Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - January 17, 2026 - Hour 2 - All Calls, Busy Hour Revisited
Ron Ananian The Car Doctor
Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - January 17, 2026 - Hour 2 - All Calls, Busy Hour Revisited
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35:40
Car
Porsche Cayman
The Porsche Cayman is a sports car that has its engine in the middle, which helps it handle better on the road. The 2020 version is known for being fast and fun to drive.
Car
Ford F150
The Ford F-150 is a large truck that many people use for work or personal tasks. It's known for being strong and able to carry heavy loads.
Term
V8 engine
A V8 engine has eight cylinders that help it produce a lot of power. It's often used in trucks and sports cars because it can make the vehicle go faster and handle heavy loads.
Term
four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive means that power goes to all four wheels of the vehicle, helping it to grip the road better. This is useful for driving on rough terrain or in bad weather.
Part
radiator
The radiator is a part of the car that helps keep the engine cool. It uses a liquid called coolant to absorb heat and then releases it to prevent the engine from getting too hot.
Term
CO2 test
A CO2 test checks if there are any leaks in the engine that could let gases escape into the coolant. If there are, it might mean there's a problem with the engine.
Car
Honda Stream
The Honda Stream is a family-friendly car that has a lot of space for people and their stuff. It's designed to be practical and is known for being dependable and not using too much gas.
Term
thermostat
The thermostat helps keep the engine at the right temperature by letting coolant flow when it gets too hot. If it doesn't work properly, the engine can overheat or run too cold.
Term
impeller
An impeller is a part that helps move coolant around in the engine. If it’s not working well, it can cause cooling problems, leading to overheating.
Part
water pump
The water pump helps move coolant around the engine and radiator to keep everything cool. It's important for preventing the engine from overheating.
Part
performance brakes
Performance brakes are special brakes that help a car stop faster and work better, especially when driving fast or on a race track. They are better than regular brakes for high-performance cars.
Part
suspension
The suspension is the part of a car that helps it ride smoothly over bumps and keeps the tires on the ground. Upgrading it can make a car handle better and feel more comfortable.
Car
Lexus LS 400
The Lexus LS 400 is a fancy car that was made in 1994. It's known for being very comfortable and lasting a long time without problems.
Term
vacuum leak
A vacuum leak happens when air gets into the engine where it shouldn't, which can cause the engine to run poorly or not start at all.
Part
fuel filter
The fuel filter cleans the fuel before it goes into the engine, helping it run smoothly. If it's dirty, the engine might not get enough fuel.
Term
bleed the brakes
Bleeding the brakes means getting rid of air trapped in the brake lines. This is important because air can make your brakes less effective.
Part
dual piston caliper
A dual piston caliper is a part of the brake system that helps squeeze the brake pads against the brake disc. It has two pistons instead of one, which helps the car stop more effectively.
Term
brake bleeding
Brake bleeding is when you get rid of air in the brake lines so the brakes work better. If there's air, the brakes might feel soft or not work well.
Term
gravity bleed
Gravity bleeding is a way to get air out of the brake lines by letting brake fluid drip out on its own. It's used when the brakes aren't working well after trying other methods.
Term
ABS
ABS is a system in cars that helps prevent the wheels from stopping completely when you brake hard. This helps you keep control of the car and steer while braking.
Term
ODB-1
ODB-1 is an early version of a system that helps cars check their own performance and find problems. It's not as advanced as newer systems, which can do more diagnostics.
Term
traction control
Traction control helps your car maintain grip on the road, especially when it's wet or slippery. It stops the wheels from spinning too fast when you accelerate.
Part
master cylinder
The master cylinder is part of the brake system that helps make your car stop when you press the brake pedal. It pushes brake fluid to the brakes themselves.
Part
calipers
Calipers are parts of the brake system that squeeze the brake pads against the wheels to help stop the car. They are essential for effective braking.
Term
VIN
A VIN is like a car's fingerprint. It's a special number that helps identify your car and gives details about it, like what brand it is and when it was made.
Car
Ford Mustang
The 2001 Ford Mustang is a popular sports car known for its stylish design and powerful engines. It's part of a long line of Mustangs that have been loved by car enthusiasts.
Part
Borg Warner T5 transmission
The Borg Warner T5 transmission is a type of manual gearbox that allows drivers to change gears manually. It's known for being reliable and is often found in sports cars.
Term
automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is a system in cars that changes gears by itself, so the driver doesn't have to do it manually. It makes driving easier, especially in traffic.
Term
PCM
The PCM is like the car's brain that controls how the engine and transmission work together. It helps the car run smoothly and efficiently.
Term
gear ratio
Gear ratio is how we measure how fast the engine turns compared to how fast the wheels turn. A higher gear ratio means faster acceleration but lower top speed, while a lower gear ratio is the opposite.
Term
donor car
A donor car is a car that gives parts to another car. It's often used when someone is fixing or upgrading a vehicle by using pieces from a different one.
