Full Moon Mechanics: Walk-Ins, Walkers & Why That “Noise” Wasn’t the Car
This week on Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor, Ron takes you inside one of those “full-moon” stretches in the shop—when walk-ins, overdue maintenance, and stacked schedules all hit at once. A routine checklist on Michael’s Jeep Compass turns into a full safety catch-up: dry-rotted tires, a worn control arm, driveline fluids, alignment, and more. And the mysterious “clunk” Michael swears wasn’t there before? It turns out to be his walker tapping the door—proof that not every noise comes from the vehicle.
Ron also tackles listener calls, including a Yukon with intermittent TCM/PCM communication faults, a ’94 Chevy with a hot-soak slow crank, and the truth about idling a diesel. He closes with advice for retirees choosing their next long-term vehicle—Pilots, Tahoes, Yukons, Lexus “brick” SUVs, and what really matters when you’re buying the car you plan to live with for years.
- Grab your Car Doctor gear – T-shirts & more at CarDoctorShow.com
-
Follow the wrench – Instagram @ronananian for shop life & behind-the-scenes
-
Watch & learn – Auto repair tips & videos on our YouTube Channel
-
Got a car question? Call the Car Doctor Hotline 24/7 – (855) 560-9900
-
Join the conversation LIVE – Saturdays 2–4 PM Eastern
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
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 alike. 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 enginies. The Car Doctor is in the garage
(00:47):
and ready to take your call.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
You know, I think one of the hardest things about
doing this radio show, and I'm not sure if it
even comes across, is the frustration of repairing cars certain weeks,
and I know you like to hear it. I know
you love the stories from the shop, and I try
to keep them as factual as I can, and as
you know, I want you to, you know, have the
(01:13):
pain of frustration and the sweat.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
And the agony. And you know, this.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Story just comes to mind because it was another full
week of auto repair. And you know I always tell
you full moons at the shop and full weeks of
auto repair somehow combined to be some of the strangest
weeks ever.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Sometimes you don't know what you're walking into.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
You know, you're you're kind of playing ambush and you
don't even know it's around the corner, and you just
you just never see it coming. And it started like
that on Monday. On Monday, I walked into the shop
at a quarter to eight and there were two people
already there, three counting carpenter Bob because Carpenter Bob opens
(01:57):
for us. And the first one was Steven. Now I
haven't seen Steven in two and a half years. I
haven't seen the car, only saw the car once. And
Steven had no appointment, and I was I listened to
what his concern was and I kind of knew it
because I had read the email that he had sent
me over the weekend and I told him, I said, Steven,
(02:17):
I don't have time today. I'm sorry, there's nothing I
can really do. You know, there's nothing I can really
do to you know, create this, you know, to help
you this week, I said, it's it's I understand, you've
got an oil leak. You've got to get it looked at.
You know, it's an oil leak. It's important and get solved.
(02:38):
And he went on his way. He wasn't happy. But
you know, listen, you've got people that are scheduled, You've
got people that are you know, lined up, and they've
taken their time. And your time when you come into
a repair shop is very valuable. It should be retreated
with respect by the repair shop. It shouldn't be taken
for granted. Part of the problem too, was Steve. He
(03:00):
even is driving a ten year old Cadillac with one
hundred and fifty thousand miles on it, and I, in
my opinion, he's not taken proper care of it. He's
getting his oil changes done at quick loops, maybe in
an attempt to save money.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Boggles my mind. You can't drive a ten year old car.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
You can't drive a five year old car and not
take it to a mechanic on a regular basis. I
think there's just things that a good qualified, you know,
not a hack, not somebody dishonest, but somebody reliable, somebody
you've built a relationship with, will do a lot to
take good care of that car. So now Steven's faced
with having to deal with an oil leak that he
saysn't guessing.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
I'm gonna have to go back to.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
The dealer who I've been going to, but I'm not
happy with, which I never understand that statement either. If
you're not happy, why do you go back? Because the
conversation is, well, Ron, You're the only mechanic I trust.
My first thought is where have you been for two
and a half years. I just it leaves me dumbfound
that I.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Can never understand that thought process. Jeff was there. Jeff
had dropped off.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
He was in the process of dropping off twenty eleven
e S three point fifty Lexus with more than a
few miles on it, and the right rear parking brake
cable had failed. It corroded into the aluminum bracket that
holds it to the backing plate, and the backing plates
are rotting away and it's becoming slowly a rear brake
(04:19):
overhaul and parking brake cables and backing plates and a
bunch of things that were in the process of We've
gotten all the parts, but now we're in the process
of replacing. Next week in the shop, we're going to
have to gut the interior because to replace the two
parking brake cables, the center console has to come up.
To get the center console up, the seats have to
come out, the carpet has to come out. You know,
(04:41):
we're gonna be looking at bare floor, so it'll be exciting.
And you know that's on the list, and you know
that's the car that had an appointment, and that's one
of the reasons we said to Steve and Steven we
can't we can't accommodate you this week.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
We've got to look at Jeff.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
But I think the car that sort of was the
surprise was Michael's Jeep. Michael brought us his twenty fifteen
Jeep Compass. Now we haven't seen Michael's Jeep in two years,
and the last time we saw it it was about
the fifty eight thousand mile mark and we said it's
coming due for a sixty thousand mile service and that
(05:17):
was the last we saw of it. Well, it's now
got seventy four thousand miles on it, and it's two years
later and Michael wants it looked over. Now.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
I haven't seen Michael either.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
We did our conversations by phone, so Ah'm very happy
to take care of it.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
He scheduled an appointment. We had put the time aside.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
We took the vehicle and did a checklist to it,
our famous checklist where we looked the car over.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Stick out your tongue and say, oh, as I.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Like to say, and we've found a pile of work
that the vehicle was due for. It was due for
the sixty thousand mile service. It was overdue for the
sixty thousand mile service. That wasn't done at sixty thousand
miles because it now has seventy four thousand miles on it.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
But it also had dry rotted tires. Tires that were
so badly dry.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Rotted into the tread that you wonder they're going to
make it down to the corner. And I'm probably over exaggerating,
but I'm very I'm like death on dry rot of tires.
I don't like dry rot of tires, old batteries, wiper
blades that are torn. You know, common sense, right, there's
too many split second decisions you have to make driving
on any road at forty miles an hour, sixty miles
an hour, and so on. So you want to make
(06:19):
sure the equipment's in good working mortar. It's just that important.
And Michael asked for a you know, give me a
give me a what do you think it's going to
take from the hip, And I went, you know, from
the hip, this is going to be three grand all
day long tires alignment. It needed some front end work,
the right front control arm. The ball joint was bad
and the bushings were cracked in the back of it,
(06:41):
so that needed to be replaced. It needed some you know,
drive line fluids. It needed fuel system cleaning, It needed
an oil change. It needed a pile of work. And
he said, Okay, do whatever you gotta do, Ron I
get it. It's it's you know, it's got to be done.
And I said, yeah, I said, you know, I need
a couple of days and we'll go through it.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
So I got approval.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
I had a verbal approval, and I ordered parts, and
I went about my business and climbed into the pile
of the rest of the cars that were there for
a Monday Tuesday morning, the phone rang and it was Michael.
He was a little confused and concerned at the same
time about, you know, how did the bill get the
three thousand dollars because it started as a checklist.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
And I went, well, we had this conversation.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
You know, it's it's, it's and I laid it all
out for him again and I walked them through it
and yeah, you're right, Yeah, you're right. Yeah, I forgot
about that. Yep, you're right. Go ahead, do what you
have to do.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
So I said, you know, I'm probably shooting for you know, tomorrow,
being finished on Wednesday, because it's already in progress. I'm
waiting for a couple of more parts to show up
on this particular Tuesday, and we'll get back into it,
and you know, between Tuesday and Wednesday it'll be done.
