Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - October 25, 2025 - Hour 2 - To Restore Or Not To Restore, That Is The Question? - (855)560-9900 24/7 Hotline
Ron Ananian The Car Doctor
Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - October 25, 2025 - Hour 2 - To Restore Or Not To Restore, That Is The Question? - (855)560-9900 24/7 Hotline
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Car
Toyota Land Cruiser
The Toyota Land Cruiser is a large SUV that is famous for being tough and good for off-road adventures. The 1999 version is known for being comfortable and reliable.
Term
brake booster
A brake booster helps you stop your car more easily by using air pressure. It makes pressing the brake pedal easier, so you don't have to push as hard to slow down or stop.
Term
master key
A master key is a special key that can unlock all the doors and start the car. If you don't have it, you might have trouble getting the car to start.
Part
fuel pump
The fuel pump is like a small motor that pushes gasoline from the tank to the engine. If it stops working, the car won't start or run properly.
Car
Ford F-350
The Ford F-350 is a big truck that can carry heavy loads and is often used for work. It's built to be tough and reliable.
Term
turbo diesel
A turbo diesel engine is a type of engine that uses diesel fuel and has a turbocharger, which helps it produce more power while being more efficient.
Term
rear main seal
The rear main seal is a part of the engine that keeps oil from leaking out. If it breaks, oil can spill out, which can harm the engine.
Term
oil pan gasket
The oil pan gasket is a seal that keeps oil from leaking out of the bottom of the engine. If it wears out, oil can leak and cause problems.
Term
sludge
Sludge is a gooey buildup that can form in the engine oil. If it builds up too much, it can cause the engine to not work properly.
Term
varnish
Varnish is a sticky coating that can build up on engine parts if the oil gets too hot or old. It can make the engine work less efficiently.
Term
gaskets
Gaskets are like rubber seals that keep fluids from leaking out of the engine. They help make sure everything stays tight and works properly.
Term
eBay
eBay is a website where people can buy and sell things, including cars. You can often find special or hard-to-find vehicles there.
Term
timing service
A timing service is when you check and replace parts that help keep the engine running smoothly. It's important to do this to avoid engine problems later on.
Part
timing belt
The timing belt is a rubber belt in the engine that helps keep everything moving in sync. If it breaks, it can cause serious engine damage.
Part
water pump
The water pump helps keep the engine cool by moving coolant around. If it stops working, the engine can get too hot and break.
Part
radiator
The radiator is a part of the car that helps keep the engine cool by letting heat escape from the coolant. If it leaks or gets blocked, the engine can overheat.
Car
Land Defenders
The Land Rover Defender is a tough SUV that can handle rough roads and off-road adventures. It's popular because it looks cool and can go almost anywhere, making it great for outdoor activities.
Company
CarMax
CarMax is a place where you can sell your car easily. They help you find out how much your car is worth and allow you to sell it either online or in person.
Car
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is a popular SUV that can carry a lot of people and gear. It's great for families and has different options for engines and features to fit different lifestyles.
Term
brake fluid
Brake fluid is the liquid that helps your car's brakes work. When you press the brake pedal, this fluid helps push the brakes to stop the car.
Term
fuel system cleaner
Fuel system cleaner is a product you can add to your gas tank to help clean the parts of your car's engine that use fuel. It helps your engine run better and can save you gas.
Term
hygroscopic
Hygroscopic means that something can soak up water from the air. For brake fluid, this is important because it can make the fluid less effective over time.
Part
ABS calipers
ABS calipers are special brake parts that help keep your wheels from locking up when you brake hard. This helps you maintain control of your car and stop more safely.
Part
brake bleeder
A brake bleeder is a small valve that lets you get rid of old brake fluid and air from the brake system. This helps your brakes work better and feel more responsive.
Term
hydraulics
Hydraulics is a way of using liquid to help move things. In cars, it's used in brakes and steering to make them work smoothly and easily.
Term
fuel system cleaning
Fuel system cleaning is a way to clean out the parts of the engine that use fuel. It helps the engine run better and use less gas.
Term
tank additive
A tank additive is something you put in your gas tank to help the fuel work better and keep the engine clean. It's like a vitamin for your car's fuel system.
Term
GDI engine
A GDI engine is a type of engine that sprays gasoline directly into the part where the fuel burns, which helps it run better and use less fuel.
Term
port fuel injection
Port fuel injection means that fuel is sprayed into the engine's air intake before it goes into the combustion chamber. This helps the fuel mix better with air for a cleaner burn.
