Under The Hood show Apr 19, 2026

Expert Car Repair Advice to Help You Cut Costs Effectively Live Answers

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46:57

Company

HomeServe

HomeServe sells a service plan for home repairs. If something breaks unexpectedly, you call their hotline and they help connect you with a local repair pro.

Company

CarMax

CarMax is a car dealership that sells used cars. They encourage shoppers to get pre-qualified online and then choose cars that fit their budget.

Term

pre-qualified online

Pre-qualifying is like getting a rough idea of what financing you might be offered. It’s usually a lighter check than a full loan application, so it may not hurt your credit as much.

Concept

collector car insurance

Collector car insurance is for classic cars that aren’t driven like everyday vehicles. It usually considers the car’s special value, not just what a normal car would cost to replace.

Term

Replica OEM wheels

Replica OEM wheels are replacement wheels made by other companies, but they’re designed to match the original factory wheel look. They’re often cheaper than true factory wheels.

Company

car dash part

They’re talking about a place that sells car parts. The point is that they have lots of used parts ready to ship.

Concept

electrical drain while parked

If a problem shows up after the car sits, something may be using power even when the car is off. That “drain” can empty the battery, so the fix is usually finding what’s staying on.

Term

A dead battery is when the battery doesn’t have enough power left to run the car. If the car sits for a few days and then won’t start (or acts weird), the battery or something draining it overnight is often the culprit.

Term

decibel level

Decibels tell you how loud something is. If road noise is loud (high decibels), it can drown out what you’re trying to hear in the cabin.

Term

road noise

Road noise is the sound your tires and the road make that gets into the car. If it’s strong, you’ll feel like the radio or voice sounds worse even if the audio system is fine.

Term

aftermarket

Aftermarket just means “not from the factory.” It’s usually an add-on or upgrade that someone installs to change how the car’s audio or controls work.

Term

subwoofer

A subwoofer is the part of your car audio that plays the deep bass. It can make music sound richer, but if it’s set up wrong it can also make everything feel less clear.

Car

2017 Ram 1500

A Ram 1500 is a big pickup truck. Here, the caller says they maintain a 2017 model, and they’re talking about the engine and an air-intake upgrade on it.

Part

AFE cold air intake

A cold air intake is an upgrade that helps the engine get cooler air. Cooler air can help the engine run more efficiently, but it’s not magic—how much you notice depends on the setup.

Part

JVA long tube headers

Headers are parts that help move exhaust gases out of the engine. “Long-tube” headers use longer pipes, which can help the engine breathe better, but they may also make the exhaust louder and can affect emissions.

Term

true dual exhaust

True dual exhaust means there are two separate exhaust routes instead of one shared path. It can improve flow and usually makes the truck sound different.

Company

Magnaflow

Magnaflow is a company that makes aftermarket exhaust parts like mufflers. People choose it because it’s designed to flow well and sound a certain way.

Car

Nissan Pulsar

The Nissan Pulsar is a small car made by Nissan for everyday driving. People may modify it with parts like an exhaust (mufflers) and a tuning device to change how it runs and how it sounds. The podcast is likely talking about those changes and what they’re meant to improve.

Part

inline performance tuner

A performance tuner is a gadget that changes how the engine runs. It can make the truck feel stronger or smoother, but it has to be set up properly so it doesn’t cause problems.

Term

87 octane

Octane is how resistant the fuel is to knocking. If the tuner is set for 87, it’s trying to keep the engine happy and safe when you use regular gas.

Term

fuel economy

Fuel economy is how far the truck can go on a gallon of gas. Tuning and engine settings can change it.

Concept

MDS

MDS typically refers to a cylinder deactivation system that shuts down some cylinders under light load to improve fuel economy. Turning it off can change how the engine feels and may increase fuel use, but it can also prevent certain drivability quirks some owners dislike.

Term

120,000 miles

Mileage tells you how much the vehicle has been used. Here it’s being used to show the truck is still healthy and not falling apart.

Part

spark plugs

Spark plugs ignite the air-fuel mixture in the engine. Replacing them at the right interval helps maintain smooth operation, proper combustion, and can prevent issues like misfires that hurt performance and fuel economy.

Part

coils

Ignition coils provide the electricity to make the spark. If a coil starts failing, the engine may misfire and throw warning lights.

Term

oil changes every 3500 to 4000 miles

Oil changes keep the engine lubricated and help remove dirt from the oil. Changing it every 3,500–4,000 miles is a stricter schedule to help the engine last longer.

Term

synthetic oil

Synthetic oil is a higher-performance type of lubricant. In transmission talk, it matters because the car may require a specific fluid type to work correctly.

Term

transmission flush

A transmission flush is when a shop replaces the transmission fluid more aggressively than a normal oil change. The goal is to get rid of old, dirty fluid, but it can sometimes stir up problems in a transmission that’s been neglected.

Concept

closed system

A “closed system” means the transmission is sealed up and you don’t normally open it to check fluid. So checking the fluid condition usually means using the dipstick (if the car has one) or having the shop test it.

Term

fluid conditions

When people say “check the fluid conditions,” they mean making sure the transmission fluid isn’t worn out or contaminated. Bad fluid can cause rough shifting and can speed up damage inside the transmission.

Term

transmission fluid

Transmission fluid is the “oil” that keeps the transmission working smoothly. If it gets old, the shifts can feel worse and parts can wear out faster, so it’s worth checking on an older truck.

Concept

fluid age/maintenance interval (9 years old)

They’re saying that even if you don’t drive a ton, fluids can still get old. So a truck that’s around 9 years old may need its transmission fluid checked because the fluid can wear out over time.

Concept

tune-up items / driving harder after modifications

They’re implying that if someone adds performance parts or makes the truck run better, they may also drive it more aggressively. That extra stress can make fluids wear out faster.

Term

exhaust work

Exhaust work means changing parts of the exhaust system. It can change the sound and sometimes how the engine breathes, and the host is tying that to the idea that people often drive harder when the truck sounds better.

Term

fluid change

A fluid change is when you replace old fluid with fresh fluid. Old fluid can wear out and stop protecting the moving parts as well. Doing it on time can help you avoid bigger, more expensive repairs later.

Term

drain and fill

Drain-and-fill means you drain some of the old fluid and add new fluid back in. It’s usually gentler than a full “flush” that pushes fluid through the system. Many shops prefer it because it can be easier on the vehicle and cheaper.

Term

pull the pan off

Pulling the pan off typically refers to removing the transmission oil pan to access the filter and internal fluid passages. This is common on many automatic transmissions where the filter is mounted inside the pan. It’s a labor-intensive step, which is why parts choice (like a cheaper pan) can matter for cost.

Term

filter built into it

On some transmissions, the filter is built into the bottom pan. To replace the filter, you usually have to remove that pan first. That can make the job more expensive than vehicles with a separate filter.

Company

dormant

They’re talking about an aftermarket company that makes a cheaper replacement pan. The important part is that it lets you replace the filter later without buying the whole expensive factory assembly. If you’re considering it, double-check it fits your exact transmission.

Term

removable filter

A removable filter means you can take the filter out and put a new one in later. That usually costs less than replacing the whole pan. It also makes regular maintenance simpler.

Term

drain plug

Adding or using a drain plug allows future fluid services to be done by draining from the bottom instead of removing the pan again. That can reduce labor time and mess, and it helps keep the service interval practical. The speaker’s point is that once the aftermarket pan is installed, routine drain-and-fill becomes easier.

Term

buy a filter only

“Buy a filter only” highlights a cost-saving maintenance strategy: replacing just the filter element rather than the entire pan/filter assembly. This is only possible when the filter is designed to be serviceable (e.g., removable filter in an aftermarket pan). It reduces parts cost and can encourage more consistent maintenance.

Term

fill plug

The fill plug is a small access bolt on the transmission. By removing it, you can check whether the fluid is at the right level and what condition it’s in.

Term

8-9 speed fluid

This is a special type of transmission fluid meant for certain multi-speed transmissions. Using the correct fluid matters, and it can be expensive because it’s designed for that transmission.

Brand

Chrysler

Chrysler is the car brand being referenced. Different brands and transmissions can require different fluid types, so you want the right one for your exact vehicle.

Concept

service cost shock (labor vs parts)

The segment highlights how repair costs can feel like a “shock” because shops often charge for both parts and labor. In this case, the speaker suggests that doing the job at home can reduce labor costs, while professional pricing can be much higher. It also implies that vehicle age and service setup (like additional components) can change the total bill.

Term

upgraded pan

An upgraded transmission pan is a different cover for the transmission that can make servicing it easier. After switching to it, future fluid changes may cost less because the job is simpler or requires fewer extra steps. The host is saying the first time can be pricey, but later it’s cheaper.

Term

suction gun

A suction gun is like a powered or hand pump that pulls fluid out. It helps you remove or move transmission fluid without making a huge mess.

Term

basic tune up

A “tune-up” generally refers to routine maintenance items that keep an engine running correctly, such as ignition and air/fuel system checks. While the transcript doesn’t list specifics, it’s positioned as part of the broader cost-saving maintenance routine.

Car

1997 Honda Accord

The Honda Accord is a very common car, so it’s usually easier (and often cheaper) to get parts and service. Here, the caller is talking about their 1997 Accord and some power-window problems.

Part

electric window

An electric window is the power system that moves the window up and down. If one window works but the other three don’t, the problem is usually with the window motors or the switches rather than the whole car’s power.

Term

air conditioner

Your car’s air conditioner is what makes the inside cool. If it’s working well, that usually means the cooling system is fine, and the problem you’re chasing is probably something else.

Concept

diagnosing multiple power windows (checking each window and switch)

If more than one power window isn’t working, you don’t want to guess. The smart way is to test each window and its door switch one at a time so you can figure out whether it’s the switch, the window motor, or wiring.

Term

window switches

The window switch is the button you press to move the window. If some switches work and others don’t, it helps narrow down whether the problem is the switch itself or something deeper in the window system.

Term

window motors

The window motor is the part that actually moves the window up and down. If the switches don’t seem to do anything, the motor might be bad—or the power might not be getting to it.

Term

driver's switch

The driver’s switch is the main button panel for the windows. If the driver can control the windows but the other switches can’t, that usually means the problem is with the other switch or the wiring to that door.

Term

lockout

A lockout is a feature that stops other people from controlling the windows. If it’s not working right, it can make the window controls behave strangely, so checking it helps find the real problem.

Term

lock button is probably broken in the switch

They’re saying the button that locks/unlocks the window controls is likely worn out. If that button fails, the windows may not respond from the other switches even though the system is otherwise working.

Term

broken wires in the door jam

The wires that connect the door to the car body can break over time. When that happens, the window controls for that door may stop working even if the window motor is fine.

Term

kick panel

The kick panel is the plastic trim by your feet. Taking it off can help you reach the wiring so you can check for broken connections.

Part

heat shrink connectors

These are special wire connectors that get tight and seal up when you heat them. They keep water out of the splice so the repair lasts longer.

Concept

brittle part

When a wire bends a lot, the damaged spot can become weak and crack easily. That’s why you usually cut out the bad section instead of just covering it.

Term

heat shrink butt connector

A butt connector is a straight splice that joins two wire ends. With the heat-shrink version, the sleeve tightens around the wires to insulate and protect the repair.

Term

electrical tape

Tape can insulate wires, but if you wrap it too thickly, the repair can become stiff. When the car vibrates, that stiffness can cause the wire to crack again.

Concept

single power feed for the whole system

The speaker is describing a common automotive electrical layout: one main power source supplies an entire subsystem. If one component (like the driver’s window) has power, it strongly suggests the upstream power feed and fuses are likely intact, narrowing the fault to downstream wiring or switches.

Term

circuit breaker

A circuit breaker is an automatic safety switch for electricity. If there’s a problem like too much current, it shuts off the power to protect the system.

Term

fuse

A fuse is like a protective plug for an electrical system. If something is drawing too much power, the fuse breaks the circuit to prevent damage or a fire.

Term

door switches

Door switches are the buttons in each door that control that door’s features. If one door works but others don’t, it can tell you where the problem is.

Term

master switch

The master switch is the main control—usually the driver’s switch—that can run multiple functions at once. If several things stop working together, that main switch or its wiring may be the problem.

Term

power loop

A “power loop” is just the path electricity takes to reach something in the car. If part of that path is damaged or loose, the car’s electrical system may work sometimes and fail other times.

Term

low battery

A “low battery” means there isn’t enough electrical power to start the truck. If it keeps happening, it’s often either the battery is wearing out or the truck isn’t charging it properly.

Concept

intermittent no-start / battery symptoms

This is the pattern where the truck won’t start reliably, but it might start later. That usually means the battery power level or the charging/connection system is acting up, not that the engine itself is always broken.

Company

Napa

NAPA is a store that sells car parts and can also test things like your battery. They checked the battery and gave a diagnosis about what might be causing the problem.

Term

corrosion

Corrosion is gunk or oxidation on the battery terminals and cable ends. It can stop electricity from flowing well, so the car may act like the battery is bad even when it isn’t.

Part

battery cables

Battery cables are the thick wires that carry power from the battery to the car. If the ends are dirty or corroded, the car may not start reliably, so checking and cleaning them can help.

Term

battery terminals

Battery terminals are where the battery cables clamp or bolt onto the battery. If they’re corroded or not tight, electricity can’t flow properly.

Term

tested it in the vehicle

Testing the battery in the car checks how it behaves when the vehicle’s systems are actually connected. That helps catch issues like bad connections or charging problems that a simple bench test might not show.

Term

bench test

A bench test checks the battery by itself, outside the car. It tells you if the battery is weak, but it won’t show problems caused by dirty or loose connections in the vehicle.

Term

connections loose

This means they loosened the battery cable connections to check them more carefully. If the car starts or tests better after that, the issue is often a bad connection or corrosion at the terminals.

Term

cold crank

Cold crank is a battery’s ability to start the car when it’s cold outside. If the battery can’t provide enough power, the engine may crank slowly or not start.

Term

cells

A car battery is made of multiple internal sections called cells. If one cell goes bad, the whole battery may start the car poorly or fail under load.

Term

voltage drop

A voltage drop test looks for weak spots in the electrical path—like dirty or loose connections. If too much voltage is lost, the car may have trouble starting even with a good battery.

