Ron starts this episode talking about the value in following a diagnostic routine on a consistent basis to diagnose and fix a vehicle. He recounts a car from the shop this week as an example; a 2016 Mini Cooper with a rear wiper problem. Then he takes a call on an 2007 Mustang GT500 where the cruise control is not working. Ron then talk to a listener that has a whistling 2011 Jeep Wrangler Sport, even if the car is not moving. In the news this week Ron covers a story of a possible power emergency in the Texas electrical grid and how it could be related to the EV world. He closes out this hour answering an email on a 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser and a question on changing the timing belt and also discusses a recent tech tip from the ALLDATA technical library where a 2018 Ford F150 goes into limp mode due to a computer network problem and what steps need to be take to diagnose it.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Ron An Indian Final.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
These are the voyages the Car Doctor.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
It's five year mission to explore strange new words, to
seek out.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
New life and new civilizations.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
To both if they go when no one has gone
before ron An Indian Spock it looks befuddled, and McCoy says,
what's the matter.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
And Spock lays.
Speaker 5 (00:32):
Out all his problems and McCoy says, well, you're just
gonna have to guess. And it just makes me giggle
every time, because sometimes you have to guess when it
comes to.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Fixing a car.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
I'm a doctor, not I'm a caddy.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
That car doctor.
Speaker 5 (00:45):
Take your long screw driver, nothing wrong with it. Listen
to My dad fixed many of DC three during World
War Two with long screw drivers. Take that and go
listen to the camera, so you know what kind of
a click you're listening for. Right, let's learn how to
fix cars on the good car before we go over
to the bad car.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Welcome to the radio home of ron Andania the Car Doctor.
Since nineteen ninety one, this is where car owners the
world overturned to for their definitive opinion on automotive repair.
If your mechanics giving you a busy signal, pick up
the phone and call in the garage doors are open, but.
Speaker 5 (01:18):
I am here to take your calls at eight five
five five six oh ninety nine.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Hundred and now it is a good day to die pee.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Running.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
And sometimes it's not a guess. Sometimes what of repair
is a very exact science, and it's a very methodical,
proven time and time again procedure, and had to properly
diagnose and repair that vehicle. We had a twenty sixteen
Mini Cooper in the shop this week and it was
a simple request or so.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
It seemed that.
Speaker 5 (01:50):
The rear wiper, the rear wiper arm would not park
in the same spot twice or correctly. It was always up.
It was this side, that side straight up. Sometimes it
parked down. It just it had a mind of its own. Now,
wiper motors, you say, well, how complicated could this be.
It's just a wiper motor. It's on off, fast, slow, intermittent.
(02:15):
You know's what's there to it? If this was thirty
years ago, Yeah, okay, I could I could back that
statement up and agree with that statement what's there to it?
Speaker 1 (02:25):
But it's not.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
It's a modern day vehicle. That wiper motor is on
the CANbus, it's on the data network.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
It's it's being.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
Controlled by a module, by a computer to run wipers. Yeah,
so you have to go through the drill. And as
strange as it sounds, the first step in diagnosing that
rear wiper motor was to scan it for codes. No
check engine light, no warning lights on the dashboard, anywhere.
(02:55):
I've got an inoperative device. I've got a control device
on the network that doesn't operate properly. I've got a
scan for codes. And sure enough, there were fault codes
for things like the RJB, the right junction box. There
were fault codes for lack of communication with certain modules.
There were different fault codes that indicated, hey, maybe we've
(03:18):
got a network problem. First time I'd ever seen this car.
So I don't know complete history. I don't know who's
attempted to repair it. I don't know what's been unplugged,
push pull, pro poked, prodded and twisted, as I like
to say, But and again, you know, I I.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Just I'll say like this.
Speaker 5 (03:39):
I just listened to an addition of Classic Car Doctor,
a podcast show, a show a radio show which has
become a podcast. Now it's up on the up on
the podcast board, you know, from ten years ago, and
I was working on a late eighties Ford Fairmont that
was a no start, no crank condition, and I still
went through the same diagnostic check this, check this, check this,
(04:01):
because it kind of clicks.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
In with me.
Speaker 5 (04:03):
I just go bang and I'm going to start here.
Same thing with this Mini Cooper. It's it's a procedural thing,
because that's what diagnostics are. You're going to do the
same thing every time. It's like trying to bowl a
perfect game. You move the ball, you move your feet
the same way every time you'll bowl a three hundred.
You just have to figure out what those steps are
to be successful. We had codes, We had codes that
(04:24):
indicated problems on the network. We had codes that indicated hey,
maybe because Mini Coopers do have this bad habit of leaking.
I'm not sure what it is, but we take a
small car and make it a convertible and then it
wants to be, you know, a submarine. It somehow wants
to have water coming in from all sides. I just
haven't but it just seems they are one of the
wettest cars I've ever worked on.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
They're always wet.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
Well, this one was kind of different. I think this
car was broken. It was bone dry on the inside,
but I was obligated to check. And one of the
first steps we're going to do at common trait common
problem is to take the right kickpanel out, pull all
the plastic trim up, right kickpanel, passinger side where your
feet would sit right there, that right kick panel, and
(05:07):
take a look at the RJB the right junction box.
And sure enough, it was bone dry. It really was
unplugged the connector. I think it was X eleven oh
three X no, I'm sorry, X eleven double two if
I remember right. And it was dry. There was no green,
there was no corrosion. Everything was where it was supposed
to be. Put it back together. Took the scan tool.
(05:28):
I was able to. I took the wiper motor. I
took the wiper arm off the motor, and I was
able to pulse the motor. But every time I pulsed
the motor, it parked in the wrong spot. It just
I could control it. I could run the motor, I
could do everything the scan tool needed to do, but
I couldn't get it to park in the correct place.
(05:49):
And while I had the kick panel off, looking at
the junction box. I just made sure there was no
moisture there because you're always worried about the sun roof
drain leaking on those cars or the convertible top with
a drain down there, and that eight pillar is there,
and there wasn't anything. So I had a bad wiper motor,
plain and simple, of course. Then the next problem was
(06:10):
how do you take that wiper motor apart, because it's
a plastic arm that they what they do is they
counter sync a solid piece of steel inside this plastic
arm and then they push it onto the wiper motor itself.
So now it's corroded onto the you know, two dissimilar metals.
(06:33):
Even though the wiper the stub is made out of steel.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
But it's not the greatest of something.
Speaker 5 (06:38):
I think it's a combination of junk they have lying
around on the manufacturing floor. But whatever, it just corrodes
to it. So now you have to very gently. You know,
you're working on top of a big piece of glass.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
You know.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
Oh, let me take the hammer and bang on the
wiper arm. Oops, you know, and then you miss, and
then it's a five hundred dollars rear grid glass. So
you know, you got to be careful. So you know,
you use the wiper polar and that doesn't work, and
you know you're gently trying to poke prod and pull
it away. And in the end I ended up taking
a die grinder and you know, cutting through the plastic arm,
got that off, then got the uh pulled the stub
(07:12):
collar off by just grinding through it, and then took
the motor out and threw it away. But look at
what and this is my point, look at what you
have to go through just for a wipe promoter. Now,
some people I was telling this story too, say yeah,
I knew it was a wipermoter. Well, I'm glad you knew,
because the next time I get one, I'm going to
call you you and let you take the risk. You know,
(07:32):
you can't say I knew. You can't say, don't assume.
Don't be so positive, because you know, one of these
days you're going to put a wipermoter in the car
and I see this. You'll put the two three hundred
dollars wipe promoter in the car and then find out
that the junction box had moisture and if the junction
box had corrosion in it, and then the customer ends
up paying for two repairs because naturally mechanics don't make
(07:54):
any mistakes. They just you know, while I was helping them,
they need a wipeermoter. Anyway, the car was eight years
old and we know where that we know where that
conversation goes.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
So just be aware.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
You know.
