Auto Correct Oct 2, 2025

Auto Correct | Make & Models 1st Thursdays - MINI

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Car

Acura NSX

The Acura NSX is a fast sports car that was designed to compete with European supercars. It has a unique design and is known for its great handling and speed.

Car

Chrysler PT Cruiser

The Chrysler PT Cruiser is a small car that looks a bit different from most others. It was made from 2000 to 2010 and is known for its quirky style and practical design.

Car

Chevy Aveo

The Chevy Aveo is a small, budget-friendly car that was made by Chevrolet. It's easy to park and good for driving around town.

Term

go-kart like driving experience

When a car is described as having a 'go-kart like driving experience', it means it feels very nimble and responsive, just like a go-kart. This makes driving fun and engaging.

Term

sharp handling

When a car has 'sharp handling', it means it turns and responds to the driver's steering very quickly and accurately. This makes it easier to drive around corners.

Term

precise steering

When we say a car has 'precise steering', it means the steering wheel responds exactly how you want it to, making it easy to control the car's direction.

Term

strong brakes

When a car has 'strong brakes', it means the brakes work really well to slow down or stop the car quickly. This is important for safety.

Term

no limiter

When a car has 'no limiter', it means there is no device stopping it from going faster. This allows the car to reach its top speed without any restrictions.

Part

thermostat

The thermostat helps keep the engine at the right temperature by controlling how coolant flows. If it fails, the engine might overheat or not reach the right temperature.

Part

water pump

The water pump helps keep the engine cool by moving coolant around. If it breaks, the engine can get too hot and cause serious problems.

Part

timing chain

The timing chain keeps the engine parts moving in sync. If it's loose, it can cause the engine to run poorly or even break.

Term

oil change

An oil change is when you replace the old oil in the engine with new oil. It's important for keeping the engine running well.

Car

smart car

A smart car is a tiny car made for driving in cities. It's very small, which makes it easy to park, but it might not feel very safe on highways because of its size.

Car

The Mini Cooper is a small, stylish car that many people enjoy driving because it's easy to handle. There have been some safety problems recently that have led to recalls, which means the company is fixing issues to keep drivers safe.

Car

BMW X5

The BMW X5 is a fancy SUV that is comfortable and has a lot of features. It's designed for people who want a mix of luxury and performance.

Car

BMW X6

The BMW X6 is a stylish SUV that looks a bit like a coupe. It offers a sporty feel while still being practical for everyday use.

Car

BMW X7

The BMW X7 is a big luxury SUV that can carry a lot of people and luggage. It's designed for comfort and has many nice features.

Car

BMW 340i

The BMW 340i is a sporty sedan that is fun to drive. It has a strong engine and is designed for people who enjoy a more dynamic driving experience.

Car

BMW 740Li

The BMW 740Li is a high-end luxury car that is very comfortable and has a lot of features. It's designed for people who want the best in terms of luxury and performance.

Part

starter

The starter is a part of the car that helps start the engine. If it gets too hot, it can cause problems, like starting a fire.

Car

Kia Sorento

The Kia Sorento is a family-friendly SUV that has lots of room for passengers and cargo. Recently, some of these vehicles have been recalled because of a risk of fire, so it's good to check if a specific car is safe before buying it.

Term

blower motor resistor

The blower motor resistor is a small part that helps control how fast the air comes out of the vents. If it breaks, it can make the blower motor too hot.

Car

Jeep Grand Wagoneers

The Jeep Grand Wagoneer is a fancier version of the Wagoneer. It has more luxury features and is designed for a more comfortable ride while still being tough.

Term

recall

A recall happens when a car company asks owners to bring their cars back because there might be a safety problem.

Car

Toyota Supra

The Toyota Supra is a fast and sporty car that many people love for its cool looks and speed. It's important to know that some versions of this car have had issues that could cause fires, which is why they are being recalled.

Car

Chevrolet Monte Carlo

The Chevrolet Monte Carlo is a classic car that was popular for its sporty look and performance. It even did well in car races, which is why people still talk about it today.

Term

John Cooper

John Cooper was a famous car designer and race car driver who helped make the Mini Cooper a popular racing car. He is important in the history of motorsport.

Term

1275 CC engine

A 1275 CC engine is a measure of how big the engine is. Bigger engines usually have more power, which helps the car go faster.

Term

850 CC engine

An 850 CC engine is smaller than a 1275 CC engine, meaning it usually has less power. Smaller engines can make cars slower.

Term

rust

Rust is a type of damage that happens to metal when it gets wet and starts to break down. It can make cars less safe and cause parts to fall apart.

Car

Ford F-415

The Ford F-415 is a type of truck that is not often seen in America. It is known for being spacious and useful for carrying things.

Part

Before we go to break, we've got a phone call on the line.

It's Shane in Ridgland, and it says it's a surprise for Coach.

Shane, you're on with Coach Charlie.

Charlie Melton, how are we doing?

Shane Martin.

I do know you, yes.

He was in one of my first classes.

You won, hey Shane!

I haven't spoke to Charlie in what?

2018 years?

Yes, it's 2002 or 2003 when you were in my class,

or maybe five or six, yes.

I heard your name on the radio, and I said, that's my guy.

That was the motivation for what I'm doing now.

I've spent about 16 years with Acura,

becoming a master tech and a shop foreman.

And I've done everything from working on

the Supercar NSX to, I mean, just all sorts of stuff.

And I just wanted to get on here

and shout out Charlie.

Charlie is one of my original inspirations for doing this.

And the way he taught us and just gave back to the community

through teaching kids was, I'll never forget it, so.

Man, I really appreciate that.

This is an MPB Think Radio podcast.

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Welcome to AutoCorrect, helping you correct your auto problems.

Our host is coach Charlie Melton,

ASC certified master technician.

I'm your main flood.

Hey, coach.

Hey, how are you doing today?

I'm doing good today.

I'm excited because yesterday,

what we're going to call it today,

is your four year anniversary.

Yes, it's been four years going on,

starting our fifth year now.

Oh my gosh, I am so excited for you.

I mean, how has it, how's the time been?

It has flown by.

You don't even feel it.

Don't even feel it.

You know, I was just thinking when I got up this morning,

you know, I get up about 4.30.

So I got up this morning and I was walking.

It was so cool outside.

And I called my wife on the phone just a few minutes ago.

She says, well, we should just take off.

It's such a beautiful day.

It is a beautiful day.

So I don't even, like I say, my days

just started running into each other.

You know, I don't really even start to keep up with them much.

Yeah, it is a beautiful day.

And speaking of beautiful day,

before I caveat back into your four year anniversary,

happy birthday to my mom today.

Oh, happy birthday.

It is my mother Ruby's birthday.

And I'm so excited for her

and we'll be celebrating a little bit later on this afternoon.

But yeah.

Happy birthday, mama, on the best beautiful day

that's happened in October yet.

That's right.

You know, the affair always brings cooler weather.

It does.

And it makes it just the perfect weather.

It's so good.

Okay.

So I want to know, coach, in the four years,

what has been, I've got two questions,

what has been possibly your favorite topic

that you've covered?

You know, it's just really hard to say

because I love cars.

And I talk about cars all the time.

It's just, there's no subject that I could say

is better than the other.

Really?

I just love cars.

Really?

Yeah.

Say one thing that you maybe harp on it?

No, you don't.

You don't harp on one thing a lot.

No.

Except for the rear view mirrors.

Yeah, that's about the only thing.

We should have a full rear view mirror episode.

That's right.

I should take and bring me one.

I put one on each side of my pocket or something.

That's right.

So I can see what's coming behind me.

That's right.

We should dress up like that for Halloween.

That's a good one.

That's a mirror.

We'll be the mirrors.

No, I would just say that the four years

have flown by and it seems like it's never hard

to come up with a topic.

Was there a caller that stuck out to you?

There's one for me.

I could call one.

Not really.

Transportation commissioner.

Oh yeah, that was a good one there.

That was a good one.

When he called us.

Yeah, when transportation commissioner called us.

Yeah, insurance commissioner.

He was the transportation insurance commissioner.

Yeah, the insurance commissioner.

Okay.

Mike Cheney.

Okay, yeah, Mike Cheney.

That's right.

Yeah, because you were telling people to call Mike.

Yeah, about the insurance.

And then Mike called us.

That's right.

That's what it was.

Well, Coach, congratulations on four years.

Oh, thank you.

It's been a pleasure.

Cheers to four more.

And we're going to jump into today.

We're talking first Thursday's making models

and, Coach, we're discussing Mini Cooper today.

You know, when you told me Mini Cooper,

Mini Cooper, I don't like the Chrysler a little.

What was that?

The P.F. Cruiser?

Yeah, the.

PT.

PT Cruiser.

I like that car and I don't like Mini Cooper.

I am so sorry.

If you own one, call in and tell me about it,

but I don't like them.

Listen, if you want to fuss about a Mini Cooper

or you want to praise a Mini Cooper,

our email address for questions is auto at mpbonline.org,

but we want you to give us a ring about it.

And the phone number is 1-877-MPB-RING.

That's 1-877-672-7464.

Even if you don't have a Mini Cooper,

call us, a Mini Cooper, comment, call us,

but we'd love to hear some good Mini Cooper comments today.

I personally previously owned a Mini Cooper,

so you'll hear me comment a little bit today.

Here's a comment though, it's a little write up.

Mini is a British automotive brand founded in Oxford in 1959,

marketed by German multinational automotive company BMW

since 2000 and used by them for a range of small cars

that have been assembled in the UK, Austria, Netherlands,

China, and Germany.

It's a very small, two door, sometimes four seat car.

It could be, I don't know.

Sometimes it's more than four seats, sometimes you get five.

And it's been produced for four decades

over a single generation with many names and variants

by the British Motor Company.

And so it's now under BMW ownership.

Well, you know, British Motor Works,

when you think about BMW, you think about the big,

nice luxury cars and then they put this little

talker toy in there.

That talker toy is so adorable.

Let me tell you about my talker toy,

how I came up on it.

I needed a new vehicle and I don't mind saying,

I drove over to CarMax and I was shopping,

you know, CarMax's cars,

because it got so many you can choose from or whatever.

And I was looking and looking and looking

and then I saw on the app this little red thing

with stripes and I was like, that's adorable.

Can I see it?

I wasn't sold yet.

I was like, that's adorable.

Can I see it?

And they were like, yeah.

And it was priced real well.

And I was like, yeah, let me see that.

So I waited outside till they drove it around.

Coach, when they drove that car around,

it didn't take but one curb around that corner.

And I said, give me the keys.

Like I saw it driving around.

And it was the most adorable thing.

Had a little gray top with the gray stripes on it, red.

And it was so cute.

And I didn't even step foot in it.

And I was like, let me sign somewhere for this right now.

And I drove it home and my husband

was not pleased with the size.

He was not happy with the size of the car

because I just came out of my Chevy Aveo.

And he was thinking, oh, she's going to get something big.

