Ron Ananian dives into the often-overlooked value of quality oil changes compared to everyday expenses like bagels. He shares a personal anecdote about the rising costs of bagels and breakfast sandwiches, questioning why people readily accept high food prices but balk at the cost of proper vehicle maintenance. Through engaging discussions with callers, Ron emphasizes the importance of professional oil changes, the risks of DIY approaches, and the critical nature of maintenance for vehicle longevity. He also addresses specific car repair issues, providing insights and advice for listeners.
The $49 Bagel Test — Why a Real Oil Change Costs What It Costs
Bagels don’t get price complaints—but oil changes do. Ron compares a $49 North Jersey bagel run to the true value of a proper oil change: factory drain-plug gaskets, under-car inspection, torque specs, shields off/on, and a road test that keeps you safe at highway speeds. Plus: a Buick saved by an “it-won’t-work” ECU re-flash, diagnosing a P0300 random misfire and lean trims (cat damage risk), Quadra-jet hot-start basics, and chasing brake shake after a subframe swap with dial indicators and mount checks. Call in your oil-change price and what you actually got.
"I want to talk to you about reflashing and how reflashing fixed a Buick this week that I didn't expect it to fix..."
Reflashing is like updating the software on your phone, but for a car's computer. It helps fix problems or improve how the car runs.
Reflashing refers to the process of updating or modifying the software in a vehicle's engine control unit (ECU). This can improve performance, fix issues, or enable new features. It's often used in automotive diagnostics and repairs to resolve specific problems.
"But the first time you tell somebody an oil change, a real oil change is close to $200. You think we burn the Statue of Liberty. It's just that crazy. And all of a sudden you hear, well, I can go to Walmart and I can buy oil for, you know, $6 a quart."
An oil change is when you replace the old oil in your car's engine with new oil. This helps keep the engine running smoothly and prevents damage.
An oil change is the process of removing old engine oil and replacing it with fresh oil to ensure proper engine lubrication and performance. Regular oil changes are crucial for maintaining engine health and longevity.
"The simplest of which is the drain plug gasket on the drain plug. I'm not sure why."
A drain plug gasket is a small rubber or metal ring that helps keep oil from leaking out of the engine when you change the oil. If it's not in good shape, your car can lose oil, which is not good for the engine.
The drain plug gasket is a crucial component that seals the connection between the oil pan and the drain plug, preventing oil leaks during an oil change. If this gasket is not properly installed or is damaged, it can lead to significant oil loss and engine damage.
"And I've been talking about, complaining about, ranting about, bitching about this for years. That, you know, if it's some type of a metal gasket, we'll talk about Hondas."
Honda is a car company from Japan that makes many popular cars. They are known for building reliable vehicles that last a long time.
Honda is a well-known Japanese automotive manufacturer recognized for producing reliable vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, and power equipment. They have a reputation for engineering durable engines and efficient vehicles.
"Because they don't want you to over tighten the drain plug to get it to seal and ruin the threads in the oil pan. Ergo, that's where we get stripped oil pans from."
An oil pan is a container that holds the engine oil in a car. It's located underneath the engine and is important for keeping the oil where it needs to be.
The oil pan is a reservoir that holds the engine oil in a vehicle. It is located at the bottom of the engine and is crucial for oil storage and drainage during maintenance.
"...you do $1,500 worth of service, whatever it is. Cylinder, you know, fuel system cleaning, cylinder examination, spark plugs..."
Spark plugs are small parts in your car's engine that help start the engine by creating a tiny spark. This spark ignites the fuel, making the engine run.
Spark plugs are essential components in gasoline engines that ignite the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. They play a crucial role in engine performance, fuel efficiency, and emissions control.
"...you do $1,500 worth of service, whatever it is. Cylinder, you know, fuel system cleaning, cylinder examination, spark plugs, you know, coolant..."
Coolant is a liquid in your car that helps keep the engine from getting too hot. It moves heat away from the engine to keep it running well.
Coolant is a fluid used in vehicles to regulate engine temperature. It absorbs heat from the engine and dissipates it through the radiator, preventing overheating and ensuring optimal engine performance.
"Till you look down at the odometer and you go, wow, the car's got 140,000 miles on it."
An odometer is a part of your car that counts how far you've driven. It helps you know when to take your car in for maintenance or check-ups.
An odometer is a device in a vehicle that measures the distance traveled. It is important for tracking maintenance schedules and the overall wear and tear on the vehicle.
"It's a 2006 Pathfinder with the four liter v6. Right. Came to me two years ago and needed new primary cats."
The Nissan Pathfinder is a type of SUV that can carry families and gear. The 2006 version has a strong engine and is good for driving on rough roads.
The Nissan Pathfinder is a mid-size SUV known for its ruggedness and off-road capabilities. The 2006 model features a V6 engine and is popular for family use and outdoor activities.
"...needed new primary cats. And so the good ones were 2400. The cheap ones were 700. So I took a chance on the cheap ones."
Catalytic converters help clean the air by reducing pollution from the car's exhaust. They can be costly to replace, and there are different types available, some of which are better than others.
Catalytic converters are components in a vehicle's exhaust system that reduce harmful emissions. They can be expensive to replace, and the quality can vary significantly between OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and aftermarket options.
