Car Talk

This week on Car Talk, what does Tommy's dog have in common with Helen's Volvo? Each tends to smell its own exhaust! But Tommy's dog isn't losing brain cells over it, while Helen may be. Elsewhere, Tom traded a set of teeth for a Chevy Caprice, but may have gotten the worse end of the deal; and, Bill's wife talked him into buying  a new Impreza, but it may not be able to handle their daily drive across Big Bone Creek. Also, Jackie's pet python's dinner fell behind her dashboard, which wouldn't be a huge problem if it wasn't a live rat; and could Kai's sputtering Subaru be suffering from a case of Wandering Crud? All this and more, this week on Car Talk.

This week on Car Talk, Jim is wondering why his mechanic billed him for 8 hours of labor on a job that took only 4 hours, thereby launching a Magliozzi explanation of the mechanics' space-time continuum. Elsewhere, Lewis' VW dealer refused to honor a warranty repair, but may re-evaluate his position when he learns Lewis is an IRS agent; Abbie's friend gave her the most wacko suggestion we've ever heard to fix her car's alignment; and can Rachel hold us liable for the fender bender she caused because she was laughing at Car Talk? And, on Stump the Chumps, we find out if Tom and Ray helped put out the fire in Red's convertible, or if they just fanned the flames. All this and more, this week on Car Talk.

This week on Car Talk, Amy's head is spinning because her speedometer needle won't stop whizzing around in circles. Is a well-aimed rock her only hope of making it stop? Elsewhere, Suzanne's husband loves his vintage Ford Model A, but its gas fumes are destroying brain cells by the thousands. Also, Deanna's car battery tops New York City's "Must Steal" list; Romeo's muscle car lost its musle after a day of peeling out; and Allen's Volvo and TV are both turning themselves on at random times. Is it bad wiring, or a bad neighbor? All this and more, this week on Car Talk.

This week on Car Talk, Kate is desperate to get rid of her Chevy Cavalier, but her husband has vowed to keep it running for another 150,000 miles. Can Tom and Ray help her escape, and will it involve Uncle Vinny and a book of matches?  Elsewhere, Sofia swears her Civic is making noise, but her mechanic says she's suffering from an "auditory hallucination"; and, on Stump the Chumps we find out if Christo can get his car running without banging on the fuel pump. Also, should Kate take her Corolla with her when she relocates from Ohio to St. Thomas? We know two mechanics/radio hosts who are willing to volunteer to join her. All this and more, this week on Car Talk.

This week on Car Talk, Savannah wants her car to shine. Literally. Given that it's a Plymouth Sundance, she faces a daunting task! A plethora of rhinestones will make this baby glitter but how does she affix it all without leaving a sparkling trail down the interstate? Also, Car Talk history is made as a caller asks Tom and Ray to settle a marital dispute by doing... nothing! Also, Larry's Lincoln died, and the CIA might be interested in whether he fixes it or not; Maxine learned the old mechanic's adage that a free brake job means never having to say you're sorry; and one diagnosis leads another caller to congratulate Tom and Ray for the finest piece of bamboozling ever. All this and more, this week on Car Talk.

This week's Car Talk kicks off with a harrowing tale of one man's journey into Dante's supplemental Circle of Hell: the local health club, where he spends one week at the merciless hands of Tanya the Trainer. Then it's off to Missouri, where Jon is concerned about whether the smell in his Chevy S-10 is coming from the truck-- or his fiancee. Elsewhere, "Mom" and her teenaged son are arguing over whether the best way to cool a car and keep 40 pounds of meat frozen in 90 degree weather is by turning the heat on full blast; and Rita's intermittent air conditioner problem has convinced her mechanic that she's just looking for an excuse to visit. And, on Stump the Chumps we find out if a Volkswagen really was equipped with a "lard-butt indicator" that made the horn blow at random times. All this and lots more,this week on Car Talk.

This week on Car Talk, all was well with Karen's Honda until her boyfriend gave it  a tune-up--which promptly turned on the Check Engine light. We'll just skip past the question of whether he messed up, and go right to trying to figure out what he messed up. Elsewhere in Civic-land, Anna came out of work one day to discover an unwanted passenger in her car: a white rat. How did it get there, and how can she ever go near her car again? Also, our Physicist-on-Call Wolfgang checks in to help clarify, and de-bogusify, Ray's "dispersion" theory on the odd behavior of a keyless remote; and is Lara's starting problem really caused by her turning the key too fast? All this, and lots more, this week on Car Talk.

This week on Car Talk, Dave has discovered an electrical anomaly: his Audi's keyless remote works better when he points it at his chin rather than his car. Fortunately, he's come to the right place…for a completely bogus explanation. Elsewhere, Brett's Camry is giving him enough electrical shocks to turn him into a walking Van de Graaff Generator; Spencer learned why you should never touch your lug nuts in public on a hot day; and Beth's Accord is exhibiting all the symptoms of a bad clutch, with just one problem: it's an automatic. Also, in a follow-up to last week's show, we hear from Tracy, whose girlfriend's parents offered to buy them a car if they got married. Did he get the girl, and the Lexus to boot? All this, and lots more, this week on Car Talk.