Baby, I came back in with something

that was at least two ticks smaller than the Aveo.

But for a time, I loved it.

Well, there's nothing like a mini that

goes as personal and as charm for somebody.

You have to really want to like it.

And it just shows your personality.

And because they are cute.

Yes.

But that's about as far as they go.

And I have to agree.

They are cute.

And that's about as far as it'll go.

Because mine kept going on the back of a tow truck.

And so if I looked up the positives right,

the pros that people say it's a fun go-kart

like driving experience with sharp handling,

precise steering, strong brakes.

The ride can be stiff, but I liked a little stiff movement

on the ride or whatever.

The thing that I liked about it

was it had no limiter.

You could go as fast as you wanted to go.

And not that I had taken it beyond what was on dash,

but the idea of knowing that I could go beyond dash excited me.

And then it was cute.

It had these windshield wipers.

If you toggled the handle on your windshield wiper

toggle or whatever, and you pushed the button to the beat,

the windshield wipers would then move to the beat of your song.

To the beat of the radio.

Yes, sir.

Well, that's pretty neat.

And that's just a feature that, like I say,

it's a very personal car.

It's good for urban driving.

Yes, that's what it says.

Because like I say, because it can pull in

little parking spaces and all, you don't take much.

And it can zip around, you know, it has little speed to it.

So there are a few pros, but the cons outweigh the pros.

Yeah, the cons do outweigh the pros.

And a lot of those cons include transmission failure problems,

power steering, pump failures, water pump, thermostat,

housing leaks, loose timing chains, cooling system leaks,

and not to add that the oil change on these bad boys

was not cheap.

And I had to go to a specialty place to get it done.

Once again, BMW.

That's where you would then take your vehicle up to.

Have it change because there are certain ways

that oil has to be changed, certain ways

that transmission has to be flushed.

And that was one of the problems.

There are certain vehicle years that you just

had to stay away completely, you know,

but what the fly would, the fly will would wear out.

The clutch would wear out.

You'd have all these different mechanical parts.

And like you say, the maintenance on one of these

vehicles really changes the outlook of the affordability.

You know, and like I say, they run anywhere

from 29,000 to 49,000, right?

According to what type you want, what the trim value is.

But, you know, it reminds me of a little smart car.

You know, Mercedes had a smart car

that I would never get into because you can run

a 18-wheeler coming down the highway.

It sort of blows you off the road.

Same thing with the Mini Cooper.

It's not really stable.

And it's a bumpy ride due to it doesn't,

the wheels are so short on it.

So it's a real bumpy ride.

You know, so I reckon you had to take the aesthetics

of looking on the outside and it has good interior

of what an individual would want.

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, I was sold and when we go,

come back from break, I'll tell you why I was unsold.

But I was sold on that.

And listen, we have somebody on MPB Think Radio

who is also unsold, but she still loves it.

And you've probably seen her Mini Cooper

driving around town if you stay in the Jackson Metro area.

But Pam Pibas fixed it 101's host and inspected

like a girl boss.

She drives that around with Rosita Riveter

on the side of her Mini Cooper.

And she has had a time with hers

and she does not mind publicly talking about the time

that she has had with hers.

And I think she spoke to you about it too.

Yes.

Did we ever get anything figured out?

I cannot remember.

I don't know if we got it figured out or not.

Because she kept taking to the shop so many times.

Right, right.

Well, we'll get something figured out about Mini Cooper.

We'll talk a little bit about maintenance costs

and some more of the maintenance issues

and I'll tell some good stories as well.

We won't just drag them through the ground,

but we wanna hear your questions too.

If you've got a car question,

the phone number is 1-877-MPB-RING.

That's 1-877-672-7464.

Send emails to auto at mpbonline.org.

Today it's First Thursdays, making models

and we're talking Mini.

Is your car under recall?

I'll tell you how you can find out next.

You're listening to AutoCorrect with coach Charlie Melton.

I'm Jermaine Flood.

If you want even more, find the podcast

on all podcast platforms for your smart device.

AutoCorrect is heard on MPB Think Radio Thursdays

at 10 a.m. with a replay Saturdays at 11 a.m.

All right, coach, we got some recent recalls

up for everyone and this recall,

the first one up involves Mini Cooper's

like parent brand, BMW.

BMW.

BMW recalls 145,100 plus vehicles for a fire risk.

This is involving even more than that, 196,000 vehicles.

Effective models include 2019 to 2020 X5, X7 SUVs,

2020 X6 SUVs, 340 Isidans, the 2020 to 22740 L Isidans,

and the 2020 to 25840i coupes.

The starter motor in these vehicles may overheat

after repeated attempts from an electrical overload.

Excess heat could ignite nearby combustible material

in the engine compartment and start a fire

increasing the risk of injury.

Coach, give me the layman's terms of that one.

Well, the starter's getting hot, what it is,

if it keeps trying to save the vehicle,

doesn't crank up quick enough.

The starter keeps trying to engage and it gets hot

and you know, you have insulation on the wires

that could catch fire and you may have some type

of combustible material down there by the starter

that could catch fire as well.

Okay, okay, okay.

That sounds like a Mini Cooper problem too.

It does.

It is.

It sounds like one.

To resolve, dealers are replacing the engine starter

for free and this recall includes vehicles

that were included in a previous recall

from August of 2024.

So those owners will need to have

their vehicle repaired again.

Yeah, what a lot of times manufacturers

would put a heat shield over the starter

and keep that heat away from that starter.

Okay.

And possibly the shield and went away.

