Show Open Topic: A cautionary tale regarding car repairs-- in mall parking lots.
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Call 1: Angela, Indianapolis, IN
1992 Toyota Corolla
When she's accelerating between 50 and 60 mph, the car starts to make a coughing noise, like it |
Call 2: Bryan, Washington, DC
2002 Toyota 4Runner
He lent his car to his girlfriend and she drove with the parking brake on for 2 hours. What damage is done? Tom and Ray thought not much, really-- but driving with the center differential light on could be worse. |
Call 3: Caitlin, , MA
1989 Jeep Cherokee
When she goes over bumps, the car shakes violently back and forth until she brakes. Her local shop said $3000 work needed, including front end, steering box, etc. Is she being ripped off? Tom and Ray said ball joints can go on these-- which is bad, as the wheel can fall off. Their advice: get a second opinion, check the ball joints carefully. Don |
Last Week's Puzzler Answer: |
| 76=24? Not really. Can you correct so it makes sense? The answer: 7^2=49. |
Call 4: Jason, Baghdad,
Hummer H1
A suspension problem. To protect the troops, they have added 2500 lbs of armor to their vehicles. The ball joints, shocks, etc. need to be replaced frequently. Tom and Ray's suggestions to lengthen vehicle life? Lube the ball joints daily, order plenty of spare parts, replace them proactively before they fail. |
Call 5: Krysia, Pittsburgh, PA
Pontiac Vibe
Weird sound like a rainstick when she turns to the left. She took a really long drive, went away. Rained and it |
Call 6: Dan, Portland, OR
1996 Toyota Camry
The actuator motor broken in his cruise control is broken, and it's $1600 to fix. Any way to rebuild it? Did he cause it by using cruise control change the speed of the car? His significant other thinks it |
This Week's Puzzler: |
| The 100,000 mile puzzler... how did they know the driver had realized the car's odometer had turned past 100,000 miles, a few miles earlier? |
Call 7: Mike, San Diego, CA
Buick Model 45
A parking question. His father says if you turn your steering wheel while parallel parking you will flatten your tires. Is this something to worry about? |
Call 8: Mimi, , NM
1998 Subaru Legacy
Mimi's in a marital dispute. How much weight on her keychain, is too much weight for the ignition? Answer: the number of keys she has isn't going to cause any problems. |
Call 9: Lise, Charlottesville, VA
Buick Model 45
She had to disconnect her car battery to reboot the CD player. When she got home, there were black marks under her gold rings. What is it?
Tommy said auric sulfate-- and the solution to her problem is to install a small switch under the dash to disconnect power to the CD player without having to disconnect the battery.
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Call 10: Mike, , OK
2001 Volkswagen Jetta
There's a deep, resonant vibrating noise coming from right rear of his car. He can feel it in his eardrums, along with a tapping sound. Tom and Ray think it's a wheel bearing-- or some trim making noise. |