This week on Car Talk, Elisa's parents are so anxious for her to marry her live-in boyfriend, that they've offered to buy her a new car if Elissa and her beau tie the knot. Is this an offer she can't refuse, or will she be opening herself up to a lifetime of parental meddling--which may not be so bad if it means a lifetime of new cars. Elsewhere, newly employed Katherine would like to buy a new car, but is worried that she may have trouble making the payments on it, after rear-ending her boss' car on her second day. Also, Jay's wondering if a non-working tachometer can substitute for a non-working speedometer in his BMW; Chris' car has developed a seasonal allergy to starting; and Ann offers Case Study #265,498 of why you should never listen to your father when it comes to cars. All this and lots more, this week on Car Talk.

This week on Car Talk, how did the chicken get to church? That's what's puzzling Sara in Ohio, after her chicken stowed away somewhere outside the cab of her truck for a two-hour drive. Also, while we applaud DIY repair efforts, Josh in Montana may have gone too far when he tried to figure out the source of his truck's rattle by driving with his head out the door, looking underneath. Yes, the truck was moving. Yes, he was driving. And no, we aren't kidding. Elsewhere, Cathy is trying to figure out why her Sentra is going through head gaskets faster than Tommy goes through ex-wives; mechanic John is trying to figure out the labor rate for evil ex-girlfriends; and on Stump the Chumps, did Tom and Ray help Mike take ownership of his father-in-law's Lincoln? All this and lots more, this week on Car Talk.

This week on Car Talk, after having his Dodge Omni crash into his parents' deck and run over him, Steve has decided it's time to deal with his car's quirk-- you can turn the car off and remove the key, while it's still in Drive. Will he go for a simple repair, or will he take Tom's advice to handcuff himself to the shifter so he'll never again forget to put it in Park? Elsewhere, Teri may be able to put her baking skills to use by creating a baguette-trunk interface to quiet her Accord; Nancy is concerned that she may have inherited the two-footed driving gene from her mom and aunt; and could a full-on Nikita Khrushchev shoe-banging help fix Eric's air conditioner? All this, and lots more, this week on Car Talk.

This week on Car Talk, the headliner in Cheryl's Chevy is falling down, and causing a series of bad-hair days. She'd like to fashion a replacement. Can Tom and Ray offer any interior decorating tips, or just suggest she use a better cream rinse? Elsewhere, Brent's Audi is leaking very expensive "mineral oil" power steering fluid. Does he need to spend big bucks to fix his steering, or can he try a cheaper fluid, like, say, Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil? Also, Keller's got a wobbling wheel, but a much too interesting name and Graduate major to get a clear answer; and on Stump the Chumps we find out if Tom and Ray correctly diagnosed Tim's misdirected air conditioner, and if Tim was able to re-direct the repair bill to his Mom. All this and lots more, this week on Car Talk.

This week on Car Talk, why does the horn in John's wife's Golf start blowing when he drives it? John's wife thinks he's setting off the "lard butt indicator" under the driver's seat. Has VW really come up with something so sophisticated? Elsewhere, Wendy has discovered that giving up her beloved Super Beetle has done great harm to her social life. She used to be able to meet guys while working on its (many) problems. But, her new Toyota is both too reliable and too complicated. Also, Sara learns an expensive lesson in why you shouldn't let a Physics Grad student fix your fuel pump--with you and your dog stuck in the car while it's on the lift; and can Jeff safely use Coleman fuel in his Civic next time he gets stranded while camping? All this and more, this week on Car Talk.

This week on Car Talk, Denice's European friend is coming to the U.S., and bringing his Citroen with him. (We don't know if it will fit in the overhead luggage bin, or if he'll have to check it.) He's hoping to drive it from New York to Minnesota, but will the lack of French mechanics and parts leave him uttering, "Mon Dieu!" if he breaks down? Elsewhere, Jann's wondering how to get a dealer to let her test-drive a new car with a 77-pound dog that's prone to car sickness; Keller is preparing to sell his VW Bug, but there's that pesky matter of the missing floor on the passenger side; and Steve's Check Engine light comes on, only when he parks his Civic at the Pentagon. Has his car cracked a classified code? All this, and lots more, this week on Car Talk.

This week on Car Talk, Linda's husband proudly told her he'd "fixed" her Volvo--by cutting the roof off and turning it into something resembling a convertible. Is her car still safe to drive, without a football helmet? Meanwhile, Jeff relocated from New Orleans to New Mexico, and the higher altitude is wreaking havoc on his automatic breadmaker. Apparently Martha Stewart's line was busy this week, so we'll see if Tom and Ray can bring some life back to his loaves. We've also got a few bona fide car problems: Robert's Subaru keeps overheating, despite him replacing just about every part that could be responsible; Gary wants to know if he can take a 1300-mile road trip, all while down one cylinder in his Isuzu; and on Stump the Chumps, we find out if Tom and Ray correctly diagnosed Anne's growling minivan, and if her husband's vasectomy reversal has been fruitful. All this and lots more, this week on Car Talk.