Preparing a Vehicle for Winter, Gas Milage Problems, Starter Issues
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Term
cooling system
The cooling system keeps the engine from getting too hot. It uses a liquid called coolant to absorb heat from the engine and release it through the radiator.
Term
defrost
Defrost is a setting in your car that helps clear the windshield of ice or fog. It uses warm, dry air to make it easier to see while driving.
Term
compressor
A compressor helps cool the air in your car. It takes a special gas, compresses it, and helps keep the air inside your car dry and clear, especially on foggy days.
Term
hybrid vehicles
A hybrid vehicle is a car that uses both gas and electricity to run. This helps it save fuel and produce less pollution than regular cars that only use gas.
Term
electric vehicles
Electric vehicles are cars that run only on electricity, not gas. They use big batteries to power the car and don't produce any exhaust fumes like regular cars do.
Term
fuel injection
Fuel injection is a way to get fuel into a car's engine more efficiently than the old method called carburetors. It helps the engine run better and cleaner.
Term
electric power steering
Electric power steering is a system that helps you steer the car using an electric motor instead of the older hydraulic systems. It makes turning the wheel easier and can save fuel.
Car
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a famous sports car from America. The 1976 version is known for its cool looks and fast performance, making it a popular choice among car enthusiasts.
Term
torque converter
A torque converter is a part in automatic cars that helps the engine work smoothly with the transmission. If it goes bad, the car might not accelerate well or could have shifting problems.
Term
carbureted vehicle
A carbureted vehicle is one that uses a device called a carburetor to mix air and fuel for the engine. This method was popular in older cars but has mostly been replaced by newer technology that uses fuel injectors.
Part
accelerator pump
The accelerator pump helps your car's engine get extra fuel quickly when you press the gas pedal hard. This makes the car respond faster when you want to speed up.
Part
carburetor
The carburetor is a part of the engine that mixes air and fuel together so the engine can run. It's important for making sure the car has the right amount of fuel to work properly.
Car
Lincoln LS
The Lincoln LS is a luxury car made by Lincoln, a division of Ford. It was sold between 1999 and 2006 and is known for being comfortable and stylish.
Car
GMC Terrain
The GMC Terrain is a small SUV that has room for passengers and cargo. It's designed for comfort and has modern features that make driving easier and more enjoyable.
Car
Chevrolet Corvair
The Chevrolet Corvair is a small car that was made in the 1960s. It became famous because a book said it wasn't safe to drive.
Term
Unsafe at Any Speed
'Unsafe at Any Speed' is a book that talks about how some cars, like the Corvair, were not safe to drive. It helped people think more about car safety.
Car
Chevrolet Impala
The Chevy Impala is a large car made by Chevrolet. The 2012 version is known for being roomy and comfortable, making it a popular choice for families.
Part
alternator
The alternator is a part of the car that helps keep the battery charged and powers the lights and radio while you drive. If it stops working, the car can have problems starting or running.
Part
starter
The starter is a small motor in your car that helps get the engine running. When you turn the key, it spins the engine so it can start working.
Term
starting fluid
Starting fluid is a spray that helps engines start, especially when they're having trouble. It makes it easier for the engine to catch fire and run, especially in cold weather.
Term
air fuel and spark
For an engine to run, it needs three things: air, fuel, and a spark. The air and fuel mix together, and the spark ignites that mixture to make the engine work.
Car
Jeep Cherokee
The Jeep Cherokee is a type of SUV that can handle rough terrain and is good for both city driving and outdoor adventures. The 2016 version has different engine choices and modern features.
Part
brake caliper
The brake caliper is a part of the car that helps the brakes work. It holds the brake pads and pushes them against the wheels to stop the car. If it's cracked, it could cause problems with stopping safely.
Part
brake hoses
Brake hoses are the tubes that carry the fluid needed to make the brakes work. If they are damaged, it can cause the brakes to fail, which is very serious.
Term
hydraulic system
A hydraulic system uses liquid to help move parts in a car, like the brakes. If there's a problem with this system, it can make the brakes stop working properly.
