Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor
Welcome to Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor — the trusted voice in automotive repair, where real-world experience, sharp diagnostics, and straight talk come together to help you keep your ride running right.
🚙 2015 Jeep Wrangler — When “New” Parts Fail
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A regular customer brings in a well-maintained Jeep for a simple oil change — no complaints.
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Turns out, the check engine light is on. Codes: P0258 (vacuum pump issue) and P0440 (EVAP system fault).
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Vacuum pump tests fine. Ron proactively changes the booster check valve (which also contains a sensor).
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The ESIM (EVAP vent valve) was bad — replaced and verified fixed.
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Installs a new Chrysler purge valve — it fails.
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Tries a second new one — also fails.
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Old part works fine. Even an aftermarket copy failed.
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Conclusion: There’s a bad production run of purge valves, even from OEM sources.
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Lesson: “New doesn’t mean good.” Always diagnose, don’t just swap parts.
🧰 Classic '57 Chevy — Mysterious Trans Fluid Leak
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Ed owns a beautiful 1957 Chevy with only 57,000 miles.
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Reports a quart of automatic transmission fluid leaks out during storage — but not while driving.
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Ron suspects converter drain-back, a common issue on long-stored classics.
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Solutions:
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A check valve on the trans cooler line
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Possibly a longer dipstick tube
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Or just lower fluid level when storing the car
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Ron offers to personally help Ed connect with a Tri-Five club since Ed doesn’t use the internet.
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Reminder: Old cars need smart storage habits, even if they’re in great shape.
🛠️ Toyota Tundra — Oil Filter Conversion Question
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John asks if he should convert his 2021 Toyota Tundra from a cartridge-style oil filter to a spin-on type.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Ron an Aian, what faults do you create? You're testing
the system. You want to look to see does it
have a condition that is created by just connecting the
battery and what that does to the vehicle. But to
do it in place of a diagnosis, Nah, the.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Car Doctor, If you just give me a minute.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Yeah, you got to be quick though, because we're running
out of times this segment. Hey, it's live. It's live
radio folks can't make this up. We're all waiting to
hear from Gen. Now, have somebody hit the start button
while you watch it? Does the engine turn over smoothly?
We're all going to be quiet now while Jing goes
to start the car. America's waiting. Let's have it all right.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Welcome to the radio home of ron Aanium, The Car Doctor.
Since nineteen ninety one, this is where car owners the
world overturned to for their definitive opinion on automotive repair.
If your mechanics giving you a busy signal, pick.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Up the phone and call in. The garage doors are opening,
but I am here to take your calls at eighty
five five five six ninety nine.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Hundred and now pee.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Running.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
I thought about that Gene phone call most of the week,
and it was just that was real. But you know
that's listen, that's what cars and radio is, right, We're
trying to combine the two in a marriage and make
all this work. But that was a great phone call.
And I hope Gene has got his problem solved. That
I hear from him yet this week, So maybe it's
(01:29):
maybe he took some of my advice and it's working
for him. But you know, that was just that was
just great. I want to talk about this fifteen Wrangler.
I got a lot to talk about today. I want
to talk about this fifteen Wrangler jeep wrangler. We had
in the shop this week. It had a It came
in for an oil change and the description was very
good customer, very good customer. It was the Sun's car
(01:50):
and the Sun was dropping it off for the week.
And the conversation was it needs an oil change, no
other complaints. Okay, great, you know, and I could believe
that it's eleven years old. But they've really kept up
on it. One hundred and forty thousand miles going in
strong right, strong vehicle. They've put a lot of money
in it, they've maintained it well, they've allowed us to
do our job. And I have no fear to take
this vehicle anywhere. But I got in the truck to
(02:13):
move it on Tuesday and the check engine light was
on and Danny saw it and I saw it. We
both looked at each other and we said, wasn't this
the we have no complaints, that just just an oil
change truck. And he yeah, So he talked to the
customer and he didn't know, and the sun was in Communicato.
I think he was on vacation or something. And so
(02:35):
we proceeded to diagnose the no other complaint vehicle. You know,
it had two things going on. It had a PEEVE
two fifty eight bas in baker, which is a low
vacuum input signal request, low vacuum input or low vacuum
signal received for the vacuum pump. In other words, the
vacuum support pump supplies of auxiliary vacuum during various moments
(02:59):
of variable valve operation in low engine vacuum conditions. And
the the it sold low vacuum to the booster, so
you know that's a problem. And then it had a
P zero four forty general evapp failure, so we got
to go down the evaporative emissions slide and diagnosed that
(03:21):
the abs. The break booster problem was pretty straightforward in
the sense that I couldn't replicate it. I couldn't duplicate it,
and everything seemed to work. Booster felt fine. I did
the exhaustion test where you know, pump the pedal started up,
the booster immediately went down. We measured vacuum at the booster.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
It was good.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
The booster pump itself turned on and off on command.
Everything looked to be and appeared to be in good
operating order. So at the request of the customers, do
your best run, give it your best guests. I changed
the booster check valve because the booster check valve on
the chryslers is a it's also a check valve, and
it also contains the sensor. It's a map sensor sort
(03:58):
of set up three ons, you know, five ground reference
and a signal back. And you know, I've seen those fail.
I've seen those whereas they get older, the plastic either
warps or just has an issue inside and the check
valve gets sticky, stuck, And you know, for a couple
of bucks, it was the cheapest solution. It was just
let's let's try this. Let's see where we go, because
(04:18):
we can't replicate it. The second one, well, it was
pretty clear cut. It was a P zero four to
forty general EVAP failure. We hooked up scan, we looked
at it. Now, the way this works is right. You know,
EVAP systems or EVAP systems, they're all pretty much the same.
But they've got their you know, they've all got there,
they're inn windows and they're their particular So Chrysler is
(04:40):
sort of the same. It's got a purge valve in
the front. It's got the front door to the house,
as we always like to say. And it's got an
eseum evaporative system integrity monitor. They call it little white
and black canister sits on the charcoal canister and that
actually is considered the vent system. It's the back door
(05:00):
of the house as we talk about, you know, front door,
back door open, let air in, lit air out. I
want to have that conversation. So hooked up, looked at
it and this had a clear cut bad esom. It
was showing open circuit. The system never when it went
into a purge event, it would you know, always hadum
as opened. It was it had electrically failed internally. Put
(05:23):
a jumper in there and circuit shows closed, so I
knew the circuit electrically back to the PCM was good.
Put an ESUM in it. Now eleven years old, one
hundred and forty thousand miles. I tend to look ahead,
especially with this particular customer, because he wants he wants
the best, and I get it one hundred percent. And
his son is a doctor. It is difficult for him
(05:44):
to give the vehicle up. So you know, let's put
a purge in it. So I put a purge valve
in it. Also was getting Chrysler parts. I had the
utmost confidence, and that's you'll tell you where this story's
going in products. So we'll do that. Esum fixed the
car absolutely positively. The system went into purge. You would
(06:05):
see the ESUM close and it would pull about negative
seven kilo pascals on the fuel tank according to the
pressure sensor, and it would hold for the better part
of twenty twenty two minutes, which is about right for
an UM on a Chrysler. You can actually look at
this keon engine off, and you know, you'll you'll see
(06:26):
where it's going. Let's put the purge valve in and
put a purge valve in it because we want to
put a front door and a back door on the
house older vehicle. We knew things were going to fail,
and you know, you kind of get into how long
can you still get parts out of Christler out of jeep? Okay,
and the put a new purge valve in it, and
(06:47):
it failed. No, wait a minute, the system acted completely different.
