A listener from the Middle East shares a bizarre story about a horse and rider injured in a crash while the rider was on a mobile phone, leading to a humorous discussion about the dangers of distracted driving. The Tapper Brothers also take calls, including one from a woman with a 1990 Lexus ES 250 that seized due to oil pressure issues, prompting advice on engine repairs. The episode features light-hearted banter, puzzlers, and insights into car maintenance, making it a fun and informative listen.
David lives practically around the corner from The Good News Garage and he’s found a mechanic who not only has customers bring their cars to his house, but he makes them dinner, too! The customer service gauntlet has been officially thrown down on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
"...rom Delray Beach, Florida. Donna, what kind of a firebird do you drive? I thought I was going to get somet..."
The Pontiac Firebird is a sporty car that was made for several decades, famous for its cool design and strong engines. It’s a favorite among car enthusiasts who appreciate its performance and unique style.
The Pontiac Firebird is a classic American sports car that was produced from 1967 to 2002, known for its distinctive styling and performance capabilities. It gained popularity for its powerful V8 engines and has a dedicated fan base, often discussed in the context of American muscle car culture.
"...e disappointed. So you don't drive a firebird or Camaro? I don't drive anything right now."
The Chevrolet Camaro is a fast and stylish car that many people love for its sporty look and powerful engine. It’s often compared to other cars like the Ford Mustang, and it’s popular among those who enjoy driving and racing.
The Chevrolet Camaro is a classic American muscle car that was first introduced in 1966. Known for its powerful engine options and sporty design, the Camaro has become a symbol of performance and style, often discussed in the context of its rivalry with the Ford Mustang.
"...I'm calling about a 1990 Lexus ES 250 with about 160,000 miles on it."
The Lexus ES 250 is a comfortable luxury car from 1990. It has a smooth ride and is known for being reliable, making it a good choice for someone looking for a used luxury vehicle.
The Lexus ES 250 is a luxury sedan that was part of Lexus's first generation of vehicles, known for its comfort and reliability. It features a V6 engine and was designed to compete with other luxury sedans of its time.
"...would you like to check the dipstick? And I said, no, I trust you."
A dipstick is a long, thin tool you pull out of your car's engine to check how much oil is inside. It tells you if you need to add more oil to keep the engine running smoothly.
A dipstick is a tool used to measure the level of oil in an engine. It helps ensure that the engine has enough oil for proper lubrication and operation.
"...the guys told me, no oil, your engine seized. No oil. Oh, I believe that."
When an engine seizes, it means the parts inside can't move anymore, usually because there's not enough oil to keep them lubricated. This can cause serious damage and often means the engine needs to be repaired or replaced.
An engine seizure occurs when the engine's moving parts become so damaged or worn that they can no longer move freely. This often results from a lack of lubrication, typically due to low oil levels, leading to overheating and significant internal damage.
"First of all, the oil light is not telling you how much oil you have. So if the oil light comes on, it can come on for various reasons."
The oil light is a warning light on your car's dashboard that tells you if there's a problem with the oil system. It doesn't show how much oil is in the engine, just that there might be an issue with the oil pressure.
The oil light is a warning indicator on the dashboard that alerts the driver to issues with the oil system, primarily oil pressure. It does not indicate the actual amount of oil in the engine, which can lead to confusion if it illuminates.
"But primarily what it's measuring is oil pressure. You could have low oil pressure for various reasons, one of which is you got no oil."
Oil pressure is the force of the oil moving through your car's engine. It's important because it helps keep the engine parts lubricated and working properly. If the pressure is too low, it can cause serious problems.
Oil pressure refers to the pressure of the oil circulating through the engine. It is crucial for lubricating engine components and preventing damage. Low oil pressure can lead to engine failure if not addressed.
The oil pump is a part of the engine that moves oil around to keep everything working smoothly. If it stops working, the oil can't get to where it's needed, which can hurt the engine.
The oil pump is a vital component of an engine that circulates oil to lubricate moving parts. If the oil pump fails, it can lead to a loss of oil pressure, which can cause severe engine damage.
"...to all the parts that desperately need lubrication. So if the pump fails completely, you can have plenty of oil on the dipstick."
Lubrication means putting oil on moving parts to help them slide smoothly without grinding against each other. It's very important for keeping engines running well.
Lubrication refers to the process of applying a substance (usually oil) to reduce friction between moving parts in an engine. Proper lubrication is essential for engine longevity and performance.
"But then what happens is as you continue to drive it, you ran the engine without lubrication. It got hotter and hotter and hotter."
Engine overheating happens when the engine gets too hot, which can break parts and make the car stop working. It usually happens if there's not enough oil or coolant.
Engine overheating occurs when the engine temperature exceeds the normal operating range, often due to lack of lubrication or coolant. This can cause severe damage to engine components.
"It got hotter and hotter and hotter. Just because it got so hot."
Vaporized oil is when oil gets so hot that it turns into gas instead of staying liquid. This can happen if the engine gets too hot and can cause problems because the oil can't do its job anymore.
Vaporized oil refers to oil that has turned into vapor due to excessive heat. This can occur in an engine that is overheating, leading to a lack of lubrication and potential engine damage.
A used engine is an engine that someone else has already used in their car. Buying one can save money compared to getting a brand new engine.
A used engine is an engine that has been previously installed in another vehicle and is being sold for reuse. It can be a cost-effective option for replacing a failing engine without the expense of a new one.
The Porsche Boxster is a two-seater convertible sports car made by Porsche. It's designed for fun driving and has a soft top that you can put down to enjoy the sun.
The Porsche Boxster is a mid-engine roadster that combines performance with the enjoyment of open-top driving. It's known for its agile handling and distinctive design.
"I mean, a good size convertible is a mustang, but I have to say I hate mustangs. Yeah."