So the rest of it was pretty uneventful, pretty straightforward.
We made a couple of executive decisions. We changed a
(07:56):
few of the tire pressure sensors because two had gone
bad and we had done one way back when I
told Danny, I said, let's just change the remaining three.
Let's get the tire pressure sensors this way, We're four
brand news or four newer sensors Egles ten years old.
Because part of what we're supposed to do is manage expectations.
Part of what we're supposed to do is listen to
(08:18):
what the customer wants and try and deliver that and
then more, because that's what a repair shop is there for.
And you know, it's about building the relationship. It's about,
you know, maintaining that level of trust and responsibility and
doing the right thing. You know, A very wise man
once taught me in my younger years, you can't make
a wrong turn down right street. So we finished the car,
(08:41):
and the bill that I told Michael was going to
be between three and four grand turned out to be
thirty six hundred dollars, and all was well. Michael showed up,
he paid the bill. I was a little taken aback.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
I don't know why.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
It kind of surprised me because the last time I
hadn't seen Michael, he was he was walking on his own,
and this time he came in the door on a walker, And.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
You know, I like Michael. Michael's a good guy.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
He's got good spirit and he's just he's a good guy.
And I felt bad for him, and we, you know,
had conversational exchange, and we paid the bill at the counter,
and we helped him get out the door and off
he goes. Now it's ten minutes to five on Wednesday,
and Michael comes back in the door five minutes later,
and I'm in the midst of trying to finish one
other car and get two other people out the door,
(09:28):
and he says, you know, Ron, because I had mentioned
to Michael that I noticed that there is a very
faint noise from what I believe is the right rear
wheelbaring coming up.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
I said, it's very hard to detect.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
It only happens over forty five miles an hour, but
it's there. And I said, if you listen for it,
you'll hear it. And Michael came back five minutes later
and he said, I'm not sure if I'm just sensitive
to noise now or it's because.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
You said it, but you're right.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
I hear this noise and I don't think it's the wheelbaring.
It's this strange clunking sound. And I, you know, I'm concerned,
did something you know, go wrong during.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
The repair and it's not.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
You know, it's ever since, right, ever since and he
didn't say it, but you could tell it was the
underlying tone.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
So I gotta stop what I'm doing.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
We got to go for a ride, and the frustration
grows because you're trying to finish the day and that
full moon is peering down at me eerily up in
the night sky in Waldock, New Jersey, and I'm going hmmm.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
So we go out for a ride.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Danny, I'm going out. I'll be back, Kathy, I'm going
out answer the phone. And well, it's a little bit
of a longer tail to make a long story short.
We went out for our eight minute ride and we're
coming back to the shop. We didn't hear the noise,
and I'm about to turn in the driveway and he says, no, no,
go straight. I just want to do one more thing.
We go down to the end of the block. We
(10:55):
make a left turn and we heard the noise and he.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Says, that's it. That's the noise.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
That's the noise I was trying to get you to hear.
He goes, I didn't hear that before I dropped it off.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Huh. I go down the end of the next block,
I make a left turn. There's that noise. Again, and
I'm thinking, you know, is.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
There something wrong with the new control arm. You know,
are the wheels loose? But you know, we're very methodical.
We torque stick and hand torque everything. And you know,
we went over the carb with a fine tooth comb
like we usually do. Went down to the next block.
We made a series of lefts, and we come back
to the shop on the next to last left turn.
Michael turns around when he hears the noise. Oh look,
(11:35):
the walker's hitting the door. When he put his walker
in the car, he didn't put it in where he
normally puts it, and it's smacking the door. There's a
lot of frustration that goes into auto repair. I think
patience is part of the remedy of the process for
everybody concerned the funny things that go wrong in a
repair shop, especially on full moon weeks of auto repair.
(11:58):
I'm running any in the car Doctor. The phone numbers
eight five five five six zero nine nine zero zero.
I'll be back right after this. Don't go away, Hey,
let's get over and talk to.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Bill and Colorado.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Wait, gmc yukon Philly, Welcome to the Car Doctor once again.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
I'm gonna help you today.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Hey, Ron, good to talk to you. Well, I'm having
a full moon weekend too. So this oh wait, GMC
ukon XL comes in yesterday. It's got a missfire on
cylinder four. So I wrestled the engine cover out from
between the engine and the firewall, and I'm about to
swap coils when I discovered that the number four the
(12:44):
coil wire has fallen off the plug. Well there you go,
so plug it back in, fired up, miss fire is gone,
and boom. I get communication codes. Got a U seventy
three U one O one.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Tranny and engine aren't talking to each other. So I
go through the entire car, I mean grounds. I tried
to follow the wiring as best as I can. I
check all of the all the transmission connectors, look for
(13:17):
water intrusion. There's no corrosion. Everything's clean and tight. Follow
all the wirings that I might have disturbed when I
was getting that engine cover out, And ten minutes before
I get on the call, here I disconnect and reseat
the TCM and ECM connectors and it fires up without codes.
(13:44):
So basically at this point, what I'm looking for is
if Murphy comes back right after this call and the
codes pop up. What are the most common culprits for
these guys?
Speaker 2 (13:55):
You know, something between the headlights and the tail lights?
What what I and I typically do, Billy is the
first thing I've got. I want to know is when
when you had the no communication code? Were you able
to communicate with your scam tool plugged in? Could you
see the TCM?
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Yes, so it was there. So it's an intermittent.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
Well at the same time to the TCM, TCM wasn't
talking to the engine.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
How do you know that?
Speaker 4 (14:23):
How do you know that just from the code?
Speaker 5 (14:25):
So?
Speaker 4 (14:26):
Uh, intermittent is fair. But that's what that's what the
codes were saying.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Well, you know my point is, do this if you
unplug the TCM, right, if you look at it, look
at a wiring diary.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Can you get you get a wiring diagram in front
of you?
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (14:44):
I so serial data?
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Look at serial data? Serial data? If I'm not mistaken?
Is pin six and seven out of the TCM? Okay?
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Right?
Speaker 2 (14:55):
And ground is the last pin? I don't remember the
pin number for whatever reason, but you know you can
go through. Do you have one of those ALDL connectors
where you can sit there, plug it in at the
OBED two connector and look at data communication.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
And CANbus communication?
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Not yet?
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Okay, I guess, I guess I know where you're going next.
You know, you're dealing with a communication fault. Is it
intermittent or is it you know, is it still active?
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Right? What's causing the fault? Is it? Is it something
you disturbed in wiring?
Speaker 2 (15:33):
If you if the problem comes back and you disconnect
PCM first and the problem goes away, that means it's
obviously something there.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
How reproducible? Is the intermittent? Is my point? Okay?
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Or if you disconnect the TCM and reconnect it. Anytime
I get a communication error, you've got telephones in the
house or you had. Everybody had hard wired telephones at
one point.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Right, I'm old enough to remember them.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
And what was the you call up the phone company
and go, hey, my phones don't work. What do they
used to tell you to do?
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Start on?
Speaker 6 (16:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (16:09):
I mean I knew what to do, yes, right?
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Yeah? Right? And why did you do that?
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Because it was the simplest thing to do, you know, I.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Was, well, it was the simplest thing to do. Well, Well,
I'm old dude, you know it's it's it's it's the
idea that it's the idea.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
That one of the modules is pulling down the rest
of the network. And my point is all right for
me to understand this circuit, what I'm gonna do is
I'm going to get a wiring diagram and trace out.
