales have to place the call to Mom themselves? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. And if you want to listen to more Car Talk, sign up for Car Talk+ Car Talk+ is the easiest way for fans to access more than 800 Car Talk episodes, wherever you listen to podcasts. Find out more at plus.npr.org/cartalk or find the Car Talk channel in Apple Podcasts.
Alison was living it up out in latte land(Portland, OR) until she spilled her mocha cappucino all over the inside of her Volvo. Now the rainy season has arrived, and with it, an awful stench of sour milk everywhere she goes. Find out what to do when it's too late to switch to decaf on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. And if you want to listen to more Car Talk, sign up for Car Talk+ Car Talk+ is the easiest way for fans to access more than 800 Car Talk episodes, wherever you listen to podcasts. Find out more at plus.npr.org/cartalk or find the Car Talk channel in Apple Podcasts.
What's a poor 'Yooper'(a Michigander from the upper peninsula) to do when his wife insists that he's wrecking her car by slamming it from reverse into drive every time he backs out of the driveway? Click and Clack try to let him down easy on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. And if you want to listen to more Car Talk, sign up for Car Talk+ Car Talk+ is the easiest way for fans to access more than 800 Car Talk episodes, wherever you listen to podcasts. Find out more at plus.npr.org/cartalk or find the Car Talk channel in Apple Podcasts.
What do you do when a precocious 13-year-old girl writes you a snotty little letter to say that your radio show stinks? You could invite her to host the show with you -shat should shut her up, right? Boy were we wrong! Melissa Peterson's revenge on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. And if you want to listen to more Car Talk, sign up for Car Talk+ Car Talk+ is the easiest way for fans to access more than 800 Car Talk episodes, wherever you listen to podcasts. Find out more at plus.npr.org/cartalk or find the Car Talk channel in Apple Podcasts.
Jody's mechanics can't seem to fix her car and since she's a practitioner of Eastern Medicine she's considering plying her acupuncture talents in the hopes of helping her Honda. Tom and Ray try to help her locate the Chee on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. And if you want to listen to more Car Talk, sign up for Car Talk+ Car Talk+ is the easiest way for fans to access more than 800 Car Talk episodes, wherever you listen to podcasts. Find out more at plus.npr.org/cartalk or find the Car Talk channel in Apple Podcasts.
Ellen's hubby's pride and joy is his new Ford Explorer. The first time he let her drive it another driver crashed into her. Months later, hubby figured it was time to let her have another chance and this time she filled the gas tank with diesel fuel by mistake. Has she ruined hubby's ride for good this time or will Ellen get a chance to go '0 for 3' with hubby's Explorer? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. And if you want to listen to more Car Talk, sign up for Car Talk+ Car Talk+ is the easiest way for fans to access more than 800 Car Talk episodes, wherever you listen to podcasts. Find out more at plus.npr.org/cartalk or find the Car Talk channel in Apple Podcasts.
Jeanne called Car Talk to bemoan the fact that her husband Joe was forcing them to drive around in two old heaps. Joe then called to defend himself and offer that he is only trying to get his Ford Escort to rack up enough miles to make it to the moon. Houston we have a problem -and another call from Melissa Peterson- on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. And if you want to listen to more Car Talk, sign up for Car Talk+ Car Talk+ is the easiest way for fans to access more than 800 Car Talk episodes, wherever you listen to podcasts. Find out more at plus.npr.org/cartalk or find the Car Talk channel in Apple Podcasts.
For a bit of mid-show fun, Ray comes up with a 'Puzzler' for listeners to solve that Tommy grades on a scale of 'historic', 'folkloric', 'challenging', 'interesting' and 'fun'. And if you want to listen to more Car Talk, sign up for Car Talk+ Car Talk+ is the easiest way for fans to access more than 800 Car Talk episodes, wherever you listen to podcasts. Find out more at plus.npr.org/cartalk or find the Car Talk channel in Apple Podcasts.
Amy just moved back east from Bezerkely, California and she brought her west coast driving habits with her. Dad caught her driving without her shoes on, and he is certain that barefoot driving is dangerous. Is it? Or is dear old dad making this up? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.And if you want to listen to more Car Talk, sign up for Car Talk+ Car Talk+ is the easiest way for fans to access more than 800 Car Talk episodes, wherever you listen to podcasts. Find out more at plus.npr.org/cartalk or find the Car Talk channel in Apple Podcasts.
We've all seen it. You're stopped at a light and the driver across the intersection has their hand to their face with half of one finger disappearing... up their nose. Yuck! Well, Jill from Montana has seen enough and wants to let all the offenders know that just because they are alone in their car they aren't invisible! Click and Clack try to explain 'autorhinotillexomania' on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
For a show hosted by two knuckleheads, Car Talk has a pretty thoughtful and literate audience. Listener Jay Powell muses on the meaning of a world that contains both Car Talk and it's theoretical opposite: Melissa Peterson. It's Prose and Pistons on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
And if you want to listen to more Car Talk, sign up for Car Talk+! Car Talk+ is the easiest way for fans to access more than 800 Car Talk episodes, wherever you listen to podcasts. Find out more at plus.npr.org/cartalk or find the Car Talk channel in Apple Podcasts.
Hippies remember their Volkswagen vans fondly as a low-cost, tiny home on wheels. What they've forgotten is what a mechanical nightmare they were. On this episode we start the show with Sandra's 'flamethrower edition' of the Vanagon and end with Frank's 'brake failure' Eurovan. What a long strange trip it's gonna be on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
And if you want to listen to more Car Talk, sign up for Car Talk+! Car Talk+ is the easiest way for fans to access more than 800 Car Talk episodes, wherever you listen to podcasts. Find out more at plus.npr.org/cartalk or find the Car Talk channel in Apple Podcasts.
