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.
2635#2635: Knock, Knock...33:00
…”Who’s there?” Debra with her impossible knocking noise, that’s who. All we know is that it isn’t coming from the engine compartment. Wild guessing ensues on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2634#2634: Bug Bomb37:09
The Brothers suggested Bob from Texas could rid his car of horseflies by using a ‘bug bomb’ to flood the passenger compartment with insecticide. Bob returns for our in-show ’Quality Control’ program, “Stump the Chumps”, where we all get to find out if that suggestion met the standards of sound mechanical advice or, as is more likely in Bob’s case, a negligence lawsuit. Order in the Court! for this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2633#2633: Hacker Heaven36:07
Larry’s 14-year-old kid wants the two of them to find an old car to rebuild so kiddo can drive it when he gets his license in a few years. What a great father/son bonding experience, right? You’d think our two hosts -who used to run a DIY repair shop years ago- might be all for it, but maybe not. Find out what Click and Clack think on this episode of the Best of Car Talk
2632#2632: Brilliant or Crazy35:22
Rebecca’s Honda won’t go into reverse, but that may not be her biggest problem at the moment because Tommy can’t decide if Ray’s answer is clever or just nuts. And since Tommy himself may be one entree short of a combo platter where does that leave the rest of us? It’s a fine line between brilliant and crazy on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2631#2631: The MechanXfiles34:13
The 'Speed of Darkness', a 'laying on of hands' and paranormal activities in the Pentagon parking lot. This episode of the Best of Car Talk is definitely ‘out there’, somewhere.
2630#2630: Private Mag Lee Ozee!32:50
Back in the days of compulsory military service here in the US, there was, for a brief time, a certain ‘Private Magliozzi’ struggling mightily to keep his sanity through army basic training. ‘Drop and give us 20’ while you listen to this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2629#2629: The Babysitter Tells All36:23
Faith from Washington wants to make a trade: car advice in exchange for embarrassing tales from our wayward producer Dougie Berman’s childhood. It’s a deal on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2628#2628: Big Freshman on Campus31:29
Missy’s son is going to be a freshman at Boston University -where Car Talk is produced- and he wants to buy a sweet new ride to improve his social status. But Click and Clack are already having problems finding parking on campus, so he isn’t getting the green light on that idea. Can the boys come up with a non-automotive alternative? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2627#2627: Better to Die in a Fiery Crash33:55
Jose is stuck on the horns of a dilemma -or is he? Whether to risk getting ripped off by a local repair shop or to die in a fiery crash. Click and Clack help him weigh his options on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2626#2626: Rats!39:13
This time, on 'Click and Clack’s Wild Kingdom’, Anna from Illinois encounters a rat in her Honda and we all lose our ever-lovin’ minds. It’s ‘Better Anna than us!’ on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2625#2625: The Click and Clack Creed38:20
What to do about the ‘mechanically-challenged’? Click and Clack used to run a do-it-yourself garage back in the day. And after rescuing a few hundred-or-so ill-fated repair attempts by their customers, the brothers developed a few simple truths to guide their flock. ‘Words to repair by’, on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2624#2624: How to Know if You Have a Cracked Head36:53
Paula’s pickup truck may have a cracked head. Can two mechanics who definitely have cracked heads help her fix the problem? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2623#2623: Virtual Dopeslaps34:48
Jeannie thinks she’s doing right by her Oldsmobile and taking it in for regular service checks. But recently, the garage service manager tells her that she’s hurting the car by not regularly exercising the parking brake. Should Jeannie be exercising her dopeslap technique on the disservice manager instead? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
2622#2622: Starting from Stupid31:17
Tony has a Saab story for us that involves losing coolant -and, possibly, brain cells, too. The fact that he called Click and Clack should indicate how far gone Tony is already, but find out for yourself on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.