No, some of them, they had taken it away, yes.

Okay, okay.

Up next in recall news,

Kia recalls 39,500 Sorento SUVs for a fire risk as well.

This is an issue with the climate control blower motor

that may result in the fire.

This includes 21 to 23 Sorento's

as a result of a supplier quality issue.

The connection between the blower motor resistor

and connector may overheat when the climate control fan

is on a speed of three and the ignition is on

increasing the risk of a fire.

Well, what do you got there?

You got a resistor.

That's a lot going on.

You got a resistor that controls the speed of the fan motor.

Okay, a lot of times those resistors will burn out

and don't cause a fire.

But here, evidently, this one here is not burning out,

it's getting too hot.

So this has something to do with their air conditioner?

Yes.

Wow.

Well, guess what that means?

It's hot.

Well, that means that I've got to go

take someone to a dealership real quick.

Oh no, oh, this is you.

Oh, that's why you were exasperated.

Yes, that's a keyer for you.

Oh no, you finally got your get back all day right there.

He's getting his get back all day today

because between key and mini, we got something going on.

Wow.

Man, that's unfortunate.

Keely, stop driving, don't move, no more.

Right, I'm gonna cry.

Okay, so here, okay,

warning signs may include a burning smell

or smoke from the vents.

I think I've noticed that smell.

No, stop.

I think I've noticed that smell.

Yeah, it comes right through the fan.

Yeah, yeah, it smells kind of like sulfur.

Yeah, well, it's not sulfur,

but like it's got a weird smell to it.

Sulfur is more of a...

Like vinegar, vinegar is what I smell.

Okay, sulfur is more like

if you had a rotten egg smell,

that's more like the Kallit converter or something like that.

It's much more of a vinegary smell.

Yeah, go have it checked out.

Yep, okay, I will...

There it is.

Come on, come take over the board real quick

and I'll hop back off and go call my wife.

Text Keely right now.

Tell her to call us.

Hey, call the dealer first

and make sure you can get it in.

Right, right.

Okay, here it is, here's the fix, Abram.

To resolve, dealers are replacing the wiring harness

and blower motor resistor for free.

Interim letters notifying owners of the issue

will be mailed out November 24th,

but I gave you your letter.

So you got a couple months before

you had to get it fixed

because they're gonna send you a letter.

I can't just go ahead and hop in there.

How does this work?

Someone teach me all the things right now,

all the legalese.

How does it work?

You just go in there and I just tell them

that you heard that your vehicle has a recall

to the manufacturer or dealer

and tell them your,

could they check your VIN number

and see if your vehicle is under recall.

Okay, okay, cool.

All right, well here's a recall

that doesn't have anything to do with cars.

Nearly 32,000 even flow child safety seats

have been recalled for choking risk.

This involves the Revolve 360 Slim

and the Revolve 360 Slim Gold Child Safety Seats

over an issue that could become a choking hazard.

The effective products were manufactured

between December 1st of 2022 and December 8th of 2024.

The head restraint foam in the effective seats

is not adequately secured away from the child,

making it possible for the child

to pick off pieces of foam and ingest it,

increasing the risk of choking.

You know what's sad about this?

This recall probably wouldn't even come up

if a child hadn't choked.

Right, because that's all safety.

Yeah, something probably a child might've got killed

for it or something.

Yeah, yeah, that's sad.

So as a fix, even flow or mailing owners

additional tape seal and installation instructions for free.

Or you could just put them in a meeting room

and buckle them in because they're small enough.

I love you.

That was a good one.

Put them in a mini-cooper.

Put the mini-cooper in the back seat of your car

because it's gonna fit.

Because it's gonna fit.

It's gonna fit back there.

Little tiny thing.

All right, here's another recall.

123,000 plus Jeep Wagoneers,

Grand Wagoneers are recalled for detaching window trim.

That's a nice one.

I would think that Jeep is almost catching up

with Ford this year.

Yeah, they're just falling apart.

They're falling apart.

Every week we have one on them, too.

That is, they've already done that first recall

in September, remember?

I talked about it.

But now it's another one involving 123,000 plus examples.

This includes model year 22 to 24 Wagoneers

and Grand Wagoneers that quarter trim

on the driver and passenger windows

may not be properly secured and could detach,

increasing the risk of becoming a road hazard

and or causing a crash.

The remedy is currently under development.

I know what it is, good glue.

Good glue.

Or double-sided tape.

Good glue.

Notifications will be mailed out November 14th

and finally in recall news.

It's another BMW one up.

This is another fire safety for the fire risk.

It's the same fire risk but this includes

examples of the Toyota Supra and some other ones as well.

So go online and get this looked at, Joe.

If y'all need to find out if your car has a past recall,

I'm worried about you, Abram.

Go to the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration's website, nhtsa.gov,

four slash recalls and inputting your VIN

or find their safer car app.

Today, it's first Thursday's making models.

We're talking many.

We're also taking vehicle repair questions.

You know the number, 1-877-MPB-RING.

That's 1-877-672-7464 or you can shoot us an email,

auto at mpbonline.org.

Let's go to Les in DeSoto County.

It's a surprise.

Les, you're on with Coach Charlie.

Good morning, Miss.

Good morning, sir.

Talking about Minis, I have a friend here.

She has a Mini Cooper and I've driven it

and it's quite nice.

But there's one thing it really sadly lacks

that the old Minis used to have.

Fun.

What was the fun in the old Minis?

Because I never had one.

Well, obviously, I mean, first of all,

when they were first marketed,

they were marketed as a cheap city runaround.

