Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor, is back with more real calls from everyday drivers like you:
-
Harry from Vegas has a 2000 Tahoe burning oil badly on the highway and a 2012 Cadillac CTS with a leaking head gasket or maybe a porous engine block. Ron suspects stuck oil rings and suggests trying Stiction Eliminator before considering a rebuild.
-
Spencer from Michigan reports his Chevy Impala’s fuel gauge jumping all over the place, but the car’s fuel economy is fine. Ron believes it’s a faulty gauge, not a fuel leak.
-
Paul from Virginia Beach lost a key fob for his 2017 Mercedes Sprinter RV. With Mercedes’ strict policies and chip shortages, replacing it won’t be easy.
Stay tuned as Ron breaks down the fixes and offers tips you can trust.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
You're listening to Ron and Nanian the Car Doctor, nationally
recognized auto expert trusted by Mechanics, Weekend wrenchers and vehicle
owners Alife. Ron brings over forty years of hands on
experience and deep industry insight to help you understand your vehicle.
Join the Conversation live every Saturday from two to four
pm Eastern by calling eight five to five five six
zero nine nine zero zero. That's eight five to five
(00:25):
five six zero ninety nine hundred, your direct line to
honest answers and practical advice. Looking for more, visit cardoctorshow
dot com for past episodes, repair tips, and Ron's latest insights,
and be sure to subscribe to the Car Doctor YouTube
channel for exclusive videos, real repair footage and more. Now
start your engines. The Car Doctor is in the garage
(00:47):
and ready to take your call.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Well, I see that the phones are lit up when
the backed up the five five six zero nine nine
zero zero.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
What kind of a mood is Ron in this hour?
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Let's say Harry and Vegas. Let's start here. Harry, Welcome
to the Car Doctor, sir.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
How can I help hi?
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Doctor? Yes, sir, got two vehicles bought you and one
day two thousand Tahoe four whill drive got about one
hundred and twenty thousand miles on the second engine, which
I bought brand new over the counter at Chevrolet. And
the weird thing that's doing is this. It's got a
(01:26):
thirty gallons gas tanks. It's three it's a five seven engine,
which I think is three fifty right, yep, yeah, okay.
And that thing burned in town burns about a court
of oil. Ever every seven eight nine tanks of gas?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
How many miles? How many miles is that, Harry?
Speaker 4 (01:48):
One hundred and twenty?
Speaker 5 (01:50):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (01:50):
No, no, no, no, how many? And how many?
Speaker 4 (01:53):
No?
Speaker 3 (01:53):
No, how many miles? You know that? That's seven tanks
of fuel? What is that? Five hundred miles? Nine hundred
miles an I'm.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Getting about I think close to three hundred miles a tank,
and that's thirty galls.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
So you're driving two thousand miles burning a quart of
oil in town, right, But on the highway it doesn't.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
On the highway, it burns a quart of oil every
two tanks a gas. Well, listen, that's cruising. That's cruising
at seventy miles an hour at least.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
It's consistent, so I wonder what would happen. I always
think about crank case pressure whenever I hear this. And
this is a real quick, simple thing to try. I
don't think it's going to fix it, but we'll both
feel better because we know we tried something. Is what
if you pull the dipstick out of the tube so
it sits out about a half inch, relieve some relief,
(02:45):
some crank case pressure.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Does that make a change?
Speaker 5 (02:50):
You know?
Speaker 2 (02:50):
And then you know, looking at or considering crank case
ventilation system, do we have something restricted stuck? Has it
been this way since new? I mean how long ago
is the engines?
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Now you swapped about I don't know, six seven years ago. Okay,
so you just started doing it in about the last
maybe a.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Year and a half two, right, and I'm sure you
were good about oil changes.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Oh yeah, excellent? Right, Actually break the place in the PCB.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Valve to right, So and you're using a good quality part, right,
I always have to throw that in just to make sure, right, yep? Yeah,
you know, But do we have a crank case do
we have a crank case issue? Do we have sticky
or stuck oil rings? If we if we want to
go for magic in a bottle, you know. Take a
look at the Hotshot Secret website, take a look at
(03:41):
some of their additives. Fiction eliminator comes to mind. Do
we have and keep in mind, you're gonna tell me
we're on the inside of the engine looks spotlessly clean,
because I'm sure you've already looked. You've either pulled the
valve cover, you've looked inside the breather tube or some
such thing. But stiction, which is at first I thought
it was a magical word, like who made this up?
But it's actually true.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
For diesels.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
For example, Ford actually and Ford actually supports Hotshots Secret
with Stition eliminator. They make it part of the repair
process for the seven point three liter diesels because of
issues with oil getting gummy and sticky and binding the
and creating injector flow problems and things like that. I
can tell you that Stition eliminator may help this. If
(04:26):
we've got sticky, stuck rings and we're looking to clean
up the crank case, so to speak, it sure can't hurt.
It's an inexpensive attempt because the only other option after
we get through crank case breathing and we're not able
to free up rings.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Is where's it going?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Is it in the heads? Is it in the bottom end?
And we could spend the money and determine that, but
it's probably going to come down to we've got to
either pull the engine apart or swap it again, and
how much fun is that going to be?
Speaker 4 (04:56):
So but like I said in town, it seems it
doesn't burn that much oil. It teams like right.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Well, because well that's and that's that's why I think
this is a ring issue because obviously we're all along
the interstate. It's seventy seventy five miles an hour, and
let's be realistic, how many times do we really drive
it seventy five miles an hour in the interstate where
seventy five we're going in New Jersey. If you're doing
seventy five, you're going so slow the eighteen wheels are
going to run you over. So we're being hot, we're
(05:24):
building higher crank case pressure, and you know we're pressurizing,
pushing whale up past the rings usually. So that's why
I think I think about binding or stuck or you know,
a seized oil control ring or two or three. That's
why I come back to the stitional later concept. But
there's there's no known commonality.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
To that, Harry.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
There's nothing I can do to ease your pain there
other than those two things. And you know another engine
but and I'm sure GM says it's out of warranty,
right sixty miles seven years later.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
So so this this product is called.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
What go to hotshot secret dot com? Okay, all right,
and you want to look for stiction eliminator.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Okay, all right, I've used it.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
I can tell you right now, I've personally used it.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
It's green.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
It looks like it looks like a bottle of slime
that the kids play with, right, but it's this like
fluorescent green. It really stands out. I used it in
my ninety seven Ranger. I had a valve tick that
I couldn't get rid of, and it worked.
Speaker 5 (06:30):
You know.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
So I always feel like, and I'm not a miracle
drug and a can kind of mechanic, but I've come
to the point where, you know, science and technology does
seem to help at times, and rather than pull an engine, I'll.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Try that first.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
If that doesn't work, and the crank case ventilation issue
and the dipstick relief doesn't do anything, and all the
dipstick relief is going to do is tell me if
it's in the crank case. If that doesn't work, well
then I've got to pull the engine apart. And I
would tell you this time, if you have one, find
a local engine older and let them go through and
(07:03):
either rebuild that one or build you another motor from scratch.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
So probably should I probably should have done that in
the first place.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Well, there is there is something to be said. And
I've always I've always kept this in the back of
my mind. The assembly line engines are built where on
an assembly line there's no personal touch, there's there's there's
less accountability. You know, the assembly line is always happy
to give you another engine that they built on the
(07:30):
assembly line if the first one fails under the warranty period.
