This week on The Best of Car Talk, Dennis' friend told him the best way to charge a low car battery is by turning on all the accessories. Does this earn immediate entry into the Wacko Theory Hall of Fame? Elsewhere, Julieta's boyfriend is blaming her driveway for his Camry's starting problem, which can only be cured by the correct curse words; Molly would like a little less cowbell in her Altima; and Gail explodes the myth that women don't play practical jokes. Also, how did a rental car's exhaust suck in Mike's daughter's shirt? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Bob's friend swears his Passat is getting an extra mile per gallon since he disabled the daytime running lights. Is this possible, or is he working overtime to believe it's happening? Elsewhere, Harmony stands accused of smashing her sister's car by taking her foot off the brake, but swears her foot never left the pedal; Bruce's son's Town Car needs a paint job but it will cost more than the car is worth; and Gina's husband is taking the fun out of his mid-life crisis convertible by being a little too careful—he's cleaning bugs off the windshield, while he's driving. Is Gina being too much of a nag trying to get him to stop, or are those dope slaps she's administering well earned? All this, plus the definitive explanation of Male Answer Syndrome and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Greg was surprised when his truck started running poorly, until he learned that his four-year-old son had washed the inside of the gas tank with soap. Should Greg stick his kid with the repair bill? Elsewhere, Judy can't decide if her son-in-law is brilliant or wacko for raising the hood of his Volvo after every drive; Gil's Camry may be leaving a trail of clutch fluid from Houston to Phoenix; Debra's knocking is nothing compared to the sound of two hosts banging their heads together trying to figure out what's causing it; and, what does Gavin's car have in common with King Tut's tomb? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, did Christy destroy her dad's car 15 years ago by putting black tape over a flashing temperature light— and then continuing to drive? And is Dad ready to forgive and forget? It's one of our all-time favorite auto-familial disputes. Elsewhere, Andy got talked into replacing his front brakes to help stop a noise coming from the rear; Nancy's husband says she's risking death by keeping her air conditioning on recirculate; and should Mickey be concerned that she's on her fourth consecutive boyfriend who drives an '82 Honda? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Donna's husband warned her not to let her new Camry's gas tank fall below 1/4 full, because the dregs might damage a crucial part. Does the fact that this part no longer exists automatically throw this advice into the Land of the Booooooogus? Elsewhere, John can only keep his car from stalling by opening the hood and touching the engine. Does this fix have anything to do with the fact that John's a Catholic priest? Also, Tom is looking for a "girlfriend car," but can't decide if his wife should be able to drive it; Michael will inherit his father-in-law's Town Car if he can figure out it's odd steering and stalling problem; and way up north in Alaska, Linda needs to retro-fit her ATV so her sled dogs will get their off-season workouts. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Stephanie's Volvo began making noise after she moved from California to Oregon. Tommy uses brilliant deductive reasoning to come up with a completely bogus explanation. Elsewhere, Karlene's mechanic diagnosed her Explorer's annoying squeak as "an annoying squeak," with no suggestions for quieting it. Can Tom and Ray do perhaps just a wee bit better? Also, Ed may need to resort to healing crystals to start his son's Taurus; Larry has a chance to take part in a wonderful bonding experience with his 14-year old son and is looking for any way to get out of it; and on Stump the Chumps, we find out if Michelle is happily driving around Spokane in her $700 dream truck or if it's doing duty as a lawn ornament in her backyard. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Ryan took his car in for an oil change and got talked into an engine shampoo. Will Tom and Ray reassure him that he's not a complete idiot? At least he didn't get a cream rinse. Elsewhere, Bill parked his rental car on a beach, and discovered the next morning that the tide had rolled in—to the car. He's bailed the water, but hasn't told the rental company. Also, Ray channels Frank Costanza to try to diagnose Kevin's clicking noise; Jean is suffering a run of flat tires in her driveway; and, is a lucky doughnut enough to keep Tamatha's brakes from burning up for a third time? All this and more this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, physics research suggests that Tom may in fact be Superman. You've never seen them photographed together, have you? Elsewhere, Grant's marriage counselor suggested he and his wife turn to Tom and Ray to help settle their auto-marital dispute over keeping the radio on while the car is off. Will our hosts bring peace, or will Grant's next appearance be on Divorce Court? Also, Mark decided to replace his working transmission, and has now gone through six failed rebuilds in 6 months; Mabel's Subaru is leaking oil from every orifice; Tulis's mechanic may be relying too much on prisms and crystals trying to fix her Civic's brakes; and is Jessica's car shocking her because of her clothes, her hair, or its ugly upholstery? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, a quiz for the Master of Puzzler Obfuscation. Can Ray un-declarify some well-known proverbs? Elsewhere, Caroline's poor clutch technique may be destroying her relationships; Nancy boyfriend's MR2 is burning oil, which may say more about his personality than the car; and John's pickup sounds like Buddy Rich is playing drums under the hood. Also, is something really wrong with Dana's starter motor or have her parents taken action to get her to stop lounging on their couch? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Mary wants to sell her Accord, but it has a leaky water pump. Does she get the work done, knock the price down, or none of the above? Can Tom and Ray put their inner mechanic aside, and guide her to a clear conscience, or do they need an outside consult? Elsewhere, Tina just learned a scary and stinky lesson about why you shouldn't drive drive down a mountain in neutral; Jerry is looking for an alternative to the "stick and ballet pose" method he's using to get his convertible top to work; and we revisit the Waccabuc Incident: Was Sally's vision of a flashing light an atmospheric abnormality, or a call to the mothership? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.