Car Talk #2213: Broadcasting from Walt Disney World with Car Advice

Broadcasting from Walt Disney World

• 🎙️ Click and Clack, the Tappert Brothers, are broadcasting live from Disney MGM Studios in Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida.
• 💡 They humorously recount how Disney World cleverly got them to visit by inviting their children.

Listener Call: Shifting Shifter Jumps

• 🚗 Dana from Portland, Oregon, describes her 1987 Toyota Celica's shifter jumping erratically in fourth gear when off the gas pedal.
• 💡 The brothers explain this is due to the engine shifting slightly with pedal input, moving the shifter cables in a front-wheel-drive car.
• ✅ They advise Dana to ignore the phenomenon as it's not indicative of a serious mechanical failure.

Listener Call: Stored Motor Home in Ireland

• 🚐 Sheamus from California is concerned about starting a 1979 Dodge mini motor home stored outside in Ireland for a year.
• 💡 The brothers explain that leaving a car unused for a year can lead to rust in cylinders and other issues.
• 🛠️ They recommend removing spark plugs, squirting oil into cylinders, and turning the engine over by hand before attempting to start it.

The Thermostat Puzzler

• ❓ A customer couldn't find the thermostat in his car, only to discover it was located at the bottom radiator hose connection to the engine, not the usual top hose connection.
• 💡 This design change, common in modern cars with aluminum heads, circulates coolant differently to prevent cylinder head warping and head gasket blowing.
• 🧠 The new flow keeps the cylinder head cooler and the block hotter, optimizing combustion efficiency.
• 🏆 Kenneth Califoot from Portland, Oregon, is the winner for solving this puzzler.

Listener Call: "Bees" in a Mighty Max Truck

• 🐝 Mary Beth from Red Rock, Texas, describes a noise in her 1990 Mitsubishi Mighty Max that sounds like "bees" at specific speeds (around 60 mph).
• 💡 The brothers diagnose this as a loose heat shield around the catalytic converter.
• 💰 They estimate the repair, likely a tack weld, will be inexpensive.

Listener Call: Check Engine Light on Ford Ranger

• 🚦 David Baker from Carbondale, Colorado, has a "check engine" light come on his 1990 Ford Ranger Lariat when driving over mountain passes.
• 💡 The brothers suggest the light might be triggered by changes in barometric pressure or ambient temperature sensors affecting the engine's computer.
• 🔍 They advise David to have the car's computer scanned for stored codes to rule out any actual malfunctions.

Walt Disney World Exploration

• 🎢 The hosts playfully explore various attractions at Walt Disney World, including the Disney MGM Studios, Epcot Center, and the Magic Kingdom.
• 🚇 They highlight the underground city that runs Walt Disney World, managing operations, deliveries, and computer systems.
• 💥 An accidental mishap occurs when they interfere with a repair module at Space Mountain, causing lights to go out.