Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - March 21, 2026 - Hour 1 - Ron's Late Night Adventure
Ron Ananian The Car Doctor
Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - March 21, 2026 - Hour 1 - Ron's Late Night Adventure
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35:24
Term
turd of the week
They’re jokingly calling the worst car or worst repair “turd of the week.” It’s basically the opposite of a “best repair” segment.
Company
Gloveworks
Gloveworks is a brand of gloves used in work settings. They make nitrile gloves, which are common for keeping hands protected while working on cars.
Term
orange nitrile glove
Nitrile gloves are a type of protective glove. They help keep oil and chemicals off your skin while you work on a car.
Company
Grip Edge
Grip Edge is a tool brand that makes specialty bits and extractors. The idea is that they grip better, especially when a bolt or screw is damaged or stripped.
Part
freeze out plug
A freeze-out plug is a small metal “plug” in the engine. If coolant freezes, it’s designed to pop out first so the engine block doesn’t crack.
Concept
coolant protection wasn't strong enough
They’re saying the coolant mixture wasn’t good enough to stop freezing. If coolant freezes, it can expand and cause damage to the engine.
Part
inch and five eighth plugs
The speaker is specifying the diameter size of the freeze-out/core plugs used on a small-block Chevy. Correct sizing matters because a plug that’s too large or too small can be difficult to install or may not seal properly.
Concept
I did not measure them
This is a practical shop lesson: even when a part is ordered by nominal size, you should verify dimensions before installation. In this case, not measuring led to a tight fit, which can risk damage to the block or improper sealing.
Term
AAA
AAA is a company that helps you when your car won’t start or breaks down. They send a tow or service help so you’re not stuck on the road.
Concept
battery drain
Battery drain is when your car keeps using power even when it’s parked. If it’s not fixed, the battery can go dead.
Car
Subaru Forester
A Subaru Forester is a common family SUV. Here they’re talking about maintenance on that specific car—especially whether a dealer fuel-cleaning service is actually necessary.
Term
spark plugs
Spark plugs are what create the spark that lights the fuel in the engine. If they’re worn, the engine can run worse.
Term
miles per gallon
Miles per gallon (MPG) tells you how efficiently your car uses gas. If MPG drops, you have to buy more gas for the same miles.
Term
extended warranties
An extended warranty is extra protection you buy after the original warranty runs out. It’s supposed to help pay for repairs, but some plans cover less than you’d expect or make claims harder.
Concept
rust-proofed and undercoated
Rust-proofing and undercoating are ways to protect the car from corrosion. They help keep road salt and moisture from eating away at the metal, especially underneath the car.
Company
Rust Check
Rust Check is a company that helps stop rust from forming on your car. They usually want you to renew the treatment regularly so the protection stays effective.
Term
ceramic coating
A ceramic coating is a protective layer on your car’s paint. It helps the paint resist dirt and chemicals, and makes washing easier—especially in tough winter conditions.
Concept
undercoating
Undercoating is a protective layer put on the bottom of the car. It helps protect against rust from things like road salt and wet roads.
Term
rust proofing
Rust proofing is a protective coating or treatment that helps stop rust from forming on a car. It’s usually applied to spots that are hard to see or reach, where water can collect.
Term
salt
Salt is spread on roads in winter to melt ice. It can also make it easier for rust to form on a car, especially on seams and underbody areas.
Term
rust prohibitor
It’s a product you put on metal to help stop it from rusting. It doesn’t always mean “never rust,” but it helps slow corrosion a lot.
Brand
Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore is a paint brand. They’re mentioning a particular paint they used to coat the inside of the wheel wells.
Brand
GM
GM is General Motors, the company that makes Chevrolet and other brands. They’re saying the parts they bought are official GM accessories meant for their vehicle.
Term
wheel wells
Wheel wells are the areas inside the fenders around your tires. They catch a lot of salt and dirty water in winter, so cleaning them helps prevent rust.
Term
rust inhibitor
A rust inhibitor is something you put on metal to slow down rust. It helps stop rust from starting or spreading as quickly.
Company
Eastwood
Eastwood is a company that makes car-care and restoration products. Here, they’re mentioned for rust-fighting coatings and treatments.
Brand
Por-15
POR-15 is a popular rust-prevention coating brand used on cars. The speaker is basically saying the product they found might be similar to POR-15, but they’re not sure it’s the same one.
Term
lift
A lift is the equipment used to raise a vehicle so the underside can be accessed safely and thoroughly. For frame/undercarriage coatings, having a lift can dramatically improve reach and coverage compared with working on the ground.
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Ron and Anion was the biggest piece of junk to work on in plain English.
Maybe instead of the repair of the week, we should, I don't know, call it the turd of
the week.
I just, you know, I just, because boy, I'll tell you what, there's some real junk out
there.
College had turd, it's still a turd.
We can drive it home with the water and the light.
The car doctor didn't take a part of a torx-like transmission and reassembled, rebuilt it without
instruction.
That was one of those guys.
That was a rare and great generation, wasn't it?
And, you know, but you know what the sad part is, Bernie, I think this generation could
do that as well, but they don't let them.
Welcome to the radio home of Ron and Anion.
The car doctor.
Since 1991, this is where car owners the world over turn 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.
Every great story has a little bit of life and death in it.
Here's mine.
Dan and I went to the Northeast trade show yesterday.
We interviewed Ken, the president of the AASPNJ a couple of weeks ago, right?
And we put it up here on air.
You heard it.