First of all, I believe this is on the high
speed data network, the trans control module because it has
to talk to the PCM, and I'm going to match
that up to the OBD two connector, because if you
(16:49):
look at a wiring diagram, you're going to see that
the TCM ties directly into the OBD two connector. That's
where high speed can comes in. I think it's pinned
six and fourteen if I remember right. But we've got
to look at it right, and we want to see
we want to understand how a network goes down. And
that's why I'm asking when you have that failure, when
(17:11):
it doesn't start, does the check engine like come on
and key on engine off position? Can I communicate with
the PCM and at least look at data? Can I
look at the TCM and at least look at data?
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Does that make sense?
Speaker 6 (17:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Basically I can talk to everything they're just they don't
talk to each other when songs.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
So right, then let's go with it. If you can
talk through everything. Yeah, but I want to know there's
that PCM. Is that PCM to pass through to talk
to the TCM. I'd be paying attention to how you're unplugging,
what connectors you're unplugging, Billy, because it sounds like it's
a connection issue and it's just sort of a fluke that.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Doing it made it work. Do that.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Call me back, you know where to find me next week,
and I'll be glad to talk to you about it
some more.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
I'm running dy in the car. Doctor. We're back right
after this hell run.
Speaker 5 (18:16):
Keep you right.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
We're in our remote studios out here in Pittsburgh, PA.
We're on the road this weekend, and we're happy to
be here for you. You know, I should point out too,
and I appreciate you guys being here. I don't say
that often enough. And Tom and I are grateful that
you guys have stuck with us all these years as
we continue to try and help you fix your cars
and get the word out and put out some positive information.
I'm amazed every day as to how much good solid
(18:58):
auto repair. Information is needed. I see all the goofy
things on social media. I read a post this morning
on Facebook. I tell you, if Facebook is such a
misnumber of information and a mismanagement of truths, I often
wonder if I would have it head. We're not for
a radio show where you're supposed to be present. The
argument was talking about nails and tires, and it was
(19:19):
a picture of a tire with a nail in the
center and two other nails to the immediate right in
about ten minutes down on a clock face on the edge,
the outside edge that you're not supposed to repair. And
people are arguing, Oh, that tire's fine, you could repair
that tire. There's nothing wrong with that tire. Stick a
plug in it. Firestone doesn't know what they're talking about.
(19:42):
And I'm thinking to myself, you know, I hope none
of these idiots are next to me on the road
when I'm traveling alongest seventy five miles an hour, because
when that tire comes apart, because the steel belt is compromised.
And that's what people don't realize that there are limitations
to how you can plug a tire. Do a tire
plug safely? Technically a lot of shops don't even like
the plug. I don't like the plug. It's it's very limited.
(20:04):
We want to do a plug patch from the inside.
But the more I read on social media about how
people think cars should be repaired, the more I think
order repair should be licensed in all the states across
our country. And you know, just because you can pick
up a wrench doesn't mean you're allowed to So absolutely amazing,
Bill in Michigan. Let's get over to the phones. Eight
five five five six oh nine nine zero zero, Bill
(20:25):
in Michigan.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
How can I help you today? Sir? What's going on?
Speaker 5 (20:28):
Thanks to you and Tom for having me on Run
nineteen ninety four Chevrolet pickup. This is a work truck,
standard cab, eight foot bed with a four to three
V six four L sixty eight transmission. Got one hundred
and sixty five thousand miles on it. I have an
intermittent slow crank or dead spot when the engine's warm.
(20:48):
Do you want me to take you through my diagnostic pursuit?
Speaker 6 (20:51):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Please? Yeah, let me know what you did.
Speaker 5 (20:53):
Okay. We started with a battery load test. I got
an eight to fifty coal cranking battery INERTS two years old.
It checked good voltage drop test on the positive and
negative cables both came out good. Neither cables were visibly corroded. However,
on the ground cable for this truck and several others
in this vintage I've checked, they ground to an illuminat
(21:14):
intake manifold.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (21:16):
I'm not really impressed with that, but that's what it is.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Yeah, you might you might want to consider relocating that
or adding a secondary ground as part of your diagnosis.
I also just to relay it to you, Bill, and
I know you've got more, but I recently had and
there's a we're gonna put up a YouTube video. I
had a Honda in the last two weeks that had
an intermittent no crank condition. And Honda's they're notorious that
(21:42):
the last i don't know, six eight inches of cable
going down to the lug that attaches to the to
the transmission in this case are exposed and.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
It was so corroded.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
I'd go and I'd wiggle the cable and bang it
would start right up. So you know, always always look
at that connection, and I get it, you know, when
when it goes into that slow crank. If you were
to stop cranking it and bolted drop tested at that point,
what what sort of results would you see?
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Or can you even do that?
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Is it a matter of letting go of the key
and then all of a sudden it starts normal.
Speaker 5 (22:13):
I did that, Ron, We got it warm, and I
tried that and in this particular instant it's it checked
U thoroughly correct. It didn't have a problem.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Can't you reproduce the slow crank bill if if it
cranks slow, you know, you take you know, back off
and okay, okay, good, so at least we can test it.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
Go ahead, minish your diagnosis.
Speaker 5 (22:32):
We did a timing check and you have to This
is really old school, Ron. You have to disconnect a
wire in the cab to check the right advantage.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Yeah, over the right side, by the glovebox, the brow
the brown wire, the tan wire with the black tracer.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
If I remember Ray, is that the call you you
got to write?
Speaker 5 (22:49):
You got to write the first time was brown, brown wire,
brown wire? Okay, a zero degree at the top, dead center. Now.
I did a tune up ron this truck. Last tune
up I did was twenty thirteen. I'm wing driven. Its
thousand miles in there, so I went with everything AC
Delco branded except a module, and that was standard products.
So we did plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor and
(23:11):
a distributor module. This helped an awful lot. It improved
it dramatically. I did have a local parts store check
my brand new, two year old AC Delco branded starter
and that checked. Okay, where I'm at. I'm looking at
additionally adding a ground as you suggested to the starter
(23:32):
to see if that helps. But I got the original
ignition coil in there, and that's causing me some concern.
I'm not sure how to check that.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Well, you know, let's get a let's get a spark tester,
and I don't. I don't know why it would be
an ignition coil bill, but I get it. Let's go
through the whole ignition system. You know, usually if this
is a slow crank that it turns over as if
the engine were binding. Let's say, for conversation's sake, it
does you know I would?
Speaker 3 (23:59):
I would? I would? I think this would be more
along the lines of.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
I've got I've got a flow problem to the starter
voltage current, something along those lines, or do I have
carbon deposits inside the motor that when the.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
Engine is hot, because this only happens hot. You say, correct,
you know, do I have carbon.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Deposits that are causing a slow crank creating the issue themselves.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
So I mean, listen to check the coil. It's going
to be the standard.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Go get a spark tester rated for the capacity output
of the coil forty to sixty thousand vaults. Stick it
against one one spark plug wire. So you'll start a
six cylinder on five cylinders and one will be the test.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Does it jump that gap? If it jumps that gap,
theoretically that coil is good.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
You want to change it because it's ninety four, two
thousand and four, twenty fourteen.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Where are we thirty forty years? Oh yeah, you know,
I get it. I get it.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
You know you want to buy well, yeah, maybe when
it starts, does it do we have a puff of
black smoke?
Speaker 6 (24:55):
No?
Speaker 5 (24:55):
I have no smoke tail.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
You know, I mean we could put a fuel pressure
gauge on it and watch for residual drop.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Do we have any residual? We should have? Sure? For
you know, fifteen to twenty up to thirty minutes. I
would be a concern. But yeah, how about this?
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Okay, they're checking the starter when you know, you take
it out and they bench test it.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
Right, they it's at room temperature.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
What if we put the starter in an oven and
brought brought it up the heat, brought up some heat
a little bit or it maybe make it to make
it easier. Can we set the truck up so it
goes into this hard crank and then can we hit
the starter with a garden hose?
Speaker 5 (25:38):
Have not done that? Very possible? Yeah, very positive?
