The Jeep Wrangler is a type of SUV built for off-road driving. It’s popular with people who want a vehicle that can handle rough trails. The podcast mentions it because older Wranglers are often repaired and kept instead of thrown away.
The Nissan Rogue is a crossover SUV meant for normal everyday driving. The podcast context suggests it had a problem with its brakes and needed repairs to make it safe to drive again. It’s the kind of car that can often be fixed rather than replaced.
The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a tough SUV that’s built to handle rough use. Here, the host is saying their 20-year-old FJ Cruiser has stayed on the road for years with normal maintenance, not expensive surprises.
A “checkup” is a periodic inspection to see if anything is starting to wear out or leak. Catching issues early is often cheaper than waiting until something breaks.
The host means don’t wait until something breaks. Instead, check the car regularly and fix small problems early so they don’t turn into expensive repairs.
Winter tires are specialized tires designed for cold temperatures, using softer rubber compounds and tread patterns that improve grip in snow and ice. The host includes them in the multi-year cost breakdown to show how planned tire replacement can fit into a long ownership budget.
Brakes wear out like tires do. Over many years you may need new brake pads and possibly rotors, depending on how you drive and how the brakes were maintained.
Term
light bulbs
Light bulbs eventually burn out. The host is listing them as part of the normal, expected costs of keeping a vehicle running for a long time.
Fluids are the liquids that different parts of the car rely on to work correctly. Over time they can get low or degrade, so they may need to be topped up or replaced.
Belts are rubber loops that help run parts like the alternator. If they wear out or crack, the car can start having problems, so they’re often replaced before they fail.
Hoses move important fluids around the engine. If they crack or leak, the car can overheat or lose fluid, so replacing old hoses helps prevent breakdowns.
The host is talking about a Car Connection system for planning car maintenance. The idea is to keep up with routine service so repairs stay manageable over time.
Here, “Wrangler” means the Jeep Wrangler. It’s known for off-road driving, including difficult trails. The podcast is referencing the idea of getting through a tough route and keeping the vehicle ready for that kind of use.
The power steering pump is what makes it easier to turn the steering wheel. It uses pressurized fluid—if something leaks, you can lose power steering fluid fast.
The feed line is the hydraulic hose/pipe that carries pressurized power steering fluid to the steering rack. In this segment, the host replaces the feed line because a leak can spray fluid under the hood and onto the ground.
A fluid drain and flush means you remove the old power steering fluid and replace it with new fluid. It helps clear out gunk so the system works smoothly.
Rack-and-pinion is how many cars turn the wheels: a gear moves a bar (the rack). With power steering, fluid helps push that mechanism so steering feels easier.
Mineral spirits are a cleaning solvent that cuts through oily grime. The host used it to clean the power steering reservoir before putting everything back together.
Power steering fluid is the special fluid that helps your steering feel lighter. If it gets old or overheats, it can cause problems, so the host recommends refreshing it on a schedule.
This is the main steering mechanism that turns the steering wheel into the wheels moving left or right. It’s a big job to replace, and the host suggests it can be tied to other power steering parts too.
“Flush and fill” means you drain the old fluid out and put new fluid in. The goal is to get rid of dirty, worn-out fluid so the power steering can work better.
The ML-Class is a Mercedes-Benz SUV meant for comfortable everyday driving. The podcast mentions an ML 320 with a power steering leak, which means the steering system was losing fluid. Fixing that helps the car steer properly and safely.
The ML 320 is a Mercedes-Benz SUV. Here, the host is talking about fixing problems on one—especially leaks and a power steering issue—so it stops leaving spots on the driveway. It’s a real-world example of troubleshooting a specific system instead of guessing.
Lucas is a brand that makes car fluids. In this story, the host used Lucas power steering fluid to fix a steering problem and stop leaks. It’s basically a “what product worked” moment.
Engine oil is what lubricates the inside of your engine so metal parts don’t grind against each other. Checking it regularly and changing it on time helps the engine stay protected. The host is answering how often to do that.
Waste oil is the old used oil you drain out when you change your engine oil. It shouldn’t go in the trash or down the drain. The host is saying to store it and take it to the proper place for recycling/disposal.
Oil change intervals are how often the car tells you to change the oil. If you wait longer than you should, the oil can get worn out and stop protecting the engine like it’s supposed to. That can lead to faster engine wear.
Rod bearings are small wear surfaces inside the engine that help the crankshaft and connecting rods move smoothly. They depend on good, clean oil to stay lubricated. If the oil is too old or low, they can wear out and cause major engine problems.
Camshaft lifters (often called valve lifters) are components that transfer motion from the camshaft to the engine’s valves. They also depend on oil pressure and lubrication to reduce wear. Poor oil maintenance can contribute to lifter wear and valve-train noise or damage.
Checking your oil weekly helps you make sure the engine still has enough oil. Sometimes oil level drops before the next scheduled change. Catching it early can help you avoid engine damage.
The oil monitoring light is a warning that something is wrong with the oil—usually low oil level or low oil pressure. If it’s on, the engine might not be getting proper lubrication. You should address it right away to avoid damaging the engine.
A “gusher” is when a leak suddenly becomes a big, fast spill. The host is saying to get leaks checked early, before they turn into a major problem. Waiting can make the repair far more expensive.
Concept
infant stage
“Infant stage” means the problem is just starting. The host is saying it’s much cheaper to fix it early than after it gets worse. In this case, check small leaks before they turn into big failures.
Shell makes motor oil. The host lists it as a trusted brand for regular oil changes.
Term
ash level
Ash level is basically how much leftover residue an oil can leave behind. If it’s higher, it can mean more deposits forming inside the engine over time.
Term
oil chain service
The host is talking about getting an oil change done on schedule. That usually means fresh oil (and often a new oil filter) so the engine stays protected.
Severe service means your car is being used in tougher conditions than normal. If you do a lot of short trips or lots of stop-and-go, the engine gets dirtier faster, so you usually need oil changes more often.
Some cars have a light that tells you when to change the oil. The host thinks that light is set up to make you wait longer than you should, so the engine wears out sooner.