It started to set up P zero four fifty six
as I was running monitors, trying to get things to
trying to get things to work. And wait a minute,
what happened? It was working two seconds ago. I can't
have a bad new perge valve, can I? So I
went through and I did some testing, and we smoked
(07:07):
it and we did some uh you know, carbon dioxide
testing and no leaks in the system, and geez, I
gotta have a bad perche put the old purge back
in the car passes. So you know right away, I know,
I know the acronym folks, you know any w never
ever worked. You know, I said, well, look at this
(07:30):
a bad new I mean Chrysler part Chrysler part number
stand fright in it got a second one failed. I
mean bad, I mean legit bad. The system would fail
its evaporative emissions monitor with a brand new part out
of the box from Chrysler, ordered a no name the
(07:52):
you know, just just a regular off the shelf part
from one of the local parts houses. Put it in,
took it out of the box. Now this is where
it gets interesting. The Chrysler purge valve came out of boxes,
Chrysler boxes that said Maide in Mexico. The one from
(08:13):
the autoparts store came out of a box that said
Maid in China. And when you look at it, you
swear you're looking at the identical thing. It's got the
Chrysler part number in it, it's got the same plastic
marks in the stamping. It's like it came out of
the same mold. Put that in that failed, So I'm
(08:35):
not sure. Right now it's out there with the old
purge valve in it. It's working fine. And the only
conclusion I can come to is there's a bad run
of perge valves going on for fifteen jeep wranglers. That
this is the kind of thing that will drive you
absolutely crazy, you know, but new means never ever worked,
And I think the point of this becomes you've really
(08:57):
got to watch, well a couple of things. You've got
to watch your source for parts you've got. And here
I am using ano Wee part. But is it because
it's older? Now? My theory is, you know, is this older?
Is this secondary market stuff? As Chrysler knowing the parts
issues that they have, are they not putting front tier
front row parts on the market anymore? Did the part
(09:20):
from the parts house come from the same place as
Chrysler and they just put in a box that said
made in China? I don't know. I know I got
my jeep fixed, and I know my customer's out the
door and happy. But it's a battle that mechanics go
through every day, every day of every week, every week
of every month, and it's only going to get worse.
And I think the thing I want to leave you
with in this segment is know where you're getting your
(09:43):
parts from. My guys worked with me great. They understood
the problem. They weren't, you know, opposed to or immune
to anything I was discussing with them. You know, I
thought to myself, I said, what if I bought these
parts on Amazon? What if I did them online? You know,
I'm sure I could return them, but the turnaround and
the support and that g could we have some issues.
My Chrysler guys are going to go talk to Chrysler.
(10:04):
They actually came back to me late in the day
on Friday and said, you know what, one of our
guys in the shop said he had a similar problem,
which you know, made me feel better. I'm not crazy.
I'm not alone either, and you know, there's there's definitely
a parts issue going on in the world. And that
brings me to my second point. You better know how
to diagnose this stuff, because if you're firing the parts
(10:25):
cannon without being able to test things, you're not going
to get very far. It's only going to get worse.
It seems like the quality of parts is in a
downhill slide, and you better know what you're testing and
how to test it if you want to get anywhere,
whether you're in the business or just trying to fix
your own vehicle. So food for thought. Now never ever worked,
I proved it. Look at that I proved something this week.
(10:47):
I'm around any in the car doctor eight five five
five six zero nine nine zero zero. I'll be back
right after this. Don't go away. He drives that way.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
But when it comes to fixing cars, Ron has car
advice done right.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Eight five to five five six zero nine to nine
zero zero. Here's Ron. Hey, let's get over to Edin, Wisconsin.
Fifty seven Chevy always happened to talk to a Try
five owner? Ed, what's going on?
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Hello?
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Ron?
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Three? We talked. My car was made in Van Uye,
California and sold there. It has only fifty seven thousand
miles on it.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
And you and I talked about a year ago. When
I get it out in the spring, it's down a
cord of oil. It leaked out a cord of automatic
transmission fluid right convert. And when I put it a
court in now this spring, I'll get out and drive
it long as I drive it once a week or so,
(11:45):
it's good. It don't leak nothing. Then when I put
it away, it's back out. So what we decided, you
and I that day on the phone call, that there
was some kind of a high pressure valve that the
Trifi club out there. I don't know if they originated
it or what, But what I need today from you
is if you would I'm eighty years old, I don't
(12:07):
have internet. If you could get me two numbers, one
of a TRIPI club in New Jersey that could guide
me with this or where I could buy that part
I think.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
You're talking we were talking about. There was two thoughts here.
One was that there was a check valve for one
of the trans cooler lines to a one way check
valve if your vehicle has trans cooler lines, which it
should coming into the bottom of the radiator. Although I
don't I tend not to see that work as much.
The other was a longer dipstick tube because the problem
(12:39):
is the converter drains. The converter drains down and at burps,
and that's the issue. There was an internal check valve,
and I've got to go back and look at my
notes that I can't recall it off the top of
my head, but there was something about an internal check
valve that might have helped the case. And then what
a lot of people ended up doing was they they
just kept the fluid level when they were putting it
(12:59):
a way down, close to the bottom of the bottom
of the stick, so that as the converter burped, it
would just fill the pan more and not over overflow
as much. It was never a problem when the cars
were driven on a daily basis, it just became a
problem as they as they sat, which they you know,
they tend to do. Now we don't. We don't drive
(13:20):
them as much as we used to, you know. The
The other thing to consider is, you know, just depending
upon age. And it's although it's fifty seven thousand miles,
it's not a lot of miles. It's it's a lot
of miles for one of those in a sense is
does it have an internal worn bushing by the front
pump and that would allow air to bypass and burp
it the converter as well. So you know, how how
(13:41):
far and how hard do we want to go with this?
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Well, it's it's it's spreading. Now it's time for me
to get it out. And I see that puddle of
oil under it, right, you know so, doll. I then
you're attempted to go ahead it and fix it, right,
And I think you had talked that somebody at the
Try and Fight Club. It would probably help me if
you ignore.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
There is there is Well, the Try five Club is
based it's not in New Jersey, it's based out of Tennessee,
Tennessee or it's in the Midwest. Actually let me. You
don't have email or anything, ed, no idea't rat a
telephone number. Okay, I'll tell you what. Leave your phone
number with Tom and I will try to reach out
(14:25):
to you during the week. Let me do some research,
all right. I don't want to. I don't want to
just put you out there and get you lost.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
All right, Well, thank thank Familion. Ron. I sure appreciate your.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Show anytime, buddy, all right, you'd be well, we'll talk.
We'll talk midweek. Yes, sir, absolutely, you're welcome. Let's go
over to John and Tennessee and see what's going on here. John.
Welcome to the car doctor, sir. How can I help?
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Yeah, Ron, I was asking a question. I got a
twenty one to tell you thunder and they got to
spend those old filters. It's a typer old filter with
a canister, right, And I was wonder it will be
a good idea to go ahead and change that over
to that new Baxter where you can use a spin
on oil filter.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Why would you want to Why would you want to
do that?
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Well?
Speaker 4 (15:10):
I heard that these engines draining out of the old
from the top of the engine all the way back
into the oil pands.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Well, I haven't heard that. And let let's let's look
at it like this. How many Toyota engines do you
think are out there running those canister style filters?
Speaker 4 (15:26):
Oh, I know this, Toyota went to the new toyoas
went to the spin Ons right the canister. But you know,
somebody was telling me about that, you know, because they
ain't got that bypass keep it from the old from
draining back.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Well, and that's and that's and that and I know
where I understand where you're going that they I don't
believe that Toyota went to the spin On because they
wanted to put a drain back valve back in. And
I don't know, I don't know that there isn't a
drain back valve somewhere in the engine itself. I only
recently discovered and learned that the LS Chevy motors have
a drainback or a valve position down the left side
of the motor, above where the traditional oil filter housing sits.
(16:02):
It's an oil control valve that wears out over time
because it's plastic with an over ring. So you know,
before we start changing something that's working that's working so
well in millions of engines. I don't want to just
believe what I'm reading on the Internet or any catalog.
