Niall Motormouth Jenkins dives into the myths surrounding 'lifetime coolant' and highlights how neglecting proper cooling system maintenance can lead to costly engine failures. Drawing from over three decades of automotive experience, he breaks down essential spring service tips, focusing on cooling systems and transmissions. The episode also emphasizes empowering car owners—especially single women and those new to car care—with straightforward knowledge to avoid expensive repairs. Alongside practical advice, Niall shares community initiatives and encourages engagement with their educational content and support programs.
" If you believe antifreeze lasts forever, I've got a wrecked Jeep engine in our scrap pile that would like to have a word with you."
Spring is here, and that means it's time to talk about the vehicle maintenance. most drivers ignore - until it's too late.
In this episode of. the Motormouth podcast, I break down the. truth about modern cooling systems and so -called "lifetime" antifreeze. Despite what the marketing departments say, coolant does not last forever, and ignoring your cooling system can and will lead to catastrophic engine damage.
I walk through:
1) Why coolant break s down over time
2) The damage old coolant does inside your engine
3) Why thermostats should be replaced during cooling system service
4) The simple maintenance schedule that prevents expensive repairs
I also share the real-world example of our 1997 Jeep TJ Wrangler, where cooling system failure ultimately sent the engine & Jeep to the wrecking yard.
If you want your vehicle to last, this is one of the most important maintenance conversations you'll hear this spring.
Merchandise available at (ccbusnet.com) our online store, grab some Motormouth Car Connection Gear join the crew in helping those struggling with addiction get the help they need at Total Freedom Addiction Campuses Canada & USA where a New Life Awaits them there! Thank -You so much friends for your support!
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"let's jump in today it's season two episode 106 see how deep we get into talking about cooling system servicing and transmissions hopefully we can get through both"
The transmission helps your car change gears so it can go faster or slower. Taking care of it means your car drives better and lasts longer.
A transmission is the system in a vehicle that transmits power from the engine to the wheels, allowing the car to change speeds and move efficiently. Transmission servicing includes fluid changes and repairs to keep shifting smooth and prevent costly failures.
"let's jump in today it's season two episode 106 see how deep we get into talking about cooling system servicing and transmissions hopefully we can get through both"
Cooling system servicing means taking care of the parts that keep your car's engine from getting too hot. This helps your car run safely and avoid breaking down.
Cooling system servicing involves maintaining and repairing the components that keep a vehicle's engine at the proper operating temperature, such as the radiator, water pump, thermostat, and coolant. Proper servicing prevents overheating and engine damage.
"and the only way i can really really help you is we've redesigned and brought back after many years we used to send send our car can we called it our car connection maintenance schedule we used to send them out by the hundreds when we were on on the radio and we just kind of parked them and so it was because of a few emails saying whatever happened to the car connection maintenance schedule oh yeah that thing so we've revamped it it's actually now selling as the car connection fleet maintenance system because that's what it really really is"
A maintenance schedule is a plan that tells you when to take care of your car so it keeps running well and doesn't break down. It helps you know when to change things like oil or brakes.
A maintenance schedule is a planned timeline for servicing a vehicle to ensure it remains in good working condition and to prevent breakdowns. It includes regular checks and replacements of parts like oil, filters, brakes, and tires.
"...one of the builds that we did we were a rescue our 97 Jeep TJ Wrangler is actually going to drive out the door of the shop this morning..."
The Jeep TJ Wrangler is a popular off-road vehicle made starting in 1997. It's known for being tough and good for driving on rough terrain.
The Jeep TJ Wrangler is the second generation of the Jeep Wrangler, produced from 1997 to 2006. It is known for its off-road capability and iconic design, featuring round headlights and coil spring suspension.
"...i've got to do some welding and i do not prefer welding indoors the shop is tight we could use about twice the space right now and you know sparks fly..."
Welding is a way to fix or join metal parts by melting them together. It's often used to repair cars when parts are broken or rusted.
Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals, by causing coalescence through heat or pressure. It is commonly used in automotive repair to fix structural components like frames or torque boxes.
"...and i'll take care of the the floor and the torque box that needs to be repaired on the driver's side because of a water leak..."
The torque box is a strong part of the car's frame that helps keep it stiff and strong, especially when driving on rough roads or off-road.
A torque box is a structural component of a vehicle's frame, typically located near the floor and firewall area. It helps distribute torsional forces and adds rigidity to the chassis, especially important in off-road vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler.
"pause cooling system neglect and there's videos we've shot videos for you that are in our video library on our youtube channel"
If you don't take care of the parts that keep your engine cool, like the radiator and coolant, your engine can get too hot and break.
Neglecting the cooling system means failing to maintain or repair components like the radiator, coolant, water pump, and hoses, which can lead to engine overheating and severe damage.
"the cooling system went so it went so unrecognized and neglected that the death blow was it blew the engine to smithereens it blew it up to the point where when we got into starting the engine it was only running on two cylinders and it was rougher than a stucco toilet seat let me tell you"
If the engine gets too hot, parts inside can break or stop working right, making the car run badly or not at all.
When an engine overheats due to cooling system failure, internal components like pistons and cylinders can be severely damaged, causing the engine to run poorly or fail completely.
"there is no maintenance free coolant long life coolant long life spark plugs it's all a sales gimmick folks"
Some coolants say you never have to change them, but actually, all coolants get old and need to be replaced to keep your car safe.
Maintenance-free coolant is marketed as a type of antifreeze that does not require regular changing, but in reality, all coolant degrades over time and needs replacement to protect the engine.
"you have to learn how to be a prosumer not a consumer the reason they're selling you on maintenance free is they don't want you fixing your car"
A prosumer is someone who knows a lot about their stuff and takes care of it themselves, instead of just using it and ignoring it.
A prosumer is a consumer who is also knowledgeable and actively involved in the maintenance and care of their products, rather than passively using them.
"they want you to drive it into the ground and then finance a new one that's called the never never plan you never own it and you never stop paying car payments interest and principle"
It's when you keep paying for a car but never actually finish paying it off, so you never really own it.
The 'never never plan' refers to a financing strategy where a buyer continuously makes payments on a car without ever fully owning it, often due to leasing or rolling over loans.
"stop using my fj for hauling wood because i want to keep it longer and i don't like getting it"
The Toyota FJ is a tough SUV made for driving on rough roads and trails. People like it because it lasts a long time and looks cool.
The Toyota FJ refers to the Toyota FJ Cruiser, a rugged off-road SUV known for its durability and distinctive retro styling. It is popular among enthusiasts for both daily driving and off-road use.
"jeep tj wranglers got a manual transmission the gear range ratios for front and rear axle are perfect for pulling"
A manual transmission means the driver has to change gears by hand using pedals and a stick. This helps control the car better, especially on rough roads.
A manual transmission is a type of gearbox that requires the driver to manually shift gears using a clutch pedal and gear stick. It offers more control over the vehicle's power delivery.
"manual transmission the gear range ratios for front and rear axle are perfect for pulling"
Gear range ratios are how the car changes power from the engine to the wheels. Different settings help the car pull heavy stuff or go up hills better.
Gear range ratios refer to the relationship between the engine speed and the wheel speed, determined by the transmission and axle gearing. They affect the vehicle's ability to pull heavy loads or climb steep terrain.
"the 1999 toyota honda civic dx two-door hatchback five gear air conditioning and everything works"
The 1999 Honda Civic DX hatchback is a small, simple car that is easy to drive and doesn't use much gas.
The 1999 Honda Civic DX two-door hatchback is a compact car known for its reliability, fuel efficiency, and simplicity. The DX trim is a base model with essential features.
"but it also has a shelf life folks did you know that it has a shelf life where it aggregates just like everything else motor oil power steering fluid brake fluid it all deteriorates"
Shelf life means how long something can sit on a shelf before it goes bad and shouldn't be used anymore.
Shelf life refers to the length of time a product remains effective and safe to use while stored. Fluids like antifreeze deteriorate over time even if unopened.
"here i bought two long life jugs of antifreeze to test right off the store shelf it's long life 125,000 k in two years has already passed and it's still on the shelf"
Long life antifreeze is a special liquid in your car that keeps the engine cool and stops rust. It lasts a long time but still needs to be changed after a few years.
Long life antifreeze is a type of coolant designed to last longer than conventional antifreeze, often up to 125,000 kilometers or several years. It helps regulate engine temperature and prevent corrosion but still has a limited effective lifespan.
"so you know what folks just change it out every 24 months flush gut we call it the gush and flush gush and flush that cooling system out every 24 months"
Flushing the cooling system means cleaning out the old coolant from your car so it doesn't get clogged or rusty. This keeps your engine from getting too hot.
A cooling system flush involves draining and cleaning the coolant from the engine's cooling system to remove contaminants and old antifreeze. This helps maintain proper engine temperature and prevents corrosion.
"if a thermostat closes on a hot summers day on the highway and you're stuck in traffic you're going to blow a head gasket you're going to do some serious engine damage at that point"
When your engine gets too hot, it can break important parts inside. This usually happens if the cooling system isn't working right.
Engine overheating occurs when the engine temperature rises beyond safe limits, often due to cooling system failure. This can cause serious damage such as warped heads, blown head gaskets, or piston damage.
"how do i know all this from the damage the engine was still running probably i'm going to say based on what the pistons look like it was highway speed the cylinders filled up with coolant"
Pistons are parts inside your engine that move up and down to make your car go. If they get broken, your engine won't work anymore.
Pistons are cylindrical components inside the engine's cylinders that move up and down to convert fuel combustion into mechanical power. Damage to pistons can cause engine failure.
"because somebody told you it's maintenance free the the oil is long life no it's not none of that is true it's just a sales pitch"
Long life oil is special oil that is supposed to last a long time in your car's engine, but you still need to change it sometimes to keep your car running well.
Long life oil refers to engine oil formulated to last longer between changes, often marketed as maintenance-free. However, it still requires regular replacement to protect the engine properly.
"they also have in-house financing they provide you with low mileage quality vehicles at fair prices"
In-house financing means the car dealer helps you pay for the car by giving you a loan themselves, so you don't have to go to a bank.
In-house financing is when a car dealership offers loans directly to customers instead of through banks or third parties. This can make buying a car easier for buyers with less-than-perfect credit.
"they also have in-house financing they provide you with low mileage quality vehicles at fair prices"
Low mileage means the car hasn't been driven very much, so it might be in better shape and last longer.
Low mileage refers to a vehicle that has been driven fewer miles than average for its age, often indicating less wear and potentially longer remaining life.
"they are the greater Toronto area's premier pre-owned auto store they have a great inventory under roof and outside"
A pre-owned auto store is a place where you can buy used cars that have been checked to make sure they work well.
A pre-owned auto store is a dealership specializing in selling used cars. These stores often provide inspected, certified vehicles with some warranty or guarantees.
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Good morning Niagara, you're tuned in to Car Connection where the coffee is hot, the
tools are ready and the talk is always tuned up.
I'm your host, Niall Motormouth Jenkins, coming to you straight from the Car Connection
Workshop where we mix a little humor, a little know-how and a whole lot of horsepower.
Here it's not just about fixing cars, it's about keeping you rolling, saving you money
and giving you the confidence to understand what's under that hood.
From the classics to the commuter to the weird noises to the what the heck moments, we've
got you covered.
So grab your coffee, sit back, join the crew, because this is Car Connection, your Monday
through Saturday morning pit stop for stories, smarts and a few good laughs, and I'm Motormouth
Jenkins and we're shifting into drive right here in the Car Connection Workshop.
Well I hope you had a fantabulous weekend.
The weather has been a little bumpy, but you know what, most of the snow, it's gone.
There's a few dribs and drabs hanging around, but not too much whatsoever.
I think we're slowly pulling out of the deep freeze and getting back into spring.
And I am so, I can't speak for you, but I am so looking forward to shorts, shirts,
less clothing, not more, is what I'm saying, less clothing, not more, and just feeling
the freedom of being able to wear that less clothing and not feel so bulky, yeah, and
you get skinnier.
It's true.
Well thanks for joining us this morning, I'm Niall Motormouth Jenkins, licensed automotive
service technician on light truck and passenger vehicles and heavy trucks and motor coaches
since 1988, so yes you're allowed to pick my brain, but be gentle, I only have two brain
cells pretty much left.
One remembers my name and the other one how to get home, so if you're joining us for the
Welcome to the car connection workshop, we really enjoy our new community people, new
to our car connection community, so be part of the car connection communal workshop.
So let's jump into right away this morning our topic, I'm suggesting some spring services
and two that I've put back to back and I have already been talking about a lot of automotive
service and repair basic fundamentals and I keep it absolutely basic because you, no
matter what age group you are, height, width, age, single, married, divorced, unknown, it
doesn't matter.
The basics are single bombs especially, you have taken advantage of out there in the automotive
service repair industry and single women, widows, orphans, so that's why I'm here, is
to share the knowledge that I have, I had a shop on the Hamilton mountain for almost
11 years and for health reasons I had to get out, it forced me out, I did some damage
to my back and that changes everything, right, if you don't have your health what do you
have and we really needed to at that time get to the next level which would be adding
more service techs so that I could get off the shop floor but we weren't at that position
yet and we needed to have our own facility instead of being on the never never plan with
that, leasing doesn't mean you have any equity in your business, you only have the channels
so anyways we won't dive into that so over the next few weeks I'm only going to pick
one or two serviceable items and then break it down for you into bite size pieces, if
you haven't visited our homepage of our website you're missing the biggest tool box drawer
where we put everything in one place for you so that you can find us, follow us, like, share,
subscribe, ring the notification bell, get notified when new videos come out each and every week,
it's a two for Tuesday and another video on Friday so you get three new video clips
every week subscribing to our channel and it is designed for automotive service dummies so
whether you know something or nothing or or maybe you're not sure how much you know you will learn
five things on every single video that we show you and they're teaching videos and I dumb it down
because you know what I'm the same way give it to me in simple terms don't complicate it and
break it down so that I can see what it is that you're doing and better to understand it you'll
learn what it is where it is how it works how it breaks and what could you have learned knowing
more and having more knowledge and basic fundamentals of owning and operating an automobile
that could save you thousands of needless repairs every single year would that be worth it
so if I could save you from a $200 repair that excels to a $5,000 repair
wouldn't that be a good thing because most $5,000 repairs start off as a $200 repair
and a maintenance item so if you would rather spend small money and learn how to use a maintenance
schedule or how about big money on a surprise so that's what I cover on our youtube channel
and all the links for all the platforms that we're involved with are on the homepage top right
hand corner including our merchandise available store and so they're all there for you there's
I gotta always remember Facebook Instagram Stevensvilleontheweb.ca we're kind of pulled
in with all the Stevensville businesses and the community and that's thank you to Skippy our
videographer who's created that website to do that thing bring the community and the business
owners and Stevensville that's where my parents live my mom passed in 2022 but my pops is still
there at 89 driving himself texting using a cell phone and yeah so he's still a Stevensvilleonian
so click on the businesses tab and you will find us there also our iHeart link is also in the top
right hand corner and grab yourself some car connection motormouth merch join the crew in
helping those that are struggling with addictions get to a total freedom addiction campus Canada in
USA because there is a new life awaiting them there all the logos and links for our program
partners are also available on the home page so thank you in advance for giving them your business
click on their logo it opens a profile page and you can meet them there you'll get all the information
you need to connect and every profile page is set up exactly the same way so it's easy simple
navigation we're working on a page right now to make our car connection fleet maintenance schedule
available to you so you'll be able to order it online pay for it and it'll get shipped out directly
to you that that gets shipped out by our car connection studios all the merchandise items on
our store you you buy what you like pick your color your size pay safely online and freedom
expressions which is one of the companies that is run on the total freedom campuses to actually
employ those as they move along in the program so it teaches them how to get back
into the workforce and yes they do get paid for their time they do not get to manage their money
it's managed for them and it's really cool the system that they have going to help those who
struggling with addictions that have made that decision today is the day today is the day to deal
with this thing that i've been hiding for a long time so let's jump in today it's season two
episode 106 see how deep we get into talking about cooling system servicing and transmissions
hopefully we can get through both but we may not because uh now's the time to break these
services down into bite-sized pieces for you so that you can really get an understanding of
again the five things what it is where it is how it works how it breaks and what you could have
learned in order to prevent that from happening and in most cases that is true if you'd known just
a little bit more about your automobile you'd be a smoking hot out there you'd be you'd be like a stealth
ninja you know stuff and when you know some stuff it's less likely well it reduces
the chance of getting ripped off and i can't tell you in 31 years of being on radio with our
live car connection call-in program uh how many emails i receive can you check this over
motor mouth and see if they took advantage of me and i we're not here to beat up on service text
we're not here to beat up on automotive shops you know we've got a vehicle coming into this
the car connection shop studio this morning and on that particular one is owned by a single mom
we're going to show you what got missed and how i can't explain it and you'll have to watch the
video for that we're shooting that today that will be uploaded next week um skippy and i
when we went out to the frozen great lake called lake eerie on the south shores here by our studio
that will be going live this friday this friday coming so you'll want to watch that one we've
had a lot of rain here so it looks like we really lucked out last monday having a blue sky
sunny day and we're out on a frozen lake showing you the ice castles and and uh lake made moguls
and just some really unique uh ice structures and taking a look at a lake as far as your eye can
see that's frozen solid so that that video comes out this week so pay attention to get that and i get
signed up and hey if you love the videos which i know you do 93 of you have not subscribed what's up
with that yeah we can't keep the engine and the ignition on and the engine running smoothly if
you're not subscribing so uh do us a favor help us to grow because the sooner we grow the sooner
we get monetized the easier it is for us to obtain parts and fix vehicles for single bombs
widows orphans and those who've just fallen on hard times we want we want to be able to pay for
the parts provide the labor shoot the video and share it with all of you all around the world north
south east and west so let's start with uh morning weather so you know what your morning
drive your monday morning drive is going to look like get your coffee through the drive through if
you are already there lock it down in your cup holder keep an eye on the road pass that 16 pack of
crayola crayons over to your sidekick and the fold it up leaf bag and they last a long time that's
a really good laptop fold it up really really well and then you can just keep unfolding and
keep writing some notes so if you miss anything our podcast and youtube videos you can very very
easily link back to our podcast uh just click on the i heart link on the top right hand corner of
our web our website carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com and again as a reminder take a moment and read
the descriptions i put a lot of extra details that i don't always cover in the video or in the
podcast so i put a lot of details in there for you that can become nuggets that if you really
wanted to you could you could take a screenshot and collect those and make yourself a little
shop manual from the descriptions all right so just a little heads up on that well here's what
you got today whether this morning brought to you by our certified financial planning professionals
my brothers from other mothers tony melly and larry titrell have 50 years combined as fiduciaries
with ig wealth management they look after portfolios so if you got a portfolio with the bank you
certainly need them to review that your money could be working a whole lot harder for you my
friends let me tell you that's not where you need to have your money working for you they deal with
debt taking care of that finding a way to fix that up for you estate planning that comes with uh
powers of attorney health proxies the whole package that's not something you take care of yourself
you need the professionals to do it and mortgages and more life insurance critical illness insurance
then there's a lot of additional services available to you so grab yourself an hour and a coffee
discovery meeting leave your wallets at home no one's going to be asking you for any money
these guys will sit down because they don't need any more clients they want to help you
our car connection listeners they've been with us since 2007 and answering the questions that
yeah i could answer but they can do a lot better job than i can so i would suggest here's my
suggestion if any of those areas you're uncertain about or you don't have them covered arrange
that hour in a coffee that discovery meeting get your questions answered by those who have
the fruit on the tree both larry and tony have helped me over the last 15 20 years so i'm speaking
from experience leave your wallets at home book that hour sit down with them in a zoom over the
phone in the conference room the board room or a coffee shop or at home but get it taken care of
don't set it aside for one more minute just click on the link for tony mealy or larry teetrol
on the homepage of her website and get that meeting book to get your answers to your questions and
guess what you're going to feel you're going to feel like you've been to a weight loss center
because the weight is going to be off your shoulders today we're looking at a low overnight
low of 38 and i always speak in sa e so this is fahrenheit 57 degrees is the high for today yippie
yippie kyei absolutely let's see if we got any precip coming well may possibility a possibility
it says a daily chance of precipitation is a 0.25 of an inch today's low will be 41 so it's already
changed a little bit between 4am and 5am the high will be 55 between 4pm and 5pm the temperature
range will feel like 35 to 52 and the wind will make it feel cooler than the actual temperature
so inland we're very very close to the lake so inland it's going to be warmer for you
pretty much in the niger region and those that are living working and playing along the south
shores of lake eerie it's going to be a little bit on the colder side the wind the wind is there
and the wind is very very cold so let's jump in to a couple of reminders saturdays are a one hour
show and it's q and a so if you have questions i have answers it's 28 you email me your questions
and i will answer them on the air on saturday morning for a one hour broadcast so that's a way
for you to connect with us we are working to get the phone lines in order so that we can take
live callers and i want to bring guests back on to the show like we did for 31 years on the air
on networks so we're working on that we've got our phone set up ip over internet so i just need
my buddy ty to get back from his winter vacation to help me figure that out so i don't mess anything
up here in the studio and we'll be able to get on track with having on air guests and taking live
phone calls on a saturday morning how cool will that be but till then if you have a question
through the week monday through friday if you email that to me motormouth dot jenkins at gmail.ca
no it's gmail.com i'm just learning motormouth dot jenkins at gmail.com or nile at ccbusnet.com
again i put all that information in the description of our videos on our youtube channel and on our
podcast library so everything's there for you to connect and if you can't find us scoot over to
stevensvilleontheweb.ca click on the businesses tab you will find us there as well there's an email
form you can fill out and send me an email through there you can send me an email right through our
website at carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com there is a website form there as well so that you can
connect so if you need to get to me quickly do that send me an email through our website form
when i open up my email each and every morning to check to see what's going on out there on
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eight cylinder engine running smoothly so let's have our swiggy together brought to us by
our good friends at the gremel family at niger block 5000 montrose road in niger falls building
canada since 1931 providing building supplies and hardscape landscape materials for you to create
design create and enjoy your backyard space you know it's huge these days having that that uh
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so let's have a swiggy together whatever your morning beverage is enjoy it and we count it down
on three two one and away we go three two one
yep that's good i'm liking that
so so good well when it comes to
maintenance and service that's where you you look at you
need to take the helm that's where if it's going to be it's up to me and that is the truth
and the only way i can really really help you is we've redesigned and brought back after many years
we used to send send our car can we called it our car connection maintenance schedule
we used to send them out by the hundreds when we were on on the radio and we just kind of parked
them and so it was because of a few emails saying whatever happened to the car connection maintenance
schedule oh yeah that thing so we've revamped it it's actually now selling as the car connection
fleet maintenance system because that's what it really really is and everything i talk about
and have talked about for 105 episodes now we're in season two and today's episode is 106
and just a reminder on our iHeart radio library everything shows you the date the season the
topic and the episodes so that you can find it very very easily so if you miss something
you can easily go back and grab it not a problem so we've redone the maintenance schedule we just
shot a video about that it is up on our youtube channel where i'm sitting in the shop i'm leaning
on one of the one of the builds that we did we were a rescue our 97 Jeep TJ Wrangler is actually
going to drive out the door of the shop this morning we're going to video record that because
that is a huge moment for us and all we did if you go back and watch all the videos is fixing
everything that nobody fixed nobody cared nobody repaired nobody bothered and they just drove the
