A live call-in session focused on practical money-saving fixes and smart towing/diagnostics. Topics ranged from choosing the right diesel exhaust fluid (peak blue def vs platinum) and towing strategy for a 16,500-lb gooseneck, to diagnosing transmission slip on an 08 Chevy Express 4L80E and a 4x4 front-diff engagement issue on a 2015 Chevy HD. The crew also tackled a fuel-pressure/rich-running problem on a 37 Studebaker with a 383 and an erratic ABS/traction issue on a 2014 Jeep Patriot, emphasizing data-driven diagnosis over guesswork.
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. Watch us on YouTube on listen here on podcast and start saving money on your vehicle maintenance! #cars #automotive #savemoney #watchnow Here are today's callers. I bought a 25 F350 Diesel truck how do I use Tow Haul Mode? Does my 08 Express need a new transmission How do I check my broken 4x4 on my 15 Chevy HD 2500? 37 Studebaker Dictator runs rich and it's a LT1 Engine 98 Dodge Diesel check engine light 14 Ford Flex clunks after strut repairs Mercruser Exhaust Flapper? Shannons Auto Recycling Association trip to Canade 08 Jeep Patriot Traction Control
"So I don't know what yours is rated at exactly, but if you look up trailer towing For a whatever you're pulling for that gooseneck fifth wheel, whatever it is and and see what that is"
A gooseneck fifth wheel is a heavy-duty trailer hitch setup where the trailer connects to a ball in the truck bed. It’s common for farm work and can help with stability when towing big loads.
A gooseneck fifth wheel is a trailer configuration that couples to the truck via a ball mounted in the bed, allowing a lower trailer deck and often better stability for heavy towing. It’s commonly used for farm and livestock hauling, and it changes how the trailer’s weight is distributed.
Trailer brakes are brakes on the trailer, not just the truck. They help the whole rig stop more safely when you’re towing heavy loads.
Trailer brakes are brakes on the trailer itself, typically activated by the truck via a brake controller. They help reduce stopping distance and prevent overheating or overworking the truck’s brakes during heavy towing.
"[509.4s] Set the cruise control and enjoy it
[513.2s] Yeah, all I can say is you know you guys recommend you know don't go 80 over 80% of the capacity and you're right"
Cruise control lets your car keep a steady speed for you. You set the speed once, and it maintains it on the highway.
Cruise control is a driver-assistance feature that holds a set speed without you pressing the accelerator. It can reduce fatigue on long highway drives, but it doesn’t fix underlying mechanical issues like slipping transmissions.
"[624.8s] Okay, okay. Yeah, I just kind of figured each time I open the pan
[629.8s] It's a couple hundred dollars. Is it worth it to start putting solenoids, but I it's I could feel a delay in shifting
[636.18s] "
A delay in shifting means the car hesitates before it changes gears. That can happen when the transmission isn’t grabbing the gear quickly enough.
A delay in shifting usually indicates the transmission isn’t applying hydraulic pressure quickly enough or isn’t commanding the correct shift timing. Common causes include worn clutches, valve body issues, or failing solenoids/sensors that control pressure and gear engagement.
"2015 Chevy HD 2500 manual shift transfer case Transfer case does engage the front differential was not engaging did research and found that the Wire that should have 12 volts only had 4.5 volts"
In a 4WD truck, the transfer case is the part that sends power to the front wheels when you need it. It’s what makes “4-wheel drive” actually happen.
The transfer case splits power from the transmission to the front and rear axles in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. It’s responsible for engaging/disengaging 4WD and can use electrical or mechanical controls depending on the design.
"found that the Wire that should have 12 volts only had 4.5 volts so I Force power to it got it to engage"
Most car electrical circuits are designed around about 12 volts. If you’re only getting 4.5 volts where you expect 12, something in the circuit isn’t delivering full power.
In automotive electrical diagnostics, “12 volts” is the expected battery/charging-system voltage available at a circuit under normal conditions. If a circuit only measures 4.5 volts, it often points to a wiring fault, bad connector, corroded ground, or an issue upstream like a fuse or switch.
"I can look for the power comes out of the and the fuses are good. Yeah, the power comes out of that fuse box"
A fuse is like a safety plug for an electrical circuit. If something is wrong and too much current flows, the fuse breaks to protect the wiring.
Fuses protect electrical circuits by blowing when current is too high, preventing wiring damage or fires. Checking fuses is a common first step when diagnosing why a component isn’t getting the correct voltage.
"When you put it into four-wheel drive there's a switch on the transfer case that actuates the differential front actuator and"
Four-wheel drive means the car can send power to all four wheels. It’s usually controlled by a box in the drivetrain that decides when the front wheels get power.
Four-wheel drive (4WD) is a drivetrain setup that can send power to both the front and rear axles. Many 4WD systems use a transfer case to engage and disengage the front axle and to control locking behavior.
Term
voltage coming in vs voltage coming out
"Check do I have battery voltage coming into the switch but not coming out if that's the case you get a new switch?"
This is a troubleshooting method: you check if power is getting to a component, and if it’s leaving that component. It helps you figure out whether the problem is the switch/wiring or the power supply.
Measuring “voltage coming in” versus “voltage coming out” is a common electrical diagnostic method to localize faults. If voltage is present at the input but missing at the output, the switch or wiring between them is likely faulty; if both are low, the issue may be upstream (fuses, supply, or grounds).
"And so I started with the obvious I changed fuel filter I gained a couple of pounds and"
The fuel filter is like a screen that keeps dirt out of the fuel system. If it gets clogged, fuel pressure can drop and the engine won’t run right.
A fuel filter traps debris before it reaches the fuel pump and injectors. If it’s clogged, it can restrict flow and cause low fuel pressure, especially on high-demand performance setups.
"OEM replica wheels at a huge savings road ready wheels calm. Thanks for listening to the under the hood show podcast"
These are replacement wheels made by other companies that look like the original factory wheels. They’re usually cheaper, but still meant to fit your car.
OEM replica wheels are aftermarket wheels designed to look like the original factory wheel design. The goal is to match the appearance while typically costing less than genuine OEM wheels.
"Road ready wheels has the very best aftermarket OEM replica wheels available with a direct fit of the factory center caps and TPMS sensors so you don't need special caps and sensors simply transfer yours over when you replace the wheel"
TPMS sensors are little devices in the tire/wheel that track tire pressure. If you swap wheels, you usually need to move the sensors over so your dashboard doesn’t show a tire-pressure warning.
TPMS sensors are the components that monitor tire pressure and send that information to your vehicle. When you change wheels, you often need to transfer or replace the TPMS sensors so the car continues to read pressures correctly.
"Road ready wheels has the very best aftermarket OEM replica wheels available with a direct fit of the factory center caps and TPMS sensors"
Center caps are the pieces in the middle of the wheel. Some replacement wheels are made so your original center caps can be reused.
Factory center caps are the wheel covers that sit in the middle of many OEM wheels. Some aftermarket wheels are designed with the same fitment so you can reuse your original center caps instead of buying new ones.
"Maybe your wheels leak air or maybe you want to upgrade from an old rusty steel wheel"
Steel wheels are the more basic, tough type of wheel. They can be cheaper and hold up well, especially if your old wheels are rusty.
Steel wheels are typically heavier than alloy wheels but are often more durable and cost-effective. They’re commonly used as a practical replacement, especially when upgrading from worn or rusted OEM wheels.
"Road ready wheels has both aluminum alloy and new steel wheels to fit many cars on the road today"
Aluminum alloy wheels are made from aluminum. They’re popular because they often look nicer and can be lighter than steel wheels.
Aluminum alloy wheels are wheels made from aluminum mixed with other metals. They’re commonly chosen for their lighter weight and appearance, and they’re a popular alternative to steel wheels.
