1 00:00:01,639 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: Ron Ananian, I want to talk to you a little 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: bit about taking care of your car or how you're 3 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: taking care of your car. If what we saw in 4 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: the shop this week is any indication, because it was 5 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:10,600 Speaker 1: pretty horrible stuff. 6 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 2: Isn't. 7 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:17,959 Speaker 1: Sticking? Busy draft the Car Doctor. I did get a 8 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,119 Speaker 1: guy to reflash that computer and he was able to 9 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 1: do it and was peat. It was only five hundred buck. 10 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: Only five hundred bucks was in the computer at the 11 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: Mercedes A couple of thousand. 12 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 3: For then the reflash your computer and putting computer. 13 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 2: At his almost five thousand. 14 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:34,519 Speaker 1: Welcome to the radio home of ron Anian the Car Doctor. 15 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: Since nineteen ninety one. This is where car owners the 16 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:42,240 Speaker 1: world overturned to for their definitive opinion on automotive repair. 17 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: If your mechanics giving you a busy signal, pick up 18 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: the phone and call in the garage doors are open, 19 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:51,199 Speaker 1: but I am here to take your call at eight 20 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:52,880 Speaker 1: five five five six ninety nine. 21 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 3: Hundred and now. 22 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: Hee, Ronnie. I don't know if I can do this. 23 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:04,039 Speaker 1: I always think of how would I open the show 24 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 1: each and every week, and I was thinking about it 25 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:09,680 Speaker 1: this morning doing my morning errands and getting ready to 26 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: come in and let's go, And I said, how would 27 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 1: I explain the week at the shop? Because I know 28 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:18,680 Speaker 1: that's what you guys hearing about. You know, I always 29 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: talk about the symphony or the orchestration of a repair shop, 30 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 1: and I think I think every repair shop goes through that. 31 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 1: I've been in a few where I've seen the dramas 32 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: as they unfold, and by you know, sometimes by Monday 33 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 1: at ten o'clock, you know how Friday is going to end, 34 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 1: and you know Friday is going to be mad cap 35 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: just based on the first two hours of Monday, or 36 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: sometimes the first twenty minutes of Monday, you just know 37 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: where it's going to go. Most of what I tell 38 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: you and talk about, obviously is about my shop, because 39 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: that's where I am most of the time. This week 40 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,559 Speaker 1: was just it was no exception, but it's worth talking 41 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: about because I think it showed a lot of the scenarios, 42 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: the the rises and falls of what goes on in 43 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 1: the average repair shop. We take on a certain amount 44 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: of cars every week. It's just an average. You know, 45 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: we're in business a very very long time, and you 46 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: know you're gonna see X number of cars a day, 47 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:16,959 Speaker 1: and by Tuesday at midday, we had taken enough cars 48 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: to fill the week in the week coming. I mean, 49 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: we were just overbooked. Somehow it happens, and fortunately, you know, 50 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: in the universe provides, right. They always say that, you know, 51 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: we had nothing on the books for this past Thursday 52 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: and Friday, nothing not a job. But yet by Tuesday, midday, 53 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: mid morning, whatever it was, we had enough work for 54 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 1: a week and a half. Go figure, So now you 55 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: have to orchestrate that. Now you have to organize that. 56 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 1: Now you have to sit down and look at it 57 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 1: real quick, real fast, because the clock is ticking and 58 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:49,799 Speaker 1: minutes count and seconds count. You're trying to figure out 59 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:51,640 Speaker 1: how are you going to get all these cars done 60 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: in five days? And now it's Tuesday, so you have 61 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:59,559 Speaker 1: less than five days. And each job has its own personality, 62 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: just like people. Each job has its own temperament, and 63 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: you start to notice a pattern of why things happen 64 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: like they happen. We had one very very long term customer. 65 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 1: She's driving an O five pt Cruiser and I remember 66 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,120 Speaker 1: the conversation twelve years ago. It needed a timing belt, 67 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: and I told her, you know, it needs a timing belt, 68 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: it needs cooling service, it needs some maintenance. It needs this, 69 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: it needs that, And she said, you know, I really 70 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: don't want to spend any money on it. It's an 71 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: older car now, and I'm just going to ride it 72 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: into the ground. And I said, that's okay, you can 73 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,839 Speaker 1: do that, but understand, when the timing belt breaks, it's 74 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: it's instantaneous and you're on the side of the highway 75 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: or the side of the road. She said, I understand, 76 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: So I'm just gonna I'm gonna take the ride, okay. Well, 77 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: twelve years later it kind of came back in a 78 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: way because the phone calls started about a week and 79 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: a half ago with when I parked my car, it gurgles, 80 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: and then I see steam, and then it seems like 81 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: it's running high and then I hear the fan running, 82 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: and it's not all the time, it's at random. So 83 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: mysterious things are starting to happen with the cooling system. 