Four-wheel drive means the car can send power to all four wheels for better grip. They’re saying they don’t usually use it, so the SUV mostly sees normal conditions.
Scan tools are diagnostic devices used to read a vehicle’s onboard computer data and trouble codes. They’re commonly used to pinpoint why a car won’t start or why systems like ignition, fuel, or sensors aren’t behaving correctly.
Company
AC DELCA
AC Delco is a well-known car-parts brand. The caller is saying they were at an AC Delco seminar where they learned about diagnostic equipment.
Remote start lets you start the engine without being right next to the car. Here, the remote start attempt seems to trigger a problem where the engine keeps trying to start but won’t actually run.
The ignition is the part of the car that you use with the key to start it. They’re saying the key was in the ignition, but the car still wouldn’t start.
The fuel pump is what sends gas from the tank toward the engine. Mechanics often listen for it when you first turn the key to see if fuel delivery is working.
That anti-theft light is the car’s way of saying “I’m not sure this key is allowed.” If it flashes, the car may block starting even if you’re trying to drive it.
The anti-theft code is like a permission check for your key. If the car doesn’t recognize the key’s authorization, it can stop the engine from starting.
Term
computer was really confused
The car’s computer can sometimes get mixed-up signals from sensors or other modules. When that happens, the car may act wrong, and the error codes help show why.
This is a GM-specific computer diagnostic tool used by GM-trained technicians. It can pull error codes from the car and sometimes clear them so the car can try again.
The anti-theft warning indicator is a dashboard light that alerts the driver to a problem or active state in the vehicle’s security system. If it’s on (or not behaving as expected), it can indicate an immobilizer/key authentication issue that may prevent starting.
A warning light is the dashboard’s way of telling you something needs attention. For anti-theft, the light’s behavior (flashing or staying on) can indicate whether the security system is active or has detected a problem.
Term
scantol routine
A scan tool is a device that plugs into the car to read trouble information. The “scantol routine” is basically checking what the car is reporting so you know what to do next.
A timeout reset is like the security system taking a short pause. Instead of repeatedly trying to start the car, you wait so the system can reset itself and then you try again.
This means turning the car’s power off completely by removing the battery connections. It can reset the car’s electronics so the security system stops being “stuck” in a fault state.
A jumper wire across the battery terminals helps drain the battery’s remaining charge. That makes it more likely the car’s computers fully reset when you reconnect everything.
This is about fully draining power from the car’s computers. Waiting long enough helps the electronics reset instead of staying in the same error state.
AC Delco is a well-known brand that makes car parts and service-related products. The host is saying he keeps AC Delco info/coverage handy in case his car breaks down.
“No start” just means the car won’t start. When that happens, mechanics focus on the basics first—battery, starter, and whether the engine is getting fuel and spark.
Superchips is a company that makes aftermarket tuning tools for cars. They help adjust the car’s engine settings so it can feel more responsive when paired with other upgrades.
They’re talking about upgrades meant to make the car feel quicker or more responsive. It’s more than just maintenance—it's about changing how the car performs.
The transmission is what helps the engine’s power get to the wheels through different gear settings. If it’s acting up, you might feel vibration, slipping, or weird shifting.
Slippage is when the transmission doesn’t “grab” properly, so the car may feel like it’s not accelerating smoothly. It can be caused by worn parts or problems with the fluid inside the transmission.
Cars have a computer that watches for problems and can save “error codes” when something goes wrong. If there are no codes, the problem might be happening only sometimes or might not be bad enough to trigger the warning system.
If the transmission fluid is overfilled, it can cause the fluid to act wrong inside the transmission. That can lead to symptoms like slipping or rough behavior.
Finding water in the transmission fluid means the fluid got contaminated. Water can hurt how the transmission lubricates and works, so it needs to be diagnosed and fixed.
The radiator overflow is part of the car’s cooling system that catches extra coolant when the engine gets hot. It helps keep the coolant level from getting too high or too low.
Coolant is the liquid that keeps the engine from overheating. It should stay in the cooling system—if it gets into the transmission system, that’s a red flag.
A rebuild means the transmission is taken apart and fixed with new or repaired internal parts. It’s usually done when the problem is deeper than just dirty or low fluid.
A transmission filter helps trap debris and contaminants in the transmission fluid. During service, replacing or cleaning the filter can improve shifting quality, but it may not solve issues caused by internal wear or cooler contamination.
“Shifting smoothly” describes how consistently and gently the transmission changes gears without harshness or delays. It’s often used as a practical indicator that fluid condition, internal wear, and control issues are improving.
“Trans rebuilt” means the transmission is repaired more thoroughly than a simple fluid change. It usually involves taking it apart and replacing worn or broken internal parts.
“Computer flashing” is when someone updates the car’s computer software. That can change how the engine behaves—like how it responds when you press the gas.
The Challenger is a Dodge car built for performance. It’s designed to be fast and exciting to drive, especially in terms of power. It’s often compared with other performance cars when people are choosing something quick.
The Camaro SS is a performance version of the Chevrolet Camaro. In this conversation, it’s brought up to show how newer cars use electronics to get more out of the car.
The Ford Explorer is a common family SUV. The guest is saying that the same kind of electronic tuning used on fast cars can also be used to help regular drivers.
A “tuner” is someone (or sometimes a tuning device) that adjusts the car’s settings. In this discussion, it’s used to change how the car runs, like improving efficiency.
