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Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - May 16, 2026 - Hour 1

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - May 16, 2026 - Hour 1

Ron Ananian The Car Doctor May 16, 2026 34 min
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About this episode

Memorial Day travel is where small issues turn into big headaches, so Ron Ananian focuses on preventing fuel waste and roadside delays. He walks through a 2021 Camaro SS due for spark plugs at 60,000 miles, showing smoked, fuel-fouled plugs after 47,000 miles, and notes an extra two mpg after service. He also stresses tire pressure, clean air filters, and timely coolant work—plus why shops should use electronics-safe cleaners and proper connector/battery corrosion protection.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Concept

roadside assistance delays during peak travel

"So that means the highways are going to be packed with traffic... and the one thing most people aren't thinking about, if your car breaks down roadside's going to take a while to get to you."

On busy holiday weekends, help from roadside services can take longer to arrive. Ron is basically saying that keeping your car in good shape matters more when traffic and demand are high.

Term

fuel waste

"I want to talk about fuel waste. Then. I know we touched on this, but I want to do it again... because I want you to think about are you wasting gas?"

Fuel waste means your car is using more gas than it should. Ron’s point is that good maintenance helps prevent that, and it becomes more obvious when lots of people are traveling.

Car

Chevrolet Camaro SS

"Little Harry came into the shop this week... Little Harry, we call him... drives a twenty one Camaro SS... right six point two liter, and Harry was due for some service."

The Chevrolet Camaro SS is a sportier version of the Camaro. Ron brings it up because it’s due for maintenance, and he’s using it as an example of how schedules affect whether the car runs well.

Term

spark plugs

"Well General Motors Chevrolet calls for spark plugs at the sixty thousand mile mark. The car's got forty seven thousand miles on it."

Spark plugs help the engine ignite the fuel. If they’re old or overdue, the engine may not burn fuel as efficiently, which can hurt performance and increase fuel waste.

Car

Chevrolet Spark

"... service. Well General Motors Chevrolet calls for spark plugs at the sixty thousand mile mark. The car's ..."

The Chevrolet Spark is a small gasoline car. Spark plugs are parts that help the engine start and run correctly, and the manufacturer recommends replacing them around 60,000 miles. Keeping up with that schedule can help the car run better and avoid misfires.

Term

fuel system cleaning

"we started with a fuel system cleaning because Harry has also got a little bit of a fuel economy problem... So we did a fuel system cleaning. Now, the neat thing about fuel system cleaning is this is something you can do."

Fuel system cleaning is a treatment that helps clear out gunk inside the fuel delivery system. Cleaner fuel delivery can improve how smoothly the engine runs and sometimes helps gas mileage.

Term

fuel economy problem

"we started with a fuel system cleaning because Harry has also got a little bit of a fuel economy problem."

A “fuel economy problem” means the vehicle is using more fuel than expected for its normal driving. Causes can include ignition issues (like fouled spark plugs), fuel delivery problems, driving habits, or maintenance items.

Term

fuel fouled

"The spark plugs that came out of this cart forty seven thousand miles were smoked... They were fuel fouled and carboned up and choked up."

“Fuel fouled” means the spark plug got coated with extra fuel. When that happens, the plug can’t ignite as effectively, so the engine may run worse.

Term

carboned up

"They were fuel fouled and carboned up and choked up. And yeah, and Harry's not a local driver..."

“Carboned up” means the spark plug has built-up soot on it. That buildup can make it harder for the engine to burn fuel cleanly.

Term

choked up

"They were fuel fouled and carboned up and choked up. And yeah, and Harry's not a local driver..."

“Choked up” usually means something is partially blocked. Here, it suggests buildup was restricting how well fuel was getting through or how well the engine was burning.

Concept

basic maintenance and simple habits

"Because every year, you guys ask me, Ron, how do I save money on fuel? It's there's no magic answer... It's most fuel savings comes from basic maintenance and just simple habits."

The idea here is that you usually don’t need special gadgets to save gas. Keeping up with routine maintenance and driving smoothly can make a bigger difference.

Term

tire pressure

"it doesn't necessarily have to be something related to the engine. Okay, it could be tire pressure. And you guys know this right,"

Tire pressure changes how easily the tires roll. If they’re too low or too high, the car can use more gas and the tires can wear unevenly.

Term

underinflated tires

"because you've got to realize underinflated tires create heat, Heat damages tires. Heat leads to blowouts, especially during summer driving."

When tires are low on air, they bend more as you drive. That extra bending makes them run hotter, which can wear them out faster and make blowouts more likely.

Term

air filter

"it all comes back to basic maintenance air filters. So I'll tell you an air filter story."

The air filter keeps dirt out of the engine. If it gets clogged, less air gets through, and the engine has to work harder, which can reduce fuel economy.

Car

Chevy Silverado

"I'll tell you an air filter story. My plow truck, my twenty two Chevy Silverado. ... we pulled the air filter out. There was all little crystals of salt and GrITT and crud on the on the filter."

The Chevrolet Silverado is a big pickup that often gets exposed to harsh weather. The point here is that dirt and salt can clog the air and cabin filters, and that can hurt how the truck runs and how clean the cabin air feels.

Car

Lucid Air

"... said, well, did you ever think about salt in the air? And I yeah, you know, it had been on my mind, li..."

The Lucid Air is an all-electric car, meaning it runs on a battery instead of gasoline. People may discuss it in the context of how things like road salt and weather can affect the car’s parts over time. It’s a way to understand what to watch for when you own an electric car.

Term

cabin filter

"Put an air filter in it, put a cabin filter in. The cabin filter actually was pretty disgusting."

A cabin filter cleans the air that comes into the car’s heating and A/C system. If it’s dirty, the airflow can feel worse and the air inside can be less clean.

Term

restricted airflow

"maintenance, it's it's not necessarily by mileage, it's by time because a dirty air filter will restrict airflow and modern computers compensate."

Restricted airflow happens when a filter or intake path limits how much air can reach the engine. Modern engine control systems can compensate for a while, but reduced airflow still lowers combustion efficiency and can reduce fuel economy.

Term

fuel injector

"a bad air filter, dirty fuel injectors, spark plugs are approaching the end of their life cycle maybe, and all of a sudden you're wasting fuel, right, you know, over time, injectors get dirty, carbon builds up, spray patterns get distorted."

A fuel injector is like a precise sprayer for gas inside the engine. If it gets dirty, it doesn’t spray the fuel in the right way, so the engine burns fuel less efficiently.

Term

spray pattern

"You ever take a look at you understand that a fuel injector has to have that perfect shower spray, that spray of fuel... carbon build up does on fuel injectors, and it affects the spray pattern. And when spray pattern changes, you don't get as cleaning the shit hour as you possibly could. Fuel economy drops if it's the car throttle response changes"

The spray pattern is how the engine’s fuel “mist” is shaped and spread. If it changes because of buildup, the engine can’t burn fuel as efficiently, so you use more gas.

Term

GDI

"Like I said, Advance Autopart C or c GDI kit. I think it's five seven eight if I want to take a guess at the part number."

GDI means the engine sprays gasoline directly into the cylinders. Since it’s a different setup than older fuel systems, it can collect deposits, so some cleaners are made for GDI engines.

Part

mass airflow sensor

"it's got fuel rail cleaner, it's got throttle body cleaner, it's got mass airflow sensor cleaner. It's got a tank additive in it."

The mass airflow sensor tells the engine how much air is coming in. If it’s dirty, the engine may not add the right amount of fuel, which can waste gas.

Part

fuel rail

"it's got fuel rail cleaner, it's got throttle body cleaner, it's got mass airflow sensor cleaner. It's got a tank additive in it."

The fuel rail is like a fuel “supply line” that feeds the injectors. Keeping it clean helps the injectors get fuel consistently.

Part

throttle body

"it's got fuel rail cleaner, it's got throttle body cleaner, it's got mass airflow sensor cleaner. It's got a tank additive in it."

The throttle body controls how much air gets into the engine. If it’s dirty, the engine can feel less responsive and may use more fuel than it should.