Speaker 5 (08:04):
That's that's the way auto repair is. It's a methodical,
you know, consistent. It's like bowling three hundred. You've just
got to do the same thing over and over and
over again in order to get to the final conclusion
of the final destination. And that's really what you want
to do. Suffice it to say. So, anyway, I have
a I have a special guest in studio today.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Look at this. I'm not used to this.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
I'm looking across the glass and there's actually a body
in my glass. What happened here, professor.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Well, my internet at home decided to crash and burn
sometime right about eleven thirty this morning.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
Tom Tom came charging in here about forty five minutes ago,
you know, and look the power of technology, right, And
of course by the time you got here it came back.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
It had come back at home lovely and now.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
And by the way, these are brand new glasses, so
it's goodn't bad because I can see you, which is
mostly bad. But you know, now I can see what
you're up to it and make sure you're not plotting.
Speaker 5 (09:01):
You know, we want to see We want to see
what's going to happen today, because before the show, not
only did Tom's internet crash, but Tom was looking at
a clock I have here in studio, and I said, now, Tom,
I'll get you one. I went out on Amazon and
I went to order it, and when I opened up
my Amazon browser, it opened up in Spanish. Now we're
not sure why. So if we can get through the
(09:22):
next two hours, we'll really be happy.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
And when I got here into the studio, we had
no audio through the speakers, and it was working right
before I walked in, and somehow the speakers got turned down,
and neither one of us knows how that happened.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
You know, the only commonality here is Tom. So far
all three incidents you were involved in, all three.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
So what can I tell you.
Speaker 5 (09:41):
I might have to get you purged today anyway, eight five, five, five,
six zero nine nine zero zero running any of the
car doctor here with the always wonderful to have him,
Tom Ray, we'll both be back right after this. Don't
go away, whether it's a little red Corvette or you go.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
You've come to the right place to get that car fixed.
Ron and Andy in the car Doctor eight five five
five six zero nine nine zero zero.
Speaker 5 (10:11):
Now back to Ron, Hey, let's get on over until Oh,
let's go to John and Virginia. John in Virginia. Welcome
to the Car Doctor, sir. How can I help?
Speaker 4 (10:18):
Hey?
Speaker 6 (10:19):
Ron? How you doing great? A couple of months ago
I found an unmodified, pilot owned garage kept two thousand
and eight Shelby GT. Five hundred Mustang with two thousand
miles on it, sitting in an air conditioned garage in Arizona,
and I couldn't resist.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Had a boy, good for you.
Speaker 6 (10:41):
The cars gorgeous, looks like new, smells like new, not
a mark on it. I drove it home, which is
an awful lot of fun. Back to Virginia and everything
works as it should precisely, except Fruce control won't turn
on okay, no indication, The light won't come on, and
(11:03):
even if I try to set it with the light off,
it won't set.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (11:08):
So in other words, right, this has this has a
master on switch.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Correct, correct, and.
Speaker 5 (11:14):
You're gonna set that master on switch. Now. That master
on switch, if I recall, right, is in the horn
pad right, it's.
Speaker 6 (11:22):
The horn is in the center. To the left is
the on and off on the spoke and on the
right spoke. I've got the up down controls. Okay, So,
and I've done some troubleshooting. Light the brake lights come on,
which tells me that the power can train module knows
the brakes are not set.
Speaker 5 (11:38):
Right.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (11:39):
I pulled the clutch switch out and I read it
with a multimeter and it's working fine. I went ahead
and I pulled the air bag trying to get my
on off switch out, and I can't. With the airbag out,
I've got a nice big cavity there, but with the
nice leather wrapped steering wheel, I can't find a way
to get that switch out of there without damaging things.
Speaker 5 (11:58):
Okay, so before where we go there, do you own
a scan tool?
Speaker 6 (12:03):
That's one of the reason I'm calling I do not.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
Right, So this because this is a drive by wire vehicle,
there's no throttle cable right that I can almost guarantee
with certainty that the cruise control function is channeled through
the powertrain control module, the main engine computer.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
It is.
Speaker 6 (12:24):
It goes straight from the switches through the clock strain
spring straight to the PCM.
Speaker 5 (12:28):
Right, So it's all on the canvas. It's all on
the network. This is just like the Mini Cooper I
was just talking about, all right, So it's it's all
on the bus. So you know as much as you Okay,
the brake lights turn on and off. The first thing
I want to know is does the PCM see that?
(12:49):
And I could see that. I could see that looking
at a scan tool. Step on the brake, you'll see
somewhere there'll be a PID for stop lamp or stop
light switch or brake light or something either on their
body mind or PCM or somewhere along the way in
one of the modules. It will report position. I just
want to see a step on the brake, Yes, no,
on off something. It's it's gonna show me change of state,
(13:10):
all right. So there's a reason to have a scan
tool number one, number two if depending upon the tool
you buy even in two thousand. This is in two
thousand and seven. We said, yeah, in two thousand and seven,
it'll it should be there'll be an accessory module or
a body module, and you'll be able to go in
and likely seek when you turn on the master switch,
does a module see the master switch go on or off?
(13:33):
The reason I want to do that is because it
tells me where to go. If a computer sees if
the computers not seeing the brake lights switch change, but
or if it sees it in the on position and
it's on off right, that tells me that, yeah, the
brake lights work, but for some reason the PCM is
confused about the rest of it. If if I go
(13:53):
to turn the master switch on and off and it
doesn't show state of change, it's it's it's got to
a poor connection, broken wire, bad contact, an animal, cheot
on something, et cetera somewhere along the way. So it'd
be nice to have a scan tool. That being said,
have you considered, you know, getting a wiring diagram at
(14:14):
the base of the steering column. There's going to be
a master connector coming into the column. You can do
all your testing there.
Speaker 6 (14:21):
So I have the factory shop manuals. When I look
at the control from the steering wheel switches everything, I
don't believe it's on the CANbus. From there, everything looks
like a voltage divider where there's a different voltage for
every function speed up, speed down, cruise control on, cruise
(14:43):
control off.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
Correct, But understand, if the PCM thinks there's a problem
based on a false input, it will prevent cruise control
from operating because it has authority over the can bus. Okay,
so you are correct, but you've just you got to
go to the next step. It's yeah, okay, you know,
(15:06):
it's it's kind of like somebody's telling you what to do.
You know, uh stick, stick your head out of the
car at one hundred miles an hour with your eyes
wide open.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Uh no, you don't want to do that, right, right,
did you? You didn't do that on the way home,
did you.
Speaker 5 (15:22):
Okay, but you know it's it's it's so yeah, we're
we want to see input. We want to see what
are the switches telling us to do. Do the switches
have connectivity? If is and I don't know this for
a fact, but I've run into this in situations where
even though that component may not be on the bus,
if the PCM cannot and I'll use the word ce
(15:43):
but it's you know, can it electrically see it. If
it can't electrically see that component, however, the manufacturer decides
to let it identify it, it'll prevent that circuit from operating.
It'll it'll have that authority. So you know, that's where
I think, either or a scan tool to show me
quick inputs outputs. Look, you own the car, you're gonna
(16:04):
need a tool.
Speaker 6 (16:05):
Right at this point, you've recommended the Launch scanners before.
That's still worth recommended.
Speaker 5 (16:10):
I think I think the Launch provides a lot of
bang for the buck. You know, it's either that or
you're gonna jump up on eBay and find yourself a
used snap on scanner.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
See what's out there.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
You don't need anything obviously, you know, updated to the
latest and greatest, But sometimes shops will have something that's
five years old and they're selling it for a price.
And I think when you buy a scan tool, the
most important thing to consider is, you know, you got
to really try it. You know, what do you connect with?
No pun intended? You know what what makes sense to you?
It's it's sort of like, you know, I always think
(16:42):
about people. Some people like this restaurant, some people like
that restaurant. I think as humans. We interface and connect
differently with different things. And there's just some things I
like about the Launch or some things I like about
the snap On. You know, there's some things I connect
better with. I always go back and I give the example.
It's ages old now, but when I first started doing
electronic bookkeeping using into it Quicken years ago, back in
(17:05):
the eighties, and you know, into it Quicken at the
time was so simple, you just kind of picked it up.
There was books and books and books about it, but
I never used them. It just made sense to me.
But when I got the Quick books, it was a
whole other world and I had to start reading. So,
you know, some things we connect with, some things we don't.
Snap On's good. Launch is good. You know you want
(17:27):
something more than just an OBD two scan tool because
you're looking to diagnose and repair the accessories and all
the electrical options that I'm sure this GT five hundred has,
you know, so and just real quick, you went through
all the fuses related to that cruise control circuit, right, Okay.
Speaker 6 (17:44):
I did, Okay, what price range on my in on
a new If I buy a newscanner from Launch, I'd
see a wide range there.
Speaker 5 (17:51):
Three grand oh boy, yeah right, oh yeah, it's hey.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Listen.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
You know what, So you want to be an auto mechanic. Huh.
Imagine filling up a shop on an everyday basis and
that becomes a whole other project. So but that's where
you go on, my friend, you call me you need more,
and enjoy the car, and you know, try not to
get too many speeding tickets and to keep the shiny
side up. As we say, I'm running Nannie in the
car doctor. We'll be back right after this. Don't go away,
(18:44):
welcome back. I'm run a Nannie in the car doctor.
Let's go over and talk to Jeff in Virginia. Jeff
eleven Wrangler Sport. Your jeep is whistling at you. Maybe
it thinks you're cute.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Jeff. It is a new world.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
Good morning. Thank you for taking my Yes, it's been
going on for a while. I've done some basic checks
on it. I'm not getting any check engine or anything
like that. My brakes are working fine. It seems to
occur most when the car is cold, and it occurs
when the car is not moving. Now it can also
occur when it's moving. But I can be parked in
(19:20):
my driveway and I start to press on the brake,
and if I press all the way down, it stops.
If I don't press, it's not there. But if I
press like a third or half of the way, it
gives me a whistling sound. Now I've pulled out the
check valve and it it seems to be functioning. I've
(19:41):
checked the pumping on the brake. When the engine's off,
I can get about two or three pumps, and then
the brake pedal gets really hard and it won't go down.
So I'm not thinking I've got a master cylinder leak.
I'm not sure.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
Okay, while the engine is running, well, let me say
it like this. If you were to disconnect the power break.
This is a vacuum right, a break booster. If you
were to disconnect that break booster vacuum line and plug
it and run the vehicle, now it's going to be
a harder pedal. But would you still get the whistling noise?
(20:12):
Have you tried that?
Speaker 4 (20:13):
I have not tried that.
Speaker 5 (20:14):
Okay, it sounds like you've got a diaphragm that's starting
to fail, all right, and you're you're catching it at
the right moment at that point of expansion, the rubber
is stretching, and it's just creating an internal whistle because
if you disconnect the booster. Listen, let's think of it
like this. If you disconnect the booster right right, vehicles
(20:36):
sitting near at idle and you step on the brake
pedal as hard as it's going to.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Be right right, it's.
Speaker 5 (20:43):
It's and it doesn't whistle. What else is left. It's
not the application of the brake, it's the stroke of
the booster underload. At that point when you've got vacuum.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Some kind of a weird problem with the check valve.
I mean, it's a little hard to get it to
kind of pop. I did check it, and it does
block flow. But if you try to get it to
go out the other way, you could got to give
a little bit of pressure on You.
Speaker 5 (21:12):
Could take the can you take the vacuum line off
at the manifold end and just run a fresh piece
of rubber hose with a different check valve, or just
just run a right angle. You got another car that's
got a check valve at the same size hole. A
lot of these are pretty much a standard size.
Speaker 4 (21:28):
And my wife's got a Jaguar I don't think that's
that's not gonna work.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
So you could you could you know, do you have
a local AutoZone? Yes, Well, once you run down there
and you know it's probably cheap enough by a quick
check valve, probably under five bucks, you could diagnose it
once you once you established that it doesn't happen with
the hose disconnected, the engine running right and you step
on the brake. Now, obviously when you disconnect it, you're
(21:53):
gonna have to plug that end, you know, stick your
thumb over it or you know, some some kind of
a quirk or something, uh, you know, and just and
just stop it because it's gonna leak and run lean
and it'll stall. But you know, it's the idea that
I think it's got to do with the booster underload.
I've seen this over the over my career that they
they get they get a little flaky, there's something inside
(22:14):
that's distorted and it just a piece of rubber is
moving around and it gets in a position where similar
to when you would put a blade of grass between
your two thumbs and blow through them at summer camp.
I don't know if you guys did that. I don't
know if you guys did that in Virginia. We did
that in a jersey but you know it was a
Jersey thing. But uh, you know it'll make that weird
vibrational squeak or whistle.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
And you know, I think that's where you're going.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
So, so one quick question. Even if there's a hole
in the diaphragm, I mean, it doesn't feel like my
break is mushy or not a hole?
Speaker 5 (22:47):
Not a hole, not a hole. Yeah, I'm not saying
it's a hole. I'm saying it's just enough that you know. Now,
the other thing that would be kind of neat to
look at is and this will sound strange, but I
would get out a scan tool you want, you want
to try and experiment, bring it up on ob D two.
Look at look at fuel trim, basic fuel trim. Okay,
I want to know if when you push in the
(23:08):
brake to the point where it whistles, does fuel trim change?
Speaker 4 (23:12):
Ah?
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Right, because that's airting.
Speaker 5 (23:15):
Right in theory that the theory would hold, I'd still
I'd still like to put more. Listen, sometimes you just
gotta have fun fixing cars. I'd still put more. I
still put more stock in disconnecting it cap in the
line and stepping on the pedal the noise is gone,
then it's the booster. But you know, does does fuel
trim get it to change? And that's how you understand
how systems work.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
All right, well, I appreciate it. I'll get a new
check valve. If that doesn't work, well, I can plug
the line right if it goes away, then I know
it's easy as a booster or the check valve or
the diaphragm.
Speaker 5 (23:47):
Diaphrag And then when you're down it, when you're down
at AutoZone, you can price out a new booster and uh,
you know, see if door list makes a replacement part
for that, and if they do, I'd have no problem
putting one of those on it, and you'll be good to.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
I really enjoy spending three I go toem.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
Well, you know, I understand that, but look at it.
Look at it this way. With the extra money, you
can take your wife out to dinner and she'll be happy.
And remember, if MoMA's not happy, ain't nobody happy.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
So all right, brother, I appreciate it. You're very welcome.
You're very welcome. You'd be well to.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
Yeah, and I think we all know that story. Hey,
did you see in the This is in the news, Tom,
I'm reporting the news. I want to state I'm only
reporting the news, and I'm not stating anything related to
a current political, possible motive, environment, climate, or the positioning
of evs.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
Is this all the news that's fit to print?
Speaker 5 (24:38):
This is all the news that's fit to print and
not be talked about the Texas Grid. This came into
us this morning. The Texas Power Grid warns of possible
early power emergency next week. The Texas Electrical Grid warned
of a possible emergency early next week because of a
potential shortfall of power reserves. Don't send me the hate mail, folks.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, otherwise known as ERCO
(25:00):
at Erkele or Erko Erko Erkele was the kid on
family matters. That's a whole nother story the Electrical The
Electric Reliability Council of Texas said Friday the grid may
have deficient reserves from April twenty ninth at seven pm
Central Time through May burst at nine pm Orcott Orcott
Orcott made the layer cancel planned power outages and may
need to show up available supplies by about twenty eight
(25:22):
hundred megawatts. They said they've issued warnings based on its
analysis of various scenarios, but they don't reflect and expected deficiency.
The Grid Group warned of a similar emergency this month,
and even though the Grip Grid ultimately dodged that Shultz shortfall,
spot power prices jumped to more than four thousand dollars
in megawatt hour to reflect tight conditions. So Texas may
(25:44):
have an electrical power supply problem and it's not even summer.
It's only April into May. Yeah, okay, I'm not saying
that's indicative of anything wrong with the automotive industry or
what we're trying to do. I think it's wonderful. I'm
ronnin Andy and the Car Doctor smiling and have BEU
relishing my day, and I'll be back right after this.
(26:15):
Welcome back, Running in the Car Doctor. We're here at
eight five five five six zero nine nine zero zero,
here to take your calls and answer your questions. Keep
in mind that phone number is twenty four to seven.
Call at any time. If we're not live on the
air like we are Saturday afternoons two to four pm
Eastern time, we will call you back. Leave a message
there's an opportunity there to leave a message and Tom
Ray or one of our other Abu Boty the assistants,
(26:37):
we'll give you a call back and get you in
the next live que. And keep in mind we are
doing some tapings on Wednesday night. We like to tape
questions on Wednesday night. We actually talked to a few
people this past Wednesday. Well you'll hear them in an
upcoming show. And we're trying to do a taping session
Wednesday nights because we know some of you middle of
the week you can't wait till the weekend kind of
a thing. And we're getting so many questions we're just
(26:58):
trying to keep up with the demand. So always that
opportunity too. And if you just call the eight five
to five five six zero nine nine zero zero number,
leave a message, or if you go out to cardoctorshow
dot com, there's a contact form there. You can fill
that out and say, hey, I want to talk to
Ron Wednesday night. You know, follow the form, we'll get
you in the queue and we'll do that so quick.
(27:18):
Piece of email. This comes to us from Bill in
White House Station, New Jersey, and I think I answered
this to Bill directly, but I wanted to put it
up on air also, so on the chance that maybe
I'm repeating myself, you know, But I don't think so.
I think this is the first time I'm talking about
it here on here, Hey, Ron, this is Bill from
White House Station. I have a two thousand and four
PT Cruiser with twelve thousand miles on its second owner
(27:38):
at nine thousand, four years ago on an antique car tour.
I was discussing this. Wait a minute, an four PT
cruiser is now on an antique car tour. Yeah, I
guess it would be.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
That's twenty years that's twenty one years old.
Speaker 5 (27:53):
Oh my god, just think a PT Cruiser is the
muscle car of this generation.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
Wow.
Speaker 5 (28:00):
Wow, that Camaro is looking a lot better every day.
I was discussing this with a friend of mine who
has his own garage. He suggested that I should change
the timing belt based upon age, which makes sense. I
have seen that they have been extending the mileage interval.
I was wondering what your thoughts were aged twenty years
versus twelve thousand miles. Possibility of a conundrum. I like
that word conundrum, Bill, You know, Bill, And as I answered,
(28:21):
it to you personally, I'm going to answer it up
here on air. Age becomes a factor. Tires wear out
from sitting. Look, if we sat in a chair for
twenty years, we're getting twenty years older and we're aging,
all right. And if the tires and the tires on
that car, you wonder are they original? You know, have
they been changed? If you're just driving it now, you
(28:41):
know how old are the tires. You've got to see
if there's a date code on them. If the tires
are original, they've got to go. Tires six seven years.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
That's it. You're done.
Speaker 5 (28:49):
And the same thing with a lot of and all
of the rubber components, not a lot, all of the
rubber components. If that timing belt is original, which I'm
betting it is, as I said to you, then you
know what, Tommy, bel it's got to go at ages.
It's a piece of rubber. It's going to age, just
like the tires, just like everything else. You're driving a
car that old and you want to avoid the possibility
of breakdown in an antique car tour or even just
(29:12):
running down to the local market. You know what, it's
a great car, but let's go through it. If it's wet.
Change it all the fluids all right, coolant, engine oils
and no brainer transfluid, break fluid, you know, and let's
change rubber components, SYRP belt, timing belt. Uh, you want
to put a water pump in it?
Speaker 1 (29:32):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
I probably would just because it's twenty years old. And
if I remember right, oh four oh four, I got
to go back and look. But there was an issue
with Chrysler where they issued a redesigned plastic timing cover
and you could buy it as part of a kit
and installed that whole cover because they had problems with
(29:54):
the covers would warp and twist and break, and they
had an issue. But it's a good time before before
you start to really get into the car to you know,
spend a little money on it. And this way you're
not going to break down on the side of the road.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
Number one.
Speaker 5 (30:06):
Number two driving an older car. If you're going to
keep an older car for the duration to go along
with it. As we like to say, getting parts now
when it's twenty years old might be easier than getting
parts when it's twenty five years old when something fail.
So it's easier to deal with now than it is later,
and at least then you're safe and you're not on
(30:26):
the side of the road somewhere. So I vote for
changing it. And I told you that when when we
did our private email exchange as well, because there's nothing
like driving a safe, maintained automobile rather than being the person.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
And I don't understand that.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
I look at you know, every once in a while,
I go out on the internet and I'll jump into
forums and with an alias, you know, nobody sees the name.
And I don't know that I'm that recognizable, but I
just don't want anybody to recognize me where they might.
And I look at some of the comments about people
driving cars longer on this on fluid changes. People, I've
(31:03):
got ten years on my battery, and you know what,
you're the dope that's on the side of the road
on Memorial Day weekend, stuck because the car broke down
because the battery didn't start, because you know, the engine failed,
because maintenance puts the odds in your favor. That's the
bottom line, and that's what you got to remember about
taking care of a car. I understand the cost factor.
(31:24):
I understand some of the other things that people complain about.
But the point becomes an automobile, I don't care how
complicated or simple it is, is nothing more than a machine.
And it still needs regular maintenance on a regular basis
from somebody that knows what they're doing. And that's that's
an irrefutable fact. Proved me wrong. Eight five five five
(31:45):
six zero nine nine zero zero. I'm ron an Any
and the Car Doctor. I'll be back right after this
(32:06):
and welcome back once again, listeners, ronin Ady and the
Car Doctor at your service. Let's close out this hour
talking about, well, something similar to what we talked about
at the beginning, and this comes to his courtesy from
All Data and it's from their technical library, and how
a vehicle goes into LIMP mode twenty eighteen fort f
one fifty with four wheel drive and the customer stated
(32:27):
that the cluster and radio go dead and the automatic
transmission goes into limp mode. And you say, well, gee,
you know, where do you start?
Speaker 1 (32:33):
Where do you begin?
Speaker 5 (32:34):
And during the course of the diagnosis, the technician working
on this vehicle pulled codes and it had it had
all data bus codes.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
Right.
Speaker 5 (32:42):
We were talking at the beginning of the show about
the Mini Cooper with the wiy permotor issue. Well, here's
one where the technician had you three hundred U three
thousand control module FU U four fifty two invalid data
U one forty loss communication with body control module P
seventy six high speed vehicle observed in park, which is
(33:04):
sort of impossible, right, use zero one hundred loss communication
with ECM. And then the final was the B twelve
forty six, which was a problem in the information and
entertainment system. So because there were so many trouble codes,
the article from All Data goes on to say, the
technician thought it best he called All Data tech assists
for a little guidance. The tech assist consultant All Data
(33:26):
provides a technical hotline service with their program advice to
clear all the codes and see which ones return. And
I understand that because they're looking to see what's got
specificity or what's got authority over everything what comes first.
And they did that, they tried duplicating the issue, and
at that point they could then begin to disconnect modules
to see if what returned to normal. And as he
(33:48):
did as advice, he cleared all the codes, he was
able to reproduce the issue. When the truck was called
and he noticed a buzzing noise that he traced down
to the trailer brake control module. He disconnected, and all
the symptoms disappeared in the vehicle operator as normal. You know,
I'm always telling you about you know, it's like a
game of telephone with cars today, the one telephone brings
the whole network down in the house all the telephones
(34:08):
stopped working, or the one bad computer brings the entire
computer network down. Cars are the same way. And the
article this tech assist tip from All Data proves that.
And you know, thanks to some excellent troubleshooting on All
Data's part and their technicians part, they were able to
bring this vehicle to a swift conclusion and you know,
make everybody aware.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
And that's the point of this that.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
Yeah, sometimes it's it's a step by step thinking process,
not necessarily replacing something until you know, obviously, but disconnecting something.
And that's that's a diagnosis. Okay, that's that's a routine procedure,
a methodical procedure that you're going step by step.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
To come to some sort of a positive conclusion.
Speaker 5 (34:51):
And obviously the vehicle ended up being fixed. And you'll
find more information out at all data dot com in
their technical library.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
Again thanks to them and excellent, excellent article. Well I
enjoyed that story.
Speaker 5 (35:01):
I'm ronning ay in the car doctor saying gee, thanks,
it was a great fun being with you all today
until the next time, reminding you once again good mechanics
aren't expensive, they're priceless.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
See you
Ron An Indian Final.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
These are the voyages the Car Doctor.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
It's five year mission to explore strange new words, to
seek out.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
New life and new civilizations.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
To both if they go when no one has gone
before ron An Indian Spock it looks befuddled, and McCoy says,
what's the matter.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
And Spock lays.
Speaker 5 (00:32):
Out all his problems and McCoy says, well, you're just
gonna have to guess. And it just makes me giggle
every time, because sometimes you have to guess when it
comes to.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Fixing a car.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
I'm a doctor, not I'm a caddy.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
That car doctor.
Speaker 5 (00:45):
Take your long screw driver, nothing wrong with it. Listen
to My dad fixed many of DC three during World
War Two with long screw drivers. Take that and go
listen to the camera, so you know what kind of
a click you're listening for. Right, let's learn how to
fix cars on the good car before we go over
to the bad car.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Welcome to the radio home of ron Andania the Car Doctor.
Since nineteen ninety one, this is where car owners the
world overturned to for their definitive opinion on automotive repair.
If your mechanics giving you a busy signal, pick up
the phone and call in the garage doors are open, but.
Speaker 5 (01:18):
I am here to take your calls at eight five
five five six oh ninety nine.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Hundred and now it is a good day to die pee.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Running.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
And sometimes it's not a guess. Sometimes what of repair
is a very exact science, and it's a very methodical,
proven time and time again procedure, and had to properly
diagnose and repair that vehicle. We had a twenty sixteen
Mini Cooper in the shop this week and it was
a simple request or so.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
It seemed that.
Speaker 5 (01:50):
The rear wiper, the rear wiper arm would not park
in the same spot twice or correctly. It was always up.
It was this side, that side straight up. Sometimes it
parked down. It just it had a mind of its own. Now,
wiper motors, you say, well, how complicated could this be.
It's just a wiper motor. It's on off, fast, slow, intermittent.
(02:15):
You know's what's there to it? If this was thirty
years ago, Yeah, okay, I could I could back that
statement up and agree with that statement what's there to it?
Speaker 1 (02:25):
But it's not.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
It's a modern day vehicle. That wiper motor is on
the CANbus, it's on the data network.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
It's it's being.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
Controlled by a module, by a computer to run wipers. Yeah,
so you have to go through the drill. And as
strange as it sounds, the first step in diagnosing that
rear wiper motor was to scan it for codes. No
check engine light, no warning lights on the dashboard, anywhere.
(02:55):
I've got an inoperative device. I've got a control device
on the network that doesn't operate properly. I've got a
scan for codes. And sure enough, there were fault codes
for things like the RJB, the right junction box. There
were fault codes for lack of communication with certain modules.
There were different fault codes that indicated, hey, maybe we've
(03:18):
got a network problem. First time I'd ever seen this car.
So I don't know complete history. I don't know who's
attempted to repair it. I don't know what's been unplugged,
push pull, pro poked, prodded and twisted, as I like
to say, But and again, you know, I I.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Just I'll say like this.
Speaker 5 (03:39):
I just listened to an addition of Classic Car Doctor,
a podcast show, a show a radio show which has
become a podcast. Now it's up on the up on
the podcast board, you know, from ten years ago, and
I was working on a late eighties Ford Fairmont that
was a no start, no crank condition, and I still
went through the same diagnostic check this, check this, check this,
(04:01):
because it kind of clicks.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
In with me.
Speaker 5 (04:03):
I just go bang and I'm going to start here.
Same thing with this Mini Cooper. It's it's a procedural thing,
because that's what diagnostics are. You're going to do the
same thing every time. It's like trying to bowl a
perfect game. You move the ball, you move your feet
the same way every time you'll bowl a three hundred.
You just have to figure out what those steps are
to be successful. We had codes, We had codes that
(04:24):
indicated problems on the network. We had codes that indicated hey,
maybe because Mini Coopers do have this bad habit of leaking.
I'm not sure what it is, but we take a
small car and make it a convertible and then it
wants to be, you know, a submarine. It somehow wants
to have water coming in from all sides. I just
haven't but it just seems they are one of the
wettest cars I've ever worked on.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
They're always wet.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
Well, this one was kind of different. I think this
car was broken. It was bone dry on the inside,
but I was obligated to check. And one of the
first steps we're going to do at common trait common
problem is to take the right kickpanel out, pull all
the plastic trim up, right kickpanel, passinger side where your
feet would sit right there, that right kick panel, and
(05:07):
take a look at the RJB the right junction box.
And sure enough, it was bone dry. It really was
unplugged the connector. I think it was X eleven oh
three X no, I'm sorry, X eleven double two if
I remember right. And it was dry. There was no green,
there was no corrosion. Everything was where it was supposed
to be. Put it back together. Took the scan tool.
(05:28):
I was able to. I took the wiper motor. I
took the wiper arm off the motor, and I was
able to pulse the motor. But every time I pulsed
the motor, it parked in the wrong spot. It just
I could control it. I could run the motor, I
could do everything the scan tool needed to do, but
I couldn't get it to park in the correct place.
(05:49):
And while I had the kick panel off, looking at
the junction box. I just made sure there was no
moisture there because you're always worried about the sun roof
drain leaking on those cars or the convertible top with
a drain down there, and that eight pillar is there,
and there wasn't anything. So I had a bad wiper motor,
plain and simple, of course. Then the next problem was
(06:10):
how do you take that wiper motor apart, because it's
a plastic arm that they what they do is they
counter sync a solid piece of steel inside this plastic
arm and then they push it onto the wiper motor itself.
So now it's corroded onto the you know, two dissimilar metals.
(06:33):
Even though the wiper the stub is made out of steel.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
But it's not the greatest of something.
Speaker 5 (06:38):
I think it's a combination of junk they have lying
around on the manufacturing floor. But whatever, it just corrodes
to it. So now you have to very gently. You know,
you're working on top of a big piece of glass.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
You know.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
Oh, let me take the hammer and bang on the
wiper arm. Oops, you know, and then you miss, and
then it's a five hundred dollars rear grid glass. So
you know, you got to be careful. So you know,
you use the wiper polar and that doesn't work, and
you know you're gently trying to poke prod and pull
it away. And in the end I ended up taking
a die grinder and you know, cutting through the plastic arm,
got that off, then got the uh pulled the stub
(07:12):
collar off by just grinding through it, and then took
the motor out and threw it away. But look at
what and this is my point, look at what you
have to go through just for a wipe promoter. Now,
some people I was telling this story too, say yeah,
I knew it was a wipermoter. Well, I'm glad you knew,
because the next time I get one, I'm going to
call you you and let you take the risk. You know,
(07:32):
you can't say I knew. You can't say, don't assume.
Don't be so positive, because you know, one of these
days you're going to put a wipermoter in the car
and I see this. You'll put the two three hundred
dollars wipe promoter in the car and then find out
that the junction box had moisture and if the junction
box had corrosion in it, and then the customer ends
up paying for two repairs because naturally mechanics don't make
(07:54):
any mistakes. They just you know, while I was helping them,
they need a wipeermoter. Anyway, the car was eight years
old and we know where that we know where that
conversation goes.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
So just be aware.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
You know.
Speaker 5 (08:04):
That's that's the way auto repair is. It's a methodical,
you know, consistent. It's like bowling three hundred. You've just
got to do the same thing over and over and
over again in order to get to the final conclusion
of the final destination. And that's really what you want
to do. Suffice it to say. So, anyway, I have
a I have a special guest in studio today.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Look at this. I'm not used to this.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
I'm looking across the glass and there's actually a body
in my glass. What happened here, professor.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Well, my internet at home decided to crash and burn
sometime right about eleven thirty this morning.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
Tom Tom came charging in here about forty five minutes ago,
you know, and look the power of technology, right, And
of course by the time you got here it came back.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
It had come back at home lovely and now.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
And by the way, these are brand new glasses, so
it's goodn't bad because I can see you, which is
mostly bad. But you know, now I can see what
you're up to it and make sure you're not plotting.