Recreational towing means towing a trailer for fun—like a boat or camper. It puts extra strain on the engine, so the car’s settings may need to be adjusted for smoother pulling.
Shift points are when an automatic transmission decides to change gears. When you’re towing up hills, getting those timing points right can help the car pull better and feel less strained.
RPMs tell you how fast the engine is spinning. Higher RPMs usually happen when you’re climbing hills or accelerating because the engine has to work harder.
A programmer is a device that lets someone update the car’s computer. Think of it like customizing the settings for how the engine and transmission run.
That’s a specific upshift in the transmission. The point is that tuning can make the car shift more smoothly and feel more responsive when you’re speeding up.
A chip flash is an ECU reflash that updates the factory software with new calibration. It’s used to change engine and sometimes transmission behavior for improved drivability or performance.
Real time means data is updated instantly as the vehicle is being driven, rather than after the fact. The speaker is arguing that better visibility into what’s happening while you drive improves the tuning experience.
Altitude affects engine operation because air density changes with elevation, which can alter fueling and combustion. The speaker says they do elevation testing so the tune works correctly at different heights.
Elevation testing means trying the tune at different heights above sea level. It helps make sure the car runs right whether you’re in mountains or at lower elevations.
A custom tune is a calibration tailored to a specific vehicle and operating conditions rather than a one-size-fits-all map. The speaker links it to safety and adequacy after elevation/terrain testing.
Warranty coverage is the manufacturer’s obligation to pay for repairs under specified conditions. Aftermarket tuning can sometimes complicate warranty claims, especially if the modification is linked to the failure being repaired.
Emissions inspections are tests to make sure your car isn’t polluting too much. The question is whether tuning the computer could cause it to fail those tests.
An aftermarket part is something you buy that wasn’t made by the car’s original maker. The point here is that adding one shouldn’t automatically kill your warranty.
This is California’s emissions regulator. The speaker is saying their products were tested to meet emissions rules and are intended to be street-legal.
A powertrain warranty covers the big mechanical parts that drive the car—like the engine and transmission. They’re saying their coverage lasts two years.
Dyno charts are graphs from a machine test that measures how much power the car makes. The speaker is saying they show those results to back up their claims.
Key cycles are when you turn the ignition on and off in a specific sequence. It helps the car’s computer “wake up” and prepare for the device to connect.
A mileage tune is a software change meant to help the car use less fuel. It changes how the engine computer controls things so you can get better gas mileage.
Octane is how resistant your fuel is to engine knocking. If you use higher-octane gas, the engine computer can sometimes run more advanced timing safely for better results.
A performance tune is a software update that tries to make the car feel stronger and more responsive. It changes engine settings so the engine can make better use of the fuel you’re using.
Concept
towing tune
A towing tune is meant to help the car handle heavy loads better. It changes how the engine responds so it can pull more smoothly and stay within safe operating limits.
A two-headlight system means there are fewer headlight units on the front—usually one per side. They’re trying to make new bulbs fit and lock properly and still have both low and high beams working.
Low beams are the headlights you use for regular night driving. Here, the bulbs go into the housing but don’t properly lock in place, which can affect secure mounting and alignment.
A junk yard is a salvage facility where used parts are removed from wrecked vehicles. The caller wants to harvest connectors from a two-headlight system to adapt wiring for the new housings, which is a common but careful DIY approach.
Solder is a way to permanently connect wires together. If it’s done right, it makes a solid electrical connection; if it’s done poorly, the lights can fail or act up later.
High beams are the brighter headlights you use when the road is clear. They’re planning to place the high-beam housings in a different spot, and the big question becomes whether they can be aimed correctly.
Headlight aiming is the process of setting the vertical and horizontal aim so the beams illuminate the road without blinding other drivers. Any conversion between headlamp systems can change mounting points, so aiming becomes a critical safety and legal consideration.
A four-headlight setup means the car has more than two headlight lamps working for low/high beams. Changing it to a two-headlight setup means you’ll be rearranging which bulbs and housings handle low and high beams.
Headlights usually have two settings. Low beam lights up the road without dazzling other drivers, and high beam reaches farther. If the wiring/connector matches, you can often swap in a bulb that supports both settings.
A TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) is an official notice from a vehicle manufacturer to dealers and repair shops. It describes known issues and recommended repair procedures, often including parts and labor guidance. In this segment, it’s referenced as relating to excessive oil consumption on certain vehicles.
This means the engine is running low on oil faster than normal. When oil gets into places it shouldn’t, it can burn and create smoke. If it’s happening, you usually need a real diagnosis—not just adding more oil.
Term
oxygen sin's
An oxygen sensor helps the car figure out how much fuel to use by reading the exhaust. If it’s not working right, the car can run poorly and emissions systems can be affected. It’s part of the feedback system that keeps the engine mixture correct.
Term
fuel line back
They’re asking whether the fix should go beyond the engine and include parts that come after the fuel system. Sometimes when something has been damaging exhaust/emissions parts, you may need to replace those too. They’re wondering if that’s necessary even if the smoke has stopped.
Inside the engine, rings help control how much oil stays on the cylinder walls. If the oil-control ring can’t do its job, the engine may start using/burning oil.
Varnish is like gunk that forms when old engine oil gets cooked. It can stick parts together and stop the engine from sealing and lubricating properly.