Term
wiring harness
A wiring harness is a bundle of wires that connects different parts of a car to help them communicate and work together. It's like the car's nervous system.
Term
KBB.com
KBB.com is a website where you can find out how much a car is worth. It helps people know if they are paying a fair price when buying or selling a car.
Car
Volvo XC60
The Volvo XC60 is a stylish and safe SUV that is great for families. It has lots of room for passengers and cargo, and it's known for keeping people safe in case of accidents.
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Tack it up, tack it up, buddy gonna shut you down.
Ron and Anian.
Clearing codes isn't the answer.
And that if you do choose to clear codes,
you should consider paying the mechanic
because their time is valuable.
Leave it up to the mechanic to say, no, it's okay.
If you do now, power shift beauty goes.
The car doctor, does it change with temperature?
Is it just as loud cold as it is warm?
Yeah, it didn't seem to change.
Okay, take the belt off.
Let's start.
Welcome to the radio home of Ron and Anian.
The car doctor, since 1991,
this is where car owners the world overturned to
for their definitive opinion on automotive repair.
If your mechanic's giving you a busy signal,
pick up the phone and call in.
The garage doors are open,
but I am here to take your calls at 8555609900.
And now, here's Ronny.
Hey, let's not waste any time.
Let's get right into it.
Let's go to Mark in Virginia, 98 F-150.
And some cooling system and heating problems.
Mark, welcome to the car doctor, sir.
How can I help?
Yeah.
I got, I bought this truck got a good deal.
It's not like a main vehicle, anything.
Anyway, 101, 103,000 miles.
It's just, it's just never been an issue.
I haven't put a lot of miles on any way.
Yeah.
What engine is it, Mark?
It's a small V8 for, is it 4-6?
Yeah, the 4-6, okay.
Yeah, 4-6 automatic, four-wheel drive.
You know, and I had a little problem
and IP probably did to you.
It had been driven in quite a while.
I mean, the gas wasn't sour or nothing, but anyways.
Oh, I tried to mess with it set for a while,
put it, flushed it, commercial flush stuff and drain it.
Anyway, we finally figured it out
and it started leaking a little bit to heater core.
So I had my mechanic change to heater core in it.
Took it on a drive to a Hunt Club, about two-hour ride.
And I noticed about an hour and a half into the ride,
just happened to look down the dash
and shit was right on up there around there,
just where it turns red hot.
And a watch I almost pulled, I was getting ready to pull over
and it dropped right back down.
Well, in the process of flushing and everything,
the heater core, we had changed the thermostat,
which I do age fast and before the age,
so I know that doesn't mean it's good.
Anyways, made it up there and made it back.
And it did it just a little bit coming back.
It's not continuous.
So I get back and park it, take him to mechanic.
Maybe it's just, of course,
or we say maybe it's just the sensor.
The electronic gauges and that and stuff.
I had my mechanic put a mechanical gauge on it
and put it down there on the dash.
When God had driven up down the road,
right there, right as I left,
he was saying to me, it's just perfect,
right where the thermostat, I think it's got a 190,
because I told him to change that again.
190 thermostat and he said, right there, right there,
all of a sudden, he goes right on up.
And I mean, this time he was sitting probably,
it wasn't terrible, like I said, about 225,
you know, I didn't run at long.
So here we go, you know, what did he do next?
He checked it, he's pretty good,
he's been doing a long time anyway.
He checked it, I guess, the water for CO2,
you know, thinking maybe we got a head gas
or a crack head or something like that.
Anyways, there's no sign of that.
So since then, I mean, we put a,
oh my gosh, radiator water pump.
And last time I talked to him,
it's been, I think he's getting tired of it,
but last time I talked to him,
it's been probably a month ago.
And he did, he's act like he doesn't know.
And I don't understand these systems anyway.
They got that radiator,
but then they got the tank off to the side.
So let me ask, you really don't have a cap on a radiator.
Let me ask you a question, Mark.
So it still runs hot, you've put a pile of parts in it.
What testing has he done?
I understand he checked, he, you know,
he did a CO2 test looking for combustion
or compression issues.
You know, do we have it?
Do we have the cooling system superheating, right?
So one of the things that was common on those,
and I know you're gonna tell me he put a water pump in it,
before I ask you that question,
was the cooling system rusty?
Was it really dirty?
Oh my God, it was poor.
It was, it was, you know, I take care of myself.
I've got, you know, not a lot of vehicles,
but you know, company vehicles,
so it was, it was horrible.
Honestly, I don't know if it had ever been flush.
Right.
And it was this, literally, it was bad.
And I flushed it, filled it, flushed it, filled it.
I don't know, three or four times,
trying to get it to heat.
And I finally gave up.
And the heater core was, it was just, it's just horrible.
Did it ever get to the point where you could, you know,
process clean water out of it?
Um, you know, not like spotless clean,
still had like a T stain, you know,
just a hair of a T stain.
Right, but, but 90, 80, 90% better.
Oh yeah, yeah.
No, I worked on it.
Now we, we, me, my guys, a couple,
my guys, a couple of slow days.
No, dude, I hooked up water hose to it and flushed it out.
I mean, I, I worked on a little bit.
So my, my first question, cause you've hit all the,
you've hit all the things that I would normally look at,
but you know, I would want to know, do I have good flow?
So that four or six, if you look at it,
there's two heater hoses.
Yeah.
One of them is an outlet.
One of them, it's an inlet.
One of those hoses, if you take it off
and put it in a bucket and start the truck up,
you're going to get really,
a really healthy stream of water.
Right.
Out of the, out of that hose.
And I just want to know, do I have a good flow?
If I don't have a good flow,
you know, are you lucky enough to have a bad new water pump
that the impeller's on?
Yeah, and it's crazy cause it'll, it'll do just fine.
You're sitting there looking at the gauge,
then all of a sudden it'll, it'll start creeping up to that,
you know, that hodge up and it might stay there a minute
or two, then it shoots down like,
just like the thermostat, you know,
that's been replaced twice.
It just dropped right back down.
Right.
Does it, you know, is it, is it like a, a, a bad impeller?
Here, you're an air conditioning guy, right?
Is it, is it like that bad fan on the armature shaft
coming out of that central AC unit?
That'll be surprised with me today.
Yeah.
That's right.
That means it's good.
New means never ever worked in my world.
So I've got, I've got, and yours too.
So I've got to come up with a way to test it.
So I want to know, do I have flow?
Okay.
Do I have flow?
And then are we missing any of the undercarriage pieces?
And by that, I mean, you know, I'm going on the assumption,
which is a dangerous word in real life and on family radio,
but I'm going on the assumption that we have the correct
radiator unit, the correct size radiator in it that you,
you know, you don't necessarily match what, what you took out.
But, you know, if they looked it up by application
and it was a clear cut listing, you know, if it's a three row,
it's a three row, if it's a two row, it's a two row radiator
and so on, you know, and once I get past the radiator issue,
you know, there's not much left.
It's thermostat engine, radiator, water pump.
There's generally, so then I start to look,
where else is this?
And I start to think about, do I have,
am I missing any of the lower spoilers or anything
that directs and guides air over the radiator?
And, and that kind of matches with the description
that it sounds like when you're getting along on speed,
you're out on the road for an hour, 55, 60, 65, 70 miles an hour.
Yeah, yeah.
And I mean, it goes up, you go, whoa, whoa, look at air.
Right.
And then, I mean, it drops right back down.
It was like, just like the thermostat open and went,
ah, that's what it looks like.
I'm trying to remember in 98, mechanical fan
or electrical cooling fan?
It's mechanical.
Okay.
It is that.
All right, because I always think about electric cooling fans
when I get this kind of a problem.
I've had more than a few cars in my lifetime where,
oh, the car was in an accident 10 years ago,
or 10 months ago, rather, I'm sorry,
and it's been overheating ever since,
and somehow it got wired backwards.
The fan spins the wrong way.
So I, I,
Well, I'm gonna check that out, Danny.
And you say, one of the hose is going to the heater core,
whether the engine's warm or cold.
If I, if I take that loose and cut that on,
then I should have a good flow.
You gotta have a good flow.
And what is, what does that mean?
That's kind of a relative term.
What do you mean?
It'll, it'll splash that.
It'll, it'll, it'll splash out of the bucket.
Okay.
You know, now watch where that hose comes from,
because if it's on the backside of the thermostat,
then the stats gotta be open
because the pumps gotta get to it.
But if it's on the front side, as I recall,
I'm trying to remember what 98 looks like.
So.
All right, I figured that out.
All right, but it's, it's gotta have flow.
One of those hoses has to have flow.
If it doesn't have flow,
and you know, maybe this thing is so rusted
and rotted internally that there's a restriction
inside the block.
That's what he's starting to wonder.
You know, we're, we're looking.
That's what, that's what he's, he's, he's good.
He's been doing it a long time, but I don't know.
You know, I think it's clogged up somewhere.
Right. We're, we're looking for something odd
because we've covered the bases, you know,
there's a reason why you got it for a bargain.
You know?
Well, yeah, it wasn't that reason though.
My man was hurt for some money, but it's all good.
I get you. Yeah, I get you.
Sometimes a good deal ain't a good deal.
Right. That's, that's the point.
Mark, you're a good guy.
I appreciate what you do.
You be well.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
855-560-9900.
Ron and Amy, the car doctor.
I'll be back right after this.
Don't go anywhere.
Lately, car buying has become a pretty dull experience.
But on eBay, behind every car and part is a story
waiting to be shared.
Like this guy I read about who bought a 2020 Porsche Cayman GT4
on eBay, it was well loved.
I mean, there are plenty of Caymans in great condition
on eBay, but this one needed some work.
