A few great sports quotes.
Michaela Arlington, Texas - Toyota Camry
Michaela bought this car last New Year's Eve with 5800 miles on it. She was on a long drive and the engine started making a clacking noise, like it wasn’t getting any oil. Dealer told her to change the oil more often, but she already changes it every 2500 miles. Tom and Ray say she has stuck valves. Get the dealer to clean the engine with Motorvac, it should be covered by the warranty.
Jed Budapest, - 1991 Chevrolet Suburban
Jed had this car shipped over from the U.S. One day, he noticed fuel dripping underneath, so he had his Dad send him a new fuel pump. Jed installed it, started the car and after about one minute it started banging and died. Jed thinks he has air in the system--should he try using starting fluid? Tom and Ray say no to the fluid--gas is likely air bound, but he should be able to purge the air, via a bleeder.
Ann Sunstrum , New Jersey - Buick Rendezvous
Ann has noticed that her radio’s volume gets louder as she accelerates, and gets softer when she slows down. She thought it was just her hearing, but her kids noticed it too. Tom and Ray say it’s a feature of this car--the radio automatically gets louder and softer, so the driver doesn’t have to continually fiddle with it.
Mike San Diego, California -
Mike and his Dad are arguing over whether it’s okay, while parallel parking, to turn the steering wheel while the car isn’t moving. Mike’s father says this wears out tires, but Mike does it all the time. Tom initially sides with Dad, that it is wearing out tires, but Ray thinks it’s so negligible that it’s not a big deal.
Alana Rogers, Arkansas - Honda Civic
Alana filled her gas tank one day, and she left the cap off while she went to pay. When she came back, gas was spitting back out through the filler. She put the cap on and drove away, and this hasn’t happened again, but should she be worried? Tom and Ray think air just got into the system that time-- it shouldn’t happen again, and she should be fine.
Richard Ryan Malden, Massachusetts - Buick
Rich is inheriting this car. It’s in great shape, but hasn’t been started in four years. How should he approach it? Tom and Ray walk him through it. First, make sure crankshaft turns (by hand), squirt oil in spark plugs, change the oil, and buy a new battery. Crank the engine, but don’t start it. Repeat, then start it, but don’t rev it.
Colleen Huviss , Ohio - 2001 Volkswagen Beetle
When Colleen accelerates, the car makes a horrible noise like an airplane. It's really loud, and scary. Tom and Ray say it’s a wheel bearing, and it’s very dangerous--she needs to get it fixed, ASAP.
Dave Bemidji, Minnesota - 1985 Chevrolet Cavalier
A classic call. Dave tells a long story about driving from Alaska to Minnesota in Cavalier with 350,000 miles on it. The car overheated and he got home by wiring the fan to the battery, and using a campfire grill to make a hole in the catalytic converter to “blow out the gunk." Only tools were a crescent wrench and “three ratchets with no sockets.” Now, the car is sluggish. Tom and Ray say the problem is that the fan is sucking all the current. He needs to disconnect the fan from the battery and really fix it.