"aftermarket wheels can be very Expensive and it's so hard to choose what you want with road ready wheels"
Aftermarket wheels are replacement wheels made by other brands. They can look great and cost less, but you have to make sure they fit your car and work with things like tire-pressure sensors.
Aftermarket wheels are wheels made by companies other than the vehicle’s original manufacturer. They can offer cost savings and style options, but fitment and sensor compatibility (like TPMS) matter for proper operation.
"Berkeley Classics comm or call 1-800-603-3330 ... Congratulations from our friends over at Berkeley one classics. They're celebrating over 50 years of collector car coverage"
They’re a company mentioned in the show’s ads. The host is telling you they can help with collector-car coverage and related car-related needs.
Berkeley Classics is being promoted as a source for collector-car coverage and related services. In this segment, they’re also tied to a parts/lookup pitch and a phone number for listeners.
"Whichever you choose buying recycled is good for the environment and good for your wallet"
Recycled (salvaged) parts are used components taken from donor vehicles, typically sold at lower prices than new parts. The segment frames recycled parts as both budget-friendly and environmentally beneficial.
"And I still wouldn't you still and I cleared it but it came back on so I took it down auto zone They plugged in their reader"
AutoZone is an auto parts store that can scan your car’s computer for trouble codes. It’s often used to see why the check-engine light is on.
AutoZone is a retail auto-parts chain that commonly offers free or low-cost diagnostic scanning. In this case, they used an OBD-II reader to check for stored trouble codes related to the check-engine light.
"It's probably just a poor quality strut
Okay, okay
So they're probably they're fine. They're just gonna be noisy to drive around for a while"
A strut is a suspension part that helps your car ride smoothly and control bouncing. If it’s worn out (or cheap/incorrect), it can start making noise and feel less stable.
A strut is part of a car’s suspension that combines a shock absorber with structural support. If a strut is worn or of poor quality, it can cause noise and a rougher ride, especially over bumps.
"Yeah, well, then we didn't need to replace it then
I did put new sway bar links new tie rod ends. I did it, you know
Pretty much everything"
Tie rod ends are steering parts that help the wheels point where you want. If they’re worn, the car can feel loose or make noise, and the alignment can get off.
Tie rod ends are steering linkage components that connect the steering rack to the wheels. Worn tie rod ends can cause looseness, wandering alignment, and sometimes noise—so replacing them can be part of a “fix everything” suspension/steering refresh.
"I've had bushings up. Okay / Bushings in my Camaro just / Decided they're gonna make noise."
Bushings are the “cushions” in the suspension that help parts move smoothly without rattling. If they wear out or get loose, the suspension can move too much and start making noise.
Bushings are compliance mounts (often rubber or polyurethane) that connect suspension components while reducing vibration and allowing small movement. When bushings deteriorate, they can create increased clearance, clunking, and noise that may only show up after the car has been parked for a period.
"Where the exhaust flapper goes did it just it got knocked off right on the back Probably rotted and blew off. Yeah, yeah on the tailpipe"
The tailpipe is the pipe where exhaust comes out. They’re saying the missing exhaust part likely fell out near that outlet.
The tailpipe is the exhaust outlet where gases exit the vehicle/engine. In this segment, the host suggests the flapper likely rotted off and blew out at the tailpipe.
"Yeah, yeah on the tailpipe Yeah, I think that's and that wouldn't matter what motor it has Yeah on the out drive. It's just had a cover on the out drive, but um"
The outdrive is the lower part of the boat that helps power the propeller and steers. Exhaust parts can be connected to that area too.
The outdrive (out-drive) is the lower propulsion unit on many sterndrive boats, combining steering and the drivetrain. The exhaust routing can be tied to the outdrive area, so missing exhaust parts may be found around it.
"I was up there for the aura convention, which is the Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association"
That’s an organization for auto recyclers in Ontario. Their meetings and conventions are where people share how they find, store, and manage used parts.
The Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association (OARA) is an industry group for auto recyclers in Ontario, Canada. Events like this often cover salvage-yard best practices, parts sourcing, and recycling regulations.
"Euphoric state because I watched them run their lathes for the wheels and"
A wheel lathe is a machine that carefully grinds and shapes the wheel. It helps the shop fix damage in a controlled way instead of doing it by hand.
A wheel lathe is a specialized machine used to machine the wheel’s lip and face with controlled cuts. It’s used for refinishing and repair because it can remove material evenly and accurately.
"I'll go ahead and replace all four of the
Wheel sensors and they are from their standards from O'Reilly's."
Wheel sensors tell the car how fast each wheel is spinning. If a sensor is bad, the car may think there’s slipping even when there isn’t, and it can turn on warning lights.
Wheel speed sensors measure how fast each wheel is rotating and feed data to ABS, traction control, and stability systems. If sensors are faulty or mismatched, the car can misinterpret wheel slip and trigger warning lights or automatic interventions.
"Wheel sensors and they are from their standards from O'Reilly's. I know I know you like advance, but O'Reilly is closer to my house"
O’Reilly’s is an auto parts store. The speaker is saying they bought the replacement parts there because it’s closer to home.
O’Reilly Auto Parts is a major US auto parts retailer. In the context of the episode, the speaker is choosing sensor replacements from O’Reilly’s because it’s closer than another store, which can matter for cost and convenience.
"he did it. He was supposed to you know, he's replaced eight wheel speed sensors. Yeah, and then yeah, right. He did him four and then he did four again"
Wheel speed sensors tell the car how fast each wheel is spinning. If one sensor is wrong, the car may think there’s a traction or braking problem and keep acting up even after parts get replaced.
Wheel speed sensors measure how fast each wheel is turning and send that data to the car’s control modules. They’re commonly used for ABS, traction control, and stability systems, so a bad sensor can cause persistent drivability or safety-related faults.
"And what kind of change am I going to get am I going to get better fuel economy? And we most of the times say..."
Fuel economy is how many miles you can drive on a gallon of gas. A tune might not help MPG if you don’t drive in a way that lets the tune work as intended.
Fuel economy is how efficiently a vehicle converts fuel into distance, typically measured as MPG or similar metrics. The speaker is noting that tuning changes may not improve fuel economy unless driving habits and calibration goals align.
"Eventually we'll talk about the def but Right now it doesn't... Rolling coal on your neighbors a lot of talk about def and the regulations and the laws..."
DEF is a special fluid diesel trucks use to clean up exhaust. If the truck thinks the DEF system isn’t working, it can limit performance to force you to fix it.
DEF stands for Diesel Exhaust Fluid, a urea-based liquid injected into a diesel exhaust system to reduce NOx emissions. It’s part of modern emissions systems (often using SCR) and is monitored by the vehicle’s engine control system.
Select text to request an explanation
Welcome to the under the hood show podcast. Thank you very much for listening and downloading the podcast app
Russ Evans who brings us the under the hood show podcast Berkeley one classics your key to collector car insurance and
Road ready wheels
replica OEM wheels at huge savings use the offer code hoodie for even more and by car dash part over
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Here is the under the hood show podcast. 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
866-594-4154
5-0
You see it. I did it. I do you did and I had to think about my tagline there because not only did I not do it last week
I didn't do it at the beginning of our last show either. It's been a while
Well, we'll get to that
I want to find out where you've been since we talked last because you've been around in I know and it's not gonna get me
lighter
Well, let's start off. Let's ignore you for a minute. Please talk to Pat. You're on the under the hood show Pat
What can we do for you?
Hey, thanks for having me. I love your program guys. Thank you very much. I finally got myself
Yeah, I finally got myself a decent pickup to tow
My sixteen and a half thousand pound gooseneck trailer with a load on
You wouldn't believe what I was pulling with before but I bought a 2025 F 350 power stroke
And a couple questions. They say blue deaf Platinum is the best deaf
But is there really any difference in what deaf would you recommend I should be using?
