Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - May 16, 2026 - Hour 1
Ron Ananian The Car Doctor
Ron Ananian The Car DoctorMay 16, 2026
Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - May 16, 2026 - Hour 1
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Concept
roadside assistance delays during peak travel
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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
“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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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You're listening to Ron Andanian The Car Doctor, nationally recognized auto expert trusted by mechanics, weekend wrenchers and vehicle owners alike.
Ron brings over forty years of hands on experience and deep industry insight to help you understand your vehicle. Join
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start your enginies. The Car Doctor is into garage and
ready to take your call.
Memorial Day is almost here. Yep, it's what a week
away now and if the experts are right and at the risk of repeating myself, because I think we talked about this two weeks ago, this is gonna be one of the busiest travel weekends we've seen in a long time.
Triple A says roughly forty five million Americans are going to travel over this Memorial Day weekend and there's gonna be a thirty nine million of them doing it by car.
So that means the highways are going to be packed with traffic, There's going to be longer travel times, hotter weather, 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. It's not gonna be instantaneous. And
if if judging by how long it takes them to get to you when there is no traffic and no high travel weekend kind of a thing, I can only imagine what Memorial Day is going to be. So I
want to go back over. We talked about this two
weeks ago about you know, and it's bigger than gas prices.
I want to talk about fuel waste. Then. I know
we touched on this, but I want to do it again.
You know, everybody complains about the price of gas, right and we all do, but listen, I'm kind of of the school of thought. I'm just happy I can get it.
So I want you to think of this from a different angle because I want you to think about are you wasting gas? And that's really The crux of this, okay,
are you wasting gas? Is the vehicle maintained properly, and
places like Memorial Day travel is where this starts to show up. Little Harry came into the shop this week.
Little Harry, we call him. He's a great young man,
drives a twenty one Camaro SS. Big car, big big car,
right six point two liter, and Harry was due for some service. Well General Motors Chevrolet calls for spark plugs
at the sixty thousand mile mark. The car's got forty
seven thousand miles on it. Harry is very proactive on maintenance,
and I encourage that, especially in a vehicle like that because it runs real hot and it just does I mean by definition of what it is. Harry says out
through the hoodvent. He can see the he can see
the heat rising on a semi warm day, he says, on a hot day, you don't even want to know. So, yeah,
everything takes a beating. And Harry decided that we were
going to do spark plugs early, and I don't disagree.
Let's do them early, let's get it over with. But
we started with a fuel system cleaning because Harry has also got a little bit of a fuel economy problem.
I think Harry's got a right foot problem, but all right, I'll play the game. So we did a fuel system cleaning. Now,
the neat thing about fuel system cleaning is this is something you can do. I don't think Harry could do
it because his car is a little more complicated, and Harry wanted my eye on it, and I get that.
But if you choose, if you really want to do your own fuel system cleaning, you can do it. Get
down to your local Advanced Little Parts go look for the crc GDI fuel System Cleaning kit and you can do this on your own and save yourself a couple of bucks. Harry wanted me to do it because Harry
didn't want to do the spark plugs, which is what I think it was really after. So we did both.
We did a fuel system cleaning and then we did spark plugs afterwards. The spark plugs that came out of
this cart forty seven thousand miles were smoked. There's no
other way to say it. They were fuel fouled and
carboned up and choked up. And yeah, and Harry's not
a local driver, Harry, you know, works twenty twenty five minutes away from home, so the car gets a good ride every day. But yet, you know, and since we
did the fuel system cleaning, and since we did plugs, the car runs better, and Harry's talking about he's getting an extra two miles per gallon. So it it sort
of pays for itself. Because every year, you guys ask me, Ron,
how do I save money on fuel? It's there's no
magic answer, all right, there's no gadget, there's no miracle additive, there's no trick. It's it's it's most fuel savings comes
from basic maintenance and just simple habits. Now, it doesn't
necessarily have to be something related to the engine. Okay,
it could be tire pressure. And you guys know this right,
even driving in a length of time. You know how
many vehicles I see every week three four five pounds low on tire pressure. You know, Oh, we wait till
the light comes on before we check tire pressure. See
that's wrong. If you look in the owner's manual, the
owner's manual talks about you know, you're supposed to check tire pressure once a month, every thirty days. But you know, listen,
nobody checks tire pressure nobody reads. It's the owner's manuel.
