Goss’ Garage
Pat Goss, MotorWeek's resident master technician, helps consumers understand car problems and how to speak the same language as their technician. As cars becoming increasingly complex, fewer repairs can be accomplished at home. Effective communication with a repair shop is vital to keeping consumer and operating costs under control. From rattles and squeaks to leaks and drips, Pat covers a myriad of issues designed to keep cars on the road and out of the repair shop.
Intelligent Welding
Cars are involved in accidents, but how those cars are repaired determines whether or not they will be safe and reliable, and here to explain that to us is Tom McGee, President and C.E.O. of I-CAR. Tom, welcome to Goss’ Garage. TOM MCGEE, PRESIDENT & CEO, I-CAR: Hi Pat. GOSS: We also have Steve from I-CAR to demonstrate some welding for us because welding is… Read More
Slick Tools
This time we have some interesting tools for the do-it-yourselfer. The first three are from Innovative Products of America, like this Gator Jaws. Now you look at this, it’s a very aggressive looking tool, but what would you do with it? Well you would find out in a hurry if you had an oil filter that was stuck, and they frequently are, they’re very difficult to… Read More
Detailing Tips
This time we have a couple tips about cleaning interiors and joining us is Cliff Dewey, owner of Cliff Dewey Auto Detail in Silver Spring, Maryland. Cliff, welcome to Goss’ Garage. CLIFF DEWEY, OWNER, CLIFF DEWEY AUTO DETAIL: Thank you Pat. GOSS: All right, cleaning the interior of the car, where do we start? DEWEY: Pretty simple Pat, you just want to start… Read More
Two Tech Tools
Here I have two tools from Innovative Products of America. The first one deals with brakes. Many times you wind up where your car pulls one way or the other when you apply the brakes, and that can be tough to diagnose unless you have the right tools. Well, here we have the right tools; this is a pair of brake pressure gauges. These are very inexpensive and… Read More
E85 Compatibility
As drivers we all have to do our part to help reduce emissions and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and one way to do that of course is with flex fuel vehicles, but for some of you who are trying to do your part, you’re being taken! There are people out there who are selling kits, especially on the Internet, who say these kits will convert your non flex-fuel… Read More
Oil Viscosity
Pat Goss and Thom Smith Whether it’s 60 horsepower or 600 horsepower, the life blood of every engine is its oil, and joining us to talk about oils is Thom Smith. Thom, you are an oil chemist right? THOM SMITH: Yes. GOSS: In that capacity, what do you do? SMITH: What I do is I formulate the oils for your engines, your transmissions; I select the… Read More
Tire Tech
Modern tires are amazing but they are also confusing when it comes time for replacement. Now if you drive middle of the road as far as your style, or as far as your automobile is concerned, you’ll want a tire like this. This tire is designed to give you the best of both worlds - wet traction, dry traction, good wear - all of the attributes that you would want… Read More
Timing Belt Trivia
There have been some big changes in timing belts. Now a lot of manufactures have gone away from them but they’re still lots of cars that use timing belts. If you happen to own one, and you look in your owner’s manual and you see that you no longer have to change it at 60,000 miles but rather 90 or 100,000 miles, and you are really happy about that, well don’t… Read More
Virtual Test Drive
Used cars can be a tremendous value but you have to buy them properly, and of course one of the ways to do that is on the Internet. Now make sure that when you’re checking prices on the Internet that you’re checking prices on vehicles in your part of the country, because prices vary around the country. But once you have selected the car and you’ve got an idea… Read More
Cargo and Towing Products
If you tow a trailer and experience electrical problems, how do you know whether the electrical problems are in the trailer or in the tow vehicle? Well, now from Innovative Products of America we have testers. They come in sizes that fit all of the popular trailer connectors. Simply plug them in, operate the different electrical functions on the vehicle, the… Read More