Your car can show a light to tell you when to change the oil. The host says it’s not a perfect measure of oil health, so you should check the oil yourself instead of waiting for the light.
Wix Gold is a branded oil-filter line the host uses as part of their recommended oil-change routine. The point is that filter quality matters because it helps remove contaminants that can accelerate engine wear.
LIVE
Good morning folks, you're tuned to Car Connection where the coffee is strong, strong enough
to bring back a dead fuel pump to life.
The stories are real and the wrenches never stop turning.
I'm your host, Niall Motormouth Jenkins, coming to you from the Car Connection Workshop where
the smell of fresh oil and a little elbow grease is all part of our balanced breakfast.
Stop on by, we got a plate just for you around here, we don't just talk cars, we live them.
Whether it's a 25 year old Jeep Wrangler getting a second chance at life, saved from the crusher,
or a Nissan Rogue getting its brakes back in order, or a mystery leak that's got everyone
scratching their heads.
This is where we roll up our sleeves and we get it done, with a little wit, little wisdom
and a whole lot of fun.
Car Connection Workshop isn't just about nuts, bolts and diagnostics, it's about connection.
Connection to our vehicles, to the people who drive them, and to the community that keeps
us all rolling.
Because when you fix a car, you're not just turning a wrench, you're restoring someone's
confidence, freedom, and maybe even their sanity.
We're here every week, Monday through Saturday morning with the Motormouth Morning Drive 8AM,
helping you keep your ride safe, reliable, ready for whatever road lies ahead.
So whether you're a weekend rancher, not a rancher, a rancher, yeah, a daily commuter,
or someone who just wants to understand, what's that strange rattle, and what does that really mean?
Welcome aboard, stick around for shop talk, hot cup of joe, few good laps and maybe a story
or two of flashback that sends me down a country lane or a rabbit hole.
Let's jump in, it is Q&A Saturday, thanks for being along with us this morning.
If you're working, I'm working too, so we're right in it together.
If you're heading out on the road for a little R&R, well, congratulations.
Enjoy your weekend drive safe, happy, healthy motoring to you while you're on the road and
keep an eye on the other guy because there's just crazy stuff going on out there on the roadways.
You know, there was a time I enjoyed being out on the roadways in the highways and byways back in
1996, yeah, when we started car connection on radio with a half an hour show,
it took sponsors and I needed to get sponsors, a lot of them to support the airtime.
So long time ago in Bethlehem now, that's like 31 years old and it's still the same thing.
We have to have program partners to bring the program, this podcast to you on all platforms,
Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Podbean and the like. So wherever you pull your podcast from,
just type in the search bar, car connection workshop, you'll find us there.
So a big thank you to our program sponsors that came along with us when we made the decision to
go from the airwaves to the digitals and we're there and it's hard to believe, it really is,
pretty much, I'll get it out. I'm not enough coffee, I'm actually having a coffee this morning,
don't tell anybody. Yeah, it's just between you and me. I got a couple of Joe sitting right over
there staring at me. I had to have it, you know that? I had to have it this morning. So when we
went fully digital, four of our sponsors came along with us and said, it's about time motor
mouth. You need to get off the radio and get out there and meet more and more people than
trapped in circles where there could potentially be 8.2 million listeners and the likeness of them
all tuning into our broadcast is highly unlikely. So being on podcast now has brought a lot more
freedom without the politics behind the networks because that stuff bugged me for a long time.
Let me tell you, you know what? I'm for the underdog, always have been. I want to see the
underdog win and I want to be able to do whatever I possibly can to get you there.
Anytime feel free to ask me a question or a topic you want me to cover. I'm happy, more than happy
to do that for you but let's give thanks to our program sponsors that make this podcast
and our YouTube channel flourish right now. We don't have any monetization going yet but we
could certainly skip you and I. We are working like dogs and you know, not beating like bad
donkeys but we are working like dogs to bring you the best we can and when we get monetized,
we've got lots of plans to help others along the way as well so we can give a hand up, not a hand
out to those who need it. The widows, the orphans, the single moms, you know, the single gal that's
busting butt and working three and a half plus jobs just to pay the bills and driving a jalopy.
Maybe we can help her. Maybe it's you. Maybe it's you and we can help. So that's what car
connection is all about. That's the lane I've been carving out for many years and still continue to
carve it out is to keep an eye on what's going on in vehicle production and manufacturing and how
that affects you and me together. Part suppliers, what's going on with them. Are we in trouble? Are
we upside down in sideways? How do we get around it under it through it and over it? That's what
this show is about. Helping you put money back in your pocket and still have a reliable automobile
and I don't care how old it is because what really matters is mileage doesn't matter my friends.
Maintenance does. Maintenance does. That's what this program will teach you. So hang on to my
coattails. I got 44 plus years as an automotive service tech, light truck and passenger vehicles
and trucks, heavy trucks and equipment. I worked for Peterville of Ontario and Mack Trucks of Canada
and a lot of other shops that worked on it. We worked on everything out there, everything,
including a shell shucking machine and a 10-foot round disc thing that chomps up stumps
like it's a toothpick. Yeah, that was interesting work but I'll tell you the equipment we worked on,
you take your eyes off it when you have to fire it up and road test it and make sure the repair
went well. You give it all the respect you can because it'll instantly kill you. Yeah,
some of the equipment I worked on is pretty scary but I loved it because it was interesting work.
So anyways, let's say thank you to our non-profit faith-based organizations. They don't pay for
any airtime whatsoever. That's my way and our way here Skippy and I of helping them reach
into the community and make awareness for them because they do not get any outside funding other
than from what we pull out of our pockets, you and I, and local businesses. So thank you to the
entire staff and team and volunteers at Crystal Ridge Dream Center serving men, women, children,
meals twice a week, hot meals out the door every Tuesday and Friday. They're changing lives one of
the time in the entire Niagara region. So whatever you can do to help them, they will absolutely
be truly grateful and thankful for all that you can do. They have an upcoming fundraiser.
