Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Not a phrase you got Mercury Ma Chevy to the littit.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
That as.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Good afternoon, and welcome to the car show on fifty
five Cars.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
I'm Dane Donovan.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
You're listening to the car show on fifty five carsee
again taking your car questions. The number to call five
one three seven nine fifty five hundred. That number again,
five one three seven nine fifty five hundred. I hope
everybody enjoyed their Father's Day weekend. I uh, well, not unfortunately,
but I spent most of my well, I would say,
(00:41):
majority of the day at the baseball uh facility. My
son had a was in a tournament, and we did
this last Father's Day, and and uh uh darn if
they don't go all the way to the very end
and then lose at the the they came in second.
There were sixteen teams. They came in second. They lost
by three runs. But we're at the ball field from
(01:03):
nine am till six thirty pm. So it was a
long day in the sun, and but you know.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
It was, it was. It was.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
I'm sure it will be times that I will remember
and never forget, you know, spending Father's Day at the
ball field. So it was. It was a good time.
So again, I hope everybody enjoyed their Father's Day weekend.
So uh again taking your phone calls and over to
call five one, three, seven, four, nine fifty five hundred.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Listen.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
I had kind of led up to this, like, as
soon as we get into this extreme heat, we're gonna
have a lot of car problems. And now's the time
to start thinking about I'm sure you you if you're
in your car listening right now, you probably have the
air on.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
I know I did on my way in. And you know, the.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Other thing is when when we get these these you know,
when we get cold snaps or heat snaps like this.
I mean, it's gonna be extremely hot this week, so
make sure again you stay hydrated, make sure that your
car is protected, and uh, you know, make sure that
your battery.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
You know, we when we get heat.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Like this, we have a lot of battery problems, starter problems,
alternator problems, and you know, uh, you know, we see
it a lot. So uh, my middle son, Nolan is
in a baseball tournament. He had a game at eight
o'clock this morning, he had a game at noon, and
he has a game at six. But anyways, my wife
calls me at about about nine thirty this morning and says, hey,
(02:31):
my car is dead. I'm at the ballfield. I was
gonna come home and get Declan, but my car won't start.
It's dead as a door naiw And she's like, I
don't have anything on. What you know, what what what
could have happened? I'm like, really, that's you know, that's
what happens with with these vehicles.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
This extreme heat will wreak havoc on a battery.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
So she and again, so I had to run to
work at the jump pack and uh rescuer go out
there and jumper and the battery only ten and a
half volts, so it was low and it wasn't she
didn't have anything on. But you know when a battery
or an alternator or a starter, you know, when you're
driving in these types of this type of heat and
(03:13):
you stop and you know, you just shut the car
off and go do your thing, go to the game. Right, Well,
your car does what it's called a hot soak, right,
So all that heat is just you know, it's just
trapped in underneath that hood, right, So it again, it
wreaks havoc on your starters, your alternators and your batteries.
(03:34):
If you have the ability, and I was doing it
today at the game. If you have the buildy, if
you're gonna sit, especially if you're idling your vehicle, If
you're gonna idle your vehicle, I saw several mothers at
the baseball game who were just sitting in their car
and it was running.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Okay, there's nothing.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Wrong with that, But all that heat because the car
you're not driving, right, so all that heat is just trapped.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
So it's really really not good for the cars.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
You know, if you're gonna run the car for ten
fifteen minutes, okay, but if you're gonna sit there.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
I saw a mother.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
You know, I was in our car for I want
to say, forty five minutes. You know that that's really
really hard on all the components of the vehicle, right,
So if you have the building, if you're sitting in
your car and you're gonna idle it right, do yourself
a favor. And if you want to prolong the life
of your start, of your alternator or your battery and
just the components underneath the hood, pop your hood, open
(04:26):
it up, Let that heat dissipate, Let that heat get out.
So my wife's car was idling. I had her hood
up my car, my truck. I just I had just
parked it, but I just I lifted the hood and
just lifted.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Nothing's you know, nothing's gonna hurt. It's not gonna hurt anything.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
But you want to dissipate that heat when it's as
hot as it is, because again it's what's called a
hot silk, and everything's just bacon in that heat. You know,
it's ninety five degrees outside or ninety close to close
to ninety and your car running at you know, two
hundred degrees and all that heat's just trapped. So if
(05:04):
you have the availability and you know how to pop
that hood, just leave it open while you're sitting at
your son's game or wherever you're doing it. And again,
if you're idling it, pop the hood and uh, let
that heat get out there.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Now, obviously if you're driving, it's fine because you've got
the airflow, you get the you know, So it's something
to think about. But again I talked about it, and
I was leading up to it. Now's the time that
you know we're gonna get I'm sure on Monday, we're
gonna get a tremendous amount of vehicles that are broke
down with the vehicles not starting or alternator's not working,
or again the cars won't start because the batters can't
(05:40):
handle this type of heat. So you need to make
sure that your car is ready, especially if you're going
on a trip. You know, it's where the first day
of summer I believe was yesterday, and you know, so.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Welcome to summer, Welcome to Cincinnati weather.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Right, it was like, you know, seventies eight, you know,
seventies it was pretty warm, and all of a sudden
boom here we all were in one hundred degree heat.
And uh so, if you don't like the weather in Cincinnati,
wait ten minutes, it'll change for sure. So again I'm
taking your phone calls and never call five one three
seven four nine fifty five hundred. That number again, five
one three seven nine fifty five hundred. Let's go to
the phones we have. Is it Roscoe?
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Hey? I I don't think great. Hey, thanks for the
phone call. How can I help?
Speaker 4 (06:22):
Thanks for taking my call to two thousand and nine
Chevy Colorado four cylinder automatic decent knowledgeboute hundred thousand. I'm
driven at about ten thousand miles. I keep an eye
on my oil and stuff. About a month ago, I
pulled the dipstick and I got the dreaded brown goo
all over it, light brown chocolate caramel colored.
Speaker 5 (06:41):
Goo all over my dipstick.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
And I know what that's supposed to be right off
the bat. Oh my gosh, I've got a blonde head gasket.
But the thing never runs hot, does an overheat. So
I think, well, I'm just gonna keep on driving a
little bit watching it. So I've driven it for probably
one hundred two three hundred miles on it, and I'm
not using up any ana freeze. I never go past
halfway on the temperature gage. But every time I check
(07:05):
my oil, I've still got that Brandon that meat caramel
colored brown goo all over it. I saw somewhere said
maybe the PBC valve PC of E valve was bad,
so I'm trying to find it. They said take off
the air cleaner. So I take off that air cleaner
off the top, and it's probably got two cups of
this brown, gooey water in it. I kind of check
(07:26):
it out closely there. It's not any freeze, you know,
it's not slippery. It's not oily or smelly. It's just
brown water. So, but there's like two cups in there,
so I'm stumped. I took it to one shop and
he kept it for a while and said, oh, we
just need to rebuild the motor for four thousand dollars,
and I said, truck's not worth that. But he charged
(07:47):
me one hundred and eighty dollars for his opinion. But
I don't think that's quite what it is. So what
do you think.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
I mean, typically, if coolon is introduced to the oil,
it's gonna be a white, cloudy type. It's gonna be
cloudy and white, not necessarily brown and gooey. I mean,
what when you said you're not using any type, You're
not using any coolant.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Correct, it's not I'm not losing any coolant.
Speaker 6 (08:12):
Correct.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
And it overheats, doesn't over hit, blowing any smoke out
the tailpipe.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
And then this that you said when you took the
intake off, it was kind of where what you said
there was two cups or how much.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Fluid probably yeah, probably easy twelve ounces in the air
cleaner the plastic box. And I took it off the
which is on the top of the valve cover. I
took that off a good feel or something slashing around it,
so I tilted it and poured it all out and
it was just you know, milk, you know, like when
it looked like root beer water coming out of it.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Jeezus, stuff online.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
Let's say say something about it's coming up through the
VC pec OFV valves something like that. That possible, No.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
I don't think so.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
No.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
I mean the PCV valve, all it does is it
acts as a vent. So it's just PCV stands for
positive crank ventilation, so all it does is vent the engine.
So I know the PCV valve wouldn't cause that. I mean,
I believe here's what I think. I don't think if
you're not using a type of cool and it's not overheating,
I think most likely you've got moisture in the air. Right,
(09:28):
So if moisture is being introduced to the intake hose
or possibly the PCV valve or a lot of times,
like if you take your oil cap off, a lot
of times you'll take your oil cap off and look
underneath it and you just see this white, cloudy substance.
That just means moisture has been introduced. So it could
literally just be that air is getting in there where
(09:50):
there's more Obviously there's moisture in the air, and it's
just being introduced to You may have what's called a
little bit of blow by, right, so you're the oil
is blow and past the rings and it can make
it up through the intake into the the intake hose.
I think personally that it's just being introduced to air
(10:11):
that has moisture in it, which would cause white cloudy,
kind of foamy type maybe even like what you described
as kind of kind of a brown soupy kind of system.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
But I don't think it's cool.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
And if it's not overheating and you're not using coolant,
now that doesn't necessarily I mean, do you know if
you have coolant or oil cooler lines going to the radiator?
Do you know if you have those or not? I
mean every year making models a little bit different. I
could tell if I pop the hood. But if you
pop your hood and look down the sides of the radiator,
(10:47):
you're gonna see lines that go in. You'll have an
inlet and an outlet. Usually you'll have one for oil,
one for transmission fluid.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
You know, if you have those, I.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Know how to check it. I had that happen once speak.
I don't know if this vehicle has, but I've had
that happen before where I was getting oil into mi
Ani freeze through those lines. What doesn't it does not
show up in the crank case in that in that
situation when you.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Check, yeah, correct, when you check your dipstick, are you
getting that white cloudy type?
Speaker 4 (11:20):
I mean definitely not white No, no white cloud or
foamy is just absolutely like a caramel melted caramel milks,
you know, milkshake type consistency, very very clear, distinctive, and
there's a lot of it. It almost displaces the oil.