Speaker 2 (25:42):
You know, I'm just trying to think of ways how
can I cool the starter down? Do I have a
case of the starter motor is getting hot and it's
creating a resistance problem in the starter.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Have you done a cranking amperage test? Bill?
Speaker 2 (25:56):
You know, just put a clamp on, an amp, clamp
clamp on, what sort of what sort of current does
it draw when it starts good? And then what sort
of current does it draw when it cranks hard?
Speaker 5 (26:06):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (26:07):
And I will have you know see what that does.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Uh? This the last thing, you know, because I know
you're into the tune up you're doing this, Why don't
we do a carbon cleaning?
Speaker 3 (26:16):
It's it's gone such low mileage. Yeah, it's you know,
it's easy enough to do.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Run down to your local Advanced Order Parts or somebody
pick up a CRC fuel System cleaning kit.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
They've got a bunch of good stuff on the market.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
CRC makes a great kit. And you know, follow the instructions.
Do a cleaning, decarbonize the engine.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
Does that make a difference?
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Okay, and you know it's gonna it's gonna be somewhere
in this. But just one step at a time, all right, kiddo.
Speaker 5 (26:42):
I appreciate it. Ron. You've got a Powermaster starter on
the fifty five. Is that still a good brand? If
I want to change?
Speaker 3 (26:47):
Still a good brand, Still a good brand. I still
like that starter.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
Knockwood, Bill, we shouldn't say this, not wood Wait, I'm
knocking the desk here. Uh you know so, But yeah,
it's uh, it's funny. We were talking about the fifty
five at lunch today. I got to take it out
for one last ride before the end of the year.
I didn't get enough time to drive it this year.
I just found too many other projects going on. But
I guess that's the life of a busy mechanic. Bill
always a pleasure sir, you take good care and be well.
(27:15):
Give us a call back when you need more. I'm
running Andy and the Card Doctor. We're back right after this.
You know, I really love the new spots.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
For the card Doctor's store. I didn't know that Santa
was so involved.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
I have a clock for him to see if we can,
you know, maybe help everybody and get delivery by Christmas.
So but yeah, the car Doctor store is open and
we are you know what, we're selling coffee cups again.
All of a sudden, coffee cups have picked up, so
we're glad to see it. I was just talking to
the production team the other day. We're going to try
and come up with some ronisms for the new year,
so along the lines of good mechanics aren't expensive, maybe
(28:00):
my truck runs, or that's not the way I would
have done it, something like that.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
But well, of course it's great exactly.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
So let's let's go back to the phone, Tom. Let's
go to Brian in Wisconsin. Brian, are you there, sir?
Speaker 6 (28:20):
Hey Ron, thanks thanks for taking our call. My wife
and I are longtime listeners.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
Thank you, sir.
Speaker 6 (28:26):
Maybe you can help you can help me with a
general question you've helped me in the past with the
seventy five old, a seventy nine olds cutlass and an
old five for focus. And you talked me last year.
You talked to me out of replacing the frame on
a Chevy Waldock conversion van that my mom left me
and talked me into buying a sprinter van.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
So gotcha, I remember that call? Sure cool?
Speaker 6 (28:49):
I got a two part question. I was borned when
I bought the sprinter van because it's a diesel, not
to let it idle for a long time. And you
see semi trucks all the time I'm idling over the night.
Is that? Is that a truism or is that something
that I've been told?
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Falseley, anytime somebody tells me something like that, my first
question is.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Why I always I always call it.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
I always call them on the spot because I can't
think of a reason why. Frankly, if we're mad, yeah,
go ahead.
Speaker 6 (29:21):
Well it was something about the carbon, the build up
of carbon, or have to regenerate it because it's a diesel.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Well yeah, but if we're doing our diesel maintenance, if
we're doing our filters, if we're using correct, good quality
fluid and filters, if we're visiting watch this segue Hotshotsecret
dot com and looking at some of the diesel additives
and products. Listen, it's the truth though, right, you know,
for for all my diesel customers, we you know, we
(29:51):
use product from Hotshot Secret and there's a laundry list
there of what are we trying to achieve and some
of the things they have. Their stiction eliminator is phenomenal
for a diesel. You know, everything you want to know
to take care of a diesel is there at hotshot
Secret dot com. So it's it's you know, that's where
you want to be. I think I think the general
fallacy don't idle a diesel is nonsense.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Because you're right, look at all the eighteen wheelers.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
How about the eighteen wheelers you see on the side
of the road right that are pulled over sleeping for
the night and the truck stops or in the rest areas.
What you think you know, it's yeah, so I think
somebody is it's wives tales unless they've got a specific reason.
If you're not doing something right. That's like saying, don't
drive the vehicle because you're gonna have to go through
a cat reach in every once in a while doesn't
(30:36):
make any sense.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
So second question, Okay.
Speaker 6 (30:40):
Second question. My wife and I have never really owned
a brand new vehicle. We've always bought them two or
three years old. Right now, she's got a twenty ten
Nissan Ultima. I've got a twenty ten for one fifty.
We both bought with forty five and seventy five thousand
miles respectively. They're almost at two hundred. We're looking to
get a we're looking to get a kind of a
(31:02):
what is your idea of a great vehicle?
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Right now?
Speaker 6 (31:06):
From a mechanics point of view, I'm talking about cost
of baintenance, ease of ownership, reliability. We're retired and we're
looking at buying either a new or used one, which
is gonna be our last vehicle.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
You know that's how big.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Well, everybody says it's the last vehicle. God willing you
live another thirty years. All of a sudden you need
another vehicle. So let's not go there.
Speaker 6 (31:24):
Well, we got we got a hundred pilot, black Chevy Tahoe, GMC,
Yukon bmw X or an Audi Q.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Now, listen, the German cars are a completely different conversation.
They really are you know, it's the German car experience.
And we could talk about the German car experience, but
there's not enough time, even if we started at the
top of the hour, because that's just a whole nother conversation.
And I'll tell you what, Brian, stay put, let me
pull over, take a pause. When I come back, we'll
finish up. I don't want to rush this, and we'll
(31:54):
get we'll get all your questions answered. I'm running any
in the car, doctor, I'll be back right after this.
H And we are back, Brian, Wisconsin.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
You're still there, sir.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
Yeah, the questions are buying a buying a replacement vehicle.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
We're just buying one vehicle to replace too, Brian.
Speaker 6 (32:20):
Yep, that's it. And I can't get a pickup because
my wife won't allow me to get a pick up.
So we've we've chosen, we've chose two different vehicles. And
she's standing right next to me and she's smiling. She's hoping,
you're gonna sear your way, her way or my way.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
So jeez, what do you gotta turn my car? I
gotta turn my collar around. What are my choiceing vehicles? Again?
Speaker 6 (32:41):
Well, we've we've got it narrowed down to a Honda
Pilot Black, a Chevy Tahoe or gmc u con. But
you know, all we're looking for is a mechanic to
tell us, hey, these are the ones we're having really
good luck with.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
You know, you want to buy, you want to you
want to buy a brick.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
You know, a brick. It never breaks, it's reliable, it's
just it just it just goes right.
Speaker 6 (33:06):
Yep, all right, And we're looking for honest, non opinionated answer.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Those are all good vehicles. They're decent, okay, But if
you want to really go drive something just for the
heck of it, and you're you're still in the window
where they're two years old, and you could get them
cheaper than what they originally were.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
I really love that.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
Lex for sixty that my wife drives, that lexuside Border.
That thing it's it's it's like a glorified highlander, all right.