Term

battery tester

A battery tester checks whether your battery is healthy and can provide enough power. Different testers use different methods, so the results can be misleading if the test isn’t done the right way.

Term

volt meter

A volt meter is a tool that measures voltage in a car’s electrical system. Here it’s used to see whether the voltage at the starter stays strong when you crank the engine.

Term

starter terminal

The starter terminal is where power goes into the starter motor. If the voltage at that point drops a lot while cranking, the starter isn’t getting enough power due to wiring or connection issues.

Term

negative of the battery

The battery negative is used as the “reference” point for the measurement. This helps the meter tell you how much voltage is being lost in the wiring when you crank the engine.

Term

crank it

“Crank it” means turning the engine over using the starter motor. During cranking, voltage drop testing is most informative because the electrical system is drawing heavy current.

Term

negative terminal

Your car battery has two main connections: positive and negative. The negative terminal is the “ground” side, and if it’s dirty or corroded, the starter may not get enough power.

Term

corroded

Corrosion on battery cables or terminals increases electrical resistance, which causes voltage drop under heavy starter load. That resistance can make the starter crank slowly even if the battery itself is still “okay” at rest.

Term

high resistance

If a connection is loose, dirty, or damaged, electricity has a harder time getting through. That “extra resistance” can stop the starter from getting the power it needs.

Company

Redfin

Redfin is a website/app for finding houses and setting up tours. Here, they’re using it as an example of how quickly you can move when a listing shows up.

Company

car-part.com

Car-part.com is a website where you can search for car parts, often from junkyards. It can be helpful if you’re fixing an older car or need something that’s not easy to find new.

Company

Road Ready Wheels

Road Ready Wheels sells replacement wheels for your car, often at lower prices than the dealer. They also suggest using your existing tire-pressure sensors so you don’t have to buy new ones.

Term

steel wheels

Steel wheels are usually less expensive than aluminum wheels. They can also be a practical choice for winter because they’re tough and work well for a second tire set.

Term

winter tires

Winter tires are specialized tires designed for cold temperatures and snow/ice, typically using softer rubber compounds and tread patterns that perform better in winter conditions. The segment suggests using a second wheel/tire set so swapping seasons is easier and can protect tire wear.

Term

TPMS sensors

TPMS sensors are what tell your car if a tire’s pressure is too low. If you’re changing wheels, you may be able to keep your existing sensors so you don’t pay for new ones.

Topic

motor medics

“Motor Medics” is the part of the show where the hosts help listeners with car problems. It’s basically the live advice section.

Company

Berkeley One Classics

They’re a company the hosts mention as being involved with collector car insurance. The key idea is that collector car coverage can be set up so you know what you’re covered for if the car is totaled.

Concept

agreed value

Agreed value means the insurance company and you agree on a price for the car upfront. If the car is totaled, you don’t have to argue about what it’s worth later.

Term

total loss

A “total loss” is when an insurer determines the cost to repair the vehicle is high enough that it’s not worth fixing. That’s why agreed value matters here: it affects what the owner receives after the insurer declares the car totaled.

Term

electrical draw

An “electrical draw” (often called a parasitic draw) is when something in the car keeps using power while it’s parked. If the battery goes dead overnight, the diagnosis is to measure current drain and find the circuit or component that’s staying on too long or failing to shut off.

Term

current drain

Current drain is how much electricity the car is using while it’s sitting. If it’s too high, it can slowly empty the battery overnight.

Term

cranking amps

Cranking amps are how much power the battery can quickly send to start the car. If the battery keeps getting drained, it can’t provide that strong starting power anymore.

Term

battery maintainer

A battery maintainer is a device you plug in to keep your battery charged when the car sits. It helps prevent the battery from going dead and getting ruined over time.

Term

amp meter

An amp meter is a tool that measures how much electricity is flowing. Here it’s used to see how much power the car is still using while it’s parked.

Term

body control modules

Body Control Modules (BCMs) are electronic control units that manage many vehicle comfort and electrical functions (like lighting, locks, and other body systems). Older trucks with multiple modules can be harder to diagnose for parasitic drain because more systems can stay awake or fail in ways that draw current.

Term

CD player

They’re pointing out that an old in-dash CD player can sometimes cause battery problems. If it starts acting up, it may keep using power even when the truck is off.

Term

Frankenstein switch

They’re describing a DIY-style switch to manually disconnect battery power. It might stop the drain, but it’s not as reliable as finding the real problem.

Company

AutoBatteries.com

They’re pointing you to a website where you can buy batteries and get safety tips. The idea is to make battery work less risky.

Company

Clarios

Clarios is identified as the company powering AutoBatteries.com’s battery offerings. In practice, Clarios is a major battery manufacturer, so it’s relevant when thinking about battery sourcing and quality.

Concept

battery safety

Battery work can be dangerous. If connections are loose or you cause a spark, a lead-acid battery can vent and potentially explode, so you need to be careful.

Term

lead acid battery

This is the common type of car battery. The hosts are warning that if you mess with it the wrong way—like causing sparks or having bad connections—it can be dangerous.

Term

battery disconnect switch

It’s a switch that turns the battery off by disconnecting the power cable. Instead of opening the hood every time, you can shut it off with a button/remote.

Term

remote disconnect switch

It’s a battery shutoff switch you can control from a distance. That way you don’t have to reach under the hood in bad weather.

Concept

salvage yard

A salvage yard is where old or totaled cars are taken apart for usable parts. The hosts are saying they go get parts from those cars and bring them back for sale.

Concept

battery discharge from an electrical fault

When a car’s electrical system has a problem, it can sometimes keep using the battery even when the car is parked. With newer cars having more electronics, this can happen more easily. The result is a dead or weak battery and starting problems.

Term

LED light

They added an LED light so it’s easy to tell if the car’s power is still on. If the light is on, someone likely forgot to shut it off. It helps avoid battery problems without doing complicated testing.

Concept

parasitic drain

A parasitic drain is when something in the car keeps using battery power even after you turn the car off. Over time it can flatten the battery. Mechanics find it by checking how much power the car is using while it’s parked, then tracking down the circuit that shouldn’t be on.

Term

electrical tech

An electrical tech is a mechanic who focuses on the car’s wiring and electrical problems. They use tools to measure what the car is doing electrically and figure out what’s causing the issue. If the battery keeps dying, they can help find what’s draining it.

Concept

running wires through the firewall

Running wires through the firewall means putting wires through the wall between the engine area and the inside of the car. That wall helps keep the cabin protected. If wires aren’t routed and sealed correctly, they can get damaged or cause electrical problems.

Concept

low-voltage no-start / intermittent starting due to battery condition

The car sometimes starts and sometimes doesn’t, and it seems tied to the battery being weak. When a jump makes it run, that usually means the battery can’t supply enough power on its own, or something is draining it while it’s parked.

Term

battery voltage

They measured the battery’s voltage to see how weak it is. If the voltage is low, the starter and electronics may not have enough power to start the car.

Term

state of health

“State of health” is a battery tester’s estimate of how much capacity the battery has left compared to when it was new. A 60–70% state of health suggests the battery may be aging and unable to deliver enough current for reliable starts.

Term

state of charge

“State of charge” estimates how full the battery is at the time of testing. A 60–70% state of charge means the battery is not fully charged, which can happen from repeated short trips, a parasitic drain, or a charging system issue.

Term

jump it off

“Jump it off” indicates the engine starts after external power is applied, which strongly suggests the battery can’t provide enough current by itself. This pattern is common when the battery is weak (low state of health) or when the charging system isn’t fully replenishing it.

Car

Mitsubishi Outlander

They’re talking about a Mitsubishi Outlander that can have a belt problem. If the belt slips, the alternator doesn’t charge the battery as well.

Term

belt slipping

A slipping belt means the belt isn’t gripping tightly enough. It can still move, but it doesn’t transfer power efficiently—so the battery may not charge properly.

Part

alternator

The alternator is the car’s power generator. It keeps the battery charged while you drive, so if it’s not spinning correctly, the battery can go dead.

Part

tensioner

The tensioner is what keeps the belt tight. If it’s weak or failing, the belt can loosen and slip, and then the battery may not charge right.

Term

battery drain overnight

This is when the battery goes low while the car is parked. The host is using the timing to help figure out whether the problem is something draining the battery while parked or the charging system while driving.

Term

belt drive system

This is the system of belts that powers important accessories. If the belts or related parts are worn, the accessories may not work as strongly, including charging the battery.

Concept

complete belt replacement kit

Instead of replacing just one belt piece, a kit replaces the whole belt setup. That helps make sure everything works together and reduces the odds you’ll have to redo the job soon.

Company

Dayco

Dayco makes replacement belts and belt-related parts. The point here is that using a full kit can fix the whole system instead of patching one worn piece.

Part

power steering

Some cars use the belt to run the power steering. If the belt slips, steering feel can get worse because the pump isn’t getting enough power.

Part

water pumps

The water pump helps keep the engine cool. If the belt that drives it slips, cooling can be less effective, so it’s important to fix belt issues.

Car

Gmc Sierra

They’re talking about a 2016 GMC Sierra and a fuel-saving system called AFM. At 200,000 miles, it’s especially important to figure out whether AFM is actually causing problems before trying a fix.

Term

AFM automatic fuel management

AFM is a fuel-saving feature that can turn off some cylinders when you’re not using much power. Over time, that system can develop issues, so it’s smart to check what’s actually happening before spending money.

Term

OBD2 port

The OBD2 port is where you plug in a scanner to talk to the car’s computer. It can tell you what the car thinks is wrong, but it’s still important to confirm the real cause.

Term

dongle

A dongle is a small gadget that plugs into the OBD2 port. It can help you read trouble codes or data, usually through an app, but it’s not always the same as a full mechanic-level diagnostic.

Concept

deferred maintenance vs internet diagnosis

They’re saying don’t automatically trust what you read online about why something broke. Instead, look at how the car was maintained and how it was driven, because that often explains the problem.

Term

oil changes three months 3000

The speaker references an oil-change interval of roughly every three months or 3,000 miles, framing it as a practice that helps engines last. While modern oil/engines often use longer intervals, the transcript uses this as a cost-saving strategy by preventing wear-related failures.

Term

fuel management device that shuts down AFM

They mention a small aftermarket device that plugs in and stops AFM from turning on. The point is that it might not fix the root problem if the AFM hardware is already failing internally.

Concept

AFM solenoid leak causing lifter unlatching wear

They’re saying the AFM system can fail in a way that lets pressure build up when it shouldn’t. That can cause the lifter to not behave correctly, which then grinds up the lifter and can damage the cam over time.

Term

cam

The camshaft controls valve timing by pushing on lifters. The speaker warns that when AFM lifters fail or behave incorrectly, the cam can wear due to bouncing/incorrect contact, potentially leading to expensive engine repairs.

Car

Chevrolet Camaro

They’re talking about a Camaro with a 6.2-liter engine that has AFM. They say the engine noise changes depending on whether AFM is allowed to run, and they’re trying to address the issue before it gets worse.

Term

amperage

Amperage is basically how much electrical “power flow” the alternator can provide. More amps are helpful when you run lots of electronics at the same time.

Concept

electrical load / charging capacity

Think of it like a water pump and a bunch of sprinklers. If you turn on more sprinklers (electrical accessories), the pump (alternator) has to be strong enough to keep up and maintain pressure (voltage).

Car

1982 Chevy truck

They’re comparing an older, simpler truck to modern vehicles. The older truck didn’t have as many power-hungry features, so it didn’t need a big alternator.

Car

GMC Yukon

They’re using a modern GMC Yukon Denali to show how today’s cars use a lot more electricity. Heated seats and defoggers can require a stronger alternator so everything keeps working.

Term

Shannon

They mention a name (“Shannon”) while talking about huge charging setups. It sounds like it’s a reference point for someone who’s done or discussed these extreme alternator builds.

Term

10 gauge wire

Wire size matters because thicker wire can handle more electricity without getting hot. If you use wire that’s too small for a higher-output alternator, it can overheat.

Term

8 gauge wire

The speaker moved to a thicker wire (8-gauge) so it can carry more current safely. Thicker wire runs cooler, which helps prevent melting or damage.

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Here is the Under the Hood Show podcast.

Thanks for listening.

This is Under the Hood.

Welcome to the Under the Hood Show.

We are glad to have you with us.

Russ Evans is here to answer your automotive

questions. Thanks for joining us under the

hood. Shannon Nordstrom is here to do the same.

Welcome hoodies. Thanks for tuning

in so we can help you tune up.

I'm Chris Carter here to answer your calls

at 866-594-4150.

866-594-4150.

Got calls coming in

before we start there.

I have a problem with my car

that we have had

people call about for years

that I never had

and now in the new car I have noticed it.

Should we guess, Shannon?

Yeah, go ahead. What could it be? People have called

for years. I'm thinking

a dead battery after

it sits a couple days. Okay.

A flapping noise going down

the highway. No.

It is, your voice

is too low

to hear in my car.

The pitch of it.

It's too low. I can't hear.

And we've had people calling about this for years?

Well, we've looked

at our

sound processor.

And the decibel level

is exactly the same

as, actually it's higher than you two

because I've got it turned up.

But the problem is, I talk like this.

And you guys talk like this.

I don't know

that he had to put it that way.

It's different. There's a different tone.

So when you're in a car and the road noise is going

and I'm going

then you don't hear it.

So either they need to redo all the roads in America

for that.

And in my

old car, I had a button

right on the front of my aftermarket

that was for voice or music.

So I could just hit it. It changes the tone.

But yeah, the way I have my car

set now with subwoofer

I can't hear your voice

hardly at all. Interesting.

Yeah, it's not bad.

Last week though, when Shannon

wasn't here, it was about half. So it was a lot

of going.

I've had

Russ basically somewhat

ridicule my pitch of my voice

for a good chunk of my life.

And so we have to

get past this and figure out

if Russ needs to change his voice or if I need to

change mine to accommodate.

Can AI help? That's a good question.

We are told there's no audio

online. That was what

that was. Yeah, I was wondering what was going on.

I got a text from somebody that said

there's something wrong with the show

sound static really bad. Can't hear you guys

echoing really bad.

That was coming from one of our folks

at our self service facility that texted me.

They have it on up there during the show

time. Well, we'll continue

what we're doing. Yeah, we'll just keep producing the radio

show here. Were they listening online or over there?

Well, on the YouTube, I'm guessing they have it on

YouTube up at the

you pull it on the smart TV.

So we'll figure that

out at the break. Yeah, let's see what happens.

Let's see what Paul's up to. Let's go to Texas

and talk to Paul. Paul, you're

on the end of the hood show. What can we do for you?

Hi.

My son, Cory,

listens to your podcast and loves it.

He's in prison in Texas

and it helps him do his

time.

Anyways, I take care of his

2017 Ram 1500

with the

5.7

Hemi that has an

AFE cold air intake

JVA long tube headers

no Cadillac converter

2.5 inch

true dual exhaust

using Magnaflow

Magna

Magna pack

mufflers and a Holley

Pulsar

inline performance tuner

set to 87 octane

fuel economy

to tune and MDS

turned off

the truck has 120,000 miles

and runs and drives

just fine

with no dash lights

or problems right now.

We never have

done anything other than

new spark plugs

and coils at 80,000 miles

and oil changes

every 3500 to 4000 miles

with synthetic oil.

He wants us to do a

transmission flush

but listening to the podcast

he has the taste to do so.

Should we do a flush

and since it's a closed system

how can we check the fluid

to see its conditions

see its conditions

also anything else

you'd recommend to check

or keep an eye on

the question is how do we check

the transmission?

First of all

for your son

who's incarcerated right now

just thank you

we have a lot of listeners

that get our show through

some of the tablets they get to use

and things like that and we're very appreciative

of those folks that listen

and we want to encourage those folks

we want to encourage them to

stay the course

and just really do the right things

to get on to the next step of their life

use their faith

as a foundation if that's part of

what they're about

I can't imagine how that is

so I appreciate

you being able to be

the translator here to get him

on the air basically

and that's

something that

we get letters and different things

we can't answer them all it's quite a few

but definitely know we've got a good

listenership out of that population

and we don't take it lightly

no not at all

we've had callers call in that have

finished their journey

and now they're outside of those walls

thank goodness they've been able to get to that point

and they are

they're excited to get on with their

actually touching the cars again

and doing things and it sounds like this ram truck

was special

there's a lot of

unique things done to it to make it feel

better and run better

and sound better and hopefully

perform better

and so this question about the transmission fluid

is a common question that we get

and that transmission fluid

is reaching the age where it should

be looked at you know you've got a truck that is

you know suddenly

9 years old

and that fluid is 9 years old

and you know I'm assuming it's been

maybe run a little bit harder with all those

tune up items on there somebody probably made it

feel good it usually works harder

when they sound good

with all that exhaust work

and things like that

but I would recommend the deer at that point

you start planning for that fluid change

and as far as checking it out

Russ you know what's your typical routine

that you guys do at the service center

it's not a flush it's a drain and fill on those

you gotta pull the pan off the pan

has a filter built into it

and what we suggest is when you

remove that pan

update it with something that's

cheaper because the factory pan is really expensive

with the filter built in we use our

dormant products pan from our

partner at dormant

and it has a removable filter

that's replaceable the next time so once it's

installed one time

use the drain plug on the bottom now it'll have

a drain plug you can drain it

and refill it makes it much easier there also

when you're able to drain it you don't dump

all that fluid out over the sides of the pan

when you take it down but then you just buy

a filter only you don't have to buy

a whole pan with a filter built in

and to check the condition of it

usually if you if you have the vehicle

warm and you take the fill plug out of

the side of the transmission just for a second

and put it back in you can get a little bit

out on your hand and see the condition of the fluid

and compare it to what the new fluid looks like

and if it looks good you're fine

you don't need to change it but if it's getting pretty dark

then it's it's time to change it and that's

when you take the pan off

you upgrade with the dormant pan

put it all back together and buy

the fluid is very expensive for those

they call it an 8-9 speed

fluid for the Chrysler

and it's it's very

spendy and it does last a long time

it's a better quality engineered

fluid it'll last you a long time but

it is expensive and if you're saying

it's spendy that means for us

it's for me it's really expensive

because it's all

it's all cost you have some

some skin in the game most people

don't know the price of it

they wouldn't know if I said

Chris what's the court of transmission fluid

cost for an old

vehicle versus that

I'm not sure what's the cost

to do it so

it may be a shock it may not be I've had people

when I tell them oh that's $800

to do that transmission fluid

change they're like oh okay

how often should I do it not very often

at all but that

include that's the first time with that upgraded

pan once you do it

it significantly drops the

cost so

if you're doing it at home

there's not there's not that much

but it's not like a big labor

intensive job so you're going to save somebody

but you can do it at home

you do need

some tools

to do it it's basic hand tools

to get the pan off of there and you got to

drop the exhaust down or raise the transmission

to do it but as far as

filling it goes you do need a specialty

tool but it's really a cheap specialty

tool it's like buying an expensive funnel

you can buy a $30

suction gun

that you use to draw the fluid out

of your bucket and then put it into the side

of the transmission but you got to follow

some rules the transmission has to be

not too warm not too cold

so that the level is right when you

fill it you fill it until it drips

out but yeah that's the big thing

on that as far as other things on that ram

other than your basic tune up stuff just

drive it you know keep it

running

by driving it more often

and just keep an eye on those fluids

change them when they're due

Paul thanks very much for the call

866-594-4150

that's the number to reach us here at the

end of the hood show let's talk to Bob and

Georgia Bob you're on the end of the hood show

what can we do for you

my beautiful

accord

had been

setting for a few months because

I was working on my watch 07

accord which runs great now

and by the way I changed the transmission

fluid in the 07

and it made a remarkable

difference in how well it

shifted just like a new one

anyway

the electric window on my 97

the driver's door

driver's window

goes up and down fine

the other three are

in operative

luckily they were up

not a big deal

the air conditioner works great

so how do I

go about analyzing

the problem with these three

unworking

windows

and they have you

checked them at each door to see if

they work individually

no I have

okay

check them at the doors first

see if they work from those doors

the driver's door

has the four switches

right but check the other ones

and see where they're at

it's very unlikely that all three windows

failed at the same time but check the

as far as motors

but check each one of those and see if those switches

do any

any good

if they don't work from the driver's switch

we can eliminate the

lockout that locks out those separate switches

if you told me that those three windows didn't

work but the driver does then I'd say

the lock button is probably broken in the switch

if you've already tried it

some people don't even know what's there

let's get the little X on it on that Honda

try that see if they work

if they do

then the most common issue on those is

a problem with the switch

the second problem is broken wires in the door jam

they can both happen

being that it's 30 years old

it could definitely be broken wires

in the door jam the tube

where it runs between the door and the body there

is where you'll find them broken

sometimes you can just feel them on the outside

and feel that they're broken then they can be

you take the tube pull it back

pull the wiring out by taking the kick panel

off and unhooking it down there

get a little slack in there and then you

put the wires back together

we usually use heat shrink connectors

so we cut out the part that's broken

which is going to be the brittle part

where the bend was

and then we put the shrink connector in there

because if we solder them, solder is very stiff

and it will crack and break

so we put a heat shrink butt connector in there

and then put the cover over them

without taping them all together

I've seen people put the heat shrink on

which protects the wire from water

you don't need a big wad of electrical tape over the top

because that just makes everything stiff

and brittle and it'll break again

so just heat shrink all on its own

but those are the two things to check

and usually that takes care of it

there is only one power for the whole system

so if you have power to anything at all

if the driver's window works

you have power for everything

so it's not going to be a fuse or a circuit breaker

it's going to be

a wire

or a switch

that's causing this

and because you had three go at once

it's not going to be all three door switches

it's going to be either in that master switch

or in the wiring

if the doors

work individually

if each window goes down and up individually

except from the driver's door

to me

I'd just ignore it forever, right?

you wouldn't because you can't get anything out of a drive through

no, mine works

the drivers in the backwards

if the three

if they work from the doors

just not from my spot

I don't care at all

right?

that's all you need

but I guess it depends on

they can roll their own window down, you're saying

hey Bob

just real quick here, I just was down in Georgia

kind of Tennessee area, what part of Georgia are you from?