Speaker 5 (09:01):
You know, we want to see We want to see
what's going to happen today, because before the show, not
only did Tom's internet crash, but Tom was looking at
a clock I have here in studio, and I said, now, Tom,
I'll get you one. I went out on Amazon and
I went to order it, and when I opened up
my Amazon browser, it opened up in Spanish. Now we're
not sure why. So if we can get through the
(09:22):
next two hours, we'll really be happy.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
And when I got here into the studio, we had
no audio through the speakers, and it was working right
before I walked in, and somehow the speakers got turned down,
and neither one of us knows how that happened.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
You know, the only commonality here is Tom. So far
all three incidents you were involved in, all three.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
So what can I tell you.
Speaker 5 (09:41):
I might have to get you purged today anyway, eight five, five, five,
six zero nine nine zero zero running any of the
car doctor here with the always wonderful to have him,
Tom Ray, we'll both be back right after this. Don't
go away, whether it's a little red Corvette or you go.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
You've come to the right place to get that car fixed.
Ron and Andy in the car Doctor eight five five
five six zero nine nine zero zero.
Speaker 5 (10:11):
Now back to Ron, Hey, let's get on over until Oh,
let's go to John and Virginia. John in Virginia. Welcome
to the Car Doctor, sir. How can I help?
Speaker 4 (10:18):
Hey?
Speaker 6 (10:19):
Ron? How you doing great? A couple of months ago
I found an unmodified, pilot owned garage kept two thousand
and eight Shelby GT. Five hundred Mustang with two thousand
miles on it, sitting in an air conditioned garage in Arizona,
and I couldn't resist.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Had a boy, good for you.
Speaker 6 (10:41):
The cars gorgeous, looks like new, smells like new, not
a mark on it. I drove it home, which is
an awful lot of fun. Back to Virginia and everything
works as it should precisely, except Fruce control won't turn
on okay, no indication, The light won't come on, and
(11:03):
even if I try to set it with the light off,
it won't set.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (11:08):
So in other words, right, this has this has a
master on switch.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Correct, correct, and.
Speaker 5 (11:14):
You're gonna set that master on switch. Now. That master
on switch, if I recall, right, is in the horn
pad right, it's.
Speaker 6 (11:22):
The horn is in the center. To the left is
the on and off on the spoke and on the
right spoke. I've got the up down controls. Okay, So,
and I've done some troubleshooting. Light the brake lights come on,
which tells me that the power can train module knows
the brakes are not set.
Speaker 5 (11:38):
Right.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (11:39):
I pulled the clutch switch out and I read it
with a multimeter and it's working fine. I went ahead
and I pulled the air bag trying to get my
on off switch out, and I can't. With the airbag out,
I've got a nice big cavity there, but with the
nice leather wrapped steering wheel, I can't find a way
to get that switch out of there without damaging things.
Speaker 5 (11:58):
Okay, so before where we go there, do you own
a scan tool?
Speaker 6 (12:03):
That's one of the reason I'm calling I do not.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
Right, So this because this is a drive by wire vehicle,
there's no throttle cable right that I can almost guarantee
with certainty that the cruise control function is channeled through
the powertrain control module, the main engine computer.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
It is.
Speaker 6 (12:24):
It goes straight from the switches through the clock strain
spring straight to the PCM.
Speaker 5 (12:28):
Right, So it's all on the canvas. It's all on
the network. This is just like the Mini Cooper I
was just talking about, all right, So it's it's all
on the bus. So you know as much as you Okay,
the brake lights turn on and off. The first thing
I want to know is does the PCM see that?
(12:49):
And I could see that. I could see that looking
at a scan tool. Step on the brake, you'll see
somewhere there'll be a PID for stop lamp or stop
light switch or brake light or something either on their
body mind or PCM or somewhere along the way in
one of the modules. It will report position. I just
want to see a step on the brake, Yes, no,
on off something. It's it's gonna show me change of state,
(13:10):
all right. So there's a reason to have a scan
tool number one, number two if depending upon the tool
you buy even in two thousand. This is in two
thousand and seven. We said, yeah, in two thousand and seven,
it'll it should be there'll be an accessory module or
a body module, and you'll be able to go in
and likely seek when you turn on the master switch,
does a module see the master switch go on or off?
(13:33):
The reason I want to do that is because it
tells me where to go. If a computer sees if
the computers not seeing the brake lights switch change, but
or if it sees it in the on position and
it's on off right, that tells me that, yeah, the
brake lights work, but for some reason the PCM is
confused about the rest of it. If if I go
(13:53):
to turn the master switch on and off and it
doesn't show state of change, it's it's it's got to
a poor connection, broken wire, bad contact, an animal, cheot
on something, et cetera somewhere along the way. So it'd
be nice to have a scan tool. That being said,
have you considered, you know, getting a wiring diagram at
(14:14):
the base of the steering column. There's going to be
a master connector coming into the column. You can do
all your testing there.
Speaker 6 (14:21):
So I have the factory shop manuals. When I look
at the control from the steering wheel switches everything, I
don't believe it's on the CANbus. From there, everything looks
like a voltage divider where there's a different voltage for
every function speed up, speed down, cruise control on, cruise
(14:43):
control off.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
Correct, But understand, if the PCM thinks there's a problem
based on a false input, it will prevent cruise control
from operating because it has authority over the can bus. Okay,
so you are correct, but you've just you got to
go to the next step. It's yeah, okay, you know,
(15:06):
it's it's kind of like somebody's telling you what to do.
You know, uh stick, stick your head out of the
car at one hundred miles an hour with your eyes
wide open.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Uh no, you don't want to do that, right, right,
did you? You didn't do that on the way home,
did you.
Speaker 5 (15:22):
Okay, but you know it's it's it's so yeah, we're
we want to see input. We want to see what
are the switches telling us to do. Do the switches
have connectivity? If is and I don't know this for
a fact, but I've run into this in situations where
even though that component may not be on the bus,
if the PCM cannot and I'll use the word ce
(15:43):
but it's you know, can it electrically see it. If
it can't electrically see that component, however, the manufacturer decides
to let it identify it, it'll prevent that circuit from operating.
It'll it'll have that authority. So you know, that's where
I think, either or a scan tool to show me
quick inputs outputs. Look, you own the car, you're gonna
(16:04):
need a tool.
Speaker 6 (16:05):
Right at this point, you've recommended the Launch scanners before.
That's still worth recommended.
Speaker 5 (16:10):
I think I think the Launch provides a lot of
bang for the buck. You know, it's either that or
you're gonna jump up on eBay and find yourself a
used snap on scanner.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
See what's out there.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
You don't need anything obviously, you know, updated to the
latest and greatest, But sometimes shops will have something that's
five years old and they're selling it for a price.
And I think when you buy a scan tool, the
most important thing to consider is, you know, you got
to really try it. You know, what do you connect with?
No pun intended? You know what what makes sense to you?
It's it's sort of like, you know, I always think
(16:42):
about people. Some people like this restaurant, some people like
that restaurant. I think as humans. We interface and connect
differently with different things. And there's just some things I
like about the Launch or some things I like about
the snap On. You know, there's some things I connect
better with. I always go back and I give the example.
It's ages old now, but when I first started doing
electronic bookkeeping using into it Quicken years ago, back in
(17:05):
the eighties, and you know, into it Quicken at the
time was so simple, you just kind of picked it up.
There was books and books and books about it, but
I never used them. It just made sense to me.
But when I got the Quick books, it was a
whole other world and I had to start reading. So,
you know, some things we connect with, some things we don't.
Snap On's good. Launch is good. You know you want
(17:27):
something more than just an OBD two scan tool because
you're looking to diagnose and repair the accessories and all
the electrical options that I'm sure this GT five hundred has,
you know, so and just real quick, you went through
all the fuses related to that cruise control circuit, right, Okay.
