Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - November 22, 2025 - Hour 1 - The Most Expensive Repair Is a Broken Relationship - (855)560-9900 24/7 Hotline
Ron Ananian The Car Doctor
Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - November 22, 2025 - Hour 1 - The Most Expensive Repair Is a Broken Relationship - (855)560-9900 24/7 Hotline
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Car
Chevrolet Camaro
The Camaro is a sporty car made by Chevrolet, and the 1968 model is one of the first versions. It's famous for being powerful and stylish, often associated with muscle cars.
Car
Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla is a small car that many people buy because it's dependable and doesn't use a lot of gas. It's been around for a long time, and even older versions, like the 2005 model, are still considered good cars to drive.
Term
wheel bearing
A wheel bearing helps your car's wheels turn smoothly. If it's damaged, it can cause noise and make it harder for your car to drive straight.
Part
battery
A battery in a car is like a storage unit for electricity. It helps start the car and powers things like lights and the radio when the car isn't running.
Term
oil change
An oil change is when the old oil in the car's engine is taken out and replaced with new oil. This helps the engine work better and last longer.
Term
warranty
A warranty is like a guarantee from the car maker that they'll fix certain problems for free if they happen within a specific time or distance you drive.
Brand
Chrysler
Chrysler is a car company that makes various types of vehicles, including family cars and vans. They are known for their comfortable and spacious designs.
Company
Goodyear
Goodyear is a famous company that makes tires for cars and trucks, and they also have places where you can get your tires serviced or replaced.
Part
master cylinder
The master cylinder helps your car stop by pushing brake fluid to the brakes when you press the pedal. If it's not working, you might not be able to stop your car properly.
Brand
Chevy
Chevy is a popular car brand in America known for making many types of vehicles, including cars and trucks.
Term
ABS light
The ABS light is a warning that something is wrong with the car's braking system. If it lights up, it's a good idea to have it checked out.
Term
scan tool
A scan tool is a device that mechanics use to check what's wrong with a car. It connects to the car's computer to find problems and see how different parts are working.
Term
ABS controller
The ABS controller is part of a system that helps your car stop safely without skidding. It makes sure that the wheels keep turning while you brake hard, so you can still steer your car.
Car
GMC Acadia
The GMC Acadia Denali is a fancy version of the Acadia SUV, designed to be more comfortable and stylish, often used by families for its roominess.
Term
global modules
Global modules are parts that can work in different car models from the same brand. They need to be set up for each specific car to work properly.
Car
Ford Escape
The Ford Escape is a small SUV that is great for everyday driving. The 2013 version has different engine choices and is known for being reliable and spacious.
Term
rear differential
The rear differential is a part that helps the back wheels of a car turn at different speeds, especially when going around corners. It makes driving smoother and helps the car handle better.
Term
transfer case
The transfer case helps send power to all four wheels of a vehicle, which is important for driving on rough or slippery surfaces. It's like a part that helps control how the car uses its power to move.
Car
Chevrolet truck
The 1964 Chevrolet truck is a classic vehicle known for its reliability. It's often used for both work and leisure, and many people appreciate its straightforward design.
Car
Chevrolet 64 Chevrolet
The Chevrolet Corvette is a fast and stylish sports car that has been around for a long time, starting in 1953. It's famous for being powerful and looks really cool, especially the older models like the one from 1964.
Car
Austin Healey
Austin Healey is a brand of sports cars from Britain that were popular in the mid-20th century. They are known for their sporty looks and fun driving experience.
Car
Austin Healey Sprite
The Austin Healey Sprite is a classic small sports car from the late 1950s to early 1970s. It's known for being fun to drive and is a favorite among car collectors today.
Company
Berryman
Berryman is a brand that makes cleaning products for cars, like carburetor cleaners. People use their products to help keep their vehicles running smoothly.
Part
carburetor
A carburetor helps engines get the right mix of air and fuel to run properly. It's more common in older cars than in newer ones that use a different system called fuel injection.
Term
Torx stick
A Torx stick is a tool that helps tighten screws or bolts to a specific strength. It's important because using the right amount of force helps keep parts secure and safe.
Term
foot-pounds of torque
Foot-pounds of torque is a way to measure how much force is used to turn something, like a screw. It helps make sure that parts are tightened properly in cars.
Term
torque wrench
A torque wrench is a special tool that helps you tighten screws or bolts to the right strength. This is important to make sure everything stays together safely in a car.
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We all take good care of the things that matter.
Our homes, our pets, our cars.
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You're listening to Ron and Ainean, the car doctor,
nationally recognized auto expert trusted by mechanics,
weekend renters and vehicle owners alike.
Ron brings over 40 years of hands-on experience
and deep industry insight to help you understand your vehicle.
Join the conversation live every Saturday
from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern by calling 855-560-9900.
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You're direct aligned to honest answers and practical advice.
Looking for more?
Visit cardoctorshow.com for past episodes, repair tips
and Ron's latest insights.
And be sure to subscribe to the Car Doctor YouTube channel
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Now start your engines.
The car doctor is in the garage and ready to take your call.
