The Best of Car Talk

Courtesy of Tommy’s wife, JoAnne: a simple phrase to deal with a spouse, a mechanic -or both, in JoAnne’s case, who’s laying it on a bit too thick. Hear about all the applications on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Ray has theories and this one is a doozy! Nancy from Wyoming can’t get her car to start on cold mornings unless she first turns on the heater. Ray’s explanation involves a small stream and a colony of ants playing the part of electrons valiantly attempting to cross the stream. ‘Something bogus-a-brewin’ on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

“Free Compost”,  at one time the runner-up choice for the title of our radio show, is what Mary from Michigan shoveled straight into the trunk of her new Ford Mustang... 6 weeks ago. Should she bother taking it out now or should she leave the trunklid up and plant her heirloom tomatoes next to the spare? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Click and Clack join the crowd and tell of conspiracies everywhere, including antilock brakes and whole milk, on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Betsy moved from Vermont down to Louisiana and, upon arrival, found her Toyota pickup to be infested with ‘Mud Chiggers’, or so her mechanic says. Can Click and Clack the exterminator brothers get to the bottom of this one? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Sean from Montreal is hearing otherworldly noises from his Dodge Caravan and Mark from New York wants to transplant the heart and lungs of his Chevy Suburban into a fresh corpse. Click and Clack are stuck in a 1950s B-Movie on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Our more hands-on callers often try(and fail) to repair their vehicles before taking the desperate measure of calling us for help. But what happens when a caller has tried absolutely everything? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Among the many reasons the Saab car division went belly up years ago were little things like putting the transmission drain plug so close to the engine oil drain plug that they were practically daring you not to mistakenly open the wrong one. Oops, someone did it again on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

When Peter applies the brakes on his Honda while driving at night sparks shoot out from under the dash and the car loses power. And we always thought Hondas were kind of boring! Hear the sparks fly on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It’s bad enough showing up to the gym for your free trial membership after a few decades of ‘de-conditioning’, but to have a fitness dominatrix like Tanya cracking the whip seems doubly cruel. And after that humbling experience a few humbling car questions on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

One caller wants a new car to get through his pre-retirement years while another wants to chuck it all except for the car. Could they both have the right idea? Find out on this mid-life crisis edition of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Ok, perhaps we exaggerate a bit, but Doug from Oklahoma really does have black smoke coming out of his vents which are filled with dead bugs. Find out what’s cookin’ on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Poor Tommy! It’s tough enough trying to properly diagnose car problems over the phone without suddenly finding yourself sitting at the wrong end of a long limb that your brother is in the process of sawing through. Lookout below on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Andy and his girlfriend were driving across the desert when their Jeep began overheating. Having already consumed all of the water they brought with them, they also needed to relieve themselves at the same time. Find out how good their aim was on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalkLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

We've all seen old jalopies wobbling down the road and we've heard their familiar 'death rattles', but Ellen has a mechanic who claims to be able to smell the imminent demise of her old Dodge. Who is this sommelier of soon-to-be clunkers? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalkLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Paul has just moved next door to 'Our Fair City' of Cambridge, MA and is embarking on a career as a struggling musician(that's redundant- we know). He's got the band together and he even managed to find a cheap van to haul everything from gig to gig. He did, however, forget one little detail before buying the van. Will Paul's band break up before the van does? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalkLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Dana has a German friend who can't figure out how to get a big piece of history out of the trunk of his Dad's brand new BMW. Grab a jelly donut and check out this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalkLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Janet fr Charlotte(or maybe it was Charlotte from Janet?) had a simple question: automatic or stick for her 16 year old daughter's new car? But when Click and Clack find out that the new car is a BMW Z3 M Roadster -it's fireworks time on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalkLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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Gary was about to go pick up his Jeep from his mechanic when they called him to say that there had been a 'mishap'. Turns out that this shop's idea of a 'mishap' also includes dropping vehicles from great heights off of the lift. Find out if THAT's gonna 'buff right out' on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalkLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy