Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - Classic Car Doctor - August 22, 2015 - Hour 1
Ron Ananian The Car Doctor
Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - Classic Car Doctor - August 22, 2015 - Hour 1
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Brand
eBay
eBay is a website where people buy and sell items, including car parts. Car owners use it to find parts that might be hard to get elsewhere.
Concept
hot rod show
A hot rod show is an event where people bring cars they’ve customized. It’s usually older American cars with cool looks and sometimes more power.
Concept
funny cars
Funny cars are drag-racing cars built to go extremely fast in a straight line for a short distance. They’re known for their big, flashy bodies and huge power.
Part
tire machine
A tire machine helps take tires on and off the wheel. It’s used when you’re changing tires or swapping them.
Part
bubble balancer
A bubble balancer is a simple tool that helps figure out where a wheel is “out of balance.” Mechanics use it to reduce vibration by adding the right wheel weights.
Term
scan tool
A scan tool is a device that plugs into the car to read error codes from the computer. It helps the mechanic pinpoint the problem faster than guessing.
Term
labor rate
The labor rate is what a shop charges per hour for the mechanic’s work. It’s usually added on top of the cost of parts and other fees.
Concept
alignments
A wheel alignment adjusts the angles of the tires so they roll straight and wear evenly. Shops often do alignments after suspension work, tire replacement, or if a vehicle pulls to one side.
Concept
exhaust systems
Your car’s exhaust system is the path that takes burned gases out of the engine. Shops that specialize in exhaust often fix rusted or leaking parts and replace worn components like mufflers or pipes.
Concept
rust and corrosion
Rust and corrosion happen when metal gets damaged by moisture and chemicals. In snowy areas, road salt makes it happen faster, especially underneath the car.
Concept
road salt
Road salt is what they spread on roads to melt ice. It can also speed up rust on your car, especially parts underneath.
Concept
body shops
A body shop is where cars get fixed after crashes. They repair the outside of the car—like dents and damaged panels—and often handle a lot of cars at once.
Concept
bays
A bay is like a garage stall inside a repair shop where one car is worked on. More bays usually means the shop can handle more cars at the same time.
Concept
collision repair
Collision repair is what happens after a car is in an accident. The goal is to fix the damage so the car can be driven safely again.
Concept
used car lots
Used car lots are retail lots where pre-owned vehicles are displayed for sale, often sourced from trade-ins, auctions, or repaired collision inventory. The speaker uses the density of used car lots as a clue about local economic activity and vehicle flow.
Concept
muscle cars
Muscle cars are older performance cars that were built to feel fast and powerful. They usually have big engines and a lot of people modify and restore them today.
Car
Porsche Cayman GT4
This is a Porsche Cayman GT4, which is the more track-ready Cayman model. It’s the kind of car people buy when they want something that can handle spirited driving and track days.
Car
1982 Chevelle
A 1982 Chevrolet Chevelle is an older classic car. If it’s having overheating problems, it usually means something in the cooling system isn’t working right—like the radiator, thermostat, or hoses.
Term
alternator
Your alternator is like the car’s power generator. It charges the battery and runs the electronics while the engine is on. If it overheats or stops working, the battery has to power everything, and it won’t last long.
Term
voltage
Voltage is the strength of the electrical system. If the voltage drops when you turn on the A/C or other accessories, it’s a clue the charging system can’t keep up.
Term
heater control knob
The heater control knob is what you use to control the car’s heat. In this story, someone used it as a temporary substitute because the car didn’t have a key, which points to a bigger electrical/ignition issue.
Term
charging system test
A charging system test checks if the alternator is charging the battery properly. If it’s not, the battery can go dead even if the car seems to start sometimes.
Term
directionals
Directionals are your turn signals. If they blink too fast or too slow, it usually means something is wrong with the bulbs or the wiring.
Term
cigarette lighter
That “cigarette lighter” is usually a 12-volt power outlet. People use it to plug in small tools like a voltmeter so they can see what the car’s voltage is doing.
Brand
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a car company that makes lots of different models. Here, they’re being mentioned because they’re recalling cars—meaning they found a safety problem and want owners to get it fixed.
Term
airbags
Airbags are occupant-restraint safety devices designed to deploy during a crash. If a fault prevents deployment, it can significantly reduce protection in an accident, which is why this recall is treated as serious.
Term
trading value
Trading value is what the dealer offers you for your car as part of a deal. It can be different from what you’d get if you sold it yourself.
Concept
Carfax
Carfax is a website/report that tries to show a car’s past—like accidents or service history—based on records they can find. Sellers and buyers use it to help decide what a car is worth.
Term
oil changes
Oil changes are when you replace the engine’s oil so it can keep parts lubricated and protected. If a car has a record of frequent oil changes, it usually means it was cared for.
Term
trans failed
They’re imagining the transmission breaks. If that happens, it can be a very expensive repair, so it’s a good way to judge whether the car is really a good deal.
Concept
hybrid service support
Hybrid cars can be harder to service because they have extra systems beyond a normal gas engine. If your usual mechanic won’t work on hybrids, you may need a specialist shop.
Concept
miles a gallon
MPG tells you how far a car can go on one gallon of gas. Higher MPG usually means you spend less on fuel, especially in city driving.