Car
Ford Edge
The Ford Edge is a type of SUV that is larger than a car but smaller than a full-size SUV. It's designed for families and offers a lot of space for passengers and cargo.
Term
turbocharged
A turbocharged engine has a special device called a turbocharger that helps it produce more power. It does this by pushing more air into the engine, which helps it run better.
Term
misfire
A misfire happens when the engine doesn't fire properly in one of its cylinders, which can make the car run poorly or feel shaky.
Part
spark plug
A spark plug helps start the engine by creating a small spark that ignites the fuel. If it's worn out, the engine might not run well.
Part
coil
A coil, or ignition coil, helps create the spark that starts the engine. If it's not working well, the engine might misfire.
Car
Chevrolet Equinox
The Chevrolet Equinox is a type of SUV, which is a larger vehicle that can carry more people and cargo. It's known for being comfortable and good on gas.
Brand
Volvo
Volvo is a car company from Sweden that makes safe and reliable cars. They are known for their sturdy designs and commitment to safety features.
Term
tread wear indicator
A tread wear indicator is a small bump inside the tire tread that shows you when the tire is too worn out. When the tire gets low, this bump becomes visible, letting you know it's time to get new tires.
Car
Ford Super Duty
The Ford Super Duty is a series of tough trucks designed for heavy work, like towing trailers or carrying heavy loads.
Term
knock sensor
A knock sensor helps the engine know if it's making a knocking noise, which can mean something is wrong. It helps keep the engine running smoothly.
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Here it is another Saturday in CCO Land. This is the 4th of October and back talking cars, trucks, vans, and the problems you may be having with yours and before you bring in your vehicle for service.
You might want to know what could be wrong with it. Well, there's a way to solve that. At least get more information.
Nick Stalfel from Lloyd's Automotive is back with us. Nick, good morning. Welcome back.
Good morning. Thank you. As you know, my son and I went out west for a long weekend and had a blast. We went to San Diego and caught a baseball game, saw an air show.
He even tried surfing. So it was quite the adventure, I can tell you.
Some great memories there. Boy, you won't regret that for sure. Well, welcome back. Sounds like you had a great time.
Well, Nick, as usual, our buddy Dan was filling in for Nick last week. And as you know, Nick, Dan did a pretty fair job.
He's the master. We both know that.
He's good. But it's good to have you back. And let's invite our listeners to join in if you have any issues with your vehicle.
Or maybe you just want to ask a mechanical question. Whatever the case may be, Nick is an ASC certified technician.
But he runs the joint at Lloyd's Automotive on the beautiful Grand Avenue in St. Paul.
And a great place. Always enjoy my visit there, even if I have to get my car repaired. There's the place to go.
But let's give the phone number, which is also the text number. If you want to call and chat with Nick, great.
If it's easier for you to send your questions via text, here is the one number for either 6514619226.
Nick, I'm looking at the forecast and I hear Al saying it's going to be 9091 or so today.
And still warm again tomorrow than the change. But folks are already thinking, I think, ahead of winter, maybe not only car storage.
But the question basically, after I waved through a few sentences, is what can you do to get your vehicle ready for winter?
I know we're jumping ahead with the hot weather today, but I think it's a good question.
What kind of advice, what are some things we could do ahead of the game?
Well, this is absolutely the time of the year to get that vehicle in. You know, if you're old enough, like some of us,
remember we got 30 inches of snow on Halloween here, some years back. So it can happen.
So it's still a few weeks away at a minimum, but you need to get on somebody's schedule.
Those tires, the suspension, the brakes, you know, we want to check the wiper blades.
We want to check the cooling system. You just want to make sure that in the event that the weather does change quickly,
you're not behind the game because at that point, everybody's schedule is past full.
So this is the time to get on the schedule, make the appointment, say I just want to get ready for what's coming next.
You know, replace the tires, rotate the tires, a lot of variables there.
But I think it's fair to say get the car in, give it a good once over before the weather does turn on us.
You know, I think it came about with a question when Dan was visiting last week.
The air conditioner, even in the wintertime, can be pretty useful, can it not?