Whereas the engine builder, his reputation rides on that. And
those guys are fanatics and sticklers, the good ones who
make that work.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
That's their livelihood.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
So I would I would tell you, you know, small town, USA,
find that, find your local engine builder and support him.
At least you've got somebody to go back and talk
to in the event of a problem.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
So yeah, I'm definitely going to do it that way.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Second question two for a nickel.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Okay, I got a two. Also got twenty twelve Cadillac cts.
Also about it new It's got seventy thousand miles on it.
It's got the three point seven engine.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Right.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
It developed a small head gasket leak into one of
the cylinders, so it's burning the coolant. It started about
I think about a half year ago. Now I'm just wondering.
It's only got seventy thousand miles on this thing. I've
(08:31):
treated it almost like a baby. And is there a
problem with this engine? Are you?
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Are you sure it's the head gasket?
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Yeah? We did a combustion sniff test on it, okay,
and that's what we got the reading. And also yeah,
there's no league external leaches, nothing in the fan.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Get your hands on g You got a pencil and paper,
get your hands on GM bulletin twenty two NA dish two?
Speaker 5 (09:01):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Can you repeat that? Sure?
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Twenty two NA dash to forty and that talks about
problems with that particular engine. And boy, Harry, I don't
know your lucky. You may get out of Vegas, brother,
because your luck's not good.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
All right.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
They've got I think I need a different manufacturer.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Yeah, something, because that engine has problems with block porosity,
seeping coolant through water jackets into the engine oil. So
that's why I say, are we sure it's a head
gasket And in that case, yeah, it's you know that
you're losing coolant internally, and assuming it's a.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
Head gasket, yeah, because it's not an oil pant.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Right, So.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
You know, although the block porosity issue, generally you will
start to see coolant in the oil, but truth be told,
head gasket failure generally you'll start to see cooling in
the oil as well. So maybe this is you know,
if this is a head gasket issue, why can't we
pull the plugs, pressurize the cooling system overnight, let it sit,
come back in the morning and look in each cylinder,
(10:03):
bringing around by hand, see if we see any coolant
on top of the pistons. Let's get a borscope and
look and said.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Right, we did a we did a combustion test on
the on the radiator. All right, yeah, that's fair, was
coming back positive. But what if if this is got
if this is the problem, which I almost shure, is
what what do you what do you recommend as to Fitch.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Find that local engine builder get him to build you
another one. I'm sorry, hey, Harry, can I can I
try and make your day better?
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (10:40):
If you stay on the line after we say goodbye,
give Tom, give Tom your name and address. I'm gonna
send you a car doctor T shirt. I think you
need a boost today, my friend. Anybody that anybody.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
I'm about I'm about a shot of whiskey.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Well I can't do that legally, but I can't cross
state lines. The revenueurs will come and get at me.
But stay on the line and just give Tom your
T shirt size. We'll sands you out a card doctor
T shirt and maybe it'll brighten your day. I'm not
sure you'll, but you'll. You'll think of us when you're
when you're at the bar, having an adult beverage and
thinking about your cars. I'm sorry to condemn two engines
(11:16):
in one one setting.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
So all right, sir, Yeah, well, thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
You're very welcome. Harry, you'll be well, Hey, yeah, yeay,
Harry better get out of Vegas.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
He can't.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
He definitely shouldn't go play cards tonight. A five five,
five six zero nine nine zero zero running any of.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
The card doctor. I'll be back right after this.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Let's go to Michigan and talk to Spencer eight Chevy
and Pala. Spencer your own with the card doctor. How
can I help?
Speaker 5 (11:40):
Hey?
Speaker 4 (11:42):
Good?
Speaker 6 (11:42):
How are you okay? So just it's a mechanic special.
I bought it for a thousand bucks single dad. You know,
I'm kind of trying to save money.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
Eventually, I get it.
Speaker 6 (11:50):
It was recommended, it was recommended that I changed the
fuel line at the moment, unfortunately can but I'm seeing
a huge fluctuation between when I'm driving and then I
turn off my car, turn it back on. I'm down,
you know, seventy seventy to eighty miles, and it doesn't,
you know, it never gets back to where it was
(12:11):
at that one time. So I'm trying to think. I
was hoping you'd have a recommendation on something I could
just kind of.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Well wait to figure out. Wait a minute, brother, So
all right, so that's okay.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
So you bought this, all right, I can envision what
this is for a thousand bucks and you were told
to change the fuel line.
Speaker 6 (12:33):
Yeah, so it said they replaced from the uh from
the motor to the to the gas tank why that
there's a there's a small leak apparently.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Okay, And why don't you think fuel is leaking causing
the change in mileage?
Speaker 6 (12:50):
Because when I go to the you know, when I
go to the source of leak, it's usually just small
drops of oil. It's not a tremendous amount.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Well, small drops of gas, not oil. Okay, right, it's
a fuel lie.
Speaker 6 (13:12):
Well yeah, so it's a fuel line, but it starts
the motor and goes the gas line. And they said
that's the replacement. But I don't. I guess when I
go down to look at the actual content, it's more
oil based than gas. Like it. It's oil essentially.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Okay, So are there other are there? Are we sure
we're looking at the right line?
Speaker 5 (13:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Are you looking at this? Here is your mechanic looking
at the well.
Speaker 6 (13:37):
After my mechanic had looked at it, because he did,
I had to choose one or the other service to
get done, you know, kind of one of those things, right,
And that's what my mechanics that the leak was upfront,
as it was heavy upfront, that is what I said.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
So it sounds like from my seat here, he's talking
about perhaps an engine oil cooler line or a trans
will cooler line, you.
Speaker 6 (14:01):
Know, and I'm not blessed in those terms, right, familiar.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Right is leaking?
Speaker 2 (14:07):
My my? I have two concerns here. Number one, obviously,
I want you to get better fuel economy, all right,
and I want if there's a legitimate issue, I want
I want to fix it. But but number two, you
know you said it in your first sentence to me,
and I admire you for your a single dad, right,
you're trying to take care of some kids.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Yeah, I want.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
I want to make sure that I want to make
sure that the kid's not riding around in a vehicle
with a fuel leak. If somebody throws a cigarette out
the window, kaboom.
Speaker 6 (14:36):
And I did get my mechanics, you know, fuel approval,
that the car was stated to drive essentially well.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
But you know, hear me out, all right. A fuel
leak is a leak. A leak is a leak. There's
there's no there's no I'm a little bit pregnant, all right.
Either either are or not.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
It either leaks or it doesn't. If it's a if
it's a fuel leak, it's not safe. So you know,
under no condition can we assume that that's safe because
it's it's one cigarette butt on the ground, park over the.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Top of it, and kaboom.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
So exactly I want you to get that clear as
far as as far as you know, why is the
engine losing fuel? Don't look at the miles per gallon?
All right, what does the gauge say? Is the gauge dropping?
Speaker 6 (15:25):
The cage does drop quite a bit yet.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
So you're telling me.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
You park the car and it's at half, You come
back to the car twenty four hours later, and now
it's down an eighth of a tank.
Speaker 6 (15:37):
Yeah, and then I once I started back up there,
it goes back to that half.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Okay, Well, then I'm not so worried about it.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
If we calculate, if we forget, forget all the bells
and whistles in the car spencer, because we're counting on
a computer in an eighteen twenty seventeen year old car
to make calculations for us. If you calculate your fuel economy,
does it stay the same? Is it consistent? And what
is it?
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Is it reasonable for what the vehicle is?