It's hard, pretty hard to check what my oil level is.
It kind of it displaces it.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Right, Okay, well.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
No, I mean it sounds like, yeah, potentially you could
have I mean, you could have a a head gasket
issue where there it's just introducing a little bit. It
doesn't take much. To be honest with you, I really
would need to see it. But I mean it does
sound like cooln is being introduce. It doesn't take much.
(12:03):
But the problem is is if coolant's introduced, you know
that that coolant will run through the main bearings and
it could spin a bearing. I mean it most likely
he's gonna need an engine. I would need to see it.
I mean, you're welcome, it says here. You're in Florence,
You're not too far from me. I mean, if you
want to swing it by, I'll let me just check
your dipstick. I would, I physically would need to see it.
(12:25):
But it does sound like coolant's being introduced to that oil,
which is not good, and it probably would need to
be replaced.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
But if or if you could, I mean.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Check the dipstick, take a picture of it and email
it to me, and if I can see it just
on a photo instead of saving your time having to
drive all the way to me. If you want to
tech or email it to me, I'll be more and
happy to take a look.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
At it for you.
Speaker 6 (12:46):
Okay, i'd go.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
I'll be glad to bring I know where you are.
Be glad to bring it up there?
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Yeah, bring it.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
I like to sell this truck. It runs great, everything
is really nice about it. Low miles, but you can't
there's no way to sell it. Let me pull the
dips stick out.
Speaker 7 (13:00):
And see all that.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
I understand, Milky Carmel.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
They're not gonna they're not gonna believe my.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Story, right right, Yeah, bringing up, I'll be more happy
to take a look at it for you.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
I'd love to do that.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Thanks very much for you, Thank you.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
For helping you show.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Absolutely, take care, have a great weekend, all right.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Taking your phone calls and number to call five one, three, seven,
four nine, fifty five hundred phone lines are wide open.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Coming up, we have John. You're listening to the car
show on fifty five KRC, the talk station.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
This is fifty five KRC and iHeartRadio station.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
Your car isn't just a machine, it's your daily partner,
and with new cars becoming more expensive than ever, smart
maintenance for your current vehicle just makes sense.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Hi.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
I'm Dane Donovan, third generation owner at Donovan's Auto entire Center.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
That's why at.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Donovan's we give you everything you need and nothing you don't,
honest expert service to keep your car running longer. Donovan's
Auto entire Center Cincinnati's honest choice for auto repairs.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
That's nineteen fifty eight.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Three locations in Blue Ash, pleasant Ridge and our new
location near Xavier. Donovan's Auto form find yours at donovantire
dot com.
Speaker 8 (13:59):
We may not hold ways to agree, but we can
agree on one thing.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
Fifty five KRC is the talkstation taking your car questions.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
The number to call five one, three, seven, four nine
A fifty five one hundred. Again, the phone lines are
wide open, promised to get you in and get you
taken care of. So again I mentioned at the beginning
of the show, it's extremely hot. You need to make
sure that your AC is charged, You've got your fluids
topped off, your air pressure, and you know again, getting
(14:31):
the battery, the altnator starter, getting all those parts checked. Now,
I will tell you that if a starter or an
altnator is working, I can have I can test it today.
It can work today and then stop working tomorrow. That
can happen, same as your battery.
Speaker 6 (14:45):
You know.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
My wife again, I had to rescue her.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
I had to go all the way out to my
son's baseball game because her car wouldn't start because the
battery was just completely done. She's like, I didn't leave
anything on and I'm She's like, I don't know what
I did. I'm like, you didn't do anything, I said,
it just the extreme heat. We can't cause that.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
So and the.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Battery's not that old. So even even I working on
vehicles have car problems. Okay, so it happens, right, We
all have car problems. So but that's why I'm here
every Saturday to answer your car questions and to try
to help you and guide you, uh and give you
the best advice that I possibly can. So again the
number to call five one, three, seven, nine fifty five hundred.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Let's go to John. Hey, John, welcome to the car show.
How can I help?
Speaker 5 (15:34):
Hey? Danel, are you?
Speaker 1 (15:35):
I'm great? How are you warm enough for you?
Speaker 5 (15:38):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
I tried to hide in the shade at my son's
baseball game and I still was sweating bullets.
Speaker 6 (15:44):
So well, hey, that stinks. Anyhow, I'm working on a
twenty thirteen E two fifty work band and the blend
door for the air conditioner. One day at work, the
next day at don't We've put in the actuator and
all the everything. You know, it's got the vacuum to it,
(16:05):
and if you beat on the dashboard just right, it
maybe wants to start working a little bit. But is
there an easy way to get to it or fix it?
I mean, I don't everything I've read says.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
What you said, you have replaced it the actuator.
Speaker 6 (16:22):
Yeah. Yeah, it's just like right under the passenger side floorboard.
It's just bolt right in there. And yeah, I guess
it hooks to the door of the glend door. Well,
you know, I don't know if there's something wedged in
there or what. I don't you know everything I read
you got to take the whole dashboard out.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Well, yeah, it depends because you have uh, what's called
a mode door actuator. That's what gives you your defrost,
your vent or your floor. You've got a bron door actuator,
that's what's that's what controls the heat in the in
the in the cold, right, so did you you're in
(17:01):
you know so? And then if you've got does it
have dual climate control? Does it have you know, passenger
and driver's side?
Speaker 6 (17:09):
No? No, no, it's just a word van, you know,
just a single one. Did you putn't know there was
two different actuators?
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Absolutely?
Speaker 5 (17:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
So you've got a mode door actuator and again that's
going to switch your mode to defrost vent or floor.
And then you're gonna have your blend door actuator, which
again blends the air. You're hot, you're cold. You want
to make sure that you replace the right actuator. Could
you have potentially done the mode door, not the blend door.
Speaker 6 (17:37):
I've done the easy one.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Does that count? That's funny, Yeah, I don't.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
I don't know which one.
Speaker 6 (17:46):
It was just the one that you know, you google
it and Amazon delivered it and it's like, oh here
it is, bolt right in and it didn't do nothing
for it.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
So okay, So what I would recommend is you want
to make sure that you replace the right actuator. Two,
what what potentially can happen too, is that what we
call the door, right, the door that opens and closes,
it's plastic.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
That actuator operates that door.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
What a lot of what will happen a lot of
times too, is that door, that plastic door will break.
So a lot of times the actuators will break and
they'll just keep moving, trying to move and move and
move and move the door until it breaks the door. Now,
the problem with the problem with that is you can't
replace the door. You have to replace the whole heater case,
(18:35):
which involves the entire dash coming out, which.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
It's thousands much fun No, it's thousands.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
When when you're done, the only thing that's left is
the the windshield.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
That's it. Everything else has to come out. It's a
very very big job.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
But what what I would recommend is we need to
locate exactly which what you said, it's the heat right
or the air.
Speaker 6 (18:58):
Conditions the air conditioner, yeah, sir, okay, So we want
to make sure that blows. It blows there out to
defrost and then like some days that it blows it
out the vents, and then other days that don't at all.
So I don't know.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
Yeah, we need to locate is it does the actuator
itself make any type of noise, a clicking or anything.
Speaker 6 (19:21):
Nook and you can push the switches back and forth,
and it just keeps blowing out of the defroster at
the top.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
Okay, So does the air conditioning ever not work? So
the air so the air conditioning does work.
Speaker 6 (19:37):
Yeah, it blows cold air. If that just don't blow
it out the little round vents on the deskboard. It
blows it out up at the windshield.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Okay, So you need a mode door actuator. So maybe
you replace the blend door actuator and you need a
mode door actuator.
Speaker 6 (19:51):
That's what it's sounding like.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Yeah, so you need to locate.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
So what I would tell you to do is you
call you know, obviously you can call me. I don't
know exactly every year making model is going to be different.
So typically what I do on my end is I'll
call the dealer and I say, hey, I need You'll
call the dealer.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
You give me your VEN number.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
All they need is the last eight digits of the
vent and you just say, hey, I need a blow
up of all of the actuators. Some vehicles have up
to they can have two all the way up to
six actuators because if you've got.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
You know, dual climbing and so on and so forth.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Right, So you want to call the dealer and or
you can call me on Monday at work and give
me your VN and I'll call the dealer and we
can locate exactly where those actuators are some of them,
most of them are serviceable. You take the glove box
or a lot of times the mode door might be
on the driver's side, or the blend door might be
on the passenger side.
Speaker 6 (20:42):
Yeah, the one we replaced was on the passenger SIDDE.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
So maybe you replace the blend door actuator, and you
need to replace the sounds like if it's only blown
out of the vent, you need to replace the blend
door actuator. They're two different. So we need to find
out where the mode door actuator is. So if you
call the dealer, give them the last eight digits and
your VN and just say, hey, I need a what's
called a schematic. I need a schematic of all the
actuators in the heater case.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
And and then you tell in the heater case in.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
The heater case, yes, you say, I need a schematic
on the actuators mode door or all the actuators for
the heater case.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
And you know I can do it for you really quickly.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
If you want to call me on Monday, give me
your last eight digits of your vent, I'll call the
dealer and I can locate it for you to tell
you where it's at. Sometimes they're serviceable and you can
replace them. Sometimes you're pulling the desk regardless.
Speaker 6 (21:35):
All right, So I don't know that it's an old
work van. I don't know who if it's worth all that?
Speaker 5 (21:41):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 7 (21:41):
Right?
Speaker 6 (21:42):
I feel like you feel the cold air blown out.
It's like, man, can we just get this ear where
we can use it?
Speaker 3 (21:47):
Yeah, you need a mode door actuator. So if you
want call me on Monday, I'll be at work. Just
it's just when you call, when you call, ask My
guy said, hey, listen, I talked to Dana on the
on the radio show on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
He asked me to call.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
Make sure you have your life eight digit the thin
and I'll get it for you and I'll help you out.