That's just the start of the story.
So after this guy gets a great deal on his dream car,
he rebuilds the whole thing with all these parts
he found on eBay.
Performance brakes, suspension, body panels, the works,
guaranteed to fit.
Next thing you know, this nearly scrapped Cayman
was out there on the track as a full-blown race car.
You're ready to go daily driver, your next resto mod,
Hello Lotus Elon, and the parts to finish it.
eBay has thousands of cars and is the largest online
selection of vehicle parts and accessories.
eBay, things, people, love.
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 FIONRA SIPC, advisory services
by Public Advisors LLC, SCC 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.
Ready to change your life for just $2 a day?
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that combine strength and cardio
to help you burn fat, build muscle, and feel unstoppable.
Right now, get a full month of unlimited classes
for just $62.
Don't wait, this offer ends soon.
Visit orangetheory.com or your local studio
and start your transformation today.
Offer ends January 31st, 2026.
New members only, premier membership,
performance monitor, and monthly billing required.
Discount applies to first month only.
Other terms apply, see studio for details.
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I got it, I got it, I got it,
for a good time, for a good time, go!
Write it on the wall so you don't forget to call
for car advice, done right, 855-560-9900.
Now back to rock.
Let's get going with the phones again, 855-560-9900.
The phone number again, 855-560-9900.
Let's go over to Joel in Maine, 94 Lexus.
Joel, you're on with the car doctor,
how can I help sir?
I'm good to say hello to you,
a long time listening, I quite enjoy it.
Thank you sir.
So my son, who should be listening on the radio
in his mother's car right now,
he bought for his first car, he bought a cult car,
he bought a 1994 Lexus LS 400.
Nice car.
Yeah, and it's a beast, no doubt.
The problem I have with this car,
and let me qualify by saying, I'm not a mechanic,
I'm a father who loves his son,
so I don't have all the abilities a lot of you listeners do.
So appropriate on Father's Day weekend,
such a great way to put it Joel, I love it.
I do appreciate that.
So when he bought the car, we trailer it home,
drove it around a little bit,
thought it had a couple, it had a vacuum leak,
whatever it didn't, we changed the fuel filter
and the thing ran like it was brand new,
so we went thrilled.
Now, the car has a soft pedal,
so I said, okay, well we gotta bleed the brakes.
Well, the first time we bleed the brakes,
I said, where's the fluid going?
Fluid's going somewhere.
Come to find out, there was a pinhole
in one of the pistons on the driver's side front,
because it's a dual piston caliper.
Yup, big caliper.
Yeah, so we took care of that,
and then I did a rebuild kit on both sides,
you know, new, you don't talk about the full rebuild kit.
Right.
Then we went to bleed the brakes again,
and we never got a hard, a firm pedal.
Then I charged a couple friends of mine
that are mechanics, and they're like,
well, have you tried the gravity bleed?
We tried the gravity bleed,
and we never got the proper flow.
I mean, it was like one grip per 10 seconds
on the passenger rear tire.
Bleed it, I mean, my son and I
must have bled the brakes on that car.
Honestly, God, probably 15 times together.
And the latest thought process
that somebody mentioned to me was bleed the ABS.
Now, as you know, this is an ODB-1,
so I can't force the ABS to do anything
it doesn't wanna do in terms of opening
whatever valve it needs to open.
It'll piss in or what have you.
There is a bleeder valve on the top of the ABS,
but I'm not getting anything out of that,
and I feel bad for my son who bought this car.
I'm the dad trying to make it work,
and I'm just without answers and trying to save
a couple of bucks, number one.
Number two, my son and I learned the car together,
which is real, we have fun doing it.
And number three, he's had the car now for a year
and he can't drive it.
Okay, this car have traction control, do you know, Joel?
Yes, sir, it does.
Okay, and this car also has a,
it's not a traditional brake booster.
This has the hydro boost with the accumulator ball,
the hydraulic pump setup.
I believe so, and one of the things that I didn't mention
that I also did is I changed out the master cylinder
and I did bleed it on the batch
before I put it back in the car.
Okay, so there are some specific bleed procedures,
and you wanna start with, depending upon how bad
that leak was, did the bleed start from the master?
All right. No, sir.
No, right. I'm sorry, go ahead.
I was gonna say, did the master run dry at any point,
do you think?
No, I know it didn't.
All right, but you still have to bleed from the master.
Have you bled from the master down to the calipers?
With the master, with the new master in the car?
Yes, at some point, where the new master's in the car,
even with the old master, all right,
did you ever start to bleed from the master down?
My point where I'm going with this is,
break it down at the individual components.
If the master is working properly,
you should be able to crack the lines
and have good flow, agreed?
Yes, sir. Did you ever verify that?
No, the process I went through,
and if I'm going out of order here, forgive me, I apologize.
No, it's okay, you're doing great.
What we would do is we would obviously make sure
that the fluids are the right level in the master.
