Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - January 10, 2026 - Hour 2 - One Chance to Do It Right: Dealer Disputes, Exhaust Surprises, and Battery Timing
Ron Ananian The Car Doctor
Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - January 10, 2026 - Hour 2 - One Chance to Do It Right: Dealer Disputes, Exhaust Surprises, and Battery Timing
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Part
headlight assembly
The headlight assembly is the part of the car that holds the headlights. It helps light up the road when you're driving at night or in bad weather.
Part
wheel well cover
The wheel well cover is a piece that protects the area around the car's wheels. It keeps dirt and water from getting into parts of the car that could be damaged.
Part
headlamp assembly
The headlamp assembly is the entire part that holds the headlight bulb and lens. It's what you see at the front of the car that lights up the road when you drive at night.
Part
bulb
A bulb is the part that produces light in your car's headlights or taillights. It's what you replace when a light goes out.
Part
O-ring seal
An O-ring seal is a rubber ring that helps keep oil from leaking out of parts in a car. If it's not installed properly, oil can escape, causing problems.
Term
dashboard warning light
A dashboard warning light is a light on your car's dashboard that tells you if something is wrong. It can mean anything from needing oil to a bigger problem.
Term
oil change
An oil change is when you replace the old oil in a car's engine with new oil. It's important for keeping the engine healthy.
Part
bumper
A bumper is the part of a car that helps protect it during minor accidents. Sometimes, mechanics need to take it off to fix other parts like the headlights.
Part
exhaust systems
An exhaust system helps remove gases produced by the engine and keeps the vehicle running smoothly. Newer cars have better exhaust systems that last longer because they use stronger materials.
Car
Toyota Highlander
The Toyota Highlander is a family SUV that can carry many passengers and has a lot of space for cargo. The 2015 version is one of the models in its series.
Term
oxygen sensor
An oxygen sensor is a part of the car that checks how much oxygen is in the exhaust. This helps the engine run better and produce fewer emissions.
Term
P013A
P013A is a code that mechanics use to identify problems with a car's oxygen sensor, which helps the engine run efficiently by measuring how much oxygen is in the exhaust.
Term
V6 engine
A V6 engine has six cylinders arranged in a V shape, which helps the car have a good balance of power and fuel efficiency. It's common in many vehicles, including SUVs.
Part
exhaust manifold catalytic converter assembly
The exhaust manifold catalytic converter assembly is a part of the car's exhaust system that helps clean up the gases that come out of the engine before they leave the car.
Part
exhaust stud
An exhaust stud is a metal piece that helps hold parts of the exhaust system together. If it's not tight enough, it can cause problems like leaks.
Part
flange gasket
A flange gasket is like a seal that keeps exhaust gases from leaking where two parts of the exhaust system connect. It helps keep everything tight and working properly.
Car
Toyota Camry
The 2003 Toyota Camry is a popular car that many people trust for its dependability. It has a four-cylinder engine, which helps it save on gas while still providing enough power for daily driving.
Part
flex pipe with a catalytic converter
A flex pipe helps connect parts of the exhaust system while allowing some movement. The catalytic converter helps clean the exhaust gases before they leave the car.
Company
Subaru
Subaru is a car brand from Japan, famous for making cars that can handle tough weather and roads. They make their exhaust systems from strong materials to last longer.
Car
Toyota Tacoma
The Toyota Tacoma is a tough little truck that can handle rough roads and off-road adventures. People like to talk about it because it's known to last a long time and is great for both work and play.
Car
Nissan Titan
Car
Nissan 2008 Nissan
The Nissan Titan is a large truck that can carry heavy loads and is often used for work or towing. It's built to be strong and reliable.
Term
misfire codes
Misfire codes are alerts from the car's computer that something is wrong with the engine's firing process. If a cylinder isn't firing correctly, it can cause issues with how the car runs.
Term
0W-16
0W-16 is a kind of oil that works well in cold weather and helps engines run smoothly. It's thinner than some other oils, which can help save fuel.
Car
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a well-known car that many people like because it's reliable and lasts a long time. It's a good choice for families and everyday driving.
Car
Mazda Cx5
The Mazda CX-5 is a small SUV that is fun to drive and has a nice look. It's popular because it offers a good amount of space for passengers and cargo while still being easy to handle.
Term
rust
Rust is what happens to metal when it gets wet and starts to break down. It can make cars look bad and can cause them to fall apart if not taken care of.
Car
Honda
Honda is a car brand that makes many popular models known for being reliable and lasting a long time. They are often a good choice for drivers looking for dependable vehicles.
Car
Mazda
Mazda is another car brand that makes vehicles known for being fun to drive and stylish. They often have a good reputation for performance and reliability.
Car
Honda That Honda
The Honda That's is a small car that is really good on gas and perfect for city driving. It's not as popular in some places, but people who own it often find it very reliable.
Car
Honda Civics
The Honda Civic is a small car that many people love because it's good on gas and fun to drive. Recently, some newer models have had problems, which is why people are talking about them.
Car
Chevrolet Silverado
The Chevrolet Silverado is a big truck that can carry a lot of stuff and is great for work or play. People talk about it because it’s strong and can do a lot of heavy lifting.
Term
CPO (Certified Pre-Owned)
CPO means that the used car has been checked and approved by the dealer, so you can be more confident that it's in good condition. It often comes with a warranty, too.
