They’re describing a study idea: whether car repair shops treat people differently based on gender. The experiment tries to keep the car situation the same while changing who asks for help.
A ground wire is like the car’s electrical “return path.” If it’s loose, the car can get confused and turn on warning lights even though nothing is actually broken in the engine.
The check engine light is a warning that something might be wrong with the car’s computer or emissions/engine systems. In this story, the light is turned on in a way that doesn’t actually mean the car needs major work.
The alternator keeps the battery charged and runs the car’s electrical stuff. In the story, a shop suggests replacing it, even though the “problem” was actually caused by a wiring change.
The catalytic converter cleans up exhaust before it leaves the car. In this story, a shop suggests replacing it, even though the light was caused by something simpler.
An oxygen sensor helps the car figure out how much fuel it needs by reading exhaust gases. Here, it’s brought up as a likely fix when the warning light is on.
The transmission is what helps the car change gears and send power to the wheels. The story uses a transmission quote to show how some shops jump to expensive conclusions.
The head gasket is a seal between the engine’s main parts. If it fails, the engine can lose compression and can also mix fluids, which usually means a big repair.
A Volkswagen Jetta is the car the caller has—a 1996 model. They brought it in for routine maintenance, then got told there was a serious internal issue based on a compression test.
They also mention a Nissan Sentra, basically as another example of an oxygen-sensor-related repair. The point is that these kinds of issues aren’t limited to one brand.
This part is about how a simple maintenance visit can turn into a big, expensive repair estimate. It highlights the importance of understanding the diagnosis and checking coverage before agreeing to work.
A compression test measures how well each cylinder is sealing. If one cylinder is low, it can mean there’s a leak inside the engine and the problem needs diagnosis.
A powertrain warranty covers major components that make the car move—typically the engine, transmission, and related parts. In this segment, the caller checks their warranty and realizes the repair might be covered, which changes where they take the car and how much they pay.
Concept
faulty gauge vs real engine problem
When test results don’t make sense, technicians may suspect the measurement tool or procedure—like a faulty compression gauge or incorrect testing steps—rather than the engine itself. Re-testing with the right method is key before committing to expensive repairs.
Some car parts tied to pollution control have their own warranty rules. If an oxygen sensor fails, it might be covered even when other repairs would cost you.
A valve job is when the mechanic fixes the valves inside the engine head. It’s usually considered when the engine’s compression is low because the valves aren’t sealing right.
A second opinion means you ask another mechanic to look at the problem too. It helps you confirm the diagnosis and avoid paying for unnecessary repairs.
An emissions warranty is extra coverage for parts that affect pollution control. If your car’s emissions system is the reason for the repair, you can sometimes get it fixed for free or for less.
Brand
VW
VW is short for Volkswagen. The point here is that Volkswagen owners may have warranty coverage for emissions-related repairs, depending on what’s being fixed.
Cartalk.cars.com is a site associated with Car Talk that helps people find mechanics and shop services. The hosts are suggesting using it to locate a reputable independent shop in a specific area.
Ford is the car company behind this story. They were trying to figure out why many new cars were arriving with dead batteries, which shows how tricky factory problems can be.
A dead battery is when the battery doesn’t have enough power to start the car. If lots of cars have the same problem, it usually means something in the process is causing it, not just a single defective battery.
Lot testing means testing a group of items from the same batch to see if the problem is consistent. If one batch is bad, it points to the supplier or a specific production run.
A quality control engineer is responsible for tracking down where manufacturing goes wrong. Here, the engineer checks each step of the factory process to find the exact point that causes the dead batteries.
Final test is the last step where the car is checked before it leaves the factory. If the car starts at final test but not after delivery, the issue likely happens after that point.
Sometimes when cars are shipped, something can cause a light or other electrical thing to stay on. If it stays on long enough, the battery can run out before the car even arrives.
A mercury switch is basically a sensor that turns something on when it’s tilted. If the car is angled on a truck, the switch can think the trunk is open and keep the trunk light on, which uses up the battery.
“Killing the batteries” means the battery got drained so low the car can’t start. Leaving lights on for long enough can use up all the stored battery power.
The Alfa Romeo Milano is a car model made by Alfa Romeo. In the podcast, it’s brought up as part of a conversation about Italy and Milan. The name helps identify the specific model being referenced.
Power locks use electricity to move the lock mechanism. If they start locking and unlocking on their own, it usually means there’s a problem with the wiring or the switch that tells the locks what to do.
They were advised to go to the dealership, which often means higher diagnostic/repair costs. The point here is whether the dealership’s suggested “replace everything” approach is really needed.
Term
$550 bucks plus labor
They were quoted about $550, not counting labor. The discussion is basically: is that price for a big replacement, or could the real problem be something smaller like broken wiring?
They’re thinking about turning off the power part of the door locks so you can still lock/unlock the doors manually. It’s basically a stopgap solution while you track down what’s wrong electrically.
Term
electric thing
They’re calling out the electrical part that controls the locks. The idea is: if the electrical control is acting up, you might be able to bypass it and use the manual lock method while you figure out the wiring problem.
They mention power steering just to say, “this isn’t that kind of system.” Door locks and steering assist are different electrical/mechanical systems, so the fix approach is different too.
They think the problem is likely damaged wiring in the wiring bundle between the door and the car. If a wire is broken or loose, it can “send the wrong signal” and make the locks act like you’re pressing the button.
They’re talking about their 1993 Honda Accord. It’s having trouble going into reverse, and it makes grinding noises, which usually means the clutch or the transmission isn’t disengaging correctly.
The clutch is the pedal/part that lets you change gears smoothly. If it’s not working right, the gears can clash, causing grinding and making it hard to get into reverse.
Reverse is the gear you use to back up. If it’s hard to get into reverse or it grinds, it often means the car isn’t fully letting go of the gears when you try to shift.
The caller says the car has been at multiple mechanics without a callback, which highlights a common ownership issue: diagnosis and communication delays. For drivability problems like hard shifting, it’s especially important to confirm whether the clutch hydraulics/linkage or the transmission internals are being tested.
The master cylinder is the part that “creates” the pressure when you press the clutch pedal. If it’s weak or leaking, the clutch may not release properly.
These are springs inside the clutch disc meant to stop the clutch from rattling or chattering. If one breaks and gets stuck, the clutch can’t separate cleanly.
The flywheel is a heavy rotating part on the engine that the clutch works against. If something gets stuck between it and the clutch, the clutch can’t separate when you push the pedal.
The car won’t start means the engine doesn’t turn over when you try. If it doesn’t even make a sound, it’s often the battery or the electrical connections, not something inside the engine.
A battery charger is used to put power back into the battery. If charging makes the car start again, the battery (or something that keeps it from staying charged) is the likely culprit.
They drove it to recharge the battery while the engine was running. If it still won’t start the next day, something is likely draining the battery or the battery isn’t holding a charge anymore.
Jump-starting is when you use another battery to get enough power to start your car. If you have to do it repeatedly, it usually means there’s a deeper problem—like the battery not charging properly or something draining it.
They’re talking about a 1987 Volkswagen Golf that starts acting up after you get moving, especially once you’re past a very low speed. The car lurches like it’s not running smoothly, and they’re trying to figure out why.
The fuel pump is the part that sends gas from the tank to the engine. If it’s not working right, the engine may run rough or act like it’s starving for fuel.
The fuel filter is like a screen that keeps dirt out of the fuel system. If it gets clogged, the engine may not get enough fuel, and the car can start acting up.
If the car runs fine when it’s cold but starts acting up after it warms up, that’s a big hint the problem depends on heat. Many ignition parts fail this way, so testing needs to be done hot too.
An ignition coil converts battery voltage into the high voltage needed to fire the spark plugs. Coils can fail intermittently, often showing up only when the engine is hot, which matches the described “runs fine until it warms up” behavior.
The ignition rotor is part of a distributor-style ignition system that routes high voltage to the correct spark plug. Rotors can wear or break down under heat, leading to misfires that come and go as the engine warms up.
The airflow sensor tells the computer how much air the engine is pulling in. If it’s wrong, the computer may add too much or too little fuel, and the car can run rough.
Spark plug wires deliver the electricity for the spark to the spark plugs. If a wire is damaged, the engine may misfire, especially after driving and warming up.
Car
85 Subaru GL 10 wagon
She’s talking about her 1985 Subaru wagon. She’s having repeated problems with the cooling system—specifically the water pump—so the car can overheat and leave her stuck on the road.
Preventative maintenance is when you do repairs or replacements before something breaks. She did that with the water pump, but it still failed again, which is why she’s worried something else is causing the problem.
Overheating occurs when the engine’s cooling system can’t remove heat fast enough, often due to coolant loss, a failed pump, or airflow issues. The caller notes the temperature gauge doesn’t rise normally, but the car still overheats when coolant is pouring out—highlighting how overheating can be sudden and not always obvious from the gauge.
Wheel alignment is how the tires point and how they sit on the road. In this story, it’s brought up as a possible cause, but alignment usually doesn’t make a water pump fail.
The idea here is that a problem inside the engine can cause a problem outside it. If the crankshaft is worn and moves too much, it can make the belt pull the water pump the wrong way, leading to failure.
Inside the engine, the crankshaft is supposed to move only a tiny bit. If it moves too much, it usually means a bearing is worn, and that can lead to other problems because the crankshaft is what drives a lot of engine accessories.
The crankshaft pulley is the part that the belt wraps around to spin things like the water pump. If the crankshaft is moving too much, it can change how the belt pulls and loads those parts.
A thrust bearing is like a guide that keeps the crankshaft from sliding too far forward or backward. If it wears out, the crankshaft can start moving more than it should, which can cause trouble.
LIVE
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Hello and welcome to Car Talk from National Public Radio with us, Click and Clack the
Tapet Brothers and we're broadcasting this week from the Murky Behavioral Research Center
here at Car Talk Plaza. This is a study of sorts I guess sent to us by someone named Peter Graham
of the Department of Behavioral Sciences Pensacola Junior College in Florida.
This is not a study of sorts. This is brilliant. You think so huh?
Here's what Peter, what's his name? Peter? Peter Graham. Peter. I teach an experimental psychology
class and ask our not-brained students to design and run an experiment. One of them came up with
the idea of looking at the effect of gender on car repairs. Now get this, Tammy disconnected the
ground wire for the check engine light on her still under warranty Kia. So the light came on.
Then she took the car to 10 different repair shops and asked them what to do about it.
Got it. She also had her six foot four macho boyfriend Corey take the car a week or two later
to the same shops. Got it. Here's what we got here. Let's find out the results. We got 10 shops
and first we have the diagnosis that Tammy got and the cost to fix it and for the same shop in
many cases the same mechanic. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The diagnosis that Corey got. Now shop number one
they told her she needed a new alternator 385 bucks. Two weeks later Corey goes in
the wire till your light is out cost zero. Shop number two oxygen sensor and Cadillac converter
320 bucks. There's a little asterisk the mechanic offered to cut her a deal if she would go out with
him. Corey got the same diagnosis except in the case of Tammy the price was $320. Did he go out
with the mechanic? In the case of Corey who didn't want to go out with him $135. Shop number three
Tammy goes fuel injector 565 bucks. Corey the wire is loose $10. Shop number four you need a
transmission Tammy $2,400. Corey same shop the wire is loose price zero. Shop number five to Tammy
the wire is loose for Corey the wire is loose that was the same. Shop number six. Call it a push in
Vegas. Shop number six you need a water pump $765. So wait a minute the lights on and you need a
water pump. Get that. Shop number seven oxygen sensor. Shop number eight told Tammy she needs a
head gasket for 300 bucks. They told Corey the loose wire zero. I see the trend here. You get it.
Shop number nine you have a faulty exhaust system $1345 for Tammy for Corey a loose wire zero.
This goes on and on. Well it's pretty obvious then that if you need your car fixed you better
be 6'4 and a guy. Man this is serious business and I think this is very widespread quite widespread.
I know it is. I mean it's you see it every day in our shop. Anyway if you'd like some bogus
information about repairs for your car our number is 1-888-CAR-TALK that's 888-227-8285
hello you're on CAR-TALK. Hi my name is Linley. I live in an oxygen sensor and a water pump.
That'll be $1345 Linley but when you go out with me I can cut that down to a buck 50.
Actually they just got me for two oxygen sensors. Yeah Nissan Centra. Actually I have a 96 Jetta.
Oh Jetta. And I innocently enough took it in for routine maintenance. It's got about 38,000 miles on
it and we got a phone call that afternoon saying that the compression test had come back with one
of the cylinders being around 75 pounds of pressure. What year Jetta is this? 96 38,000 miles.
We haven't even determined how to spell Linley yet and you're already talking about a 96 Jetta.
Well let go go ahead and try to spell Linley. Is it just L-I-N-L-E-Y? That's correct you're one
of the first people who got it right. Oh really? I had a W in there but I don't know where.
Oh it started. W-L-I-N-L-E. And where are you from Linley? I'm calling from Seattle Washington.
Seattle. Got it. Got it. Okay so you got a 96 Jetta. You brought it in for what reason again?
Just routine maintenance. Routine maintenance. They say one of your cylinders has got 75 pounds
of compression. Exactly. Okay so continue. He gave me an estimate for rebuilding the head for about
$1,700 and I checked my warranty and realized that I was still under a powertrain warranty.
So I took it to a Volkswagen dealer in Seattle. Also this wasn't the dealer that you went to?
No it wasn't. It was a private mechanic. Right okay. That makes more sense. So I was expecting
that. I called on the problem and they said well if you know you're covered and if it's an engine
probably be happy to replace the engine. So I thought great this isn't going to cost me $1,700.
However they called me after they took a look at it and said they had retested the compression
that the four cylinder was at 210 pounds. So I'm wondering is that possible to have at 75
at one day and 210 the next? Well it depends if the car is under stress. It's like blood
pressure you know. So one day you take the blood pressure at 190 over 150 or something and you
take it in the next day and it's 40 over 10. It doesn't sound healthy either way. It doesn't sound
healthy but I mean it's kind of unlikely that your compression if someone did it correctly I mean
it's kind of unlikely. We could attribute it to a faulty gauge for example. Let's do that.
Well yeah let's give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Otherwise we would have to call him a no
good rotten sleazeball and we don't want to do that because he might be in the club.
Exactly. Right. But he's probably a no good rotten sleazeball probably.
So you mentioned something about oxygen sensors. Right the dealer after they determined they said
that there was no compression issue they did say that both of my oxygen sensors had gone out
and they went ahead and replaced them and they said that could be could possibly be related
to whatever was going on. They did those under warranty? No they did not. They should have.
Really? I believe so. Yeah. I believe they should have done it under warranty because it's part of
the emission related stuff. Exactly. Okay I had that part of my question too is why would my oxygen
sensors both of them go out at such a relatively early age for my car. Well they figured you'd
be so ecstatic about not having to pay for a valve job that you'd pay for almost anything else.
That's what happened yeah. Well it just does demonstrate that women are often treated poorly
as Peter Graham's research showed when they go in to get their cars fixed and I think the first
guy was trying to what's the word? Rip you off. Rip you off. There you go. I need to find somebody
brand new to go to. Yeah for one thing it's almost unheard of to have bad compression at 38,000 miles.
Yeah that's yeah. So even if you did have bad compression he should have suggested to you no
matter what that you go back to the dealer and ask them to fix it for free. Exactly. And he didn't
do that so he was trying to rip you off. I would find someone else and it demonstrates the power
of the second opinion. Exactly. My brother asks for a second opinion all the time he usually is
in your ugly suit. You're still ugly. That's funny. Well good well I guess I'll just keep searching.
Keep searching. And don't go to that guy anymore. Yeah and tell the dealer that you like them to
refund your money because this should be covered by the emissions warranty. I'll be happy to do that.
Good luck. When your warranty runs out and you're looking for a good VW mechanic go to the mechanics
files on cartalk.cars.com and you'll find somebody in Seattle. Gotcha I'll be happy to do that.
I've checked your site before and it's great. See you Lily. Thanks. Thanks bye bye. That was like a
shameless plug for our website. Wasn't it? It was just it was blatant it was shameless and it was
totally uncalled for. I'm ashamed of myself. I'm ashamed of myself. I am. And you should be.
Hey we've got more calls in the puzzler answer coming up right after this.
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BetterHelp president Fernando Madera relates to needing flexibility when it comes to scheduling
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your first month of online therapy. Hi we're back and listening to car talk with us click and
clap the tappet brothers and we're here to talk about cars car repair and the the answer to last
week's puzzlet. Now this was submitted by Ross Sukashima I assume if I'm pronouncing his name
correctly and he writes a friend of mine used to work at a Ford assembly plant and he told me
the following story that took place some years ago a new model came out and like any new model
there were bugs that needed to be worked out amongst these problems was one really strange one
seemed that one out of every six cars delivered to a dealership would have a dead battery the
engineers at Ford were perplexed they did circuit tests for short circuits they tested their own
shorts and none were found they did extensive lot testing on batteries to see if one out of every six
was a problem from the battery manufacturer no no luck they hired specialists and consultants
experts on batteries and chemicals to try and pinpoint the problem and of course they found
nothing for three months the problem existed and for three months the problem remained the same
one out of every six cars delivered would have a dead battery he says my friend was a quality
control engineer and decided to take things into his own hands he walked the entire assembly plant
talked to workers started out in components then he went to chassis the electrical the cafeteria
and he wound up at final test and without fail each car would start up at the end and was driven
away so and back to the cafeteria there were no dead batteries at final test he was stumped
he watched the cars being loaded for shipment and then turned around to talk to the guy in
charge of final test he asked him if there were ever any dead batteries at final test
the guy said no yeah never yeah see the only thing i get out of that is that whatever happened
happened as they were loading the vehicles onto the truck you're so close he didn't explain the
situation that one out of six batteries was dead he pondered and smiled and said he knew what the
problem was the question is what was it this is and i gave a hint this was the old days when cars
were big when cars were big and the big trucks that carried the cars held how many cars you figure
five about six six is good six is good well they should have only had five they should have had
only five that's right but because they had six one of them was always at such an angle
that the mercury switch for the trunk light was turning the trunk light on for the entire time
the car was being transported on the truck and that was killing the batteries when they by the
time they reached their destination one out of the six batteries was dead what mercury switch for
trunk light there's no such thing cluster is i won't touch it though no fine no fine
it's a great answer great absolutely great who's our winner no winner the winner is
Kathleen Sullivan uh Kathleen Sullivan a fine brought of alas from La Plata Maryland and for
having her answer selected at random from among the thousands of answers that we got Kathleen is
going to get us $25 gift certificate to the car talk shameless commerce division on our website
really and with this $25 gift certificate she can get a copy of for example among other things
this is not a suggestion just as an example our new book in our humble opinion which as we know
will make a pretty good table leveler indeed at least according to all the reviews that i've
good luck and congratulations Kathleen Sullivan from La Plata well any vehicle
we'll have a new i guess i'd have to call it automotive puzzler coming up in the third half
of today's show so stay tuned for that it may not be automotive i may change my mind in the meantime
if you'd like to call us about anything the number is one eight eight eight car talk that's
eight eight eight two two seven eight two five five hello you're on car talk hi guys this is Enrico
Farina in Tulsa Oklahoma Enrico what a beautiful name Tulsa i cannot be Tarup Gupta though no you
never be a Roop Gupta but say say your last name again Farina Farina like like flour like flour
i am the vero macoi i'm italian vero macoi that's mccoi
i was i was i was it's c u o i it translated to italian you'll get it well i'll work on Enrico
so it might be okay so where are you from i'm born in italy brought up in argentina
where in italy were you born Enrico in italy in milano milano okay una bellicita bellissima
so what's up Enrico what's new in Tulsa in Tulsa everything is just fine how the heck did you
get the Tulsa you went from milan to argentina oh Tulsa i have a sister living here so i moved
from argentina to Tulsa because we are the only blood relatives left in the family well that's
interesting we have a sister that lives in the boston area and that's why we're looking to relocate
how is Tulsa i i know i i've heard about her yeah so what's up what's up okay i have an
incentura 95 power locks and the power locks gone crazy yeah so they just have a life of their own
they close whether i'm driving i'm with a key on i'm with a car off anyway it's crazy so of
course i went to a couple of good guys mechanics yeah and they just scratch their head and say
you need to go to the dealership which i did and guess what oh yeah we need to change everything
it's gonna cost you only 550 bucks plus labor yeah so i say okay thank you very much for the
information and i called you is it possible to disable yes the electric thing yes sure it is
it's not like power steering no you you can if you wanted to i believe on this car you you can
disconnect uh the power door locks and still operate them by hand well uh if that's the whole
solution i think i'll wait during the summer it works that's fine but these these things go up and
down on their own the the power locks close on their own here's what i think it is i don't think
you have to replace everything if that's what they know i think you have a couple of broken wires in
the driver's door uh huh you know where the where the in order for the power door locks to work
you can operate everything from your driver's door you lock the driver's door it locks everything
else you unlock the driver's door it unlocks everything else and in order for that to happen
there must be wires going from the door where the switch is located into the body of the car
and they pass right through there's a big fat harness looks like uh a salsicha okay and there
are wires inside and and one or more of those wires is broken and i would be willing to bet that
when a couple of them that are broken touch together it's the equivalent of touching the switch oh i see
so you need to have somebody open that harness and find the broken wires and i bet you that's
gonna fix the thing mm-hmm you might i mean you might still spend 550 bucks on the time it takes
to find the the bad wires you're gonna spend that well if we do it of course but you're gonna
spend a hundred bucks to fix this and the problem is in that harness leading out of the driver's door
i'd almost be willing to bet on it fantastic i wouldn't bet any money but i would bet something
you know okay and rico piacere piacere gatti love your show ciao thanks bye bye one eight eight eight
car talk that's eight eight eight two two seven eight two five five hello you're on car talk this
is rebecca from oklahoma rebecca from oklahoma yes so what's up well i have a 93 honda accord
that my dad gave me the clutch when i first got it was fine i drove it from chicago because my
dad lives in chicago and i live here and so drove it from chicago and it was great i get here
and the weather started getting hot about three weeks ago and i tried to shift it into reverse
and it wouldn't shift at all like i had to try to shove it into reverse and i thought that can't
be good and what was it doing yeah it was very loud grinding and it went and then it took about
this is just the first time it took about three minutes for it to start shifting like the stick
would shift normally right right right so and then we begin engaging like right off the floor
and then other times it'll engage like half a foot off the floor oh well this doesn't sound great
i know i don't think it's great at all because it's been at the mechanic and they have not
called me back and my car is stuck there oh we do that occasion we try to wait people out yeah maybe
they'll forget where they left it's with mechanics and i brought it to three places i don't know
well here's here's what i think well but wait be first of all before future reference next time
something like this happens don't make it grind and jam it in well especially if it's reverse
you're right shut off the engine you're right then it'll go into reverse i'll go into any gear
that's what i did oh you did well i did that like the second time the first time i just you didn't
tell us that you said you gave it muscle and you jammed it in i did jam it kicking and screaming
and then i turned it off and i put it into reverse yeah and then it wouldn't shift out of reverse
so then i was stuck turning the car off putting in the right right in the car on
see at least if you do that i know it's inconvenient but if you do have a clutch problem you don't
want to add to it a transmission problem because then it really runs into money well and then the
question is like if it is going to cost a lot of money should i give it back to my dad before i do
the repairs well here's what you should do uh these guys who looked at it yeah must have
first of all should have checked first the hydraulic clutch this thing i believe has a
hydraulic clutch with a master cylinder absolutely and a slave cylinder and it takes fluid yeah okay
and my first inclination was that you had a failed clutch master so that was my first inclination
too you have a second inclination i do get out of town i do and i'm i'm 99 sure that i'm right
oh really what's wrong with this car really is that one of the anti chatter springs in the clutch
has fallen out anti chatter jam and it's jammed between the flywheel and and the disc or between
the clutch cover and the disc you're crazy but that's that's what it is or it isn't the whole
spring it's a piece of the spring the anti chatter spring yes the clutch has a the hub of the
clutch disc yeah has a bunch of springs like five or six of them that go around the right around
where the spline is and one of those is broken and that piece occasionally gets jammed in between
the pieces of the clutch and the flywheel thus making the thing difficult to disengage why
because you step on the pedal you try to disengage it but now in a sense you have a big fat thick
clutch in there right because the spring is the clutch that's exactly the spring is now
transmitting the power and then the piece flies off someplace and then it comes back it comes
because what happens you shut the thing off you're crazy you're absolutely great rebecca i've seen
it happen at least once i'll admit it was in roswell new mexico but it but tell them to tell
me yank the transmission and i'm gonna i'm gonna go on our website and recommend that you be on
stump the chumps yeah because i i'm a hundred percent convinced now especially considering
the razzing i just got from my brother well i will admit i will admit that it's perfectly
entirely possible and and likely and i had trouble i will i will admit also that i had trouble
making the hydraulic the diagnosis fit that's the symptom have them yank the transmission and
put a new clutch in it that's gonna fix it okay say rebecca thank you good luck thanks for your
call okay okay it's time for me and my brother to take a short break and work up a detailed
outline for the next 20 minutes of the show i have the outline in here it's right here roman
world one again take calls roman the world two fuller i thought fool around was one and take calls
was two we'll have to discuss this we do it we'll be back in a minute this message comes from sony
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we're back you're listening to car talk with us click and collect the tappard brothers
and we're here to discuss cars car repair and the new puzzler yeah make it good man oh you had
to spoil it this came from someone named rob uh you who used to work for applied logic because
that was his uh email address but i'm sure you got no he's fine i know for unauthorized use of the
uh company company time email and all that yeah anyway here it goes my wife owns a 92
old achiever with a quad for five speed manual transmission and all that other stuff power
everything one morning she's heading out to work and she comes back into the house and says
my car won't start i go out and i listen as she tries to start the car she turns the key
zippo not even a click being in a hurry she takes my car so i put the battery charger on
your car and later in the day i go out and i started right up i drive it around a bit to charge
the battery everything's fine the next day the exact same thing happens she turns the key zippo
i visit a website and i find instructions for determining if there's a drain on the battery
and all that i do the test i find out there's no drain so what would any half intelligent
person do because it buys a new battery sure so the new batteries installed the next problem
the next morning rather same problem with the brand new battery so we pushed the car out and i
jumped it from my car i get in it i turn the key and and and i drive her car to the dealership
and she follows in my car they call back later to report that they couldn't find a darn thing wrong
with it but we're charging 180 at all is nevertheless tammy we told them let it sit there overnight
and try it in the morning they call the next morning and said what no started right started
like a shot oh so we go to the dealer my geographic so my wife says my wife gets in with her keys
turns the key won't start and we're standing there scratching our heads i don't believe it
you don't believe it you don't believe it i don't it's brilliant and at which point i ask her did
you just buy something for your car yeah and she says yes yes i did the question is what did she buy
and why in addition to the battery yeah what did she buy that was preventing it from starting
now if you think you know the answer write it on a postcard man or better still but only slightly
better still a mahogany humidor filled with hand rolled cuban cigars monterey excalibur
to be precise yeah and send it to puzzler tower car talk plaza box 3500 harvard square
cambridge our very fair city ma 02238 or you can email your answer from the car talk section of
cars dot com if you'd like to call us the number is 1 888 car talk that's 888 227 8255
hello you're on car talk hi guys it's herman from indianapolis hi herman how are you oh we're
we're great that's good you won't be after you hear my problem oh do we owe you money um you're
suing us are you suing us you're not suing us not yet then everything's good we haven't given them an
answer yet what's up herman okay we've got a 1987 Volkswagen Golf yeah about two weeks ago it started
to have a problem it would lurch after you got above five miles an hour like like it does when
you first learn how to drive a manual transmission just the bucking and all couldn't get it to stop
took it to the mechanic he changed out the fuel pump said that we apparently got bad gas and
changed it out thing ran fine drove it home no problem next time i got in it same thing the
lurching and the jumping again took it back to him and he said uh well apparently the the clogged
fuel filter caused problems with the fuel pump so he changed out the fuel pump ran fine as soon as
we got it home started it up again an hour later and the same thing but you made it home right
yeah we made it home and as you got home or as you approached home uh it started to run
worse and it ran fine until till you shut the car off okay and then what happened the next morning
the next time you start it and it can be an hour later it could be the next day and and same thing
it lurches and jumps and bounces so it runs okay until it warms up yeah aha i think he's barking
up the wrong tree because every time he replaces the fuel pump in order to do that he's gonna let the
thing sit it cools off he puts the fuel pump in he starts it up runs great he drives it around the
block a few times and he says i'll call her and tell him his car's all fixed and by the time you
actually drive it reasonable distance it starts misbehaving i don't think the problem is in the
fuel pump at all in fact i know it i mean what are the chances i mean we have nine fuel pumps in
how long did this go on i think it's more likely to be uh for example your bad ignition coil
it could be something as simple as a bad ignition rotor we see that a lot in Volkswagen's
okay it could also be a bad airflow sensor airflow sensor okay i'm ready know this down
i'm voting personally voting for the coil oh yeah now he's he's got a classic coil he's gonna do
some he's got it the first thing he should do is just replace the uh the ignition rotor and let the
thing run for half an hour and drive it if it's still that costs five bucks okay if it's still
misbehaves and he should go ahead and test the coil okay and he should test the stuff hot when the
engine's hot because if you test it when it's cold it'll be good and he'll say it's fine just like
the fuel pump when i drive it home yeah my my gut feeling is ignition either the rotor or the
or a spark plug wire or something like that or the ignition coil and it's the right age to need
anything okay see everything well it's not everything it's my kid's car he's a junior in
college now it has to last one more year yeah you hope you'll just one you'll make it good luck
thanks guys start with the cheap stuff bye bye thanks 1888 car talk that's 888 227 8255
hello you're on car talk this is Susan Snedeker from Montana hi last name hi susan susan something
or other from Montana Snedeker Smedeker Smedeker Montana M-A-T-A-N-E-R Montana and I think it's
two ends yeah A-N-N-E-R so what's going on Susan I have an 85 Subaru GL 10 wagon and am on my fifth
water pump in a year oh really really I had it replaced in May of 99 and this was all just
preventative maintenance type thing yeah and it went up the first time in the end of July
and they said that it wasn't installed right that it hadn't been bolted down or something that would
do it how did you know it was that it was something there was something wrong with the coolant leaked
out because like it stranded us on the side of the road and it overheated you right but the thing is
that it doesn't really overheat the temperature doesn't go up so how do you know then how do you
know anything is wrong there's a winding that starts about a minute before it lurches kind of
there's a chunk and it's over the coolant is pouring out there's a clunk or a chunk
well it's kind of just goes and all of a sudden the fluid is pouring out of the water pump I'm
assuming the water pump I don't know it when you get towed in they say oh the water pump failed
right and they put another one in right and then the car is okay and then the car's fine
and so then it goes out again the 1st of September and each Susan do you know Doug Berman
do you know Doug you know who Doug Berman is he's our he's our producer did he pay you to call us
did he call you did he tell you to phony up this whole store I mean this is give us a break will you
it is a sad mature tale I mean is anyone come up with an explanation to date let's see the third
water pump they said that there was nothing wrong with the part that something in my car was out of
alignment there was nothing wrong with the pump I'm beginning to believe that well we would have to
I'm beginning to believe that I took it in yeah and they couldn't find anything they said nothing's
out of alignment here's what happened I got it you've got it this engine because it's 107 years
you must have over 180,000 miles on this thing right it's got almost 114 I'm not gonna like your
answer I want you to know right now you're making this up you're gonna love it Susan you're gonna
love it too because it explains everything so elegantly as to be almost unbelievable
okay you have excessive crankshaft end play oh I'm changing my tune so that the crankshaft
is moving in and out and because it has and it's not supposed to do this but because it has this
play when you rev up the engine and the crankshaft moves in and out the belt which drives the water
pump is driven by the crankshaft pulley it is putting a a force on that pulley and it is pulling
the shaft out of the pump oh man again my brother has done it no one no one could have come up with
this theory no one in the entire western world yeah I think that's Australia I think that's what's
happening and you should ask them to check for crankshaft play I believe you are thrust bearing
in the engine is worn all right tell me tell them these bozos on the radio think you have a bad
thrust bearing and that's actually causing the shaft of the water pump to be pulled out pulled
out of its socket I have I have to say this would explain everything and it's elegant so go somewhere
and say please check for excessive crankshaft end play okay and they will say my god how who were
these men Susan how did you come up with that and you say it came to me in a dream see you Susan
good luck okay call us next week we'll tell you what car you should buy okay thank you
well it's happened again you've wasted another perfectly good hour listening to car talk our
esteemed producer is Doug the subway fugitive not a slave to fashion cute cute cute burman
did I what did I say cute cute cute cute our associate produces our Frau Catherine Pickle
Fenolosa thank you and Louis Cronin the barbarian our engineer is George Hicks our senior web
blackie is Doug the old gray mayor and our technical spiritual and menu advisor just back from his
victory at the Tour de Fork in France is John Bugsy Lawler our public opinion pollster is Paul
murky of murky research assisted by statistician Marge in Overa our customer care representative
is Haywood Jabuzov our director of new product repair was warranty my foot and our shop foreman
is Luke Bizzy our dermatologist for teenagers is Don Pickett our divorce attorney is Carmine
not yours and of course as always our Russian chauffeur is beak off and drop off our chief
counselor from the law firm of Dewey Cheetahman Howe is you Lewis Dewey known to the bread truck
flat and scooter riders in Hartford Square as you and Louie Dewey thanks so much listening
we're clicking clack the tap at brothers don't drive like my brother don't drive like my brother
don't drive like my brother don't drive like my brother we'll be back next week bye bye
and now it's a special pleasure for us because in the studio we have car talk
clauses chief mechanic mr. vinegar bots Vinnie and thank you very much now if you's out there
want a copy of this here show which happens to be number 26 you can get one on the web
just head on over to the shameless commerce division online at the car talk section at cars.com
and what if somebody wanted something else you know like our new book for example in our humble
opinion would they go to that same website then no you dope you go to www.bioncajaga
without a greenspan.com of course you go to the same side what are you some kind of moron
you go to the car talk section the cars.com where you order by phone you just call 888
card junk well thank you Vinnie that was simply marvelous hey marvel at this will you
car talk is the production of Dewey Cheatham and Howe and WBUR in Boston and even though the
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About this episode
A behavioral-psychology experiment claims gender bias in car repair: a woman and her “macho” boyfriend get the same car issues diagnosed after the check-engine light is triggered by disconnecting the ground wire. The woman is quoted thousands in repairs; the man often gets “loose wire” fixes for near-zero cost. Other calls cover a VW Jetta with wildly inconsistent compression readings, advice on second opinions and warranty/emissions coverage, and troubleshooting power door locks, clutch disengagement problems, and intermittent misfires/overheating. The puzzler asks what a wife bought that prevented a manual car from starting.
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.
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