I'd start passenger rear, driver rear,
driver front, passenger front,
that's right under the, excuse me,
passenger front, then driver front, last.
But I never cracked the nipple
that's on the ABS unit itself.
Right, well, before we go there,
why don't we bleed it at the master?
Can I do this, can I make this easy for you?
Please.
I'm feeling like a failure of a father.
No, come on now, now you're a great dad.
Listen, this is, you know what?
I'm proud of you, you're doing a great job.
Send me an email, ron at cardoctorshow.com.
Say, hey, you know, this is Joel from Maine.
Send me the Vin of the vehicle, the 17 digit Vin.
Yes, sir.
I'm going to plug it into all data
when I get to the shop on Monday,
and I am going to find you the factory bleed procedure,
and I'm going to email it to you.
Let's see how much of this you can do.
All right, let me get that email one more time, Ron.
It's ron at cardoctorshow.com.
Cardoctorshow.com, you're awesome.
Easy enough, dude.
And listen, if you're working on this car
on a regular basis, and I'm happy to send you
the bleed procedure, but I think for less than 50 bucks a year,
you can go out to all data, all dataDIY.com,
and get a full subscription,
and you'll get the same factory information
that we are the mechanic gets for that vehicle
at your fingertips.
That's awesome, I really appreciate your help.
You're very welcome.
You do that, you do that,
and I'll send you what I got, Joel.
Excellent, thank you, sir.
You're welcome.
It's important, right?
You know, we're, and you gotta love a guy like that.
I can't talk about that enough to take the time
to make an impact on his son
to help him with a car like that.
I think that's, you know what,
that guy's Ward Cleaver of this generation.
And I say that kind of kiddingly, but it's the truth.
Where has America gone?
I just have to kind of take a reflection here.
I was watching Leave It to Beaver the other day,
yeah, because I'm old,
and Ward had Wally and Beaver in the boat,
and they were fishing,
and Ward's trying to reminisce with his kids
about the things we did when he did,
when he was a kid with his father,
and how he spent lazy days fishing,
and Beaver goes,
but dad, didn't you go to school?
And, you know, and Wally's like,
but dad, didn't you go to football practice?
And like, they couldn't understand the connection,
and I understand how it's a generational thing,
and it's probably like that here.
And Joel's trying to close that gap with his son,
so I think that's a great thing.
But you send me an email request, Joel,
and I will be glad to send you the information I can
from all data, and keep that in mind, right?
I believe it's alldataDIY.com,
alldataDIY.com, and that will get you
to the subscription screen,
and you can, you know,
probably a great Last Minute Father's Day gift
for everybody that will get you information,
because you can't fix cars without information,
and you've gotta follow things in sequential process.
Now, the other side of that is,
depending upon, well, what we find as a result of bleeding,
and I'll tell Joel this in the email when I get it,
is we could have another component failure,
we could have something else that's acting up,
we could have an ABS controller issue,
but let's get all the air out of the system first,
and see what that does,
so we'll kind of work our way up to it from there.
855-560-9900, I'm Ronan Eni and the car doctor,
and I'll be back right after this.
Lately, car buying has become a pretty dull experience,
but on eBay, behind every car and part,
is a story waiting to be shared.
Like this guy I read about who bought a 2020 Porsche Cayman GT4
on eBay, it was well-loved.
I mean, there are plenty of Caymans
in great condition on eBay,
but this one needed some work.
That's just the start of the story.
So after this guy gets a great deal on his dream car,
he rebuilds the whole thing with all these parts
he found on eBay.
Performance brakes, suspension, body panels, the works,
guaranteed to fit.
Next thing you know, this nearly scrapped Cayman
was out there on the track as a full-blown race car.
You're ready to go daily driver, your next Resto mod,
Hello Lotus Elon, and the parts to finish it.
eBay has thousands of cars
and is the largest online selection
of vehicle parts and accessories.
eBay, things, people, love.
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 FANRA 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.
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Hi, I'm Cindy Crawford
and I'm the founder of Meaningful Beauty.
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Come on.
number. Give us a call, leave a message. We're on the air live Saturdays, two to four PM Eastern
time. Again, eight by five, five, six, zero, nine, nine, zero, zero. Let's go to Joseph in Nevada,
Nevada, Nevada. Haven't said Nevada in a while. I gotta make sure I say it right. I don't want
anybody to yell at me. How are you, Joseph? How can I help you? Hi, Ron. Hey, I gotta tell you,
I've got a 2001 Ford Mustang. It's black. It's a V6. It's got a, it's all black. I bought a brand new
in six years ago. I had a stroke on my right side. I learned how to walk again, but I can't use my
right arm at all. I had this car in the garage since 2004. It only has about 36,700 miles on it.
I gotta tell you, I can't drive it the way it is. I had a tow to a regular
mechanic that is real good. He's got the car running, and now it's at the point where
I've got to send it off to a transmission shop. What they want to do is they want,
it has a Borg Warner T5 transmission in it, which I had since it was new.
