Ron Ananian The Car Doctor Apr 18, 2026

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - April 18, 2026 - Hour 1 - The Swear Jar Story

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34:05

Concept

Right to Repair

Right to Repair means you (and independent mechanics) should be able to fix your car without being blocked by the manufacturer. It’s about getting the information and parts needed to do the job.

Topic

swear jar

A swear jar is a fun rule where you put money in a jar when you say a bad word. Here, Ron uses it to talk about what it’s like behind the scenes in a repair shop.

Concept

The host emphasizes that a shop’s “presentation” (cleanliness, landscaping, organization) shapes customer perception. This is especially important in auto service because trust and comfort affect how customers view the work and the shop’s professionalism.

Concept

first impressions

First impressions are what customers notice right when they enter. If the shop looks clean and organized, people tend to feel better about leaving their car there.

Car

Chevrolet Chevelle

A 1972 Chevelle is an older Chevrolet muscle car. The caller is saying he’s had his for a long time and now it needs help with the air conditioning system.

Part

radiator

The radiator helps keep the engine from overheating by cooling the hot fluid that runs through the engine. If it’s old or clogged, the car can run hotter than it should.

Part

condenser

In an air-conditioning system, the condenser is the heat exchanger that rejects heat from the refrigerant to the outside air. If the condenser is old, clogged, or inefficient—especially on a vintage car—AC performance can be weak or unreliable, and it can affect how well the system cools.

Term

capillary tube

A capillary tube is a tiny tube in the A/C system that helps control refrigerant flow. If it’s restricted or blocked, the A/C can’t move the right amount of refrigerant to cool properly. It’s a common “small part, big effect” component.

Term

A/C machine

An A/C machine is the professional tool used to service a car’s air conditioning. It can remove refrigerant, pull a vacuum to check for leaks, and then refill the system correctly. It’s much more reliable than “guessing” with DIY methods.

Term

pull a vacuum

Pulling a vacuum means the tech uses the A/C machine to suck out air and moisture from the system. Then they watch to see if the vacuum holds—if it doesn’t, there’s likely a leak. It’s an important step before adding refrigerant.

Term

compressor oil level

The compressor has oil inside it, and it needs the right amount to run without damaging itself. If the oil level is low, the A/C may fail again even after recharging. That’s why a tech checks the oil level as part of diagnosis.

Term

charge it

Charging the A/C means adding refrigerant back into the system. The amount has to be right; otherwise the A/C won’t cool properly and can wear out parts faster. In this segment, the host is saying to only charge after the system passes basic checks.

Term

refrigerant charge (pounds)

Refrigerant charge is how much refrigerant the A/C system is supposed to have. If you put in too little or too much, the A/C can act weird or stop working well. The exact number depends on the specific system.

Term

evaporator

Your car’s A/C has a part that gets cold inside the dashboard. That cold part is the evaporator, and it’s where refrigerant turns into a gas while it pulls heat out of the air. If airflow is blocked or the seals/tubes are bad, it won’t get cold enough.

Term

system pressures

A/C techs check pressures in the refrigerant lines to see how the system is behaving. If the pressures don’t match what they should be, it can mean the refrigerant charge is off or something in the airflow/evaporator isn’t working. It’s basically a diagnostic shortcut.

Term

low side

The A/C has a high-pressure side and a low-pressure side. The low side is the part that’s colder and is connected to the evaporator. Checking it helps you figure out whether the A/C is actually cooling the evaporator properly.

Term

dash pad

The dash pad is the plastic/trim cover on the dashboard. Taking it off can expose the HVAC parts behind it, where airflow problems or worn seals can cause weak A/C cooling. It’s often necessary for deeper diagnosis.

Term

dry rotted

Dry rot means old rubber or plastic has gotten brittle and cracked. If seals or tubes behind the dashboard are dry rotted, air may not flow correctly to the A/C cooling area. Then the A/C won’t blow as cold even if the refrigerant is okay.

Term

evaperator

In your car’s air conditioning, the evaporator is where the refrigerant gets cold. If it doesn’t make the air cold enough to reach the cabin, the A/C won’t cool you down.

Term

styrofoam seals

Those foam seals help direct the air from the vents into the cabin. If they’re cracked, cold air can leak out behind the dashboard instead of coming out where you feel it.

Term

blower

The blower is the fan that moves air through the heating and A/C system. If air is coming out in the wrong place, it usually means something isn’t sealed or routed correctly.

Concept

vacuum controls

Vacuum controls are how some cars move the HVAC flaps inside the dash using suction. When vacuum isn’t reaching the controls, the air can’t be directed correctly.

Term

red vacuum hose

Some older cars use vacuum lines to control the air direction and temperature settings. If that red vacuum hose is broken, the heater/A/C controls may not work right.

Term

One thirty four

“One thirty four” is a type of air-conditioning refrigerant (R-134a). It only helps if the A/C system doesn’t leak and is set up correctly.

Part

rubber isolator

Rubber isolators are small rubber mounts that help stop vibration from traveling into the car. If you’re replacing the part they attach to, you also need the correct isolators so everything lines up and mounts securely.

Term

aftermarket refurbishment kit

A refurbishment kit is a package of replacement parts that helps you fix or upgrade an older component. Instead of replacing everything, it lets you refresh the system with updated parts and controls.

Term

R-134a

R-134a is a refrigerant commonly used in many automotive A/C systems (especially after older refrigerants were phased out). The speaker mentions getting the POA valve to work with R-134a as the system exists, implying compatibility considerations when converting or servicing older A/C.

