Ron Ananian The Car Doctor Jan 24, 2026

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - January 24, 2026 - Hour 1

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Car

Porsche Cayman

The Porsche Cayman is a sports car that has its engine in the middle, which helps it handle well on the road. The 2020 version is known for being stylish and fun to drive.

Term

vehicle parts and accessories

Vehicle parts are the different pieces that make up a car, like the engine or tires. Accessories are extra items you can add to make your car look nicer or work better.

Part

carburetor

A carburetor helps an engine get the right amount of fuel and air to run properly. It's important for how well the engine performs.

Part

spark plug

A spark plug is a small part in the engine that makes a spark to help the fuel burn and power the car. It's necessary for the engine to start and run.

Part

suspension

Suspension is the system in a car that helps it ride smoothly over bumps and turns. Upgrading it can make the car handle better and feel more stable.

Part

performance brakes

Performance brakes are special brakes that help a car stop faster and handle better, especially when driving quickly or on a racetrack.

Car

Chevrolet Silverado

The Chevrolet Silverado is a popular pickup truck that people use for work and everyday driving. The 2000 model is known for being tough and reliable.

Term

engine temperature

Engine temperature is how hot the engine gets while it's running. It's important for the engine to be at the right temperature for everything to work well, including the heat inside the car.

Part

water pump

A water pump is a part that moves coolant through the engine and radiator to keep everything cool. If it fails, the engine can overheat.

Part

radiator

A radiator is a part of the car that helps keep the engine cool by removing heat from the engine coolant. It's important for preventing the engine from getting too hot.

Term

heater core

The heater core is a part that helps heat the inside of the car by using hot liquid from the engine. It's like a mini radiator for the cabin.

Term

5.3 liter

A 5.3 liter engine means the total size of the engine's cylinders is 5.3 liters. It's a common size for some trucks and SUVs, providing a good mix of power and fuel economy.

Term

quick disconnects

Quick disconnects are special connectors that let you easily attach and detach hoses in a car. They help make repairs faster and prevent leaks when you're working on the vehicle.

Term

thermostat

The thermostat is like a valve that helps keep the engine from getting too hot or too cold. It makes sure the engine runs at the right temperature by letting coolant flow when needed.

Term

two wheel drive

Two wheel drive means that only two of the car's wheels get power from the engine. This is different from four-wheel drive, where all four wheels get power, which helps in rough conditions.

Part

transmission

The transmission is what helps your car change gears. It takes power from the engine and sends it to the wheels, allowing the car to go faster or slower.

Term

tilt steering

Tilt steering is a feature that lets you change the angle of the steering wheel. This makes it easier for different people to drive comfortably.

Concept

restomod

Restomod means taking an old car and fixing it up with modern parts and technology, while still keeping its classic look. It's a way to enjoy the style of vintage cars with better performance.

Term

OBD2

OBD2 is a system in cars that helps check if everything is working properly. Mechanics use it to find problems by connecting a tool to the car.

Term

engine controller

The engine controller is a computer in the car that helps the engine run smoothly. It decides how much fuel to use and when to ignite it, making sure the car works well.

Car

Nissan Altima

The Nissan Altima is a popular car that is known for being comfortable and good on gas. The 2016 version has some nice features and different engine choices.

Term

TSB

A TSB is a notice from a car manufacturer that tells mechanics about problems with certain car models and how to fix them. It's like a guide for repairs.

Term

extended warranty

An extended warranty is like insurance for your car that helps pay for repairs after the original warranty runs out. It can save you money if something goes wrong with your vehicle later on.

Term

A CVT, or Continuously Variable Transmission, is a special kind of automatic transmission that helps your car use fuel more efficiently. It can change gears smoothly without the usual 'shifting' you feel in regular cars.

Brand

Nissan

Nissan is a car company from Japan that makes many different types of vehicles, including cars and trucks. They are known for making reliable and affordable cars.

Brand

Toyota

Toyota is a car company famous for making reliable and long-lasting vehicles. People often mention it when talking about good car choices.

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Guaranteed human.

The worst part about loving cars might just be buying them

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You're listening to Ron Ananian, 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 live every Saturday

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by calling 855-560-9900.

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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.

I love the last-minute stuff.

It's just great.

So just so you guys know,

I'm flying without a call screen today.

