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.
Certify This! Episode 2435
As cars have become more complicated, it’s more complicated to get them repaired properly. Well, that means that if you need mechanical repairs on your automobile, you need to look for an ASE certified technician. Now ASE certification deals with things mechanical, like brakes and steering and suspension, and there’s a machine shop certification. There’s a whole… Read More
Truck Stuff Episode 2434
This time we have some interesting new products for pickups and sport utilities. Now our first is from Lund and it’s a new side step. It makes it easier to get into the vehicle. Now I know you’ve seen hundreds of different styles of side steps over the years, so what could somebody do that would be different? Well, in this case they start out with an aluminum step… Read More
Pads & Rotors Episode 2432
There are a lot of decisions that need to be made if you want to have good brakes, and here to explain some of those issues is Matt Edmonds from The Tire Rack. Hi, Matt. Matt: Hi, Pat. Goss: All right. Brake pads, that’s the first issue. What do we have down here? Matt: We’ve got three different performance categories of brake pads represented here. The Akebono… Read More
Cheap Horsepower Episode 2431
One of our most popular questions is about getting more horsepower, and here to explain how to do that is Rich Chiavacci of EIP Tuning in Westminster, Maryland. Welcome to the show, Rich. Chiavacci: Thank you. Goss: All right. Lots of folks make big mistakes when they try to get more horsepower out of their car. What would you recommend as a first step if they’re… Read More
Quickies Episode 2430
This time we have a couple of unusual things that can cost drivers a lot of money. See, as cars have changed over the years, one thing that has changed right along with it is the ignition lock. Well, what does that have to do with anything? Well, built into that ignition lock on a modern automobile is probably going to be some form of anti-theft device, and that… Read More
Odds and Ends Episode 2426
This time we have some odds and ends from the Goss’ garage tool room. Now, like it or not, every once in a while there are problems inside an engine. Now the most common of those is going to be a noise. That could be something major, or it could be something as minor as a piece of carbon stuck to the top of a piston. How do you tell the difference? Well, lots of… Read More
Tire Treads Episode 2423
Every piece of a car can be customized these days, and that even includes the tires. And here to talk about that is Matt Edmonds from the Tire Rack. Hi, Matt. Edmonds: Hi, Pat. Goss: On my car, I was willing to trade some things to get a quieter tire. Edmonds: One of the things that consumers have to do when they’re looking for a new tire is look at the original… Read More
Buckle Up Episode 2414
This time we’re going to talk about a very important safety issue, child safety seats. And joining us to explain it is Tracy Whitman from the Kids in Safety Seats program. Whitman: Hi, Pat. Goss:Hi. All right, I know nothing about safety seats. Walk me through it. Whitman: Okay. First we would suggest that you select the correct restraint for a child’s age,… Read More
Wash N Wax Episode 2412
Back in 1967 paint was pretty basic. Today’s cars are not like that. They have sophisticated paint systems on them that will last for years and years, if you give them proper care. Now proper care begins with washing. You have to wash the finish regularly, but make sure that you use a proper car wash soap. You do not use any type of laundry or dishwashing… Read More
Spark Plugs Episode 2411
Although everybody seems to ignore them, gasoline engines still have spark plugs. And spark plugs are the first thing that you look at if you have any kind of a performance problem at all, whether it’s rough idle, poor gas mileage, hard starting, stalling, anything like that. You start by checking the spark plugs. Now, when it comes time to check the plugs, the… Read More