Term
OBD2
OBD2 is a system in cars that helps mechanics check how well the engine is working and find problems by connecting a special tool to the car.
Term
catalytic converter
The catalytic converter helps clean the car's exhaust by changing harmful gases into less harmful ones, making the car better for the environment.
Car
Kia Optima
The Kia Optima is a family-friendly car that looks nice and is easy to drive. It’s known for being affordable and having good gas mileage, which makes it a smart choice for everyday use.
Car
Ford Ranger
The Ford Ranger is a smaller pickup truck that can carry things in its bed and is good for both work and fun. It's been updated recently, so it has new features that make it easier to drive and use.
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Pick up some Coca-Cola at a store near you.
IBM.
Yeah, that's right, Halloween's coming.
And, um, gee whiz.
So, well, I guess we'll be scared tomorrow, right?
The Giants are playing again.
Yeah, I'm a kidding.
And I, you know, I was going to go as Ron Ananian for Halloween.
My wife said, no, too scary.
Forget it.
Well, that's right, because when Ron Ananian shows up, things happen.
So, um, and by the way, Tom, take off your mask.
It's too early yet.
Um, what do you got for me this hour?
Let's see.
You want to go to Stephen, Virginia?
Let's start right there.
Steve, Virginia 99 Land Cruiser wants to restore it.
Steve, want to restore a 99 Land Cruiser?
Yeah, I'm going to do it because I've always wanted one.
Okay.
And I found the unicorn.
It's actually in pretty darn good shape.
All right.
Um, tell me about it.
Well, I actually was a friend's vehicle that they passed away and family used it for intermittent
use over the years.
And then basically seven years ago it got parked because it was having an intermittent
no crank situation.
So I, uh, I got ahold of them and they, they said, Steve, if you, if you really want it,
you're a friend, take it and take a look at it.
So brought it home and what's been done to keep a long story short.
I basically, the brakes were bad.
All the brakes been done over that expensive booster system is all fixed.
Right.
Um, I took all the bad gas out of it.
Did you fix that?
Did you fix the intermittent no crank condition?
What yet?
Well, it's really funny.
You know what that was is they didn't have a master key.
Okay.
So they had a key that would turn the truck over, but the computer wasn't seeing the key.
Got it.
Once I re keyed it, the thing won't look back up.
I had, I did have to replace the fuel pump.
Well, yeah.
And is that, is that a result of, you know, sitting for seven years, but bottom line,
it starts every time now.
Oh, it starts and it runs amazing.
How many miles are on it?
200.
Okay.
And how much you think you're going to, it's going to cost you to restore it.
I'm figuring well,
And what's your idea of restoration?
My idea.
Well, my dear restoration history wise, just to give you an example, bought a 2006 F 350
turbo diesel.
I bulletproof the whole thing went through it front to back.
I love the truck.
It does everything I want.
So basically it'll go up on blocks and every vacuum hose, every here hose, all the fluids.
I mean, everything's getting on everything.
Wet's getting changed.
Everything, everything rubber's getting replaced.
Yes.
Yep.
Okay.
You got to pull the engine.
You know, just from reading forums, that's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about
because, well, actually your introduction basically answered my question because you
can get a half a million miles out of a motor.
Yeah.
I think so.
This particular motor has a history of longevity and there's literally no noise in this engine
when I start it up.
But you know, do you pull the engine?
Do a rear main seal?
Do an oil pan gasket?
Look at the bottom of the pan.
Is there any sludge?
Any varnish?
Clean the pan?
Reassemble it?
Do you put it together?
You know, that kind of thing.
I'm not saying you have to rebuild the engine, but you know, maybe it's at seven years.
Maybe you want to look at some of the rubber, some of the seals, some of the gaskets and,
you know, freshen it up a little bit.
And then, you know, transmission wise, those transes are fairly bulletproof.
But, you know, do a complete fluid replacement, maybe hook up and do a fluid exchange through
the cooler lines.
Yeah.
And, you know, as you say, if it's wet, change it.
If rubber break hose change it, all the belts, hoses, everything, whatever you can get your
hands on at this point.
You can probably get your hands on quite a bit.
Right?
Yeah.
It's actually very, very okay to work on once you remove all the plates on the bottom.
Right.
Right.
Now, now just.
Like I said, if it's a solid truck, I'm actually was kind of amazed that it has, it has basically
no rust.
It has that little bit of surface rust from aging.
Right.
That's really it.
