They’re working on a classic 1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Older cars like this used vacuum lines to control things like heating/door functions, so fixing or replacing one line can affect multiple systems.
A vacuum hose is a small tube that uses suction from the engine to run controls. If it cracks or leaks, the car may not heat/vent properly or may not move the HVAC doors the way it should.
The firewall is the wall of metal that separates the engine area from the inside of the car. When a hose comes out near the firewall, it usually means you have to reach into the cabin to get to it.
Vacuum supply refers to the source of vacuum (typically from the engine) that feeds a network of vacuum lines. In older cars, the vacuum supply is what powers multiple vacuum-operated actuators, so one problem in the supply line can affect several systems.
The dashboard is the front interior panel with the controls and gauges. If a vacuum line runs behind it, the mechanic may need to remove parts of the dash to get to the hose.
Idiot lights are basic warning lights that just say “something’s wrong.” Gauges show actual numbers, so you can see how hot or how much pressure you have instead of only getting a warning after it’s already a problem.
The radiator helps keep the engine from overheating by cooling the hot coolant. If it’s in bad shape, it can be part of the same repair as the heater system.
Term
derusted
Derusting means cleaning off rust from metal. It helps parts fit right and can prevent future corrosion problems.
The heater core can be made from different metals. Copper is one of those metals, and the host is pointing out that the copper core they bought didn’t match the needed fit.
Aluminum is another metal used to make heater cores. Here, the point is that the aluminum core fit correctly and sealed up well, so it worked as intended.
The instrument cluster is the part of the dashboard with the gauges and warning lights. It may need to come out or be loosened to reach HVAC components behind it.
The gauge cluster is the part of the dashboard that shows the car’s important info, like speed and engine readings. Here, the speaker says the plastic parts got old and brittle, so they broke apart when they took the dashboard out.
“Day air” means the parts were shipped using a fast delivery option so they arrive the same day or within a day. The point here is that the parts showed up quickly so the repair could move forward.
A Ford Maverick is a small pickup truck. Here, they’re talking about whether the engine is using too much oil and whether it’s worth paying a dealer for warranty/service coverage.
The Ford Five Hundred is a mid-size family car (a sedan) that was made in the 2000s. It’s the kind of car people discuss when they’re trying to figure out why it may run poorly or need repairs. A mechanic might bring it up because certain parts and systems can wear out over time.
An oil change is when the old engine oil is drained and replaced with fresh oil. They’re comparing shorter vs. longer time between oil changes to figure out why the oil level is dropping.
A service sheet is the paperwork from the shop that records what they found and what they did. The caller wants it to note the oil was low in case there’s a problem later.
A warranty is a promise from the seller that they’ll help pay for certain repairs for a set period. They’re debating whether buying a longer warranty makes sense when the car already seems to be using oil.
This is about the consequences of low engine oil. Engine oil lubricates moving parts and helps carry heat; if oil level drops, wear can accelerate and components can be damaged.
An oil consumption test is a way to check if an engine is using too much oil. They measure the oil level, drive for a set distance, then measure again to see how much oil disappeared.
A dipstick is the stick you pull out to see how much engine oil is in the engine. The host is describing how they check the oil level, then check again later to see if it dropped.
EcoBoost is Ford’s name for a turbo gas engine. The host is saying this turbo engine seems to start using oil after a few thousand miles, especially if you go longer between oil changes.
Full synthetic oil is a higher-grade engine oil. The host is saying that if you use the right synthetic oil for the car, the oil should last for the normal interval without the engine suddenly starting to burn or lose oil.
“Manufacturer spec” means the oil has to match what the car maker calls for. The host is basically saying: if you use the correct oil type/standard, the problem shouldn’t keep coming back.
A recall is when a car maker admits there’s a problem and offers a fix for affected vehicles. The host is saying there’s a recall coming/starting for certain Ford V6 twin-turbo engines.
The catalytic converter is a part that cleans up exhaust. If it fails—especially after oil starts getting burned—it can cause emissions problems and expensive repairs.
This is a Toyota Corolla, and they’re talking about changing the fluid in the automatic transmission. The key point is whether the shop used the exact type of fluid the car manufacturer recommends.
This is a service where a mechanic drains some of the old automatic transmission fluid and adds new fluid. It usually doesn’t replace every drop, so mixing fluid types can be a concern.
“T four” is the specific kind of transmission fluid Toyota wants for that Corolla. If a shop uses a different fluid type, it may not work the same way inside the transmission.