Term
bleed
Bleeding is the process of removing air from the hydraulic clutch system. Air compresses, which can reduce or delay slave cylinder movement and lead to symptoms like difficulty shifting or not fully disengaging the clutch.
LIVE
This is an iHeart podcast.
Guaranteed human.
The worst part about loving cars might just be buying them
and all the parts.
But on eBay, behind every car and part
is a story waiting to be shared.
I read about this guy who bought a 2020 Porsche Cayman
that was well-loved.
I mean, there are plenty of Caymans in great condition
on eBay, but this one needed some work.
This guy buys it and rebuilds the whole thing
all with parts he found on eBay.
And now that nearly scrapped Cayman
is out tearing up the track.
From Toyota's to Aston Martin's,
eBay has thousands of cars and the largest
online selection of vehicle parts and accessories.
eBay, things, people, love.
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Generated assets is an interactive analysis tool.
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The car doctor.
You get your mechanic to get a look at these things.
Now I'm going to tell you right up front,
if your mechanic says add, don't worry about it.
And those parts are bad.
You got to find the new mechanic.
Welcome to the radio home of Ron and Anian, the car doctor.
Since 1991, this is where car owners the world overturned to.
For their definitive opinion on automotive repair.
If your mechanic's giving you a busy signal,
pick up the phone and call in.
The garage doors are open.
But I am here to take your calls at 8555609900.
And now here's Ronnie.
Hey, welcome.
I'm back.
Well, actually you didn't know I was going away.
I'm on an Indian the car doctor.
I really didn't leave here, but I left here.
I've been away on vacation the past week.
Took the family for some downtime
down to the Adder Banks, North Carolina.
And it was quite a road trip, as you can imagine,
as I cruise down 13 and 113 and 95.
And went through all the parts of the country out that way.
And it took note of quite a few things
that we're going to talk about that this hour.
Because I think that's things worthy of note.
Because it sure is a different world outside of the Bergen bubble
where we live and have the shop.
The phone number for the car doctor as always is 8555609900.
The car doctor is here to answer each and every one
of your questions, whatever you've got going on.
The website's cardoctorshow.com.
And let me remind you once again that coming up in two weeks,
I believe it is, two weeks,
we're going to be at the Sheridan Crossroads in Mawa, New Jersey,
Labor Day weekend.
That Saturday show from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern time,
going out across the network.
We are going to be live at the Deadman's Curve Party,
deadmanscurveusa.com.
And we're going to be over there doing the radio show,
interviewing people and just watching the events
and watching the goings on.
It's a thousand plus car hot rod show.
Four funny cars.
They're going to fire up at once.
And all sorts of great things.
Vendors and bands and just a great time.
It's a three day event, Labor Day weekend.
We will be there that Saturday
and I will be bringing the hot rod
and putting that out there for display as well.
So we look forward to seeing each and every one of you
if you're in the area.
Out on the road, the road trip,
the American road trip is just a great time.
I think I enjoy the road trip.
Well, I probably do.
I probably enjoy the road trip more than the actual vacation
because it's different when you get out on the road
and you start to look in the repair shops as you drive by.
And the more rural we got,
the areas of the country we drove through
somewhere a little more remote than others obviously,
it was interesting.
There were three berry pear shops that had one lift,
a tire machine, a bubble balancer,
and absolutely no computers in the car in the shop at all.
It was really crazy.
It was, we were in places that were like a step back 30 years ago,
40 years ago.
And you look around and they were working on cars,
the newest cars in there were from the early 90s.
And that's what was in the area.
It was in a great economic area
or a great economic part of the trip.
And when we got to the outer banks
and after about a day of sitting on the beach
and getting bored, I said,
well, you know what, let me go out for lunch.
And I grabbed one of the kids and we went out to lunch
and it was quite an experience.
Oh, look, I just want to stop in here.
Dad just wants to stop in here and get gas.
And I stopped in at a three-base shop
down around Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
And it was really a step back in time.
The newest cars in the place were from 2000.
A 2000, 2001 something would have been,
you know, a fairly new car to them.
Not a lot of equipment, real basic stuff.
And in talking with the owner,
what kind of got my attention was he was struggling
working on what else, a Volkswagen.
And actually, I take that back,
that was a fairly late model Volkswagen
because I had an electronic parking brake on it.
And they weren't used to that.
They hadn't seen one of these before.
And I just so happened to be,
I was road testing a CRP229 from the folks over at launch.
They were scantful.
So I said, gee, I wonder, and I had my RA shirt on.
Listen, I like, to me, that's stress relief.
I go out to see how other repair shops run
and in talking with Phil, the owner,
I went over and I got out my scant tool
and we plugged it in.
And I was actually able to help him diagnose
the parking brake release ratchet
and help him do the brake job on the car before
because he was using an older snap-on scant tool
that didn't have the software
and didn't have the updates for it.
And the interesting thing to me was,
I was showing him something like science fiction.
He couldn't believe what he was looking at.
He said, wow, look at this, you know,
the CRP229 from launches,
probably a little bit bigger than an iPad.
And the technology that's in it,
when I showed him how it updates wirelessly over the net
and how quick it was and some of the special functions it has.
And I told him, you know, for a tool
that's in the five to $600 range,
you know, you can't go wrong and he was just shocked by it.
And in talking with him and his two other technicians,
you know, where do you see the future?