I know this transmission is brand new. It's good for many more miles. But anyway, they want to put a
rebuilt Ford transmission in it, the shop down in Las Vegas, and it's going to be an automatic.
And I'm just wondering, do you think that's a good idea? And any ideas on maybe selling the
Borg Warner T5? Because I noticed they're going for about $1,300, $1,400 on eBay online,
and that kind of thing. And will it be a good repair is the question.
That's the first question that came to my mind is, will it be a good repair? How are they going to tie
an automatic transmission, which in 2001, that car from the factory would have had that transmission
tied into the engine controller, there would have been some sort of automatic transmission controls
via the PCM via a trans control module to help perform shift point and to match it to RPM of
the engine so that it operated correctly and stayed in a mission compliance and performance and all
those other good things. Okay, this transmission shop that I'm considering down in Las Vegas,
he claims it will be $5,000 to swap out the transmissions. And it'll be a good repair. And
he claims that the harness and everything that's necessary to hook it up. And I told him, I said,
the mechanic reports to me that everything's working, traction control works, everything
works after all these years. So, but he claims that he's got a harness and that he works on $100,000
cars and it'll be perfect. Get that in writing. Okay. Yeah. Listen, every guy that tells me he's
worked on $100,000 cars and that's the reason why working on the $20,000 car will be perfect.
I always get nervous. I don't need to be impressed by what you're working on telling me if that's
going to fix my car. But my questions, and then what would the gear ratio have been in the rear
end for an automatic version of that Mustang versus what's in there for the manual trans,
will it have proper acceleration? Has anybody thought of that? Because I'd almost be willing
to bet it's a different gear ratio. And I would want to know that as well.
Those are two very good points. The rear gear ratio and what was the other point again?
You know, will he put that in writing?
Yeah, put it in writing. Yeah, because we want that to work. You know, if he's got a donor car,
if he's got an 01B6 version of this vehicle where he's getting a wiring harness, body computers,
and he's just going to transfer everything over. Yeah, absolutely. That'll work.
He's doing it. He's doing a donor swap. I understand that. But I need to know that,
and then as all the harnesses, are they going to be tucked back into proper position?
This is a big task. I'm more inclined to tell you, Joseph, sell the car as is. The car is worth
more money as it sits and go buy something that fits more of what you want to drive.
What do you think that car is worth? It's black. It's all black. It's in perfect shape,
because I had it in the garage all these years. I mean, I hate to sound like a jerk, Joseph,
but it's worth whatever somebody wants to give you for it, brother. Because I could tell you,
it's worth $10,000. But if the market says it's worth 20, because it's a rare color
combination that I'm not aware of, that's a tough question to answer. You could go to KBB.com,
which is Kelly Blue Book, KBB.com, and just get a ballpark. But anytime-
I did that already, Ron. It came up as like $3,900.
Well, and there's the other side of this argument. Why are you going to put $5,000 into a car that's
worth four that might be a dicey repair at best? Because the other thing you got to look at and
hear me out, all right? Let's say he puts that repair in. Let's say it's $5,000 and that car is
dead nuts on the money, just like the way it came out of the factory. It's still a 23-year-old car
that you're going to have difficulty getting quality parts for. Well, the problem is that
I own it, and the new ones are like $45,000 for the same point.
Right. I understand that. But we're starting to compare oranges to apples. The first problem is
how accurate and what's the quality control of the repair. Have you ever used this trans shop before?
No, I haven't. But they've been recommended to me by two other mechanics that are very good.
Will he put it in writing? Will he put it in writing and guarantee you that this car is going
to operate properly? If he does, I have no problem with it. If not, then I think we're taking a gamble.
So the rear gear ratio and get this repair and writing.
Right. Get this repair and writing stating what's going to be done. I'm assuming this is a used
wiring harness. Is he prepared to change any modules and electronics that need to be changed
and updated and matched? This is a big task. This isn't changing a transmission on a pre-computer
car. This is changing a computerized car. It changes everything.
He claims that it'll be perfect. He says, you know, but I'm going to take this to heart
and I'm going to make notes on what you told me around. Thank you.
I think you're better off replacing it, but let's see what happens. You be well, Joseph,
and let us know what happens. You're welcome, sir. 855-560-9900. We're back right after this.
Lately, car buying has become a pretty dull experience, but on eBay, behind every car and
part is a story waiting to be shared. Like this guy I read about who bought a 2020 Porsche Cayman GT4
on eBay. It was well loved. I mean, there are plenty of Caymans in great condition on eBay,
but this one needed some work. That's just the start of the story. So after this guy gets a great
deal on his dream car, he rebuilds the whole thing with all these parts he found on eBay.