Speaker 6 (16:06):
Yeah, it's about twenty five mile.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Okay, then twenty five to the gallon? Yeah, brother, brother,
you're fine. I wouldn't focus on the I wouldn't focus on.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
The do dad how accurate it is? All right? I
would focus more on do I have a fuel leak?
Speaker 6 (16:21):
Gotcha? And thank god I have a backup car?
Speaker 2 (16:23):
So right, no, right, but thank you for the Hey, listen,
let me let me help you out a little bit.
If I can stay on the line, Let's give away
T shirts this hour.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Stay on the line.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Let Tom send you a car doctor T shirt. Give
him your size and we'll get that out there for you.
And uh, you know what, what's and you know what
if you want tell them what size your son is,
we have him from small, medium, large. Uh, you know
what if we got one that fits him this way,
two of you can dress up alike, all right. So
and he'll go, wow, look my dad got me a
T shirt. He'll never forget.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
All right, all right, kiddo, you're very welcome. You're very welcome.
You'd be well.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Yeah, safety comes into right. I can see Spencer and
his son walking down Main Street, T shirt's armor hand
in hand, right, you know, sentimentality, What a fool I am?
If Mom could see me now, then again, she probably
does eight five five five six zero nine nine zero
zero again eight five five five six zero nine nine
(17:18):
zero zero. By the way, you can get out the
card doctorshow dot com, get into the store and get
your own T shirt if you want. But let's give
him away this hour, so if anybody gets in, I'll
be back right after this. Eight five five five six
zero nine nine zero zero again eight by five five
six zero nine nine zero zero Running inn of the
Card Doctor, twenty four hour phone number.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Give us a call.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
If we're not on the air, We're Here's Saturday's two
to four pm Eastern time. Eight five five five six
zero nine nine zero zero. Leave a message and we
will call you back and put you in the q
FEN next live broadcast. Let's get on over and talk
to Paul and Virginia Beach. What's going on here with
a twenty seventeen Mercedes Sprinter. Paul, Welcome to the car Doctor, Sir,
How can I help?
Speaker 5 (17:57):
Hello?
Speaker 4 (17:57):
Ron?
Speaker 5 (17:57):
Yeah, thanks you and Tom for taking my call.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
It came for me, okay, Yeah, hear you perfectly. What's cooking?
Speaker 5 (18:03):
Okay? Great? So I went on an eight day RV
trip at the end of May Memorial Day. When I
came back, I could not find or I've misplaced the
second keyfob. I still have one that works. So I
went down to Mercedes local dealer. This is a Mercedes
splintered chassis with the Winnebago navion right on top.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Right, it's built, it's built on the chassis. It's basically
a motor home built on a Mercedes chassis.
Speaker 5 (18:29):
Correct, right, Yeah, it's about forty five thousand miles, runs great.
They I said, I'd like to order a new key fob,
and they said, well, I'll want to go back to
the parks department. She came back and said Mercedes is
not selling them. They've only got about two hundred in
stock and are only giving them the people who have
lost both keys and have to have their RV towed
(18:49):
in to replace it. Because I did more research, Apparently
it's because of a chip shortage. Yes, So I called
the supply in New Jersey who originally sold the vehicle
to the first owner. He said, what if I buy
the metal thing that sticks into the ignition and the
(19:10):
door lock and just a key fob without all the
internal guts and electronics and ship He said, you'll open
the door, but it won't start the vehicle because it
has to be tied to the electronics of the vehicle,
so correct, I'm looking for an alternative or a suggestion.
What the Mercedes dealer said was, well, just go buy
(19:34):
an electronic tag like a tile and put it on
the key ring so if you lose the one you
still have you can find it. They have no suggestions
about a second fob without no suggestions.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Isn't it amazing?
Speaker 2 (19:51):
It's and you know what, Paul, everything you said is
spot on true. That's Mercedes corporate position. If you if
you have to wait until you lose it, and the
only the only way they know that you lost it,
you have to call them up.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
I lost my key fob. They're going to tow the motor.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Home in, right, can't drive it in, They're gonna tow
it in. And they're going to sell you two key fobs.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
At twelve hundred dollars a piece.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
Right, so you're gonna plus the toe. So you got
to figure this is a three thousand dollars key. By
the time you're done and you just you scratch your head,
you say, really, what I wouldn't suggest or try? What
I would ask the dealership depending upon how good or
bad your relationship is at this point, because I don't
(20:41):
know if you've had a few choice.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Words for them.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
If you were to get a replacement fob, did they
have the ability to erase it and program it to
the system. And then if you go out to eBay
and buy a used fob, can they erase a used fob.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
And program that to the vehicle?
Speaker 5 (21:00):
That's a question. I think they would need to have
Mercedes authorization to wipe out the vehicle programming as well
as the two fobs, the new one and in the
existing one. But if Mercedes would have to authorize it,
I guess.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
But it's a question you got to ask, right if
I came up with a used alternative, for that matter,
if you came up with two fresh alternatives on your own,
two fresh used alternatives on your own, could they program it?
Speaker 5 (21:29):
Well, they'd have to program, but they also have to
cut the blank at the ignition. So yeah, so not
a lot of good suggestions.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
No, there's and you know what, you're at the mercy
of the manufacturer at that point. Now, why they're claiming
this chip short and this has been going on for
the better part of three years.
Speaker 5 (21:50):
I never heard of it but now I have right.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Yeah, this has been going on the better part of
three years. And what gets me is every time I
run across this, I go, it's a year and a half,
it's it's two years, it's it's two years in three months.
It's now three years later, and they still have this problem.
They haven't done anything to correct it. I guess we're
never buying another thing from Mercedes.
Speaker 5 (22:12):
Huh, Well, I mean I thought the chip shortage had
kind of resolved itself. That's someone kind of surprised.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Well, I think part of the problem is, you know,
the back door, backroom conversation is that this particular chip
system was only employed in a few models, and as
a result, there isn't enough demand to retool up the
line to start making the chips again.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
It was it.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Was a specific design that only a few models incorporated,
and they're thinking, well, why would I want to go
and spend thousands of dollars or millions of dollars or
some point in between to create all these chips again,
because how much demand is there.
Speaker 5 (22:52):
It would be probably like a like a specialty for
that unique model.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Correct. Correct, It would be like it would be like
stamping out one of.
Speaker 5 (23:01):
My former bosses said never buy anything with a low
ceial number.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Well, right, well, he's not wrong, right, you know, it
would be kind of like, you know, looking for them
to re stamp fenders for an etzel. Why would they
there aren't enough of them left for it. The matter,
I feel your pain, I really do. I really do, Paul.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
I've got a tile that I that I bought. I'm
gonna put it on the key ring and maybe for
your listeners, it's not a bad idea to put tiles
or electronic tags on all your keys.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Well, and I'll tell you what. Let's go one better.
If anybody out there has run into this and they've
got a better solution, we'd love to hear it, because
this is this is a problem that I've heard and
run into. This is probably the fourth time I've heard
this in three years that it's it's it's an issue.
Tell you what, Paul, stay on the line. I'm gonna
send you out a card doctor T shirt. Everybody's in
pain today. You notice that guys are losing engines, guys
(23:54):
are losing keys. Let's let's send you a T shirt
will make you smile. So stay on the line. Let
Tom get your size and information. We'll get a T
shirt out to you this week. All right, Kittle, Thanks rolling,
and you're very welcome, sir, you'd be well. Eight five
five five six zero nine nine zero zero. Let's pull over,
take a pause.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
I'm running any in the car. Doctor. We'll be back
right after this. Hey, let's uh. Oh, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Let's go to Kerry and uh, I don't know where
carry is? Uh carries in Oklahoma. I'm sorry, I can't see.
I can't read anymore. I saw carry okay, I said, yeah,
Carry's okay. No, Oh, Kerry, Oklahoma, got it.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
It's been a long hour two thousand and three Odyssey Kerry.
How can I help? What's going on?
Speaker 5 (24:37):
So?
Speaker 7 (24:38):
I was driving it earlier in the week and the
dash lights stayed on, but the gages completely flatlined, transmission
of power, steering were dead, and engines still ran, fans
were still running. Everything else is still going. I just
(25:00):
couldn't accelerate all that. So I pulled over and it
happened numerous times. But I had the issues before with
the battery housing.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
So I got under.
Speaker 7 (25:13):
The hood and check the battery. It was secure, checked
the connectors to the posts, and terminals. Everything was fine.
So I was like, all right, let's start everything off
and I I didn't do it again, shut the fans off,
everything radio, and it didn't do it again. Now nobody
(25:36):
can tell me what's wrong with it.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Okay, so it can't be reproduced. But it happened once
or twice three times, and that was it.
Speaker 7 (25:45):
Yeah, it happened about three or four times. Was in
about half a mile. And once I got out and
fiddled with the battery, you know, checking stuff with the battery,
just making sure that wasn't the issue again, or nothing
happened or.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Something cooled off. So let me ask you this question.
When you say the transmission was dead, the engine ran
when you stepped on the gas, what would happen? Nothing,
The engine wouldn't riv up, Nope, But it.
Speaker 7 (26:15):
Was still like I could hear the engine running, and
so I like I would have to turn my van
off to restart it, but like I could still hear
the engine, or at least it sounded like the engine.
It could have just been belts or something running.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Well, belts belts won't belts won't run by themselves. You
sure this isn't a case you were hearing the cooling
fan running and the engine and the engine was off.
Speaker 6 (26:46):
Could have been.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
Because that would make sense.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
It would make sense to me that the engine was off,
or the engine was in accessory mode, or it thought
it was an accessory mode, and you know, steering would
be I the engine wouldn't run, the gauges would be
down because it thought you had switched it off.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
Higher mileage vehicle almost two. Do you have a lot
of stuff on your key ring? Nope, just singular kid.
Speaker 5 (27:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
I always asked that question, kiddo.
Speaker 7 (27:21):
No, So been through that twice with the ignition switch
because of excess keys. So it is the two keys
because I have to have a key for the ignition
key for the door because the cylinder had to be changed,
so I had to get a new key for the ignition.
But now it's just the keyring and those two keys.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
And has anybody done a full vehicle code scan? I
don't mean an auto port store code scan. I mean
repair shop, your make model. We look at every module.
Does anything report a fault?
Speaker 6 (27:58):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (27:59):
All I know is because it's at the dealership right now.
They have said they have run like there's no codes,
no errors, nothing. They have not been able to reproduce anything.
They've checked for parasitic power draw They've checked everything, and
they're like, we can't everything.
Speaker 6 (28:20):
It's good to go.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
We don't, right, So the next question becomes the next
time it happens, pull over the side of the road,
turn the key off, turn the key on, but don't
start it.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Do you do you have dash lights? Did you have
dash lights this time?
Speaker 2 (28:38):
I don't mean white lights, I mean warning indicators. Did
the warning indicators light up when it's stalled? Because I'm
thinking this was a stall condition.
Speaker 7 (28:47):
So at one point they did come on like I
was in accessory mode, like I had the back lights. Yes,
but it had the Gaga's head flatlined. And one of
the times it without me doing anything, it just splited
in all the warning lights. All everything came back up,
(29:10):
but the gauges didn't.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Okay, any aftermarket accessories in this vehicle, Kerry, not that
I'm aware of. Okay, you're the original owner. I know
you bought it, used, it was used.
Speaker 7 (29:22):
I got it in twenty fourteen.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Okay, I'm going to tell you that this is going
to be a case of we've got to go around
the engine compartment wiring, harness, pull proke, prod, try and
duplicate it, try and get the cutout. I don't think
you will take a look under the dish, anything obvious,
any signs of animals anywhere, chewing on wires. We're looking
for the ridiculous and the obvious, and then you've just
(29:46):
got to be aware the next time it happens. Is
the engine really running right? That would be the key,
And the simplest way is with the engine running. You know,
you sound fairly smart. You know what a serpentine belt is, right,
go out and look the alternator spinning? Is the belt moving?
It's difficult for me to get my brain around. The
(30:07):
engine makes noise, but the transmission does absolutely nothing. When
I step on the gas, the engine should at least
rev up right all right, and it doesn't. So I'm
thinking the engine was stalled. You were hearing the cooling
fans run. That would account for And then all of
a sudden, the diagnosis makes sense. The trans won't work,
the power steering won't work, the car won't accelerate, so
(30:29):
the car thought it was in a stall mode. Now,
the last question I've got is, you know what sort
of shape is the lock cylinder, and is it warned,
does it have a little bit of.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
Slop to it that it's you would know, all right,
you don't have to. You don't have to.
Speaker 7 (30:49):
It's it's just like there's yeah, it just starts well.
And that's the other thing though, over the last couple
of weeks, it hasn't started right off, like I'd turn
it and it would act like it was going to start,
and then I'd let go, and then it wouldn't, and
(31:10):
then I'd give it another round.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
And it would just almost almost like the key was
in the wrong position.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Possibly, I think you got an ignition switch issue, sweetheart,
so be aware of it, all right. You could have
them look at wiring and consider either changing a switch,
which isn't the most expensive thing in the world, using
a good quality Honda part. Or you could have them
wire in a bulb, an indicator bulb to show power
(31:37):
coming into the switch or power coming out pick your
poison or both. And this way, the next time it stalls,
is one light lit up, is both lights lit up,
and it'll cut the diagnosis in half because you're at
that point in the circuit where if both lights are
lit up, or if one's lit up, and the other
one isn't that tells me that we've got an issue
with the ignition switch itself.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Stand on the line. I'm gonna get your name and
address and size. Tell it. We'll send you out a card,
doctor T shirt. Try and brighten your day.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
Not to make me the savior here, but let's see
if we can give you something to laugh at or
enjoy while.
Speaker 3 (32:09):
You're wearing it.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
All right, Kerry, good luck to you, and keep us posted.
Let us know what happens. I'm on an AD in
the car.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
Doctor, We're back right after this.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
Let's real quick, get to Matt, Matt go, we got
about a minute and a half.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
Babe, what's going on?
Speaker 5 (32:25):
Hey?
Speaker 8 (32:25):
You got a ninety eight jet of td I okay,
and fifth gear it gives in the limb mode. I
got two of these cars and they both seem to
do the same thing.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
Okay, So I.
Speaker 8 (32:39):
Replaced the head. I was one of the unfortunate ones
to push it on the timing belt and roll the
dice on a new head. Yep, and again it always
does is fifth gear?
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Right?
Speaker 2 (32:52):
You know what's common is they lose vehicle speed sensor
signal from either G sixty eight or G thirty eight.
All right, there's two speat sensors in the trans for
this particular car, and it will lose. It will lose
or get an erratic signal from one or the other.
So it's a matter of going through wiring, looking at wiring.
