Exploring the world of aftermarket electronics, this episode dives into the balance between convenience and potential electrical nightmares. Host Nile Modermal Jenkins shares essential tips for enthusiasts looking to accessorize their vehicles without falling into common pitfalls, such as wiring issues and dashboard warning lights. With a mix of humor and practical advice, listeners will gain insights into what to consider before adding gadgets to their cars. The episode also highlights the importance of understanding your vehicle's electrical system to avoid costly mistakes.
Adding aftermarket electronics to your vehicle - light bars, fog lights, gadgets, trailer wiring, and interior accessories - can be convenient, but it can also turn into an electrical nightmare. In this episode we break down why cutting into factory wiring without a licensed installer is a recipe for failure, how poor installs lead to electrical fires, and why insurance companies can deny claims when undocumented aftermarket modifications are involved. If you're upgrading your vehicle, this episode explains how to protect your car, your wallet, and your coverage.
More episodes and ...project details & links are available at Car Connection Business Network.com (ccbusnet.com) you'll find everything on our home page if you'd like to follow the build/repair work we do & connect with our program partners click on their logo to connect with them Thank You !
Grab some Car Connection Motormouth Merch in our online store, to help those struggling with addiction get the help they need at Total Freedom Addiction Campuses Canada & USA, where a New Life Awaits them there! Nile Motormouth Jenkins. Tnx for watching & Listening Friends, Happy Healthy Motoring, Peace Patience Kindness Always.
"But anyhow, adding accessories that are non factory to your automobile will and has caused issues. Should there be an electrical nightmare that sparks a fire on your vehicle?"
Non-factory accessories are parts or gadgets you add to your car that didn't come with it when you bought it. If they're not installed properly, they can cause problems like electrical fires.
Non-factory accessories refer to aftermarket parts or modifications added to a vehicle that were not included by the manufacturer. These can sometimes lead to electrical issues if not installed correctly.
"And yes, there's techs out there and facilities where you get that stuff done. And that gives you an invoice, a reference number, and a tech number."
A trained installer is someone who knows how to put new parts or gadgets in your car correctly. They make sure everything works well and safely.
A trained installer is a professional who has the skills and knowledge to properly install aftermarket parts or accessories in a vehicle. Their expertise can help prevent issues related to improper installation.
"...it was on a Mercury Sable. How many are you use use out there remember those car from hell? Literally, that was Christine times two..."
The Mercury Sable is a car that was made by the Mercury brand, which was part of Ford. It was popular in the 80s and 90s but had some problems that made it hard to work on and less reliable.
The Mercury Sable was a mid-size car produced by Ford's Mercury division from 1985 to 2005. It was known for its spacious interior and was often criticized for its reliability issues.
"...dripping onto the catalytic converter and it caught fire. And it started the engine bay wiring harness on fire up near the firewall."
The catalytic converter is a part of the car's exhaust system that helps clean up the gases that come out of the engine, making them less harmful to the environment.
A catalytic converter is an exhaust emission control device that reduces harmful pollutants in the exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine. It converts toxic gases into less harmful emissions before they exit the vehicle's exhaust system.
"...no service lights when we were done. But the whole engine bay harness had to come out."
The engine bay wiring harness is like a bundle of wires that connects all the electrical parts in the engine area of the car, helping them work together.
The engine bay wiring harness is a collection of wires and connectors that transmit electrical power and signals to various components in the engine compartment. It is crucial for the operation of the vehicle's electrical systems and components.
"...had to go into the wrecking yard and harvest an engine bay harness, which is not much fun."
A wrecking yard is a place where old cars are taken apart so people can buy parts from them. It's a good way to find cheaper parts for repairs.
A wrecking yard, also known as a salvage yard or junkyard, is a place where damaged or old vehicles are dismantled for parts. Customers can purchase used parts from these vehicles at a lower cost compared to new ones.
"And one of the biggest things is these backup cameras, it's great now that they're wireless. Those things will so quickly cause a problem if it's not done properly."
Backup cameras are cameras on the back of a car that help you see what's behind you when you're backing up. They make it easier to avoid hitting things.
Backup cameras are safety features that provide a view of the area behind a vehicle when reversing. They help drivers avoid obstacles and improve safety, especially in tight spaces.
"And one of the biggest things is these backup cameras, it's great now that they're wireless. Those things will so quickly cause a problem if it's not done properly. So anything added aftermarket, so non factory accessories need to be installed correctly."
Aftermarket accessories are things you add to your car after buying it, like new speakers or a backup camera. They need to be installed the right way to work properly.
Aftermarket accessories are parts or features added to a vehicle after it has left the factory. These can include anything from upgraded sound systems to performance enhancements, but they must be installed correctly to avoid issues.
"They need to be properly fused. They can't be hacked into wiring."
Fused wiring means that the electrical parts in your car have a safety feature called a fuse. If something goes wrong, the fuse will blow to stop any damage.
Fused wiring refers to electrical circuits that include a fuse to protect against overload. This is important in automotive applications to prevent electrical fires and damage to components.
"...with that. In other words, can the vehicle you're making model that you're driving be happy with..."
The service light is a warning light on your dashboard that tells you when your car needs maintenance or if there's a problem. It's important to pay attention to it to keep your car running well.
A service light is an indicator on the dashboard that alerts the driver to maintenance needs or potential issues with the vehicle. It can signal anything from routine maintenance reminders to more serious problems that require immediate attention.
"...a remote starter package that's not on there from the factory. I can't tell you the number of remote starter packages that were added by somebody..."
A remote starter lets you start your car from far away, so you can heat it up or cool it down before you get in. It's usually added after the car is made, not something that comes with the car from the factory.
A remote starter is an aftermarket device that allows a vehicle to be started from a distance using a key fob or smartphone app. It can be convenient for warming up the car in cold weather or cooling it down in hot weather.
"...what was the last aftermarket accessory that you had? Oh, you know, I had a neighbor put a, you know, a remote starter on it..."
Aftermarket accessories are things you can add to your car after you buy it, like new speakers or a remote starter. They are not included when the car is first made.
Aftermarket accessories are parts or features added to a vehicle after it has been manufactured. These can include anything from remote starters to custom wheels or audio systems, and they are not covered by the original manufacturer's warranty.
"So trailer wiring. Another huge pet peeve for me. Oh, my goodness, fellas, don't touch it. Please don't."
Trailer wiring is the electrical setup that connects your car to a trailer. It helps the trailer's lights and brakes work when you're towing it. It's important to do this correctly for safety.
Trailer wiring refers to the electrical connections made between a vehicle and a trailer to enable the trailer's lights and brakes to function properly. Proper installation is crucial for safety and compliance with regulations.
"And when I look at the connections, I'm going, Oh, I don't know why there's a problem here. Scotch locks, Scotch"
Scotch locks are connectors that let you join two wires without needing to solder them. However, they can sometimes cause problems if not used properly, especially in cars.
Scotch locks are a type of electrical connector used to splice wires together without the need for soldering. They are often criticized for being unreliable, especially in automotive applications, as they can lead to poor connections and electrical issues.
"if there's an electrical fire anywhere on that vehicle, and the adjuster comes out and looks..."
An electrical fire in a car happens when something goes wrong with the car's wiring or electrical parts, causing it to catch fire. It's very dangerous and can ruin the car.
An electrical fire in a vehicle can occur due to faulty wiring, short circuits, or malfunctioning electrical components. It poses a significant safety risk and can lead to extensive damage.
"Oh, who installed the trailer hitch? Why? Who wants to know? Well, we have to know."
A trailer hitch is a part you attach to your car so you can pull a trailer behind it. It's what lets you carry extra stuff, like a boat or a camper.
A trailer hitch is a device attached to a vehicle that allows it to tow a trailer or other load. It is essential for transporting items like boats, campers, or cargo trailers.
"They're going to deny the claim. Now what? Now what? Was it worth the savings? No."
Claim denial is when your insurance company says they won't pay for the damage to your car. This can happen if they think something you did caused the problem.
Claim denial refers to an insurance company's refusal to pay for a claim, often due to policy exclusions or issues related to the cause of the damage. This can happen if modifications to a vehicle are not approved.
"...It would have been a bidding war to get that Jeep. Absolutely. Because it was gorgeous..."
A bidding war is when several people want to buy something and they keep offering more money to outbid each other. This can happen at auctions for cars.
A bidding war occurs when multiple buyers compete to purchase an item, driving the price higher as they place increasingly higher bids against each other. This is common in auctions and can apply to cars as well.
"...Leather interior was, she kept it in mint condition. And I looked at the damage..."
Mint condition means the car looks and works like it's brand new. It hasn't been damaged or worn out at all.
Mint condition refers to a vehicle that is in perfect or near-perfect condition, showing little to no signs of wear or damage. This term is often used in car sales to indicate a well-maintained vehicle.
"...that deems the vehicle a non-runner, they don't want to touch it because the claim can..."
A non-runner is a car that can't be driven because it's broken or damaged. It needs repairs before it can be used again.
A non-runner is a vehicle that cannot be driven due to mechanical issues, damage, or other factors that prevent it from operating. This term is often used in the context of buying or selling cars that require significant repairs.
"...just don't do it, whether it's add on fog lights, these light bars on the four-wheel drives and hacking..."