So I understand why you know you don't see that, because you've got to realize underinflated tires create heat, Heat damages tires. Heat leads to blowouts, especially during summer driving.
And you're the guy on the side of the autom Memorial Day that's backing everybody yet before they get to the bridge, before they get to the shore. So low
tire pressure becomes wasted fuel, short entire life, and traffic jams. Well,
because you guys didn't check your tires before you went on vacation, or you haven't been because maybe you don't know how, maybe you don't maybe you don't own a gage, maybe you don't know where the air pressure pump is.
I mean, there's a hundred reasons, but whatever it is, it all comes back to basic maintenance air filters. So
I'll tell you an air filter story. My plow truck,
my twenty two Chevy Silverado. See I'm guilty of it too,
And in my mind, I'm like, well, it's new. It's
my new truck. It's just coming up on four years
old and it's only got eleven thousand miles on it.
And we were having this. Andy and I were having
coffee the past two week, about two weeks ago in the shop, three weeks to go in the shop when we're talking about it, and I said, yeah, look at the plot truck. I've never really done any maintenance to it.
And he said, well, did you ever think about salt in the air? And I yeah, you know, it had
been on my mind, like salt and the environment, because the truck is always out in really bad weather. So
we pulled the air filter out. There was all little
crystals of salt and GrITT and crud on the on the filter. Put an air filter in it, put a
cabin filter in. The cabin filter actually was pretty disgusting. So,
you know, 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. But when the engine struggles to breathe,
efficiency suffers, efficiency suffers. What's next fuel economy? So you're
wasting fuel and you don't know it. You know, you've
got to think about Memorial Day travel, right, what's gonna happen?
What are you gonna do? You're gonna load the truck
up or the trunk up with stuff. You're gonna load
the car up with people. You're gonna have a roof rack,
You're going to be highway speed. The AC is going
to be on all right. Parts of the northeastern slate
of the hit into the nineties next week, and you know you've got the vehicle working harder than normal. You know,
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.
You ever take a look at you understand that a fuel injector has to have that perfect shower spray, that spray of fuel. It's kind of like the shower in
your bathroom, right, Hey, how come my shower doesn't you know?
It doesn't work as good as it did when I first installed it three years ago because the crud in the water, the calcium builds up over time and it affects the spray, just like 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, and you know all of a sudden, it's not magic in a bottle. It's maintenance.
You do that fuel system cleaning. 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. But there's only one of them, and
it's got it's got all four components in it. 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. So you know, then you got to talk
about driving habits. Listen, you gotta watch right. I mean
holiday weekend.
And I.
Moan when I say Memorial Day is not a holiday to me, but I get it. That's what we think
of it as Memorial Day is a solemn observance. But
that's a different conversation. But you got to think about
driving habits. You want to burn a lot of gas,
put your foot to the floor, you know, heart acceleration, drive like a you know, speed up, slow down. I
never understood those people. Is that only a new Jersey
thing or do you guys all have that in your states too, where you're you know, you're trying to you're in the fast lane because you're trying to pass the truck and the slow poke and the you know whatever it is, the Volkswagen, and somebody's in the fast lane, and the truck that you're trying to get around is now speeding up and passing the car that's in the fast lane because it's going faster than the car in the fast lane. Because the car in the fast lane
is doing forty miles an hour on an interstate highway that's sixty five seventy, So driving habits count. Okay, you
know you've got to think about you know, speed and load and how things get affected by that, and that comes back to fuel economy. And then we got to
talk about weight, right. You know, there's a rule of
thumb that for every additional ten pounds, it affects fuel economy so many percentage points. And if you've got a
lot of extra stuff in the trunk, if you've got drunk in the trunk, you know, over time and and and that's the game of numbers, right, Because we could sit down and go back over. But you know, you
start wasting a half a gallon of extra fuel over how many miles in the course of a year at an extra were we now an extra dollar a gallon, an extra dollar and a half a gallon? Where has
fuel gone up all of a sudden. It's it's all
getting expensive. You know when fuel economy starts dropping, people
right away say, oh, what's the magic pill? Oh the
gas station's cheating me. You know, gee whiz, gas is
just getting too expensive, and it's it's probably the vehicle is overdue for attention. You know, cars whisper, then they scream,
they they wait, They don't necessarily turn on check engine lights when when they're when they're due for maintenance, or when they're right on the fuzzy edge of being due for maintenance. You know, Memorial Day travel is going to
be crazy. It's going to be busy. So you know,
if you're stuck on the side of the road with everybody else traveling, you've got to be aware of that it may take a while to get help. So you
really want to think about, you know, what do you need to do now before it becomes a bigger issue. Hey,
let me pull over and take a pause. When I
come back. I've got a couple other comments and ideas
before we, you know, go further with this hour, and you know, we'll talk about it. I've got some comments
about just general maintenance outside the realm of just Memorial Day, because I want you guys to take better carry your cars.