Term

tank additive

"it's got fuel rail cleaner, it's got throttle body cleaner, it's got mass airflow sensor cleaner. It's got a tank additive in it."

A tank additive is a cleaner you pour into your gas tank. It mixes with the fuel and helps clean parts of the fuel system as you drive.

Term

turbochargers

"Well, now these today's engines are just these small little animals. They work harder, turbochargers, very tight engine compartments, tight, lack of airflow right higher underhood temperatures, cooling fans are running all the time, higher operating pressures."

A turbocharger is a device that helps the engine breathe more air. More air usually means more power, but it also makes the engine run hotter, so keeping things like cooling system maintenance up matters.

Concept

coolant service interval (time and mileage-based)

"manufacturers recommend cool and service depending upon the car and the manufacturer, based on time and mileage. And you know, my argument here is, just like every other maintenance item, if you want to do it a tad early, no problem."

Carmakers recommend changing coolant on a schedule, not only when the engine starts running hot. The fluid’s protective chemicals wear out over time, so doing it a little early can still be a good idea.

Term

water pump

"Did you know coolant lubricates the water pump? And it does. You'll find vehicles that get their cooling system serviced on a regular basis, and maybe towards the early side..."

The water pump is what moves the coolant around the engine so it can carry heat away. If the coolant isn’t in good shape, it can stop protecting and lubricating the pump like it should.

Term

additive package

"The lubricant is built into the coolant, the additive package. Coolant also prevents corrosion. It protects all the aluminum components..."

Coolant isn’t just water—it has chemicals mixed in. Those chemicals help prevent rust and protect parts, and over time they can break down, so the coolant loses effectiveness.

Term

coolant degrades

"And then somewhere around year eight, you want [884.6s] to start to service the five year coolant. Eh gee, [888.4s] do you see a problem with this? You know, once [891.7s] coolant degrades, radiators begin to clog, the heater cores get plugged up."

Coolant is what keeps your engine from getting too hot. Over time it loses its protective chemicals, so it can’t do its job as well.

Term

radiators begin to clog

"Eh gee, [888.4s] do you see a problem with this? You know, once [891.7s] coolant degrades, radiators begin to clog, the heater cores get plugged up."

Your radiator helps move heat away from the engine. If the coolant gets old, gunk can build up inside and block the radiator, making it work worse.

Term

heater cores get plugged up

"once [891.7s] coolant degrades, radiators begin to clog, the heater cores get plugged up. Oh, and there's so much fun."

The heater core is the part that uses hot coolant to make warm air for the cabin. If it gets clogged, you may not get much heat inside.

Term

stop and go traffic

"If you're four or five years [920.4s] old and it's five years cool and most of you are, a lot of you are, I'm sure it's a good thing. [926.6s] You're getting the stop and go traffic, the acs on."

Stop-and-go traffic increases engine idle time and heat load, which stresses the cooling system more than steady highway driving. It can also make overheating risk more noticeable if coolant protection is already weakened.

Term

wiper blades

"Here my third comment, how are your wiper blades? Memorial [967.1s] Days coming right? You know? Is it time to put [970.8s] wiper blades on it? We do an awful lot [972.7s] of wiper blades, and not so much with the regulars because the regular customers know that we're looking at wiper blades all the time."

Wiper blades are the rubber parts that clear your windshield. If they’re worn, they can leave streaks or not wipe well, which is dangerous in rain.

Term

jump pack

"Jumper cables are nice, or a jump pack. I don't know if a tire inflator is going to help you..."

A jump pack is a portable battery you can use to start your car if the battery dies. It’s handy because you don’t always need another car to jump you.

Term

connector issue

"maybe it's a communication fault, maybe it's a connector issue that was dirty and exposed to the elements..."

A connector issue is a problem with an electrical plug or wire connection. If it’s dirty or corroded, the car may think something is wrong and turn on warning lights.

Term

check engine light

"they solve your computer problem right your check engine lights on, and maybe it's a communication fault..."