Car
Volvo XC90
The Volvo XC90 is a fancy SUV that focuses on keeping you safe and comfortable. People like it because it has a lot of room inside and comes with cool tech features.
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You're listening to Ron and Nanny and the Car Doctor, nationally recognized auto expert
trusted by mechanics, weekend renters and vehicle owners alike. Ron brings over 40 years of hands
on experience and deep industry insight to help you understand your vehicle. Join the conversation
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Looking for more? Visit cardoctorshow.com for past episodes, repair tips and Ron's latest
insights and be sure to subscribe to the Car Doctor YouTube channel for exclusive videos,
real repair footage and more. Now start your engines. The Car Doctor is in the garage and ready
to take your call. Well, here we are once again as we kind of roll things along.
Wait, I'm going to close the studio door and make Tom happy. Okay, now we're ready to go.
So just a lot going on this hour. Let me tell you, let me not waste any time. There's a bunch of
things I want to talk about, but let's get to the phones because they're busy also. Let's go to
Don in Virginia, 17 Kia. Don, welcome to the Car Doctor, sir. How can I help? Thank you.
Yes, I had a headlight assembly installed on the vehicle and a few months later, I discovered that
the plastic wheel well cover on the same side was missing. I made them aware of that at the
dealership and they said, well, we didn't do that. It's not required to remove it to install a
headlight assembly. I'm like, you know, I don't know. There's no been no other work on the vehicle
that would certainly require that, you know, an oil change or great job or something.
Did you own the car from now? Yes. Okay. I've only talked to the service advisor so far and
that's what he says. It's not required. We didn't remove it. I called a different
Kia dealership and talked to a service advisor. He said, yes, it is required to remove it.
So I don't know if it's required or not, but maybe some texts do it and some don't.
And it's clear that this tech that did my job removed it and for whatever reason didn't replace
it, but I can't prove that. So my question to you is you got any advice as to what I could say
when I go, I guess I'm going to talk to the service manager next. Do you have a regular
mechanic other than the dealer? No, I don't. Okay. Because I was going to say, if you could get your
hands on the factory procedure for headlight replacement and if it's step two says, and I
can't recall, you know, to be honest with you, Don, I, you know, we just do these things that's
sort of mindless. We look at it and go, okay, we got to take this, this, this apart or we'll look
at, you know, every, every, it's like somebody asking me, Hey, Ron, what's it going to take to
put a headlight bulb in? I don't know. I got to see the car. I got to look up procedure.
But what I'm thinking is to prove the point, if you can look up procedure, if it says remove
wheel well cover bingo, you know, step three, well, how did you guys get around not doing the
wheel well cover? Did you not take the wheel out or did you not replace my bulb or my headlight
assembly? Right? Yeah, well, I know they replaced it because obviously the light wasn't working
before. Right. Was it a, was it a bulb or the, was it a bulb or the whole headlamp assembly?
The whole assembly. And, and my fact had to do it twice because the first one was defective
and didn't discover that until I drove it off and was driving and the headlight was pointing down
at the road. So I had to go back and they had to order a second one and do it all over again.
And is it the whole inner wheel well or just a shield for access?
The whole plastic wheel well cover. Wow. The inner liner of the fender, so to speak.
Yeah. So when you, so when you, so when you pop the hood on the left side, you're looking at the
top of the tire. Actually, I never, never paid attention to that. I discovered it one day when
I was just checking my tire pressures. And it was missing. It's missing. Yeah. Of course,
months, months later. And of course the, the tech who did the job is no longer working at that
dealership. Right. Is the, is there a wiring harness? I mean, can you stick your hand up into
the engine compartment from the tire well? I don't know. I haven't tried that.
Okay. I mean, how big is this, how big is this cover? Is this, is this, you know, 12 by 6? Is
this the diameter of the tire? Well, covers the whole, you know, the whole inside wheel well.
So this is an inner, so yeah, they left out the inner fender well.
Right. Right. And, and, and the, and the concern here becomes there's got to be some sense of
electronic components that have now been, that are now being exposed to, you know, road weather
conditions, salt, moisture, rocks and anything else that wants to kick up in there. So it's
sort of becomes a critical part to be replaced. The metal, the metal body too also, you know.
Right. Yeah. Right. Well, and that's my point. Is there a metal shield there? So go pop the hood.
Go pop the hood. Can you see the top of the tire? Is, is my first concern. And I'm not saying
not to replace the wheel well if it's not, but it's just a bigger concern to get this done sooner
rather than later to get it replaced. But I would take a look at procedure. Do this. Send me the VIN.
All right. Send me the 17 digit VIN. Let me pop it into the computer on Monday and see if I can
go up with a factory procedure and I'll email it back to you. And then at least you've got to,
you know, step one through 12. Here's how they would do it. And, you know, do you have a copy
of the repair bill also? No, I don't have it anymore. Okay. Can you get it from them? The
dealership did this, right? They gave you, they gave you a repair bill because I'm, I'd like to get
the part number of the assembly that was replaced. I suppose I could get a copy of it. Yeah. You know,
just say, Hey, listen, I'm trying to update my records. If they're not completely annoyed with
you yet. Let's see how friendly they want to be. You know, it's, it's to their advantage to make you
happy, right? Especially if one place is saying yes, it has to be done in the, you know, the other
place is trying to, right? Of course they're going to say it's not required because they don't want
they don't want to replace it at no charge. Right. But you know, it's, it's, it's sort of like it's,
it's starting to look like they did something wrong, own up to it, make the customer happy
because you sure would be a lot happier and be more likely to go back and purchase cars and
further service, wouldn't you? Yes. Right. You know, my father always said, you only get one
chance to do it right. And so far they're, you know, it's, it's, I don't know, lately my father
and uncle Steve have been hanging around. And, and as Tom's pointing out to me, it's, he's right,
it's funny that the guy no longer works there. So why doesn't he work there? You know, and this is,
you know, I could go on a rant here about workmanship and, and, and caring.