Peek blue deaf. That's the only thing that we would put in that vehicle. It's it's kind of synonymous with
The best deaf out there. It's like, what do I get? Peek? It's blue. Okay. What'd you call that again? Peek PE a
Capital P capital E capital a capital K
You'll see. Oh, okay. You know the peak, you know, it's got the mountain peaks on it. Yeah. Yeah a little white mountain behind
Yeah, get that it says blue deaf. Okay, and you'll find it pretty much everywhere and they're a partner of ours
Now, let me ask you
Hold on a second there Pat. Let me ask you the question. He wants to ask we all want to ask is there a big difference. Oh
Yeah, some of the purity of some of those deaths are not very good. Okay, so there are good ones and okay
Yeah, there's there's some that and so here's the thing with deaf systems
Whoo, they're a very expensive to fix
Very problematic when they break
They just had a ruling about it's just gonna say it's like hey
So we're not gonna talk about that because it's there's a lot to it right. I did dig into it
But yeah, we'll do a little separate about that if we get time. Yeah, but the reason
Problems. Yeah, the fix for problems right now is better deaf and that would be peak blue deaf. Okay
Okay, all right
Now there's a blue deaf platinum
Which I think is supposedly a step up from what you just talked about unless I'm unless I'm mixed up
Supposedly has better
Capability of getting the ash out of the particulate filter. Maybe that's not necessarily true. Well, yeah
It's it's that the platinum is gonna be a just the highest level you can get the for the very cleanest
It's like when you're going
Kind of like
We've got synthetic oil. We've got conventional oil and then we have synthetic high mileage oil or
Increased fuel economy high mileage oil. They have low ash formula oils. There's there's just different
Blends that you can go but on this truck you want to try to keep it as clean as possible
So if you can go with a higher cleaner version do the very best you choose the very best product you can on that
Okay, next question. I started out
I I run this trailer down about 120 miles down to some farm ground
I haven't or we haven't and then I do some work down there
So I started out running it in eighth gear at about 2,000 rpm and I did a little digging around and maybe I should be leaving it
And drive I put it in the total haul mode. What's the optimal rpm for that engine?
In your opinion when you're towing about 16 and a half thousand pounds down the road
In in overdrive with the tow haul button pushed
It'll know what the truck knows better than you
Yeah, the truck can monitor the torque that's being applied through the transmission
And it will automatically adjust to the proper rpm versus road speed temperature
Torque everything by being in that tow haul mode now tow haul
Only works properly when you're loaded at about 75 percent if you're overloaded it doesn't work
Like it should or if you're very underloaded if you're only pulling
20% of what the trucks rated at it. It doesn't
Work as well, but it's better protection than not using it all the optimum though
I was just reading this just like two days ago the optimum
Toe rate is at 75% of the vehicles rated capacity when using tow haul
So I don't know what yours is rated at exactly, but if you look up trailer towing
For a whatever you're pulling for that gooseneck fifth wheel, whatever it is and and see what that is
You'll get kind of an idea, but either way you're pulling 16,000 pounds. You need to be using tow haul mode
Yep, and I do there you go. Well it
it
I have not experienced something that'll pull as good as that thing is and I you know like to say this is the first time
I've had a pickup that
Really supposed to be for what I'm doing and so far. I love it. You've teased us twice
About what the previous pickup is. I'm not I'm asking the follow-up question
What what is the truck that you're embarrassed that you were towing with before 16,500 pounds? It's done. It's over
We can't unring the bell. What was it an o8f 250 well
I thought it come up. It it was a 2012 Ford f-150 eco-boost
35 eco-boost with airbags. Okay, and in all seriousness here, we're gonna get we're gonna stay here for a little bit
Did it finally break or did or did you break it while you were using it? How'd that go?
No, I I baby the thing I never I never floored the gas pedal and I took off slow from stop signs
And I drove slow and on really hot days a crazy man that I probably am
I would open the windows and run the heater to get a little more heat off the ends and then I
I just babied it because I knew that I was pushing it pretty hard
It did yeah, I never asked it more than just a fraction of what it really could do because I knew that if you ask that
Engine to do all it'll do it or probably blow itself up. Oh, it would have pushed it
It would have how many miles did you see how many miles did you use it that way?
182,000 but I I drove it probably six seven years about seven thousand miles a year like that
Probably six years seven thousand miles a year
So that trailer okay seven it wasn't pulling all the time, but seven thousand miles a year it didn't pull
Yes, yep, what are you pulling but?
A bobcat with attachments on a gooseneck trailer, okay, and you never apparently had to stop really hard
Well, it's got trailer brakes, but yes
I that was the other thing is you had to be pretty careful about that too. That's right not recommended what he did
Yeah, but he did it and now we I had to ask Chris, you know, I had to ask, you know
What's gonna happen now though, what's that he's got the right truck, and you know, it's gonna happen
It's not gonna let what it's not gonna let it's not gonna work. Oh, he's gonna get the right truck and now it's gonna break
Set the cruise control and enjoy it
Yeah, all I can say is you know you guys recommend you know don't go 80 over 80% of the capacity and you're right
I mean when you step into a vehicle that's rated to do what you're doing
Difference between night and day that the ride the chassis and everything is really in the brakes and everything is made to do it
Whereas you can get by and you get lucky and you might get by for a long time
But long-term you really shouldn't do it and I and I was doing it because I just wasn't ready to buy another pickup
It's a lot of money so I get a lot of people that do the same thing
They make it work until they can't did you do Lee truck or a single wheel?
All right, well enjoy that truck and take take care of it and the blue deaf platinum is peak. It's peak blue deaf platinum. So there you go
Pat thanks very much for the call eight six six five nine four four one five oh
That's the number to reach is here at the end of the hood show right now
Let's go to Washington and talk to Clint you're on the end of the hood show Clint. What can we do for you?
Hey guys, I got a 2008 Chevy Express
It's a 3,500 with a 4L 80 E and I'm getting a P 0 8 9 4
Eric code it's for a transmission slip detective
So so far I did a hoping to do some I had the transmission flushed and I put a transgo shift kit
And I'm wondering if it's worth it to start putting solenoids in or just what you think of just putting a new transmission in a remand
It's probably got slipping clutches in it
I mean that thing's pretty good at monitoring the input and the output and what gear it's in and
Detect it'll know the ratio and every single gear and if it sees that that ratio has changed
It knows it's slipping and it'll also give codes for individual gears too. So it sounds like it's just it's it's
Worn itself out probably
Okay, okay. Yeah, I just kind of figured each time I open the pan
It's a couple hundred dollars. Is it worth it to start putting solenoids, but I it's I could feel a delay in shifting
But it's never like clunked in and I don't have gears grinding or anything is just not right the timing isn't right
Yeah, it's it's probably just worn itself out clutch materials worn off
So it's slipping between those gears and it's given it delayed shifts Clint how many miles you got on it perfect
175,000
Yeah, you'd like to have them go for L80 I know good strong transmission
It's you know, they've adapted that thing clear back from a th 400 into the electronic version
It is today and it's a strong transmission
But yeah, once you add the electronics on it once it starts to get into a certain point where it's stretched its legs
as far as it can
then you start getting the the trouble codes and
You just you got to baby it until you're ready to spend the money most likely because it's not telling you you have what I figured
Yeah, it's not telling you that you have any like wrong shifts or anything. It's it's just saying it's not right. It's not sinker
right
That help you out there clear generic code. Yeah, for sure. It does. Thank you. Thanks very much for the call guys think of
What it took to come up with that first automatic transmission the person who said
What can we do we've got this area of room that we normally put a manual transmission and let's put this
Let's do something different. Okay, we'll make a round case because most of them have always been that round tunnel
I think let's put some drums in there
Okay, first step
let's make drums that when you hold one the other one spins and it and it
Makes it go in a higher gear ratio every time until we're one to one
They weren't even thinking of overdrive and then once they got that down there like okay
How can we direct fluid to go to each one of those and fill up that area to hold these clutch packs together to go down
the road and
Some of the first ones were actually more reliable than some of the later ones because they were just
Too speed, you know the power glide to start with but that's a quite a feat to think of engineering
And how far we've come with cars and now
Boy, if you would if you'd show a 10 speed today or a 12 speed to an engineer from
1930 go look up with a go look up an animation of a 10 speed automatic
Transmission, yeah, it's pretty cool. It's like you're looking at an mc. Escher print like a like I'm on
Mushrooms watching the the ending story case. Yeah, exactly. It goes to nowhere
insane
And by the way, I don't understand any of it so even when you say in the two yeah, I don't
Imagine how it felt for them that I can't even I got nothing for transmissions man. They're they're a mystery. It's like an ant look at the internet
They have their own 594 415 oh, let's talk that they try to stay away from webs. Yeah, they do art in Pennsylvania art
What can we do for you? I
A
2015 Chevy HD 2500 manual shift transfer case
Transfer case does engage the front differential was not engaging did research and
found that the
Wire that should have 12 volts only had 4.5 volts
so I
Force power to it got it to engage and we've had four-wheel drive all winter in the front axle
But the problem is it's staying permanently engaged
And hopefully this will tell you something when it goes in now the indicator on the light
I'm told no longer lights. I said indicator on the dash. I'm told longer no longer is indicating that you're in four-wheel drive
Even though you are
So where does that wire get its power from or what might be a common element?