The check engine light is a warning that the car’s computer found a problem. It doesn’t always tell you exactly what’s wrong, so a shop may need to run diagnostics to figure it out.

Term

diagnostics

"it was you know, two hours of diagnostics, four hundred dollars and this what's this five dollars and fifteen cent supply charge for the shop?"

Diagnostics is the process of using the car’s onboard computer data (and sometimes tests) to identify what’s causing a fault. In repair shops, diagnostics time is often billed separately because it can involve scanning codes, checking wiring/connectors, and verifying the fix.

Term

communication fault

"they solve your computer problem right your check engine lights on, and maybe it's a communication fault..."

A communication fault means the car’s computers aren’t “talking” to each other correctly. That can be caused by wiring or connection problems, and it may trigger warning lights.

Company

CRC

"And I said, you know what, I'm going to reach out to the guys that do half my supplies and all my chemicals in the shop CRC. I'm here with Benjamin Sisiliski from CRC, and Ben's going to talk to us about some of the chemicals we use to repair cars"

CRC is a company that makes cleaning chemicals for car repairs. Here they’re talking about CRC cleaners that are meant for electronics and connectors.

Brand

QD Electronics Cleaner

"of something like, you know, using QD Electronics Cleaner versus I know some shops and I'm gonna hate to say this, some shops are using Brake clean to clean delicate electronic parts. ... QD Electronics Cleaner from CRC has a quick dry feature right, and I noticed that it's kind of fun to watch you to evaporate."

QD Electronics Cleaner is a cleaner made for car electrical connectors. It’s designed to be safe for the plastic and rubber parts, dry fast, and not leave gunk behind so the connection works properly.

Brand

Brake clean

"some shops are using Brake clean to clean delicate electronic parts. ... they end up melting a connector."

Brake clean is a strong cleaner shops use for brakes. The problem is it can be too harsh for electrical connectors and may damage the plastic or rubber inside.

Term

contact cleaner

"So that's you know, what brings up the importance of using specialized contact cleaner because it's going to be plastic safe and you're not going to damage the connector or the terminals inside that connector. ... helps to also leave a residue free surface, which is important when you want to have a good connection between the contacts."

Contact cleaner is a solvent formulated to remove oil, dirt, and corrosion from electrical connector contacts. In automotive use, it’s important because residue or damage to connector terminals can increase resistance and cause poor electrical connection.

Term

quick dry feature

"QD Electronics Cleaner from CRC has a quick dry feature right, and I noticed that it's kind of fun to watch you to evaporate. ... it drives so quickly that it doesn't have a chance to stay around and cause any damage on the plastic components or the rubber components."

Quick-dry just means the cleaner dries off fast. That helps protect the plastic/rubber around the connector and reduces the chance of leaving leftover residue.

Term

residue free surface

"it helps to also leave a residue free surface, which is important when you want to have a good connection between the contacts. There's also you know, like if you find oil or dirt"

Residue-free means the cleaner doesn’t leave a sticky film behind. For electrical connectors, that helps the metal contacts touch well and work reliably.

Term

electrical resistance

"But then how do you know you've gotten all the dirt and contaminate it out, so you've gotten an electrical resistance inside the connector."

Electrical resistance is basically how hard it is for electricity to flow. If a connector is dirty or corroded, it can make it harder for current to pass through reliably.

Term

air afterwards

"you may even have to blow it out with air afterwards to remove some of that that contaminants that we're in there."

After cleaning a connector, blowing it out with air helps get rid of leftover liquid. That way the connection dries properly and doesn’t cause electrical issues.

Term

oxygen sensors

"Now, some parts, like oxygen sensors are really sensitive to contamination. If you get grease oil on the connector, you know, how do you clean it off?"

Oxygen sensors help the car figure out how much oxygen is in the exhaust. If the sensor or its wiring/connector gets contaminated, the computer can get the wrong information and the car may run poorly or throw codes.

Company

General Motors

"I learned this a good couple of years ago. General Motors had a problem with some of their Chevy traverses where the two sensor connector for the front bank was right next to a power steering line, and the power steering line would leak."

