Why laughter might be better than the gym.
Cindy Arsted Dos Ritos, New Mexico - Subaru Forester
An engine question. After suffering CO poisoning, she accidentally drove at 70 mph in 3rd gear, redlined. Engine died, with only 50K miles on it. Subaru replaced engine under warranty, didn't ask if she'd done anything. She's feeling guilty--did she kill the engine? Probably not--governor should have kicked in. Probably another problem with the engine, which is why Subaru replaced it.
Mary Cronin Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Ford
A shifter/transmission question. She recently purchased the car. When car is cold, has difficulty getting into gear. Shifter moves, but has to floor it to get the car to go. Had fluid checked--was low, had it refilled. Guys say tranny is probably cooked, and she needs a new/rebuilt one. But, before springing for tranny, have car thoroughly checked for rust and other problems.
Larimore Henley Nashville, Tennessee - 1986 Mercury Grand Marquis
noise/brakes question. Hissing sound from steering column, changes in intensity and pitch in different gears, gets quieter as he accelerates. Thinks it's coming from clamp where parking brake cable comes through firewall. Automatic brake release no longer works. Problem is a vacuum leak in hose between engine and parking brake mechanism, in that clamp. Easy to replace.
Sarah Duncan Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts - 1995 Honda del Sol
A stealing/hitting question. Her car has been broken into several times, and keeps getting hit by trucks while parked. Thieves have stolen seats, toilet paper, Diet 7Up, and gearshift knob. Brother says buy a new car. She'd prefer to make this car more of a deterrent and more visible. Guys suggest attaching flags on long poles--it'll make car more visible, and look more special, deterring thieves.
David Roberts Brookline, Massachusetts - 1995 Saab 9000
A question about AC and smell. Crows pooped all over it, now the car stinks, smell coming from the cowl. Dealer said he could try replacing air filters, but probably needs to spend 750 dollars for new duct work. Guys agree with the dealer--need to replace ducts to get rid of the smell.
Ed Winne Palmira, Pennsylvania - Subaru Legacy
He's building a plane from a kit, and needs to decide between a 25k dollar new plane engine or using a 15k dollar Subaru engine. Which should he do? Tom and Ray weren't sure, and said we'd share the question on our web site.
Alex Goudas Minneapolis, Minnesota - Dodge
Noise/suspension question. When he turns left at low speed, hears a growling noise. When he goes over 50, it turns into a whirring noise. Can't hear in his left ear, so he's not sure where noise is coming from--thinks it's the wheels. guts say it's probably a wheel bearing, get it checked, could be dangerous.
Amy Whittaker San Francisco, California - Geo Prizm
An engine/starting question. After driving for a couple of hours, if they turn off car, it won't start back up, unless they wait an hour or so. Tried taking it to shop, couldn't make it happen there. She needs to investigate herself, it's either spark or fuel. Get a mechanic to show her how to test for spark--likely a bad coil or igniter. If they're okay, problem is fuel related.