Either either scope or scope is probably going to be
(33:15):
the only way.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
Ninety eight.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
I know that I would trust the signal on a
scan tool to look at it and verify it that way,
But that's where you're headed for it to go into
limp mode like that, losing track of speed signal generally
out of the transmission output shaft, and it creates that
fault code. Sorry, I'm gonna have more time, Mattie. I
hope that gets you in the right direction. Stand the line, however,
(33:37):
we will brighten your day and send you.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Out a card doctor t shirt.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
We appreciate you calling in and if it can help
you any further, just give us a call next week
when we have more time available. Till the next time.
I'm Ron and Andy and the car doctor. I'm happy
to be here and proud to serve with all of
you till the next time. Good mechanics aren't expensive, they're priceless,
See you
You're listening to Ron and Nanian the Car Doctor, nationally
recognized auto expert trusted by Mechanics, Weekend wrenchers and vehicle
owners Alife. Ron brings over forty years of hands on
experience and deep industry insight to help you understand your vehicle.
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(00:25):
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start your engines. The Car Doctor is in the garage
(00:47):
and ready to take your call.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Well, I see that the phones are lit up when
the backed up the five five six zero nine nine
zero zero.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
What kind of a mood is Ron in this hour?
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Let's say Harry and Vegas. Let's start here. Harry, Welcome
to the Car Doctor, sir.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
How can I help hi?
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Doctor? Yes, sir, got two vehicles bought you and one
day two thousand Tahoe four whill drive got about one
hundred and twenty thousand miles on the second engine, which
I bought brand new over the counter at Chevrolet. And
the weird thing that's doing is this. It's got a
(01:26):
thirty gallons gas tanks. It's three it's a five seven engine,
which I think is three fifty right, yep, yeah, okay.
And that thing burned in town burns about a court
of oil. Ever every seven eight nine tanks of gas?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
How many miles? How many miles is that, Harry?
Speaker 4 (01:48):
One hundred and twenty?
Speaker 5 (01:50):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (01:50):
No, no, no, no, how many? And how many?
Speaker 4 (01:53):
No?
Speaker 3 (01:53):
No, how many miles? You know that? That's seven tanks
of fuel? What is that? Five hundred miles? Nine hundred
miles an I'm.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Getting about I think close to three hundred miles a tank,
and that's thirty galls.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
So you're driving two thousand miles burning a quart of
oil in town, right, But on the highway it doesn't.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
On the highway, it burns a quart of oil every
two tanks a gas. Well, listen, that's cruising. That's cruising
at seventy miles an hour at least.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
It's consistent, so I wonder what would happen. I always
think about crank case pressure whenever I hear this. And
this is a real quick, simple thing to try. I
don't think it's going to fix it, but we'll both
feel better because we know we tried something. Is what
if you pull the dipstick out of the tube so
it sits out about a half inch, relieve some relief,
(02:45):
some crank case pressure.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Does that make a change?
Speaker 5 (02:50):
You know?
Speaker 2 (02:50):
And then you know, looking at or considering crank case
ventilation system, do we have something restricted stuck? Has it
been this way since new? I mean how long ago
is the engines?
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Now you swapped about I don't know, six seven years ago. Okay,
so you just started doing it in about the last
maybe a.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Year and a half two, right, and I'm sure you
were good about oil changes.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Oh yeah, excellent? Right, Actually break the place in the PCB.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Valve to right, So and you're using a good quality part, right,
I always have to throw that in just to make sure, right, yep? Yeah,
you know, But do we have a crank case do
we have a crank case issue? Do we have sticky
or stuck oil rings? If we if we want to
go for magic in a bottle, you know. Take a
look at the Hotshot Secret website, take a look at
(03:41):
some of their additives. Fiction eliminator comes to mind. Do
we have and keep in mind, you're gonna tell me
we're on the inside of the engine looks spotlessly clean,
because I'm sure you've already looked. You've either pulled the
valve cover, you've looked inside the breather tube or some
such thing. But stiction, which is at first I thought
it was a magical word, like who made this up?
But it's actually true.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
For diesels.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
For example, Ford actually and Ford actually supports Hotshots Secret
with Stition eliminator. They make it part of the repair
process for the seven point three liter diesels because of
issues with oil getting gummy and sticky and binding the
and creating injector flow problems and things like that. I
can tell you that Stition eliminator may help this. If
(04:26):
we've got sticky, stuck rings and we're looking to clean
up the crank case, so to speak, it sure can't hurt.
It's an inexpensive attempt because the only other option after
we get through crank case breathing and we're not able
to free up rings.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Is where's it going?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Is it in the heads? Is it in the bottom end?
And we could spend the money and determine that, but
it's probably going to come down to we've got to
either pull the engine apart or swap it again, and
how much fun is that going to be?
Speaker 4 (04:56):
So but like I said in town, it seems it
doesn't burn that much oil. It teams like right.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Well, because well that's and that's that's why I think
this is a ring issue because obviously we're all along
the interstate. It's seventy seventy five miles an hour, and
let's be realistic, how many times do we really drive
it seventy five miles an hour in the interstate where
seventy five we're going in New Jersey. If you're doing
seventy five, you're going so slow the eighteen wheels are
going to run you over. So we're being hot, we're
(05:24):
building higher crank case pressure, and you know we're pressurizing,
pushing whale up past the rings usually. So that's why
I think I think about binding or stuck or you know,
a seized oil control ring or two or three. That's
why I come back to the stitional later concept. But
there's there's no known commonality.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
To that, Harry.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
There's nothing I can do to ease your pain there
other than those two things. And you know another engine
but and I'm sure GM says it's out of warranty,
right sixty miles seven years later.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
So so this this product is called.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
What go to hotshot secret dot com? Okay, all right,
and you want to look for stiction eliminator.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Okay, all right, I've used it.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
I can tell you right now, I've personally used it.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
It's green.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
It looks like it looks like a bottle of slime
that the kids play with, right, but it's this like
fluorescent green. It really stands out. I used it in
my ninety seven Ranger. I had a valve tick that
I couldn't get rid of, and it worked.
Speaker 5 (06:30):
You know.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
So I always feel like, and I'm not a miracle
drug and a can kind of mechanic, but I've come
to the point where, you know, science and technology does
seem to help at times, and rather than pull an engine, I'll.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Try that first.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
If that doesn't work, and the crank case ventilation issue
and the dipstick relief doesn't do anything, and all the
dipstick relief is going to do is tell me if
it's in the crank case. If that doesn't work, well
then I've got to pull the engine apart. And I
would tell you this time, if you have one, find
a local engine older and let them go through and
(07:03):
either rebuild that one or build you another motor from scratch.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
So probably should I probably should have done that in
the first place.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Well, there is there is something to be said. And
I've always I've always kept this in the back of
my mind. The assembly line engines are built where on
an assembly line there's no personal touch, there's there's there's
less accountability. You know, the assembly line is always happy
to give you another engine that they built on the
(07:30):
assembly line if the first one fails under the warranty period.
Whereas the engine builder, his reputation rides on that. And
those guys are fanatics and sticklers, the good ones who
make that work.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
That's their livelihood.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
So I would I would tell you, you know, small town, USA,
find that, find your local engine builder and support him.
At least you've got somebody to go back and talk
to in the event of a problem.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
So yeah, I'm definitely going to do it that way.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Second question two for a nickel.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Okay, I got a two. Also got twenty twelve Cadillac cts.
Also about it new It's got seventy thousand miles on it.
It's got the three point seven engine.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Right.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
It developed a small head gasket leak into one of
the cylinders, so it's burning the coolant. It started about
I think about a half year ago. Now I'm just wondering.