So we attended the show.
We were at the show Friday night this past week.
And it was a great show, absolutely a great show.
There's just so much there.
I can't begin to describe everything that was there.
We saw some great products.
I found my gloves.
Gloveworks.
Gloveworks is a company.
They make an orange nitrile glove.
My new best buddy, Chad, talked to him.
He was repping them.
And he does a heck of a job.
He makes a heck of a presentation.
And I've, I like the gloves so much.
I've been, I warmed the bed normally kidding.
But just, just know great gloves.
Gloveworks, you know, if you're looking for a good set of gloves in the shop,
and you should be wearing gloves in the shop, take care of your skin.
Give them a look.
Just look up Gloveworks out on the net.
But Chad, I appreciate our time together last night.
Saw a great new product that's, it's been out there a little while,
but it's, it's, now I understand the mechanics behind it.
Grip edge.
They make these, you know, the bit drivers and extractors and all sorts of things
that make a mechanics life easier.
For example, you ever, you ever look at like Torx bits, how they, you know,
they cut the shoulder to turn just on the Torx or an Allen head.
Well, grip edge does it better and they change the way that the socket and the
flutes work.
So there's something is stripped.
It still has something to grab on.
I had a great conversation with Chris.
He was repping them and we're going to be talking to grip edge in the future.
We hope to do a couple of YouTube videos for you on them.
You'll see those up on the channel sometime this year as we, as we talk about that.
But overall, just a, just a great, I couldn't, I don't have the time here to talk
about all the things that we saw, but just those two really stood out.
We left the trade show.
We went for coffee.
What else would you do?
Right?
You go for coffee in Danish and then we, I dropped Danny off at the shop.
He was driving home his big van.
Now the backstory is Danny has a 1990 Chevy van that he acquired recently and it needed
a freeze out plug.
I needed a core plug.
A freeze out plug is that little metal plate that sits in the engine block.
And if, if it's, if the block were to freeze, if the coolant protection wasn't strong enough,
if the anti-freeze coolant, whatever water combination froze, it would push the freeze
out plug out in theory and prevent the block from cracking.
I don't know how many freeze out plugs I've done in my career.
I haven't done a million, but I've done more than a hundred and definitely more than a few.
Small block Chevy takes inch and five eighth plugs on the side of the block.
There are a dime a dozen or they used to be, they used to be available in multiples.
We actually have some in the shop somewhere, darned if I could find them.
So I went out and I, I ordered some more from the local warehouse and they showed up and
they said inch and five eighths made in China on them.
That was my mistake.
And I admit my mistake here freely.
I did not measure them.
It was tight going into the block.
I had a, I had a pounded into the block and it seemed tight.
And I said, gee, did that go in a little too easy or not?
But I couldn't pick it back out.
I couldn't move it.
It was in place.
I did everything I could to take it back out without destroying it.
No, it was stuck in place.
It didn't want to move.
So I'm like, you know, okay, good.
We drove it around the shop the better part of the week.
This was Tuesday.
We drove it around the shop the better part of the week coffee.
Danny took it local when he went to lunch one day and it was great.
So that Friday night, after we got out of the trade show, after we got out of having coffee,
okay, I'm going home.
I'm going home.
I'm pulling into the driveway quarter to 11 and I see Danny's on the phone.
What's up?
Hey, I'm over.
I'm stuck on the side of route 208, route 208 North in North Jersey used to be an airport
landing strip, no lie, back in the 40s and the 50s.
It's, it's, it's dead flat and level, except when you get to the end where it becomes a
little bit of a climb and it's, it's, it's a fast road and it's a dangerous road.
And it's no place to be stuck.
Not in the dark, not in the rain, not on the side of the road late on a Friday night.
I'm on my way.
Call triple A calls triple A.
I get there.
I'm literally seven minutes away.
We are in, you know, it's one of those spots in the road where as you rise up and over,
you've got about maybe, maybe 20 feet before you would see the van sticking out on the
side of the road because it's stuck.
It's stopped.
It's on the shoulder, but there's just not a whole lot of it.
You know, a whole lot of distance.
We call the local police.
They show up.
Hey, you guys are in a pretty good safe spot.
I'm wondering what's pretty good safe, but okay, I'll take his word for it.
He's the officer and he says, we'll just keep an eye on you.
And you know, we've got, you know, you know, you got triple A coming kind of disappointed
in triple A.
I've got to tell you, sitting in the dark on the side of the road from quarter to 11
to 130 in the morning, almost three hours, dangerous spot, cars flying by at 90 miles
an hour.
I will, I got to tell you, I will never disrespect anybody on that side of the road again.
It was just, it was a heck of a lesson and it was very humbling to, you know, be there
disabled and triple A finally showed up.
We got a look at it this morning and we could see the freeze out plug had fallen out and
lost all the coolant.
And that's why it was running hot.
You know, it's a problem when you can't get all the parts that you need and you can't
get good quality parts.
It's come down to, I said to Danny from now on, we measure in micrometer everything because
you just can't trust that it says inch and five eighths.
I'm going to mic those freeze out plugs on Monday and, you know, an inch and five eighths
is one inch, 625 thousandths.
And I bet you they're 10 thousandths under and that's why it felt like it went in loose.
Every great story is one about life and death.
I'll tell you what, Danny and I heard our scares that Friday night and I just tell you
all be prepared because the road downhill when you're stuck on the side of the road,
the road is very unforgiving and the road downhill is paved with ice.
Let's go to the phones.