Absolutely. What happens when you put the defrost on, even though you have it on hot heat, you know,
it still turns the compressor to dry the air, so it's blowing the dry air on the windshield to clear it,
so it's not all fogged up. We all hop in our car and get it running and all that, you know,
from us breathing in any, like our wet boots or whatever,
all that moisture will kind of kind of make that front windshield kind of foggy.
Well, the compressor is drying the air as it's circulating through
and it gets that windshield nice and clear for you, so it definitely has an effect on how well the defrost works.
How has, let's see if I can read this right, how has the mechanics job changed
since hybrid and electric vehicles came on the scene? That's a good question.
It is a good question, and I would say hybrids have been around longer than we realize,
and electric vehicles are very similar. I mean, the batteries are bigger,
the electric motors are larger, obviously, but for the most part, if you've been doing it long enough,
you've gotten a taste of it, you've gotten a feel for it, you've had some training on it,
and, you know, more sensors, more components that have, you know, funny little quirks about them,
but for the most part, it's, you know, kind of going about our business.
You know, we went from, you know, going way back carburetors to fuel injection,
you know, all this electronics, all the computer controlled items, you know,
we have electric power steering. I mean, there's a lot of things that have evolved with vehicles
and we keep our folks up on training, which kind of helps them keep ahead of the curve there,
so when it does come into the shop, we're prepared.
And again, we talk about this from time to time, but when you and your technicians
have to kind of re-qualify, or whatever the term may be, to get that master technician status,
how often is that done? Every few years or what?
Yeah, the certifications every five years, and you've got to keep on top of them,
which I think might be due.
I'm sorry to bring that up.
I don't do well sitting for long, so, you know, they have all these different tests,
and it was, well, to me, I would take them all at once, but they don't like that.
But every five years, you know, they break them down into different categories.
We're very proud that all of our technicians are master technicians.
You know, it speaks not necessarily their complete ability,
but the seriousness of that considered a career.
It's not just a job.
And everyone we have working with us, we want to work together until they retire.
You know, we participate in retirement.
We want them to be able to save money, so their families can have a wonderful life
as they raise their children's, and also as they exit their working career,
they get a wonderful retirement to do the things that they deserve.
So, you know, the certifications, there's a little piece of it,
but I think it's a good commitment on our staff to show that, you know,
they want to be part of an important team.
Yeah, it's a good gig.
It's really a good job.
I mean, like you said, the guys, and I'm sure, I mean, you've had people
hanging out to work with Lloyds for many years, long-term people.
Well, yeah, Suds is over 20 years.
Jim's getting close.
Matt's over 20 years.
Chris has got to be pushing 15.
Tim's been there for, you know, probably 20.
I mean, you don't realize how fast it goes, and then you look at our Facebook feed
and you see a picture of me 20 years ago, like there's no gray and I was skinny.
What happened?
Tell me about it.
I know that.
I can relate to that.
Call us or text us with any kind of a car care question you may have.
It's 6514619226.
Here's one for you that just came in.
In a 1976 Corvette, oh my.
How do we know if the torque converter is going bad?
That's a fair question.
Just for the record, zero is born, so I don't have to know.
I would say if it's starting to chatter, if it's, you know, the slipping thing,
I don't know because that could be anything, you know, low pump pressure,
clutches could be worn.
You know, that's a tough question.
I guess I'd have to do a little research and probably drive the vehicle,
try to get a feel for it.
I don't have a definite answer there.
Yeah, I would probably check some forums, check around town, you know,
maybe start researching the folks that still work on that vintage vehicle
and it's getting a little bit older.
And, you know, they start asking some questions, you know,
there's not too many car shows left, obviously the seasons are changing,
but sometimes there's these Friday night meetups,
find one of those, talk to those folks.
There's resources out there.
I'm just at this point probably not the right person to answer that.
Well, there are so many resources these days.
When is the last time you saw a carbureted vehicle?
There's one there right now.
Is there really?
It's not what we do, you know, and we, to be honest,
we turn most of that work away because we're just not efficient at it,
you know, I'm proficient at it.