But it soon became a fashion statement.

John Lennon had one.

Peter Sellers had one.

He painted in a wicker design.

There were tartan paint jobs and all sorts.

And it was soon realized

that you could throw it into any corner

and it would stick to the road like toffee to a blanket.

That's right.

And they rallied them.

They won the Monte Carlo Rally twice.

The pickup version was small enough.

You needed one for each foot.

But they were great fun to drive.

You could throw them around.

There weren't expensive to run.

And they were easy to drive.

And the Cooper S, which was the one I had briefly,

was the rally version.

And it was quite quick.

Well, you put size.

You know, on those,

Coopers, matter of fact,

the designer of that vehicle was John Cooper

and he was a race car driver.

And that was the reason why it was made

in order for it to be a fun, zippy,

stylish little car because of the racing background

that the designer had.

Yeah, the Cooper S, which is the other one,

I mean, Cooper was really a marketing thing.

I don't think it had a great deal to do with the design.

But I mean, it only had a 1275 CC engine,

whereas the normal road ones had an 850,

which about as much power as in your hairdryer, Miss.

That's it.

But there were great fun,

whereas the one that Lisa owns

and I drove recently,

I mean, it was nice, it held the road.

I mean, it was comfortable,

had enough power if you needed it.

But it had all the character of a paper plate,

whereas the...

And it had all kinds of characters.

They were fun.

You know, you were young,

you were a teenager,

it was a cheap car.

And they were fun.

And that's what made the new ones miss.

I mean, I'm not knocking them, they're a nice car.

I think they're a little bit more expensive than they need to be.

But they really lack the character

that the old Mini used to have.

You know, I think that I saw a album cover

with a Mini on it, painted.

You know, a draw, an artist had a album cover

with the Mini on it.

Yeah, that was Marianne Faithful.

She actually owned one.

I think it was Marianne Faithful,

who was one of the girl singers of the time.

But she owned one.

John Lennon had one.

Yes.

It was a fashion statement for a while.

And then that dropped off, but people loved them.

I mean, your first car, you're 16, 17 years old,

and the guy down the street selling an old Mini,

and you go along with you down and look at it

and provided the problem with them also was rust,

because they were put onto a subframe,

which had a habit of rusting out,

and they would stitch weld it

and that would keep it going for another year

until eventually it went to the great scrapyard in the sky.

But they really were a fun car,

and I think that's what's missing with the Cooper.

Yeah, the Mini Cooper today is really more technological.

It has all that technology in it,

and it takes really a lot of fun out of it.

That, you know, it was,

I think you had to be more careful with it.

I like how you're explaining it like a paper plate.

You know, it wasn't a Dixie plate.

It was just a regular paper plate.

Just a regular, the thin one.

Les, I wanna know, when you were driving

the fun Mini Coopers, where were you driving them?

Were you here in the States or were you somewhere else?

I was in Great Britain.

You were in Great Britain.

Okay, now I gotta know, did you push it past the limit?

I just need to know,

because I know y'all have different speed limits.

Taking on the Autobahn.

I just wanna know, did you get to push it?

How far did you push it speed-wise?

I'd mine up to about 80 to 85 on the motorway,

and at which point it starts to rattle.

It won't start to come apart.

Well, not so much.

I mean, mine in particular,

because I didn't buy mine new.

I bought it used,

because I needed a car quickly and cheap.

It used to rattle like a skeleton

having a fit in a biscuit tin,

but it was, I keep going back to this word fun,

and I mean, driving is more or less utilitarian

these days.

Yeah, you know, Liz, I was thinking,

I came over, I was in London several times,

and over there, you see a lot of little Mini Coopers

and a lot of smaller cars.

They're just, over here,

you just don't see as many as you do

over there of that type of car.

My question is, how can they keep theirs on the road,

but we can't keep ours on the road?

No, I think that's probably

the most cultural question is anything else.

But yeah, I mean, like I say,

I'm not knocking the new Mini,

I think it's a fine, nice car safe,

probably safer than the old Mini, certainly.

Although the Cooper S that I used to have

are the other Coopers,

I mean, you could throw them into any corner

and it wouldn't tip over.

I mean, you've got to wheel it each corner.

I love it, yes.

I think it's a good question at the bottom,

unless she had a friend like mine

who was six three, weighed 260 pounds,

in which case, you'd have to grease him

to get him into that kind of way.

He couldn't squeeze in there.

But no, I mean, like I say,

I mean, Nostalgia is not what it used to be,

but I still have a soft spot for the old Mini.

Me too.

Remember, they made a pickup truck,

they had a Woody station wagon, a van.

I mean, a mini pickup truck,

you took the people right now and their eyes will pop out.

Friend of mine has a Ford F-415,

you could get three minutes in the back of that.

Yeah, so you don't see any of those

over here in America.

Yeah, yeah.

But, I mean, now they're valued

in good condition even now.

If they're in good neck,

I mean, they have a really good price.

Yeah, mini's do-

They're like baseball cards.

They do have a good resale value, Mini's.

Yeah, they're like little baseball cards,

especially if you kept them up, you know?

Les says he just misses the whimsy of the Mini's.

I know, Les, thank you so much for that phone call.

And you know it's a good phone call

when you hear somebody from Great Britain

call you about a Mini Cooper.

That's right.

So that was some good stuff.

Would you say, Les?

Yeah.

Thank you for checking the call.

And thanks, you have a great day.

You too, Les.

You too, thank you.

I love it when he calls.

That's right.

I always know when it's him too.

I love it when Les calls.

That was so good.

