#2568: Ace in the Hole

Courtesy of Tommy’s wife, JoAnne: a simple phrase to deal with a spouse, a mechanic -or both, in JoAnne’s case, who’s laying it on a bit too thick. Hear about all the applications on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Ray has theories and this one is a doozy! Nancy from Wyoming can’t get her car to start on cold mornings unless she first turns on the heater. Ray’s explanation involves a small stream and a colony of ants playing the part of electrons valiantly attempting to cross the stream. ‘Something bogus-a-brewin’ on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

“Free Compost”,  at one time the runner-up choice for the title of our radio show, is what Mary from Michigan shoveled straight into the trunk of her new Ford Mustang... 6 weeks ago. Should she bother taking it out now or should she leave the trunklid up and plant her heirloom tomatoes next to the spare? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Click and Clack join the crowd and tell of conspiracies everywhere, including antilock brakes and whole milk, on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Betsy moved from Vermont down to Louisiana and, upon arrival, found her Toyota pickup to be infested with ‘Mud Chiggers’, or so her mechanic says. Can Click and Clack the exterminator brothers get to the bottom of this one? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Sean from Montreal is hearing otherworldly noises from his Dodge Caravan and Mark from New York wants to transplant the heart and lungs of his Chevy Suburban into a fresh corpse. Click and Clack are stuck in a 1950s B-Movie on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Our more hands-on callers often try(and fail) to repair their vehicles before taking the desperate measure of calling us for help. But what happens when a caller has tried absolutely everything? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Among the many reasons the Saab car division went belly up years ago were little things like putting the transmission drain plug so close to the engine oil drain plug that they were practically daring you not to mistakenly open the wrong one. Oops, someone did it again on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

When Peter applies the brakes on his Honda while driving at night sparks shoot out from under the dash and the car loses power. And we always thought Hondas were kind of boring! Hear the sparks fly on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It’s bad enough showing up to the gym for your free trial membership after a few decades of ‘de-conditioning’, but to have a fitness dominatrix like Tanya cracking the whip seems doubly cruel. And after that humbling experience a few humbling car questions on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy