Russ Evans fields a packed lineup of “save money on repairs” calls, focusing on smart diagnosis and cheaper alternatives. A 1996 Ranger hot-start stumble leads to fuel pressure/regulator vs pulsator checks and a possible leaking injector, with injector cleaner suggested before parts. A 2019 Yukon air-suspension leak sparks a debate: repair vs conversion kit. An obsolete Ford PCM worry is eased with used/recycler options and cautions about misdiagnosis. Other tips cover motor mounts causing pull during shifts, antifreeze loss likely from cracked heads, and preventive removal of a thermal bypass on GM transmissions.
We have Car Repair Advice? And we give it all for free. Under The Hood is America's Favorite Car Talk Show. Free Car Repair Advice given to anyone who needs it. You can save money on car repairs and get your car going faster. Three guys hanging out talking cars and any repair problem you may have. Thanks for Tuning in and Tuning Up! Here are the callers we had today.
1.96 Ford Ranger is it fuel pressure? 2.Can I convert my 19 Yukon Air Suspension to regular springs? 3. My 2010 Mustang needs a new PCM, will a used part work? 4. Why does my 03 Impreza Spark Plug wire keep popping out? 5. 09 Malibu vers left when shifting 6. 11 Ford F-150 has internal coolant leak what do I do? 7. 88 Fiero installing a replacement engine 8. Should I do a Transmission Fluid Bypass Valve on my 16 GMC Sierra? 9. Why does my 22 GMC Canyon battery go dead?
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CarMax is a company that sells used cars. They try to make shopping easier by letting you check options online and get an idea of financing before you commit.
CarMax is a used-car retailer that lets you shop inventory online and in-store. They also offer financing options, and their “pre-qualified” messaging is meant to help you understand what you can afford before you pick a vehicle.
"If you want to browse with confidence, get pre-qualified online with no impact on your credit score and shop cars within your budget..."
A credit score is a number lenders use to judge your credit risk and set loan terms. When you apply for financing, some credit checks can affect your score, which is why “no impact” pre-qualification claims are important to understand.
"And Road Ready Wheels, replica OEM wheels at huge savings."
Replica OEM wheels are replacement wheels that copy the factory wheel design. Before buying, make sure they fit your specific car correctly.
“Replica OEM wheels” are aftermarket wheels made to match the design of factory (OEM) wheels. They’re often chosen for cost savings or to restore a stock look, but buyers should still verify fitment (bolt pattern, offset, wheel width) and load rating.
"[381.6s] Yeah.
[381.6s] You could try fuel injector cleaner.
[385.5s] CRC G2P, the guaranteed to pass, would be a great option to put in the tank,"
CRC G2P is a brand of fuel cleaner you pour into the gas tank. The goal is to clean deposits from the fuel injectors so the car starts and runs better.
CRC G2P is a specific fuel system cleaner product mentioned as an option to add to the tank. The speaker recommends it as a way to clean injector tips and potentially resolve the starting issue.
Term
three eighths line
"Yeah, the big three eighths line. Are there two lines on it or one?"
That phrase is about the size of the fuel hose. The right size helps fuel flow properly, and the wrong size can cause pressure/flow problems.
“Three eighths line” refers to the hose/line size (diameter) used for the fuel supply. Line size affects flow capacity and can matter when diagnosing restrictions or when replacing parts to maintain correct fuel delivery.
"then that other round thing about the size of a golf ball, if it has a vacuum line on it, that is a regulator, because the vacuum line regulates the pressure by the change in vacuum."
A vacuum line is a small hose that uses engine suction. It helps control other parts by telling them how much vacuum the engine is making.
A vacuum line is a small hose that carries engine manifold vacuum to another component. In many systems, it controls how that component regulates pressure or fuel delivery based on engine load.
"that it needs a PCM and the issue is that they are obsolete. So, and I've been told that everybody I've talked to has had terrible luck with remanufactured PCMs."
PCM is the car’s main computer for the engine and drivetrain. It reads sensors and tells the engine and transmission what to do. If it fails, the car can act “dead” or run wrong.
PCM stands for powertrain control module. It’s the car’s main computer that manages engine and transmission functions, using sensor inputs to control things like fuel, ignition, and shift behavior.
"you can expect to pay, I'd say less than $200 for that powertrain control module and maybe another 200 to put it in and you're fixed."
A powertrain control module is the car’s main computer for the engine and transmission. If it fails, the car may run poorly or throw warning lights, and replacing it can be expensive.
The powertrain control module (PCM) is the main computer that manages the engine and transmission functions. It reads sensor data and controls things like fuel delivery, ignition timing, and shifting behavior.
"And if there's a problem with the part, a lot of these auto recyclers will give you a year warranty on it. So at least the parts covered. You'd have to pay some labor, but at least the part would be covered."
A year warranty means the shop will stand behind the used part for about a year. Usually it covers the part, but you may still pay for installation.
A year warranty on a used part means the recycler will replace or refund the component if it fails within that period. It typically covers the part itself, while labor is often still on you.
"But if you've still got a code for the oxygen sensor, it may be because you've got a leak in there and it's sucking some air through that hole as well."
The oxygen sensor checks the exhaust to see how much oxygen is in it. If there’s a leak or extra air getting in, the computer may think the engine is running wrong and save an error code.
An oxygen sensor (often called an O2 sensor) measures how much oxygen is in the exhaust. If the sensor reports an incorrect mixture due to exhaust leaks or air being sucked in, the engine computer can store a diagnostic trouble code.
"[1661.0s] Berkeley One Classics ensured me with an agreed value policy. [1664.1s] That means if you suffer a loss, [1665.8s] there's no haggle over the value of your vehicle."
With an agreed value policy, you and the insurance company pick a value for the car ahead of time. If something bad happens, they pay that amount instead of arguing later about the car’s value.
An agreed value policy is an insurance setup where you and the insurer agree on the car’s value up front. If the car is totaled or stolen, the payout is based on that agreed amount rather than a later negotiation about what the car is “worth.”
Concept
homeowner's policy vs auto coverage (storage months)
"[1673.9s] I did not know that my homeowner's policy did not cover my car [1677.0s] when it was stored in my garage for the winter."
Many people assume a homeowner’s policy covers their vehicle while it’s stored, but that’s often not the case. If your car is parked in a garage over winter, you typically still need appropriate auto or specialty coverage to protect it during storage periods.
"For 50 years, Berkeley One Classics has ensured a wide range of vehicles from sports cars and rare exotic cars, to antique vehicles including cars, trucks, tractors, and motorcycles."
Berkeley One Classics is a company that helps people find classic or hard-to-source vehicles and related items. In this segment, they’re being promoted as an easy place to request a quote.
Berkeley One Classics is a vehicle parts and/or classic-vehicle sourcing business that helps customers get quotes for a wide range of vehicles. They’re positioned here as a way to source hard-to-find cars and related items more easily.