And it's sort of life-imitating art

because that's really the way it was at the shop this week.

We're ready for snowmageddon here in New Jersey

because that's what they're telling us is gonna happen.

And I get it.

It's gonna be a huge snowstorm.

Texas to the northeast, right?

Crossed 12, 15 states at once.

And you look at the level of preparation

that has gone on for supermarkets, right?

I know firsthand from people that work in supermarkets

here in the northeast.

In one single day, in less than three hours,

everything is cleaned out.

Meat, chicken, poultry, water.

The laundry detergent was the one that got me.

How many clothes do you think you're gonna wash

in the middle of a snowstorm?

I don't understand that.

I'm not quite sure what that's about.

And I just think of all this preparation.

Has anybody checked the wiper blades on their car?

Has anybody done basic, you know,

if I have to get somewhere in an emergency,

my vehicle is going to take me there.

God's a funny guy.

Wednesday, the phone's kind of stopped ringing at the shop

and I looked at Danny and I said,

this is the universe telling us, let's get ready.

So it wasn't a lot to do to the plow truck.

The plow truck is, you know,

it's usually right on top of its game.

It's all set and ready to go.

Most of the time, hook up the plow, grease a few things,

you know, fill up the gas tank.

You're done, ready to go.

And I thought that was it.

And it was all good.

And Danny went and got a snowblower from home.

And I'm not sure what possesses these youngsters.

And I consider Danny a youngster

and I love him like a son.

But you know, they're funny, right?

Here's this perfectly good snowblower

that he's just been so busy as I got around to fixing.

So Wednesday, after it sat for a while, he brings it in

and now we're going to work on it.

Well, the old man, meaning me,

knowing life as it is,

had ordered a replacement carburetor.

I'm a believer in inventory.

I just am, you know.

Too many years in the auto repair business

that when you take a part off a shelf that's common

that you know is going to fail,

take that part off the shelf,

put another one on the shelf.

You never want to go shoes shopping with me, all right?

You don't want to open up the door

to the inventory closet for sneakers.

It's kind of staggering because, you know,

black sneakers, lifting sneakers, running sneakers,

and but that's just the way I'm built.

So Danny snowblower needed a carburetor.

Now it's a 1983 MTD 10 horse

to come to horizontal shaft, 28 inch snowblower.

1983, only because that's when I got it.

And when I got the new one, I gave it to Danny.

And, you know, it still starts on one,

started on one pole when I gave it to him, you know?

And it just sat and he just got caught up on other things.

And he brought it in and he looked at me

and he said, what do you think?

I said, I think you need a carburetor.

I can almost guarantee you need a carburetor

because they tend to get gummy and sticky

and you gotta have some, you know,

I'm a believer and I only use true fuel,

you know, the non-ethanol stuff and all my small equipment.

And I'm sure in his haste in youth,

and I say that with love, that he didn't.

So he said, wow, so we looked up,

we called out to our usual place, RCPW, RCP,

I think it's RCPW, so here's out in Midlothian,

I think it is Ohio.

And, you know, I've always bought from them,

they have a great selection of small equipment.

And listen, they're not a sponsor of the show,

they don't even know I'm talking about them,

but they're just a good company, right?

They've always been there for the past 25 years

on buying snow blower parts.

And they can get a carburetor

for this 40 year old snow blower,

but it's gonna be five to six weeks

just because they're on back order.

Cause I guess everybody waited until the last minute

and needed to get their snow blowers working

for the monster storm that's coming here to New Jersey.

So Danny looked at me and said, what are we gonna do?

And I said, hang on a second.

And then I walked in the back room

and I remembered, where did I put that?

I know it's somewhere, it's right between

the power window regulators for the suburban

that I'm never gonna need

in the fuel pump assembly, just in case.

And I think it's to the left of a few other things

that, you know, it may need.

Oh, here it is.

Here's the fuel pump, here's the carburetor.

And sure enough, there it is, right?

It's all set and ready to go.

Handed him the carburetor, said here, put this on.

So we solved the problem of the snow blower.

Hey, we were ready.

You know what?

Snow blower and true to its word, right?

A good carburetor, fresh fuel, fresh spark plug,

one pull started right up.

40, let's see, 1983, 43 years old.

Is that right?

Yeah, I think that's right.

So just great.