Speaker 5 (22:03):
Uh, all right, I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Hi, John, all right, all right, take care of good weekend.
Stay cool.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Huh bye bye, all right again, taking your phone calls
and a recall five one, three, seven, four nine, fifty
five hundred.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
The phone lines are wide open. Coming up. We have Patty.
You're listening to the car show on fifty five KRC,
the talk station.
Speaker 8 (22:20):
Do you have a truck, camper, r V or trailer
that needs body repair? If so, call Frank's Heavy Truck
Collisionary Repair located just All five seventy five or Route
sixty three.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
It's convenient to both Cincinnati and Dayton.
Speaker 8 (22:31):
With over thirty years of experience including insurance work and fleetwork,
Franks knows the most important things are the quality work
and customer satisfaction. Frank's Heavy Truck Collisiony Repair prides themselves
in doing the job right and get in your vehicle
back on the road. Call five one three eight two
nine ninety thirty eight two nine ninety thirty.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Taking your car questions the number to call five one.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
Three seven nine to fifty five hundred.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
I'm Dave Donovan from Donovan's Auto entire Center and you
can always find your nearest location at donovantire dot com.
Here every Saturday again to answer your car questions. As
I've reiterated multiple times, you know, third generation business owner,
love what I do. We've been in the Cincinnati mainly
pleasant Ridge area for going on almost sixty eight years.
(23:19):
I think sixty nine years and I'll have to do
the math, but don't hold me to that. But anyways, again,
I'm here to help you out. So you know, don't
ever feel like, oh I don't want to ask that question,
or it's a silly question or just stupid. No, That's
what I'm here for. I'm here to we don't It
doesn't always have to be so technical. It could just
be hey, Dane, and I've mentioned just a million times.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Hey Dane, how how often should I change MO oil?
Speaker 3 (23:45):
You know, there's always mass confusion as when we should
be doing it right and or Hey Dane, I'm getting
ready to go on a long road trip.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
What should I be looking for? What should I do?
And again, let's not wait till the last minute.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
You know, we I know, we get busy in our lives,
but far too often it happens all the time where
people are going on a trip and they want to
bring their car to me a day or two before.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
It's not enough time.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Because if I have to do any type of major repair,
let's say a wheel bearing or breaks or a tune
up or something, you want to give it at least
a week or two of driving the vehicle to make
sure there isn't anything that pops up right. And so
you want to give yourself ample time. Again, we're in
the midst. It was the first day of summer. We're
(24:29):
in the midst of going on summer vacations. And if
you're traveling, you need to make sure that you're thinking
about it and getting that vehicle in now and checking
it and getting it ready for summer. And again, make
sure your breaks are taken care of your tires, your fluids,
make sure your AC's working properly.
Speaker 8 (24:49):
Right, And.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Again I reiterated earlier in the beginning of the show
that you know, if you're sitting at a ballgame, like
you know I was earlier today and the cars sitting
in there, you know, and you're idling it and you're
sitting in the air conditioning, I get it. It's hot.
Pop that hood, leave it open. Make sure that heat
can can dissipate, you know. It's It's something that's so simple,
(25:13):
and it should prolong the life of all the plastics
and the rubbers underneath that hood, right, so you're not
just keeping that heat trapped in there. So all right, again,
taking your phone calls and overcall five one, three, seven,
nine fifty five hundred. We're going to go back to
the phones. We have Patty, Hey, Patty, welcome to the
car Show. How can I help?
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Hi, Dane. I have a twenty twenty one Subaru Forrester,
and I've been listening to you talk about high temperatures
and drain on battery and my subers got the auto
start stop feature that shuts off the engine when it
comes to a complete stop. To save fuel. Blah blah blah.
Do you recommend turning that off? I know it's a
temporary turnoff for on my car, But should I turn
(25:55):
it off? Leave it on?
Speaker 3 (25:56):
Or I would absolutely turn it off if you have
the So if you have the ability to turn that
auto start, I know that I know that when you
start the car, you're gonna have to. I know it's
kind of a nuisance you gotta put the push the
button every time. But if you have an auto art
auto you know, stop and start, and you have the
(26:16):
ability to turn it off, yes, I would recommend turning
it off because it puts a tremendous strain on your starter,
and it puts a tremendous train on your battery, right
because that car, you know, your car is starting and
stopping a tremendous amount more times. Right, So then you're
replacing your starter quicker, you're replacing your battery start or
you're replacing your battery sooner. Uh So, yes, absolutely, I
(26:38):
recommend anybody that has the auto all, you know, the
auto start stop, if you have the ability to turn
it off, turn it off.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Uh you know I had the probably about two years ago.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
We were down in Florida, and we rented I think
it was a PACIFICA or whatnot, and it had that
auto art auto start stop, and you know, it would
shut off and then it was you know, Florida, it's
ninety five degrees, you know, and then all of a sudden,
the air is not working, and then it would auto
start right back.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Up for thirty seconds.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
I'm like, how much gas did I really save in
thirty seconds? Or you know, you just put a lot
more stress on your starter and a lot more stress
on your battery.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
So I think it's a little bit.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
I understand that they're trying to save gas, but I
don't see any.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Benefit to it.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
All I see is that it's going to cost you
more money down the road. The amount of money it's
going to cost you replace the battery and the starter,
you're you're not gonna get back from the gas savings.
So if you have the ability to turn it off,
I would turn it off. Great question, Great question.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
You're you're very welcome. I have a great day.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
You know, I just don't stand by that feature. I'm
telling you these starters initially when it came out, me
just being naive and just not having the knowledge at
the time, I'm like, oh, maybe there's like a second
starter right now, it's your the starter that starts that
car every time. So you think about you start your car,
let's just say twice a day. Let's just say you
(28:12):
drive it to work and back from home. Right, that's twice, right,
But if you have to start stop and you're in traffic,
your startering, your battery just work. You know, probably tenfold, right,
ten to fifteen times your car start and sopped. A
starter nowadays, I mean they used to be a couple
hundred bucks. They're now thousand, you know, not thousands, but
I mean you're looking at twelve hundred and fifteen hundred
(28:35):
dollars for a starter installed a battery.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
Got A guy not too long ago is like, oh,
I remember when batteries were thirty five bucks. Well they're not.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
You know, some of these newer cars they have a
GM batteries where they're glassmat batteries or not lead acid.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
They're a lot more expensive.
Speaker 3 (28:55):
And then you've got some of your hiring cars, your Mercedes,
your BMW's, your Volvos. They have two batteries, one to
run the electronics, one to start and stop.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
The car.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
And uh, I mean I just put a battery in
a Mercedes not too long ago, six hundred and fifty
dollars just to put a battery in your car.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
So if you can.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
Prolong the life of your battery and turn and have
the ability to turn that that start stop off, absolutely
do it. Yeah, I'm telling you, it's the amount of
gas that you're you know, especially in this heat when
it's ninety five degrees and you shut you know, you
come to a stop and it shuts off and then
all of a sudden, thirty seconds later it starts back up.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
How much gas? Did you really?
Speaker 7 (29:34):
Say?
Speaker 3 (29:34):
No, you just put a tremendous amount of stress on
that starter, in that battery. So if you have the ability, again,
it was a great question, turn it off if you can't.
So a guy that one of my drivers that works
for me, he tells his wife to turn it off
every single time too, because it's it can become pretty costly.
So all right, let's go back to the phones we have. Joel, Hey, Joel,
(29:56):
welcome to the car show. How can I help?
Speaker 5 (29:58):
Well, I can't buil, but you just answered my question.
My first question was about the starter is not lasting?
On these cars that click on next to you and
freak you out. Yeah, but you answered that, so that's great.
And now you told me I could wash my engine
with like gunk or something and you know, rent it off.
(30:22):
What if I go to one of these self car
washes and give it a blast of soap and then water,
is that? Okay?
Speaker 1 (30:29):
No, I wouldn't.
Speaker 5 (30:29):
That's wrong.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
No, so what I what I would recommend again, the
can of engine gunk is probably you know, less and
less than ten bocks.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
What you want to do is you want to start
the car. I mean, if you let it run, get
it hot. You want you want that engine hot. Okay,
it cleans that that engine gun's gonna clean. That soap
is just kind of designed to get rid of dirt.
But you want the grease, the oil, you want that
all things mostly.
Speaker 5 (30:58):
Just it's mostly just browned up all over, Okay, I mean,
but the only oil is around where I fill it
and I spill it.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
I would just do it. I would just get a cannon.
I wouldn't do the soap from the from the car wash.
I I really wouldn't, because again, that soap has detergent
in it. And it's gonna you know, it might clean
it and make it look nice, but that detergent's gonna
basically collect more dust and it's gonna stick to it. Right,
So you want to decrease the engine and get all
(31:31):
of the grease and out of it. So you know,
so by just buy it's like I said, it's less
than ten bucks. Get the engine hot, normal operating temperature,
open up the hood if you could leave it running,
and you want to spray that whole engine, and then
while it's running, you want to let that when you spray,
(31:52):
that degrease are all over the vehicle.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
You want it running, and get your garden hose.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
I wouldn't recommend high pressure, like if you go to
the car wash and do it and use that high pressure,
that that water is going to get into your your
you know, your spark plug tubes and get into connectors.
You don't want that. You want to load pressure, so
you just want to use your garden hose. Do it
in your driveway or you know, load pressure.
Speaker 5 (32:18):
My driveway's asphalt. I don't want it running into the street.
And I need to find a place where.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
I use that.
Speaker 5 (32:25):
Yeah, I mean, because I can't use my gruge.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
Yeah, I mean if you want to use, if you
want to use the car wash, that's fine. But if
you're gonna use the high pressure, don't get close up.
You want to be step back and you want it
just to you want to rinse it off. You don't
want to. You know, a lot of people have the
tendency to like, you know, you're not pressure washing here,
You're you're just wanting to get it wet and get
that degreaser ran off. So uh, but now I wouldn't
(32:50):
use the soap at the car wash. Just get a hand.