Now, is it, is it, is it an emotional thing, Steven?
I'm asking you this for a question.
Is it because it was your friend's truck or you just like 99 Land Cruisers?
I've always wanted one.
Okay.
Because.
And when this came up, it was, you know, I generally, you know, when a car hits a hundred
thousand miles is when I get a hold of it.
Right.
And then I'm, as far as I'll run them, they go to the grave from my, from my house.
Right.
You know, I don't, I don't know if it's, I don't know where it falls dollar wise.
I don't know what your budget's like.
But it's funny because I have a customer who's a Land Cruiser guy too.
And he was into it this week and we were looking on eBay.
There's one out there on eBay for 45 grand that's done 92,000 miles on it.
Some of the rare options, the tent, some of the different bumpers, some of the different,
you know, add on features.
It's all there.
It's a done vehicle.
And my point becomes, and I don't know, you know, listen, we all like working on hot rods.
Right.
But just got, I got to be devil's advocate and point out that you can probably buy what
you're going to do done and not, not have the aggravation and spend your time driving
rather than fixing just something to think about.
That would be my only point to bring up and, you know, let it go from there and you can
probably sell this for what you've got in it and recoup your costs.
Now, if you tell me, Hey Ron, it was my buddy's truck and I want to drive it because he had
it.
You know what?
There's no argument with that.
That's a completely different.
That's an emotional issue and that's a completely different reason to own a vehicle.
And I never, I never quibble over that.
Yeah.
And I, I, I am faced with the frustration of being 68.
And actually, I enjoy working on the cars.
Right.
And, you know, to the, to the other point at 68, do we really want to start spending
weekends doing this?
Wouldn't we rather be driving than fixing?
Well, well, to be honest with you, with this one, I was sort of pushing for my next point
on this was I'm going to do, I've got it running.
Do I need to get crazy?
I am going to try and change all the stuff over and do a timing service on it.
And at that point, I was going to drive the thing for a while before any other stuff.
Just to see how strong the engine ran, how the training felt, all the, all the stuff.
I just want to drive, you know, would that be a reasonable course of action with this
thing?
If you're, if you're planning to keep it, because if you're doing a timing belt, you're
doing a timing belt, water pump, idler's tensioner, radiator, radiator, right, radiator from
actually looking into the heater cores, the entire super match.
Well, you know, you start doing heater cores, you're taking the dash out of the truck, you're
you're going a little, you know, on a vehicle that are you going to keep it or not, you've
got to make a decision, you're either keeping it and going all the way or you're going to
sell it and stop right where you are and buy something else that's a running vehicle with
less mileage and you'll spend more time driving and less time fixing.
And that's the bottom line.
Yeah.
But, you know, it's, it's, it's the emotional question, you know, it's your buddy's truck
and that's, you know, that's where things kind of fall apart.
I can listen.
I sold black one, black one was the first 55 Chevy I ever, I had that I brought to,
you know, completion, did it when I was a kid, 17, 18 years old.
And I had that car forever.
That car's on Long Island now.
Somebody came along offered me 10 grand for it when it was in pieces 12 years ago, gone.
I put that money towards black two, which is, I just built black one all over again.
It's identical.
And it kind of is.
I didn't, I didn't, I didn't cut the wheel wells because black two, the wheel wells defenders
are just perfect.
I mean, it was a perfect car.
It was a 36,000 mile original car.
My point is, and everybody says this to me all the time, you know, if you could get rid
of that, I can get rid of mine.
Right.
You can just recreate your childhood memories.
So is it that we're hanging onto this because it's a memory or are we hanging onto this
because we're just emotionally attached and someone resolved, you know, trauma in our
head that we've got to hang onto it because it was so-and-so's truck, but now that's the
emotional aspect for me is in what I actually want something that I can work on to drive
long-term.
Then by the, you know what, so you say I'm into it, yeah, I'm definitely into it directly.
Then you know what, just, just look around at the rest of the market, go out on eBay,
see what else is out there.
There are some interesting ones with the shower option, with the tent option, some of the rare
stuff that Land Cruisers have, had, do have, and so on.
And then decide, okay, you know what, for me to get to that $45,000 vehicle, I got to
spend $60,000.
Well, I don't want to do that.
I'll go buy the $45,000, but if I can spend $10,000 and get to the $45,000 vehicle, then
that's probably worth doing, $45,000 vehicle, right?
Yeah.
I was actually, what's your experience with these?
Have you seen them as a very reliable, dependable vehicle?