Sherlock Holmes matched wits with Moriarty and Captain Ahab battled his great white whale. Who challenged Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers the most during their over 40 years doing Car Talk, you ask? Not Chrysler's legal team, nor the FCC. No, it was a 13-year-old twerp from Seattle named Melissa. Her first appearance here on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
And if you want to listen to more Car Talk, sign up for Car Talk+! Car Talk+ is the easiest way for fans to access more than 800 Car Talk episodes, wherever you listen to podcasts. Find out more at plus.npr.org/cartalk or find the Car Talk channel in Apple Podcasts.
And here we thought all those high-society soirees that we were never invited to must have been attended by owners of Rolls Royces, Cadillacs, Jags and Aston Martins. Not so! Hear Carol's story about the forgotten classic in that list -The Dodge Dart- on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
We all know that preventive maintenance is critical to keeping your car going, right? When it gets a little older, overhauling some key parts may be in order. But when it's finally looking good to Tommy(i.e. a real piece of junk) it's time to Mickey Mouse a few things. Come along and sing a song and join the jamboree on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
As befits a couple of kuckle-scrapers who were practically dragged into a broadcast studio years ago and plunked down in front of a hot microphone, Click and Clack do their thing unencumbered by notions of broadcasting's 'best practices'. Case in point, the beginning of their chat with Judy on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Right after Click and Clack try to figure out where Brenda is from, they help her translate what the mechanic-turned-salesman at her local Toyota dealer's service department is really saying about her car's engine. It's time to learn some new ways to say, 'That's gonna cost 'ya!' on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Many years ago, Tommy drove his sleek, black & beautiful 1965 Rambler Convertible onto Ray's property and swore that he'd be back to pick it up in a week or two. Two years later, Ray got tired of looking at the rusting heap and sent it to be crushed at the local salvage yard. Tommy never forgave his brother but he just may have figured out a way to get him to replace the car. Find out how on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Tony needs brakes, Morgan needs an engine and Daniel is 'diametrically-disadvantaged'' enough to need a running start to get into his BMW. Don't miss this dip into the Pinkwater files and more on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
As arbiters of many a marital-automotive dispute, the Tappet Brothers gently inform callers who are in the wrong and will have to fess up to their spouse. On the other hand, when callers like Nancy from Florida find out that they've prevailed in Click and Clack's car court, it's hard to contain their excitement. 'Oh Boy!' we're going to have a good time on this episode of the Best of Car Talk!
On a hot summer day, there's nothing better than that first blast of cold air from your car's air conditioner. But the AC in Lee's Honda gives him the cold front and the thunderclouds AND the rain, too. Should he be worried about a little lightning strike next? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
How far wrong can you go trying to help folks diagnose their car problems on a radio show? Today we start with alternators and plug wires and finish with llamas and creme rinse conditioner on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Ronnie Sue loves her old car and she's learning how to do basic maintenance. But when she breaks down on the highway with nothing but the clothes on her back will she be able to fix a leaky radiator hose? Find out on this episode of Macgyver- er, uh The Best of Car Talk.
While our entire audience has had to endure our many years worth of lousy car advice, we are particularly guilt-ridden knowing that so many parents used our show as a way to keep kids from misbehaving on long car trips over the years('If I have to turn around one more time it's going to be 'Car Talk' until we get to Grandma's!'). The kids finally fight back on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
How do you get to Symphony Hall? Practice!.. or, pay them a bunch of money to let you and your more talented friends entertain some paying public radio fans for a few hours. Guess which route our boys took? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Richard and his wife are shocked by their new Honda. Literally, the thing gives them a static jolt whenever they exit the car. Could it be Richard's extensive wardrobe of polyester leisure suits rubbing against the upholstery? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Gillian from our fair city of Cambridge, MA has to translate some French car manual descriptions into English. Can two knuckleheads who only speak 'Grease Monkey' help her? "Raconter des salades" it'll be on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Hey kids! Hear about that new dance called 'The Butt'?! Martha from Wyoming came up with it as a way to get her Honda Civic to start when it doesn't want to. We give Dick Clark a run for his money on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Robin loves her old Plymouth and wants to keep it running but her family is telling her to move on to some new wheels. Will Click and Clack support Robin's wish to keep it or just offer her Tommy's standard $50 to take it off her hands? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Mary Lynne's boyfriend has several of his most recent exes living with them. His 'ex-cars', that is, are littering their property in various states of 'heapdom'. Should she be concerned about this particular hoarding tendency or could it possibly be a good sign? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Savannah is a young artist with an old Pontiac that she plans to use as her canvas. She is going to cover every square inch of the car in rhinestones and has to make sure they don't fly off when she's on the highway. Can Click and Clack help this Rhinestone car girl? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Mary from Kansas makes a round trip of 240 miles in her old Toyota to score her weekly supply of tofu. Times are pretty desperate for Kansas vegans. Will Click and Clack be able to help Mary maintain the Toyota and her healthy diet, or will they suggest Keto instead? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
What happens when a caller with one of our all-time favorite caller names(Harsha Pelimuhandiram) picks one of the worst vehicles ever made for his drive around the world? Check out this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
If you have a car that's unreliable, in need of regular repairs and just sitting in your driveway, rusting, you need a mechanic to help you figure out if it's time to cut your losses. Or you can sell it to the first guy that offers you $50 for it. Best of Car Talk callers enjoy both options.