It's only got seventy thousand miles on this thing. I've
(08:31):
treated it almost like a baby. And is there a
problem with this engine? Are you?
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Are you sure it's the head gasket?
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Yeah? We did a combustion sniff test on it, okay,
and that's what we got the reading. And also yeah,
there's no league external leaches, nothing in the fan.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Get your hands on g You got a pencil and paper,
get your hands on GM bulletin twenty two NA dish two?
Speaker 5 (09:01):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Can you repeat that? Sure?
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Twenty two NA dash to forty and that talks about
problems with that particular engine. And boy, Harry, I don't
know your lucky. You may get out of Vegas, brother,
because your luck's not good.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
All right.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
They've got I think I need a different manufacturer.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Yeah, something, because that engine has problems with block porosity,
seeping coolant through water jackets into the engine oil. So
that's why I say, are we sure it's a head
gasket And in that case, yeah, it's you know that
you're losing coolant internally, and assuming it's a.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
Head gasket, yeah, because it's not an oil pant.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Right, So.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
You know, although the block porosity issue, generally you will
start to see coolant in the oil, but truth be told,
head gasket failure generally you'll start to see cooling in
the oil as well. So maybe this is you know,
if this is a head gasket issue, why can't we
pull the plugs, pressurize the cooling system overnight, let it sit,
come back in the morning and look in each cylinder,
(10:03):
bringing around by hand, see if we see any coolant
on top of the pistons. Let's get a borscope and
look and said.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Right, we did a we did a combustion test on
the on the radiator. All right, yeah, that's fair, was
coming back positive. But what if if this is got
if this is the problem, which I almost shure, is
what what do you what do you recommend as to Fitch.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Find that local engine builder get him to build you
another one. I'm sorry, hey, Harry, can I can I
try and make your day better?
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (10:40):
If you stay on the line after we say goodbye,
give Tom, give Tom your name and address. I'm gonna
send you a car doctor T shirt. I think you
need a boost today, my friend. Anybody that anybody.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
I'm about I'm about a shot of whiskey.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Well I can't do that legally, but I can't cross
state lines. The revenueurs will come and get at me.
But stay on the line and just give Tom your
T shirt size. We'll sands you out a card doctor
T shirt and maybe it'll brighten your day. I'm not
sure you'll, but you'll. You'll think of us when you're
when you're at the bar, having an adult beverage and
thinking about your cars. I'm sorry to condemn two engines
(11:16):
in one one setting.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
So all right, sir, Yeah, well, thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
You're very welcome. Harry, you'll be well, Hey, yeah, yeay,
Harry better get out of Vegas.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
He can't.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
He definitely shouldn't go play cards tonight. A five five,
five six zero nine nine zero zero running any of.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
The card doctor. I'll be back right after this.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Let's go to Michigan and talk to Spencer eight Chevy
and Pala. Spencer your own with the card doctor. How
can I help?
Speaker 5 (11:40):
Hey?
Speaker 4 (11:42):
Good?
Speaker 6 (11:42):
How are you okay? So just it's a mechanic special.
I bought it for a thousand bucks single dad. You know,
I'm kind of trying to save money.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
Eventually, I get it.
Speaker 6 (11:50):
It was recommended, it was recommended that I changed the
fuel line at the moment, unfortunately can but I'm seeing
a huge fluctuation between when I'm driving and then I
turn off my car, turn it back on. I'm down,
you know, seventy seventy to eighty miles, and it doesn't,
you know, it never gets back to where it was
(12:11):
at that one time. So I'm trying to think. I
was hoping you'd have a recommendation on something I could
just kind of.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Well wait to figure out. Wait a minute, brother, So
all right, so that's okay.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
So you bought this, all right, I can envision what
this is for a thousand bucks and you were told
to change the fuel line.
Speaker 6 (12:33):
Yeah, so it said they replaced from the uh from
the motor to the to the gas tank why that
there's a there's a small leak apparently.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Okay, And why don't you think fuel is leaking causing
the change in mileage?
Speaker 6 (12:50):
Because when I go to the you know, when I
go to the source of leak, it's usually just small
drops of oil. It's not a tremendous amount.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Well, small drops of gas, not oil. Okay, right, it's
a fuel lie.
Speaker 6 (13:12):
Well yeah, so it's a fuel line, but it starts
the motor and goes the gas line. And they said
that's the replacement. But I don't. I guess when I
go down to look at the actual content, it's more
oil based than gas. Like it. It's oil essentially.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Okay, So are there other are there? Are we sure
we're looking at the right line?
Speaker 5 (13:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Are you looking at this? Here is your mechanic looking
at the well.
Speaker 6 (13:37):
After my mechanic had looked at it, because he did,
I had to choose one or the other service to
get done, you know, kind of one of those things, right,
And that's what my mechanics that the leak was upfront,
as it was heavy upfront, that is what I said.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
So it sounds like from my seat here, he's talking
about perhaps an engine oil cooler line or a trans
will cooler line, you.
Speaker 6 (14:01):
Know, and I'm not blessed in those terms, right, familiar.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Right is leaking?
Speaker 2 (14:07):
My my? I have two concerns here. Number one, obviously,
I want you to get better fuel economy, all right,
and I want if there's a legitimate issue, I want
I want to fix it. But but number two, you
know you said it in your first sentence to me,
and I admire you for your a single dad, right,
you're trying to take care of some kids.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Yeah, I want.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
I want to make sure that I want to make
sure that the kid's not riding around in a vehicle
with a fuel leak. If somebody throws a cigarette out
the window, kaboom.
Speaker 6 (14:36):
And I did get my mechanics, you know, fuel approval,
that the car was stated to drive essentially well.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
But you know, hear me out, all right. A fuel
leak is a leak. A leak is a leak. There's
there's no there's no I'm a little bit pregnant, all right.
Either either are or not.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
It either leaks or it doesn't. If it's a if
it's a fuel leak, it's not safe. So you know,
under no condition can we assume that that's safe because
it's it's one cigarette butt on the ground, park over the.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Top of it, and kaboom.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
So exactly I want you to get that clear as
far as as far as you know, why is the
engine losing fuel? Don't look at the miles per gallon?
All right, what does the gauge say? Is the gauge dropping?
Speaker 6 (15:25):
The cage does drop quite a bit yet.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
So you're telling me.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
You park the car and it's at half, You come
back to the car twenty four hours later, and now
it's down an eighth of a tank.
Speaker 6 (15:37):
Yeah, and then I once I started back up there,
it goes back to that half.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Okay, Well, then I'm not so worried about it.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
If we calculate, if we forget, forget all the bells
and whistles in the car spencer, because we're counting on
a computer in an eighteen twenty seventeen year old car
to make calculations for us. If you calculate your fuel economy,
does it stay the same? Is it consistent? And what
is it?
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Is it reasonable for what the vehicle is?
Speaker 6 (16:06):
Yeah, it's about twenty five mile.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Okay, then twenty five to the gallon? Yeah, brother, brother,
you're fine. I wouldn't focus on the I wouldn't focus on.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
The do dad how accurate it is? All right? I
would focus more on do I have a fuel leak?
Speaker 6 (16:21):
Gotcha? And thank god I have a backup car?
Speaker 2 (16:23):
So right, no, right, but thank you for the Hey, listen,
let me let me help you out a little bit.
If I can stay on the line, Let's give away
T shirts this hour.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Stay on the line.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Let Tom send you a car doctor T shirt. Give
him your size and we'll get that out there for you.