"...the timing chain had a nasty rattle to it. It did not have the vacuum supercharger wine..."
The timing chain is a part of the engine that helps keep everything running smoothly. If it makes a rattling noise, it could mean there's a problem that needs fixing.
The timing chain is a crucial component in an engine that ensures the synchronization of the crankshaft and camshaft. A rattle from the timing chain can indicate wear or improper tension, which may lead to engine performance issues.
"And it had the PO300 and reduced power. And I knew what the problem was before I even looked at the car."
PO300 is a trouble code that means the engine is misfiring in one or more cylinders. This can cause the car to lose power and run poorly.
The PO300 code indicates a random/multiple cylinder misfire detected by the vehicle's onboard diagnostics. It often signifies that the engine is not firing properly, which can lead to reduced power and performance.
"As it pulled up to my house, I could hear the blown exhaust gasket. It blew out between the primary and secondary cats."
An exhaust gasket helps seal the connection between the engine and the exhaust system. If it blows, it can cause loud noises and make the car run poorly.
An exhaust gasket is a sealing component that prevents exhaust gases from leaking between the engine and the exhaust system. A blown exhaust gasket can lead to performance issues and increased emissions.
"So to check for exhaust blockage, I did a vacuum test and it passed."
A vacuum test checks how much air pressure is in the engine's intake. It helps find problems that might make the engine run poorly.
A vacuum test is a diagnostic procedure used to measure the vacuum pressure in an engine's intake manifold. It helps identify issues such as leaks or blockages that can affect engine performance.
"What was manifold vacuum bill at idle? Well, so it's a 16."
Manifold vacuum is a measurement of air pressure in the engine's intake area. It helps mechanics understand how well the engine is running and if there are any issues.
Manifold vacuum refers to the pressure in the intake manifold of an engine, which can indicate how well the engine is performing. It is measured in inches of mercury (inHg) and can provide insights into engine health, fuel mixture, and overall efficiency.
"Or, or, you know, that, you know, it's just, it's misfiring."
Misfiring is when an engine doesn't fire correctly in one of its cylinders. This can make the engine run rough and lose power.
Misfiring occurs when an engine cylinder fails to ignite the air-fuel mixture properly, leading to a loss of power and increased emissions. This can be caused by various issues, including faulty spark plugs, fuel delivery problems, or air intake issues.
"...can we look at the piston tops or the intake valves left bank to right bank?"
A piston is a part inside the engine that moves up and down to help turn fuel into power. It's essential for making the engine work.
A piston is a cylindrical component of an engine that moves up and down within a cylinder, converting the energy from fuel combustion into mechanical work. It plays a crucial role in the engine's operation and performance.
"...can we look at the piston tops or the intake valves left bank to right bank?"
Intake valves are parts of the engine that open up to let air and fuel in so the engine can run. They need to work well for the engine to perform properly.
Intake valves are components in an internal combustion engine that open to allow the air-fuel mixture to enter the combustion chamber. Their proper functioning is vital for engine efficiency and performance.
Burning oil means that the engine is using up oil as part of the fuel process, which can happen if there are issues inside the engine. It can cause problems and is not good for the car.
Burning oil refers to a condition where engine oil is consumed during the combustion process, often due to worn engine components or seals. This can lead to increased emissions and engine wear.
"Let's Borscope it. Do we have carbon deposits left to right?"
A borescope is a camera that helps mechanics look inside engines to find problems without taking them apart. It's like a tiny camera on a stick that shows what's happening inside.
A borescope is a tool used to inspect the interior of engines and other mechanical components. It allows technicians to visually check for issues like carbon deposits or coolant leaks without disassembling the engine.
"If we pressurize the cooling system, plugs out, pressurize the cooling system, come back in the morning..."
Pressurizing the cooling system means adding pressure to the part of the car that keeps it cool. This helps mechanics find leaks where coolant might be escaping.
Pressurizing the cooling system is a diagnostic technique used to check for leaks. By increasing the pressure in the system, technicians can see if coolant escapes, indicating a leak in hoses, gaskets, or other components.
"...about my Chevy van and the Quadrajet carburetor that was having a hot start issues."
A Quadrajet carburetor is a device that mixes air and fuel for an engine, helping it to run smoothly. It's known for being able to adjust to different driving conditions, making it a popular choice in many cars.
The Quadrajet carburetor is a type of carburetor that was widely used in General Motors vehicles, known for its versatility and ability to provide good performance across a range of conditions. It features a unique design that allows for both efficient fuel delivery and power when needed.
"And, oh, and I put a metal brass float in it this time. Okay."
A metal brass float is a part inside the carburetor that helps control how much fuel is in it. It moves up and down as the fuel level changes.
A metal brass float is a component in a carburetor that helps regulate the fuel level. It rises and falls with the fuel level, ensuring the carburetor maintains the correct mixture of air and fuel.
"...I've had an oil fouling issue in the past. Right. But I'm running an engine additive that's cut the oil consumption down a lot on it."
Oil fouling is when oil gets on the spark plug, which can cause the engine to run poorly. It usually happens if the engine is using too much oil or has some wear and tear.
Oil fouling occurs when engine oil contaminates the spark plug, leading to misfires and poor engine performance. This can happen due to excessive oil consumption or worn engine components.
Fuel deposits are leftover bits from fuel that didn't burn completely in the engine. They can cause problems and usually mean something is off with how the engine is running.
Fuel deposits are residues left in the combustion chamber or on spark plugs due to incomplete combustion of fuel. They can lead to engine performance issues and are often a sign of improper fuel mixture or engine tuning.
"... get it from? I found a great carburetor for the Monte Carlo through advanced auto parts. They've got, they'r..."
The Chevrolet Monte Carlo is a type of car that looks sporty and was made for many years, especially popular in the 70s and 80s. It’s known for being fast and having a powerful engine, which makes it exciting to drive. People talk about it because it's a classic car that many fans still love today.
The Chevrolet Monte Carlo is a classic American coupe that was produced from the 1970s until the late 2000s, known for its stylish design and performance. It has a strong following among car enthusiasts, particularly for its V8 engine options and involvement in NASCAR racing. The Monte Carlo is often discussed for its nostalgic value and as a representation of American muscle cars.
"...mpany. Let's go to Renee in Maine real quick, 17 Pacifica. What's going on, Renee?"
The Chrysler Pacifica is a type of family car called a minivan that has lots of room inside for passengers and cargo. It's popular because it has features that make traveling with kids easier, like extra storage and entertainment options. People often talk about it because it's a good choice for families who need space and comfort.
The Chrysler Pacifica is a versatile minivan known for its spacious interior, advanced technology, and family-friendly features. It has gained popularity for its hybrid variant, which offers improved fuel efficiency and eco-friendliness. Discussions around the Pacifica often focus on its practicality for families and its innovative design.
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This is an iHeart podcast, guaranteed human.
Pick up some Coca-Cola at a store near you.
IBM.
I want to know.
And I'm trying to keep it real, right?
Because that's what you guys want.
You want real car doctor stuff.
Somebody asked me once, Ron, how long does it take you to get ready to do the show?
And I, you know, I'm either doing it all the time in my head, or I don't do it at all.
I just sit down and I start talking.
This is a sit down and start talking kind of a show, frankly.
I was really going to sit down.
I want to talk to you about reflashing and how reflashing fixed a Buick this week
that I didn't expect it to fix because the bulletin wasn't supposed to work
and we knew that going in.
And I wanted to make a whole big thing about that.
But then I went for bagels today.
Bagels are a weekend tradition if you're from New Jersey, especially North Jersey.
It's sort of like, you know, it's like soul food if you're a North Jersey person.
You just got to get your bagels.
And I guess it's a New York thing, right?
We all do our bagels.
And I noticed something.
I bought a dozen bagels.
They were 17 bucks.
Okay.
That's not so bad.
The price of everything has gone up.
I got three breakfast sandwiches.
Now in New Jersey, having Taylor egg and cheese is, you know, it's a right of passage.
All right.
In North Jersey, we call it Taylor Ham.
In South Jersey, I think they call it pork roll.
I don't know what they do in Central Jersey, but whatever it is, everybody enjoys it.
By the time I bought three sandwiches and a dozen bagels, it was $49 in change.
And I sat there and I went, huh?
Now, I know things are going up and I know things are expensive and I know we're all
going to complain and say it's terrace and it's this and that, but still 50 bucks for
a dozen bagels and three sandwiches.
It's not the $50 for that.
I've never heard anybody complain about it.
I've never heard anybody complain about the price of bagels and bacon, egg and cheese
and Taylor egg and cheese sandwiches.
But I hear so many, and you know where this is going, right?
Hey, you want real Ron?
Here it is.
How come everybody complains about the price of an oil change?
How come everybody complains about the price of the thing that gets you back and forth
and keeps you safe and you commute out onto the highway and you travel and you go do business
and you go to do family?
Nobody really says, gee, I really appreciate getting a great oil change.
Why is that?
Are we thinking right?
I don't think you are.
Not one minute and I sat there and I watched this morning, right?
I watched the line of people walk in and out of the bagel store, which by the way,
had the sign up that said we charge one price for cash and one price for credit card.
So, you know, how come they can get away with it?
But every other business seems to get stared at.
And I don't want to hear that the food industry is hard to make a living in.
You know what, don't go into the food industry.
That's what it is.
You know, I'm talking about auto repair.
I'm going to be a little selfish for a moment.
Why is it nobody in the bagel line sat there and said, well, gee, I can go get the dough.
I can go get the poppy seeds.
I can go get the everything fixings.
I can go buy my own Taylor ham.
I can do this at home.
Nobody talks about that.
But the first time you tell somebody an oil change, a real oil change is close to $200.
You think we burn the Statue of Liberty.
It's just that crazy.
And all of a sudden you hear, well, I can go to Walmart and I can buy oil for, you know, $6 a quart.
$3 a quart.
I can buy this oil filter for, you know, 99 cents and I can do it in my driveway.
And you think you're getting just as good a bagel.
Do you?
Are you?
Are you really getting as good an oil change in your driveway as the guy that's doing it in the bay?
I don't think so.
I don't think it can be.
I don't think you're getting a full look under the car.
I don't think you're getting a professional to sit there and peek at breaks and check tires and wiggle the front end.