It's called it's made by Gunk. It's called engine degreaser.
It's made by Gunk. That's what we use. That's what
I recommend.
Speaker 5 (32:59):
I used it. I used it fifty years ago.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
It's still a great product.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
So all right, Oh right, niks Joel, take care of
having that one.
Speaker 5 (33:09):
I would just wander run up. Those starters lasted very long,
and they.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Don't you cut the life in half. If not, by thanks.
Speaker 5 (33:20):
Me and my wife will be proud to know that.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
All right, we'll take care of have a great weekends,
stay cool. So all right again, taking your phone calls
and number to call five one three seven four nine
fifty five hundred coming up.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
We have Susan.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
You're listening to the car show on fifty five KRCD
talk station. Your car isn't just a machine, it's your
daily partner. And with new cars becoming more expensive than ever,
smart maintenance for your current vehicle just makes sense.
Speaker 5 (33:43):
Hi.
Speaker 3 (33:43):
I'm Dane Donovan, third generation owner at Donovan's Auto entire Center.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
That's why at.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
Donovan's we give you everything you need and nothing you don't.
Honest expert service to keep your car running longer. Donovan's
Auto entire Center Cincinnati's honest choice for auto repairs. That's
nineteen fifty eight three locations in Blue Ash, pleasant Ridge,
in our new location near Xavier. Donovan's Auto form find
yours at donovantire dot com taking.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
Your car questions.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
The number to call five one three seven fifty five hundred. Again,
Dane Donovan here from Donovan's Auto entire Center. And I
hope everybody's staying cool. Make sure you stay hydrated again.
My middle son has three baseball games today and uh
at he won his first one. I have not been
(34:30):
updated on the score of the second game. It's still
going on and then we have one at six o'clock.
So again, if you're out there, got your kids out
there playing ball, make sure they stay hydrated as well.
So all right, let's go back to the phones. We
have Susan. Hey, Susan, Welcome to the car show. How
can I help?
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Hi, Dane.
Speaker 7 (34:51):
I appreciate you being here working through all these car issues.
Absolutely your games there, Yeah, thank you. My question is
with regard to a only twenty five Conda to see touring,
and I thought it was going to be a turnkey vehicle,
but I'm finding out through various chat groups and whatnot
that there's some potential maintenance issues that need to be
(35:11):
addressed that I didn't anticipate. What I'm calling about today
is a VCM muzzler on installing it on Odyssey.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
And.
Speaker 7 (35:22):
I'm hoping that I'm explaining this right, but I'm sure
you'll clarify if I'm not. And that is something an
aftermarket product that is installed so that these spark plugs
don't get all dunked up and cause a bunch of
problems later in the life of the car, like around
seventy five thousand miles or after. Are you aware of
this and is this something that you recommend.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Okay, So you're talking about the cylinder deactivation where the
car will shut down certain cylinders so it gets better
fuel economy.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
Yeah, is that what you're okay? So yeah, so I
am aware of it.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
So my wife's vehicle is a GMC Yukon and what
they call it is cylinder deactivation. So a lot of
these vehicles for a fuel economy, what they'll do is
they have a s what they call cylinder deactivation, So
as you're driving down the highway or if you're coasting
at forty miles an hour, it'll shut down cylinders so
(36:19):
that you get better fuel economy. But what happens is, yes,
that's correct, it will build up a lot of carbon
and it'll start eventually get but about seventy five thousand miles,
it'll start burning oil.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
It is a very it's a headache. It is a problem.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
Now I know that GM has one where you just
it's a it's a computer. It's a small little computer
that you plug into what's called the OBD two connector.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
It's underneath the dash.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
And it already has the software in it. All you
do is you plug it in and it basically deactivates
that system. You don't have to do any type of
programming or anything. You plug it in and it deactivates
that whole that whole system.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
Now are you going to go? Is your fuel economy
gonna go down? Yes? It will. But in my opinion,
if you want to get if you want to.
Speaker 3 (37:13):
Prolong the life of your vehicle, I would recommend doing
that and doing that what we call cylinder deactivation.
Speaker 7 (37:23):
M okay, And and does this do you know if
this effects the warranty on the vehicle.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
So the the little the computer that you buy again,
it's plugged into the OB two connector turnerneath the dash,
so it's you're not putting any software in the vehicle.
So if you you know, if you take it to
the dealer, just unplug it and they'll have no they'll
(37:54):
have no knowledge of you having that in there.
Speaker 5 (37:58):
I see.
Speaker 7 (37:59):
And is it necessary to do it earlier? Or can
I wait? Like, I mean, I only have ten thousand
miles on this vehicle? Can I wait until like say
seventy five or sixty or something like that later on that?
Speaker 5 (38:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (38:12):
You can wait, Yeah, you can wait. I mean there's
no real like signs to it. I mean I think
the sooner you do it, the better you'll be, the
better off you'll be. Okay, So, I mean I have
one on my wife's car because I unfortunately had to
replace her, you know, rebuild her engine already once at
(38:34):
one hundred thousand miles because because that silly cylinder deactivation
and there's just no way around it other than you
get this device.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Now.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
I found hers on Amazon. You might want to do
a little bit of research. I would buy a quality product.
Make sure, I mean I did my research. Make sure
you buy a good quality product that has I mean,
you don't want to just you know, you're not going
to find one a gas station. But I'm just saying
you don't want to buy one from a gay station.
Is hook it up? You want to do your research.
There's gonna be people out there that have that ability,
(39:06):
and it's gonna be a little bit of a better quality, right,
So do your research.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
I'm not saying you have to buy one from ams on.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
There's other people out there that make them, but no,
at ten thousand miles. No, you don't have to rush
out and do something right now. But I think the
earlier you do it, probably the better off. You'll be
and just make sure that you're checking the oil regularly.
Far too often these cars start burning oil. Nobody knows.
(39:32):
Everybody assumes that there's gonna be a light that pops
on that tells you that your car's low on oil.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
But they don't ever. They never come on.
Speaker 5 (39:40):
Never, Okay.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
I mean I I have cars that come in.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
I have Hannas come in almost daily that come in
and I'll pull a half a court oil out of them.
They're supposed to hold five courts and I'll pull a
half a court.
Speaker 1 (39:55):
No oil light. The oil lights don't come on.
Speaker 7 (39:58):
Wow, that's scary.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
So if it's just make sure you're checking I know,
ten thousand miles like you shouldn't have to, and I'm
not saying you need to right now, but just being
aware and conscious.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
You know, everybody sits there and.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
You know focuses on, well, my car says I've got
ten percent life left. That's fine. That does not indicate
how much oil is in the car. That just tells
you the life right, So everybody has this pre notion.
It's like, oh, I got twenty five percent left, I'm good,
and then the car has the car has no oil
in it.
Speaker 1 (40:36):
That's just the oil life.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
That's not the oil level, right, So you want to
make quantity correct. So I always tell everybody, don't people
become complacent and focus on what the car, what the
car says. The car's not going to tell you it's
low on oil. It never will. They're supposed to, but
they don't. I'm telling you that right now. I what
(40:58):
I've always been and we've you should have never got
away from it is just focusing on your sticker. The
oil should be changed every five thousand miles. I don't
care what the car says. I don't care what the
guy who sold it to you says. I don't care.
You don't even have to listen to me. But I'm
telling you I have a brand new car. I changed
my oil on my own vehicle every five thousand miles.
That's what you should be doing. I don't might might
(41:22):
When I bought my truck, they said, oh, change it
every ten thousand the oils, and they said in severe, severe,
in severe.
Speaker 1 (41:31):
Conditions, change it at seventy five hundred.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
I'm not listening to the manufacturer or the I'm gonna
change it at five thousand. Have a I have a
little Hona Civik that I've had for twenty five years.
I've changed the oil on that car every three thousand
miles and that thing is running strong. So, uh, nine
out of ten times when I have to have a
phone call or a conversation with somebody who their car
is dead and I'm like, hey, listen, unfortunately your car
(41:55):
needs an engine, nine out of ten times it's because
it doesn't have any oil in it. So focus on
the sticker every five thousand make sure you're just checking
it right.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
Just not not every time, just maybe once a month.
Just pop the.
Speaker 3 (42:08):
Hood, check the dipstick, just make sure it's full, and
you will get three hundred thousand miles out of that vehicle.
And if you can do that cylinder deactivation thing, you'll
be in great shape, all right.
Speaker 7 (42:20):
And the cylinder deactivation is that something that that I
can have done in a shop such as yours or
I mean, I'm not real handy with this kind of stuff.
And I understood what you said about you know, it's
pretty easy deal to do. But is that something that
can be done in a shop if I if I
bring it in or yeah, okay, yeah, absolutely, okay, And
(42:44):
would you guys get the part.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
Or I could get the part for you.
Speaker 3 (42:47):
Yeah, yeah, just call mek uh if you if you So,
I'm at auto form So I'm at Donovan's Auto fourn
h just call me and uh, I'll need your VEN number,
but call me just when you call it, just say hey.
Speaker 1 (43:00):
I spoke with Dane on the radio show on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (43:01):
He asked me to call and then I just need
your VEN number and uh, I can order it for you.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
You can swing on by and yeah, I can do
it for you.
Speaker 7 (43:08):
Not a problem, fantastic.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
All right, thanks, have a great weekend.
Speaker 5 (43:14):
Thanks very well.
Speaker 1 (43:15):
Uh huh take care bye bye.
Speaker 3 (43:16):
All right, what great great questions, man, phenomenal, awesome, love
it and man, just keep them coming next week so
uh again, I'll be back next week to answer all
of your car questions.
Speaker 5 (43:28):
I have here.
