Car Talk

This week on The Best of Car Talk, gather round for the greatest road trip story ever told. Dave and his girlfriend drove from Alaska to Minnesota in an overheating Chevy Cavalier with an old campfire grill jammed into the catalytic converter, a crescent wrench with no sockets, and one big zit on Dave's forehead. In more mundane matters, Patrice's VW bus won't start, John Mark's backseat passengers are getting their feet soaked when he makes a turn, and Alana's gas tank is spitting fuel back out after she fills it. Also, how should Rich wake up a Buick that's been napping for four years, and is the threat of fire enough to convince Jim that replacing his tailpipe might count as a "necessary repair"? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on the Best of Car Talk, Click and Clack answer the desperate plea of a depressed college student. Leah is contemplating the meaning of life and writes to Car Talk seeking answers. (Clearly more competent talk show hosts were busy!) Can Tom and Ray set her straight and help poor Leah find happiness? Meanwhile Hope's massive mutt has taken to riding on top of her pickup, and Paul's daughters are annoyed at his selective hearing. Will they hate dear old dad even more if he follows Click and Clack's advice? All that and more, in this week's automotively therapeutic episode of The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Sue's boyfriend is afraid to get in the car with her due to her long history of accidents, near misses, and traffic violations. Sue insists she's a safe driver, so a full-scale Car Talk intervention may be necessary. Elsewhere, Robin thinks her VW's steering problem calls for an exorcist, but Tom and Ray say an arsonist may be more helpful; Joe may need to choose between a bungee cord and a 2x4 if he doesn't want to spring for a new transmission; and can Randy just keep adding a quart of oil to her Civic and live her life? Depends on whether her life involves driving the car! All this, plus more than you ever wanted to know about the hazards of adding urine to a radiator. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Andy's car overheated in the desert. With no water on hand, his girlfriend convinced him to use the only liquid available. We're bordering on TMI here, so we'll just say that Andy is now worried about said liquid's acid causing corrosion. Elsewhere, Judy and her Volvo just moved from Los Angeles to Chicago. What does she need to do to winterize her car, and herself? Also, Christian's clutch problems are threatening his career in pizza delivery; Magica's husband dropped a razor blade in the airbag compartment and thinks it's not a big deal; and should Louella risk her safety and sanity by teaching her teenage daughters how to drive stick shift? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Matt's bad day got a little worse when his Volvo fell off the tow truck that was hauling it from an accident. Will Tom and Ray's vast experience dropping cars help Matt figure out if his is still safe to drive? Elsewhere, should Jackie go braless when washing her car? We're talking about the car's bra here, not Jackie's. Also, Peter thinks he has a theremin player living in his car; Barb's smart-aleck son may actually be smarter than she thinks; and on Stump the Chumps, we find out if Victoria bought cars for her three sons and opted for a career in flower arranging over business school. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Leonard Bernstein is immortalized in automotive lore for a shifting technique he handed down to his son. Elsewhere, Adla got a rude welcome to Boston when someone stole the battery from her Civic; Jennifer made an ill-advised bet on steering wheels with her know-it-all 18-year-old nephew; Esther's low coolant light and buzzer might be trying to send her a subtle signal about the state of her cooling system; and is John's Thunderbird suffering from Radio Frequency Interference or Dying Transmission Syndrome? All this and lots more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Joe's brother-in-law collects heaps. This wouldn't be a problem, except the cars wind up in Joe's backyard. And to make things even more complicated, Joe's brother-in-law owns the house. Can Tom and Ray untangle this family mess? Elsewhere, Sherry thinks her temperature gauge is going through menopause; Roseanna borrowed her friend's Subaru for the summer and fears she may be responsible for its new noise; and Klaus may need to learn how to drive his car with the engine off. All this, plus some fun things to say on elevators, and lots more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, distilled water may be too hungry for John to use it in his radiator. Will Ray's explanation of the hungry water theory help clarify things, or as usual, only further obfuscate matters? Elsewhere, Linda's husband proudly claimed to have "fixed" her Volvo—by chopping off its roof. Now is it safe for use as anything other than a planter? Also, Kunal wants to give his horn testosterone treatments; Diana's van could be a new form of germ warfare; and on Stump the Chumps we find out if Liz found her gas leak, and the perfect jumpsuit. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Dennis' friend told him the best way to charge a low car battery is by turning on all the accessories. Does this earn immediate entry into the Wacko Theory Hall of Fame? Elsewhere, Julieta's boyfriend is blaming her driveway for his Camry's starting problem, which can only be cured by the correct curse words; Molly would like a little less cowbell in her Altima; and Gail explodes the myth that women don't play practical jokes. Also, how did a rental car's exhaust suck in Mike's daughter's shirt? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