84 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: And I got to tell you a pt cruiser, man, 85 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: if you haven't put a head gas get in that 86 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: thing at least twice by one hundred thousand miles, there's 87 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: something wrong with the car. Well, this one's got one 88 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 1: hundred and ten on it. So for whatever reason, the 89 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 1: head gasket had survived. We looked at it. She brought 90 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 1: it in, We looked at it. We drove it for 91 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: four days. Didn't see a blessed thing wrong with this vehicle. 92 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: But you know, in order to appease her, we had 93 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 1: to come up with a decision. We had to come 94 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: up with an answer of what were we going to try? 95 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 1: And I said, you know, the most logical thing is 96 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: it's one of two things. It's a pt cruiser. Now, 97 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:46,719 Speaker 1: it had been in an accident, go four years ago, 98 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 1: and they had put a new radiator in and a 99 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 1: couple other cooling system components, cooling fan assembly. So trying 100 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:56,040 Speaker 1: to eliminate, you know, let's go on the fact that 101 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:58,359 Speaker 1: parts have been working for four years. They looked, okay, 102 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:00,600 Speaker 1: I didn't see any leaks. The radiator look pretty clean 103 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: on the inside. Let's go somewhere else. We put a 104 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:09,480 Speaker 1: thermostat in it, right, and we put a thermostat. We 105 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 1: put a bottle of K Seal in it, because here's 106 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 1: the perfect car for CA seal. You hear me talk 107 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 1: about using it all the time. Here's the perfect car 108 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: for it. All right, an older vehicle. You're suspect of 109 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: certain things going on. You're not sure if we've got 110 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:25,920 Speaker 1: a head gasket issue or not, but you're looking to 111 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: give some guarantees to the woman who's in our mid 112 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 1: eighties and this is probably her last car. She's probably 113 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 1: not going to buy another one. So we dumped the 114 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 1: bottle of case seal in it thermostat cool. It burned, 115 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: the air shipped it. Let's see what happens. The Juri 116 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 1: will decide this week because she's out driving the car. Now, 117 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 1: we had another one. We had an eleven town in Country, 118 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:49,599 Speaker 1: a Chrysler Town and Country that came in. It needed 119 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:53,280 Speaker 1: control arm bushings. Their front lower control arm bushings were bad. 120 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: They had gone to get tires and they were told 121 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: it needs control arm bushings in order to do the alignment. 122 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 1: And you know, in this case it was control arms. 123 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:05,800 Speaker 1: But here's a cards An eleven, a twenty eleven that 124 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 1: had sat for four years out in Arizona and for 125 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: whatever reason, everything rusted. We wanted to pull the axles 126 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:15,920 Speaker 1: to get the control arms out, to get the knuckle 127 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: up and off. We couldn't get those. I mean nothing. 128 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 1: We had no amount of force, no amount of heat 129 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:24,280 Speaker 1: to safely warm things up. Nothing we could do could 130 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:26,559 Speaker 1: get those axles out. We ended up having to lower 131 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: the front engine cradle in order to do control arms, 132 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:33,360 Speaker 1: especially the one on the driver's side. The bolt hits 133 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: the transmission. Good design drama. Right then we had a 134 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:42,880 Speaker 1: Cadillac get dropped off, a twelve Cadillac first time customer. 135 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 1: She overheated another overheat or thought it was an overheat. 136 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 1: A twelve Cadillac SRX that had a hot light come on. 137 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: It said engine overheating AC disabled, the cooling fan was 138 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 1: running all the time, and the temperature gage was disabled. 139 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,279 Speaker 1: She left it. We looked at it. It had a 140 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:07,160 Speaker 1: P zero one twenty eight thermostat rationality fault, the traditional 141 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: thermostat failure. Well, GM's strategy and here's where you know 142 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: understanding how a manufacturer comes up with a strategy of 143 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: how the system operates. What do they want the system 144 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 1: to do. You've got a warning on the dashboard that 145 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 1: says AC disabled due to high engine temperature. It's telling 146 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 1: you what happened, but it's a lie because actually what 147 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 1: happened was the thermostat was hung open. It really wouldn't 148 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: get over one hundred and sixty five degrees. It's supposed 149 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 1: to be one ninety four and because of that, the 150 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 1: system goes into default. GM commands the fan on all 151 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: the time, it turns off the cool and temp gage 152 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 1: and they come up with that warning message to get 153 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: somebody to take it into a shop to get it fixed. 154 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 1: Think about that for a minute. The manufacturer is telling 155 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 1: you the exact opposite of what's going on. But then, 156 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 1: you know, when you get a new customer, it's kind 157 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: of hard because you're not quite sure what they're thinking. 158 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 1: So here's this twelve Cadillac that everything was original under 159 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: the hood. When I tell you everything was original, everything 160 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: was original, I think maybe they changed the battery, which 161 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 1: obviously they would have had to. So now you've got 162 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,559 Speaker 1: to explain to a first time customer that doesn't really 163 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 1: understand what the shop is about. And I think it's important. 164 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,559 Speaker 1: I think you have to understand what the shop is about. 