Can we talk about auto repair?
Your relationship with your mechanic, if you have one
and if you don't, boy, that's a glaring hole
as far as I'm concerned.
You know, life is funny, right?
And I think you have to look at this as a bigger picture
because we have to learn to look at the bigger picture.
People are only concerned about things
when it affects them directly.
I don't know how many of us look down the road.
I run into people all week long that just they're only looking
at what's two inches in front of their nose.
They don't look beyond that.
They don't look a foot down the road to see what's coming next.
And I'm wondering, you know, is that a reflection
of how they approach life?
Is that can you see where they are or what's going on
in their lives based on how they take care of their cars?
I know it's a weird analogy, but it's just it's how I think.
Listen, it's what I observe, observational, you know,
intelligence, I call it.
I had a customer walk in.
Well, he's not a customer yet.
He's a consumer, right? What's the rule?
He's not a customer until he actually lets you fix something
and hands you money up until that time.
He's a consumer because he's not sure what he wants to be.
He's taking up time and he's not really sure what he's looking for.
And I actually told this one gentleman, I said,
you're a mechanic's worst nightmare.
And I didn't say it rudely.
I said, but you're a mechanic's worst nightmare
because you're trying to get your car fixed.
The guy that you go to, that you tell me you trust,
told you what it is, but you don't want to listen to him.
And you don't want to do what he told you
because you don't want to spend six hundred dollars on tires.
So now you're going to go around
and find another shop to give you a different answer
in the hope that it's a different result.
I've never met this gentleman.
I still don't know his name.
He gave it, but frankly, I didn't remember it
because I was so flustered and floored by the whole approach.
Do you work on older cars?
Yes, I do. What's what's older?
I have an O5 Toyota.
Well, that's not older, dude.
That's just, you know, and older is a 68 Camaro.
You know, an O5 Corolla is, you know,
it's still it's still a good running vehicle.
It's still, well, to me, it is.
It's still fairly fresh.
I know it's 20 years old,
but I've got this vibration,
whining, humming, noise driving down the road.
OK, and I always ask the question, you know, why did you pick me?
Well, I always go by the shop.
The shop looks neat and clean.
I've heard great things about you
and I wanted to give you a try.
I love it when they say I wanted to give you a try.
I almost feel like I'm on the prices right
and I get to come on down and, you know,
as long as I get within three dollars
and 98 cents of what they're looking for, I get the job.
Hey, what a bargain. Boy, that's great.
So I always ask the same questions.
I swear, you come to the shop, you're going to get the same.
And I'm not I'm not being crabby.
I'm just being real. I want to know who's been working on the car up to this point.
So and so over it, such and such. OK, I know the shop.
He's competent. He's capable.
Not the friendliest guy in the world, but he's capable.
He said it was tires. All right.
Well, why isn't he doing tires?
Well, he doesn't do tires.
Of course, that kind of made my eyes
roll around in my head. How can a repair shop today not replace tires?
But that's just, I mean, that's a big part of anybody's income base these days
because of, well, that's a different conversation.
So I said, so what is it you're trying to do?
Well, I'm trying to, you know, get it diagnosed.
Can you come out and take a look at it?
Listen, we don't go outside and look at much.
All right. We might look at it if it was a customer, not a consumer.
And we knew the car and we weren't going to waste time
because at three dollars a minute that look outside adds up quickly, right?
Because we've established that, right?
Repair shops should charge by the minute, not by the hour in terms of labor.
See, car doctor dated July. Yeah, you get it.
We've talked about this before.
So I told him, I said, look, I said, if it's tires and it doesn't solve the problem
and he tells you tires will fix it, then you've got a, you know,
a reason to go back and question them.
I said, but understand also it could be tires and a wheel bearing
because that's his other concern. Is it a wheel bearing?
I don't know. I've got to look at it.
It's an hour of shop time to really get involved in something.
We've got to go out to the highway.
We've got to put it up in the air.
We're going to listen to it. We're going to take some time.
We're going to stand at the counter and talk to you even even more detail
than what we're doing right now.
And then we're going to take some time
and we're going to come up with a reason and a conclusion
why the car does what it does.
But there's no guarantee that it's only tires or only a wheel bearing
or either of those two or not both of those two.
It's 20 years old. We've never seen the vehicle.
Show me all the service.
And for that matter, show me the service done by the guy that you trust
that you think is a good mechanic.
And that's why you've been going to him all these years.
But now all of a sudden, for some reason, you don't trust them.
I.
Where can I get a good cheeseburger?
Well, you can go down there to that place.
They serve a really good cheeseburger, but I don't eat there anymore.
Why not? Well, I'm not really sure if it's as good as I remember it.
So I'm trying to find someplace else that's maybe a little bit cheaper
because I don't like spending that kind of money on a cheeseburger.
It's sort of like a it's sort of like a bad automotive,
you know, example of who's on first.
It just it just doesn't jive.
He left.
He called me about a half hour later.
When can I look at the car?
And again, I said, and if I tell you, it's tires, are you going to let me
put tires on it? Well, I don't know.