Non-synthetic fluid is the regular, conventional type of transmission fluid. The question here is whether it’s a problem that the shop used synthetic instead of the conventional fluid Toyota wanted.
“Universal fluid” means one type of transmission fluid that’s supposed to work in lots of different cars. The concern is that different transmissions need different fluid properties to shift smoothly and last a long time. The host is basically asking: can one fluid really fit all those different designs?
Transmission fluid isn’t just base liquid—it usually has additives mixed in. These additives help the transmission shift smoothly and protect internal parts from wear. Over time, the additives can wear out, which can lead to rough shifting.
A transmission fluid exchange is when a shop replaces the old, used fluid in your transmission with new fluid. The goal is to remove worn-out fluid that can cause rough shifting. The host also mentions there are different ways to do it, including using the cooler lines.
Transmission cooler lines are the hoses that move transmission fluid to a cooler so it doesn’t overheat. The host says you can sometimes do a fluid change by working through those hoses instead of using a special machine. It’s just another method to swap the fluid.
The host is saying you should use the right transmission fluid spec for Toyota, not just any generic fluid. Even if the car says the fluid doesn’t need changing, the fluid can still wear out and lose its shifting properties. So the “right type” matters for smooth shifts and longevity.
Term
WS fluid
“WS fluid” is a particular kind of Toyota transmission fluid. The host is saying that even when you use the right Toyota fluid, it can still get old and start causing rough shifts. Changing the fluid can sometimes fix the symptoms.
“Chatter” is when the transmission feels like it’s shaking, shuddering, or making a rough, rattly shift. The host says it can show up when the transmission fluid gets old and the shifts stop feeling smooth. It doesn’t always mean the transmission is doomed, but it’s a warning sign.
They’re talking about transmission fluid, which is the fluid that keeps the automatic transmission working and shifting smoothly. The host is debating when to change it and what type to use.
They’re talking about a Toyota van they own and using it as an example. The point is about how and when to service the transmission fluid so the transmission lasts longer.
Front wheel alignment refers to adjusting angles of the front tires—commonly camber, caster, and toe—so the tires track correctly and wear evenly. The caller is asking about clip-on phone tools that claim to measure alignment, and the host responds by questioning whether the tool fits the specific adjustment needs of older cars like a 1972 Chevelle.
The speaker brings up a 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle as an example of a classic car where wheel alignment involves a few key adjustments. Classic muscle cars like the Chevelle can be sensitive to alignment settings, so using the right procedure and tools matters.
Caster is the angle of the steering “pivot” when you look at the car from the side. It helps the steering feel stable and return to center after you turn.
A steering angle sensor tells the car how far and in what direction you’re turning the wheel. The car uses that info to help with stability and driver-assist features.
An alignment machine is the tool a shop uses to measure your wheel angles accurately. It helps them set up the suspension so the tires wear evenly and the car tracks correctly.
Term
four wheels
They’re pointing out that alignment usually isn’t only about the front tires. The rear wheels matter too for how the car tracks and how evenly the tires wear.
Here, “geometry” means the exact angles and relationships of the wheels and suspension. It’s why alignment isn’t just adjusting one wheel—it’s coordinating the whole car’s setup.
The Dodge Road Runner is an older American car that was made for quick acceleration and strong engine power. People still talk about it because it’s a performance model from decades ago, and older cars can have specific maintenance needs. It may come up when discussing how fuel and engine condition affect how the car runs.
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Ron an Inian, I need somebody, not just anybody, you know, I need someone.
There's a lot going on in the own industry right now behind the scenes, and you won't see it as a vehicle owner until your vehicle's on the lift, and then you get the bad news on either cost or lack of parts.
The Car Doctor, I see a lot of people talking about going from the zero twenty.
Wait to a you know, five thirty or something like that. Now,
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twenty zero zero twenty? I'm staying with zero twenty. Welcome
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Since nineteen ninety one.
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Here's an amazing act. Here's a tremendous act. Here's a
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Running.