Speaker 3 (43:29):
My son did win a second game, so we have
a third game at six o'clock. So everybody, enjoy the weekend,
stay cool, stay hydrated. I'll be back next weekend to
answer all of your questions. You're listening to the Car
Show and fifty five krc D talk station
Not a phrase you got Mercury Ma Chevy to the littit.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
That as.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Good afternoon, and welcome to the car show on fifty
five Cars.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
I'm Dane Donovan.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
You're listening to the car show on fifty five carsee
again taking your car questions. The number to call five
one three seven nine fifty five hundred. That number again,
five one three seven nine fifty five hundred. I hope
everybody enjoyed their Father's Day weekend. I uh, well, not unfortunately,
but I spent most of my well, I would say,
(00:41):
majority of the day at the baseball uh facility. My
son had a was in a tournament, and we did
this last Father's Day, and and uh uh darn if
they don't go all the way to the very end
and then lose at the the they came in second.
There were sixteen teams. They came in second. They lost
by three runs. But we're at the ball field from
(01:03):
nine am till six thirty pm. So it was a
long day in the sun, and but you know.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
It was, it was. It was.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
I'm sure it will be times that I will remember
and never forget, you know, spending Father's Day at the
ball field. So it was. It was a good time.
So again, I hope everybody enjoyed their Father's Day weekend.
So uh again taking your phone calls and over to
call five one, three, seven, four, nine fifty five hundred.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Listen.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
I had kind of led up to this, like, as
soon as we get into this extreme heat, we're gonna
have a lot of car problems. And now's the time
to start thinking about I'm sure you you if you're
in your car listening right now, you probably have the
air on.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
I know I did on my way in. And you know, the.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Other thing is when when we get these these you know,
when we get cold snaps or heat snaps like this.
I mean, it's gonna be extremely hot this week, so
make sure again you stay hydrated, make sure that your
car is protected, and uh, you know, make sure that
your battery.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
You know, we when we get heat.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Like this, we have a lot of battery problems, starter problems,
alternator problems, and you know, uh, you know, we see
it a lot. So uh, my middle son, Nolan is
in a baseball tournament. He had a game at eight
o'clock this morning, he had a game at noon, and
he has a game at six. But anyways, my wife
calls me at about about nine thirty this morning and says, hey,
(02:31):
my car is dead. I'm at the ballfield. I was
gonna come home and get Declan, but my car won't start.
It's dead as a door naiw And she's like, I
don't have anything on. What you know, what what what
could have happened? I'm like, really, that's you know, that's
what happens with with these vehicles.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
This extreme heat will wreak havoc on a battery.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
So she and again, so I had to run to
work at the jump pack and uh rescuer go out
there and jumper and the battery only ten and a
half volts, so it was low and it wasn't she
didn't have anything on. But you know when a battery
or an alternator or a starter, you know, when you're
driving in these types of this type of heat and
(03:13):
you stop and you know, you just shut the car
off and go do your thing, go to the game. Right, Well,
your car does what it's called a hot soak, right,
So all that heat is just you know, it's just
trapped in underneath that hood, right, So it again, it
wreaks havoc on your starters, your alternators and your batteries.
(03:34):
If you have the ability, and I was doing it
today at the game. If you have the buildy, if
you're gonna sit, especially if you're idling your vehicle, If
you're gonna idle your vehicle, I saw several mothers at
the baseball game who were just sitting in their car
and it was running.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Okay, there's nothing.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Wrong with that, But all that heat because the car
you're not driving, right, so all that heat is just trapped.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
So it's really really not good for the cars.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
You know, if you're gonna run the car for ten
fifteen minutes, okay, but if you're gonna sit there.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
I saw a mother.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
You know, I was in our car for I want
to say, forty five minutes. You know that that's really
really hard on all the components of the vehicle, right,
So if you have the building, if you're sitting in
your car and you're gonna idle it right, do yourself
a favor. And if you want to prolong the life
of your start, of your alternator or your battery and
just the components underneath the hood, pop your hood, open
(04:26):
it up, Let that heat dissipate, Let that heat get out.
So my wife's car was idling. I had her hood
up my car, my truck. I just I had just
parked it, but I just I lifted the hood and
just lifted.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Nothing's you know, nothing's gonna hurt. It's not gonna hurt anything.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
But you want to dissipate that heat when it's as
hot as it is, because again it's what's called a
hot silk, and everything's just bacon in that heat. You know,
it's ninety five degrees outside or ninety close to close
to ninety and your car running at you know, two
hundred degrees and all that heat's just trapped. So if
(05:04):
you have the availability and you know how to pop
that hood, just leave it open while you're sitting at
your son's game or wherever you're doing it. And again,
if you're idling it, pop the hood and uh, let
that heat get out there.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Now, obviously if you're driving, it's fine because you've got
the airflow, you get the you know, So it's something
to think about. But again I talked about it, and
I was leading up to it. Now's the time that
you know we're gonna get I'm sure on Monday, we're
gonna get a tremendous amount of vehicles that are broke
down with the vehicles not starting or alternator's not working,
or again the cars won't start because the batters can't
(05:40):
handle this type of heat. So you need to make
sure that your car is ready, especially if you're going
on a trip. You know, it's where the first day
of summer I believe was yesterday, and you know, so.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Welcome to summer, Welcome to Cincinnati weather.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Right, it was like, you know, seventies eight, you know,
seventies it was pretty warm, and all of a sudden
boom here we all were in one hundred degree heat.
And uh so, if you don't like the weather in Cincinnati,
wait ten minutes, it'll change for sure. So again I'm
taking your phone calls and never call five one three
seven four nine fifty five hundred. That number again, five
one three seven nine fifty five hundred. Let's go to
the phones we have. Is it Roscoe?
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Hey? I I don't think great. Hey, thanks for the
phone call. How can I help?
Speaker 4 (06:22):
Thanks for taking my call to two thousand and nine
Chevy Colorado four cylinder automatic decent knowledgeboute hundred thousand. I'm
driven at about ten thousand miles. I keep an eye
on my oil and stuff. About a month ago, I
pulled the dipstick and I got the dreaded brown goo
all over it, light brown chocolate caramel colored.
Speaker 5 (06:41):
Goo all over my dipstick.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
And I know what that's supposed to be right off
the bat. Oh my gosh, I've got a blonde head gasket.
But the thing never runs hot, does an overheat. So
I think, well, I'm just gonna keep on driving a
little bit watching it. So I've driven it for probably
one hundred two three hundred miles on it, and I'm
not using up any ana freeze. I never go past
halfway on the temperature gage. But every time I check
(07:05):
my oil, I've still got that Brandon that meat caramel
colored brown goo all over it. I saw somewhere said
maybe the PBC valve PC of E valve was bad,
so I'm trying to find it. They said take off
the air cleaner. So I take off that air cleaner
off the top, and it's probably got two cups of
this brown, gooey water in it. I kind of check
(07:26):
it out closely there. It's not any freeze, you know,
it's not slippery. It's not oily or smelly. It's just
brown water. So, but there's like two cups in there,
so I'm stumped. I took it to one shop and
he kept it for a while and said, oh, we
just need to rebuild the motor for four thousand dollars,
and I said, truck's not worth that. But he charged
(07:47):
me one hundred and eighty dollars for his opinion. But
I don't think that's quite what it is. So what
do you think.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
I mean, typically, if coolon is introduced to the oil,
it's gonna be a white, cloudy type. It's gonna be
cloudy and white, not necessarily brown and gooey. I mean,
what when you said you're not using any type, You're
not using any coolant.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Correct, it's not I'm not losing any coolant.
Speaker 6 (08:12):
Correct.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
And it overheats, doesn't over hit, blowing any smoke out
the tailpipe.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
And then this that you said when you took the
intake off, it was kind of where what you said
there was two cups or how much.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Fluid probably yeah, probably easy twelve ounces in the air
cleaner the plastic box. And I took it off the
which is on the top of the valve cover. I
took that off a good feel or something slashing around it,
so I tilted it and poured it all out and
it was just you know, milk, you know, like when
it looked like root beer water coming out of it.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Jeezus, stuff online.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
Let's say say something about it's coming up through the
VC pec OFV valves something like that. That possible, No.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
I don't think so.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
No.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
I mean the PCV valve, all it does is it
acts as a vent. So it's just PCV stands for
positive crank ventilation, so all it does is vent the engine.
So I know the PCV valve wouldn't cause that. I mean,
I believe here's what I think. I don't think if
you're not using a type of cool and it's not overheating,
I think most likely you've got moisture in the air. Right,
(09:28):
So if moisture is being introduced to the intake hose
or possibly the PCV valve or a lot of times,
like if you take your oil cap off, a lot
of times you'll take your oil cap off and look
underneath it and you just see this white, cloudy substance.
That just means moisture has been introduced. So it could
literally just be that air is getting in there where
(09:50):
there's more Obviously there's moisture in the air, and it's
just being introduced to You may have what's called a
little bit of blow by, right, so you're the oil
is blow and past the rings and it can make
it up through the intake into the the intake hose.
I think personally that it's just being introduced to air
(10:11):
that has moisture in it, which would cause white cloudy,
kind of foamy type maybe even like what you described
as kind of kind of a brown soupy kind of system.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
But I don't think it's cool.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
And if it's not overheating and you're not using coolant,
now that doesn't necessarily I mean, do you know if
you have coolant or oil cooler lines going to the radiator?
Do you know if you have those or not? I
mean every year making models a little bit different. I
could tell if I pop the hood. But if you
pop your hood and look down the sides of the radiator,
(10:47):
you're gonna see lines that go in. You'll have an
inlet and an outlet. Usually you'll have one for oil,
one for transmission fluid.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
You know, if you have those, I.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Know how to check it. I had that happen once speak.
I don't know if this vehicle has, but I've had
that happen before where I was getting oil into mi
Ani freeze through those lines. What doesn't it does not
show up in the crank case in that in that
situation when you.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Check, yeah, correct, when you check your dipstick, are you
getting that white cloudy type?
Speaker 4 (11:20):
I mean definitely not white No, no white cloud or
foamy is just absolutely like a caramel melted caramel milks,
you know, milkshake type consistency, very very clear, distinctive, and
there's a lot of it. It almost displaces the oil.
