This is a 2003 GMC Yukon, a big SUV related to the Chevrolet Suburban. The interesting part here is that hitting a bump causes weird electrical behavior—locks and lights act up, and the vehicle can even shut off briefly and then restart.
The Chevrolet Suburban is a large SUV made to carry lots of passengers and luggage. People also use it for towing and long trips. It’s often discussed because it’s common, so mechanics hear the same types of problems from different owners.
A communication fault code is the car’s way of saying its computers aren’t communicating properly. Cars have a network that lets different modules “talk” to each other, and this code points to a problem on that network.
“U1360” is a code that usually points to a problem with the car’s internal communication network. If that network connection gets interrupted—like when you hit a bump—it can make different systems act up or reset.
A data bus is the car’s internal “message system” that lets different computers share information. If it gets interrupted, the computers can’t talk normally, and that can cause lights, locks, or even the vehicle to behave strangely.
A wiring harness is the car’s main bundle of wires that carries electricity and signals. If a wire inside it gets damaged, the car can act like it has electrical problems even if other parts are fine.
The intake manifold is part of the engine that channels air into the cylinders. If a wiring/ground problem is hidden near it, it can be tough to reach and easy to miss.
A car’s electrical system needs a solid “return path” for electricity to work. If the ground connection is bad, the car can get confused and shut down or throw strange electrical problems.
It’s the idea that the problem is usually in the annoying, hard-to-get-to place. In car repair, that often means the fault is hiding where you can’t easily see it.
Cars have multiple grounding points, and each one can be labeled in the wiring diagram. “Ground 103” means a particular spot where the car’s electrical system is supposed to connect to the metal body/engine.
The bell housing is the area where the engine connects to the transmission. If a wire is routed near there, it can be hard to see and reach during repairs.
Modern cars have computers that control different systems. In this story, the computer is the PCM, and when its electrical connection is bad, it can make multiple systems behave incorrectly.
The PCM is the car’s main computer for the powertrain—things like the engine and how the drivetrain runs. If it loses a key electrical connection, it can restart or shut off and cause strange dashboard/electrical symptoms.
Some car problems only show up when you hit bumps. The bumps shake the wiring, and if a connection is loose, it can lose contact briefly and make the car’s computer act up.
Wires can break if they’re pulled tight every time the engine moves. Adding a little slack (a loop) lets the wire flex safely instead of snapping under constant strain.
“Super long life” coolant refers to an extended-life antifreeze formulation designed to last about five years under normal conditions. The host is specifically recommending replacement timing for 2011–2016 Toyota model years when that pink extended-life coolant is in the system.
A coolant exchanger is a machine that helps swap out old coolant for new coolant more thoroughly. If you only drain the radiator, some old coolant can stay inside the engine where you can’t easily reach it.
Motor Medic is a specific cleaning product brand the host recommends. He says it’s meant to clean parts of the fuel and intake system, and you can buy it at O’Reilly Auto Parts.
O’Reilly Auto Parts is a store chain the host mentions for buying the cleaning product he recommends. It’s basically the “where you can get it” detail.
A fuel system cleaning kit is a product you use to clean gunk and buildup in the fuel system. The host says it can also help clean the intake side so the engine can breathe and burn fuel more cleanly.
“Tranny fluid” is the fluid that keeps the transmission working smoothly. Like engine oil, it can wear out over time, so changing it can help the transmission last longer.
This is a 2009 Toyota Corolla, and they’re talking about the transmission fluid. The host says that even if the car is marketed as “never needing fluid changes,” it still helps to change it on a schedule.
Toyota WS (World Service) Fluid is a specific transmission fluid formulation Toyota used in some models, often tied to the marketing message that it’s not necessary to change. The host counters that, in practice, it’s still a fluid with a service life and can be refreshed with a proper draining-and-filling procedure.
A draining-and-filling service means you remove the old transmission fluid and add new fluid back in. It’s a straightforward maintenance step, not a complicated procedure.
Some cars don’t have a dipstick to check transmission fluid. The host says that doesn’t automatically mean you can’t service it—you just have to use the proper method to check and fill.
This means using the exact type of fluid the car manufacturer recommends. Using the right fluid helps the transmission work the way it was designed to.
Term
RAF four
They’re talking about a Toyota RAV4 and the idea that its fluids shouldn’t be ignored forever. The host says fluids wear out over time, so changing them can prevent problems later.
A 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser is a rugged SUV designed for off-road use. Here, the problem happens mainly when the truck is in “Drive” at low speed, where it starts shaking and chugging—so it’s likely related to how the drivetrain is set up under that load.
“Automatic” means the car shifts gears on its own. Since the shaking happens in Drive, it suggests the issue may be tied to how the automatic transmission is behaving at that particular speed/load.
A “lifted” truck means it’s been raised higher than the factory height. That can change how the drivetrain and suspension work together, and if it’s not set up correctly, it can lead to shaking or rough behavior.
The pinion is part of the rear axle’s gear set that helps send power to the wheels. If you put bigger tires on a lifted truck but don’t adjust the axle gearing, the truck can feel like it’s struggling or shaking at certain speeds.
A differential is a part in the drivetrain that helps the wheels spin at different speeds, especially when you’re turning. If something is vibrating, mechanics may check whether the differential and related parts are aligned correctly.