And they're still waiting for the,
in the numbers for the 2005s and sixes and sevens
for those model year cars to start coming in.
And they said, people tend to hang on to cars longer down here.
Their labor rate was $78 an hour.
And they said, we're high.
That's a lot of money for North Carolina.
And, you know, as I'm talking to them,
I'm saying to myself $78 an hour.
And yeah, I know property taxes are less.
And I'm assuming the building is less.
And I don't want to get too much into his cost of doing business.
But I'm thinking, you know,
when you've got to buy that factory level scan tool,
when you've got to buy that dealer level tool,
all of a sudden that five, six grand you have to lay out
is an awful lot harder to make
than when you're in an environment where the market will bear
$100 to $125 an hour.
And it brought to mind what I've been saying for years.
How does the repair shop outside of the large economic bubble survive?
How will they survive?
And in conversation with, with Phil and his guys,
they didn't really have that answer.
They know it's coming.
They know it's something they're going to have to deal with.
But based on their rate of growth and the way he's seeing it,
Phil doesn't think he's going to have to deal with it
for another five to seven years, which, you know,
everything happens a lot slower at the Outer Banks, North Carolina.
You know, he said, you caught me in the busy season.
He goes, here we are just before Labor Day.
He goes, come back in a month and a half.
He said, we'll be fishing half the day.
And you know, there isn't a lot else to do
because we're in a resort area and everybody is gone.
And it just changes the way you work on things.
He did say something interesting to me.
He said it's a lot tougher in the last 20 years.
He's been doing this a long time.
He says it's a lot tougher in the last 20 years
to work for seasonal or to work on seasonal cars is how he said it.
And by that, he meant that the car that he sees, you know,
June, July, August, and then he doesn't see it for a year.
And then it comes back or the car that he's never seen
and he only sees it once in the middle of the summer.
His repairs take longer.
His ability to maintain it and diagnose it
and bring it up to speed take longer.
And I said, yeah, you know, that's not uncommon.
That's something that is true to the rest of the country, too.
In that I see an awful lot of,
if we don't see the car on a regular basis for maintenance,
then it becomes a problem for everybody concerned.
But it was very interesting.
Something else that I noticed.
I didn't get a chance to really stop and talk to them.
But the body shops in North Carolina,
the body shops in North Carolina,
you know, I look at the auto repair shops.
Most of the auto repair shops were like New Jersey.
Three, four, five bays.
There was a couple of chain stores, no-name chain stores,
non-brand names.
They weren't Firestones or Good Years,
but just names that were, you know,
predominant down in the Carolinas down in that part of the country.
They had, you know, 12-bay repair shops.
But it was mostly tires.
It was tires and alignments, truck work, a lot of exhaust work.
I was surprised at the number of signs
that I saw that we specialized in exhaust,
that they're still doing exhaust systems down south.
And, you know, without the heavy snow that we see in the North
with salt and rust and corrosion and things like that,
they're still doing a lot of exhaust because,
and that shows you the age, the population,
you know, that they're working on those types of cars.
But what really was interesting,
and this kind of got me, and I'll be real quick here
because I know we want to get to the phones,
is the body shops.
Every body shop was at least 12 to 15 cars in size,
you know, the bays.
There was 12 doors across the front of every body shop.
Most of them were two or three cars deep.
And when I was talking to somebody about that,
they explained to me, they said,
you know, this is big business down here.
They'll go out to the rest of the country.
They'll bring in cars that are crashed or smashed or,
you know, damaged.
Labor is cheaper down here.
It's cheaper to pay somebody down here to work on it.
And then they'll put it out line to sell it.
And that kind of explained it because I got to tell you,
there's an awful lot of used car lots,
used car dealerships in the Carolinas and Delaware
and, you know, driving down along that stretch of the country.
It was absolutely amazing to me.
It seemed that every five, six miles, no, they used car lot,
no, they used car lot, no, they used car lot.
And that's a sign of the economy.
By the way, some nice looking older cars.
There was more than a few specialty shops
that were dealing with older muscle cars
that they were putting out front.
And you would think that it was 1971 all over again
by the number of Chevelles that I saw on display.
And just a time capsule and telling you
that auto repair is a national phenomena
with regional consequences,
just like I've always said from way back when.
Hello and welcome.
Ron and Annie in the car doctor here at 855-660-9900.
Here to take your questions and answer them
whatever they might be.
If you are looking for more information,
by the way, about the 229 from launch,
you can get out to their website, launchtechusa.com
and see what I'm seeing.
It really was a solid little tool.
And Phil was very impressed by it.
And I wouldn't be surprised if I go back there next year.
He'll have a launch inside the shop.
A lot going on this hour.
It's an interview free hour.
I've got a couple of comments and thoughts.
I've got some articles I want to write.
I want to read that people have sent in to me
that we're going to talk about.
Some interesting places the radio show has heard this week.
We got an email from somebody in the Philippines
that we're going to talk about
and let you know what's going out that way.
But I am here to take your calls at 855-560-9900.
I'm Ron and Annie in the car doctor.
When I return, we're going to kick the garage doors open.
Don't go away.
Lately, car buying has become a pretty dull experience.
But on eBay, behind every car in part,
is a story waiting to be shared.
Like this guy I read about who bought a 2020 Porsche Cayman GT4 on eBay.
It was well loved.
