Chevy S-10

New puzzler time. This one was sent in by a loyal listener years ago. We are bringing it back. This listener was from Arkansas. Here we go.

This is how it went.

"Years ago, my father and I set out on a trip to Oklahoma City from our home in Arkansas. At the time we were driving his brand new Chevy S-10 pickup. My father drove the truck and I rode shotgun. It was mid-July. And all was well until around 7:30 p.m. That's when my father noticed that the check engine lamp was just beginning to glow very faintly.

Dad asked me what the problem was and I didn't know. Anyway, I looked over the other instruments and everything seemed to be fine. So we drove on. And as we did the check engine light got brighter.

Being a new vehicle we pulled over and raised the hood to check things out. All the engine vitals looked good. Everything seemed okay. And the lamp was now out when we pulled over. The light went out when we were pulled over. So we closed the hood and, got back inside and started driving and noticed the check engine light was back on. So, we figured it was probably okay, as the truck was new.

We drove on. And as we neared Oklahoma City, the lamp dimmed and went out completely.

Now, there was never anything wrong with the truck at all. Everything was actually perfect with this brand new truck. The light had seemingly come on for no reason at all."

So the puzzler this week is, what was happening? What was making the check engine light come on if there was not anything wrong with this engine and there was nothing wrong with the light itself?

So what was it?

Good luck.

Answer the Puzzler »

Remember last week's puzzler?

Mona Lisa Heist

Once upon a time, there was a detective. He worked for Acme. His name is Larry.

It was a dark and stormy night and there was a knock at his door. He opens the door and it is his helper, a guy named Moe who has helped him out before in many of his other cases over the years. His helper says he has an important piece of information on the Mona Lisa case. The famous Mona Lisa has been stolen, and this guy has a key piece of information to help solve the case. Moe tells Larry that his friend named Curly is waiting outside. Curly works at a carpet factory, and he has the information about the stolen Mona Lisa.

Moe asks Larry if Curly can come in. So Larry the detective, of course, says, "Yes, sure. Bring him in."

The guy comes in and he tells the detective that he works in a carpet factory. And he thinks his boss may be involved in the Mona Lisa heist.

Larry the detective asks Curly why he thinks that about his boss.

Curly says that he was in his boss's office cleaning up some stuff and he saw this memo on his boss's desk. It told his boss to go to this carpet auction. And to buy a certain roll of carpet. For $995 the Mona Lisa was rolled up inside the carpet.

So then, Curly tells Larry that if they give him $1000 he will go to the auction and buy this roll of carpet. So, if they bought the roll of carpet, they would get the Mona Lisa. And then they could return the Mona Lisa and get a big reward.

So, after Curly had finished telling his story, Larry the detective kicks both Moe and Curly out of his office because he did not believe them.

So, what was it about the story that Larry the detective did not believe? And why?