We don't, most of the guys haven't seen that stuff since school at all,
but there's still a few of those regular customers
that bring in those vehicles and longer that I've worked there
and you're not going to turn them away because they're kind of,
I guess you could say, grandfathered in.
Sure.
And we work through it, we work around it, you know,
we put our heads together, we can figure just about anything.
You know, and the biggest issue is finding the pieces, you know,
so if there's something with an accelerator pump or something with,
Oh, sure.
One of the valves or the float's gone bad in the carburetor,
finding that replacement piece can be a little difficult.
Obviously, online you can find lots of stuff,
but I can also tell you from experience
the one-size-fits-alls don't always work right.
So we're very careful not to dig into that,
so it's not what we do, we're not taking in any more of that kind of business.
There's a few still out there that come in simply because they always have,
and like I said, they're part of the family,
so we're not going to turn them away, but you know, you get online,
you know, go to those meetups, find some folks out there,
there's folks out there that still work on them,
they're still very, very good at working on them.
It just kind of passed what we do at Lloyd's.
All right.
If you want to ask the mechanic any kind of a car care question,
you don't have to be a motor head or gear head to do so.
Nothing technical, just for fun.
Or maybe you do have some issues with your car, your truck, your van.
You want to know what could be wrong.
Ask Nick, call it in, text it in.
Here's our number for either 6514619226.
From News Talk 830W, CCO, stay with us.
And welcome back to CCO's Car Care Show.
We're here thanks to Nick Stalfel from Lloyd's Automotive.
Every Saturday, right after the 7 o'clock news break,
we're going to ask the mechanic any kind of a question you want at 6514619226.
But keep in mind, we always like to say this.
I ask that question sooner rather than later.
Nick takes his leave about 7.45 or so, of course, by so quickly.
So call us or text us with any kind of a car care question you may have.
Let's go to the phones.
Randy is checking in from Manoka this morning.
Randy, good morning.
What is your question for Nick?
Hello, Randy.
Testing.
One, two, three.
Randy, are you with us?
Hmm.
I guess Randy's not with us.
Well, we can help him with his car, but I'm not sure I can do much with his phone.
With his phone.
Maybe it's just a technical glick.
We'll hang in there in the meantime.
Are you there, Randy?
No.
Randy's not with us.
Well, you call back, Randy, if there's some connection.
I was looking at a text.
Okay, I'm reading it as it's coming in.
I call Lloyd's Automotive a few days ago for some advice on my power steering.
Awesome advice.
You do that from time to time, don't you?
You always offer the listener.
Just call with a question at Lloyd's, right?
Yeah.
And I know taking your vehicle and it can be intimidating and cars have got more complicated
and, you know, you don't have to know.
You don't.
You just have to share what you're experiencing to the best detail that you can,
which can be hard to get people to do also.
I don't have any time to say, you know, get a little no pad in your vehicle.
You're experiencing some sort of problem or concern.
Write it down.
The conditions, the first driver of the day,
any of those little details really help not just us,
but any shop mechanic dealership get to the bottom of the problem.
So if you have a question like, hey, here's what I'm thinking.
Here's what I'm feeling.
How can you help me?
We can walk through it with you and explain what our point of view is.
Because when you do bring that vehicle in wherever it is,
that information is critical to us figuring out what's happening quicker.
Which does save you money.
The more time we spend, the more it costs.
So anything you can do to help, we greatly appreciate.
Absolutely.
The more information, the better.
By the way, for folks that maybe need help,
where are you guys located?
And again, give us a quick info about that.
Yeah.
Like you said earlier, we're in St. Paul on Grand Avenue.
Our planters up front are about at their peak.
You know, this nice extended summer has really allowed them to really bang their massive.
So they probably have a couple more weeks before they're gone.
But around Grand Avenue, which is 982 Grand Avenue in the corner of Grand and Chatsworth,
stop and say hi.
It's a beautiful, it's cooler this week, but it's seasonable.
So it'll be a nice day for a walk.
If you have a question, like you said, you can always call us.
You can reach us at 651-228-1316.