Add-on fog lights are extra lights you can attach to your car to help you see better when it's foggy or dark. They shine low to the ground to reduce glare for other drivers.
Add-on fog lights are auxiliary lights mounted on a vehicle to improve visibility in foggy or low-light conditions. They are designed to illuminate the road immediately in front of the vehicle without causing glare for oncoming drivers.
"...you got speaker wire that they use to hook up the accessory LED lights that light up the forest so much that the deer can floss..."
LED lights are a type of light that uses less energy and lasts longer than regular bulbs. They're often used in cars for things like headlights and interior lights because they shine brightly.
LED lights, or Light Emitting Diodes, are a type of lighting technology that is energy-efficient and long-lasting. They are commonly used in automotive applications for headlights, taillights, and interior lighting due to their brightness and low power consumption.
"...create, rebuild a muscle car or a custom car once a year and then raffle it off, proceeds going to one of the programs that we're tied in with..."
A custom car is a car that has been changed from its original design to make it look different or go faster. People often personalize them to show their style.
A custom car is a vehicle that has been modified to enhance its performance, appearance, or both. These modifications can include changes to the engine, body, interior, and more, making each custom car unique to its owner's preferences.
"...create, rebuild a muscle car or a custom car once a year and then raffle it off, proceeds going to one of the programs that we're tied in with..."
Muscle cars are fast cars that usually have big engines. They became popular in the U.S. in the 1960s and 70s and are known for their power and cool designs.
A muscle car is a high-performance vehicle, typically featuring a powerful V8 engine, designed for straight-line speed and acceleration. They are often associated with American automotive culture from the 1960s and 1970s, emphasizing performance and style.
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Well, good morning Niagara, you're tuned into car connection where the coffee's hot,
the tools are ready and the talk is always tuned up.
I'm your host, Nile Modermal Jenkins, coming to you straight from the car connection workshop
where we mix a little humor, a little know-how and a whole lot of horsepower.
Here it's not just about fixing cars, it's about keeping you rolling, saving you money
and giving you the confidence to understand what's under that hood.
From the classics, to the commuters, the weird noises, to the what the heck moments we've got you
covered. So grab your coffee, sit back, you're just spinning through the drive-thru, double check
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Join the crew because this is car connection.
You're Monday through Saturday morning, Modermal Morning Drive.
It's your pit stop for stories, smarts, a few good laughs and I'm Nile Modermal Jenkins
and we're shifting into drive right here in the car connection workshop this morning.
Well, welcome aboard if you're joining us for the very first time.
We love, love, love our brand new listeners for joining us and we do a few quirky things.
It's okay, you'll get into the routine, into the groove and if your coffee's not your thing,
our morning beverage and our morning swiggy together is whatever that proponent.
You like that word? Proponent is for you. So let's have our morning swiggy.
We'll get our daily weather report hooked up and ready to go. So we count it down on three, two,
one and we have a morning swiggy together. Three, two, one. Yes.
Yeah, that's working. Yeah, it's even hot. I can't believe that.
Ah, fabulous, fabulous. So remember, double check your order every time you go through the drive
through. Why? It just avoids, you know, that day not getting started off right, if you know what
I'm saying. Yeah, you can kind of a little right hand turn into the rhubarb patch for not careful.
Hand over the 16 pack of crayons to the co-pilot this morning in the leaf bag so they've got lots
of writing material. Just tell them it's a new touchscreen laptop. Your crayons are just for
backup. Yeah, we're covering this morning. Here's the topic. You're ready for this one
and I'll tell you what, this one just, it gives me gas just thinking about it.
Aftermarket electronics. Convenience versus electrical nightmares. Oh yeah,
we haven't seen that one before. That's a new one. No it isn't. Stuff you need to know before
you start adding things, accessorizing. Oh, that looks like an interesting gadget, gizmo and
thingamabob. Yeah, before you just get, you know, your skippy next door to hack into your wiring
and install it. Yeah, I got it. I got it done. And then you have to live with the Christmas tree of
lights in the, in the digitals on the display. Yeah, right in front of you. Yeah, not good.
So we're going to, we're going to rip that one open this morning and talk about that. There's
things you really must know. Well, this morning's weather report brought to us by Niagara Block.
Thank you to the Grimoire family for making this podcast possible. Niagara blocks are located at
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Yeah, fix the problems. Yeah, because the backyard looked like it just barely survived the Beirut
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All right, this morning's forecast brought to us by Niagara block.
And I want 5,000 mantras from Niagara Falls. Well, yesterday, I got to I got to make a comment
on yesterday because I was doing tire pressure checks yesterday. I was on that duty. So I had my
air hoses outside making sure everything is as pumped. We would pump you up. Okay. And we did.
We hit a balmy 43 degrees yesterday. And I'll tell you, snow was a melting and I was out there
cheering it on. You go come on, you can do it. And the piles have shrunk. I have to say I can
actually see some ground surface. The roads are not totally bare at all yet. But they were slushy
and brown and gooey yesterday. So we had a balmy 43 today. The high for today is going to be 33.
That's that's not too shabby considering where we've been. But here's the full forecast 28 degrees
right now. And snowing. Yes. Wind is making it feel colder about 15 degrees. Yeah, I got to go to
the curb later. It's curb day today. Partly cloudy conditions from 7am to 9am with cloudy conditions
expected around 9am. And today's temperature range be from 22 degrees to 33. And that's
in Fahrenheit. I'm not talking Celsius. Okay, that's a tool of the devil that cost me a stink
of fortune and tools. When I was still putting myself through school. It can feel like
nine to 30 degrees with the wind. 9 degrees to 30 degrees. So I don't see, you know, again,
precipitation, they got zeros there zero inches. And then they're saying it's snowing and it is
it's snowing here in the south shores of Lake Erie. And I did have a I did go down and have a
little Google over the word like I'm going to take some pictures. And I'll let Skippy create some kind
of a real we'll post that up on our Facebook and Instagram page. The lake is it's amazing. I mean,
the mountainous stacks of ice. And I'll go up and I'll actually take some pictures of the ice
caves for you. So those who are tuning in from like Paraguay and other parts of the United
States, the Americas, all over the world that you can have a look at what ice caves look like. So
I'll shoot, I'll shoot a little bit of video, take some still shots down at what we call Waverly
Beach. It's big signs up there saying danger. Use at your own risk. Well, I don't think I'm going in
swimming, buddy. Not today. Not today. So take it easy out there. Temperatures are dropping. You
can hit some black ice. We don't want you to do that spill your coffee, heaven forbid. That should
not happen. But it does. It does happen. So talking this morning about electronics,
aftermarket. This isn't factory stuff. This is aftermarket electronics, convenience
versus electrical nightmares. And the first thing I want to talk about is insurance companies.
Yeah. Don't get me started on that because you know what? It takes days for me to come down. The
blood pressure just gets up there and it stays. It stays. Yeah. Insurance companies always kind of
seeing it's like they look for a back door to say we can't cover that. Yeah. The deductibles on that
is that's going to be over 30 grand. What? 30 grand was only like 500 before. Well, you know,
all things are not the way they used to be the world spinning in the opposite direction.
Bare metric pressure is not right. You know, these things change. Everything changes. I'm being a bit
sarcastic just so so you know, it's because everything's an excuse, right? Anything. Well,
you know, I saw a gray and white pigeon yesterday instead of a brownish red one. So you know,
prices change because things change. Give me a break. But anyhow, adding accessories that are
non factory to your automobile will and has caused issues. Should there be an electrical nightmare
that sparks a fire on your vehicle? They look for that stuff. So if you've added something that has
an electronic or electric gadget, gadget, gizmo thingy, me a whatnot
into your vehicle, and it has not been installed by a trained installer. And yes,
there's techs out there and facilities where you get that stuff done. And that gives you an invoice,
a reference number, and a tech number. Having that in your hand. And when buddy says, well,
you know, who put the accessories in right here? Oh, you have the paperwork. Yep. That's what you
need. So you can shut them down. And I love that part. Let me tell you, I am a paper, paper machete
guru. I push paper had pushed paper for a long time. And if you came to the studio, I just
went through all my file drawers. Yep. I call myself filing. And no, I don't wear a skirt or
anything. Yeah. Can't tell you. But the files are all in order. If I have a piece of equipment
that we've added to the shop floor, it gets a file, what goes in there, any maintenance,
any parts purchased for that, that unit, whatever, I got it covered. And I love to be
able that they go, oh, do you have paperwork on that? Yep, right here. Oh, that never happens.
You have paperwork. So I say that in a little bit of a jest, but have your paperwork. Yeah,
create a file on your vehicle so that anything aftermarket gets added to it must be done by a
licensed tech and a distributor that to that we were where you've purchased that component
to have it installed, then you're safe. Should there be a sparkage somewhere in the electoral
electricals on your car and it starts a fire, you don't want them back having a backdoor,
you want to lock that down tight. You know, you don't have a neighbor install something. No,
you don't attempt it yourself. If you've never done it before, you're not licensed.
So that's what you got to keep in mind is if you have this gadget gizmo or electronic doodad that
is a must have that is not in your fitted into your vehicle from the factory, then you know what?
You've got you're going to have to pay to protect yourself because I had that happen on two occasions
in our own shop on the Hamilton Mountain, big fire underneath the in the engine bay.