I can look for the power comes out of the and the fuses are good. Yeah, the power comes out of that fuse box
That front differential is powered when the key is in the on position and so is the transfer case
When you put it into four-wheel drive
there's a switch on the transfer case that actuates the differential front actuator and
It puts the front differential into lock the light doesn't come on until the front differential is
In the lock position has nothing to do with the transfer case
So as soon as you put into four-wheel drive the light won't come on until
That actuator is fully engaged and the front end is locked. So if you were bypassing that
You should still get that light
Unless there's no power to that front differential if you don't have the full battery voltage to it
Yeah, it's not gonna like a light and it's not gonna it's not gonna power the actuator
But it's also not gonna light the light it may be that your ground is weak or you've got corrosion on the power side
But we start at the beginning we would go to the transfer case to the switch on that and
Check do I have battery voltage coming into the switch but not coming out if that's the case you get a new switch?
Okay, but if not if you've got okay, I did not check the transfer
Yeah, check that coming in if you got battery voltage that's low coming in and low going out
You got to find out why why it's low coming in you can follow that back up to the fuse box
Check power. We've had some of the fuse boxes in those
Fail and and cause issues so they've got low voltage, but that's where we'd start the one switch on that transfer
All three grounds up front
Seem to be good
When you put the transfer case in and out of four wheel two wheel
The one ground goes away and shows up and I thought that's what it's supposed to work
And I did check all the grounds. They all have good, you know match battery voltage
But the three grounds so that's why I determine I got a power issue
You're good tip about knowing there's a switch on the transfer case. I I'll have yeah, that's what turns out
You don't have a you don't have voltage on those grounds. Do you?
No, okay. Good should be zero on all of them. They are okay good, but when I they're working ran a
When I ran a
Ground right to the battery. They all
They all tested out to having put good grounds because I did go for that
We're doing anything. I went to that wire underneath the cab on the left side and cleaned it and no chains. It's like, uh, oh
Now some of those systems the ground I'd have to look at the wiring diagram to see on this one
But some of them run a relay so they'll run
five volts from the computer to the switch on the transfer case and then that transfer case switch
Powers the four-wheel drive relay and that relay is what sends the 12 volts to the front axle
actuator, so you just look at the diagrams when the system is working
When the system is working properly, how does it come out to disengage that front?
differential little shift cell and light motor we're gonna call that thing that like a cell note I guess it
Sends power. It sends power up to it and that that has a little thermal
piece in there that engages it and then when you disconnect power it cools down and goes the other direction. Oh
Then it's broken
Through the winner. Yeah, it should the front axle is locked in permanently the transfer case is in two. Yeah
I I don't think that one goes both. I think it's a power on it's engaged power off. It's disengaged
I don't think it goes. I don't think it has a two-way
But a wiring diagram and tell you never underestimate the fact that if you
Physically remove it that something could be stuck in the front differential also
Ever the less my lights not coming out. I know I got multiple problems is what I'm
Determining here. Well, I gave you some ideas. Hopefully you can dig a little deeper and get her figured out Art
Thanks very much for the call eight six six five nine four four one five. Oh, let's talk to Don
You're on the end of the hood show Don. What can we do for you?
Got a
This this last winter I bought a 37 stew the baker
Dictator hot rod
Was told that it had a 383 stroker in it and it's got aluminum heads and mini ramps set up for the fuel injection and
My initial problem was low fuel pressure is only running about 21 pounds and
And so I started with the obvious I changed fuel filter
I gained a couple of pounds and
So then I went drop the tank and the tank had been modified
To accept a
Intank pump in the the there was a whole bunch of metal shavings in the bottom of the tank and into the pickup screen and
So I thought well, that's probably it right there and
I
My my guess is that when they modified that tank they didn't clean it very well after they were done
And so I got a magnet in there and flushed it all out and and and I still didn't get I think I got up to 26 pounds
and
the thing idols very very rich and from what I've been reading when you have a
High-performance cam
That you're gonna probably have some
Rich at idle and so anyway the fuel pressure regulator I found out was adjustable
So I cranked it in was able to get it up to about 45 which
Figured is about right, but it it
Drops 20 pounds pressure within five minutes after shutting it off
Don hold on a second. Let's stop you right there for a second. We're gonna take a quick break when we come back
We'll try and figure this out
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Congratulations from our friends over at Berkeley one classics. They're celebrating over 50 years of collector car coverage
Berkeley one classics calm all right Shannon fill us back in on Don and his stu de baker. Well, we've got a
Berkeley one classic for sure all we held over the break with Don and his 37
Stu de baker dictator hot rod with a 383 stroker that has been
Well done it sounds like but he doesn't have fuel pressure and we've just gotten to the fact that he did the filter
He gained a couple pounds. He pulled the tank
He checked the pump and then he realized he had an adjustable fuel pressure regulator and he got it up to 45 pounds
And now where are we at Don?