And if you want to check out our website, I'd appreciate that,
which is loyinsautomotive.net.
We'll get you that info before Nick leaves us,
which is about 745 or so.
So call us at Texas, any kind of a car care question,
651-4619-226.
Back to the phones.
Clem's calling in from Red Wing.
Love that city.
Clem, good morning.
What's your question for Nick?
Good morning and thanks for taking my call.
Say, I've got an older Lincoln.
That happens to be a 2005 LS.
And it, the alarm, the car's locked,
and the car can be sitting there with no noise around,
the alarm just takes off.
Maybe only for about 15 seconds or so when it stops,
and I might go all day, and it's fine.
And then I walk by the car, or I'm in the shop,
and the alarm takes off.
Anything you can help me with that.
I'll hang up and listen.
Well, I believe there's something called the GEM module,
which might process some of those different door switches.
If a door switch in a latch or out of sequence,
a lot of little things like you mentioned,
the vehicle's a little bit older.
Some of these levers are a bit worn.
Some of these sensor resets are a little bit worn.
The difficult part is going to be trying to figure out
which one, you know, new vehicles.
There's computers in pretty much every system,
and there's fault codes for every single component.
This is a little bit older.
It's going to require a voltmeter in some time.
You know, one thing I would say, you know,
I wonder if we ever notice the door jar light on,
or if you can try to see, you know,
if the alarm is going off, if you open or close the door,
lock or unlock the door,
if anything kind of a ritual can make a change.
So, you know, back to what I had said earlier,
you know, you get that notepad and say,
hey, I noticed it was going off.
I go out and I exercise the driver's door,
the passenger's door, or the door lock.
You know, if it has an electronic lock
or if it's the key lock.
You know, all these little different things
that you can try,
and if that can make the situation change,
make note of it,
because that gives us a clue where we can start.
So when the alarm's going off
and you do something with a particular door,
we know that maybe it's constricted in that area.
Maybe there's some wiring that's damaged.
You know, there's a lot of little things
that happen to vehicles as they age,
you know, or that time of the year
where some of the critters start making their way in
and start nibbling on wiring
and make nests in different places.
So, this type of vehicle is going to take some patience,
some time, a voltmeter, wiring diagram,
and you know, the best hope is that the car will act up
while someone's looking at it
so therefore they can pinpoint what it is.
Very good.
Lots of calls coming in this morning.
Nice to hear people's voices.
Randy from Monoca is back.
Randy, good morning.
What's the question for Nick?
Morning, gentlemen.
I've got a 2025 GMC terrain I've had of the year.
We've been averaging 15-6 or something on the trip meter.
The last couple trips,
Rainer, Duluth, or whatever I said,
my trip meter,
and I'm down to 10-6 to 10-8.
I'm buying gas at the same place
and I don't know should I just bring it in
or I'm not sure what I should do
because it dropped 25%.
Yeah, that definitely is not right.
I wonder if it's not and how it's reading.
Here's what I would like to ask you to do
is let the tank get low on fuel,
fill it up, write down your mileage,
drive it, a tank of fuel,
refill it, write down your mileage again,
figure out how many gallons you use
and the actual miles that you drove.
I understand the car is doing the math,
but maybe there's something wrong
with how the car is doing the math.
If the car was using that much more fuel
on the same drive cycle,
the check engine would be on.
There would be something noticeably wrong with the vehicle.
It can't run on that much more fuel
without something being wrong.
If something was wrong,
the warning indicators would be illuminated.
I think the first thing you can do
is get actual math written down.
If it is getting 10 miles to the gallon truly,
you can take this into the dealership
and say, hey, I filled it with this mileage.
I refilled it with this mileage.
These are the gallons I put in it.
Here's my receipt.
Here's my fuel economy.
What's going on versus starting all over?
You've already done that first step or two to help them.
If you come to find out it's like 18 like you have been getting,
there's something wrong with the software
that it's not calculating correctly.
That's more likely my path, I think, you're headed,
but I think you need to get actual miles
and actual gallons written down
to figure out truly what it is.
I want to alert Connie and Victor on the phone.