Now write this down. It's on Saturday, May the 30th. I'm going to put in an appearance there
because I missed it last year and I am a vinyl guy. I love records. So it's Crystal Ridge Dream
Center second annual charity record show May the 30th, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join them for charity
record show with multiple vendors featuring vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, and even ultrasonic
record cleaning. The admission to get in to the event is $2. There's door giveaways,
a silent auction, and a charity barbecue all under their roof. So vinyl CDs, cassettes, 45s,
LPs, collectibles, music memorabilia, and a whole lot more. So stop on by 385 Derby Road,
Crystal Beach, or visit them on our website at carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com.
That's coming up very, very quickly and I hope to see you there. I'm going to pop by for a couple
hours because I am a vinyl guy. How many of you out there put it in the comments. If you're vinyl
guys as well on gals, I love my vinyl records. I honestly do. I still have my high-fi set
and I used to listen to a program called Vinyl Tap. Do you remember who the host of that program
was? Put it in the comments. Let me know. Thank you to Earl Louise Grant at City Auto Sales and
Leasing providing for over 25 years now low mileage, top quality vehicles at fair prices.
Earl Louise Grant are a fantastic couple. Oh my gosh, you will absolutely be spoiled rotten there
and they will love all over you. They don't sell any lousy vehicles whatsoever. They're
Greater Toronto Areas, Premier and Pre-Old Auto Store. If you're looking for a clunker,
something that you can fix up, let Earl Louise Grant know you only got to, you know, whatever
you're spending cash is. They do have vehicles that are as is, you take it home, you fix it up
in a fixer up or maybe that's something that will get you going. I've done that for many years.
I'll tell you, honestly, some of the best vehicles I had were like $500 beauties
and push, pull and drag, take the thing apart, clean it up, love on it and bring it back to life
and you got yourself a ride. So whatever your needs are, let Earl Louise Grant know
what you're looking for and if they don't have the vehicle in stock, they have the resources to
help you with that and they're not going to drag anything home that's not worthy to be deemed
low mileage quality vehicles at fair prices. In-house leasing and financing. Thank you to our
certified financial planning professionals, my planners, Tony Mealy and Larry Tietro.
They have over 50 years experience as fiduciaries. They work with one of the largest companies in
the world with finances IG wealth management and I'll tell you what, you got questions,
get them answered by those who have the credential CFP, certified financial planning
professionals, not advisors, advisors are apprentices. They're not CFPs. They don't deal
with tax planning, investment portfolios, debt retirement, estate planning, more ranging mortgages
and helping you to keep more of your money than of more of it drifting out the door. If you know
what I'm saying, there's life insurance, critical illness insurance that I've been working with Tony
and Larry for over 20 years and I'll tell you this, get out of the bank, get in a chair with Tony
Mealy or Larry Tietro and get your questions answered. Leave your wallet and your purse at home ladies.
They're not going to charge you a dime for that hour and a coffee. That's what we call it. So get
it booked and get the answers from those who can truly, truly help you because folks, it's not about
what we make. It's what you can keep. So you got to have tax, proper tax planning to make sure that
you know what, this stupid CRA doesn't get their hands any deeper into your pockets. That's what
counts. We got to be good stewards of what we've been entrusted to. Thank you to Kathy and Dave and
Dan Grimo for doing what they do at Niagara Block 5000 Montrose Road Niagara Falls. They've been
building Canada since 1931 with building supplies, all the blocks and bricks and stuff. They make them
right there, angle iron, rebar, any kind of metal you need to create a building and they have a list
of contractors that they can refer you to as well. Just speak to Kathy Grimo. If you're looking to
create that beautiful backyard space that you've always wanted, some outdoor living and cooking
space, they have all the hardscape landscaping materials you can dream of to create that very
special place on your home, at your home, around your home, wherever your heart's desired. So check
in with them and they will certainly help you to get the project started and get it finished.
And thank you to the whole team at Total Freedom, not only Darien Center, New York, but City
Manitoba and also down in Florida with Pastor Guy. The campuses of Total Freedom, what they do is
they deal with people that are struggling and have been struggling with addictions, whatever it may be
for a long time and they're very good at it. There's a new life waiting for them there. So
our participation with Total Freedom addiction campuses, whenever you buy an item out of our
online store on our website and everything I'm talking about right now and we talk about on the
podcast is completely available to you on the home page of our website at carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com.
Top right hand corner, all the platforms. Get an opportunity to subscribe to our YouTube channel
so you can learn as much as you possibly can about the basic fundamentals of vehicle ownership.
And again, mileage doesn't matter. Maintenance matters. And I can guide you all the way. We
have a full page now dedicated on our website to our fully redesigned car connection fleet
maintenance system. That'll help you to and walk you through everything I do to our own vehicles
here. That's how I made it to just shy of 400,000 kilometers on our 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser. That's
how I made it to 319,000 kilometers on a 1999 Honda Civic DX two-door hatchback five-speed
air conditioning. I love that little car. It's a killer. And it's beautiful. And how does it,
how do we keep it there? It's maintenance. That's all it is. Grab a car connection fleet maintenance
system kit and get started. I'm right here for you to guide you all the way. The instructions for it,
if you can put a check mark on a grocery list as the items go in the cart, that's as difficult as it
gets. So, hey, excuse me, hang on to me. I can teach you everything that I do myself that puts money
back in your pocket. I'm not chasing money to pay for car payments and principal and interest
because that's the car game, folks. That's the car game. I call it, I've always nicknamed it the
never, never plan. And that's what the car manufacturers want you to, where they want you
to be, right in the palm of their hands, like a bird pecking seed out of the palm of their hands,
just, you know, three years, dump it, go get another 13 years, dump it, go get another one.
That's what they want from you. And that is ridiculous. You don't have to do that at all.
But the talking heads and the marketing scams teach you that, oh, don't keep an older vehicle.
Oh, don't do that. It's going to cost you a lot of money to keep it going. Really,
really? I got a 20-year-old Toyota FJ Cruiser. Do you know what it's cost me to keep that going
for 20 years? Are you ready for it? With just regular maintenance, oil changes and checkups.