thing right into the wrecking yard and i found it i found it amongst all these big rigs it was a
truck wrecking yard so there's 53 foot box trailers motor coaches you know the big coaches that you
climb on yeah those huge motor coaches and transport trucks and here it is this little red 97 Jeep
TJ Wrangler never owned a Jeep in my life never really cared to work on them to be honest with you
they're tough and that's what they are and so we were able to rescue it George there helped us get
it and we got it back here and now today is the day we're going to drive it out of the shop
it still needs some more work i've got to do some welding and i do not prefer
welding indoors the shop is tight we could use about twice the space right now and you know sparks
fly and we don't need to have an issue so i'm gonna wait i'm gonna park it into another area indoors
keep it out of the wet and i'll take care of the the floor and the torque box that needs to be
repaired on the driver's side because of a water leak that went again neglected neglected it so
again all we did to bring this thing back to life is fix the stuff that was broken maintenance
that's it and when we're finished with this Jeep i'm going to show you all the price tag
on a video and you will be absolutely shocked at the quality of the vehicle the reliability
of the vehicle that's been created all simply by giving a care instead of letting it slide
and that segues us right into your vehicle's cooling system what killed what was the final
death blow for that 97 tj wrangler
pause cooling system neglect and there's videos we've shot videos for you that are in our video
library on our youtube channel so you can go back and you can take a look at the rebuild it's not a
it's not a restoration project that was not the whole reason of bringing it here
we rescued it from the crusher the frame is solid the and you know yeah there's some holes on the
driver's side floor but that's totally fixable we brought it back to life we call it a rescue
we rescued it but what was the death blow you can watch the video it was the cooling system
the cooling system went so it went so unrecognized and neglected that the death blow was it blew
the engine to smithereens it blew it up to the point where when we got into starting the engine
it was only running on two cylinders and it was rougher than a stucco toilet seat let me tell you
get that as a visual and that was it that did it that was the death blow the engine was destroyed
so bad when i took it apart and you get to see that on the videos you get to see the internal
components you get to see what pistons look like where you can actually put a golf ball
through the top of it so you can really see everything and what was caused by a neglected
cooling system they are not maintenance free and i don't care who sells it smells it buys it or
anything or gives you the big pitch that things are maintenance free they are not maintenance free
there is no maintenance free coolant long life coolant long life spark plugs it's all a sales
gimmick folks you have to learn how to be a prosumer not a consumer the reason they're selling
you on maintenance free is they don't want you fixing your car they don't want you putting
money into it they want you to drive it into the ground and then finance a new one that's called
the never never plan you never own it and you never stop paying car payments interest and principle
when you finally change your mindset and go hey hey maybe this motormouth guy is really on to
something well you're welcome to check anytime wait till you see this Jeep Wrangler all it was
to bring it back to life and now that thing's going to be part of our fleet and what it's
going to be doing is it's going to be hauling wood this summer instead of my fj i want to
stop using my fj for hauling wood because i want to keep it longer and i don't like getting it
i'm kind of anal retentive okay all right i said it i said the words i don't like cleaning it up
constantly we take it to car shows and stuff and then you got to clean it up
quickly and we're using it in the field pulling the wood pulling logs i'd rather use something
that has been designed to do that for us so that's the whole purpose of the jeep tj wranglers got a
manual transmission the gear range ratios for front and rear axle are perfect for pulling
and we always have charlie and monstrous sized john deere tractors so it's not like we're going
to kill the thing it's basically just going to be hauling the trailer in and the wood splitter
and hauling going in empty with the trailer coming home with a trailer full of wood and it
will be very much loved and cared and taken for take it after so that's the thing if you buy
into this maintenance free thing you're really getting sucked into an abyss
so you got to change your mindset everything we have is well maintained all the time and that's why
i created the fleet maintenance schedule way back in the early 80s when i was doing fleet
service maintenance for a company i was a service tech there and i did not want to miss a single item
because if you do then the maintenance manager when the vehicle goes back to their yard they have
one of their fellas check to make sure you didn't miss something and honestly i think they were
disappointed when they didn't find anything i'll be honest with you i think that really ticked that
person off that they couldn't kind of give one to you you know what i mean put one in your back
hey they missed this so i created a checklist in detail and i kept it at my toolbox and that's
what i used to check off the components after i've inspected checked serviced or replaced
so that i didn't miss anything so then i converted that into taking care of my own vehicles like
truck and passenger vehicles and now i'm sharing it with you that's why this year the 2000 fj is
reaching 400 000 k our little red rocket the 1999 toyota honda civic dx two-door hatchback
five gear air conditioning and everything works one owner and if jillian's listening this morning
she was the one owner and she listened to car connection and still does for 30 years and does
all the maintenance you can see it on that car you can see it i don't think we have any pictures
that up but we'll we'll shoot a video i think we did shoot a video on it yes there are a
couple of videos on the rocket on our youtube channel and you can take a look at that and see