I want to research how this is supposed to work
and what it's actually supposed to do. I I, and
(16:24):
my point becomes, you know, as align mechanic, I've changed hundreds,
if not thousands, of those canister style filters, and I've
yet to lose a motor.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
Question you have to answer, yeah, I think you.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Know it's you gotta be careful. You know a lot
of we're gonna do this because of this, and we're
gonna do this because of that. You know, everybody wants
to re engineer what an engineer at the factory has
developed for a lot of good reasons. And believe me,
their their budget to research is a lot more than
yours or mine. I'm not saying that always right, and
I agree with them on everything, but something like this,
(17:04):
before I change it, I want to know why, you
know I, and otherwise I think I could just I
could be creating a problem. I may be spending my
wheels and spending money I don't need to spend. There's
an awful lot of those engines out there, you know,
I often think of you know, back in the days
when we were when we were doing performance work, a
lot of cars ran really well if you just put
a good tune in them without any major modifications. And
(17:27):
everybody said why because they were really well engineered and
they had a lot of durability, you know. And and
then later on as you started to modify things, one
of the expressions Billy always taught me as a kid
was mild goes wild. Stay with what you know until
you know why you're changing it. I never forgot that.
I appreciate the call, John.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
And to answer on.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
You're very welcome, sir. You'd be well and enjoy your
Toyota Tundra. Yeah, don't change it until we know why.
And that's something to live by when it comes to
cars and car parts. I'm around an any in the
car docktor eight five five five six zero nine nine
zero zero. We're back right after this. And by the way,
(18:36):
you asked for it, you got it. Wasn't that a
Toyota commercial years ago, you asked for it, you got it, Toyota.
I think. So this week, you guys wanted RI Automotive
t shirts. They're up there. You guys wanted long sleeve
Ari automotive T shirts. They're up there, and they have
a pocket you wanted long sleeve car doctor T shirts.
I think they're up there. I think we gave you
(18:57):
everything you wanted this week. So out at the car
doctorshow dot com click on the merchandise button all the
T shirt variations and styles and shapes and forms, and
I think it's all there. I had the crew work
on overtime Wednesday and Thursday night, you know, so it's
all there. Ari Automotive T shirts. Look good, Father's Day
is coming up.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
You know.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
You can be the car doctor, you poor guy. Anyway,
let's go to Chris in New Hampshire. I'm in the
mood for a good story, Chris. I hope this is
a good story.
Speaker 5 (19:28):
I hope it is, too. Thanks taking michae off.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
You're welcome, sir. What's going on?
Speaker 5 (19:32):
Yeah, I've been in the field since i was fifteen
fifty nine years old, so I've been doing it for
a while.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
I'm sorry, definitely.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
Hey, I'm getting a little burnt out a lot.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
I'll tell you the book. Hey, listen as advice, brother
or brother, go get this book by Mel Robbins. Let
them Green Book, Let them all right this right when
people come in they I wanted to Yeah, go ahead,
do whatever you want to do. You know, this is
the way we're.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Going to do it.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Let them. You know, my wife gave it to me
a couple of weeks ago. I can't put it down.
She just talks about those scenarios where people come in
and they dictate. You know, yeah, go ahead, you know
it's good. Stick your hand into the moving fans. See
what happens. You know, let them. It's not that we
endorse that. But anyway, on with your story today.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
So this is a story on the infamous three valve
breaking spark plugs.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Right yep.
Speaker 5 (20:18):
I don't know how many you've done enough with your processes.
Do you have one way of doing it? Or you
just hope and pray and click your heels together.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
I have three different tools in the shop. I have
the Lyle, I have the KD and I have another
brand I can't think of.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
But it's as.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
Sorry as far as extracting the plugs before they break,
you have a special process that you do well.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
I actually I actually no, I you know what we will.
We will throw some PB down there, We'll crack them loose,
we'll throw some PB down there. We've done it on
cold engines, We've done them on hot engines.
Speaker 5 (20:49):
Everything.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
We've tried everything, and it it really depends on the
flavor of the customer, it seems, and what kind of
maintenance they've done. The guy who's done more maintenance, you know,
proper fuel system cleaning, carbon removal, that stuff, that vehicle
is less of a problem.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
You know.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
I've stood in the Ford dealership picking up parts and
watched guys I know, and they walk up with the
ear guns and they just air just and you know.
Speaker 5 (21:13):
And come out.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Well. Sometimes sometimes I hear it, oh, like an oh.
I can't say it here on on radio, but I'll
get an oh, and the guy's like, well, this guy's
buying a head all right, hey, next great.
Speaker 5 (21:23):
You know, I'd like to think it's they're going to
come out of the not no matter what.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
You do, right, you know, what do you do?
Speaker 5 (21:29):
Anyway? I've tried all the I'd watched all the videos
and blah blah blah, you know, every possible scenario. So
I figured this one that came to my shot. This
was years ago. Boys, of what I'm getting at, I
want to run a story by you because you're a
smart guy, and I'll get your opinion on it, and
hopefully you can try it someday and get back to
me on it with some data because I haven't been
able to reproduce it, haven't had one come in since Goo.
(21:52):
But I get to the process where I did the
ran the engine real hot, good everything prepped, loose coils,
pulled the coil out hot engine, and hit it with
a de Walt gun, twenty bow gun whatever, no movement,
and said, well, my next ever, they're going to do
the half inch gun trick. Whatever happens happens, and sure
(22:14):
enough it broke. So I went to obviously use the
tool still on a hot engine, and I got to
the extraction part of it, and I started doing the extraction.
Of course, you always hear the squeaking and it's top
you know, I'm a hold on a minute, and I
dumped some freezing cold water down the hole. Now you
know what happens to metal when you when you cool
(22:35):
it on a hot engines. I got this hot head
and I'm going to cool that shell rapidly, that still
shell or stayless, and that thing came out like I
went like, oh, I must have pulled the threads because
at the end I was just turning the socket with
my hand and well and behold, I get the shell
on my hand on and the end of that tool.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
I could see that, and I'm like, what.
Speaker 5 (22:59):
What just happened in here? Like I've never seen it.
I'm like, what do I get to lose? You know
at that point?
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Well?
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Nothing? And you know what, that's an example of Chris
number one. You're a smart guy because you're thinking on
your feet. See, you know the definition of insanity and
stupidity is to continue to do the same thing over
and over again and hope for hope for different results.
You you actually thought your way through the box, right,
And what everybody fails to understand is, I won't say
(23:24):
every time. You know, sixty seventy percent of this business
is cut and dry, right, you know, it's it's you
get up. It's the same thing. It's cookie cutter that
last thirty or forty percent. Wow, Yeah, it's it's like
a it's like no day at the beach because you're
just trying to reinvent the wheel and you run into
these impossible scenarios.
Speaker 5 (23:42):
And I just want to change spockbag. I don't want
to tuck to sit for days, right cracking him and
spraying them. And I just want to get the job
and not have.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
To put heads on it and explain to the customer
how the thousand dollars said the sparkbucks became three thousand
dollars and yeah, I get it.
Speaker 5 (23:58):
The rest of the story is what I'm getting at,
is so the next one again, run the engine up again.
I did that one. I started up, bowl the water out,
put a plug in it. Move on to the next one.
Run the engine up, real hot, three thousand whatever, get
a real bacon hot. I pulled the coil out of
the next one. Again, I do not I haven't done anything.
(24:19):
I pulled cold, freezing cold water down that plug hole
and pulled the whole plug out with my du wall,
which wouldn't move the first plug. And I just want
to tell you that I get the rest of the
seven out with that procedure. And I just wanted to
hear your thoughts on that. As a smart guy. Did
you think that was a mastermind or was it luck?
Speaker 1 (24:40):
I think it worked worked for me. Listen, I think
it worked now, Ron.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
It was so good. I felt like I carried cancer.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Well, I'll tell you what, Chris, and I get that. Listen, brother,
I've been there too. It's like you look around the shop.
Usually it's late at night on.
Speaker 5 (24:51):
Acausey yeah, no, they get a thousand bucks a hole
for that around here.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Well you know that, yeah, yeah, no, I get it now.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Now.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
According to Ford, the reason those plugs break is because
of carbon build up.
Speaker 5 (25:06):
Correct, correct, because they're in that tight.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
Hole, right, because they're in that tight hole and carbon
has built up around the extrusion.
Speaker 5 (25:12):
At this hot head, and yeah, shrink the metal and
it made enough. Clan they all and the rest of
them came out. And I'd like to call it a win,
have ye? And I'm hopefully that you could try this
one day and get back to me.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Have you let me ask you this. The truck's gone.