Stay where you are.
We're just going to take a break for the forecast
and be right back with more car talks.
Connie and Victor hang in there.
I was thinking about Randy's question.
Randy's calling in from Anoka
where a million years ago I took my driver's test,
my road test, and I did pass, by the way, surprisingly.
But the vehicle I drove was a buddy of mine.
He lent it to me for that.
It was, and Bob lent me, his Corvair.
Ralph Nader's unsafe at any speed car.
And I want to tell you that thing turned on a dime.
Just when I saw the word in Anoka,
so were the roads paved yet out there?
Yes, yeah.
Well, it was kind of rutted because of these stage coaches.
I was going to say.
All right, Nick, you hang on.
We'll see if we can get you back here.
Oh, we have technical difficulties.
We lost Nick.
No, you stay right there, Nick.
We'll have a look.
Connie and Victor, we'll get to your calls
right after the weather.
Here on News Talk 830 WCCO.
And welcome back to CCO's Car Care Show.
Coming along here along with Nick Stoffel,
ASE certified technician from Lloyd's Automotive in St. Paul.
Nick, we've got some callers and some textures
we want to pick up on, too, in a moment.
Connie is first up here calling from St. Paul.
Hi, Connie.
Thanks for waiting.
What's your question?
I have a quick question.
Thank you both for CCO, you, Denny,
and Nick for having this.
It's a wonderful thing.
I listened to it as an older woman.
Thank you.
I have a 2012 Chevy Impala.
When I was coming home from my daughter's last night,
and I started the car, and then all of a sudden,
I think it's the alternator that started it
when blank on the screen.
I couldn't put it in park or anything.
And then I tried to restart it again
and started it up, and it went,
but luckily I got home.
So is this a start of a starter going out
or an alternator or whatever they are?
Well, so the starter is the little motor
that spins the engine to get it going.
Depending, like I don't want to say yes,
replace the starter without having to experience that.
So what I would ask of you is,
just kind of plan your day and your next few days carefully.
When you go out to start the vehicle,
make note of what's happening.
Is it just a click?
Is it spinning?
Is it a bunch of clicks?
And what you do differently to get it to start
after you try again.
So therefore, when you bring the vehicle into your shop,
they can hopefully experience the same problem.
If it happened last night
and it doesn't happen for a week,
I start to think maybe it was a one-off,
which can happen, keep in mind.
But just for the next few days,
I'd be very careful of my plans.
Just make sure you don't end up somewhere where you're stuck.
And if it seems to be working fine,
you can get some more confidence than maybe,
like I said, maybe it's just a one-off situation.
Very good.
Connie, thanks for your comments.
Appreciate you listening.
Of course.
Victor calling in from Dayton, I believe.
Maybe Victor is still there.
I hope you had your patient.
Thank you, Victor.
What's your question?
Say, this is a vehicle that's been set in a couple years.
We took a pull the distributor out,
took a electric drill.
I got 40 PSI,
put it back in again as a pre-oil,
the pre-oil engine.
And then I was tired,
broke the off, put it off.
Where is the pressure relief going?
That's built.
Pressure relief up on the oil
is probably part of the pump.
But if you spun the, you took the distributor out,
put a drill there and primed it all,
I would think that should be fine.
Maybe a little bit of starting fluid down the carbure
into the intake to get the thing fired up.
But if it's not starting at that point,
the three things you need to make an engine run,
it's air fuel and spark.
Maybe that distributor,
did it get back in the right spot?
Is the timing correct?
There's a couple different variables
you probably need to look a little further into.
Nick, if I had text listeners
sent this in 2016 Jeep Cherokee,
they were told they have a small crack
in one of the brake calipers.
Question is, is it a, quote,
must repair that comes from Emma in Wyoming?
A small crack in a brake caliper.
If a brake caliper is cracked,
yes, you have to get that replaced immediately
because that's the whole hydraulic unit
that applies those brakes.
I'm not sure that she's hearing that correctly.
I'm thinking they're telling us
a crack in the brake hoses,
which are also equally important.