165 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:32,200 Speaker 1: What are you dealing with, all right? Who are you 166 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 1: talking to, what's the expertise level, what's the quality of 167 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 1: work being done? And maybe you're not into that. Maybe 168 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:42,439 Speaker 1: it's just price, and that's okay, all right, I mean, 169 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 1: everybody's allowed. But I noticed, you know, I know, and 170 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:48,200 Speaker 1: again I'm not sure if I'm telling the story right 171 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 1: in the sense of how it struck me. But it 172 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: struck me like I had to do a lot of 173 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 1: explaining at the counter on why this car probably wasn't 174 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:59,679 Speaker 1: worth fixing. And they seemed happy with that. They wanted 175 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: to hear that. They wanted somebody to tell them to 176 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:06,400 Speaker 1: go buy a new car. Original hoses, original clamps, original 177 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 1: electrical everything on this car. This car had the appearance 178 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 1: of if it was a horse road hard put away, wet, 179 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 1: And when I asked them, what sort of service and 180 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:16,320 Speaker 1: maintenance have you done to this, they were very proud 181 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:19,679 Speaker 1: to point out, Oh, we haven't done anything but oil changes. 182 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: And it was really obvious, like you could see it 183 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: and it needed a wheel bearing. They'd been told by 184 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 1: their former mechanic. They had just moved into the area. 185 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: They were told by their former mechanic four or five 186 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 1: months ago. It needs a wheel bearing in hubbits it's 187 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:39,480 Speaker 1: going to come apart, which it can sure, and they 188 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: were so excited, Hey, we saved that money. We haven't 189 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 1: done I think that the really crazy job was the 190 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:58,080 Speaker 1: two thousand and nine Toyota Camry. I remember this conversation too, 191 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,360 Speaker 1: a good seven years ago when first came in. It 192 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 1: had a laundry list of things it needed. Tire pressure 193 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: light was on, it was due for spark plugs. It 194 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:09,960 Speaker 1: needed all the fluids, all the filters, the regular maintenance. 195 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:12,200 Speaker 1: It needed belts, that needed hoses, It needed a bunch 196 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:14,199 Speaker 1: of things. Nothing was done. We're just going to ride 197 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:16,319 Speaker 1: it into the ground. Another one that we're going to 198 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 1: ride it into the ground, and I said, you are 199 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:21,600 Speaker 1: going to get hit with an avalanche of repairs. You 200 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: have to be ready for this when it fails, it's 201 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 1: going to fail big. 202 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:25,840 Speaker 2: Well. 203 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: It snowed this week and it came in for an 204 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 1: oil change, and it had the most god awful rattling 205 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 1: noise under the hood. What the heck is that the 206 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:43,320 Speaker 1: water pump wobbled between a quarter and three eighths of 207 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:45,320 Speaker 1: an inch in every direction. The bearing was so bad 208 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: it was just ready to fall out. Stephen, you need 209 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 1: a water pump. You need a radiator. The radiator was leaking. 210 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 1: All right, I've got to start the war here. The 211 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: belts are so badly cracked. Now I don't understand how 212 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: they haven't fallen off the car. So one thing, beget, 213 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 1: the next, beget the next, beget the next and it 214 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:07,320 Speaker 1: became that extra job the shop didn't need. We didn't 215 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:10,320 Speaker 1: need that job this week, but somehow we managed to 216 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 1: get it done. The orchestra, the organization, we were right 217 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:19,839 Speaker 1: there right to the last minute. Friday. We wanted to 218 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: leave it for we were tired. It had been a 219 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:23,600 Speaker 1: long week and we're trying to get out at four 220 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 1: now as summer approaches. And I was on this camera 221 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 1: half day Thursday and most of the day Friday, and 222 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: as it sort of tumbled down to closure, a lot 223 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:38,280 Speaker 1: of obstacles came up. The two bolts that hold the 224 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: AC pressure lines to the condenser were frozen. The steel 225 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: bolts were frozen in the aluminum and they snapped off. 226 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:46,199 Speaker 1: No matter how much heat penetrating oil in anything else 227 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: I could think up to throw at it, but it 228 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 1: didn't matter. The condenser was literally falling apart. As I 229 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:52,440 Speaker 1: touched it. I was taking chunks of it out of 230 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 1: my hair as I'm standing under the car working underneath it. 231 00:11:55,360 --> 00:12:00,200 Speaker 1: It was just self disintegrating. We ended up getting this 232 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: car back together right at four thirty five. We stayed late, 233 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 1: and then the worst thing that cossibly happened happened, And 234 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 1: I'll tell you about it right after the break. Don't 235 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 1: go away. I'm running any in the car. Doctor eight 236 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 1: five five five six zero nine nine zero zero will 237 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:35,319 Speaker 1: return good time. Ride it on the wall so you 238 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:38,200 Speaker 1: don't forget to call for car advice. Done right. Eight 239 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 1: five five five six zero nine nine zero zero. Now 240 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:45,439 Speaker 1: back to Rod. This little O nine Camra was dogging 241 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:48,040 Speaker 1: me and I had just gotten the water pump back together, 242 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:51,480 Speaker 1: the radiator in, the replacement condenser in, and we were 243 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:53,320 Speaker 1: rushing to beat the clock. We weren't going to make 244 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 1: four o'clock. It's now four thirty five on a Friday 245 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 1: afternoon in the shop, and I'm trying to get this 246 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: car out by five. And everything I had done up 247 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,440 Speaker 1: to that point, every moment of what that car was 248 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:06,280 Speaker 1: going to torture me with, I had finally overcome it. 249 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 1: I got past the two stuck bolts and the condenser. 