They have been.
Yeah.
They're, they're very much in demand.
Everybody loves them.
They have, there's a huge market for them overseas, and that's generally where they
go.
As a matter of fact, it's, it's a little difficult to purchase a newer one, and the younger ones
all seem to have disappeared.
So yeah, there's huge demand, but you've just got to resolve it in your head.
You've got to look at it from a cost point of view.
And let me tell you, it's a lot more fun to drive them than it is to work on them on
a non-stop basis.
And it just starts to snowball that.
I'm just going to do a timing belt and a radiator and oh, a heater core, and all of
a sudden you're a couple of $3,000, $4,000 in parts and a couple of long weekends and
months and so you've got some thinking to do, Stevie.
I can't solve that for you, but it's not a bad idea.
Just isn't the right idea.
855-560-9900, we'll return right after this.
When you own your own business, you own every decision.
Catch the red eye or take the 6 AM.
Make a new hire or promote internally.
Celebrate a win with a toast at the gate or unwind at the lounge.
Big props to this team.
Some decisions are a win-win.
Like earning eight times points on Chase Travel, introducing Chase Sapphire Reserve for
business with $2,500 in annual value, it's the business card that gives back all you put in.
Visit chase.com slash reservebusiness to learn more.
Cards issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank and a member of DIC subject to credit approval terms apply.
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This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something.
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You know, Tom, I was listening to the promo there when we were on the pause and
you don't see Texaco stations anymore.
It's kind of funny.
I just looked it up.
They're still out there, but there's like only in 16 states where they used to be nationwide.
It's like them and ESO.
You don't see ESO that often either.
Well, ESO became Exxon, didn't it?
Well, not in most of the United States, but like if you go down to the Virgin Islands,
they have ESO stations, not Exxon stations.
Interesting.
Yeah, you know, gas stations have passed.
But anyway, yeah, the Texaco Star, because I actually worked at a Texaco as a kid.
That's what kind of got my attention.
So that was good.
Let's go to Ralph in Virginia, 22 Ford Explorer.
How can I help you today, Ralph Ronaninian at your service?
Yes.
Thank you, sir.
You're welcome.
So bought a new Explorer in 23 or 20 and took it in and for oil change.
And they want to do 30,000 mile maintenance and wanted to change the brake fluid.
So you're talking about maintenance and changing fluids.
Yep.
And I was thinking, I don't know about brake fluid.
So I wanted to get your opinion on that.
And then also about a fuel system cleaner.
It's like, oh, I can just buy something from the auto parts store and put that in.
Sure.
Is that the same or is there something different?
Not really.
Good questions.
Great questions.
So let's do brake fluid first.
Brake fluid, the college word is hygroscopic.
It absorbs moisture.
It absorbs anywhere from 3% to 6% moisture per year, depending upon environment.
So in theory, you could see brake fluid displaced up to 10% in a two year time period
by moisture.
Moisture and brake fluid will affect its hydraulic ability, right?
If we thin it out, it's just not going to have that same feel.
That's number one.
So it affects brake system performance.
Number two, moisture in a brake system in terms of ABS calipers or caliper pistons
can cause rust over the long haul moisture induced fluid.
So when we're doing a brake fluid flush or replacement, we're trying to get out all the
old fluid to put in fresh so we eliminate the moisture problem.
Makes sense?
Yes, sir.
Okay.
Now the way I like to do brake fluid flushes or fluid exchanges is I like to work the hydraulics.
And I've seen everybody, they'll have their suckers and their pushers.
And you know, I use a simple, I just have a big plastic cup with a rubber hose and a binder
clip.
I cut a long piece of rubber hose.
I pigtail, curly cue it into the cup.
I'll put about an inch of brake fluid on the bottom of the cup.
I'll binder clip the hose to the cup so it doesn't flop around.
Put the cup on the ground.
I'll put the rubber hose to the brake bleeder, open the bleeder up and I'll get in the vehicle.
I will have at this point sucked out as much brake fluid out of the master as I can.
I will have put as much fresh fluid in as needed and I will stroke the pedal 10 times.
The reason I like doing it this way is I'm physically working the hydraulics.
I'm moving everything, right?
I'm not just passively pulling or pushing fluid through a path.
I'm actually moving pistons and actuators and making the brake system do the work.
I will repeat that process going around to all four wheels, refilling the master and so on until
I'm done and I've got clear fluid all four wheels.
To me, that's a real brake fluid exchange.
That's impressive.