Well, it's
It's kind of erratic
It leaks down pretty fast
Whereas that that from what I understand that regulator should
Should hold that pressure longer than five minutes
so I
Put new injectors in and I put new the plugs were all carboned up black like like had been running really rich
I
put a new
O2 sensor in it because it was all suited up as well and
Anyway, I put it back together yesterday and with the with the pressure up to around 45
It seemed to run really good
but
the richness
like if I own a small
Use car dealership and I have it inside running while I'm working on it and it just chokes you out and
And so I I don't want to get the crankcase full of gas obviously and
So I'm wondering how I
Fix this richness. I've already ordered a new
regulator I'm going to do a frame mount and
So I think I've got that figured out my next question is timing
I've heard that when you have a bigger cam that
My my vacuum pressure on my manner on my intake is about 11 pounds
Which what I read was that's kind of normal when you have a big cam and something so when it's low like that
It's telling the engine that
It's under
Under load to give it more gas
the engine came out of a
93 Pontiac Firebirds as a 5-7 and
That's they had the been written right on the outside of the PCM. So it's an LT one
Yeah
so
What is it just is it just normal that a higher performance engine is gonna idle that rich
Does it have a mass air flow or is it got the map sensor on it I
Don't know
On your air intake tube going into the engine. Does it have a mass air flow sensor on that air intake tube or just a air cleaner stuffed on the
front of it
No, it's got
More on the side of that
What's my mother's it does have an electric sensor in the air intake in line in the air a big one not just the small
Two pin which is the intake air temp sensor, but it's got a big four pin or five pin connect
You know something with a screen and you know the air runs through it
I'll have to I'll have to get on the hood and look again because if it's not them if it's not a
Mass airflow if it's a speed density system with a map sensor and a throttle position sensor
Yeah, it doesn't it can't adjust for that cam one with a
The one with the mass airflow sensor can adapt for that
But to a to a point but that bigger cam lower vacuum
It's gonna run rich unless it's got a mass airflow and then all those when you change the cam
You're supposed to tune them, but that's a car you tune with the chip before it's OBD one
Finding a chip for those are still
It's a prom chip, but there are still a couple companies out there that burn those chips, but they're they're not even companies
They're just a guy in his backyard in his garage doing them, but they're they're doing them
He probably worked in a company at one point
Yeah, very hard to very hard to find those out there
But you tell them what you've got in there for the engine and they
Custom make the chip for you to tune it
Otherwise we'd say you take this to a tuner and have them do it on the fly and get this thing dialed in perfectly
Which they can it's great for a OBD2 car, but not for this older one
And you don't want a car like that running rich all the time it you would have to be right
Mechanically tuned in order to get rid of that issue with the master flow though help I
Talked to a tuner and he told me that
That PCM is not tunable anymore, so you'd have to you can't get a chip the whole system
Yeah, you can't get the chip
You know it's that you'd have to find somebody that does so he doesn't do it, but there are
There are very few people out there that can still do it
But you can find it if you look at the forums you'll find somebody with the link to the guy who still has
Chips and and does them in there go to Jimmy Jimmy. I'll take care of you. He's got this
You know what I can when five people start pointing to Jimmy call Jimmy, right?
Company up in Canada was doing them for a well that does huge to a wester
Wester's I think they were the Wester's garage they were doing them
But then they said now we're not gonna just the one company that was doing the tuning anyways
They said they're not gonna do it anymore because they just only had you know
I have a couple of year
There's a lot of comebacks on those people wanting changes and they got a lot more chips and the whole thing and
So I'm just getting by him for Don
It's almost summer and then there'll be more shows where he can go try and find someone who has a guy outside
Yeah, yeah true true you might find somebody like that at back to the 50s
But most of them are just saying hey just upgrade it to OBD to and or they'd say it's back to the 50s Don
Not the 30s. That's what I am curious when he I am curious when he said
It would need to be upgraded. What's that? What did he say and that might answer another question?
Well, I do it to a tunable either PCM or an ECM and
Because he can't he can't plug into this and okay
I didn't know if he told you something specific because yeah, you're kind of locked in pre OBD to there without I did see I
Just glanced at it, but I did see there was a company about 10 years ago that was doing
They were using an OBD to
computer like from an LS series engine with the
Cable driven throttle for like a 99 to 2001 Chevy truck. They had adapted it to to
Plug that computer in because remember all the LTS couldn't buy a computer anymore
They were burning up. You couldn't get a good one and they were expensive
So it's like if I got to spend a grand or 1300 bucks for a used LT computer
I'm just gonna buy the LS computer
So that was a conversion that somebody was yeah, and they well they they sold a conversion harness
It plugged into the LT on one side
It was about a foot long and it plugged into the LS on the other side
And it came with a brand new computer and then you had to have your own guy flash it that was cheaper than
Trying to fix your original computer because really I mean
It's tuning
Because everything else is a hard wire. You've got a map sensor
You've got a mass airflow if you've got that you've got a coolant temp sensor
You've got o2 sensors. You got a crank sensor. You feed all that into any computer you feed that into a Nissan
280z computer if you you know whatever you don't talk about you put it in anything as long as you tune it, correct
You're good to go and you'd need a flashable computer in order to do it
We got some steps to follow there Don some some trails to lead down before we go though
Yeah, this uh this cool car that we I by personally my sister would be embarrassed
But I had to look on the internet to break to see what exactly it looked like two door car, correct
Yes, that's three it's three window. Yeah
Um, we gotta guess the color. Yeah, it's a Berkeley one classic and I I'm gonna guess it's not I'm assuming
It's not the original color still
Right, okay, it's candy apple red. I think
I'm gonna stick with my guess from a previous
Contest and say yellow. Why is nobody ever guess pink on this show? Oh, it's not pink
I'm not guessing that it's black
It is gorgeous. What color is it? It is gorgeous. Sunset orange. It's orange. It's kind of a burnt orange
Look at that. Why did somebody go with that? The last car was the wheel standard was orange, too. Yeah
Here's what here's what I want to do. I want to send you guys a picture of it
Okay
And when you get when you get it put it in a cheap frame or something to hang it in your studio there
And then you send me a hoodie
Okay, all right, Doug hook them up and uh, no, no, no don't hook them up yet. Well, but the hoodie till he waits until he sends the picture
Oh, yeah
Doug you got to get all that got to get all the well
The info come on is thing one listener wall of fame and a mark watson with your wheel standing car
You need to send us a picture of that vehicle too. You got to have promo photos of that, right?
Yeah, for sure
And if at least put it on our facebook page get it
That's all put it on our facebook page and by the way, uh bruce
Who won a hoodie here not too long ago bruce jack you book jack you bucus or something from new hampshire
Uh incomplete address get in touch with us
Get in touch with us so we can get your hoodie out because it came back eight six six five nine four four one five
Oh, that's the number to reach is here at the end of the hood show
Let's go down to arizona and talk to tom. You're on the end of the hood show tom. What can we do for you?
Oh, yeah, hi. Thanks. Thanks for talking to me. You bet
Hey, uh
I called in two weeks ago. Mr. Call did this to that and I got we got hope we got together today
My the problem was I had on my 98 dodge
2500 to 59 diesel
Is that the check engine light came on?
Okay, so I looked at that and I couldn't I did everything I could do at the house
but I know how to do
And I still wouldn't you still and I cleared it but it came back on so I took it down auto zone
They plugged in their reader
And the first time they plugged it in nothing came up
So they took it apart they took it they took their reader out and they plugged it back in and it come up
Basically said there was nothing going on
But at that point I couldn't clear the uh
The check engine light
So I ran it that way for a week or so
And it was bothering me that the light was on so I took it down to another mechanic that I knew and he's got like
three of these dodgers within a couple three years of mine
And uh, he was telling me about different things the problem was he's had with it
and uh
I took it in there. So he plugged it in and when he first plugged it in
He got no reading at all
again
So he said let me get a different reader. So he went and got another reader and put on there
still nothing
so then he he's come up with a
thinking that the uh
Port what was that obi that they plug into the obd part
The obd port that's where they when they he figured out there was something wrong with that that there's a wire loose or something
So I left him with the truck
And they went in and checked that further out and there was something there was a wire
loose
in it
And so anyway, he got all that he got all that fixed up
And everything's running fine. Oh, so that's all it was is just that you had a a plug-in terminal on your obd port
That's what that's what they tell me. I know nothing about electronics. So I just go by what they tell me
well
What that did is gave them the ability to communicate properly so they could clear the code because apparently that wasn't syncing up
Because there's multiple devices that wouldn't work on that port, right?
but that
Alone should not have caused the check engine light to come on unless two wires were shorted together on it
Yeah, maybe they pulled out the back and got up against each other or something
You might have cut them to tap something into it
Oh, and the data wires trying to tie in a remote start or something like that at some point that would
Do some issues, but if they got the wiring straight
And your code is gone and hasn't come back on let not your heart be troubled and keep driving. There you go
That's a great
That's the best way to get as long as the truck's running fine and you don't notice anything different
Just wait for the next light. Tom. Thanks very much for the call
866-594-4150. Let's talk to shannon. You're on the end of the hood show shannon. What can we do for you?