Could anything ruin a walk through one of America's most beautiful and peaceful National Monuments? How about a radio show host complaining because he can't get an espresso? This week on The Best of Car Talk, the tale of Tom and Ray's ill-fated visit to the Muir Woods. Elsewhere, Bob's friend may be victim of "Additive Placebo Syndrome" by disabling his running lights to improve mileage; Harmony hopes to get off the hook for smashing her sister's car; and can Sasha learn how to drive a stick shift without giving her Dad a nervous breakdown? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Greg was surprised when his truck started running poorly, until he learned that his four-year-old son had washed the inside of the gas tank with soap. Should Greg stick his kid with the repair bill? Elsewhere, Judy can't decide if her son-in-law is brilliant or wacko for raising the hood of his Volvo after every drive; Gil's Camry may be leaving a trail of clutch fluid from Houston to Phoenix; Debra's knocking is nothing compared to the sound of two hosts banging their heads together trying to figure out what's causing it; and, what does Gavin's car have in common with King Tut's tomb? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, did Christy destroy her Dad's car 15 years ago by putting black tape over a flashing temperature light— and then continuing to drive? And is Dad ready to forgive and forget? It's one of our all-time favorite auto-familial disputes. Elsewhere, Andy got talked into replacing his front brakes to help stop a noise coming from the rear; Nancy's husband says she's risking death by keeping her air conditioning on recirculate; and should Mickey be concerned that she's on her 4th consecutive boyfriend who drives an '82 Honda? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Grant's marriage counselor suggested he and his wife turn to Tom and Ray to help settle their auto-marital dispute over keeping the radio on while the car is off. Will Tom and Ray help bring peace, or will Grant's next appearance be on Divorce Court? Elsewhere, Mark decided to replace his working transmission, and has now gone through six failed rebuilds in 6 months. Does this earn him an equal number of dope slaps? Also, Mabel's Subaru is leaking oil from every orifice; Tulis' mechanic may be relying too much on prisms and crystals trying to fix her Civic's brakes; and, is Jessica car shocking her because of her clothes, her hair, or its ugly upholstery? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, drawing on Tom's cast — or is it half vast? — matrimonial experience, Click and Clack attempt to decode cryptic personal ads. And, sticking to relationship advice, they weigh in on Nancy's dispute with her husband. Spoiler alert: Will Nancy ever let her hubby live down his bogus A/C theory? Meanwhile Mark's looking for a foolproof way to test seat belts that doesn't involve slamming into the back of a taxi cab. And is something really wrong with Dana's starter motor? Or are her parents just tired of her lounging on their couch? All that and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk. TThis week on The Best of Car Talk, Click and Clack attempt to decode cryptic personal ads. And, sticking with relationship advice, they weigh in on Nancy's dispute with her husband. Spoiler alert: Will Nancy ever let her hubby live down his bogus A/C theory? Meanwhile, Bob's Fiat is having issues ever since he got it painted and disturbed the car's "delicate" nature. Will his Fiat end up in a box just like Tommy's? And is something really wrong with Dana's starter motor or are her parents just sick of her lounging on their couch? Prepare yourself for another hour of automotive-relationship conundrums, this week on The Best of Car Talk. - See more at: http://admin-www.cartalk.com/content/1623-huggable-radio-hosts-seek-automotive-friendships#sthash.Q8BxoTq7.dpuf

This week on the Best of Car Talk, Kim's husband couldn't resist buying a Lexus that had been sitting in an airport parking lot for four years. Kim thinks the car was used for nefarious deeds, and is plagued by bad vibes. But Kim's own purchase may make her husband's look sane by comparison. Meanwhile, another martial dispute is brewing in Alaska, where Samantha and her husband can't agree on the best place to hang dry cleaning. Can Tom and Ray referee his one, without knowing exactly what dry cleaning is, anyway? Also, Stephan's solution to his Golf's rough running was either brilliant or wacko; Jessica's power steering pump made a 90-degree turn; and on Stump the Chumps, we find out if John's wife made it from Buffalo to San Diego in her Cabriolet. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.