These are the inside surfaces of the engine where the pistons slide. If the surface is damaged or the wrong finish is used, the rings may not seal well and oil can get past.
These sensors check what’s coming out of the exhaust. If they get contaminated by oil or soot, the car may not run as efficiently or may trigger warning lights.
This sensor helps the car figure out whether it’s using the right amount of fuel. If it’s contaminated, the engine computer can’t adjust correctly.
LIVE
Roan Anian.
The problem is he goes every time they sell a flush, they make five bucks.
New answer.
This takes race.
It really is the only state.
Of the country.
It's not a mandatory seaboat. You take that liver of diving.
We'll f freaking serious, the car Doctor.
You got to look at the positive, I said, if they continue to sell those flushes, that means though service writers can buy an awful lot of lawn furniture, and at least the lawn furniture industry is going to be doing well.
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 call at eight five five five six oh ninety nine hundred and now.
The most dramatic license plate of all has to be in New Hampshire's, which says livy or done well.
I'm certainly not going to move there.
He Ronnie and I can understand that. Welcome to our
newest card doctor affiliate WNNH, New Hampshire, as we thank them and depreciate the fact that they are helping carry the Card Doctor legacy coast to coast, border the border and to help move us forward. We're now on live
in the great state of New Hampshire. Ron and Any
and the Card Doctor here eight five five five six zero nine nine zero zeros the phone number here to answer your questions and solve your problems as we take this show another weekend forward and canntinue to solve all of America's broken car problems and attempt to do that.
You can find more information about this radio show Cardoctorshow dot com. There is an affiliate list there via TuneIn
dot com. You can find podcasts of this radio show
and take us with you wherever you want to go at iHeart dot com or iTunes dot com. And remember,
if you need me Ron on ENnie and the Car Doctor during the week, it's Ron at Cardoctorshow dot com.
It's funny about that if you need me during the week. Thing,
I have to tell you this story as we kick off this hour, Doctor, I hate to interrupt the monologue.
We've got a call on the line here We really really need to get to them right now. This guy's
in a parking lot. He's got a big problem. Important,
All right, important, let me grab this. Hang on one second, folks,
let's let's see who's online. One, who's online? One?
It's wrong. From Waldwick, New Jersey. G Thanks for taking
my call. I'm really desperate.
I'm sorry to hear you having so many problems.
Ron.
What what can I do for you? What's the ear
make model a vehicle? And what sort of situation do
you have.
I have a two thousand and four Chevy Suburban, really car out of the family fleet. It's probably the nicest.
It's one of those vehicles. It hasn't been out in
the snow. It hardly goes out in the rain. I
don't think I've turned the four wheel drive on in the past twelve years a half a dozen times. So
when I tell you this vehicle is pampered, it's pampered.
And I also asked to preface this by saying that I'm a mechanic. I fixed cars for a living. And
what happened was I was at a seminar the other night down in Secaucus, New Jersey for AC DELCA. They
were giving us some training on scan tools and some of the newer scan tools in the marketplace. And I
came out of the meeting, went to do a remote start, and I was a little far away. I was probably
a good fifty yards away from the vehicle, And when I got there, the vehicle was just cranking and it wouldn't start. It was just like a continuous crack. I
finally got it to stop cranking, unlocked it, got in the vehicle and found out that even with the key inserted in the ignition, the car wouldn't start, And it was really kind of stra I was looking for your thoughts on what you thought might have happened.
Well, what can you tell me, Ron? Can you tell
me any dashboard warning lights on any weird notices that you received from the gauges? Did the fuel pump run?
You know, when you're in a situation like that, and sometimes a situation like that, especially when you're a mechanic, you find yourself feeling like you're talking to yourself. It's funny,
it feels like deja vu. I think I just said that,
and the issue really becomes that you've got to stay calm and carry on. Like Winston Churchill once said in
that if that were me and I was in that situation, I'd be looking at the dashboard. That's probably my best
source of information at that point. What sort of information
will it give me? Did the gauges look normal? Where's
charging system voltage? If you have a vault gauge? What
any dashboard warning lights on? You know? I bet in
your situation as an educated guest, because I think I've been here before. I think I've seen this problem just recently.
As a matter of fact, I'd venture to say that the anti theft light was on and it was flashing.
That's right, Ron, it was flashing. As a matter of fact,
when I put the key in and went to start it, I did hear. I was able to tell the fuel
pump was running. I could hear that from the back
of the vehicle. Being a mechanic and I've had the
vehicle a long time, I know what the sounds are of what sound or you know launch is going to sound like? And all the dashboard warning lights everything looked
normal except the anti theft light was flashing quickly, which told me you're right, I was in a false anti theft event. And I say false because I had the
right key in my hand and it was me starting the car. It wasn't like someone was trying to steal it.
So then what did you do next?
Ron?
My guess is you'd have to go and you need a scan tool. Good thing for you. You're at an AC
Delco seminar about scan tools, and you know you could probably could have gone and grabbed one of those. Is
that what you did? Did that get you the answers?
Did you have anti theft code stored in the vehicle?
Yes, I did, run I had, a matter of fact, I had more than just anti theft codes. I had
communication codes. I had anti theft faults, I had all
sorts of things. You could see that the computer was
really confused. It didn't know which way was up. So
what I did was I went back into the seminar, and fortunately for me, I know most of the trainers that were there, and I went over to the gentleman from AC Delko, a friend of mine by the name of Steve, and I borrowed the tech two from him, the GM factory scan tool, and he came out to the car with me. We were kind of laughing about it.