Yeah, I've got a 2014 flex and um, I did all the strut and the
um
tie rod end and the
sway bar links on it and headed the line
um
The struts were pretty bad and that you know, they were clunking before I
Replace them and I put these new struts on and I ordered online and I had good
I ordered from the same place before and they were I thought they were decent quality. Anyway, um
The new struts were nice and smooth for about two weeks. Now. They're making a clunking noise again
Do you think they're just poor quality struts or you got I got something else
banging around up there
and I did re-torque the
Mounting nuts and all that stuff after
I ran it for a little while
If they went on easy you didn't have to pry or anything to where it had a
Torque load on it when you put the bolt in to get it to fit if it just bolted on bolted off
You know unbolted fine
It's probably just a poor quality strut
Okay, okay
So they're probably they're fine. They're just gonna be noisy to drive around for a while
Noise either means they're poor quality and they're weak and you've got some wear
Items like some clearance in the part or something could be ready to fall off. So safety wise you check it make sure
Shannon I first when I saw the note come up on the color board
I thought you wanted to talk to just me and so I felt it was kind of I felt it was kind of personal
So I feel like I need to jump in here right the the noise that you had
And the noise that you have now
That you were trying to get rid of are they distinctly different or are they the same?
No, they're the same and like I said for two weeks after I put the new struts on it was
Smooth and not a single noise and I live on a gravel road and so
You know, there's a lot of bouncing going on
And then I just started about two weeks later
I just started noticing it and it's progressively gotten a little bit louder
It could be a sway bar link too when you're prying around on those things putting struts on
Sometimes you put a strut on and then you're like, oh, they're good today, but then they've they've come back
I've had them come back in a couple weeks and like, well, you just got a sway bar link that's bad
And they're like, well, why didn't you replace that when you did the struts?
It's like well, that's money you'd have to spend when you took off you said it was fine for a couple weeks, right?
Yeah, well, then we didn't need to replace it then
I did put new sway bar links new tie rod ends. I did it, you know
Pretty much everything and I had done a lower control arm and stuff earlier before I just said so the
Bushings on the sway bar too not just not just the links but look at the bushings on the bar
You and those are usually unloaded. So when it's sitting on the ground, you might be able to move it up and down a little bit by hand
I've had bushings up. Okay
Bushings in my Camaro just
Decided they're gonna make noise. They were quiet not a noise out of them. I park it for three months
I get in it and I drive out. I'm like, what is broken under there horrible noise
And I look at it and I mean it's got
Huge clearance in it like the temperature did it because it's it made no noise before and now it's
Like wow that was fast
Yeah, and I I did like put it up on ramps and kind of got under there
See if I could like
Find anything that was punk it, you know, I can't make it clunk by just like
Pushing on like pushing up and down on the struts on the car, you know, like I can only do it when I'm driving
but yeah, so
Yeah, you're getting down to checking uh, you know some of the
Maybe the bushings on the cradle to make sure they're tight and everything's good there or something could have shifted
I'd just go back and double check my work
And you said you retort everything
But I just kind of walked back the steps of what I did but if not it gets down to it. You might have just got
But it's just odd that the strut that he put on would have the same noise
Situation as the noise that he had before isn't it Russ that came off of amazon that would make sense
Yeah, yeah, that's
Probably so I didn't want to go straight to that because I've had good luck
ordering
Suspension parts from them before and you know, I like to go right into a brick and mortar
Advance auto parts go to the counter because if there's a problem you just walk back in and go
Broken and they say
Here's warranty. Goodbye, and you're fixed, you know
um, and they usually don't break in the first place, but
You're yeah, you're you're a crapshoot when you're when you're trying the amazon thing. I understand why people do it and it can work
occasionally, but
you know
For certain certain things. Yeah, like when I need that new water filter
I make sure I get the you know, the one that's that's probably worse for me than the actual
I'm not the only one that has that thought when I was fiberglass
It's fine
Yeah, Shannon. Thanks very much for the call. Good luck. Uh got a question on the chat here
Off the wall question. It's not that off the wall for the show monitor off the wall question for a boat motor murk cruiser 3.0
I okay or 3.0 leader. What do you think that is?
Uh wondering where the three liter v6 mercury fuel injected engine wondering where the exhaust flapper goes
It's long gone on mine
Where the exhaust flapper goes did it just it got knocked off right on the back
Probably rotted and blew off. Yeah, yeah on the tailpipe
Yeah, I think that's and that wouldn't matter what motor it has
Yeah on the out drive. It's just had a cover on the out drive, but um
Yeah, so either on boats you either have a through-haul exhaust and most of those are just open
That there's no flapper on them. I mean, I don't even know what most people don't they were gone
I don't know why anybody puts them back on but yeah, you've got the
Um through-haul they've got they're either open or they've got a flap
Someone will have a cap like you see those rain caps on there, but they don't do a whole lot or they go through that the
Bellows and right through the out drive and they exit the
Prop right through the center of the prop. That's the that's the exhaust
You know it runs down the whole thing and then it's cooled by the water around it and the manifolds are cooled by the
Water on the engine so um, yeah, but that
I don't
For me, I mean so many of them come in most of them were gone that
That I saw that had the little tailpipe flap. They were right above the prop
There was an exhaust outlet on the out drive and there was a little rubber
Piece right there where the exhaust came out there instead of coming through the prop
Because if it's old enough they didn't have a through prop. They had through the top of the out drive
Just above the prop
There you go. Hope that answers your it was kind of an off-the-wall question turns out
What uh, let's talk about where you were you were traveling around. Yeah, I am I'm gone
to Toronto, Canada, and I was up there for the
aura convention, which is the Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association
Okay, you have to give it in French and English. Um, you know what there was French people there and I don't know how they handled my
South Dakota
Butchering of the English language, but same as we all do. Yeah, we learn it. Yeah, very well received the presentation
And I just really enjoyed my time up there with those folks
they were
Very very welcoming and it was interesting because every time I met somebody I have to say okay
Where are you from here?
Because they would name the name of their town there in and I had no clue sure and
It was fun. It was a lot of fun and did a did a yard tour at car conies in
Up that way and we were by Markham on the island and no no and they had
A specialty at their place. They've done for Russ is on something there. I'm not
Uh specialty at their place for 30 plus years. They've been doing wheel refinishing. So Chris you would have been in a
Euphoric state because I watched them run their lathes for the wheels and
The diamond measurement system that they use before it starts cutting that little layer off to refinish it
Do they balance the wheel when they're done? Yeah, yeah by cutting some off of it. Yeah
And they don't it's just crazy how much they had one they were showing for display
I go that one's looking to be about this big by the time the show is over but uh,
They were they had four of those machines in their place and we got to see that. I've never seen that process done
I got a video of it. I probably pop it up on the youtube page or on the facebook page
But got to see that and got to spend time with other people in the industry listening to
Their challenges with canada
Versus what we are challenged with here. I the one that I found the most interesting was geopolitical stuff
in the fact that
In the one room we're in we had
insurance companies auto recyclers
a person representing the automotive alliance and
The challenge they were all having is
We need to fix cars if we total those cars
Customers might choose a different insurance company and they might choose a different vehicle
Manufacturer and now they might choose a chinese lower price car that's been allowed to come into our country, right?
And there was a lot of geopolitical challenges that I was getting to see
The other side of the border and it was very eye-opening and uh,
You know, definitely can see where the challenges are real for them with what's been happening in the big world
All right, you guys want to
Spend a while you want to do a what do you got for the after show?
Uh, we do have a call we could take that you want to do that
Let's do it. All right. Let's do that. What do you do it? What do you what's that face?