I mean, there are plenty of Caymans in great condition on eBay,
but this one needed some work.
That's just the start of the story.
So after this guy gets a great deal on his dream car,
he rebuilds the whole thing with all these parts he found on eBay.
Performance brakes, suspension, body panels, the works, guaranteed to fit.
Next thing you know, this nearly scrapped Cayman
was out there on the track as a full blown race car.
You're ready to go daily driver.
Your next Resto mod, Hello Lotus Elon, and the parts to finish it.
eBay has thousands of cars and is the largest online selection
of vehicle parts and accessories.
eBay. Things. People. Love.
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but you deserve a weather app that can help.
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wherever you are.
It's hyper local real time customizable alerts.
Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise
so you can plan every day with confidence.
Download the free weather bug app from the app store today
and start getting accurate weather forecasts 24 seven.
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Output is for informational purposes only
and is not an investment recommendation or advice.
Complete disclosures available at public.com slash disclosures.
Welcome back.
Ron Nanny and the car doctor, 855-560-9900 is the phone number.
If you've got a car, if you've got a problem, give the car doctor a call.
We'll figure it out together.
Let's get on over and open the garage doors.
Let's go talk to Dennis in Maine with a 1982 Chevelle
and some overheating issues.
Dennis, you're on with the car doctor.
How can I help?
Yeah, it's not an overheating issue.
It's the issue is, well, let me just tell the story.
Sure, go ahead.
Driving around.
The other day, reached over, turned the air conditioner on,
and everything lost all my power, all my electrical power.
Coaster door start, I had a dome light, headlights, that stuff,
but no crank, no gauges, no nothing on the engine end.
Okay.
Let it set for about two hours.
Got in, hit the key, started right up, run fine, drove it home.
Next morning, got up, started it up, let it run up the temperature.
Everything worked fine, cold.
Let it get up to temperature, turned the AC on again, everything run fine.
Took it down the road, four or five miles, come back home,
turned the AC on, same thing.
Lost everything, set my dome light.
Okay.
And I don't know where to go.
Well, and this is a what year car, Dennis, a 1982 Chevelle?
Yeah, 82 Chevelle, Malibu.
Okay, and what engine is in this?
6.8.
It's 264, yeah, the V8.
The V8, okay.
267.
All right.
Well, the first place I would go is I would really want to know
what kind of shapes the charging system in.
It wouldn't be the first time that an alternator overheated
and reacted to temperature and stopped charging or didn't charge as well.
And the vehicle started running off the battery.
And when you turn on the AC, that extra load from the electrical system
drains the battery down to zilch.
Has anybody done any sort of electrical or charging system test to it?
No, I haven't.
I put a new battery in it when I got it.
I've just had the thing for a year and I've been set for a long time.
And I put both 200 miles on it.
I don't know that it would be a battery.
Of course, obviously, new doesn't mean good.
And I would sure as heck test it.
It's a quick enough simple test to do a load test to the battery.
But I would be, you know, I would do a load test to the battery.
I would be looking at terminal connections.
I would be also concerned about ground connections
where the cable attaches to the block.
This is a car, this is an 82.
92, 2002.
This car is 32 years old real quick with the top of my head.
I have them like that.
Yeah, so it's...
I did run the ground for the ones I could find.
Right.
I would also want to take a look at cables
and make sure the cables themselves are in good condition.
Keep in mind on an older car, you know, barring...
And let me just back up a second.
Barring the simple.
Barring that this is an alternator or a charging system failure.
You know, when you get past or when the mechanic gets past,
the, hey Dennis, the charging system is always putting out
and it's always got plenty of amperage,
the current isn't a problem, et cetera.
And you start looking for the silly stuff.
Let's start to talk about the cables themselves when...
For example, if the vehicle had a battery
that was discharging acid
and the acid worked its way into the cable,
that cable, as it gets hotter,
will start to insulate and prevent current flow.
And that vehicle will have a charging
and electrical system problem, such as you're describing.
Because what you're really describing to me is,
you're adding an extra electrical charge
or an electrical load causing the vehicle to shut down.
How about if instead of turning on the air conditioning,
you try turning on the high beams or the wipers,
turn on something else with a high electrical demand?
I've done that and, you know,
everything would work fine on it, you know, when it got hot.
I mean, when I come home at that time, that's what I did.
I had the headlights, turned the headlights on.
That worked all fine.
Turned them off with the wipers on, no problem.
But as soon as I flipped that air conditioner on,
and I didn't know if there was something in that system
that could be, you know...
Well, the air conditioning,
when you're turning on the blower and the compressor,
that is a very high current draw,
typically as high as 22 to 25 amps on a car of that age.
So you're putting a heck of a drain on the charging system.
And if it can't handle it for whatever reason,
I'll tell you what I would probably do, too,
is I would turn on every electrical device in the car.
It'd start off with nothing and work my way up,
and I would monitor voltage,
and I would monitor system current
to see what the alternator is capable of putting out
and start to do some math and figure it out from there
as far as what's causing the problem.
But it sounds to me like either a charging system
that can't keep up,
or we've got a problem with the cables or the feed side
not able to get enough in to keep the vehicle happy.
Right, then when it cools back off,
you can come back down and make the connection.
Correct, yep.
Yeah, well, that's the place to start anyway.
That's the place to start.