Do a road test, a trained ear, a certified mechanic.
We're talking about a good oil change.
We're not talking about the local idiot.
We're talking about somebody that's taking the time to look the car over correctly.
Nobody talks about that.
But everybody wants a cheap oil change.
But boy, that bagel, I can't wait till the bagel prices hit, you know, $30 for a dozen.
I want to see everybody does that.
What are you paying for an oil change?
I want to know.
I want to hear about it.
I want to hear it by email.
I want to hear it by phone.
Phone's 855-560-9900.
Email me Ron at cardoctorshow.com.
What are you paying for an oil change?
Do you think it's too much?
Do you think it's not enough?
Do you know what you're actually getting?
What does that oil change entail?
I see an awful lot of oil change mistakes made.
And I see an awful lot of things that have to be corrected.
The simplest of which is the drain plug gasket on the drain plug.
I'm not sure why.
And I've been talking about, complaining about, ranting about, bitching about this for years.
That, you know, if it's some type of a metal gasket, we'll talk about Hondas.
Hondas a favorite.
Nissan's right behind it.
Sometimes Toyota's after that.
Depends on what the drain plug comes with from the factory.
A Honda drain plug gasket, by definition of Honda the manufacturer, the vehicle manufacturer,
says, change the aluminum drain plug gasket every oil change.
It's supposed to be done.
That's not Ron's rule.
That's manufacturer's rule supposed to be followed by the dealer and everybody else doing an oil change to do it properly.
Why?
Because they don't want you to over tighten the drain plug to get it to seal and ruin the threads in the oil pan.
Ergo, that's where we get stripped oil pans from.
But yet I had one this week.
I had a Honda drain plug this week.
I literally had to, I ended up throwing it out because I just, I couldn't.
I ended up, I bolted the head of the drain plug in a vice and I took a hammer and a chisel trying to get the drain plug gasket off.
Because it was, it was so crushed and to the point of being deformed onto the head of the bolt.
And what do you do with that?
But nobody's complaining about, we complain about bagels when they're made bad, but we don't complain about the price.
Now I've had a few people come in and tell me, hey, that's a great oil change you did.
I really appreciate it because they sat there and they'll sit in the shop and we'll do a weight oil change.
And it, it takes 45 minutes to an hour to do a proper oil change on a lot of vehicles.
I'm not talking your bread and butter garden variety four cylinder wonder car, something from 15 years ago where it's around the block up in the air.
Still takes 20 minutes to a half hour, but it's not, we have to take down body shields and panels and, you know, access and remove all these rusty bolts that have been on there and corroded because everything corrode within three to five years.
I'm not talking about that stuff, but people have come to appreciate a good thoroughly done oil change.
I always tell everybody about maintenance.
We've been talking a lot about maintenance in the last couple of weeks, right?
I always tell everybody maintenance is a very hard thing to sell because somebody comes in and you do $1,500 worth of service, whatever it is.
Cylinder, you know, fuel system cleaning, cylinder examination, spark plugs, you know, coolant, any kinds of fluids, it adds up quick, right?
12, 15, 18 things to move in chunks of 300.
You can spend two grand on some of these maintenance Subaru's probably the worst Subaru's at 60,000 miles.
It's a major service.
It's a lot of work if you're doing it by the book.
And then if you're doing it by real world combination, you know, like what does it need?
Where's the environment?
What's it operating in?
But you don't really see the value in that until much later.
Till you look down at the odometer and you go, wow, the car's got 140,000 miles on it.
It feels really good.
Like, I guess the money I spent at 60,000 got me here.
And so does that proper oil change.
And somebody's going to write me some internet troll is going to write me and say, Ron, I changed my own oil and my car's got 200,000 miles on it.
Yeah, great.
You're the guy.
But the majority of people, because understand who my audience is.
My audience, the majority of my audience does not do their own oil changes.
They go somewhere and they listen to the man behind the counter.
And I'm just trying to explain to them what they should be looking for to that man behind the counter.
Much like they look to that man behind the counter to get a good bagel.
I've never heard anybody walk in and say, I need a dozen bagels.
I want the coldest, hardest stales.
Matter of fact, give me yesterday's bagels.
That's what I want to pay for today.
No, everybody wants hot, fresh bagels.
They always walk in and say, Hey, the bagels fresh.
Is the oil change any good?
How good do you do an oil change?
Somebody emailed me this week and they wanted a price on something.
Hey, can you give me a price quote on?
I don't even know what it was because I didn't give it really much of a thought because they didn't even tell me what kind of vehicle it was, which made the whole point conversation kind of ridiculous.
But nobody asked me and nobody ever really asks me how well do I do this repair?
What effort goes into this repair?
Am I qualified to do this repair?
They just assume because probably because their father did it 45 years ago and he's dead now.
But you know, his father told him the story when he was sitting on his lap when he was seven.
And he remembers that 50 years later.
It's going to be a good hour.
855-560-9900.
Come on back. Let's talk about it.
I'm Ronanini and the car doctor.
When you own your own business, you own every decision.
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Okay, I'm calm.
See, I start talking about oil changes and I get a little off the rails.
It just because I compare everyday life to cars and I just look at the inequality and I don't think we understand it because auto repair is a vital, vital part of our society.