Did you ever wonder where the universe began? Do you
ever think about that? Like, you know, somewhere it had
to start? And I thought of that this week when
I started to work on the Money Carlo, you know, b seventy two Money Carlo. You guys hear me talk
about from time to time quiet in the shop. Right now,
this time of year is kind of quiet, I mean pretty historically for a historic low for Ari Automotive. We
had three cars in the shop this week, which is kind of crazy, like it just doesn't happen. But everybody
around us, everything is slowing down. And is it the
economy the weather because it's so cold, you know, the Northeast is going God, we've seen cold, but it just it just doesn't work. So I don't know. So I
looked at Danny on Monday and I said, let's let's let's get going on the manty. Let's see what's going
on here. We actually started this the week before. There's
a little piece of vacuum hose that hangs out of the firewall on a seventy two Money Carlo and that's the main vacuum hose that feeds all the vacuum supply and controls for the heat to frost a seed to move the doors, because everything was done by vacuum back then.
And I think if I was going to describe this repair, you know, it's one of two ways. It's either here's
where it all began, because I think that vacuum hose, much like the universe, This was the first thing they put in the car when they built it right, and then they put everything else in because they get to this vacuum hose, which the mouse nicely, very thankfully. I'm
just so glad that this mouse came along shewed it off right where it came out of the firewall. I
mean there was you couldn't cheat and get a little bit out to go, oh, we'll just put a you know, a piece in, we'll making it that. No, it was
like he just flushed right with the firewall. I thought
of snowballs when I started this car. And I'm not
going to let Tom Ray talk right now because he can go up with some really bad thoughts. But you know,
it was just like the whole thing went. The road
downhill is paved with ice, because brother, we just slid all right. To get to this vacuum line, we had
to take out the dashboard. Okay, well, we're doing the dashboard,
we might as well do the gauge conversion because we're converting the car from idiot lights to gauges. All right,
I get that. We mus as well do the radio
because now we've got easier access to the radio. Okay,
I get that. We might as well get the seat
belt warning buzzer that lights up that little light on the dashboard that's really annoying and goes all the time while you're driving if the seat belts aren't plugged in.
And just oh hey, listen, we're looking at the back of the heater core box. Well, i'll tell you what,
I'm kind of spoiled. I forgot how much easier it
was to get the heater cores, or how much easier it is to get to some of the heater course today, because it was no fun back then. You risk everything
and might as well do the heater core that's you know, original, And since the block needed to be derusted and the radiator needed to be replaced because it was so badly rotted, that we muscle do a heater core, which that proved to be an event unto itself. I had to buy
two heater cores, all right, and I was tempted to buy a third. Not two from the same but two
from two different vendors, because I said to myself, this is going to be like the fifty five Chevy experience.
You just know one of them is going to work and one of them is going to be just close enough.
So yeah, I was right. The one that we got
out of the place out of Tennessee, which was actually copper and a very nice core, it just it just didn't fit right. It had some overlap to it. It
was just a hair too short. It didn't fit the
brackets to hold it down. We would have had to
start to bend to modify reshape. Now to their credit,
four Seasons, which is actually a division of Standard Motor propt or was it at some point I believe they still are. The four Seasons heater core made out of aluminum,
fit like a glove. Absolutely, you know, went right on,
sealed it up. It worked great. But you got to
buy two of everything. Got that done, got the heater
box back in. Now the problem the other problem that
came about on disassembly is we're snowballing along. Here was
the instrument cluster, there's a it was plastic. It was
this plastic cluster that bolted to the back of the metal plastic dashboard. That how's the gags or the idiot
lights now houses the gauges. You know, it's not a
good feeling when you're trying to disconnect things and all you hear is crack, crack, crack. Danny, are you doing
something with your knuckles now? Uh uh crack. And when
we got the dashboard out, we could see that the flexing and moving of the dashboard, the gauge cluster as they call it, which is plastic, was so brittle, so brittle, it just it just it just started to fall apart.
And it was kind of interesting because we went on all the manufacturers websites, were all the resuppliers, i should say, and you know it was described like this, here's the here's the instrument closer you need because they're so brittle that on disassembly they fall apart. Well, great, I'm glad
everybody knows this, but me, I should have checked this beforehand.
And of course, to show the popularity and the commonalty of this. Nobody had the part, which is the other issue. Right, Hey,
we're sold out. We expect to get one like three
months from never.
Uh.
I couldn't build a car today without the Internet. I
couldn't because I did some searching. And there is a
place in Illinois, the parts Place, not a paid commercial guise, but just the God's honest truth, the parts Place. And
I spoke to Danny, and Danny, you know, you can tell Danny's been doing this a while because he's tired, you know, he's just you can tell he's just fed up and frustrated to a degree. But super nice guy,
you know. And I want them over with my charming personality. Uh, specifically,
I think because I called him up and I had a list of parts and I need one of these and one of these, and one of these and one of these and one of these. And he's like, God,
do you want a job here? No, No, I don't
believe me. I've got enough trouble dealing with the one
I've got. I don't want to deal with everybody else's.
And they were able to, you know, to day air me the parts and I got them in two days and everything's right, and snowballing, you know, snowballs and auto repair.
You just you just sit there and say, how did I get into this? Now? As a witness to all this,
my executive producer Tom stopped in on Thursday for an oil change and he said, why is the Monte Carlos spread out in all four corners of the shop. And
I said, well, I'm kind of running out of horizontal surfaces.
You know, you're running out of places to put parts, and you've got pile created and we've got notes at each pile this, this goes here, this goes there, this goes there, put this here, remember this correct that snowballs.
I spent Friday yesterday was first Friday. We always take
first Friday off, and you know I spent part of the day First Friday yesterday at the shop and just kind of tinkered a little bit and got a little mental health back. And you know, the heater boxes back end,
the heater core has done everything sealed up that works really well, or it will work well. We were able
to start the car. We made sure all the vacuum
doors now work. It was kind of a historic moment.
We wiped out all the dust. You know, the things
that you do in the course of a restoration. This
was a Texas car. This car came out of Minard, Texas,
and the dust that got into the crevices and the crannies it was. It was kind of a hilarious moment
because the research door, the researchlation door sits on the right side a pillar, and the motor sits right there the vacuum control and I pulled it open by vacuum and Danny was looking. You know that Three Stooges episode
where Curly's trying to clean the stove and Moe's looking down the vent pipe I think it is, and Curly takes the vacuum and puts it on backwards and gets all the carbon, all the soot all over his face. Well,
that was kind of the All I heard was Danny coffin and gag and I said, did it come out?
Oh boy? Oh yeah, snowballing. How what a repair goes bad?
Sometimes it's just yea.
Well, when I brought the car in for the oil changed, Danny goes, yeah, it opens, the doors, come on in.
I'm like where I'm gonna run something over? Yeah, it
was right. And my lion Tom, we had every horizontal bench, top,
toolbox top, every spot in the shop.
There was nothing left to the car except the seats.
Right, Yeah, it's crazy. I'm telling you. That vacuum line
was the first part put in. Kathy came in on
Wednesday to work at her desk, and we were using her desk. She has, Kathy, our office girl and full
time part time assistant secretary executive producer research. Kathy to
this radio show as well. You know. She sat hunched
by her chair and she's like, because now I've got the gauge cluster over there and all the delicate stuff, and don't touch this, and don't touch that, and don't mess this pile of bolts because they're all organized and numbered and lettered into series and shape and size. So
it's snowballs. If you find something missing, let me know.
I'll look in my car. You may have ended up
in there gotten those. Well, I'll tell you what it's.
It's so anyway, I'm looking forward to next week. Maybe
it'll stay as quiet as it has been. I can
hopefully get the thing back together. Well, I still have
her in my head about this one here and that went there. But just interesting. Right February is always a
funny month in order repair. But anyway, I'm running Ady
in the car Doctor, abily assisted as always by the great executive producer, chief engineer, cooking bottle washer Tom Ray.
We'll both return right after this. Don't go anywhere. Hey,
let's get over to build New York State. Some problems
with a twenty five Ford Maverick bill looking for the car Doctor. Sure, how can I help?
Thank you?
Yeah, I have like seventeen thousand miles on it. I've
been getting the oil changed about every three thousand miles.
But last time I went, I went a little longer, was forty five hundred, and it was down almost the court.
It was like right to the ad mark, and I figured it shouldn't be using that oil. But I talked
to the Ford dealer and they said, unless it's low, they know they basically I don't want to know about it, and that I wanted them.
To put something on my service sheet to say that it was low in case I had a problem at another time, but they want to do that. But I
was wondering, what you thought about For three thousand, I could get a six year, one hundred and twenty five thousand mile warranty from them.
And what did you think about that? And what's burning
that oil is going to do to everything else?
Well, you know, all solid questions, Bill, And my concern would be that I'm gonna listen, I'm gonna call it like I see it. I don't think they're giving you
a great service right now. So why would I spend
three thousand dollars to have them look at it and solve the problem that may or may not happen again in the future. Right I'm not saying not to do
the extended plan, but I'd find a better dealer. I'd
find somebody that wants to help solve my problem, or at least has an interest in me beyond. Hey, you
bought the car to check clear to see you, you know, at the very least, at the very least, in my opinion, they owe you an oil consumption test. Bill came in
on Bill. Bill came in on such and such a day.