It was on a I can totally remember it a mercury sable. How many are you use use out there remember
those car from hell? Literally, that was Christine times two. Absolutely. It was they were brutal
and brutal to work on. God had an engine bay fire. Yeah, it was legit.
It wasn't something that was added to the car was an engine bay fire and I'll tell you what the
insurance was dancing to get out of that claim. They were looking for something even if it was
just an accessory trunk light that you installed yourself. Boom. That's an out. But they couldn't
find it. It was determined to be a bit of an oil leak back in the motor,
dripping onto the catalytic converter and it caught fire. And it started the engine bay
wiring harness on fire up near the firewall. And they decided to fix it. And I'll tell you that
was a project. Holy smokes. Yes, it was to get that vehicle back together. It was brutal. But we
pulled it off. We pulled it off and no service lights when we were done. But the whole engine
bay harness had to come out. I had to couldn't buy one wasn't available, had to go into the
wrecking yard and harvest an engine bay harness, which is not much fun. And make sure I cut myself
a lot of extra wiring so I could fix this into it. But anyways, you don't want to go there.
Because that's the first area they're going to look for. Is there anything on this vehicle
that should not be here? And if it is here, do you have the paperwork to back it up that shows
it was installed properly at a installation center and there's a licensed installation tech
number on the invoice, they're going to look for it all so they can get a back door. So don't
leave yourself wide open. And one of the biggest things is these backup cameras, it's great now
that they're wireless. Those things will so quickly cause a problem if it's not done properly. So
anything added aftermarket, so non factory accessories need to be installed correctly.
They need to be properly fused. They can't be hacked into wiring. We cannot cut and splice into
wiring like you used to on you know, like your 78 1978 whatnot, whatever you were driving.
Or even early 80s, very early 80s, you could still, you know, mutilate your wiring and the car was
run and there was no service light. Yeah. And when the service lights first came out, it was a
little flashing little red light. It was brilliant. I can't even talk about it. I needed therapy back
then. I think all of us is techs. Yeah, counting the flashes. How many flashes was that?
The phone starts ringing. Oh, I got to start the sequence again because the light would flash.
And stop. Now that you had to count the number of flashes that was the first number of a two
piece number. Okay. So pause. That's three and one. So that's 31 code 31. Yeah, that's what we went
through. It was insane. But anyways, prior to that, yeah, you could dice and splice and Moulin X
and make Julian fries out of your, your electricals in your car and you'd probably still be okay until
it starts on fire while you're driving down the road and you got to get pulled off and the car
fills up with smoke and you spilled your coffee on the passenger side floor. Yeah. And you clip
something. You're not sure what it was another driver or mailbox, whatever. And you get to the
side of the road in the cars like blazing saddles right there on the side of the road. Yeah, you
don't want that. Not good. In today's world, we cannot hack dice, slice, Moulin X, make Julian
fries out of any wiring anywhere on any component, any part of your vehicle because it changes
resistance in the wiring. Cut a piece of wire out quarter inch and splice it back together.
Watch what happens. Fudge factor 10 comes down on you like burning hellfire. Yeah, not good. You
end up with a car that's got a service light coming on at random and no one can figure it out.
And one of the worst components to add on afterwards and making sure that the manufacturer is okay
with that. In other words, can the vehicle you're making model that you're driving be happy with
a remote starter package that's not on there from the factory. I can't tell you the number of remote
starter packages that were added by somebody, not mentioning any names,
not at a accessory installation shop and having to take it off because the car was doing
bizarre electrical problems constantly. And it came down to I disconnect. I'd say,
have you had anything installed on this and you know, like the last
couple of years? How long has this been going on? Oh, it's been going on for a while.
I go, what was what was the last aftermarket accessory that you had? Oh, you know, I had a
my neighbor put a, you know, a remote starter on it. I love that thing. I said, I'm going to disconnect
it and drive the car for a week. Let's see what happens. Give me a call. Let me know where we're
at. Calls me cars perfect. No problems. What did you do? I go, I disconnected the remote car
starter system. I totally discombubrated it. It doesn't exist. According to the factory wiring.
Oh, but I really like that. Can we reattach it? I go, yeah, I can reattach it in minutes. No charge.
But you're going to have the bells and whistles back on and drive ability issues.
And sometimes it won't even start. It won't even crank over because it interferes. The system is
wireless. It interferes with the electronics on the car. So these are things we dealt with
and you can still deal with it if you don't handle it properly. It's best if you're buying a vehicle,
if it's already equipped with a factory remote starter. If that's important to you,
you need to, and you're ordering a vehicle, order it with the factory remote starter on it.