You will find a better brake pedal out of that, right?
You will find a better and it's what's really amazing and it's kind of shocking.
I do this with the white plastic cup because white's a great color.
You then take the white cup and you show it to the customer and I pour it out in front of them
and all the little crud and sediment and you go, I don't know what it is, but that can't be good.
That's not supposed to be in a brake system.
That to me is a brake fluid exchange.
That's the right way to do it.
Fuel system cleaning, we do tank additive at every oil change, Ralph.
Tank additive is a vitamin shot.
It's a maintainer.
It may or may not make it much better, but it's not going to let it get any worse,
if you know what I'm saying.
Maybe over time, a tank additive, but it's not a complete substitute for an actual
hookup to the fuel rail, clean the injectors, clean the rail, clean the pistons type of a repair.
The other thing to be aware of is on a GDI engine, gasoline direct injection,
a fuel system cleaning where you hook up and clean through the injectors
doesn't clean the intake valves.
Why is that?
It used to be that, and I believe you have a GDI engine in your 22 Explorer.
I think I have to see which engine that is.
But the problem is on a gasoline direct injection engine, you inject fuel just like the name
implies directly into the cylinder.
You bypass the intake valve.
Engines of five years prior were port fuel injection.
You had the injector sit behind the intake valve, so the injector was always spraying on the valve.
It tended not to build up carbon, but when you cleaned it, you were pushing cleaner directly
on the valve, helping wipe away any carbon buildup that showed up on the valve or the valve seat.
Makes sense?
And that's a huge difference.
I'll tell you what, Ralph, stay put.
I'll come back.
It'll just be a couple of minutes.
We'll finish up.
I'm Ron Anani in the car doctor.
Yeah, there's a difference, right?
GDI, port fuel injection.
What does it all mean?
Well, we're going to talk about it with Ralph and the rest of you right after we get back from this
pause.
Don't go anywhere.
I will return.
When you own your own business, you own every decision.
Catch the red eye or take the 6 a.m.
Make a new hire or promote internally.
Celebrate a win with a toast at the gate or unwind at the lounge.
Big props to this team.
Some decisions are a win-win.
Like earning eight times points on Chase Travel, introducing Chase Sapphire Reserve for business
with $2,500 in annual value, it's the business card that gives back all you put in.
Visit chase.com slash reserve business to learn more.
Cards issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank, any member of DIC, subject to credit approval, terms apply.
Restrictions and fee may apply.
See carmax.com for details.
This information is provided by Lily, a medicine company.
I bet you Rush Limbaugh didn't have his own rock and roll band.
Let's go over and let's go back to Ralph.
Ralph, so we were talking about GDI and port fuel injection, right?
So the idea is that that port fuel would wash the valve.
So when you did a fuel system cleaning, you would spray directly onto the valve,
clean the injector, get the top of the piston and you're good.
GDI, you're going to miss the valve.
You might get some of the piston tops, right?
And it's important because it seems that GDI engines have a characteristic the industry has
learned where they will have crankcase ventilation problems and leave oil deposits on piston tops.
Subsequently, and also, you know, if we've got any sort of valve guide,
seepage issues will be crediting up the intake valves very quickly.
So it's important to do fuel system cleaning, but do it properly.
That being said, how they do it is just as important as doing it.
Yeah, tank additive is good, but doing a formal fuel system cleaning properly.
You know how I know a shop is lost, right?
I'm probably the worst guy to go into other shops because I watch how other shops do things.
They'll bring a car in from the outside and stone cold, they'll do a fuel system cleaning.
Does that sound right to you, Ralph?
Not really.
Right, because when this complete combustion occur, when the fire is roaring,
right, things are warmed up, we're up and awake, and I see this.
When I do a fuel system cleaning, I'll, you know, get the car warm,
and then I'll start adding my juice, as I like to say.
And I will vary the speed. I won't always do it at idle.
I'll bring it, I'll let it idle a little bit. I'll bring it up off idle.
I've got a scan tool hooked up. I'm looking at OBD2.
I'm looking at cat temperature, right, because I want the cat to be clean,
but I want the cat at its most efficient temperature range,
or in its most efficient temperature range, because it's fuel system cleaning.
It requires heat. It's not just a matter of spraying chemical on,
and I've gotten some very good, much better results doing it this way,
but it's all part of maintenance. It's all part of what should be done.
All right, so they're not wrong for selling you that.