We changed the oil. We checked, the oil level was
at this mark on the dipstick. Bill came back a
thousand miles later, the oil was okay. Hey, Bill came
back two thousand miles later, the oil was okay. Bill
came back at the three thousand mile mark, Hey, it's down half a court. What what we're seeing and it's
going on nationwide at this point, is that the Maverick This is the two Leader eco boost engine. Yes, yeah,
the two Leader ego boost somewhere in that three to five thousand mile range. If it goes a little long,
they're starting to consume oil. And I'm going to tell
you from a mechanical perspective, it's as the oil starts to break down and wear out. I'm not saying it's
worn out at three thousand, but it's as the oil starts to accumulate miles. You change the oil and the
problem is gone for the first couple thousand miles, and then it starts over again. You know, Is it that
the oil change interval is too long? I don't necessarily
think so. I think you know, a modern day engine
five months, five thousand miles, a good full synthetic oil that meets manufacturer spec it should be fine. Does Ford
have the right speck Doyle? Are they missing an additive
in that oil? And that's possible, right, I would I
would at least talk to Ford Corporate and say, hey, here's what happened. I'm not thrilled with my new twenty
five Maverick. I should have bought a Toyota. Yeah, although
the Toyota engines blow up, that's a whole another Although I heard I read the other day that they're starting that recall for the V six twin turbos and we're going to cover that in the future. So, you know,
I think it's time to go back to that Ford dealer and talk to the service manager and say, hey, do you think this is an acceptable answer? Right I
I I think yeah, I think they owe you an explanation, right.
You know, is this the dealer you bought the vehicle from.
Yes?
Is this the first vehicle you bought from this dealership? No,
it's probably about the okay, perfect do you always go to the same salesperson.
I did before, but he left, so it's somebody different.
I went to the salesperson and he said there was nothing he could do. They have to do in the back.
Another guy that doesn't care about customer satisfaction, right, Yeah, you know it's it's it's like Mom always said, you let people go long enough, they'll show you who they really are. So have you talked to the service manager.
Yet no, because he was busy and basically couldn't get to him. I'm just done with the dealer.
So here, do this, Bill, Just do this one last time.
Let's see how dumb they really are. All right, Get
get the name of the owner of the dealership, the principal, right, get his email, probably find it on the website on contact us. Put the put the put the sales manager,
the service manager, the owner of the dealership on the email. Hey,
this is Bill. Blah blah blah. This has been my experience.
This is what happened. Why aren't we running an oil
consumption test? I have concerns because you're right, as that
engine starts to use oil, guess were all the burnt oil's going out the exhaust? Yeah, and guess what it's
Guess what it's gonna coat? Right? Right? So, not at
ten thousand miles, not at forty thousand miles, but at eighty thousand miles when you have the what I'll tell you right now is an early premature catalytic converter failure, and it's at a warranty at eighty five thousand miles.
Guess who's on the Guess who's on the hook for it. Yeah,
you know, this is like going to a This is like going to a restaurant and having a bad cheeseburger and spending three grand to ensure that you get a better cheeseburger. So you don't get into gestion. Why would
you give that more money to prove how badly they can do their job. They can't do it right in
the first place, right, Yeah, that's true.
Yeah, I just thought that if there was a problem, because obviously I'm going like twenty thousand.
Miles a year, right right now, your years you're thinking, you're thinking, right, I mean, listen, I'm not saying don't do an extended warranty. I'm look, I'm looking for an
answer that's gonna make me happy on how Ford's treated me with this vehicle, because maybe I'm not keeping this vehicle's painful and financially expensive. That might be maybe they're
showing you who they are, right and to me, it's to me, it's it's so easy to do. Let's do
an oil change, Let's do an oil consumption test. It's
done on so many other vehicles, and it's not an unreasonable request, all right.
Yeah, So I know some of them they already like recall them, but not right.
Yep, there's some problems with the cylinder heads on that engine.
There are some known engine issues there. Proceed down that path.
Let's give them one more chance, and if that doesn't work, another dealer. And if that doesn't work, Oh, toyota, what
a feeling. I'm running ay in the car? Doctor A
five five five six zero. Well, it's the truth, isn't it.
Eight five five five six zero nine nine zero zero.
I'll be back right after this. Don't go in from
the city streets to the old roads.
If you ride, run.
We'll keep you round. Yeah, he's the conductor. Corvis, done right,
Thank you boys in the band. Hey, listen, I've got
a little bit of radio business that I'm going to ask you guys to help me with. If you could
help us, it would really be appreciated. Tell your friends,
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You know, we are looking to try and you know, get over the hump and get over the hurdle. And
we can always use a few more likes on Facebook.
We could always use a few more views on YouTube.
Some really great content coming up on the YouTube channel.
The next two weeks, we did a trans service using the latest machine from Mala, the ATX two eighty and we kind of walk you through the process of how you do the service and some of the features and options you can do to do a trans service. I
know a lot of you have questions about that, and that will probably get published if it's not this Sunday.
If it's not tomorrow Sunday at three o'clock, it'll be the following Sunday. So somewhere within the next two weeks.
Check out the Roninanian the Car Doctor YouTube channel. You'll
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Oh for Toyota Corolla. Mike, what's going on here?
Yeah, as you said, I have a two thousand and four Toyota Corolla. It's got a one hundred and thirty
thousand mills and I had I had an automatic transmission fluid drain and fill done and a synthetic was used, and the Toyota recommends a T four.
Which right, type type four type four fluid.
Right, yep, yep, conventional fluid yep. And like I say,
they put a U and that's not a non. That's
not a non. That is a non synthetic fluid.
Correct.
And so I'm wondering should I or and you mix it to I guess, and wondering what your opinion is about that, and what would you do at this point if it were your car. I realized they didn't change
all of the transmission fluid. I guess probably was pretty
near half or a little less than half that it was.
Yeah, yep, you probably got about thirty of it out of it. You know, a lot of guys use synthetic transfluid,
and I see this debate raging all over the place.
I'm a conventional trans oil type of guy, all right, only because and you know it's well, first of all, let's let's preface the question, right. You know, transmission fluids,
I don't think. I think if you get one hundred
and fifty to one hundred and eighty thousand miles out of the original trans you did really well. For whatever reason,
transmissions don't hold up or don't seem to have the ability to hold up as an engine would. I've seen
engines with three hundred thousand miles on them, and yes, somebody will you know, prove me wrong, and we'll get an internet troll to write me a nasty email saying, ron, I've got four hundred thousand miles on my transmission. Congratulations,
you're the one. You know it's it's most of the time,
even with reasonable care, somewhere in that one hundred and fifty to two hundred thousand mile mark, we're doing some kind of transmission repair, replacement, et cetera. Transmission fluid in
my opinion need to be changed on a consistent regular basis, All right, as it gets older? You know, everything in
life is about cause and effect. If I spend an
extra fifty dollars on synthetic fluid, and the interval the normal service interval is every fifty thousand miles, am I gonna let it go till seventy? Am I going to
let it go till eighty? Where if I did that
service every fifty and I did three of those, and I was watching fluid, watching leaks, watching performance, looking for particulate, looking for the trans to start to break down, looking at fluid discoloration, Aren't I better off doing that as the little old man gets older, rather than taking me in for his physical and check up when he turns ninety and saying, how are his lungsy's been smoking all this time?
Yeah? I fatuld make comment here. One thing that threw
me off, because I'm saying that I had the transmission fluid replaced at one hundred and thirty thousand miles. One
thing that's thrown me off all along is on the transmission dipstick, and I would check it occasionally. It says
on there not to change the transmission fluid under normal conditions.
So it kind of threw me off out of high school.
This is back in nineteen seventy. I had worked I
took Automo mechanics for the engine, but not the full car.
Back in high school A used to offer that. And anyway,
back then, once I graduated, I worked for the brother in law who had an automotive shop, and I picked up quite a few things. But I remember, back in
those days, Ford had their own, Chevy had their own you know, it seems like every make had their own transmissions.
And they still do.
And you'd go in there and you'd want to transmission change, transmission fluid change, and they would get what the you know what they recommended what that manufacturer recommended the stuff here.
I don't know if I should mention the name of it, the fluid. It's called a service Pro Global Fool Synthetic
Automatic Transmission Fluid. They have quite a They have quite
a list. I went on the site. They have quite
a list for a lot of manufacturers and I'm surprised even BMW, Mercedes, Portia, Jaguar, et cetera. And it seems
like a one size fits all. And I'm thinking, is
that possible. That's that's that's why I called up.