And uh, you know what, what's and you know what
if you want tell them what size your son is,
we have him from small, medium, large. Uh, you know
what if we got one that fits him this way,
two of you can dress up alike, all right. So
and he'll go, wow, look my dad got me a
T shirt. He'll never forget.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
All right, all right, kiddo, you're very welcome. You're very welcome.
You'd be well.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Yeah, safety comes into right. I can see Spencer and
his son walking down Main Street, T shirt's armor hand
in hand, right, you know, sentimentality, What a fool I am?
If Mom could see me now, then again, she probably
does eight five five five six zero nine nine zero
zero again eight five five five six zero nine nine
(17:18):
zero zero. By the way, you can get out the
card doctorshow dot com, get into the store and get
your own T shirt if you want. But let's give
him away this hour, so if anybody gets in, I'll
be back right after this. Eight five five five six
zero nine nine zero zero again eight by five five
six zero nine nine zero zero Running inn of the
Card Doctor, twenty four hour phone number.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Give us a call.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
If we're not on the air, We're Here's Saturday's two
to four pm Eastern time. Eight five five five six
zero nine nine zero zero. Leave a message and we
will call you back and put you in the q
FEN next live broadcast. Let's get on over and talk
to Paul and Virginia Beach. What's going on here with
a twenty seventeen Mercedes Sprinter. Paul, Welcome to the car Doctor, Sir,
How can I help?
Speaker 5 (17:57):
Hello?
Speaker 4 (17:57):
Ron?
Speaker 5 (17:57):
Yeah, thanks you and Tom for taking my call.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
It came for me, okay, Yeah, hear you perfectly. What's cooking?
Speaker 5 (18:03):
Okay? Great? So I went on an eight day RV
trip at the end of May Memorial Day. When I
came back, I could not find or I've misplaced the
second keyfob. I still have one that works. So I
went down to Mercedes local dealer. This is a Mercedes
splintered chassis with the Winnebago navion right on top.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Right, it's built, it's built on the chassis. It's basically
a motor home built on a Mercedes chassis.
Speaker 5 (18:29):
Correct, right, Yeah, it's about forty five thousand miles, runs great.
They I said, I'd like to order a new key fob,
and they said, well, I'll want to go back to
the parks department. She came back and said Mercedes is
not selling them. They've only got about two hundred in
stock and are only giving them the people who have
lost both keys and have to have their RV towed
(18:49):
in to replace it. Because I did more research, Apparently
it's because of a chip shortage. Yes, So I called
the supply in New Jersey who originally sold the vehicle
to the first owner. He said, what if I buy
the metal thing that sticks into the ignition and the
(19:10):
door lock and just a key fob without all the
internal guts and electronics and ship He said, you'll open
the door, but it won't start the vehicle because it
has to be tied to the electronics of the vehicle,
so correct, I'm looking for an alternative or a suggestion.
What the Mercedes dealer said was, well, just go buy
(19:34):
an electronic tag like a tile and put it on
the key ring so if you lose the one you
still have you can find it. They have no suggestions
about a second fob without no suggestions.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Isn't it amazing?
Speaker 2 (19:51):
It's and you know what, Paul, everything you said is
spot on true. That's Mercedes corporate position. If you if
you have to wait until you lose it, and the
only the only way they know that you lost it,
you have to call them up.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
I lost my key fob. They're going to tow the motor.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Home in, right, can't drive it in, They're gonna tow
it in. And they're going to sell you two key fobs.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
At twelve hundred dollars a piece.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
Right, so you're gonna plus the toe. So you got
to figure this is a three thousand dollars key. By
the time you're done and you just you scratch your head,
you say, really, what I wouldn't suggest or try? What
I would ask the dealership depending upon how good or
bad your relationship is at this point, because I don't
(20:41):
know if you've had a few choice.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Words for them.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
If you were to get a replacement fob, did they
have the ability to erase it and program it to
the system. And then if you go out to eBay
and buy a used fob, can they erase a used fob.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
And program that to the vehicle?
Speaker 5 (21:00):
That's a question. I think they would need to have
Mercedes authorization to wipe out the vehicle programming as well
as the two fobs, the new one and in the
existing one. But if Mercedes would have to authorize it,
I guess.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
But it's a question you got to ask, right if
I came up with a used alternative, for that matter,
if you came up with two fresh alternatives on your own,
two fresh used alternatives on your own, could they program it?
Speaker 5 (21:29):
Well, they'd have to program, but they also have to
cut the blank at the ignition. So yeah, so not
a lot of good suggestions.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
No, there's and you know what, you're at the mercy
of the manufacturer at that point. Now, why they're claiming
this chip short and this has been going on for
the better part of three years.
Speaker 5 (21:50):
I never heard of it but now I have right.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Yeah, this has been going on the better part of
three years. And what gets me is every time I
run across this, I go, it's a year and a half,
it's it's two years, it's it's two years in three months.
It's now three years later, and they still have this problem.
They haven't done anything to correct it. I guess we're
never buying another thing from Mercedes.
Speaker 5 (22:12):
Huh, Well, I mean I thought the chip shortage had
kind of resolved itself. That's someone kind of surprised.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Well, I think part of the problem is, you know,
the back door, backroom conversation is that this particular chip
system was only employed in a few models, and as
a result, there isn't enough demand to retool up the
line to start making the chips again.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
It was it.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Was a specific design that only a few models incorporated,
and they're thinking, well, why would I want to go
and spend thousands of dollars or millions of dollars or
some point in between to create all these chips again,
because how much demand is there.
Speaker 5 (22:52):
It would be probably like a like a specialty for
that unique model.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Correct. Correct, It would be like it would be like
stamping out one of.
Speaker 5 (23:01):
My former bosses said never buy anything with a low
ceial number.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Well, right, well, he's not wrong, right, you know, it
would be kind of like, you know, looking for them
to re stamp fenders for an etzel. Why would they
there aren't enough of them left for it. The matter,
I feel your pain, I really do. I really do, Paul.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
I've got a tile that I that I bought. I'm
gonna put it on the key ring and maybe for
your listeners, it's not a bad idea to put tiles
or electronic tags on all your keys.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Well, and I'll tell you what. Let's go one better.
If anybody out there has run into this and they've
got a better solution, we'd love to hear it, because
this is this is a problem that I've heard and
run into. This is probably the fourth time I've heard
this in three years that it's it's it's an issue.
Tell you what, Paul, stay on the line. I'm gonna
send you out a card doctor T shirt. Everybody's in
pain today. You notice that guys are losing engines, guys
(23:54):
are losing keys. Let's let's send you a T shirt
will make you smile. So stay on the line. Let
Tom get your size and information. We'll get a T
shirt out to you this week. All right, Kittle, Thanks rolling,
and you're very welcome, sir, you'd be well. Eight five
five five six zero nine nine zero zero. Let's pull over,
take a pause.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
I'm running any in the car. Doctor. We'll be back
right after this. Hey, let's uh. Oh, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Let's go to Kerry and uh, I don't know where
carry is? Uh carries in Oklahoma. I'm sorry, I can't see.
I can't read anymore. I saw carry okay, I said, yeah,
Carry's okay. No, Oh, Kerry, Oklahoma, got it.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
It's been a long hour two thousand and three Odyssey Kerry.
How can I help? What's going on?
Speaker 5 (24:37):
So?
Speaker 7 (24:38):
I was driving it earlier in the week and the
dash lights stayed on, but the gages completely flatlined, transmission
of power, steering were dead, and engines still ran, fans
were still running. Everything else is still going. I just
(25:00):
couldn't accelerate all that. So I pulled over and it
happened numerous times. But I had the issues before with
the battery housing.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
So I got under.