Oil changes, checkups. Stay ahead of the curve. Make sure if there's anything developing,
get on it. Don't let it go. Less than eight grand. Less than $8,000. I was just in the
folder the other day and I was adding it up and I go, and that's two sets of tires,
three sets of tires, sorry, three sets of tires, including the winter tires in there,
three sets of brakes, oil changes, fluids, belts, hoses, light bulbs.
That's it. Eight grand for 20 years. Do the math. Divide 20 by 8,000. Actually,
do it by days. Break it down. Be creative. What can you buy for $8,000 and keep it for 20 years,
folks? What? Let me know in the comments. Yeah. The Honda, I've spent less than two grand
and I've owned it now. I bought it off the original owner. I spent 2675 over eight years.
What can you drive for that? If you wanted the keys and wanted to drive it to California this
afternoon and go away, you go, yeah, it's not falling apart. It's just been basic maintenance,
same thing. That's what I'm teaching you with the car connection fleet maintenance system,
is how to do what I do and put money back in your pocket and you got a vehicle that's bought and
paid for. Love on it. Take care of it and maintain it to the nines and you know what,
you can keep it as long as you want, as long as you want. Thank you to Total Freedom and remember
when you're in our online store, it's safe. You buy whatever you want there. Get your size,
your color, pick whatever item you want and it gets shipped right to your door and we got to thank
Freedom Expressions, one of the companies that runs at Total Freedom to help create funds to get
people there as well and take care of them and help their life to move along. They put our entire
store together for us and they create every single product that we want in there for us,
so that's why, you know what, whatever sells, the money goes right to the Total Freedom Addiction
campuses to help that next person to get there. So thank you for being and supporting Skippy and I
in that project because that's a project to help people get and break free from addiction. Let's
jump into our program this morning, a little bit of a long-winded intro, but you know what, I want
everyone to understand that nothing happens until somebody is helping to pave the way with their
money and Car Connection has been fully supported by sponsors since 1996 and here we are in our
32nd year starting a whole new game plan. We call it Car Connection 2.0 and our hope is to reach not
just thousands of people but millions of people around the world and help you to understand
the automotive world from a different perspective, from a mechanics perspective, what I see and how
I can help you and how I can personally be an asset to you and share with you what I know. I'm
very much hands-on, very much up to date because I love what I do and it's the career path that I
chose from age 13 and I'm still loving it. I mean it's just like anything. It has its good days and
bad days, right? They're all good days. At the end of the day, they're all good days. They really,
really are. So let's jump in. Let's have our morning coffee and it is actually for me morning
coffee this morning and it is strong enough to resurrect a dead fuel pump. Let me tell you and
that's what we need here. So let's say thanks to all our sponsors that make this podcast and our
YouTube channel and all the platforms that we're supporting right now. They help to make it happen.
We got to get to the other side of the Rubicon that things that were invested in YouTube and the
podcast start paying from that side to help us to help you and even more. That's what it's all about.
So on 321 let's have our swiggy together. Ready? 321
I am so enjoying that. Let me tell you. Can we have a moment? Just a just short one.
Yeah. So whatever your morning beverage is, you know what? Enjoy it every single drop. Take it all
in. Oh yeah, that is so good. All right. Let's jump into weekend weather and then we've got three
questions to cover. Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to shoot me an email by noon
hour on Fun Fridays with your questions and then I get time to sift through them, figure out which
ones would that we're going to unpack, not just give you a bum fluff answer. No, actually unpack it
so that you get a real good bird's eye view of what's going on in deep inside that question
and how to tackle it because that's how you eat an elephant is one bite at a time. So your questions.
Thank you to Andrew, Linda and Michelle for putting for I think the trifacta of all trifacta
questions. So we're going to break those out in a moment weekend weather. Here's what we got.
And don't don't shoot the messenger. Okay, I'm not the message. I'm just the messenger. There is some
r a i n in it. I know I didn't want to say that, but
yeah, 62 degrees right now on cloudy wind is making it feel cooler. About 56 degrees.
Cloudy conditions will continue for the rest of the day. Today's temperature range from 42 to 67
degrees and feels more like 39 to 60. Well, we need to see the sixties and we need to have it
average out so that we can run the 30 day fuel saving challenge and put $100 back in your pocket
each month each month. How cool is that? That's 1200 bucks. And if you can stomach it and do the
second 30 day fuel savings challenge part two, you can possibly double that and make it $2,400
in your pocket. Sound good? Well, hang on. We got to get the weather on our side. That's what
we got to do. We sure do. So let's take a look at going to be like 0.3 of an inch of rain in
the south shores of Niagara and into the Niagara region Niagara Falls, particularly. What do we
got for Sunday coming up? Might look a little better. Hopefully. There's always hope, right?
There is. There's always hope. Well, we got a little RAIN in there too, some rainage. Sunday's
loan will be 52 degrees between 1am and 2am if you're up and, you know, can't sleep. Check that out.
The high will be 65 degrees between 4pm and 5pm. The temperature range will feel like 44 degrees
to 63 degrees and the wind will make it feel a whole lot cooler than the actual temperature.
The wind has been very, very cool along the south shores of Lake Erie. When the wind's
not blowing and the sun's out, it's not too bad at all. But I'll tell you, what a gorgeous
sunset last night. Holy smokes. The sky was lit up. It was ruby red. It was drop dead gorgeous.
Coming through the trees, it was absolutely stunning. Even the birds were letting us know they
were happy. They were happy. So a little bit of rain on Sunday and possibly a little bit of rain
on Saturday too. Let's hope things change. Yeah, throughout the day. So it is what it is. It is
it is long weekend in the with our American friends and I mean that friends. They are our friends.
Period. Don't listen to all the junk out there. You know, I worked in the U.S. for
on the networks with car connection for 24 and a half years and I made a lot of friends. I call
family over there. The people are amazing. Don't let this politicking thing, you know,
turn the relationship sour. It's just wrong. It's all day wrong. They love us over there.
