Car Talk #2556: Jeep Mishap and Car Repair Advice

Duct Tape Research

• 🔬 A study from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that duct tape is magnificent for most uses.
• ⚠️ The only exception noted was for taping ducts (referring to air ducts), suggesting it's ineffective for sealing them.

Dodge Grand Caravan AC Leak

• 💧 A caller experienced her Dodge Grand Caravan's feet getting soaked when the air conditioner was on for about 30 minutes.
• 💡 The issue was diagnosed as a plugged evaporator drain hose, causing condensation to back up and leak into the cabin.
• 🛠️ The solution involves having a mechanic blow out the evaporator drain, a quick and inexpensive fix.

1987 Honda Civic Squeak

• 🚗 A caller with an '87 Honda Civic described a horrible, embarrassing squeak that occurs when starting the car and goes away when driving.
• ⚙️ The mechanic suggested the pulley is glazed, but the hosts suspect the wrong alternator belt was installed, being too long and unable to be tensioned correctly.
• 💡 The recommended fix is to replace the alternator belt with the correct, shorter belt that can be properly tensioned.

1991 Ford Explorer Transmission Fluid Leak

• 💨 A caller experienced white smoke from his Ford Explorer while pulling a trailer with a ton of clay, initially fearing a blown head gasket.
• 🩸 The actual problem was identified as a leaking transmission cooler line, causing a loss of transmission fluid.
• 💨 The white smoke was a red herring, likely caused by transmission fluid leaking onto a hot exhaust system, not an internal engine issue.

Automatic Transmission Downshifting

• 🚦 A caller is concerned her husband is damaging their automatic transmission by downshifting into second gear when coming to a stoplight.
• 🚫 The hosts explained that while unnecessary, this action is not injurious to the engine or transmission, as the car's systems would perform similar actions.
• 💡 For those who enjoy manual shifting, they suggested looking into vehicles with tip-shift automatic transmissions.

Jeep Wrangler Mishap

• 💥 A caller's Jeep Wrangler fell off a lift from six feet, causing body damage and rattles.
• 🔧 The shop claimed no frame damage, but the owner is experiencing new rattles and is concerned about underlying issues.
• ⚠️ The hosts advised taking the Jeep to a Jeep dealership for a professional assessment and potentially pursuing legal action against the tire shop.