What's that face over there? I'm ready when you are face, right? I didn't see it. I was looking down
Look at look at that's the face right there. Look at him. Let's do it
I was just one of them mom. That's one of the in-between looking at me mom between gear shift faces
Yes, or uh, or it's the uh, the one where I'm like move on. I have terrible thoughts in my head
I can't say what I want to say. So just I was thinking of the movie was it canadian bacon with john candy and
What's the one where uh, uh, oh the ghost dan acroyd
So he's the cop that pulls them over and they're driving the big truck and it's got all these profanities
Against canada written all over it and the cop pulls them over to say when I asked him about the french
Did you do it in french and he says hey, don't you know you cannot have
english in bigger letters in canada than
French so you need to write, you know your profanities in french larger than the english
You know no nothing. I got nothing. I did have some canadian bacon
I for breakfast, you know on a sandwich when chris and I went to
Montreal
Now you were in french speaking territory. Yes very much so and I tell you what
When we went to the there was a
It was like more of a restaurant than a bar
But it was an area where people could get drinks and food and it was very large
It was kind of like an apple piece, but it was in the hotel
And
I'd say
Other than us being there from america and our group most everybody was speaking french. Oh, yeah, and
Occasionally they just look at us if they were too close and they're like, oh, I'm sorry. Didn't you understand that?
Let me say it in english for you and then they were that they were like that
And really it wasn't like they were being rude. It was like they were just saying oh you might have missed what I said
And I'm so interesting that I want to tell you in english
And they would say something we'd be like. Oh, okay. Yeah, it was interesting. They just spoke french
I mean there was no they didn't and english very well like 100 wouldn't know the difference between the two we weren't there
They would they just they all spoke french as the first language and and english
But yeah, and sometimes when we sat down like the waitress had come up and start speaking in french and we'd go
Uh, yeah, I'll have a
They were they were pretty good at uh, no, you know in that in the hotel and restaurants
And you look at the menu you're like
Yeah
Yeah
Everything in french was bigger
That was good. That was that was the bus ride was the scariest thing. I can't I keep going back to that bus ride in the ice
Oh, yeah
It going to the track the racetrack. Yeah, it just haunts my mind. I've had dreams about it. Yeah
We were clicking along at probably
I 60 70 miles per hour road bussers. Yeah in in an ice storm
And on a two lane highway and we were trucking it and we were sliding and slipping and we're going through the mountains
And I'm we're up on the front and we're like is this safe and the driver's up there
It was his iPod on is like it had to be fine. It wouldn't bring guests
Let's talk to ben in north carolina ben you're on the end of the hood show. What can we do for you?
Hey, buddy, how you doing a great show? I really enjoy what I've been hearing. Thanks very much. I got a 2000
I got a 2008
Jeep Patriot
Now, uh, we bought a second hand got 125,000 miles on it. Uh, the
It started with the clock spring. It went bad. So I went down to the dealership paid the 385 bucks for a new one
And put a new clock spring in
Then that took care of everything. I got my cruise control back my my abs loop everything worked my
Track control or or they call it esp on that worked
Everything was fine. It worked great. Well, then
My wife hit a in the during the storm down here. She hit a a big block of ice and messed up one of the struts
So I replaced all four struts. I've already replaced all four
Uh
Hubs or the bearings and I I said while I'm in here because they're a little rusty and everything
I'll go ahead and replace all four of the
Wheel sensors and they are from their standards from O'Reilly's. I know I know you like advance, but O'Reilly is closer to my house
so
I went ahead and put all four standards on and there everything was working fine
But now it's got this little quirk
That when you start to take off only in drive not in reverse and
And it does it whether it's in the manual mode or the standard
You know got that cbcc transmission
Or cbtc whatever it's called
It's got that transmission that you hit it and if I could go cart just winds out just keeps going
It does change gears, but you can't really feel it
And then my traction controller esp light comes on my four-wheel drive with the explanation mark comes on and starts flashing
And it it automatically breaks. I hit the button on esp
It'll drive fine. I can go from here to eternity with it with the button on with the esp off
Have you looked for any codes I checked it out
I have I did I did not find any
General obd2 codes I went into the enhanced mode
Or jeep or chrysler and I couldn't find anything there
So I went into srs. There was nothing there, but a abs did show up a code
It said will speed indicator not working and it didn't tell me which one was it
So I went down I took all four of them off went back to O'Reilly's got another set of four put another four back on there
Everything took off and it still does the same thing. It's continuing to do the same thing
But I don't know if I've got a bad tone ring
I don't know if I've got a program in the computer. Just one stupid. I don't know what's going on
Well, you're gonna have to have somebody read the data and record it as you're driving
You need a scanner that can record and you're gonna have to look at it
And let's say you look at the vehicle speed and it says 32 miles an hour
Then you look at the wheel speed of each wheel
And see which one is lower than the rest or higher than the rest
It's going to be different you can put it in graph mode and one's going to have a mountain peak
Higher or valley lower than the rest of them
Then you need to go to that wheel
and
Follow the wiring up look at the tone ring make sure the tone ring is good
And then once you've done that verified that's how do you look at the tone ring?
Well, does that one have you look at the tone if it's if it's got
If it's got just a sensor stuck in the in the steering knuckle
And then it has a wheel bearing that's bolted what that's bolt on not a press on it doesn't have a tow ring
It's got a no it magnet. I changed the whole knuckle. Okay, then it's got it
You know, I think the whole knuckle, but if it's got a tone ring, it's located on the cv shaft
That's how all cars work you look at the cv shaft and it'll have teeth on it with a
Sensor sticking through the knuckle. So if you don't see any teeth anywhere
The tone ring is in the hub itself, which you already replaced
But that would tell me that we have a wire that's maybe got a break in it
One of the usually the front one of those wires running up the strut will have a break where it twists a lot
Does that help you out there? Well, they're they're all brand new the wire. They're all brand new so
You replace the wire from the wire
You got a wire from the hub that goes up, right? Yeah. Yeah, then the tone rings internally that has all the
Has all the body clips that go from there all the way up. Yep follow that wire whole thing
Look at the harness though. Look at that harness up pass where it plugs in
It could have a break right at the connector or it could have a mouse that's chewed on it or something
You want to look at that? But first you got to verify the front ones that cause that issue
They're the ones that move the most so it's we find it there
But you've you've got to verify it first by
Looking at the data to see which wheel it is which one's slower or faster than the rest of them
Then you can verify it and if you verify that the wiring is perfect from that wheel all the way up
And the tires are all exactly the same
Tread depth and size so we know they're spinning if one arm's worn more than the other it will cause this issue as well
But then it leads you to the computer if the wiring's good the sensors are good the hubs are good
They're all less than a year old. She she drives it seven miles a day back and forth to work
That's the four way and then that's it. It is my wife
But it does take off like a jackrabbit slam on the brake
Well check them because if it was out of line it could wear a tire down
You know three thirty seconds more than another one and still look pretty nice
Ben, thanks very much for the call. Good luck
Yeah, it's six six five nine four four one five. Oh, yeah, ben is uh hanging up saying gosh darn
I wish they would have just gave me something really definite
But there's a check there's checking it has to be done to figure out which corner he needs to focus on
We don't have we don't have a lot of definite. We have a this is
Something we see a lot in our own shops making repair, but you still need to diagnose it because he sound like he had uh
Six seven eight wrenches of knowledge. Yeah. Yeah, then he was you know, he's he's tried
He's been digging in and learning and trying stuff and replacing stuff spent for a lot of money
for sure
And time
Yeah, that's uh, that's a bummer when it's that when you've done the stuff you he did what he was supposed to
He did it. He was supposed to you know, he's replaced eight wheel speed sensors. Yeah, and then
Yeah, right. He did him four and then he did four again
Right. Yeah, so he replaced eight and he's still having a problem
But there again that's sometimes where
Spending that extra money for somebody that has the knowledge and the tools combined that they've done this before
They can get that graph data and see okay. I'm going to concentrate my efforts on the
right rear wheel
Because that's where my problem is is coding in it or coming in at I'm seeing a difference in speed on that
I've got to concentrate right there
I have uh, I want to bring up something
The cvt transmission on my car. I have a 22 civic time to change that fluid
Uh, so I was talking to my brother one day about how
About the amigo. No, no, I was just saying it was I was not thrilled with the civic
I was I mean, it's a it's a great car. It's everything I need. It's the perfect car to buy
But on saturday when you're reading motor trend or something it's not
It's not like the Pontiac was you know what I mean, you know what I mean
So he said well, do you drive it in sport mode ever? I'm like no I said it has
Eco normal in sport. Yeah, you were talking about that with the shifting. Yeah, and he said well, uh, he said
Put it in sport. My wife had an accord and we had a civic before that. It's more fun in sport
Just always switch it into sport when you get in
so I thought
And it is it's way different. It it drives completely different and it's fun
It's more fun. But I thought I drive a lot of miles. I don't want to be you know, I want to be an eco
So I didn't experiment and so far I've driven it like 540 miles
In sport or normal because it defaults to normal each time. I have not had it in eco
And I checked the mileage on in both eco and in sport mode
It right now it's at 0.6 miles to the gallon difference on the computer. Is it better?
