This week on The Best of Car Talk, Nina's mechanic ripped off her Altima's heat shield and said she can live without it. But Nina's seen enough Star Trek episodes to worry she might burn up on re-entry without it. Elsewhere, Steve expected to encounter snow during his winter cross-country drive, but he wasn’t prepared for flurries inside his Pathfinder. Also, Jean’s brakes started screeching after she got new pads, apparently with the “banshee” option; John’s daughters’ know-it-all boyfriends have convinced them they need to let their cars warm up for a loooong time on cold mornings; and Ray discovers new automotive healing powers. All this and more, this week on the Best of Car Talk.