They love us Canadians. Yeah, they do and they absolutely do. So don't let anybody
say otherwise. I worked there 24 and a half years and made a lot of friends there. They were great.
Right from the beginning days 1996. They couldn't do enough more for this canuck.
Okay, enough said on that. Got it. They like us. We like them. That's it. You know, it reminds me
of my friend, my best friend, Martin. And I, we would disagree, thump the stones out of each other
covered in grass stains and mud. And it's always seen Martin would always say, we'd be laughing.
And we're exhausted. And he's going, you want to go down to sepals garage and get a cold
coke out of the cooler? Yeah, let's go. We jump on our bikes away. We went, you know, in minutes
before we were rolling the grass, slapping a pound in each other. And the next minute we're
sitting at sepals garage in St. Anne's, Ontario, Canada, having an ice cold Coke and just sitting
there and just loving hanging out. How cool is that? That's life. That's the life that I see
we can still grab a hold of. So have a nice cold Coke with your friend. All right, today,
let's let's march on. Quick reminder before I forget our wrap up of our vehicle air conditioning
tutorial beyond Monday coming Monday morning drive with motor mouth May 24th and the category to
wrap up the series with because it's a series is part four. If you've missed the series, you can
grab all our podcasts from our YouTube channel. So make sure do us a favor, skippy and I take
a minute to like, share, follow, subscribe and leave a comment for us. And I'll just tell all
the negative trolls right now. I ain't listening. So your fault, your negative negativity just falls
on dead ears. Okay, I've had enough drama in my life that I only have one emotional
emotion left and I can't even tell you what that is. And I just don't pay attention to negative
trolls negative Nellie's whatever you want to call them. But leave a leave a comment because
skippy really loves to see those two. She works hard on the camera and really helps me a lot
in editing and she's taught me a lot as well. So we're working hard for you. And so thank you
like, share, follow, leave a positive comment. And we are always looking to make things better,
make adjustments along the fly. We don't just we're very critical of what we do and where we
can make changes. And then we implement the changes right away and and see how it goes. So
thank you for your support. And we also have before I forget because skippy will say you forgot to
tell them, if you want to support the channel, we've made a way for you to do that. It's called
buy me a coffee calm. And it's safe. It's secure. It's all it's all on the up and up. I checked it
because they have to have access to our bank account for car connection. So it's not like I'm
just going to throw that stuff out there and check with our account and everything. It's all
it's all groovy food, man. It's all groovy. So go to buy me a coffee.com forward slash
motor mouth and my first name Nile N I L E. So that's buy me a coffee.com forward slash motor
mouth Nile N I L E. Whatever you can throw at us dollars and cents wise, I'll tell you,
both Skippy and I be absolutely thrilled. We really, really would show us some love and we
appreciate each and every one of you for doing that. All that information goes into the description
of the videos and our YouTube channel. I take care of that portion. So I make sure the links and
everything and products I use and everything that you need to know that I didn't say or should
have said is in the descriptions on our YouTube channel and on our podcast. So Andrew, here's
his question. Question number one. My power steering is winding when I turn the steering wheel
slightly left or right. What could I be looking at as a possible issue? Well, that's a great,
that is a, I don't think we've ever really talked about that. So that's why I plucked that one down.
I thought, you know, that is an area in our automobiles we really don't pay attention to
at all. You know, if I were to ask 10 of you and say when was the last time you showed
your power steering pump some love? What would most of you say?
It's an IDK. I don't know. And I'm big on that because I just, if you watch the videos
on the 07 FJ Cruiser, I just replaced the feed line to the rack companion steering unit
and some clamps and the fluid. I did a fluid drain and flush and I had a steel,
a stainless steel line made up and I thought the first opportunity I get to go in to that area
because it's awfully tight to work on and the line blew on me when I went to the dollar store.
Same dollar store. My battery died in the parking lot without any warning whatsoever,
even after I tested it three months before and it was fine. Come out, click, click, click.
Denied and it wasn't an alternator issue. The battery had just said, that's it. I'm out of here.
Well, the same parking lot, same parking area. I always stay in the safe zone. I don't mind walking.
I pulled out of the parking lot, turned the steering wheel and all I heard was this.
And I saw oil spray out from underneath the engine bay
and I shut it off and there's my power steering fluid all over the parking lot.
Yeah, and I wasn't prepared to clean that up, let me tell you,
en masse. So I had to make up a steel line myself, but at the same time I had a company in Buffalo,
Buffalo Hydraulics in Chic De Waga. I had to make me a stainless steel line
to replace that steel line at some point when I was going to get in there and service that area.
So it meant pulling the radiator out and having all that stuff out of the way so I could get to it.
So at the same time I'm in there, gushing flush the power steering rack and pinion unit.
I took the reservoir completely out from under the hood and washed it out in mineral spirits
and cleaned it out completely and flushed everything out. So what I would suggest to Andrew is,
first of all, we need to make sure there's no leakage anywhere, anywhere on the rack,
on a line, make sure the fluid level is correct. And if you haven't flushed and filled that system
since you've had the vehicle, now would be a good time to do that.
Would be to flush that system out, clean out the reservoir, because that fluid gets really,
really hot. Power steering fluid gets almost as hot as transmission fluid, automatic transmission
fluid, and it segregates. It is not lifetime. a maintenance-free component whatsoever.
And when that system goes down, if it needs a rack and pinion steering unit, it's going to
need a pump as well, you're going to have some bokeh box. And looking at my own FJ Cruiser to
get the rack and pinion steering unit out of there, if I had to, it's gruesome. I think I'd
probably run away screaming. I'd probably go have an ice cold Coke and think about it.