"check out car-part.com. It's fast and it's easy. Over 200 million parts strong all across North America."
Car-part.com is a website that helps you search for used car parts. It pulls options from lots of recyclers so you can compare availability and prices.
Car-part.com is presented as a parts-finding marketplace focused on used parts. The segment highlights that it aggregates inventory from many recyclers and offers a large selection across North America.
"Over 4,000 recyclers to choose from, giving you the largest selection available."
Recyclers are places that take old cars apart and sell the usable parts. More recyclers usually means more options for the part you’re looking for.
Recyclers are businesses that dismantle vehicles and resell usable components. In the context of car-part.com, having many recyclers increases the chance of finding the exact part you need at a better price.
"Maybe you want a set of spare wheels that you can install on your vehicle over the winter months with snow tires to avoid damaging your nice summer wheels."
Snow tires (winter tires) are designed with rubber compounds and tread patterns that grip better in cold temperatures and on snow/ice. Swapping to them seasonally can reduce wear on summer tires and improve winter traction.
"Road Ready Wheels can help you upgrade to factory looking OEM aluminum wheels. Over 40,000 wheels with free shipping available and returns with a one year warranty."
Road Ready Wheels is a company that sells replacement wheels for your car. They’re saying their wheels look like the original factory wheels and are meant to fit without hassle.
Road Ready Wheels is a wheel retailer that sells replacement wheels intended to look like original equipment (OEM) parts. In this segment, they’re positioned as a way to upgrade your car’s wheels while keeping a factory-style appearance.
"Road Ready Wheels can help you upgrade to factory looking OEM aluminum wheels. Over 40,000 wheels with free shipping available and returns with a one year warranty."
OEM wheels are the same type of wheels your car would have from the factory. “Aluminum” just means the wheel is made from aluminum, which is common for wheels.
OEM means “original equipment manufacturer,” referring to parts made to match what the car originally came with. OEM-style aluminum wheels are typically designed for fitment and appearance similar to factory wheels.
"These wheels are a direct fit, so your factory caps and TPMS sensors will fit. Find out more and or yours at RoadReadyWheels.com."
TPMS sensors are the little parts that monitor your tire pressure. When you change wheels, you need the sensors to be compatible so the tire-pressure warning system still works.
TPMS stands for Tire Pressure Monitoring System. The sensors measure tire pressure and trigger warnings if pressure is too low, so wheel swaps often need compatible TPMS sensors or sensor retention.
"Just kind of at a loss as to where the antifreeze is going."
Antifreeze is the fluid that keeps the engine cool. If it’s disappearing, something is letting it escape or getting burned inside the engine.
Antifreeze (coolant) is what keeps an engine from overheating and also protects it from freezing. If coolant level drops, it usually means a leak somewhere in the cooling system or a problem like combustion chamber leakage.
"...put some dye in the coolant and inspected with a UV light to verify there was no external leakage anywhere."
A UV (ultraviolet) light is used with coolant dye to locate leaks that are hard to see under normal lighting. The dye fluoresces under UV light, making small seepage points easier to identify.
"...your truck probably looks in great shape, doesn't it? Even with that many miles on it? Well, you know, rocker panels are all rusted out and stuff..."
Rocker panels are the metal panels along the bottom sides of the truck. They often rust because they’re exposed to road spray and salt.
Rocker panels are the body panels along the lower sides of the vehicle, between the front and rear doors. They’re prone to rust on many trucks because they collect road salt and moisture, which can make the vehicle look worse even if the mechanicals are fine.
"And I can tell you that trucks come into my place all the time and the customer never knows that it's rusted unless I have it on the hoist."
A hoist is the shop lift that raises the truck. It lets you check the underside where hidden rust and damage can be hiding.
A hoist is the lift used to raise a vehicle so technicians can inspect the underside and structural areas. It’s a key tool for finding hidden issues like underbody rust that you can’t see from the ground.
"Go to Facebook marketplace.
[2460.6s] Those, that's where you find the cheap ones."
They’re suggesting you look at Facebook Marketplace listings to see what similar cars are selling for. That gives you a more realistic idea of what your car is worth and what you might pay to replace parts or the whole vehicle.
The speaker recommends checking Facebook Marketplace to find comparable prices for similar vehicles. For repair decisions, this helps estimate the real-world market value and the cost of sourcing parts or a replacement vehicle.
"...change the head gasket and the front and rear seal and the water pump, but I didn't know if I should open it up..."
The water pump moves coolant through the engine to keep it from overheating. If you’re already doing work inside the engine, it’s often easier to replace it now than later.
The water pump circulates coolant through the engine to control temperature. Replacing it during an engine refresh can be smart because a failing pump can cause overheating and can be labor-intensive to fix later.
"...pull off a couple of the bearings, a main bearing and a rod bearing..."
Rod bearings are parts that help the connecting rods move smoothly. If they’re worn, it can mean the engine didn’t get good lubrication over time.
Rod bearings sit on the connecting rods and support the crankshaft at each cylinder. They’re a common wear point, so checking them gives a strong clue about engine health and oiling history.
"...pull off a couple of the bearings, a main bearing and a rod bearing and the one furthest away from the oil pump..."
Main bearings are parts that let the crankshaft spin smoothly inside the engine. If they’re worn, the engine can make noise and wear out faster.
Main bearings support the crankshaft inside the engine block. Wear here can indicate lubrication issues or long-term stress, and checking them helps determine whether the engine is healthy enough to “freshen” rather than fully rebuild.
"...put them back on, proper torque, put new gaskets in it, clean it very well..."
Proper torque means tightening bolts to the exact tightness the manufacturer specifies. It matters because bolts that are too loose or too tight can cause leaks or damage.
Proper torque means tightening fasteners to the specified value using a torque wrench. Correct torque is critical for head gasket sealing and bearing integrity—too loose can leak or fail, too tight can damage threads or components.
"If you go to advanced auto parts, they will have, I'll bet you, every part in stock available for that. If they don't, they can get it out of their warehouse pretty much overnight right away."
Advanced Auto Parts is a store where you can buy car parts. The point here is that they can often get the parts you need quickly so you don’t lose time on a repair.
Advanced Auto Parts is an aftermarket parts retailer that stocks replacement components for many vehicles. The speaker is using it as an example of how quickly you can source parts (including via warehouse fulfillment) to keep a repair moving.
"...one thing I put in the engine oil on all mine is the Justice Brothers Heavy Duty Vehicle..."
Engine oil is what keeps the engine parts from grinding against each other. It also helps cool the engine and carries dirt away, so regular oil changes matter a lot.
Engine oil is the lubricant that reduces friction inside the engine and helps carry heat away from moving parts. Keeping it clean and using the right type/interval is one of the biggest factors in preventing wear-related repairs.