Term

POA valve

The POA valve is part of the car’s A/C that helps control how the system runs based on pressure. If it’s old or failing, people may rebuild it or modify it so the A/C cycles more reliably.

Term

cycling compressor

A cycling compressor doesn’t run the A/C compressor all the time. It turns it on and off to keep the system at the right cooling level without overworking it.

Term

galvanic reaction

Galvanic reaction is corrosion that occurs when two dissimilar metals are in contact, especially in the presence of an electrolyte. The speaker notes a potential issue where an aluminum-threaded component meets a steel tube, which can fuse together over time.

Concept

preference for Arizona cars (dry climate) for disassembly

The speaker suggests that cars from dry climates like Arizona may have less corrosion, making older fittings easier to separate. This is a practical ownership/repair consideration because corrosion can prevent components from coming apart for rebuilding.

Concept

keep it all original

He’s basically saying: if your car is still original (or close), try to keep the original parts instead of swapping in a modern aftermarket setup. That way the car stays true to how it came from the factory.

Term

after market system

An aftermarket system is something added that wasn’t originally installed by the manufacturer. Ron thinks it can change the car’s appearance and feel, especially if you’re trying to keep it original.

Term

GM A six compressors

A compressor is the part that actually pumps the refrigerant through the air-conditioning system. Ron is saying there are still companies making replacement compressors for some older GM setups.

Term

R twelve charge

R-12 is an older type of air-conditioning refrigerant. When charging an older system, you can’t just guess—you need to add the right amount, usually starting low and topping up carefully.

Term

gauges

The gauges tell you what the air-conditioning system is doing while you charge it. Watching them helps you add the right amount without overfilling.

Term

oil level in the compressor

The compressor needs the right amount of oil to keep it lubricated. If the oil level is wrong, the A/C can wear out faster or not work properly.

Company

Alma Products dot Com

Alma Products is a company that makes or supplies older air-conditioning parts. Ron suggests it as a good place to find components when you can’t get them easily elsewhere.

Company

Vintage Air dot Com

Vintage Air sells air-conditioning parts that are designed to fit older cars. If your classic car’s A/C is missing parts or needs upgrades, they’re a place to look.

Concept

overheating problem

Overheating means the engine is getting too hot. That can happen when coolant can’t circulate properly or when there’s a leak or blockage somewhere in the cooling system. If it keeps happening, it can damage the engine.

Term

V eight

A V8 is an engine with eight cylinders. It makes a lot of power, but it also makes a lot of heat. If the cooling system isn’t working well, a V8 can overheat.

Part

rear soft plugs

Those “soft plugs” are small metal plugs in the engine block that help seal coolant passages. If one rusts out, coolant can leak and the engine can start running hot. Debris getting in can make the problem worse.

Concept

GM assembly line 1950

The speaker is contrasting older GM assembly-line practices with modern manufacturing. In the 1950 era, production emphasized speed and standardized steps, but quality control and cleanliness standards were different than today’s highly controlled processes. The point is that older cars could be assembled with more debris/contamination risk, which can matter when diagnosing issues like overheating.

Concept

cars are not as mechanical today

They’re saying modern cars depend more on computers than on simple mechanical parts. That changes how you find problems—today you often need diagnostic tools to read codes and sensor data. Older cars were more “hands-on” to troubleshoot.

Term

zero twenty

“Zero twenty” is a type of engine oil grade (0W-20). It’s chosen by the manufacturer for how it flows, especially when the engine is cold. Using a different oil grade can sometimes make the car run poorly.

Term

oil viscosity

Oil viscosity is basically how thick the oil is. If you use oil that’s too thick or too thin for what the car was designed for, the engine can run differently. Sometimes that can cause problems that don’t show up immediately.

Term

misfire condition

A misfire is when the engine doesn’t burn fuel correctly in one or more cylinders. The car may feel rough or run poorly, and it can trigger warning lights. In this story, the misfire was connected to using the wrong oil.

Concept

ECU calibration sensitivity to oil spec

Cars are controlled by a computer that’s tuned for specific conditions. If you use the wrong oil, the engine can behave differently than the computer expects. That mismatch can lead to problems that are hard to figure out at first.

Term

five forty

“Five forty” is another engine oil grade (5W-40) that’s thicker than “zero twenty.” If your car is designed for a thinner oil, the thicker oil can change how things operate. In this story, it was linked to a misfire.

Term

valve job

A valve job is service work that restores or replaces components in the engine’s valve train, typically involving valve grinding/lapping and reseating. It’s often discussed for older engines where valve wear required periodic attention. The segment uses it to contrast “back in the day” maintenance expectations with modern engine service intervals.

Term

park clubs

This phrase doesn’t clearly match a known car service term. It sounds like the speaker is describing an annual maintenance habit, but the exact item is unclear from the transcript.

Term

gamma goats

“Gamma goats” is likely a transcription error for a military vehicle nickname. In U.S. Army slang, “Gama Goat” is commonly used to refer to the M274A5 “Mule” (a small tracked amphibious vehicle). The speaker is asking/answering what that is in context of their service.

Concept

six wheel drive

Six-wheel drive means the vehicle sends power to all six wheels. That helps it grip better when the ground is slippery or rough.

Concept

big floatation tires

“Floatation tires” are oversized, low-pressure tires designed to spread the vehicle’s weight over soft surfaces like mud or sand. That increases traction and reduces the chance of getting stuck, which fits the vehicle description of swimming and mountain travel.

Concept

carrier trailer (not a tractor and trailer)

They’re saying it wasn’t a normal truck-and-trailer setup. Instead, it was a special kind of trailer arrangement designed to move heavy stuff in difficult terrain.