I guess, you know, did the simple thing.
Right, well, you know...
Before I got too rambitious,
you know, rambunctious,
I didn't want to make sure there wasn't any,
you know, kind of an override or something in there.
No, no, you know, unless a dentist, you know,
just for giggles, I've seen crazier things,
but it's an older car.
Unless somebody's put an alarm system in this,
and I just want to throw this in the pot,
I've seen this before,
somebody will throw an alarm system into the car
and they'll trigger the alarm system off accessories.
I was in a 66 Chevy pickup the other day,
didn't have a key.
They had taken the key and glued a heater control knob
to the back of it.
I sat there looking at the dashboard for five minutes,
going, yeah, I know there's a key here somewhere.
It's got to be, I remember driving this as a kid.
So, you know, if somebody put an alarm system in that,
and, you know, you have to turn the AC on
in order for the car to start,
you know, I just want to throw that out there.
Probably not, but it's, you know,
you have to start to, you know, consider the ridiculous.
Somebody once said to me,
when you take away the obvious,
and, you know, or you take away the extreme,
all that's left is the obvious,
and you can start to deduct from there.
And that's really what I'm just trying to get you to do.
But go through a charging system test.
Go through a charging system test.
The battery, cables, connections, alternator.
Make sure all that's in good working order.
And as one last thought,
when the vehicle is operating normally,
turn the directionals on.
How do, how fast do they blink?
When the vehicle, as you're driving,
if there's a way at time to time,
turn the directionals on.
Do they seem like they're slowing down?
Be mindful of where you turn the directionals on.
You don't want to tell somebody
you're making a turn when you're not.
But it would be a good way to look at the charging system
or the electrical system to see if something is malfunctioning.
One other thing you might want to do,
depending on how deep into this you want to get
before you turn it over to the mechanic,
if the car's got a cigarette lighter,
you can go out and purchase for $10, $15 from a multitude of places,
a cheap digital voltometer, hook up a tap,
tap it into the cigarette lighter,
and you'll be able to watch charging system voltage
while you drive.
And you can watch it possibly fall off
and catch it in the act.
Dennis, let me know how you make out.
I'm Ron Nanny in The Car Doctor.
We're back right after this.
Lately, car buying has become a pretty dull experience.
But on eBay, behind every car in part
is a story waiting to be shared.
Like this guy I read about who bought a 2020 Porsche Cayman GT4
on eBay.
It was well loved.
I mean, there are plenty of Caymans in great condition on eBay,
but this one needed some work.
That's just the start of the story.
So after this guy gets a great deal on his dream car,
he rebuilds the whole thing with all these parts he found on eBay.
Performance brakes, suspension, body panels, the works, guaranteed to fit.
Next thing you know, this nearly scrapped Cayman
was out there on the track as a full blown race car.
You're ready to go daily driver, your next resto mod.
Hello Lotus Elon and the parts to finish it.
eBay has thousands of cars and is the largest online selection
of vehicle parts and accessories.
eBay, things, people, love.
No one knows what the future holds,
but you deserve a weather app that can help.
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That's public.com slash podcast paid for by public investing.
Brokered services by open to the public investing Inc.
Member FINRA and SIPC.
Advisory services by public advisors LLC.
SEC registered advisor.
Generated assets is an interactive analysis tool.
Output is for informational purposes only
and is not an investment recommendation or advice.
Complete disclosures available at public.com slash disclosures.
Welcome back 855-560-9900.
I'm Ron Anani and the car doctor real quick.
Volkswagen has joined the list of automakers
recalling vehicles over airbags, something important.
We all need to be aware of all you Volkswagen owners out there.
Volkswagen news report came out this past week
as recalling about 461,000 plus cars in the States and Canada.
Fix a fault that could prevent airbags from deploying
the world's biggest car maker said on Friday of last week
that the recall affected VW Gulf, Basat, Jetta,
models assembled between 2010 and 2014
and something to be aware of.
So just Volkswagen, everybody's in the news lately
with airbag problems.
I want to get that out there.
I thought that was pretty gosh darn important.
Let's get back to the phones.
Let's go and talk to Jim Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 2010 Toyota Prius.
Jim, welcome to the car doctor.
Sir, how can I help?
Hi, Ron.
How are you?
I'm looking to buy a Toyota Prius at 2010.
And I know average mileage should be about $70,000.
And it's got $170,000.
Is that anything to worry about?
I haven't looked up the car facts for me.
And the car facts says to add $2,000 to the trading value.
So it's been taken very good care of.
Where does it fall in terms of dollars
that they're asking versus what it says the car is worth?
Are you saying that the car is priced $2,000
under what they're asking?
No.
The car facts says to add $2,000 to the trading value.
OK.
Well, all right.
So what are they asking for the car, Jim?
Let's do this.
$8,000.
$8,000.
OK.
And how much is a comparably equipped same age
Prius with 100,000 miles on it going for?
Probably about 11 or 12.
OK.
I'd probably spend the 11 or 12.
Because to buy something with less mileage.
And here's why.
For example, this 2010 with 170 on it.
Has anybody replaced the main battery yet?
Not the engine battery.
Not the main battery.
The main battery is only warrantied for 100,000 miles
or eight years.
I think it is.
Right.
That's correct.
And is that the original one that's in there?
Yes.
As far as I know.