Okay, listen, Carl and Pearl,

we're gonna get right back to you

after the break, the phone number,

1-877-MPB-RING.

That's 1-877-672-7464.

Our email address where you can send questions

is auto at mpbonline.org.

Today, it's first Thursday's making models

and we're talking Mini, even with Les.

Between your car repair questions,

what's in the news?

Four break problems you can diagnose just by listening.

I know coach can.

I'll tell you more next.

Thank you for listening to AutoCorrect on MPB Think Radio.

Coach Charlie Melton, retired instructor

from Clinton High School's automotive tech program.

Is our expert host.

I'm Jermaine Flood.

I hope you've downloaded the app for your smartphone.

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to the show live on that app,

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and for listening and liking

Mississippi Public Broadcasting's Think Radio.

AutoCorrect is heard on MPB Think Radio's Thursdays

at 10 a.m. with replays Saturdays at 11 a.m.

Let's go to the phone lines.

We've got Carl and Pearl on the line.

He's building a motor coach and he has a question.

Carl, you're on with coach Charlie.

Oh, yes, sir.

I have a guy building a motor for a car that we're restoring.

It's a it's a 78 Caprice 400 small block.

I was wondering, oh, do you think that engine

will need a windage tray?

It's going to have a seven quart oil pan.

You think it would need a windage tray?

I would just think that of seven port with that seven

quart, I would just take and put me a cooler

on front of the radiator and to keep it cool.

And you should be good to go oil cooler on there

because that will keep it.

You know, you got seven quarts of oil going through that engine

and with a 400, I don't know how hopped up you're making it.

You know, it's not much, not much.

OK, most of them just put an oil cooler on there

and just keep going.

OK.

And a torque plate.

What was a torque plate?

What was it, you know, what's its purpose?

What does it do?

A torque plate.

I think that's on the torque converter itself

with the transmission.

And I don't know exactly how it works,

but I think that is a torque on part of the torque converter.

OK.

You know.

Oh, that's true.

OK, thank you so much.

You're so welcome.

Thank you, Carl.

Let's stay on the phone lines.

We've got Tom in Selma, Tennessee.

Tom has an airbag warning light issue.

Tom, you're on with Coach Charlie.

Well, Oscar.

No, we got you.

OK.

Charlie, we've got a 2011 Nissan Milano

and about two months ago, for no reason,

the airbag warning light came on on the dash.

We took it to the dealership and they tell us

that they cannot turn that off, that it has to be repaired.

And it's the rear, the seat bottom and the sensor

is going to have to be replaced.

And they say it's going to be $3,200.

It must be made into the seat itself for the airbag.

I guess it is.

Yeah.

Yeah, they can't cut it off.

It will not go off until that is repaired,

because once you it'll cut all the airbags off.

So what you need to do on that one

is try to go to a junkyard and see

if you can find another seat or the sensor

for that particular airbag under that seat.

That's what I would do, because that'd be a lot cheaper.

You're not going to pay no $3,200.

You may not even pay $100 for the sensor.

What I would do is go get it put on the scan tool

and see what sensor it is and try to go get one out

of the junkyard.

Because right now, in the later years,

everything was made for that particular Venn number.

But that year is not made for the particular Venn

number, I don't believe.

OK, Charlie.

OK, thank you so much.

I'll go to the junkyard.

That's where I'd go, yes.

All right, thank you, Tom.

$3,200 is a lot for that fix.

Well, you know, a lot of times that people don't really

want to go to junkyards, but a lot of times

you can find a vehicle that's been hit on the side

or hit on the rear that's not messed up

all these other components in there.

And especially electronic components,

you know, if it's not hit on the front,

you know, that airbag may not even deploy.

But you can still get the sensor out of the seat.

OK, and that's all he's needing is that sensor

to get that light off.

Yeah, so if he goes to get his scan,

find out what sensor it is under that seat, then.

OK, all right, all right.

All right, coach, in the news, we're

going to diagnose some brake problems just by listening.

And I know you can do it.

One of those that they're saying is brake grinding.

It's one of the most obvious telltale signs of metal

on metal scraping.

And it's a noise that you not just hear,

but feel through the steering wheel in case

of the front brakes grinding.

Well, that means that the brake pads have all the way down

to metal and it's eating the rotors up.

That's what it says.

A common reason for this is worn out brake pads.

A brake pad contains a composition of friction

material with a metal backing plate,

like coach says, that provides structural support.

So the solution is to replace the brake pads

as soon as possible.

And you'd probably have to replace the rotor as well.

And that sounds like, thanks, coach.

Mine was wrong.

Coaches was right.

They both sounded great to my ears.

I'll tell you that.

And my headphones was excellent.

Mine was high.

I was like, that's not it.

That's not it.

That's like a belt.

That's a belt.

Well, that little high sound could be the brake.

You've got an anti-squill clip on the brakes

that go against the rotor when they're too low.

And that makes that high-pitched sound.

I was about to say mine is a worn out belt.

That's what mine is.

But the coach, they say another reason for grinding noise

could be due to foreign objects like tiny stones

getting lodged between the brake pads and the disc

causing it to grind against the ladder.

You do find that, but it's very seldom.

OK.

All right.

Unless you're going down or, say,

you drive on gravel roads a lot, stuff like that.

But usually in the city, you don't usually

have that part of it.

Right.

And they also say if you hear a rubbing sound

while driving your car after it's been stationary,

rust may have likely built up on the surface of your brake disc.

Yes.

OK.

If it's set there for a while, matter of fact,

if you go to a dealer, you can walk around

and you see the rust on all the brake pads.