Athens

east Georgia

60 miles east of Atlanta

alright, I was down on the

I guess you'd call it the Tennessee Georgia line

probably, we were in between

Blue Ridge, Georgia and Copper Hill, Tennessee

beautiful country

Athens home of REM

that's what I thought of

does that help you out Bob?

does that get you what you think

you can take the next step?

yes, now on mine

I did check each switch

none of the three other switches

work at the doors

it's just

the driver's door

switch works great for the

driver's window

but the other three are in an operative

from their individual switches

check those wires in the door jam

yeah, there's a power loop there

that must be not working right

or a grown loop, one of the two

Bob, thanks very much for the call

866-594-414

5-0, let's talk to Dale

you're on the end of the hood show Dale

what can we do for you?

yeah, I've got a 2001

Chevy pickup

and on a Sunday morning

when I went to start it

it started but it was really a low battery

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday

well, yesterday there wasn't

any battery and this morning

there wasn't any battery

but when I drive it through the day

you can turn it off

and start it back up

so I thought

maybe the batteries just were

shot

I took it to

Napa where I bought the battery

and they tested it

and they said, well chose corrosion

we took

just battery cables off of the battery

and they're not a post

they're those little flat

bolt on things

and everything there was clean

and he said, well

what my tester

tells me is that there's corrosion

in the system some way

was he testing the battery in the

vehicle or on the bench?

in the vehicle

we tested it in the

vehicle

and then we also took

the connections

loose and tested just

the battery itself

but Wala was still in the pickup

that's fine

and what did the battery test

show without anything connected?

it was an 850 cold crank

and it showed 923

or something

and he said

this will tell me if any of the cells are bad

and he said they weren't nothing's

bad

well you could have

I put the

you know you could have a drop

you need to check for a voltage drop

I've never heard of a battery tester that says

corrosion in the system I just haven't seen that

they test the battery they can test the starter

and things like that

they must have something that's got that in their software

or he made an interpretation

it's just not going to be

accurate that way so what you need to do

is now that we've tested the battery

you know it's good

so they say if their tester's

worth it's salt it works

well I went to another place too

because I bought it from Napa

and I thought all they're telling me the battery is good

so they don't have to warranty it

they don't care it comes from the manufacturer

yeah okay

keep going

the same thing they told me the battery was

fine

well the next step is to do a voltage drop

test you need to get a volt meter out

go directly to the starter terminal

right at the starter

put the other one on the

the negative of the

battery

and then you crank it and see what your voltage is

and make sure you don't have a big voltage

drop it should

probably drop down from battery voltage to

where the good battery like that

that many cranking up is probably 11 volts

you know down at the

starter if it drops down really low and it's

cranking slow and you've got that

negative terminal your meter right on

the negative of the battery that

means we've got the loss

in the positive side of the battery

if the voltage stays good

there when you're trying to crank it then

we go from the positive

of the battery to the

case of the

starter right there at the metal case

and then we crank it and we look at that voltage

and if that is very low then

we know it's on the negative side we've got one of

those two cables is corroded

damaged worn out high resistance

we need to find out which one of those two cables

is causing this loss

and then we go from there

we see if we can get it to

to power back up

but if both of those show good

voltage you got a starter that's drawn too much

and it's too much a load. Dale thanks very much

for the call good luck

you know what's interesting

is I

know in my life

probably

50 or 60 people

in the automotive repair business through you guys

right and I like you

all and I trust you all

every single one of you are trustworthy

and truthful

but the rest of them are suspect

to me

just like

you know I went and double checked because

I bought the battery from them

and

we all do that don't we?

but it's life

sometimes you like to double check

gotta love people who say I got my answer from the google ai

it's like where do you think google ai

got their information from

look at the sources under the hood show

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That's roadreadywheels.com. Welcome back everybody. It's time to get back under

the hood with our motor medics. 866-594-4150. Don't forget if you miss an

episode of the under the hood show you can always find it where you get your

podcasts and you can watch the show on our YouTube and Facebook feeds and if

you do subscribe to the YouTube channel and join the hoodie fan club at

underthehoodshow.com you could win a hoodie. Like Janelle Larson congratulations

from our friends over at Berkeley One Classics. They're celebrating over 50

years of collector car coverage. That's pretty cool. It is over 50 years. Can you

imagine? We've talked about this before. Their first car. Alright we got this

product. We are going to protect people's cars. We're going to give them

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for. They don't have to guess. They're not going to come out and say well we need

to do an estimate and see what your car is worth all that. Who's first? Here's

the weird thing. If they had sponsored your very first show Shannon you could

have said collector car insurance for over 10 years. I love when you do the

perspective thing. 866-594-4150. Dale did you have another question? Well it's

still on that electrical. You know I said that it's dead in the morning but

through the day I can you know it doesn't it's not an excessive draw when I

try to start it again through the day. I put a charger on it in the morning and

I only have to have an 8 amp charge on it for five minutes at the most and it

spins it over fine. I think that you know the power is getting away escaping

someplace. Then you need to start for 12 hours overnight. You need to check for a

current drain then. Yeah that's that when we were on the break here we were

wondering if maybe we would miss the main point of your question was that you

we had a great education there for people that were wondering about battery

that was I think perfect but as for your particular problem you got to figure

out what's drawing that down overnight which is why you're asking us and it

isn't yeah and it's not so dead that you got to leave it charging for a little

while you're saying just with a little charge you can get it going again. It's

like you just got to wake the battery up. Well you're killing them. If it is so

low that it won't start that vehicle you were ruining that battery because

every time it's run down like that you remove cranking amps from it and it

will destroy that battery. You need to find out what's wrong with it or put a

battery maintainer on it every single night you park it until you do. It will

ruin it. I wonder too so you need to find the current drain which involves

putting an amp meter in line with one of the positive or negative side reading

what that current drain is if it says it's two amps then you need to go look

for that drain which means disconnecting one circuit at a time and then once you

reconnect it let the vehicle sit for probably 10-15 minutes until everything

goes back. Is that truck new enough? It's an old one. It's got body control modules

and different things in there. If this was a 91 this would be a lot easier and it