So you know what's there is what the car likes. Not to say that the aftermarket stuff isn't any
good. It is. There's some great stuff out there. You don't want to be buying, you know, like a 39.95
remote starter kit. No. You want to make sure that you're going to an installation center that
adds accessory items. They do it properly without creating a mess with your factory wiring. And
they'll do the research to make sure that your vehicle can accept that particular accessory,
whatever it is. You don't want to get upside down and sideways. You paid a fortune to have this
unit installed. And now the car's got problems. Service light lives on the dash in the instrument
cluster forever and ever. Amen. And you know, you've got a vehicle that's got an electrical problem
now created because if the service light is forever on, if there is another challenge that's real,
the computer can't put the light on again. If the light is already on, we've talked about
that before. Yeah, if the light's already on in your kitchen, can you turn it on again?
If it's already on, can you on on it again? I don't know if you can. Is that a
is that a technical thing? Would you turn the kitchen light on dear on on on again?
Well, it's already on. Well, can you on on it again? Yeah, it doesn't work, right? Sounds silly.
It does. But that's how your car works. If the service light is on,
it can't on on it again. So I can't let you know what's going on because it's already on.
Yeah. Okay, we better move on before I digress on that one. So trailer wiring.
Another huge pet peeve for me. Oh, my goodness, fellas, don't touch it. Please don't. Do not
know no times no plus no equals no divided by no is no no. Don't touch it. If you're not
again, if you're not a factory aftermarket accessory installer, no, you're not touching that.
Not today, not tomorrow, not next week. I have had to pull some spaghetti out. And when I look
at the connections, I'm going, Oh, I don't know why there's a problem here. Scotch locks, Scotch
lock connectors. I don't even allow them in the shop. Yeah, it's a quick, squeezy connector thingy,
not a butt connector. That's different. I don't use those either. I solder my wires. I shrink tube
and tape. That's what I do. Solder shrink tube tape. I got a positive connection. I've sealed it
with the shrink wrap and put tape on it as well. Electrical tape good for like minus 200.
Yeah, so it doesn't go crispy. Snap off. Yeah, that's how you do it. Plug and play.
So if you're looking, you know, this summer, you know, you bought a little trailer or a little
towed up a towed up behind something or other to machine behind you, and you have to have wiring
for the trailer lights and whatnot, plug and play. That's what you're going to do. You're not saving
a dollar. You're not saving $50 plug and play. What am I talking about? You order the wiring harness
with the accessories for that trailer hitch that you you unplug your lighting from the back of
the your car, your year make model, you plug the lights into the harness, and then you now have
trailer, a trailer plug that is plug and play. It's plugged into the existing harness connectors
for the tail lights all as well. And then let's not just ball that wiring up and stuff it up
in behind the bumper, or I see it hanging out, you know, the pinch it in the trunk lid, and you
stuff it under the stow and go in the back of the minivan. Come on. No, that's not how we do it.
Yeah, my pops had something like that installed where he bought his last vehicle. And you know what,
they did they didn't want to take the time to route the wiring. So they just told them,
well, you know, just, you know, before you close the the hatch, the automatic hatch, I have to say.
Yeah, just stuff the wiring, you know, lift the panel up where your spare tire is just stuff it
in there. So you got to wire over your bumper inside underneath the hatch. Who does that?
A lot of you. That's my answer for you. A lot of you do that. No. No, no, no. No, we route it
properly. Make sure it's not going to get cut into make sure it's not dragging on the road.
Make sure that the plug is safe and buy a really, really, really nice install wiring kit. I've done
two of them for myself. I've gone on I found a company that does have store on the jungle website
and amazing setup for trailers. So no matter what I what trailer I would pull up to, I have
the plug in for it right there on the assembly. So if it's a seven wire, round one, boom, I can
plug into it. If it's a flat bar, I can plug into it. And trailer breaks all in one complete setup
with the wiring plug and play. It wasn't that expensive. It was like, I think $60 plus tax
was worth it. Good, really good quality. American made it was not made in, you know, China or
offshore somewhere. So you want to make sure that even if you're doing that, it should be done by a
licensed tech that is an aftermarket accessory licensed installer. Because even something like
that, if there's an electrical fire anywhere on that vehicle, and the adjuster comes out and looks
they're gonna they're looking for accessories. That's what they're looking for. What caused the
electrical fire? Oh, who installed the trailer hitch? Why? Who wants to know? Well, we have to
know. Do I do you need names? Yeah, who did it? I did. Oh, you did. Did you do the wiring for the
trailer? Hitch the trailer? I might have. Maybe sort of kind of. Yeah, I did it.
They're going to deny the claim. Now what? Now what? Was it worth the savings? No.
These wacky headlights, all these accessories and stuff out there. Hey, if you love that stuff,
I used to install lighting and you name it when I worked with Peterbilt. I don't know. I got
designated to be the dude because I had the patience for that bunk skirt lights, all kinds of, you know,
half fenders, full fenders, quarter fenders with lights, bunk lights, microwave, adding stuff into
the high rise bunk. I did that. That's what I did. So when that was ordered, that's what I,
that's what came to my service bay. Yeah. So you got to do it right. You don't need a fire. You
don't need electrical fire that deems your car just a pile of scrap after, even though it's, you
know, it looks like a car, smells like a car. It doesn't drive anymore. You've had a burnout in the
main wire harness and insurance just goes, no, we're not fixing it. They're not fixing a whole
lot of stuff anymore. You know, like my neighbor's car, Jeep that got hit, T-boned a couple of minutes
from home. I looked at it and I go, yeah, that should be fixed in, you know, a little under a month.
Nope, wrote it off just like that. I'll guarantee you today that her Jeep
got bought up an online insurance auction, got fixed, and it's back on the road somewhere.
I guarantee you that. That thing would have got scarfed over and, and bid on. It would have been
a bidding war to get that Jeep. Absolutely. Because it was gorgeous. Leather interior was,
she kept it in mint condition. And I looked at the damage and I'm going, yeah, it needs that and
needs this panel and that can be pulled out and that'll all be good. No, wrote it right off. Didn't
even think about it. It's done. And so I talked to a body shop that I sent her out to and he said,
you know, they're not fixing anything. So if you have electrical fire under the hood or in the trunk
or somewhere that deems the vehicle a non-runner, they don't want to touch it because the claim can
be opened and reopened for like a year and they don't want to do paperwork. Oh, you know, my service
light came on. It must be related to the fire. Oh, my service lights back on must be related to the
fire. They don't want that. Just make it go away. Gone. Simple as that. So aftermarket accessories
to sum it all up convenience versus electrical nightmares. The convenience is not worth the
electrical nightmares. It is not. If you're not going to put the money out, bottom line, you're
not going to put the money out to have an aftermarket accessory installer shop and license
tech to do those things. Do it. Don't touch it. Don't let the name do it. Don't let, you know,
no, my kid's friend of a friend of a friend, he did it on his own car. Good. He did it on his own
car. Leave it at that. No, if you don't have that paperwork, like I said at the beginning of the
program, where there is an incident, there is a fire, electrical fire and the car didn't burn out,
but now it doesn't run and things aren't working. And every light known to mankind is on in the
instrument cluster in front of you. They're going to write it off. But they're not going to pay it
out if you can't produce paperwork. So that's where I was going with this whole conversation.
If you don't have paperwork that says I didn't do it myself, here's the company,
here's the date, here's the amount, here's the text number. If you don't have that, it's over.
And yes, she's singing. She is singing extremely loud. And now you, these words do not work.
Oh, but I didn't know. I didn't know that. It's your job as a consumer, not to be a
con consumer, but be a professional consumer, a pro-sumer. That's what we all must be in order
to keep our heads out of deep water. And with the electricals, just don't do it, whether it's
add on fog lights, these light bars on the four-wheel drives and hacking. I've already seen
stuff and I'm like going, oh, dear God in heaven, who did that? Open the hood, you got speaker wire
that they use to hook up the accessory LED lights that light up the forest so much that the deer
can floss. Yeah, they start flossing. Yeah. Yeah, we don't do that stuff. You can't do that stuff.
You know, whatever gadgetry it is, once again, reiterate. Yes, they sell those accessories.
No, they are not responsible for selling you the accessory. No, they're not responsible for the
installation and who puts it in? No, times no, divided by no, still equals no. That's not paperwork.
Oh, well, I bought it here, the big W store or the big C store. Doesn't matter. That's not paperwork.
What they want is who and where was it installed? And the tech, the text license number is an
aftermarket accessory installer. They have their own license and the facility as well. So,
if you're not buying it there, having it installed there, don't do it. That's my end bit for you,
just like that. Thank you to our friends at Rainbow Motors, the brothers, Rita and Ramiz
Shenouda for taking great care for all these years up in the Scarborough area. Sales and service,
yes, you can trust. They have a small car lot there. They do carry some inventory.
But if you're looking for a vehicle specific, you need to get in touch with them, let them know
what you're looking for, because they have the resources to find it. And better to have service
techs that know what they're looking at, not buying somebody else's junk, because they don't sell
any junk there. So, sales and service, you can trust. They fix and service all years, makes
and models of automobiles up to and including light commercial vehicles as well. Vehicles that
they sell, some of them qualify for an extended aftermarket warranty, which can be a really good
thing. And they do carry a couple of companies that I am familiar with that are pretty decent
when it comes to aftermarket warranty. So, for all your sales and service up in the Scarborough area,
Rainbow Motors and Garage, sales and service, you can definitely trust. And thank you to
Crystal Ridge Dream Center for all that they do in the community, serving men, women, children,
single mom, meals, loves, hope, programs that are all available to the school kids after school.