Here we are at ten o'clock at night, out in the middle of a parking lot, hooking up the scan tool, and we saw anti theft codes and you know, all sorts of issues going on, cleared them and were able to get the vehicle to reset and it started up and homeward bound we came. I guess part of the
reason for my call is I thought maybe you'd like to talk about this on air for the listeners out there that maybe don't have access to or are an at a scan tool seminar. Whe they've got access to
scan tools that they can plug into their car to diagnose it right there. But you know, if this was
a regular listener calling in, what would you tell them?
How would you tell them to handle it? And I'd
be curious to pick your brain and hear how you'd help them to resolve it.
Well, I appreciate that, Ron, I really do you know.
I think if it were me, I'd feel like I was talking to myself and I'd be walking around in circles.
But it sounds like a recent episode I had, and I can tell you what I did as I stood out there in that parking lot at night, and listeners, thanks for playing along with us as we kick off this hour of the Car Doctor. We thought you'd like
to hear this experiment of what it's like when you need to talk to yourself. And I have to tell
you when this happened, I sort of felt like Will Smith in that movie Hitch, because I really wish I had somebody behind the door to talk to. If you
remember the end of the movie, the last couple of scenes, and he was looking for help to explain his love life, and in my case, I was looking for help is to you know, how could the car just drop dead like that?
And it did? The O Force Suburban didn't start that night.
We came out of the seminar and I went back in and I got my friend Steve with a scantol and as we cleared the codes, I said to myself.
Driving home and talking with Fast Harry who was with me, and Danny, my tech, we were all kind of kicking it around and saying, what would the average person do?
Look at how much computers are on this vehicle and this is a twelve year old vehicle. What would happen
if it was a newer car? And the thoughts that
came through my mind were and that's why we sort of chose this for the repair of the week in that you know, first things first, do what I did.
Look at the dashboard? Is it giving you any information?
Is the anti theft warning indicator on? And if you
don't know which light is the anti theft warning indicator, boy, you've got a problem. You know, that's just one of
the things you need to know about your card. It's critical.
What are some of the warning indicators you don't see on a regular basis? If your vehicle has anti theft
and chances are if it's something made in the last six seven years, it's got automatic anti theft on it.
There is a warning light there. Know what it means
when it flashes. It may not be a symbol, it
may be a color, It may be how fast it flashes or doesn't flash and stay on bright and solid.
But the bottom line is there's always some sort of anti theft warning light or indicator on a vehicle that has it. Once I knew it was anti theft and
I went into the scantol routine, what would I do if I were you? Well, there's two ways to go
about this. Most anti theft systems will go through a
period timeout reset, meaning that if the light is blinking, you need to sit there, and you need to think of it like this. The manufacturer says, well, if the
vehicle has a problem in anti theft and it's supposed to be wrong but it's not wrong, we're gonna wait just in case ron's having a problem, and let the vehicle time out, and typically it's fifteen to twenty minutes.
Let the vehicle sit, don't touch anything, don't keep trying to crank it. Time it. Wait fifteen minutes, Wait twenty minutes.
Does the indicator light stop flashing? Does it change anything
on the dashboard? And if it does, put the key
in and try starting it again. If it still goes
into anti theft event. And if the suburb had gone
into anti theft event, my next step would have been to disconnect both battery terminals, put a jumper wire between the two terminals, not the battery between the cables. I
would have put a jumper wire between the cables and sat there with it connected like that for eight to ten minutes. I would have bled the computers down to nothing.
I would have taken away their memory, cleared all the fault codes, plugged the cables back in, and hopefully it would have started if it didn't, and for the record, if it didn't, I was prepared. I had my triple
eight card on the wallet. I had an eight hundred
AC Delco folder in my glove compartment from when I serviced my own vehicle. I am entitled the Free AC
Delco Roadside because I'm an AC Delco professional service center.
As ironic as that sounds, Listen, anybody's car can break at any given time. You know, just because I'm the
car doctor doesn't mean I'm not going to get a flat tire and doesn't mean I'm not going to have a vehicle that acts up like this. It's electronics. What
I sho I wouldn't have is an automotive surprise because I've maintained the vehicle. And here's a case where maintaining
the vehicle. I don't know that it would help, But
if that vehicle had to be towed in, if it were your car and it had to be towed in with a no start condition, knowing the maintenance was done does cut down on what you need to look at.
So best dancer I can give you as we kick off this hour of the Car Doctor, stay calm, carry on.