250 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 1: I got past the bolt that holds the water pump 251 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:14,199 Speaker 1: on that Toyota What Toyota does. Like a lot of 252 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 1: the manufacturers, Toyota seems to be very good at it. 253 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 1: Though their bolts are longer than the hole, so they'll 254 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:21,320 Speaker 1: stick out the back. Now they get weathered, so you 255 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: go to unbolt the bolt out of the hole to 256 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 1: let the water pump take the water pump off, and 257 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 1: the end of the bolt that's been exposed to weather 258 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:32,680 Speaker 1: is now gnarled up, and as you try to loosen 259 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:35,720 Speaker 1: it to bring it out the hole, it will beat 260 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:38,600 Speaker 1: up that aluminum hole. That steel bolt tends to chew 261 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 1: up that aluminum hole. So all nine holes that hold 262 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 1: this water pump on, seven holes that hold this water 263 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 1: pump on, I had to go through with a thread 264 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:49,600 Speaker 1: chaser and chase every hole and blow the threads out 265 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,680 Speaker 1: and make them smooth again. It just fought me every 266 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 1: step of the way. And now it's four thirty five 267 00:13:55,920 --> 00:14:00,040 Speaker 1: and I told Danny hit it, and Danny starts it, 268 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:03,120 Speaker 1: and it all seemed good at the moment. Right it ran, 269 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:08,720 Speaker 1: it was quiet, and then after about a minute it 270 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 1: had a different noise than the failing water pump. It 271 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:15,520 Speaker 1: had this rattle to it, this knocking sound, and I'm 272 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 1: thinking to myself, what did I miss? And it would 273 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 1: come and go, and it rise and lower. It wasn't 274 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: the engine. The engine had oil in it. We hadn't 275 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: worked on the engine in that way. It wasn't the 276 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:30,840 Speaker 1: new water pump. The water pump. I checked the new 277 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 1: pulley was tight, and I looked at it very carefully. 278 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 1: When I put it in. It wasn't anything hitting. And 279 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:40,160 Speaker 1: if they're listening with a stethoscope, it was the alternator. 280 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 1: Why in God's name would the alternator be making a rattling, 281 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:48,600 Speaker 1: knocking noise. Took out the two fourteens, unbolted it, put 282 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:50,480 Speaker 1: it on the bench, took the alternator, put it on, 283 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:53,560 Speaker 1: put the two fourteens in. I'm done. What about assembling 284 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: the rest of the car. I took the tension off 285 00:14:56,960 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 1: the belt while it was running. I took the tensioner 286 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 1: and took a little load off of it. It got quiet. 287 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 1: Turn the AC on, it got quiet. It was like 288 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: a specific load or unloaded position. It would get quiet. 289 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 1: Shut the car off, took the belt off, grabbed the 290 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: end of the alternator and wiggled the pulley. And there 291 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 1: is the tiniest little bit of lateral up and down 292 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 1: wiggle in that alternator pulley. And then I noticed that 293 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:26,480 Speaker 1: the clutch doesn't feel good. And I believe this is 294 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:29,040 Speaker 1: a one way clutch. Is what Toyota runs on their alternators, 295 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:32,400 Speaker 1: like a lot of the manufacturers and then I noticed 296 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: the area around and it's underneath the alternator. I looked 297 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 1: with a mirror. There's a little bit of a rush stain, 298 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 1: like there's a bearing there that's getting beat up and 299 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: it's starting to rust powder out the front of the alternator. 300 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: Did the bad water pump that the customer was driving 301 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:53,760 Speaker 1: on do permanent damage? Something changed it, something caught It 302 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 1: was the alternator making noise before the water pump was replaced. 303 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,800 Speaker 1: It could have been, but the racket from the bracket 304 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 1: from the water pump was drowning it out. And I 305 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:07,400 Speaker 1: think that's sort of you know, that sort of defines 306 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:10,960 Speaker 1: repair shop orchestration. You know, you never know what you're 307 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 1: gonna get. Repair shops are like a box of chocolates. 308 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 1: To paraphrase Forest Come. You never know what's gonna happen. 309 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 1: And it's why, even with the best of effort and 310 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: the best of determination and the best of parts Yogi 311 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 1: Barrett to quote another great it ain't over till it's over. 312 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: You just don't know. The car stayed the cars at 313 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 1: the shop Monday, We're gonna look at it deeper and 314 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:41,600 Speaker 1: probably have to replace the alternator. Why well, I'd like 315 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: to think that the customer's been going sleigh riding down 316 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:46,400 Speaker 1: an avalanche because they waited till the last minute on 317 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: so many things, and it degraded the value, or not 318 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: the value, but it could degraded the ability of this 319 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 1: car to perform and do its job. That they waited 320 00:16:56,520 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 1: to the last possible second. Of course, it's harder on them, 321 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:04,359 Speaker 1: it's harder on us. It's harder on the repair shop 322 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:07,560 Speaker 1: to bring something back from the dead, and it's more 323 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:11,040 Speaker 1: costly for the customer because well, it's costly probably for everybody, 324 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 1: because there's no way you can justify the amount of 325 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:16,000 Speaker 1: time that you're going to have to spend to resuscitate 326 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:21,720 Speaker 1: that vehicle. Repair shops are hard just you know, when 327 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:24,359 Speaker 1: things go well, it's like life, right. When things go 328 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:26,960 Speaker 1: well in life, life's tough enough. When things go right 329 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 1: in a repair shop, it's tough enough. You don't need 330 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: the added bonus or extra thrill of that the laid 331 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:36,359 Speaker 1: repair that all of a sudden snowballs