Concept

private garage stuff

They’re describing working in independent repair shops instead of dealership service. That can change how cars get fixed and where parts come from.

Brand

Montgomery Ward

Montgomery Ward was a big department-store retailer in the U.S. The guest is just mentioning they worked there, and how that kind of business has disappeared over time.

Brand

Sears

Sears is another well-known U.S. retailer. They’re just talking about it because the guest and host are comparing old retail/service businesses.

Car

Chevrolet Silverado

The Chevrolet Silverado is a pickup truck. A 2000 Silverado is an older truck that some people keep because it’s useful and familiar.

Car

2015 Equinox

The Chevrolet Equinox is a small SUV people use for everyday driving. Here, it’s just being mentioned as one of the cars the person drives regularly.

Car

Tesla My Model

The Tesla Model Y is an electric SUV, which means it runs on electricity instead of gas. You charge it by plugging it in, and it’s designed for everyday driving with room for passengers and cargo. It’s mentioned because it’s a common modern alternative to older cars.

Car

Model A

The Model A is an old Ford that people restore. The discussion here is basically about how hard it can be to find the right replacement parts when you’re fixing one up.

Concept

date-coded parts

Some old car parts have dates on them that show when they were made. Restorers look for the right date so the car is more accurate to how it left the factory.

Concept

junkyard parts sourcing

Junkyard parts sourcing means going to salvage yards to find used parts. It was a common way to keep older cars alive, especially when new parts weren’t available.

Topic

Carlisle in Pennsylvania

Carlisle, Pennsylvania is referenced as a destination for selling off collected parts after a cross-country junkyard-style trip. It’s commonly associated with large vintage car events and swap-meet culture, which is why it comes up in restoration-part discussions.

Brand

Orange County Choppers

Orange County Choppers is a well-known custom motorcycle company. They’re brought up here because the car show had a connection to that custom-vehicle scene.

Car

Mercedes

The caller says “Bernie nineteen Mercedes,” which indicates the vehicle is a Mercedes from the 2019 model year. Mercedes vehicles can vary a lot by model, so the key takeaway is that the advice is being tailored to a specific Mercedes-year vehicle.

Car

conversion van Diesel

They have a diesel conversion van that they’re using like an RV. Diesel vehicles and RV-style trips usually mean you should do extra pre-trip checks so you don’t get stuck far from help.

Concept

preventative maintenance

Preventative maintenance means doing checks and service before something breaks. It’s like getting ahead of problems so your trip is less likely to turn into an emergency repair.

Term

scan tool

A scan tool plugs into your car and reads “error codes” from the computer. It helps you understand what’s wrong and whether it’s serious or just something minor.

Term

fault codes

Fault codes are the car’s way of telling you something is off. A scan tool reads them so you can figure out what system is affected and how urgent it is.

Term

delete something

Deleting a code can make the warning light go away, but it doesn’t necessarily fix what caused the problem. If the issue is still there, the code usually comes back.

Term

OBD two

OBD-II is the car’s built-in self-check system. A scan tool plugs in and can read error codes so you can see what the car thinks is wrong. Since it’s standardized, many different scan tools work on most cars.

Term

update procedures

Diagnostic tools need updates, like phone apps do. Updates help the scanner work with newer cars and understand what the car is telling you. Without updates, the tool can become less useful over time.

Car

Mercedes Sprinter

They’re talking about a diesel Mercedes Sprinter van. Diesel vans can have different maintenance needs than gas cars, and the troubleshooting tools may need to handle diesel systems. It’s a hint that the right scanner and info matter for this vehicle.

Company

hot shot secret dot com

The transcript recommends “hot shot secret dot com,” which appears to be a resource site for diesel/hot-shot trucking maintenance and operations. In this context, it’s being suggested as a place to get familiar with diesel maintenance practices. It’s not a diagnostic tool itself, but a knowledge source.

Term

fuel attitude

They’re basically saying the fuel additive changes how the car feels to drive. The claim is that it makes the engine run smoother after you use it.

Company

CRC

CRC makes car cleaning and maintenance products. In this case, they’re talking about cleaners you use in the fuel system to help the engine run better.

Term

fuel system cleaner

Fuel system cleaner is an additive or treatment intended to reduce deposits in parts of the fuel delivery system. The segment frames it as improving operation on gasoline vehicles, likely by cleaning injectors and intake/fuel-related surfaces.

Car

Ford Escape

They’re talking about a 2019 Ford Escape that came into the shop. The story is used to show that mistakes can lead to a bigger problem or extra trouble.

Part

serpentine belt

A serpentine belt is a belt in the engine bay that powers important accessories. If it breaks or comes apart, it can cause other parts to get hit or fail.

Company

Ford dealer

They’re pointing to the dealership shop that worked on the car. The takeaway is that using the correct steps and tools is crucial, no matter where you get the work done.

Term

proper installation tool

Some jobs require a specific tool to install parts the right way. If you don’t use it, the part can be put on incorrectly and fail sooner.

Term

crank sensor

The crank sensor monitors the engine’s crankshaft position so the engine computer can time fuel injection and ignition. If the serpentine belt knocks it off or damages it, the engine may run poorly or not start.

Company

Daco

Daco is the brand they used for the belt and the kit. The kit includes the right tool so the belt can be installed correctly the first time.

Concept

good mechanics aren't expensive, they're priceless

The message is that cheap repairs can cost more later if they’re done poorly. A skilled mechanic helps you avoid rework and repeat problems.

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start your engines. The Car Doctor is in the garage

and ready to take your call.

Five popular request. I was going to talk about the

John Dere Right to Repair story, but I just got a couple of quick emails bind me from last week's showing.

You guys want to hear the stories, So I'm gonna tell you this story first. Then I'll tell you the

John Dear story, either this hour or next hour. We

put a swear jar in the shop, and I'm thinking of creating my own. I don't know why you guys

are so interested in this, but it just cracks me up.

But it's true stories, right, You try to keep language civil in a repair shop. It's work, but you try to.

But somehow, when you say the bad word, it helps you fix the car more. I'm not sure why. It's

just that moment of going, oh, and you start to notice you swear more on certain cars, so certain cars cost more money to repair for everybody, right, And it just seems to work out that way. And we've got

everybody in on it. We've got Danny's in on it, right,

the parts drivers are in on it. Carpenter Bob is

in on it. Heck, we had a we had people

sitting in the waiting room the other day and they were dropping quarters in the jar. It's it's I think

I think this week already, in one week, we collected eighteen dollars and ninety two cents. And I'm not sure

how we got the ninety two cents because it's a quarter a word, but we've you know, rounded off. I

think Danny's paying up front because he's expecting more work next week. It made me think about the workshop environment

and what's you know, what goes on behind the scenes in a repair shop and the characters that come in, and there are characters in a repair shop, and you know, I think that's what kind of makes it interesting. I

think that's what makes it makes it a shop. Auto

repair shops are I won't say they're sterile, the or anything short of that, but they're not extremely dirty in my mind, A good one, a better one. But each

shop has its own unique character. Each shop has its

own unique foundation and the structure underneath it. And the

whole idea behind the swear jar was, you know, as good as we are, let's get better, let's let's clean up our act. Let's let's become a right. And I

think it serves as a reminder for what we're trying to be, just being better humans and you know, being kinder to each other, because we sure we sure don't display that sometimes. I see it in the way people drive.

I see it the way people operate, and you know, that's not how I want to run the shop. It

really isn't. We had a we had a priest comin

the other day and we were servicing cars and he was waiting for his vehicle to be serviced, and as we as we serviced all the cars and we were done, and then Father Jean got up and he was checking out and he said to me, you know, Ronnie said, I think you missed your calling a little bit. You you,

you know, you tend to care for your customers like you're like I care for my flock. He said, you

could have been Father ron And I said, yeah, I don't know. I'm I've got this swear jar over here

and I showed it to him and he kind of laughed and chuckled. He said, well, at least you're trying,

and that counts, you know, which as I took as a kind thought and a kind word, and he gave us a blessing and he left. But it made me

realize that, you know, all kinds walk into shops and all kinds have expectations, and I think it's important that we try to clean up the front. You know, we

we tend to do that right in a repair shop.

It's its presentation. It's when people walk into the front

office and what do they see, and you know, do first impressions drive people out? You bring it, does it

bring them in? I've had more people come in to

me and say, you know, I look by your shop every day. It looks more like a doctor's office. No

pun intended, please, no wise cracks, you know, because it's landscaped and it's clean and it's organized, and you know, it doesn't look like a repair shop. And I'm like, well,

that's just that's just how I was supposed to see it.

But it's funny. People walk in and they see this

coffee can with swear jar written across the front of the label, and people have been prompted to drop quarters in.

They I'm not sure why they're they're or you know, they'll they'll tell me. They'll be like, you know, hey, listen,

just in case I miss one later today, I want to contribute. You know, what are you doing with the money?

I said, I really don't know yet. We you know,

I can't decide if we're going to make it for breakfast.

I'm trying to decide how do I keep track of how do I keep track of who puts what in the swear jar? You know, who swears the least gets

the money. But then what's the timeframe? I really don't know.

I think what the swear jar does is, besides helping us clean up our act and staying composed and being human, I think it gives us something to strive for, because I think as a people, we're better off when we're striving for something rather than just floundering. We're sort of

like cars, right, We've got to be on this mission.

We've got to be on We've got to have direction in guidance, in a compass, and I think it helps reset our internal compass to let us know we're striving for something. Maybe we all need a swear jar, and

whether we put a quarter in it or not, but maybe we all need a compass adjustment. And I don't know.

Maybe it is Father Ron, I'll have to think about it.

Eight five five five six on nine nine zero zero.

Let's kick open the phones and let's go to Kurt in Arizona, seventy two Chevelle and an air conditioning issue. Kurt,

Welcome to the car doctor, sir. How can I help?

Hey? Ron? My first car, I've owned Botto when I

was fifteen and had it ever since. I'm the second

owner of the seventy two Chevy like my baby's my wife's wife's the second model.

Yep.

The hopefully she doesn't hear that.

The three on thinked out of that probably fifteen years ago, and I haven't anhing about it. Okay, need to updated

its factory air. I need updated. I don't want the latest, latest,

free I don't want the giant.

You want one thirty four?

Yeah, one thirty four.

So I need to do to it.

Sits that over.

So I just went through this, believe it or not, on my seventy two money Carlos, So this should be fairly straightforward. The first issue is what sort of shape

is the radiator and the condenser in original old high mileage low mileage.

Their original and so they're old. The car has abou

one hundred thousand miles on it, okay, so.

You know the fact that it's out right. Where's the

leak is the first question, okay. And that's also that

is a pilot operated poa pilot operated absolute orifice tube that has the big ugly tube to the side of the evaporator case that you look at it and you go, my god, what is that thing? It's got the little

capillary tube that runs off the side of it. Correct,

there's No, this is not a This is a This is an A six compressor long compressor mounted over the driver's side valve cover I think so, yeah, frankly, yeah, and this is gonna be a POA valve the big and they operated on internal pressure controlled through a capillary tube, whether or not and how it administered refrigerant in and out of the evaporator. The POA may or may not

be stuck. So that's the first thing you've got to determine.

