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#1149: Snotsicles, Oodjas, and Stupiphanies

Dec 03, 2011
This week, Car Talk kicks off with a few new words that may be coming to a dictionary near you. Then, they put one of those words right to work, with a series of brilliant stupiphanies: Jim in Florida learns why his next boat trip may leave him stranded in international waters; Liz in Missouri discovers that Porsche ownership comes with a monthly dose of sticker shock; and Jean finds out why her car may have violated just about every one of Newton's laws. Also, Rich needs help choosing the perfect $100 Demolition Derby car; and Will has a serious interior decorating concern: how do you mount a dashboard hula dancer so it doesn't become a projectile if the airbag deploys? All this and lots more, this week on Car Talk.

Show Open Topic

Stupiphany, Oodja and Snotcicle: Tom and Ray share a few proposed new entries for the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

This Week's Puzzler

Why was the salesman always getting a room on the second floor?

Last Week's Puzzler

How on earth could one out of every six new cars have a dead battery?

As Read on Car Talk

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7 Comments

let him get the Porshe already

the usual yucks, you guys are excellent therapy
Favorite Moment: 
telling the caller not to deprive her heart surgeon husband already, let him get the car and shudup.
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mis-pronunciation

guys: you read a letter from someone at ten-neen-o washington. It's actually ten-nine-oh washington, the name coming from the altitude at the airport, 1090 feet above sea level.
Favorite Moment: 
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Immaculate oil filter II

I most always change my oil on a cold engine because the oil filter comes off more dry than wet (also I believe more old oil comes out cold). No one asked if the Mazda was hot or cold. A simpler cleaner test than described on the show would be to partially remove the new filter on a hot engine to see if oil comes out. I think the caller changed oil on a cold engine.
Favorite Moment: 
puzzler
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Low Gas Guy

The guy might be right by only keeping a few gallons of gas to cut back on weight for better gas milage but the gas is what cools the fuel pump so he will in turn "burn" the fuel pump up. Which should negate his fuel savings completely!
Favorite Moment: 
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Immaculate oil filter

Hey, maybe it was a defective filter! How about he puts in a new one, different brand, and drives around for a little while. Then pull the filter and check for oil. Might not only troubleshoot the problem, but fix it at the same time!
Favorite Moment: 
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How to handle a weight obsessed husband

Doesn't it matter that making multiple trips to the gas station burns gas, surely far more than any conceivable saving by lightening the car?
Favorite Moment: 
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Fuel weight

Years ago my fuel pump went bad. My mechanic told me that the gas actually kept the pump cool and only putting a few gallons in at a time actually made it so the fuel pump was hot all the time and will burn out faster. I had very little money and for the 3 months prior had been putting in just enough gas to keep the car running. Just a thought for the call from Deborah this weekend. Thanks guys love the show.
Favorite Moment: 
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