Every once in a while Click or Clack amaze us all by being able to correctly guess a caller's car problem with nothing more than a car make and model to go on. Too bad good answers don't work that way too. Check out the 'Carvoyance' on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
The Mercury Comet was a fun little car. NASA's zero-gravity and weightlessness test plane, nicknamed 'The Vomit Comet', is something else entirely but is an oddly appropriate subject for Car Talk we think. Check it out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Kathy has called seeking wisdom of a sort from our two witless wonders. Her husband is a mechanic, and while he can work magic with engines he can't seem to keep a simple schedule or estimate how long a job will take or remember much of anything that Kathy tells him. Will Click and Clack stand up for a brother mechanic or admit to Kathy that they've already forgotten what her questions were? Check it out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Mrs. Clutchkiller is blaming her husband Ron Clutchkiller for her car's prematurely failing clutch. But could the real culprit be their teenage son, little Jimmy Clutchkiller? Click and Clack make like Lieutenant Frank Columbo on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Margaret from nearby Everett, Mass has relocated to California along with 'Rusty' her trusty Honda Accord but the noises Rusty makes going up and down the Streets of San Francisco have Margaret in fear for her life. Will our boys be able to stop waxing nostalgic about Everett's famous clam shack 'Kelly's' in time to save Margaret? Pass the tartar sauce and find out for yourself on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Click and Clack's father, Louis, gets called-in to settle a bet: Did Tommy croak one of Dad's cars back in the day by running it out of oil? And their Mother Elizabeth has a word with her boys, too. It's a family affair on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Beth from New York has a deeded parking space that sits right below a mockingbird's perch, and let's just say Beth is a bit more familiar with the little guy's diet than she wants to be. What's a car owner to do when doo-doo covers your car every day? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Danny from Louisiana has a Toyota Van with spongey brakes that he can't seem to fix. Our geniuses listen carefully to Danny's descriptions, ask him seemingly insightful questions and each comes to a totally different conclusion. Will Danny get some help here or just two separate bills for the two diagnoses? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Before we were swiping right and left on our dating apps to find a mate, some of us would go to strange lengths to improve our love lives. If you were truly desperate, and Dr. Ruth's line was busy, you might even call a couple of mechanics doing a radio show about cars for a little love help. A new puzzler and some actual car questions along with your amore on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Our show is even more of a mess than usual: Paul's Toyota is dripping oil on his pants while he drives and Suzanne's husband's Ford is leaking gas and stinking up the house. 'Clean up in aisle 4' with the 'Mop-a-lot-zi Brothers' on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
What's in a middle name? Most of us got stuck with a simple middle name that belonged to an ancestor or maybe Mom's favorite bookie. But our Technical Advisor, John Bugsy, Sebastian, Mr. Height, Free Lunch, Sweet Cheeks, Donut Breath, Twinkle Toes, Make-That-Two-Triple-Cheeseburgers Lawlor got a doozy! How did he earn them all? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
In Car Talk's version of our dystopian future, all cars are designed by the French, with wiring by the British and emissions systems by Volkswagen. In Kathy's dystopian present her Chevy is already in regular communications with nearby banking systems technology. Can Click and Clack rescue us from the 'rise of the machines'? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Reverend Tim's passengers think that he should own up to the real origin of the unholy smell in his Nissan, but the good Reverend called on a higher power for his Sentra salvation. Too bad he got a wrong number and ended up on our show instead! Will a well-placed air freshener deliver Reverend Tim to the promised land? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Lindsay from Virginia thinks that her hubby, Bill, is trying to sabotage her admittedly 'uncool' Chevy Malibu. Will Click and Clack give Lindsay the straight dope or will they be just be regular dopes and try to help hubby out here? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Judy from Colorado has a delicate issue on her hands involving her husband who insists on warming up his car for several minutes every morning(just like dear old dad did). Click and Clack, realizing the multiple implications of this for our environment and hubby's psyche, have the perfect, measured response. Check out the Freudian slip-ups on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
On this episode of CSI Car Talk, officers Click and Clack don't need no stinking badges to stare down a serial killer! But wait: Is Lena from El Paso guilty of being a serial clutch murderer? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Allen is a private detective in Tennessee. He's doing surveillance in his parked car -trying not to be noticed- when all of a sudden his windshield wipers develop a mind of their own. Was Allen's cover blown? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
It's 'National Take Your Brother to Work Day' on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Ray tries in vain to show Tommy how to be a more professional-sounding NPR host -or at least how to fake it more convincingly.
Norma has put over 700,000 Miles on her GM truck driving trailers across the US for 12 years. Somewhere along the way the truck developed a starting problem that Norma has gone to elaborate lengths to overcome. Find out what's normal for Norma on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
To the casual observer, the life of an NPR 'star' may seem to be fun and games and a pretty cushy gig. Not so! On this week's Best of Car Talk we take you behind the scenes for a glimpse of two hard-working network hosts hardly working on their weekly newspaper column.
Mechanics aren't known to be a particularly literary lot, but since so many are also verbally challenged, customers often have only their 'estimate of repairs' to help them figure out what's wrong with their car. Katie from Virginia reads from hers on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Scott and Amy are taking a ski trip to the Colorado Mountains. Unfortunately, Scott's old car has a loose exhaust manifold and after several hours of exposure to CO fumes Scott and Amy land in the hospital instead of on the slopes. What are the chances for romance in the 'Hyperbaric Chamber of Love'? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
MIT boasts 98 Nobel Laureates among its ranks. Just a notch below them are our two knuckleheads who have been recognized as 'distinguished' MIT alums... by 'US' magazine. Practically the same, we think. Hear what the boys think about that and a few car problems on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Two classic calls on this Best of Car Talk program: Sasha has a home remedy for leaky radiators. Next, Cynthia begs the Magliozzi brothers to settle a dispute between her two brothers over a car. All that, more calls and a new puzzler!
Trade-in value for most used cars is a carefully crafted calculation made by car dealers having to do with the car's current resale value and the size of the dealer's boat payment. For junkboxes like the Chevy Malibu that Joan is trying to unload it just depends on how much gas is in the tank. Find out what our two knuckleheads thought of Joan's heap on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
John from Pennsylvania thinks he has an atypical warranty issue with his local Chevy dealer. If he explains to the dealer that his new Corvette exhibits engine problems at 140 miles per hour, he's pretty sure that the dealer will then explain to John that he has voided his warranty. John is clearly nuts for driving at mach one, but is he right about his warranty? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
The Lost City of Atlantis... Amelia Earhart... Who's buried in Grant's Tomb... All of these age-old mysteries pale in comparison to finding out which of the Brothers Magliozzi is 'Click' and which is 'Clack'. Austin Matlow writes to try and set the record straight on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Al thought it would be fun to pile his family in their Ford Van and Drive to the Rockies for vacation. And it was fun -until the Van's brakes stopped working on the way down at 12,000 feet. Did Al coast all the way home to Louisiana or did he come up with a fix 'on the fly'? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
A few shows back we got a call from Patty in nearby Somerville, MA who wondered whether her mother should be driving an old Toyota from Texas up to see her. Our knuckleheads couldn't agree and instead decided to make a bet: if she makes it, Ray has to replace the '65 Rambler of Tommy's that he sent to the crusher years ago. Will she or won't she? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
From the Daniel Pinkwater files comes a tale of unexpected advice buried deep inside a BMW owner's manual. The boys also contemplate why men never pay for anything with coins, helmets for drivers and, oh yeah- some actual car problems! All on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Don't have enough money for the repairs that your car needs? That's ok, because Melanie's local shop has a repair job to match her budget. Her car's AC is leaking freon but that's $400 to fix. When Melanie balked, the service manager offered to unbend her radio antennae for $200 instead. Will Click and Clack offer to change her air freshener for $100 and get the job? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Sherry and Judy both drive hot cars. No, not 'hot' in the 'stolen' or 'desirable' sense - just plain HOT! Sherry's Mercury is having 'hot flashes' and Judy's ignition key gets almost too hot to touch. And then there's poor Ali who drives through downtown LA in a Chevy making noises that sound like gunfire. Grab a fire extinguisher and check out this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
John got himself a brand new Jaguar XJS V12 and he's 'living the dream' except for one nagging detail. The dealer told John that he has to change the air in the tires at regular intervals in order not to void the warranty. Does John need to purchase special OEM Jaguar air? Can he do the job himself? Is the Jaguar dealer pulling John's leg? How hard? Answers to these questions and more on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Paul is a Brit who just married a nice American woman and he called us because his car is being shipped over here from Portugal. Sounds very 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous', no? Turns out that the car is an '87 Ford Escort. Will Click and Clack recommend a burial at sea? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Warren's trip to work at the bottom of the Grand Canyon is on a road so steep and narrow that his ride has 4 legs instead of 4 wheels. But when he's not working, Warren gets around in a BMW that's having acceleration problems. Can this donkey pilot get some help from our two jackasses? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Many years ago Tommy conned his brother into letting him park one of his jalopies -a 1965 AMC Ambassador Convertible- at the Good News Garage 'for a few days'. Six months later, Ray got tired of yelling at Tommy to come get his car, so he had it towed away and crushed. Along comes Patti from Somerville and a chance for Tommy to avenge the cruel fate of the 'Sleek Black Beauty'. Place your bets and enjoy this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Imagine emerging from a car accident and suddenly sounding like Pepe Le Pew. When Tommy alerted us to the early medical reporting on 'Foreign Accent Syndrome' it seemed pretty preposterous. Although, in retrospect, it just might explain two guys with thick Boston accents yukking it up on NPR for over 3 decades. Make your own diagnosis here on this classic episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Melissa hails from right next door to 'Our Fair City of Cambridge, MA' and even frequents the building where our law firm, 'Dewey, Cheetham & Howe' has it's offices. But does she bring her car to the Good News Garage when something's wrong? Nooooooooo. Find out how that's going for Melissa on today's episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Tommy recalls that Ray's childhood nickname was 'Chuck'. Now why would a kid named Ray end up with Chuck for a nickname? Has to be a story there and Louis, their father, explains much to Ray's chagrin. Also, the puzzler returns from its recent vacation on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Darlene and her boyfriend have just returned from a long trip where their car seemed to wander all over the road. She knows that the tires leak a bit of air and she frequently added more using the 'eyeball' method, rather than a tire gauge, during the trip. Is that good enough or was Darlene tempting fate here? Also, the dramatic picking of the winner of the Dewey, Cheetham & Howe Company Picnic Contest on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Mike from Michigan is a Toyota Corolla owner and a singer who is about to get his debut on our show. But, since this is Car Talk, instead of Sondheim or a Gershwin tune Mike gets to sing the song of his Corolla's Brake failure in A-flat. Sing along with Mike and our boys on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Getting the right answer isn't all that it's cracked up to be! We know this even though it so seldom happens on Car Talk. And when we do manage to come up with a winner we sometimes aren't too sure why. Janet from Oregon found that out on this episode of the best of Car Talk.
Mark from Brooklyn was prepared to admit that he didn't know much about how to fix his minivan, but he probably didn't expect an elocution lecture from Click and Clack. Also, Barbara gets her boyfriend to dump his sports car but now her son wants it. And Randy has several thousand unwanted tiny passengers living in his Mazda. All on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Sean from Michigan lucked out and bought a used '75 Olds Convertible from a little old Lady recently. The only problem with the car is an unsettling rattling noise that Sean is trying to pinpoint using death-defying diagnostic methods while on his rollerblades. Can Sean brake faster than a '75 Oldsmobile? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Marti lives in Hawaii. We bet that life has been pretty good for Marti. But lately, every night Marti's car is covered in giant Hawaiian cockroaches. So much for paradise, eh Marti?! Can Click and Clack Conquer the Cucarachas? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
There are some among us gifted with a voice that can conjure visions of the angels. Laura from Massachusetts wasn't that fortunate but she can mimic a slipping fan belt on a Ford Escort pretty convincingly! Check out her less-than-dulcet-tones along with the famous Monty Hall Puzzler on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Richard from Intercourse, PA has become a public nuisance with his Ford wagon that belches white smoke every time he accelerates from a stop. Can Click and Clack divine his car's trouble from analyzing the Ford's emissions? Check it out along with Gary, the yodeling cowboy, a new puzzler and more callers on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Alan from Texas is relocating to Burlington, Vermont and wants to know if he can bring his Ford Bronco along, too. Click and Clack give Alan a primer on snow tires, block heaters, tire chains and the most important detail: what type of Bronko Nagurski longjohns to buy. That and more on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Peggy from Washington hasn't had much luck with her personals ad in the local papers. She read somewhere that if you advertise a classic car for sale, guys will practically line up for a chance to buy it and Peggy thinks this would be a great way to meet men. Peggy wants Click and Clack to help her figure out what car to use as bait for her little love experiment on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Back when airbags were a new thing, it was pretty common that cars had only one and it was for the driver. Of course, this meant that front seat passengers were in a relatively vulnerable position in the event of a front-end crash. But some passengers refused to accept their crash-dummy fate. Check it out, along with more calls and a new puzzler on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Dick from Texas felt good about purchasing a 'lifetime warranty' along with the replacement alternator for his Ford Van. Sadly, Click and Clack had to inform him that what he actually purchased is a 'lifetime' of having to replace these cheap alternators. Or can Dick be spared this cruel repair purgatory? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Stella thinks one of her two Mitsubishis is possessed of a sinister mechanical nature. It is constantly breaking down and wearing out parts, unlike it's twin. Sound familiar? Our two hosts are each similarly convinced that the other is a sinister and malevolent force trying to drive him crazy. Is there any chance of saving Stella's 'good' Mitsubishi here? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Judy from Arkansas had no sooner described the conditions under which her car was giving her trouble when Tommy confidently and successfully predicted what the car's problem was. Could this be a case of clairvoyance? Or is this the less common Judyvoyance? Find out if the Tappet Brothers were able to help either Claire or Judy on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Wendy's Acura has been having persistent brake problems on the hilly roads of Sonoma, CA. Her mechanic wants her to 'exercise' the brakes every now and then by simulating an emergency stop. Wendy is a bit puzzled -as are Click and Clack- and she wants to know whether she needs to initiate an airbag deployment every once-in-a-while, too? More calls and a new puzzler on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Dave from North Carolina is a VW Quantum owner in search of a few quantum mechanics. He's convinced that his car gets worse mileage when the tank is less than half full. Will fixing this one require Heisenberg's uncertainty principles or can our two Weisenheimers tackle it? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Normally, we would highlight one of this show's more unusual calls -say, Rod who wants to buy an old Checker Cab, or Berniece who's Oldsmobile sounds like an air raid siren. But somehow we knew that we would catch your eye with the title of this week's puzzler: Buck Naked! All will be revealed on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Erica's Dad always told her to shift earlier rather than later. Erica's dad also had her believing in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus at one time, so as part of a larger reckoning with dear old Dad, Erica wants to know if he made this one up, too. Will Click and Clack help preserve Erica's image of dear old Dad as a sage font of automotive wisdom? Find out why not on this episode of the Best of Car Talk
Mold problems are a regular feature on Car Talk. Moldy seats and carpeting, mold in the vents and the mold in Tommy's beard are the top three on the Click and Clack mold 'sporecard'. But Helen has a new fungi for us. Find out what and where on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Liz has a practically brand new car that won't go into gear sometimes. When it does, she hears a gut wrenching clunk. The dealership is scratching it's collective head and various other body parts and Liz is wondering if the primary problem is that her car is possessed. Or, does the fact that it was also repossessed before she owned it mean something here? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Liz has a practically brand new car that won't go into gear sometimes. When it does, she hears a gut wrenching clunk. The dealership is scratching it's collective head and various other body parts and Liz is wondering if the primary problem is that her car is possessed. Or, does the fact that it was also repossessed before she owned it mean something here? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
At least once every show, Click and Clack goad some unlucky caller into imitating the unfortunate noise that their car is making. This week, Rodney from Colorado was that unlucky contestant, but he did the boys one better. Check it out along with more calls and the Puzzler on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
At least once every show, Click and Clack goad some unlucky caller into imitating the unfortunate noise that their car is making. This week, Rodney from Colorado was that unlucky contestant, but he did the boys one better. Check it out along with more calls and the Puzzler on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Barbara's husband was in the middle of changing the oil on their truck when he suddenly felt an urgent need for a haircut. Upon returning, he finds only the truck's oil pan filled with oil and no pickup truck. Barbara knows that her quick trip may have hurt the truck but how much damage has she done to her husband? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Barbara's husband was in the middle of changing the oil on their truck when he suddenly felt an urgent need for a haircut. Upon returning, he finds only the truck's oil pan filled with oil and no pickup truck. Barbara knows that her quick trip may have hurt the truck but how much damage has she done to her husband? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
"It was a dark and stormy night." In his never ending quest to make the puzzler 'less lousy' each week, Ray decides to appropriate the consensus pick for 'worst opening line of a novel', penned in the 1800s by Edward B Lytton, for this week's puzzler offering with Tommy helping to make it a bit darker and stormier. Check it out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
"It was a dark and stormy night." In his never ending quest to make the puzzler 'less lousy' each week, Ray decides to appropriate the consensus pick for 'worst opening line of a novel', penned in the 1800s by Edward B Lytton, for this week's puzzler offering with Tommy helping to make it a bit darker and stormier. Check it out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Jodi fr New Jersey bought her Chevy from her dear old Grandma ...and then the troubles began. Click and Clack try to determine if Granny is blameless or should be arrested for trying to fleece her granddaughter. Also, more calls and a new Puzzler right here on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Hubby takes it on the chin today! The show starts out with Amy from Illinois whose husband is trying to convince her that driving an automatic with two feet is better. Next, Sam receives last rites on his jalopy and then Eva delivers a low blow to Chris who is worried about the AC in their Volvo. Will our two married hosts give these guys a break? Fat chance! All this and a new puzzler here on the Best of Car Talk.