The story I was going to tell you guys this hour, if I can, Don, just not to hijack the call, but
we had a car this week and a 23 Hyundai that the customer went in, got an oil change done.
First of all, I can't understand how a quick oil change takes four hours and he's the customers,
the new customers telling me the story, how this is consistent with this particular dealer. Every
time he goes, it's three to half to four hours to get an oil change done. The last time he had the
oil change done, they didn't install the O-ring seal for the Hyundai on a Hyundai, the oil filter cup
and it leaked oil. The entire bottom of the car is undercoded now. It will never, it will never
rust out. And when he took it back to them, they said, yeah, it's nothing we did. It needs a diagnosis
and then a repair, which is sad because at some point when the engine failed, you know, and then
they discovered that the oil filter was leaking as a result of prim proper installation, then who's
at fault. Exactly. You know, I think what repair shops fail to see is you only get one chance to
make it right. And this is also part of, you know, when we take a car in and listen, we're not perfect,
we make our mistakes, but if there's a cracked windshield, if there's a dent in the door, if
if there's a dashboard warning light on, it all gets noted on the ticket. If we're working on the car,
now if we put a brake light bulb in your car and you came back to us three months later and said,
hey, how come you didn't notice the wheel well missing in the left front? Well, we weren't looking
in the left front. We were working on the, you know, one of the brake light bulbs. But if we
rotated the tires and, hey, this guy's missing a wheel well, we'd have to be blind not to see it.
You know, I think it's on us that at least to say, you know, hey, you know, like,
there's our obligation. We got to tell this guy his car is missing a part. We're not sure why.
And it just, it just, you know, it creates better customer relations. Maybe that's the
word I'm looking for. Right? Yeah. You know, it's too bad that I didn't notice it for three or
four months. Right. I'd noticed it maybe a few days later, it probably would have made things a
little easier too. Right. Well, yeah. And that's the, you know, this is like when somebody gets an
oil change done at a shop and then three months later, they lift the hood and they realize the
engine covers not on. And, you know, they call me, what do I do? Well, you know, at this point,
that was the extra cover that got thrown at the end of that thrown out at the end of that week.
And they didn't know where it went or what it did anyway. So, yeah, I'm sorry to hear it.
I'm sorry you're having the trouble on. I really am. I don't like it when my industry makes mistakes.
So shoot me an email, Ron at cardoctorshow.com. Give me the Vin. Let me see if I can come with a
factory procedure, you know, step by step. And if I can, then at least you can go back to the
service writer and say, okay, look, step three, you know, take out wheel well.
Um, you know, and then we can, we can do a deeper dive. How's that sound?
Okay. All right, sir. Thank you. You're very welcome. It's not easy, right? There's always
something to look at and consider an order repair. And that's just, that just stinks. There's no
other way to say it. 8555609900 Ron and Amy, the car doctor, we're coming back right after this.
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today. Don, if you're still listening down Virginia Way, yeah, send me the
event. I'm thinking about it. I bet they had to take the front bumper off to do the headlight
if they're doing a headlamp assembly. And if they did, the bottom of the wheelhouse in the front,
which is I believe, I bet that's the piece you're referencing. Okay, I bet that lower
wheelhouse molding that then it's the wheelhouse and then it makes a 90 and then it goes up to the
bumper itself. I bet you that piece is what's missing. And yes, that does have to be removed
in order to get the bumper cover off in order to get the headlamp out. So send me the event.
I want to look that up specifically. And I bet we can prove it. So I want to talk to you about
three exhaust systems in a day. It's sort of like three on a match, which comes to mind this week.
Tom and I were having fun with the studio this week, where three individual pieces of equipment
had to be rebooted. And we came to the conclusion that Microsoft is at it again. We're, you know,
and we just saw a bunch of weird things computer wise this week. I don't know if anybody else
is going through it. But three on a match, I said to Tom prior to the show today. And,
you know, I thought about the exhaust systems, we had three in a day. Now,
understand why that's so unusual. In this day and age in a repair shop, you may not do three
exhaust systems in a month. All right, exhaust just doesn't go bad anymore. It's all stainless steel.
It's all higher quality. It's just unless it's a very old vehicle. And to get three in a day,
it's kind of unheard of. That's probably my quota for the quarter.
You know, I probably won't see it again. The first one was kind of interesting. It was a 2015
Toyota Highlander. Now this car had been setting a P013A as an Apple fault code for a while now.
And it was generally in colder weather. P013A is a bank one sensor to O2 sensor performance fault
failure, meaning that it didn't see proper ratio or switching when or as the engine is warming up.
So we finally found time to get it in. We brought it in at customer request,
started to look at it and the fault wasn't there. There was nothing. There was no freeze frame.
There was no more information. It had gone on for in good mode, so to speak, for such a long
period of time that there was nothing to diagnose. But I got curious and I took out my mechanics
stethoscope and I started listening to, because tell me what's good. I'll tell you what's bad.
I started listening to the exhaust system and a V6 Toyota Highlander, this generation, this 15,
they split the rear exhaust pipe, the top of the pipe. It's a Y and at the top of the pipe goes up
to the forward bank and the bottom, the right side splits and it goes up to the rear bank,
which is bank one. So I went to where the exhaust manifold catalytic converter assembly
met that rear bottom pipe on the right side. And as I listened around the corner,
sure enough, there's a tiny exhaust leak. You can hear it playing his day. If you're standing
underneath the car, you can hear it even better if you're listening with a stethoscope. So I looked
at it. I'm saying, why is that leaking? Because it looks flat. Well, no, wait a minute. There's a
little bit of an opening there. And then I caught it. The exhaust stud going into the flange of the
catalytic converter is at a two degree angle. It was just at the tiniest of angles and the nut
never bottomed against the flange. Now I've been working on this car from day one. I was, I've
been working on this car for 10 years now. And frankly, it's not something you're going to
see until it becomes a problem. Over time, that flange gasket started to fail. And the nut,
the contact that it made with the flange, just, it just wasn't enough to put enough
clamp load to keep that exhaust joint quiet. Somewhere at the factory, the robot made a
mistake. It just went in. It sensed that the stud was either at the wrong angle or that it tightened
up. How it went into the manifold, I don't know. And it created a problem 10 years later.
So it was a matter of heating things up, getting it to unbolt. All right. I had to drill out two
holes because one of the studs didn't want to come out. The stud didn't want to come out of the
manifold. We had to work it to get it loose, tore out the threads in the manifold, ended up drilling
the hole bigger and putting in 210 millimeter bolts. And that's fine. It's a good repair. It's
an easier, actually, it's a better way of doing it. I don't understand why Toyota doesn't do that
from the factory. It would seem to make sense if you put two bolts in, but you'd probably have to
find a way to hold the back of the bolt while you tighten it with a lock nut. And that would
probably take an extra step they don't want to deal with. So that was one exhaust system repair,
got that fixed. Of course, the weird part there was as soon as we started it up,
it then set a fault code P0031, which is bank one sensor one heater circuit fault,
which made no sense, right? You know, how do you work on the vehicle and it sets a different oxygen
sensor fault that it never set before? You know what? Sometimes things go bad twice in the same
day. So we put an upstream O2 sensor in it and that solved that problem and the car is gone. But
I'll tell you what, it was touch and go there for a while. In Bay one, we had a 2003 Toyota Camry
that had a clear cut exhaust leak, the traditional four cylinder Camry flex pipe that goes bad.
That flex pipe with a catalytic converter from Toyota is a little over $2,200. The customer
opted no, they don't want to do that on the 25 year old car, 24 year old car. I got it,
I understand that. We put a nice aftermarket cat and flex coupling on there, they'll get a couple
of more years out of it. But the studs didn't want to come out, the nuts didn't want to come off,
the studs didn't want to come out. And I got to tell you, this is why I got into auto repair,
to be able to center punch those studs upside down at a 45 degree angle and then drill straight,
you know, successive drill bits smaller than larger until we finally got to the point. I went
right down the middle on both of them, another one, two nuts, two bolts, put it together,
shipped it out the door. The third one was probably the most interesting in terms of failure.
It was a 2015 Subaru and I'm not sure what's going on with Subis, but we see a lot of this failure.
The exhaust system, kudos to Subaru for the way they make their exhaust systems. The pipes are
stainless and it takes a good long time. Here's a 10 year old Subaru that the pipes themselves
were still in pretty good shape, but they were just starting to get those surface pimples and rust.
But the steel plates, the flanges that joined the pipes together were just regular old steel.
And if you breathe wrong, that steel flange between the muffler and the intermediate pipe with
the resonator was going to break. And at what point does the part fall off? It sort of becomes
do or die, right? That's the moment because understand this exhaust systems for as simple as
they are. And you know, it does more than just keep the car quiet, but in the event of failure,
if the exhaust bangs and hits the ground, not only can it go under the tires of the vehicle
and create an issue, but it can also bounce up, hit the fuel tank, hit undercarriage, hit suspension
and create bigger issues and cause a lot more problems than you realize. So it's always good
to have a great exhaust system on a vehicle, but three exhaust systems in a day. I guess that
does it for this month. Maybe we'll see what happens in February. I'm running any in the car,
doctor. I'll be back right after this. Don't go anywhere. Support for the show comes from Public,
the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset
portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets, which allow you to turn
any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt from renewable energy
companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year.
You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds
a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a
few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable
and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com slash podcast and earn an uncapped
1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com slash podcast paid for by public
investing brokerage services by open to the public investing Inc. member FINRA SIPC advisory services
by public advisors LLC SEC registered advisor generated assets is an interactive analysis tool
output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice.
Complete disclosures available at public.com slash disclosures.
The NFL playoffs are here and wildcard weekend powered by Verizon is in full swing man. It all
comes down to this. The stakes are high hopes are higher and everything is on the line my goodness.
It's win or go home and every moment counts on the road to Super Bowl 60.