I mean, quite honestly, you can you can attack this one of a couple of different ways, you know, just there's gonna be nothing there. Get in a get g

have access to an ac machine. Can we evacuate the system?

Can we? You know?

Yeah?

Yeah, so we can we pull a vacuum on it and see if it holds vacuum. Okay, pull a vacuum

on it and does it hold vacuum? If it holds vacuum,

you know what. You can check the oil level in

the compressor. Any service manual will tell you how to

do that. You might take the compressor off and turn

it upside down. There may be a dipstick on it,

there may not, depends what addition A sixth compressor you got, but I'd make sure there's oil in it. Does the

compressor turned by hand? If you tried that, it does? Okay?

If the compressor turns by hand and it's got oil in it, brother, I roll the dice. I I would,

I would charge it. I'd pull a vacuum. I'd put

you know, if the system, if it was a weren't they like A was that a three pound system? Three

and a quarter pound system?

I don't know.

That's why I.

Just right the speckle be the speckle be on the tag on the evaporator case if it's still there. But

I would, I would charge eighty percent of whatever they call for. So if it's three pounds, take eighty percent

of that. Start off with two and a half pounds,

sneak your way up to two and three quarter pounds.

How does it feel? Look at system pressures. You get

a set of gauges one thirty four in our twelve emulate each other pretty close. So if the system, you know,

and you're in Arizona on a good heat load day, which will be any day for the next year, you know, you just you just want to look at you want to watch your compressor. Your gauges and see where they are.

Your boiling point of one thirty four inside the evaporator changes slightly. If you've got somewhere between thirty two and

thirty five pounds low side, that evaperator should be cold. Now.

The issue you may have unrelated to system charge is underneath the dash and you probably have to take the dash pad off, which is fairly easy to do. It's

it's four screws to the right above the glove box.

It's the dashboard screws, and then it clips out from underneath and it pulls straight forward. All the interlocking plastic

sleeves and tubes might have dry rotted, so you might not get enough air the out of the off the evaporator to allow the system to cool, if that makes any sense to you. Yeah, so you know what. I'll

tell you what. Kurt, Sit tight, Let me pull over,

take a poise. When I come back, we'll finish up.

I don't want to rush through this. I'm ron an

any in the car doctor eight five five five six oh nine nine zero zero. We'll return right after this. Kurt,

you're still there.

Baby, I'm still here.

So you know a couple of concerns Number one, you know, are the tubes, because you know this is a car.

Don't take offense. And I can say this, I own

a seventy two Chevrolet, right, this is a car that was kind of built out of your local hardware store.

It's really simple, Okay. It's just plastic tubes under the

dashboard with styrofoam seals, and they've all dried out by now, especially in the heat, especially in the Arizona heat. Right.

So you know, as cold as we can make that evaperator, if we can't get the cold out into the passenger cabin, where are we We're no good. So there's gonna be

some styrofoam seals that you need to replace. And it's

just a matter of taking the dash You'll take that center ducked out the screws from behind, flip the vents up, and you know you'll see the styrofoam was probably all cracked and falling out. I mean, you could also take

the dash pad off, try it, turn the blower on.

Do you feel air coming out from behind the dashboard, which shows you it's not venting properly, you know, going forward?

So that's you know, that's the issue. You know, but

if you have to, it's it's easy enough to do.

Uh.

You know, one question comes to mind. In the center

of the dash to the passenger side, there's a red vacuum hose that comes through the firewall and that feeds all the vacuum controls. Is is that in good order?

Nothing nobody's chewed through this right now? Okay, that's that's

critical because my seventy two it was something chewed through it and I couldn't pull the hose through, which constituted, let's take the dashboard out, which constituted, Oh, let's put gauges in it, which constituted, Oh, let's look at the heat.

Let's look at the let's look at the heater core. Oh,

which constituted that was February. The car is still apart

in Bay two because we haven't had time to get back to it. And every time I turn to it, Oh,

let's change the radio. Oh, let's do this, Oh, let's

do that. You know, so, thank god, thank god, I've

got Thank God, I've got black. I can cruise in

that this summer. But you know, I'm trying to finish

the monthy. So there's ducks, right, there's ducks. There's vacuum hoses.

The other issue to think about because the mechanics no pun intended of getting refriger in it is easy. One

thirty four works well as long as the system is tight.

If you have to put a condenser in it, choose carefully.

A lot of the aftermarket stuff is junk, all right.

It took it took me two condensers before I found something that I liked. Be aware that that condenser is

mounted on little rubber pucks. You know, it's a little

rubber isolator with a threaded stud on each end. You're

gonna want to get those, you know, don't overlook that when you order the condenser, you know, to replace the condenser. Well,

in my case, I had the bumper off, I had, I had the grill out, obviously, I had the hood brackets and everything, cause it's kind of difficult to get to If the radiator is original and it's you know, now fifty something years old, sixty something years old, whatever it is, you know, a good time to think about getting the radiator cleaned up and replaced. A big block car,

small block car, a small lock. Okay, so three point

fifty four barrel. You know, if it's all original one

hundred thousand. You'll see some benefit to at least getting

the radiator cleaned up if it's never been done. And

you know, one of the advantages might be that while there's still a guy around that can do it, if there is, you know, if you decide to do it in five years, he may have retired because nobody's repairing radiators, at least not in New Jersey anymore. So I don't

know what Arizona's like. Number one, number two, number three,

number four they do make, the aftermarket does make, and I bought one. I haven't said. I haven't decided if

I'm putting an in or not yet because I got mine to work. I got my Poa valve to work

with one thirty four as it exists. But they do

make a a refurbishment kit where you can take that Poa valve out, put it an orifice to a more modern style and then they give you a cycling switch and you wire it into the city. And I bought

one of those kids too. I have it just in case,

because you guys know that's how I'm built, right, And the idea here is we're going to make that a cycling compressor. So we'll control evaperator, freeze point and pressure

points by cycling the compressor with a like a modern day switch, and I would imagine that would work too.