Let's, let's go talk to Brian, 11 fusion and see what's going on here.
Brian, welcome to the car doctor.
Sir, what can I do to help?
Thanks, Ron, for the help.
I'm a longtime fan.
I called last week.
I've been working on this battery drain on this car and I went through the first thing
I found a ground that was bad next to the battery.
And when I measured it for the voltage, it didn't measure what the battery voltage was.
It was like 11 something instead of 12, 6.
So I cleaned that up, put that back on.
And after that, I went, I hooked up my multimeter amp mode in series after a half an hour.
Everything settled down to like 29 to 30 milliamps and which is maybe normal for this car.
It is normal.
It is normal.
Anything under 50 milliamps is considered acceptable in the industry.
All right.
I went through the efforts to pull all the fuses anyways.
And when I pulled the emission fuse, it went from 30 to 9.
Okay.
What is that?
That's probably like always.
Well, frankly, it's under 50 milliamps, Brian.
So under 50 milliamps, all you did was disable something that was keep alive memory.
Yeah.
And in theory, at 29 milliamps with the correct rated battery for the vehicle, you shouldn't
have a problem.
Okay.
Do you still have a parasitic droid?
Does the battery still go dead?
No.
No.
And I'll tell you what, she didn't use the car a lot during that extreme cold weather,
even though it was a new battery.
I don't think we ran it enough and between that and the ground.
And I unplugged the Bluetooth sync fuse, left it out because she doesn't use that.
And I was just wondering what I could do to save amperage when the car sits.
Well, it won't matter.
I mean, what do you...
I'm not sure...
Do you have a...
You don't have a problem though, do you?
Well, I did at the beginning.
Yes.
The car would sit for 24 hours and it would only have like 11.7 on it, on a brand new battery.
Okay.
And what fixed that?
I put a new battery in it and then I just...
And I'd also like to tell you this, I've got an airbag recall on it.
So, I took the airbag fuses out and left them out until I get it to the dealer.
Right.
That's good for that.
And I was wondering maybe that could have put an excessive drain on the battery while
it was sitting.
Well, here we have it.
Time.
Time.
When you did your milliamp draw test with the airbag fuses in...
Yes.
Okay.
Did you have an excessive draw?
No.
Can I say something with love?
Yes, please.
You found the problem.
You saw the problem.
You don't have a problem and you're still looking for one.
If you have...
Listen to me.
If you have a 29 milliamp draw on that car and 50 milliamps is the maximum, you're half
of what is expected.
You're well under the maximum rating.
Okay.
You're looking for a problem that doesn't exist.
Yeah.
Right?
Yeah, I know what you're saying, but the car wouldn't start either when it was real cold.
Right.
Well, but you put a battery in the car.
Yeah.
Does the car start now?
Yes.
Did you test that battery that you took out or did you just change it on a whim?
Well, I brought it in and just exchanged it.
Right.
Under warranty.
It's a yes or no answer, right?
Yes.
So if we were going to do this properly, you would charge that battery.
If we were at the shop, Brian, I'm going to charge the battery and load test it.
Now charging a battery today is a little complicated.
It's not just leaving on charge, get it real hot and make it boil for 20 minutes.
It's a resuscitation or revitalization process.
There's something we call desulfultation where we actually clean the crud off the grid and
revitalize the battery in a sense.
But then it's a specific test and then depending upon the type of battery, if it's a conventional
lead acid, if it's an AGM, there are specific tests required using a correct piece of equipment.
You got lucky.
You decided, hey, let me just change the battery because that's what I've been doing all my
life and it worked.
You don't have a draw.
You found a bad ground.
I'm thinking from the sounds of it.
But the rest of it, you don't need to do any of that.
Go get the airbag recall done and leave it go because that's all that this car really
needs.
It's not necessary to do any of the rest.
So you're fine.
You don't have a problem.
29 milliamps is acceptable.
Once you find the problem, stop looking.
It's sort of like when you're looking for something you lost.
It's always the last place you look.
You're looking for it and you've just already found it, so just think of it like that.
I appreciate the call, Brian.
855-5600-9900.
I'll be back right after this.
In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal.
The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story.
This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth.
You doctored this particular test twice in so-and-so, correct?
I doctored the test once.
It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case.
I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for.
Sunlight's the greatest disinfectant.
They would uncover a disturbing pattern.
Two more men who'd been through the same thing.
Greg Gillespie and Michael Marantini.
My mind was blown.
I'm Stephanie Young.
This is Love Trap.
Laura Scottsdale Police.
As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences.
Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Amaricopa County
as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges.
This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona.
Listen to Love Trap podcast on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Love listening to All Year Long
on your favorite iHeart radio station and the iHeart radio app.
Hosted by Ludacris.
Icon Award recipient, John Mellencamp.
Innovator Award recipient, Miley Cyrus.
With performances by Alex Warren, Kehlani.
Lainey Wilson.
Ludacris.
Ray.
TLC.
Salt and Kappa.
And Invoke.
Plus, Taylor Swift makes her first award show appearance this year.
Also, Gold Medal Olympian, Alyssa Liu.
Neo, Nicole Scherzinger, Nikki Glaser, Sombra, Weezer, and more.
Watch live on Fox, Thursday, March 26th.
Eddie Seven Central.
And listen on iHeart radio stations across America and the Free iHeart app.
Hey there, this is Josh from Stuff You Should Know
with a message that could change your life.
The Stuff You Should Know ThinkSpring podcast playlist is available now.
