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It's Time to Shop Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals!

It's Time to Shop Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals!

The Avants Podcast Nov 28, 2025 45 min
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About this episode

Dan and Nick dive into spark plug basics, explaining why they wear out, the impact of fuel mixtures, and the differences between plug types like iridium and platinum. They share practical tips on spotting worn plugs and discuss the rising costs, including exotic car markups. The conversation then shifts to Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping, highlighting tool deals, memberships like Evance, and partnerships with platforms like Cars and Bids. They emphasize smart spending, especially on automotive tools and services, while sharing personal shopping strategies and holiday greetings.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Part

spark plugs

"Boy, let's do a little Carter tip. Okay. So just a quick easy one. Why do we change our spark plugs? Why do they wear out? Because the pistons hit them. No. Okay. Okay. So the optimal firing temperature for spark"

Spark plugs are small parts in your car's engine that make a tiny spark to help the engine run. Over time, they get dirty or worn out, so they need to be changed to keep the car running well.

Term

overheating

"The spark plugs can overheat. And this is why overheating is so bad for your engine. So if you are losing coolants and you're overheating, that will obviously do it."

Overheating means the engine gets too hot, which can break parts inside and make the car not work well.

Term

coolant

"And this is why overheating is so bad for your engine. So if you are losing coolants and you're overheating, that will obviously do it."

Coolant is a special liquid in your car that helps keep the engine from getting too hot.

Term

fuel mixture

"Fuel mixture. I'm gonna say, I said oil mixture. I meant fuel mixture. Improper fuel ratio, if you're running too rich, that'll foul your spark plugs real quick. Having oil mixture in there can do it too."

Fuel mixture is how much gas and air mix together in the engine. If there's too much gas, it can cause problems with the engine parts.

Part

piston rings

"Yeah. Yeah. If you've got worn piston rings, it really comes down to one of those things is how often, why"

Piston rings are parts inside the engine that help keep the engine working well by sealing and controlling oil. If they wear out, the engine can have problems.

Term

direct injection engines

"especially with all those older or even some current direct injection engines is the same thing that fouls up your intake runners is the same thing that's fouling up your spark plugs"

Some modern engines spray fuel straight into the engine's cylinders, which helps performance but can make parts get dirty and need cleaning.

Term

pre-catalytic converters

"older vehicles, especially pre-catalytic converters, they just they had a, it wasn't that they were bad, it was that they had a wider range of operation"

Cars made before certain pollution control parts were added didn't control fuel and emissions as well, so they ran differently and sometimes dirtier.

Term

carburetors

"they didn't have the precision adjustments of fuel we have now with those old carburetors fuel bowl dumping fuel. Exactly."

Older engines used a part called a carburetor to mix gas and air before burning it. This part wasn't as precise as modern systems.

Part

spark plug wires

"often overlook the bad spark plug wires, bad spark plug boots, things like that."

Spark plug wires are like electrical cables that help start your car's engine by sending electricity to tiny parts called spark plugs. When these wires get old, your car might run badly or have trouble starting.

Term

premium fuel

"that runs premium, and you're one of those cheap skates out there who decides that it's okay to run and let it unleaded,"

Premium fuel is special gas that helps some cars run better and avoid engine problems. It usually costs more than regular gas.

Car

Ford F-150 Raptor

"I'm not gonna lie, I run the Raptor on 87 more than I'd like. It's fine."

The Ford Raptor is a tough and fast truck made for driving off-road and rough places.

Term

87 octane

""I've tested with 87 and a heavy foot. I've tested with 91 and a heavy foot...""

87 octane is the regular gas you put in many cars. It helps the engine run smoothly without knocking or pinging sounds.

Term

91 octane

""I've tested with 87 and a heavy foot. I've tested with 91 and a heavy foot...""

91 octane is a higher-grade gas that some cars need to run better and avoid engine knocking.

Car

Ford Bronco

""If I had the performance tune on like the Bronco, then you have to run 91 minimum.""

The Ford Bronco is a type of SUV that can go off-road. Some versions need better gas to run well.

Term

horsepower

"weak acceleration in general, or your horsepower just being down."

Horsepower is a way to measure how strong a car's engine is. More horsepower means the car can go faster and accelerate quicker.