Let's talk to Billy in Colorado.
Billy, talk to me.
What's going on?
Hey, Ron.
Good to talk to you.
You too, sir.
So this one's got a sorted backstory.
I'll keep it as short as I can.
It's a 2006 Pathfinder with the four liter v6.
Right.
Came to me two years ago and needed new primary cats.
And so the good ones were 2400.
The cheap ones were 700.
So I took a chance on the cheap ones.
That's a mistake I'll never make again.
And so...
Just out of curiosity, Billy, is there any physical difference between the aftermarket cat versus the OECat in size?
Yeah, in size, yes.
And in manufacturing quality, don't even get me started.
It was horrible.
You get what you pay for, right?
Oh, if that.
Yeah.
So at that time, when I first did the work, the timing chain had a nasty rattle to it.
It did not have the vacuum supercharger wine.
And the owner decided to keep putting that off.
So it comes back to me a month ago, two years after the original repair.
And it had the PO300 and reduced power.
And I knew what the problem was before I even looked at the car.
As it pulled up to my house, I could hear the blown exhaust gasket.
It blew out between the primary and secondary cats.
Because the packing that holds the element in the metal housing disintegrated and clogged the secondary cat,
and the pressure just blew out the gasket in between.
So the cat was still under warranty because it's a cowl cat, which is required to Colorado.
Right.
And so replace the primary cat, go to the secondary cat and put it back together and it ran great for a month.
Just came back with the same symptoms as far as the PO300 and reduced power.
And when it came a month ago, the timing chain noise had gotten much worse.
Clank and rattles is awful.
We were talking about doing it and it was getting close to the point where he thought he might.
He's kind of go, no, go on the car.
How many miles on the car?
250.
All right.
And so anyway, it comes in yesterday and same symptoms except no exhaust leak.
And the clank and rattle is horrible.
I'm like, you know, it could be another cat problem somehow or it could finally be having, you know, failure from the timing chain.
So to check for exhaust blockage, I did a vacuum test and it passed.
It's, you know, getting normal response on the vacuum.
What was manifold vacuum bill at idle?
Well, so it's a 16.
Remember, we get lower vacuum.
Yeah, you're because you're up in the mountains.
Sure.
Sure.
It's a 16 at idle and then it went up to about 17 at about 2 to 3000 RPM.
Still seems low.
I have to tell you, you know, even with raised elevation, that still seems off by a couple of points.
Right.
Well, you know, it's, you know, it's not, it's not a new car.
That's for sure.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
No, I'm just saying, I'd be curious, you know, you might want to, you might want to just do a quick vacuum test on something else of similar lineage just to compare just for curiosity sake.
All right.
That's, that's, that's number one.
Is it using coolant at all?
Are you going through any coolant?
No.
Okay.
So, so the real question is, you know, it's misfiring, which comes first, is the cat melting?
Is it, is it damaged from something or is it, is it misfiring causing the cat failure?
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
So the, the cat that I replaced the second time is on the left bank and it's adding fuel on the left bank.
So that's almost certainly where the misfires are coming from.
And what is the, what is the difference in fuel trim left to right, Bill?
It's adding, it's basically zero on the right bank and it's, it's adding like 10, 15% on the left bank.
That's, that's a pretty good, that's a pretty good off base measurement.
So what that's, what that's telling me is the left side of the motor is running lean.
Yes.
Or, or, you know, that, you know, it's just, it's misfiring.
So you've got both, you know, unburnt fuel.
And oxygen.
Oxygen coming through.
Is it, is it physically misfiring at the time that you're doing your fuel trim measurement?
Oh yeah.
This thing runs, runs like, runs badly.
Gotcha.
Thank you.
I got you.
Yeah.
Okay.
So it's got, it's got a physical miss.
So has it identified any one particular cylinder?
More so, or is it just a P zero 300?
Adjust 300 and I did a load balance test, a power balance test and nothing, nothing jumped out at me.
Well, and I don't know if it's accurate to do that now because if, if you've got the physical
misfire, does it have a good cat on it or a bad cat on it now?
Right.
Well, I mean, I, that's, you know, basically I want to figure out what tests I, I can do,
you know, before I tear open the exhaust again to find out.
I would want to get, do you own a Borsco?
Sure.
Can we look at, can we look at the piston tops or the intake valves left bank to right bank?
I'm wondering if this engine, I'm wondering if this engine's burning oil.
I'll ask.
I don't think so.
You wonder if he knows.
He hasn't mentioned it.
You know, it might, maybe it's burning two quarts of oil in between his 5,000 mile oil
change intervals.
Or is the next question, what is his oil drain interval?
Right.
How often does he change the oil?
You know, I honestly don't know.
And, and that, that sort of comes to mind.
So do this cause I'm going to run out of clock.
Let's Borscope it.
Do we have carbon deposits left to right?
What's an oil consumption issue?
If we pressurize the cooling system, plugs out, pressurize the cooling system, come back
in the morning, if we look with our Borscope, do we see coolant in any of the cylinders on
the left side?
We probably won't, but we'll eliminate the fact, could we have a CP head guess got on
one side versus the other, causing coolant leaks, causing the cat to self-destruct?
Let's start looking for the good and the bad.
I'll talk to you next week, Billy.