A typical 30,000 mile service to answer the question directly
is an oil change, air cabin filters, brake fluid flush, tire rotation, fuel system cleaning,
peak at wiper blades, a general chassis inspection, wiggle the front end,
and a road test. That's real. You know, and that's, that's typically what most vehicles
need at 30,000 miles. All right.
Right. So what, so how do you find a good mechanic that will flush your brakes like
you're talking about and do the fuel clean? Talk to them.
Talk to them. You got to, you know, it's, it's a process.
It's, you got to look down side streets and back alleys. All right.
Right. And you've got a couple places and had to bring it back for rework.
Yeah. Like, so, okay, maybe I should just go to the dealer because at least
they could have some trained knowledge. You know, so, you know, when, when family members
call in and there are other parts of the country and they can't get to see dad or Ron,
depending on who they are in the relationship with me, you know, they'll say to me,
I'm going to go to the dealership. What do I want to look for? What do I want to ask for?
You want to talk to the service writer? Does the guy pay attention? Does the person pay attention?
Do they answer your questions? You know, how do you do a fuel system cleaning? Are you,
are you concerned about, you know, doing it on a cold vehicle? Are you following whatever the
manufacturer calls for? How are you doing to break flush? Right? Do you do it by time? Do you do it
by how much fluid you get through it? You know, what's your procedure? I'm curious.
A good mechanic, a good shop. My God, I had a woman come in this week, brother. I spent
the better part of 25 minutes explaining everything we were going to do and I loved it.
It was great. And she turned around and she said, I can see what my husband listens to you on the
radio. This was like my own radio show. I said, yeah, kind of sort of. But you know, it's a good
shop. We'll explain it to somebody that wants to know. And I think it's, I think it's part of their
obligation. But you've got to know what you're looking for too. You know, are dealers the place
to go? I think there's great dealers out there. I think there's bad dealers out there. I also think
there's, you know, good independence and bad independence. So just, just something to be
aware of. I appreciate the call. You be well. Let's go over to Phil in Delaware. See what's
going on here. Phil, welcome to the car doctor, sir. Good afternoon. Thank you for taking my call.
You're welcome. What's going on? I was telling your producer I've got a 2013 Buick LaCrosse.
It's got 56 or 57,000 miles on it. Right. It was my mother's car. Right. My daughter now has it.
Right. She's got noise apparently in the front wheel bearings. Okay. Both of them?
Calling. Both of them, Phil? She said the driver's side is worse than the passenger's side. Nah,
we had Jack to car up and everything. And I hear a little bit. But
it's, she said, when you're driving it, you hear it more tie rod ends are tight, all that.
And when Jack to car up rotates a tire wheel and you're hearing something, but to me,
it almost sounds like a brake issue, not a wheel bearing issue. But she said,
Dr. Google said that apparently the Buick LaCrosse has a history of doing this.
Listen, they all have a history of chewing up wheel bearings. You can't use the Google
universe to decide if a car has a broken part based on, you know, you'll spend a lot of money
where you don't have to. So the simple way to do this is you got to get it up in the air. I don't
know if Jack stands are high enough. It's got to go on a lift and you're either going to have
somebody sit in the car and run the car 20, 30, 40 miles an hour at varying speeds and listen with
a $20 mechanic stethoscope or you're going to make it high tech and involved and have analysis
paralysis, use some sort of fancy vibration analysis tool, drive down the road and listen to it.
Once you know wheel bearing, and you'll know right away, once you know wheel bearings are quiet,
then you can go somewhere else. If the wheel bearings are noisy, you got to fix those first,
and then while it's a part, take a look at the brakes and consider it from there. I mean,
that's the only way you can really approach that. So yeah, that's what I told her. I said,
I just, Dr. Google, don't, you know, that's not the thing to trust. I mean, there's something
it's handy. It's handy. It's handy if you want to know a sport score, if you want to know statistics.
As far as what's broken on the car in the driveway, it's a calculated guess. It's not that smart.
I'm used to doing a truck wheels and I get no motion out of that wheel other than it spinning.
There's no side to side, there's no back and forth, there's no tilt, nothing like that.
Yeah, you won't, you won't, Phillip. You won't get any lateral movement in a bad wheel,
or a noisy wheel bearing out of a lot of the cars today. You will if you drive it long enough, but
initially, you know, and I've changed hundreds of wheel bearings, I could probably say less than
five ever had any real wiggler movement in them. So just, just something to be aware of.