They feed them, they mentor them, they help them with their homework. They do chocolate bingo.
They won't let me go. I've tried. Yeah. Anyways, sounds good. The kids have a ton of fun with that.
They do movie nights for them. They get music lessons if they want that. So much going on for
all age groups, you know, small humans, big humans, changing lives one at a time in the
Niagara region. They put meals out the door every Tuesday and Fridays. And they're well over 200
meals, which is very unusual, but in the economy that we're in, it's kind of the norm. So in times
when community sport is crucial, Crystal Ridge Dream Center shines as a beacon of compassion
and transformation located on Derby 385 Derby Road in Crystal Beach. They have things for the
community. So check them out. Click on their logo on our homepage or website and search your heart.
What could you do to help there? You know, could you volunteer? Could you donate once a month?
Could you send some gift cards? Because they get no outside government funding whatsoever.
They have to create the funds to run the programs that they have. So they have community kitchen,
youth impact, moms supporting moms, drop in luncheon, school of music and performing arts,
living free, adopt the block. They have so much for the individual, the family and the community.
That's what they do. And we always have aligned ourselves, our connection with a non-profit
faith-based organization that is serving the community in our own backyard. And that's what's
important to us. So what we're working towards in here, I'm going to close out with this because,
you know, we have not because we ask not. And I like to keep you in the loop what we're doing.
So from this podcast to our YouTube channel, which teaches you all the basic fundamentals
as I work on stuff and repair things in the shop, I talk about how it works. So what it is,
where it is, how it works, how it breaks, and how you can get a better understanding
of the basics on your automobile so that you know what, you can arm yourself with knowledge.
So instead of sitting back and going, I don't know nothing. I don't know nothing about a car.
You will, from those videos, you will understand where the fluids are, what they are,
how you test them, and the like. Just this week, this week, we shot another battery test. How to
check a battery that I had to go and remove from a single mom's car that it was a no start,
like nothing, not a click, not a sys boom bang, nothing. And brought it back to the shop,
see if we can bring it back to life because it was stone cold, dead. And I think I may have,
I think I may have saved it. It's taken a few days, but I think it's going to come back.
So that battery is now almost 300 bucks. That's a lot of money for a single mom,
you know, trying to raise a couple kids. Isn't it? It's a lot of money. I'll tell you,
if I lose a tuning in the driveway, I'm tripping you before you get to it before I do. Yeah,
I'm just letting you know. That's the way I work. So I really, really like working with
nonprofit faith-based organizations that are working in our own backyard. We want to be able to
create, rebuild a muscle car or a custom car once a year and then raffle it off, proceeds going to
one of the programs that we're tied in with. Yeah, one of the local community programs like
Crystal Ridge Dream Center, Total Freedom, they need our help to run the programs that they
don't charge people to use. So the whole purpose of our YouTube channel is to be able to also
continue to do what I do. And that is service calls for single moms for widows and orphans and serve
them. We want to be able to fix their cars for free. If it's a family that we hear of that's
hurting economically, financially destroyed, lost a job, you know the deal. It gets ugly and it gets
ugly fast and the bills just keep pouring in, but the car's old and it's, you know, it's rough
and tough, maybe rougher than a stucco toilet seat, but they got to keep it going. We want to be
able to fix those things, shoot the YouTube video and not charge them a single penny for the work
that's done. So how do you help us? Subscribe. If you haven't subscribed to our YouTube channel
or our podcast, please do that. That's what helps us move forward. It helps us to make the algorithms
happy and get monetized so that we have the resources coming in to be able to provide those
things that our vision is to reach out to the widows and orphans, single moms, single dads,
hurting families out there. Would you help us do that? So if you're watching the videos, please
subscribe. If you've been watching for a while, make sure you are subscribed. I was looking at
analytics yesterday and I see we've added another 23 subscribers, but it's showing 93% of those
watching the videos aren't subscribed. If all 93% of those subscribed, we'd be there. We would hit the
targets and the monetization would open and that is what we need. We need the resources. That's how
we're working to get that done. So if you could help us, that's how you can help us. Support our
podcast because there are areas where we can hook into monetization with our podcasts, but we need
a community to get behind us. We need the same thing on our YouTube channel and we'll get there,
but we can't get there without you. We love you all. We appreciate you. Thank you for all you're
doing. Appreciate you plugging in, logging in, whatever it is to be a part of car connection.
You're part of our car connection family. So have a great day. Make it a great day. Keep it under 100.
Happy healthy motoring and we'll see you tomorrow morning at 8am sharp for another
motor mouth morning drive. Cheers. Bye for now.
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