Got the new blower, went through the new blower real quick,

which didn't need much.

Checked the oil, filled it up with fuel,

air in the tires, zip zip.

So by Thursday afternoon, we're all set.

We had a couple of cars the rest of the week,

odds and ends, and we're all ready to roll.

Friday came, and by now, I'm thoroughly convinced

as well as everybody else, I should put a stick

extending out 42 feet over the roof of the shop

because there's gonna be so much snow

when they send in the helicopter to find us,

they're gonna have to be looking for the top of the pole

because there's just so much snow coming into New Jersey.

So we finish out, we have a couple of quick oil changes

in the morning, and I tell Danny we'll be out here by noon.

We can go home and bunker down and start chopping firewood

because we're all gonna need to either burn the house down

or have a fire going for the next three weeks

in order to stay warm.

Gotta be prepared.

You guys wanna hear about what goes on in the shop.

That's the only reason I'm telling you this story.

One of my faults, and how can I say this without conceit?

I don't have many.

So one of my faults is I'm a little OCD,

and ever since they put it together,

the left headlight of the snowplow has been down

just enough to aggravate me when I'm plowing.

Ah, let me just loosen this up and, you know.

So I just very gently gave it a tug,

not wanting to break it because I knew if I broke it,

then I've got a whole world of trouble ahead of me,

and I just give a little tug.

And sure enough, it not only did it break,

but it snapped the stud completely in half,

and the plow light fell off the plow.

This was about, oh, I don't know, 12, 15 on Friday.

Now, it's madcap.

I don't know where it is in your state.

You know, if you're in Southern California,

you're laughing at all this going,

but everything I've heard, everywhere you go,

everybody's insane because they're just getting ready

for this big snowstorm, and they're just buying things

that I'm not quite sure why they're buying.

So I take the headlight apart.

It's a typical motor vehicle, legal spotlight, floodlight,

headlight, and I take it apart,

and to their discredit, Western snowplow

used a light from Groty, G-R-O-T-E, Groty Company,

and they've been around forever.

And they put this, imagine a carriage bolt,

but a carriage bolt with a flat head, not a rounded head,

so that they can get the swivel out of the lamp to adjust it.

And I get that, I get that's why they did it that way,

but they also made it so that you can't get the bolt out

without physically breaking the headlight.

What they do is they put the top brace in,

they put the bolt in, they put the bottom brace or cover on,

and then they glue the headlamp assembly together,

so you're not getting it apart.

If you break it, you gotta buy another one,

which I would gladly have done,

but even though they're $500 for the set,

you can't find one, why?

Because it's a snowstorm coming,

and it's in a bit of an emergency,

and the problem is when you're snow plowing,

and you're depending on the plow, you've gotta be able to,

and this is my point, that you've gotta be able to swivel,

you've gotta be able to deal with emergencies

on a regular basis,

because it seems like they come in bunches,

they're like grapes.

So I'm looking at this snapped bolt,

two snapped bolts actually,

because after the first one broke,

I said, well, I gotta get the headlamp off,

and then I didn't care,

then I just got out the big breaker bar,

snapped the bolt and said, well, whatever I did,

as long as I'm, you know, let me make this work,

and I'll figure it out from here.

I almost should have shot a video about this,

by the way, did you get out to the YouTube channel,

see the latest video, the oil leak in the Hyundai?

Good job, dealership, nice oil change.

You wanna go see that out on YouTube,

watch it tomorrow when the snow's coming down,

it'll give you something to do.

So, I took the bolt, the fancy bolt,

that you can't find anywhere,

because it's something special,

and I ground it flat,

it didn't have far to go to be flat,

because at least it broke clean,

but I ground it flat,

and I put a little notch in the middle.

I went in the back room,

and I got a half inch, 13 inch and a half long bolt,

and I ground it the opposite way,

so I made a, I made a gazinta and a gazada,

so that they would kind of meet together.

I clamped the head of the carriage bolt end into a vise,

got out the welder,

and I welded the bolt with the notch into the other piece,

took it over the grinder, ground it down,

got out the hacksaw, cut it flush,

threaded a nut on,

and now I have a stud,

I did the same thing to the other side, right?

Now I had drilled the rivets out

that hold the two plates together

that are kind of sandwiched together,

and I was able to bolt one side

and self-tap the other and get it together.