It's a car. Hopefully you've got some of your you know,
bad emergency problems sorted out in your head. You know
what you're gonna do. You've got a plan in place,
you've got some phone numbers in place, and you're ready to go. And if all else fails, you may want
to try and start talking to yourself. Because it happens
to the best of us, and I can honestly say it happened to me. Hello and welcome Ron and Andy
and the car Doctor. You here a true story from
this past week. We were out of the seminar, and
it's really kind of funny. I still can't get over
the fact. As I was walking back in to borrow
the scan tool from Steve. From my friend Steve, some
of the guys were coming out of the seminar, and you know, when I go to these things, I just try to go in very nondescript behind the scenes. And
a couple of them came up and asked me. They
were like, hey, where are you on again? You're back
on in New York and you know what radio station is A I told them AM seventeen hundred WRCR, and everybody was like all excited, and it was funny. I
thought about it afterwards. I never told them who I was,
and I didn't have a name badge on. So sometimes
maybe it pays not to be recognized, and then again, sometimes I guess you just can't help it. Hey, listeners,
We've got an awful lot going on this hour. We've
got an interview down around the bottom of the hour with the folks from super Chips. We're gonna be talking
about performance and what you may be able to do to modify your vehicle. Hopefully it's a little bit better
than what I did to the suburban to get it to run, and you can get some more performance out of your car with things like super Chips and some of the performance modifications. We are doing a couple of
giveaways this week. We've got one hundred dollars gift card
going out to you from the folks at Advance Ordo Parts for Wherever break Hardware and I brought to you by them. We're gonna be doing that in the next
two hours. We're also gonna need to giving away a
Wix die cast car in the next two hours, so there's a lot of giveaways. There's an interview down around
this hour we've also got penz Oil. In the second hour,
we're gonna talk to the folks over at Pennzoil. So
if you're into cars, if you're into anything automotive, sit back.
The Card Doctor's gonna take you on a little bit of a ride right after this.
Well, and that was all the same.
Welcome back.
Why don't the any of the Car Doctor on along this hour at eight five five five six zero nine nine zero zero, let's get over and talk to Peter and promote New York two thousand and four Mercury Marauder and some transmission questions. I believe Peter. Welcome to the
Car Doctor, sir, how can I help welcome?
I'm glad that you're on the air on seventeen hundred AM, ten thousand watts, and it's great to listen to you.
Thank you well.
I have a two thousand and four Mercreamer order now.
I's the one hundred and sixty five thousand, seven hundred miles on it. And I noticed, maybe a couple of
weeks ago, a battle ten days ago or so, that there was a little bit of vibration while I was driving and felt like you were going over rumble strips.
So I was thinking maybe with something with the transmission.
And then a week later I felt a little slippage, so I was concerned. So I made an appointment with
the transmission shot near me and I brought it in.
They test drove it. They said, what are you exactly feeling,
because we didn't feel anything and the computer is not throwing out any codes. So I explained them again, it
felt like you're going over rumble strips and there was a little bit of slippage. So they checked it out
and they said that they saw too much fluid in the you know, in a flu level was too high.
And then they took the pan down and said, look, there's some water in here. There's some water in the
pan somehow. Orter must have gotten in there somehow.
Been driving through any deep puddles or anything lately.
Peter didn't drive through any deep puddles. The only thing
I could think of is that the last time a couple maybe it was a few months ago or a month ago, I have checked the transmission, flew it on my own by taking out the dipstick. And the only
thing I think is maybe I didn't push it all the way back until it clicked and was completely sealed, and I'm thinking maybe some water got in that way and when it rained. That's the only thing I could
think of it.
Yeah, and I think you're reaching there just out of curiosity.
I don't think it's going to be this. But did
anybody happen to look in the radiator or the radiator overflow?
Could we be mixing coolant and trans flew it together inside the radiator and it's it's showing signs of.
It in the trans They didn't think so, because the cooler for the transmission is out, it's not bolted outside the radiator.
Okay, okay, So your question to.
Me is, well, my question is he was they did a service. You know, they did a service. They drained
that as much condition food as they couldn't put in a new filter. And their suggestion was that probably we
need to rebuild soon and it would be twenty three hundred dollars. And my question is to you is do
you agree with that? And if so, do you know
a place that that might be a little cheaper than that.
I've been driving it just to let you know for a couple of days now, and it seems to be shifting smoothly again. And there's no vibration and no slippage.
So I don't know if maybe that that service caught in time or there's already a little damn.
You know, Peter, it's a great question. Let me answer
it this way. I don't think this is about how cheap.
I think this is about how right. You know. The
one of the funny things about auto repair is we fail to see and this is not just you, This is a lot of people. We fail to see the
value in what a car actually is. And I hate
to stand on the soapbox, but you gave me the moment.
You know, this is no different than saying, how cheap can you do an oil change? It's not how cheap,
it's how right. And I guarantee you the guy that's
cheaper is in all likelihood going to have to cut costs somewhere. Either that or he's just working so cheap
he won't be able to afford to be around for the long haul. And you know this is like, this
is like going into your favorite restaurant. You love this place,
the ambiance, the wait staff, best steak in the world, best soup, best salad, best beverages. Everything's perfect. Can you
do it a little cheaper. But you know, my attitude
is JEA, I hope you make enough money on me because I want you to stick around a long time, because I like the service. I like the reliability, I
like the security. I like the fact that you're there
when I need you. And that's you know, it's funny.
We do that with a lot of industries. We don't
seem to do that with auto repair. So that's that's
the first part of your question. The second part of
my question is because it all comes back to the relationship you have, hopefully with the mechanic, with the trans rebuilder, he's got reputation, he's in town a long time, he's going to stand behind the product. Is hopefully you're not
going to have to see him again for a couple of years. The second part of the question, I would
keep an eye on it. It's very possible that the
service helped it and the service solved it for you.