Over two or three of them, I think, for sure. Because it doesn't look like it's a treat,
an easy peasy job to get it out of there. So out of curiosity, I went and I did a little research
and I was right. It is not a sweetheart to get that rack and pinion steering unit out of there
if I have to. So what's my best plan of attack? Make sure that every two years I flush and fill
the power steering fluid. So Andrew, here's what I'm going to suggest. Definitely a flushed fill
and I would absolutely recommend to you add in a bottle of Lucas power steering fluid
to help re, what it does, it helps to revitalize seals and gaskets and o-rings deep inside the
bowels of the rack and pinion steering unit and the power steering pump itself. So it sounds to
me like the pump's been winding for a while and that's usually a bearing because the oil has gotten
too thin. So what we need to do is shake it up, Buttercup. We need a flush and fill, flush and
fill and substitute one small bottle of Lucas power steering fluid. I always keep it on the shelf
in the shop here. It's an amazing product. I've been using it probably since 1991-92. It works
really, really well. So if you have a small power steering leak and something is seeping,
not drooling, generally if you get that product in there, it'll seal itself back up. I used that
product just last year to save somebody's bacon, maybe eggs and bacon, hash browns, toasted coffee
and jam, please. Yeah, had a power steering leak. It wasn't a major drool where it's pouring out,
was just dripping. That was John's, John's vehicle, ML 320, Messerschmitt, Mercedes
and we managed to get it stopped. It took care of it. The power steering came back and it was
totally normal and I don't know whether we posted that video or not. I don't think we did. We may
not have. Check it out. I did a bunch of work on that ML 320 for John. We had fluid leaks galore
and some other issues, fuel system problems, computer issue problems, but we got it all fixed.
But that was one of them. It was spotting on his mega expensive driveway. We had to get a handle
on that. But the Lucas power steering fluid fixed it and I'll tell you, John was so happy. So check
that out. I do believe we did upload that to our YouTube channel. I think it's in one of the first
12 videos and I show you the product and how to put it in and everything. I take you through the
basics there. So that fixed John's ML 320, spotting in the driveway stopped. He was so happy. Thank
you, Andrew for that. And if I use your question, please take the time to follow up with us too.
Just let me know. Hey, how did it work out? You know, give me a heads up. I'm gonna have some more
coffee if you don't mind. You help yourself too. It's hard to talk and have coffee at the same time.
Loving that. That's the nectar. Okay, Linda's question. Another great question too. Question
number two. How often should I check my engine? And when should I change it? There seems to be
quite an issue with this. And I'm assuming I write these down as I get them. Okay. So if there's
spelling errors or grammar, grammar, American errors, I read it the way it is so that you know
what, I didn't write it. It's in their handwriting. And that's the way I read it out. So how often
should I check my engine oil and when should I change it? There seems to be quite an issue
with this. So I'm thinking the quite an issue with this is you can do a survey and everyone has
their own bone to throw in the ring if you know what I'm saying. I'm gonna share with you what
I've done for decades and it works. Okay, you can decide and do your own opinion poll if you like.
But I'll share with you what I feel has been the best solution for me and my vehicles engines
and taking really good care of them. And I always have said this, I probably throw out,
not really throw out, but put in the recycled bin, the bucket 550 gallon drum of waste oil,
I have one down there now, it's got to be turned in. I throw out better motor oil than most people
have in their engine right now as I'm speaking. And what's my reason behind that? You know,
your owner's manual and manufacturers manuals that tell you what to do. I'll tell you what my
Volkswagen rep said when I was working for Volkswagen Canada, he said, Nile, he was,
he was, what was his nationality now? It'll come to me, come back to me in a minute. Anyways,
he was German. And he said, it's not the Bible, it is only a suggestion. And I go, wow.
I go, are you serious about that? He goes, it's just a suggestion is not cast in stone.
It's not the Bible is only suggestion only. Yeah. So there you go. There's the answer
right from the factory representative. They're just suggested maintenance is it's not cast in
stone folks. Period. Not a comma. It's in black and white. It's only a suggestion. And some of these
oil change intervals are off the freaking wall. That's all I can say from a mechanic's mindset.
I look at that and go, yeah, that's easy for you to say goes 16,000 or 32,000
or 40,000 kilometers before an oil change. It's not your rod bearings. It's not your
piston connect piston connecting rods. It's not your camshaft. lifters.
FYI, it's not your engine period. So if it wears out, because of your stupid suggestions,
who's paying? Oh, just a minute. My car. There's no warranty on it. I know it would be me.
Exactly. So folks, here's the deal. So Linda, thanks for bringing that up. You should be
checking your oil every single week. And the reason I say that do not assume the level doesn't
drop between oil changes. Do not. I could tell you story after
engines I changed because no one in the household out of all the drivers sharing the car took the
time to check the stinking motor oil. They just gas and go go. In fact,
just recently we shot a video only half the oil came out on the grand caravan.
Yeah, half. When I drove the vehicle into the shop, the oil monitoring light was on and was
The oil had been in there for a year and a half. Nobody checked it. And when I drained it off,
you'll see that in the video. I got half the oil out that was supposed to be in there. And I mean,
I let it ring itself out until it was just like one drip every two days. And all I got was just
about half. That would have blown that motor up. In fact, I, I scooted up to the door and I had
enough momentum to get into the shop and roll in with the key off. Because I didn't want to be that
guy. It's I'm, I'm, I'm the last one to touch it and it spins a rod bearing because there's not enough
engine oil. Period. So you need to check your motor oil every single week. Pick a day. This is
what I tell people. If you had our car connection fleet maintenance system in your hands, you would
see checking the oil on the, on the sheet. And it's environmentally friendly. I had them all
laminated. So use your a dry erase marker, which all comes with it. Everything comes with it to
get you set up and get going. And the instructions are like three lines. That's it. And you don't
need to Google anything. It's that simple. So checking your fluids is on there weekly to get
you into that routine. Is it Wednesday? Do it every Wednesday, even if it's raining out. Take
your umbrella, check the oil, have a look around on the hood, make sure there's no fluids. If you
see something on the ground underneath it, don't hesitate and wait to get it checked out when it
turns into a gusher. You want to get it in infant stage before it gets to that because a $200
repair can turn into a $5,000 repair ever so quickly. Let me tell you, seen it
now almost four and a half decades. People crying because they don't know how they're going to pay
for that replacement motor. And it was all because nobody bothered checking the oil.