Bottom line, you don't want to have an emergency like I had,

you don't want to be able to have,

you don't want to have to count on something

like that going right,

because as Garbender Bob said,

good save, which it was.

So if you haven't,

and you're hearing this and it's enough time,

please check your wipers,

fill up the gas tank, all right?

Stay home anyway,

but just make sure the vehicle you're driving

is ready to go,

because between the next 48 hours,

72 hours in parts of the country,

the snow's going to be really ugly,

and you don't want to count on an emergency,

and you don't want to count on it going your way,

because I probably used up everybody's luck

getting this snowplow ready to go.

8-5-5-5-6-0-9-9-0-0,

I'm Ron Anini and the car doctor,

I'll be back right after this.

Lately, car buying has become a pretty dull experience,

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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.

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Hey, let's get over to Brad and talk to him

about his 2000 Silverado down there at Tennessee Way.

And, Mr. Ray.

Brad, very similar to Elvis,

has left the building.

I need to call him back.

Ah-ha!

Okay, well, you know, that happens.

So, I'm going to go ahead and talk to him

Maybe he's off.

Maybe I scared him.

Maybe he's off getting ready for snow.

That's always possible too.

So, but anyway, 855-569-900.

Hey, it's live radio.

We just kind of roll with the punches.

You know, that's what we're here for.

That's what we do.

So, and then the rest of the week at the shop

was pretty much, you know, as planned

and you know, as expected,

it just became a week of getting ready for the snow.

One of the things I wanted to talk about

and you know, I'd run into somebody at the diner.

We were having lunch one day this week

and I ran into somebody at the diner

who's also on New York radio

and we were talking and he said,

if you had a chance, what would you tell everybody?

And I said, I talk about the things

that they don't normally think about.

You know, it's easy to talk about wipers and batteries

and tires and things like that and coolant

and all the traditional things

that everybody from the news on down

is telling you to get ready for.

But you know, one of the things that,

some of the things that I always tell everybody

to think about is the stuff in the trunk.

Can you get to the spare?

How much air is in the spare?

How valid is the registration

and the insurance card in the glove box?

But before we continue this conversation, Elvis is back.

Let's go talk to Brad down Tennessee way.

Brad, you're there, sir.

Yes, sir, I'm here.

Yeah, the phones are goofy today,

so I apologize.

What's going on?

Yes, sir.

I'm right in there.

Where that winter mix is coming in.

Yeah.

Now, are you in line for the snowstorm?

Yeah, well, actually,

the more the freezing rain and sleet,

not so much snow, but the mid part.

Yeah, so it's going to be nasty.

So what can I do for it?

Let's get this vehicle in shape for the storm.

How can I help?

Yes, this is a 2000 Chevy Silverado 5.3.

I'm having a problem with the heat getting hot.

It takes forever, it seems like,

to get comfortable in the cab.

Okay.

So does the engine come up to temperature?

Yes, it does.

It comes up to temp.

It'll come right below two teams.

Okay.

And you can see the thermoset open.

And then on notice when it falls,

it falls really low,

just a couple of marks above the 160 mark.

And it stays at that period for a long time.

And I mean, roughly, if I'm driving,

if I have to get in and go and I'm driving,

probably, I don't know,

seven to 12 miles, something like that,

before it actually gets up to operating temperature.

All right.

I'm sorry.

Not seeing it before it gets hot in the cab.

Right.

So I'm going to make you spend a couple of bucks.

All right, nothing crazy.

All right, get down to a parts store and buy a,

do you have a little,

unless you have one, a little thermometer for the duct,

the AC vent duct in the dashboard there.

I've got one of the laser thermometers.

Yeah. Well, the laser stuff is going to show you surface temp.

I mean, you can,

I've gotten in the habit of driving around

with thermometers in my ducts.

It just, you know,

this way I know if the system is cockeyed or not.

But the idea is you will typically see,

all right, on a vehicle like that,

most vehicles actually,

you will typically see a duct temperature

of between 160 and 170 degrees.

And while that may sound like a lot,

the distance it has to go from leaving the dashboard

to hitting your skin,

which is your, your sensory contact area, right?

It's going to lose,

it's going to lose 40 to 50 degrees right off the bat.

Right?

So we need to see that at 160 to 170

in order to get good heat in the cabin.