Well, I said, if I tell you, it's tires, and that's the first step.
And then I have to go to step two for whatever step two might be.
Are you going to be OK with that?
I don't know.
I said, listen, I'm happy to take your money,
but it's not going to provide any kind of positive conclusion.
And I don't think you're going to be thrilled because I think I'm just
going to get added to the list of guys that while I let so and so look at it,
but that guy had a pay and I'm not happy about it.
So I'm going to pass until you decide what it is you want to do
and you get it clear in your head.
Auto repairs about the relationship is not about taking money.
It's about earning money.
It's about getting paid, but it's about trying to come to a positive
conclusion and help people because that's what we're here for.
That's what a mechanic is supposed to do.
You've got to learn if you don't.
And I apologize if you do, because I'm not talking just about you.
I'm talking to everybody.
You've got to learn to value your relationships in life.
And you do.
I've got a fireplace company, not a fireplace firewood, right?
Great company.
I can call them up and so, you know, hey, Brader, I need, you know, a cord.
Yeah, no problem, Ron.
I'll drop it off and they're great.
And the woods always good and it's stacked nice.
And, you know, it's it's it's no different than the relationship
I have with my with my barber and the guy at the liquor store
where I buy my holiday wines.
And, you know, it's about relationships.
I don't necessarily look at price.
I like to know maybe ahead of time, certain things, but, you know,
a couple of dollars either way, I don't care because they're meeting my need
and they're reliable and they're honest and they're ethical.
And all the all the things that I look for in relationships, they're there.
But a lot of you don't do that with mechanics.
And I don't understand that.
You think you think most of this industry is a bunch of pirates
with scabbards and one eye patches and they're wearing bandanas around their head
and they're sailing on the on the Jolly Roger.
I think there's more incompetence than dishonesty in order to repair.
But I think there's a lot of good people in this industry
and you've got to give them a chance.
You've got to listen to them.
If you don't, you're going to miss the relationships.
And that's that's important.
Scott came in yesterday.
I haven't seen Scott in, I think it was before COVID.
So that's six years, right?
And I kind of didn't recognize him at first.
He, you know, I have a battery.
Could you put a battery in my Jeep?
It was Friday. I felt bad for him.
You know, normally I don't get involved in customer parts.
But something about it said, yeah, let's just put a battery in and help this guy
because, you know, we'll just, you know, our good deed.
And I started talking to him.
I realized who it was and he's not in the system anymore
because he said, yeah, you have all my numbers and if I just call me when it's done
and I looked it up and I said, geez, God, it's not here anymore.
And he said, well, how can that be?
And I said, well, the computer takes you out of the system
if you're in longer than if you're if you don't return in five years.
It just automatically deletes your file because, you know, it just takes up space.
And he went, wow, it's been five years.
Kind of to the tune of how could it be five years?
You're the only mechanic I trust.
Yeah, but but where have you been?
Well, I keep buying new cars and the dealer keeps doing the oil changes
and doing all my service under warranty.
And, you know, this is the first thing I've ever needed that's out of warranty.
Well, what year is this car? It's a twenty twenty two.
I said, how can a twenty two Jeep that's two and a half years old
with 18000 miles on it?
How could it need a battery and be if it does need a battery?
How is the battery not under warranty?
Well, it might be, but the dealership can't get me in for 10 days.
I can't they can't look at the car until December 4th.
You know, I got to tell you, all right, like any business
and for all my independent business people out there, you guys are aware of this, right?
You've always got room for that one more.
You've always got room for that better customer, that good customer,
that person that might be in trouble, right?
Maybe the guy with the Toyota Corolla,
maybe if his approach was a little bit different.
Maybe if he just said, yeah, I just want to get it fixed.
So you're not wasting time.
You know, I said, Scott, you got to go back and yell at somebody.
I said, is this is this the first time?
I said, no, Ron, he says I bought.
I said, I counted the other day.
I bought something like 20 some odd vehicles over the past 25 years
between me and myself and my family.
He's got a big family.
You know, he's the kids are always driving Jeeps and Chrysler products.
And and I said, so you're a guy that's bought
call it 18 to 20 vehicles in a 30 year time span.
And they can't they can't find a technician to give you a half hour
to put a battery in a car.
That I said, does that seem right to you?
He said, no.
I proceeded to tell him the story about my father
and my father told my mother about and I won't use the word here.
But, you know, he talked about how he was going to go relay the carpet
that he really that he installed five years prior.
And mom said, why?
And dad said, because you only get one chance to annoy a customer
and make him an old customer.
And I told him that story and I said, you know what, Scott?
I said, you're in the verge of becoming an old customer of that
dealership because they don't value the relationship they have with you.
And he looked at me and he said, you know, I never thought of it like that.
I said, but yeah, that's what it's about.
Water repair isn't about fixing the car.
I mean, yeah, that's it is.
But it's about the relationship.
It's it's it's business to business.
Main Street, Wall Street, it doesn't matter.
It's about solving the problem that you're presenting through them
and doing it in a timely manner.
I want you to think about this real hard going forward, all of you.
It's about the relationship.