It's hard, pretty hard to check what my oil level is.
It kind of it displaces it.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Right, Okay, well.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
No, I mean it sounds like, yeah, potentially you could
have I mean, you could have a a head gasket
issue where there it's just introducing a little bit. It
doesn't take much. To be honest with you, I really
would need to see it. But I mean it does
sound like cooln is being introduce. It doesn't take much.
(12:03):
But the problem is is if coolant's introduced, you know
that that coolant will run through the main bearings and
it could spin a bearing. I mean it most likely
he's gonna need an engine. I would need to see it.
I mean, you're welcome, it says here. You're in Florence,
You're not too far from me. I mean, if you
want to swing it by, I'll let me just check
your dipstick. I would, I physically would need to see it.
(12:25):
But it does sound like coolant's being introduced to that oil,
which is not good, and it probably would need to
be replaced.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
But if or if you could, I mean.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Check the dipstick, take a picture of it and email
it to me, and if I can see it just
on a photo instead of saving your time having to
drive all the way to me. If you want to
tech or email it to me, I'll be more and
happy to take a look.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
At it for you.
Speaker 6 (12:46):
Okay, i'd go.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
I'll be glad to bring I know where you are.
Be glad to bring it up there?
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Yeah, bring it.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
I like to sell this truck. It runs great, everything
is really nice about it. Low miles, but you can't
there's no way to sell it. Let me pull the
dips stick out.
Speaker 7 (13:00):
And see all that.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
I understand, Milky Carmel.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
They're not gonna they're not gonna believe my.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Story, right right, Yeah, bringing up, I'll be more happy
to take a look at it for you.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
I'd love to do that.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Thanks very much for you, Thank you.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
For helping you show.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Absolutely, take care, have a great weekend, all right.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Taking your phone calls and number to call five one, three, seven,
four nine, fifty five hundred phone lines are wide open.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Coming up, we have John. You're listening to the car
show on fifty five KRC, the talk station.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
This is fifty five KRC and iHeartRadio station.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
Your car isn't just a machine, it's your daily partner,
and with new cars becoming more expensive than ever, smart
maintenance for your current vehicle just makes sense.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Hi.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
I'm Dane Donovan, third generation owner at Donovan's Auto entire Center.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
That's why at.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Donovan's we give you everything you need and nothing you don't,
honest expert service to keep your car running longer. Donovan's
Auto entire Center Cincinnati's honest choice for auto repairs.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
That's nineteen fifty eight.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Three locations in Blue Ash, pleasant Ridge and our new
location near Xavier. Donovan's Auto form find yours at donovantire
dot com.
Speaker 8 (13:59):
We may not hold ways to agree, but we can
agree on one thing.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
Fifty five KRC is the talkstation taking your car questions.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
The number to call five one, three, seven, four nine
A fifty five one hundred. Again, the phone lines are
wide open, promised to get you in and get you
taken care of. So again I mentioned at the beginning
of the show, it's extremely hot. You need to make
sure that your AC is charged, You've got your fluids
topped off, your air pressure, and you know again, getting
(14:31):
the battery, the altnator starter, getting all those parts checked. Now,
I will tell you that if a starter or an
altnator is working, I can have I can test it today.
It can work today and then stop working tomorrow. That
can happen, same as your battery.
Speaker 6 (14:45):
You know.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
My wife again, I had to rescue her.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
I had to go all the way out to my
son's baseball game because her car wouldn't start because the
battery was just completely done. She's like, I didn't leave
anything on and I'm She's like, I don't know what
I did. I'm like, you didn't do anything, I said,
it just the extreme heat. We can't cause that.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
So and the.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Battery's not that old. So even even I working on
vehicles have car problems. Okay, so it happens, right, We
all have car problems. So but that's why I'm here
every Saturday to answer your car questions and to try
to help you and guide you, uh and give you
the best advice that I possibly can. So again the
number to call five one, three, seven, nine fifty five hundred.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Let's go to John. Hey, John, welcome to the car show.
How can I help?
Speaker 5 (15:34):
Hey? Danel, are you?
Speaker 1 (15:35):
I'm great? How are you warm enough for you?
Speaker 5 (15:38):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
I tried to hide in the shade at my son's
baseball game and I still was sweating bullets.
Speaker 6 (15:44):
So well, hey, that stinks. Anyhow, I'm working on a
twenty thirteen E two fifty work band and the blend
door for the air conditioner. One day at work, the
next day at don't We've put in the actuator and
all the everything. You know, it's got the vacuum to it,
(16:05):
and if you beat on the dashboard just right, it
maybe wants to start working a little bit. But is
there an easy way to get to it or fix it?
I mean, I don't everything I've read says.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
What you said, you have replaced it the actuator.
Speaker 6 (16:22):
Yeah. Yeah, it's just like right under the passenger side floorboard.
It's just bolt right in there. And yeah, I guess
it hooks to the door of the glend door. Well,
you know, I don't know if there's something wedged in
there or what. I don't you know everything I read
you got to take the whole dashboard out.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Well, yeah, it depends because you have uh, what's called
a mode door actuator. That's what gives you your defrost,
your vent or your floor. You've got a bron door actuator,
that's what's that's what controls the heat in the in
the in the cold, right, so did you you're in
(17:01):
you know so? And then if you've got does it
have dual climate control? Does it have you know, passenger
and driver's side?
Speaker 6 (17:09):
No? No, no, it's just a word van, you know,
just a single one. Did you putn't know there was
two different actuators?
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Absolutely?
Speaker 5 (17:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
So you've got a mode door actuator and again that's
going to switch your mode to defrost vent or floor.
And then you're gonna have your blend door actuator, which
again blends the air. You're hot, you're cold. You want
to make sure that you replace the right actuator. Could
you have potentially done the mode door, not the blend door.
Speaker 6 (17:37):
I've done the easy one.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Does that count? That's funny, Yeah, I don't.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
I don't know which one.
Speaker 6 (17:46):
It was just the one that you know, you google
it and Amazon delivered it and it's like, oh here
it is, bolt right in and it didn't do nothing
for it.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
So okay, So what I would recommend is you want
to make sure that you replace the right actuator. Two,
what what potentially can happen too, is that what we
call the door, right, the door that opens and closes,
it's plastic.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
That actuator operates that door.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
What a lot of what will happen a lot of
times too, is that door, that plastic door will break.
So a lot of times the actuators will break and
they'll just keep moving, trying to move and move and
move and move the door until it breaks the door. Now,
the problem with the problem with that is you can't
replace the door. You have to replace the whole heater case,
(18:35):
which involves the entire dash coming out, which.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
It's thousands much fun No, it's thousands.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
When when you're done, the only thing that's left is
the the windshield.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
That's it. Everything else has to come out. It's a
very very big job.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
But what what I would recommend is we need to
locate exactly which what you said, it's the heat right
or the air.
Speaker 6 (18:58):
Conditions the air conditioner, yeah, sir, okay, So we want
to make sure that blows. It blows there out to
defrost and then like some days that it blows it
out the vents, and then other days that don't at all.
So I don't know.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
Yeah, we need to locate is it does the actuator
itself make any type of noise, a clicking or anything.
Speaker 6 (19:21):
Nook and you can push the switches back and forth,
and it just keeps blowing out of the defroster at
the top.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
Okay, So does the air conditioning ever not work? So
the air so the air conditioning does work.
Speaker 6 (19:37):
Yeah, it blows cold air. If that just don't blow
it out the little round vents on the deskboard. It
blows it out up at the windshield.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Okay, So you need a mode door actuator. So maybe
you replace the blend door actuator and you need a
mode door actuator.
Speaker 6 (19:51):
That's what it's sounding like.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Yeah, so you need to locate.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
So what I would tell you to do is you
call you know, obviously you can call me. I don't
know exactly every year making model is going to be different.
So typically what I do on my end is I'll
call the dealer and I say, hey, I need You'll
call the dealer.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
You give me your VEN number.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
All they need is the last eight digits of the
vent and you just say, hey, I need a blow
up of all of the actuators. Some vehicles have up
to they can have two all the way up to
six actuators because if you've got.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
You know, dual climbing and so on and so forth.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Right, So you want to call the dealer and or
you can call me on Monday at work and give
me your VN and I'll call the dealer and we
can locate exactly where those actuators are some of them,
most of them are serviceable. You take the glove box
or a lot of times the mode door might be
on the driver's side, or the blend door might be
on the passenger side.
Speaker 6 (20:42):
Yeah, the one we replaced was on the passenger SIDDE.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
So maybe you replace the blend door actuator, and you
need to replace the sounds like if it's only blown
out of the vent, you need to replace the blend
door actuator. They're two different. So we need to find
out where the mode door actuator is. So if you
call the dealer, give them the last eight digits and
your VN and just say, hey, I need a what's
called a schematic. I need a schematic of all the
actuators in the heater case.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
And and then you tell in the heater case in.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
The heater case, yes, you say, I need a schematic
on the actuators mode door or all the actuators for
the heater case.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
And you know I can do it for you really quickly.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
If you want to call me on Monday, give me
your last eight digits of your vent, I'll call the
dealer and I can locate it for you to tell
you where it's at. Sometimes they're serviceable and you can
replace them. Sometimes you're pulling the desk regardless.
Speaker 6 (21:35):
All right, So I don't know that it's an old
work van. I don't know who if it's worth all that?
Speaker 5 (21:41):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 7 (21:41):
Right?
Speaker 6 (21:42):
I feel like you feel the cold air blown out.
It's like, man, can we just get this ear where
we can use it?
Speaker 3 (21:47):
Yeah, you need a mode door actuator. So if you
want call me on Monday, I'll be at work. Just
it's just when you call, when you call, ask My
guy said, hey, listen, I talked to Dana on the
on the radio show on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
He asked me to call.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
Make sure you have your life eight digit the thin
and I'll get it for you and I'll help you out.