The Mustang is a popular sports car made by Ford. It's known for being fast and stylish, and some people love it while others have strong opinions against it.
The Ford Mustang is a classic American muscle car known for its performance and sporty design. It's often available as a convertible, appealing to those who enjoy open-top driving.
Car
Pontiac Granville
"1975 Pontiac Granville. Oh, what a car."
The Pontiac Granville is a large car made by Pontiac in the 1970s. It was designed to be comfortable for families and had a lot of space inside.
The Pontiac Granville was a full-size car produced by Pontiac from 1971 to 1975. It was known for its spacious interior and powerful engine options, making it popular among families during its time.
"...the exhaust system and converter were too close to the underside of the car and that was set in the carpet on fire. So they repositioned that and that took care of the flames."
The catalytic converter helps clean the air by changing harmful gases from the engine into less harmful ones before they leave the car. It's an important part of the exhaust system.
The catalytic converter is a key component of the exhaust system that reduces harmful emissions by converting toxic gases into less harmful substances before they exit the vehicle. It plays a crucial role in meeting environmental regulations.
"...the exhaust system and converter were too close to the underside of the car and that was set in the carpet on fire. So they repositioned that and that took care of the flames."
The exhaust system helps remove harmful gases from the engine and makes the car quieter. It includes parts like pipes and the catalytic converter that clean the air before it leaves the car.
The exhaust system is responsible for directing exhaust gases away from the engine and out of the vehicle. It includes components like the exhaust manifold, catalytic converter, and muffler, which work together to reduce emissions and noise.
"Ford Escort 89. It's always cars like this that start right up."
The Ford Escort is a small car that many people used to drive because it was cheap and reliable. The 1989 version is one of the older models.
The Ford Escort is a compact car that was popular in the late 20th century, known for its affordability and practicality. The 1989 model is part of the fourth generation, which featured a more rounded design compared to earlier versions.
"So, I mean, what I would do is I would put a battery in it."
A car battery is what gives power to start the car and run things like the radio when the engine is off. It's like the car's energy source.
A car battery is a rechargeable battery that supplies electrical energy to a vehicle's starter motor and electrical systems. It is essential for starting the engine and powering accessories when the engine is not running.
"And I would like disconnect the coil wire and crank it, maybe for 20 seconds, just to get the oil up where it's supposed to be. Uh-huh."
The coil wire helps send electricity to the engine's spark plugs. Disconnecting it stops the engine from starting, which can be useful for getting oil flowing before you actually start the car.
The coil wire is a component of the ignition system that connects the ignition coil to the distributor or spark plugs. Disconnecting it prevents the engine from starting while allowing oil to circulate before ignition.
"Yeah, I mean, you might want to just check the motor oil level before you start it and"
Motor oil helps keep the engine running smoothly by reducing friction between its parts. It's important to check the oil level to make sure there's enough to protect the engine.
Motor oil is a lubricant used in internal combustion engines to reduce friction and wear on moving parts. Checking the oil level is crucial for engine health and performance.
"make sure there's coolant and the radiator and all that."
Coolant is a liquid that helps keep the engine from getting too hot. It moves around the engine and radiator to keep everything at the right temperature.
Coolant is a fluid used in engines to regulate temperature and prevent overheating. It circulates through the engine and radiator, absorbing heat and dissipating it to maintain optimal operating conditions.
"The only other thing that might be a problem is the gasoline. Because the gasoline is a year and a half old, and gasoline turns to ugly nastiness after a year and a half."
Gasoline is the fuel that cars use to run. If it sits for too long, it can go bad and cause problems when you try to start the car.
Gasoline is a fuel used in internal combustion engines. It can degrade over time, leading to issues such as poor engine performance or starting difficulties if it becomes stale.
"I have a 90 Accord. Kind of getting up there in miles."
The Honda Accord is a well-known car that many people use for everyday driving. The 1990 version is from a series that was made between 1989 and 1993, and it's known for being dependable.
The Honda Accord is a popular midsize car known for its reliability and practicality. The 1990 model is part of the fourth generation of the Accord, which was produced from 1989 to 1993.
"...he replaced the wires, replaced the plugs, and he put new front brake pads on it."
Front brake pads are the parts that help your car stop when you press the brake pedal. They wear out over time and need to be changed to keep your brakes working well.
Front brake pads are components of a vehicle's braking system that press against the brake rotors to create friction and slow down or stop the car. They are crucial for effective braking performance and need to be replaced periodically due to wear.
"...maybe it could be a bad coil in the alternator. Ended up driving his old truck away..."
An alternator helps keep your car's battery charged and powers the electrical parts of the car while the engine is running. If it fails, your car may not start or could lose power.
The alternator is a crucial component of a vehicle's electrical system, responsible for converting mechanical energy from the engine into electrical energy to charge the battery and power the electrical systems when the engine is running.
"...but replaced the entire distributor, and it still didn't start."
A distributor helps send electricity from the ignition coil to the spark plugs in the right order, so the engine can run smoothly. If it’s not working, the engine may not start.
The distributor is a component in older ignition systems that directs high voltage from the ignition coil to the correct cylinder's spark plug at the right time, ensuring proper engine timing and performance.
When we say the engine 'turns over', it means the engine is actually starting and running. If it cranks but doesn’t turn over, it means it’s not starting up.
The term 'turn over' refers to the process of the engine starting and running. If an engine turns over, it means it is successfully igniting the fuel-air mixture and running. If it cranks but doesn't turn over, it indicates a failure to start despite the starter motor functioning.
When we say the engine 'cranks', it means the starter is trying to turn the engine over. If it cranks but doesn’t start, something else is wrong.
In automotive terms, 'crank' refers to the action of the engine's starter motor turning the engine over, which is necessary for the engine to start. If the engine cranks but does not start, it indicates that the starter is functioning but there may be other issues preventing ignition.