into something you 332 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:40,679 Speaker 1: just can't possibly predict. So I guess my note of 333 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 1: caution for you as we kick off this hour of 334 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: the Car Doctor, and I apologize for the long open. 335 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:47,240 Speaker 1: I'll get to the phones. You know in a bit 336 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:52,199 Speaker 1: is just be aware right that the laid maintenance, that 337 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 1: the laid repair, that the laid effort to take care 338 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 1: of that expensive thing that you drive around in with 339 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:00,159 Speaker 1: four wheels. In an engine, it always comes back to 340 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:02,159 Speaker 1: bite you no matter how you look at it, no 341 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:07,240 Speaker 1: matter how you expect it. Repair shop orchestration is is 342 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:10,320 Speaker 1: only as good as the conductor. And talk to a 343 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:12,560 Speaker 1: few You'll be surprised what they have to tell you 344 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:15,160 Speaker 1: about what can go right and what can go wrong. 345 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:17,400 Speaker 1: I'm running any in the card doctor, I'll be back 346 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:43,680 Speaker 1: right after this. Eight five five five six zero nine 347 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 1: nine zero zero run an eading of the car doctor 348 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:47,360 Speaker 1: at your service. Let's go over to Diane and Maine 349 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:50,880 Speaker 1: and get the garage doors open. Eighteen Toyota land Cruiser, Diane, 350 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:52,400 Speaker 1: thank you for your patience. How can I help? 351 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:55,399 Speaker 2: Hey, Ron, thank you for taking my call. 352 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 1: You're welcome. 353 00:18:56,880 --> 00:19:00,640 Speaker 2: Hey, So this is twenty eighteen Toyota Land Cruiser. I 354 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:03,960 Speaker 2: bought it pre owned with twenty seven thousand miles on 355 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:08,320 Speaker 2: it in Idaho, and I do a lot of cross 356 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:12,360 Speaker 2: country driving and I now have fifty five thousand miles 357 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:16,159 Speaker 2: on it. Most of these miles are highway or interstate, 358 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 2: never any of them. All the work has been done 359 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:25,480 Speaker 2: at dealerships until last fall, when I was in Tidewater, 360 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:30,359 Speaker 2: Virginia and doing more local driving and backing up just 361 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:34,800 Speaker 2: a little bit. I had the transmission fluid exchanged at 362 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:38,800 Speaker 2: forty two thousand miles in Idaho before I made the 363 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:42,800 Speaker 2: cross country trip to Virginia last fall. So when I 364 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:46,760 Speaker 2: was doing more local driving at slower speeds last fall, 365 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 2: I started noticing that it's only on a flat or 366 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 2: a slight downhill at low speeds. SAM approaching the yield 367 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:58,399 Speaker 2: sign and I let up on the accelerator, but the 368 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:01,680 Speaker 2: car is still coasting, and I say, Okay, the way 369 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:06,159 Speaker 2: is clear, and then I accelerate. The engine will rev 370 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:10,440 Speaker 2: before it engages. It does not have on an uphill. 371 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:15,200 Speaker 2: It's only at low speeds downhill or maybe on a level. 372 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:18,960 Speaker 1: I'm gonna think, I mean, the first place I'm going 373 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:22,320 Speaker 1: to go is is it low on fluid? It because 374 00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:25,960 Speaker 1: you're you're describing a classic low fluid scenario and the 375 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:29,399 Speaker 1: fact that it happened after the fluid was serviced, you know, 376 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 1: I'm just curious. It's the It's one of the simplest 377 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 1: things at tech can check. Obviously, no fault codes, no 378 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 1: dashboard warning lights, no illumination of anything. 379 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 2: Correct. 380 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:42,040 Speaker 1: Okay, you know, was the fluid service done at a 381 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:43,159 Speaker 1: Toyota dealership. 382 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 2: Yes, then, and then I was highway all the way, 383 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:50,000 Speaker 2: so I didn't notice an issue because I was mostly 384 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:52,360 Speaker 2: at highway speed right across right. 385 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 1: So we can, you know, we'll assume, which is a 386 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:57,480 Speaker 1: dangerous word, that they've got the correct fluid in there, 387 00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 1: because incorrect fluid will do some funny things with any 388 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 1: car today. But first place I'm going to go is 389 00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:05,320 Speaker 1: I just want to know is fluid level? Okay, if 390 00:21:05,359 --> 00:21:08,200 Speaker 1: fluid level. If fluid level is good and there are 391 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:11,679 Speaker 1: no fault codes, then it's got to be diagnosed. So 392 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:16,040 Speaker 1: the first question becomes, is this an electrical problem or 393 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:22,200 Speaker 1: a mechanical manual problem inside the transmission? Toyota, in their 394 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:24,800 Speaker 1: infinite wisdom, and I say that in all seriousness because 395 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: I think they're a very smart company, has has given 396 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:30,080 Speaker 1: us the ability, with this particular car and some of 397 00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: the other Toyotas, to do what they call a manual 398 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 1: shift test, where you can unplug the number one or 399 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:40,199 Speaker 1: number two transconnector on the side of the trans you know, 400 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:42,359 Speaker 1: you have to put it in certain modes and the 401 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:46,280 Speaker 1: transmission will operate into fault values. And you can use 402 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 1: this test. There's a diagnostic chart you can go through 403 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:55,160 Speaker 1: and you can determine is it mechanical or electrical. You're basically, 404 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:58,400 Speaker 1: instead of having so much electronic input and authority over 405 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,640 Speaker 1: the transmission, you're basically telling, hey, you're on your own drive, 406 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:04,720 Speaker 1: like you drive, drive to the best of your mechanical ability. 