It's it's it's it's kind of scary to me that they're going to say one fluid fits every manufacturer under each other, you know, Mike, let me let me preface it this way. Would I use it? I would if
they gave me a written guarantee that if the trans failed, they're going to cover it. You know, only because only
because we're living in a day in an age where I can get I can get any fluid I want within hours. It's not a matter of it's not a
matter of availability. It's is it a question of will
it last longer?
Boy?
I'm telling you, you know, you look at some of the additive packages they're putting in transmissions, and you look at some of the fluids, and some of the change in some of the ways that they've designed the fluid to operate. I don't know that we need to do that,
you know, if I was in the middle of and no offense to Oklahoma, right, but Oklahoma in my mind, being from New Jersey, where you know, you stick your elbow at the window, you hit your neighbor, Oklahoma to me, is you know, lots available room and lots of space Texas, Colorado, et cetera. If I'm in a part of the country
where it's difficult getting fluid, maybe that's the application I want to use. Or maybe I'm just going to order
things three days ahead of time. But I can't. I
can't see. You'd really have to convince me and explain
to me why a universal fluid in the day and modern age of fluid availability, why I would want to do that. Now, to get onto the other part of
your question before I run out of time, what would I do in your scenario, I'd put about I'd put about four or five thousand miles on that transmission, and I would take it to I would take it to my local shop and have a fluid exchange done. I
would get the rest of the fluid out I would I would do an exchange either by trans cooler line. Now,
they don't necessarily need a transmission fluid exchange machine. It
makes life easier, right, but they can do it through the cooler lines, disconnecting the hoses and doing a fill into a bucket and a fill up the hose. It
can be done. That transmission has a dipstick, so adding
fluid becomes a lot easier, and be honest with you, I see no reason not to use type for Toyota fluid, right And even though that stick says never needs to be serviced, that's kind of a different conversation, all right, because the truth is additive packages. There are additive packages
added to transfluid that helps promote their life and endurance and friction and stickability and all sorts of other things.
And the fluid does wear out, all right. And I've
talked about this where I've had Toyotas that run on WS fluid where they get to that seventy thousand mile mark and the transs start to chatter and they have rough shifts and they're not smooth, and you're like, oh my god, I need a transmission. You change the fluid,
the problem goes away. So yeah, I.
Believe see that is one of the reasons I'm calling because I have a van also about the same mileage, and I've never changed the transition fluid in that we kind of van. And if it's a Toyota Siena, right.
Well, I you know what I would I I'm a gambler.
There's there are some there are some disadvantages and some possible problems on changing trans fluid that long term hasn't been serviced. But I like to know when my stuff
is going to fail, so I would change the fluid.
I would first do a drain and fill, get out a little bit, let it again four or five thousand miles, like you did with this other one, and then I would do a fluid exchange and get the rest of it out. But I, You've got to really convince me
why I would want to stray and go from manufacturer specific fluid. And I'm not saying it has to come
from Toyota. There's a lot of sources for a tight
four trans fluid from other places. But to start putting
universal fits all brother transmissions are too expensive to take the gamble with. I just can't see it, and I
don't understand why anybody would do it. You'd have to
really convince me. And that's about where I'm gonna leave it. Mike.
I appreciate the call. You be well A five five
five six zero nine nine zero zero. The car Doctor's
coming back right after this. Let's well, we're back. Let's
go to Kevin and Florida. Kevin, what's going on? Hey, Ron.
How's it going all right?
Sir? How can I help?
I've been seeing advertisements for these new tools that you clip your iPhone to you or your cell phone too, and you download an app and you can do a four wheel or a front wheel alignment on your cars.
If you saw them, and what do you think of them?
I've seen them. What you make? Model car are we
talking about?
I'll just any car you can put it on. You
can use it on any car. I guess I think if.
I was trying to line up the wheels on a seventy two Chevelle, maybe because there's three basic adjustments. But
you know, for a modern day automobile, camber castor toast center line, steering access inclination and all the rest, and then and then the involvement of ados automated driver assist and you know, having to be steering angle sensor sensitive and your sensor position sensitive and everything else.
You know, you don't think a cell phone could do all that.
Well, let me answer it this way, right, let me let me answer it this way. You've heard of MIT, Yeah,
right up in MIT, the great institution up in Boston.
They just got a terror hurts microscope, all right, and this terror hurts. Microscope can actually look at super conducting electrons,
which is something that is obviously they I've never seen before.
They can look through quantum physics and they can actually see movement at a sub atomic level that they've never seen.