Whether Spring has sprung in your neck of the woods yet or not,
the Stuff You Should Know ThinkSpring playlist will make you want to get your
overalls on, get outside, and get your hands in the dirt.
You can get the Stuff You Should Know ThinkSpring playlist
on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
That's right, if you call and we're not live, you can leave a message
and we'll call you back to get you on the air with Ron 855-560-9900.
Speaking of Ron, here he is.
Hey, let's go over and talk to Robert in Iowa, 17 Subaru Forester.
Robert, welcome to the car doctor, sir. How can I help?
Ron, what a great pleasure to talk to you.
Long time listener through KMA in nearby Shenandoah.
Oh, wonderful radio station. Yes, sir. Thank you so much.
It is my wife, the mechanic's daughter, who was raised on a diet of five quarts every six months,
is a big believer in keeping up with the oil and filter schedule on her Subaru,
and she loves the dealer. They spoil her to death with free car washes and coffee bar.
And so we have it up to date, but they recently recommended
a premium, complete fuel service tool that sprays their proprietary material into the intake port,
and it has an auto rev tool that revs the engine up, and supposedly it's the latest and greatest
combustion and intake cleaner. I wondered for $285, is this a realistic...
How many miles do you have in the car, Robert?
67,000.
Okay, so when she had her 60,000-mile service done, which on a Subaru is typically air and
cabin filters, probably spark plugs, driveline fluids, did she have the fuel system cleaning
done? Because that's usually part of it.
No, she did not.
Okay, so let's break the numbers down. It's funny, I was working on this the other day.
The price of fuel is rising. Price of gas going up out your way, Iowa way?
Yes, it is, although we live on a diet out in corn country here, that's an all 10 to 15%.
That's why I ask. Well, here in New Jersey, the price of fuels risen about $0.95 a gallon,
so we're about $3.79 a gallon for regular now.
Oh my gosh, we're about less than that, maybe $3.50.
Right, so we just talk average numbers and I was, because I'm making a,
I'm making a, putting together a conversation to have for some TV stuff and some other radio
things that we're going to do. And at 12,000 miles a year, if the vehicle got 25 miles per
gallon at 375 a gallon, if that car drops 10%, and 10% is probably a pretty fair number on
cars as they age. So it's getting three miles less per gallon.
So at 25 miles per gallon a year, I think the number was 480, 480 gallons a year,
and then at 22 miles per gallon, it's 545 gallons a year. You take that extra 65 gallons,
multiply it by the price of what you're spending, right? And all of a sudden,
you're spending an extra $250 a year because you didn't do your fuel system cleaning.
Yeah, it's, it's, it's a tough argument. Now, miles per gallon aside, all right,
around my car gets the same miles it's always gotten. I doubt it, but okay, I'll go along with
that. What a fuel system cleaning does is it removes carbon and residue and some deposits
that can grow inside an engine at the wrong place. You know, carbon is sort of like the
barnacle on the hull of a ship. It's, it's, it's always got the opportunity to adhere itself,
it's always got the opportunity to grow, and it creates issues. And especially as the vehicle
ages, that's a nine year old car now, Robert. Yeah, right? It's, you know, to her, to you, it's,
you know, it's new. I, you know, I still think of my suburban as new, it's an 04.
You know, it's just, it's the way we're built as humans. So I, I think, yeah, I think that
if they're doing it properly, cleaning the throttle body, cleaning the inside of the intake
plenum, cleaning the injectors and the top of the pistons in the back of the intake valves,
which they are likely doing for a quote unquote premium service and 300 bucks is about going
rate. It's not, it's not abnormal. And I think, you know, you should ask your wife, does she notice
a drop off in performance? Does she drop notice a drop off in idle quality? Does she notice a
drop off in overall vehicle feel? And if the answer, if the answer to any of that is, yeah,
I think so. Yes. Gee, I haven't, you know, do it, right? And see the results afterwards. And I bet,
I bet you that car feels better, rides better, has more pep to it. And if nothing else, you're
helping its longevity. If the goal is to drive this car for another five or six or seven years,
this is the kind of maintenance that you really want to do to it. All right, sir.
If I ask her that question, if I ask her that question and she says she wants a 2026, which I do.
Well, listen, whatever mama wants, you know, there's an old saying, if mama ain't happy,
nobody's happy. So that's, that's a different question. I got to put on my shirt with the collar.
I can't answer it here on radio. So, but whatever happens, I wish you well. I'm Ron and Annie and
the car doctor 8555609900. We're back right after this.
In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal.
The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story.
This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth.
You doctored this particular test twice in so and so, right?
I doctored the test once.
It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case.
I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for.
Sunlight's the greatest disinfectant.
They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing.
Greg Gillespie and Michael Marantini.
My mind was blown.
I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap.
Laura Scottsdale Police.
As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences.
Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at America Copa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on
fraud charges.
This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona.
Listen to Love Trap podcast on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Hey there, this is Josh from Stuff You Should Know with a message that could change your life.
The Stuff You Should Know ThinkSpring podcast playlist is available now.
Whether Spring has sprung in your neck of the woods yet or not,
the Stuff You Should Know ThinkSpring playlist will make you want to get your overalls on,
get outside, and get your hands in the dirt.
You can get the Stuff You Should Know ThinkSpring playlist on the iHeart radio app,
Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
TLC, Salt and Pepper, and Invoke.
Plus, Taylor Swift makes her first award show appearance this year.