The truck's gone.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
Oh yes, years ago.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Yeah, you got paid.
Speaker 5 (25:30):
I did.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
Yeah, it's it's a win, all right, it's a win because.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
Listen, genius, I don't know, I just need someone back
me up.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
You know what, Chris, And I'm going to tell you
this in all sincerity, no kidding around. This business is
is what's the expression eighty percent perspiration and twenty percent inspiration,
and sometimes I think it's the other way around. You
know what, it worked for the moment, right, you know,
and and that's the problem. And you could go try
that on the next one and you'll break every plug.
Speaker 5 (26:03):
I never got the chance to.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
But you get the theory, right, yeah, absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 5 (26:08):
And I just say, hey that I figured the first
one broke and Joe wouldn't even a gun, wouldn't even
touch the plug. Were the other ones? They took them out?
And lastly the ones under the cowl, I use an
air ra ashit and you know, and it took them out.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Listen, that's the same theory as you've run into the
Toyota exhaust nuts when you're trying to take the front
the headpipe down at the cat.
Speaker 5 (26:28):
Don't even push it in the shop. Well don't.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
I'll tell you what now. Now I've done them stone cold,
I've done them all different ways. I still tear, I
still tear the metal.
Speaker 5 (26:37):
What you done, right?
Speaker 1 (26:39):
What I do is I get them. A matter of fact,
I've got a YouTube video up on my YouTube channel.
You can go look at it video. I would appreciate
your thoughts. Whereas I'll get it not smoking hot, just
cherry red. Hit it with a little water. Get a
cherry red again, hit it with a little water. Shoot
at in there, and then it falls. It's just about
fall off.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
My personal experience with that is stone cold. I spray
him and I hit him on the gun and they.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Went right off right, Yep, it must be something, must
be something any New Jersey year versus New Hampshire.
Speaker 6 (27:16):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
I gotta run, Chrish, I gotta run my brother, all right.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
I love it.
Speaker 5 (27:21):
Yeah, I love you to. Hopefully you can try something.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
If I do, I will, I promise, I'll mention it here.
You'll be well. Carry on the fight continue all right,
and remember let them I'm running any in the car
doctor eight five five five six zero nine nine zero zero.
We'll be back right after this. Hey, let's where were going.
(27:52):
Let's go to Bob in Virginia, real quick thirteen Chevy Silverado. Bob.
How can I help you? Sir?
Speaker 6 (27:57):
Yeah? Hey, Ron, thanks thanks for taking my call.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (28:01):
So I got up this morning to start the truck
and it was dead. I put a digital multimeter on
the battery and it was literally zero. So I put
a trickle charger on it and only after about twenty minutes,
I had twelve volts and the truck started. So I
take a ride to Advance Auto, thinking I need a
new battery, or at least to have them check the battery.
(28:22):
So they came out with their little device and they
checked the battery and then they told me that they
told me that it wasn't the battery. The battery was fine.
They said my alternator was putting out fifteen worried about
fifteen volts, which was in the red area. And I said, okay,
So they sold me an alternator. I went back to
(28:43):
the house, put the alternator on, still broken. Still same thing.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (28:47):
So then I go back to Advance Auto again and
I said, hey, could it possibly be the battery. So
they gave me another battery because the one I had
is still had about six months warranty on it that
it were kind enough to swamp it at you know,
give me no the battery. It's still the same problem.
And I'm seeing it on the gauge on my dashboard
right that the alternator is putting out about fifteen or
(29:09):
so volts and.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Any check engine light on, Bob No, okay, So let's
chat about this. That particular generation Silverado. Like a lot
of vehicles, they'll charge anywhere from eleven to fifteen and
a half volts, so fifteen vaults is not an overcharge.
All right, Okay, they didn't see any favors selling you
(29:34):
the battery because they steered your rong in the first
place in my opinion, all.
Speaker 6 (29:38):
Right, because yeah, I'm sorry, didn't sell the battery.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
They replaced my battery under a warm right, But and.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
They should because they're they're they're missing an important diagnostics
step here, all right, for a battery to be at
zero volts. He drove the truck last night, Yes, drove
it home, had no problems. No, Okay, So you sound
like a very cave smart guy, and I don't mean
that in a snarky way. You sound like you know
what's going on. Do you really think logically that the
(30:06):
battery would drain down from twelve, twelve and a half
thirteen vaults whatever it was last night to zero because
the alternator was bad?
Speaker 6 (30:14):
You know, That's exactly what I told the folks at
Advance Auto.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
I know, now, now, now right, yeah right. I was
gonna say, now, if if the alternator had an internal
problem and was causing a drain. Okay, but nobody's tested
for that yet. And that's that's the step that's missing
at There's two steps missing out of this diagnosis, all right.
Number one, nobody's done a draw test. You have a
(30:39):
digital vault homemeter, yes, I do. Does it have amps on? It?
Speaker 4 (30:43):
Is?
Speaker 1 (30:43):
It is? It is? It got an amp setting where
you can measure amps and milliams.
Speaker 6 (30:49):
I think, so, okay, great, we're.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Gonna make We're gonna make a mechanic out of you.
You're gonna you're gonna disconnect the negative cable and you're
gonna put that battery in series, meaning you're gonna but
the black lead of the battery of the meter to
the negative cable and the other lead to the battery.
All right, You're gonna take the key out, make sure
the lights are off, and take your leads and position
(31:13):
it so that you can close the hood in case
this has an anti theft system issue or an underhood
dome light on, and you're gonna see the you're gonna
see the ampage. Set it to amperage all right. Then
when it drops down low enough, set it to milliamps.
The goal is the average vehicle has to have less
than fifty milliams of draw fifty fifty ounces of water
(31:34):
flowing out of the toilet to speak it or less
to be considered acceptable. All right, If that makes sense
to you. Think of electricity. Think of electricity like this, Right,
the garden hose on your house, if it's not on,
is there water pressure?
Speaker 2 (31:50):
No? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Well no, well there's pressure, right, I mean there's always
pressure at the hose against the valve behind, right, Yeah,
But there's there's no flow, so there's no current. There's
no volume. So voltage is pressure current. The stuff that
actually does the electrical work is volume. All right. If
you left that hose partially on and got a little trickle,
(32:13):
you know your your water bill's going up, right, right,
because you're flowing water. But if your your water bill
doesn't doesn't go up if it's if the valve is
off and you've got only pressure, right, Think of it
like that. So you want to do a draw test
to see is there an electrical drain on the system,
And I'm willing to bet you're gonna find one, all right.
Speaker 6 (32:35):
Okay, so I'm gonna put the amp and i'm gonna
put the amp meter.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Let me get it straight.
Speaker 6 (32:38):
I'm gonna put it between I'm going to disconnect the
black lead right bat right, hook one end of the
of the of the meter to that and the other
end to my negative post right right.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
And we're looking we're looking for a draw test. We're
looking for a draw all right. So you know you'll
and you'll see it. Serge, You're gonna see the number
be real high. Becase because initially it's it's going to
every module in the vehicle is going to have an
electrical draw against it, right, and then over time, Now
this could take up the forty five minutes. Okay, all right,
(33:11):
so don't don't be concerned. You know, set an egg
timer and watch the meter. The meter should kick down
when it gets down under an acceptable range. Switch it
to milliams. I don't know what your meter's range scale is,
so you want to set it to milliams so you
don't pop the internal fusee of the meter, all right,
But you want to see less than you want to see.
The number fifty or less. A typical silverado is somewhere
(33:33):
between twenty five and thirty milliams. That generation, all right,
And if you constantly see more than fifty, either something
look at the cigarette lighter, Look at look do you
have a cell phone plugged in? Do you have something
in the console that you're not aware of that's plugged in?
You know? Or is there a light on? Did you
open the glove box last night? Is the interior light
of the glovebox on and you don't know it? You know?
(33:54):
Is something on somewhere in the truck that you're not
aware of? But you've got an electrical drain, all right?
That call me if you need more. I gotta go
im up against the clock. All right, sir, you're right.