The driveshaft is the rotating shaft that sends power from the transmission to the axle. If it’s tilted at the wrong angle, it can shake or vibrate while you drive.
Coasting means you’re not pressing the gas, so the engine isn’t pushing the drivetrain as hard. Mechanics use that difference to figure out whether the vibration happens only under load or even when you’re just rolling.
Four-wheel drive means power goes to all four wheels, not just the rear. Because there are more drivetrain parts involved, vibrations can be tied to specific driving conditions like speed, gear, or throttle.
The output shaft is the part of a drivetrain component that sends rotational power out to the next stage—here, from the transfer case toward the driveshaft. If something is wrong at or near the output, it can prevent power from reaching the wheels correctly.
In a 4x4 truck, the transfer case is a special gearbox that decides how power gets sent to the front and rear wheels. It can also provide a lower gear for tough terrain.
Term
drive shift
This sounds like the host means the driveshaft—the part that sends power to the axle. They’re talking about removing it to test whether the issue goes away.
Suspension is what connects the wheels to the body and helps the truck ride smoothly. It also affects how the wheels and axles sit, which can change how drivetrain parts behave.
The Cadillac SRX mentioned here uses a fuel system called gasoline direct injection (GDI). That system can cause carbon to build up on the intake valves, so a cleaner product is used to help reduce that buildup.
GDI stands for gasoline direct injection. It puts fuel straight into the engine, and that can allow carbon to build up on the intake valves, which is why cleaners are sometimes recommended.
Gasoline direct injection means the engine sprays fuel directly where it burns. Since it doesn’t “wash” the intake valves the same way, carbon can build up there, and cleaners may help.
The intake valve is the part that lets air (and fuel, depending on the system) into the engine. Some engines can get carbon buildup on it, and that’s what certain cleaners are trying to reduce.
Paint bubbles usually mean something went wrong before the paint was applied—like moisture or dirt left under the paint. That prevents the paint from sticking, so it starts to lift and bubble.
Proper paint preparation includes cleaning, sanding/scuffing, and applying the correct primer so the new paint can chemically and mechanically bond. If the surface isn’t prepped correctly, the paint can lift or peel because adhesion is weak.
Inside a tire there are strong layers (belts) that keep it shaped correctly. If those layers move out of place, the tire can wear unevenly or fail sooner. The mechanic is saying you can often trace the problem to a specific kind of damage.
Tires have internal reinforcement strands (cord) that help them stay strong. If those strands get damaged from hitting something like a pothole or curb, the tire can start failing. The point here is that the damage usually leaves a clue you can inspect.
A pothole is a hole in the road. Hitting it can jolt your tire hard enough to damage it internally, not just on the surface. That’s why mechanics look for impact clues after a tire problem.
Paint has to stick to the surface to last. If the bumper is worn or damaged, the new paint might not bond well and could peel, forcing the job to be redone. That’s why he suggests checking whether replacing the bumper would help.
The aftermarket is the market for replacement parts made by companies other than the car’s original maker. If the original part is unavailable or expensive, aftermarket options can still get the car repaired.
These are replacement parts made by other companies, not the same brand that built your car originally. They’re often cheaper, so repair shops and insurance companies may choose them to keep repair costs down.
Insurance companies help pay for repairs after crashes, and they can affect what parts the shop is allowed to use. Because they want to control costs, they may push for cheaper replacement parts.
This is a 2005 Dodge Durango SUV. The host is describing a case where the engine failed and the shop had to wait on parts before the SUV could be put back on the road.
A ground wire is the electrical connection that helps the car’s electronics work properly. If it gets pinched or placed wrong, the car can have weird electrical problems until it’s fixed.
The shift cable is the cable that carries your gear-shift movement from the shifter to the transmission. If it breaks, you can’t shift gears the normal way, so the car may be stuck until it’s replaced.
A column shifter is the gear lever that sits on the steering column. It’s the part you move to choose gears, and on some cars it works through a cable to the transmission.
A back order means the part isn’t available right now, so the shop has to wait for it to be made or delivered. That waiting can keep the car out of service until the part arrives.
Chrysler is the car company behind the parts being waited on. In this story, the shift cable is delayed because Chrysler doesn’t have enough of them available right now.
Term
EVAPP
EVAP is the system that keeps fuel vapors from escaping into the air. When the scan shows an EVAP-related fault, it usually means something in the tank/lines/valves isn’t sealed or working right.
Fuel treatment is a chemical additive you add to gas to help it last longer without going bad. It’s meant to prevent problems that can happen when gas sits for weeks or months.
Premium is gas with a higher octane rating. Octane helps the fuel resist knocking in engines that need it, so it can run more smoothly and safely.
Concept
gasoline loses its pop
“Gasoline loses its pop” is a colloquial way of describing fuel degradation over time. As gasoline ages, its components can separate and change behavior, which can make starting, running, and fuel system cleanliness worse—especially after weeks or months of storage.
Moisture means water getting into the engine or oil. When a car sits, water can build up and cause rust or other damage, so it’s something you want to prevent.
He’s talking about water that condensed inside the engine’s top area under the valve covers. That kind of water buildup can be harmful because it can mix with oil and lead to rust.