Also, Gold Medal Olympian, Alyssa Liu, Neo, Nick Colesure Singer,
Nikki Glaser, Sombra, Weiser, and more.
Watch live on Fox Thursday, March 26th.
And listen on iHeart radio stations across America and the free iHeart app.
Hey, let's get over and talk to Micah and Mayne.
Micah, welcome, sir. What's going on?
Good afternoon. Hey, I was calling about extended warranties.
You've been talking about them on and off for the past couple of weeks,
and as you know, I'm a regular listener, and I don't disagree with you.
Aftermarket extended warranties can be nothing but trouble,
but they don't need to be.
And I'm a firm believer in getting the right one if you want one.
And my experience has been very good.
Now, I have a relationship with my dealership, just like, you know,
when you were repairing my car, when you were doing that,
I had a relationship with you.
And I had my extended warranty from the manufacturer
when I bought my 2015 Subaru, and it paid for itself,
as I have found that they often do.
And when I only had a couple of months about it,
they told me that they had their own aftermarket extended warranty
that with a company that they worked with, that they trusted,
that they sold, and I know the service writers there.
I know the service director there.
And the service director told me the same thing,
that he felt good about it, hooked me up with their FNI person.
We negotiated a price that was fair,
it was probably around $2,000, $2,500, and I've been fortunate,
it's paid me back. It works very well,
but you've got to know who you're dealing with,
just like in any other kind of car repair situation.
Exactly. Now, but you know, some of the extended warranty companies, Micah,
aftermarket, it gets dicey.
And my experience, I've seen a lot of the aftermarket extended warranty companies,
they're based out of Delaware.
And there's an interesting legal clause about being based out of Delaware
that if you want to declare bankruptcy, there's an easy out there.
And I don't want to go into the details of that here,
that's not what this form is about, but I get what you're saying.
I'm not saying aftermarket extended warranties, they're all bad.
Like you, I'm saying, be cautious of what you buy,
and if I have the option, I'll take the manufacturer's warranty
over that aftermarket warranty, because I generally get,
in the instances where it has to be used, I've seen it get better results quicker.
It seems like the manufacturers want that.
But you're absolutely right.
If the dealer says, hey, BrandX is fine, that means they've been using BrandX,
they stand behind it, they've got, again, we're back to,
they've got a relationship, right?
And that relationship is paying off, because that's really like anything in life.
It's all about that relationship that makes us happy.
You had a point.
No, and I completely agree with you.
You know, if anything, if you see something advertised on TV
that seems too good to be true, it's too good to be true.
Probably is.
And I'm never buying a continued warranty like that.
But I was at the point where I was no longer able to get a manufacturer's one.
It was just too late.
Subaru doesn't sell them after a certain time.
And the dealership has had it.
And not only that, I'm going to, it's going to run out,
I think next April, and I've already talked with the FNI person,
and I'm going to be able to renew it for another five years.
And cars are 2015, you know, I'm definitely going to need it.
Any little electronics go wrong.
I can't, you know, it's incredibly expensive to repair, as you know.
It's amazing that your car up in the state of Maine, Micah, real quick,
is still going strong 11 years later without a rust problem.
And I know you had it rust-proofed and undercoated and all that.
And they really did a good job.
Whoever the company was, we should give them a shout out.
Who did that?
Because I know it was done after you picked the vehicle up.
Rust Check is the name of the company.
And it's something you got to renew every year.
It's not terribly expensive.
I think it's just over $100.
And they do really, really well.
But I also got a private guy that does a ceramic coating,
and I get that reapplied every year as well.
And that makes a big difference.
Because, you know, that's a harsh environment that you're up in.
So, yep.
All right, hey, listen, Micah, I got to run along,
but I always appreciate, always appreciate talking to you.
And I always appreciate your comments.
You be well, sir.
Take care.
Thank you.
You're very welcome.
Let's go over to Brian in New Hampshire.
See what's going on here.
Brian, Ron Ananey in the car doctor.
How can I help?
Hi, Ron.
How are you doing?
I'd like to show him in.
Thank you.
I'm caller.
Thank you.
How can I help?
I'll just keep it long story short.
I ended up having to buy a new vehicle.
I looked for something used with lower miles on it.
But they, you know, I wanted a pickup truck,
but you know, the way the prices are right now,
you know, brand new one wasn't that much more expensive.
So I went with the new, I got a 26 Chevy Colorado.
Okay.
Nice truck.
Um, yeah, it's nice.
I like it.
I'm still suffering from sticker shock.
After three months, but 50.
Was it 50?
Uh, 48.
Yeah.
50.
Yeah.
In New Jersey.
Close enough.
Yeah.
It's 50.
It's close enough.
You know, it's just, and that's what they are now.
It's, it's, it's just nuts.
It makes the case for maintenance and taking care of it
that much stronger, right?
Right.
Indeed.
So I, um, I had the line X value guard service done on it.
Which is what?
Um, uh, they do that.
It's a one and done like undercoating and then they spray,
it's like a vapor that they spray inside the door,
inside the doors and inside the bed and, you know,
different areas of the vehicle, the wheel wells.
And it's, you know, supposed to be a one and done kind of thing.
Right.
And it's rough, rust proofing.
Um, but my question is, and my, the vehicle that I ended up
getting rid of, you know, it didn't have a lick of rust on the
bottom on the door, the exposed door seams on the bottom.
Right.
You know, I travel for work and I am, I'm up here in New Hampshire
and I've been coming and going from here for a few years now.
