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.
Quickies Episode 2116
This time we have some quick, simple fixes for some big problems. One problem we find lots of times, cars that ping. It sounds like you’re running cheap gas. Well, when you go into the test procedure, you might find that it refers to a problem with the mass air flow sensor. This sensor tells the computer how much air is entering the engine so the computer can… Read More
Get A Grip Episode 2115
There’s a lot more to maintaining the brake system on a car than most people think. See, a driver typically thinks only of brake pads, but it goes a lot deeper than that. One of the first things to be concerned with is brake fluid. Brake fluid is hygroscopic, which simply means that it absorbs moisture. And that moisture can do a lot of damage to the… Read More
Snow Business Episode 2114
When the weather turns cold and you get some ice and snow on the windshield of an automobile, drivers do some pretty strange things. First they go out, they start the car, turn the defroster on the maximum heat and maximum blower. That way they’re going to get the car warmed up and they’re going to get rid of the ice. Well, they might get something they don’t… Read More
Winterizing Episode 2113
Just about everyone has some piece of equipment with an engine on it that is used only part of the year. The rest of the year it sits, and that means if you want it to last a long time, you have to perform some preventive maintenance before you put it in storage. That applies to things like chainsaws, lawn mowers, motorcycles, cars, boats. They all have… Read More
Rack ‘Em Up Episode 2112
No matter how big or how small the vehicle, it seems like there’s always a need for extra space. You’ve got to carry stuff. Well, one way to do that is with a car top carrier like this Thule unit that mounts on cross bars, and in this case we took Thule crossbars and mounted them to the factory roof rack. Now a couple of cautions here. Number one, read the… Read More
Belts & Hoses Episode 2111
Some of the most important parts under the hood are made of rubber, the belts and the hoses. Now, because they’re made of rubber and other things, they do have a finite life and they do need to be replaced on a regular basis. That regular basis is every four years or 60,000 miles. And, in the meantime, you should be checking them regularly, at least once a… Read More
Gaskets Episode 2110
Both for do-it-yourselfers and the professional technician, fixing cars is becoming more complicated by the minute. Now even a simple job like replacing a gasket can become very involved these days. First we start with all the different gasket materials that are out there, the sealants, the gasket makers, the adhesives and all of these. See, there are… Read More
Cooling System Maintenance Episode 2109
Antifreeze; coolant. Whatever you call it, it’s still the same thing. It keeps the car from boiling over. It keeps the car from freezing. But there are a lot of mistakes that most drivers make. The first and foremost one is if a little bit is good, a whole lot is better. Wrong. The proper concentration for most areas of the country is going to be 50 percent… Read More
Lug Nuts Episode 2108
Here’s a tool that can be wonderful or horrible, depending where and how it’s used. It’s an air impact wrench, and the way that it is most often used improperly is in the installation of wheels. Technicians like to use this because it’s quick and efficient, but they frequently use it with just a conventional socket on the end of it, and that can lead to… Read More
Problem Solver Episode 2103
This time we’re going to talk about some problem solvers. First, screwdrivers. You know, over the years there have been hundreds of different designs on screwdriver handles, but none of them have really worked all that well, that is until now. Snap-on has come up with an ergonomically-designed screwdriver handle that fits your hand, so it’s very comfortable,… Read More