Yeah, the brake pads.

I mean the rotors.

Yeah, you'll see them.

OK.

So brake squeaking squealing.

That was the noise I made.

A squeaking noise while braking

is commonly diagnosed with low-quality brake pads.

Besides poor braking performance,

low-quality brake pads tend to emit a squeaking noise.

But another reason could be the brake wear indicator

on the pad coming in contact with the metal disc.

With the rotor, yes.

OK.

That's what I was talking about.

Also called metal squealers, they

are small tabs on the pads that give out a high-pitched

squeal, like meh, like I did.

Indicating it's time to change those brake pads.

That's right.

So a groaning or creaking noise

isn't necessarily caused by a brake issue though.

It could be due to worn-out wheel bearings

or suspension components.

You know, you think about brakes too, don't you?

You said that the low-quality brake pads

will make that squealing noise.

You should always go back with, they

don't have to be the OEM.

You don't have to go the duder to bound,

but make sure they're OEM quality.

OK.

All right.

Yeah, that would make it better.

Yes.

OEM quality.

And finally, in noises, brake thumping rattling.

A clunking or thumping noise could

be due to a loose brake caliper bolt, which tightening it

could solve the issue.

A rattling issue could be diagnosed

as improperly installed brake pads, calipers,

or anti-rattle clips causing the brake pads

to move from their original position while braking.

I've seen the bolt come out completely

and the caliper comes up.

You know?

Wow.

OK.

And it says also a rattling noise

could be due to warp disc brakes causing the brake pads

to hit against parts of the disc.

Yes.

So any time you're dealing with brakes,

you always going to be checked out.

Any time you hear noise, you won't get them checked out.

OK.

They said an uncommon sound is a moaning or low-growning

sound accompanied by low-stopping power.

This could be due to glazed brake pads,

where instead of a rough friction surface,

the brake pads have mirror-like shiny surface.

And that's due from heat, and it's called brake fade,

where you can't stop and takes a whole bunch of pressure

to stop because of the glaze on the brake pads themselves.

OK.

Because they say while temporary fix

is to sand the glaze surface off,

it's advisable to replace the pads, though.

Because they've got hot.

All right.

Well, I learned a little something about a little sound.

And we made some noises, and it made sense.

We did make some noises.

I'll include a link to this story in our show's podcast

description today.

It's first Thursday's Make-In Models.

We're talking many email questions to auto at mpbonline.org

or give us a call.

The number is 1-877-MPB-RING.

That's 1-877-672-7464.

Before we go to break, we've got a phone call on the line.

It's Shane and Ridgland.

And it says it's a surprise for Coach.

Shane, you're on with Coach Charlie.

Charlie Melton, how are we doing?

Shane Martin.

I do know you, yes.

He was in one of my first classes.

You won, hey, Shane.

I haven't spoken to Charlie in what, 18 years?

Yes, it's 2002 or three when you were in my class,

or maybe five or six, yes.

Well, listen, I heard your name on the radio,

and I said, that's my guy.

That was the motivation for what I'm doing now.

I spent about 16 years with Acura,

becoming a master tech and a shop foreman.

And I've done everything from working on the Supercar NSX

to, I mean, just all sorts of stuff.

And I just wanted to get on here and shout out Charlie.

Charlie is one of my original inspirations

for doing this and the way he taught us

and just gave back to the community

through teaching kids was I'll never forget it.

Man, I really appreciate that.

I appreciate it.

Man, Shane, Shane, where are you at now?

You said?

OK, so I'm no longer with Acura.

I'm with Crash Champions doing post repair

calibrations for all of the driver's assistance systems

and the windshield cameras and the lane keeping

and distance measurements and all this stuff.

So that's what I'm doing now.

You still here in the area, though?

Yes, ma'am.

I'm in the region.

OK, OK.

This is awesome.

Maybe you need to come on my show here and talk to us.

Please, Shane.

Absolutely.

Shane, don't hang up.

I'm going to get Marissa to take your number down

so we can contact you.

Yes.

All right.

Do appreciate that, Shane.

Nice hearing from you, buddy.

Yes, sir.

It's good to hear from you, too.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

All right.

Marissa, grab that for me.

But yeah, that was good stuff.

That was good stuff.

Look at you, which is amazing.

That was 2003 or 2004.

Yeah.

I hope teachers listening heard that because that

is so cool to listen to and be like,

oh, yeah, what I did actually counted to this person.

That's good stuff, man.

I can't wait to have Shane on.

That's great.

I can't wait to have Shane on.

Listen, the number 1877 MPB ring, that's 1877 6727464.

This coach is four-year anniversary.

We're having a good time.

We are having a good time.

You know, we're talking about these minis,

and we've got a few more things

to say about the minis before we get off.

We can't let them buy that easy.

I bet you do.

I bet you do, Coach.

Today, of course, it's first Thursdays.

We're discussing many and taking your repair questions,

send emails to Auto.

Excuse me, at MPBonline.org, we've got a new car review

from Casey Williams coming up.

And Coach, it's tip of the week.

This is AutoCorrect on MPB Think Radio.

Here's a new car review from Casey Williams.

It's AutoCasey on AutoCorrect.

I've always liked driving compact cars.

I like where they handle.

I like your fuel efficiency.

I just like how easy to move through the city.

But as I'm getting a little bit older,

I want something more sophisticated.

Something like the 2025 Audi A3.

On the outside, it looks like any other Audi.

It looks very expensive.

It looks very German.