Speaker 5 (22:03):
Uh, all right, I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Hi, John, all right, all right, take care of good weekend.
Stay cool.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Huh bye bye, all right again, taking your phone calls
and a recall five one, three, seven, four nine, fifty
five hundred.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
The phone lines are wide open. Coming up. We have Patty.
You're listening to the car show on fifty five KRC,
the talk station.
Speaker 8 (22:20):
Do you have a truck, camper, r V or trailer
that needs body repair? If so, call Frank's Heavy Truck
Collisionary Repair located just All five seventy five or Route
sixty three.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
It's convenient to both Cincinnati and Dayton.
Speaker 8 (22:31):
With over thirty years of experience including insurance work and fleetwork,
Franks knows the most important things are the quality work
and customer satisfaction. Frank's Heavy Truck Collisiony Repair prides themselves
in doing the job right and get in your vehicle
back on the road. Call five one three eight two
nine ninety thirty eight two nine ninety thirty.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Taking your car questions the number to call five one.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
Three seven nine to fifty five hundred.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
I'm Dave Donovan from Donovan's Auto entire Center and you
can always find your nearest location at donovantire dot com.
Here every Saturday again to answer your car questions. As
I've reiterated multiple times, you know, third generation business owner,
love what I do. We've been in the Cincinnati mainly
pleasant Ridge area for going on almost sixty eight years.
(23:19):
I think sixty nine years and I'll have to do
the math, but don't hold me to that. But anyways, again,
I'm here to help you out. So you know, don't
ever feel like, oh I don't want to ask that question,
or it's a silly question or just stupid. No, That's
what I'm here for. I'm here to we don't It
doesn't always have to be so technical. It could just
be hey, Dane, and I've mentioned just a million times.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Hey Dane, how how often should I change MO oil?
Speaker 3 (23:45):
You know, there's always mass confusion as when we should
be doing it right and or Hey Dane, I'm getting
ready to go on a long road trip.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
What should I be looking for? What should I do?
And again, let's not wait till the last minute.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
You know, we I know, we get busy in our lives,
but far too often it happens all the time where
people are going on a trip and they want to
bring their car to me a day or two before.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
It's not enough time.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Because if I have to do any type of major repair,
let's say a wheel bearing or breaks or a tune
up or something, you want to give it at least
a week or two of driving the vehicle to make
sure there isn't anything that pops up right. And so
you want to give yourself ample time. Again, we're in
the midst. It was the first day of summer. We're
(24:29):
in the midst of going on summer vacations. And if
you're traveling, you need to make sure that you're thinking
about it and getting that vehicle in now and checking
it and getting it ready for summer. And again, make
sure your breaks are taken care of your tires, your fluids,
make sure your AC's working properly.
Speaker 8 (24:49):
Right, And.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Again I reiterated earlier in the beginning of the show
that you know, if you're sitting at a ballgame, like
you know I was earlier today and the cars sitting
in there, you know, and you're idling it and you're
sitting in the air conditioning, I get it. It's hot.
Pop that hood, leave it open. Make sure that heat
can can dissipate, you know. It's It's something that's so simple,
(25:13):
and it should prolong the life of all the plastics
and the rubbers underneath that hood, right, so you're not
just keeping that heat trapped in there. So all right, again,
taking your phone calls and overcall five one, three, seven,
nine fifty five hundred. We're going to go back to
the phones. We have Patty, Hey, Patty, welcome to the
car Show. How can I help?
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Hi, Dane. I have a twenty twenty one Subaru Forrester,
and I've been listening to you talk about high temperatures
and drain on battery and my subers got the auto
start stop feature that shuts off the engine when it
comes to a complete stop. To save fuel. Blah blah blah.
Do you recommend turning that off? I know it's a
temporary turnoff for on my car, But should I turn
(25:55):
it off? Leave it on?
Speaker 3 (25:56):
Or I would absolutely turn it off if you have
the So if you have the ability to turn that
auto start, I know that I know that when you
start the car, you're gonna have to. I know it's
kind of a nuisance you gotta put the push the
button every time. But if you have an auto art
auto you know, stop and start, and you have the
(26:16):
ability to turn it off, yes, I would recommend turning
it off because it puts a tremendous strain on your starter,
and it puts a tremendous train on your battery, right
because that car, you know, your car is starting and
stopping a tremendous amount more times. Right, So then you're
replacing your starter quicker, you're replacing your battery start or
you're replacing your battery sooner. Uh So, yes, absolutely, I
(26:38):
recommend anybody that has the auto all, you know, the
auto start stop, if you have the ability to turn
it off, turn it off.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Uh you know I had the probably about two years ago.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
We were down in Florida, and we rented I think
it was a PACIFICA or whatnot, and it had that
auto art auto start stop, and you know, it would
shut off and then it was you know, Florida, it's
ninety five degrees, you know, and then all of a sudden,
the air is not working, and then it would auto
start right back.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Up for thirty seconds.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
I'm like, how much gas did I really save in
thirty seconds? Or you know, you just put a lot
more stress on your starter and a lot more stress
on your battery.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
So I think it's a little bit.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
I understand that they're trying to save gas, but I
don't see any.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Benefit to it.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
All I see is that it's going to cost you
more money down the road. The amount of money it's
going to cost you replace the battery and the starter,
you're you're not gonna get back from the gas savings.
So if you have the ability to turn it off,
I would turn it off. Great question, Great question.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
You're you're very welcome. I have a great day.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
You know, I just don't stand by that feature. I'm
telling you these starters initially when it came out, me
just being naive and just not having the knowledge at
the time, I'm like, oh, maybe there's like a second
starter right now, it's your the starter that starts that
car every time. So you think about you start your car,
let's just say twice a day. Let's just say you
(28:12):
drive it to work and back from home. Right, that's twice, right,
But if you have to start stop and you're in traffic,
your startering, your battery just work. You know, probably tenfold, right,
ten to fifteen times your car start and sopped. A
starter nowadays, I mean they used to be a couple
hundred bucks. They're now thousand, you know, not thousands, but
I mean you're looking at twelve hundred and fifteen hundred
(28:35):
dollars for a starter installed a battery.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
Got A guy not too long ago is like, oh,
I remember when batteries were thirty five bucks. Well they're not.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
You know, some of these newer cars they have a
GM batteries where they're glassmat batteries or not lead acid.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
They're a lot more expensive.
Speaker 3 (28:55):
And then you've got some of your hiring cars, your Mercedes,
your BMW's, your Volvos. They have two batteries, one to
run the electronics, one to start and stop.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
The car.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
And uh, I mean I just put a battery in
a Mercedes not too long ago, six hundred and fifty
dollars just to put a battery in your car.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
So if you can.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
Prolong the life of your battery and turn and have
the ability to turn that that start stop off, absolutely
do it. Yeah, I'm telling you, it's the amount of
gas that you're you know, especially in this heat when
it's ninety five degrees and you shut you know, you
come to a stop and it shuts off and then
all of a sudden, thirty seconds later it starts back up.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
How much gas? Did you really?
Speaker 7 (29:34):
Say?
Speaker 3 (29:34):
No, you just put a tremendous amount of stress on
that starter, in that battery. So if you have the ability, again,
it was a great question, turn it off if you can't.
So a guy that one of my drivers that works
for me, he tells his wife to turn it off
every single time too, because it's it can become pretty costly.
So all right, let's go back to the phones we have. Joel, Hey, Joel,
(29:56):
welcome to the car show. How can I help?
Speaker 5 (29:58):
Well, I can't buil, but you just answered my question.
My first question was about the starter is not lasting?
On these cars that click on next to you and
freak you out. Yeah, but you answered that, so that's great.
And now you told me I could wash my engine
with like gunk or something and you know, rent it off.
(30:22):
What if I go to one of these self car
washes and give it a blast of soap and then water,
is that? Okay?
Speaker 1 (30:29):
No, I wouldn't.
Speaker 5 (30:29):
That's wrong.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
No, so what I what I would recommend again, the
can of engine gunk is probably you know, less and
less than ten bocks.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
What you want to do is you want to start
the car. I mean, if you let it run, get
it hot. You want you want that engine hot. Okay,
it cleans that that engine gun's gonna clean. That soap
is just kind of designed to get rid of dirt.
But you want the grease, the oil, you want that
all things mostly.
Speaker 5 (30:58):
Just it's mostly just browned up all over, Okay, I mean,
but the only oil is around where I fill it
and I spill it.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
I would just do it. I would just get a cannon.
I wouldn't do the soap from the from the car wash.
I I really wouldn't, because again, that soap has detergent
in it. And it's gonna you know, it might clean
it and make it look nice, but that detergent's gonna
basically collect more dust and it's gonna stick to it. Right,
So you want to decrease the engine and get all
(31:31):
of the grease and out of it. So you know,
so by just buy it's like I said, it's less
than ten bucks. Get the engine hot, normal operating temperature,
open up the hood if you could leave it running,
and you want to spray that whole engine, and then
while it's running, you want to let that when you spray,
(31:52):
that degrease are all over the vehicle.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
You want it running, and get your garden hose.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
I wouldn't recommend high pressure, like if you go to
the car wash and do it and use that high pressure,
that that water is going to get into your your
you know, your spark plug tubes and get into connectors.
You don't want that. You want to load pressure, so
you just want to use your garden hose. Do it
in your driveway or you know, load pressure.
Speaker 5 (32:18):
My driveway's asphalt. I don't want it running into the street.
And I need to find a place where.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
I use that.
Speaker 5 (32:25):
Yeah, I mean, because I can't use my gruge.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
Yeah, I mean if you want to use, if you
want to use the car wash, that's fine. But if
you're gonna use the high pressure, don't get close up.
You want to be step back and you want it
just to you want to rinse it off. You don't
want to. You know, a lot of people have the
tendency to like, you know, you're not pressure washing here,
You're you're just wanting to get it wet and get
that degreaser ran off. So uh, but now I wouldn't
(32:50):
use the soap at the car wash. Just get a hand.