Welcome Bob. I'm running ady in the car. Doctor. I'll
be back right after this, okay, real quick for Bob
(34:22):
and Virginia. And then the other thing I wanted to
mention was to look at that car. You really need
a scan tool and to go in and look and
see what's the charge rate. It'll show you charging rate
desired and actual charge rate duty cycle, all right, and
it'll show you the fluctuation in the variation. I think
you've got to draw test. I think you've got to draw, Bob,
and that test I gave you will do it for you.
(34:43):
The second thing is thank God for research Kathy, she
just informed me. The long sleeve r A Automotive T
shirts are not on the website yet they're coming. The
long sleeve Car Doctor T shirt is on the website,
so thank god we have research, Kathy. I'm running Ady
in the Car Doctor till then it's time. Good mechanics
aren't expensive, they're priceless. See you
Ron an Aian, what faults do you create? You're testing
the system. You want to look to see does it
have a condition that is created by just connecting the
battery and what that does to the vehicle. But to
do it in place of a diagnosis, Nah, the.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Car Doctor, If you just give me a minute.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Yeah, you got to be quick though, because we're running
out of times this segment. Hey, it's live. It's live
radio folks can't make this up. We're all waiting to
hear from Gen. Now, have somebody hit the start button
while you watch it? Does the engine turn over smoothly?
We're all going to be quiet now while Jing goes
to start the car. America's waiting. Let's have it all right.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Welcome to the radio home of ron Aanium, The Car Doctor.
Since nineteen ninety one, this is where car owners the
world overturned to for their definitive opinion on automotive repair.
If your mechanics giving you a busy signal, pick.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Up the phone and call in. The garage doors are opening,
but I am here to take your calls at eighty
five five five six ninety nine.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Hundred and now pee.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Running.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
I thought about that Gene phone call most of the week,
and it was just that was real. But you know
that's listen, that's what cars and radio is, right, We're
trying to combine the two in a marriage and make
all this work. But that was a great phone call.
And I hope Gene has got his problem solved. That
I hear from him yet this week, So maybe it's
(01:29):
maybe he took some of my advice and it's working
for him. But you know, that was just that was
just great. I want to talk about this fifteen Wrangler.
I got a lot to talk about today. I want
to talk about this fifteen Wrangler jeep wrangler. We had
in the shop this week. It had a It came
in for an oil change and the description was very
good customer, very good customer. It was the Sun's car
(01:50):
and the Sun was dropping it off for the week.
And the conversation was it needs an oil change, no
other complaints. Okay, great, you know, and I could believe
that it's eleven years old. But they've really kept up
on it. One hundred and forty thousand miles going in
strong right, strong vehicle. They've put a lot of money
in it, they've maintained it well, they've allowed us to
do our job. And I have no fear to take
this vehicle anywhere. But I got in the truck to
(02:13):
move it on Tuesday and the check engine light was
on and Danny saw it and I saw it. We
both looked at each other and we said, wasn't this
the we have no complaints, that just just an oil
change truck. And he yeah, So he talked to the
customer and he didn't know, and the sun was in Communicato.
I think he was on vacation or something. And so
(02:35):
we proceeded to diagnose the no other complaint vehicle. You know,
it had two things going on. It had a PEEVE
two fifty eight bas in baker, which is a low
vacuum input signal request, low vacuum input or low vacuum
signal received for the vacuum pump. In other words, the
vacuum support pump supplies of auxiliary vacuum during various moments
(02:59):
of variable valve operation in low engine vacuum conditions. And
the the it sold low vacuum to the booster, so
you know that's a problem. And then it had a
P zero four forty general evapp failure, so we got
to go down the evaporative emissions slide and diagnosed that
(03:21):
the abs. The break booster problem was pretty straightforward in
the sense that I couldn't replicate it. I couldn't duplicate it,
and everything seemed to work. Booster felt fine. I did
the exhaustion test where you know, pump the pedal started up,
the booster immediately went down. We measured vacuum at the booster.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
It was good.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
The booster pump itself turned on and off on command.
Everything looked to be and appeared to be in good
operating order. So at the request of the customers, do
your best run, give it your best guests. I changed
the booster check valve because the booster check valve on
the chryslers is a it's also a check valve, and
it also contains the sensor. It's a map sensor sort
(03:58):
of set up three ons, you know, five ground reference
and a signal back. And you know, I've seen those fail.
I've seen those whereas they get older, the plastic either
warps or just has an issue inside and the check
valve gets sticky, stuck, And you know, for a couple
of bucks, it was the cheapest solution. It was just
let's let's try this. Let's see where we go, because
(04:18):
we can't replicate it. The second one, well, it was
pretty clear cut. It was a P zero four to
forty general EVAP failure. We hooked up scan, we looked
at it. Now, the way this works is right. You know,
EVAP systems or EVAP systems, they're all pretty much the same.
But they've got their you know, they've all got there,
they're inn windows and they're their particular So Chrysler is
(04:40):
sort of the same. It's got a purge valve in
the front. It's got the front door to the house,
as we always like to say. And it's got an
eseum evaporative system integrity monitor. They call it little white
and black canister sits on the charcoal canister and that
actually is considered the vent system. It's the back door
(05:00):
of the house as we talk about, you know, front door,
back door open, let air in, lit air out. I
want to have that conversation. So hooked up, looked at
it and this had a clear cut bad esom. It
was showing open circuit. The system never when it went
into a purge event, it would you know, always hadum
as opened. It was it had electrically failed internally. Put
(05:23):
a jumper in there and circuit shows closed, so I
knew the circuit electrically back to the PCM was good.
Put an ESUM in it. Now eleven years old, one
hundred and forty thousand miles. I tend to look ahead,
especially with this particular customer, because he wants he wants
the best, and I get it one hundred percent. And
his son is a doctor. It is difficult for him
(05:44):
to give the vehicle up. So you know, let's put
a purge in it. So I put a purge valve
in it. Also was getting Chrysler parts. I had the
utmost confidence, and that's you'll tell you where this story's
going in products. So we'll do that. Esum fixed the
car absolutely positively. The system went into purge. You would
(06:05):
see the ESUM close and it would pull about negative
seven kilo pascals on the fuel tank according to the
pressure sensor, and it would hold for the better part
of twenty twenty two minutes, which is about right for
an UM on a Chrysler. You can actually look at
this keon engine off, and you know, you'll you'll see
(06:26):
where it's going. Let's put the purge valve in and
put a purge valve in it because we want to
put a front door and a back door on the
house older vehicle. We knew things were going to fail,
and you know, you kind of get into how long
can you still get parts out of Christler out of jeep? Okay,
and the put a new purge valve in it, and
(06:47):
it failed. No, wait a minute, the system acted completely different.
It started to set up P zero four fifty six
as I was running monitors, trying to get things to
trying to get things to work. And wait a minute,
what happened? It was working two seconds ago. I can't
have a bad new perge valve, can I? So I
went through and I did some testing, and we smoked
(07:07):
it and we did some uh you know, carbon dioxide
testing and no leaks in the system, and geez, I
gotta have a bad perche put the old purge back
in the car passes. So you know right away, I know,
I know the acronym folks, you know any w never
ever worked. You know, I said, well, look at this
(07:30):
a bad new I mean Chrysler part Chrysler part number
stand fright in it got a second one failed. I
mean bad, I mean legit bad. The system would fail
its evaporative emissions monitor with a brand new part out
of the box from Chrysler, ordered a no name the
(07:52):
you know, just just a regular off the shelf part
from one of the local parts houses. Put it in,
took it out of the box. Now this is where
it gets interesting. The Chrysler purge valve came out of boxes,
Chrysler boxes that said Maide in Mexico. The one from
(08:13):
the autoparts store came out of a box that said
Maid in China. And when you look at it, you
swear you're looking at the identical thing. It's got the
Chrysler part number in it, it's got the same plastic
marks in the stamping. It's like it came out of
the same mold. Put that in that failed, So I'm
(08:35):
not sure. Right now it's out there with the old
purge valve in it. It's working fine. And the only
conclusion I can come to is there's a bad run
of perge valves going on for fifteen jeep wranglers. That
this is the kind of thing that will drive you
absolutely crazy, you know, but new means never ever worked,
And I think the point of this becomes you've really
(08:57):
got to watch, well a couple of things. You've got
to watch your source for parts you've got. And here
I am using ano Wee part. But is it because
it's older? Now? My theory is, you know, is this older?