Valve covers are the top covers on the engine that help keep oil in and protect the moving parts above the cylinders. Taking them off lets you check whether moisture or buildup has formed.
Fuel system cleaner is a product you add to gas to help remove gunk inside the fuel system. It can help keep fuel delivery components from getting clogged with deposits.
A tread cushioning system is a tire design meant to make the ride smoother and quieter. It helps absorb bumps so you don’t feel and hear every rough patch as much.
The Honda Pilot is a family SUV. Here, they’re talking about putting the right winter tires on it so it drives well in cold weather and on rough roads.
LIVE
Ron Anian.
Some weeks, I think Volkswagen makes it too easy to pick on them.
It just gets better and better each and every day.
Did you see Volkswagen stockfell twenty two percent? Maybe my
acronym VW maybe virtually worthless is really going to be true to what they become.
Bugging in the Bossom, Yes, bugging in the Bossomed.
Building, would you rove?
Everybody knows that's bugging it.
Louveously, the car Doctor.
The Volkswagen problem is the software is cheating and running the car in a different mode to give it better performance, but emitting higher emissions levels. And I've read reports where
the emissions levels are thirty to thirty five.
Percent above federal speck.
Welcome to the radio home of ron Ananian, the Car Doctor.
Since nineteen ninety one. This is where car owners the
world overturned to for their definitive opinion on automotive repair.
If your mechanics 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 eight five five five six oh ninety nine hundred.
Everybody knows and talking in alow schools and now hee.
Ronnie, Hey, welcome.
Did you ever have to fix something that well you couldn't find out or figure out.
If it was really broken? I did.
Hello and welcome Ronnin Any and the card Doctor here at eight five five five six zero nine nine zero zero.
The phone number to get into the Car Doctor the twenty four to seven phone number. If this radio show
is not live on the air, we are Saturdays two to four pm Eastern Time, you can call eight five five five six zero nine nine zero zero and leave a message fast Harry. We'll do his best, call you
back at you in queue and talk to you the following week. Up here on air, you and I will
as we discuss your car and its problem. There is
information for you out on the webcrdoctorshow dot com. You
can find also information there at car doctorshow dot com over.
To tune in.
If you go to tune in, you will see the affiliate list and try and find an affiliate in your neighborhood.
If not, you can wander over to iheartoor iTunes dot com and subscribe to this radio show as well as download podcasts of it at the aforementioned Cardoctorshow dot com.
I had a really great car to open.
My Monday morning with this week at the shop at Ariotomotiva two thousand and three GMC Yukon sort of like a Chevy suburban, that type of thing, and the complaint was when you hit a bump, the vehicle's door locks would cycle, Sometimes the dashboard lights would flicker on and off various ones, and sometimes, in worst case scenario, the vehicle would shut off but always restart.
Welcome to the repair of the week.
When the car showed up, naturally, the first thing I always do is, you know, a visual once over a trip around. It scanned it for codes, multiple codes, different areas,
things that made sense but didn't make but some things that really stood out, one of which was a communication fault.
It had a U thirteen sixty I believe it was, which is a communication fault code. Somewhere inside the vehicle,
its data bus was being interrupted for some reason, but nothing that pointed me towards this or that it was just I knew it had a communication fault, which I could have told you. If it was cycling and shutting
things off, it would make sense to me that we had a wire bouncing around, or a module bouncing around or something going into failure and shutdown mode. The hard
part was I couldn't duplicate the problem, couldn't get the vehicle and to this day, and naturally you know it's fixed because it's the repair of the week, But to this day, I never saw the car do what the vehicle owner said it did.
And I believe Myron, I really do.
I'm sure it didn't stop by to help me repair something that wasn't broken. But it was just frustration on
a lot of people's parts that I can't duplicate the condition.
But I have to fix it because you have to fix the car that in front of you. That's part
of what a mechanic is supposed to do. So you
have to think outside the box. One of my daughters
tells me all the time, Dad, you're one of the best at thinking outside the box. I'm always amazed and
you inspire me as I go forward in life. I
just can't figure out how you do it. Sometimes, you
know what, rach, Sometimes I can't figure out how I do it either, But do what I try. I sat
down and did some research. I said, because I always
believe that in a lot of cases, you can't be the first one to be seeing this problem and somebody else must have run into it somewhere. I knew I
was having a communication fault, so I knew the vehicle was shutting down, and after a look around to make sure, because my number one concern when I'm dealing with something like this is are there any aftermarket components in the vehicle?
The non general motors, radio and the dashboard stuck out in my mind, and I tucked that in the back of my mind's eye for possible future reference. But I
knew I was looking at something more than that. A
quick scan under the dashboard, a quick look under the dashboard, if you will, showed me nothing looked like a wiring harness that as it was an installed in two thousand and three, back when this.
Vehicle was young.
So I knew I had to look somewhere else. Did
some reference database searching through some of the databases we subscribe to at the shop and the ones that we know that we can count on. And that's important to
note because you, as an internet repair person, maybe you're that internet repair guy that uses the Internet and believes everything you read and see. There, I knew that the
Internet isn't always reliable so way back when we subscribe to some databases that are confirmed. Once that vehicle gets
fixed and it's logged into as hey, this is what fixed it, it's reviewed by a panel board of mechanics to decide is that really going to do the job well.
