Clutch Cable Fiasco
It is time for the new puzzler.
This one is a true automotive puzzler. Here it is.
Years ago, a guy came into the shop with his Volvo on the back of a tow truck.
The customer said, "I'm in trouble. I need your help. My clutch cable is broken."
And I said, "No problem. We can fix that."
And he said, "Wait, that's not all. The clutch cable has broken five times in the last five months."
I said, "Oh, bummer. What happened?"
He said, "I don't know. I had a new clutch put in about six months ago, and when they put the new clutch in, they put a new clutch cable in at the same time. Then after a bit, the new clutch cable breaks. I figured the one they put in was defective, so I put another one in. But then, a month later, that clutch cable breaks. In fact, every month or so, the cable breaks. By this time, I was at my wits end, so I took it to another shop, figuring the clutch had to be defective. So, the new shop put in a new clutch and a new clutch cable. And still, a month later, the cable breaks. I'm so frustrated. Can you help me?"
So he tells me this whole long story. And I said, "Wow, that is interesting. Can you tell me under what circumstances does it break?"
And he said, "I start the car, I go to drive it away, I step on the clutch, or I go to shift it in gear. I get to the corner, for example, I shift into neutral. I go to start. When the light turns green, I step on the clutch and the cable breaks."
I said, "Well, does the car start now?"
He said, "I didn't bother to start it because I couldn't drive it. I just had it towed. So, I don't know if it starts."
I said, "I bet it won't start."
And the customer said, "Of course it should start. It is only the clutch that is broken."
So we go out to the garage with the keys. I get it in and try it. And, it will not start. There's nothing. Not even a clicking sound. Just nothing.
And he said, "What does this have to do with my breaking clutch cables?"
And I said, "Everything."
And the puzzler question today is, what is going on here?
Good luck.
