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.

Bike It or Not

Motorcycles have certainly seen a tremendous resurgence in popularity over the last few years. So, what we’ve done is we’ve collected some of the bikes that belong to the MotorWeek staff to show you some of the more popular things that are going on. Well, just about everybody that has a motorcycle, they want one of two things. They want the ultimate horsepower… Read More

Basic Car Tunes

PAT GOSS: Lots of folks like to upgrade the sound systems in their car, and it may not be as difficult or as costly as you might think. And to explain that, we have Peter Logan from Crutchfield. PETER: Pat, how’s it going? PAT: Good. Now, where do they start? PETER: Well, when upgrading the sound system in your car, we usually recommend people start with… Read More

More Car Tunes

Pat Goss: There are some amazing things that you can retrofit into your automobile that deal with modern electronics. And to explain that, we have Peter Logan from Crutchfield. Now, Peter, you have a Clarion Auto PC. What in the world is an Auto PC? Peter Logan: The Clarion Auto PC is basically a computer in the form of a radio. It sits in your dash and it… Read More

Balancing Act

There’s a big new problem out there that affects a lot of drivers, and that’s where the car doesn’t roll as smoothly as it should. You get a little shake or vibration either in the steering wheel or through the car. You’ve done all of the normal things. You’ve checked balance, maybe a couple of times. You’ve checked tire pressure, you’ve had the suspension checked… Read More

Big Wheels

There are very few things that you can do to a car that will have as much impact on its appearance as changing tires and wheels. You see, a lot of vehicle manufacturers just don’t get it when it comes to tires and wheels. The wheels look much too small, they don’t fill up the wheel well. They look lost under the fenders of the car. Now, to avoid that look and make… Read More

Uncle Reggie’s Buick

This time I have an interesting letter from Deanna from Las Vegas, Nevada. It says, “Dear, Pat. I found a great deal on a 1956 Buick and would like to know if it makes sense to restore it. Thanks.” Oh, does it make sense to restore that old car? That is a real question. Number one, you have to determine what you want out of the car. Do you want it to be a show… Read More

SUV Multi Lube Mysteries

We’re seeing an absolute explosion in popularity of four-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive systems. They’re available these days on sedans, on station wagons, on sport- utilities, you name it…it’s probably available with all-wheel or four-wheel drive. But, that leads to its own set of problems. Once you have a vehicle with these systems on them, what do you look… Read More

Certification Program

One of the problems with trying to sell your own used car is the competition that you have with dealers. See, most dealers these days are going to have the availability of certified used cars. Now, what is a certified used car or pre-owned car? It’s one that has been checked from bumper to bumper. It’s checked cosmetically, it’s checked mechanically, and its… Read More

Exhausted

You would not believe the number of questions that I get regarding more horsepower from the car. And the most common question that I get is: What should I do with the fuel injection system or the intake manifold or the mass airflow sensor? Well, the reality is that’s not where you start. See, no matter how much more fuel and air you put into the engine, it doesn’t… Read More

The ABC’s Of AFV’s

Any mechanical device with moving parts will need preventive maintenance. Sooner or later, things are going to wear out. But, if you happen to own an alternative-fuel vehicle, you may find that its maintenance requirements are quite different than a conventional vehicle. Most people understand that it’s important to change their engine oil because it gets dirty… Read More