I'm running ay in the car doctor eight five five five six oh nine nine zero zero. I'll be back
right after this. So segment two of this conversation Memorial
Day travel and getting the vehicle ready. Segment two really
has to be about preparing the vehicle. You know, I
don't know if you call it summer driving, maybe it's summer stress. Today's vehicles really operate under conditions that are
very different than what many of you realize. You know
why is that? Well, years ago, engines were slow, slower turning,
and they were generally less stressed, big V eights, they didn't have to work as hard. They just kind of
lumbered along. They were sort of like big elephants. 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. These engines today work hard,
and you know, we've got to think about maintenance. And
one of the most overlooked maintenance items today, in my opinion, has to be cool and service. People think cool less
forever because the car isn't overheating. Oh, there's nothing wrong
with the cars, it's not overheating. Well yeah, but you know,
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.
If it's a five year cooling and you want to do it in four years, I'm all for that because of enough is good, more is better, and too much is just enough. And we're gonna put that on the
back of a T shirt. I swear we are. You know,
coolant does a lot, all right, cool It cools the engine, right, it transfers heat. 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 You know, it's not common when they do a water pump because the lubricants. The lubricant is built
into the coolant, the additive package. Coolant also prevents corrosion.
It protects all the aluminum components, of which there's so much aluminum in the vehicles of today. But coolant wears
out chemically over time, and once it degrades, once it wears out, once that that additive package has left it.
You know, this is no different than my conversation with you about motor oil. How all motor oil starts with
a base stock. Right, Mom made chicken soup, and Mom's
chicken soup had carrots and celery and chicken noodles and chicken and everything else. And sometimes you got the bowl
it was just the broth because all the editors or I'm sorry, all moms extra ingredients were gone. Well, same
thing with coolant. When it's just based stock chicken broth.
When it's just based stock coolant, that's when all the bad things start to happen to components into water pumps, into the engine block, and you won't necessarily know, right, you won't know until something break. Why is that when
cars whisper, then they scream cars just keep traveling along.
So maybe I can stretch my coolanto six years even though it says five, and maybe I can get seven.
And you know, it hasn't overheated yet. I haven't seen
any leaks. And then somewhere around year eight, you want
to start to service the five year coolant. Eh gee,
do you see a problem with this? You know, once
coolant degrades, radiators begin to clog, the heater cores get plugged up. Oh, and there's so much fun. The last
thing in the world, last thing in the world you ever want to do is take the dashboard out on a modern vehicle. It's just it's especially if it's a
little older, with all the plastic and all the screws and the clips, and so think about doing cooling service if you can before a Memorial Day. At least get
it done this summer. If you're four or five years
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.
You're getting the stop and go traffic, the acs on.
You know, summer driving isn't just sunshine, right, it's thunderstorms, it's construction, road spray it's all that dust. It's that
it's that what is that noisy machine at the construction sites that you're stuck in traffic on the side of the road, thatackawacka cathwackata machine and the ground shakes every time.
You know, the pile driver thing and dust and dirt and rock chips, and you know summer's bugs and road grime, and you know real quick downpours when you at least expect it. And that brings me into my second comment.
Here my third comment, how are your wiper blades? Memorial
Days coming right? You know? Is it time to put
wiper blades on it? We do an awful lot 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. But I bet you eight out of
ten new customers coming in the wiper blades are just folded over. So this is something you can see for yourself.
Go look at your wipers or judge them when it rains, but just know that if you do put wipers on it.
And by the way, Peak makes a great wiper blade.
Because I know you're going to ask me, what do I recommend I like peak wiper blades available at your local Advance Autoparts. They're op Theplex. Is it op Theplex
plus great wiper blades. But you got to clean the windshield,
and that's really important, you know, to get good life out of a wiper blade, because otherwise you're putting fresh rubber against dirt and grit and crud. And you know,
so clean the windshield. It's it's last, all right. I
want you to think about what you want to carry in the car from a Memorial Day. Bottled water, a flashlight,
make sure the phone charger is there. Jumper cables are nice,
or a jump pack. I don't know if a tire
inflator is going to help you, but it'll make you feel better. At least you have it for when you're
home and you want to check tire pressure, a first aid kit, some road flare snacks. You know what, Memorial
Day is going to be busy. Thirty nine million of
you are going to be out on the road. So
let's make it a good one. Let's make it a
safe one, and let's not get stuck in traffic. Let's
be ready because as I always say, right the best defense is a good offense. Be ready for it, go
after it. Be safe. I'm running ady in the car,
doctor car advice, done right, I'll return right after this.
Don't go away streets to the road. We'll keep you.
Doctor.
I's done. I'm not sure where to start or how
to start this next conversation. It's been in my head
for a while. And you know, it's really about when
you go into a repair shop and you know, they solve your computer problem right your check engine lights on, and maybe it's a communication fault, maybe it's a connector issue that was dirty and exposed to the elements, and you know 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? What's that all about?
And I said, how would I explain that to somebody?
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 and what they do and talk about their importance, Ben, Welcome to the car doctor, sir.
Thanks for coming by, Thank you for having me on.
You know, it's it's a hard row, right, you can't like I'll use I'll use the electronics cleaner, and you know a little a little a little shot here, a little shot there will clean up this connector, we'll clean up that connector. Obviously, you can't charge for a whole can.
And you know, what is it a nickel a shot?
I mean, how do you write? So but the importance
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.
What's wrong with that picture? Ben Well.
I mean, there's definitely times where you know, people are doing that and they get away with it, but there are also times where they end up melting a connector.
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.
You know. 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. You know. There's a
lot of value to that, right, It's not just drying it out, but it's also helping the connector.
Know absolutely, yeah, 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. And 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, you know, sometimes you're working on an older a farm, a piece of farm equipment, an older pickup truck. You know,
it's I mean, the environment that vehicles operate in is crazy, right, you know. I always say to myself, you know, we're
tucked away inside the house in the middle of that winter or false storm. The vehicles that are out there
on the road, they have to drive through all this.
So you you come across a connector with with with oil or dirt or corrosion, you know, and there's these little tiny pins. Was it law that when they started
to clean up the air, we would make cars with computers with little tiny pins in those connectors. You know,
it's it's we've got to be careful how we clean that, right, But then how do you know you've gotten all the dirt and contaminate it out, so you've gotten a electrical resistance inside the connector.
So a lot of times the product itself will have a mechanical cleaning action because of how it propels out of the can. And there's also a straw that you
can use which will help to pinpoint the spray. But
aside from that, sometimes you might need to grab like a toothbrush or maybe a Q tip or a toothpick or a limp free rag and most often you're able to see that you've cleaned out the connector. And sometimes
you may even have to blow it out with air afterwards to remove some of that that contaminants that we're in there.
So there's a you know, there's a delic I think is a good word. Right, We're dealing with electronic you know,
when you think about it, we're dealing with computer electronic circuits and pins for a computer on an automobile. This
this incredibly complicated, you know, moving it seventy five eighty miles an hour down the highway, oil pumping gas flowing wind in their air automobile, and you know there's obviously there's there's a concern, you know, is there is there an issue where can I use too much cleaner not enough cleaner? Is it? Is it? Can I overdo it?
Or just follow the directions on the can? Is the
best way to go about it? Because you guys have
great cautionary warnings. We're applicable. I've noticed that about your
product all the time I'm using it.
Kay. There's definitely circumstances where somebody could, you know, overuse
too much of a cleaner. For example, if they were
spraying into an enclosed cavity and you you know, unload half a canon there, which is completely unnecessary. It wouldn't
have a chance to dry. Sometimes you might have so
much liquid inside that cavity that it'll stay wet. And uh,
you have to be careful with some of these cleaners because, for example, this one QD is flammable. So normally that's
not a concern because it dries off and doesn't leave any flammable aspects behind. But yeah, you could you could
use too much of it. I would say it's not
necessary to do that.
I like the I like the one second don one second off rule. Shite one to one to one too,
and and then I don't overload the connector. 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? And I and I actually you know,
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. There was a bulletin for this,
and it dripped power steering fluid where else, right into the two sensor connector. 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. And you know
that's got to be a concern too. Oil and a
connector means that it's it might migrate somewhere else, so it's really important to get it out. But then how
are we going to get it out if it's such a sensitive connection such a sensitive component.
Yeah, So for instances like that, you can definitely you know, take apart well undo the connection. And sometimes you might
need to take apart the connector, but usually you're able to just you know, spray the product in there and then it will displace that oil that's in there, and then it'll help dry it and that way it'll be residue free, so 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.
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. 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 because there are instances where people have used too much of it and it has insulated the connection, but normally, on like a four pin connector, the male and female terminals are going to have tension between the terminals so that when you plug them together, they'll basically scrape off enough grease that they can make contact, but they'll be surrounded by the grease after that.
Right, they're tenstyle contact. Is it tensil the E N
S I L E. I think the word was. I
learned that years ago at GM computer Cliss when they originally started using paper clips to measure the the the grip strength of the computer connector, and then it evolved on from there. So it's a concern. So all these
chemicals we're talking about, they've got to come from somewhere, right and and and herein you know is probably and definitely the root of the This is why you might have a shop supply charge on your vehicle because you can't you can't fix cars without products like this, right, It's it becomes a difficult conversation. So instead of having
to replace an oxygen and sensor for one hundred, two hundred and three hundred dollars, it's it's cleaned the connector and you're fine.
Yeah, Yeah, it's definitely helpful to be able to service parts like this instead of instead of replacing them.
You know, Ben, we're gonna pull over and take a pause.
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, so to speak. So if
you can just Titan sit with us during the pause, I'm running any and the car doctor. We'll both return
right after this. So when we pulled away, we were
talking about electrical connections and we're here this hour with Ben Sisiilski from CRC Chemicals. And you know, if you're
in the automotive business longer than last week, you know CRC is the flagship, right They've been around forever and they're always innovating and creating and doing the right thing and helping us shops and helping the di wires, helping people that work on your own cars with chemicals and new innovative ideas. We're here talking about intermittent connections right now. Ben,
you know I've got a computer module. Maybe I suspect that,
you know, I've got a bad connection, or I'm playing with the harness tweaking the harness a little bit. I
might have a vibration issue rough roads, that kind of thing, And you know, every once in a while, I'll see the computer drop out and no longer communicate with the rest of the car. Is there a way to you know,
I could go through and consistently refresh connections and maybe it's not a module, Maybe it's just a connection. What
a c or ce having the having the you know, technical closet there to help us.
Yeah. So you know, in an instance like that, you're
gonna want to remove the connector and take a good look inside, see if you find any corrosion or any grease or oil in there, and then at that point cleaning it out as best as possible, and then you can see, you know, if their residue has been removed at that point.
Is it Is it possible I'm gonna take the connector apart and not see anything. But yet I've got a
problem because it's such a I don't want to say microscopic, but it's such a you know, a minimal level that it's because it's a computer connection, right, and they're they're affected by the least little bump in the road.
Yeah, sometimes it's definitely hard to see inside those connectors.
It's still never going to hurt to spray a cleaner in there, and and then make sure, you know, try it adequately before reconnecting it.
Right, and then the one second rule. CRC and I
only learned of this recently. 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. Am I saying that right?