It's a freight it's a freight train on wheels. I
defy anybody take that thing out on the interstate do
seventy five eighty miles an hour with it, which unfortunately
you have to do, and break the speed limit in
some parts to avoid getting run over by the diesel
(33:47):
trucks that are flying down the road. But that Lex
four sixty V eight, no turbocharger, low on maintenance, they
just run brother. That truck will go a quarter million
miles with reasonable care. Go drive one of those. Call
me back next week we can talk.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
More about it. But put your wife in it.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Let her drive it, let her turn on the seat heater,
let her listen to the radio. I think she's going
to fall in love all over again, but I'm sure
you'll still be her number one guy till the next time.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
I'm ronning Andy in the car.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Doctor, it's been a pleasure to be here for all
of you. Good mechanics aren't expensive, they're priceless.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
See you, hey, the doctor. Carr Advice tolride
You're listening to Ron and Nanian The Car Doctor, nationally
recognized auto expert trusted by Mechanics, Weekend wrenchers and vehicle
owners alike. 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 enginies. The Car Doctor is in the garage
(00:47):
and ready to take your call.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
You know, I think one of the hardest things about
doing this radio show, and I'm not sure if it
even comes across, is the frustration of repairing cars certain weeks,
and I know you like to hear it. I know
you love the stories from the shop, and I try
to keep them as factual as I can, and as
you know, I want you to, you know, have the
(01:13):
pain of frustration and the sweat.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
And the agony. And you know, this.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Story just comes to mind because it was another full
week of auto repair. And you know I always tell
you full moons at the shop and full weeks of
auto repair somehow combined to be some of the strangest
weeks ever.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Sometimes you don't know what you're walking into.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
You know, you're you're kind of playing ambush and you
don't even know it's around the corner, and you just
you just never see it coming. And it started like
that on Monday. On Monday, I walked into the shop
at a quarter to eight and there were two people
already there, three counting carpenter Bob because Carpenter Bob opens
(01:57):
for us. And the first one was Steven. Now I
haven't seen Steven in two and a half years. I
haven't seen the car, only saw the car once. And
Steven had no appointment, and I was I listened to
what his concern was and I kind of knew it
because I had read the email that he had sent
me over the weekend and I told him, I said, Steven,
(02:17):
I don't have time today. I'm sorry, there's nothing I
can really do. You know, there's nothing I can really
do to you know, create this, you know, to help
you this week, I said, it's it's I understand, you've
got an oil leak. You've got to get it looked at.
You know, it's an oil leak. It's important and get solved.
(02:38):
And he went on his way. He wasn't happy. But
you know, listen, you've got people that are scheduled, You've
got people that are you know, lined up, and they've
taken their time. And your time when you come into
a repair shop is very valuable. It should be retreated
with respect by the repair shop. It shouldn't be taken
for granted. Part of the problem too, was Steve. He
(03:00):
even is driving a ten year old Cadillac with one
hundred and fifty thousand miles on it, and I, in
my opinion, he's not taken proper care of it. He's
getting his oil changes done at quick loops, maybe in
an attempt to save money.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Boggles my mind. You can't drive a ten year old car.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
You can't drive a five year old car and not
take it to a mechanic on a regular basis. I
think there's just things that a good qualified, you know,
not a hack, not somebody dishonest, but somebody reliable, somebody
you've built a relationship with, will do a lot to
take good care of that car. So now Steven's faced
with having to deal with an oil leak that he
saysn't guessing.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
I'm gonna have to go back to.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
The dealer who I've been going to, but I'm not
happy with, which I never understand that statement either. If
you're not happy, why do you go back? Because the
conversation is, well, Ron, You're the only mechanic I trust.
My first thought is where have you been for two
and a half years. I just it leaves me dumbfound
that I.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Can never understand that thought process. Jeff was there. Jeff
had dropped off.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
He was in the process of dropping off twenty eleven
e S three point fifty Lexus with more than a
few miles on it, and the right rear parking brake
cable had failed. It corroded into the aluminum bracket that
holds it to the backing plate, and the backing plates
are rotting away and it's becoming slowly a rear brake
(04:19):
overhaul and parking brake cables and backing plates and a
bunch of things that were in the process of We've
gotten all the parts, but now we're in the process
of replacing. Next week in the shop, we're going to
have to gut the interior because to replace the two
parking brake cables, the center console has to come up.
To get the center console up, the seats have to
come out, the carpet has to come out. You know,
(04:41):
we're gonna be looking at bare floor, so it'll be exciting.
And you know that's on the list, and you know
that's the car that had an appointment, and that's one
of the reasons we said to Steve and Steven we
can't we can't accommodate you this week.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
We've got to look at Jeff.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
But I think the car that sort of was the
surprise was Michael's Jeep. Michael brought us his twenty fifteen
Jeep Compass. Now we haven't seen Michael's Jeep in two years,
and the last time we saw it it was about
the fifty eight thousand mile mark and we said it's
coming due for a sixty thousand mile service and that
(05:17):
was the last we saw of it. Well, it's now
got seventy four thousand miles on it, and it's two years
later and Michael wants it looked over. Now.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
I haven't seen Michael either.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
We did our conversations by phone, so Ah'm very happy
to take care of it.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
He scheduled an appointment. We had put the time aside.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
We took the vehicle and did a checklist to it,
our famous checklist where we looked the car over.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Stick out your tongue and say, oh, as I.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Like to say, and we've found a pile of work
that the vehicle was due for. It was due for
the sixty thousand mile service. It was overdue for the
sixty thousand mile service. That wasn't done at sixty thousand
miles because it now has seventy four thousand miles on it.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
But it also had dry rotted tires. Tires that were
so badly dry.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Rotted into the tread that you wonder they're going to
make it down to the corner. And I'm probably over exaggerating,
but I'm very I'm like death on dry rot of tires.
I don't like dry rot of tires, old batteries, wiper
blades that are torn. You know, common sense, right, there's
too many split second decisions you have to make driving
on any road at forty miles an hour, sixty miles
an hour, and so on. So you want to make
(06:19):
sure the equipment's in good working mortar. It's just that important.
And Michael asked for a you know, give me a
give me a what do you think it's going to
take from the hip, And I went, you know, from
the hip, this is going to be three grand all
day long tires alignment. It needed some front end work,
the right front control arm. The ball joint was bad
and the bushings were cracked in the back of it,
(06:41):
so that needed to be replaced. It needed some you know,
drive line fluids. It needed fuel system cleaning, It needed
an oil change. It needed a pile of work. And
he said, Okay, do whatever you gotta do, Ron I
get it. It's it's you know, it's got to be done.
And I said, yeah, I said, you know, I need
a couple of days and we'll go through it.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
So I got approval.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
I had a verbal approval, and I ordered parts, and
I went about my business and climbed into the pile
of the rest of the cars that were there for
a Monday Tuesday morning, the phone rang and it was Michael.
He was a little confused and concerned at the same
time about, you know, how did the bill get the
three thousand dollars because it started as a checklist.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
And I went, well, we had this conversation.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
You know, it's it's, it's and I laid it all
out for him again and I walked them through it
and yeah, you're right, Yeah, you're right. Yeah, I forgot
about that. Yep, you're right. Go ahead, do what you
have to do.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
So I said, you know, I'm probably shooting for you know, tomorrow,
being finished on Wednesday, because it's already in progress. I'm
waiting for a couple of more parts to show up
on this particular Tuesday, and we'll get back into it,
and you know, between Tuesday and Wednesday it'll be done.
So the rest of it was pretty uneventful, pretty straightforward.
We made a couple of executive decisions. We changed a
(07:56):
few of the tire pressure sensors because two had gone
bad and we had done one way back when I
told Danny, I said, let's just change the remaining three.
Let's get the tire pressure sensors this way, We're four
brand news or four newer sensors Egles ten years old.
Because part of what we're supposed to do is manage expectations.
Part of what we're supposed to do is listen to
(08:18):
what the customer wants and try and deliver that and
then more, because that's what a repair shop is there for.