I found more than a few that talked about various ground problems on this particular generation GM vehicle, two of which are at the back of the intake manifold in exactly the one spot that you can never really see them.
Sort of thinking in the back of my mind, if it's hard to get to, and if it's in the world possible place to be repaired, that's probably what's wrong, because that's how Murphy's law always works, and something I'm gonna catch up to Murphy. I keep saying that, And
I started looking and testing grounds as best I could, even the ones I couldn't see ground one O three, G one O three. I shall forever remember that in
my mind's eye. Because I couldn't physically see G one
O three, I could touch it, and touch it I did.
I laid across the top of the motor and reached way down in the back of the bell housing area at the top of the intake and just found the wire that came down from the wiring harness. And when
I tell you it was an easy tug, you would have to pull harder to pull hair out of your head, which I won't say I was close to doing. But
I was considering it because it was getting frustrating. And
I just gave a little to the wire came off in my hand, and I said, wow, look at that.
This wire is one strand.
And when I looked at it, when I cut it away for a cross section, I counted there are ten strands of wire in that wire that make it up.
It was down to one one strand of wire. But
did I find a fluke? Did I find something that
was well? A lot of things get freyed wires over time.
How important was ground one oh three? Let me tell
you how important ground one o three is because the bottom line becomes ground one O three was the fault G one O three on a General Motors truck of that vintage is the main ground for the vehicle computer for the PCM YEP. And every time that PCM would
turn on and off because when it lost G one O three on a bumpy road and that wire flexed enough that it was working itself back and forth, and the electronics couldn't carry the load on one strand of wire, that PCM would shut down. It would cycle the door
locks because it thought it was keyon, keyoff, keon, and it would do all all sorts of crazy things that you can't predict with the electronics on the dashboard. Because
fixing ground one oh three fix the problem, which, by the way, I have to point out to the general motors engineer that wanted to save the two cents on the I don't know, extra quarter of an inch of wiring loop because they don't think about things moving and sagging and changing as vehicles ages roll on. I put
a loop of wire in it so as the engine was going down the road with the vehicle, and the engine would kind of shift and move and twist. It's
not pulling on the harness all the time, and it won't break the new wire. And that really is the
repair of the week. Hello and welcome ronnin Andy and
the car Doctor eight five five five six zero nine nine zero zero here to take your calls and answer your questions. We've got some good stuff coming up in
the next hour. We are going to be talking to
the folks from Powerframe talking about Powerframe grid technology and batteries.
And if you woke up in the Northeast this morning, you understand what cold weather is, because baby, it's cold outside.
It is a cold, wet, drizzly weekend here in the Northeast, and we understand other parts of the country are getting hammered as well. But I am here to take your
calls at eight five five five six zero nine nine zero zero. I've got a couple of emails I want
to talk about. I want to talk about some changes
entire technology a little bit later on down around the bottom of the hour from the folks at General Tire.
So we're going to talk about that right now.
Let's pull over and take a pause, and the card Doctor way back to open the garage doors right after this.
Happened.
Now, I'll.
Hey, welcome back. Why don't there any of the card
doctor rolling along this hour?
And glad to be here to be able to talk to each and every one of you at eight five five five six zero nine nine zero zero. Right now,
let's kick open the garage doors and let's go over and talk to Charles online two and win the main with a question, some questions about is RAF four charles around with the car?
Doctor? Sir? How can I help?
Well, I've got a GRAB four V six twenty eleven, great car.
Oh yeah, nice car.
I do a lot of maintenance on and I keep it up because I like it. Okay, what I'm wondering
is to get ninety five on it. Use the oil
chains all the time, mobile one all that. Uh, I'm
thinking about changing the coolanda, what do you think and cleaning the the injectors and all that. I saw you
you're online this morning, so they prompted me to oh.
Yeah, gotcha. Listen, I'll tell you what I think. I
think you're right.
At the timeframe we're on a twenty eleven Toyota, you should be replacing coolant that has super long life pink Toyota coolant in it, which is is considered five year coolant, So twenty eleven through twenty sixteen model year. Because I
always look at model years depending upon when the vehicle was made. You know you're right on that four or
five year window of replacement interval. So yeah, by all means,
it's a It would be ideal if you could find a repair shop that has an exchanger. But if you're
going to do this yourself, it's going to be drained the radiator, pull hoses off of it, try and get as much cooling out of it as possible. But keep
in mind, without a coolant exchanger, you're never going to get everything out of the engine block. So an exchanger
is in your best benefit. So that may cost you
a little bit of money to have a shop do it.
But the other half of the question, I can save you some money, all right, because if you're a do it yourself and you want to do it yourself, I can tell you about motor Medic, which is a new carbon cleaning product out on the market in the last couple of months. It's available at O'Reilly Autoparts and it
flat out works. It's a professional fuel gray or it's
a professional grade fuel system cleaning kit that you to do what yourself or can use. The neat thing about
it is it cleans both the fuel and the intake side of the system. It'll work its way right through
the intake planum go down, clean the valves, clean the carbon off the top of the pistons, and it does an excellent jump. So you want to look for that
motor medic. You'll find it at any O'reillyoto Parts. We've
actually started using it in the shop in the last couple of weeks and we're finding very.