Touchdown wildcard weekend powered by Verizon through Monday. Visit watch.nfl.com for the full
schedule. You see it instantly. It's cold water creek the mark of exceptional workmanship and
signature touches inspired by a mountain west heritage distinctive styles created from quality
fabrics silhouettes perfected with just the right drape feel good fits offering ease of movement
and thoughtful details to elevate your look cold water creeks authenticity is embodied in every
piece embracing its confident spirit that carries through to today discover cold water creek clothing
designed to fit your life the way you want for a wardrobe you can count on season after season
visit cold water creek dot com shop the new spring collection at 20 percent off $75 or more with code
I heart 20 save on appliances at the Home Depot with up to $1,000 off plus up to an extra $500
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off plus free delivery on select appliances at the Home Depot how doers get more done free delivery
on appliance purchases of $999 or more offer valid January 8th through the 28th us only see
store online for details a new year doesn't mean erasing who you were it means honoring what you've
survived and choosing how you want to grow it means giving ourselves permission to feel what
we've been holding and knowing that it's okay to ask for help I'm Mike Dullarocha host of sacred
lessons this podcast is a space for men to talk openly about mental health grief relationships
and the patterns we inherit but don't have to repeat here we slow down we listen we learn
how vulnerability becomes strength and how healing happens in community not in isolation
if you're ready to let go of what no longer serves you and step into the year with clarity
compassion and purpose sacred lessons is your companion on your healing journey
listen to sacred lessons with Mike Dullarocha on America's number one podcast network
iHeart follow sacred lessons with Mike Dullarocha and start listening on the free iHeart radio app
today
hey
hey
Colonel Jerry's writing into us from Las Vegas I like Colonel Jerry I like all you guys
hey Ron happy new year hope you're well I've watched several youtube videos dealing with
oil weight my 2023 Tacoma takes 020 but this oil guy on youtube said when sold overseas Toyota
recommends 530 in the u.s at 020 to help meet fuel economy standards he recommended changing to 530
after 50 000 miles for engine life that would be great because my 2008 Nissan Titan takes 530
thoughts you know Jerry I love I love youtube university and I take it for what it is some
of it's real good and some of it's hearsay and I'd like to see the proof of why switching the 530
is going to be better for engine life this whole thicker oil heavier weight oil is better for engine
life I think it's archaic thinking unless you've got definitive proof and proof positive unless
you've done some testing unless you can show me where factors viscosity has more to do with it than
just internal engine clearance viscosity will affect start stop systems viscosity will affect
how that vehicle stops and operates when cold we've had more than a few cases in the shop people
that will come to us after having bounced around the neighborhood and everywhere else
you know doing their own oil changes using a heavier weight oil and they can't understand
why they've got misfire codes and after taking it to everybody else it's doing spark plugs coils
wires etc etc and it's of no avail because they don't understand where misfires come from anyway
one of the first questions I always ask after a complete diagnosis initial testing is who did
the last oil change and what weight oil was used and especially and I've had this recently on a
vehicle the car didn't have an oil change sticker on it and that always catches my eye why is there
no oil change sticker on this car and well I you know I do my own oil changes and and and you know
I like 530 because I've been using 530 and all my Chevy trucks since 2001 was the answer I got
well this was a Toyota with 016 requirement when do you get to a 0w8 car because I understand
they're out there too now the viscosities are really getting crazy well we drained the oil filled it
up with 016 and we fixed his problem much to his jaw on the ground look on his face when all was
said and done so I'm not a fan of changing viscosity I'm not a fan of re-engineering I don't know that
you need to I think that's nonsense I you know my argument would be show me all the Toyotas
that are continuing to use 020 as they get older show me all the engines that are failing
Toyota's got some engine issues now to be sure on the turbo trucks but it's not viscosity from
what I'm reading and I think you're playing with fire here I would just stay with a regular
consistent oil change on a basis and stay with correct viscosity as recommended by manufacturer
and I think the vehicle will go more miles in the long run than than you're predicting here so
hey Ron we exchanged a few emails before this comes to us from Mark I wrote in about my Honda
Accord with 328,000 miles best vehicle ever owned my name is Mark I do gasoline testing for
octane ratings I should talk to this guy I wonder if he's gas is gas if gas is gas that whole
that's a whole another I told you guys about that right Roger customer works for Citgo
he keeps telling me gas is gas and I keep having this argument with him but you know
he's he's right I believe him but boy it's just hard to believe that all gas is the same but
anyway back to Mark's email I run two single cylinder CFR octane engines
that is the only industry standard octane rating test method by ASTM standards okay
my questions or I'm asking your opinion about is on Mazda vehicles my brother has a 2023
Mazda CX-5 with leather and his leases up in March he will have approximately 32,000 miles he's
retired and much more financially secure so he offered me the vehicle for about 20 grand since
I have a huge commute 130 miles per day about 30,000 miles a year my question is what do you think
about Mazda as far as putting a lot of miles on longevity a new CRV comparable to his Mazda is
about 39,000 and doesn't pay to get a Mazda extended warranty should I take the offer it's
more of an offer too good to refuse versus liking or wanting a Mazda it's really a quality right
for what Mazda prices are thank you Mark you know Mark I like Mazda I think Mazda is a decent
automobile if we were talking five or six years ago my biggest concern would be rusting and the
way they rust out they've gotten a lot better we've got a few customers with Mazdas and we're
seeing very good longevity as far as body and rust control of course common sense like anything else
you're driving it in extreme conditions you're driving it in a harsh environment
lots of salt and corrosion and crud on the road getting the car washed you know washing out the