Fletcher from Detroit is a wonderful, wide-eyed 16 year old kid who can't wait to get his first car. Unfortunately, Dad thinks that a 1980 Plymouth Volare is a perfectly fine car for Fletcher. Hard to believe Dad was ever a 16 year old, y'know? Can Click and Clack suggest an affordable alternative and help Fletcher keep his cool at school? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Donna from Virginia used to be a REAL Donna in the Car Talk mold: She owned a couple of Camaro's and was perfectly happy. But Donna decided to tempt fate and bought a Hyundai and now all is not well with Donna. Can Click and Clack help Donna or does she have to change her name? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Genie from Kentucky thinks that her hubby shouldn't be stepping on the gas every time he starts their car and she's betting him a steak dinner that Click and Clack will side with her. And Rich from DC thinks he needs to put a stake through the heart of his wife's possessed VW Dasher. Them's the stakes on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Janice from Pasadena has a Mercedes that can't climb hills. She has taken it to several mechanics who are trying to help but can't figure it out. It could be the transmission or it could be the engine. Will Click and Clack take opposing sides on this diagnosis or is Janice going to get the dreaded 'double groan'? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Susan fr California managed to stick her ex-husband with a pet parakeet and kept the Mercury Lynx in their divorce settlement. But now, instead of having to clean up the birdcage and hearing 'Pretty Bird' all day long she's driving around in a car that is billowing smoke. Is it too late to reconsider the parakeet? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Victoria from DC has spent her adult years driving a series of hand-me-down cars from her family. Her latest choice -if you can call it a choice- is between her current AMC Spirit and a Chrysler K car. Click and Clack resist suggesting an untimely two-car fire and instead try to offer useful guidance on this epiode of the Best of Car Talk.
On the occasion of moving to their new fair city of Cambridge, MA the brothers tempt fate by weighing in on Sister Mary Anne's problems with her Plymouth as well as Karl's Honda horn and Scott's unalignable minivan. All this and the new puzzler on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Carl from California has the urge to fly. But instead of buying an airline ticket or maybe taking a few flying lessons Carl wants to build his own airplane. Ol' Carl is certainly up for a challenge. So he called Car Talk and asked our boys which car engine would be the best choice to put in his homemade plane. Is Carl nuts? Yes. Are the brothers crazy enough to give him an answer? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Julie from Maryland is trying to sell her much-beloved Chevy SUV but all her potential buyers are scared off by the car's high mileage. She needs a new sales strategy and Ray shares the story of trying to sell his old Pontiac with a million miles. And don't miss the return of the Puzzler from extended Summer vacation on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
David likes to drive his Mercedes Diesel from Los Angelas to New Mexico occasionally and he thinks the car is having some trouble on his long trips through the desert. He adds that he only notices the problem after he takes his shoes and shirt off. Okee-doke. Will the boys have to avert their eyes while solving this one? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Sherry has an older Mercury that is becoming menopausal(Sherry's words -not ours!). She says that it exhibits 'hot flashes' with the dashboard gauges spiking up and down at random times. Don't worry: as usual, all wisecracks about 'irritability, moodiness and weight gain' refer to Click and Clack themselves on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
In order to help callers figure out what ails their cars, Click and Clack have to keep a lot of details straight. This, the boys assure us, requires a truly laser-like focus. From show-to-show we're never quite sure what that laser is going to be focused on exactly, but on this episode of the Best of Car Talk it would seem to be 'all things South Dakotan'.
The Brothers Magliozzi disagree about many things. Old cars vs New cars, Ford or Chevy, fix or replace, boxers vs briefs. Car Talk exists to explore these differences, but you would think that there were at least a few things that they could agree on. Well...
Dani's husband has taken to unnecessarily shifting her automatic transmission Toyota as if it were a standard shift whenever he drives it. Is she right in blaming him and his 'neanderthalish' and unnecessary need to 'shift something' for the car's recent transmission failure? Could be... Will Tom and Ray grind some marital gears on the way to solving this one? You betcha'! Check it out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Mary from Illinois has been offered a company car by her employer . She can have either the reliable Mercury Sable, a sporty Jeep Cherokee or the vehicle of choice for seniors: the Chrysler New Yorker. Tom and Ray want to understand as much as possible before advising Mary and that leads to some unexpected answers on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Chip lives in a congested suburban area where his next door neighbor is in the habit of warming up his car every day for 20 minutes in the driveway that's right between their two houses. Chip isn't sure whether to approach his neighbor with the 'poisonous fumes' or 'you're wrecking your car' or 'you're wrecking our planet' approach. Will Tom and Ray be able to help Chip deftly navigate this situation, or will they just put a lit match to it? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
On this episode of the Best of Car Talk more callers with car questions and a story from the Magliozzi family facial-reconstruction files. Ray recalls how his older, wiser brother Tom turned a friendly game of catch in their yard into a trip to the hospital.