"And if you fix it, you're going to get like at our place, you get a year warranty, parts and labor."
Repairs usually cost two things: the new part and the work to put it in. “Parts and labor” means both are covered.
“Parts and labor” means the warranty covers both the physical replacement components and the technician’s time to install them. This is important because labor costs can be a big part of the total repair bill.
The heater is what warms the inside of your truck. It uses heat from the vehicle to blow warm air where you need it.
In a vehicle, the heater uses engine heat (or, in some designs, an electric heat source) to warm the cabin. When you turn it on, you’re directing warm air through the HVAC system to raise interior temperature.
"By noon, I had my air conditioner on high and it was 91 degrees."
The air conditioner cools the inside of the truck and helps dry the air. Turning it to high usually makes it cool faster.
The air conditioner (A/C) removes heat and humidity from the cabin air. Setting it to “high” typically increases cooling output and fan speed, which can make the car feel cooler faster.
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Here is the Under the Hood Show podcast.
This is Under the Hood.
Welcome to the Under the Hood Show.
The phone number to reach us 866-594-4150.
Russ Evans is here to answer your automotive questions.
Thanks for joining us Under the Hood.
Shannon Nordstrom is not here to answer your automotive questions today.
Sound of crickets.
But I'm here to answer your calls at 866-594-4150.
866-594-4150.
We've got calls coming in.
We've got issues over here on my music.
You'll never know it once you hear us on podcast and radio, other radio stations.
So it's always fun looking behind the scenes here.
We have a producer, Doug, who is a genius and an incredible sound editor and
incredible radio producer.
In some weeks, it's easy.
No work to do.
He just turns around, puts it up there.
It's a piece of cake.
But this week, I'm making him work for his money.
866-594-4150.
Let's go to Arkansas and talk to Gil.
You're on the Under the Hood Show.
Gil, what can we do for you?
I called in last month or so.
And I have a 1996 Ford Ranger 4L.
And we had the PTCs of 0171 and 0174 Lean Bank 1 and 2.
And we discussed that fuel pressure could cause that.
So I did put a new fuel pump in it.
Codes went away.
The only thing I experience right now is that now that the weather's gotten hot,
is I get a stumbling on a hot start.
Is that still the fuel pump?
Or can that be a regulator?
There's no vacuum leak.
Look at that regulator.
And I'm not worried about leaking through the rail so much as leaking out the vacuum
port. That one was a bad one for it.
But I believe they are making that regulator again.
We talked about this in Crystal.
Remember, we used to say you're just going to have to junk it unless you can figure one out
because they didn't make this regulator for about eight years.
No one made it.
You couldn't buy one.
Everyone was taken off of every engine we'd find in auto recycling yards.
You'd get on car dash part and they're like, nope, ours is gone.
I mean, we used up every resource we have at the end of the hood show,
which is pretty extensive.
And we couldn't find one for two different vehicles.
And we said, you can't drive it.
There's no way around it because they were just pouring fuel out.
But yours, if you run it and it's warm, and then you pull off that little vacuum regulator
and it's damp at all, means the regulator's bad.
And I believe that that is available in advanced auto parts.
I think it's like a $50 part.
It's not too bad at all.
So I have two questions.
Okay.
So again, it's only when it's hot.
Pressuring you.
Pull starts are awesome.
They are awesome.
And then I keep looking for the regulator.
And one thing, one, I know what you said about the internet.
I looked online and it says, that's not the fuel regulator that's on the rail.
That's a pulsator.
It's on that, you know, so where is the regulator then?
Well, it'll have one of the two.
If it's got a pulsator, it does not have a regulator.
It's a single line system, which started in late 96, but the early 96 had a regulator.
So pulsators on the passenger side, regulators on the driver side,
driver side, all the way in the rear by the firewall with a rubber line on it.
That's going to be the, with a plastic line.
That is going to be, if it has a regulator, if it does not.
It's the pulsator then.
Okay.
That pulsator has no line to it.
So if you've got that and it's a good cold start, but a bad hot start,
it usually means it's getting a little extra fuel at cold start.
So it fires up quicker than normal.
But when it's warm, when it's doing that, usually that indicates a leaking fuel injector.
And how we check those usually is to see if we have a pressure drop,
but we'll also run the engine and then shut it off and pull the rail out.
You know, we'll just run it for like maybe a minute so it doesn't get super hot
and then shut it off and immediately unbolt, do the bolts for the rail,
pull the whole rail up and then watch and see if any of the injectors get wet underneath.
If they do, those are bad.
And a fuel injection system cleaning, before you even go to the trouble of taking it out,
because it's a 96, it's 30 years old already.
Antique, right, Chris?
Yeah.
You could try fuel injector cleaner.
CRC G2P, the guaranteed to pass, would be a great option to put in the tank,
run it for a couple hundred miles.
It'll clean out those injector tips really well and then see if the problem goes away.
If it gets better but doesn't go away, run it again and make sure it's good and clean.
That will save you the trouble of having to put a new injector in it or even taking it apart.
But I think you've got a slight leak in there that's doing this,
but it's good to hear that your pressure codes or your problem went away with getting the right
pressure back to it with a fuel pump.
So briefly, you know, you said it could be the mass airflow.
So I gave it a good overhaul and cleaning and everything.
You know, I didn't wait to find out the codes come back.
I just cleaned it.
Now, back to the pulsator.
If there is a vacuum line on it, correct?
The pulsator has no line on it.
If it has any line on it, it's a regular.
Okay, if it's got a plastic vacuum line on it, it is a regulator.
Okay, but it's not where you said it's located.
Where is it?
It's on the right passenger side on the rails.
It's right right there by where you hook up the fuel gauge.
I mean the fuel pressure.
Okay, now is there are there two lines on the rail or one?
Two fuel lines.
What do you mean?
The big line from the tank.
Yeah, the big three eighths line.
Are there two lines on it or one?
I only see one.
Okay, if it's got one line coming up and then there is a,
then that other round thing about the size of a golf ball,
if it has a vacuum line on it, that is a regulator,
because the vacuum line regulates the pressure by the change in vacuum.
And I put the new pump on, I put the pressure checker on.
I'm not 100% happy, but it's better than what it was when I originally started.
If you unplugged that vacuum line, the pressure should go up on that.
How much?
On your fuel pressure should go up a lot,
like it should be running maybe around 45 with that line disconnected
and connected it might run 30.
30, it'll drop.
And that part's working.
So you can maybe replace still run fuel injector cleaner to a period just because.
I would start with that just because of the age.
And then if I pull off that vacuum line, if it's leaking there,
it should be wet, but if it is wet, it's bad.
You need to replace that regulator if it's wet.
There you go.
Gil, thanks very much for the call.
Good luck.
866-594-4155.
Fixed it.
That's the number to reach is here at the under the hood show.