You know, there are companies out there that rebuild that POA valve. The biggest problem is going to be will

the POA valve come loose from the steel tube because it's a luminum thread on one side, steel tube on the other, and it has a college where is galvanic reaction?

It'll just by now it's fused in so many cases, so we'll see. You know, they say buy an Arizona car,

its dry and no humidity. Maybe it'll come right apart,

and you know, at least then you can either replace it or get it rebuilt. But there are companies out

there that do rebuild those POA valves. There's a company

in Texas, and I'll be darned if I can remember their name. That act actually has a lot of older

and I'll think of it and I'll talk about it on air this week or next week. There's a company

in Texas that I buy parts from. Something air obviously,

but they have a lot of the older car maybe vintage air maybe it's vintage air Kurt and they they they'll, I mean, you look at some of their stuff and you're like, wow, there's an A six compressor like it just rolled off the assembly line. Look, look there's a

brand new POA valve and you know, YadA YadA YadA.

So there's stuff out there.

You know.

Last thought, if it were up to me and it's you know, like you've this is you're the original or close to the original owner, and it's that original of a car, I wouldn't hang an after market system in it.

I think it. I think it cheapens the look. I

think it, you know, keep it all original. They're only

original once, and I think you can make that that original system work just fine. There's more than enough parts

for it. I don't have a chance of remembering, but

there was a company in Michigan that I came across that's actually still making GM A six compressors, and you'd have to search. I looked online right down to the

decal's brother. I don't know what they're doing with them.

I don't know if they're exporting them. I don't know

where all these parts are going, but uh, they're out there, you know, they're out there, and you know, just just a good source of parts. So do it. Just go

through it, one step at a time. Remember one thirty

four is eighty to eighty five percent of the R twelve charge. I'd start low and work your way up.

You can add a couple ounces at a time and keep a watch on the gauges and keep a watch on your duck temperature and evaporator pressure, and you'll be just fine. Let me know if you need more curtain.

Don't forget to check the oil level in the compressor.

I'm running Ady and the car doctor. We're back right

after this.

From the city streets to the open roads.

Now, if you're run these helm I will keep you only around. Gay's a god jar And yes, Tom is right.

Vintage Air dot Com, Kurt, if you're still listening, Vintage Air dot Com and the AC compressor, I believe he is right. Alma Products Alma Products dot Com. They're up

in Michigan and both good companies. I've dealt with both

of them, John and Minnesota sixty seven Rambler. What's going

on here? John?

Hey, that was quite a surprise you hear that message from the Marine Corps. Oh, I'm a marine seventy three

to seventy four.

Well, thank you, thank you for your service.

Well we got times. The guy I used to work

with it told me about this sixty seven Rambler that they had gotten. How was at the state hospital where

he worked, and they had an overheating problem the whole time they had the car, and he tried everything he could to get it to quit overheating, and any it started leaking a little bit, and it was a V eight.

It was one of the rear soft plugs started to rust through. He pulled that out and here it was

full of sand in there. They hadn't gotten it cleaned

out at the factory.

That's not surprising. You know, cars were put together with

elbows and thumbs back in those days. It just you know,

we look at how they're assembled today, John, and it's such a science and it's so neat and clean. One

of my favorite things to do is I'll jump on YouTube and just do this. Just just just type in

GM assembly line nineteen fifty and watch what comes down the line. And you know there's just swarms, swarms and

hordes of people standing around waiting to put bodies on and frames on, and you know, there's a there's a video of assembling fifty five chevies, which obviously I would be looking at. And four guys get the whole nose,

both fenders, the lower panel, the grill, everything it's on in forty five seconds. It took me two and a

half days, you know, because we're lining everything up and they just it's as crazy. So yeah, I would think

that clearing out the block, sure, why not.

You know, it took a lot of work, he said, with a garden hole is getting up in there. But

fortunately we had a hoist and everything so we could do it right.

Right. Yeah, it's it's and you know that doesn't happen

necessarily today because I think it's a different process today, and you know, it shows. I think cars are made

better today to a degree. I think the problem is

they're not as mechanical. They're just so software computer related

that the least little change in something electronic alters and changes the life of the car and it modifies it extremely to such a degree. I also think human being

have too much interaction with their cars in a way.

You know, it's and I'll get roasted for this, but I'm going to tell you we've been talking lately about oil viscosity, and I've been talking about zero twenty. I

don't know if you've heard this conversation, and people are asking me, how can I endorse zero twenty if the manufacturer calls for it, Because the manufacturer calls for it, and they'll they'll change oil viscosity as it as it happens. Now,

I get the controversy with GM changing oil viscosity on their six point two liter engine debacle. I understand that.

I think there they're trying to hide a problem. But

if the manufacturer calls for zero twenty and you use a five forty, and I've run into this situation, I'll cite a real world example where we use a zero twenty, or manufacturer called for a zero twenty, somebody put in a five forty. It created a misfire condition because the

computer wasn't able to account for that change in viscosity, And you know, does that does that make the car last longer? I don't know. In the case of this

car was broken and driven around like that for fourteen months before somebody finally figured it out, being us, you know, so it's the repair process is critical. Just out of curiosity,

do you know how much longer that for that vehicle ran for?