Or no, it's worse
But that might just be me in sport push it. Yeah, that might just be me pushing down
So in sport I'm driving down the road if I'm if I'm going 80 miles an hour down the interstate in sport
Or in in eco rather it's at like 1500 to 1800 rpms
If I switch it to sport it revs up and sits at about 2800 2900 rpms for a while for a while unlocking the torque converter
yeah
And it makes the noise and
But I don't I don't even think it's doing anything. I think it's just the changes the transmission shift pattern is what it does
I don't think it does even unlocking the torque converter. I think what it's doing is it's just put it's just the tv screen
It's just like playing duck hunt on my nintendo
I put it in sport and the the tv screen on my dash goes. Oh, okay, and it changes the setting
I don't even think it's doing it. Well, here's
something that I think is
kind of smart to say
We get a lot of people call us about
plugging in a tuner doing different things
And what kind of change am I going to get am I going to get better fuel economy? And we most of the times say
More than likely it's you know, you got to make that choice. But unless you choose to drive
Different you're going to have a hard time getting the full value out of that out of that addition
I think that's a good example what you did pushing that button
Is similar to some of the adjustment adjustments that an aftermarket tuner might make on another car
That doesn't have that button, right?
And so those are the minute differences it can make sometimes and still stay within the parameters of what it's allowed by federal law
And so a lot of the tuner companies are very careful on stock cars because of
Well, sure they don't want fines and getting their hands slapped and everything else
But that is to me a comparison
To what happens when people ask us sometimes about aftermarket tuners on
Standard cars that haven't been modified with the cam haven't been modified with
Very different tuning and you know a custom tuner coming in and really working on getting different flow of injectors in it
And they're doing all this kind of stuff to make this baby run how you want it
That's way different than the stuff you plug into a standard car. And I think this is a good comparison. Is that fair Russ?
Mm-hmm, right on
But in this case, I bet that sport button is probably not just the transmission. It's got some other things
It's doing probably in the certainly tightens up the steering that the way different. Yeah
Oh, yeah, it can change the steering rate because you got electric steering on it
The suspension if you've got suspension that's and it uh, it doesn't coast as easy
For sure it you know, it slows down quicker if you take off
What do you think of the old foreign vehicles we used to have like a
You know a 90 a quarter or something like that that had a button on it a click button
That was I I'm pretty sure that was just the transmission torque converter when they did sport mode, but
There you go. All right anything else guys
I
I got all kinds of things I can talk about. Um, we don't need that much
eventually we'll talk about the def but
Right now it doesn't we're just waiting. Well, I mean, did you do something yet? Yeah
Well, don't think you can disable the def on your older truck. Let's just leave it for that right now
There's nothing right now
This is not at all clear to go start
Rolling coal on your neighbors a lot of talk about def and the regulations and the laws and but as for us for the consumer
Nothing, you're still going to get in trouble if you delete your trust and it looks it looks like they and you can't just do it
So don't do I mean don't do anything it looks like they are going to do some
Changes that will be at the dealer level. So if you've got a new vehicle and it's you know still under warranty
Um, even some that may not be you'll be able to go into the dealer when that basically a recall when all those lawsuits are done
Takes effect and you'll be able to go in
And at the minimum
It's going to disable the so your truck will say when there's a def problem
It says disabling vehicle based on reducing power
You can only drive the thing like 10 miles an hour when it gets to a certain to the certain point
It'll disable that function. It's not disabling the def
So don't think you can stop putting the def in the truck
um
And it also is going to change the way they monitor the def by
Instead of monitoring the def sensor. It's monitoring the o2 sensor to see if it's working
So it's keeping your emissions intact and there'll be more coming that's down all of the things you're saying are not
True now yet. No, but they can they can take a truck
They they have the capability to take like your 2022 ram
and just reflash it
and make it still operate but
Change it. But but people are thinking in their heads. Oh, we can just disable it. They're also not going to do that right now
Yeah, it's hasn't come out yet. It's just what they say
That right that's that's what I'm trying to do
But they've got to approve it and you will get you'll get letters what you're saying
Well, that's what I wanted to be clear on what you're saying is what
They're saying will be yes. Yeah, nothing and I think that would be
Great because our biggest failure we have in def systems aside from people putting the wrong def in
Or putting diesel fuel in their def tank is that the sensors fail and they can't read it properly
So if they could just get the thing to read right and say, oh, yeah, you're working
They're going to read a sensor that's already on the vehicle
Right is what the proposal is just a change from instead of reading this one on this side
You're going to read this one on this side for not talking about this
We're talking about it, but it just realized that this was driven by the agriculture industry and the trucking industry
and they're really they're really pushing because when that truck is down so
Reading through the stuff just I read it fast
But if that
Light that used to come on and told you you had 30 miles to get somewhere
And it would depower the truck to 10 miles an hour
There is going to be a different series of steps and it still has a
A sunset on it, but it might be 4 000 miles
So you can finish your planting season or finish your
Harvest season or complete your run to get back to your own home truck shop
Instead of being broken down on the road and having to get towed in the fed the FedEx driver doesn't care about deleting his
To his box truck. No, he cares about the
$6 000 that they're going to make over a course of a day delivering all those packages. That's what they're all subcontractors
They got to go they need that thing going and and when it's sitting on the side of the road
And you see i'm getting towed all the time all these delivery companies
It's costing a lot of money and where is where does where does it go?
They pass it on to us because they have to make it up somewhere
Yeah, so that that's something I notice is that just realize that this was not
Something they talked about for the recreational diesel person that drives a diesel
This is driven by the trucking and the agriculture industry to say let these people finish their jobs
Quit shutting their equipment off
Now if you ignore it long enough, we're still going to shut your equipment off
Right, I think that's what I got out of it. I think I saw 4 000 miles somewhere on one of the stories that I was reading
And that's way different than what it is now right now that thinking you might go
30 miles and all of a sudden you're down to a
A degrade and you're just crawling and can't get anything done
Period and and the truck's still running for the it's still running fine
And all of that is all in the future not not relevant yet
But I like the direction they're thinking for that regard for the for the speed of commerce
Yeah, I like that and I think that the environmental folks if you can just
Relax it's not like we're trying to say they're trying to say
Oh, we're just let her blow into the air. It's no we just give it some
Parameters here that we're so much better than we were 30 years ago. It doesn't mean we stop
But let the equipment keep working until you can finish the work for that
Job or that run or that whatever and don't end up people are still going to ignore it and have problems
Volkswagen right now is listening to you going. Yeah
No, don't cheat it
Yeah
All right, thanks everybody. That's the under the hood show
With russ evans, this is shannon orts from thanking you for tuning into the norters 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 under the hood show dot 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
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