407 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 1: And it's it's probably the safest and easiest test you 408 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 1: can do to one of these transmissions to determine, you know, 409 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 1: state of condition. But I got to tell you, at 410 00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:19,119 Speaker 1: fifty five thousand miles, I'd be surprised if this is 411 00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:23,560 Speaker 1: a mechanical trans or even an electrical trans fault. And 412 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:26,520 Speaker 1: the reason I say that is because if this was electrical, 413 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:30,119 Speaker 1: if this was electrical trans I should have a dash 414 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:33,240 Speaker 1: warning light, I should have a fault code. And I 415 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:35,240 Speaker 1: am you guys know me by now, I'm not a 416 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:37,600 Speaker 1: living die. By Hey, there's no code, there's no problem, 417 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:41,000 Speaker 1: kind of guy, I get it. Uh, you know, but 418 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 1: the fact that the engine is flaring up, that's called 419 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:48,000 Speaker 1: engine flare. You know that the engine RPM is going 420 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:51,160 Speaker 1: up and there's no pick up. You know there's there's 421 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:54,560 Speaker 1: something going on. But you know, without an illumination, electrical, 422 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:59,960 Speaker 1: even mechanical at fifty five thousand miles, I'd be mildly surprised. 423 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:04,119 Speaker 1: So I you know it's and that's a big solid truck. 424 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 1: Those are great vehicles, they really are. You know, that's 425 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 1: a that's a three or four hundred thousand mile vehicle, 426 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 1: depending upon how you maintain it. 427 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,399 Speaker 2: I'm glad. I'm hoping this is my lifetime vehicle. 428 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:19,280 Speaker 1: Yeah it's great. Yeah it's great. So but get those 429 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:21,120 Speaker 1: things done. Go in and talk to the local Toyota 430 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 1: dealer and explain this story just the way you explain 431 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 1: it to me, because you were perfect about it, and 432 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:28,040 Speaker 1: they should be able to pick up some clues there 433 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:30,199 Speaker 1: and let them sit down and talk to you, and 434 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: you know, ask them, ask them about the manual shift test, 435 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,239 Speaker 1: all right, and you know, can you can you you 436 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 1: understand that you know you were speaking to someone. There's 437 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:40,560 Speaker 1: a manual shift test where you can do an electrical 438 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 1: or a mechanical test. I can even give you a 439 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 1: there was a bulletin that came out. It was a 440 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 1: bulletin or it was just a document around April of 441 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 1: twenty four. Uh, they actually published it. The one I 442 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:53,520 Speaker 1: remember as the one for the sixteen hundreds, but it 443 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 1: applies to most of the model years in that making 444 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:59,639 Speaker 1: model transmission. The document I remember is six dots eleven 445 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:05,440 Speaker 1: dot eight eighty one six ten if I remember right. 446 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:07,920 Speaker 1: But it'll be there. It'll probably be in bulletins too, 447 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:10,080 Speaker 1: but you can do there's a manual shift test for 448 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:11,200 Speaker 1: that which works very well. 449 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:15,520 Speaker 2: So right, okay, all right, thank you so much. 450 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:18,200 Speaker 1: You're very welcome. You're very welcome, dear, have a good day. 451 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 1: Let's go over and talk to Charlie Arizona aw eight 452 00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:23,800 Speaker 1: Honda Ridgeline and see what's going on here. Charlie. Welcome 453 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:25,120 Speaker 1: to the card doctor. Sir, how can I help? 454 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:26,119 Speaker 3: Thank you? 455 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:26,440 Speaker 2: Ron. 456 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:29,199 Speaker 3: I've got a two thousand and eight Honda Ridgeline, and 457 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:35,040 Speaker 3: about a year ago I stopped to mail something about 458 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:38,200 Speaker 3: five minutes, went back in the car the a seed baller, 459 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:41,639 Speaker 3: fam nothing comes on in just a few minutes. All 460 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:44,040 Speaker 3: of a sudden, it just come on on its own. Ron, Okay, 461 00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:47,639 Speaker 3: it did it twice. I took it home, cleaned all 462 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 3: the relays of dust to make sure nothing was loose 463 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:52,680 Speaker 3: and stuff like that under the hood. A year went by, 464 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:55,199 Speaker 3: my wife's been driving. It's been working perfect. We went 465 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:57,080 Speaker 3: to take a trip a week ago. We were up 466 00:24:57,080 --> 00:25:00,680 Speaker 3: in Phoenix. I went in, same thing, got gas, come 467 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:03,240 Speaker 3: back out nothing driving down the road. 468 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:09,280 Speaker 1: You gotta stop getting gas, Charlie, you know, I mean, geez, 469 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:12,040 Speaker 1: can the diagnosis be any simpler? You know, if you 470 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 1: don't shut the car off, you won't have this problem. 471 00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:18,960 Speaker 1: And I mean, how we did that? How important is 472 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 1: air conditioning in Arizona? I mean not really, not really. 473 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:24,639 Speaker 3: When it's ninety five or a hundred above it, it 474 00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:27,960 Speaker 3: really isn't important. And it's looking at you like you 475 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:29,600 Speaker 3: don't really want to roll the window down. 476 00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:32,359 Speaker 1: So it's gotta be cool sometime two o'clock in the 477 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:35,200 Speaker 1: morning somehow someway. I mean, it's gotta you know, when 478 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:35,800 Speaker 1: it rains. 479 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 3: Can it happened? But three or four times that day 480 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:43,200 Speaker 3: run that three four times? That's tough for gas. It 481 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:45,679 Speaker 3: did it. And then the next morning we were up 482 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:49,360 Speaker 3: in like Nebraska. We stopped and uh, it worked fine 483 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 3: in the morning and when put gas on we're leaving 484 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:53,600 Speaker 3: the motel, everything's perfect, going down the road driving an 485 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:56,760 Speaker 3: hour or two hours, get gassed. Same thing happened, and 486 00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:59,199 Speaker 3: after that we didn't shut the car off till we 487 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:02,520 Speaker 3: got to Minnesota. But she'd been driving it for two 488 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:05,920 Speaker 3: three days and let the Canada with it. I'm back 489 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:08,520 Speaker 3: in Arizona, hasn't had one issue. 