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#1
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Car Talk Shenanigans
Okay, I don't know if you can still listen to last week's Car Talk show (they keep the show up on their site in RA format for a week), but I think that they gave a poor guy some bad advice.
The caller had a '98 Audi A4. He had lent it to his dad for a couple of days, and during that time his dad accidentally put a half tank of regular gas in the car. Like our beloved SVXs, this Audi has warnings on the car that say, 'premium gasoline only.' Lo and behold, since the half-tank of regular gas, the car runs like crap. Did it still have the regular gas in the tank when the guy called? I dunno. I think that's unimportant. Tom and Ray, in their infinite wisdom, told the owner that the regular gas had noting to do with it and that the car could run on regular with no problems. They recommended replacing the spark plug wires. I checked, and the '98 A4, with either a 4- or 6-cylinder engine, came with coil-on-plug direct ignition. So the plug wires, as on our cars, aren't of the standard, high-voltage type. I think that the car was built to run on premium, and the ECU had to adjust to regular. I think that the correct remedy would have been to run the regular gas through the tank, fill up with premium, and disconnect the battery overnight. I think that telling owners that their cars 'don't really require premium' will lead to lower performance, lower gas mileage and even lead to engine damage. I told them as much, but they didn't answer my email in their mail bag section. I'll listen to this week's show from work tomorrow, but I'm not holding my breath.
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2005 RX-8 Grand Touring 2005 Outback 2002 Mercedes-Benz E320 wagon END OF LINE |
#2
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Nick,
If they don't give you an answer, tell your buddies at your previous job to scramble their satelite signal. That will get their attention. Hope you & Amber had a great Thanksgiving.
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Larry III & The Beautiful Naviguesser '19 Tungsten Pearl Outback 3.6R Ltd...."AISHA" '08 Harvest Gold Outback 3.0L. L. L. Bean...."AIJOU" '07 Gray Diamond Pearl Outback XT Ltd..."AH SO" '05 White Pearl & Silver BAJA Turbo..."AH HA" '97 Bordeaux Pearl SVX LSi..."SUBYDOO" '94 White Pearl SVX LSi..."PEARLY" '92 White Pearl SVX LSL w/touring pkg..."SVXY" '92 Teal SVX LSL w/touring pkg..."ALCYONE" '96 Polo Green LSi ... "MIDORI" '00 Black Dodge VIPER RT-10... "VINNIE" Engineers do it with precision. English teachers are novel lovers. Home: larrysingeriii@comcast.net SVX FEVER, CATCH IT AT A MEET NEAR YOU !! |
#3
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A problem I've noticed with similar shows is that once they become self-sufficient their skills and advice begin to wane with time. Generally I file the shows under 'entertainment'.
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ASE Certified Master Automotive Technician w/L1. ASE Certified Master Medium/Heavy Truck Technician. Certified EVT (Emergency Vehicle Technician) |
#4
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Fat chance that they'll ever admit they gave incorrect advice. It would only undermine any confidence their listeners have in them and cause them to doubt any future advice. These guys definitely have an "all-knowing" image to uphold.
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Pearl '92 LS-L 179K (Historic 1st 5-speed SVX) Mods: 5-speed, 4.11's, Group-N motor mounts, dual Magnaflows, cone air filter, Kenwood MP-228 CD/Receiver, white-faced gauges, '97 grill, custom window tinting. Ebony Mica '92 LS 80K Oct 2002 - Dec 2004: Victim of theft. She served me well. You can tell the lack of craftsmanship by the wrinkles in the duct tape. |
#5
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Bad Advice
Quote:
I'm a regular listener of Car Talk.... Thoes guy revel in bad advice!!! It's why I listen....
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Mitch Hansen
"uncamitzi" This is a Dark Ride 92 Teal SVX LS-L 128K tranny swap with 4.11's Well.. my days of not taking you seriously have certainly come to a middle . |
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