All right.
They've reported it to Carfax.
Right.
And apparently they've had all kinds of oil changes.
They've had the tires rotated.
They've had regular maintenance done on it or whatever.
And that's why the Carfax says to add so much
to the value of it.
Well, I don't.
The trading value.
You know, I've never let Carfax consumers
or an information system dictate to me
value of a car.
It's always common sense, too.
They're a guideline.
OK.
You know, they're a guideline.
But to sit there and say, yeah, it's worth two grand more.
I don't necessarily agree with that.
Because the first thing off the top of my head,
if that's the original battery in there, for conversation's sake,
let's say the battery goes another 30,000 miles.
So in a year, a year and a half,
you've got to put three grand in it
to replace that system battery.
They're asking eight.
Now you're into the car for 11.
All of a sudden, that car with 100,000 miles on it,
that, you know, and less miles is less wear and tear.
You know, this would be the same thing
as buying a traditional gas-powered vehicle
with 170,000 miles on it that had oil changes,
coolant services, all the fluids, the usual good stuff,
tires, brakes, et cetera.
And I would always ask this question,
if the trans failed tomorrow, would you put a transmission in it
and how would you feel?
And if I'd be upset because I'd have to spend $3,000,
my answer is still the same.
Go buy a car with less mileage
and spend the more money now.
It's what are you looking to deal with?
You know, the car's approaching 200 grand.
Right, yeah, yeah.
Is it true that anything below 200
is reasonable mileage for a five-year-old car?
Today, you know, if it was well-maintained,
again, you know, when you look at what cars go for,
that Prius News is probably in the low teens, high teens,
low thirties, and you know, when you look
at what a replacement vehicle is going to cost,
I always also stop to consider how I'm going to use it.
How are you going to use the car, Jim?
Are you going to start driving cross-country?
Or are you going to stick around Cedar Rapids Island?
No, I drive in town most of the time.
Okay, so, you know, you're...
I don't usually drive on the highway.
Right, so you're, you know, you're not taking any great long trips with it.
You know, you've got somebody in town there
that can work on a hybrid, I'm assuming?
Yes, my regular mechanic won't work on them.
Okay, so...
They're not...
They'll work on anything but the transmission.
Right, so who's going to work on it if there's a trans problem?
I really have no idea so far.
I don't think...
I have another friend that has one,
and he told me there's nothing to worry about according to the engine and the transmission.
But you say that's nice.
Is he going to tell me that when something happened to it?
Right, you know, you're basically buying a house with a copper roof on it,
and now you've got to find somebody to fix it.
Hopefully, it never leaks.
So, let me ask you this.
What's all the fascination with a Prius?
Not that it's a bad vehicle, but for what you're doing for somebody around town...
It's nice to get 50 miles a gallon in town.
Okay, have you noticed the price of gas lately?
Yeah, it's going up, isn't it?
It's going down, well, on our part of the world.
It's going down?
Yeah, it's going down.
Okay, well, here it was 218 a gallon.
Okay, so here's...
Now, it's 240 a gallon.
Here's what I want you to do before you make this decision.
Go find a comparably similar vehicle.
Mileage, condition, cost to repair, dollars, and think about this.
If you find something similar to that that gets 30, 35 miles to the gallon,
and the Prius gets 52, all right?
Right, right.
Think of what the cost difference is going to be for the guy that doesn't take long trips,
for the guy that spends a lot of his time running around in town,
and the guy that now he doesn't have to worry about finding somebody to fix the copper roof
on his house because it's nothing special, and he can maintain relationship with his regular mechanic.
You know, if you were a delivery service and you really needed miles per gallon,
but at this point, one of the things people don't stop to consider
is the cost difference between conventional gas versus a hybrid,
and with the price of gasoline being what it is.
How much of a savings is it really?
If we're going to make this all about numbers,
if this is really going to be about numbers, then let's make it about numbers.
Let's look at it from a practical point of view.
You know, there's a reason that sometimes the numbers themselves just don't work.
So I'll leave it at your homework, Jim.
Do your math and look at it from that perspective.
One closing comment.
Never look at an automobile from an emotional perspective,
not an everyday driver like this.
Try and be mathematical about it,
and you'll come out with a winning combination.
8-5-5-5-6-0-9-9-0-0.
I'm Ron Ani in the car doctor.
We're back right after this.
Lately, car buying has become a pretty dull experience.
But on eBay, behind every car in part is a story waiting to be shared.
Like this guy I read about who bought a 2020 Porsche Cayman GT4 on eBay.
It was well loved.
I mean, there are plenty of Caymans in great condition on eBay,
but this one needed some work.
That's just the start of the story.
So after this guy gets a great deal on his dream car,
he rebuilds the whole thing with all these parts he found on eBay.
Performance brakes, suspension, body panels, the works, guaranteed to fit.
Next thing you know, this nearly scrapped Cayman was out there on the track as a full-blown race car.
You're ready to go daily driver, your next resto mod,
Hello Lotus Elon, and the parts to finish it.
eBay has thousands of cars and is the largest online selection of vehicle parts and accessories.
eBay, things, people, love.
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Generated assets is an interactive analysis tool.
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Complete disclosures available at public.com slash disclosures.
Welcome back.
Ron Nanny and the car doctor here with you at 855-560-9900.