490 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:12,480 Speaker 1: So maybe it's you, Charlie. I'm starting I'm starting to 491 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:15,480 Speaker 1: think it's because I notice you're the common denominator. 492 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:18,959 Speaker 3: I know that, and I hate to tell the story 493 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:22,479 Speaker 3: like this. And there's one other thing I did about 494 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:26,199 Speaker 3: five years ago, around six years ago, before COVID, she 495 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:28,919 Speaker 3: had lost a key for the car. I had a 496 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:31,320 Speaker 3: friend make one or a person we knew make one, 497 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 3: and it's work fine. He programmed it in. But that 498 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:35,680 Speaker 3: was five six years ago. Never have him. 499 00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:39,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's not it's not key related. Not okay, Yeah, 500 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:42,280 Speaker 1: I don't see it being key related. Key issues are 501 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:44,080 Speaker 1: gonna be gonna tell me. It's not gonna start. So 502 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:46,040 Speaker 1: I'll tell you what, Charlie. Let me let me pull over, 503 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:47,720 Speaker 1: take this pause, and when I come back, we'll chat 504 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 1: a little bit more. Don't go anywhere. If the phone 505 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:51,920 Speaker 1: hangs up, I'm gonna blame you. So I'm running any 506 00:26:51,920 --> 00:27:10,280 Speaker 1: in the car. Doctor, I'll be back right after this. Charlie. 507 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:17,680 Speaker 1: You're there, Charlie. Ye, your your luck's changing, look at that. Okay, 508 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:21,040 Speaker 1: so let's talk. Let's talk about this now, all kid 509 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 1: in the side. When when it when it goes into 510 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:28,120 Speaker 1: this failure where the blower doesn't operate, Is there anything 511 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 1: else that doesn't work in the car? 512 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:34,679 Speaker 3: No, the only ahead, the only thing go ahead. 513 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:36,280 Speaker 1: I was gonna say, do you know if the A 514 00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:37,600 Speaker 1: C compressor comes on? 515 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:40,919 Speaker 3: I don't believe so, because I was going to go 516 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,720 Speaker 3: there ron when I when it does come back on, 517 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:46,160 Speaker 3: we didn't touch nothing that the A C was on. 518 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:49,600 Speaker 3: The A C was not on. So we go down 519 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 3: the road. The blower fan had come on. I shut 520 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:54,879 Speaker 3: the A C off, turn it back on nice cold 521 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:58,760 Speaker 3: there so that the compressor was shutting off too with 522 00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:04,840 Speaker 3: the blower fan. Okay, otherwise nothing else, I mean, I 523 00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:07,040 Speaker 3: you know that, I know that wasn't working. They're just 524 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:09,119 Speaker 3: no blower fan, no way, see, no nothing. 525 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:14,639 Speaker 1: Have you Have you done any testing with the power 526 00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 1: transistor the blower power transistor? 527 00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 3: No? Okay, I wouldn't know how to. I was gonna 528 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 3: I thought about, well, change in the blower motors. 529 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:29,240 Speaker 1: The blow Well, okay, the blower motor is pretty simple 530 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:31,360 Speaker 1: on this car, and you can do listen, you can 531 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:33,880 Speaker 1: test up to a point, right, I mean test within 532 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:36,800 Speaker 1: your safe and comfortable limits. I always say right. So 533 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 1: there's a white blue that comes out of the relay 534 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: that goes to the blower. So they've they're applying constant 535 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:46,080 Speaker 1: hot constant twelve vaults to the blower on one leg. 536 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:53,080 Speaker 1: The blue black wire right is ground control, and that 537 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:58,280 Speaker 1: blue black goes to a power transistor. So what they're 538 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:02,400 Speaker 1: looking for is there looking to see continuity across power 539 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 1: down blower motor, boom ground lower motor comes on and 540 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:10,320 Speaker 1: the duty cycle very ground if we want to think 541 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:14,120 Speaker 1: of it like that, to operate the blower at different speeds. 542 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 1: All right, but there's more that goes on here. If 543 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 1: the power transistor doesn't report or can't report the ground 544 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:29,560 Speaker 1: leg properly back to the control head, the control head 545 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:34,520 Speaker 1: turns off the AC compressor, and there's a bunch of 546 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 1: other functions that happen because that power transistor is in 547 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 1: direct contact with the control head. You know, you're driving 548 00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:48,560 Speaker 1: a giant computer. Always remember that, right, everybody's talking to everybody, 549 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:51,200 Speaker 1: and it's like the relatives at Christmas, who's getting along 550 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 1: and who isn't? Okay? So you know, we want to 551 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:58,040 Speaker 1: attack this. Let's let's let's let's eliminate the simple first. 552 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:02,480 Speaker 1: If you want to do you know, use an incandescent 553 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:04,800 Speaker 1: twelve vault test light. And I'm very cautious how I 554 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:07,080 Speaker 1: tell people to use one of those? Or if you 555 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 1: want to get your hands on a logic probe, which 556 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:11,800 Speaker 1: is a little safer and just verified. Do you have 557 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:14,040 Speaker 1: and they make logic probes with a vault meter built in? 558 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:17,760 Speaker 1: Do you have twelve vaults on that white blue when 559 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:23,240 Speaker 1: the system doesn't work? All right? You know, if you do, 560 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:27,560 Speaker 1: then the relays closed, the ground is good. Why don't 561 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 1: we now, if we don't have power on that white blue, 562 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 1: why don't we all right? And is it possible that 563 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:34,320 Speaker 1: we don't have power on that white blue because the 564 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:38,400 Speaker 1: PCM shut it down because it's not seeing response from 565 00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:43,480 Speaker 1: the heater control head, because the power transistor's bad. It all, 566 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:47,560 Speaker 1: it all comes around, all right. There is a test 567 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:50,680 Speaker 1: you can do if you're brave, and you can and 568 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:53,120 Speaker 1: you can follow procedure where they want you to cut 569 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:57,720 Speaker 1: that blue black the ground leg of the blower motor 570 00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:02,640 Speaker 1: and using a a twelve volt incandescent bulb test light 571 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:07,560 Speaker 1: too hot, so the point at end of the test 572 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:13,280 Speaker 1: light becomes ground. Right if you apply that to the 573 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 1: blue black since the blower motor, that becomes the ground. 