It's what you and I experience each weekend
when I'm here with you.
It's about what you experience each time you walk into your mechanic,
your doctor, your dentist, your lawyer, all of it.
It's about the relationship.
The product just helps you maintain that.
Eight five five five six nine nine zero zero fired up and ready to go.
I'm Ronan Annie in the car doctor.
I'll be back right after this.
Para los grandes para los chicos para los bajos y los altos
los pacifistas los valientes para los optimistas
y los pesimistas los que valoran lo de adentro para los que están lejos
los que no vende lejos y los que no vende cerca para los introvertidos
y los extrovertidos para los que piensan y los que hacen
para los que nos mostraron el camino Coca Cola para todos.
Combra una Coca Cola en una tienda cerca de usted.
And Doug.
I'll put a horrible call.
Hey Raph open your eyes.
Raph you really not going to call that?
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I don't think you get what we're doing.
Sure I do.
We're all just giving him advice.
You guys on sports, me on saving money.
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Someone will be eliminated.
Pressure is coming down.
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Hey, let's fire up the phones.
855-560-9900, as Tom just said.
Let's go to Matthew in Michigan, 12 Chevy and Palo.
What's going on, Matthew?
I was bleeding my brakes.
I don't know how I got here in it.
OK.
So I took it down to the Goodyear dealer down here,
where I've been going for years.
I think he's a smarter service man.
He told me, he called me and told me to come and get the car
because they put a master cylinder on it and they still didn't have brakes.
So I called about five different Chevy dealers.
And I read in the Haynes that you have to do a Keck 1 brake scan,
which I never heard of.
They said, oh, 200, 209 dollars.
So I had a record to it to this Chevy dealer,
one of the biggest ones here.
They had the car for seven days, charged me $1,072
and put a new master cylinder on it.
And those two brake lines that are oval and up over the map,
he bent them down in there, wedged against each other.
And one is even rubbing on the engine, which I think is poor.
But I said to him, what did you put a master cylinder?
My master cylinder worked great.
So I took the car.
I got just about home and ABS light come on.
So I pulled over the side of the road, shut it off, started it.
It was out.
The next morning I'm going up to Elmham about 50 miles.
I started the car.
It was like a Christmas tree, stable link.
AB, every light on that dash come on.
And what I'm asking you, wasn't it the tech's responsibility
to reset the computer or take those codes out of there?
Yes, but I think there's an additional problem.
All right.
Here's what probably happened that I'm going to take.
I'm going to take a little bit of a guess here.
We know how dangerous that is.
So first of all, they put that master on probably
because they recognized your part as a new aftermarket part.
And they didn't want to trust the brand.
And I get it, all right?
You know, I understand that they should have asked permission first
and they should have said, hey, you know, Matthew, we, we, you know,
we don't recognize this brand as something we normally use, whatever.
We'd like to interrupt it.
The good year, the good he took the master cylinder back off
and put my master cylinder back on.
Oh, OK, OK, OK.
Did they ask you that did they tell you they were going to change the master?
No, no. All right.
So, you know, what what sort of what sort of authority did you allow them?
I mean, you you signed a repair estimate just out of curiosity.
No, no, I I called and I called them
and I asked for the service manager and he said, well,
why would you want to bleed your brakes?
I said, well, I've been bleeding brakes.
I'm 90 now.
I've been bleeding brakes all my life because it's a chemical
that absorbs moisture and everything else.
Then you get lures, the boiling pain and it's unsafe to have
to break for it. Absolutely spot on.
And he said, well, for two hundred and nine dollars,
they would take care of it.
And anyway, my two hundred and nine dollar break
scan came to a thousand seventy two dollars.
You know, eleven hundred.
Let's call it what it is.
One hundred dollars in the car, still not fixed.
Oh, no, no, I have the I have the car.
Oh, when I went to Alma, I went to an independent garage
that I've been going to for twenty three years.
Right. He come out with this.
I never seen one like this, a big scan tool.
And he plugged it in and he started doing things.
And he says, here, watch this.
He clipped it. He said, that's your tech one break scan.
But I said, you didn't go around and bleed the brakes.
But he doesn't say since he done that,
I don't have any lights on on the dash.
Right. And the pedals good.
Yes. Yeah. Yeah.
So so the tech at the Chevy dealership missed something.
Got to call it like it is, right?
You know, the whole idea of what that tech one scan does is
there is air in the ABS controller.
All right. And going back to when you bled the brakes,
somehow you induced air into the system and it got
lodged in the ABS controller and it needed an ABS bleed
in order to be dislodged.
It doesn't happen every time.
It doesn't happen all the time, but it happens.
And that's the procedure that you have to go through.
You know, did you call the Chevy dealer back and say, hey,
I had a problem and I had to take it somewhere else
and get it resolved.
Did they did they offer you anything?
Let me tell you something.
I was so I'm 90.
I was so stressed out.
I thought I was going to have a heart
attack or maybe my heart went back into AFIM.
So I called my heart doctor and they said,
he retired and take three days.