Now we've got Shannon gone and we've got just like one second of music that's working.
So we really have room for local calls.
We could sing.
We could just 866-594-4150.
Hey, I got a phone call coming in for the shop.
So they just give them a quote right on the air.
What can we do for you?
Let's talk to Bill.
You're on the under the hood show.
Bill, what can we do for you?
Yeah, I got a 2019 GMC Yukon with the air suspension and it's got a leak because the
compressor is running quite a bit.
My question is, does it make more sense to repair, replace that suspension like that,
or does it make more sense to convert to a kind of a conventional system?
Well, I have a question before you get into this.
Go ahead, Chris.
We talk about things like this all the time.
Is there a 90% of these that work or is this one of those things that just don't?
We get this call so much.
It's old enough that air suspension does fail.
So do struts, just regular struts.
It's old enough vehicle that the regular struts would fail,
which means if you got air suspension, they're going to fail.
If you're going to keep this for a while and let's face it, it's a 19 Yukon.
You may have this until 2029, 2039.
I mean, it really could go 25 years.
I mean, it's a good vehicle and I would bet you're going to replace that suspension
two more times if you keep it in another 15 years.
I would probably convert it if there's a kit available for it already,
which I believe there is.
They come out with kits eventually for all these.
I would do that.
I would stop into advanced auto parts, ask them if they have the suspension conversion kit.
Arnot suspension is a big supplier of those.
They're not a partner with us, but they're about the only company that makes conversion kits
and they do a really good job of it.
They find the ones that fail a lot and they recreate them
if they think they can make some money selling them.
I would say check it out and see because if it was my own personal one,
yeah, I'd convert it because if I know I've got to do it again,
I'd rather go with the conversion because that means it's cheaper.
Let's say it's $4,000 to put four air suspension struts on a vehicle now
and you convert it for less money.
When it comes time to replace them again, you've already got the conversion done,
you're buying just the strut and it's like half price.
You got to bite the bullet at one point, but you don't have to pay the full price of the air.
Those struts can get crazy expensive.
Usually the front ones that go out on these first,
but we've had up to 2023 models with failed front struts that are at about 60, 70,000 miles.
They lock up and they bounce really hard and they're like,
can you just get rid of them?
I'm like, yeah, and we do it on other vehicles.
But be thankful you don't have a Chrysler product with that nitrogen charged air suspension.
A lot of shops don't even touch those because they're such a nightmare.
But the GM, I would say, yeah, check with advance.
See what they got.
Does that help you out there, Bill?
Okay. Yep.
Oh, and as the previous caller stated, you guys definitely have faces for radio.
Yeah, we do.
See? This is why I didn't want to get into it.
Thanks, Bill.
See you later.
866-594-4150.
Listen, I have the experience, Russ.
I've had this conversation for 30 years.
There's no, there's no good way out.
You got to just, you can't, you got to move right on off of that one.
866-594-4150.
Let's talk to Dana in Colorado.
Dana, you're on the end of the hood show.
What can we do for you?
Hey, thanks for taking my call.
You bet.
So I've got a 2010 Mustang and it's convertible,
which just means that it's beautiful and fun.
And I'm calling because I would like to keep it forever,
but I think that I might have hit a dead end because I've been told by a Ford dealer
that it needs a PCM and the issue is that they are obsolete.
So, and I've been told that everybody I've talked to has had terrible luck
with remanufactured PCMs.
They say that it's a gamble.
And so I could potentially be paying labor to install one like 10 times
before I find one that works because it like anyone might have its own issues.
And that the best course might be to go to a junkyard
and just get one there that's never technically been bad.
But a junkyard one is obviously going to be as old as the one in my car.
And so I don't even know how long that'll last.
So I just wanted to know what your best advice is on that.
Well, those powertrain control modules, the PCMs,
they have zero moving parts in them.
So unless they've been damaged by a sensor or some wiring that's been chewed by a rodent
and a mouse or something like that, they'll last,
they can last forever pretty much as long as there's no physical damage to them.
Once they're remanufactured and they tear them apart,
they start cutting epoxy off the boards and soldering parts in,
yeah, they can get some pretty sketch repairable units out there.
I would prefer myself putting in one from an auto recycler,
get on car dash part, find one there from a running vehicle, put it in, program it.
But the cost would be so cheap.
If you go to an independent repair shop and not to Ford,
you can expect to pay, I'd say less than $200 for that powertrain control module
and maybe another 200 to put it in and you're fixed.
And if there's a problem with the part, a lot of these auto recyclers will
give you a year warranty on it.
So at least the parts covered.
You'd have to pay some labor, but at least the part would be covered.
And I can tell you that model PCM that's in your vehicle fits a lot of other different vehicles.
And I have a ton of customers that are driving those cars that have never had a problem with one.
And I don't know if I've got any with a failed one lately,
even in the last few years that we've had to replace.
So you've got a pretty good,
pretty good chance that you're going to get a good one.
Now the dealership, now they'll look, they don't sell the new one anymore.
I've got a Ford truck I'm working on right now that needs a powertrain control module, a diesel.
And I've had to pick up a used one and that's a really, that's like a $600 one.
But that control module, yeah, they don't sell it new anymore.
You got to pick it up, use it.
I'm not afraid of getting a good used one and put it in and programming it.
I don't think I'll have any issues with it, you know.
So that's, that's what my suggestion would be is to pick one up,
go to car dash part, find one.
You need to match it by the exact number that's on yours.
The number can be found right on the tag.
There's a tag attached right where the plug-in connector is there under the hood
that plugs into that powertrain control module.
You can look on YouTube and see how to change one.
Just take a picture of that with your phone and send that to whatever yard
that you choose on car dash part to get one and they'll match it up 100%.
And then they put it in the car and they'll have to program it to your car
for security and stuff and then, then it should, should work.
You've just got to be careful that that is actually the part that is bad
and it's not something else that's making it look like that computer is bad.
I've had people that, let's say they have a, a bad sensor on their car and,
and somebody jumps the gun and says, oh, you need a computer.
They put a computer in, even if it was brand new and it still doesn't fix it
because that wasn't the problem to begin with.
So in your mind, you might think, I put a used one and it must be bad.
It's still doing the same thing.
And I got another one.
It's still doing the same thing when the problem wasn't that.
So find an independent repair shop that is capable of swapping those out
and have them verify first before they buy the part that, yeah,
that is what's going on with it because it could be as simple as a wire
that's broken or something.
But you, I think you can keep that car a good long time yet.
There are a lot of people that still, I got a friend that's got one.
She loves it.
I mean, they'll, I think it'll last you a long time yet.
Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Does that ease your mind a little bit?
A lot of it actually.
Good.
Thank you so much for calling me back.
Is it a V6?
I really appreciate it.
It is.
Okay.