574 00:31:16,760 --> 00:31:19,080 Speaker 1: If the blower motor operates, we know the blower motor 575 00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 1: is good, all right. Now, if we can prove the 576 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:27,280 Speaker 1: blower motor is good, you're kind of wheeling down to 577 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:29,920 Speaker 1: the point where it's the power transistor. The power transistor 578 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:33,080 Speaker 1: is center of the dashboard, just to the left of 579 00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 1: the blowercase. It's got a blue black, blue, red, blue, yellow, 580 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:41,120 Speaker 1: and a black wire. It's a four pin resistor, and 581 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:46,400 Speaker 1: they're they're common to fail. Now, if yeah, they're they're 582 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:50,800 Speaker 1: very common to fail, I would I would be focusing 583 00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:52,600 Speaker 1: on that. I would find a repair shop if you're 584 00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:55,000 Speaker 1: not comfortable doing any of this testing, to let them 585 00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:57,120 Speaker 1: focus on it and let them follow up on it. 586 00:31:57,520 --> 00:32:00,280 Speaker 1: But it wouldn't it wouldn't be the most absurd to 587 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:03,480 Speaker 1: find a bad one of those, all right, if you 588 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:05,520 Speaker 1: can pay go ahead. 589 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 3: When we went it run for hours, I mean, it's 590 00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:10,760 Speaker 3: never an issue once it's on, and it's never been 591 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:15,680 Speaker 3: an issue with her, and that's why by testing this stuff, 592 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:18,040 Speaker 3: he had it in your shop. Is there some way 593 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:21,240 Speaker 3: of locating this problem when there's not a problem. I 594 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 3: know that's a silly question. 595 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:26,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, listen, I can also, you know, I 596 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:29,920 Speaker 1: have the ability. I have certain things. I can freeze components, 597 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:33,400 Speaker 1: I can heat components, I can vibration test components. But 598 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:36,480 Speaker 1: you know, like Spock set the Captain Kirk and the 599 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:38,920 Speaker 1: voyage home, sometimes you got to take your best guess. 600 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:42,240 Speaker 1: This is my best guest, Captain. I did that this week. 601 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:43,600 Speaker 1: I can't think of the car. I'll tell you about 602 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:45,240 Speaker 1: it when we come back, if you're still listening. But 603 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:48,400 Speaker 1: we had a car this week, Oh, the PT Cruiser 604 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:50,400 Speaker 1: that I was talking about in the open. I got 605 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:52,040 Speaker 1: to the point where I said, you know what, Dorman, 606 00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:54,880 Speaker 1: this is my best guess. Let's start with a thermostad. 607 00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:57,760 Speaker 1: And she said it to me. She said, like McCoy 608 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 1: told Spock, sometimes you got to take your best guess. 609 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:01,520 Speaker 1: And that's just the way it is, and it works 610 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:03,800 Speaker 1: in order repair. So far, I've guessed right. Let me 611 00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:05,400 Speaker 1: know what happens, Charlie. I'm here for you. If you 612 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:07,400 Speaker 1: need more, I'm ronnin Andy and the car doctor. I'll 613 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:29,560 Speaker 1: be back right after this. You know, maybe, and it's important, 614 00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:33,440 Speaker 1: and maybe this is the importance of maintenance that if 615 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:36,080 Speaker 1: you're doing maintenance, and if you do your due diligence 616 00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:39,520 Speaker 1: and you do your regular maintenance and you take proper 617 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:44,480 Speaker 1: care of your vehicle, maybe when you have a specific 618 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:47,440 Speaker 1: problem that's a little obtuse, that's a little abstract, that's 619 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:50,959 Speaker 1: a little off the wall, maintenance kind of erases some 620 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:52,800 Speaker 1: of the possibilities, and it helps you get to a 621 00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:58,680 Speaker 1: diagnostic conclusion faster because it's actually easier for the technician 622 00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:03,120 Speaker 1: and cheaper for the customer to diagnose a maintained vehicle 623 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:08,640 Speaker 1: than an unmaintained vehicle. An unmaintained vehicle steers you in 624 00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:11,120 Speaker 1: the face. And there's just too many possibilities in too 625 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:14,839 Speaker 1: many scenarios, especially since the advent of computerization, which has 626 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:18,719 Speaker 1: been going on for forty years now. So when I 627 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:21,200 Speaker 1: start to think about some of the problem cars, this hour, 628 00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:26,400 Speaker 1: all right, the transmission on the land Cruiser. So we 629 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:28,480 Speaker 1: did fluid service. It happened right after that. Let's make 630 00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:31,279 Speaker 1: it easy. Let's go for fluid level. Then let's talk 631 00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:33,440 Speaker 1: about how can we go about doing our testing and 632 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:35,919 Speaker 1: it was a real quick it's step one, step two 633 00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:38,600 Speaker 1: for the blower motor. There's not really a lot of 634 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:42,799 Speaker 1: maintenance here, but the diagnostic steps are it's this and this, 635 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:45,120 Speaker 1: and then you get to the point in the eighty 636 00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:47,359 Speaker 1: five percentile where well, then it has to be. This 637 00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:50,839 Speaker 1: is most common because sometimes guessing is required and part 638 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:53,000 Speaker 1: of order repair. And the day it's not as the 639 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:55,960 Speaker 1: day manufacturers tell you'd never tell you again to have 640 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,719 Speaker 1: to substitute with a known good part, I'm on an 641 00:34:58,719 --> 00:35:00,319 Speaker 1: ady and the card doctor that till the next time. 642 00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:02,840 Speaker 1: Good mechanics aren't expensive, they're priceless. 643 00:35:03,120 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 3: See you m