wheel houses is is always a great idea I mean I just I just did the plow truck here in New Jersey
we went through a couple of snow storms and I had a chance to get it to the car wash we got rain
over the weekend so I you know I took the hose at the shop and I spent five minutes and I just
washed out the wheel houses and I shot water down the side the other day matter of fact the neighbors
probably think I'm crazy because I did it in the rain which I like to do because it just washes
everything away so but other than that as far as engines and drivetrain I'm going to tell you the
same thing right oil filter regular service regular maintenance I think it's good bang for the buck
will you get 300,000 miles out of it maybe it kind of depends on how you take care of it I
bet you're doing maintenance on the Honda I would follow the same maintenance routine on the Mazda
I think it's going to break down two costs per mile and how far will it go and I bet you the
Mazda will give you a return on your dollars I just don't know if it's going to go 328,000
like that Honda because some of those older Honda's just are really great cars but and here's the but
Honda isn't even Honda anymore we're reading all sorts of issues civics and accords made in the
last seven eight years head gasket issues and $5,000 $6,000 engine repairs and engines having
to come apart and so you know buy the Mazda take it it's a good price you you will likely get at
least five years out of it with normal wear tear and care and five years on $20,000 isn't a lot
of money today and you know one of the best ways I can convince somebody to take a deal like that
and to maintain it is to encourage you as you've already done is to go out and price out a similar
vehicle brand new because the numbers the numbers are kind of staggering the local Chevy dealer was
nice enough to send me an offer on my 22 Silverado plow truck which only has 10,000 miles on it now
because where do I go they want to give me $22,000 for it and I can have the honor of paying $600
a month for the next five years at 4% interest on a new 26 Chevy 2500 plow truck it doesn't
make any sense to me cars are a matter of dollar and cents that one makes sense to me and I think
I would do it would I take the extended warranty I'd want to get at least engine and drivetrain
coverage up to 100,000 miles a little longer if I could but I'd also want electronics coverage
I think when you're looking at a vehicle purchase now and you start talking about extended warranties
it's that vehicle it's that electronics coverage of the vehicle that's that's the you know that's
the reason you want to do it because some of these dashboard electronics thousands to repair
thousands and that's a backbreaker as the vehicle gets older so but yeah by all means mark enjoy
the ride 855-560-9900 running any of the car doctor I'm coming back right after this
year you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work it screens thousands of stocks
builds a one-of-a-kind index and lets you back test it against the s&p 500 then you can invest
in a few clicks generated assets are like efts with infinite possibilities completely customizable
and based on your thesis not someone else's go to public.com slash podcast and earn an
uncapped 1 bonus when you transfer your portfolio that's public.com slash podcast
paid for by public investing brokerage services by open to the public investing Inc member FINRA
SIPC advisory services by public advisors LLC SEC registered advisor generated assets is an
interactive analysis tool output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation
or advice complete disclosures available at public.com slash disclosures the NFL playoffs are here
and wildcard weekend powered by Verizon is in full swing man it all comes down to this the stakes
are high hopes are higher and everything is on the line my goodness it's win or go home
and every moment counts on the road to Super Bowl 60 it's a touchdown wildcard weekend powered by
Verizon through Monday visit watch.nfl.com for the full schedule you see it instantly it's
Coldwater Creek the mark of exceptional workmanship and signature touches inspired by a mountain
West heritage distinctive styles created from quality fabrics silhouettes perfected with just
the right drape feel good fits offering ease of movement and thoughtful details to elevate your
look Coldwater Creek's authenticity is embodied in every piece embracing its confident spirit
that carries through to today discover Coldwater Creek clothing designed to fit your life the way
for a wardrobe you can count on season after season visit ColdwaterCreek.com shop the new
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U.S. only C store online for details a new year doesn't mean erasing who you were it means honoring
what you've survived and choosing how you want to grow it means giving ourselves permission to
feel what we've been holding and knowing that it's okay to ask for help I'm Mike Dullarocha host
of sacred lessons this podcast is a space for men to talk openly about mental health grief
relationships and the patterns we inherit but don't have to repeat here we slow down we listen
we learn how vulnerability becomes strength and how healing happens in community not in isolation
if you're ready to let go of what no longer serves you and step into the year with clarity
compassion and purpose sacred lessons is your companion on your healing journey
listen to sacred lessons with Mike Dullarocha on America's number one podcast network iHeart
follow sacred lessons with Mike Dullarocha and start listening on the free iHeart radio app today
hey
hey zippity do do here we are jim writes in hey ron i heard last week's show i like the guy who
called in about uncle steve also liked uncle steve's advice to you when he said figure it out similar
to my dad's advice this is from jim in new jersey i got a quick battery question i just purchased a
cpo which is certified pre-owned for everybody a cpo 2022 volvo xc90 with 36 000 miles still have
18 months of warranty on it it was sold in july of 2022 so the battery will be four years old
this coming july i don't drive much like once or twice a week under a hundred under a thousand
miles a year on most of the 24 seven caregiver for my wife good man when should i be looking to
replace the battery yesterday i do have triple a who will be come to my house to change the battery
is that asking for trouble or should i have the dealer do it the issue is i can't leave my wife
here alone to get to the dealer jim jim figure it out right it's it's i'm not saying triple a
shouldn't change the battery i have issues with triple a batteries and i say this all the time
right you know where do my recycled batteries go excuse me where do the batteries go when they
get recycled out of the shop you know we have a battery rack we've got you know 11 or 12 of the
