Car Talk: Experts at Play

Car Talk

4.7 (21)
COMEDY

A collection of memorable Puzzlers and Stump the Chumps

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10/14/2017 • CAR TALK+ ONLY

#1741: Fluffy and Thor

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Glen is looking for a cheap VW Cabrio, after his girlfriend Fluffy dumped him for a guy named Thor and took her car with her. Glen's friend suggested searching in backyards for a car with a blown engine. Is this likely to succeed, assuming Glen doesn't have access to Tommy's backyard? Elsewhere, Jeryldine's car is infested with arachnids, and the suggested remedies may take up even more space than the creatures; Lacy's Accord is ejecting engine parts; and, Barry may need a few gallons of extra virgin olive oil to get his Mazda out of his garage. Also, on Stump the Chumps, we find out if Lisa quieted her Civic so she could talk to the cute guy next door. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

54 min
09/30/2017 • CAR TALK+ ONLY

#1739: 30 Years of Wasting Perfectly Good Hours

This week on Car Talk, we wrap up our 30th Anniversary celebration/apology, with our all-time favorite laughs. We've got the infamous electric brakes call and the philosophical breakthrough it inspired. Also, Tom's misadventures in the US Army; the ultimate Puzzler faux pas; an appearance by Tom and Ray's dear mother, Elizabeth; a tale that epitomizes Magliozzi brotherly devotion; and the saga of Richard, his goats, and Doris. All of this, plus some entries from the listener noises Hall of Fame, and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

54 min
08/26/2017 • CAR TALK+ ONLY

#1734: Helmut's Folly

Remember Heather and her cranky mechanic Helmut? Heather took her Volvo to Helmut for a stuck glove box and wound up spending $3000 for a new fuel system, only to have her car begin dying at high altitudes. This week on The Best of Car Talk, Heather returns for a round of Stump the Chumps and we find out how much of a dummkopf Helmut was. Elsehwere, Lori's boyfriend has begun collecting old cars but can't drive any of them due to his poor vision. Will Tom and Ray help Lori convince him to try a different hobby? Also, Carol's mechanic says her Mazda's bad gas mileage is due to too many drivers; and Tom and Ray may need to resort to hypnosis to diagnose Joel's Mercedes' snore. All this and more this week on The Best of Car Talk.

53 min
07/08/2017 • CAR TALK+ ONLY

#1727: Geek Week

This week on the Best of Car Talk, got a pencil neck and an empty summer calendar? Tom and Ray are here for you, with the first (and probably last) Geek Week Summer Camp. Elsewhere, Shelly thinks she's killing a small animal when she turns her Subaru's steering wheel, because of the noise it makes. Might it actually be one of the gerbils powering its engine? Also, Steve's power steering needs a wake-up call for five minutes into his morning drive; Jackie's boyfriend's starting technique may not be hurting her truck, but is doing a number on her back; and on Stump the Chumps, we find out if Roy really had a stuck brake caliper or if Tommy is going to be dining on his hat. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

55 min
05/27/2017 • CAR TALK+ ONLY

#1721: Reality Often Astonishes Theory

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

53 min
04/01/2017 • CAR TALK+ ONLY

#1713: Click and Clack Defined

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Merriam-Webster helps answer the second most-asked question in Car Talk history: which brother is "Click" and which is "Clack." Unfortunately, they can't the answer the most-asked question: How did these jerks get on the radio in the first place? Elsewhere, Lee's mechanic told him he has a cracked "whoop tube," which may or may not refer to Lee's Town Car; a wayward binky has Marietta's driver's seat stuck in a bad spot; and traveling musician Valerie can't decide whether to dump the Dodge van that tows her trailer in favor of a Cadillac—sounds like a no-brainer to us! Also, on Stump the Chumps, we find out if Wendy used the snorkel test to figure out why her husband is fogging up her car. All this and more, this week on the Best of Car Talk.

54 min
03/04/2017 • CAR TALK+ ONLY

#1709: The Evil Twin

This week on the Best of Car Talk, Stella bought matching Monteros for her kids but dumped one because it spent more time in the shop than on the road. Should she be worried about the second Montero? Who better to weight the chances there's one good brother and one evil brother than Tom and Ray? Elsewhere, Heather has taken to calling her Jeep "Clunking Matilda"; Abe has an idea to navigate traffic in Our Fair City that may get him to work faster (but with a fat lip); and can Anne risk one more road trip in her overheating Subaru before it blows up? All this, plus a round of Stump the Chumps and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

54 min
12/17/2016 • CAR TALK+ ONLY

#1651: Predestination of Lightning

This week on the Best of Car Talk, Evelyn wants to know why a bolt of lightning spared her car and struck the road 20 feet away instead. Tom and Ray think Evelyn should just say a few kind words to the deity of her choice and move on, but will nonetheless offer a pseudo-scientific answer that's guaranteed to have MIT demanding its diplomas back. Elsewhere we find out if Bob's wife's car survived sucking a sock into the engine on Stump the Chumps; Gary's steering noise is scaring away his girlfriends; and did Barbara do more damage to her husband's truck, or her marriage, by driving a mile without any oil? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

55 min

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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.

4.7 (16214)

COMEDY