what happens when you take care of something when you are working with a maintenance schedule
and you're following it and you're taking um that time to take care of the second largest
purchase in your household is an automobile so when the cooling system is not working right
everything else doesn't matter and that's what that little tj jeep tj wrangler proves when the
cooling system goes down it's over the vehicle the it destroys the engine completely so now what
engines aren't cheap these days and what we ran into that put our project behind we would have had
that project done in one year and i actually wanted to get it done in 30 days but when i ran
into the situation where i finally got it running everything else was easy brakes exhaust all that
stuff all the maintenance is belts hoses you name it all done checked anything that could be salvaged
we salvaged it anything that couldn't when i say we that's me myself and i just so you know i don't
have like this multiple crew of people it's me and skippy that's it so when i finally got it
running and then i had to tear the engine apart and i saw the destruction here's what happened
when i talked to my fellows at the machine shop now all this thing's done we can't fix it like
he said we could but the price to put this mo exploded motor back together is not worth it
he goes it's it's this is over the top you got to find another motor and that that's where we ran
into the challenge it took six months uh through my friend john who's a firefighter in st catherine's
he found it on um a whole driveline on marketplace and he sent it over to me he was on shift he goes
you gotta call this guy i've talked to him told him you're gonna connect he's got what you need
you need to get after it and i did very night that very night i sent the guy message i said i'll take
it i said i'll take the whole driveline if you want and he said well i already sold the transmission
but the engine's here perfect so we ended up getting that engine including renting a trailer
because i didn't have a trailer at the time 300 bucks including gas for the day had to go out to
the other side of tronel but it was an easy drive and it was already on it you already padded all
mounted on a pallet and home we go and that mo you'll you'll hear it today we're going to shoot
that video you'll hear this thing run and drive under its own power and leave the shop temporarily
we will bring it back in at another date i've got some things that i need the hoist our lift to
work on underneath service the transmission drop the belly pan on it and get all the rocks and mud
and stuff out of there and make sure that everything in behind that pan is in top drawer condition
then it'll get shipped up to jesse let him put some custom exhaust on it we want to reroute it away
from the oil pan and i need a mount welding onto the front axle that i just can't get straight enough
so i found them online so cooling back to cooling system if i could say anything and keep it under
two million words i would say do not neglect your vehicle's cooling system do not listen
to the talking heads out there that say your coolant is maintenance free
we have videos in the first 20 videos on our youtube channel where i'm showing you how i test
how all service techs i hope test and check antifreeze and i'm checking antifreeze right out of the
jug brand spanking new and it fails the test you got to see that because it even shocked my person
i'm going wow and then i go looking on the jugs here's the thing i go looking it i i'm big for
statistics huge don't tell me show me that's me and that's how i was trained by a military
service technician is don't walk another man's path don't listen to the talking heads you do your
own research you do your own diagnostic don't walk another man's path you'll blow up doing it
i go looking at the bottles that i purchased to test brand new antifreeze
and it says long life yeah it says long life right on the bottle good for like 125,000 kilometers
but it also has a shelf life folks did you know that it has a shelf life where it
aggregates just like everything else motor oil power steering fluid brake fluid it all
deteriorates it just does it deteriorates the jugs were already two years old
it says it's good for 125,000 kilometers or four years the jugs were two years old
yeah are you hearing me so how much time is left on it not four
no so it's time or mileage that's what the world has taught us all when it comes to our motor vehicles
six years three years or 60,000 k from brand new so whatever happens first you hit the mileage
or you hit the time each one whichever one wins you have no warranty left done so here i bought
two long life jugs of antifreeze to test right off the store shelf it's long life 125,000 k
in two years has already passed and it's still on the shelf they're selling it it doesn't go back
to zero folks wherever it's sitting the time is tick tick ticking yeah you know like the stick song
says tick tick ticking exactly time is tick tick ticking away so two years and i paid full pop for
those jugs and there's only half the lifetime left so you're gonna hit the mileage 125,000 k no
it's gonna be gone in 24 months so you know what folks just change it out every 24 months
flush gut we call it the gush and flush gush and flush that cooling system out every 24
months the shorter the trips you take the more maintenance your car needs so if you say well
i don't drive it much well guess what guess what i know i hate to be the man a bad bearer bad news
joe's jobe's comforter here the less you drive your vehicle the more maintenance your car needs
your vehicle is qualified under wait for it severe service severe service why because it's not in
motion and i can tell you that from us having over 31 years created a little fleet of vehicles that
go out to car shows because they're all by category now so you can't get in unless you have a vehicle
that fits the category so and we want to get in and meet the people and do fundraising and all
that stuff and i get out there into the public all the time and you know during the covid season
we weren't able to do that but now last year was the first time we really got into it and
yeah we're ready for that they they sit they're all in hiding right now for six months
they come off the road after canadian thanksgiving weekend and we use the we don't use them all at
that point we'll do the last run which is in crystal beach and in the orchard they do a