So my point becomes

if the duct outlet temperature is 135, 140,

it's not enough.

Okay. All right.

So it's a real quick, simple test.

And if you have that thermometer in there all the time,

especially on an older vehicle,

before it degrades to the point that you go,

wow, now it's cold,

you'll see it fall off.

Just a little, little, little OCD.

Here I am again, right?

You know, but it's real quick and simple.

So when the engine temp comes down, all right?

I get it.

You know, there's a gauge in the dash.

You kind of grow accustomed to it.

Is the gauge in the dash sitting

where it's normally sat these past couple of years?

That's hard for me to answer,

but my father bought this truck brand new.

He bought it at the Chevrolet either

here in Knoxville.

He drove it for most of his life

or most of my adult life.

And he passed away about five years ago.

Well, it sat.

And then one of my brothers had it

and they didn't want it.

So that gave it to me.

Okay.

As far as, I know it had some coolant work done.

I know it does have a new radiator and water pump.

All right.

Other than that, I have no idea about the history.

All right.

So there's two hoses going to the heater core, right?

Now, is this a 5.3 liter?

Yes, it is.

Okay.

So the connection at the firewall is kind of tough.

It's probably the quick disconnects.

And rather than have you go play with those

and get aggravated because they're 26 years old

and they're going to be plastic and brittle

and you'll never get them off

and then you'll break the heater core

and then you'll definitely need more work.

Let's take it off at the water pump end, right?

There's going to be a spot where those two hoses

come off at the water pump end

and let's start the truck go up one at a time.

We should have good flow out of one

and return out of the other.

All right.

Let's verify flow to the core.

And I'll tell you what, Brad, stay put.

Let me pull over, take this pause.

When I return, we'll continue up with this conversation.

I'm Ron Anani and the car doctor

will return 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 breaks, 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.

For period protection, you can put on and forget about,

nothing beats Nick's leakproof underwear.

North America's number one leakproof underwear brand.

Let's face it, life can be unpredictable,

but your leakproof underwear shouldn't be.

That's why millions of people choose Nick's

for periods, for light leaks, for everyday freshness.

Nick's undies are super comfy, super absorbent

and made to handle whatever your day throws at you.

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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 an investment recommendation or advice.

Complete disclosures available at public.com slash disclosures.

From the city streets to the open road tonight.

After Rodney's help,

Ron will keep you rolling right.

He's a car doctor.

Car advisory.

So let's go back to Brad.

Brad, you're there, sir.

Yes, sir.

So let's verify flow out of the pump.

I know it's a new pump, you know, whatever.

Let's just make sure we've got good flow, right?

And then let's put that back on

and the other side should be the return.

So, you know, if we've got flow to the core,

what do we have coming back?

We should have a good, clean stream.

If we have a good, clean stream,

then we've got the makings of we should have heat, right?

The Oniscan tool.

Oh, yes, I do.

So, you know, when the engine temperature

on the dashboard showing that 160, 180 mark,

what is the engine reading by scan?

I haven't looked at it yet.

Okay, so we should be in the 190, 195 range.

Okay.

Anything less than maybe we've got

the wrong thermostat, a bad thermostat,

something like that, right?

That's what I was thinking.

And also that these trucks are notorious

for demons in the cluster.

They want too much faith into that.

Right, and that's why I ask,

that's why I ask I wanna see what's the scan tool

showing me, all right?

And then last, well, second to last,

let's go out and feel the upper radiator hose.

If the truck is warmed up, completely warmed up

and it's got good heat, right?

Or I'm sorry, it's got good engine temperature,

feel the upper radiator hose.

Is it uncomfortable?

You know, physics still works

when it comes to fixing cars, right?

Just common sense, grab the upper radiator hose, all right?

Is it kind of hard to hold?

If it's hard to hold and you're feeling a little warm,

be careful, it's a little warm, right?

Right.

You know.

Should that be, should it be pretty tight

or should be, because I have checked that myself.

And it's got, it's got some real flick to it.

Like I can, I can physically collapse the hose by hand.

Wow, you know, after the truck's been running.

Well, that might just be, you know, it's 26 years old

and maybe it's the original hose,

but that's not, that's not gonna affect heat

unless the hose is collapsing for some reason,

which I've never seen an upper do that, right?

You know, and this is the question about flow, right?