So on the V6, the ones with the ignition, direct ignition coils on them,
some of those cars had a problem with the coils shorting out
and they would burn up the computer.
So if this is a misfire issue with this car, you might want to have
whatever shop looking at it, think about putting a new set of coils on it
when they, when they put the computer in because that coil will burn up the,
burn up that computer.
So I've seen that happen before they put a new computer and go,
oops, we killed it again.
Well, you didn't put the coils on it.
So that's a thought.
It's a tune up item thing.
So I just want to remind them of that.
You know, that's interesting because there was a historical code
for a misfire on startup, but it must have only happened once in real brief
because it was kind of a ran rough.
Okay.
Then you're probably, you're probably fine.
The misfire and startup can come from another thing.
A lot of things, you know, too rich on fuel, a little too lean.
The day was cold, condensation, anything.
It could just run a little rough for a second or two and throw that code.
As long as it wasn't a hard code that kept coming back and you should be fine there then.
Oh, okay.
All right.
There you go.
Thank you, guys.
Dana, thanks very much for the call.
Good luck.
866-594-4150.
That's the number to reach us here at the end of the hood show.
Let's talk to Eric in Utah.
You're on the end of the hood show, Eric.
What can we do for you?
Hey, hey guys.
Thanks for taking my call.
I called a while back about my 06 in Preza.
I was having a misfire on cylinder three after I just done the timing belt and all the components.
I just wanted to give you guys an update.
I actually found out the issue with the spark plug wires because the wires come off the distribution
block and so the spark plug wire on cylinder three was popping off of the spark plug and just
the weirdest thing, I ended up just kind of doing some like
redeeming stuff on it.
One of the things that I did was use the CRC valve cleaner.
Yeah, the CRC G2P.
That's guaranteed to pass?
Yeah.
So the guaranteed to pass, I used that and then I also used the intake valve cleaner spray.
Good idea.
Spraying to the throttle body and so after I did all that, it stopped blowing the spark
plug wire out of cylinder three.
I still get a code and it's because there's so much unfair fuel.
I feel it's the downstream sensor but other than that, that issue is taken care of now.
What you just said made me think of something here.
Your spark plug wire kept coming off on number three but after you ran the cleaner,
it stopped coming off.
You didn't put a new wire on it?
No.
Here I think the wires were brand new to begin with.
I think I might know what's going on here.
I think that you may have a valve cover gasket.
That spark plug tube seal might be leaking on cylinder number three and when you cleaned
that emission system, it cleans the rings.
That CRC guaranteed to pass cleans the rings.
It cleans carbon out and it will help with if you've got blow by in that engine a little bit.
You may have had, you may have reduced that enough.
So let's say that that tube seal was bad just on number three.
The blow by was enough that it was popping that off but once you cleaned it, it reduced that
which helps restore the power in the engine.
Well, that's how it does it.
It cleans it up and makes things seat better.
So now you don't have enough blow by to pop that off.
But if you've still got a code for the oxygen sensor, it may be because you've got a leak
in there and it's sucking some air through that hole as well.
So you may need, I would say pop the spark plug wires off of the two cylinders next to each other
and look at the wire close with a flashlight.
If you're like me, you put some glasses on too.
But see if they're different, different colors, you know,
like if one looks really good and the other ones like discolored,
like maybe it's a little oily residue or a little gray or something,
that may be happening because you've got a like a spark plug tube seal leaking.
And then that tube seal might, by doing the valve cover gasket with those two tube seals,
you may not only fix that problem of the plug popping off, but also the O2 sensor code.
Wow. Okay. That's a really, that's great advice.
I appreciate that. I didn't, I just thought, I felt like that, that sound pipe you guys play,
it could have paid a thousand dollars.
There you go. Fix it yourself.
Eric, thanks very much for the call. Good luck.
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Welcome back everybody.
It's time to get back under the hood with our motor medics.
8-6-6-5-9-4-4-1-5-0.
That's the number to reach us here at The Under the Hood Show.
Don't forget, if you miss an episode,
you can find it wherever you get your podcasts
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If you subscribe there and join the Hoodie Fan Club, you could win a hoodie.
Like Joe Taster, congratulations for everybody here under the hood
and our friends over at Berkeley One Classic,
celebrating over 50 years of collector car coverage.
Tis the season to be protected.
To get those cars out there.
You want to find the best way to do it.
You just want a car.
I really, really do.
Let's talk to Jeff.
You're on The Under the Hood Show.
Jeff, what can we do for you?
Yeah, I got a 2009 Chevy Malibu LT.
And the tires were worn in the front.
The front end was out of line, so I put new tires on it.
And I took it to the alignment place.
After I got it back, you drive it down the road from first to second.
And when it hits third, it veers a little bit to the left.
Just a second and then it straightens out.
And don't have no more problems.
But once I stop, go through the gears again, then it does the same thing.
And I had them put it on the diagnostic thing there.
Check it all out.
Check the steering sensor, all that.
He said everything was good.
I just tried to turn the steering wheel to the left,
turn it to the right, turn it to the left, turn it to the right.
So I restarted.
I looked the battery, done all that.
I don't know.
I'm stumped.
If a car pulls to the side, either during acceleration or shifting gears,
but it doesn't do it if you're just at a steady speed without being on the throttle or decelerating,
that is always going to be either something loose in the suspension.
So it's pulling off to one side or a motor mount loose,
something that shifts the geometry of the front end.
Yeah, if the engine rocks because you got a loose motor mount,
it'll move the axle.
And when that axle moves, it will change the way the little tripod joint,
which is like a, you know, it's a universal joint on that front CV shaft.
As that moves, it will change the way it pulls to one side.
It'll slow it down or speed it up.
It can do that.
And that would happen at a gear?
Because it's moving.
Well, you're banging.
Yeah, it's changing gear, changing ratio, changes the load on the engine.
That's what my guess would be.
There's something as loose that they're not seeing.
They're checking for a tire and there's maybe the whole cradles moving,
and they haven't pried on that yet.
But it could also be as simple as a motor, an engine mount, you know, motor mount.
I think that's probably, I've seen so many engine mounts bad on those.
I would, I would start by doing that.
They, they open the hood, they put it in gear and have somebody watch off to the side
while they try to rev it up with their foot on the brake and the gas in drive
and then switch it to reverse and do the same thing.
Let's see if the motor rocks.
If it rocks a lot one way as compared to the other,
then you probably got a broken, broken mount.
Does that help you out there, Jeff?
Feels like, yes.
It feels like it's on the right side when I, when I accelerate,
but it don't do it first and second.
It just doesn't want to go into overdrive.
Yeah, going into overdrive, it's going to put a, you know, a load,
more load on it because as it goes up in gears, it changes the ratio.
So it's going to pull harder as it gets to that upper gear.
Jeff, thanks very much for the call.