Yeah? Yeah, you could definitely follow up the cleaner with
the product that we make called two Dash twenty six.
It's a multipurpose lubricant and corrosion inhibitor. It is plastic safe.
It will help if there's any remaining corrosion on the pins, and it will also provide protection for grease for a moisture going down the line after you apply a light coating of that on there, right, And.
It works okay, if you know, if I clean it, if I clean my connector, then I hit it with two Dish twenty six. And then if I want to
put a fine little shmear technical word schmear, right, I want to put a little shmear on the connector of dielectric grease. I can put it all together and there's
nothing there that's gonna, you know, be a problem for me.
And I've created a night nice, tight, clean, weather proof, weather packed seal. Right, yeah, correct, I want to switch
and go over a little bit towards cleaning and preventing corrosion in the first place, specifically battery terminals. Right, we
all see it. We lift the hood, I see it.
Cars come in for service, you know, they'll come in from another shop, and we're in for the first time, and I see battery terminals that aren't clean, battery terminals that aren't protected. You know, what's the formal approved way?
And this is probably where a lot of shop supplies get used up in cleaning that battery. What's the best
way to clean that battery up and keep it clean?
Yeah, So the best way would be to use a specific product of battery cleaner which sprays out onto the battery.
It actually sprays out yellow, and then where it hits the acid, it'll turn pinks, which is an indicator. Sometimes
people don't realize their battery is leaking or that they have asset on there, but it will sit on the surface and dwell and help to eat away at that corrosion.
You can brush it also and then rinse it off and that'll help clean the corrosion off.
Yeah, and then of course, you know, if we're using a brush, safety gloves, safety glasses, you know, the usual precautions.
And then CRC also makes a terminal coating, a protectant that might slow down the process, prevents it from repeating.
Right, Yes, 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. And the good thing about that is,
you know, when you open your hood six months to a year down the road, you can check to make sure you still see that red color and if not, you can always apply a little bit more on there.
Right right, Ben, It's been great having you today. If
the listeners want more information, because I'm guessing you know, we've only talked about three or four specific chemicals available from CRC. And you know, I can't imagine how big
the catalog is because there's hundreds. What's the website if
they want to go and browse and look and see other things that CRC has to help us, you know, work on our vehicles. Sure.
Our website is CRC Industries dot com and there's a lot of information that can be found on there.
Yeah. Oh it's it's it's kind of like a fun
read on a Saturday afternoon, so I can tell you it's what it's what I do when I'm not on air.
So Ben, thanks for joining us today and we hope to have you back again real soon. You have a
great rest of the weekend.
Thank you you too.
You're right welcome. I'm on an Ady and the Car Doctor.
We're back right after this. Well that was a fast
hour and thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you got something out of today. You know, we talked
a lot in the beginning about maintenance and self care of your automobile, and I'm trying to stress that more and more. You know. I look at your comments and
questions on social media, you know, because we are posting more and more on social media Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and I'm trying to be more aware of what you're looking for. Because this is your radio show. I just
get to do it. So if you've got comments, questions
and you don't see something on social media, you want drop me a line ron at cardoctorshow dot com or by all means, comment on those posts that you see up on Instagram and Facebook, all right, because we want to hear from you. We want to know what's on
your mind. What are you looking for us to explain
to you, show you and so on. I want to
thank Ben Sisiliski from CRC once again taking the time to go through the I mean such a small list of the chemicals that CRC has. I couldn't run the
shop without their products because they're just so essential to us on a day to day basis. And you know,
just I learned about two DAYK twenty six only recently, their activity enhancer. And when you're working on computer cars,
that really becomes a vital, vital component. You know, it's
a necessary part of the job without any doubt. So
just was I was thrilled to be able to share that with you guys today as well. Keep in mind
that the podcast numbers are growing. We appreciate that for
you for our podcast listeners. You will find that up
on iHeart and all the other major platforms. Again, five
pm Eastern time is when it gets posted. If you're
looking for card doctor merchandise, Get out to the card doctor store v our website, cardoctorshow dot com. I'm ronning
any in the card doctor till the next time. Good
mechanics aren't expensive, they're priceless. See car Doctor, car advice,
tolrite
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.