I always appreciate our conversations.
I'm Ron Anani and the car doctor.
I'll be back at 855-560-9900 right after this.
No problem.
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I didn't know we had a full band in the green room back there.
I didn't realize the studio was that big.
Did you guys had a wing that I didn't see?
We had a room when you weren't looking.
Well, I'll tell you what, boy, just, they're really, because I heard some noise in the background
over here at corporate headquarters and I guess it was the band warming up.
I don't tell the American public, they'll complain.
Let's go to Greg in Florida.
Greg.
Okay.
Yes, sir.
How are you?
Hey, I'm blessed.
How are you?
I'm good, man.
What's going on?
Hey, yeah, I talked to you.
I think it was three weeks ago about my Chevy van and the Quadrajet carburetor that was having
a hot start issues.
Right.
And I, well, I want to correct something.
I said I've been working on it for trying to fix it for 11 years, but the truth is I
haven't had an author or partner at least five years, maybe six or seven, but I've been
thinking about fixing that.
Right.
Well, thinking counts, right?
Thinking counts.
Right, okay.
Sometimes, sometimes you get credit for enthusiasm.
So, so you took it apart and you tried to rebuild it or you rebuilt it or where does it stand
now?
I decided to do another kit on it.
And I had got it apart and the needle valve was one of the worst one, maybe the worst
one I ever saw.
I don't know how it even ran.
The needle valve looked terrible on it.
So, you know, maybe when I fixed it five or six years ago, it's probably gotten worse
over the years.
Did you, did you happen to look at what I suggested?
I think this is the car where I talked about the solder plugs and the base of the carburetor
coming loose.
Well, I looked at them and they looked fine.
They looked solid, but I epoxied them anyway.
Right.
And, oh, and I put a metal brass float in it this time.
Okay.
And you're going to tell me, you're going to tell me it got better, but it's still, it's
still, it still floods.
Well, it's better, but I don't want to say it's flooding now because I haven't seen
any black smoke.
Okay.
It's starting a little easier.
So I'm thinking maybe it's my spark plugs.
Well, have you put plugs in it since you rebuilt the carburetor?
No.
Have you driven it since you rebuilt the carburetor?
Yes.
Have you gotten the engine up to running temperature and taken it for a, you know, an hour's ride?
Yeah, I've driven it.
All right.
Have you pulled a plug yet?
Not an hour, but, you know, 30 minutes.
Have you pulled a plug yet?
Well, I pulled out number eight because I've had an oil fouling issue in the past.
Right.
But I'm running an engine additive that's cut the oil consumption down a lot on it.
Right.
And the number eight plug didn't have any oil on it.
It had some fuel deposits.
Okay.
Was it?
Was it?
I put it back in.
Was it wet-ish?
No.
It was dry.
Okay.
Did it look black?
No.
It was clean-looking.
I like to say it just had some light-colored fuel deposits on it.
What are fuel deposits, Greg?
I don't think I've ever heard that term.
They're like a real fine buildup.
Kind of like a rock.
They're kind of like cement, but like an alabaster color.
You sure that's not oil?
Yeah, I'm sure it's not oil.
Okay.
Are you consuming?
Does this engine burn oil?
The use of some, but like I said, when I started using the additive, it cut it way down.
Okay.
All right.
So where does it stand now?
What's the question?
I'm still having a little bit of issue with the hot starts.
I'm not getting the black smoke.
And well, I wanted to ask you about the spark plug.
See, the ones I got in there are NGK iridium.
Right.
So I'm suspecting those, but I don't know it.
Well, what kind of, well, let's, let's, what kind of shape is the rest of the ignition system?
And this 75 was the second year for HEI, if I recall correctly.
This has some type of electronic ignition in it, correct?
Yeah, it's got a HEI.
Right.
And, you know, how older the wires, what kind of shape is the cap and rotor in?
If you tell me you replaced it, my next question is going to be, who's worthy?
Was it good quality?
Have you purchased a spark tester from your local auto parts house and look to see, will this thing, you know, will it jump a gap of 40,000?
Will it, will it jump a gap of 50,000?
What, you know, will it produce, will that ignition coil that's 52 years old produce enough spark to fire this cold engine?
You start to get into those conversations in your head.
Right.
Sounds like something worth considering it.
It's got Packard spark plug wires on it.
I don't know if those are any good or not.
I think those are original.
Well, no, I put them on there.
I've changed wire, the plug wires on it twice since I've had it.
Okay.
How long ago did you do them?
Probably been five or six years at least, but it hasn't had that many miles on it.
I mean, Packard's a good product, but again, I would start testing things before I just keep replacing things.
Do you have any kind of a spark tester, Greg?
Let's cut to the chase.
Well, I got the one where I can hold the wire off from the engine block and.
Well, there's, there's, there's a bunch of, there's a bunch.
I don't have one.
I mean, there's a bunch of different ones out there.
You can go down to a parts house and they make it where an alligator clips to the engine is grounded and then the other side plugs into the spark plug wire.
And then you can adjust the gap so you can adjust and see, will it produce 30,000 volts, 50,000 volts, 60,000 volts?
I believe HEI in 75 was producing somewhere between 30 and 50,000 volts and you want to look and see, does it produce that much spark?