Good results with it.
I'll get some this week, all right, sir? One other questions?
Can I get one more?
Yeah?
Sure it.
I have a two thousand and nine Toyota Corolla okay, Greg Lamota in Mota and have never changed the tranny fluid in. It's got one hundred and twenty on it
runs great, bought it new on the stick. When you
check the fluid, it's as do not change. I don't
know what that means, do not change the viscosity or the stuff itself.
Well, the problem is that's probably Toyota WWS World Service Fluid, and you know, they kind of got everybody buying into the fact that you never have to change fluid. You know,
here you are at a buck twenty and the trends is still working, which is a credit to the technology.
But in reality, it's a simple draining fill.
And even on the.
Ones where it's a dipstickless vehicle, yours is not. You
said you had a dipstick. It's still easy enough to do,
so I would change the fluid and make sure you're using original equipment Toyota or when you're out at your local O'Reilly see what they have as the equivalent to the Toyota WS fluid, and you know that'll work just fine.
But I would change the fluid and that and by the way, as long as we're talking about it, going back to the RAF four, if you haven't changed the fluid in that, I would consider replacing that as well, simply because all fluids.
Do have a finite life.
Nothing lasts forever, much as marketing departments in car manufacturer wants you to believe.
All Right, sir, great, thank you very much.
You're very welcome. Charles, you have a good rest of
the weekend. Thank you very good. Yep, you too, take
good care.
Bye bye.
Let's get on over to JR Westchester, New York Online one.
Some questions about a two thousand and eight Toyota FJ JR.
Welcome to the car doctor. Sure, how can I help?
Thank you?
How are you all right?
Sir? Good? What's going on?
So? I have a two thousand and eight FJ Cruiser
with about one hundred and twelve thousand miles on it automatic right, It's been modified quite a bit. But I
noticed I bought it last year, and I noticed between thirty five and forty five miles per hour when I'm in drive, it starts to shake, like the car starts to sake, almost like a stick shift, if it doesn't have enough torque, if you don't give it enough gas.
Right, it's like you're in like you're in too high of a gear, going too slow.
It starts to chuggle.
Exactly right, exactly so.
So.
So I looked it up online on the forum, and a lot of people seem to have this problem, but no one seems to know what causes it. You know,
a lot of people bring it to the dealer, and the dealers don't seem to really, you know, help them too much, right, I trying to figure out what what you know, what's causing it? They have to be you know.
The thing is when you when you move it into the fourth gear or any other gear, it doesn't do that.
It doesn't make the car shake, right, So it's just a drive. I don't think it's a transmission problem.
No, I don't think it's a transmission problem either. I
tell you how I would approach it. But my first
question has to be you said it's modified. It's modified.
How is it lifted? Is it bigger tires? Is is
anything modified suspension or drive train wise or the or the mods all body?
Uh, it has been lifted and it does have two eighty five? Do it so the tires are a little bigger?
Okay?
The one concern about a lifted vehicle, and it may or may not be the case with you, but I just want to mention it is how.
Did they lift it? Did they change pinion and to
the differentials?
Is it?
And if they did that, they modify it so that it's still a good, clean angle and then it's not excessive to the point that that could be a source of the vibration. Only you can tell by looking at
it or having your mechanic.
Look at it. You know.
In other words, if the rear end is the opinion of the rear end is horizontal, and they lifted it, they actually pushed the differential down or pulled it up too far, and now the drive shaft comes.
In at an odd angle.
Everything everything I tell you from this point is going to be mute because you're fighting something that's in the design.
Change of the vehicle if you follow my drift, all right.
So just just keep just keep that in mind.
First question I've got is when this does this, Let's let's pick a number, thirty five miles an hour. When
this does this at thirty five miles an hour, is it there only when you're stepping on the gas or will it do it while you're coasting as well?
If I'm just kind of proved, like keeping my foot on the gas but not not pressing it harder or not coming off all the.
Way, it'll do it.
But if I if I come off or push it harder, it'll go away.
Okay, So if you could, you can either drive through it or allow it to dissipate by not applying fuel.
Right, if I.
Keep my foot stationary, it'll it'll.
Continue, Okay.
You know, I got to tell you it almost sounds like a pinion angle problem. It almost It almost sounds
like you're pushing the rear one way or the other in terms of where it's a position wise. This is
a four wheel drive vehicle, obviously, correct, right right?
I wonder that.
Change because in fourth gear it doesn't do it at all.
Well, and maybe in fourth gear it doesn't have the torque to do it at all. Maybe it doesn't, maybe
it doesn't have the power to do it at all.
So let me let me ask it. Let me ask
you this question.
Is there a flange on the output shaft of the transfer case? And what I'm getting to is, I wonder
if you could drive this vehicle without the rear drive shaft in it, in other words, drive it off the front shift. I wonder if you could, and I would
I would do some research in that direction to see if you can. If you can, if you pulled the
drive shift out, does that make a difference, all right?
Because you know, we could have the conversation about are the tires balanced?
Is there a bent drive shift in the truck? Is
there a rim bent?
But I'm sure you know what You're no dummy. I
can tell by the conversation. You know you've already researched,
all that, you've already gone through, all that. You bought
a lifted vehicle. You know you're buying something that's a little.
