Car Talk: Utter Chaos

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What to do when you’re faced with messes, critters, and weird disasters

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23/12/2017 • NPR Podcasts+ Only

#1751: Sidney's Lunch

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Jackie's pet python's lunch disappeared into the vents of Jackie's Explorer. Not a big deal, right? Well, lunch was a live rat which has since deceased, but is still in the car stinking it up to high heaven. Elsewhere, Delena has decided that six years is long enough to live with an oil leak, so she's ready to have it addressed; Helen needs to stop and sniff the tailpipe to try to figure out what's leaking from her Odyssey; Rich may need a team of FAA investigators to help decode the noise coming from the black box in his pickup; and, a tale of a Fiat's Christmas miracle. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.
18/11/2017 • NPR Podcasts+ Only

#1746: Beware the Neophyte Knuckle Scraper

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Paul's Jetta lost some of its Fahrvergnügen, so he tried to pep it up with a new set of spark plugs. Now the car is running worse. Did Paul need more than just plugs or did his mechanic assign the job to the wrong guy? Elsewhere, Joan and her friend are arguing over whether slower highway driving leads to longer engine life; Linda is concerned that Tom and Ray's "potato in the tailpipe" stalling technique could kill a dog that happened to lock the car doors; and did Helen's truck really lose 100 miles per tankful of gas, or was she suffering from Move Euphoria? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.
15/07/2017 • NPR Podcasts+ Only

#1728: Haircut Ethics

This week on The Best of Car Talk, we've all been there. You're in the midst of a long drive when nature calls but doesn't provide a venue for you to answer that call. If the only urgent haircut option is a fast-food restaurant, are you obligated to buy something if you use the facility? Elsewhere, Heather took her Volvo to Helmut The Mechanic because her glove compartment was stuck. Three weeks and $3000 later, Heather now has a new fuel system and a Volvo that stalls. Did Helmut get a little overly ambitious? Also, Susan needs to store a vintage Mini; Dennis is wondering if the bungee cord holding his Corolla in gear can hang on for another 200,000 miles; and Karen is tired of old ladies passing her on hills while she's towing her horse trailer. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.
24/06/2017 • NPR Podcasts+ Only

#1725: Blame It on Bernoulli

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Katie's roommate's pseudo-scientific explanation for getting her Civic's door stuck on a sidewalk struck her as bogus, so she's turning to two pseudo MIT grads. Can Tom and Ray separate truth from bogosity? Elsewhere, Tim and Pam need a ruling on whether his joyride on a washboard road crushed her Saturn's engine mounts. Also, can Gene's Corolla survive 100,000 miles with a leaking fuel pump and axle seal, and a dope slap reminder to check both daily; Flo's Mazda has bad universal joints or jockey shorts that are too tight; and after two years of driving with a wobbling rear wheel has Keller's luck run out? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.
08/04/2017 • NPR Podcasts+ Only

#1714: The Return of Leah

This week on The Best of Car Talk, our favorite depressed college freshman, Leah, checks in with an update on her whereabouts—physical and emotional. Did she adjust to life on campus and follow Tom and Ray's advice to embrace failure? Elsewhere, Andy wants to know if electronic gizmos can improve his Suburban's gas mileage to, say, 5 miles per gallon; Chris' Belvedere is growing flowers in the front seat and stinks of blue cheese; and the severity of Dan's coolant loss may be directly tied to his religious practices. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.
11/03/2017 • NPR Podcasts+ Only

#1710: Miles Per Mothball

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Jim thought he had a disaster on his hands after he left his gas cap off during a rain storm, but his pal came to the rescue by pouring mothballs into the gas tank. Can Tom and Ray give any explanation for why the mothballs got Jim's truck running? Meanwhile, Ray's got a theory about Heather's Jeep's popping noise that may win points for creativity and bogosity. Also, Patrick hopes the guys can help him design the perfect soapbox derby car; Ann needs assurance that putting a new engine in her beloved Fuego isn't the most ridiculous idea ever; and has one of our listeners identified the true scent of a man? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.
29/10/2016 • NPR Podcasts+ Only

#1644: Mayonnaise on My Dipstick

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Tim doesn't know if he should be worried about the substance on his Fury's dipstick, or if he should just make a tuna salad sandwich with it. Elsewhere, Tonia likes her next door neighbor but is less fond of the noxious chemicals he uses on his car; Larry wants to convince his wife it's okay to buy a used car from a rental company but a tale from Ray's past may change his mind; and Dara is having trouble selling a car that used to belong to the fire chief. Should she forget about selling the car and just advertise its spotlight? All this, plus the great Cathy/Kathy challenge, and more this week on The Best of Car Talk.
20/08/2016 • NPR Podcasts+ Only

#1634: Con the Mechanic

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Nancy doesn't fully trust her mechanic so she's throwing around car jargon to bluff him into thinking she knows more than she does. But, her vocabulary has run dry. Will the official Click and Clack Thesaurus come to her rescue? Elsewhere, Greg's truck's wiring has become lunch for critters and the only way to save it may require giving up his beloved garage woodshop. Also, Kara's white-water rafting company may have to do the unthinkable and switch to automatic transmissions for their trucks; and on Stump the Chumps, we find out if Tom and Ray knocked their heads together well enough to diagnose Debra's truck's knocking sound. All this and more this week on The Best of Car Talk.

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