This is why we're talking about flow

and do we have good, you know,

heat or good hot water,

good coolant going towards the core, right?

So, but like I said,

is it uncomfortable to touch the upper hose?

Shut the truck off, feel the lower hose.

Is the lower hose uncomfortable to touch?

I don't want you sticking your hand down there

while the engine's running,

which is why I say to do that, right?

Okay.

And then last, so now let's just play what if, right?

All right, you've proven that the engine

can put out good heat.

The engine's got 195 degrees of heat,

upper and lower hoses are both uncomfortable to touch.

We've got good flow coming out of the water pump area.

We've got good return back from the pump.

There's only two possibilities left, right?

Either the blend door, the temp door under the dashboard

is in a bad position and it's stuck, right?

Even though you're commanding at the full heat,

you're only, you know,

you're trying to get out the front door of the house

and you've only got it open halfway.

Okay.

Right?

That makes sense.

All right, but the one thing that's in the back of my mind

on a 26 year old vehicle that's had a radiator

and a water pump is what's the color of the coolant

or how clean is the system is my real question.

All right.

Yeah, I have looked into the reservoir itself

and it does use the orange.

Okay.

And there's no, you know,

there's no crap floating around there.

It's fairly clean in the reservoir

before it's draining a little bit.

I haven't been to that extent yet.

Well, if you've got a laser gun,

you say you've got a laser temp gun.

Yeah.

You know, why don't you get it up the temp

before you even get it apart?

And, you know, I don't want to take this as an indicator

of flow, but I'll take it as an indicator of temp.

Why don't you look at the inlet

and the outlet temp of the heater core?

Okay.

All right, because if they're not good,

what I'm thinking about is the inside of the heater core

coated, has it got cred built up?

Okay.

And in which case, go by yourself,

you know, four feet of heater hose.

And I would work from the water pump end

because trying to get those nipples off at the heater core

is going to be a pain in the neck.

You'll learn a few more swear words

if you haven't already.

All right.

And, you know, you'll get frustrated.

I would get down to an auto parts store,

go to an advanced auto parts, they'll have it.

All right.

You ever see they make those plastic nipples

to splice a hose section onto a hose section?

Yeah.

All right.

So use those working from the water pump end.

This way, you know, it's easier to get to.

You've got access by two, four feet sections of hose

of the right diameter.

Put your nipples on and back flush with a garden hose,

gentle pressure and back flush into a bucket

and you'll see all the crud come out.

Okay.

All right, kiddo.

And let's see what that does.

All right.

One question on that.

If you said, what was the ideal range for that?

What was that supposed to be?

Your room is at temperature?

Duck temperature.

I typically like duck temperature

somewhere in the 165 to 180 range.

All right.

I wanted to drop that down.

All right.

I'll get 180.

All right.

Thank you, sir.

You're very welcome.

Let us know what happens, Brad.

Be safe.

All right, brother.

Let's go on to Mike in Florida with an O2 GMC

and some problems with toe hole.

Mike, welcome to the car doctor, sir.

How can I help?

Thank you, Ron.

You're welcome.

Did your call screener give you a rundown?

No, give me the, give me the,

listen, I'm flying blind.

I'm flying blind without a net.

I don't have a call screen.

I don't have a clock.

I don't have anything.

And somehow it's all working today.

So tell me what's going on.

This is an O2 GMC here, a half ton.

Okay.

Two wheel drive.

And around 150,000, I had a,

my transmission went out and I had a,

I guess you call it a factory,

re-man transmission put in it.

Okay.

And before my transmission went out,

I had already lost the toe hole function.

Meaning you hit the button on the column on the lever

and the light wouldn't come on

and it wouldn't keep it out of,

it wouldn't put it into toe hole.

You'd always be in, converter would always apply.

Okay.

Exactly, yes.

So I was thinking that it may be a problem

in the transmission itself.

And so I waited till after the transmission was replaced

and I still had no function.

All right.

Did you happen to mention it to the guys

when they were doing the trans?

Yes, I did.

And what'd they say?

They said that, as I was expecting to say,

that's probably going to be in the steering column

from the shift from the-

Shifter.

Tilt steering.

Going up and down and a wild wire separating in the column.

Okay.

That controls, that leads to that multi,

that toe hole button.

Right.

