Tom and Ray address a few personal questions from their listeners.
Debra Martinez Benton, Arkansas - 1995 Ford Escort
Debra has trouble starting her car. Occasionally, she can’t turn the key in the ignition, unless she gets out and tries to push the car forward a bit. She needs this car to last through high school. She could just have a worn out key, or a worn-out lock in the cylinder. She may also be able to work around it by shaking the steering wheel really hard.
Joseph Kakareka Fort Myers, Florida - 1999 Toyota Camry
Joseph left his wife’s car windows open during a big thunderstorm. There's water in the car, and it’s starting to smell like mold. He's worried that his wife will kill him if it’s not fixed before she gets home. Best way to deal with it? He needs to run the AC. The air will move through the evaporator and pull out the moisture. Before that, though, use a Sham-Wow to sop up the water, and a wet vac. Also, take it to a detailer, who can spray stuff to kill the mold.
Rane Seattle, Washington - 1994 Isuzu Trooper
Rane’s car is having trouble accelerating beyond 30 mph while getting on the highway, or climbing. It’s also makes a horrible “kerchunking” sound, and she’s worried the engine’s going to fall out. Tom and Ray think her transmission is dying. She should dump this car--it’s not safe to be driving around with a baby while the car is acting this way.
Brett Beardsley Hector, New York - 1958 Volkswagen Van
Brett is a musician, living in his Microbus. When he fills the gas tank to the top, and then starts driving, gas shoots out of the filler, and down the side of the van. He also gets a bad headache. The gauge is broken but swears he’s not over-filling. Tom and Ray think the gas is expanding from heat--could be an exhaust leak causing it to get hot. He should looks for leaks, and maybe try insulating the gas tank.
Rachel , Massachusetts - 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser
Rachel’s power antenna is always on--she always hears the antenna motor running. It’s in the "Up" position, so she tried removing the fuse but that made the horn stop working. She needs to just disconnect the wire for the antenna. It should be behind the antenna. She can also try going to a junkyard and buying the entire antenna assembly.
Prashanth Kulkari , Virginia - 1991 Toyota Corolla
Prashanth’s new wife is coming over from India. He’s worried that her first sight of his banged up Corolla will get things off to a bad start. Should he rent a car for the airport, or get a new car to impress her? Tom and Ray say he should be honest--let her see the car, and then the two of them can shop for a new car together.