Term

V8 engine

"But on, you know, say like a big v8 or something, the larger the engine usually in the larger v configuration engine, the easier it is to feel a miss."

A V8 engine is a type of car engine with eight cylinders shaped like a V. It usually makes the car powerful and fast.

Term

engine misfire

"But on, you know, say like a big v8 or something, the larger the engine usually in the larger v configuration engine, the easier it is to feel a miss. But on a straight engine configuration, it's not as bad."

An engine misfire is when part of the engine doesn't work right, making the car run rough or feel weak.

Term

V engine configuration

"the larger the engine usually in the larger v configuration engine, the easier it is to feel a miss."

A V engine means the engine's cylinders are arranged in a V shape. This helps make the engine smaller and more powerful.

Term

straight engine configuration

"But on a straight engine configuration, it's not as bad."

A straight engine means all the engine's cylinders are lined up in a row. This makes the engine smooth but longer.

Term

misses

"I don't think we've ever talked about misses. That might be something we should talk about in the future. It's like, you know, because I think that term gets thrown around a lot."

A 'miss' happens when a car's engine doesn't fire correctly in one of its cylinders, making the engine run rough or lose power.

Term

cross reference

"Yeah, the good news is is you can cross reference. NGK platinum or radium plugs are pretty much standard on everything. Now they've kind of cornered the market for premium spark plugs. And there's usually a cross reference."

Cross referencing is looking up parts from different brands that work the same in your car.

Company

NGK

"Yeah, the good news is is you can cross reference. NGK platinum or radium plugs are pretty much standard on everything."

NGK makes small parts called spark plugs that help your car's engine start and run smoothly.

Term

exotic car markup

"Yeah, catastrophic failure. So to say the least, but you are you are correct on the exotic car markup on spark plugs is insane. And they're not always easy to get to."

Exotic car markup means parts for fancy or rare cars cost a lot more than regular cars.

Term

W16 engine

"No, because they're they're offset because it's W16."

A W16 engine is a very powerful engine with 16 cylinders arranged in a special shape. Bugatti uses this engine to make their cars super fast.

Part

jack

""...Another thing that was on my list, obviously, I already got this year was a really good jack. Yeah...""

A jack is a tool that lifts up your car so you can fix things under it or change a tire.

Term

cordless tools

"That's me. I don't use air tools anymore. That's what cordless tools are for"

Cordless tools are tools that run on batteries so you can use them anywhere without plugging them in, like for pumping up tires or cleaning.

Brand

Dyson

"Yeah, so if you have an old Dyson v six that I already bought from Costco all the time, the battery on it's probably dead."

Dyson makes vacuum cleaners that you can use to clean your car inside without plugging them in.

Brand

Milwaukee

"The Dyson batteries suck. Get the Dewalt or Milwaukee adapter."

Milwaukee makes batteries and tools that can help power cordless vacuums for cleaning your car.

Brand

DeWalt

"The Dyson batteries suck. Get the Dewalt or Milwaukee adapter."

DeWalt makes batteries and tools that can power things like cordless vacuums, which can be handy for cleaning your car.

Term

fog lights

""...cheap lights like my BOT designs S2 fogs are just as bright as my headlights.""

Fog lights are special lights on a car that help you see better when it's foggy or rainy outside.

Term

trailer hitch

""...like the little S1 trailer hitch insert, like this garb you're going to listen to this you just got that new sq7 doesn't have a trailer hitch.""

A trailer hitch is a part on the back of a car or truck that lets you pull a trailer or carry extra stuff like bikes.

Car

Audi SQ7

"...'re going to listen to this you just got that new sq7 doesn't have a trailer hitch. But when you do bec..."

The Audi SQ7 is a fancy and fast SUV that is comfortable and has lots of cool features. It doesn’t always come with a hook to pull trailers, so people sometimes have to add one later if they want to tow things. It’s a car for people who want both speed and luxury.

Car

Ford F150

"got the I didn't have time to put that external mount on the F 150. So I spent 25 bucks on Amazon and I got this on a roof mount. It works just to put it inside. Yeah. Super"

The Ford F-150 is a big truck that many people use for carrying heavy stuff or towing things like trailers. It's very popular because it can do a lot of different jobs and is reliable. People often add extra parts to it to make it work better for their needs.

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