Starting the engine with no oil is a bonehead move Fri, Nov 20, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: Is it ever safe to start a car with no oil in it? I have a 2004 Honda Civic, and when I change the oil filter, it always drips all over the place, down the side of the engine...

The varying degrees of clutch murder Fri, Nov 20, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: A friend of mine at work and I have a disagreement regarding using the clutch on a standard-shift car. He says that keeping the clutch pressed in will wear out the throw-out...

This truck's not made for haulin' Fri, Nov 13, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: My husband inherited a 1974 Ford F-100 from his dad, and I would like to use it to pick up a load of rocks for landscaping. My husband says it can't handle this, and so I...

The varying degrees of clutch murder Fri, Nov 13, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: A friend of mine at work and I have a disagreement regarding using the clutch on a standard-shift car. He says that keeping the clutch pressed in will wear out the throw-out...

Tom and Ray say wife is right on this one Fri, Nov 6, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: My husband actually said this: "If you ask Click and Clack, and they say I did something wrong, I'll stop doing it." So here we go: When my husband backs my new Toyota...

Car is flat-lining despite efforts to jump-start it Fri, Nov 6, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: How does one tell the difference between a bad battery and a bad alternator? My car will not crank, but has some power (the dome lights, panel lights and power locks work)....

Embarrassing car is just the thing for a teen Fri, Oct 30, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: About a year and a half ago, my dad bought a white '92 Volvo station wagon off Craigslist for $500. I'm turning 16 next spring, and he expects it to be my car. He thinks it's...

Where does all the oil go? Fri, Oct 30, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: I have a 2002 Nissan Altima that for the past six months has been losing oil at the rate of about a quart per month. I thought that it might be either leaking oil or burning...

Spa treatment for car not as kooky as it sounds Fri, Oct 23, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: So I'm thinking of getting my car detailed, and an associate gives me a referral. While perusing the service sheet, under "Options" is listed "Claying, add $30-$40." I'm...

Get thee to a mechanic, posthaste! Fri, Oct 23, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: We have a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Whenever we hit a big bump in the road or a pothole, the Jeep starts shaking uncontrollably, and the steering wheel is next to impossible...

Hybrid ran out of gas but not out of steam Fri, Oct 16, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: I've got a 2009 Toyota Prius and recently managed to run out of gas. In my defense, the gas gauge is pretty finicky. In the past, it's allowed me to go for 50 miles after...

An unusual problem Fri, Oct 16, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: I really need an answer soon! There is a possibility that I have a 5- to 6-foot, 2-inch-diameter snake living in my engine compartment. It was slithering under my car, which...

Antifreeze not safe for ingestion by animals or humans Fri, Oct 9, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray:

How to test for bad shocks Fri, Oct 9, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: I have a 2001 Toyota 4Runner with 160,000 miles. I also have a pop-up camper that I pull on occasion with the 4Runner. I just made a trip from Colorado up to Minnesota...

You can't buff or wax your way to better mileage Fri, Oct 2, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: Can you help settle a bet with my dad? He has an SUV, and he frequently goes and gets it buffed and waxed. It runs about $100 each time. I asked him why he does that. He said...

Ethical or not, this idea is just no good Fri, Oct 2, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: I know this is ethically questionable, so you guys are the only ones I can ask. My BMW is still under warranty -- barely -- for the next 400 or so miles. I was wondering if...

Green options for hybrid batteries Fri, Sep 25, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: In looking at "green" options for the future, I have a question about the environmental impact of disposing of hybrid car batteries. We live on the Big Island of Hawaii, and...

Are speedometers false advertising? Fri, Sep 25, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray, My 9-year-old son asked me why the speedometer on cars indicate speeds much higher than legal driving speeds. If it is illegal to drive 100 mph (or faster), then why...

Junkyard is the way to go for replacement seats Fri, Sep 18, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: I have an old 1995 Toyota Celica with 180,000 miles on it. It's in great shape, but the driver's seat has become worn and broken -- so broken that an upholstery shop cannot...

No need to go full throttle in today's cars Fri, Sep 18, 2009 | Add a comment Dear Tom and Ray: I know we are supposed to drive our cars gently ... accelerate gently, brake gently, etc. But is there any benefit from occasional and brief full-throttle blast, for, say, a...