So I went to my, that's why I went to Elm and by the,
I went to my doctor and Elm and they give me EKG
and everything and said I was okay, but I just,
I couldn't face going back there cause I figured
if I did, they'd come up with something else
and charge me another thousand dollars.
Another possibility.
Matthew, I'm sorry you went through it.
I'm glad the car's working out now.
Please, please, please take it easy.
And you know, we'll see you again the next time.
I'm Ronan Annie and the car doctor.
We're back right after this.
LIMU GAME UU
And Doug.
Here we have the LIMU EMU in its natural habitat,
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Fascinating.
It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.
Uh, LIMU, is that guy with the binoculars watching us?
Cut the camera.
They see us.
Only pay for what you need at libertymutual.com.
Liberty, Liberty, Liberty, Liberty.
Saving is very underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company
and Affiliates Excludes Massachusetts.
Para los grandes, para los chicos,
para los bajos y los altos, los pacifistas,
los valientes, para los optimistas y los pesimistas,
los que valoran lo de adentro, para los que están lejos,
los que no vende lejos y los que no vende cerca,
para los introvertidos y los extrovertidos,
para los que piensan y los que hacen,
para los que nos mostraron el camino.
Coca-Cola, para todos.
Combra una Coca-Cola en una tienda cerca de usted.
LIMU, LIMU.
And Doug.
Here we have the LIMU-I-MU in its natural habitat,
helping people customize their car insurance
and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual.
Fascinating.
It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.
Uh, LIMU, is that guy with the binoculars watching us?
Cut the camera.
They see us.
We pay for what you need at LibertyMutual.com.
Liberty, Liberty, Liberty, Liberty, Liberty.
Savings very underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company
and Affiliates excludes Massachusetts.
Doug!
10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness
that will push past physical
and mental breaking points.
You are the fittest of the fit.
Only one of you will leave here
with an iFit contract for $250,000.
This is where mindset comes in.
Someone will be eliminated.
Pressure is coming down.
Ah!
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That Ken Martin band, I'll tell you, they get better every week.
I spoke to them, I spoke to the leader this week,
and they're working on some other music,
so we have a lot to look forward to there.
Let's go over to Billy in Colorado.
Billy, we've got a new vehicle.
Hey, Ron here.
Hey, so all my neighbor's cars are running,
so I actually get to look at one of mine for a change.
OK, fun stuff, yeah.
Yeah, so it's a 2016 GMC Acadia Denali.
I bought it about six months ago from a reputable used car
dealer chain.
And one of the things they worked on under the 90-day warranty
was flaky behavior in the front doors,
particularly the passenger one, loses the lock, mirror,
and window controls all at the same time.
They replaced the switch control modules in both doors.
They replaced the body control module.
They did not replace any of the wiring harnesses.
They didn't finish it under the 90 days
because it was still really intermittent at that time.
Right.
And I didn't want them to make anything worse
by throwing good parts at it.
And also, I wanted to fix it myself once it got solid.
Well, now it's kind of solid.
OK.
And so what I'm getting is a B3205.
OK.
So realize what you've got there
is you've got a giant computer network.
You realize that.
This isn't, and for everyone else's benefit,
this isn't a bunch of switches and modules.
This is modules and motors.
And it's a computer network.
It really is.
Does it set that B3205 all by itself?
Mostly, yeah.
Occasionally, it gets a B1580 and 1590 for the driver, mirror
position sensors.
But I don't have any problems with that mirror.
Occasionally, the driver's door lock stops working.
OK.
One bulletin, you may want to go get your hands on to read
because the 3902.
I'm sorry, the 3205 can also become a 3902.
And there's a bulletin in there that talks about if the modules
were swapped, were they swapped correctly?
Do you know that they put a new BCM in it?
Did they program it?
Was it a used BCM?
Where did they source the BCM from?
I'm pretty sure it was new.
OK.
Get your hands on that bulletin or it's
a preliminary information, 4670.
And it'll talk about swapping modules around to making sure
that they're programmed because something strikes me.
Yeah, we had this module.
Let's put it in.
That's usually where I see that because GMs have global modules
and they're specific to the vehicle.
That being said, all right, once you get past that,
go look at a wiring diagram.
Go look at the two grounds for the driver's door
and the passenger door.
Both grounds are at the bottom of the B pillars.
Cars show any sign of water intrusion or rust, moisture?
Nope, but I haven't pulled up the carpet to look.
OK.
G302 is passenger side and G303 is driver's side
and they're at the bottom of the B pillar.
All right, typically the place where salt and snow
and rust and crud runs off from the boots
and it collects over time.
So just not knowing history.
I just want to make sure I've got grounds
because the rest of it's pretty straightforward.
You've got two red whites going into the passenger that's hot.
You've got the ground we talked about.
You've got a computer data lining.
You've got dark blue and a brown that powers up the motor.
Now, when this doesn't work, have you
caught this in a non-functioning mode yet?
Oh yeah, it's basically Alma.
It's like it's down 90% of the time now.
OK, so you know.
Oh, and the side note, it's down today.
But it actually, the window started working suddenly
when I hit a bump.
Right.