Ann from Minnesota needs a new car that helps her maintain her self image as 'sixty, sexy and single' without making her look like she's trying to compete with her daughter. '63 Dodge Darts are few and far between, so which of the other available convertibles on the market will suit Ann? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
WBUR management used to make us host a party for our listeners about once a year as a way of apologizing for our lousy show. Having had our fill of Sock Hops and other themed events in previous years, we settled on a carnival-styled occasion and called it, "The Games of Ancient Grease". We rounded up a bunch of old car parts and we invented some games of (little) skill like 'the discus-brake-us toss', 'The MacPherson Strut' and 'Pin the Tail on Tommy's Dodge Dart'. In this episode of the Best of Car Talk we pick the winner of the all-expenses paid trip to our party from the trunk of the Dart.
Steve from Virginia couldn't locate the turkey that he was sure he had just picked up at the grocery store the other day, so he went out and got another. About one week later, the guys at his local repair shop opened up his Dodge Caravan and found the missing turkey under the backseat! Find out how many air fresheners it will take to mask that smell on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Susan from Virginia took her trusty Dodge Omni on a long trip recently and encountered starting problems after stopping every few hours. A local mechanic at her destination talked her into replacing the starter but the problem persisted on her return trip. Did Susan get ripped-off and get a starter she didn't need? Can Tom and Ray interest her in another starter? Hear our know-it-alls try and figure out Susan's problem along with several others on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Andy from Colorado loves to wax his cars. Andy's friends think that he is completely wasting his time because, they say, modern cars have protective coatings that make waxing unnecessary. Hear the brothers waxing poetically, philosophically and in tight overlapping circular motions on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
The other day Ashley was standing behind her Toyota Camry while a friend tried to start it. At the very moment the engine roared to life, out of the car's muffler came a fur ball with enough force that it passed right by her. Now, the Camry has been having a few power issues lately, but is Ashley going to have to replace all four hamsters AND their little exercise wheels, or can her Camry run fine on just three of the little guys? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
How sea-worthy is your car? Not sure? Neither was Mike, but he found himself doing a little impromptu pond skimming in his Acura Integra at about 26 knotts and it didn't go so well. Find out what happens when your car takes a big drink of water on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Kyla will be looking for a new ride soon and she has her sights set on an odd class of vehicle that includes the Geo Tracker and the Suzuki Sidekick, which were supposed to look like off-road vehicles. Well, they got the 'off-road' part sort of right: they never should have been allowed on roads of any kind. But it will take some careful persuasion to talk Kyla out of this potential purchase. That, a new puzzler and more calls on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Every car repair shop has that old, grizzled mechanic who's willing to be strapped to the hood of a moving car in order to listen for a noise, or to hold two wires together with his bare hands in order to check for high voltage current. At Car Talk, that mechanic was Krusty. Krusty could not only tell you -with a taste off his fingertip- whether that oil stain was 30 or 40-weight , but he could do it while wafting tailpipe smoke into his mouth as a way of double checking the shop's exhaust gas analyzer. The legend that was Krusty was a feature of the puzzler for decades and here is one of his early mentions.
Being the owner of a French car can be, well... challenging. Poor Karen. Her Renault Encore has been in the shop regularly for major work and her most recent problem sounds like a doozie. The car is making a bunch of noises(in French!) that have her worried. Comment dit-on "paiement du bateau" en français? Check it out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
After taking delivery of his recently purchased BMW, author and friend of the show Daniel Pinkwater struggles to interpret a few clues: Strobing dashboard lights, an overflowing ashtray, a pile of corn chips and the curious behavior of the dog. From Car Talk's 'Pinkwater Files' comes, "The Tale of the Three Mikes." Can Tom and Ray make like Holmes and Watson and solve this puzzler(and a few others)? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Deb's 12 year old Volvo has served her well but it's starting to show it's age. She's ok with driving a 'beater', but an oil leak in the area of her hot exhaust pipes has her pretty concerned. Is she going to go out in a 'blaze of glory' while bopping down the highway? The brothers attempt to calm her fears and have a little fun in the process. All this and the story of the 'Princess of Unidilla, New York' on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
The Puzzler usually goes off the rails when the brothers' grasp of the concept is 'imperfect', shall we say. This time it's the demonstration of the concept that almost gets them in trouble. Good thing they have 'faces made for radio' or the FCC would be all over them. That, and more, on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Today the boys try to help Erin from Maryland with her Honda's oddly-timed noise and then they say hello to one of the show's all-time favorite callers: Lyle from Alabama, who's suffering from a stuck dipstick. Imagine the possibilities. All this and a new puzzler on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Sheila's husband is running for President of the United States and the two of them are about to embark on a barnstorming tour of the US in Sheila's Chevy Chevette. So, yeah, we're guessing this has got to be a longshot campaign. Sheila says that her mechanic recently fixed something in the car's electrical system with his wife's earring and some epoxy and now Sheila and her Presidential hopeful husband want to know if they should reconsider at least the Chevette's candidacy? Check it out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
"Ford or Chevy?", "Standard or Auto-magic?", "Two-door or Four-door?", "Hard-top or convertible?", "Does She or Doesn't She?". Add to this list of great automotive choices Jerry and his girlfriend Mari's, "To wash or not to wash?" Is it really necessary in the middle of a New York winter to wash your car when it will be just as dirty within a few days? As luck would have it, the brothers disagree with both choices. Check it out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Donna's Pontiac is giving her problems. Instead of being the prototypical 'Donna Pontiac' of Car Talk lore -a Firebird, she's stuck with a lowly Pontiac 1000 -a Chevy Chevette in disguise. And if that wasn't bad enough, her ignition key, of all things, is causing trouble. Can Tom and Ray talk Donna into trading-in this heap for a shiny new Firebird or will they come up with a fix for this 'starter Pontiac'? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
On a recent show the brothers flatly stated that no one ever gets cited for tailgating on the roads nowadays. Christopher, a humble student from St. Louis begs to differ. He was going down the road in his Peugeot when he got pulled over for following to close to the vehicle in front of him. Hear Chris tell the rest of his tailgating tale on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Kevin's Pontiac is outfitted with an early version of a modern digital dashboard and it's giving him trouble. But his mechanic won't work on it because he's never worked on one before. Click and Clack, however, are firm believers in broadening one's knowledge base and expertise at the customer's expense and they find this mechanic's wimpiness professionally disappointing. Find out if Kevin and the rest of the callers get any qualified car advice on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
You may know that for a few years Ford produced a testosterone-poisoned version of their popular Taurus sedan that they labeled the 'IROC'. Well, it seems that Sarah from nearby Brookline, MA somehow ended up with the Ford Taurus 'IHOP'. She has an unrelenting smell of waffles and maple syrup every time she turns on her heat. Will the boys be able to figure this one out? Grab a cup of joe and enjoy this breakfast edition of the Best of Car Talk.