And you know, it's about building the relationship. It's about,
you know, maintaining that level of trust and responsibility and
doing the right thing. You know, A very wise man
once taught me in my younger years, you can't make
a wrong turn down right street. So we finished the car,
(08:41):
and the bill that I told Michael was going to
be between three and four grand turned out to be
thirty six hundred dollars, and all was well. Michael showed up,
he paid the bill. I was a little taken aback.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
I don't know why.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
It kind of surprised me because the last time I
hadn't seen Michael, he was he was walking on his own,
and this time he came in the door on a walker, And.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
You know, I like Michael. Michael's a good guy.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
He's got good spirit and he's just he's a good guy.
And I felt bad for him, and we, you know,
had conversational exchange, and we paid the bill at the counter,
and we helped him get out the door and off
he goes. Now it's ten minutes to five on Wednesday,
and Michael comes back in the door five minutes later,
and I'm in the midst of trying to finish one
other car and get two other people out the door,
(09:28):
and he says, you know, Ron, because I had mentioned
to Michael that I noticed that there is a very
faint noise from what I believe is the right rear
wheelbaring coming up.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
I said, it's very hard to detect.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
It only happens over forty five miles an hour, but
it's there. And I said, if you listen for it,
you'll hear it. And Michael came back five minutes later
and he said, I'm not sure if I'm just sensitive
to noise now or it's because.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
You said it, but you're right.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
I hear this noise and I don't think it's the wheelbaring.
It's this strange clunking sound. And I, you know, I'm concerned,
did something you know, go wrong during.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
The repair and it's not.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
You know, it's ever since, right, ever since and he
didn't say it, but you could tell it was the
underlying tone.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
So I gotta stop what I'm doing.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
We got to go for a ride, and the frustration
grows because you're trying to finish the day and that
full moon is peering down at me eerily up in
the night sky in Waldock, New Jersey, and I'm going hmmm.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
So we go out for a ride.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Danny, I'm going out. I'll be back, Kathy, I'm going
out answer the phone. And well, it's a little bit
of a longer tail to make a long story short.
We went out for our eight minute ride and we're
coming back to the shop. We didn't hear the noise,
and I'm about to turn in the driveway and he says, no, no,
go straight. I just want to do one more thing.
We go down to the end of the block. We
(10:55):
make a left turn and we heard the noise and he.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Says, that's it. That's the noise.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
That's the noise I was trying to get you to hear.
He goes, I didn't hear that before I dropped it off.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Huh. I go down the end of the next block,
I make a left turn. There's that noise. Again, and
I'm thinking, you know, is.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
There something wrong with the new control arm. You know,
are the wheels loose? But you know, we're very methodical.
We torque stick and hand torque everything. And you know,
we went over the carb with a fine tooth comb
like we usually do. Went down to the next block.
We made a series of lefts, and we come back
to the shop on the next to last left turn.
Michael turns around when he hears the noise. Oh look,
(11:35):
the walker's hitting the door. When he put his walker
in the car, he didn't put it in where he
normally puts it, and it's smacking the door. There's a
lot of frustration that goes into auto repair. I think
patience is part of the remedy of the process for
everybody concerned the funny things that go wrong in a
repair shop, especially on full moon weeks of auto repair.
(11:58):
I'm running any in the car Doctor. The phone numbers
eight five five five six zero nine nine zero zero.
I'll be back right after this. Don't go away, Hey,
let's get over and talk to.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Bill and Colorado.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Wait, gmc yukon Philly, Welcome to the Car Doctor once again.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
I'm gonna help you today.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Hey, Ron, good to talk to you. Well, I'm having
a full moon weekend too. So this oh wait, GMC
ukon XL comes in yesterday. It's got a missfire on
cylinder four. So I wrestled the engine cover out from
between the engine and the firewall, and I'm about to
swap coils when I discovered that the number four the
(12:44):
coil wire has fallen off the plug. Well there you go,
so plug it back in, fired up, miss fire is gone,
and boom. I get communication codes. Got a U seventy
three U one O one.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Tranny and engine aren't talking to each other. So I
go through the entire car, I mean grounds. I tried
to follow the wiring as best as I can. I
check all of the all the transmission connectors, look for
(13:17):
water intrusion. There's no corrosion. Everything's clean and tight. Follow
all the wirings that I might have disturbed when I
was getting that engine cover out, And ten minutes before
I get on the call, here I disconnect and reseat
the TCM and ECM connectors and it fires up without codes.
(13:44):
So basically at this point, what I'm looking for is
if Murphy comes back right after this call and the
codes pop up. What are the most common culprits for
these guys?
Speaker 2 (13:55):
You know, something between the headlights and the tail lights?
What what I and I typically do, Billy is the
first thing I've got. I want to know is when
when you had the no communication code? Were you able
to communicate with your scam tool plugged in? Could you
see the TCM?
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Yes, so it was there. So it's an intermittent.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
Well at the same time to the TCM, TCM wasn't
talking to the engine.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
How do you know that?
Speaker 4 (14:23):
How do you know that just from the code?
Speaker 5 (14:25):
So?
Speaker 4 (14:26):
Uh, intermittent is fair. But that's what that's what the
codes were saying.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Well, you know my point is, do this if you
unplug the TCM, right, if you look at it, look
at a wiring diary.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Can you get you get a wiring diagram in front
of you?
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (14:44):
I so serial data?
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Look at serial data? Serial data? If I'm not mistaken?
Is pin six and seven out of the TCM? Okay?
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Right?
Speaker 2 (14:55):
And ground is the last pin? I don't remember the
pin number for whatever reason, but you know you can
go through. Do you have one of those ALDL connectors
where you can sit there, plug it in at the
OBED two connector and look at data communication.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
And CANbus communication?
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Not yet?
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Okay, I guess, I guess I know where you're going next.
You know, you're dealing with a communication fault. Is it
intermittent or is it you know, is it still active?
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Right? What's causing the fault? Is it? Is it something
you disturbed in wiring?
Speaker 2 (15:33):
If you if the problem comes back and you disconnect
PCM first and the problem goes away, that means it's
obviously something there.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
How reproducible? Is the intermittent? Is my point? Okay?
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Or if you disconnect the TCM and reconnect it. Anytime
I get a communication error, you've got telephones in the
house or you had. Everybody had hard wired telephones at
one point.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Right, I'm old enough to remember them.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
And what was the you call up the phone company
and go, hey, my phones don't work. What do they
used to tell you to do?
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Start on?
Speaker 6 (16:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (16:09):
I mean I knew what to do, yes, right?
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Yeah? Right? And why did you do that?
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Because it was the simplest thing to do, you know, I.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Was, well, it was the simplest thing to do. Well, Well,
I'm old dude, you know it's it's it's it's the
idea that it's the idea.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
That one of the modules is pulling down the rest
of the network. And my point is all right for
me to understand this circuit, what I'm gonna do is
I'm going to get a wiring diagram and trace out.
First of all, I believe this is on the high
speed data network, the trans control module because it has
to talk to the PCM, and I'm going to match
that up to the OBD two connector, because if you
(16:49):
look at a wiring diagram, you're going to see that
the TCM ties directly into the OBD two connector. That's
where high speed can comes in. I think it's pinned
six and fourteen if I remember right. But we've got
to look at it right, and we want to see
we want to understand how a network goes down. And
that's why I'm asking when you have that failure, when
(17:11):
it doesn't start, does the check engine like come on
and key on engine off position? Can I communicate with
the PCM and at least look at data? Can I
look at the TCM and at least look at data?
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Does that make sense?