Let's get over to Stanton, Virginia.
John talked to him about his 94 Toyota.
Pick him up truck.
John, welcome to the car doctor, sir.
You're very welcome.
What's going on here?
It won't go into gear.
I took it to the dealer about a year ago.
About 6,000 miles ago.
And they replaced the master cylinder and the slave cylinder.
And after that, I could get in gear, but it still wasn't satisfied with it.
So here a couple of weeks ago,
it got so it would not chip into gear again.
Okay.
Now, does the pedal feel normal, John?
John, does the pedal feel normal?
No, the power takes the hose about an inch off the floor.
So it doesn't have full stroke on the pedal is what you're saying.
Right.
Okay.
When you let it out on clutch, it takes the hose about an inch off the floor.
All right.
Well, all right.
Let me ask the question this way.
If you push in on the clutch pedal, does it have full height and swing?
Not talking about when does the clutch release or engage.
Just does it feel like a normal clutch pedal?
It does.
Yeah.
All right.
Did this vehicle sit for any length of time?
No.
All right.
It's just one day it woke up and it just didn't want to go into gear right.
Yes, that's the way it worked.
Okay.
So, you know, if the system is bled, I'm going to assume the system is bled properly,
you know, there's not much here.
If someone were to watch the slave cylinder, does the slave,
the stroke of the slave pushing on the fork match the stroke of the pedal,
for lack of a better way to put it?
I don't know.
I didn't look at that.
Okay.
Well, because think about how this works.
This is all hydraulics, right?
You push in on the clutch pedal and the hydraulics, the hydraulic action out of the master
has to displace fluid and push the slave, which is like a wheel cylinder.
This is like a brake wheel cylinder and move the clutch fork.
Does the clutch fork move?
Does the clutch fork move easily?
Is the clutch fork, is the pivot ball that the clutch fork rides on?
Is that worn?
Okay.
You know, last, and I have seen this on vehicles, if they sat for,
and sometimes it happens short periods, short length of time.
I don't think this is the case with you, but I just want to fill your head with this thought,
is that I have seen where a clutch disc, you ever see a clutch disc rust to the flywheel?
Well, I looked on the internet and it did mention the clutch might be dragging.
Right.
I, you know what, I've seen that more than a few times where the clutch disc itself
physically rusts to the flywheel and it drags.
Sometimes it's frozen that you push in on the fork and it will disengage the plate,
but the plate, the disc can't break loose from the flywheel and it won't shift.
If you put this car in first gear with the engine off and start it up with the clutch in,
does the vehicle still move forward?
It will move, but it acts like there's something to matter with it.
It would rev up and lunge.
Right.
So the clutch, with the clutch pedal depressed and the vehicle in first gear,
if you crank it, the vehicle would actually move forward.
The starter cranking the engine would drive the vehicle forward.
Correct statement?
No, we have a push in on the clutch and it won't move.
Okay, that's my, that's my question, John.
If you push in on the clutch and turn the key and the engine starts with the vehicle
in first gear, will the vehicle move forward?
Yes.
Yes, I get it in here.
That isn't what I asked you.
Okay, here, let's do this one more time.
Push in on the clutch.
All right.
Push in on the pedal, put the vehicle in first gear, start it,
leave the clutch engaged, leave the clutch depressed.
With the engine cranking, once it starts, does the vehicle move forward?
If the vehicle moves forward, the clutch has not disengaged from the flywheel.
And now we're back to the original part of the question.
Is the fork damaged?
Is the pivot that the fork rides on not allowing full travel?
Is the release bearing damaged?
Is there air in the system?
Is there something limiting the travel of the slave?
Not to be ruled out, I have seen worn clutch linkage bushings under the dash.
I have seen cracks in the firewall, physically where the master cylinder flexes
and the full stroke of the pedal is not taken up in the slave cylinder itself.
But this is a pretty basic dumb animal here.
This is, we're just looking at breaks.
That's all we're doing.
It's all about hydraulics.
Push in on the pedal, does the slave move one for one?
Does the fork react and move?
Does it move smoothly?
Is it possible the collar or the input collar that the main shaft of the trans sits on is gnarled up?
I don't care what Toyota did.
Start to think about how the system works.
And then let's talk about how you've diagnosed it and let's break it down.
And that's all I'm trying to get you to think about doing.
So take a breath, think about what I said.
Call me back next week.
Let me know what you do.
We can talk about this again.
855-560-9900.
Ron and Annie and the car doctor back right after this.
Lately, car buying has become a pretty dull experience.
But on eBay, behind every car and part is a story waiting to be shared.
Like this guy I read about who bought a 2020 Porsche Cayman GT4 on eBay.
It was well loved.
I mean, there are plenty of Caymans in great condition on eBay.
But this one needed some work.
That's just the start of the story.
So after this guy gets a great deal on his dream car,
he rebuilds the whole thing with all these parts he found on eBay.
Performance brakes, suspension, body panels, the works, guaranteed to fit.
Next thing you know, this nearly scrapped Cayman was out there on the track as a full blown race car.
You're ready to go daily driver, your next resto mod.
Hello Lotus Elon and the parts to finish it.
eBay has thousands of cars and is the largest online selection of vehicle parts and accessories.
eBay. Things. People. Love.
No one knows what the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help.
Weatherbug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need.