You know, at one hundred and sixty five thousand miles, you know, me saying that that car is going to need a trans rebuilt is like me telling the eighty five year old man, you know, time's running out. You
got to take it easy. I would watch it. I
would monitor it. As long as you're doing short trips
close to home, I think you're okay and you can kind of do that transmission in your time as the budget allows. And that's how I would approach that. Peter,
I enjoyed the call. Hey, coming up next, super Chips
wanted how to modify your car electronically. Stay tuned. The
Car Doctor's got the answer. We're back right after this. Hey, listeners,
welcome back Ron Andy and the Car Doctor here. You know,
we've had some inquiries over the past year and they're getting to increase in frequency. Questions about chips and computer
flashing and hey, how can I make my vehicle run better electric ironically? And we've reached out to the best
in the business. We're going to talk to Jim McGinn,
vice president of marketing for the folks over at Powertech, and we want to welcome Jim aboard today as we talk about chips and flesh and Jim, welcome to the Car Doctor.
Sir, Hey, thank you very much for having me.
Car companies are well and they've been doing this for some time. Once again, they seem to be on a
performance path. You look at some of the cars, the Hellcat,
the Camaro SS, the Corvettes, and they're trying to get more out of less with electronics. Do you think this
is a short term trip or do you see this as a trend?
No, I think it's a trend for sure. I think
moving forward, you're going to see cars, trucks, SUVs, crossovers, whatever, they may be offering more with less. I think now
when you think less on an engineering side for some of these OEMs, you're thinking less weight, more safety, more features.
Companies are really trying to add more for the customer off the bat and I think you know, in the next five to ten years, the landscape will be totally revamped as far as technology available to customers off the lot, as well as what the aftermarket can provide them. And
the aftermarket's going to have to adapt to those new offerings to make sure that they can continue to deliver.
You know, what the customer is looking for, what those needs may be right down the road.
So electronics gives us lots of options. A friend of
mine was lucky enough and wealthy enough he was able to afford a new Dodge Hellcat, and it was really amazing to me when He explained how with this key the car puts out seven hundred horse power, and with this key the car puts out five hundred horse power, and they're doing that electronically. I thought that was amazing.
So when you look at electronics like that, how they can change horsepower, they can change power. What does that
mean to the consumer? I mean, if somebody's out there
driving a twenty to fifteen Ford Explorer for conversations sake, is there something that chip and flesh technology can do for them, because it doesn't necessarily have to just be a hot rod per se.
No, not at all. I think we cater to a
wide variety of customers. We cater to the enthusiast, the
guy that likes to go out to the track, and quite frankly, he may be using our product to get his race vehicle to the track, not necessarily compete. So
one of the biggest things that we see from our product registration data is that people gravitate towards a tuner or a chip per increased fuel economy. There's a lot
of people that do recreational towing as well, whether they have a tobal boat and RV camper shift points is huge, particularly with gas customers when they're pulling hills. We're here
based in Ogden, Utah, so as you drive through the mountains you may see the RPMs up at four five thousand.
Eliminating down shifting is a huge benefit that a chip or a programmer can provide you. And then really just
power and performance from zero to wide open throttle. A
lot of people think power off the line is where you really see the benefit, but in reality, it's when you're going from third to fourth gear, or when you're coming on off the expressway getting up to speed, not feeling like you're a hazard when you're at load. Those
are the benefits that we think that really cater to the people that have fun on the weekends with their vehicle but also drive it Monday through Friday during the week.
For those of you just tuning in, we're talking to Jim again here on the Car Doctor, vice president of marketing for power Tech. Jim, so, do you think the
minivan user is going to see as much of as an advantage as the corvette owner? You know, chip flash
add on performance seems to be becoming an extension of the manufacturers, and it's becoming a logical path for growth.
What are your thoughts sure.
I mean, I think we're always looking to target, you know, the other car in the driveway. So you know, when
you think Corvette, you think of performance, speed, the guy that may you know, frequent a speech shop or go into an O'Reilly's and by parts, whereas the minivan is more for functional transportation. But the way technology is going
now and some of the things that we can include in our products, it's things like a maintenance manager or reading and clearing that code. What does that check engine
light mean to me? And that's where we can add
value I think to the minivan customer or to the other car quote unquote or truck in the driveway. Additional
features the ability to can control and you know, lay out some style on a graph, whether it's on an in cap monitor or exporting it to a CSV file, even to really see where you may be experiencing a flaw in your vehicle throughout the RPM band. So we
think that you know, manufacturers will continue to offer more things that you'll be able to view on the dash and on Our goal as a company is to really define performance for the customers. Sometimes that means more horsepower,
sometimes it means more visibility into what's going on in real time, because.
For sure, somebody using their pickup truck of off roading in Arizona, Nevada is going to want different things in the person using it as a grocery getter in downtown New York City, and that's probably a real world scenario.
No, it is, absolutely. And the other thing that a
lot of people maybe don't take into consideration is their altitude and their terrain. We have a corporate office in Sandford,
Florida as well, so we have the opportunity between our employees here and customers throughout the country to do elevation testing and to make sure that when we provide quote unquote a can tune in our devices, that it actually is a custom tune. It's built for the intent and
purpose of performance economy towing, and it's been tested at those various altitudes and terrain levels to make sure that it's adequate and also more importantly safe for the customer.
Here's the question everybody asks me, and I sort of don't have this answer. I'm hoping you do. Does CHIP
or a flash improvement affect warranty coverage and emissions inspections?
Sure?
That's a great question, and we get it every day.
So there's two answers to that question. The first one
is the Magnus and Boss Warranty Act, which states that a a dealer or a manufacturer, they cannot void your warranty based on the visual presence of an aftermarket part.
