Howard was in the desert down near the US/Mexico border when he realized that he was out of brake fluid with none onhand. He did, however, have some water, antifreeze, paint thinner and some high-end tequila. What would be the proper mixture of each to come up with a suitable ‘dot-Howard’ brake fluid? Or should he have just enjoyed the tequila while awaiting rescue? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2659#2659: Class Dismissed!36:43
Linda’s Honda has such a bad ride that she is making her 8th grade class sit silently at their desks while she talks to Click and Clack about it. Will the brothers come up with the correct answer for Linda’s Honda? Or will they have to stay after class? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2658#2658: He's a Genius!36:20
Kim’s hubby had his eye on a 4 year old Lexus that was left abandoned at the airport by a burglar after a robbery. Kim’s worried about ‘karma’, but hubby got a great deal on the car. Do ‘the bad vibes’ negate the great price? Find out why not on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2657#2657: Getting to Yes34:40
Jane says that there’s somebody on the outside of her Honda banging it with a hammer or, at least that’s what it sounds like when she’s driving around. Click and Clack ask a bunch of inciteful, probing questions designed to elicit meaningful details… but Jane keeps saying, ‘Nope’. Find out if the boys can get any of the other callers to play nice on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2656#2656: Remote Nonstarter37:35
Gladys was gifted a remote starter for those cold winter days in upstate New York. But the promise of a warmed up interior on those icy cold mornings has given way to rumors about wrecked engines and voided warranties. To install or not to install: that is the question on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2655#2655: Our Proper Roles38:21
All of the great duos throughout history like Lewis and Clark, Batman and Robin, Shields and Yarnell… they all had one thing in common: they knew their roles. And when things went south, with any luck they could blame the other guy. Click and Clack are no different and on this episode of the Best of Car Talk they discover what those roles actually might be.
2654#2654: Clean Underwear in a Can35:45
Sometimes great ideas come out of nowhere. On this episode of the Best of Car Talk the brothers hit upon an invention nearly as great as the ‘Pocket Fisherman’ or the ‘George Foreman’ Grill.
2653#2653: Mechanic with Benefits38:05
John is in the early stages of Ferrari ownership. Along with the exorbitant bills he’s noticing a certain ‘extra special attention’ from the dealership mechanics. Click and Clack help John decide if his mechanic’s intentions are pure on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2652#2652: Bozo's Garage36:15
Rob’s family cross-country vacation has turned into a disaster: Black smoke is pouring out of the back of the car, transmission fluid is pouring out from under the hood, his mother-in-law is giving him dopeslaps from the back seat and the only help within 20 miles is a place called “Bozo’s Garage”. Could things possibly get any worse? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2651#2651: Baddabing! Baddabang!35:10
Livinia hears explosions every time her Dodge minivan hits a pothole. In an effort to zero in on the source, Click and Clack have to suss out the possibilities: one of which, it seems, has to do with an Italian-American neighborhood somewhere. Join us for this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2650#2650: Non Impediti Ratione Cogitationis35:50
When Mary Jo told Click and Clack that her windshield was pitted and hard to see thru, Tommy entered a trance-like state and rattled off an amazing string of successful predictions about Amy, her car and her driving habits. Did Tommy’s moment of near-divinity include any actually useful information? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2649#2649: Look Out for Those Gila Monsters!37:02
Goria is about to cross the Southwestern US in her Honda that she is told needs a new timing belt. Will she make it or will she get stranded and end being buzzard meat on the side of the road? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2648#2648: Where's Fred?37:43
Bob’s extended family drove home from a recent outing, climbed out of their BMW and shuffled back into the house. A half hour later, someone finally noticed that grandpa was nowhere to be found. He was stuck inside the BMW, unable to get the locked doors to open. Handy feature or dangerous design flaw? We discuss on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2647#2647: Service With a Smile36:02
Raegan was doing a nice thing and brought her boyfriend’s Jeep to a local mechanic for a tune up. The mechanic not only tuned-up the vehicle but he also had it detailed and he refused to accept payment for any of the work, saying that he was simply glad to have Raegan as a new customer. Has Raegan found that unicorn, “the altruistic mechanic” or did this grease monkey have the hots for her? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2646#2646: Rent a Mongoose Dot Com36:00
Brian’s kid is a typical, curious 8-year-old who brought his new buddy, a snake that he had just caught, into their car where it promptly escaped. The little guy pokes his head out from under the dash from time-to-time and Brian wonders if they should start feeding it or sell the car. It’s another episode of Click and Clack’s Wild Kingdom on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2645#2645: Stink Bug34:44
Ashley called us to say that when she takes long trips in her ’74 Volkswagen Bug she feels nauseous and has trouble staying awake. Sounds like a drive with Click and Clack after a chili dinner, but could this be more serious? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2644#2644: Who's the Bigger Slob?35:30
Julianne called Click and Clack hoping to get a clue in hunting down a nasty smell somewhere in her car. Instead she ended up on the wrong end of a sweeping generalization regarding whether men or women are the bigger automotive slobs. Judgement rendered on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2643#2643: Breaking-in the Brakes34:03
Colleen’s 85-yr-old dad was told by his mechanic that to properly ‘break-in his brakes’ he should be varying his speed between 30-50mph and applying the brakes periodically for several days of driving. So dad has been dutifully out on the local freeway causing mayhem by applying the brakes willy nilly and going well under the speed limit. Is dad’s mechanic correct -and is it time to plan dear old dad’s final services? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2642#2642: Overtightening Our Belts34:25
Stacy had her car’s belts tightened recently and more recently the car went up in flames. Coincidence or Causal? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2641#2641: How Cheap is Too Cheap?37:39
Michelle and her hubby need a second car but funds are ‘limited’ and she wants to know if it’s possible to get a decent one for $170? Tommy worries that Michelle is overpaying on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2640#2640: Flunking Physics Again35:10
Kim from Florida has a physics quiz coming up and she decided to reach out to Click and Clack for some help. Kim has either never listened to the show before, or her working theory is to become familiar with all of the possible wrong answers first. She’s certain to get at least that on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2639#2639: Honda Habitat35:16
Kristen is moving to Kosovo for a couple of years and has to leave her beloved Honda behind. She’s apparently so sentimental about the car that she wants Click and Clack to help her develop a list of criteria for choosing an appropriate storage facility. Does she expect snacks and play time for this thing? Or will four walls and a guard sleeping at the door be enough? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2638#2638: Melissa Strikes Back37:42
Sherlock Holmes has Professor Moriarty. Superman has kryptonite. And Car Talk is cursed with… a little girl from Seattle who says mean stuff to us. That’s right: Melissa Peterson is back for another round in the ring with Click and Clack. The smart money is on that little twerp for this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2637#2637: Meet the Staff38:08
It’s not often we get a call from members of the Car Talk staff during the show. And you’d expect that call to be from our chauffeur Pickov Andropov or perhaps our automotive seat tester, Mike Easter, but instead we hear from Pat McCann of our HR department. Somebody’s in trouble on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2636#2636: In Praise of Cleveland35:11
Marian’s Ford pickup is bouncing all over Cleveland, so she had a local shop replace her shocks and… it’s still bouncing around Cleveland. Click and Clack figure it out in about 10 seconds and proceed to work on the bigger problem: ‘Why Cleveland?’ on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.