If I were to put one of those apps under that microscope to look at it, I still couldn't find a reason on why they would exist, because to me, it just it just doesn't make any sense. You can
go down to an alignment shop that's competent, that's got the right equipment, the right training, and you know if there's an issue. Now that having been said, have you
tried getting alignments done? There's always a reason somebody asked
me that question, and it can't just be about cost, all right. Is it that you've tried getting alignments done
and you know you haven't gotten them done right? Or
is there more to it than that.
No.
I just saw the tool and it caught my attention and I was wondering I think of them.
I think those tools are there for the guys with the tuner cars that are you know, going to the track and they're trying to change adjustments and alignments and angles and but I can't. I can't believe that a
tool one dollar app can take the place of a seventy thousand dollars alignment machine on a consistent, repeatable basis and cover all the angles. Because we're not just aligning
the front wheels. We're aligning four wheels. You know, we're
aligning those wheels to the center of the vehicle. There's
so many more angles and so much more geometry to consider that. Again, if I put it under the terror
Hertz microscope at MIT, I still wouldn't be able to find a reason why those exist. All right, Kevin, I
gotta go, babe, you'd be well. Thank you for the call.
I appreciate it. Take good care. You're welcome. Bye bye.
I'm on an ay in the guard. Doctor. We are
back right after this, boy, we are. We are just
rolling along this islan and we gotta wind it down there.
I'm just getting going. This one's from my buddy Dodge
down there in Delaware to Dodge Road. And hey, Ron,
if you're using true fuel, which is a non ethanol blended fuel for snowblowers, lawnlowers, small engines, et cetera, he writes, if you're using true fuel, and a snowblower, and I finished with it for the winter. Do you still drain
the fuel and run the engine dry? Yes? I do
because I can, because it's fairly easy to do, all right.
And I will leave the fuel in there over the course of the over the course of the winter. You know,
I'll get the blower out early November, fill it up, let it run, YadA, yaha yah. Winter here in New
Jersey can last five months, so till the end of March.
Don't have an issue, right, But then he goes on to say, I asked because I have a generator that has quite an involved storage process, but the manual keeps referring to E fifteen with no mention of true fuel or pure gas. I don't think you should have an
issue with true fuel, all right. I've run it in
every small engine I've ever had for the last well, I don't know how long has it been available, ten fifteen years, probably longer actually, when I think about it.
We used to have a generator at the house, which was a traditional you know, roller around on a cart plug in. You could plug in a main extension cord
and power up the refrigerator, the furnace. I actually had
the house wired, so I had like a subpanel for the panel that I could turn that panel on, power through the generator, run the fridge, the furnace. One room.
We picked one room in the house where we could run the lights, the TV, the internet. It was the
room with the fireplace, etc. In the event of a
bad snowstorm, you could stay warm. That generator I still
started every three months. I had it set at the
beginning of each quarter, first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, and so on that first Saturday, I would always go out and spend a half hour just running the blower to make or running the generator to make sure that it ran. I kept True Fuel in that never never
changed from it, never drained it out. It was always active.
It was always in there. Did I forget once in
a while to go out and do the generator. Yeah,
I'd be lying if I said I didn't. You know,
there were periods of time six months, you know, one time I probably forgot about it for longer than that, and I came back to it and it still worked.
I will take true Fuel, you know, ethanol free and true fuel happens to be the brand name, but I will take true Fuel home depot right, and I've got a collection. I've got an assortment. It could be a year,
a year and a half old. I'll use it in
the blower and away we go. It works fine, so
I don't have a problem with it. If it's a
process to shut down the generator, dodge, leave it in, keep running it. You should be checking in on a
regular basis anyway. But I've had very very good success
with it. I hope that answers it for you. Till
the next time. I'm ronnin Andy and the Car Doctor,
absolutely loving every minute with you. Guys. Remember, good mechanics
aren't expensive, they're priceless. See ya, hey, car Doctor curR
Advice to write
About this episode
Ron Ananian walks through classic-car repairs that hinge on access and sourcing—vacuum lines near the firewall, dashboard removal, and brittle gauge-cluster plastic that can “start to fall apart.” He also shares heater-core fitment lessons (copper not fitting, aluminum sealing well) and restoration wins like getting vacuum doors working again. The show then pivots to modern ownership questions: Ford Maverick oil consumption tests, dealer warranty logic, and transmission-fluid service choices, plus a debate over phone-based alignment tools and winter fuel storage.