Is this secondary market stuff? As Chrysler knowing the parts
issues that they have, are they not putting front tier
front row parts on the market anymore? Did the part
(09:20):
from the parts house come from the same place as
Chrysler and they just put in a box that said
made in China? I don't know. I know I got
my jeep fixed, and I know my customer's out the
door and happy. But it's a battle that mechanics go
through every day, every day of every week, every week
of every month, and it's only going to get worse.
And I think the thing I want to leave you
with in this segment is know where you're getting your
(09:43):
parts from. My guys worked with me great. They understood
the problem. They weren't, you know, opposed to or immune
to anything I was discussing with them. You know, I
thought to myself, I said, what if I bought these
parts on Amazon? What if I did them online? You know,
I'm sure I could return them, but the turnaround and
the support and that g could we have some issues.
My Chrysler guys are going to go talk to Chrysler.
(10:04):
They actually came back to me late in the day
on Friday and said, you know what, one of our
guys in the shop said he had a similar problem,
which you know, made me feel better. I'm not crazy.
I'm not alone either, and you know, there's there's definitely
a parts issue going on in the world. And that
brings me to my second point. You better know how
to diagnose this stuff, because if you're firing the parts
(10:25):
cannon without being able to test things, you're not going
to get very far. It's only going to get worse.
It seems like the quality of parts is in a
downhill slide, and you better know what you're testing and
how to test it if you want to get anywhere,
whether you're in the business or just trying to fix
your own vehicle. So food for thought. Now never ever worked,
I proved it. Look at that I proved something this week.
(10:47):
I'm around any in the car doctor eight five five
five six zero nine nine zero zero. I'll be back
right after this. Don't go away. He drives that way.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
But when it comes to fixing cars, Ron has car
advice done right.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Eight five to five five six zero nine to nine
zero zero. Here's Ron. Hey, let's get over to Edin, Wisconsin.
Fifty seven Chevy always happened to talk to a Try
five owner? Ed, what's going on?
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Hello?
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Ron?
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Three? We talked. My car was made in Van Uye,
California and sold there. It has only fifty seven thousand
miles on it.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
And you and I talked about a year ago. When
I get it out in the spring, it's down a
cord of oil. It leaked out a cord of automatic
transmission fluid right convert. And when I put it a
court in now this spring, I'll get out and drive
it long as I drive it once a week or so,
(11:45):
it's good. It don't leak nothing. Then when I put
it away, it's back out. So what we decided, you
and I that day on the phone call, that there
was some kind of a high pressure valve that the
Trifi club out there. I don't know if they originated
it or what, But what I need today from you
is if you would I'm eighty years old, I don't
(12:07):
have internet. If you could get me two numbers, one
of a TRIPI club in New Jersey that could guide
me with this or where I could buy that part
I think.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
You're talking we were talking about. There was two thoughts here.
One was that there was a check valve for one
of the trans cooler lines to a one way check
valve if your vehicle has trans cooler lines, which it
should coming into the bottom of the radiator. Although I
don't I tend not to see that work as much.
The other was a longer dipstick tube because the problem
(12:39):
is the converter drains. The converter drains down and at burps,
and that's the issue. There was an internal check valve,
and I've got to go back and look at my
notes that I can't recall it off the top of
my head, but there was something about an internal check
valve that might have helped the case. And then what
a lot of people ended up doing was they they
just kept the fluid level when they were putting it
(12:59):
a way down, close to the bottom of the bottom
of the stick, so that as the converter burped, it
would just fill the pan more and not over overflow
as much. It was never a problem when the cars
were driven on a daily basis, it just became a
problem as they as they sat, which they you know,
they tend to do. Now we don't. We don't drive
(13:20):
them as much as we used to, you know. The
The other thing to consider is, you know, just depending
upon age. And it's although it's fifty seven thousand miles,
it's not a lot of miles. It's it's a lot
of miles for one of those in a sense is
does it have an internal worn bushing by the front
pump and that would allow air to bypass and burp
it the converter as well. So you know, how how
(13:41):
far and how hard do we want to go with this?
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Well, it's it's it's spreading. Now it's time for me
to get it out. And I see that puddle of
oil under it, right, you know so, doll. I then
you're attempted to go ahead it and fix it, right,
And I think you had talked that somebody at the
Try and Fight Club. It would probably help me if
you ignore.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
There is there is Well, the Try five Club is
based it's not in New Jersey, it's based out of Tennessee,
Tennessee or it's in the Midwest. Actually let me. You
don't have email or anything, ed, no idea't rat a
telephone number. Okay, I'll tell you what. Leave your phone
number with Tom and I will try to reach out
(14:25):
to you during the week. Let me do some research,
all right. I don't want to. I don't want to
just put you out there and get you lost.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
All right, Well, thank thank Familion. Ron. I sure appreciate your.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Show anytime, buddy, all right, you'd be well, we'll talk.
We'll talk midweek. Yes, sir, absolutely, you're welcome. Let's go
over to John and Tennessee and see what's going on here. John.
Welcome to the car doctor, sir. How can I help?
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Yeah, Ron, I was asking a question. I got a
twenty one to tell you thunder and they got to
spend those old filters. It's a typer old filter with
a canister, right, And I was wonder it will be
a good idea to go ahead and change that over
to that new Baxter where you can use a spin
on oil filter.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Why would you want to Why would you want to
do that?
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Well?
Speaker 4 (15:10):
I heard that these engines draining out of the old
from the top of the engine all the way back
into the oil pands.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Well, I haven't heard that. And let let's let's look
at it like this. How many Toyota engines do you
think are out there running those canister style filters?
Speaker 4 (15:26):
Oh, I know this, Toyota went to the new toyoas
went to the spin Ons right the canister. But you know,
somebody was telling me about that, you know, because they
ain't got that bypass keep it from the old from
draining back.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Well, and that's and that's and that and I know
where I understand where you're going that they I don't
believe that Toyota went to the spin On because they
wanted to put a drain back valve back in. And
I don't know, I don't know that there isn't a
drain back valve somewhere in the engine itself. I only
recently discovered and learned that the LS Chevy motors have
a drainback or a valve position down the left side
of the motor, above where the traditional oil filter housing sits.
(16:02):
It's an oil control valve that wears out over time
because it's plastic with an over ring. So you know,
before we start changing something that's working that's working so
well in millions of engines. I don't want to just
believe what I'm reading on the Internet or any catalog.
I want to research how this is supposed to work
and what it's actually supposed to do. I I, and
(16:24):
my point becomes, you know, as align mechanic, I've changed hundreds,
if not thousands, of those canister style filters, and I've
yet to lose a motor.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
Question you have to answer, yeah, I think you.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Know it's you gotta be careful. You know a lot
of we're gonna do this because of this, and we're
gonna do this because of that. You know, everybody wants
to re engineer what an engineer at the factory has
developed for a lot of good reasons. And believe me,
their their budget to research is a lot more than
yours or mine. I'm not saying that always right, and
I agree with them on everything, but something like this,
(17:04):
before I change it, I want to know why, you
know I, and otherwise I think I could just I
could be creating a problem. I may be spending my
wheels and spending money I don't need to spend. There's
an awful lot of those engines out there, you know,
I often think of you know, back in the days
when we were when we were doing performance work, a
lot of cars ran really well if you just put
a good tune in them without any major modifications. And
(17:27):
everybody said why because they were really well engineered and
they had a lot of durability, you know. And and
then later on as you started to modify things, one
of the expressions Billy always taught me as a kid
was mild goes wild. Stay with what you know until
you know why you're changing it. I never forgot that.
I appreciate the call, John.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
And to answer on.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
You're very welcome, sir. You'd be well and enjoy your
Toyota Tundra. Yeah, don't change it until we know why.