You know what I mean?

Right.

That's what I'd always heard was most likely

that it's going to be the problem.

And that's what the guys at the transmission shop

told me also.

Right.

So now I'm wondering if,

if I'm wanting your opinion on replacing the

multi-function switch or tearing the column apart

and looking for a broke wire.

Do you own a scandal?

No.

Okay.

I'll tell you what.

I have access to one.

All right.

So before we take anything apart,

well I'll tell you what,

let me pull over and take a leisurely pause.

And when I come back,

we'll, we'll finish up.

How's that sound?

All right.

Don't go anywhere, Mike.

Stay put in Florida.

I'm Ron Anani in the car doctor.

We'll return right after this.

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Generated assets is an interactive analysis tool.

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Okay, let's go on and get back to Mike in Florida.

Mike, you're there, sir.

Yes, I am.

So real quick, you've got a scan tool.

You want to go in your make model, not OBD2, right?

You've got to go in your make model,

either in body module or engine controller,

and you're going to push the tow-haul button

and you will see it go on or off or nothing will happen.

If nothing happens, there's your problem

that it's not seeing connectivity to the body computer, right?

So your next step at that point

is to verify the switch itself.

You can either go down to the BCM,

trace out the wire, if I remember it correctly,

it's a light blue wire that comes into the BCM connector

and obviously I'm going to tell you

to get out a wiring diagram.

You will see high voltage there

and when you press the button,

you will see that voltage drop

showing state of change that the switch is working.

If nothing were to happen,

then I would tell you to take down

the bottom steering column cover

and get access to the end of that stalk lever

where the wire comes out at that end.

It's probably broken right at the base of the column itself,

right at the base of the switch itself

and you'll be able to see it.

So it depends on how you want to diagnose it,

but the first step is to definitely use a scan tool

before you take anything apart

because you see a change of state going in

that the computer sees the switch state change,

then your problem is deeper

and we can go look elsewhere.

All right.

So you don't think it's going to be related

to the tilt steering up in the upper part of the column?

Yeah, it could be, sure.

But before I take something apart, isn't it easier?

What's easier to plug a scan tool in

and take three minutes and...

Oh yeah, yeah.

Right, and look at that and then if I see that,

yeah, at that point you want to take the column apart

and go look for a broken wire.

My guess is you're going to see the broken wire

at the base of the lever, which is usually where they break,

but I have seen them also break

depending upon how the column flexes.

So how much of the column do you want to

or should we have to take apart?

Before I go to that depth,

I still want to plug in a scan tool.

I still want to see that change of state.

All right, kiddo, do that and give me a call back.

We'll go from there.

Let's go over to Bruce in Wisconsin,

16 Nissan Ultima and some problems with the transmission.

What's going on, Bruce?

Hey, my 2016 Nissan is 10 years old.

I drive at 7,000 miles, so I've got 66,000 miles on it.

A couple of summers ago, it started slipping.

And it's just getting gradually more and more slipping,

and I checked online and there was a TSB from Nissan saying

that these transmissions are slipping.

And I need to know if I can have to get a new transmission

or if it can be fixed.

Well, you're asking the wrong guy in the sense

that you should be talking to the dealer

because that bulletin also talks about

how there's such a common problem.

This is a CVT, correct?

Correct.

Right, and this is the conversation about Nissan

had so many problems with their CVT transmissions.

It got the inner joke among the industry

was that it got to the point of it's 60,000 miles,

you changed the oil, did a fuel system cleaning

and replaced the transmission.

And a lot of them early enough on

were under some kind of an extended warranty.

So it's, this is a conversation

where depending upon dealer discretion,

and the fact that it's got low miles,

and even though it's 10 years old,

honestly, you would have had a stronger case three years ago

because it was three years newer with even lower miles.

But yeah, absolutely.

There is no rebuilding of those CVTs as I understand it.

It's replacement.

And it's a very common, very common problem.

The numbers I'm hearing,

and it's been a while since I've actually had exposure

to this, but within the last year,

the numbers I was hearing was somewhere

in that five to $6,000 range for a trans.

Now, when you consider the price of a new vehicle,

that's not so bad, but if you can get it for free,

like mom said, why not ask?

Yeah, how gracious is Nissan on this still?

Have you been back to the dealer at all

in the 10 years you've had the vehicle?