You have a direction to at least chase there now.
Thanks very much.
866-594-4150.
Let's talk to Pete.
You're on the end of the hood show.
Pete, what can we do for you?
Hey, fellas, I got a 11 F-150.
Oh, last summer, oh, probably about 150,000.
I had the transmission service and then the, you know, the coolant flush and filled.
And went all summer, you know, without a hitch.
Then it started getting cold and around, I don't know, December or so.
All of a sudden, one morning, my heater wasn't working very good.
Pop the hood.
Sure enough, I was low on antifreeze.
Long story short, I've, over the course of the winter,
I've put about two gallons of antifreeze in it.
And I'm not noticing anything in the oil, nothing out of the ordinary,
out of the exhaust, no leaks that I can find.
Just kind of at a loss as to where the antifreeze is going.
If you're not seeing it anywhere on the outside, it's got to be burning it.
It's probably, it's probably ahead.
It's probably burning it that way.
The turbos have lines on them as well.
It could be going through a turbo.
Well, this is a five-ohl.
Oh, it's a five-ohl.
Then it's not, that's not going through a, the EcoBoost alone was a turbo.
Well, that helps you there by telling you it's not a turbo.
I was going to say, if you got a turbo and it's doing that,
it's really hard to find that leak internally.
You can put, I've seen people put turbos on them and they still leak and then
they're bummed because they spent all that money and they need an engine anyways.
But when the five-ohls do that, usually we find that
a lot of times it's a cracked head.
You get a crack in the head.
It's a, it's a slow leak.
Usually when it's cold, it'll leak and suck a little antifreeze into the engine.
It'll burn it.
It's burning hot enough.
You can't see it out the back.
But when it warms up, it quits.
There's no good way to really find that leak.
I've had some people put some case seal in those engines to try to stop that.
And it's worked in, in a lot of cases.
It's a very strong permanent repair.
If it's a small crack in the head, it'll seal it.
And it seals it up permanently.
That is, that's an option for you if it's burning that small amount.
Otherwise, you know, you could, if you pull the heads off the engine and send them in to be checked,
sometimes it can be very hard for them to find that crack.
And I've had people do that and they put them back on and they still do it.
They say, yeah, can't find a crack.
They put it back together.
Whether the crack is there only when it's warm or cold.
They just can't find it because it's so small.
It can even be between the valves and it makes it almost impossible to find that.
So a lot of people take them off and put different heads, new heads on them
to try to fix that.
And even some of the remanufactured ones haven't been in great shape because
they just clean them up, put valves in them and say, oh, they're good.
But then it turns out they got a coolant leak.
So I guess if this was my own, I would, after I did the complete outside check,
and maybe even put some dye in the coolant and inspected with a UV light to verify there was no
external leakage anywhere.
I'd probably run the K seal route to seal it up.
Hope for the best.
Or maybe even start with that.
Yeah.
How many miles are on it?
Right now I have 175 and I mean, it runs great.
If you got 175,000 on a 50, put the K seal in it because if there's no external leaks,
it's probably going to be a crack and those engines, it's rare that I see one with more than
a couple hundred thousand miles on it.
They do go a long way.
A couple hundred is a long way for most people, but for the ones that have put
a couple hundred miles on it in, you know, six or seven years, a shorter period,
we do a, we've replaced a lot of engines in our shop and we put a lot of 50s in that have made it
to 200,000, but the trucks far outlast the engines.
So the transmissions are tough.
They're about bulletproof, but the engines, no, we put a lot of engines in.
Well, I did two quotes in the last two weeks for 50 engines that were just at 200,000 miles.
So wouldn't surprise me.
I'd start with the K seal.
It's going to be a lot cheaper than putting an engine in it right now.
You could put that in and start saving because your truck probably looks in great shape,
doesn't it?
Even with that many miles on it?
Well, you know, rocker panels are all rusted out and stuff, but you know, yeah, other than that,
it looks pretty good.
Yeah.
You know, that's normal.
People will have a lot of trucks.
We put a lot of engines in trucks that have rusted rocker, but it pretty much stops at the rocker.
The body's still solid, still looks good everywhere else.
It's just the bottom part.
And they're like, I don't want to go spend 25, 30 grand on another truck.
I'll spend 6 to 8,000, 9,000 and repair this one.
And I'll just keep driving it because I can go another 10 years for that.
That's less than a thousand bucks a year.
I can go rather than pay more insurance, pay a car payment, all that for a truck that's
going to end up after that 10 years is going to end up in the same shape.
So it's just fixed what I got.
It makes more sense financially.
That makes me think of something.
Have you seen these like plastic or, I don't know if they're plastic or fiberglass?
They put the rocker covers on.
Yep.
What's that?
Yeah.
And I can tell you that trucks come into my place all the time and the customer never knows
that it's rusted unless I have it on the hoist.
And I can see the rust under the rocker, but you never see it from the outside because it's
covered, but it doesn't affect the body at all.
The mounts are solid.
The frame is solid.
The floor is solid.
The door seals are good.
It's just that outer cover because the way they build them, it traps moisture in it.
So that rots through.
Once it rots through, it's a great drainage device.
It drains all the moisture out.
So it stops.
It's good, but you got to get it covered up.
So you put the cover over the outside and then you're in better shape.
So if you were to put an engine in, then you'd be good.
You go price one of these vehicles out.
I tell customers all the time they call me and say, well, I don't know if I want to spend
that much to put an engine in my vehicle.
It's not worth it.
It's like what the book says and what actual value is or two different things.
Go to Facebook marketplace.
Those, that's where you find the cheap ones.
See what a good one, good running one is selling for now.
You'll be shocked at how much they're going for versus what you've got in your mind of
what the vehicle's worth or look at one on a car lot and see what they're worth to be like.
Well, I had no idea it was worth that much.
I'll fix it.
Pete, thanks very much for the call.
Good luck.
866-594-4150.
That's the number to reach us here at the end of the hood show.
Let's talk to Kevin.
You're on the end of the hood show.
Kevin, what can we do for you?
Hi, I have a 1988 Pontiac Fiero and the engine went bad and I found a 1990 Old Sierra with the same engine.
And I was wondering what should I do with this Fiero?
It's got like 54,000 miles on it.
It was pulled out of the car and then stored in a warehouse and it had all the
plugs in it, you know, plastic plugs for everything and do I need to like change the head gasket and
I was assuming the front and rear seal and the water pump, but I didn't know if I should open it up
and seal it up with new gaskets and everything before I put it in.
You know, if you got a project car like this, this is a Berkeley one classics car.
You know, in every sense of the word, it's a classic collector and you got low miles.
If I had that low miles on the car, yeah, I would definitely take that new engine.
It's because it's so cheap.
Some of them are really expensive to do that kind of stuff, but this is a cheap engine.