And that's something to live by when it comes to
cars and car parts. I'm around an any in the
car docktor eight five five five six zero nine nine
zero zero. We're back right after this. And by the way,
(18:36):
you asked for it, you got it. Wasn't that a
Toyota commercial years ago, you asked for it, you got it, Toyota.
I think. So this week, you guys wanted RI Automotive
t shirts. They're up there. You guys wanted long sleeve
Ari automotive T shirts. They're up there, and they have
a pocket you wanted long sleeve car doctor T shirts.
I think they're up there. I think we gave you
(18:57):
everything you wanted this week. So out at the car
doctorshow dot com click on the merchandise button all the
T shirt variations and styles and shapes and forms, and
I think it's all there. I had the crew work
on overtime Wednesday and Thursday night, you know, so it's
all there. Ari Automotive T shirts. Look good, Father's Day
is coming up.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
You know.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
You can be the car doctor, you poor guy. Anyway,
let's go to Chris in New Hampshire. I'm in the
mood for a good story, Chris. I hope this is
a good story.
Speaker 5 (19:28):
I hope it is, too. Thanks taking michae off.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
You're welcome, sir. What's going on?
Speaker 5 (19:32):
Yeah, I've been in the field since i was fifteen
fifty nine years old, so I've been doing it for
a while.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
I'm sorry, definitely.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
Hey, I'm getting a little burnt out a lot.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
I'll tell you the book. Hey, listen as advice, brother
or brother, go get this book by Mel Robbins. Let
them Green Book, Let them all right this right when
people come in they I wanted to Yeah, go ahead,
do whatever you want to do. You know, this is
the way we're.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Going to do it.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Let them. You know, my wife gave it to me
a couple of weeks ago. I can't put it down.
She just talks about those scenarios where people come in
and they dictate. You know, yeah, go ahead, you know
it's good. Stick your hand into the moving fans. See
what happens. You know, let them. It's not that we
endorse that. But anyway, on with your story today.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
So this is a story on the infamous three valve
breaking spark plugs.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Right yep.
Speaker 5 (20:18):
I don't know how many you've done enough with your processes.
Do you have one way of doing it? Or you
just hope and pray and click your heels together.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
I have three different tools in the shop. I have
the Lyle, I have the KD and I have another
brand I can't think of.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
But it's as.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
Sorry as far as extracting the plugs before they break,
you have a special process that you do well.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
I actually I actually no, I you know what we will.
We will throw some PB down there, We'll crack them loose,
we'll throw some PB down there. We've done it on
cold engines, We've done them on hot engines.
Speaker 5 (20:49):
Everything.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
We've tried everything, and it it really depends on the
flavor of the customer, it seems, and what kind of
maintenance they've done. The guy who's done more maintenance, you know,
proper fuel system cleaning, carbon removal, that stuff, that vehicle
is less of a problem.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
You know.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
I've stood in the Ford dealership picking up parts and
watched guys I know, and they walk up with the
ear guns and they just air just and you know.
Speaker 5 (21:13):
And come out.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Well. Sometimes sometimes I hear it, oh, like an oh.
I can't say it here on on radio, but I'll
get an oh, and the guy's like, well, this guy's
buying a head all right, hey, next great.
Speaker 5 (21:23):
You know, I'd like to think it's they're going to
come out of the not no matter what.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
You do, right, you know, what do you do?
Speaker 5 (21:29):
Anyway? I've tried all the I'd watched all the videos
and blah blah blah, you know, every possible scenario. So
I figured this one that came to my shot. This
was years ago. Boys, of what I'm getting at, I
want to run a story by you because you're a
smart guy, and I'll get your opinion on it, and
hopefully you can try it someday and get back to
me on it with some data because I haven't been
able to reproduce it, haven't had one come in since Goo.
(21:52):
But I get to the process where I did the
ran the engine real hot, good everything prepped, loose coils,
pulled the coil out hot engine, and hit it with
a de Walt gun, twenty bow gun whatever, no movement,
and said, well, my next ever, they're going to do
the half inch gun trick. Whatever happens happens, and sure
(22:14):
enough it broke. So I went to obviously use the
tool still on a hot engine, and I got to
the extraction part of it, and I started doing the extraction.
Of course, you always hear the squeaking and it's top
you know, I'm a hold on a minute, and I
dumped some freezing cold water down the hole. Now you
know what happens to metal when you when you cool
(22:35):
it on a hot engines. I got this hot head
and I'm going to cool that shell rapidly, that still
shell or stayless, and that thing came out like I
went like, oh, I must have pulled the threads because
at the end I was just turning the socket with
my hand and well and behold, I get the shell
on my hand on and the end of that tool.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
I could see that, and I'm like, what.
Speaker 5 (22:59):
What just happened in here? Like I've never seen it.
I'm like, what do I get to lose? You know
at that point?
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Well?
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Nothing? And you know what, that's an example of Chris
number one. You're a smart guy because you're thinking on
your feet. See, you know the definition of insanity and
stupidity is to continue to do the same thing over
and over again and hope for hope for different results.
You you actually thought your way through the box, right,
And what everybody fails to understand is, I won't say
(23:24):
every time. You know, sixty seventy percent of this business
is cut and dry, right, you know, it's it's you
get up. It's the same thing. It's cookie cutter that
last thirty or forty percent. Wow, Yeah, it's it's like
a it's like no day at the beach because you're
just trying to reinvent the wheel and you run into
these impossible scenarios.
Speaker 5 (23:42):
And I just want to change spockbag. I don't want
to tuck to sit for days, right cracking him and
spraying them. And I just want to get the job
and not have.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
To put heads on it and explain to the customer
how the thousand dollars said the sparkbucks became three thousand
dollars and yeah, I get it.
Speaker 5 (23:58):
The rest of the story is what I'm getting at,
is so the next one again, run the engine up again.
I did that one. I started up, bowl the water out,
put a plug in it. Move on to the next one.
Run the engine up, real hot, three thousand whatever, get
a real bacon hot. I pulled the coil out of
the next one. Again, I do not I haven't done anything.
(24:19):
I pulled cold, freezing cold water down that plug hole
and pulled the whole plug out with my du wall,
which wouldn't move the first plug. And I just want
to tell you that I get the rest of the
seven out with that procedure. And I just wanted to
hear your thoughts on that. As a smart guy. Did
you think that was a mastermind or was it luck?
Speaker 1 (24:40):
I think it worked worked for me. Listen, I think
it worked now, Ron.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
It was so good. I felt like I carried cancer.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Well, I'll tell you what, Chris, and I get that. Listen, brother,
I've been there too. It's like you look around the shop.
Usually it's late at night on.
Speaker 5 (24:51):
Acausey yeah, no, they get a thousand bucks a hole
for that around here.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Well you know that, yeah, yeah, no, I get it now.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Now.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
According to Ford, the reason those plugs break is because
of carbon build up.
Speaker 5 (25:06):
Correct, correct, because they're in that tight.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
Hole, right, because they're in that tight hole and carbon
has built up around the extrusion.
Speaker 5 (25:12):
At this hot head, and yeah, shrink the metal and
it made enough. Clan they all and the rest of
them came out. And I'd like to call it a win,
have ye? And I'm hopefully that you could try this
one day and get back to me.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Have you let me ask you this. The truck's gone.
The truck's gone.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
Oh yes, years ago.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Yeah, you got paid.
Speaker 5 (25:30):
I did.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
Yeah, it's it's a win, all right, it's a win because.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
Listen, genius, I don't know, I just need someone back
me up.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
You know what, Chris, And I'm going to tell you
this in all sincerity, no kidding around. This business is
is what's the expression eighty percent perspiration and twenty percent inspiration,
and sometimes I think it's the other way around. You
know what, it worked for the moment, right, you know,
and and that's the problem. And you could go try
that on the next one and you'll break every plug.
Speaker 5 (26:03):
I never got the chance to.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
But you get the theory, right, yeah, absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 5 (26:08):
And I just say, hey that I figured the first
one broke and Joe wouldn't even a gun, wouldn't even
touch the plug. Were the other ones? They took them out?