I, well, a couple of oil changes ago,

which means a year and a half, two years ago,

because of such low mileage.

I told them about, that it's starting to slip

and they said, okay, but they didn't do anything about it.

Yeah, then maybe, you know,

you may not have the right dealership.

They're not curious or have your best interests at heart.

I would, is that where you purchased the vehicle?

No, but I've taken it there ever since I've had the car.

Okay, well, then there's your argument.

And I got the car at 3,100 miles.

You know what, Bruce, you're a loyal customer.

That's gotta count for something in my mind.

So like mama also said, if you wait long enough,

somebody'll show you what they're really about.

So, you know, you're gonna get the opportunity,

you know, and it's gonna be a conversation with either,

I would either start with the service manager

or Nissan corporate.

Hey, I've got this 16 Ultima, 67,000 miles.

I go seven, just like you explained it to me, brother.

All right, and here I am with that,

with the same problem your bulletin's talking about.

I'm just curious what's the best course of action.

I understand it's 10 years old,

but it's also real low mileage and real low use.

Are you gonna do anything for me?

And I would be direct, you know what?

And if it's, you know, if it's gonna be a case

of we're not gonna do anything for you,

the parting shot should be I should have bought a Toyota.

You know, it's, all right, sir.

So that's it, I gotta run.

You be well, let me know what happens if you need more,

but you're in the right, you're in the right,

you're on the mountain of right, as they say.

Let's see if they're gonna be in the valley of despair.

I'm not an any in the car doctor.

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 breaks,

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.

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eBay, things, people, love.

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Say goodbye to stress and leaks,

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and use code FLOW15 for 15% off.

That's K-N-I-X.com, code FLOW15 for 15% off.

Nick's, for your leaks, for your life.

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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I want to finish the conversation about, you know,

the things we don't talk about to be ready for the snowstorm.

All right, we were talking about air in the spare.

Does anybody ever put air in the spare?

Does anybody ever check, can you get to the spare?

Which is the one I always want to know about, you know?

And if the spare tire is under the vehicle

and it's never been down, at least hopefully

at the last oil change, if they had access to it,

they could at least smack it.

Yeah, it's hard. No, it's soft.

Okay, let's fix it.

Do you have all the jack tools?

Do you know where the jack tools are?

I want you to have a, you know, a means

or properly charge your cell phone.

Listen, first of all, you shouldn't be out

in any of this stuff, but there's going to be emergencies

that occur in this snowstorm.

You've got to be out, you've got to go somewhere.

All right, hopefully you don't, but it's going to happen, right?

You know, paperwork in the car, registration insurance card.

Is it valid? Is it legit? Can you get to it?

You know, in other words, just sort of a mental preparedness.

You know, make a checklist in your head

and decide what is it that you have to go after

and if you have to go out, be ready to go.

You know, it's those things.

Take a walk around the car, do all the lights work

or all the lights bright, right?

You know, it wouldn't hurt to go out there

and clean the windshield if it's salt and crusted already

because we've had such a rough winter here

up and down the East Coast and, you know,

going into the Midwest, it wouldn't hurt to clean that.

It wouldn't hurt to look at the wiper blades

or the wiper blades folded over.

I know everybody says to the wipers work.

And, you know, when we're talking about wipers,

if you get out there, let's see,

I guess Monday morning or Sunday night,

depending upon where you are and how bad this is,

don't assume that the wiper blades

are going to clear your windshield, all right?

Remember, the pivoted points for the wipers

are strictly, strictly plastic pins and bushings, okay?

And all they're going to do is snap in the extreme cold.

So, clean the glass before you go

and do what you're supposed to do.

Till the next time, I'm Ron and Annie in The Car Doctor.

Good mechanics aren't expensive, they're priceless.

See ya.

Yeah, he's The Car Doctor.

Car advice done right.

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0:00

34:44

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - January 24, 2026 - Hour 1

Porsche Cayman

vehicle parts and accessories

carburetor

spark plug

suspension

performance brakes

Chevrolet Silverado

engine temperature

water pump

radiator

heater core

5.3 liter

quick disconnects

thermostat

two wheel drive

transmission

tilt steering

restomod

OBD2

engine controller

Nissan Altima

TSB

extended warranty

CVT

Nissan

Toyota

About this episode

Original notes