And I didn't have a lick of rust on that thing until I got up here.
And I'm from PA originally, so I'm aware of the salt and
everything in the wintertime.
But, uh, I want to know, is there anything that,
should I wait till like the warranties up or should I just
go ahead and proceed with trying to, I wanted to coat the bottom
of the bottoms of the exposed door seams.
You know, the door seemed like along the bottom and then up halfway
up the door.
And what would you, what do you want to coat them with, Brian?
I like the, I like the, I like the idea.
You know, I don't know that you have to wait till the warranties
up. I don't, I don't know that it's going to avoid the warranty.
And I think it's a question for the manufacturer.
I wanted to do line X, but the guy at the line X shop that
did the under the value guard service, he said they wouldn't
do it because if they spray that line X on a flat surface,
they said it'll, it'll eventually peel and flake.
Right. So I was wanting to know if you had any thoughts on
something that I could, you know, put, you know, spray that
with, you know, because I, I read different things online
about, you know, fluid film and, you know, that would still
collect dust and dirt because it stays tacky.
So when I bought my 22 Silverado, which is my low use plow
truck, all right, I'll admit it, I've, you know, it's, it's
what, it's four years old now.
It just turned 11 five.
It just, it's just got 11,000, a little more than 11,000
miles on it.
I plow the shop, I plow the house, I, I drive around New Jersey,
you know, you know, at night I put on a cape and I go out
and I snow plow driveways for little old ladies and stuff,
you know, when I got that truck, I literally put it up on the
lift, I covered the top with a plastic, you know, cover and
pulled the wheels off and I put some Benjamin more low
luster alkali and you guys haven't heard me talk about
this in a while, but I did, I do put Benjamin more low
luster alkali paint in it, cut it with a little lacquer,
about 10% lacquer thinner and I sprayed the whole bottom of
the truck and, you know, you talk to Benjamin more, they'll
tell you it is not a rust, what's the, what's the
expression?
It's not a rust preventative, it is a rust prohibitor.
So they don't, they don't say it'll never rust, but it
I sprayed the bottoms of the doors, I sprayed in and around
the jams, I sprayed everywhere that and you don't see it from
above and then I, you know, listen, I know the boss, the
truck is sitting in the shop for two days and let it try, I
left the heat on and it's, it's painted and then I went out,
now you may be able to get those for a Colorado for my
Silverado, I was able to get plastic inner wheel wells.
All right, it came, it came, the truck came with some
wheel well covers.
Okay, I'll tell you what, sit, sit tight, Brian, let me
pull over, take this pause, we'll come back, we'll finish
up, I'm Ronan Ani and the car doctor, we'll be back right
after this.
In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found
himself at the center of a paternity scandal.
The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring
inconsistencies in her story.
This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth.
You doctored this particular test twice in
I doctored the test ones.
It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case.
I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars
were being used for.
Sunlight's the greatest disinfectant.
They would uncover a disturbing pattern.
Two more men who'd been through the same thing.
Greg Gillespie and Michael Marantini.
My mind was blown.
I'm Stephanie Young, this is Love Trap.
Laura Scottsdale Police.
As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces
consequences.
Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at America Opa County
as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges.
This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona.
Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the iHeart radio app,
Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Let's go!
Our iHeart radio music awards are coming back.
Thursday, March 26th, live on Fox.
Watch as we honor the biggest stars from all genres of music
that you loved listening to all year long on your favorite
iHeart radio station and the iHeart radio app.
Hosted by Ludacris.
Icon Award recipient, John Mellencamp.
Innovator Award recipient, Miley Cyrus.
With performances by Alex Warren, Kailani.
Lainey Wilson.
Ludacris.
Ray.
TLC.
Salt and pepper.
And invoke.
And invoke.
Plus Taylor Swift makes her first award show appearance this year.
Also, gold medal Olympian, Alyssa Lu.
Neo.
Nick Colesure Singer.
Nikki Glazer.
Sombra.
Weezer.
And more.
Watch live on Fox.
Thursday, March 26th.
Teddy Seven Central.
And listen at iHeart radio stations across America
and the free iHeart app.
Hey there, this is Josh from Stuff You Should Know
with a message that could change your life.
The Stuff You Should Know ThinkSpring podcast playlist
is available now.
Whether Spring has sprung in your neck of the woods yet or not,
the Stuff You Should Know ThinkSpring playlist
will make you want to get your overalls on,
get outside, and get your hands in the dirt.
You can get the Stuff You Should Know ThinkSpring playlist
on the iHeart radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Brian, you're there, sir.
Yes, I'm still here.
So Benjamin Moore Lowluster Alkalide.
I forget the part number, but it'll be available
in either a flat or a semi gloss.
I like the flat black.
Now, you can go to,
I believe it's accessories.chevrolet.com,
or yeah, I think that's what it is.
And they are GM direct factory accessories for your vehicle.
They make them for a lot of their different vehicles, right?
So I had gone there and I purchased inter-plastic fender wells
as one of the things that I purchased from them.
And before I put them on,
I painted the inside of the wheel wells.
Okay, that sounds like a good idea.
I don't have access to a sprayer though.
Right. Well, you know, listen, you need a lift.
You need to get it up in the air.
You know, maybe it's a conversation to have
with a local body shop or your mechanic.
And it'll be a couple of hundred bucks, sure.
But it's worth the investment, right?
Right, right.
The thing I like about the paint is Benjamin Moore,
Benjamin Moore Lowluster Alkalide.