Carol was heading back to school in her Corolla and managed to knock the shifter out of 5th gear and into neutral twice and now it won't go into 5th anymore. Her mechanic is certain that she broke the synchronizer in her transmission and he's getting that 'instant boat payment' look in his eyes. Did Carol really break the synchro?.. And so what if she did? Does she have to fix it or is four gears 'good enough'? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Kris from Washington has a Subaru that 'thunks' around corners. After the boys ask a few probing and insightful questions they seize upon an answer -and promptly forget it in the excitement. Will Kris get some useful help? Will this week's puzzler be better than last week's? Only one way to find out: Check out this episode of the Best of Car Talk for all this, a new puzzler and more calls.
Jill from California has a dilemma. Her family's habit is to drive their cars into the ground -past the point of usefulness(do not pass 'Go', do not collect $200). But Jill is having thoughts of selling her '82 Landcruiser, while it's still running ok. Should she dare attempt to break the family car curse and actually sell this car while it still runs? What will the neighbors say? Find out what Tom and Ray say to Jill and the rest of the callers on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Melissa from Roseville, Texas has a car on it's last legs. Her mother has kindly offered to sell Melissa her Pontiac Grand Am, but Melissa's husband, 'Tex' -he of the Nissan Pickup with multiple roadkills to its name- won't have it. "Too small", says Tex. Can the boys settle this Texas-sized marital dispute? Check it out along with more calls and a new puzzler on this episode of the Best of Car Talk!
Politicians aren't the only ones in DC that come in just two types. Allen from Washington, DC is facing a dilemma regarding his local mechanics and humbly asks the boys a very profound question: When faced with a mechanic who is either honest and incompetent or one who is competent but crooked, how do you choose? Fortunately(or unfortunately?), Allen has come to the leading authorities on automotive incompetency. That, plus more calls and a new puzzler on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Linda from Ambler, PA has a boyfriend who is a medical doctor AND a cheapskate. We know he's a cheapskate not just because he drives an old Ford Escort Wagon, but Linda says it moans constantly when in motion. Can Tom and Ray save this patient? Check out this episode of the Best of Car Talk for this, more calls and a new puzzler!
In the wider world, 'a little R and R'(rest and relaxation) is a good thing. But here at Car Talk Plaza, 'R and R' stands for 'Rant and Rave' and that means that it's time to duck and cover while Tommy holds court on one or more of his pet driving peeves. Today's target: inconsiderate younger drivers who don't yield right of way. And that's just the beginning. That, more calls and a new puzzler on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Alberto is a sociology professor in Utah teaching his students about issues of societal inequality. His old, banged up VW is consistent with his self-image as a hip college prof. But his wife is dead set on buying a new Volvo and Alberto is in a panic about what such a bourgie ride will mean for his campus cool factor. Will the brothers be sympathetic? FAT CHANCE! That, more calls and a new puzzler on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
Bill's shift lever on his Ford Ranger Pick Up is constantly rattling. The boys, realizing immediately that this is a case of a problem too minor to actually spend money to fix, cast about for a more creative solution involving the local patisserie. Check it out along with the new puzzler and more calls on this 'delicieux' episode of the Best of Car Talk.
How to find an honest mechanic? Call AAA? The BBB? Or see if you can devise your own method? Listen while Tom and Ray try to help Bruce from Phoenix come up with a test to vet his local grease monkeys. More calls and a new puzzler right here on The Best of Car Talk!
Like a lot of callers, Kasey from Minnesota is hoping for some good news about her problem Honda Civic. Hard to imagine that a car that sprays oil all over the engine compartment at a rate of a quart per tank-of-gas is going to generate good news, but the brothers manage it somehow. This, more calls and a new puzzler right here on the Best of Car Talk.
Carolyn lives just around the corner from 'our fair city' and is married to a former automotive safety engineer who apparently can't let go of his old job. He wants Carolyn to wear a bike helmet while driving -just for a little extra safety. Is this a case of inspired innovation, Social suicide?(Yep) or both? Check it out -along with the return of the puzzler- on this episode of the Best of Car Talk!