So we've got a connection issue somewhere
is what I'm thinking.
In the passenger door switch side,
not so much the driver's side, the passenger door switch side,
there were problems with the, I believe there's a tan white.
I'm trying to remember, but there's
a problem with one of the wires common
where the connectors got corroded.
Again, it was a moisture problem that led to that.
And then inside the door?
Inside the door at the passenger door switch module.
I keep calling it a switch, but it's not.
It's actually a computer module.
It's way more complicated.
The other question I've got is if you're catching it in the act
and it's dead, whatever it is that's working doesn't work,
then how does it report on the module?
Can you still talk to that module?
Right.
If you can talk to the module, right?
If you can talk to the module, but you can't control anything,
that tells us the module's up, but there's a problem
in the wiring after it leaves the module
to get to that component.
If you get what I'm saying.
Hey, we can talk to the passenger door switch
because it's there, but its output controls
on the data line going over to the BCM aren't clear
because that's how it's communicating to the BCM
and the BCM is doing all the heavy lifting, right?
And I should have a good answer to that question,
but every time it realizes that I'm looking at it,
it starts working again.
Yeah, there's that intermittent thing again, Billy.
But those are the things I would go attack
and take a look at, all right?
And then we can talk again next week.
All right, cool.
Thanks a lot.
I will check this out.
All right, kiddo, you be well.
I'll email you for some of those wiring diagrams.
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, I can send them over to you.
Not a problem.
So have a good Thanksgiving.
You're welcome, sir.
You're welcome.
Yeah, Billy, he gets himself into things.
God bless him, he's always trying.
You know, I wanted to go back to Matthew
before about the brakes.
You know, what he was proving there is,
and I've said this for years, right?
We're talking about relationships
and auto repair and stuff.
A repair shop.
I don't care what the name is on the door.
A repair shop is only as good as the people inside of it.
The guys that are inside those uniforms
that are doing the job and getting it done.
So I've said it, it's a little crude,
but you know, having a great name to hang over your shop,
a well-known national name, whatever it might be,
whatever brand it might be, you know what?
You just had enough money to go buy the franchise,
or you just went out drinking with the guy
who was handing out franchises the night before
and he decided you were drinking buddy
and they were gonna give you the gig.
Doesn't mean you're good.
It's being good in auto repair
means you're trying every day.
And there are no slack days.
There are no off days, so just point of contention.
I would go back, Matthew, if you're still listening
and say, hey, you didn't fix my problem.
Why am I paying $1,100?
So, you know, just a disappointment.
855-5600-9900, run on any of the car doctor.
We are back right after this.
Para los grandes, para los chicos,
para los bajos y los altos, los pacifistas,
los valientes, para los optimistas y los pesimistas,
los que valoran lo de adentro, para los que están lejos,
los que no vende lejos y los que no vende cerca,
para los introvertidos y los extrovertidos,
para los que piensan y los que hacen,
para los que nos mostraron el camino.
Coca-Cola, para todos.
Combra una Coca-Cola en una tienda cerca de usted.
And Doug.
Oh, what a horrible call.
Hey, ref, open your eyes!
Ref, you're really not gonna call that?
Come on!
Hey, ref, why didn't you customize your car insurance
with Liberty Mutual and save money?
I don't think you get what we're doing.
Sure I do.
We're all just giving him advice.
You guys on sports? Me? On saving money?
No, that's not it.
Only pay for what you need
at LibertyMutual.com.
Liberty, Liberty, Liberty, Liberty.
Go!
Ten athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness
that will push past physical and mental breaking points.
You are the fittest of the fit.
Only one of you will leave here
with an iFit contract for $250,000.
This is when mindset comes in.
Someone will be eliminated.
The pressure is coming down.
Trainer games on Prime Video January 8.
Watch the trailer on trainergames.com.
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The best part?
And the best part?
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It's built to grow with your business,
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ちいつも休み...
Kudos to Sanford Daily Huang.
That was really great to hear.
His voice, I haven't heard it in a while.
You know, I should point out
they're not the only one who can talk to him here.
But he likes me. I'm not on the naughty list like you.
And I get to go see him soon. Yeah, I get to go see him soon.
But that's a whole other story. By the way, Tom, I'm putting in for...
I need off for Christmas. I have to go north to see Santa. I just want to wait for him.
Well, good, good. At least you're telling me ahead of time this time. So, you know,
Santa and the elves don't kidnap you out of the studio like they did last year.
Yeah, I understand that. But the magic snow they left behind was good. Really good chocolate chip cookies.
Let's go to Don in Tennessee before we go any further and see what's going on here.
Donald, how can I help you in your 13 escapes here? Welcome to the car doctor.
Don? Don going once.
There he is. I'm here. Yes, sir.
I'm sorry. That's all right, brother. It happens. So, what's going on?
How can I help you? I've got a 2013 Ford
escape and it made a poppin' noise
when it got zero weather about three years ago. It's hard to imagine now.
But I just...
It took me about two months to develop confidence in the car.
Everything worked fine after that. Even the
manual shift worked fine. Right.