And I say it like that because that's what it says on the can
because then everybody inevitably calls me and says,
what am I looking for?
You know, I sprayed the hot rod with it.
The frame of the hot rod with it.
That was 15 years ago.
You can bang it, clunk it, drive it,
road rash, throw rocks at it.
It sticks to chicken feathers.
It just, you know, it's the stuff that you spray painted
grandma and grandpa's metal lawn furniture with 30 years ago.
And I remember those chairs.
Yeah, it's right.
And it just holds up really well.
The other thing, you know, some of this is also just plain
Jane common sense, which I know you possess.
I can tell you have great taste in trucks.
Is after every heavy snowstorm, driving out in really terrible weather,
obviously getting it washed.
If you can't get it washed and even if you can get it washed,
I go through the pain of taking a garden hose and I wash out my wheel wells.
I spray as much of the frame as I can.
I'll get under the truck and wash off as much of the crud in the grit.
I pay attention to the front and the back bumpers,
especially the back bumper because what's going on with the back bumper?
All the crud's getting thrown at it.
Right.
And a lot of it's enclosed.
There's a lot of crevices.
Right. Yep.
You know, I actually, again, I'm a little, you know, OCD.
I actually took the back bumper off the truck,
painted all the, painted all the brackets.
You know, I had this brand new truck.
It had six miles on it, brand new truck.
I had, I had it half a part spread out over two bays in the shop.
And, you know, nobody argued with me because they knew what I was trying to do.
And I, you know, that truck will probably be around in 20 years without any rust on it.
Because it got painted, you know, whether, whether I'm here to see it,
that's a whole nother story.
But, you know, I want to make the truck outlive me.
That's the goal.
But I like paint.
I like paint.
I like better paint.
Good paint because fluid film is okay.
NHOU, the oil coating treatment is okay.
It has to be reapplied from time to time.
I think that's a different mentality.
I like the paint because it's neater.
You know, there's no drip.
There's no mess.
And, you know, as the mechanic working on it, it keeps me cleaner to paint things.
Little more costly, little more involved, you know, more to do, not as easy.
But, you know, if you're asking me, that's what I'm saying.
Okay.
There's another line of products that I came across in my research is from a company called Eastwood.
And they make a rust inhibitor, rust encapsulator and a rust converter.
And it's not Por-15 because I know Eastwood reps Por-15 as well.
That might be their product.
I did come across it, but I didn't see that it was Eastwoods.
Okay.
Do you have any experience with those?
Yes.
So, let me tell you, my experience with those is I use Benjamin Moore Lowluster Alkaline because it goes...
And the reason is, you know, the reason is because it goes on easier.
I've worked with Por-15.
It's a little tedious.
There's a couple of steps you have to go through.
Works great.
You can hit Por-15 with a hammer.
It won't fall off.
I don't know that I need that protection.
All right.
I'm not trying to restore 59 Cadillac barits.
You know, I'm trying to get my work truck, my everyday truck, my plow truck to work.
And that's where I'm at.
So, I think that one of those choices is good.
It's to what level.
And for the record, yeah, you could brush the Por-15 on and the encapsulator and all that.
Brother, you don't know what work is like till you start brushing a frame in an undercarriage.
I've done that.
All right.
You know, you're just better off renting a lift, finding a lift, getting up in the air,
buying a cheap spray gun, putting on a suit and some goggles and a ventilator
and going to town and just you're done.
And it just comes out.
It just comes out really well.
All right, kiddo.
All right.
Thanks so much, Ron.
You're very welcome.
Appreciate your time.
Yes, sir.
Enjoy your new truck.
Thank you very much.
855-5600-9900.
Oh, look at that.
Deputy Slope is in the green room coming up the next hour, right?
Deputy Frank Slope in El County Sheriff's Office,
but we'll be back to finish up right after this before we go there.
Don't go anywhere.
In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal.
The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story.
This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth.
You doctored this particular test twice in silence, correct?
I doctored the test once.
It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case.
I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for.
Sunlight's the greatest disinfectant.
They would uncover a disturbing pattern.
Two more men who'd been through the same thing.
Greg Gillespie and Michael Marantini.
My mind was blown.
I'm Stephanie Young.
This is Love Trap.
Laura Scottsdale Police.
As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences.
Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at American Copa County
as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges.
This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona.
Listen to Love Trap podcast on the iHeart radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Hey there, this is Josh from Stuff You Should Know
with a message that could change your life.
The Stuff You Should Know ThinkSpring podcast playlist is available now.
Whether Spring has sprung in your neck of the woods yet or not,
the Stuff You Should Know ThinkSpring playlist
will make you want to get your overalls on, get outside, and get your hands in the dirt.
You can get the Stuff You Should Know ThinkSpring playlist on the iHeart radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
TLC, Salt and Pepper, and Invoke.
Plus, Taylor Swift makes her first award show appearance this year.
Watch live on Fox, Thursday, March 26th.
And listen on iHeart radio stations across America and the free iHeart app.
Okay, a couple updates as we close out this hour.
First of all, you guys are doing a heck of a job on social media.
Social media this week, the podcast downloads,
you know, because after this broadcast radio show goes off the air,
it then goes over to iHeart, becomes a podcast available through all major podcast players,
Apple, Amazon, Google, etc. And, you know, we're watching the numbers.
You almost got us up to 14% this week, a 14% jump in a week.
So you guys are doing a heck of a job and we thank you for that.