Speaker 6 (17:44):
I did, Okay, what price range on my in on
a new If I buy a newscanner from Launch, I'd
see a wide range there.
Speaker 5 (17:51):
Three grand oh boy, yeah right, oh yeah, it's hey.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Listen.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
You know what, So you want to be an auto mechanic. Huh.
Imagine filling up a shop on an everyday basis and
that becomes a whole other project. So but that's where
you go on, my friend, you call me you need more,
and enjoy the car, and you know, try not to
get too many speeding tickets and to keep the shiny
side up. As we say, I'm running Nannie in the
car doctor. We'll be back right after this. Don't go away,
(18:44):
welcome back. I'm run a Nannie in the car doctor.
Let's go over and talk to Jeff in Virginia. Jeff
eleven Wrangler Sport. Your jeep is whistling at you. Maybe
it thinks you're cute.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Jeff. It is a new world.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
Good morning. Thank you for taking my Yes, it's been
going on for a while. I've done some basic checks
on it. I'm not getting any check engine or anything
like that. My brakes are working fine. It seems to
occur most when the car is cold, and it occurs
when the car is not moving. Now it can also
occur when it's moving. But I can be parked in
(19:20):
my driveway and I start to press on the brake,
and if I press all the way down, it stops.
If I don't press, it's not there. But if I
press like a third or half of the way, it
gives me a whistling sound. Now I've pulled out the
check valve and it it seems to be functioning. I've
(19:41):
checked the pumping on the brake. When the engine's off,
I can get about two or three pumps, and then
the brake pedal gets really hard and it won't go down.
So I'm not thinking I've got a master cylinder leak.
I'm not sure.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
Okay, while the engine is running, well, let me say
it like this. If you were to disconnect the power break.
This is a vacuum right, a break booster. If you
were to disconnect that break booster vacuum line and plug
it and run the vehicle, now it's going to be
a harder pedal. But would you still get the whistling noise?
(20:12):
Have you tried that?
Speaker 4 (20:13):
I have not tried that.
Speaker 5 (20:14):
Okay, it sounds like you've got a diaphragm that's starting
to fail, all right, and you're you're catching it at
the right moment at that point of expansion, the rubber
is stretching, and it's just creating an internal whistle because
if you disconnect the booster. Listen, let's think of it
like this. If you disconnect the booster right right, vehicles
(20:36):
sitting near at idle and you step on the brake
pedal as hard as it's going to.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Be right right, it's.
Speaker 5 (20:43):
It's and it doesn't whistle. What else is left. It's
not the application of the brake, it's the stroke of
the booster underload. At that point when you've got vacuum.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Some kind of a weird problem with the check valve.
I mean, it's a little hard to get it to
kind of pop. I did check it, and it does
block flow. But if you try to get it to
go out the other way, you could got to give
a little bit of pressure on You.
Speaker 5 (21:12):
Could take the can you take the vacuum line off
at the manifold end and just run a fresh piece
of rubber hose with a different check valve, or just
just run a right angle. You got another car that's
got a check valve at the same size hole. A
lot of these are pretty much a standard size.
Speaker 4 (21:28):
And my wife's got a Jaguar I don't think that's
that's not gonna work.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
So you could you could you know, do you have
a local AutoZone? Yes, Well, once you run down there
and you know it's probably cheap enough by a quick
check valve, probably under five bucks, you could diagnose it
once you once you established that it doesn't happen with
the hose disconnected, the engine running right and you step
on the brake. Now, obviously when you disconnect it, you're
(21:53):
gonna have to plug that end, you know, stick your
thumb over it or you know, some some kind of
a quirk or something, uh, you know, and just and
just stop it because it's gonna leak and run lean
and it'll stall. But you know, it's the idea that
I think it's got to do with the booster underload.
I've seen this over the over my career that they
they get they get a little flaky, there's something inside
(22:14):
that's distorted and it just a piece of rubber is
moving around and it gets in a position where similar
to when you would put a blade of grass between
your two thumbs and blow through them at summer camp.
I don't know if you guys did that. I don't
know if you guys did that in Virginia. We did
that in a jersey but you know it was a
Jersey thing. But uh, you know it'll make that weird
vibrational squeak or whistle.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
And you know, I think that's where you're going.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
So, so one quick question. Even if there's a hole
in the diaphragm, I mean, it doesn't feel like my
break is mushy or not a hole?
Speaker 5 (22:47):
Not a hole, not a hole. Yeah, I'm not saying
it's a hole. I'm saying it's just enough that you know. Now,
the other thing that would be kind of neat to
look at is and this will sound strange, but I
would get out a scan tool you want, you want
to try and experiment, bring it up on ob D two.
Look at look at fuel trim, basic fuel trim. Okay,
I want to know if when you push in the
(23:08):
brake to the point where it whistles, does fuel trim change?
Speaker 4 (23:12):
Ah?
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Right, because that's airting.
Speaker 5 (23:15):
Right in theory that the theory would hold, I'd still
I'd still like to put more. Listen, sometimes you just
gotta have fun fixing cars. I'd still put more. I
still put more stock in disconnecting it cap in the
line and stepping on the pedal the noise is gone,
then it's the booster. But you know, does does fuel
trim get it to change? And that's how you understand
how systems work.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
All right, well, I appreciate it. I'll get a new
check valve. If that doesn't work, well, I can plug
the line right if it goes away, then I know
it's easy as a booster or the check valve or
the diaphragm.
Speaker 5 (23:47):
Diaphrag And then when you're down it, when you're down
at AutoZone, you can price out a new booster and uh,
you know, see if door list makes a replacement part
for that, and if they do, I'd have no problem
putting one of those on it, and you'll be good to.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
I really enjoy spending three I go toem.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
Well, you know, I understand that, but look at it.
Look at it this way. With the extra money, you
can take your wife out to dinner and she'll be happy.
And remember, if MoMA's not happy, ain't nobody happy.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
So all right, brother, I appreciate it. You're very welcome.
You're very welcome. You'd be well to.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
Yeah, and I think we all know that story. Hey,
did you see in the This is in the news, Tom,
I'm reporting the news. I want to state I'm only
reporting the news, and I'm not stating anything related to
a current political, possible motive, environment, climate, or the positioning
of evs.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
Is this all the news that's fit to print?
Speaker 5 (24:38):
This is all the news that's fit to print and
not be talked about the Texas Grid. This came into
us this morning. The Texas Power Grid warns of possible
early power emergency next week. The Texas Electrical Grid warned
of a possible emergency early next week because of a
potential shortfall of power reserves. Don't send me the hate mail, folks.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, otherwise known as ERCO
(25:00):
at Erkele or Erko Erko Erkele was the kid on
family matters. That's a whole nother story the Electrical The
Electric Reliability Council of Texas said Friday the grid may
have deficient reserves from April twenty ninth at seven pm
Central Time through May burst at nine pm Orcott Orcott
Orcott made the layer cancel planned power outages and may
need to show up available supplies by about twenty eight
(25:22):
hundred megawatts. They said they've issued warnings based on its
analysis of various scenarios, but they don't reflect and expected deficiency.
The Grid Group warned of a similar emergency this month,
and even though the Grip Grid ultimately dodged that Shultz shortfall,
spot power prices jumped to more than four thousand dollars
in megawatt hour to reflect tight conditions. So Texas may
(25:44):
have an electrical power supply problem and it's not even summer.
It's only April into May. Yeah, okay, I'm not saying
that's indicative of anything wrong with the automotive industry or
what we're trying to do. I think it's wonderful. I'm
ronnin Andy and the Car Doctor smiling and have BEU
relishing my day, and I'll be back right after this.
(26:15):
Welcome back, Running in the Car Doctor. We're here at
eight five five five six zero nine nine zero zero,
here to take your calls and answer your questions. Keep
in mind that phone number is twenty four to seven.