could be anything. On a truck like that I'd say at home the first place I'd

start I'd probably take the radio out of the dash I'd unplug it and then see if I

still have that drain because that's those old CD players were after they

became 15 years old were just junk. They had problems with them sticking and they

would they would run it down. We had someone we pulled out and they were warm

in the winter time we'd pull them out and they were warm because a little motor

in there that moved the tray was kept stuck especially the ones with the

old six-disk CD player but who knows this is old enough it may even have an

aftermarket end and that could have a problem with it but you want to check

okay for current and I put just put a Frankenstein switch in off the positive

or negative battery you know I can do on my old farm tractors you want to do it

the easy way yeah you could do that but when you do that you run the risk of a

spark around a battery and explosion from gas bill up from the battery if you

go to our partners at AutoBatteries.com they're powered by Clarios they have a

they've got a battery a channel on YouTube called the battery shop on YouTube

but they will explain things like that battery safety it's huge I've had people

put in battery switches I've had people with loose terminals I've had people

changing batteries and they explode it's a possibility with a lead acid battery

you do not want to have that so what we would suggest instead of that and to

make it easier than opening the hood imagine it's middle of winter you got

ice and snow build up on the hood you got to get it off of there I mean I've

tried to open up hoods when they have two inches of snow on them and then they

come crashing back down on your head go to Amazon buy a battery disconnect switch

a remote disconnect switch they're like 30 bucks comes with a remote control and

a little switch you disconnect one battery cable you bolted to the switch

you bolt the switch to the battery the whole thing takes like three or four

minutes to do the whole job and now you just have this little button on your

keychain on off you get out of the car you're going for the night push off you

come back you push on you start the car it's a pretty slick look at Russ

recommending something that's not fixing the problem yeah I like he asked how to

not well we just did this so we told them how to not fix we have like eight

guys that go out into the field and pull parts at our salvage yard here during

the day it's just part of what we do it's it's like 25% of what we sell but

they go out and they're getting things that are on inventory and bringing them

back that we leave on the hulks and those vehicles that they use our our

vehicles we've bought that were probably coming to our self-service or you know

end-of-life type stuff and many times they can be a little sketchy and we've

always been nervous about those vehicles and their electrical systems

especially as they've gotten more sophisticated and we were looking for

different ways we've talked about it for ten years probably and I heard Russ

give this advice on the show one day and he didn't know I was taking notes in my

head I'm like why aren't we doing this and it turned into a little bigger

project so now we have those devices on all of our vehicles that we store inside

overnight okay and we went a little step further and it was our manager Benji's

idea they put a little LED light up on the roof that's connected on to the

power side so that during the day when the power is on the green light is on

it's an LED just right on the roof and then when the when we shut them off at

night the light goes off so if we're walking through the shop and we see a

green light on we know somebody didn't shut their power off and it's just quick

simple and easy and it was a but that came from just this kind of a call

because you get a vehicle at a certain age do I really want to spend you know

maybe a thousand dollars pump pan an electrical tech to go through the process

of finding a parasitic drain yeah it can cost a lot of money sometimes if you

got to do it so methodically or do I just put the switch on there and just

forget about it did anybody recommend getting like a light that switches

colors or flashes or does like a light was a light was added on after the fact

because I was kind of pressing to get something done and my dad was ready to

go old school with a with a lever switch they put on the dashboard and and

running wires through the firewall and as just because he had some switches he

wanted to use right I'd have a I'd have a disco ball on the top I'd have a light

that we could we could upgrade but so at night when you're walking through if

it's dark you would really know and you dance over we're going through a

lighted shop it's fun to say that but no Dale thanks very much for the call

good luck 8 6 6 5 9 4 4 1 5 0 let's go to North Carolina and talk to Wayne

you're on the end of the hood show Wayne what can we do for you

hey guys man I sure do appreciate y'all and y'all shows great I love listening to

it every week thank you very much

I have a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and it's kind of similar to your previous call

it's my daughter's car and she goes out to crank it in it won't start the battery is low

it's not dead but it's low I was able to this morning actually go there and

I'd already tested the battery from a few days ago battery with a little small

you know cheap Amazon tester battery test good starting test good charging test good

went back out there this morning so that same tester back on it with it did

take battery voltage and battery voltage like 12.29 and but the

state of health was like 60 70 percent and the state of charge was like 60 or 70 percent

somewhere along in there and you jump it off runs fine she drives at 10 minutes to school

yesterday she drove at 10 minutes to school went into school come back out eight hours later

crank right up she drove it to the dentist come out from the dentist crank that up drove it home

last night um the last night I took in because the interior light seems to be possible suspect

so I pulled the fuse out for the interior lighting last night this morning it won't crank same thing

battery partially low your thoughts

good luck there yeah that's a challenge because that's you know those cars in 18 is

you're you're full on many low voltage systems in that car has it ever

failed to start during the day if she parks it just for like an hour or something or towards

the end of the day is it ever not started during the day or is it always okay during the day

yes uh she drove it uh to town the other day met my mom

he went down a few things for two or three hours come back and it wasn't started well

one possibility is that the battery is just not charging up fully and on these Hondas

we have had some Mitsubishi I'm sorry Hondas we're thinking of that last call yeah I was

doing just the dome light was in my head and I was thinking about a Honda we had the don't

left the dome light on that switch on the roof I was giving Chris the switch oh yeah yeah

anyways on the on these outlanders we've had problems with belts slipping on them

so imagine this alternator an alternator can draw five to eight horsepower when it's really

needing a lot of charge so if you put a you're basically putting a brake on that alternator

while the belt is trying to drive it and if any of the components are weak in there if the belt

is starting to stretch if it's getting old the tensioner is not working properly it can slip

and even though it's not squeaking it just slips around there like a tire on ice it's quiet but

it's spinning and it's not fully charging the battery that's why I asked does it do this during

the daytime as well because if you just got a battery drain overnight it's only going to be

dead overnight and during the day it's going to instantly charge as soon as you start the car

up but if that belt is slipping that is one of the possibilities that is causing it just to

not fully charge so you can verify am I getting this thing charged by starting it running it

but look at the condition of the belts and if you see that the belt is starting to wear pretty good

we would suggest using a complete belt replacement kit from Dayco they're a partner of ours and we

use them in our shop whenever we think we have an issue with a belt drive system because one if

you're replacing everything altogether you're not going to have squeaks you're not going to have noises

you're not going to have one component that can fail and cause the rest of them to go out plus it's

going to give you the proper tension the proper grip on the alternator on cars with power steering

that too water pumps none of that's going to slip and it's cheaper when you're doing it all together

instead of trying to throw one piece on I've had people put a belt on it and say oh I need to

put a tensioner on it now too and by the time they buy those two components they're way more than

the whole kit would have cost but I would I would start with that I would look you might even be able

to open the hood start the car up in the morning turn on the rear defroster turn on the blower on

high turn the radio on the wipers the headlights everything and then look and look down with a

flashlight if you look at the alternator and it appears to be turning slower than other things

around it like the belt's moving faster than it that's that's your problem there it's slipping on

that pulley Wayne thanks very much for the call good luck we talk about how chasing that can be

expensive is there a first step like is there if I have that issue is there like one tier where I

can come in and you can check a couple things quick just to see a lot of times the first step is I

open the hood and I look at the alternator with a flashlight I look at the belt and condition see

if it's been slipping if it has it's like let's start with that because it has to be done depending

on the vehicle we the radio we recommend a lot I'm plugging that and then if it has any sort of

an aftermarket component on it especially an aftermarket overnight remote starter remote starter

try disconnecting that putting things back to factory and see if it goes away 866-594-4150

that's the number to reach us here at the under the hood show let's talk to Patrick in Mississippi