You know, they're aligned hose
and it's under a tremendous amount of pressure
when we apply those brakes.
You know, the hydraulic system is very critical
and you don't want anything to
leak, burst, brake, crack,
because that will affect your braking immediately.
So I would say, depending to,
you know, maybe get a clarification
on what you're being told for sure,
and then at that point I would say,
depending on what it is, ask.
You know, ask her the second opinion,
but usually with brakes,
if that's something you want to put on,
you need to stop.
Safety, absolutely.
Let's grab another phone call.
Roger, is this my reading correct?
Calling from Tennessee.
Roger, are you in Tennessee?
Yes, I am.
Well, what part of Tennessee?
I live about a half hour north of Nashville
in a city called White House.
Outstanding.
Well, thanks for calling in
to CCO Radio in Minnesota this morning.
Roger, what can we do for you?
Yes, I have a 2020 Ford Edge
2.0 turbocharged,
and every time I start it up,
it hesitates as I journey on the road
for maybe five minutes,
and after that it all clears up,
and I don't have any much problem with it
for the rest of the time,
but it's getting frustrating every time
you send it, it hesitates.
I didn't know if there was some solution to that.
Yeah, you know, Fords aren't always good at setting codes
if there's a misfire.
I wonder if there's not something doing that warm-up
where the fuel, air mixture,
a spark plug is a bit worn,
or a coil is a bit stressed
that you have a slight misfire on one of those cylinders.
There might be a way that somebody can connect
an OE level scan to and watch that data
to see what's going on on all four cylinders.
I mean, if something's not working properly,
creating that hesitation,
I think you'd see the difference
between the two cylinders.
And then at that point, once we know,
is it air-fueled and spark-like?
I just mentioned the last caller.
So I think the first thing we need to do
is isolate which cylinder it is.
Good information, we know it's on a startup.
It's a cold engine, so what's different at that point?
Well, maybe the program,
it isn't fully in the closed loop.
You know, some different strategies
at different drive cycles.
So I would say get the vehicle to the shop,
let them have it overnight,
and now connect the scan to drive it,
experience that hesitation,
look at all four cylinders,
and see which one is misbehaving.
Always fun to get calls or texts
from out of state.
Thanks, Raj. Appreciate that.
7.38 in the morning,
we're heading for 91 degrees in the Twin Cities today.
Here is a text question.
Thanks for the show.
You're welcome. 2013 Equinox.
We've got to get this fixed.
The radio turns on,
but then turns off right away.
It has not worked at all since this started.
Might that be a fuse or an easy fix?
My husband doesn't want to spend any more money
to fix the car.
He's had a lot of engine problems over the years.
What would you suggest
or what would you do
researching that radio problem?
I would wonder if at some point
in time in the life of the vehicle
something spilled and the button,
because usually when it comes on
and it's like the button's not fully depressed,
you can clean that out if the button's come off.
Maybe you can carefully pop that off.
Get a Q-tip in there if there's any debris,
any stickiness, maybe take a little bit of alcohol
and kind of clear that up.
That could be a possibility.
And as far as cost,
something that vintage you might be able to find a used one
which isn't probably horribly expensive,
so it might be a reasonable effort
to get that radio back on.
Because like you had said, if they can't listen to us,
there's probably no reason to even go anywhere.
That's right. Absolutely.
And we were talking about Anoka.
Just to clarify, Texter says
Anoka was established 10 years before St. Paul
as were its paved roads.
That doesn't mean we don't know how many are.
So, you know, let's be fair here.
We won't go there.
All right, another text before we let you go this morning.
There's a 1997
Volvo wagon base model.
The key fobs no longer lock,
sunlocks, doors.
Replace the batteries in both fobs.
We've always used only one of the two key fobs.
The second one was seldom used.
Is there a way to test the fobs
transmitting function
as well as testing the receiver component?
The keys will lock
and unlock all doors.
So the keys work.
Yeah, the keys work.
The fact that both transponders don't work.
I'm thinking something with the receiver.
I doubt that that vintage is nothing
you can connect to it.
Probably get on some forums.
Like Powers and Grounds and different voltage readings
to try to figure it out.