Bit off the beaten path.
So I would start to look for the irregular. And
my first thought is can I drive this thing without that drive shift in it? And if I can does
the problem go away and change? And if it does,
then I start looking at suspension and how that rearpinion is facing.
Good luck to you JR. If you need more help,
you can give me a shout. I'm running any in
the car docket. We're back right.
After this, Hey, ron An Indy and the Cardoctor.
Rolling along this hour at eight five to five five six zero nine nine zero zero. Hey, trending right now.
I guess on email. We got an email here from
Francene in Chicago. Hey, Ron, I want to know my
late model Cadillac my mechanic has been working on. He
tells me I have a fuel system problem too. I
just heard your call regarding the gentleman from Maine with the problem in his Toyota. I want to know if
I can clean my fuel injection system with the one kit that you recommended to him, the motor Medic.
Francine, Chicago, Illinois.
Francis, and I'll tell you what, absolutely, as a matter of fact, your Cadillac late model that it is the SRX that has GDI, that has gasoline direct injection fuel injection on it, and the motor Medic kit works very well on that as a matter of fact, it works better than any of the kit on the market right now in the fact that they may this with GDI systems in mind, because it gives it the ability because of the cleaner that it attacks the carbon deposits that are more prone to build up on the intake valve in a higher volume than any other kit on the market today. So yeah, get yourself over to an O'Reilly
auto part store. I know you've got them out there
Chicago Way and ask for the murder Medic kit and that will help clean your fuel system. It's a two
part kit, easy to find from the folks at Motor Medic and Gunk. Let's get on over to Maureen Line
one Base Sure, Long Island, some questions about a Pontiac bumper.
Maureen, you're own with the car doctor. How can I
help you? At eight five to five five six zero
nine nine zero zero.
Yes, thank you a Ron for taking my call. I
think call the show once before and I was very impressed with it. Thank you, You're welcome. I have a
two thousand and three Pontiac. It's regarding a paint job
for the back bumper. I just wanted to paint it
because it had scratches, and I thought it would look nice, so I went ahead and did it. When I brought it,
what happened was I think it was eight months ago today, eight months ago, not quite a year. When I it start,
I noticed that they were like bubbles coming up from underneath the paint infections. And when I brought it back
to the autobotty mechanic who painted it, he says, well, that will happen if somebody hit it, but there's no evidence of anyone hitting my carg.
Yeah, I disagree.
I think he's I think he's trying to duck the bullet Marene from my seat here, and from your description, I think that the surface wasn't prepped properly and the paint is just lifting.
Yeah, well, is there anything that I could do to keep the paint from peeling off? Like? Do it anything
I could do myself?
No?
Unfortunately, no, it's something.
Now it's and now it's going to get worse in time.
Back and talk to him and say, listen, you know, I want to try and understand this, and this is you talking to him.
You know, I want to.
Try and understand this that you know you're saying, this is an impact. But I don't see a point of
impact here.
No, there was no point of impact, and.
There has to be a mark.
You know, this is no different than when somebody has a bad tire. And in my forty three years plus
of doing this, you know, somebody will bring the a tire that we sold them a year ago and they'll say, gee, you know this tire went bad. I don't understand why
the belt shifted and so on. And I will always
find a point of impact. You will see where the
cord was damaged from either a pothole or a curb or something.
There's always there's always a mark.
Could I have it corrected? Could I have it repainted? Different?
Sure?
The other auto body mechanic that I asked if it could be repainted and sprayed and all that, he's going to charge me more money. But as long as I
know I could have it correct oh absolutely.
And for that matter, just for giggles, ask them, what would you be better off replacing the bumper? If we're
going to go through this expense, if you replace the bumper, would that give the body shop a better base to work with? In other words, is the old bumper weathered
or damage somehow? That it's preventing or making it difficult
for the pain to adhere to, which is something I would think the first body shop should have pointed out if they saw that, And I'm not saying they did or didn't, but it's just don't be afraid to say, hey, can I get a replacement bumper? It may not be
all that expensive in comparison to having to do the job twice and possibly a third time if somebody doesn't stop to think about it.
Now that's my point.
Oh, I could get a part. They could get a
part for causey.
So sure, absolutely absolutely. If they can't, I'll tell you
what I can. I can almost guarantee if they can't
get a new one out of General Motors, the aftermarket somewhere will have one in terms of one of the off shoot body suppliers that are out there. To be
honest with you, people don't realize this. More than a
few repairs being done in body shops right now as we speak are using non original equipment parts because insurance companies like that.
It saves them money in the long.
Run and helps them put cars back on the road that they're required to repair. So don't don't think that
you can't find a bumper for a two thousand and three Pontiac.
It's out there, okay.
I do appreciate your helping me out, and I will try the other alternatives which might be an option.
Yeah, just.
Yeah, absolutely, all right Maureen, Oh yeah, thanks very much.
Ron, thank you, You're very welcome here.
You have a good rest of the day, all right, ye bye bye bye. Yeah, listeners, don't if we're going
to go through the pain. And you know, order repair
is all about pain sometimes, and it's it's degrees of pain.
Sometimes it's degrees of pain that really aren't painful. They
kind of make you laugh and giggle and say, gee, thank gosh it turned out that way. And then again
sometimes it's pain that just brings you to the boiling point and you say, er, you know, so.