Performance brakes, suspension, body panels, the works, guaranteed to fit. Next thing you know,
this nearly scrapped Cayman was out there on the track as a full blown race car. You're ready to
go daily driver, your next resto mod. Hello Lotus Elon and the parts to finish it. eBay has thousands
of cars and is the largest online selection of vehicle parts and accessories. eBay, things, people,
love. 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 Fianna Ray 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. Ready to change your life for just $2 a day?
Orange Theory Fitness delivers one hour workouts that combine strength and cardio to help you burn
fat, build muscle and feel unstoppable. Right now get a full month of unlimited classes for just
$62. Don't wait. This offer ends soon. Visit orange theory.com or your local studio and start your
transformation today. Offer ends January 31st, 2026. New members only. Premier membership,
performance monitor and monthly billing required. Discount applies to first month only. Other
terms apply. See studio for details. Now I'd like to introduce you to meaningful beauty,
the famed skincare brand created by iconic supermodel Cindy Crawford. It's her secret
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And let's go over and talk to... Oh, let's go to Connecticut. We haven't been there yet today.
Let's go talk to George. George, welcome to the car doctor, sir. How can I help?
Thank you for taking my call Ron. If I find it a little funny, I just had a oral surgery.
Oh, I'm sorry. You sound fine. Go ahead.
Thanks. My mother has a 2010 Volvo XC60 and what's happening is after a huge rainstorm,
I keep on finding water behind the passenger seat. And what I hear is whenever you turn on,
let's say to the frost or air conditioning or climate control, you'll hear almost like a
gurgling of water. You know, it's that pillar where the vent is between the front seat and the
back seat on the passenger side. Right. So far this car had the AC compressor
replaced last year and it's still having this issue.
So when you run the air conditioning, does it drain water outside the vehicle?
Yes. Okay. And the front carpet, you're absolutely certain, is bone dry?
Yes. What was happening before, and this was like a year and a half prior,
I guess these Volvos were prone to having bad windshield seals.
Right. So before it was the front and the rear. So I got that, you know, the windshield sealed
and that never had a problem with the front carpet again.
Okay. So it had a front water leak, but now it's only the back.
Correct. All right. Now they also had a problem with the sunroof. Are you aware of that?
No. Okay. There's a reference bulletin from Volvo Thomas Jefferson TJ 29 618 that talks
about the sunroof leaking under high water pressure. You said in heavy rain?
Yes. And then you only hear, like I said, it's like a continuous slashing around that you hear
when you're driving around after a heavy rain between those two doors.
So, oh, between the doors in the B pillar?
Yes. On the right side from the front and rear door, where the vent is.
Okay. Going towards the back seat.
You know, it sounds like you've got a clogged body drain or a sunroof drain problem.
Okay. And that's where I would be looking, but I would also take a look at that bulletin to see
if it's applicable. I know they changed some seals on the sunroofs on those.
That bulletin came out after that car was about five years old. I think it's dated 2014 or 2015.
This is a 2010 you said? Correct.
Yeah. It came out about five years, four years later, four or five years later after the fact.
And they talked about changing seals on in and around the sunroof itself.
I wonder if for giggles, if we covered the seams of the sunroof with something and left it out in
the rain, would it still leak? But I'm trying to think of what I could cover it with that wouldn't
hurt the paint as part of my test. You know, we could do the, and it's ugly and it would hurt
the paint. You know, you think to yourself, can you put duct tape around it just as a momentary,
but is there something else? Is there a sheen of plastic we could cover it with that wouldn't
hurt when we wanted to take it off? Because does that, if we covered the sunroof and protected
that, does that keep the leak from happening? Right. And if it does, at least we know the
source and then we can go and attack it from there. But it would be a simple enough test if we opened
up the sunroof and started pouring water into the, into the gutter or the channel of the sunroof.
Does it go down the drain? And does it go down the drain and leave a gurgle? It's all sunroofs
drain the same. I don't care how, how, who or what the manufacturer of the vehicle is, they all gurgle
when they're going well. They want to go down and you want to see that whirlpool effect. It's
got to move fast. If it doesn't, there's a clog and restriction somewhere. And when it gets overloaded
and overwhelmed, the water's going to come out where it wants to make sense. All right. So let's,
let's look at that. And that's, that's something you could actually do yourself. Just get a step
ladder, stand next to the car, open the sunroof and take a paper cup and make it into a sharp point
and just start pouring water and see where does the water come out. And if, if the carpet is dry
at that point, or you know how wet it is, does it get wetter from doing that? At least then you're
onto something. Okay. Yeah, that'll definitely put me in a right way to look when I talk to my
mechanic. And can I add another comment to give you a compliment real quick when you talk about
flushes? Go ahead. Okay. So I also have a 2007 BMW. I took it to the dealer for an airbag recall.
While it was there, they told me I should have the power steering flushed. Now I never had a
German car. So I thought the steering was heavy because of being a German car. You know, what
the difference that made with it? They actually flushed the power steering fluid and then changed
the filter in the reservoir. Right. It's like night and it's like night and day now. Right.