Now that has changed as far as how the consumer has experienced that kind of feedback from the dealer. Particularly
the past couple of years, we've been told that some people are actually being asked to sign paperwork at the time of their purchase indicating that they will not add any of those baltons or features to the vehicle. Yeah,
and sometimes it's in the fine print and they don't realize it until afterwards. But we always suggest people to
realize is that a the Magnusum Mousse Walk Warranty Act is intact and it is a legitimate federal law. And
then we also let people know that all of our products have gone through the emissions testing phase, both internally here and with the Air Resources Board in California, so we have fifty state legal products. Our products come with
executive order numbers as well as a decal that they can furnish at the time of a small check their admission station. So we also include a two year powertrain
warranty on our products, which is industry exclusive. So we
really try to validate our claims not only by you know, providing the dino charts and all the features, but letting people know that this product is backed by not just a thirty day warranty, but a two year powertrain warranty.
It gives them the assurance to say, hey, if you bring your vehicle in and for whatever reason, this this programmer or this tuner has caused an issue or enhanced the current law, and we'll back that. And since we
implemented that, we've had two instances in the past five years.
And that's that's you know what is that that's less than one percent on betting?
Oh far less? Yes, yeah, So I mean it's our intent.
You know, when we reverse engineer and design tunes and implement them into a device, our guys certainly know, you know that there's there's a safe power, and then there's a power that you probably don't want to package in and make available to the general public. Right, and so
we're we're confident that the various power levels that we make available they're reliable, they're safe, and they're also meaningful in the form of added power and fuel account.
So, you know, speaking specifically Jim, as we kind of wind it down for different levels or packages. What's involved
in a typical installation? Can you describe it quickly?
Sure? So we call it white glove technology. You're not
popping the hood. You're plugging in and communicating via the
vehicles of diagnostic port, the OBED two port right underneath the dash. Typically that location varies depending on the vehicle,
but it is underneath the steering wheel. When you plug in,
you will power up. Based on the ignition system, you
will be cycled through some different key cycles. The unit
will prompt you to turn the ignition on and off.
And what we're doing is we're communicating with the vehicle and we're rewriting. We're flashing the ECM, so we're giving
it a new identity based on the features and input that you've given the device. So you tell us if
you're running ninety three octane, you tell us if you want a mileage tune, if you want a performance tune or a towing tune, and then really it's almost like installing a new version of Windows or software on your computer.
You're giving it a new identity and it's going to operate at a higher level for you based on you know, where you're driving and what you're doing.
Now. I'm sure, I'm sure if there's an issue you
I'm sure super Chips has tech support and you know they have customer service and so forth for something like this, we do.
We actually we have two locations, Ogden and Utah and then Sanford, Florida, so we actually have from eight am East Coast time to eight pm East coast time. We've
got technicians on hand and these guys are certified, they've their hands on with the product, and you know, they're always happy to help customers. Sometimes when you're programming a
vehicle for the first time, there's some very normal hesitation and questions that come up, and those guys are great at answering those addressing those questions.
Wow, crazy, great stuff, Jim, great stuff. I think you
guys have really risen to the challenge and you're doing an exceptional job, and I want to thank you for being with us today. Is there a place that listeners
can go for more information? Is there a website? There's
got to be right.
Absolutely. You can visit superchips dot com. So that's www
dot superchips dot com. That's our website has all our
contact information in a host of information about our products as well.
If they have any questions, they can get an answered there or I'm sure there's an eight hundred number via that website as well. Just give us the eight hundred
number if you would. Jim, do you have it?
You bet? It's eight eight eight two two seven two
four four seven.
Right, perfect, Jim. I appreciate your time today. You have
a good rest of the afternoon.
Appreciate the opportunity. Thank you.
You're very welcome. I'm ronning any and the Car Doctor,
and we are back right after this.
Maybe don't.
Hey, hey, hey, welcome back. Why don't any of the
Car Doctor keep in mind listeners this hour. I think
it's this hour. I'll have to do it this hour.
One of our upcoming calls, we're gonna be giving away a Wis Diecast cards. There. It's their thirty nine Ford
Diecast one eighteenth scale model. You know, for seventy five years,
Wicks has protecting has been protecting all of the engines that America drives with their various line of filters, oil filters among them, and to helps celebrate that they've created this thirty nine Ford Coup hot rod and it's a real nice piece. We've got pictures of it up on
our Facebook page and we're gonna give it out somewhere in the last part of this last part of this particular hour. Let's get over to the phones and let's
go talk to John Biloxi, Mississippi, nineteen ninety Chevy Cavalier and some questions. John, Welcome to the car doctor, Sir,
how can.
I help hi? I'm going from a fore head light
system to a two head light system, okay, and the I've got the low beam bulbs in the new housing, but they don't lock down. They will fit into the housing,
but they can't lock down because of the way they're designed.
They're too small.
Okay.
What I want to do is go to a junk yard and cut the connectors out of a two headlight system and solder cut cut my fore headlight connectors off, and solder the two headlight connectors on there and so that the bulb will fit tightly in the housing.
Well, well, wait a minute, you're gonna you're gonna still have high beam low beam, right, John.
Well, I'll have I'll have low beam in the housing.
Then what I was going to do is get some get some more housings and cut them up and stick them down in that intake below the bumper for my high beams.
And then how are you going to aim them?