General Motors is the car company behind brands like Chevrolet and GMC. Here, they had a bulletin about a problem where leaking power steering fluid could get into a sensor connector and cause trouble.

Car

Chevy Traverse

"General Motors had a problem with some of their Chevy traverses where the two sensor connector for the front bank was right next to a power steering line, and the power steering line would leak."

The Chevrolet Traverse is an SUV from GM. The host is describing a specific issue where a power steering fluid leak could get into a sensor connector and cause the car’s computer to act up.

Term

power steering line

"where the two sensor connector for the front bank was right next to a power steering line, and the power steering line would leak."

A power steering line is the hydraulic fluid line that carries steering fluid between the pump and steering gear. If it leaks, the fluid can migrate onto nearby electrical connectors and sensors, creating contamination-related faults.

Term

PCM

"So now it contaminated that connector, and eventually, by capular reaction, there were problems where that power steering fluid worked its way up to the PCM, which was a good three feet away."

PCM is the car’s main computer for the engine and drivetrain. It uses sensor readings to decide how the engine should run, so if contaminated fluid gets into the wiring that feeds it, the computer can act on bad information.

Term

connector terminals

"it won't short between the different terminals that are in there, because a lot of times you have you know, six eight terminals and the same connector that you don't want to touch each other."

Connector terminals are the metal contact points inside the plug. If residue or moisture gets between them, it can cause the contacts to interfere with each other.

Term

weather pack seal

"If I'm using and I've cleaned up my connector, and I've got a four pin connector of whatever, and it's it's got a weather pack seal, right, It's got that rubber band look to it, right, so when you push it together, it's it's environmentally sealed."

A weather pack seal is a type of electrical connector that’s built to keep out water and grime. When you push the connector together, the seal compresses to make it harder for moisture to get inside.

Term

dielectric grease

"Can I pack that connector with dielectric grease without concern or do I have to be aware of what sort of sensor I'm working on before I just randomly do that? Absolutely, you can always use electric grease. I always say use it sparingly..."

Dielectric grease is a slippery, water-repelling coating you put on electrical connectors. It helps keep water and corrosion away, but the connector pins are still supposed to touch each other when you plug them in.

Term

intermittent connections

"When we come back, I want to talk about intermittent connections and you know how to see or see help us handle that and some of the things that you have to help increase connectivity... every once in a while, I'll see the computer drop out and no longer communicate with the rest of the car."

An intermittent connection is an electrical problem that happens randomly. The car may work fine sometimes, but other times a sensor or module stops communicating—often because the connection is loose or getting moisture/corrosion.

Term

connector enhancer

"CRC makes a connector I think the word is a connection or connector enhancer. It's something you would apply to the pins after you clean it, and it helps improve the connectivity."

A connector enhancer is a product you put on cleaned electrical connector pins. It helps the connection work better and helps keep corrosion from coming back.

Term

corrosion inhibitor

"CRC makes a connector I think the word is a connection or connector enhancer... follow up the cleaner with the product that we make called two Dash twenty six... It's a multipurpose lubricant and corrosion inhibitor."

Corrosion inhibitor is a chemical that helps stop rust and buildup on metal contacts. That buildup can interfere with electricity, so using an inhibitor helps keep connections working reliably.

Term

battery terminals

"specifically battery terminals. Right, we all see it... battery terminals that aren't clean, battery terminals that aren't protected."

Battery terminals are the connection points between the car’s battery and the vehicle’s electrical system. Corrosion or poor protection at the terminals can increase resistance and cause starting/charging problems, so cleaning and protecting them is a common service task.

Term

dwell

"it will sit on the surface and dwell and help to eat away at that corrosion."

Dwell just means you let the cleaner sit for a little while before you scrub or rinse. That waiting time helps the chemical work on the corrosion.

Term

battery terminal protector

"after you make your connection and your battery is attached and the terminals are tight, then you can apply a battery terminal protector which will leave a red film on there."

After you connect your car’s battery cables and tighten them, you can put a protective coating on the metal. It helps keep corrosion from coming back so the battery connection stays strong.

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