July 18, 2020 • 35 mins
Ron starts this episode talking about understanding what a scan tool is telling you : takes a call from someone who lives off the grid and desulfates the batteries from his solar system every week : takes a call on a 14 Grand Cherokee with a question on changing the transmission fluid : takes a call from a caller looking to purchase a 16 Chevy Cruze : takes a call on batteries with the caller talking about automatic battery chargers : and takes a call on an 06 RAM 1500 that has issues with the coolant reservoir.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ron Ananian. I guess I would tell somebody if they're
out there thinking, yeah, I want to be a mechanic,
or do I want to be a mechanic? Yeah? You do.
You gotta be up to the challenge the car Doctor.
Have you ever changed the fluid? I got it around
(00:20):
eighty and I did not tell that that was I
don't think the person before me did. Okay, why don't
we do a fluid change. Welcome to the radio home
of Ron Ananian, the Car Doctor. Since this is where
car owners the world overturned to for their definitive opinion
on automotive repair. If your mechanics giving you a busy signal,
(00:41):
pick up the phone and call in. The garage doors
are open, but I am here to take your calls
at eight and now running. I wonder how many of
you understand when you're looking at the scan tool what
you're really looking at. And I start the conversation this
(01:05):
hour there for for a couple of reasons, and I'll
be quick because I know the phones are busy, so
cattle like SRX came into the shop. I was talking
about it last hour previous show, and and one of
the things I had to do was determined why it
was running rich. It had it was negative thirty off
its base fuel trement was it was subtracting thirty of
the fuel out of the system that it had control
(01:25):
over because the system was reporting a rich condition on
a continuous basis. Turned out the gasoline direct injection pump
was bad. The diaphragm was pours uh, you know, seeping
fuel into the engine oil. Okay, easy enough, but part
of that diagnosis, you know, you have the ability with
a scan tool to look at pump pressure. They have
a censor on the on the fuel rail that will
(01:47):
tell you low pump pressure, so you can see what
tank pressure is without hooking up the gage, and then
g d I pump high pump pressure without hooking up
the gage. There's centers on both pumps, so you could
use a scan tool to look and see what fuel
pressure is. How convenient. Here's the problem GM right, GM product.
(02:08):
The tech too reported the fuel pressure on the low
pressure pump correctly, but on the high pressure pump it
reported it in millipascals. The snap on scan tool did
the conversion. It reported it an actual pressure. The Automotive
Test Solutions scan tool, which I really like, Bernie's tool,
(02:30):
I really do. Reported it in inches of vacuum, inches
of mercury, and you have to do the conversion. And
the point I'm trying to get to is sometimes with
a scan tool, it's not just oh yeah, I looked
at my scan tool, there was nothing there. Do you
know what you're looking at? Do you know what you're
expecting to see? Do you know what known good looks like?
(02:52):
Do you understand what each individual pit is? A friend
of mine, Chris National Trainer, Automotive Training Group, smart guy, real,
aren't guy? We're talking the other day his nineteen f
one fifty. We're talking about scan tool data and PIDs.
He said, Ron, I've got four hundred and forty two
different pits, he said, There's no way I'm going to
(03:12):
remember him. I can't identify half the terminology without looking
something up. It will take you anywhere from a half
hour to forty five minutes just to know the data
that you're seeking to solve the problem that you're working on.
A truer statement never was made, So can you expect
in the future that that what is now? And I
(03:33):
love these guys that think they can give away diagnosis.
But the guys that are giving away diagnosis, Well, maybe
I'll charge a half hour. I got news for you.
If they're charging you less than an hour, they're doing
not only themselves a disservice, but they're doing you a
disservice because they're not getting to know the system. Because
there's no way, no way anybody can walk into that vehicle,
(03:54):
get a trouble code X, Y Z and know that, Yeah,
these are the nine PIDs I have to look at,
and they understand what they are. Every model year. It's
gonna change too quick. The technology is moving along way
too fast. So as we kick this hour, the car
doctor open at eight zero zero. The question of the
day is when you look at a scan tool, do
you really understand what you're looking at. By the way,
(04:16):
when I called up and talked to Bernie, Bernie said,
yell at the GM guys. So I gotta go find
the GM engineer because he said if they'd converted, I'd converted.
I'm trying to keep it to the factory level. Good
conversation with Bernie. Let's get over to the phone. Let's
go over to George and Minnesota talking about desulfating batteries.
George we're gonna revisit this topic again. How are you today,
I'm I'm doing very well. Thank you. How can I
help you, sir? Well? On last week's program, we were
(04:40):
talking somebody called in about charger for automotive that desultates batteries,
and uh, it sounded like there was a few questions
about that, and I was just going to mention that
my wife and I we live off the grid and
our system desultates are storage batteries in our in our
(05:00):
storage system for our photable take system for electricity for
our house, and it does it all automatically. It's it's
a very unique system. And you know, what's do you
find that you're extending the life of the batteries beyond
the traditional automotive five year limit. We we hope to
We've been off the grid entirely now for six years
(05:21):
and this is something that we do each week. And
what it is like, it's almost like it's super charging
the voltage and its supplies this extra voltage into the
batteries and actually you know, shakes it all up to
shake any sulfur that's starting to deposit on the plates.
And it's supposed to extend the life of these great
(05:42):
big batteries. Interesting, now they're not. They're not automotive batteries
you're using, you're using something else. Well, they'd be like
a super golf cart battery. There are a hundred and
eighteen pounds apiece, and we run four of them. Okay,
I guess you're in a very remote part of Minnesota. No,
we aren't. But it was just the choice that we
made to try it. We always dreamed of being off
(06:06):
the grid and not attached to a power producer, and
the power producer wanted six thousand dollars to bring power
to our house. Yeah, you know that whole power thing.
On a sort of a similar vein but different subject.
I don't understand the solar panel thing in the country
right now. You know, somebody wanted to put solar panels
on the shop, but it wouldn't power the shop. It
(06:27):
would just put solar put electrical energy into the utility
that they would then not charge me. I didn't understand that.
I said, what's the point you want me to live
under these panels? Yet? It doesn't make any sense, you know.
With us, we built a new house, a very small house,
and we built it to live off the grid, So
it's you know, it was. It was a no brainer.
(06:49):
The system costs US sixty eight hundred dollars. I did
all the work, of course, but it was sixty eight
hundred in materials and I built it and the day
we turned it on, we already eight hundred dollars virtually
because the day we would have turned on power from
the power grid, we would have been paying a month, right.
And I guess it'll be a matter of what's the longevity.
(07:10):
How much do the batteries cost. I want to say
they were about I looking back six years, I think
they were about two and a half and fifty bucks
apiece something like that. So that was all figured in
on my sixty eight or sixty d to begin with.
So replacement today is probably fifty maybe. Yeah. I checked
(07:33):
not too long ago, just to think about it, and
they were like two. You know, desult fating batteries seems
to be coming up, not only here, but I'm reading
about it in the industry, and I wonder if that's
I wonder if it's something we're going to see more of,
possibly extending automotive batteries. Uh, you know, in my conversations
with various tool manufacturers. I have a very great relationship
(07:55):
with a gentleman by the name of Gary Mackie from
Associated A Test equipment. They may battery charges and some
of the industry's best battery service equipment. And you know,
in talking with Gary, I get a very strong sense
of it's no punt. Everything starts with the battery and
the amount of technology that's in the automotive batteries today
(08:16):
and what it takes to deal with, uh, you know,
the the differences and how all these little differences and
nuances create the electrical systems that's create the car. It's
it's an ongoing challenge. And you know, I wonder if
desulfiating batteries would simplify things to the degree that they
wouldn't have to go to the stresses and the endeavors
that they go through. Um. But we'll say, well, we'll
(08:38):
see where the engineers take us, right um. Yeah. And
the other thing is for those of us that have
hot rods that we store them, you know here in
northern Minnesota. I mean, what do we get maybe three
or four months that we can drive, you know, our
hot rods around and then you know, you're just having
that battery set on the shelf, if you've got to
do something with it to try to maintain it so
you don't have to purchase new battery every year. Is it?
(09:00):
Is it called there, Georgia. Is it's snow end cold?
You name it? It's really it's in the eighties today
and in the winter it will be. And what what's
what's the most snow you've had in anyone fall when
he wants snowfall? Uh, last year we had we must
have had over three ft on the ground, you know,
(09:21):
and on the ground and what falls a few different
things because you know, as it falls, it compresses. So
you know, I'm only I'm only I'm only asking you
this because it's July and it's like degrees and everybody's
going on it's too hot out. Yeah, I guess what
six months or not? Guess what you'll be complaining about.
So we'll be thinking about George and his and his
(09:44):
wife out there in the house with we're hoping that
the soul fated batteries are working, so you guys are warm.
So George, interesting stories. I want to thank you for
taking the time, and uh, you know it's it's good
information because I gotta tell you, I can always tell
when somebody really knows what they're talking about. It's good
story because I start listening to you like I'm a
listener and that's uh, that's all seriousness, like I zone
(10:05):
out forgetting that I'm doing a radio show. So um,
but thank you because I enjoyed listening to everything that
you have to say to Thank you, sir. You'd be
well and you have a good rest of the weekend. Okay,
thank you, take care, You're very welcome. Bye bye, eight
five five zero zero running any of the Card Doctor
and they one and only exclusive Tom Ray. I haven't
said a load of Tom yet today, and Tom's doing
(10:26):
a heck of a job. You know, one of these
days we should tell everybody how we actually do this
show by the end of the show today. We should
because nobody would believe it. Nobody would believe what's going
on here if they really understood it. So maybe we'll
do that, you know, later on this hour. So uh um,
you know what, I'm gonna let Tom take us out,
Tom take us out of the break. Now back to
(10:56):
the Man, the mid the Legend themselves here rock way
to go, Tom, Hey, let's get over to Dodge in
Delaware fourteen Jeep Grand Cherokee Dodge. How can I help
you today? Good sir? What's going on? R? Yes, sir um.
Last week you were talking about you can, which I've
(11:16):
seen before, you can change transmission food through the cooling
lines right right. I'm just wondered is that possible on
a ZF eight speed German transmission? Yeah, it's if it's
if it's got cooler lines up front. Now, you know,
degree of difficulty is only ensconced by how tough is
it to get to the lines and where are they located?
(11:39):
So and I think that eight speed German trans and
that jeep, I don't believe that has a dipstick, correct,
that's a that's a drip prop method, isn't it right? Stick?
But it does have a thirm stat the cooling line. Okay,
so well, but in theory you're not you know, and
(12:02):
I haven't encountered one of those yet in all honesty,
But my thought would be that if you're doing the
fluid proper temperature, it's going to have flow, right, it's
gonna be the sticker on the I don't know if
you've done these to check the chance of mission fluid.
It has to be under degrees fahrenheit because after that
(12:25):
the thermostat opens and then it starts running through the
cluing system. You know, I wonder, so here you go,
here's the research right to solve a problem in a car,
because not every problem is the same, not. You know,
here we are talking about a trans service where we
used to be able to do cooler lines, dipstick drain
and fills. Now we have to contend with the thermostat
and a cooler line. I wonder how the manufacturer calls
(12:47):
for that trands to be serviced, what factory equipment is there,
unless they're going to say it never needs to be
service because it's lifetime fluid, or until the trans breaks
and you want to go buy a new car and
Chrysler says that ZS says that's you need chances fluid
at around fifty to sixty, right, I would think, So,
you wonder how they're doing it. My my my thought
(13:08):
is they're going to tell you there's a machine with
adapters for the cooler lines, and they're counting on engine
temperature being above a certain level, or put trans fluid
temperature being above a certain level so that it will
flow through the machine. It's weird. They actually do have
the the procedure on a PDF you can look up
online and no machine. It's um So how are they
(13:31):
doing it? You take the plug out and you drain
so much and take the pan off, the pan away,
get new pan because the filters in there, put it
back on, pour the fluid back in, start the car up,
put it in park, rev it up to two thousand,
(13:51):
put it in first year, put it inverse, and put
it in second gear. It in neutral so they're not
back out and see if any when it comes out.
So they're not doing a complete fluid exchange. No, okay,
so you can do it again next week, right, well,
you know which, which makes me wonder. I wonder if
(14:11):
I want everybody to go out and check the records,
if anybody's had their trans service on a fourth year
in Grand Cherokee, see what the spec is for fluid capacity,
And I wonder what they were charged. If the spec
is fourteen and they were charged fourteen, had they get
the other six courts in or out of the system
that they couldn't get out because that's typically what's left
in the tour converter. So it's right, which is. And
(14:35):
you know, this is something along the lines of when
you said filter in the pen. It triggered my brain.
This is typical of what was and what is in
the BMWs. So this is this has got to be
a BMW derivative German transmission. You wonder the German transmissions, right,
You wonder how they're doing it. I will do some
(14:56):
research this week and see what I come up with.
But it's a fair question, Dodge as a a ways,
you give me the good ones and I like it.
So it's weird because you don't hear anything anymore about that, uh,
the old transmission food flush anymore. Well. No. As a
matter of fact, though, in conversation with someone this week
regarding some of the b G products, they're making some
(15:18):
changes to their product lineup. We were talking specifically about
their fuel system cleaners, and I know that they were
big on trans flush. I wonder how they're going to
handle it, um, you know, And and I'll leave it here.
I don't give any of these companies great authority over
what's right and what's wrong. I've I've talked to a
few of them. I've had a few companies that make
(15:40):
different flush and different cleaning products call me up and
ask me how do I do this? And how do
I do that? And I'm you know, it's like, imagine
me this little guy from New Jersey and they're I've
got this multimillion dollar company on the other end of
the phone and they're asking me, and I'm like, how
do you guys do it? Well, we weren't quite sure.
We thought we'd ask you. And I'm like, you gotta
be kidding me. Um, you know, you know, it's like,
(16:01):
what do wine not? Like, you know, get out of here. Um.
So I'll do some research this week. I know exactly
where I'm gonna look, and we'll talk about it next
week on here. How's that all right? Thought, You're very welcome.
You take good care. Uh And and this is the problem, right,
every time you're presented with an automobile with the situation um,
a repair that you may or may not have seen,
(16:22):
it encompasses or creates a whole another set of rules.
I had a shop this week, walk in. They were
looking for They were working on a fourteen Chrysler VSI
something timing chain doing a cam actuator. I figure out
exactly what it was because that was Tuesday. In the
last three days were a blur since and I didn't
have that special tool, but I said, here's what we're
(16:44):
gonna find it. We went out to Amazon. We found
the special tool. It was thirty eight bucks and they
were going to order order it overnight and have it delivered.
And as I said to Robbie as he was walking
out the door, it makes you wonder how we were
ever able to get by without m is on because
they're doing they're doing what I encourage tool companies to
(17:05):
do twenty years ago, and some of them were fatheads
and didn't listen. And those tool companies are gone now
or they're on the vine dyne. Because it really kind
of came back to you've got to be there in
an instant. People are learning you the consumer, you're learning,
you're understanding that you know, beyond the oil change, beyond
some of the basic everyday service and maintenance. It might
be a couple of days to get a car service
(17:26):
and repaired because it might take the mechanic, not just
the time to do it, but research the tools that
I need. What sort of special information do I have
to go and get access to what could happen post repair?
That I've got to be able to deal with. It's
becoming a very complicated process. It really is, um a
very high level of competency required to repair cars, and
(17:48):
it's not gonna get easier anytime sooner. So, uh, you know,
I gotta tell you we're going back to the days
of the um Welsh fargo wagon, right. I always think
about it every time the Amazon truck pull up. That
scene from the music Man, the Wells Fargo magot, What
Wells Fargo wagons are coming down the street? Here comes Amazon.
I can fix my car. So um, some good stuff,
(18:09):
some very good stuff. Hey, the car doctors coming back
right after this. A zero zero zero will be right
back right after this. Don't go away, hey, welcome back
(18:52):
right in any of the car. Let me correct that
phone number eight five five zero zero zero's confused me lately.
I'm not sure why five five zero zero if you're
calling that other number I gave, I don't think you'll
get me a five five five zero zero. Let's move on.
Let's go over to Rogan in Iowa. What's going on Rogan? Hey, Um,
(19:15):
so I'm looking to buy my first car, Chevy Cruise,
and uh, I just want to know if you've had
any problems or if you know about any common problems,
things that need maintenance, stuff like that, how many miles
around Kidney. So, you know, I like the Chevy Cruise,
(19:36):
and I take heat for that because you know, some
people have some strong arguments against it. You know my argument,
My argument for the car is I typically don't see
transmission failures. I don't see a lot of engine issues.
I've had good experience there. Now, you know, I think
(19:56):
I'm a small percentage because I will I will say
it like this not to think that I'm the only
guy that does this. But I know all of my
customers get regular oil changes on a good continuous basis,
good quality oil, good filter, et cetera. You know, and
this is true of any car, right anything you're gonna
buy and start your driving career with, you've got to
do the maintenance. You do the time, or you're gonna
do the crime. It's it's it's it's sort of a
(20:18):
play on that, but you get my point. So I
think that the downfall of the Cruise is a lot
of the plastic they use on the engine, the thermostat housing,
the water neck, you know, the valve cover a lot
of things that lead to its timely death, and and
and and undoing. The good news is, and what I
(20:38):
always say about a car, an older car, slightly older
car with known problems, we know what the problems are.
We we we know what to look for, all right.
You know, it's it just becomes a matter of recourse.
As a matter of fact. That valve cover and I
don't know that it affected the six teens, but that
valve cover on the older cars was actually, um, I
don't want to say recalled, but I know GM was
(21:00):
doing a good will extended warranty on it and they
were making good on it. Um the water neck outlet
and the thermostat housing and all that I think was
just you know, they assumed the car had you know,
and they typically failed in the seventy eight thousand mile range.
They just said, hey, you know, it's just normal for
agent mile it. So that was a little bit of
a stinker. But um, uh, you know, we we know
(21:22):
they failed. Uh they go through water pumps, you know,
thousand miles not unusual, but you know they I mean,
everything were's something out you know, um, but you know,
beyond that, I mean, a good car if I if
I I almost bought one. I just telling this story
last week. This is like deja vu. Um, I almost
(21:44):
bought one as a small little car to run around
and then I forget why I didn't, And uh, I
think it was a I think it was a wife conversation.
But I can't say that too loud. Um, Uh, don't
tell anybody. And um, you know that was kind of
the deal. So oh, you know the one thing I
would just tell you, and you know, caution you for
(22:04):
is is it are you buying it from a dealer
or a private person? Okay, so you know what's the
service history? Who worked on it? Um? Because to me,
what I buy is just as important as who worked
on it for the time that has been out in
the field all right. You know there are some repair
(22:25):
shops out there. To me, the challenge is getting him
to eat lunch, not sitting on the floor, and to
answer the phone right. And you know there are some
shops out there that are very competent and very high
skilled and you know they get it. It's it's I'm
proud to be associated with shops like that that they're
they're you know, they're part of this industry. Um. You know,
so service records. Are you gonna go look at the
(22:46):
car yourself? Um? Well, I'm actually going to look at
it tonight with my dad. Okay, So here's here's the clues.
All right, Um, open the trunk and open the hood.
Look for there's gonna be a ventag, you know, the
seventeen digit vin. Make sure the vent tag is on
the body components that shows the vehicle hasn't been in
(23:08):
an accident. Alright, those tags, those tags should be there,
all right. Number one? Number two? Pull the dipstick, the
engine oil dipstick. All right, Uh, you know, look at
the dipstick. The dipstick is is really the the indicator
of a lot of things. Is the oil clean? Now?
If the oil is spotless clean, but the stick itself
(23:32):
has got grime and varnish on it, that means the
guy never changed the oil and he just changed it
now because he's selling it, so he wants to make
it look like it has clean oil in it. All right.
If if he really did good oil changes, the dipstick
will be reasonably clean with low varnish, especially on a
less than twenty thousand mile vehicle. All right, you know, So,
so look at that, you know, ask him why why
(23:54):
is he selling it? Why are why are you selling this?
All right? What's the reason. Maybe he's got a good reason,
and maybe it's not so good. Watch his body language
when he gives you the answer, all right? Does he
shift his weight? Does he look away from you? What
are the indicators? All right? Look at the radio stations?
What radio stations are set on this vehicle? All right?
If it's heavy, if it's heavy metal, death rock, you
(24:15):
know his kid was driving it. If it's classical or mozart,
you know he was driving it. You know, radio stations
are the giveaway. All right. Open up the trunk and
look in the spare tire. Well, is there any water
in the spare tire? Well? Any signs of moisture, any
signs of you know, it doesn't look like when it rains.
Maybe water is collecting in the trunk, and you know
(24:36):
the water drains out, but it collects. You know, he
always looks for a water leak in the trunk. That way,
that'll tell you something, all right, and you know, just
drive it. You'll get a fuel for it. Look at
the brake pedal, look at the pads to that. You know,
the does the brake pedal look like it has a
reasonable amount of where for nineteen thousand miles. At nineteen
thousand miles, I'm expecting not to see much. You know,
(24:57):
it should be in pretty good shape. And uh, you know,
kind of take it from there and ask for receipts
on maintenance, any maintenance and repairs. At this point, he
should have done well, in my mind, a minimum of
one wheel change a year. I would like to hopefully
it had two oil changes a year, regardless of mileage.
So but you know, it's you'll know, you know, and um,
(25:20):
obviously you know, make sure you know you're pricing before
you get there. What kind of money is he asking
for it? Um, he's asking for ten nine, but I'm
I'm putting a two grain down payment right and ask him,
you know, is it is? It was it his cars?
He you know, is he doing this for a friend?
It's listen, you're a sharp you're a sharp guy. You
know what to do. I'm just you know, I'm just
(25:40):
being a mother hen um, but you know, just just
just watch yourself. You know, it's uh private person, cast
change his hands. Um. And last thing, and I always
say this on a private sale, take the title. Take
the title, match the title to the vent on the car.
I've seen that that. I've seen it in my career
(26:01):
more than a few times. Um, And sometimes it's innocent.
I've had people. I've seen cases where I'll use the
example of this car for whatever reason, there's two sixteen
Chevy Cruises in the family, and the guy gets the
cars mixed up which one he's selling and he gives
you the wrong title, and boy does that create a mess.
And then there's the one where it's then there's the
(26:22):
one where it's not the right title because it's not
his car to sell. And that's all. That's a whole
another conversation. So, um, you know, but some things to
look for, all right, kiddo. Yeah, so you're very welcome.
Good luck with it, enjoy it, take good care. Zero. Hey,
(26:44):
I got the phone number right, I'll do that again.
I try calling the other number. You're gay before Bubble
says high, Yeah, well that's you know, that's Tom. I
was zoning out on Zeros. We should tell everybody real quick.
We got we have a minute. Sure, Okay, So we've
doing this radio show together nine years now, about seven
(27:05):
seven years seven, and gee, why does it seem longer
with you? And yes, yeah, the fielding is mutual. Uh.
But we've we've been doing this show and we've been
actually sitting there looking at each other for seven years, right,
and then COVID came along, the coronavirus, right, and we
you know, it's it's we have the social distance for
(27:28):
a lot of reasons, family reasons, we can't we can't
be around each other. So you tell the story. So
I'm telling tell everybody what we created. Well, you know,
we're used to sitting in the studio with you on
one side of the glass, me on the other. And
and normally when I'm in the studio, I've got to
I've got a control console in front of me. I've
got a computer that does the commercial breaks and such.
I've got another computer that controls the phone system and
(27:49):
does various other things. Well, COVID came along. Now you're
sitting there in the bat cave in in the wilds
of New Jersey, and I'm sitting up here in orange
out in New York doing the show this way. And
we've got one two digital link, three digital links for
audio going. One that brings the audio from you to
me and the telephone audio one where I can answer
(28:12):
the phones in the studio in Jersey, another one so
you can hear what I'm up to. Um, I've got
a computer link in so I can look at the
various computers at the studio. Uh. The only thing I
don't have control of is the console. And we had
an issue last week where I went to bring you
out a break. The automation system fired the music bed.
We call that a bumper. When the bumper hit, all
(28:35):
of a sudden, I lost the screen. I was like,
I can't tell Ron to come back. I think I
better pick up the mic and talk. And and you know,
the crazy thing is, it seems like when something goes wrong,
I can hear you thinking, and I I know where
to go. And with it's Tom, it's just like you're
here because we're still used. And the weird thing is
I can tell by your voice when you're gonna go
(28:56):
to break. Uh, while I can't. While I can't stare
at you right now and give you the look that
means you're going too long. We need to go to break.
I I send you notes on the computer. Yeah, by
the way, Tom, can I tell you something? Sure? We
went long? We have to go to break a zero
running anting. The car Doctor and Tom Rag's acutive producer
(29:18):
will both be back right after this. Let's big welcome back.
Wanted any of the car doctor. Let's get over to Kenna, Missouri. Ken.
(29:40):
How can I help you today? What's going on? Sir?
I just I just wanted to comment on that guy
there last week about Dolph desultiating a battery. It sounds
kind of complicated to me. I don't know where you're
hand on, but I got too bad raies that guy today.
He's right on the right track, you know. Okay, it's
(30:02):
what he's got hooked up to his keeps his desul faded.
And I got to over nine years old and all
I use is a one and a half amp automatic
charger because I have mine and stories. But I bring
my batteries home and you know, having hooked up all
winter and they're still running, and what are you start
and find? What? What are the batteries for? Can aaron
(30:27):
my vehicles? Okay, yeah, they're they're five years batteries and
they're over nine years old. I got have a one
and half amp charger hooked up to him. When when
they're in storage you know, it's it's an interesting idea that,
like I said prior you know this hour, that the
industry is starting to take notice of it. Because as
I thought about it, I thought about it last week
(30:47):
to this week, I said, why aren't we doing worth
battery desalt faits? You know obviously the answer is what
we won't sell batteries. But you know the other side
of it is we don't have hazardous waste to get
rid of in a landfill. And you know that that's true.
I worked in places for a little bit. I mean,
it's has this job and it's has this for the environment, right,
(31:08):
so you would think that if they could get away
with the soul fitting batteries, you know, as it were,
it would it would work. Um, you know, it seemed
to make sense. Well, we'll see. Listen, maybe we're on
the camp. What go ahead, tell one half amp or
we'll save you. Okay, Well, automatic automatic charger and what
(31:30):
brand charger is that? Ken? I got shoemakers. Okay, So
it's just a basic battery charger, just automatic automatic one
half ALP and they'll take care of your battery twice
as long as what they're rated for. Because I've proved
it on two batteries already, and I got come holder
and then my mercury because I got to have a
(31:52):
I got had to have a new one from a
show truck motorcraft. It's it's in my mercury right now,
starting like a new one. Interesting. Interesting, Hey, Ken, we
gotta go, but I appreciate the call, sir, you take
good care. Nine zero running at the car Doctor and Company.
We're back right after this. Hey, welcome back running into
(32:28):
the car doctor. Let's real quick go over Roman in
New Jersey. Oh six Dodge Ram Roman. We got about
two and a half minutes, Babe, what's going on? Okay?
I got a two thousand six Dodge Ram five point
seven Hammy. And for maybe two years it's been it's
been losing some coolant and a radiator. So you would add,
you know, a gallant would last be six months, you know,
(32:49):
I would add a little bit. Then I added the
stop leave. I'm kind of a stop leak uh stuff
into you know, thinking maybe that's got a I couldn't
see any leak any where. It was just losing it,
so that that works pretty good. But what happened for
the last maybe for the last six months, it does
not suck up the cooling back from the from the
(33:10):
side reservoir. Then I have to add to the radiator,
you know, every week, and then the other one ends
up being full. So does the side reservoir get over full?
It goes all the way up, you know, like maybe
an ant or two from the top. But does it go?
But I think it does go. I think it eventually does,
because I could see some as you do, a fluid,
(33:31):
Like today was very hot and I could see a
little bit of fluid on top, but it's maybe a
two inches from the top. Are you still adding cooling? Well,
today the temperature started going hotter than normal, so I
know later on tonight I'll have to add some into
the radiator. Okay, but I have to wait till it's cool.
How many miles on this truck Roman? Uh? Four hundred
(33:52):
six six thousand miles? Yeah? Okay, but it runs beautiful.
You didn't you didn't see me jump? All right? I
just want to know what I'm dealing with. My My
thought is that originally the last two years while you
were driving it, the reason you're adding coolant is because
it's got a seeping head gasket. Yeah, That's what I'm thinking, right,
(34:15):
so you know where is it going? And now the
problem is you added a stop league. Uh do you do?
You remember the brand? What it was? I no, but
I you talked about it. So that's the one I got.
All right, So you put case, you put K Seal
in it. Yes, that's right, that's right. But I took
the bigger one, the one that says truck that maybe
it was too much, but just recently I drained all
(34:38):
the fluid just I toold maybe there was too much
of that ANYM rained it all out. And what I
would want to know is, well, once K Seal goes
in place, it's in place. What I'd want to know
is how hots the truck run? And listen to me,
how hots the truck running? Does the radiator seem like
it's got any restrictions to it? Does it seem like
it's got any hot spots? A little cooling system diagnosis
(34:58):
is in order here, because eventually you're gonna hurt something
more than you might have already by running it this
many miles low on cool and I'm running any of
the car. Doctor mechanics aren't expensive, they're pricelessness
Ron Ananian. I guess I would tell somebody if they're
out there thinking, yeah, I want to be a mechanic,
or do I want to be a mechanic? Yeah? You do.
You gotta be up to the challenge the car Doctor.
Have you ever changed the fluid? I got it around
(00:20):
eighty and I did not tell that that was I
don't think the person before me did. Okay, why don't
we do a fluid change. Welcome to the radio home
of Ron Ananian, the Car Doctor. Since this is where
car owners the world overturned to for their definitive opinion
on automotive repair. If your mechanics giving you a busy signal,
(00:41):
pick up the phone and call in. The garage doors
are open, but I am here to take your calls
at eight and now running. I wonder how many of
you understand when you're looking at the scan tool what
you're really looking at. And I start the conversation this
(01:05):
hour there for for a couple of reasons, and I'll
be quick because I know the phones are busy, so
cattle like SRX came into the shop. I was talking
about it last hour previous show, and and one of
the things I had to do was determined why it
was running rich. It had it was negative thirty off
its base fuel trement was it was subtracting thirty of
the fuel out of the system that it had control
(01:25):
over because the system was reporting a rich condition on
a continuous basis. Turned out the gasoline direct injection pump
was bad. The diaphragm was pours uh, you know, seeping
fuel into the engine oil. Okay, easy enough, but part
of that diagnosis, you know, you have the ability with
a scan tool to look at pump pressure. They have
a censor on the on the fuel rail that will
(01:47):
tell you low pump pressure, so you can see what
tank pressure is without hooking up the gage, and then
g d I pump high pump pressure without hooking up
the gage. There's centers on both pumps, so you could
use a scan tool to look and see what fuel
pressure is. How convenient. Here's the problem GM right, GM product.
(02:08):
The tech too reported the fuel pressure on the low
pressure pump correctly, but on the high pressure pump it
reported it in millipascals. The snap on scan tool did
the conversion. It reported it an actual pressure. The Automotive
Test Solutions scan tool, which I really like, Bernie's tool,
(02:30):
I really do. Reported it in inches of vacuum, inches
of mercury, and you have to do the conversion. And
the point I'm trying to get to is sometimes with
a scan tool, it's not just oh yeah, I looked
at my scan tool, there was nothing there. Do you
know what you're looking at? Do you know what you're
expecting to see? Do you know what known good looks like?
(02:52):
Do you understand what each individual pit is? A friend
of mine, Chris National Trainer, Automotive Training Group, smart guy, real,
aren't guy? We're talking the other day his nineteen f
one fifty. We're talking about scan tool data and PIDs.
He said, Ron, I've got four hundred and forty two
different pits, he said, There's no way I'm going to
(03:12):
remember him. I can't identify half the terminology without looking
something up. It will take you anywhere from a half
hour to forty five minutes just to know the data
that you're seeking to solve the problem that you're working on.
A truer statement never was made, So can you expect
in the future that that what is now? And I
(03:33):
love these guys that think they can give away diagnosis.
But the guys that are giving away diagnosis, Well, maybe
I'll charge a half hour. I got news for you.
If they're charging you less than an hour, they're doing
not only themselves a disservice, but they're doing you a
disservice because they're not getting to know the system. Because
there's no way, no way anybody can walk into that vehicle,
(03:54):
get a trouble code X, Y Z and know that, Yeah,
these are the nine PIDs I have to look at,
and they understand what they are. Every model year. It's
gonna change too quick. The technology is moving along way
too fast. So as we kick this hour, the car
doctor open at eight zero zero. The question of the
day is when you look at a scan tool, do
you really understand what you're looking at. By the way,
(04:16):
when I called up and talked to Bernie, Bernie said,
yell at the GM guys. So I gotta go find
the GM engineer because he said if they'd converted, I'd converted.
I'm trying to keep it to the factory level. Good
conversation with Bernie. Let's get over to the phone. Let's
go over to George and Minnesota talking about desulfating batteries.
George we're gonna revisit this topic again. How are you today,
I'm I'm doing very well. Thank you. How can I
help you, sir? Well? On last week's program, we were
(04:40):
talking somebody called in about charger for automotive that desultates batteries,
and uh, it sounded like there was a few questions
about that, and I was just going to mention that
my wife and I we live off the grid and
our system desultates are storage batteries in our in our
(05:00):
storage system for our photable take system for electricity for
our house, and it does it all automatically. It's it's
a very unique system. And you know, what's do you
find that you're extending the life of the batteries beyond
the traditional automotive five year limit. We we hope to
We've been off the grid entirely now for six years
(05:21):
and this is something that we do each week. And
what it is like, it's almost like it's super charging
the voltage and its supplies this extra voltage into the
batteries and actually you know, shakes it all up to
shake any sulfur that's starting to deposit on the plates.
And it's supposed to extend the life of these great
(05:42):
big batteries. Interesting, now they're not. They're not automotive batteries
you're using, you're using something else. Well, they'd be like
a super golf cart battery. There are a hundred and
eighteen pounds apiece, and we run four of them. Okay,
I guess you're in a very remote part of Minnesota. No,
we aren't. But it was just the choice that we
made to try it. We always dreamed of being off
(06:06):
the grid and not attached to a power producer, and
the power producer wanted six thousand dollars to bring power
to our house. Yeah, you know that whole power thing.
On a sort of a similar vein but different subject.
I don't understand the solar panel thing in the country
right now. You know, somebody wanted to put solar panels
on the shop, but it wouldn't power the shop. It
(06:27):
would just put solar put electrical energy into the utility
that they would then not charge me. I didn't understand that.
I said, what's the point you want me to live
under these panels? Yet? It doesn't make any sense, you know.
With us, we built a new house, a very small house,
and we built it to live off the grid, So
it's you know, it was. It was a no brainer.
(06:49):
The system costs US sixty eight hundred dollars. I did
all the work, of course, but it was sixty eight
hundred in materials and I built it and the day
we turned it on, we already eight hundred dollars virtually
because the day we would have turned on power from
the power grid, we would have been paying a month, right.
And I guess it'll be a matter of what's the longevity.
(07:10):
How much do the batteries cost. I want to say
they were about I looking back six years, I think
they were about two and a half and fifty bucks
apiece something like that. So that was all figured in
on my sixty eight or sixty d to begin with.
So replacement today is probably fifty maybe. Yeah. I checked
(07:33):
not too long ago, just to think about it, and
they were like two. You know, desult fating batteries seems
to be coming up, not only here, but I'm reading
about it in the industry, and I wonder if that's
I wonder if it's something we're going to see more of,
possibly extending automotive batteries. Uh, you know, in my conversations
with various tool manufacturers. I have a very great relationship
(07:55):
with a gentleman by the name of Gary Mackie from
Associated A Test equipment. They may battery charges and some
of the industry's best battery service equipment. And you know,
in talking with Gary, I get a very strong sense
of it's no punt. Everything starts with the battery and
the amount of technology that's in the automotive batteries today
(08:16):
and what it takes to deal with, uh, you know,
the the differences and how all these little differences and
nuances create the electrical systems that's create the car. It's
it's an ongoing challenge. And you know, I wonder if
desulfiating batteries would simplify things to the degree that they
wouldn't have to go to the stresses and the endeavors
that they go through. Um. But we'll say, well, we'll
(08:38):
see where the engineers take us, right um. Yeah. And
the other thing is for those of us that have
hot rods that we store them, you know here in
northern Minnesota. I mean, what do we get maybe three
or four months that we can drive, you know, our
hot rods around and then you know, you're just having
that battery set on the shelf, if you've got to
do something with it to try to maintain it so
you don't have to purchase new battery every year. Is it?
(09:00):
Is it called there, Georgia. Is it's snow end cold?
You name it? It's really it's in the eighties today
and in the winter it will be. And what what's
what's the most snow you've had in anyone fall when
he wants snowfall? Uh, last year we had we must
have had over three ft on the ground, you know,
(09:21):
and on the ground and what falls a few different
things because you know, as it falls, it compresses. So
you know, I'm only I'm only I'm only asking you
this because it's July and it's like degrees and everybody's
going on it's too hot out. Yeah, I guess what
six months or not? Guess what you'll be complaining about.
So we'll be thinking about George and his and his
(09:44):
wife out there in the house with we're hoping that
the soul fated batteries are working, so you guys are warm.
So George, interesting stories. I want to thank you for
taking the time, and uh, you know it's it's good
information because I gotta tell you, I can always tell
when somebody really knows what they're talking about. It's good
story because I start listening to you like I'm a
listener and that's uh, that's all seriousness, like I zone
(10:05):
out forgetting that I'm doing a radio show. So um,
but thank you because I enjoyed listening to everything that
you have to say to Thank you, sir. You'd be
well and you have a good rest of the weekend. Okay,
thank you, take care, You're very welcome. Bye bye, eight
five five zero zero running any of the Card Doctor
and they one and only exclusive Tom Ray. I haven't
said a load of Tom yet today, and Tom's doing
(10:26):
a heck of a job. You know, one of these
days we should tell everybody how we actually do this
show by the end of the show today. We should
because nobody would believe it. Nobody would believe what's going
on here if they really understood it. So maybe we'll
do that, you know, later on this hour. So uh um,
you know what, I'm gonna let Tom take us out,
Tom take us out of the break. Now back to
(10:56):
the Man, the mid the Legend themselves here rock way
to go, Tom, Hey, let's get over to Dodge in
Delaware fourteen Jeep Grand Cherokee Dodge. How can I help
you today? Good sir? What's going on? R? Yes, sir um.
Last week you were talking about you can, which I've
(11:16):
seen before, you can change transmission food through the cooling
lines right right. I'm just wondered is that possible on
a ZF eight speed German transmission? Yeah, it's if it's
if it's got cooler lines up front. Now, you know,
degree of difficulty is only ensconced by how tough is
it to get to the lines and where are they located?
(11:39):
So and I think that eight speed German trans and
that jeep, I don't believe that has a dipstick, correct,
that's a that's a drip prop method, isn't it right? Stick?
But it does have a thirm stat the cooling line. Okay,
so well, but in theory you're not you know, and
(12:02):
I haven't encountered one of those yet in all honesty,
But my thought would be that if you're doing the
fluid proper temperature, it's going to have flow, right, it's
gonna be the sticker on the I don't know if
you've done these to check the chance of mission fluid.
It has to be under degrees fahrenheit because after that
(12:25):
the thermostat opens and then it starts running through the
cluing system. You know, I wonder, so here you go,
here's the research right to solve a problem in a car,
because not every problem is the same, not. You know,
here we are talking about a trans service where we
used to be able to do cooler lines, dipstick drain
and fills. Now we have to contend with the thermostat
and a cooler line. I wonder how the manufacturer calls
(12:47):
for that trands to be serviced, what factory equipment is there,
unless they're going to say it never needs to be
service because it's lifetime fluid, or until the trans breaks
and you want to go buy a new car and
Chrysler says that ZS says that's you need chances fluid
at around fifty to sixty, right, I would think, So,
you wonder how they're doing it. My my my thought
(13:08):
is they're going to tell you there's a machine with
adapters for the cooler lines, and they're counting on engine
temperature being above a certain level, or put trans fluid
temperature being above a certain level so that it will
flow through the machine. It's weird. They actually do have
the the procedure on a PDF you can look up
online and no machine. It's um So how are they
(13:31):
doing it? You take the plug out and you drain
so much and take the pan off, the pan away,
get new pan because the filters in there, put it
back on, pour the fluid back in, start the car up,
put it in park, rev it up to two thousand,
(13:51):
put it in first year, put it inverse, and put
it in second gear. It in neutral so they're not
back out and see if any when it comes out.
So they're not doing a complete fluid exchange. No, okay,
so you can do it again next week, right, well,
you know which, which makes me wonder. I wonder if
(14:11):
I want everybody to go out and check the records,
if anybody's had their trans service on a fourth year
in Grand Cherokee, see what the spec is for fluid capacity,
And I wonder what they were charged. If the spec
is fourteen and they were charged fourteen, had they get
the other six courts in or out of the system
that they couldn't get out because that's typically what's left
in the tour converter. So it's right, which is. And
(14:35):
you know, this is something along the lines of when
you said filter in the pen. It triggered my brain.
This is typical of what was and what is in
the BMWs. So this is this has got to be
a BMW derivative German transmission. You wonder the German transmissions, right,
You wonder how they're doing it. I will do some
(14:56):
research this week and see what I come up with.
But it's a fair question, Dodge as a a ways,
you give me the good ones and I like it.
So it's weird because you don't hear anything anymore about that, uh,
the old transmission food flush anymore. Well. No. As a
matter of fact, though, in conversation with someone this week
regarding some of the b G products, they're making some
(15:18):
changes to their product lineup. We were talking specifically about
their fuel system cleaners, and I know that they were
big on trans flush. I wonder how they're going to
handle it, um, you know, And and I'll leave it here.
I don't give any of these companies great authority over
what's right and what's wrong. I've I've talked to a
few of them. I've had a few companies that make
(15:40):
different flush and different cleaning products call me up and
ask me how do I do this? And how do
I do that? And I'm you know, it's like, imagine
me this little guy from New Jersey and they're I've
got this multimillion dollar company on the other end of
the phone and they're asking me, and I'm like, how
do you guys do it? Well, we weren't quite sure.
We thought we'd ask you. And I'm like, you gotta
be kidding me. Um, you know, you know, it's like,
(16:01):
what do wine not? Like, you know, get out of here. Um.
So I'll do some research this week. I know exactly
where I'm gonna look, and we'll talk about it next
week on here. How's that all right? Thought, You're very welcome.
You take good care. Uh And and this is the problem, right,
every time you're presented with an automobile with the situation um,
a repair that you may or may not have seen,
(16:22):
it encompasses or creates a whole another set of rules.
I had a shop this week, walk in. They were
looking for They were working on a fourteen Chrysler VSI
something timing chain doing a cam actuator. I figure out
exactly what it was because that was Tuesday. In the
last three days were a blur since and I didn't
have that special tool, but I said, here's what we're
(16:44):
gonna find it. We went out to Amazon. We found
the special tool. It was thirty eight bucks and they
were going to order order it overnight and have it delivered.
And as I said to Robbie as he was walking
out the door, it makes you wonder how we were
ever able to get by without m is on because
they're doing they're doing what I encourage tool companies to
(17:05):
do twenty years ago, and some of them were fatheads
and didn't listen. And those tool companies are gone now
or they're on the vine dyne. Because it really kind
of came back to you've got to be there in
an instant. People are learning you the consumer, you're learning,
you're understanding that you know, beyond the oil change, beyond
some of the basic everyday service and maintenance. It might
be a couple of days to get a car service
(17:26):
and repaired because it might take the mechanic, not just
the time to do it, but research the tools that
I need. What sort of special information do I have
to go and get access to what could happen post repair?
That I've got to be able to deal with. It's
becoming a very complicated process. It really is, um a
very high level of competency required to repair cars, and
(17:48):
it's not gonna get easier anytime sooner. So, uh, you know,
I gotta tell you we're going back to the days
of the um Welsh fargo wagon, right. I always think
about it every time the Amazon truck pull up. That
scene from the music Man, the Wells Fargo magot, What
Wells Fargo wagons are coming down the street? Here comes Amazon.
I can fix my car. So um, some good stuff,
(18:09):
some very good stuff. Hey, the car doctors coming back
right after this. A zero zero zero will be right
back right after this. Don't go away, hey, welcome back
(18:52):
right in any of the car. Let me correct that
phone number eight five five zero zero zero's confused me lately.
I'm not sure why five five zero zero if you're
calling that other number I gave, I don't think you'll
get me a five five five zero zero. Let's move on.
Let's go over to Rogan in Iowa. What's going on Rogan? Hey, Um,
(19:15):
so I'm looking to buy my first car, Chevy Cruise,
and uh, I just want to know if you've had
any problems or if you know about any common problems,
things that need maintenance, stuff like that, how many miles
around Kidney. So, you know, I like the Chevy Cruise,
(19:36):
and I take heat for that because you know, some
people have some strong arguments against it. You know my argument,
My argument for the car is I typically don't see
transmission failures. I don't see a lot of engine issues.
I've had good experience there. Now, you know, I think
(19:56):
I'm a small percentage because I will I will say
it like this not to think that I'm the only
guy that does this. But I know all of my
customers get regular oil changes on a good continuous basis,
good quality oil, good filter, et cetera. You know, and
this is true of any car, right anything you're gonna
buy and start your driving career with, you've got to
do the maintenance. You do the time, or you're gonna
do the crime. It's it's it's it's sort of a
(20:18):
play on that, but you get my point. So I
think that the downfall of the Cruise is a lot
of the plastic they use on the engine, the thermostat housing,
the water neck, you know, the valve cover a lot
of things that lead to its timely death, and and
and and undoing. The good news is, and what I
(20:38):
always say about a car, an older car, slightly older
car with known problems, we know what the problems are.
We we we know what to look for, all right.
You know, it's it just becomes a matter of recourse.
As a matter of fact. That valve cover and I
don't know that it affected the six teens, but that
valve cover on the older cars was actually, um, I
don't want to say recalled, but I know GM was
(21:00):
doing a good will extended warranty on it and they
were making good on it. Um the water neck outlet
and the thermostat housing and all that I think was
just you know, they assumed the car had you know,
and they typically failed in the seventy eight thousand mile range.
They just said, hey, you know, it's just normal for
agent mile it. So that was a little bit of
a stinker. But um, uh, you know, we we know
(21:22):
they failed. Uh they go through water pumps, you know,
thousand miles not unusual, but you know they I mean,
everything were's something out you know, um, but you know,
beyond that, I mean, a good car if I if
I I almost bought one. I just telling this story
last week. This is like deja vu. Um, I almost
(21:44):
bought one as a small little car to run around
and then I forget why I didn't, And uh, I
think it was a I think it was a wife conversation.
But I can't say that too loud. Um, Uh, don't
tell anybody. And um, you know that was kind of
the deal. So oh, you know the one thing I
would just tell you, and you know, caution you for
(22:04):
is is it are you buying it from a dealer
or a private person? Okay, so you know what's the
service history? Who worked on it? Um? Because to me,
what I buy is just as important as who worked
on it for the time that has been out in
the field all right. You know there are some repair
(22:25):
shops out there. To me, the challenge is getting him
to eat lunch, not sitting on the floor, and to
answer the phone right. And you know there are some
shops out there that are very competent and very high
skilled and you know they get it. It's it's I'm
proud to be associated with shops like that that they're
they're you know, they're part of this industry. Um. You know,
so service records. Are you gonna go look at the
(22:46):
car yourself? Um? Well, I'm actually going to look at
it tonight with my dad. Okay, So here's here's the clues.
All right, Um, open the trunk and open the hood.
Look for there's gonna be a ventag, you know, the
seventeen digit vin. Make sure the vent tag is on
the body components that shows the vehicle hasn't been in
(23:08):
an accident. Alright, those tags, those tags should be there,
all right. Number one? Number two? Pull the dipstick, the
engine oil dipstick. All right, Uh, you know, look at
the dipstick. The dipstick is is really the the indicator
of a lot of things. Is the oil clean? Now?
If the oil is spotless clean, but the stick itself
(23:32):
has got grime and varnish on it, that means the
guy never changed the oil and he just changed it
now because he's selling it, so he wants to make
it look like it has clean oil in it. All right.
If if he really did good oil changes, the dipstick
will be reasonably clean with low varnish, especially on a
less than twenty thousand mile vehicle. All right, you know, So,
so look at that, you know, ask him why why
(23:54):
is he selling it? Why are why are you selling this?
All right? What's the reason. Maybe he's got a good reason,
and maybe it's not so good. Watch his body language
when he gives you the answer, all right? Does he
shift his weight? Does he look away from you? What
are the indicators? All right? Look at the radio stations?
What radio stations are set on this vehicle? All right?
If it's heavy, if it's heavy metal, death rock, you
(24:15):
know his kid was driving it. If it's classical or mozart,
you know he was driving it. You know, radio stations
are the giveaway. All right. Open up the trunk and
look in the spare tire. Well, is there any water
in the spare tire? Well? Any signs of moisture, any
signs of you know, it doesn't look like when it rains.
Maybe water is collecting in the trunk, and you know
(24:36):
the water drains out, but it collects. You know, he
always looks for a water leak in the trunk. That way,
that'll tell you something, all right, and you know, just
drive it. You'll get a fuel for it. Look at
the brake pedal, look at the pads to that. You know,
the does the brake pedal look like it has a
reasonable amount of where for nineteen thousand miles. At nineteen
thousand miles, I'm expecting not to see much. You know,
(24:57):
it should be in pretty good shape. And uh, you know,
kind of take it from there and ask for receipts
on maintenance, any maintenance and repairs. At this point, he
should have done well, in my mind, a minimum of
one wheel change a year. I would like to hopefully
it had two oil changes a year, regardless of mileage.
So but you know, it's you'll know, you know, and um,
(25:20):
obviously you know, make sure you know you're pricing before
you get there. What kind of money is he asking
for it? Um, he's asking for ten nine, but I'm
I'm putting a two grain down payment right and ask him,
you know, is it is? It was it his cars?
He you know, is he doing this for a friend?
It's listen, you're a sharp you're a sharp guy. You
know what to do. I'm just you know, I'm just
(25:40):
being a mother hen um, but you know, just just
just watch yourself. You know, it's uh private person, cast
change his hands. Um. And last thing, and I always
say this on a private sale, take the title. Take
the title, match the title to the vent on the car.
I've seen that that. I've seen it in my career
(26:01):
more than a few times. Um, And sometimes it's innocent.
I've had people. I've seen cases where I'll use the
example of this car for whatever reason, there's two sixteen
Chevy Cruises in the family, and the guy gets the
cars mixed up which one he's selling and he gives
you the wrong title, and boy does that create a mess.
And then there's the one where it's then there's the
(26:22):
one where it's not the right title because it's not
his car to sell. And that's all. That's a whole
another conversation. So, um, you know, but some things to
look for, all right, kiddo. Yeah, so you're very welcome.
Good luck with it, enjoy it, take good care. Zero. Hey,
(26:44):
I got the phone number right, I'll do that again.
I try calling the other number. You're gay before Bubble
says high, Yeah, well that's you know, that's Tom. I
was zoning out on Zeros. We should tell everybody real quick.
We got we have a minute. Sure, Okay, So we've
doing this radio show together nine years now, about seven
(27:05):
seven years seven, and gee, why does it seem longer
with you? And yes, yeah, the fielding is mutual. Uh.
But we've we've been doing this show and we've been
actually sitting there looking at each other for seven years, right,
and then COVID came along, the coronavirus, right, and we
you know, it's it's we have the social distance for
(27:28):
a lot of reasons, family reasons, we can't we can't
be around each other. So you tell the story. So
I'm telling tell everybody what we created. Well, you know,
we're used to sitting in the studio with you on
one side of the glass, me on the other. And
and normally when I'm in the studio, I've got to
I've got a control console in front of me. I've
got a computer that does the commercial breaks and such.
I've got another computer that controls the phone system and
(27:49):
does various other things. Well, COVID came along. Now you're
sitting there in the bat cave in in the wilds
of New Jersey, and I'm sitting up here in orange
out in New York doing the show this way. And
we've got one two digital link, three digital links for
audio going. One that brings the audio from you to
me and the telephone audio one where I can answer
(28:12):
the phones in the studio in Jersey, another one so
you can hear what I'm up to. Um, I've got
a computer link in so I can look at the
various computers at the studio. Uh. The only thing I
don't have control of is the console. And we had
an issue last week where I went to bring you
out a break. The automation system fired the music bed.
We call that a bumper. When the bumper hit, all
(28:35):
of a sudden, I lost the screen. I was like,
I can't tell Ron to come back. I think I
better pick up the mic and talk. And and you know,
the crazy thing is, it seems like when something goes wrong,
I can hear you thinking, and I I know where
to go. And with it's Tom, it's just like you're
here because we're still used. And the weird thing is
I can tell by your voice when you're gonna go
(28:56):
to break. Uh, while I can't. While I can't stare
at you right now and give you the look that
means you're going too long. We need to go to break.
I I send you notes on the computer. Yeah, by
the way, Tom, can I tell you something? Sure? We
went long? We have to go to break a zero
running anting. The car Doctor and Tom Rag's acutive producer
(29:18):
will both be back right after this. Let's big welcome back.
Wanted any of the car doctor. Let's get over to Kenna, Missouri. Ken.
(29:40):
How can I help you today? What's going on? Sir?
I just I just wanted to comment on that guy
there last week about Dolph desultiating a battery. It sounds
kind of complicated to me. I don't know where you're
hand on, but I got too bad raies that guy today.
He's right on the right track, you know. Okay, it's
(30:02):
what he's got hooked up to his keeps his desul faded.
And I got to over nine years old and all
I use is a one and a half amp automatic
charger because I have mine and stories. But I bring
my batteries home and you know, having hooked up all
winter and they're still running, and what are you start
and find? What? What are the batteries for? Can aaron
(30:27):
my vehicles? Okay, yeah, they're they're five years batteries and
they're over nine years old. I got have a one
and half amp charger hooked up to him. When when
they're in storage you know, it's it's an interesting idea that,
like I said prior you know this hour, that the
industry is starting to take notice of it. Because as
I thought about it, I thought about it last week
(30:47):
to this week, I said, why aren't we doing worth
battery desalt faits? You know obviously the answer is what
we won't sell batteries. But you know the other side
of it is we don't have hazardous waste to get
rid of in a landfill. And you know that that's true.
I worked in places for a little bit. I mean,
it's has this job and it's has this for the environment, right,
(31:08):
so you would think that if they could get away
with the soul fitting batteries, you know, as it were,
it would it would work. Um, you know, it seemed
to make sense. Well, we'll see. Listen, maybe we're on
the camp. What go ahead, tell one half amp or
we'll save you. Okay, Well, automatic automatic charger and what
(31:30):
brand charger is that? Ken? I got shoemakers. Okay, So
it's just a basic battery charger, just automatic automatic one
half ALP and they'll take care of your battery twice
as long as what they're rated for. Because I've proved
it on two batteries already, and I got come holder
and then my mercury because I got to have a
(31:52):
I got had to have a new one from a
show truck motorcraft. It's it's in my mercury right now,
starting like a new one. Interesting. Interesting, Hey, Ken, we
gotta go, but I appreciate the call, sir, you take
good care. Nine zero running at the car Doctor and Company.
We're back right after this. Hey, welcome back running into
(32:28):
the car doctor. Let's real quick go over Roman in
New Jersey. Oh six Dodge Ram Roman. We got about
two and a half minutes, Babe, what's going on? Okay?
I got a two thousand six Dodge Ram five point
seven Hammy. And for maybe two years it's been it's
been losing some coolant and a radiator. So you would add,
you know, a gallant would last be six months, you know,
(32:49):
I would add a little bit. Then I added the
stop leave. I'm kind of a stop leak uh stuff
into you know, thinking maybe that's got a I couldn't
see any leak any where. It was just losing it,
so that that works pretty good. But what happened for
the last maybe for the last six months, it does
not suck up the cooling back from the from the
(33:10):
side reservoir. Then I have to add to the radiator,
you know, every week, and then the other one ends
up being full. So does the side reservoir get over full?
It goes all the way up, you know, like maybe
an ant or two from the top. But does it go?
But I think it does go. I think it eventually does,
because I could see some as you do, a fluid,
(33:31):
Like today was very hot and I could see a
little bit of fluid on top, but it's maybe a
two inches from the top. Are you still adding cooling? Well,
today the temperature started going hotter than normal, so I
know later on tonight I'll have to add some into
the radiator. Okay, but I have to wait till it's cool.
How many miles on this truck Roman? Uh? Four hundred
(33:52):
six six thousand miles? Yeah? Okay, but it runs beautiful.
You didn't you didn't see me jump? All right? I
just want to know what I'm dealing with. My My
thought is that originally the last two years while you
were driving it, the reason you're adding coolant is because
it's got a seeping head gasket. Yeah, That's what I'm thinking, right,
(34:15):
so you know where is it going? And now the
problem is you added a stop league. Uh do you do?
You remember the brand? What it was? I no, but
I you talked about it. So that's the one I got.
All right, So you put case, you put K Seal
in it. Yes, that's right, that's right. But I took
the bigger one, the one that says truck that maybe
it was too much, but just recently I drained all
(34:38):
the fluid just I toold maybe there was too much
of that ANYM rained it all out. And what I
would want to know is, well, once K Seal goes
in place, it's in place. What I'd want to know
is how hots the truck run? And listen to me,
how hots the truck running? Does the radiator seem like
it's got any restrictions to it? Does it seem like
it's got any hot spots? A little cooling system diagnosis
(34:58):
is in order here, because eventually you're gonna hurt something
more than you might have already by running it this
many miles low on cool and I'm running any of
the car. Doctor mechanics aren't expensive, they're pricelessness
Host
Ron Ananian
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