That's a good question.
So do we when do we do this? It sounds
like you want to go from a four headlamp system to a two headlamp system to modify it, right.
Well, I had to because of accident damage.
Okay, So then why didn't you just just just make this easy? There are I don't know the part number
off the top of my head, but there are vehicles out there that do utilize a low beam high beam headlamp that will be similar in the connector that you've got, and you can just install that bulb in the housing, and if you have to modify the housing at that point, then modify that that way. At least when you go
through the pain, you've got the high beam and low beam.
And then you can also purchase from the local autoparts store.
Go to an O'Reilly you've got an rally autoparts around you and ask them, ask them to look through the catalog, tell them what you want to do, and they'll have a connector that you can purchase that will plug into that bulb. And now you've just got to transfer you've
got you're gonna have. You're gonna have four wires on
each side, two low beam, too high beam. Just condense
them down. If I remember right, it's a light green
that's gonna be the high beam and the ten is going to be the low beam. Just combine those into
each side as part of that connector, and away you go.
This way, you don't have sounds like it'd looked like a cyclops, John, and I don't think you want that.
So if you want to modify this and do it simple, well I would get over to an O'Reilly odo parts and make the changes there. All right, buddy, If you
have any other questions, and by the way, you can find out more at you can get out to O'Reilly odo Parts, look them up online at o'reillyodel dot com and look up more information there. But doing it hands
on in the store is the best way to go.
Eight five five five six zero nine nine zero zero mon Ani and the card doctor back right after this, Hey, welcome back. Weren't on any of the car Doctor, We're
running out of time. Let's finish this hour. Mike and Portland, Maine,
two thousand and six, RAF four. Mike, what can I
do for you real quick?
You may have heard about the TSB with the raft fours and the Toyota engine with excessive oil consumption. Friend
of mine has this problem. They need to replace all
four pistons, but Toyota doesn't have enough parts to do that.
She's burned through oil oil. But I'm wondering if that's
enough because her oxygen sin's now gone, there's no smoke coming out the cars and it's affecting the cat. Shouldn't
really everything be replaced from the fuel line back in order to keep everything running?
Great question, Mike, I'll tell you what. In this mechanic's opinion, Yeah,
you're absolutely right. You know, Toyota's got a problem. A
lot of these manufacturers have a problem right now, and there's not a lot of talk about it. There's not
a lot of conversation going around the industry. But the
fact is many manufacturers, Toyota among them, in my opinion, and from what I'm seeing, the proofs in the pudding.
They've extended the oil drain interval too far. They've taken
it out to the point where now a lot of these two thousand and three up Toyotas, like the Hondas, like some of the Nissans, they're having oil consumption issues.
Subaru comes to mind of late OUTI Volkswagen was in the news for this particular problem where they've extended the oil drain interval out so far that they've got varnish issues on the oil the oil control ring. When these
cars get into the seventy eighty thousand mile marks, sometimes a little higher, and they're starting to consume oil. Sometimes
it's happening sooner than the eighty. Sometimes it's happening a
little bit later. The problem is, you know, Toyota's fixed
in their case is it's they want you to take the engine apart and put rings in it. Don't touch
the cylinder walls. There's conversation about if the crosshatch is
still there, hey, leave it alone. It's working. To me,
it's kind of like letting a twelve year old rebuild your engine, and it doesn't matter. If you follow all
the necessary procedures, it works. And it gets you out
the door. So yeah, there's an issue. And then the
latter part of that is you're right. It is damaging
oxygen sensors, air fuel ratio sensors, catalytic converters. The reason
we don't see cars burning oil going down the road anymore is because catalytic converters swallow all that smoke. Hey, Mike,
you know what, You're my last call this hour. Stay tuned,
stand the line fast. Harry's gonna get your information. We're
gonna send that thirty nine Ford Model one eighteen scale car your way, courtesy the nice folks at Wix Filters in their seventy fifth anniversary. Maybe maybe that will help
ease your pain. I'm on an ady in the car
doctor reminding everybody the mechanics aren't expensive, They're priceless. See
you
About this episode
Ron starts with a crank-no-start Suburban that turns out to be a false anti-theft event, then walks listeners through reset steps and scan-tool diagnosis. He moves into a high-mileage Mercury Marauder transmission discussion, stressing that repairs should be done right, not just cheaply. The hour also features a Superchips segment on tuners, fuel economy, towing, and warranty law, before ending with calls about headlight wiring on a damaged Cavalier and Toyota oil-consumption problems.
Talking to Myself, Tuning Chips & Oil Consumption Truths
From the archives — September 19, 2015.
Ron kicks off the hour in an unusual way—talking to himself (literally) while working through a real-world issue with an anti-theft system on one of his own vehicles. It’s a candid look at how even seasoned techs think through modern car problems.
The calls cover a wide range of issues, including a 2004 Mercury Marauder with transmission concerns, and a classic 1990 Chevy Cavalier where the owner wants to convert from a four-headlight setup to a two-headlight system.
Ron also sits down with Jim McGinn of PowerTeq to talk about performance programming and what modifying your vehicle’s computer really means for drivability and reliability.
Rounding out the hour, a caller with a 2006 Toyota RAV4 asks about a technical service bulletin addressing excessive oil consumption—leading to a broader discussion about manufacturer fixes, expectations, and what drivers should know.
A mix of real shop insight, listener questions, and straight talk you can use.