"I've been subsequently told that I need to replace the rotors. Right. And he could, if he had had a run out gauge at home, he could have measured that."
Rotors are the flat metal discs in your car's braking system. When you press the brake pedal, the brake pads squeeze these discs to help slow down the car. If the rotors are not smooth, it can make the brakes feel uneven.
Rotors are the circular metal discs that brake pads clamp down on to create friction and slow down or stop the vehicle. If they become warped or damaged, they can cause pulsating sensations when braking.
"I have a feeling that you need a good old fashioned valve job. Right. Don't you?"
A valve job is when a mechanic checks and fixes the valves in an engine. This helps the engine run better and can fix problems like poor performance or leaks.
A valve job is a procedure performed on an engine to clean, repair, or replace the valves and their seats to ensure proper sealing and function. This can improve engine performance and efficiency.
"You could have worn valve guides, which are sucking oil into the cylinder and fouling the plugs. So it's possible while fouling that plug."
Valve guides are parts in an engine that help the valves open and close properly. If they wear out, they can let oil leak into the engine, causing problems like dirty spark plugs.
Valve guides are cylindrical components that help the engine's valves move smoothly up and down. Worn valve guides can allow oil to enter the combustion chamber, leading to fouled spark plugs and poor engine performance.
Running on three cylinders means that one part of the engine isn't working, which makes the car weaker and less efficient. It can happen if something is wrong with the spark plugs or other engine parts.
Running on three cylinders means that one of the engine's cylinders is not firing properly, which can lead to a significant loss of power and efficiency. This condition often results from issues like fouled spark plugs or mechanical failures.
"If you want to get it fixed, I think you need to go to the Honda dealer."
Honda is a car company that makes many different types of vehicles, including popular models like the Civic and Accord.
Honda is a well-known Japanese automotive manufacturer that produces a wide range of vehicles, from compact cars to SUVs and motorcycles.
Select text to request an explanation
This is our class. On This American Life, one thing we like is a good mystery.
Sometimes about really big things, but most times, the little mysteries are the best.
Our lost and found is currently filled with pants. I don't know, I've never seen this happen.
Wait, is this true?
This is true.
Mysteries of every size, each week, This American Life, wherever you get your podcasts.
Music
Hello and welcome to Car Talk from National Public Radio with us, Click and Clack.
The Tap It Brothers and we're broadcasting this week from the Talk Now Gallop Later department here at Car Talk Plaza.
Now, this came to us from a listener in the Middle East who asked us not to use his name.
So, only say that his first name is Sheik.
He's very Sheik too.
He even wrote a little note.
The way your cohorts rant about mobile phones and automobiles, I thought they might find the attached article from the Gulf Daily News.
That's the Persian Gulf Daily News. Interesting.
And here it is.
Headline, horse and rider hurt in crash.
A horse and rider were injured in a road accident in Bahrain yesterday.
Bahrain Yusuf Abdukarian, age 28, was reportedly talking on his mobile phone when his horse suddenly veered into a passing pickup truck.
Mr. Abdukblblblblbl was taken to the hospital, the medical complex.
With back injuries, the horse was badly injured.
A vet was called to the scene and said it would almost certainly have to be put down.
Now, even riding a horse on a cell phone is dangerous.
Well, those microwave transmissions must have upset the horse's guidance system.
The global positioning system was in his butt.
I think they have it in the tail.
That's why they're waving it around all the time.
So, I suppose part of the update, we should give a little update on the cell phone thing, there seems to be a lot of pressure against our idea.
Even though lots of people, individual people, seem to be much in favor of drive now talk later.
It seems like people in power may not have exactly the same objective view.
For example, I don't want to name names, but NBC and CBS, for example.
Interestingly, both CBS and NBC had planned to do a story on the drive now talk later campaign, and mysteriously in both cases, we were disinvited.
It might have something to do with us.
It might have everything to do with us.
It might have something to do with us.
But in your opinion, we weren't invited because...
Well, they never did the story with anybody.
There are plenty of stories, and all the consumers...
Like this one from Bahrain.
The consumer reporter people who work for the stations, for the networks, who quashed it.
I don't want to suggest anything, but there might be some sleaze going on here.
And we noticed that lots of the people who are trying to get bills passed in the various states, they're getting a lot of pressure.
You know, only 35% of adults have a cell phone.
When it gets to be 49%, we're done for.
Absolutely.
This is our only chance to stop those jerks right now.
Well, it's a lesson to us that we should have started stopping it.
Immediately.
We should have started stopping it immediately.
And I'm going to move to one of the countries where it has been stopped, like Norway.
Yeah, Guatemala.
Israel.
Oman.
Oman.
That's where I'm going, man.
Oman.
And I'm going to buy you the ticket.
Anyway, in the interest of horse and car safety, we are still giving away, people may not know this, free bumper stickers that say, drive now, talk later.
And if you want one to stick on your car or your horse's butt, just send the self-addressed envelope to BS.
That stands for bumper sticker.
Oh, that's it.
Car Talk Plaza, Box 3500, Harvard Square, Cambridge.
Our fair city.
MAT 02238.
And if you didn't catch that, we have all the information posted on our website, which is the cartalksectionofcars.com.
If you'd like to talk to us about anything.
Anything.
And I mean anything.
The number is 1-888-227-8255.
That's 1-888-Car Talk.
Hello, you're on Car Talk.
Hi, this is Donna from Delray Beach, Florida.
Donna, what kind of a firebird do you drive?
I thought I was going to get something about that.
Of course.
You'd be disappointed.
So you don't drive a firebird or Camaro?
I don't drive anything right now.
Ah.
I'm calling about a 1990 Lexus ES 250 with about 160,000 miles on it.
And it's been a great car for me for many years.
And well, I'll just tell you what happened.
I was driving to work one day and my oil light went on.
So I took my car into the gas station and I told him I needed oil.
And the attendant checked the oil and said, your oil is just fine.
Oh, no.
And I said, how can that be my oil light on?
And the mechanic said, well, would you like to check the dipstick?
And I said, no, I trust you.
And you know, I drove off and figured I'd take it in and have it checked out in a couple days.
Well, about four days later, I'm driving up I-95, 70 miles an hour,
and all of a sudden I knew something was radically wrong.
Instead of hearing the noises, the wrappings.
It was just sort of like a...
Oh.
And I got off the highway and my car was towed and the guys told me,
no oil, your engine seized.
No oil.
Oh, I believe that.
How can that be?
Well, there are various things.
First of all, the oil light is not telling you how much oil you have.
So if the oil light comes on, it can come on for various reasons.
But primarily what it's measuring is oil pressure.
You could have low oil pressure for various reasons, one of which is you got no oil.
But we know you didn't have that condition because the kid at the gas station...
The kid at the gas station said you had oil and you probably did.
So it's very likely that what you had was no oil pressure as opposed to no oil.
And why would I have no oil pressure?
Because your oil pump stopped working.
And why would that happen?
Because the car is 160,000 miles on it and everything stops working sooner or later.
And when the oil pump broke, you had oil in the engine that wasn't being pumped around
to all the parts that desperately need lubrication.
So if the pump fails completely, you can have plenty of oil on the dipstick.
And nothing going where it's supposed to go.
But then what happens is as you continue to drive it, you ran the engine without lubrication.
It got hotter and hotter and hotter.
And it maybe vaporized the oil that was in there.
Just because it got so hot.
Oh, how sad.
I wish I had known.
Yeah, isn't it sad?
Think of the bright side, Donna.
You learned a lesson on an engine that had 160,000 miles on it.
Wouldn't you be ticked if you learned that same lesson when it had 30,000?
Oh, I'd be more than ticked.
So at least you got your money's worth out of the car, so to speak.
So you don't think it's worth putting anything new in there?
I'd put a used engine in it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, if the rest of the body is in good shape and you like the car, then why not fix it?
Unless you're dying for another car.
Yeah.
It's served me so well for so long, but it's definitely starting to show its age in little ways,
like the electric locks aren't working and the sunroof doesn't work.
And it has a...
You hate the car. Tell the truth.
You do, huh?
No, I love the car.
I love the car, but it is...
What did you get your eye on? Maybe we can help you with that.
A Boxster?
Well, no.
I'm not a Boxster person.
Oh, you're not.
But I would absolutely love to get a convertible, but there just aren't that many choices out there.
No, there aren't.
And they are kind of expensive, but if you have any suggestions...
Oh, well, I mean, you need a big convertible or a little convertible?
I definitely don't want a little matchbox because the drivers down here are crazy
and it's so scary to be out on 95 in a tiny little...
Where are you from?
Delray Beach.
Delray Beach.
It's about 20 miles south of West Palm.
Okay, how old are you? Are you over 40?
I'm 31.
Okay, you can't buy a Chrysler product.
Unless you want to dye your hair blue.
If you want to dye your hair blue, you can get a Chrysler.
We'll get the letters from them tomorrow.
I mean, a good size convertible is a mustang, but I have to say I hate mustangs.
Yeah.
I mean, they're big, they're ugly, they're overpowered, and they're stupid.
Well, you don't have to get an overpowered one.
Tell me how you really feel.
Well, I mean, there aren't many convertibles that I don't like, but that's...
Well, tell us what you do like.
I'll tell you too, and tell me what you think.
One, and they're pretty different.
One is the Cabriolet and one is the used sob.
Yeah, well, I like both of them.
Yeah?
Yeah, I like both of them.
Well, the sob will be expensive to repair.
Yeah, and the Cabriolet is a little on the smaller side.
If you're worried about the octogenarians running you off the road,
then you would be well advised to have a sob as opposed to a cabrio,
because the sob is a lot safer.
Yeah, I go for the sob.
Even though it may put you in the poor house, it's better than putting you in the cemetery.
That sounds good to me.
Well, good luck, daughter.
And we knew right off that the ES250 was a goner.
Yeah.
And subconsciously, you killed this car.
You bet in the dark recesses of your mind.
Oh, well, be careful here.
You knew that that oil light being on for four days was not good.
And I guess after this call, I won't be able to make any insurance claims, right?
No, no, I wouldn't think so.
See you, daughter.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
All right, dummy, do you remember last week's puzzler?
Well, it was a bear Catholic, a Pope Italian.
Happy New Year.
Want to set goals that you'll actually stick to in 2026?
You want to accept yourself in the situation you're in, but you also want to expect more
from yourself and say, what are the ways that I can grow?
This week, how to design and plan your year on the Life Kit podcast.
Listen in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
On Planet Money, we have covered a lot of topics.
Like just try searching something on the internet and adding Planet Money to the end of it.
Tariff prices, Planet Money, that's an episode.
Stop Sign War, Planet Money, that too.
Alaska Halibut Derby, Planet Money.
If you can ask it, we have probably answered it.
Planet Money, listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Hi, we're back.
You're listening to Car Talk with us.
Click and Clack the Tapper Brothers, and we're here to talk about cars, car repair, and da,
the answer to last week's historic and folkloric puzzler.
Still don't remember it.
As I said, this comes from the days of knights and kings and fair maidens named Rowena.
And here's the story.
Rowena, the fair maiden, of course, like all fair maidens wishes to wed,
and her father, the evil king, Dougie, has devised a way to drive off suitors.
He puts three boxes on the table.
One is made of gold, one is silver, and the third is lead.
Inside one of these boxes is a picture of the fair Rowena.
And the knight's job, without opening the boxes naturally, is to pick the one with Rowena's picture in it.
If he wants to buy some pictures of Rowena, I've got some.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Actually, never mind.
I'm sorry, did they interrupt?
No, no, no, no.
So he has to pick the one with Rowena's picture in it, okay?
If he picks the box with the picture, he gets Rowena's hand in marriage.
Anyway, on top of each box is an inscription, and here's what they say.
I remember this now.
Okay, yeah.
The gold box says, Rowena's picture is in this box.
The silver box says, Rowena's picture is not in this box.
The lead box says, Rowena's picture is not in the gold box.
I love this.
So Evil King Dougie gives our knight one hint, because as it's currently set up, you can't solve it.
Oh, no, of course not.
He stipulates that only one of the inscriptions is correct.
You've got it, one is correct, and the other two are incorrect.
And if you look at one in three, they're contradictory.
Yes, what does that mean?
Well, they say the opposite.
I know that, but what does it mean in terms of the truthfulness?
Well, it means that one of them must be true.
One of those two statements must be true.
Yeah, because if they say the opposite.
All right, then let's go.
Let's assume.
Wait, I like this, because if one of them is true, the gold box can't be true.
The inscription on the gold box cannot be true, because if it is, then the inscription on the silver box must also be true.
And that can't happen.
So the statement on the third box, the lead box, is the only one that can be true.
I love it.
The statement on the third box is the only one that can be true.
The first one must be false, and the second box, which says Rowena's picture is not in this box, that is also false, which means that her picture is in the silver box.
I love it.
I love it.
So it means the picture must be in the silver box.
You know, you tell me that geometry is better than this at teaching people how to think.
It's easier to explain.
Maybe it is.
That's why they teach it.
I think all of grammar school and high school should be puzzlers.
Have nothing to do with algebra, I mean trigonometry, the area under a curve.
Who cares?
This is thinking, man.
I still don't get it.
Well, there is someone who did get it.
Who's that?
I don't know.
Who's our winner?
The winner is Greg Fry from Scottsdale, Arizona.
And for having his answer selected at random among all the correct answers, Greg gets a $25 gift certificate to the car talk, Shameless Commerce Division, with which he can get our puzzler book or our brand new album,
why you should never listen to your father when it comes to cars, or he can lose the certificate, save us $25, which is what we'd prefer, but that's up to him.
Go, Greg.
Well, as always, this puzzler answer will be on the website because it seems to have created a little consternation among the staff here.
Sometimes seeing it written down makes all the difference in the world, but it is very logical, but it sometimes gets a little confusing to hear it.
So if you want to see it, go and visit it, go and visit the website.
Some of us are visual learners and some of us are audio learners.
Yes, and some of us are.
Okay, so you can see that on the car talk section of cars.com.
Anyway, we'll have a new, I don't know what modifier to use.
All I can say is...
How about good versus bad?
Mediocre, new puzzler coming up in the third half of today's show, so stay tuned for that.
In the meantime, you can call us and ask us questions about your car or anything else.
Anything else.
Plasma physics, anything, you name it.
Hey, you know what it's time for, man?
Time to try to lock up that Mars syndication deal?
No, no, no.
It's time to play Stump the Chump!
It is time once again to put our, what's little left of our shred of credibility on the line
by inviting a previous caller back onto the show to tell us whether our advice was any good or just plain bogus.
Did I mention that I hate this part of the show?
All right, who's this week's contestant, Johnny?
It's Red Barker from New Jersey.
And when Red first talked to us, he didn't sound like he had a car problem at all.
Well, this was before he talked to us, right?
Well, listen to this.
Yeah.
Last May, I'm driving around the corner from my house.
I've got my daughter in the car and we see a beautiful, big, baby blue convertible on this lawn.
And it's got a sign in it that says, are you ready for summer?
I immediately slam on my brakes, hang a u-turn, jump out of the car and say, no, I'm not.
A baby blue what convertible?
1975 Pontiac Granville.
Oh, what a car.
So I buy the car and I pick up my buddy and his kids and my daughter and we go on our maiden voyage
and smoking a couple of big cigars in front of this car.
He's saying it doesn't get any better than this.
That's right.
And the kids are loving it.
And then all of a sudden, there's smoke coming up from the floor.
So we pull over the floor of the car, burst into flames.
All right.
So he did have a teeny little problem, picky, picky.
I bet he's glad that fire now that it's winter.
Anyway, Red's mechanic quickly figured out that the exhaust system and converter were too close to the underside of the car
and that was set in the carpet on fire.
So they repositioned that and that took care of the flames.
That's right.
But Red said that there was still way too much heat emanating from beneath the front passenger floorboard
and it was ticking off his girlfriend.
So we told him that despite his mechanics protests to the contrary, his converter was plugged up
and that he should get a new one and reinforce the floorboards for good measure.
Okay.
That was our advice and it still sounds good to me.
All right.
Red, are you there?
Hey, man.
Are you ready for winter?
Let me tell you something.
It's plenty warm enough now.
All right.
Before we hear about any other conflagrations, we have to confirm that you have not been
offered any cash prizes or stock at any fire extinguisher companies to make us look bad today on Stump the Chumps.
Is that true?
That is absolutely correct.
All right.
So what happened?
So what we did was we put a steel, welded a steel plate under the passenger side, replaced
the catalytic converter and put in a heat reflector shield as you recommended.
And my girlfriend was able to sit next to me for the remainder of the summer.
Okay.
Very good.
I'm very happy for you, Red.
I'm happy for you, your car, your girlfriend and everything else.
Thanks for playing Stump the Chumps.
Thanks, guys.
Take care.
Bye.
Now, if you hear someone on the show that you'd like us to bring back on Stump the Chumps,
you can email your suggestions to us from the car talk section of Cars.com.
Well, that happens every time we give someone an answer and just hear people saying, oh,
that sounds like such baloney to me.
You can hear the collective groan coming in the other direction.
You immediately get on Cars.com and email your idea.
Get that guy back.
There you go.
In the meantime...
We have four calls like that today already.
If you want to call us, the number is 1-888-CAR-TALK, that's 888-CAR-TALK, that's 888-CAR-TALK.
Hello, you're on...
Guess what?
CAR-TALK.
My name is Mary Jane.
I'm from Ashland, Oregon.
Mary Jane.
Mary Jane.
Hi, Mary.
My God.
Mary Jane.
Are you a little goody two shoes or are you a wild woman?
I'm a wild woman.
Crazy.
Yeah.
Well, listen for years.
Let me give you my home phone number.
Okay.
But I appear to be nice on the outside.
Okay, that's good.
That's good.
It depends on what crowd I'm with.
You know, I can go either way.
I'm not that way.
Oh, forget it.
I don't want to go there.
Yeah.
Yeah, forget it.
Never mind.
All right.
So what's up, Mary Jane?
And here's the story.
About a year and a half ago, my son was about to talk to his wife.
And he's going through what I can only lovingly refer to as his transitional period.
Yeah.
Tell me about it.
Yeah.
And so during this transitional period, his car was somewhere for months, which was okay
because he lost the keys, which was okay because he lost his license.
He had times in misdemeanors, if you will.
Yeah.
Suddenly at three in the morning, three months later, he drives up, no headlight, registration
expired, and no license into my driveway.
Well, that night when he brought it home, we went out and took out the battery to prevent
him from further, you know, possible incarceration.
It was the only chance I had to save him.
So he hit the battery, so therefore he can't drive the thing.
Yeah, good idea.
But I thought this transitional period was going to be really short, but it's a year and
a half later now.
The question is...
And he's just as wacko now as he was then?
Now he really has a job and he's coming out of it and it's a pleasure to have him around
again.
Boy, is that good to hear.
But it's not a pleasure to have his car in my driveway.
Yeah.
Here's the question.
Yeah.
After a year and a half, is this thing going to ever come alive again?
What do I do with it?
Well, what kind of a car is it?
Let's see if it's...
Now because of the real job.
Yeah.
Ford Escort 89.
It's always cars like this that start right up.
Yeah.
But without a battery.
Well, they don't even need the battery.
You might be able to do this with like four or five flashlight batteries stuck together.
If this were an 89 Jaguar, the engine would be seized up.
If this was some collectible car, you could rest assured that it would have been ruined
by sitting there for a year and a half.
Okay.
But cars like Escorts, these things could sit there for another decade.
Oh, don't tell him that.
And you could turn the key and it would fire right up.
Uh-huh.
Great.
And you don't really want it to fire right up, actually.
No, you'd rather that it didn't start immediately.
Well, it won't, anyway.
And hopefully it won't.
So, I mean, what I would do is I would put a battery in it.
Okay.
And I would like disconnect the coil wire and crank it, maybe for 20 seconds, just to
get the oil up where it's supposed to be.
Uh-huh.
Then put the coil wire back in, say a little Ave Maria, and turn the key and it'll probably
start right up.
No kidding.
It could well.
Oh, great.
Yeah, I mean, you might want to just check the motor oil level before you start it and
make sure there's coolant and the radiator and all that.
Oil.
But other than that, just fire it up.
Wouldn't that be cool?
And then get it out of there as fast as you can.
Yeah, and maybe give it to him for Christmas again.
The only other thing that might be a problem is the gasoline.
Gasoline.
Because the gasoline is a year and a half old, and gasoline turns to ugly nastiness
after a year and a half.
If you do get it started, just go to the gas station and fill it up with some good stuff
so as to dilute the crud that's accumulated in there.
Okay.
And it'll be fine.
You can't hurt this car.
Oh, we love that.
You cannot hurt this car.
We love that.
If there anything, they're rugged.
Very good.
So just fire it up and drive it.
Okay.
Go and work, Mary Jane.
Yes.
Thanks for calling.
Hey, thanks, you guys.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
All right, look, it's time to take a short break.
Yeah.
I can see in his eyes that my brother needs to commandeer another box of donuts before
we go on another minute.
Out of my way, soldier.
We'll be back in a minute.
There is a lot of fear these days that AI could be a bubble.
So, Nick, is it?
I don't know.
Right, it is hard to tell.
But there are some clues that economists say might kind of sort of help us predict bubbles.
On the Planet Money podcast, the dark art of bubble detection.
Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
This week on the NPR Politics Podcast, President Trump's first year.
You know, it's not just that there aren't really the guardrails on Trump's presidency
this term.
It's that he's doing things that are just not conservative.
We unpack the ongoing transformation of the Republican Party on the NPR Politics Podcast.
Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
This year, on NPR's Throughline, life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.
For centuries, America's pursuit has changed the world.
Now, 250 years later, who are we?
Where are we headed?
Join us every Tuesday for a brand new series, America in Pursuit.
On Throughline, listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
President Trump says he wants Greenland for national security.
But at least one Trump official has said it's also about critical minerals.
Geologist Greg Barnes knows these minerals well.
I just couldn't believe that something of this size and quality was ever sitting out there.
On The Indicator from Planet Money, is this really a land of untapped natural riches?
Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Ha! We're back.
You're listening to Car Talk with us.
Click and Clack the Tapper Brothers and we're here to discuss cars, car repair and the new puzzler.
Yeah.
What modifier did I use?
Mediocre.
So it was mediocre.
Well, some may find it interesting.
Some may find it less than mediocre.
Some may find it less than interesting, but here it is nevertheless.
Last weekend, I was doing a little shopping and doing my little errands in our little village, so to speak.
Downtown in our fair city.
Yeah.
And as you might expect, I was going from one business establishment to another.
Opening doors, closing doors, going in, transacting business.
You know, the usual routine.
Sure.
And one of the places I entered, upon opening the door, I was surprised to see something affixed to the door that I had just opened.
There were, attached to the door, three brass strips.
I would say, and they were about, oh, maybe four inches long and a half an inch wide.
And they were nice and shiny and each was affixed with two little screws.
And one was...
To a wooden door?
To a wooden door.
Yes, it was a wooden door.
Could have been a steel door.
Could have been any kind of a door.
Yeah.
But it was a door that opened and closed.
I think that defines a door.
Yeah.
So as I opened the door to this establishment, I found myself looking right at one of these bars,
which would put one of them right at eye level with me.
And one was, say, six inches higher than that and one was six inches below it.
And I thought, hmm, that's unusual.
And I went to another place of business and opened its door and saw no such little bars.
So I went back to this first place and I looked at not only the door I had first entered,
but another door.
And it, too, had these three little brass bars attached.
So they were horizontal bars.
And give me again how they got a half an inch?
Yeah.
I don't think there's an industry standard, but this particular door had these three strips
that were each a half an inch wide by four inches long so they could be affixed to the
style of the door.
Yeah.
Okay.
And they were six inches apart.
Yeah.
You got it?
I got it.
The question is, what was this building that I had entered that had this on the door?
Oh, and not what were they?
Oh, that'd be obvious.
If you know where I was, you'd know what they were.
Wow.
It wasn't the brass factory.
No.
No.
And they didn't have been brass either, but in this particular case, they were brass.
And of course, when I saw them, I knew immediately what they were.
And it was dictated by the building I was entering.
I like this one, boy.
I like this.
Well, if you think you know the answer, write it on the back of a $10 bill.
What's with this $10 thing?
No.
No, no, no holidays.
20, this is the holidays.
Come on.
This is the time to gouge the customers.
$20 bill.
30.
$30 bill.
40.
Yeah.
Or a stale fruitcake that you got for the holidays and send it to Puzzler Tower, Car Talk
Plaza, Box 3500, Havid, Squaya.
Cambridge.
That's my line.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Cambridge.
I'll offer you a city.
Matt 02238.
Or you can email your answer from the Car Talk section of cars.com if you'd like to call
us.
1-888-CAR-TALK.
That's 888-227-8255.
Hello, you're on Car Talk.
This is David.
I'm calling from Newton, Mass.
Just up the street from your fair city.
Yes.
No kidding.
No kidding.
What's going on, David?
I wouldn't kid you about something like that.
I guess we took your call because even though it's an 888 number, we must pay more for calls
that come from Alaska than ones with Newton, right?
So does this mean that we're low on funds again?
No, no.
All the calls are routed through.
Oh.
Oh, that's right.
Louisville.
Yeah.
Yeah, so it's the weighted population center of the universe.
Oh, that's true.
Yeah.
I thought it was Centralia, Kansas.
Maybe.
That too.
David, what's up?
Well, here's the story.
I have a 90 Accord.
Kind of getting up there in miles.
It's got 180,000 miles on it.
That's a lot.
I guess about six or eight weeks ago, it started to run really rough, especially at idle speed.
I was noticing that the brakes were pulsating a lot, although that wasn't a new thing.
It was starting to lose a little bit of oil.
I was talking about this at work, and one of my coworkers said, oh, my husband's a mechanic.
I said, oh, fantastic.
She was telling me how much everybody loves her husband, and he was a great guy.
He's lots of return business.
I said, fantastic.
So I arranged and I took the car up to him.
We talked it up for a while, actually went to his house.
This was on a Saturday afternoon.
A house?
He said, bring it on by my house.
He does some work out of the back of his house.
I brought it over there, and he did some stuff like he replaced the wires, replaced the plugs,
and he put new front brake pads on it.
So I sat around, had dinner with his family.
Very nice.
This is good.
That was great.
And then got in the car and wouldn't start.
So this is great.
So now we've introduced a new problem into the mix, and so he thought, well, maybe it
could be a bad coil in the alternator.
Ended up driving his old truck away, lent me his old truck.
Came back a couple of days later, couldn't find a replacement coil, but replaced the
entire distributor, and it still didn't start.
So I went away again and came back a couple of days later, and he replaced the coil in
the new alternator, and then it went ahead and started.
When you say it wouldn't start, would it crank?
It would crank, but it wouldn't turn over.
It wasn't the alternator.
It was the distributor.
Oh, yeah.
Did I said alternator?
Yeah.
That was a mistake.
Okay.
That's all right.
That's all right.
That's all right.
They just wanted to set the record straight here.
So anyhow, he was very, very nice guy, felt bad about having to keep the car so long,
and didn't charge me any labor, but charge me for the parts.
The problem was that I drove away with the same problems that I had when I went in there.
The car was still running very, very rough, and the brakes were pulsating very, very badly.
Yeah.
Well, what do you expect from a guy who's doing all this in his backyard?
And he gave you dinner.
And he gave you dinner.
A guy who lost a fortune on you.
That's right.
I don't know how he's going to make the boat payment now.
Well, maybe he was just like, does he have a shop this guy?
Well, never mind.
That's enough.
Yeah.
Well, if it's well.
A little bit tough to describe.
Yeah.
And so now I'm trying to figure out what I should do.
Should I bring the car back to him and say, look, I still have the same problems that
I did.
And you know what?
And I still had a couple episodes now since of the car not starting.
It sounds to me like this guy, and maybe he's a great cook.
But I mean, if he's doing the stuff out of the back of his house, he probably doesn't
really have all the equipment he needs.
Yeah.
For example, he put pads in.
Maybe the pads will warn.
But probably the pulsating is not because of the pads, but because of the rotors.
I've been subsequently told that I need to replace the rotors.
Right.
And he could, if he had had a run out gauge at home, he could have measured that.
He could have run out and gotten one.
He could run out and get one, I suppose.
Right.
I have a feeling that you need a good old fashioned valve job.
Right.
Don't you?
Yeah.
That in fact, I mean, when he first, you said he put new plugs in.
When he did that, did it run well then?
Not really.
Not really.
You could.
I've heard subsequently that the third cylinder is not firing.
There you go.
Ah.
And I think the reason that the car has been losing oil is that the cylinder, he said it
was full of oil.
Is that possible?
Well, it's possible.
You could have worn valve guides, which are sucking oil into the cylinder and fouling
the plugs.
So it's possible while fouling that plug.
When he put the four new plugs in, it ran well for several minutes.
And he said, oh, that problem is solved.
And then the longer it ran, the more oil it sucked in.
And then it fouled the plug and it now runs on three cylinders.
So like I said, you may need a good old fashioned valve job.
It sounds like this guy just didn't spend enough time diagnosing and just dove right
in and started replacing stuff.
I guess.
And that's okay.
All right.
And if you're lucky, that works.
I got a wonderful meal out of it.
Really nice family.
And I think you should just call it even.
Just forget it.
Whatever he did, he did.
If you want to get it fixed, I think you need to go to the Honda dealer.
Yeah.
Okay.
Or someone that has some test equipment, they can test the run out of the disc rotors.
They can test the compression.
They can find out if you're fouling number three plug.
And then when they tell you it's going to cost you 3,500 bucks to fix it, you'll decide
to just drive it the way it is.
Yeah.
I guess that's my big overall question is, do I want to put the money into this car,
which I love, but it's getting...
Well, I mean, that's the age old question.
Do you dump it just because it's got a few minor little problems like this?
Or do you keep it forever?
This is the question my sister-in-law faces.
Why do I get the feeling we're not talking about cars anymore?
Yeah.
So it's tough.
I mean, I don't know.
If things get old and decrepit, do you just dump them?
I mean, my fault.
Well, there's an argument to be made for that.
There is, there is.
There is there, and certainly, and I think you should have the whole car gone through
by somebody that you trust to find out everything that's wrong with it.
Yeah.
And then you can sit down and when you find out it's 4,500 bucks to fix it, you'll say,
nah.
Since you don't have a mechanic, I would go to our website, cartalksectionofcars.com,
and then we have a feature called the MechanX Files.
And it's a listing of all mechanics all over the country, all over the world in fact.
Who have been recommended by visitors to the site.
Excellent.
And you can just type in Newton and Accord and you might find somebody right around the
corner.
Excellent.
Good luck, David.
See you later.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
Well, it's happened again.
You've squandered another perfectly good hour listening to car talk.
Our esteemed producer is Doug the Subway Fugitive, not a slave to fashion Berman.
Our associate producer is Ken the Diaper Slayer Rogers.
Our assistant producer is Frau Catherine Fenolosa.
Our engineer is Dennis de Menesfoli.
Our senior Web Blackie is Doug.
I'm selling the sheep mare.
And our technical, spiritual, and menu advisor who's been detained by a blizzard today is
John Buggsy, make that two triple cheeseburgers luller.
It's only snowing at his house, you know.
Oh yeah.
Doesn't snow anywhere else.
You know his deck fell off last year?
Well, because there was so much snow at his house.
There was so much snow, the back of the house practically fell off.
Our public opinion pollster is Paul Murky of Murky Research, assisted by statistician
Margin O'Vara.
Our customer care representative is Hayward Jabuzov.
And our official football winner is Eliza the Couch.
And our director of long range strategic planning is Kay Sarrah, who's married to Frank Sarrah.
And now she's known at the Bridge Club as Kay Sarrah.
Sarrah.
Our town criers are Nina Clark and Alice Well.
Tom's personal matchmaker is Robin Decretel and our chief counsel from the law firm of
Dewey Truman Howe as Uluis Dewey.
Known to the dogs in Tweed Sport Coaches, Ului Dewey.
Thanks so much for listening.
We're Click and Clack with Tapper Brothers.
Don't drive like my brother.
Don't drive like my brother.
We'll be back next week.
Bye-bye.
And now here is Car Talk Plaza's chief mechanic, Mr. Vinnie Glebots.
Vinnie.
Thank you very much.
Now if you want a copy of this here show, which is number 50, you just pick up your phone
and call this here number 1-888-COD-JUNK.
And yes, that really is the number 888-COD-JUNK.
And what if I wanted some other Car Talk paraphernalia?
You know, like the new Car Talk CD, why you should never listen to your father when it
comes to cars.
Would I call that very same number, Vincent?
No, you get some wool and crochet one, you dope.
Of course you call the same number.
You call the Shameless Calmest Division an 888-COD-JUNK or visit it online at the Car Talk
session of Cars.com.
Well, thank you, Vinnie.
I have once again underestimated you.
Hey, underestimate this pal.
Car Talk is production of Dewey Cheetahman Howe and WB UR in Boston.
And even though the NPR Board of Directors unanimously approves the cold purchase for
our stockings when they hear us say it, this is NPR, National Public Radio.
This week on Consider This, the bigger story behind President Trump's trip to the world
economic form in Davos, how he's rewriting the rules of the economy, and how the rest
of the world is coming to terms with a global order not led by the United States.
Listen every afternoon to consider this on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
For 47 years, Iranians have lived under a dictatorship many no longer want.
Now the country may have reached a breaking point.
Iranians have recognized that they need to take matters into their own hands, pushing back
against authority.
We ask three central questions about how Iran got here and what comes next.
Listen to Throughline on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
This year's Oscar nominations are here and we are unpacking record-breaking nominations
for sinners, plus nominations for Marty Supreme and One Battle After Another.
And we'll talk about some of the surprises and snubs.
Listen to Pop Culture happy hour in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Request an explanation for:
7 cars
Scroll for more
7 cars featured
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark.
Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.
