Dear Tom and Ray:

There is a clunking sound when my husband takes his foot off the brake pedal on our 1990 Lincoln Town Car. He says "Don't worry." But I do! What do you think? Angie

Ray: I think you're right to worry, Angie. When you hear a noise, that means something is loose...like that noise I hear whenever my brother shakes his head.

Tom: The problem is that loose things eventually fall off. And the fact that it's a "clunk," (as opposed to a "squeak" or a "chirp") means that it's probably something big.

Ray: It could be any number of things, some of which are serious and some not. A piece of the frame, a bad ball joint, or a loose brake caliper would be serious, and would require immediate attention.

Tom: Or, it might be something simple, like a sticky shock absorber or a worn strut rod bushing, neither of which are dangerous. But how are you going to know what it is until someone looks at it?

Ray: Of course, it's possible that your husband already KNOWS what the noise is, and that's why he's telling you not to worry, Angie. Maybe he's got one of his former business partners in the trunk?

Tom and Ray lead you step by step through the process of finding and buying a reliable used car in their pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1994 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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