Speaker 6 (17:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Basically I can talk to everything they're just they don't
talk to each other when songs.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
So right, then let's go with it. If you can
talk through everything. Yeah, but I want to know there's
that PCM. Is that PCM to pass through to talk
to the TCM. I'd be paying attention to how you're unplugging,
what connectors you're unplugging, Billy, because it sounds like it's
a connection issue and it's just sort of a fluke that.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Doing it made it work. Do that.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Call me back, you know where to find me next week,
and I'll be glad to talk to you about it
some more.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
I'm running dy in the car. Doctor. We're back right
after this hell run.
Speaker 5 (18:16):
Keep you right.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
We're in our remote studios out here in Pittsburgh, PA.
We're on the road this weekend, and we're happy to
be here for you. You know, I should point out too,
and I appreciate you guys being here. I don't say
that often enough. And Tom and I are grateful that
you guys have stuck with us all these years as
we continue to try and help you fix your cars
and get the word out and put out some positive information.
I'm amazed every day as to how much good solid
(18:58):
auto repair. Information is needed. I see all the goofy
things on social media. I read a post this morning
on Facebook. I tell you, if Facebook is such a
misnumber of information and a mismanagement of truths, I often
wonder if I would have it head. We're not for
a radio show where you're supposed to be present. The
argument was talking about nails and tires, and it was
(19:19):
a picture of a tire with a nail in the
center and two other nails to the immediate right in
about ten minutes down on a clock face on the edge,
the outside edge that you're not supposed to repair. And
people are arguing, Oh, that tire's fine, you could repair
that tire. There's nothing wrong with that tire. Stick a
plug in it. Firestone doesn't know what they're talking about.
(19:42):
And I'm thinking to myself, you know, I hope none
of these idiots are next to me on the road
when I'm traveling alongest seventy five miles an hour, because
when that tire comes apart, because the steel belt is compromised.
And that's what people don't realize that there are limitations
to how you can plug a tire. Do a tire
plug safely? Technically a lot of shops don't even like
the plug. I don't like the plug. It's it's very limited.
(20:04):
We want to do a plug patch from the inside.
But the more I read on social media about how
people think cars should be repaired, the more I think
order repair should be licensed in all the states across
our country. And you know, just because you can pick
up a wrench doesn't mean you're allowed to So absolutely amazing,
Bill in Michigan. Let's get over to the phones. Eight
five five five six oh nine nine zero zero, Bill
(20:25):
in Michigan.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
How can I help you today? Sir? What's going on?
Speaker 5 (20:28):
Thanks to you and Tom for having me on Run
nineteen ninety four Chevrolet pickup. This is a work truck,
standard cab, eight foot bed with a four to three
V six four L sixty eight transmission. Got one hundred
and sixty five thousand miles on it. I have an
intermittent slow crank or dead spot when the engine's warm.
(20:48):
Do you want me to take you through my diagnostic pursuit?
Speaker 6 (20:51):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Please? Yeah, let me know what you did.
Speaker 5 (20:53):
Okay. We started with a battery load test. I got
an eight to fifty coal cranking battery INERTS two years old.
It checked good voltage drop test on the positive and
negative cables both came out good. Neither cables were visibly corroded. However,
on the ground cable for this truck and several others
in this vintage I've checked, they ground to an illuminat
(21:14):
intake manifold.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (21:16):
I'm not really impressed with that, but that's what it is.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Yeah, you might you might want to consider relocating that
or adding a secondary ground as part of your diagnosis.
I also just to relay it to you, Bill, and
I know you've got more, but I recently had and
there's a we're gonna put up a YouTube video. I
had a Honda in the last two weeks that had
an intermittent no crank condition. And Honda's they're notorious that
(21:42):
the last i don't know, six eight inches of cable
going down to the lug that attaches to the to
the transmission in this case are exposed and.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
It was so corroded.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
I'd go and I'd wiggle the cable and bang it
would start right up. So you know, always always look
at that connection, and I get it, you know, when
when it goes into that slow crank. If you were
to stop cranking it and bolted drop tested at that point,
what what sort of results would you see?
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Or can you even do that?
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Is it a matter of letting go of the key
and then all of a sudden it starts normal.
Speaker 5 (22:13):
I did that, Ron, We got it warm, and I
tried that and in this particular instant it's it checked
U thoroughly correct. It didn't have a problem.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Can't you reproduce the slow crank bill if if it
cranks slow, you know, you take you know, back off
and okay, okay, good, so at least we can test it.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
Go ahead, minish your diagnosis.
Speaker 5 (22:32):
We did a timing check and you have to This
is really old school, Ron. You have to disconnect a
wire in the cab to check the right advantage.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Yeah, over the right side, by the glovebox, the brow
the brown wire, the tan wire with the black tracer.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
If I remember Ray, is that the call you you
got to write?
Speaker 5 (22:49):
You got to write the first time was brown, brown wire,
brown wire? Okay, a zero degree at the top, dead center. Now.
I did a tune up ron this truck. Last tune
up I did was twenty thirteen. I'm wing driven. Its
thousand miles in there, so I went with everything AC
Delco branded except a module, and that was standard products.
So we did plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor and
(23:11):
a distributor module. This helped an awful lot. It improved
it dramatically. I did have a local parts store check
my brand new, two year old AC Delco branded starter
and that checked. Okay, where I'm at. I'm looking at
additionally adding a ground as you suggested to the starter
(23:32):
to see if that helps. But I got the original
ignition coil in there, and that's causing me some concern.
I'm not sure how to check that.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Well, you know, let's get a let's get a spark tester,
and I don't. I don't know why it would be
an ignition coil bill, but I get it. Let's go
through the whole ignition system. You know, usually if this
is a slow crank that it turns over as if
the engine were binding. Let's say, for conversation's sake, it
does you know I would?
Speaker 3 (23:59):
I would? I would? I think this would be more
along the lines of.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
I've got I've got a flow problem to the starter
voltage current, something along those lines, or do I have
carbon deposits inside the motor that when the.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
Engine is hot, because this only happens hot. You say, correct,
you know, do I have carbon.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Deposits that are causing a slow crank creating the issue themselves.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
So I mean, listen to check the coil. It's going
to be the standard.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Go get a spark tester rated for the capacity output
of the coil forty to sixty thousand vaults. Stick it
against one one spark plug wire. So you'll start a
six cylinder on five cylinders and one will be the test.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Does it jump that gap? If it jumps that gap,
theoretically that coil is good.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
You want to change it because it's ninety four, two
thousand and four, twenty fourteen.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Where are we thirty forty years? Oh yeah, you know,
I get it. I get it.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
You know you want to buy well, yeah, maybe when
it starts, does it do we have a puff of
black smoke?
Speaker 6 (24:55):
No?
Speaker 5 (24:55):
I have no smoke tail.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
You know, I mean we could put a fuel pressure
gauge on it and watch for residual drop.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Do we have any residual? We should have? Sure? For
you know, fifteen to twenty up to thirty minutes. I
would be a concern. But yeah, how about this?
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Okay, they're checking the starter when you know, you take
it out and they bench test it.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
Right, they it's at room temperature.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
What if we put the starter in an oven and
brought brought it up the heat, brought up some heat
a little bit or it maybe make it to make
it easier. Can we set the truck up so it
goes into this hard crank and then can we hit
the starter with a garden hose?
Speaker 5 (25:38):
Have not done that? Very possible? Yeah, very positive?
Speaker 2 (25:42):
You know, I'm just trying to think of ways how
can I cool the starter down? Do I have a
case of the starter motor is getting hot and it's
creating a resistance problem in the starter.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Have you done a cranking amperage test? Bill?
Speaker 2 (25:56):
You know, just put a clamp on, an amp, clamp
clamp on, what sort of what sort of current does
it draw when it starts good? And then what sort
of current does it draw when it cranks hard?
Speaker 5 (26:06):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (26:07):
And I will have you know see what that does.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Uh? This the last thing, you know, because I know
you're into the tune up you're doing this, Why don't
we do a carbon cleaning?