But I just wanted to know if I had any long-term effects
about it. You've been driving the car three years since it happened?
Yes, I have. And it hums a little bit.
I may have always done that noise.
Is the hum from the front of the car or the back of the car?
I don't know. It seems like it's inside.
How many miles do you think you've gone in the three years since it made the noise?
It's got about 20,000. It's got 103,000 on it
altogether. Right. I think whatever it was that popped or made noise
was a consequence of something else. I don't think it was something inside the
transit. It was something in the road. There's nothing in the drivetrain
and I'm quite familiar with those cars. We've had a bunch of them in the family.
It's a very good car. Yeah, it's a great car. One thing I want to caution you on
is have you ever changed or looked at the fluid in the
transfer case or the rear differential?
No, I haven't. You may want to. That rear differential holds
a quart and the transfer case holds a pint.
Not a lot of fluid and they're both known to be
failure items and I don't wish. Well, I've got a good
mechanic. I'll let him do that next time I take you.
Let him take a sample of fluid and possibly
and frankly, I would just change the fluid in both
of them. The fluid in the differential is a little tough to get to. He's going to need a real
thin flat ratchet. We've actually made a tool in the shop
to get the fill plug out and we usually take that fluid
out and find that it's great charcoal brown.
No, not at all. Not at all, sir. No, sir. Not at all.
I've got a 64 Chevrolet truck and it's very
simple. Yeah. How could that be, right? It's hard to believe
we've ever made cars like that, right?
You know, I get it, 100%. I look at some
of my older Chevys and I say, did we ever really make these things in mass numbers?
Or were they always this complicated? Listen,
I still remember my father had a friend, Horace White,
big fella and he had an Austin Healy.
Thank you for taking my call. You're very welcome, sir. You be well.
He had an old Austin Healy for everybody else that's
still here. I guess Don had a go. And I remember as a kid
when he brought it by my father's rug store and
he bought it and knew it. It must have been like a 63 or 64
and I remember him opening up the hood and I looked inside as a little kid
and I must have been all seven years old, right? The mechanical curiosity
was born and I looked over the fender and I could see the ground.
I still remember seeing the ground because I looked at him and I said, but Mr. White,
you know, they only sold you half the car. There's a big hole here where he was sitting next to the engine
like I could see the grass that the car was parked on. I don't understand.
He goes, no, no, Ronnie. I was Ronnie then. I'm not Ronnie now.
And he said, you know, it's
open air. That's the way all cars are. I never noticed that before, but I was a 63 bug eye
sprite. You could, I'm sorry, an Austin Healy. You could
get away with that. So just the memories of things gone
by. So speaking of days gone by, somebody was asking me the other day about
carburetor cleaners and cleaning carburetors as long as we're talking about older vehicles.
Berryman, our friends over at Berryman have released their
Berryman chem dip carburetor and parts cleaner. It's
known to be effective for cleaning carburetor parts and throttle bodies. It removes gum, varnish,
fuel residue and other deposits. And it's got a fast acting formula
that in 15 to 30 minutes, it'll help clean things without heat,
aeration or agitation. And it's safe for use with most plastic and metal parts.
So, you know, we're always looking around. We want to rebuild carburetors on our older
cars. Well, Berryman's got the carburetor and parts cleaner, the chem dip as we used
to call it. But Berryman's got the stuff. And you'll
find more at Berrymanproducts.com. So just be aware of that. If you're getting ready to restore
your ride over the winter and rebuild the carburetor, you want to get your hands on some Berryman
chem dip. 855-560-9900
Run an 80 in the car doctor. We're back right after this.
And Doug.
I'll put a horrible call. Hey, Raph, open your eyes!
Raph, you're really not going to call that? Come on!
Hey, Raph, why didn't you customize your car insurance with Liberty Mutual and save money?
I don't think you get what we're doing.
Sure I do. We're all just giving him advice. You guys on sports? Me? On saving money?
Nope, that's not it.
Only pay for what you need at libertymutual.com.
Liberty, Liberty, Liberty, Liberty.
Go!
Ten athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past
physical and mental breaking points.
You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an iFit contract
for $250,000. This is where mindset comes in.
Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down.
Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com
One for sales. Another for inventory. A separate one for accounting.
Before you know it, you are drowning in software instead of growing your business.
This is where Odoo comes in.
Odoo is the only business software you'll ever need.
It's an all-in-one, fully integrated platform that handles everything.
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No more app overload. No more juggling logins.
Just one seamless system that makes work easier.
And the best part? Odoo replaces multiple expensive platforms for a fraction of the cost.
It's built to grow with your business, whether you are just starting out or already scaling up.
Plus, it's easy to use, customizable, and designed to streamline every process.
So you can focus on what really matters, running your business.
Thousands of businesses have made the switch, so why not you?
Try Odoo for free at Odoo.com. That's Odoo.com.
Hey! This runs from my buddy Dodge down in Delaware, Ron.
It seems to me many shops have opted for Torx sticks in lieu of a Torc wrench.
I've been considering going with Torx sticks, but I read in a few articles
to always verify Torx sticks for the Torc wrench.