Call at any time. If we're not live on the
air like we are Saturday afternoons two to four pm
Eastern time, we will call you back. Leave a message
there's an opportunity there to leave a message and Tom
Ray or one of our other Abu Boty the assistants,
(26:37):
we'll give you a call back and get you in
the next live que. And keep in mind we are
doing some tapings on Wednesday night. We like to tape
questions on Wednesday night. We actually talked to a few
people this past Wednesday. Well you'll hear them in an
upcoming show. And we're trying to do a taping session
Wednesday nights because we know some of you middle of
the week you can't wait till the weekend kind of
a thing. And we're getting so many questions we're just
(26:58):
trying to keep up with the demand. So always that
opportunity too. And if you just call the eight five
to five five six zero nine nine zero zero number,
leave a message, or if you go out to cardoctorshow
dot com, there's a contact form there. You can fill
that out and say, hey, I want to talk to
Ron Wednesday night. You know, follow the form, we'll get
you in the queue and we'll do that so quick.
(27:18):
Piece of email. This comes to us from Bill in
White House Station, New Jersey, and I think I answered
this to Bill directly, but I wanted to put it
up on air also, so on the chance that maybe
I'm repeating myself, you know, But I don't think so.
I think this is the first time I'm talking about
it here on here, Hey, Ron, this is Bill from
White House Station. I have a two thousand and four
PT Cruiser with twelve thousand miles on its second owner
(27:38):
at nine thousand, four years ago on an antique car tour.
I was discussing this. Wait a minute, an four PT
cruiser is now on an antique car tour. Yeah, I
guess it would be.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
That's twenty years that's twenty one years old.
Speaker 5 (27:53):
Oh my god, just think a PT Cruiser is the
muscle car of this generation.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
Wow.
Speaker 5 (28:00):
Wow, that Camaro is looking a lot better every day.
I was discussing this with a friend of mine who
has his own garage. He suggested that I should change
the timing belt based upon age, which makes sense. I
have seen that they have been extending the mileage interval.
I was wondering what your thoughts were aged twenty years
versus twelve thousand miles. Possibility of a conundrum. I like
that word conundrum, Bill, You know, Bill, And as I answered,
(28:21):
it to you personally, I'm going to answer it up
here on air. Age becomes a factor. Tires wear out
from sitting. Look, if we sat in a chair for
twenty years, we're getting twenty years older and we're aging,
all right. And if the tires and the tires on
that car, you wonder are they original? You know, have
they been changed? If you're just driving it now, you
(28:41):
know how old are the tires. You've got to see
if there's a date code on them. If the tires
are original, they've got to go. Tires six seven years.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
That's it. You're done.
Speaker 5 (28:49):
And the same thing with a lot of and all
of the rubber components, not a lot, all of the
rubber components. If that timing belt is original, which I'm
betting it is, as I said to you, then you
know what, Tommy, bel it's got to go at ages.
It's a piece of rubber. It's going to age, just
like the tires, just like everything else. You're driving a
car that old and you want to avoid the possibility
of breakdown in an antique car tour or even just
(29:12):
running down to the local market. You know what, it's
a great car, but let's go through it. If it's wet.
Change it all the fluids all right, coolant, engine oils
and no brainer transfluid, break fluid, you know, and let's
change rubber components, SYRP belt, timing belt. Uh, you want
to put a water pump in it?
Speaker 1 (29:32):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
I probably would just because it's twenty years old. And
if I remember right, oh four oh four, I got
to go back and look. But there was an issue
with Chrysler where they issued a redesigned plastic timing cover
and you could buy it as part of a kit
and installed that whole cover because they had problems with
(29:54):
the covers would warp and twist and break, and they
had an issue. But it's a good time before before
you start to really get into the car to you know,
spend a little money on it. And this way you're
not going to break down on the side of the road.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
Number one.
Speaker 5 (30:06):
Number two driving an older car. If you're going to
keep an older car for the duration to go along
with it. As we like to say, getting parts now
when it's twenty years old might be easier than getting
parts when it's twenty five years old when something fail.
So it's easier to deal with now than it is later,
and at least then you're safe and you're not on
(30:26):
the side of the road somewhere. So I vote for
changing it. And I told you that when when we
did our private email exchange as well, because there's nothing
like driving a safe, maintained automobile rather than being the person.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
And I don't understand that.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
I look at you know, every once in a while,
I go out on the internet and I'll jump into
forums and with an alias, you know, nobody sees the name.
And I don't know that I'm that recognizable, but I
just don't want anybody to recognize me where they might.
And I look at some of the comments about people
driving cars longer on this on fluid changes. People, I've
(31:03):
got ten years on my battery, and you know what,
you're the dope that's on the side of the road
on Memorial Day weekend, stuck because the car broke down
because the battery didn't start, because you know, the engine failed,
because maintenance puts the odds in your favor. That's the
bottom line, and that's what you got to remember about
taking care of a car. I understand the cost factor.
(31:24):
I understand some of the other things that people complain about.
But the point becomes an automobile, I don't care how
complicated or simple it is, is nothing more than a machine.
And it still needs regular maintenance on a regular basis
from somebody that knows what they're doing. And that's that's
an irrefutable fact. Proved me wrong. Eight five five five
(31:45):
six zero nine nine zero zero. I'm ron an Any
and the Car Doctor. I'll be back right after this
(32:06):
and welcome back once again, listeners, ronin Ady and the
Car Doctor at your service. Let's close out this hour
talking about, well, something similar to what we talked about
at the beginning, and this comes to his courtesy from
All Data and it's from their technical library, and how
a vehicle goes into LIMP mode twenty eighteen fort f
one fifty with four wheel drive and the customer stated
(32:27):
that the cluster and radio go dead and the automatic
transmission goes into limp mode. And you say, well, gee,
you know, where do you start?
Speaker 1 (32:33):
Where do you begin?
Speaker 5 (32:34):
And during the course of the diagnosis, the technician working
on this vehicle pulled codes and it had it had
all data bus codes.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
Right.
Speaker 5 (32:42):
We were talking at the beginning of the show about
the Mini Cooper with the wiy permotor issue. Well, here's
one where the technician had you three hundred U three
thousand control module FU U four fifty two invalid data
U one forty loss communication with body control module P
seventy six high speed vehicle observed in park, which is
(33:04):
sort of impossible, right, use zero one hundred loss communication
with ECM. And then the final was the B twelve
forty six, which was a problem in the information and
entertainment system. So because there were so many trouble codes,
the article from All Data goes on to say, the
technician thought it best he called All Data tech assists
for a little guidance. The tech assist consultant All Data
(33:26):
provides a technical hotline service with their program advice to
clear all the codes and see which ones return. And
I understand that because they're looking to see what's got
specificity or what's got authority over everything what comes first.
And they did that, they tried duplicating the issue, and
at that point they could then begin to disconnect modules
to see if what returned to normal. And as he
(33:48):
did as advice, he cleared all the codes, he was
able to reproduce the issue. When the truck was called
and he noticed a buzzing noise that he traced down
to the trailer brake control module. He disconnected, and all
the symptoms disappeared in the vehicle operator as normal. You know,
I'm always telling you about you know, it's like a
game of telephone with cars today, the one telephone brings
the whole network down in the house all the telephones
(34:08):
stopped working, or the one bad computer brings the entire
computer network down. Cars are the same way. And the
article this tech assist tip from All Data proves that.
And you know, thanks to some excellent troubleshooting on All
Data's part and their technicians part, they were able to
bring this vehicle to a swift conclusion and you know,
make everybody aware.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
And that's the point of this that.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
Yeah, sometimes it's it's a step by step thinking process,
not necessarily replacing something until you know, obviously, but disconnecting something.
And that's that's a diagnosis. Okay, that's that's a routine procedure,
a methodical procedure that you're going step by step.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
To come to some sort of a positive conclusion.
Speaker 5 (34:51):
And obviously the vehicle ended up being fixed. And you'll
find more information out at all data dot com in
their technical library.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
Again thanks to them and excellent, excellent article. Well I
enjoyed that story.
Speaker 5 (35:01):
I'm ronning ay in the car doctor saying gee, thanks,
it was a great fun being with you all today
until the next time, reminding you once again good mechanics
aren't expensive, they're priceless.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
See you
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