And just, just, just shock maker that, you know, like I said, with, with fifty-some
thousand miles, fifty-six, seven, seven thousand miles on it. It takes one, it takes one pothole,
brother. You know, it takes one pothole when, you know, one good curb hit, one good slide in
the wrong direction and bang away you go. So this is true. All right, sir. Thank you so much, sir.
Oh, real quick, real quick. Kia 2015 Optima. I was looking all over the place for the engine size,
but anyway, backside of the engine is the manifold mounted O2 sensor. Okay. And below that is another
sensor on the exhaust pipe. And there is oil. What looks to me like the valve cover gasket
is leaking. Right. Fifty, it's got fifty-six thousand on it. Okay.
Dude, have you heard anything about them as far as dry rot in the gaskets?
Well, it's 11, it's 11 years old, kiddo. It's 11 years old. It's got 60,000 miles on it. It's
due of valve cover gasket. Not the end of the world. Okay. All right. Not the end of the world.
I was just wondering because that's, that's where, that's where it looks like it's coming from.
Right. Now, now. The valve cover gasket's wet. Before we, before we try to outdo Professor Google,
the most important part here is wash it down, add some fluorescent dye. If we were in the shop,
proper procedure. Wash it down, add some fluorescent dye. Where do we see the dye?
Valve cover. Great. Let's put a gasket in it somewhere else. Let's diagnose that. And the
last thing I'm going to leave you with, Phillip, is it's 11 years old. It's got about 60,000 miles
on it. Make sure whatever crankcase ventilation system the vehicle has is operating properly.
And the orifice tubes, if it has them, are clear so that you don't have similar problems. But
chances are this is just an older car with dried out gaskets. 8555609900. The car doctor will
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This is Rob Gronkowski from Dudes on Dudes with Grant and Jules. For the second season in a row,
I partner 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
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isn't. Stay tuned for Season 3 in 2026. Congratulations again to Derrick's High School Outlaws.
So we are back. Let's do an email. This is from Sam from a week ago. Hey, Ron. Sam,
we've talked on the show before. York, Pennsylvania, I'm slightly confused again. That's okay, Sam.
This time it's about the proper type of transfluid for a 2010 Ford Explorer,
Eddie Bauer, four-liter VIN, and he gave me the VIN, and I got to tell you, Sam,
the VIN didn't match anything, so something's wrong with that. But anyway, transcode is V.
I believe this is an LV or equivalent vehicle. I've seen some of the online parts stores listed
as Mercon 5. I'm doing a filter change and solenoid pack replacement and had some odd shifting in the
codes P0775 and 735. Solenoid B had a different home reading than the others. Bravo, right? The
fact that you looked at all the solenoids and realized that they should all read the same,
and they don't. So chances are we've got a bad solenoid here. I have the replacement
solenoid pack and filter, torque specs, and sequence. Any guidance on proper fluid is appreciated.
There is no dipstick, so it doesn't have the type or calls for what kind of fluid to put in it.
Thanks for your time, Sam. Yeah, a lot of vehicles don't have dipsticks today, and we don't use,
we don't want to use dipsticks to tell us what kind of fluid the vehicle should have. And here's why.
Why do you find the vehicle that it tells you to use XYZ fluid? And a bulletin came out
six months or a year later after the vehicle was in production, and it told you to use different
fluid. So we always want to go to an information source. We really do. It's just that critical.
Now, that being said, in your case, if this is a five-speed automatic, it's a Merck 5 car.
That's how I remember it. If it's the six-speed trans, which chances are it's the six-speed,
and it's very simple, just go through the gears. How many gears does it have? If it's a six-speed,
it's an LV car, all right? And it's important. It's very important to have proper fluid because
of the additive packs that's in there, okay, for whatever shift qualities they're trying to create,
for whatever shift characteristics. I'll tell you what, if they come up with any different or
any more, am I saying that properly? If they come up with any more different types of trans fluids,
I'm going to have to add a bigger wing to the shop because I can't store any more fluid than
I'm storing now. I've got to have 17 different types of transmission fluid in-house, and we still
don't use it all, and we still order different stuff. And I don't subscribe to that, you know,
one type of trans fluid works on everything. I think transmissions are way too complicated.