From the bottom of our hearts, we appreciate it.
So social media is up, YouTube is up, everything is cooking right along.
Stay on top of the Facebook stuff.
You will see coming up next, by the way, is Deputy Slope from the Pinell County Sheriff's
Office, Fridays with Frank. Well, we're going to have a conversation with Frank.
And then afterwards that interview will then go and obviously become a podcast.
And we'll get it up on Facebook and everywhere else that we are.
And you guys can enjoy that and we appreciate it.
So, you know, we enjoy the interview.
But that we'll get up there because I know you're asking me about that.
Tom points out that you can buy Benjamin Moore paint online.
It doesn't come up with a part number, but it's at benjaminmoore.com.
That is correct. I know it is low luster alkaline.
And I'll tell you what, if you wait till next week, I will, or you know what,
I'll put it up on the Facebook page.
And I think I sort of, I think I have it on the Facebook page somewhere,
a picture of the can because the can has a part number.
And you want to make sure that you get the right stuff.
It's just, it's just really, really important.
Number one, number two, number three, number four, the Chrysler, the 200C Chrysler.
Remember the 200C Chrysler from two weeks ago when I said, don't fix this car?
It's, it's, it's not something you want to fix.
It's probably got an engine problem.
Sure enough, 110 miles into the repair.
After it left, it perked the coolant bottle,
splattered coolant all over the engine compartment, and then it was fine.
And then it hasn't acted up since.
I heard from Yvonne, she made it all the way home, or Yvette, I'm sorry.
And she made it home and she told me, you know what, Ron, you're right.
It's going to become unreliable.
I'm going to replace the car.
We looked up Kelly Blue Book Value on a 2015 Chrysler 200.
The car's worth 1800 bucks next.
So anyway, coming up next, Deputy Frank Slope,
Pinell County Sheriff's Office.
Make sure you catch it.
I'm running any in the car, doctor.
The mechanics aren't expensive.
They're priceless.
In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd was accused of fathering twins,
but the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax.
You doctored this particular test twice in so-and-so, right?
I doctored the test once.
It took an army of Internet detectives to uncover a disturbing pattern.
Two more men who'd been through the same thing.
Regulespe and Michael Mancini.
My mind was blown.
I'm Stephanie Young.
This is Love Trapped.
Laura Scottsdale Police.
As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences.
Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the iHeart radio app,
Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Let's go!
Our iHeart radio music awards are coming back.
Thursday, March 26th, live on Fox.
Watch as we honor the biggest stars from all genres of music
that you love listening to all year long
on your favorite iHeart radio station and the iHeart radio app.
Hosted by Ludacris.
Icon award recipient John Mellencamp.
Innovator award recipient Miley Cyrus.
With performances by Alex Warren, Kailani.
Lainey Wilson.
Ludacris.
Ray.
TLC.
Salt and pepper.
And in vogue.
Plus Taylor Swift makes her first award show appearance this year.
Also gold medal Olympian Alyssa Liu.
Neo.
Nick Colesure Singer.
Nikki Glaser.
Sombra, Weezer, and more.
Watch live on Fox.
Thursday, March 26th.
Teddy Seven Central.
And listen on iHeart radio stations across America
and the free iHeart app.
Hey there, this is Josh from Stuff You Should Know
with a message that could change your life.
The Stuff You Should Know ThinkSpring podcast playlist
is available now.
Whether Spring has sprung in your neck of the woods yet or not,
the Stuff You Should Know ThinkSpring playlist
will make you want to get your overalls on,
get outside, and get your hands in the dirt.
You can get the Stuff You Should Know ThinkSpring playlist
on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
This is an iHeart podcast.
Guaranteed human.
About this episode
Ron Ananian’s “Car Doctor” hour mixes shop talk, real-world roadside drama, and listener Q&A. He recounts a Northeast trade show, then a tense late-night rescue: a 1990 Chevy van overheated after a freeze-out/core plug—ordered as “1-5/8 inch”—was actually slightly undersized, fell out, and dumped coolant. Calls cover diagnosing parasitic battery drain (Ron says “stop looking” once the draw is acceptable), whether premium fuel-system cleaning is worth it, extended warranty strategy, and rust prevention for a new Colorado—comparing products like fluid-film vs paint-based approaches and recommending proper prep and washing.
Original notes
Ron opens the hour with a shop story that turned into a real-world lesson about parts quality, roadside danger, and why “close enough” no longer cuts it in automotive repair. What started as a simple freeze plug replacement on a 1990 Chevy van ended with a late-night breakdown on one of North Jersey’s most unforgiving roads — a reminder that bad parts and bad luck can quickly become something much more serious.
From there, Ron takes calls on battery drain diagnosis, premium fuel-system service, extended warranties, and rustproofing a new truck in harsh winter climates. Along the way, he makes the case that in today’s world of rising repair costs and expensive replacement vehicles, smart maintenance matters more than ever.
Plus, Ron shares highlights from the Northeast Trade Show, including standout products from Gloveworks and Grip Edge, and previews the upcoming conversation with Deputy Frank Sloup of the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office.
Good mechanics aren’t expensive — they’re priceless.
- Grab your Car Doctor gear – T-shirts & more at CarDoctorShow.com
-
Follow the wrench – Instagram @ronananian for shop life & behind-the-scenes
-
Watch & learn – Auto repair tips & videos on our YouTube Channel
-
Got a car question? Call the Car Doctor Hotline 24/7 – (855) 560-9900
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