Oh yeah, we've we got over one hundred thousand on all of those vehicles, right.

And back in the day, one hundred thousand out of a sixty eight rambler was considered a lot of miles.

Oh yeah, yeah, So you know you typically did a valve job every thirty thousand miles.

Right, yeah, yeah, park clubs every year.

So let me let me change the tempo. What'd you

do in the service?

I was a mechanical. I went to vocational school for

for the two years, graduated from that before I enlisted. Right,

So yeah, on the on the tasks that you take before you go in way, anything I had to do with the infantry, I put down what I thought was the wrong answer, Right, anything mechanical was I tried to really concentrate and make sure it.

Was right, because you wanted to be a mechanic. What'd

you work on? Would you work on the big trucks

and stuff or everything?

Yeah?

We had well, we had deuth and a half and eventually we even got gamma goats.

What's a gamma goat?

That was a six wheel drive and they called it a carrier trailer, not a tractor and trailer and it would swim and go up to up and down mountains and a lot of different stuff had big floatation tires on it. Yeah.

What'd you what'd you end up doing for a career?

John at the mechanic most of it. Yeah, yeah, at

the State Hospital and when they got into the garage there deal.

Were you ever in a Were you in a dealership in the eighties and the nineties or no? It was

always private garage stuff.

All these private stuff or and then working on my own stuff, you know.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, So you think the industry has changed a little bit.

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, a lot.

Yeah.

I did work at Montgomery Awards for a couple of years too.

Right, right, Oh yeah, seris right series Auto centers. That

was Montgomery Ward, Right.

No, that was a competition.

Oh okay, I thought Montgomery Ward and Sears were. No,

I guess not. You're right, Yeah, you're right. Yeah, it's

it's and they're all gone now, right, Montgomery Ward's all gone.

Yeah. Mobile Bottom up and kind of ran them into

the ground. And I think it was a tax rate off. Yeah.

Yeah.

It's only a few years after after Mobile Bottom that they ended up closing one at a time.

Right, what do you drive for everyday transportation? Just out

of curiosity before I let you go.

I got a twenty fifteen Equinox now and a two thousand Silverado.

No classic cars, got a.

I sold my Model A last year. I probably sold

the wrong car. I've got a that was a twenty

nine model ay, and I've got a twenty eight BW Week.

Now that I got the radiator out of, I'm gonna have to try to try to buy another one. I

was trying to repair this one, and I hate to buy a new one because a new one, I think, is three thousand dollars, well.

Right, and will it be as good? Well, it might be,

it better be for three grand. It's hard. Listen. I've

got two I've got two radiators for fifty five Cheves, both early production, early ones in October of forty four, and I think the other one's in November of forty four, date coded. And I just I don't need them, and

I just I don't know what to do with them.

I'll give them to somebody, you know, if somebody's building an early car, because once this stuff is gone, it's gone, and it's all going away. You know, it's it's so

I hear you and I feel you. It's it's you know,

it's getting more and more difficult.

So but when I was when I was sixteen, I had a fifty six Chevy and I went around and did junkyards and bought all the parts I could for them, front ends and fenders and door glass, yeah, stuff like. Yeah.

I know a fella did something similar, drove cross country and when he came back, he went right to Carlisle in Pennsylvania and he sold everything, paid for the trip and had a couple of grand left over besides. You know,

but that was back in the day where you know he was him and a buddy were driving. You know,

they were driving and eating and living in the car.

And you know, they went you know, Kansas, and they're seeing cars on the side of the barns and they're going up to the owners and saying, hey, is that parts will take it? You know that kind of thing.

And you know, very different world, so very different world.

John A pleasure, sir. I thank you for the call,

and I thank you for your service, and I thank you for being part of the car doctor family. You

call anytime sort of like everyone else, we appreciate you.

I'm running Ady in the Car Doctor. I'll be back

right after this. Hey, welcome back, run An Dad in

the Car Doctor. Boy, you guys like vintage Car Doctor stuff.

It's unbelievable. We posted a couple of interviews this week

on the podcast. First was we went and we posted

the second hour, both hours of the dead Man's Curve Car Show with Paul Tuttle, Orange County Choppers. We told

you about that. Then I went and I found in

the archives. I creeped down into the far back corner

of the vault, and back there, amidst the dust, I found from two thousand and six, The Car Doctor had done a remote from the Jacob Javit Center the New York City Car Show April weekend, April two thousand and six.

Oh my gosh, you guys are driving the podcast numbers crazy.

They want to fifty two percent. The numbers almost doubled,

and we want to thank you guys for that. We

really appreciate it, and we're going to see if we can find more of that for you, because we're trying to give as much stuff as we can. We know

you like the new We know you like the old you want the old interviews somewhere in the files. I've

got the where we interviewed and Tom brought this up.

We have paunch from Chips and I'm working on that.

I know I've got it somewhere in the files. We've

got to find that. We're going to get that posted

sometime in the next couple of weeks too, But we want to think thank you guys for that. And we

also appreciate the fact that T shirt sales have taken off.

I guess T shirt season is upon us right. Everybody's

doing hats and T shirts and stuff, so we appreciate that. Well,

you can find all of that at cardoctorshow dot com at the website and appreciate it. Let's go to Bernie

in Pennsylvania. Bernie nineteen Mercedes. Yeah, what can I do

for you, sir.

I've got a conversion van Diesel that's an RV now and looking to actually set up a little preventative maintenance.

So I'm going to be getting on the road doing a little little trip for a month, and I'd like to get a nice scan tool that you know, I could I could read any fault codes that come up and maybe it'd even take delete something that's not all that crucial, but just to keep.

Me better informed on what this vehicle doing. You know,

it's having recommendations if.

You wanted just you know, a code reader. Anything that

does OBD two will suffice right by federal law. It's

it's it's got to be there. So in any any

OBD two scan tool will work. Well, I'm not going

to ask what the budget is because everybody always tells me a hundred bucks, but you know it's it's not going to happen. There's a company that I have some

experience with. I haven't gotten direct experience. I'm on the

list that I'm going to be working with them, but I can tell you topped on top d o N has probably one of the greater varieties of diagnostic tools available.

They have from simple to complex. They I see, I

see prices all day long, ranging from five hundred to five thousand. There's gonna be something, There's gonna be something

there for you. It's all it's pretty much all tablet

based stuff. And you know, I, for one, I like

a tablet. It makes it easier to work. And I'm

in terms of dealing with it all and it's all touchscreen, so it's easy to you know, form, fit and function.

What you're trying to work on is a little bit of a unicorn, you know, Mercedes, m W poor show, all the German cars a little more difficult to work with.

They you know, they're required to release information. They're not sure,

they they're they're they're not great about it, you know, if they can, if they can get away with not oh gee, we didn't give you that file. You know

they will uh you know, so yeah, it's it's and they right, they do it reluctantly. Reluctantly is a good

word for them. You know. It's it's not all as

easy as we think it's. It's part of why John

Deere had the right to repair debacle going on for so many years that they finally settled this week. So,

but I would take a look at them. I believe

they're online at toped on dot us dot com or just go scan just go Google search top don scan tools and you'll you'll find them. They have a good

update procedures, which is also important too, right, so they'll they'll they'll they'll keep the tool current and up to date and definitely definitely worth a look sir, all right, and then as far as the diesel side of it, if you're looking to do maintenance to the diesel. You

said this was a diesel sprinter. Yes, uh, you know,

obviously take a look at you know, you want to get familiar with hot shot Secret dot com. You want

to get familiar with their website, all of the products.

It's hot Shot Secret just works so well on the diesel applications. I mean they have some ghasoline applications as well,

but their stuff for diesel is some of the best in the world and we use it in the shop all the time. They've got some they've they've really got

some very good you know, I always say all these additives and the packages that everybody it's as good as the engineering and hot Shot Secret's been, you know, tip of the sword and top of the top of the point for a very long time.

But sure, you know you want be enjoying. I've been

enjoying your podcasts, and you know I have actually picked up some hot Shot Secret for my diesel. Just the

fuel attitude.

Right, and it works right. You see a change in

how the vehicle operates, and that's you know.

To make it run a lot more smoother. Yeah, I

also want to get I think you recommend it was a CRC product for the gasoline vehicle.

YEP, their CRC fuel system cleaner, their CRC fuel system kits.

You know they make some excellent product too, And you know that's the whole point of this. Listen. I try

to tell you guys, here's what I use in the shop, here's what works, and you know that's where we take it.

So Bernie, I got to run them up against the clock, sir.

But you know, you get out to those companies, you do that, you'll be fine. I'm running ny in the car,

doctor Bernie. Thank you for the call. I'll be back

right after this. Hey, real quick, before I go, I

want to talk about the consequence of doing it wrong.

We had a twenty nineteen FOD escape dropped off at the shop this week midweek, I don't know, Tuesday, Wednesday.

The side story is too that Danny was busy working.

Everybody else was tied up and it was me, the vehicle owner, the mom, the sun and the tow truck driver.

We're all going to push the car. And I said,

come on, let's push the car. Push it into the spot,

and the young man goes, you, I don't know how to push a car? What's wrong with it? Come on, guys,

you know he didn't have to put it in neutral.

You know what. That's a whole nother show. We're going

to talk about that. How our kids don't know neutral,

don't know how to change a flat, don't know how to I said, find out, put it in neutral. We're

gonna push. You're gonna learn how to push your car.

That's not the story. The story ended up being that

the serpentine belt had come apart. An engine replacement was

recently done by the Ford dealer. They had the car

seven months, couldn't get the car back together right, and the technician, in a hurry didn't use the proper installation tool.

The belt broke apart and knocked off the crank sensor.

We got a Daco belt and kit. Daco gives you

the installation tool. It's so simple, put the car together

down the road. What's wrong with these guys? Do it right?

Do it once? I'm ronning Andy in the car doctor

till the next time. Good mechanics aren't expensive, they're priceless.

See her doctor car advice. Don't ride

About this episode

Ron Ananian kicks off with a “swear jar” story from the shop, using it as a reminder to stay composed, be kinder, and keep the repair environment professional—complete with customers tossing in quarters. He then takes calls on vintage A/C troubleshooting for a 1972 Chevy, walking through vacuum/hold tests, compressor oil checks, POA valve behavior, charge amounts for R-134a, and the common dash/ventilation and vacuum-hose issues. Later, he discusses older-car assembly lessons, oil-viscosity controversies, scan-tool options for a Mercedes diesel, and a cautionary tale about a misinstalled serpentine belt causing a crank sensor knock-off.

A/C machine aftermarket refurbishment kit aftermarket system Alma Products dot Com big floatation tires blower capillary tube cars are not as mechanical today charge it compressor oil level

Chevrolet Chevelle Chevrolet Equinox Chevrolet Silverado Ford Escape Ford Model A Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Tesla Model Y

Original notes

Car advice, done right.

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