I think it'll work on coolant. I've had some success with some of the coolants, the universal
stuff. They work well. That's a matter of, you know, it's a different animal in one sense, but
trans fluid, I like using the specific stuff, doesn't have to be, it does not have to be OE,
but it's got to be rated for that particular transmission engine combination. So, you know,
but that should be, if that's a six-speed, Sam, that should be an LV vehicle, and I would verify it
through some sort of electronic information system. All data, or Mitchell, or Identifix,
something, but don't count on the dipstick. Counting on the dipstick, that's a no-no,
because like I said, you'll see cars where the dipstick says one thing, and six months a year
after the vehicle was out on the road, the factory decided to call for something completely different.
855-5600-9900, Ron Aining, the car doctor, coming back to wrap it up right after this.
Any member of DIC, subject to credit approval, terms apply.
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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 Derek's High School and Derek'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 Derek's High School Outlaws.
I want to finish out the hour talking about Steve's comment a couple of calls ago about,
you know, finding a good mechanic and how do you do that? I think you have to know what you're
looking for, all right? And, you know, is it price? Because price is a tough one. Order repair gets
expensive. It just does. But, you know, there's an old saying that says, you know, if you think
a good mechanic is expensive, try a bad one and, you know, see where that gets you. And,
you know, what are you looking for? I think the easiest thing to judge a mechanic on
is the oil change. And I think you have to look at it and you have to look at what they're doing
and how they do it, all right? I don't think an oil change is supposed to be cheap. I don't see
how it can be cheap. A good oil change, an oil change done properly, prove me wrong, right,
is typically somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes. It just is. Sometimes they're longer. Change the
oil on a 2019 Ford Ranger 4-cylinder. The left front tire in the inner skirt panel has to come
down to get to the filter. It's the dumbest oil change in the whole world, all right?
So many cars today have lower body panels that you have to lower and remove to gain access to
anything. So, the faster we make everybody work trying to do it cheap, the more mistakes are made
or the less parts go back on. This Ranger was the first time customer with us. They'd been going
somewhere else and we got to put the three, you know, there was four, four missing clips holding
the splash shield on the left side that covered the filter that the factory had there, but the
other shop felt like it wasn't important to put back. They couldn't do an oil change, right,
which brought the person to our door in the first place. So, give them something simple to do.
Let them do it on a repetitive, you know, nature. Don't look at the price. Look at how well do
they do it. And then, you know, you'll get to know them and you'll get to see what goes on.
Look around the shop. What's in the shop? Is it filled with dusty old books? Hey,
I got a pile of dusty old books, but I've got every electronic information system known to man.
Talk to them. You'll learn to know and how to pick a mechanic just like you pick a doctor,
a deli, a pizza maker, and everything else that you've got in your life that's important to you,
but picking a mechanic is hard. I understand it, but give them a shot, give them a chance.
If not, move on. There's plenty of places out there. Till the next time,
I'm Ron Anani and the car doctor reminding you, good mechanics aren't expensive. They're priceless.
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About this episode
Ron Ananian dives into the complexities of vehicle restoration, focusing on a listener's 1999 Land Cruiser project. The discussion explores the emotional ties to restoring a friend's vehicle versus the practicality of purchasing a ready-made option. Ron emphasizes the importance of thorough maintenance, including engine checks, fluid changes, and the potential costs involved. The episode also touches on brake fluid maintenance and the differences between fuel injection systems, providing valuable insights for car owners considering restoration or maintenance decisions.
Original notes
-
🎃 Open: Halloween banter sets the mood before diving into calls.
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🚙 ’99 Land Cruiser: Caller plans full restoration; Ron weighs the costs, effort, and emotional value vs. simply buying one already done.
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🧰 30K Service: What real maintenance includes—oil and filters, tire rotation, brake fluid flush, and a full inspection.
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💧 Brake Fluid Flush: Why moisture matters and how to do it right—by hydraulically working the system, not just suctioning fluid.
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⛽ Fuel Cleaning / GDI vs. Port Injection: Tank additives are maintenance; full cleanings must be done hot with varied RPMs for results.
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🔊 Buick LaCrosse: Diagnosing wheel-bearing noise properly—use a lift and stethoscope, not “Dr. Google.”
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🔧 Kia Optima: Typical valve-cover gasket seep from age; confirm with dye and check crankcase ventilation.
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👨🔧 Finding a Good Mechanic: The oil change is your test—quality, reassembly, and clear explanations matter more than price.
- Grab your Car Doctor gear – T-shirts & more at CarDoctorShow.com
-
Follow the wrench – Instagram @ronananian for shop life & behind-the-scenes
-
Watch & learn – Auto repair tips & videos on our YouTube Channel
-
Got a car question? Call the Car Doctor Hotline 24/7 – (855) 560-9900
-
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