And lastly the ones under the cowl, I use an
air ra ashit and you know, and it took them out.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Listen, that's the same theory as you've run into the
Toyota exhaust nuts when you're trying to take the front
the headpipe down at the cat.
Speaker 5 (26:28):
Don't even push it in the shop. Well don't.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
I'll tell you what now. Now I've done them stone cold,
I've done them all different ways. I still tear, I
still tear the metal.
Speaker 5 (26:37):
What you done, right?
Speaker 1 (26:39):
What I do is I get them. A matter of fact,
I've got a YouTube video up on my YouTube channel.
You can go look at it video. I would appreciate
your thoughts. Whereas I'll get it not smoking hot, just
cherry red. Hit it with a little water. Get a
cherry red again, hit it with a little water. Shoot
at in there, and then it falls. It's just about
fall off.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
My personal experience with that is stone cold. I spray
him and I hit him on the gun and they.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Went right off right, Yep, it must be something, must
be something any New Jersey year versus New Hampshire.
Speaker 6 (27:16):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
I gotta run, Chrish, I gotta run my brother, all right.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
I love it.
Speaker 5 (27:21):
Yeah, I love you to. Hopefully you can try something.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
If I do, I will, I promise, I'll mention it here.
You'll be well. Carry on the fight continue all right,
and remember let them I'm running any in the car
doctor eight five five five six zero nine nine zero zero.
We'll be back right after this. Hey, let's where were going.
(27:52):
Let's go to Bob in Virginia, real quick thirteen Chevy Silverado. Bob.
How can I help you? Sir?
Speaker 6 (27:57):
Yeah? Hey, Ron, thanks thanks for taking my call.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (28:01):
So I got up this morning to start the truck
and it was dead. I put a digital multimeter on
the battery and it was literally zero. So I put
a trickle charger on it and only after about twenty minutes,
I had twelve volts and the truck started. So I
take a ride to Advance Auto, thinking I need a
new battery, or at least to have them check the battery.
(28:22):
So they came out with their little device and they
checked the battery and then they told me that they
told me that it wasn't the battery. The battery was fine.
They said my alternator was putting out fifteen worried about
fifteen volts, which was in the red area. And I said, okay,
So they sold me an alternator. I went back to
(28:43):
the house, put the alternator on, still broken. Still same thing.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (28:47):
So then I go back to Advance Auto again and
I said, hey, could it possibly be the battery. So
they gave me another battery because the one I had
is still had about six months warranty on it that
it were kind enough to swamp it at you know,
give me no the battery. It's still the same problem.
And I'm seeing it on the gauge on my dashboard
right that the alternator is putting out about fifteen or
(29:09):
so volts and.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Any check engine light on, Bob No, okay, So let's
chat about this. That particular generation Silverado. Like a lot
of vehicles, they'll charge anywhere from eleven to fifteen and
a half volts, so fifteen vaults is not an overcharge.
All right, Okay, they didn't see any favors selling you
(29:34):
the battery because they steered your rong in the first
place in my opinion, all.
Speaker 6 (29:38):
Right, because yeah, I'm sorry, didn't sell the battery.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
They replaced my battery under a warm right, But and.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
They should because they're they're they're missing an important diagnostics
step here, all right, for a battery to be at
zero volts. He drove the truck last night, Yes, drove
it home, had no problems. No, Okay, So you sound
like a very cave smart guy, and I don't mean
that in a snarky way. You sound like you know
what's going on. Do you really think logically that the
(30:06):
battery would drain down from twelve, twelve and a half
thirteen vaults whatever it was last night to zero because
the alternator was bad?
Speaker 6 (30:14):
You know, That's exactly what I told the folks at
Advance Auto.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
I know, now, now, now right, yeah right. I was
gonna say, now, if if the alternator had an internal
problem and was causing a drain. Okay, but nobody's tested
for that yet. And that's that's the step that's missing
at There's two steps missing out of this diagnosis, all right.
Number one, nobody's done a draw test. You have a
(30:39):
digital vault homemeter, yes, I do. Does it have amps on? It?
Speaker 4 (30:43):
Is?
Speaker 1 (30:43):
It is? It is? It got an amp setting where
you can measure amps and milliams.
Speaker 6 (30:49):
I think, so, okay, great, we're.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Gonna make We're gonna make a mechanic out of you.
You're gonna you're gonna disconnect the negative cable and you're
gonna put that battery in series, meaning you're gonna but
the black lead of the battery of the meter to
the negative cable and the other lead to the battery.
All right, You're gonna take the key out, make sure
the lights are off, and take your leads and position
(31:13):
it so that you can close the hood in case
this has an anti theft system issue or an underhood
dome light on, and you're gonna see the you're gonna
see the ampage. Set it to amperage all right. Then
when it drops down low enough, set it to milliamps.
The goal is the average vehicle has to have less
than fifty milliams of draw fifty fifty ounces of water
(31:34):
flowing out of the toilet to speak it or less
to be considered acceptable. All right, If that makes sense
to you. Think of electricity. Think of electricity like this, Right,
the garden hose on your house, if it's not on,
is there water pressure?
Speaker 2 (31:50):
No? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Well no, well there's pressure, right, I mean there's always
pressure at the hose against the valve behind, right, Yeah,
But there's there's no flow, so there's no current. There's
no volume. So voltage is pressure current. The stuff that
actually does the electrical work is volume. All right. If
you left that hose partially on and got a little trickle,
(32:13):
you know your your water bill's going up, right, right,
because you're flowing water. But if your your water bill
doesn't doesn't go up if it's if the valve is
off and you've got only pressure, right, Think of it
like that. So you want to do a draw test
to see is there an electrical drain on the system,
And I'm willing to bet you're gonna find one, all right.
Speaker 6 (32:35):
Okay, so I'm gonna put the amp and i'm gonna
put the amp meter.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Let me get it straight.
Speaker 6 (32:38):
I'm gonna put it between I'm going to disconnect the
black lead right bat right, hook one end of the
of the of the meter to that and the other
end to my negative post right right.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
And we're looking we're looking for a draw test. We're
looking for a draw all right. So you know you'll
and you'll see it. Serge, You're gonna see the number
be real high. Becase because initially it's it's going to
every module in the vehicle is going to have an
electrical draw against it, right, and then over time, Now
this could take up the forty five minutes. Okay, all right,
(33:11):
so don't don't be concerned. You know, set an egg
timer and watch the meter. The meter should kick down
when it gets down under an acceptable range. Switch it
to milliams. I don't know what your meter's range scale is,
so you want to set it to milliams so you
don't pop the internal fusee of the meter, all right,
But you want to see less than you want to see.
The number fifty or less. A typical silverado is somewhere
(33:33):
between twenty five and thirty milliams. That generation, all right,
And if you constantly see more than fifty, either something
look at the cigarette lighter, Look at look do you
have a cell phone plugged in? Do you have something
in the console that you're not aware of that's plugged in?
You know? Or is there a light on? Did you
open the glove box last night? Is the interior light
of the glovebox on and you don't know it? You know?
(33:54):
Is something on somewhere in the truck that you're not
aware of? But you've got an electrical drain, all right?
That call me if you need more. I gotta go
im up against the clock. All right, sir, you're right.
Welcome Bob. I'm running ady in the car. Doctor. I'll
be back right after this, okay, real quick for Bob
(34:22):
and Virginia. And then the other thing I wanted to
mention was to look at that car. You really need
a scan tool and to go in and look and
see what's the charge rate. It'll show you charging rate
desired and actual charge rate duty cycle, all right, and
it'll show you the fluctuation in the variation. I think
you've got to draw test. I think you've got to draw, Bob,
and that test I gave you will do it for you.
(34:43):
The second thing is thank God for research Kathy, she
just informed me. The long sleeve r A Automotive T
shirts are not on the website yet they're coming. The
long sleeve Car Doctor T shirt is on the website,
so thank god we have research, Kathy. I'm running Ady
in the Car Doctor till then it's time. Good mechanics
aren't expensive, they're priceless. See you
Host
Ron Ananian
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