most common numbers and every couple of weeks that battery truck shows up and he'll recycle
things out based on age and as i've told this story before right it's it's where do they do
with those batteries where do they go they go out to a recycling center where they will they will be
you know they will be put on a specific type of charge to desulfate or clean the batteries up
electrically from sitting they will get relabeled and sold to various organizations triple a roadside
services uh you know different types of towing companies that will then have these batteries
in stock at a at a at a lower price to them but it you know gets them off the inventory shelf
and it lets the battery companies keep moving things along do i think all triple a batteries
are bad no i don't know that they last the duration like they should i think triple a's role in the
dice they say you know we'll give you a three-year free replacement and a lot of you get it but a
lot of you don't a lot of you don't get that warranty i think if i had my choice i want a
fresh battery installed by a mechanic in the shop especially on some of these cars where they
come out of wheel well houses and moldings and openings i also want to look at the internal
does it have start stop i want to look at the auxiliary battery the auxiliary battery should
be changed when the regular battery is changed and the fact that you're counting on this in an
emergency situation jim which is the underlying theme of what i got here you know what you don't
want to wait to have the problem you don't want to wait for triple a to show up at the house you
don't want to count on the fact can they not just change the batteries both of them if there is a
second one if there is an auxiliary stop start but can they do the bmi reset can they do the
battery monitoring reset where they tell the vehicle hey we've changed the battery this is
going to be different how the it affects charge rate and and what it does we had a 2019 fort edge
in the shop this week two and a half almost well no i'm sorry three years just on the battery
on an a gm low mileage doesn't go anywhere we were able to warranty the battery for the customer
we were happy to do it but in the back of my mind i know they weren't able to do the bmi reset when
they replace the battery themselves and you have to wonder what effect does that have i don't see
a gms going as long as original a gms i haven't figured that out yet i don't know if that's just
something that works around 59 west prospect street waldwick if it's just the air around the
shop or if it's a real thing but my point becomes i would figure out a way to get this done either
by the dealer whoever's taking care of the car if there's a battery reset to be done let them do that
okay change the auxiliary battery because at some point this vehicle is going to need an oil change
you're going to have to take it somewhere at some point this vehicle is going to need brakes at some
point this vehicle is going to need tires right much beyond any just regular failure it's it's not
going to be a perfect vehicle no vehicle is it's got to be kept in good shape under normal conditions
as a 24 seven caregiver it's got to be kept in tip top shape because it's got to be ready at all
time so like uncle steve said i'm going to tell you the same thing my friend figure it out it's
got to be done and i would do it as a matter of safety uh you know i wouldn't wait for the failure
because i think waiting for the failure the battery is going on four years old this year
now's a good time to do it i'm not a fan of letting batteries go the distance because i've seen too much
change in the last two or three years because of the electronics that are in these cars today
it seems like they're shortening battery life each and every day so just be aware um by all
means i would get that battery done and get it done sooner rather than later so i hope that works
for you jimmy and you keep going i always appreciate your comments and questions so
eight five five five six oh nine nine zero zero i'm running any in the car doctor
we'll be back to wrap it up right after this support for the show comes from public the
investing platform for those who take it seriously on public you can build a multi asset portfolio
of stocks bonds options crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an
investable index with ai it all starts with your prompt from renewable energy companies with high
free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20 percent year over year you can
literally type any prompt and put the ai to work it screens thousands of stocks builds a one-of-a-kind
index and lets you back test it against the s and p 500 then you can invest in a few clicks
generated assets are like efts with infinite possibilities completely customizable and based
on your thesis not someone else's go to public dot com slash podcast and earn an uncapped one
percent bonus when you transfer your portfolio that's public dot com slash podcast paid for by
public investing brokerage services by open to the public investing ink member fi on r a s i p c
advisory services by public advisors llc sec registered advisor generated assets is an interactive
analysis tool output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or
advice complete disclosures available at public dot com slash disclosures the nfl playoffs are here
and wildcard weekend powered by verizon is in full swing man it all comes down to this the stakes
are high hopes are higher and everything is on the line my goodness it's win or go home and every
moment counts on the road to super bowl 60 wildcard weekend powered by verizon through monday visit
watch dot nfl dot com for the full schedule you see it instantly it's cold water creek the mark of
exceptional workmanship and signature touches inspired by a mountain west heritage distinctive
styles created from quality fabrics silhouettes perfected with just the right drape feel good
fits offering ease of movement and thoughtful details to elevate your look cold water creek's
authenticity is embodied in every piece embracing its confidence spirit that carries through to
today discover cold water creek clothing designed to fit your life the way you want for a wardrobe
you can count on season after season visit cold water creek dot com shop the new spring collection
at 20 percent off seventy five dollars or more with code i heart 20 save on appliances at the
home depot with up to thousand dollars off plus up to an extra five hundred dollars off select
appliances like whirlpool that can keep up with your busy routine the home depot has whirlpool
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dollars off plus free delivery on select appliances at the home depot how doers get more done free
delivery on appliance purchases of nine hundred ninety nine dollars or more offer valid january