Oil is cheap and fluids are cheap as compared to the components they're protecting. Don't ever
forget that. That is the basics. If you took an automotive class, you would hear
that from the instructor. Fluids and filters are cheap insurance items against the items that they're
protecting. Very cheap, inexpensive as compared to the components they're protecting for you.
So getting back to it for Linda and all of you, if Wednesday is your day to check the oil,
you check it every Wednesday. If it's raining too hard, I don't care, check the oil because that'll
be the day you drive the vehicle and you spin a rod bearing the motor's hammering. It's done
because it was raining out, period. If you're watching the weather and it says it's going to
rain on Wednesday, check it on Tuesday. But check the oil every single week. Do not assume
that the motor oil does not drop because it will. Because with today's engines,
if you're not driving something like I am 20 years old, it doesn't use a drop between oil
chains, not a drop, not a drip, not a lick or a snakey lick, nothing. Why? Because I'm protecting
that motor. I change my oil at every 3500k. That's what I do. Brand new oil, top of the line Wix filter.
No cheapy filters, folks. Yep, you want top drawer every single time. No cheap motor oil,
go for the top name brands all the time. Top name brands. Because the off brands, I really believe
that some of them are recycled motor oil. Just based on the science, sending them out and getting
checked, the ash level is not good. So I go with the name brand. I'm usually using Quaker State,
Castro, Valveline, Shell, etc. Etc. And so that's the name of that tune. But for you,
if you want to go 5000k, that's 5000k, not eight, not six and a half, five. So at four and a half,
you need to be contemplating getting booked in for an oil chain service. And none of these
drive-thrus, no disrespect, don't do the drive-thrus. Skippy underneath, oh sorry, no offense Skippy.
Skippy underneath is not a licensed tech. Is a kid learning something, no disrespect. But if
there's something going on under there, they don't know what they're looking at. You need a trained
eye and you're not pestering us licensed service techs to do your oil chain service for you,
something like that. It's a small service, but it's huge. It's a huge maintenance, huge, because I
can catch things before they get too big and cost you more money. So yes, get your automotive service
trained technician to do your oil chain service for you. These Rapid Center, Rapid Loops and stuff,
they have their place in the world. I've just never known where it is. I want a proper maintenance guy
that has a trained eye looking at my vehicle and changing the oil. So you're not bothering us to do
that. We're more than happy to do it for you and help you to take better care of your automobile.
So if it's every, you can do it every five or three months, whatever comes first. So if you're
driving your vehicle less, you need to change your motor oil more. Your vehicle falls in a category
called severe service. You need, your vehicle needs a lot more service than the guy and gal that's
that's pounding it up and down the highway 56 days a week. Your vehicle's sitting, the oil
and the fluids get contaminated with moisture and acids and that causes engine damage, component
damage. So we'll talk about that in more depth, but if you think you're saving your car by driving
it less, it's not true. You need more maintenance than I do. Way more because things rot off before
they wear off and fluids become contaminated faster in a shorter period of time. So you got to keep
that in mind. That's the way it works. Short trip vehicles, more maintenance, long trip vehicles
vehicles are working. They're working machines. They're working hard every day. So change your
oil every five K or three months, whichever comes first. Period. I don't care whether it's semi
synthetic chocolate with vanilla icing, whatever oil brand it is, whatever flavor of the month,
synthetic oil breaks down just like the rest of them. They get contaminated and there's no
sensor there. And I'll tell you right now, these oil change reminder things are for the freaking birds.
They work in the hands of the manufacturer getting you out of the car sooner by burning your engine
out. Do not wait for these oil reminder lights to come on. That's such a scam. That's the car game,
folks. They designed it to stretch your oil changes out so you wear your engine out sooner
than later. There's the game. Gig is up. The gig is up. We've known that since 1992 when the oil
reminder light system started coming out. We knew they wanted you to all the manufacturer says every
16,000 K. Really? Really? Do you see what happens to an engine in that time on the inside? You're
buying the next one. And that's the game, folks. That is the game. So check your oil once a week,
religiously, period, end of story. Number two, change your oil at the very highest every 5,000
kilometers. And a top notch filter. I use the Wix Gold brand have for decades. I trust the product
line to protect my engine all day long because a motor, it's going to unload about $16,000,
$17,000 for you. Just keep that in mind. That's a lot of oil changes, friends. All right, Linda,
great question. Michelle, we wrap up with Michelle. Question number three. My mechanic tells me my car
needs over $4,000 worth of repairs should said should oh hang on needs over $4,000 worth of repairs
and should consider replacing it rather than repair it. I don't know what to do. I can't afford to
replace it. Help me. Wow. That's heartbreaking. It really is. It's heartbreaking. It's easy for
someone to say oh just get rid of it. You know what I mean? You ever noticed people can always
fix your problems but they're you know it's kind of like the cobbler. The cobbler's kids have no shoes
but you need new shoes. It's kind of the same thing. You know it's easy for someone and I remember
one time in my shop one of my guys says oh that car is nothing but a piece of junk and I said
come here Jim. Jimbo, come here. Let me tell you something. I don't ever want to hear you say that
about a customer's car ever again. I said you know this young lady has three kids. Her husband left,
abandoned her. She's working three jobs and taking care of three little ones. Do you think
she can afford to buy the car of her dreams and maintain it and feed three little ones?
This car with that car whether you believe it or not is like a bar of gold to her. That's her
independence. That's her way of getting her kids to doctors, dentists, appointments, after school
programs to help the kids to grow and develop. I said and she's got to get herself to and from work
to have the money to pay for these kids and she's not sitting on her butt on the program on the dole.