Speaker 3 (26:16):
It's it's gone such low mileage. Yeah, it's you know,
it's easy enough to do.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Run down to your local Advanced Order Parts or somebody
pick up a CRC fuel System cleaning kit.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
They've got a bunch of good stuff on the market.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
CRC makes a great kit. And you know, follow the instructions.
Do a cleaning, decarbonize the engine.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
Does that make a difference?
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Okay, and you know it's gonna it's gonna be somewhere
in this. But just one step at a time, all right, kiddo.
Speaker 5 (26:42):
I appreciate it. Ron. You've got a Powermaster starter on
the fifty five. Is that still a good brand? If
I want to change?
Speaker 3 (26:47):
Still a good brand, Still a good brand. I still
like that starter.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
Knockwood, Bill, we shouldn't say this, not wood Wait, I'm
knocking the desk here. Uh you know so, But yeah,
it's uh, it's funny. We were talking about the fifty
five at lunch today. I got to take it out
for one last ride before the end of the year.
I didn't get enough time to drive it this year.
I just found too many other projects going on. But
I guess that's the life of a busy mechanic. Bill
always a pleasure sir, you take good care and be well.
(27:15):
Give us a call back when you need more. I'm
running Andy and the Card Doctor. We're back right after this.
You know, I really love the new spots.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
For the card Doctor's store. I didn't know that Santa
was so involved.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
I have a clock for him to see if we can,
you know, maybe help everybody and get delivery by Christmas.
So but yeah, the car Doctor store is open and
we are you know what, we're selling coffee cups again.
All of a sudden, coffee cups have picked up, so
we're glad to see it. I was just talking to
the production team the other day. We're going to try
and come up with some ronisms for the new year,
so along the lines of good mechanics aren't expensive, maybe
(28:00):
my truck runs, or that's not the way I would
have done it, something like that.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
But well, of course it's great exactly.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
So let's let's go back to the phone, Tom. Let's
go to Brian in Wisconsin. Brian, are you there, sir?
Speaker 6 (28:20):
Hey Ron, thanks thanks for taking our call. My wife
and I are longtime listeners.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
Thank you, sir.
Speaker 6 (28:26):
Maybe you can help you can help me with a
general question you've helped me in the past with the
seventy five old, a seventy nine olds cutlass and an
old five for focus. And you talked me last year.
You talked to me out of replacing the frame on
a Chevy Waldock conversion van that my mom left me
and talked me into buying a sprinter van.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
So gotcha, I remember that call? Sure cool?
Speaker 6 (28:49):
I got a two part question. I was borned when
I bought the sprinter van because it's a diesel, not
to let it idle for a long time. And you
see semi trucks all the time I'm idling over the night.
Is that? Is that a truism or is that something
that I've been told?
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Falseley, anytime somebody tells me something like that, my first
question is.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Why I always I always call it.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
I always call them on the spot because I can't
think of a reason why. Frankly, if we're mad, yeah,
go ahead.
Speaker 6 (29:21):
Well it was something about the carbon, the build up
of carbon, or have to regenerate it because it's a diesel.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Well yeah, but if we're doing our diesel maintenance, if
we're doing our filters, if we're using correct, good quality
fluid and filters, if we're visiting watch this segue Hotshotsecret
dot com and looking at some of the diesel additives
and products. Listen, it's the truth though, right, you know,
for for all my diesel customers, we you know, we
(29:51):
use product from Hotshot Secret and there's a laundry list
there of what are we trying to achieve and some
of the things they have. Their stiction eliminator is phenomenal
for a diesel. You know, everything you want to know
to take care of a diesel is there at hotshot
Secret dot com. So it's it's you know, that's where
you want to be. I think I think the general
fallacy don't idle a diesel is nonsense.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Because you're right, look at all the eighteen wheelers.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
How about the eighteen wheelers you see on the side
of the road right that are pulled over sleeping for
the night and the truck stops or in the rest areas.
What you think you know, it's yeah, so I think
somebody is it's wives tales unless they've got a specific reason.
If you're not doing something right. That's like saying, don't
drive the vehicle because you're gonna have to go through
a cat reach in every once in a while doesn't
(30:36):
make any sense.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
So second question, Okay.
Speaker 6 (30:40):
Second question. My wife and I have never really owned
a brand new vehicle. We've always bought them two or
three years old. Right now, she's got a twenty ten
Nissan Ultima. I've got a twenty ten for one fifty.
We both bought with forty five and seventy five thousand
miles respectively. They're almost at two hundred. We're looking to
get a we're looking to get a kind of a
(31:02):
what is your idea of a great vehicle?
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Right now?
Speaker 6 (31:06):
From a mechanics point of view, I'm talking about cost
of baintenance, ease of ownership, reliability. We're retired and we're
looking at buying either a new or used one, which
is gonna be our last vehicle.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
You know that's how big.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Well, everybody says it's the last vehicle. God willing you
live another thirty years. All of a sudden you need
another vehicle. So let's not go there.
Speaker 6 (31:24):
Well, we got we got a hundred pilot, black Chevy Tahoe, GMC,
Yukon bmw X or an Audi Q.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Now, listen, the German cars are a completely different conversation.
They really are you know, it's the German car experience.
And we could talk about the German car experience, but
there's not enough time, even if we started at the
top of the hour, because that's just a whole nother conversation.
And I'll tell you what, Brian, stay put, let me
pull over, take a pause. When I come back, we'll
finish up. I don't want to rush this, and we'll
(31:54):
get we'll get all your questions answered. I'm running any
in the car, doctor, I'll be back right after this.
H And we are back, Brian, Wisconsin.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
You're still there, sir.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
Yeah, the questions are buying a buying a replacement vehicle.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
We're just buying one vehicle to replace too, Brian.
Speaker 6 (32:20):
Yep, that's it. And I can't get a pickup because
my wife won't allow me to get a pick up.
So we've we've chosen, we've chose two different vehicles. And
she's standing right next to me and she's smiling. She's hoping,
you're gonna sear your way, her way or my way.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
So jeez, what do you gotta turn my car? I
gotta turn my collar around. What are my choiceing vehicles? Again?
Speaker 6 (32:41):
Well, we've we've got it narrowed down to a Honda
Pilot Black, a Chevy Tahoe or gmc u con. But
you know, all we're looking for is a mechanic to
tell us, hey, these are the ones we're having really
good luck with.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
You know, you want to buy, you want to you
want to buy a brick.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
You know, a brick. It never breaks, it's reliable, it's
just it just it just goes right.
Speaker 6 (33:06):
Yep, all right, And we're looking for honest, non opinionated answer.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Those are all good vehicles. They're decent, okay, But if
you want to really go drive something just for the
heck of it, and you're you're still in the window
where they're two years old, and you could get them
cheaper than what they originally were.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
I really love that.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
Lex for sixty that my wife drives, that lexuside Border.
That thing it's it's it's like a glorified highlander, all right.
It's a freight it's a freight train on wheels. I
defy anybody take that thing out on the interstate do
seventy five eighty miles an hour with it, which unfortunately
you have to do, and break the speed limit in
some parts to avoid getting run over by the diesel
(33:47):
trucks that are flying down the road. But that Lex
four sixty V eight, no turbocharger, low on maintenance, they
just run brother. That truck will go a quarter million
miles with reasonable care. Go drive one of those. Call
me back next week we can talk.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
More about it. But put your wife in it.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Let her drive it, let her turn on the seat heater,
let her listen to the radio. I think she's going
to fall in love all over again, but I'm sure
you'll still be her number one guy till the next time.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
I'm ronning Andy in the car.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Doctor, it's been a pleasure to be here for all
of you. Good mechanics aren't expensive, they're priceless.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
See you, hey, the doctor. Carr Advice tolride
Host
Ron Ananian
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.