Speaker 7 (25:13):
The hood and check the battery. It was secure, checked
the connectors to the posts, and terminals. Everything was fine.
So I was like, all right, let's start everything off
and I I didn't do it again, shut the fans off,
everything radio, and it didn't do it again. Now nobody
(25:36):
can tell me what's wrong with it.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Okay, so it can't be reproduced. But it happened once
or twice three times, and that was it.
Speaker 7 (25:45):
Yeah, it happened about three or four times. Was in
about half a mile. And once I got out and
fiddled with the battery, you know, checking stuff with the battery,
just making sure that wasn't the issue again, or nothing
happened or.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Something cooled off. So let me ask you this question.
When you say the transmission was dead, the engine ran
when you stepped on the gas, what would happen? Nothing,
The engine wouldn't riv up, Nope, But it.
Speaker 7 (26:15):
Was still like I could hear the engine running, and
so I like I would have to turn my van
off to restart it, but like I could still hear
the engine, or at least it sounded like the engine.
It could have just been belts or something running.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Well, belts belts won't belts won't run by themselves. You
sure this isn't a case you were hearing the cooling
fan running and the engine and the engine was off.
Speaker 6 (26:46):
Could have been.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
Because that would make sense.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
It would make sense to me that the engine was off,
or the engine was in accessory mode, or it thought
it was an accessory mode, and you know, steering would
be I the engine wouldn't run, the gauges would be
down because it thought you had switched it off.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
Higher mileage vehicle almost two. Do you have a lot
of stuff on your key ring? Nope, just singular kid.
Speaker 5 (27:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
I always asked that question, kiddo.
Speaker 7 (27:21):
No, So been through that twice with the ignition switch
because of excess keys. So it is the two keys
because I have to have a key for the ignition
key for the door because the cylinder had to be changed,
so I had to get a new key for the ignition.
But now it's just the keyring and those two keys.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
And has anybody done a full vehicle code scan? I
don't mean an auto port store code scan. I mean
repair shop, your make model. We look at every module.
Does anything report a fault?
Speaker 6 (27:58):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (27:59):
All I know is because it's at the dealership right now.
They have said they have run like there's no codes,
no errors, nothing. They have not been able to reproduce anything.
They've checked for parasitic power draw They've checked everything, and
they're like, we can't everything.
Speaker 6 (28:20):
It's good to go.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
We don't, right, So the next question becomes the next
time it happens, pull over the side of the road,
turn the key off, turn the key on, but don't
start it.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Do you do you have dash lights? Did you have
dash lights this time?
Speaker 2 (28:38):
I don't mean white lights, I mean warning indicators. Did
the warning indicators light up when it's stalled? Because I'm
thinking this was a stall condition.
Speaker 7 (28:47):
So at one point they did come on like I
was in accessory mode, like I had the back lights. Yes,
but it had the Gaga's head flatlined. And one of
the times it without me doing anything, it just splited
in all the warning lights. All everything came back up,
(29:10):
but the gauges didn't.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Okay, any aftermarket accessories in this vehicle, Kerry, not that
I'm aware of. Okay, you're the original owner. I know
you bought it, used, it was used.
Speaker 7 (29:22):
I got it in twenty fourteen.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Okay, I'm going to tell you that this is going
to be a case of we've got to go around
the engine compartment wiring, harness, pull proke, prod, try and
duplicate it, try and get the cutout. I don't think
you will take a look under the dish, anything obvious,
any signs of animals anywhere, chewing on wires. We're looking
for the ridiculous and the obvious, and then you've just
(29:46):
got to be aware the next time it happens. Is
the engine really running right? That would be the key,
And the simplest way is with the engine running. You know,
you sound fairly smart. You know what a serpentine belt is, right,
go out and look the alternator spinning? Is the belt moving?
It's difficult for me to get my brain around. The
(30:07):
engine makes noise, but the transmission does absolutely nothing. When
I step on the gas, the engine should at least
rev up right all right, and it doesn't. So I'm
thinking the engine was stalled. You were hearing the cooling
fans run. That would account for And then all of
a sudden, the diagnosis makes sense. The trans won't work,
the power steering won't work, the car won't accelerate, so
(30:29):
the car thought it was in a stall mode. Now,
the last question I've got is, you know what sort
of shape is the lock cylinder, and is it warned,
does it have a little bit of.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
Slop to it that it's you would know, all right,
you don't have to. You don't have to.
Speaker 7 (30:49):
It's it's just like there's yeah, it just starts well.
And that's the other thing though, over the last couple
of weeks, it hasn't started right off, like I'd turn
it and it would act like it was going to start,
and then I'd let go, and then it wouldn't, and
(31:10):
then I'd give it another round.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
And it would just almost almost like the key was
in the wrong position.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Possibly, I think you got an ignition switch issue, sweetheart,
so be aware of it, all right. You could have
them look at wiring and consider either changing a switch,
which isn't the most expensive thing in the world, using
a good quality Honda part. Or you could have them
wire in a bulb, an indicator bulb to show power
(31:37):
coming into the switch or power coming out pick your
poison or both. And this way, the next time it stalls,
is one light lit up, is both lights lit up,
and it'll cut the diagnosis in half because you're at
that point in the circuit where if both lights are
lit up, or if one's lit up, and the other
one isn't that tells me that we've got an issue
with the ignition switch itself.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Stand on the line. I'm gonna get your name and
address and size. Tell it. We'll send you out a card,
doctor T shirt. Try and brighten your day.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
Not to make me the savior here, but let's see
if we can give you something to laugh at or
enjoy while.
Speaker 3 (32:09):
You're wearing it.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
All right, Kerry, good luck to you, and keep us posted.
Let us know what happens. I'm on an AD in
the car.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
Doctor, We're back right after this.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
Let's real quick, get to Matt, Matt go, we got
about a minute and a half.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
Babe, what's going on?
Speaker 5 (32:25):
Hey?
Speaker 8 (32:25):
You got a ninety eight jet of td I okay,
and fifth gear it gives in the limb mode. I
got two of these cars and they both seem to
do the same thing.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
Okay, So I.
Speaker 8 (32:39):
Replaced the head. I was one of the unfortunate ones
to push it on the timing belt and roll the
dice on a new head. Yep, and again it always
does is fifth gear?
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Right?
Speaker 2 (32:52):
You know what's common is they lose vehicle speed sensor
signal from either G sixty eight or G thirty eight.
All right, there's two speat sensors in the trans for
this particular car, and it will lose. It will lose
or get an erratic signal from one or the other.
So it's a matter of going through wiring, looking at wiring.
Either either scope or scope is probably going to be
(33:15):
the only way.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
Ninety eight.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
I know that I would trust the signal on a
scan tool to look at it and verify it that way,
But that's where you're headed for it to go into
limp mode like that, losing track of speed signal generally
out of the transmission output shaft, and it creates that
fault code. Sorry, I'm gonna have more time, Mattie. I
hope that gets you in the right direction. Stand the line, however,
(33:37):
we will brighten your day and send you.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Out a card doctor t shirt.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
We appreciate you calling in and if it can help
you any further, just give us a call next week
when we have more time available. Till the next time.
I'm Ron and Andy and the car doctor. I'm happy
to be here and proud to serve with all of
you till the next time. Good mechanics aren't expensive, they're priceless,
See you
Host
Ron Ananian
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