It's feeling the pain.
Don't be afraid to think that you can't get a bumper for an older car. That car is twelve going
on thirteen years old. But by the same token, if
there's enough of them out there, I'll tell you a quick story. I have a two thousand and five Dodge
Durango in the shop right now. Sad story in a way,
the engine failed on it back in May, and there was a warranty on it because the person that owns it purchased it from a used car lot and he had purchased an extended warranty.
But it had to go to the used car lot's.
Mechanic and well, I won't say exactly where. Let's just
say it was close to New Jersey and Kyle's said Park.
So it ended up they had to have an engine put in it, and it took them one two, three, four five. They finally got the engine the car back
in the middle of September, two weeks ago, so it was it was like four and a half five months.
So now that they've got the engine repaired, and I'm looking at all to make sure that all.
The parts are there, and most of the parts are there except for the way.
They pinched the ground wire between the engine and the transmission and the ground wire at the back of the firewall sticking out through the hole in the bell housing.
And I'm going to fix that because we're afraid to send it back to the engine shop because they'll never see the car again.
The car needs two major parts in order.
To make it driveable again, and neither one is related to the workmanship or the lack of workmanship on the engine repair one. It needs a shift cable, the column shifter.
The shift cable itself is broken and the owner has been shifting it with a pair of ice scripts, which is kind of neat.
When you get in the car, you got.
This pair of ice scripts. You got to grab and
pull and hold and anyway. The shift cable is on
national back order from Chrysler. There is demand for eighty three.
I made it eighty four because I ordered one, and we think somewhere along the way when they get to one hundred, Chrysler will start to manufacture them again. But
my guys at Chrysler tell me that there isn't a shift cable in the country, in the pipeline anywhere for a five dodged around. I just received word at the
end of this past week at the shop that the shift cable is due to be released November fourth. And
as much as we don't like to talk about dates on a radio show when you're trying to make generic bread, let's just date ourselves here for a minute.
That's over a month away.
Can you imagine your vehicles down because you can't get one hundred dollars shift cable. Now on the other side
of it. Trying to make the point that you can
get parts for anything within reason. The gas tank has
a leak in it.
It has an EVAPP.
Fault code diagnosed that and when I looked at it after finding it, which took a little bit, you can see that the metal ring cast into the plastic gas tank has rusted so badly it's pushing smoke out, meaning that it's leaking because we're using a smoke machine. The
gas tank, which is nine hundred dollars, is available Tuesday, so you know, and it only fits two model.
Years of vehicles.
So auto parts is a funny thing. Sometimes you can
get what you think you can't, and sometimes you can't get which you think you should. You would think the
gas tank would be harder to get and the shift cable would be easier, but instead it's vice versa.
So never be afraid to ask, hey.
Can I get one of those, because either from the manufacturer or an aftermarket source, it's got to be out there.
Except in the.
Case of the shift cable, because I tried finding that, I haven't found one yet from anybody other than Chrysler.
So that's that's going to be vice Grip City for the next four weeks. After I fix the gas tank
on Tuesday eight five five five six zero nine nine zero zero, I'm run an ending of the car Doctor and I'm back right after.
This well gotter days card.
Welcome back, run an anting of the car Doctor at your service at A five five five six zero nine nine zero zero. By the way, if you need the
car Doctor during the week, Ron at cardoctorshow dot com, and I'll do my best to answer each and every one of you. I do sit down at my desk
at lunchtime, and like the sign says on the fence, we closed at lunch at twelve to one, So I do sit there and answer emails and kind of chill out and just take my time. So always glad to
hear from a listener and a fan, always glad to help where I can. Let's get over and help where
we can with Rob and Seattle, Washington, two thousand and three Honda pilot and some questions about oil in two and fifty thousand miles.
Great, this car has just broken in. Rob. Welcome to
the Car Doctor, sir.
How can I help exactly right?
Ron it's right so much. You're very welcome.
Let me explain my let me explain my situation.
Go ahead.
I'm a baby boomer nomad, Okay, and I've got three I've got three vehicles Dodds twenty five hundred, RAM pickup and a motorcycle GS twelve hundred. But then I've got
my good old Honda, which is actually in storage in Atlanta, Okay.
And so what I've been doing is taking my motor cycle for the last almost two years now and my pickup truck and just traveling around North America. And occasionally
we'll go back to Atlanta for business or whatever and drive my drive my pilot. But I'm concerned about how
frequently I should be changing the oil in the pilot.
I've had synthetic in it ever since it was new, and it's just sitting. It's just it's I've driven to
probably five hundred miles in the last eighteen months. What
what kind of synthetic oil? How often do you change it?
Well, what kind of facilities its stored in, rob what kind of environment it's.
It's a covered outdoor facility, so it's it's custom to it changes in tempers, right.
But Atlanta doesn't get snow, it doesn't get real cold there, No, not too bad.
You know.
So and you know, is there there's probably some room for condensation to form. And that's probably your biggest downside
here in that an engine sitting will still have accumulation in it and you know, globs of water, and that's a concern, you know. I think using synthetic is absolutely
positively the way to go. You know, if you're going
to go back now, it's been sitting for eighteen months.
