Tricks of the Trade

Jun 04, 2022

I think it's time for the puzzler! We don't have all day... So let's get going. 

This fellow was driving his wife's car to work. He was stuck in stop and go traffic. The car started to overheat. He could see the needle on the temperature gauge getting hotter and hotter. 

So, he calls up his wife and says, "Hey honey, what is that trick that your father taught you, when the car is overheating in stop and go traffic like this?"

And she said, "Well, my father told me in times like this, to turn the heat on in the car and that would lower the temperature." So he thanks her, and then turns the heat on. And it helps a little, but not much. He is still overheating, and now it is hot in the car. So he pulls over and calls her back and asks, "Is there another trick your father used? Does he have any other advice?" 

And she said, "Yes, turn the air conditioning on."

And he said, "What?! That can't be right! I knew your father was just another no good mechanic..."

And she said, "Just try it, stupid!" So, he reluctantly tries it. And, what do you know, it works! 

So, this is a two part puzzler. 

1) Is it true that when you turn on the air conditioning the car will run cooler?

B) And if so, how come?

Good luck!

 

Answer: 

Okay, okay. We've got the answer to the puzzler this week. 

Guy's car is overheating in traffic, calls his wife, she tells him to turn the heat on. That sort of works, but the car is still overheating. He calls her back, she says to turn the air conditioner on. And it works! The temperature needle takes a dive, down back to normal. So, why does this work?

Did turning on the air conditioner have any effect on the engine temperature? Yes! And the second part of the question was, why did this work?

What was wrong with the car was this. The electric cooling fan wasn't working. The coolant temperature sensor was faulty. So, when you turn on the air conditioner, it overrides that circuit and automatically either turns on another cooling fan just for the air conditioner or that same one and it brings the temperature down.

So there you have it. When your car is overheating, try the air conditioner! 

 

When it’s time to say goodbye to your old car, here’s the perfect solution: Donate it to your favorite NPR station. They’ll even pick it up at your convenience. Here's how.

 


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