From storm warnings to pollen levels, right at your fingertips.
Get the fastest local alerts and comprehensive 10 day forecasts wherever you are.
It's hyper local real time customizable alerts.
Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise so you can plan every day with confidence.
Download the free weather bug app from the App Store today
and start getting accurate weather forecasts 24 seven.
Which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI.
It all starts with your prompt from renewable energy companies with high free cash flow
to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year.
You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work.
It screens thousands of stocks builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500.
Then you can invest in a few clicks.
Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities,
completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's.
Go to public.com slash podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio.
That's public.com slash podcast paid for by public investing,
brokerage services by open to the public investing Inc, member FINRA and SIPC,
advisory services by public advisors LLC, SEC registered advisor.
Generated assets is an interactive analysis tool output is for informational purposes only
and is not an investment recommendation or advice.
Complete disclosures available at public.com slash disclosures.
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Welcome back.
One and any in the car doctor.
By the way, the phone number 8555609900 is 24-7.
That's the car doctor's number.
That if we're not here on the air, this radio shows live in most markets,
2 to 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon Eastern time.
You can call 8555609900.
Leave a message and Fast Harry will call you back and get you in the queue.
We can talk to you about your car problem up here on national radio.
This article from our good friend Anthony out in Chicago,
retired police officer Tony Emilio.
Ron, this article is from the Chicago Tribune.
It's an alarming issue, like you say.
Is there too much technology and we aren't using our brain?
Maybe someone should invent a garage door opener that opens automatically
when the carbon monoxide gets too high.
That's actually not a bad idea, Anthony.
In 2013, I purchased a 13 Toyota Camry for the wife.
Plain Jane car, no sunroof, but I did not follow your advice in capital letters,
he writes, and purchased an aftermarket remote starter.
Well, after five events of the car starting on its own,
the dealer refunded the entire cost of the starter.
I think the dealer realized that the potential problem
had envisioned a huge lawsuit.
The rule is, listen to the car doctor.
Anthony, I appreciate that.
It goes on to close out.
Thanks for your time, myself and the old retired cops
from our weekly breakfast club really enjoy your show.
Thanks again for the t-shirt.
Very nice to your friend and loyal listener, Tony Emilio.
Out in Chicago, well, you know what, and listen,
the car doctor's not always right.
All I do is I just relay to you guys things that I've picked up over time.
And what Anthony's referring to, what Tony's referring to is,
if you are going to use an aftermarket remote starter kit,
if somebody's going to install it for you, get the instructions.
Get the wiring diagram.
Five years from now, when they no longer make that kit,
you've got to take it into your mechanic.
And I've been on this end of the problem way too many times.
People bring me a car with a remote start issue.
I've got no schematic to follow.
I have to reinvent the wheel and spend time learning how the system works
before I can even diagnose it.
And then typically, I have to find out that the component I need
is no longer available and I've got way too much time in it.
So it's easier for you and less expensive for you
if I've got the diagram so that I know what I'm looking at
and how I'm looking at it before I even get involved.
Interesting article, by the way, Anthony.
I was reading here, keyless ignition deaths, part of disturbing trends.
It talks about American drivers generally
had to do two things to get their car keys out of the ignition,
put it in park and turn off the engine.
But new keyless ignitions are changing that habit.
Now drivers can walk away with their key fobs
and leave their motors running.
So yeah, it's an issue.
People are doing that.
And some of these cars are so quiet
that you can hardly hear them running
and it's going to become a greater issue
with more technology being added all the time.
Hey, I'm running any of the car doctor,
reminding you once again,
the mechanics aren't expensive.
They're priceless.
See ya.
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About this episode
Ron Ananian, “The Car Doctor,” kicks off with a road-trip report from the Outer Banks, where he visits small, old-school repair shops and sees how limited tools, lower tech adoption, and seasonal traffic shape diagnostics and pricing. He then tackles listener calls: a 1982 Chevelle overheating-like electrical shutdown when the A/C is turned on (likely charging/cable/ground load issues), a 2010 Prius buyer weighing high mileage vs. battery risk and repair access, and a 1994 Toyota pickup clutch/hydraulic disengagement problem (focus on slave/master travel and clutch release).
Original notes
Classic Car Doctor – August 22, 2015
Take a ride back with us and see how car problems—and the way we solve them—have evolved over time.
Ron kicks off the hour talking about the great American road trip and what it meant then versus now. From there, the phones light up with a wide range of issues that still feel familiar today.
We tackle an electrical problem on a 1982 Chevelle, revisit the Volkswagen airbag recall that had everyone talking, and help a caller decide whether a 2010 Toyota Prius is a smart used car purchase.
There’s also a call on a 1994 Toyota Pickup struggling to get into gear, plus a discussion on a surprising article about remote start systems—vehicles starting themselves while parked in the garage.
It’s a snapshot of the past with lessons that still apply today—because while the cars may change, the questions never really do.
Good mechanics aren’t expensive — they’re priceless.
- Grab your Car Doctor gear – T-shirts & more at CarDoctorShow.com
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Follow the wrench – Instagram @ronananian for shop life & behind-the-scenes
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Watch & learn – Auto repair tips & videos on our YouTube Channel
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Got a car question? Call the Car Doctor Hotline 24/7 – (855) 560-9900
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Ron Ananian The Car Doctor
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