Can it produce that much spark?
Right?
Okay.
The other thing, the other thing we're going to want to be aware of, and it's easy enough to do in 75 is can we do some kind of a cylinder power balance test?
You know, get it, get it hot, get it warm, make sure, you know, you adjust the carburetor as good as you can, right?
Does it idle smooth?
If you put a reg, you might take two over the top of the primary side of the carburetor, does the engine choke out?
Does it stall?
Or does the engine speed increase and run smoother?
Meaning, and if it does, that shows me that we've got an internal problem in the carburetor, restricted passageway, fuel inlet problems,
something fuel enrichment that you are cutting off air supply, changing the way it runs, meaning that even though you rebuilt it and put a kit in it,
it really should probably, carburetor should probably go out to somebody that'll do a professional job and flow it on a bench, all right?
Okay.
So putting gaskets in and getting a carburetor professionally rebuilt these days, I think I pointed this out in our first conversation,
could you have a throttle shaft that's worn?
And I'd be amazed if you didn't, that is allowing a leak and causing an air problem.
And that can be the cause of a hard start.
You know, there's not a lot here.
You've got to eliminate ignition.
This is a lawn mower, Greg, right?
Here we go.
We've got to eliminate ignition.
We've got to eliminate compression, mechanical stuff.
And we've got to eliminate fuel.
Have you stuck a vacuum gauge on the engine to see what manifold vacuum is at idle when the engine's warmed up and running?
Yeah, I did.
I just did that after rebuilding the carburetor and it's almost 18 steady idling.
Okay.
That's a good number.
I like the number, right?
You may want to try adjusting mixture with the vacuum gauge on there and play with it a little bit.
What gives you the best results?
Yeah, I did that.
You know, you got to remember, you're dealing with something that's 51, almost 52 years old.
You can follow specs and you can follow procedures, but some things are going to go out the window because some things have worn or aged to the point that it's not accounted for in a factory procedure when the engine in the vehicle was factory fresh, right?
Right.
So a little bit more fuel, a little bit more or less timing, but I've got to cover the basics.
Vacuum, spark capability, and don't just keep throwing parts at it.
And if you have any doubt, try and find somebody that if they do rebuild the carburetor, ask them, do you flow bench test the carburetor?
Meaning they will run a special, a particular fluid through it.
It's not gasoline, but they run a fluid through it that has the same density as gasoline because they're looking for, you know, flow through the ports and they can actually measure how that carburetor will work.
There used to be guys out there that did that.
Most of them are gone now.
All right.
Yeah.
You know, the other option is if you wanted to try it, if you have a local, where did I get it from?
I found a great carburetor for the Monte Carlo through advanced auto parts.
They've got, they're in line with some company that's doing rebuilding.
And I was impressed.
The company that rebuilt the carburetor, the name escapes me.
They're out of Chicago.
Bubble wrap sealed, flow tested.
They did it just right.
So do that.
And you give me a call back and we can kind of go from there.
All right.
Are you running the Quadrajet on your Monte Carlo?
No.
2GC right now.
Okay.
Well, I'm considering putting that on my Chevy band.
I've got one.
Well, I'll tell you what.
Before you do that, Greg, let's get it running right and let's get some of the other things covered first before you start changing parts and making it worse.
Call me back.
I'm Ron and Amy in the car doctor.
I'll return right after this.
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This is Rob Gronkowski from Dudes & Dudes with Grant and Jules.
For the second season in a row, I partnered with T-Mobile's Friday Night 5G Lights,
powering up hometown football across America.
This year, T-Mobile invested over $4 million in prizes to help schools take their Friday nights to the next level.
The votes are in and now it's time to crown our $1 million grand prize winner.
Congratulations to Derrick's High School and Derrick's Arkansas,
home of the Outlaws and your 2025 T-Mobile Friday Night 5G Lights champion.
The Outlaws and their community rallied to help them score a game-changing home field upgrade.
A Grant Fitness weight room makeover, an epic 2026 tailgate party and a VIP trip to the SEC championship game.
To every school that competed, posted and rallied your communities, thank you.
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This season may be over, but the story isn't.
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Congratulations again to Derrick's High School Outlaws.
This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something.
Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea or OSA in adults with obesity?
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Learn more at Don't Sleep on OSA.com.
This information is provided by Lilly, a medicine company.
Let's go to Renee in Maine real quick, 17 Pacifica.
What's going on, Renee?
Yeah, so it started back last year.
Actually, I was driving down the road and this is where it all started is I cracked the subframe on my vehicle just driving and just snapped.
There was no rust, there was no nothing.
After that, we had to have some brakes and rotors all around replaced.
Obviously, we had that done and then most recently, we had to take it in for some kind of like what we thought was the brakes and rotors again.
The brakes and rotors were done back in May, mind you.
There was also almost kind of like a snapping sound in the front end when you would kind of turn.
The guy said that our brakes and rotors were fine, there was no wear or tear on them.
We were like, well, this is what's happening.
When we were braking after a high speed, it would shake consistently.
Steering wheel would shake, Renee.
Yeah, it wasn't really in the steering wheel like you could feel a slight vibration in the steering wheel,
but the biggest area that we were finding that we were feeling it is in the floorboard.