In that case, that would be the point of the Torx stick.
More tools, I thought I'd ask for the correct perspective.
Well, I tell you what, Dodge. I use both.
I like Torx sticks. They're quick. They're fast.
In the shop, it gives us a base point to work from.
So for everybody that may not be familiar, a Torx stick is a calibrated socket, in a sense.
And they're rated for different tightening, different amount of fastening strength.
So, for example, most GM vehicles, cars, not trucks, would be 100 foot-pounds of torque.
So it's designed to have a twisting action that will apply approximately 100 foot-pounds of torque.
The thing I don't like about Torx sticks is I was always taught, and back in the day
when they first came out, that they counted on the boom, boom, boom, boom, boom of an air-impact gun.
But in the last 10, maybe 15 years, the industry has gone to electric impact guns, cordless stuff, right?
No air hoses. So I've always questioned how accurate are the Torx sticks?
Doesn't matter. We've been using them with our cordless stuff. They work well.
But every time we do it, we still do a torque wrench.
So the Torx sticks at 100, we'll get a torque wrench.
It takes two minutes. We walk around the car, boom, boom, boom, boom.
We know it's tight. We know we didn't forget.
The thing I like about doing it that way, from a personal point of view,
is it gives me peace of mind as a shop owner and as a mechanic working on the car
that I didn't forget to tighten the wheel, because that is a mechanic's biggest nightmare.
A wheel coming off at speed, whew, let me tell you, there's probably not much worse
that shop owners and mechanics lose sleep over at night, you know, worrying
that they didn't get distracted and they did everything.
As far as are they accurate? Yeah, I find them to be fairly accurate.
I've gone back and tried to replace them over and over again,
and I'm told by both of the torque wrench manufacturers that we have the tools for.
They say, nope, stuff's calibrated for life. It never changes.
It never goes out of calibration. And I've got to say, using the torque wrench
always verifies. We set it to 100. It clicks right away.
We know that that stick is accurate and the tire is good to go.
I'm Ron Anani in the car, doctor. Time for me to go.
Good mechanics aren't expensive. They're priceless. See ya.
Everybody knows Shaq, but off camera, he's just a regular guy.
People never believe me when I say I'm just like them.
I take out the trash, do dishes, and I struggle with moderate obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA.
And a lot of adults with obesity also struggle with moderate to severe OSA.
You know those scary breathing interruptions during sleep?
The loud snoring, choking, and daytime fatigue?
I knew I had to talk to my doctor. Don't sleep on the symptoms.
Learn more at Don'tSleepOnOsa.com.
This information is provided by Lily, a medicine company.
She'd throw things, wander, and started hoarding.
Mom's Alzheimer's was already so hard.
But then we found out she had something called agitation that may happen with dementia
due to Alzheimer's disease.
And that was a different kind of difficult.
So we asked her doctor for more help.
Seeing symptoms like these in a loved one,
it could be time to ask their doctor about Rex-Sulti, Rex-Pipra's old two milligrams.
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Rex-Sulti should not be used as an as-needed treatment.
Elderly people with dementia-related psychosis have increased risk of death or stroke.
Report fever, stiff muscles, and confusion, which can be life-threatening,
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Weight gain, increased cholesterol, unusual urges, dizziness on standing,
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Learn more about these and other side effects at Rex-Sulti.com.
Tap ad for PI.
I'm glad her doctor recommended Rex-Sulti.
Talk to your loved one's doctor.
Moments matter.
You are the fittest of the fit.
Only one of you will leave here with an iFit contract for $250,000.
This is when mindset comes in.
Someone will be eliminated.
Pressure is coming down.
This is an iHeart podcast.
Guaranteed human.
About this episode
Ron Ananian discusses the importance of the relationship between vehicle owners and their mechanics, emphasizing that trust and communication are key to successful auto repairs. He shares anecdotes about customers who struggle with trust and decision-making regarding repairs, illustrating how these dynamics can affect outcomes. The episode also touches on the significance of understanding the repair process and valuing the expertise of mechanics, while encouraging listeners to foster better relationships with their service providers.
Original notes
This episode of Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor dives into the one thing most drivers overlook: the relationship with your mechanic. Ron explains why trust, honesty, and communication matter more than price-shopping or chasing second opinions—and how being a “consumer” instead of a “customer” can derail even the simplest repair.
You’ll hear real-world examples from the shop and the show: the tire-avoiding Toyota owner, the dealer who pushed a loyal buyer away, and callers whose problems were solved only after the right relationship was in place.
Ron breaks down how to fix the disconnect: share your service history, respect diagnostic time, be ready for step one before demanding step two, and judge a shop by how it handles problems—not perfection.
Auto repair isn’t just about fixing cars. It’s about the people you trust to fix them.
- Grab your Car Doctor gear – T-shirts & more at CarDoctorShow.com
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Follow the wrench – Instagram @ronananian for shop life & behind-the-scenes
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Watch & learn – Auto repair tips & videos on our YouTube Channel
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Got a car question? Call the Car Doctor Hotline 24/7 – (855) 560-9900
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