Patrick you're on the under the hood show what can we do for you

oh yeah I appreciate your help enjoy your show uh I got a quick recommendation or ask y'all

a recommendation on AFM automatic fuel management yeah on a 2016 GMC Sierra I got 200,000 miles on it

and uh somebody told me I ought to try this little deal to plug in OBD

would that be a good or bad at 200,000 miles oh well yeah it's gonna matter by now

probably not it's probably gonna work just fine but if you want to buy it and try it sure buy the

little adapter that the they make they make little plug-in they call them a dongle which is

anything that plugs into an OBD2 port or a computer to plug into how do you do what's a what's the

definition of that it's a any device is a USB flash drive is technically what you're gonna call

that's a recording device but anything that controls something that you plug into a port

like a computer or OBD2 that would be the end point plug-in that actually does something so

so plug in a whatchamacallit no if it's been working this long you've obviously been doing

enough oil changes doing the proper maintenance that most of the time it's proper maintenance

it causes those things to fail not because they fail people go to the internet they do the google

search and it says oh it's because the AFM goes out why well because you didn't properly maintain it

so you're obviously doing a pretty good job of it to make it last this long that is a that is a good

long time good history on a 16 Sierra engine they they're having problems they're having it somewhere

between 80,000 and 140 is when we do most of our jobs for our customers that have 200 they've

not had an issue yet and they're still chugging right along if this thing sees a lot of highway

miles that's really good on them highway miles and oil changes three months 3000 you're you're

gonna be good but for other people listening yeah if you want to if it's early in the life you just

bought the car and you don't like that AFM buy the fuel management for people that we're talking

about so Chrysler uses an MDS they call it but you you buy this little device is about 40 bucks

you plug it in and it shuts down that system it just keeps it from activating is what it does

and they believe that by not activating it's going to fix the problem maybe I don't think so

because most of the time when we see the problem what has happened is one of the solenoid starts to

leak and the solenoid leaking internally with the system off allows a little bit of pressure to be

built up on the unlatching mechanism in the lifter which starts pulling the pin on it until it gets

close to the end of it and what happens when you pull the pin on the grenade chris your engine

explodes so when he gets real close it opens the lifter but of course it doesn't pull it completely

and quickly it wears the end of it off so then the next time it wears more and finally the lifter

fails and the engines the cam wears out because it's bouncing around in there and it goes so

yeah if you shut it off does the lifter not unlatch anymore and prevent that wear yes but can the

solenoid still fail yes I wouldn't mess with it I wouldn't mess with it 200 000 I would I would

leave it I've got a Camaro with a 6 2 with AFM that is has a cam that's just starting to fail in it

and it it actually sounds quieter when I leave the AFM running when I use the tuner and I shut

it off it it ticks more so hopefully I get that change before it blows up and I'll just put a

different cam in a bigger one that goes Patrick thanks very much for the call good luck 8 6 6

5 9 4 4 1 5 0 let's stay in Mississippi and talk to Roy you're on the end of the hood show Roy

what can we do for you is there any way you can put too much alternator on a car like too much

amp no and yes okay if you had if you had and yeah so alternators are supposed to be

regulated all of them to a certain voltage and to maintain that voltage they produce

amperage mechanically not govern mentally right okay just who we talk a lot about regulations

that not not in this case so yeah they can put whatever amperage we're going into three here so

you need an alternator capable of recovering whatever is lost

so if you have a car that an older car if you have a 1982 Chevy truck

and all it has is a heater it's not equipped with air conditioning it's not equipped with power windows

anything like that all you have is the lights to run and an am radio am fm no cassette no 8 track

you may have had a 40 amp alternator 45 amp alternator I think Jen did we even have some 30s

in the 70s 32 yeah yeah and they were stamped right on the case that's all you needed because of the

vehicle at full load with the wipers on the headlights the brake lights applied

fan on high if they if it only drew 22 amps you would never need more than that for charging

on the other hand if you've got a 2024 GMC Yukon Denali and you have all the accessories on

the radio the heated seats front rear and middle all powered up you've got the rear to fog on the

side window to foggers on the mirror to foggers running the lights I mean that baby's cranking

everything's really going you might be pulling 120 amps so you need a bigger alternator and in a

lot of cases they'll have a 200 amp alternator to resume the charge quickly if you have a stereo

system in a car we would commonly put up to four 250 amp alternators on a car to get a

thousand amps of charging capacity you remember those Shannon oh gosh yes you open the hood and

you're like that's part of the system right there and I've seen more but that was the four is the

most I've ever done and we would we would go with the the largest case we could to dissipate heat

usually the alternators that would get off the old six to military made diesel trucks that had the

the bigger system in them and it would but if we didn't have anything on if it was quiet and we

just fired it up all we'd be running was you know that the alternator would only generate a few amps

just enough to trickle charge the battery so no you can't have too much if you put a bigger one on

but here's where no comes in if you put a bigger alternator on a vehicle you've got to make sure

that the cable from the back of the alternator going to the battery is protected you know fuse

or circuit breaker protected and it's large enough like on my truck that came with 120 amp

alternator I went to a 200 amp alternator and I had to upgrade from my 10 gauge wire on the back

up to an 8 gauge wire in order so that if it ever needed that load it wouldn't melt it so

there's a yes and no on that one that'll do it for this hour of the Under the Hood show thanks for

listening with Russ Evans this is Shannon Orts from 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

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About this episode

Listeners get live, practical car-repair guidance focused on saving money and diagnosing problems before replacing parts. Calls cover a low-voice audio issue during the show, then dive into real-world fixes: whether to do a transmission drain-and-fill on a modified 2017 Ram 1500, how to troubleshoot multiple inoperative power windows on a 1997 Honda (switch vs door-jam wiring), and what to test when a truck won’t start after sitting (voltage drop, parasitic drain, and battery safety). Other topics include checking alternator belt slip, AFM “dongles” on a high-mileage GMC, and whether a higher-output alternator can be “too much.”

10 gauge wire 120,000 miles 87 octane 8 gauge wire AFE cold air intake AFM automatic fuel management AFM solenoid leak causing lifter unlatching wear aftermarket agreed value air conditioner

Chevrolet Camaro GMC Sierra EV GMC Yukon Honda Accord Mitsubishi Outlander Nissan Pulsar Ram 1500

Original notes

We have the expert advice! Call our show live 866-594-4150 and get help on the live show. Looking to save money on car repairs? Tune in to our latest episode of Under The Hood for practical automotive advice that can help you avoid costly repairs. Here are todays callers. 1. 6.2 Chevy what oil to use and do I use and additive? 2. 16 Accord Timing Chain rattle 3. 98 F700 coolant leak 4. 55 Chevy broken valve spring 5. 2000 Dakota crank no start condition.

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