Just like you always say. German, German. I couldn't believe it.
German cars are a little different. We always treat them a little differently. I got to run,
I got to run George. I'm up against the clock. For your time. I really appreciate it. You're
very welcome. Thank you so much. Feel better. Thank you for calling. I'm Ronanini and the car
doctor. We're back right after this. Lately, car buying has become a pretty dull experience.
But on eBay, behind every car and part is a story waiting to be shared. Like this guy I read about
who bought a 2020 Porsche Cayman GT4 on eBay. It was well loved. I mean, there are plenty of
Caymans in great condition on eBay, but this one needed some work. That's just the start of the
story. So after this guy gets a great deal on his dream car, he rebuilds the whole thing with
all these parts he found on eBay. Performance brakes, suspension, body panels, the works.
Guaranteed to fit. Next thing you know, this nearly scrapped Cayman was out there on the
track as a full blown race car. You're ready to go daily driver. Your next resto mod.
Hello Lotus Elon and the parts to finish it. eBay has thousands of cars and is the largest
online selection of vehicle parts and accessories. eBay. Things. People. Love.
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 F.I.N.R.A. S.I.P.C.
advisory services by public advisors LLC SCC 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.
Ready to change your life for just $2 a day. Orange Theory Fitness delivers one hour workouts
that combines strength and cardio to help you burn fat, build muscle and feel unstoppable.
Right now get a full month of unlimited classes for just $62. Don't wait, this offer ends soon.
Visit orange theory.com or your local studio and start your transformation today.
Offer ends January 31st, 2026. New members only. Premier membership,
performance monitor and monthly billing required. Discount applies to first month only. Other
terms apply. See studio for details. Hi, I'm Cindy Crawford and I'm the founder of Meaningful Beauty.
Well, I don't know about you, but like I never liked being told, oh, wow, you look so good for
your age. Like why even bother saying that? Why don't you just say you look great at any age,
every age. That's what Meaningful Beauty is all about. We create products that make you feel
confident in your skin at the age you are now. Meaningful Beauty, beautiful skin at every age.
Learn more at MeaningfulBeauty.com.
Why this car is automatic? It's systematic. It's hydromatic.
Why it's greased lightning.
All right, let me get this one done real quick. This is an email
comes to us from Matt Lechtenberg. He is the technology education teacher at Mount Iron
Buell High School in Mount Iron, Minnesota. I believe that is Matt writes in, Hey, Ron,
I was listening to the Saturday show May 31st. You talked about testing for spark under real
world engine conditions versus just testing the plug out of the engine. You mentioned there were
spark testers out there that could approximate combustion chamber pressures of 150 psi. Some
of these may also indicate approximate vultures that the ignition system was producing and we
ran for such a tester. Haven't found one. Could you point me in the right direction?
It'd be a great tool to have in the shop. Thanks, Matt. I learned a lot from your show. Matt,
yeah, go out. You know, Matt Go makes one. I see, Thexden makes one. It's, if you want the Matt,
I'm sorry, Matt Go makes one. I believe the part number is T is in Tom 71, 240. I've seen that
number out there. If you just go Google search spark testers, you will see it. It's just a thin
black, thin piece of black plastic. It's got some graduated numbers on it, you know, 30,000 volts,
20,000 volts and so on. And you unscrew the one end and you widen the gap, the wider the gap
that the harder is for the spark to jump. It doesn't tell you, Hey, this is good for 170 psi.
This is good for, you know, 150 psi and so on. But the idea is if the ignition system you're
testing on your particular car, you know the spec, the spec is it's got to produce voltage of 50,000
volts, set that tester to 50,000 volts. If that's 150 psi engine, then you've got a rough approximation.
It has to jump the gap because the idea is it's harder to jump a bigger gap in atmosphere. I'm
pressure in the cylinder. Just Google it. Matt, I appreciate the letter and I appreciate what
you've been with the young folks. I'm not a nanny in the car doctor till the next time. Good mechanics
aren't expensive. They're priceless. See you. At CVS, it matters that we're not just in your community,
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About this episode
Ron Ananian tackles a variety of automotive issues in this lively hour, featuring calls from listeners seeking advice on their vehicles. From a 1998 F-150 with cooling problems to a 1994 Lexus LS 400 struggling with brake bleeding, Ron provides insightful troubleshooting tips and emphasizes the importance of thorough diagnostics. He also discusses the challenges of modifying a 2001 Ford Mustang's transmission and addresses a water leak issue in a 2010 Volvo XC60. The episode is packed with practical advice and relatable stories for car enthusiasts.
Original notes
From June 15, 2025, Ron packs a fast-moving hour with nonstop calls, sharp questions, and practical answers. The pace is quick, the topics are wide-ranging, and there’s no shortage of real-world advice. Buckle up and settle in—this hour moves fast.
- Grab your Car Doctor gear – T-shirts & more at CarDoctorShow.com
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