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The Matching Sentras

This puzzle was spawned by a letter we received via our newspaper column. It was about a husband and a wife that was having a marital dispute about the use of the handbrake.

They both own matching Nissan Sentras. Old ones like '82. Real beauties.

Those were the days when the signs would rust up to the windows. And you see the Datsun written underneath.

And they would frequently go places together each in their own car and would park and then would find their own way home. But the husband was always in the habit of leaving it. When he parked leaving it in first gear. And the wife would always leave her car in reverse when she was parked.

So on one occasion, they met at the movies and when they came out, lo and behold, both of their cars were towed away.

So they go to get their cars. He gets into his car and turns the key and it goes WhuWhuWhuWhuWhu. It cranks and cranks but doesn't start. She gets into her car. Vroom! She drives away and leaves him there. Why? What were the peculiar circumstances surrounding the fact that his car didn't start after it was towed, but her car did start?

Answer the Puzzler »

Remember last week's puzzler?

The Elements Of Combustion

A customer has his car towed into a repair shop because it will not run. He turns the key and it cranks, "Ahahrharharharharhharharharh." And it may fire up for a second but it doesn't run. And the mechanic says "Hmm, I guess I'll have to check to see if it has a spark."

And he checks for spark. And indeed, it has a spark. He checks to see if it has gas. In fact, the car has a throttle body injection and he cranks it and he sees gasoline. He has all the ingredients for combustion! He has compression, he has whatever you call it when you rub the two sticks together. And yet the thing won't start because he is missing something. He is missing one of the essential ingredients for making the engine run.

So he takes out one of the spark plugs. I don't know why he does this, but he just takes the spark plug out, turns the key, and it starts. Now what, pray to tell, prompted him to try this?

If you know what prompted him to remove the spark plug and why it wouldn't start in the first place, write us!