0:00 / 0:00
"Last Call: Winter Is Here - Your Final Car -Ready Checklist"

"Last Call: Winter Is Here - Your Final Car -Ready Checklist"

Car Connection Workshop Dec 03, 2025 40 min
0:00
0:00

About this episode

As winter approaches, Niall Motormouth Jenkins shares essential tips to prepare your vehicle for the cold months ahead. He emphasizes the importance of a winter evaluation, checking fluids, and ensuring your battery and brakes are in top condition. With humorous anecdotes and relatable stories, Niall discusses common winter pitfalls and how to avoid them, including the necessity of changing wipers before the first snowstorm. His engaging style makes the technical advice accessible and entertaining, perfect for anyone looking to keep their car running smoothly this winter.

Filter:
|
Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Car

Volkswagen Rabbit

"...vorite mother-in-law or father-in-law up there or rabbit. What's the weirdest one I've seen?"

The Volkswagen Rabbit is a small car that people really liked because it was easy to drive and had a lot of space inside. It first came out in the 1970s and has been popular ever since, making it a well-known choice for many drivers. It's important because it helped make small cars popular and is still loved by many today.

Term

bondo

"...what's with the cardboard, bondo, and duct tape holding the right side bumper together? Do you know anything about that?"

Bondo is a type of filler used to fix dents and scratches on cars. It helps make the surface smooth again before painting.

Term

duct tape

"...what's with the cardboard, bondo, and duct tape holding the right side bumper together? Do you know anything about that?"

Duct tape is a strong tape that can be used for quick fixes. People sometimes use it to hold parts of cars together temporarily.

Term

bumper

"...holding the right side bumper together? Do you know anything about that?"

A bumper is the part of a car at the front and back that helps protect it during small accidents. It helps keep the car safe from damage.

Term

winter evaluation

"If you've not yet gotten in, gotten your vehicle scheduled for a winter evaluation, I'm telling you, it's money well spent."

A winter evaluation is like a check-up for your car before winter. It makes sure everything is working well so you don't have problems when it's cold outside.

Term

battery

"If they're all good, get them to test your battery. Let's make sure you're not going to have dead battery at some point..."

The battery is what helps start your car and powers things like the lights and radio. In winter, it's important to check it because cold weather can make batteries weaker.

Term

fuel filter

"Get the fluids, air filters, fuel filter. If your vehicle is equipped with a fuel filter, get it out of there, put a new one in..."

The fuel filter cleans the fuel that goes into your car's engine. Changing it regularly helps your car run better and saves gas.

Term

air filter

"Get the fluids, air filters, fuel filter. If your vehicle is equipped with a fuel filter, get it out of there, put a new one in..."

The air filter keeps dirt out of your engine so it can run smoothly. Changing it helps your car perform better and can improve fuel economy.

Car

Toyota FJ Cruiser

"Yeah, I made a hatch actually on our 07 FJ Cruiser because I, a few years back, drove all the way to London, hit a massive snowstorm up there."

The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a tough SUV that looks unique and is great for driving off the road. It was made from 2006 to 2014 and is loved by people who like adventures.

Part

cabin filter

"Does my vehicle have a cabin filter? Does it have an external fuel filter? Get it changed."

The cabin filter cleans the air that you breathe inside the car. It stops dust and pollen from coming in when you use the air conditioning or heater.

Part

fuel pump

"I cut a hole perfectly above my fuel tank to get the fuel pump out because the day I came back..."

The fuel pump moves fuel from the tank to the engine so that the car can run. If it doesn't work, the engine won't get the fuel it needs.

Term

fuel injected motor

"...even though it's digitally injected, we can flood the pants off the digital fuel injected motor. Yes. And then it's very, very rough to try and get it started afterwards."

A fuel injected motor is a type of engine that uses technology to mix fuel with air for better performance. If too much fuel gets in, it can make the engine hard to start, like when a car won't turn over.

Term

towed in

"...we got end up, it'll get towed in. We pull the plugs out, all of them, they're soaked in fuel."

When a car can't start, it might need to be pulled by a truck to a mechanic. This is called being 'towed in.'

Term

brakes

"Okay, next, brakes. Again, we're talking about last chance."

Brakes are the parts of a car that help it slow down or stop. They are very important for keeping the car safe while driving.

Term

beater

"...the lady is driving the beater and the fellow is driving the nice car. And I can't tell you the number of times I took the fellow aside..."

A 'beater' is a cheap car that you don't mind getting dirty or scratched. It's usually not very fancy and is just for getting around.

Term

piece of junk

"A woman stranded with a car that's a piece of junk. The fella drives the junk."

A 'piece of junk' is a car that doesn't work well and is usually very old or broken down. People use this term to say that the car is not worth much and might cause problems.

Term

collector's car

"So you also got to make sure that your beater's, your beater car or your collector's car. Yeah, you know, you drive in a mile, go back, collect a piece, drive another mile, go back, collect another piece."

A collector's car is a special car that people keep because it's rare or has a lot of history. These cars are usually well taken care of and not driven every day.

Term

$500 beauties

"Is that you can still have what I used to call the $500 beauties. And it's decent because the mechanics are done, you know, all this important stuff."

'$500 beauties' are cheap cars that might not look perfect but have some charm. They're usually old and affordable, making them fun for people who like unique cars.

Part

brake pad

"But here's what I'm talking about. Brakes, yeah, the outside brake pad looked good until you pulled the wheels off. There was nothing left on the inside."

A brake pad is a part of the car that helps stop it when you press the brake pedal. If the pad is too worn down, the car won't stop as well, which can be dangerous.

Term

unequal braking

"Because when we have unequal braking, it doesn't matter whether your four-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, sometime real-wheel drive, real-time four-wheel drive, traction control."

Unequal braking means that some wheels of the car stop better than others. This can make the car hard to control and can be unsafe.

Term

ABS

"ABS, same thing. If the brakes can't grab and release on ABS because they're not working right..."

ABS helps your car stop without skidding. It keeps the wheels from locking up, so you can still steer while braking hard.

Car

1997 GTJ Sport Rescue

"Right now, we're working on that segment on a 97 GTJ Sport Rescue. Rescued it from the crusher."

The 1997 GTJ Sport Rescue is a specific model of a car that was saved from being destroyed. It might have special features or changes made to it.

2 cars featured

Request an Explanation

Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.

Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.

Want to learn more?

Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.

Explore Terms

Help improve this episode

See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.

Report incorrect info
Suggest better explanations
Flag missing cars