How often have you driven it in the past eighteen months?
Is it every three months, every four months?
Yeah, it's about about every Well, it changes, just kind of depends. Sometimes it's I'll be going for a month
and sometimes I'm going for four months.
Right, I'm just out of curiosity. What are you doing
with the fuel system? Are you leaving it full? Are
you leaving it empty?
Yeah?
A good question. I leave it half full and I
put fuel treatment in it, okay, and then when I get back into town, I fill it up with premium, right, and then usually drive about half a tank.
Right.
You know, keep in mind that gasoline loses its pop and starts to I don't the words not dis delayed, it starts to break down and separate intodividual components, where I'm told after thirty to forty five days now they say, yet is just really horrible compared to what it used to be. So you know that that may become an
issue at some point over time as well. But going
back to the oil question, moisture is going to be your culprit here. That's gonna be your big enemy. You know,
if you're back there every three months and you're driving it, I'm sort of a fanatic.
As if you guys can't tell that by now, I would.
I would lean towards changing it every at least every six months eight at the outside, just because of the mileage, and I would just disregard the cleanliness of it. You know,
if we're wasting one extra or two extra oil changes over.
The next two years, so be it.
It's the price for being a nomad and able to cruise the country, and at least you know that your cars in as good a condition as you can possibly make it. But you know, I wouldn't leave it in
there longer than that, simply because I have seen moisture build up and engines. Heck, the hot rod goes through it.
The hot rod sat at the shop last winter because we were doing some things in the facility where it's being kept on a normal basis, and it was kind of neat.
I got to watch the hot rod every day.
But I pulled the valve covers off to do something this spring, and there was water laying up there that had just condensed inside the covers. And that's a fairly heated,
fairly constant environment. And I was really I was impressed
and depressed at the same time. So by all means,
I would consider changing it every six to eight months.
Good quality oil.
And think about that fuel system, think about adding some good fuel system cleaner to that while you drive it with the.
Premium fuel in there. And I think you'll be all right, Rob.
I hope I help you.
I appreciate your call and good looking your travels. You've
ever get up to New Jersey. Stop and we'll have lunch.
I'm on an any in the car doctor eight five five five six zero nine nine zero zero.
We're back right after this.
Hey, welcome back.
We can thank Chris from Staten Island for this email.
Chris wrote me and he said, Hey, Ron, I'm starting out as a young family.
We just had a.
Baby girl will actually not just she's eight months old.
Congratulations Chris and missus Chris out there on Staten Island, and he says, I'm getting ready to put our family car, our four year old Honda into condition for the winter.
And I want to know what your thoughts are on tires.
I read a lot about different models and makes, and I want to know what some of the better technology is out there.
Chris, Staten Island, New York.
Chris will tell you what not because they sponsor for one of the sponsors of this radio show. But the
stuff from General Tire is getting flat out it's scary.
It's so neat, if you know what I'm saying. Their
technology is second to none. They just came out with
an HTS sixty, which is an improvement. And this just
goes to the mindset of the folks at General Tire.
They had the Grabber HTS and now they've created the HTS sixty, which is.
An improvement on that tire.
All right, it's got twenty five percent better tread life, it's got a tread cushioning system which provides a quieter ride, and it's just it's made better. The construction of it
is different. It was geared towards light truck SUV's crossovers.
And it'll fit that Honda of yours. You said, Honda Pilot.
It'll fit that Hond of yours, just flat out perfect.
So you know, that's part of the conversation today that when you're buying a tire, you're buying the technology, you're buying the company that.
Goes with it.
So you know, you've got to do some research and most important, where you buy that tire, ask them, hey, you know, if I buy four and I get a flat in six months, am I going to be able to get another one? And that's part of my argument
for you never want to buy old tire technology. You
always want to buy the newest tire technology because studies show that, you know, it seems to be the odds that you can get that flat tire a year and a half from purchase, and chances are that newer tire technology is going to be more readily available than the one that's four years old coming to the end of its cycle. Something to think about till the next time
I'm run aiding the car doctor. The mechanics aren't expensive
they're priceless.
See y
About this episode
Ron Ananian kicks off by calling out Volkswagen’s emissions-software behavior, then pivots to a shop story: a 2003 GMC Yukon that “only failed on the bumps.” He traces the intermittent door-lock and dashboard flicker to a communication fault (U1360) caused by an interrupted data bus and a severely degraded ground wire—“Ground 103”—that flexes on rough roads. Afterward, he answers DIY questions on coolant, transmission fluid, fuel/carbons cleaning, and storage/condensation, plus driveline vibration and tire choices.
Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor, opens the hour with the story of a 2003 GMC Yukon that only acted up when it hit bumps in the road, proving once again that some of the toughest vehicle problems aren't found in a service manual. From there, Ron answers questions on coolant replacement for a 2011 Toyota RAV4, tracks down a troublesome shimmy on a 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser, discusses a Cadillac fuel injection concern from the email bag, and offers advice on bumper paint repairs for a 2003 Pontiac. The hour wraps up with questions about engine oil for a Honda Pilot and an email discussing the pros and cons of winter tires.
Whether it's an intermittent electrical problem, routine maintenance, or preparing your vehicle for changing seasons, Ron explains it all in a way every driver can understand.
