Show Name: Tire Pressure Phobia
Show Number: 200952
Original Air Date:2009-12-26

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Show Description
This week on Car Talk, what does a tire pressure gauge, a football helmet, and a space suit have in common? They're all on the list of items to help Peterson in Tennessee get over his fear of causing an explosion by putting air in his tires. Speaking of explosive situations, Marianne in Virginia was so impressed by her neighbor's "direct" method of charging her dead battery that she's wondering if jumper cables are just a big marketing scam, or if she should keep a fire extinguisher handy if he ever tries it again. Also, a Corolla that's so reliable it doesn't know when to stop running, a Ford Escort breaks the land-speed record--for Ford Escorts, that is--and Ray discovers new automotive healing powers. All this and more, on this week's encore edition of Car Talk

Reviews:

vairese: The middle third of the last show was a week old. Why? My local, kjzz, states it is not their doing. This is not the first time I have noticed a portion of a show being a repeat of a recent show.
Favorite moment:
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The Slovak:
Favorite moment:
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da Doctah: It wasn't just the second half. I recognized the guy with the fear of inflation in the third half, and the Baltic jumpstart (and list of student similes) in the first half from *years* ago.
Favorite moment:the prediction that Ray's answer to one caller would involve numbers
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Hans: You were a bit ignorant about the mooing Ford Contour.The problem is indeed with the idle air conrol,but is more likely to be a defective "Idle Aircontol Valve".I happen to own a moo-mate a mystifying Mercury Mystique,which exhibits the same tendency.This valve controls the idle speed by letting air bypass the throttle.It is controlled by the ICU. If the underhood temp is high (city driving in summer) for instance this valve seems to malfunction and the engine stalls out or sometimes surges and then quits.Giving throttle helps. The ICV costs at least $100 plus and is an absolute bitch to replace.As I mentioned previously high ambient temp.appears to be a factor!. There is a good website www.contour.com with all kinds of Contour lore.you could contact the moo sufferer and get him in the know.Hans
Favorite moment:
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The Slovak: Seems like the segment about the 1997 Honda also must be from an old show. The owners says he bought it new and had a weird noise problem from new. One of the brothers comments that that means he's put up with it for four years. 1997 + 4 = 2001. Was this a segment from 2001?
Favorite moment:The battery-to-battery jump start.
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