I would get a gasket that they call a conversion kit with a head gasket and head bolts
and replace the gaskets on that engine.
Take it apart.
You'll be able to inspect it, see what shape it's in.
You know, if the cylinders look nice, pull off a couple of the bearings, a main bearing
and a rod bearing and the one furthest away from the oil pump, because those are the ones
that usually have the most wear and look.
And if they don't look like they're worn, put them back on, proper torque,
put new gaskets in it, clean it very well, paint that engine.
You haven't completely rebuilt it, but you've restored it and freshened it up,
made it look very nice again, put it in the car and then you're good.
Nothing would be worse than if you went to all that trouble to put outside seals on it,
you get it in the car and you run it, then you find out you got a seeping head gasket
after all that trouble and on the ground, it would be so easy.
In one day on a weekend, you could go through and do all those things I talked about with it
outside of the car, have it painted ready to go back in the car, good to go.
You know, put a new timing chain in it, real small stuff.
If you go to advanced auto parts, they will have, I'll bet you, every part in stock available for
that. If they don't, they can get it out of their warehouse pretty much overnight right away.
And they're cheap parts, timing set for those, I bet are probably still about 35 to 40 bucks.
Gaskets are going to be really affordable, not like more modern cars where things are
just more. I'd almost venture to say you could probably get everything you need for that engine
cheaper than I could buy, sometimes head gaskets and bolts for one of the modern overhead cam V8s.
So yeah, I'd do that and then put it together, make it look nice, new plugs, new plug wires,
maybe an ignition coil even on there and then you get that thing together and you have a good car.
Those cars are, I mean, they're not worth a fortune, but they are still.
They're certainly coming in.
Yeah, and they're a car that you're not going to buy cheap.
It's still going to be a, Shannon had one he picked up that had low miles on it.
Do you remember the miles on that Chris? It was low, whatever it was.
It was very low.
Yeah, and he got some really good money out of that car.
And you're somewhere in between, you know, you're at a mid mileage car.
I think you could get more out of it.
You think, or you could enjoy it.
You could drive it and enjoy it too.
Your other option is to sell it as is.
Somebody might buy it and do an LS swap on it or something with V8.
Those are cool.
But there's options for you.
Okay. Yeah, I was, after I bought the engine, I was kind of wondering because it has that
kind of a strange oil pump.
Balance shaft.
Vibrations.
Yeah.
It's a balance in there.
We call it force balancer.
I think you call it.
It looks like a crankshaft without any rods that's next to the oil pump.
And just make sure that that is in good shape.
If the bearings are bad in it, they will fly out.
It'll knock, do all sorts of weird stuff.
I bought a Lumina one time that had that engine in it,
and they said the motor was bad, the rods were knocking.
Well, I took the balance shaft out of it and went,
well, all the bearings are out of this.
So yeah, I just swapped it out and it fixed the whole thing.
And I was like, that was a cheap fix.
I got the car for 500 bucks and I fixed the whole thing.
I think I spent 400 bucks fixing it, and then I think I got 4500 out of it as a cheap car.
Kevin, thanks very much for the call.
Good luck.
866-594-4150.
We got a question here that I'm, I'll ask you because they asked it, and I wish Shannon were
here, and I'll tell you why in a second.
The question is from Mark in Texas, and he says, what's factory drivability?
You're, in the opener, your factory drivability, what is it, factory trained?
The two different things.
I did, I went through a lot of factory training, a lot of different things.
Factory led, so the engineers have schools and they say, this is,
this is how this car works or whatever, and which is pointless now because it just gets you started
a long time ago.
The drivability training was factory and aftermarket, and that is how smoothly and how well a car
runs. If you've got poor drivability, your car just runs bad.
It's got an engine misfire, it shakes, it pulls to one side, it's got a misfire, whatever, that's
drivability things, so there's a lot of training that goes into resolving those things into diagnostic
to make the car.
And you're, you're special certified, what are you, what's your deal?
And here's why I bring it up, and I wish Shannon were here.
Master certification for ASC and advanced engine performance and all sorts of stuff.
So factory drivability is training that you can be, I mean really, you're in the car and you can
figure it out, that's it, as opposed to just having the knowledge on paper.
Right, and really it's, it depends on, can you do the job?
And if you, I'd rather hire a tech that I know that can do the job that did not have
a certificate saying they can do it, rather than one that's got a bunch of stuff on paper.
I've had some people that had a master certification on paper that were dumb as a box rocks.
I mean, they just, they had no idea they were only book smart.
The reason I wish Shannon were here is because every time we bring stuff like this up,
he has to run, he has to think about whether he's, when he got certified last and whether
it's still valid or what he has to do.
And it's always fun, it's always fun to watch his brain try and figure it out and worry or,
or he gets a really nice look on his face like, oh yeah, yeah, I'm good.
I'm still valid.
So that's what I miss about that.
866-594-4150, let's go to Mississippi and talk to Patrick.
You're on the end of the hood show.
Patrick, what can we do for you?
Hey guys, man, I need a little help.
I bought me a 2016 GMC Sierra.
I know they kind of thought they were transmissions.
Mine has not given me any trouble, but I've heard y'all talk about the thermal bypass.
So I'm going to ask you, would that be a good thing for me to have done?
And then part two, I was going to ask, what do you recommend as far as any additive in the oil
or the transmissions?
That definitely, if you've got a transmission that has an external thermal bypass or thermal valve,
remove it.
It's where the two lines come in.
You'll see a big square.
It looks like a shoebox, but much smaller.
That shape on the driver's side front.
If you see that by a thermal bypass block, you can get them off of Amazon for about 30 bucks.
And it's just a big chunk of aluminum with some seals.
You can do it at home yourself.
Do that.
Yeah, that's what mine looks like, like a little aluminum piece.
Yeah.
You can do it in an hour by the time you fill it with fluid and change and clean up,
wash your hands and have a snack.
I mean, I would do it.
Definitely do that.
And then as far as additives go, one thing I put in the engine oil on all mine
is the Justice Brothers Heavy Duty Vehicle because it's a metal conditioner that protects
from excess wear and with the lifter problems and stuff that a lot of engines have had,
just because of changes in oils over the years.
I go with that, that helps protect that.
And then the same thing, they also have a transmission additive as well,
a transmission conditioner, which also contains metal conditioner,
which helps with wear and things like that for this model vehicle.
So your biggest thing, though, you can do to protect that transmission in that vehicle
is that thermal bypass.
Because once that sticks and it will at some point, it's toast and they're very expensive.
So if you need one, if it's failed, hey, people, we can fix you.
But if you could prevent it, hey, do that too.
Patrick, thanks very much for the call.
Good luck.
866-594-4150.
Got just a couple minutes here.
Let's talk to Mark in Minnesota.
You're on the end of the Hood Show, Mark.
What can we do for you?
