Car Talk by Click and Clack

Expensive run-flat tires bring motorists peace of mind

Dear Tom and Ray: I have a 2005 Honda Odyssey that needs new tires after only 32,000 miles, and a neighbor has the same issue. They are run-flat tires. My tire dealer says I cannot just buy new run-flat tires; I have to also replace the rims, and only the dealer can do it. The dealer agrees with the requirement of replacing the rims with the run-flats at a cost of $580 per tire/wheel combination. He says it’s possible to just replace the tires, but he can’t do it, and says I’d have to go to another dealer for that. Is this for real — almost $2,400 for new tires? Can I just mount regular tires on my current run-flat rims, and tell the run-flat industry to run away?.

Soldier’s ATV needs an electric fuel pump

Dear Tom and Ray:

I'm a soldier in Iraq, and I have a problem with what I suspect is vapor lock on a 2005 Polaris Rover all-terrain vehicle. Frequently (although usually occurring during the hot parts of the day and after driving about 2 to 4 miles), the Rover stalls out.

On the road again, with biodiesel

Dear Tom and Ray: I heard an interview recently on NPR’s Fresh Air. Terry Gross was interviewing Willie Nelson, who was talking about how his wife bought a diesel car a few years back and started using biofuel in it (recycled grease and oil, reconstituted into vegetable oil — that’s biofuel?). Then he said he bought a Mercedes diesel and started using it in that car. Is biofuel usable in all diesel engines?