It felt like your foot was going to go through the floorboard.
So was the brake pedal pulsing up and down and you feel it more in the seat of your pants but a little bit in the steering wheel?
No, not at all. The brake pedal seems to be very steady.
Yeah, it feels like it's like under the, like in the floor.
So my concern becomes you had some sort of a subframe repair or did they replace the subframe?
That was completely replaced.
Okay, good. That's really what should be done.
So then the next is how is the rest of the front suspension, tie rods, ball joints, things like that?
Did they go through that?
Yeah, we replaced this feeling that we're feeling.
You can feel it on the passenger side, but you can mostly feel it on the driver side.
We did, while it was in there, getting the brakes and rotors rechecked.
We had both inner and outer tie rod and done on the passenger side.
All brakes, rotors, bushings all look good according to the shop that we're taking.
Okay, so looking at it and measuring it are two different things.
A vehicle can have good looking brake rotors and thick enough brake pads and still have a brake rotor that's out of round.
So here's another thing is because my husband actually did the brakes and rotors himself,
and because of that, our brake pads and rotors were actually still under warranty.
So to make sure that we covered all bases, after the tie rod ends were replaced and we brought it right home,
we took those brake pads and rotors off, we brought them in and we got a brand new set.
And it still does the same thing?
And it's still doing the same thing.
And it only does it when you step on the brake?
Step on the brake or sometimes when we're accelerating up a hill, we notice it starts to jitter a little bit.
The steering wheel starts to shake when you're accelerating up a hill?
A little bit.
But not as bad.
Right.
Okay.
There's two things I'd like to see done to this car.
I would really like to see somebody put a dial indicator, which is a very accurate measurement device,
on the face of the brake rotors and spin it.
It will give them the ability to see if something is out of round and concentric,
meaning that it's spinning square to itself.
So I want to dial indicate the front rotors.
I probably want to dial indicate the front hubs just because this car had a subframe and a bunch of other front end work,
is everything square and where it should be?
And I'd like to do that to the rear of the vehicle.
All right.
Okay.
And then I'd like to make sure do we have, are the motor and transmounts correct
because they had the subframe down?
Is everything tight?
Is everything in line?
And did they do an alignment to this vehicle?
And what does the alignment look like?
Yeah, we did actually, when we had the tie rod ends in there, they did an alignment as well.
Okay.
Then let's do, let's do those things that I just discussed.
And you give me a call back and you let me know what they say and we can go further if we have to.
But I think you're going to find an answer with one of those two tests.
I appreciate it, Renee.
Good luck.
Let me know.
I'm Ron Anani in the car doctor.
I'll be back right after this.
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Any business can add AI.
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This is Rob Gronkowski from Dudes on Dudes with Grant and Jules.
For the second season in a row, I partnered with T-Mobile's Friday Night 5G Lights,
powering up hometown football across America.
This year, T-Mobile invested over $4 million in prizes to help schools take their Friday nights to the next level.
The votes are in and now it's time to crown our $1 million grand prize winner.
Congratulations to Derrick's High School and Derrick's Arkansas,
home of the Outlaws and your 2025 T-Mobile Friday Night 5G Lights champion.
The Outlaws and their community rallied to help them score a game-changing home field upgrade.
A Grant Fitness weight room makeover, an epic 2026 tailgate party and a VIP trip to the SEC championship game.
To every school that competed, posted and rallied your communities, thank you.
And to T-Mobile for making it all possible.
This season may be over, but the story isn't.
Stay tuned for Season 3 in 2026.
Congratulations again to Derrick's High School Outlaws.
This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something.
Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea or OSA in adults with obesity?
They may be happening to you without you knowing.
If anyone has ever said you snored loudly or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues,
it may be due to OSA.
OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep,
which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation.
Learn more at Don't Sleep on osa.com.
This information is provided by Lilly, a medicine company.
Feedback this hour. Todd writes in. Todd's a technician writing in. He says, hey, I'm listening to the show.
I want to tell you for the guy with the Chevy van that the spec is 60 to 80,000 volts.
And if it doesn't jump either one of those or it doesn't jump 80 at a max, then the coil's no good.
I get it. I think some of the early ones were less Todd, but I appreciate the thought.
It's, you know, 52 years ago is a long time, but let's get him started using a spark tester and see if he can do that.
And maybe that'll kind of push things along and help get him going in the right direction.
But I appreciate your sharing your memories, right?
Because that was a while ago. And Dodge writes in talking about the band needs to start playing some different songs.
One of which is Ron's Oil Change is going to cost you.
I think we're going to move Dodge over to the I'm cheap oil change side of things because Dodge doesn't want to pay for service and quality.
Dodge wants to do it the cheap way.
But we say that with love.
Like I know Dodge writes his emails with love because after all, why else would he be listening to the show just to aggravate me?
No, I don't think so.
But any event, I hope you got something out of this hour.
I know I did and I was glad to help everybody where I could.
And I think you've got to remember when we're giving out test specs and we talk about things to do.
And we're just trying to get you guys back on the point of testing, not guessing and trying to, you know, what's good?
What's bad and stop instead of looking just for what's bad till the next time I'm running in the car.
Doctor, good mechanics aren't expensive. They're priceless.
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