She's not. She's working it. So you know what? Whatever we got to do to keep that car going for
her, that's her baby. It's not a piece of junk to her. That's her lifeline and after that discussion
that really tuned Jimbo up because he paid close attention and he said do you mind if I vacuum it
out for her and give it a wash? I go no, let's do it. Let's help her out. Let's do
what we can. She doesn't have time. He said no, I'm going to do that on my own
time. I said if you want to, absolutely. He said when I'm done, before she gets it back today,
I'm going to punch out and I want to vacuum it and wash it and clean it up for her. I said that would
be a really good thing. He said I'm really sorry I said that. I said I'm glad you said that because
I was going to kick your ass. Oh, sorry. Can I say that? But yeah, I really was. I said but I wanted
you to understand that that vehicle is every means everything to her, everything. And if it goes down,
heaven forbid, she doesn't know what she's going to do. So we got to keep it going no matter what.
So I'll tell you that every time that vehicle came in that day forward, Jimbo said I want to work on
that car and I'm going to clean it and wash it before she gets it back. How cool was that? There
was a lesson learned in that conversation. So Michelle, here's the deal. Foreground with the work.
I'd be looking at that and saying how can we break that up? How can we make that amount smaller,
but yet still accomplish keeping that vehicle in your hands a little longer? And when I say a little
longer, I mean another year or two, maybe the next two to five. Can we keep it going for the next two
to five to help you get into a position where you can buy something a little newer that's in your
price range and then we can continue to take care of it? Because folks, there's a lot of folks out
there where you don't want a vehicle under five grand is what they got to look for. And they got
to pick the best of the worst and make it work. And it's doable. It is very doable if the mindset
is there. So in this particular case, she's not the only one. I hear about it all the time and my
heart goes out there because you know, they're just trying to stay above the waterline. You know
what I'm saying? Just trying to keep their nose above the waterline. So for the tech to say,
you might as well just get, you should just get rid of it and go get something else.
A, they don't know where they're at in life. B, they don't know how important that car is to them.
And C, they just don't have the money to make it happen. So if I'm that tech, I'd be in her
corner saying, okay, all right, what do we need to do right now to keep it going and keep it safe?
What can we plan ahead for? Do I have any quality used parts in my inventory? And I used to do that
all the time. I had a mezzanine that was my junkyard. And I had everything tagged and bagged,
what it was, where it came from. And I harvested cars that were left behind by customers. So
that I had some used parts to help that single mom, to help that little lady, to help that struggling
family. It was just my labor to taking harvest some parts that could keep somebody going a little
longer, a little longer. That's what I did on my spare time when I closed the shop at night.
I'd strip a car, harvest what was harvestable and every six months go through what I call Niles
junkyard upstairs in the mezzanine and pull parts off that aren't moving and put some more other
parts up there. So one time I was able to help a young lady with three kids, the steering rack
went out and I had one on the shelf upstairs. And I said, you pay us the labor. And just you don't
owe me nothing for the parts. It worked out. That's a good thing. That's that's how we work
together, right? That's how we work together. So Michelle, don't worry. Ask that technician
a couple things and here it is. Is the structural integrity of the vehicle compromised in any way,
shape or form? Yes, no. It's a yes, no answer. If it's no, it's not compromised. Okay, we got
something to work with out of that 4000. How many of those things are safety related items?
And how many things could do I really, really need now or in the distant future or the near future?
So what needs to be repaired immediately right now to keep the vehicle safe and rolling under my
butt? What needs to be planned for for future repairs? And what can we put off for the distant
future and plan it out? Plan a strategy to get the car back to top drawer condition and keep that
thing going for that's your job as a tech. That's the way I see it. My job is to find a way where
there seems to be no way. What can I do? What can we muster up? Who can we ask a favor from
to keep that lady's car going? What can we do? Is always a way to take care of it if you really
want to. If you really, really want to help somebody, then find a way to do it. That's the way I was
taught by my military instructor was if you're out in the middle of nowhere, there's no way of
getting parts to you. Then you got to look at what can I do right now to get this thing mobile
and get it to where it needs to be fixed properly? What can we do? How can we improvise?
And so Michelle, that's what I'd be asking of your mechanic is that exact conversation? I don't have
the money to replace it right now. I need to keep it going. How can you help me to do that?
Can we break the repairs up into safety related later, much later, and break it up to get the
thing back in order so that you don't have to go in the hole and spend money you don't have
and put yourself upside down and sideways? So we dealt with a lot of that at our shop
on the Hamilton Mountain. There were families that, you know, they were struggling and I brought in
used tires from anywhere and everywhere that I could scavenge them from that were safe and
reliable, set them aside for that single mom or that widow. Hey, I got a pair of pre-owned tires,
85% rubber, $25 each, no charge to put them on for you. Done. We can all do something to sit there
and say we can't do anything. I'm sorry I can't help you. That is not acceptable. We can always
do something for somebody if we really, really want to. So Michelle, heads up. Do you need to
reach out a little bit more? You let me know if you need a referral to somebody.
Hopefully I have somebody that through our network we can find that can help you keep that car going.
So that wraps up today's program. Some fantastic questions. Enjoy your weekend. Be safe out there.
Happy healthy motoring. Peace, patience, and kindness always. Don't forget to like, share,
follow, leave your comments and most of all subscribe. If you're not subscribed, we need to
get those numbers up to help move the channel forward. Also to help us move forward, throw a
few bucks at us. If you can, buy me a coffee.com forward slash motormouth, N-I-L-E Nile, motormouth
Nile. Safe and easy online. Whatever you can do is great. If you can't do it, we totally understand
as well. We appreciate each and every one of you. Enjoy your weekend. We'll see you right back here
for another MotorMouth Morning Drive, 8 a.m. Monday morning. We'll wrap up the air conditioning
tutorial part number four on how to shut the air conditioning system down properly so that you
don't damage the system costing you a ton of money. So take care. We'll see you soon. in
the next one. Bye for now.
About this episode
Q&A Saturday on Car Connection Workshop kicks off with weekend driving reminders and a quick look at how the show evolved from radio to digital. The host then leans into maintenance-first ownership: “Maintenance matters,” with real-world mileage examples and a long-term cost argument for keeping older vehicles running. In Q&A, power-steering noise leads to leak checks, a flush-and-fill interval, and even an additive suggestion. The episode also includes a weather update and a fuel-saving challenge pitch, plus a teaser for the next air-conditioning tutorial wrap-up.
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