22 Canyon.
What's going on with it?
Yeah, yeah.
Well, my wife and I, we say it's time of the month.
And what I mean by that is it'll all of a sudden drain the battery and then
it's so bad now we automatically leave the hood open so I can check it every day.
Sometimes it'll last a week and a half, two weeks without losing any voltage.
But then the next day, it'll lose a whole volt in like 24 hours.
All right, we're up against the clock a little bit here.
So all right, so here's your thing.
When it's intermittent like that, it's going to be about impossible for a shop to find it.
I have looked for that on our own company vehicles and things.
And it's just, we spent so much time versus what we got out of it and never found it.
That until it gets really bad, it's going to be about impossible for anybody to find.
I would suggest like an Optima battery maintainer.
Those, those will help.
You just plug it in when you're not using the vehicle and it'll keep it maintained.
So it doesn't die on you and it's still safe.
So you can hop in and take off if you need to until it gets to the point where it's going
dead like every day, like after it sits for 10 or 12 hours.
And if it's starting to go dead, then, then they can, a mechanic can go after it.
It'll save you more money that way.
You'll, you will spend less money buying a maintainer and having that on there
and then waiting for it to fail so they can fix it within a few hours of diagnosis,
then by going in and spending money in them saying, can't find it.
Sorry.
I heard you guys talk about maintainers for so long.
I wish I would have bought one 10 years earlier.
It's, they're just great.
All right.
We good?
We're good to go.
Doug, we good over there?
He give, he get, that was the least committal.
I'll tell you what that, you know what that look was.
You saw that look.
That look was, I don't, what are you asking me?
Right?
That was the question.
But Shannon's gone and we got stuff to get to.
So there's really no after show today is what my point, I think was.
Right?
Do you have anything?
Oh, I was going to say, is Mark still there?
Maybe he had one more question, but no, I'm, I, yeah.
Yeah.
That's how, I mean, it just kind of, we'll see.
Yeah.
This is the after show where we can do what we want.
You know, so we'll, we'll see what, we don't talk about fuel prices during the
show because it's just pointless.
Everybody knows it's going up, but we'll see what, we'll see what next week brings on Chris.
Yeah.
It seems to be watching every day to see what's going to happen.
Well, let's talk about what people can do themselves to
save air pressure.
It's free, right?
Make sure, and this is year round.
If it's, if gas was 50 cents a gallon, I wouldn't care, right?
It's 50 cents a gallon.
Just check your air pressure.
Man, I tell you what, when we change people's oil, it is amazing how many cars come in
that are like at 26 pounds.
They could go up a little bit and over a tank full of 400 miles worth of range,
you can gain like 25 miles on a tank of fuel by proper air pressure, by that five pounds.
And he was like, well, it's 25 miles.
That's not much.
Well, that means every four tanks, it's 100 miles.
And think about that as far as your tires too.
Oh, yeah, tire wear.
Well, and even the size, I mean, if you've got a truck and you're 10 pounds down.
And you got a big tire.
Oh, I got oversized tires and they're low.
That thing is doing everything it can to slow you down.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's, it's, you can just hear it when it passes a gas station.
But, you know, and emission system cleanings and stuff that always helps to get your fuel
mileage up.
That's, that's a big thing.
But, you know, the, I guess right now, the biggest thing you do is you should,
you should just pray that the gas prices come down.
That's it.
That's the, that's the best thing you can do to keep your, to save money on fuel,
pray that it goes down somehow, right?
And, but, you know, that's about, that's about it.
Right now we're doing, we got a lot of people coming in with its spring and people that
haven't fixed things over the winter are fixing them in the summer.
We've got a lot of calls coming in, people wanting to get quotes to put an engine in
their vehicle.
And like I said, you know, you, before you scrap a vehicle, don't lose money because
you need a repair.
Find out what your vehicle is selling for if you were to go buy another replacement.
Because if you've got a, if you've got a vehicle that costs $10,000 to buy another one
exactly like it and it costs 8,000 to fix yours, you already know what's wrong with yours.
And if you fix it, you're going to get like at our place, you get a year warranty, parts
and labor.
If you go buy a used one, you get zero warranty.
Right.
And you're paying more than what it would cost you to fix yours.
So why would you do that?
If you don't like your car, we'll fix it for less, sell it, make some money, and then
buy something else without a warranty and you're still without a warranty.
So don't do that.
Here's my, here's my advice for the spring, AC Pro.
Just remember it.
Just keep it in your head, in your head, because when you turn the air conditioning on, if
you haven't yet, and it smells funky, you don't just truck, then you can try the AC Pro first.
Or maybe you have to do it ever here like we do.
Oh, the cleaning, you mean?
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, the, the cleaner.
Yeah.
Yeah, to clean your, yeah, when you get that mold, it smells like dirty socks.
Yeah, yep.
So is this a gym?
I know that smells, smells like the old YMCA.
So just don't, you don't have to do anything about it, but if, if you get that smell, you'll
know, you can go, hi, Chris was right.
Chris, Saturday morning, early, I got up.
I turned my heater on in my truck.
I was cold.
I went to the store.
Saturday doesn't count.
By noon.
Saturday doesn't count.
By noon, I had my air conditioner on high and it was 91 degrees.
Yeah, it was.
I brought the boat home and I was doing some work on the boat and it was hot and I was dreaming
of warm summer day.
Sunday morning, as I pulled the boat back, it was snowing and the heater was on.
It was, that was, we had four seasons in 24 hours.
We really did.
It was crazy.
And then it was, it was cold two days ago.
Yesterday it was 82 degrees and today now we're, this morning I got up, it was 60 degrees.
And by the time we came in here, I think it was 50.
We've got, I think this weekend I saw 74 projected high and a 41.
Good, great.
And this is doing this like all down in Texas.
I get, my friends are like, it's nuts.
It was 95 yesterday and tomorrow it's supposed to be 46 and like, oh, I'll take the 46.
It's going to be colder than that.
It's just a wacky time of year.
No wonder the dinosaurs went extinct.
They just, there's the cold swings.
We're out.
Yeah, we got to go.
Thanks everybody.
Thanks for listening.
Thanks for watching the Under the Hood show.
With Russ Evans, this is Shannon Nordstrom thanking you for tuning into the Nordstroms
Under the Hood show.
Have a great day and remember PTLA.
The opinions heard on this program, based on the many years of experience of Russ and Shannon,
are offered for entertainment value only and as a guide to your repair needs.
No claim to repair or cause is given or implied.
Always consult with your own certified technician and follow all safety procedures
before attempting any repair.
To be a part of the show, call 866-594-4150.
Find out more by visiting Underthehoodshow.com.
Under the Hood is produced by Prairie House Productions.
All content is the property of Nordstroms Automotive Incorporated
and may not be used without our permission.
Copyright Nordstroms Automotive Inc.
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