I really like this one with the black logos,

the aero gray paint, and the 18-inch wheels.

Inside, it's got the full cockpit.

It's got a flat screen instrument cluster,

the large touchscreen.

This has the Sonos audio system,

all the wireless phone connections,

power sunroof, and all the crash avoidance systems too.

Under the hood, a two-liter,

turbocharged four-cylinder engine,

delivers 201 horsepower,

does 0-60 in about six seconds, so pretty quick,

has quadruple wheel drive,

and fuel efficiency, 24 miles per gallon in the city,

34 on the highway,

and it's still a lot of fun to drive.

So let's talk about price.

Well, the A3 starts right at $38,000.

This and all in, $46,040.

See the full video on his YouTube channel, AutoCasey,

and listen to AutoCorrect

on the MPB Think Radio YouTube channel.

This is AutoCorrect.

If you've missed any other program,

listen to the whole show from autocorrect.mpbonline.org.

AutoCorrect is heard on MPB Think Radio Thursdays at 10 a.m.,

with a replay Saturdays at 11 a.m.

and at 11 a.m. today at Southern Remedy,

Kensington Teens with Dr. Morgan McLeod.

I'm Jermaine Flood,

our expert is Coach Charlie Melton,

ASC-certified master technician.

It's time for Coach Charlie's tip of the week.

Well, you know, we're talking about minis,

and as we talk about minis,

there are problems with every car,

no matter what it is.

Do your research, do, check out the car,

and make sure it fits you.

I always say make sure that it fits your personality.

You know, we're talking about a car

that's real small today.

Well, a six foot seven person

is not gonna be able to get in that car.

So if you're a wife or a husband,

make sure you get it for the family.

Make sure you can fit in it or one way or the other.

Somebody gonna be driving from the back seat.

Yes, do the research on your car,

whatever type of car it is.

That's right.

And no, you can't use a Mini Cooper as a car seat.

No, you cannot.

Do not try to see how many Mini Coopers

you can fit in the back of a Ford pickup.

And your pickup truck.

You know, when you're still talking about minis,

there had been lemon minis, okay?

There are certain years of minis

that you should not even attempt to get.

And those, if you think about 2007 to 2014,

they had problems with them.

Yeah.

2012 to 2014. You can Google these.

You can Google all of these.

The lemons. Yeah, you can Google the lemons.

You know, and let me tell you some of the problems

that they have real quick.

Persistent oil leaks, oil leaking in the electrical system,

check engine light, shifter lockup,

inoperable sunroof, cooling leaks,

time and chain problems, carbon buildup,

clutch failures, transmission failures,

noisy clutch bearings and AC problems

and poor radio receptions.

That's a lot of things for a vehicle to have.

But like I say, you will have a lot of those

on all types of vehicles.

It doesn't really matter.

But, you know, you wanna look it up,

find if it's suitable for you.

And just cause it looks good and stylish,

don't always mean it's the right car for you.

You know, this is the right car for somebody

who likes to tinker with cars.

Yes.

If you like to tinker with it,

you like to try to see, you know,

what's the problem, how can I fix it?

And you like a little project?

It's a little project, but this is a little project.

Well maintenance.

Such a kind way to put it.

I know it.

Well, maintenance is very expensive

on these type of cars because it is a BMW

and you really need to know the type of engine

that you're working on and the type of products.

And I would always go on BMWs or any of these foreign cars

make sure you get OEM equipment for them

and parts because, you know,

all parts are not made the same.

Yeah, they're saying the maintenance costs

are higher than the industry average

for some subcompact cars with annual costs

around $880 or more.

And Mini Cooper will ask you from 150,000 to 200,000 miles

if you do good maintenance.

Yeah, I actually, when I looked up what the models are

that were put down, I drove a Mini Clubman.

That's what I had.

That's where I got that third little corner door

with the hatchback in the back of it.

But yeah, I drove a Mini Clubman.

The ones that are actually still in play right now,

current models include the Mini Cooper Electric,

the Mini Countryman, the Mini Countryman Electric,

the Mini Aceman, the Mini Cooper 3-door,

the Mini Cooper 5-door and the Mini Cabrio.

Well, when you told me we were gonna do minis,

I said, wow, minis, I've never driven one

but I wouldn't wanna drive one.

But, you know, anything can change my mind.

I drive it, it might change my mind.

You're the perfect person to drive one

because you could actually get in there

and possibly fix it.

Yeah, but I don't like to get those low cars

and it's so small.

I'd hate driving by an 18-wheeler

or something to drive me off the road.

Like people tell me, where was the handle to crank it?

Where's the handle to crank this up?

I was like, stop fooling around with me.

Hey, that's what you give your boy

when he's growing up for a little talker toy now.

A little rip cord where he just frowns.

Yeah, that's how it works.

There it is.

Like a lot more.

That'll wrap us up, y'all, for today's AutoCorrect.

Show engineer, Marissa Vaughn and Abram Nanny today.

Call screener, Kevin Farrell.

I had the wrong call screener.

For Coach Charlie Meltz and Master Technician,

I'm Jermaine Flood.

Next week, Coach, what is it?

We're gonna talk about Reynolds.

That's it.

Reynolds vehicles next week

and Coach will answer all of your questions.

Thanks for listening to AutoCorrect on MPV Think Radio.

This is an MPV Think Radio podcast.

To hear previous shows, visit mpbonline.org

or download the MPV Public Radio app

to listen on your iPhone or Android phone on demand.

0:00

46:56

Auto Correct | Make & Models 1st Thursdays - MINI

smart car

Ford F-415

About this episode

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