It's called it's made by Gunk. It's called engine degreaser.
It's made by Gunk. That's what we use. That's what
I recommend.
Speaker 5 (32:59):
I used it. I used it fifty years ago.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
It's still a great product.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
So all right, Oh right, niks Joel, take care of
having that one.
Speaker 5 (33:09):
I would just wander run up. Those starters lasted very long,
and they.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Don't you cut the life in half. If not, by thanks.
Speaker 5 (33:20):
Me and my wife will be proud to know that.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
All right, we'll take care of have a great weekends,
stay cool. So all right again, taking your phone calls
and number to call five one three seven four nine
fifty five hundred coming up.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
We have Susan.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
You're listening to the car show on fifty five KRCD
talk station. Your car isn't just a machine, it's your
daily partner. And with new cars becoming more expensive than ever,
smart maintenance for your current vehicle just makes sense.
Speaker 5 (33:43):
Hi.
Speaker 3 (33:43):
I'm Dane Donovan, third generation owner at Donovan's Auto entire Center.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
That's why at.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
Donovan's we give you everything you need and nothing you don't.
Honest expert service to keep your car running longer. Donovan's
Auto entire Center Cincinnati's honest choice for auto repairs. That's
nineteen fifty eight three locations in Blue Ash, pleasant Ridge,
in our new location near Xavier. Donovan's Auto form find
yours at donovantire dot com taking.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
Your car questions.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
The number to call five one three seven fifty five hundred. Again,
Dane Donovan here from Donovan's Auto entire Center. And I
hope everybody's staying cool. Make sure you stay hydrated again.
My middle son has three baseball games today and uh
at he won his first one. I have not been
(34:30):
updated on the score of the second game. It's still
going on and then we have one at six o'clock.
So again, if you're out there, got your kids out
there playing ball, make sure they stay hydrated as well.
So all right, let's go back to the phones. We
have Susan. Hey, Susan, Welcome to the car show. How
can I help?
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Hi, Dane.
Speaker 7 (34:51):
I appreciate you being here working through all these car issues.
Absolutely your games there, Yeah, thank you. My question is
with regard to a only twenty five Conda to see touring,
and I thought it was going to be a turnkey vehicle,
but I'm finding out through various chat groups and whatnot
that there's some potential maintenance issues that need to be
(35:11):
addressed that I didn't anticipate. What I'm calling about today
is a VCM muzzler on installing it on Odyssey.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
And.
Speaker 7 (35:22):
I'm hoping that I'm explaining this right, but I'm sure
you'll clarify if I'm not. And that is something an
aftermarket product that is installed so that these spark plugs
don't get all dunked up and cause a bunch of
problems later in the life of the car, like around
seventy five thousand miles or after. Are you aware of
this and is this something that you recommend.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Okay, So you're talking about the cylinder deactivation where the
car will shut down certain cylinders so it gets better
fuel economy.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
Yeah, is that what you're okay? So yeah, so I
am aware of it.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
So my wife's vehicle is a GMC Yukon and what
they call it is cylinder deactivation. So a lot of
these vehicles for a fuel economy, what they'll do is
they have a s what they call cylinder deactivation, So
as you're driving down the highway or if you're coasting
at forty miles an hour, it'll shut down cylinders so
(36:19):
that you get better fuel economy. But what happens is, yes,
that's correct, it will build up a lot of carbon
and it'll start eventually get but about seventy five thousand miles,
it'll start burning oil.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
It is a very it's a headache. It is a problem.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
Now I know that GM has one where you just
it's a it's a computer. It's a small little computer
that you plug into what's called the OBD two connector.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
It's underneath the dash.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
And it already has the software in it. All you
do is you plug it in and it basically deactivates
that system. You don't have to do any type of
programming or anything. You plug it in and it deactivates
that whole that whole system.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
Now are you going to go? Is your fuel economy
gonna go down? Yes? It will. But in my opinion,
if you want to get if you want to.
Speaker 3 (37:13):
Prolong the life of your vehicle, I would recommend doing
that and doing that what we call cylinder deactivation.
Speaker 7 (37:23):
M okay, And and does this do you know if
this effects the warranty on the vehicle.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
So the the little the computer that you buy again,
it's plugged into the OB two connector turnerneath the dash,
so it's you're not putting any software in the vehicle.
So if you you know, if you take it to
the dealer, just unplug it and they'll have no they'll
(37:54):
have no knowledge of you having that in there.
Speaker 5 (37:58):
I see.
Speaker 7 (37:59):
And is it necessary to do it earlier? Or can
I wait? Like, I mean, I only have ten thousand
miles on this vehicle? Can I wait until like say
seventy five or sixty or something like that later on that?
Speaker 5 (38:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (38:12):
You can wait, Yeah, you can wait. I mean there's
no real like signs to it. I mean I think
the sooner you do it, the better you'll be, the
better off you'll be. Okay, So, I mean I have
one on my wife's car because I unfortunately had to
replace her, you know, rebuild her engine already once at
(38:34):
one hundred thousand miles because because that silly cylinder deactivation
and there's just no way around it other than you
get this device.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Now.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
I found hers on Amazon. You might want to do
a little bit of research. I would buy a quality product.
Make sure, I mean I did my research. Make sure
you buy a good quality product that has I mean,
you don't want to just you know, you're not going
to find one a gas station. But I'm just saying
you don't want to buy one from a gay station.
Is hook it up? You want to do your research.
There's gonna be people out there that have that ability,
(39:06):
and it's gonna be a little bit of a better quality, right,
So do your research.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
I'm not saying you have to buy one from ams on.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
There's other people out there that make them, but no,
at ten thousand miles. No, you don't have to rush
out and do something right now. But I think the
earlier you do it, probably the better off. You'll be
and just make sure that you're checking the oil regularly.
Far too often these cars start burning oil. Nobody knows.
(39:32):
Everybody assumes that there's gonna be a light that pops
on that tells you that your car's low on oil.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
But they don't ever. They never come on.
Speaker 5 (39:40):
Never, Okay.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
I mean I I have cars that come in.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
I have Hannas come in almost daily that come in
and I'll pull a half a court oil out of them.
They're supposed to hold five courts and I'll pull a
half a court.
Speaker 1 (39:55):
No oil light. The oil lights don't come on.
Speaker 7 (39:58):
Wow, that's scary.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
So if it's just make sure you're checking I know,
ten thousand miles like you shouldn't have to, and I'm
not saying you need to right now, but just being
aware and conscious.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
You know, everybody sits there and.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
You know focuses on, well, my car says I've got
ten percent life left. That's fine. That does not indicate
how much oil is in the car. That just tells
you the life right, So everybody has this pre notion.
It's like, oh, I got twenty five percent left, I'm good,
and then the car has the car has no oil
in it.
Speaker 1 (40:36):
That's just the oil life.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
That's not the oil level, right, So you want to
make quantity correct. So I always tell everybody, don't people
become complacent and focus on what the car, what the
car says. The car's not going to tell you it's
low on oil. It never will. They're supposed to, but
they don't. I'm telling you that right now. I what
(40:58):
I've always been and we've you should have never got
away from it is just focusing on your sticker. The
oil should be changed every five thousand miles. I don't
care what the car says. I don't care what the
guy who sold it to you says. I don't care.
You don't even have to listen to me. But I'm
telling you I have a brand new car. I changed
my oil on my own vehicle every five thousand miles.
That's what you should be doing. I don't might might
(41:22):
When I bought my truck, they said, oh, change it
every ten thousand the oils, and they said in severe, severe,
in severe.
Speaker 1 (41:31):
Conditions, change it at seventy five hundred.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
I'm not listening to the manufacturer or the I'm gonna
change it at five thousand. Have a I have a
little Hona Civik that I've had for twenty five years.
I've changed the oil on that car every three thousand
miles and that thing is running strong. So, uh, nine
out of ten times when I have to have a
phone call or a conversation with somebody who their car
is dead and I'm like, hey, listen, unfortunately your car
(41:55):
needs an engine, nine out of ten times it's because
it doesn't have any oil in it. So focus on
the sticker every five thousand make sure you're just checking
it right.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
Just not not every time, just maybe once a month.
Just pop the.
Speaker 3 (42:08):
Hood, check the dipstick, just make sure it's full, and
you will get three hundred thousand miles out of that vehicle.
And if you can do that cylinder deactivation thing, you'll
be in great shape, all right.
Speaker 7 (42:20):
And the cylinder deactivation is that something that that I
can have done in a shop such as yours or
I mean, I'm not real handy with this kind of stuff.
And I understood what you said about you know, it's
pretty easy deal to do. But is that something that
can be done in a shop if I if I
bring it in or yeah, okay, yeah, absolutely, okay, And
(42:44):
would you guys get the part.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
Or I could get the part for you.
Speaker 3 (42:47):
Yeah, yeah, just call mek uh if you if you So,
I'm at auto form So I'm at Donovan's Auto fourn
h just call me and uh, I'll need your VEN number,
but call me just when you call it, just say hey.
Speaker 1 (43:00):
I spoke with Dane on the radio show on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (43:01):
He asked me to call and then I just need
your VEN number and uh, I can order it for you.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
You can swing on by and yeah, I can do
it for you.
Speaker 7 (43:08):
Not a problem, fantastic.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
All right, thanks, have a great weekend.
Speaker 5 (43:14):
Thanks very well.
Speaker 1 (43:15):
Uh huh take care bye bye.
Speaker 3 (43:16):
All right, what great great questions, man, phenomenal, awesome, love
it and man, just keep them coming next week so
uh again, I'll be back next week to answer all
of your car questions.
Speaker 5 (43:28):
I have here.
Speaker 3 (43:29):
My son did win a second game, so we have
a third game at six o'clock. So everybody, enjoy the weekend,
stay cool, stay hydrated. I'll be back next weekend to
answer all of your questions. You're listening to the Car
Show and fifty five krc D talk station
The Car Show with Dale and Dane Donovan News
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