cavalcade of cards through old crystal beach and that's the end of the season for us and then
everything gets wiped down and cleaned and put away for six months so when they come out they're
qualified under severe service what does that mean we got to stay on top of them can't just grab it
and go got to check stuff because stuff goes sour it just does why from sitting from sitting so again
cooling system maintenance every 24 months not a comma not a question mark gush and flush
yep gush and flush and i would highly recommend also replacing the thermostat they don't last
forever and if a thermostat closes on a hot summers day on the highway and you're stuck in
traffic you're going to blow a head gasket you're going to do some serious engine damage at that
point and that's exactly what happened that little jeep tj wrangler it had the beginnings of a head
gasket they ignored it and continued to ignore it and just top it up because it's using coolant
it's going out the tailpipe it's going through the motor they just kept topping it up topping it up
topping it up topping it up till the head gasket totally let go while the engine was running and
how do i know all this from the damage the engine was still running probably i'm going to say based
on what the pistons look like it was highway speed the cylinders filled up with coolant and you can't
well if you talk to germany they can't compress a liquid there but your engine will not it will
not compress a liquid and it blew holes and two pistons the size of golf balls engine over
done smashed the pieces inside absolutely annihilated yeah cooling system neglect
you can push your luck anytime you want but i'll tell you what the day will come no matter what it
is on your automobile that you've neglected the day will come where you will pay the piper
or all that free driving will be over and it will cost you more so that's why i say
most five thousand dollar repairs start as a two hundred dollar maintenance item would you rather
spend small money on a schedule or big money on a surprise that's a question isn't it you know
owning and operating an automobile doesn't need to be a fearful thing it can be it can be a very
exciting thing that you're taking care of something that you slapped a lot of money down on and you
can keep it as long as you want longevity that's what i'm about i am not into making payments
and interest i've done it i've told my story i think i shared on mole last week my little truck
i bought at age 22 the sticker price was eleven thousand six hundred dollars and after interest
at seventeen point nine three percent yes back in the eighties seventeen point nine three percent
made that twenty two thousand dollars by the time i made the last payment
and it was a five-year term and i ended up having to extend it one more year i was putting myself
through college and working and living on my own and the expenses and whatnot were killer at the time
we're in a recession then i needed to extend it so then it cost me more interest so at the end of
the game it was twenty two thousand dollars and i still have it and you can hop you can hop in that
right now and head for florida if you want it there's nothing for you to do gas and go so that's
what you can accomplish so make it a great day today tomorrow we'll talk about transmissions
i want to spend a lot more time on that as well because that is another area that puts a lot of
really good vehicles in the you pull it wrecking yards blow out a transmission
because somebody told you it's maintenance free the the oil is long life no it's not
none of that is true it's just a sales pitch and that makes you a consumer not a prosumer
we're going to turn you into a prosumer here in the car connection workshop so we'll see you tomorrow
morning for another edition of the motormouth morning drive brought to you by Earl and Louise
Grant great couple out in the Toronto area city auto sales and leasing so if you're in the market
for replacing your jalopy it's had enough it's saying i'm out of here you've destroyed me put me
in the nursing home and leave me alone yeah city auto sales and leasing can help you with that they
also have in-house financing they provide you with low mileage quality vehicles at fair prices
they are the greater Toronto area's premier pre-owned auto store they have a great inventory
under roof and outside but if you're looking for something specific just simply pick up the phone
send them an email they're available to you on our website just click on their logo open the link
and their profile connect let them know what you're looking for and let me tell you
i have driven four hours to get to what i call a goodie a solid buy because you know what i don't
know about you i don't want another man's junk absolutely don't and that little 97 jeep tj
wrangler is just that is that proof that they turned it into junk and we've rescued it so get
yourself a goodie at city auto sales and leasing let our own we's know we sent you and uh they're
both car guys they they're not going to sell you a piece of junk you can buy with confidence and be
treated with nothing less than honesty integrity it's worth the drive to city auto sales and leasing
thank you to crystal ridge dream center they are a faith-based non-profit organization and they
bust butt there let me tell you they're serving men women children single moms and after school
programs for the kids meals love hope and they are what changing lives one at a time in the
niger region especially in times when community sport folks is crucial crystal ridge dream center
shines as a beacon of compassion and transformation they do not receive any government funding
whatsoever they have over 61 volunteers and they're always needing people it'll tell you what the
volunteers you talk to them they love what they do there they get results they don't want to take
a nickel and bang it into a dollar and turn it into love and hope for all ages so check in with
crystal ridge dream center see how you can get involved and see what's laid on your heart so
till tomorrow drive safe make it a manic monday and we'll see you right back here tomorrow morning
for another motormouth morning drive at 8 a.m have a super day happy healthy motor and keep it under
100 we might just come to your house for coffee skippy and i bye for now
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