Car Talk

Out in Gustavas, Alaska, Janet and her neighbors like to stop and talk to each other when they're driving. One of the topics: whether their cars are better off idling or being shut off during the conversation. This week on the Best of Car Talk, Tom and Ray weigh in, and one Magliozzi manages to book himself a night sleeping in the garage. Elsewhere, Heidi's Lincoln is under attack from a bird that's pecking at its own reflection. Can Heidi protect her car without landing on the Audubon Society's Most Wanted list? Also, Shawn's Caravan seems to be channeling Maurice Chevalier; John got a smokey lesson in what happens when you leave the filler cap off after an oil change; and Steve's truck is bouncing like a basketball on bumpy roads. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Prashanth's new wife is about to come to America for the first time. Should he greet her with his beat-up Corolla, spring for a new car, or try to fake it by renting something until it's too late for her to turn back to India? Elsewhere, Al stands accused of "careless parking"—his brother says Al pulls into the garage in a way that makes it impossible to back out. Is this even physically possible? Also, Father Bob needs a heavy duty flasher, so he can hear his turn signals; a piece of hot molten lead fell on Pam's foot from under the dash while she was driving; and, Deanna's Civic's battery has been stolen several times in the last few months. Does she need a Rottweiler under the hood? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on the Best of Car Talk, we demonstrate just how much effort goes into. . . .embarrassing Tom and Ray. You didn't think we were talking about putting effort into the show, were you? Elsewhere, "Sweetie" has to decide whether to rebuild her Explorer's transmission or limp along without 5th gear, and Tom and Ray have to decide how many times they can call her Sweetie without getting into big trouble. Also, should Ruth follow her husband's or father's conflicting advice on tire pressure; Ellen thinks her mechanic is blowing sulfur up her skirt over her Camry's smell; Glen spilled a little oil and set his rental car engine on fire; and on Stump the Chumps, we find out if Bill managed to drive a stick shift to the high school dance and save his social life. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on the Best of Car Talk, Ben and his brother took their dad's Camry for a ride--in reverse, in the neighbor's yard, with the steering wheel cocked all the way to one side. They had a great time! The Camry's power steering, not so much. Elsewhere, Al and his friend disagree over whether to take speed bumps with two wheels or four; Kathy is miffed that her husband carries a picture of his beloved Studebaker in his wallet, but not one of her; Wendall, and his insurer, want to know why his truck caught on fire; and did a neighborly gesture really kill Daniel's alternator, as his wife predicted? All this and more, this week on the Best of Car Talk.