But I suspect it's like
the transmitter inside,
the responder inside the vehicle itself.
Even if that to find one at that vintage
might be tough.
I think there's an outfit out in western Wisconsin
that kind of specializes in some older
Volvo parts, which might be
a good lead there.
But it's going to just trying to find the wiring diagram
which might take some digging up.
Get the voltmeter out, check your Powers and Grounds
as it should be.
It's likely the receiver inside the vehicle.
A listener wants to know,
this is a good question.
How do I check my tire treads?
What's the process?
I see you and your crews doing it.
But what's the magic?
How does a homeowner
or a do-it-yourselfer
check the tire?
When you look at a tire, as they become worn
it's more obvious. There's a little wear bar
that's at 330 seconds designed into every tire.
So as the tires become worn, you'll see
looking through the tread at the deepest part
you might see this little tab there.
As you get closer to that tab
that's 330 seconds. That's kind of like the limit.
Even at that being said
I think
330 seconds, 430 seconds on today's vehicles
is probably getting too low.
The suspensions
and the tire designs, if you get some good snow
you'll find yourself slipping and sliding.
So if it's a spring time
and people are getting to that marker
you might say give it a couple months
throughout the summer, use up what you have
going into the winter months
we want to be price savvy
and conscious with our money, but the last thing you want to do
is try to say, well I'll just get these tires in a couple months
we end up with some snow
you end up slipping into summer because your tires are worn
now you need tires and body work on your vehicle.
So avoid the second one
if the tires are getting kind of close
watch the forecast pay attention
but definitely get a fresh of the tires
before we get snow.
I'm going to scoot real fast but I see Larry
just called in from Inver Grove Heights
I don't want to leave somebody out here.
Larry, what is your question for Nick?
Hi, great, thank you for taking my call
listening all the time. Anyways
I got a 2014 Ford
Super Duty
it's the 6.2 gas
and I've had a check engine light
which I've checked with a hand
two different handheld scanners
and it comes back to a
knock sensor
now my question is this, Nick
if I take it into a dealer
and they've got the big expensive
computer diagnosis
can they tell me which knock
sensor it is and then
is there a possibility it's not
really a knock sensor but a weak coil
or something?
I'll listen. Depending on the code
if it talks about like a circuit
portion or functionality a lot of times
the codes can vary there
and if there is multiple, if there's two knock sensors
one vehicle, yes there should be a type it's A or B
and with what they can do
too is that with their testing
or with the data points they can actually read
the information from the sensor so if the sensor's not sent
anything back we kind of eliminated a coil
well if the sensor seems to be functioning
well now we have to kind of regroup
we're getting a knock sensor fault
because it's predetination, it's knocking
well now is it a timing issue
like you said is it a weak coil injector
there's some other paths we go but we first need to determine
what kind of code it is
and what kind of data is coming out of the sensors
Very good, thanks for doing that Nick
I know we have to run, thanks for everything
how do we find Lloyd's Automotive again?
Yes sir, so if you're in St. Paul
we're on the corner of Grand in Chatsworth
which is 982 grand
if you have a question we will always try to help
651-228-1316
you can find all that information
more at our website which is
LloydsAutomotive.net
Thanks for everything Nick, have a great week
and we'll talk to you one week from today
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About this episode
As winter approaches, Nick Stalfel from Lloyd's Automotive shares essential tips for preparing your vehicle for colder weather, including checking tires, brakes, and the cooling system. The episode also addresses common vehicle issues like gas mileage drops and starter problems, with insights on how to diagnose these issues effectively. Listeners call in with specific questions about older vehicles, hybrid technology, and maintenance advice, making for an informative and engaging discussion.
Original notes
Steps to take to get a vehicle ready for winter. How mechanics maintain hybrid and electric vehicles. Getting certified as a master technician. Working on carborated vehicles. Why a vehicle may suddenly have poor gas milage. Signs a starter is going out. When it is time for new tires. Ask our car care expert Nick Stoffel of Lloyds Automotive. Visit lloydsautomotive.net 651-228-1316.
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