through the 28th us only c store online for details every january we're encouraged to start over
but what if this year is about slowing down and learning how to understand ourselves more
deeply what if this year is about giving ourselves permission to feel what we've been holding
and knowing that it's okay to ask for help i'm mike delarocha host of sacred lessons this is a
podcast for men navigating stress emotional health fatherhood identity and the unspoken pressures
were taught to carry alone we talk honestly about mental health about healing generational wounds
and about learning how to show up with more presence and care if you want a healthier relationship
with yourself and the people you love then sacred lessons is the podcast for you listen to sacred
lessons with mike delarocha on america's number one podcast network i heart follow sacred lessons
with mike delarocha and start listening on the free i heart radio app today
you know it's funny right jim's writing in he's asking me about batteries and the volvo and
when to do it batteries are a big part of the week this week at the shop they really work
and we replaced a half a dozen batteries and it was interesting to note as i sat here thinking
about it during the break i think the greater portion probably four of those batteries were on
vehicles less than three years old the batteries where the batteries were less than three years old
but they were legitimate failures and in one case the vehicle battery test said good recharge
but my experience when we go through the good recharge idea and we you know we bring it up
to level it's typically we'll get another eight months to a year out of that battery
and then it's a failure so where do you want to get stuck is is my point because i i still maintain
the fact that batteries are the lifeline that keeps us going in a vehicle and there's nothing more
truer there's no words truer i should say it like that i still always cite you know and billy's
passed my former boss gosh when i was a kid billy's gone at least 15 years i still remember 1978
him saying to me ron as more complicated as cars get and no matter how complicated they get they're
always going to need a couple of critical things they need good tires good brakes and a good battery
in order to run properly he said the rest of it's going to be fluff and you know
there's still a lot of truth to that and it's it's probably 50 years later so you know that's
just something to be aware of so that's why i'm so i'm so deaf on batteries you know if it's
three going on four years we had a woman customer this week the 2012 Volvo the battery had just
turned three years it was three years and two months old it came up good recharge she's low
mileage i said you know what you're here let's change the battery now let's get this over with
because when the battery goes bad on a female driver it's it could be a life and death situation
you know it's funny right women i think have some common sense here that we don't normally realize
when they say hey you know what the battery is marginal i don't need that adventure i don't need
the life and death situation guys i don't know i think we're kind of dumber i think we're just like
you know our ego takes over i can walk 40 miles in the snow uphill both ways and get home because
of the dead battery i don't really care but women gotta keep them safe and they want to be safe it's
it's the absolute truth so i think um you know what just change the battery and get your ego
out of the way for everybody and just be safer i want to do a quick shout out to my buddy snap on
sam you know i talk about the i don't talk about the snap on tool dealers enough but these are
these guys we all see their trucks on the road you don't realize how many hundreds of thousands of
dollars of inventory they're driving around in those big snap on tool trucks they do a great job
my guy is jay up here in mawa he um he does a wonderful job but snap on sam is out of params he's
their params snap on dealer it's his birthday this week and we always want to take a moment and wish
him a big car doctor happy birthday we know he's a regular listener to the show god i hope he's
not listening to this when he when he's driving the big truck it has an accident and i'm shocked
when he hears me say his name but for sam and his daughter out there these guys these two work
together they do a great job up here in north jersey we just want to wish him a happy birthday
and many more and we appreciate him jay and all the snap on dealers out there are all the tool
jobbers that keep us mechanics going each and every day i'm ronnie nanny in the car doctor till
the next time good mechanics aren't expensive they're priceless see ya at cvs it matters that
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at cvs we're proud to serve your community because we believe where you get your medicine
so visit us at cvs.com or just come by our store we can't wait to meet you store hours vary by
location the nfl playoffs are here and wildcard weekend powered by verizon is in full swing
man it all comes down to this the stakes are high hopes are higher and everything is on the line
my goodness it's win or go home and every moment counts on the road to super bowl 60
wildcard weekend powered by verizon through monday visit watch dot nfl dot com for the full schedule
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About this episode
Ron Ananian tackles a range of automotive issues in this episode, focusing on dealer disputes, exhaust system repairs, and battery maintenance. A caller shares a frustrating experience with a missing wheel well cover after a headlight assembly replacement, prompting a discussion on dealership accountability. Ron also recounts an unusual day in the shop with three exhaust system repairs, highlighting the intricacies of diagnosing and fixing exhaust leaks. Additionally, he emphasizes the importance of timely battery replacements, especially for low-mileage vehicles, and shares insights on the longevity of Mazda vehicles.
Original notes
This hour, Ron tackles a dealership dispute after a headlight replacement—when a customer later discovers the entire inner wheelwell liner missing and can’t prove who removed it. Ron explains how to use factory procedures and documentation to hold a shop accountable and why missing liners can become a real corrosion and safety issue.
Plus: a rare day in the shop—three exhaust repairs in one day—including a Toyota Highlander with a subtle flange leak that snowballed into hardware repairs and an O2 sensor surprise. Then Ron weighs in on oil viscosity “advice” from YouTube, a Mazda CX-5 deal for a high-mile commute, and when to replace a battery on a low-use vehicle—especially with today’s electronics and battery monitoring resets.
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