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.
Emergency Tool Kit
Stuff happens when you’re dealing with automobiles and you have to be prepared for the inevitable. Some things that you should always have in the car, an assortment of fuses, but because there are a lot of different types, make sure that what you buy actually fits your car. Also, to tie up those pieces that fall off, some mechanic’s wire is a good idea, as is… Read More
Filters, Belts, Hoses
Although cars have changed dramatically over the years, the basics have remained the same. Take the air filter, for instance. You need to check it on a regular basis, and please replace it long before it looks like either one of these. That could be very damaging to the engine. Also you may have a filter on your car that you don’t even know about, a cabin air… Read More
Battery Charging Basics
There have been amazing changes in cars over the years, and that’s really evident when it comes to the electrical systems. One of the things that we’re really concerned with, well, that’s the computer or computers, because many cars will have multiple computers in them. Well, you may have problems with a dead battery or something. One thing you don’t want to do… Read More
Diesel Maintenance
Diesel engines are amazing. They provide great power, great torque, they’re good on fuel and they’re even environmentally friendly. But there are some generic things that you want to be aware of for your diesel. If you live in an area where they run your diesel through emissions, you probably want to use one of the additives that are designed specifically to help… Read More
Cooling System Care
As soon as a car is completed, it starts to decay, and one place where that definitely happens is in the cooling system. Now you can help slow the decay process with proper maintenance. The first thing you want to do in your cooling system is to replace the radiator cap every two years. As a radiator cap goes bad, it allows air into the radiator. The air in turn… Read More
Hybrid Maintenance
As gas prices increase, so does the popularity of hybrid vehicles. Hybrids are great, but there are some things that you need to be aware of. First you need to read the owner’s manual that comes with your hybrid, because there’s going to be a lot of cautions in there that tell you the things that you can and cannot do. Now one of the first things you have to be… Read More
Engine Autopsy
This time we’re going to do some automotive forensics. Now, we’re going to start with the fuel system. Most cars have fuel filters that need to be replaced periodically, and some of them will look like this one right here. Once the filter is off, look through it and see if you see any metal particles. If you do, chances are your fuel pump is going bad. All right,… Read More
Undercar Accessories
No matter what the car, seems like there’s always something that could be a little better or a little better for your individual taste. Well, to cover some of the issues that are very popular these days, we have Matt Edmonds from the Tire Rack. Goss:Hi, Matt. Edmonds: A pleasure to be here. Goss: Okay, brakes are always a big issue, upgrading them. Explain a… Read More
Restoration Products
Restoring an old car can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a royal pain. There are going to be a lot of things on the under-hood areas and underneath the vehicle that you’re going to want to refinish. Well, that means that you’re going to start by cleaning everything very thoroughly, and once it has been cleaned, then you’re going to use some type of prep… Read More
Keep It Cool
Even in a convertible there are going to be times that you want good air conditioning, so I’ve got some tips for you. The first one is something you can do yourself. As air conditioning systems get older, they begin to leak. How do you find the leak? Well, you can go to the local parts store and you can buy one of these kits to inject dye into the air conditioning… Read More