Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - October 4, 2025 Hour 1 - The Remote Roller Coaster
Ron Ananian The Car Doctor
Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - October 4, 2025 Hour 1 - The Remote Roller Coaster
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Car
Honda Fit
The Honda Fit EV is a small electric car that doesn't use gas, making it better for the environment. It's great for city driving and helps save money on fuel.
Part
Mass Air Flow Sensor
The Mass Air Flow Sensor is a part that checks how much air is going into the engine. This helps the engine get the right amount of fuel for good performance. If it's broken, the car might not run well.
Car
Nissan Kicks
The Nissan Kicks is a small SUV that is great for city driving. The 2020 version has a nice look and comes with some cool tech features.
Car
Nissan 2020 Nissan
The Nissan 200 SX is a small, sporty car that people like because it's fun to drive and can be customized easily. It was popular in the 1990s for its speed and style.
Term
P0101
P0101 is a code that shows there's a problem with the Mass Air Flow Sensor. It means the car's computer noticed something wrong with how air is getting into the engine.
Term
OBD2
OBD2 is a system in cars that helps you check if everything is working properly. It lets you connect a tool to read any problems the car might have.
Term
fuel trim
Fuel trim is how your car's computer changes the amount of fuel it uses based on how well the engine is running. Short-term fuel trim is for quick changes, while long-term fuel trim is for changes over time.
Term
calculated load
Calculated load is a way to measure how hard your engine is working. It helps mechanics figure out if something is wrong with the engine's performance.
Car
Toyota Highlander
The Toyota Highlander is a family SUV that has a lot of room inside for passengers and cargo. The 2024 version has updated features and is designed for comfort and safety.
Term
supercharger
A supercharger is a part that helps the engine get more air, which makes it more powerful. It helps the car go faster by giving it extra power when needed.
Term
turbocharger
A turbocharger is a device that uses the engine's exhaust to help pull in more air, which allows the engine to burn more fuel and produce more power. It's a way to make an engine more powerful without making it bigger.
Term
oil changes
An oil change is when you replace the old oil in a car's engine with new oil. This is important because it keeps the engine running well and helps it last longer.
Term
trans fluid
Transmission fluid is a special oil that helps the car's transmission work properly. It keeps everything running smoothly and helps the car change gears.
Part
front transfer case
The front transfer case is a part of some cars that helps send power to the front wheels. It's important for keeping the car stable and moving well, especially in tough driving situations.
Term
fuel system cleaning
Fuel system cleaning is a service that helps keep your car's engine running smoothly by cleaning out dirt and gunk from the fuel system. It's important for maintaining performance, especially in certain types of engines.
Term
direct injection engine
A direct injection engine is a kind of engine that sprays fuel directly into the part where it burns, which can help it run better and use less gas. However, it might need more cleaning to keep it working well.
Term
fuel system cleaner
A fuel system cleaner is a special liquid you can add to your gas tank to help keep the engine clean. It helps remove dirt and buildup that can make the engine run less smoothly.
Term
electric solenoid
An electric solenoid is a small device that uses electricity to move parts in a car. Here, it's used to help control how fast the engine runs when the car is idling.
Term
octane ratings
Octane ratings tell you how well a fuel can handle pressure without causing engine problems. Higher numbers mean the fuel is better for powerful engines.
Term
pre-ignition
Pre-ignition is when the fuel in the engine ignites too early, which can cause knocking sounds and potentially harm the engine.
Term
detonation
Detonation is when fuel explodes in the engine at the wrong time, which can damage the engine. It's usually caused by the wrong type of fuel or timing issues.
Part
idle solenoid
An idle solenoid helps control how fast an engine runs when it's not being accelerated. It adjusts the fuel and air mixture to keep the engine running smoothly.
Term
AC car
An AC car is one that has air conditioning. When you turn on the AC, it makes the engine work harder, so sometimes the engine speed needs to be increased to handle that extra load.
Concept
carburetor
A carburetor is a part of older cars that helps mix air and fuel so the engine can run. It's like a blender for the fuel that goes into the engine.
Car
Chevrolet Camaro
The Chevrolet Camaro is a sporty car that many people love for its speed and cool looks. It's been around since the 1960s and is often compared to another popular car called the Ford Mustang.
Car
Toyota Sequoia
The Toyota Sequoia is a large SUV that can carry many passengers and is good for driving on rough terrain or off-road.
Term
four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive means that power goes to all four wheels of the car, which helps it grip the road better, especially in bad weather or off-road conditions.
Term
front axle
The front axle is the part of the car that connects the front wheels and helps them turn and move, especially important in cars that can drive all four wheels.
Term
front differential
The front differential helps the front wheels of a car turn smoothly. If it's locked, the wheels can't turn at different speeds, which can make turning difficult.
Car
Dodge 2002
The Dodge 2002 is a vehicle made by the Dodge brand in the year 2002. It could be a truck or SUV, depending on the specific model.
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You're listening to Ronananian, the car doctor, nationally recognized auto expert trusted by mechanics, weekend wrenchers, 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. That's 855-560-9900. You are direct aligned to honest answers and practical advice. Looking for more? Visit
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Subwear in the mountains of Pennsylvania. And the quiet spot that no one can find. The car doctor's broadcasting remote live today. We're trying things out. We've gone a little bit west of New Jersey. And that's where I am. It was a great ride out here. The Pennsylvania Turnpike moves along very well at 85-90 miles an hour. As you kind of do that speed, trying not to get run over because that's the way it is.
And we're here doing radio today in a remote location hidden and unknown to everyone, including the government. So maybe this will be the future time we'll do government underground radio. But I had an experience this week that I wanted to talk about. And it's funny how we all try to go about communicating. I had to get a radio repaired. The Thunderbird, the CD player died. So I had to get the CD player repaired. And I took it into the repair center.
You know, I went to pick it up on Thursday, Friday, whatever day it was. And Mary, at the counter, started talking to me and we started chatting. And she said, oh, you're a mechanic. And I said, yeah. And you know, as I'm getting ready to walk out the door, my radio was coming around the corner. And she's asking me, you know, all sorts of question. And, you know, one of the questions was, are you any good?
I don't know how to answer that question. Anytime anybody asks me, am I a good mechanic? Because I just, I don't know how anybody would answer that. I told her I was terrible. I said, I'm a bad mechanic. I just kind of, I just kind of cheat and do the best I can.
And she said, wow, she said, you don't have a great opinion of yourself. And I said, well, no, not really. I said, just that usually the next question is, are you honest? And I said, this way, I figured if I tell you I was a bad mechanic, you wouldn't ask me if I was honest, I would avoid the second question because you would know that who would in the right mind would say they're a bad mechanic if they weren't.
And she's like, oh, she goes, well, she, and she was confused.
So I gave her my name and I said, Google my name, she Googled my name and she went, oh, wow, you're the car doctor.
She said, and this is the part that I don't understand because you were kind of half kidding around having this conversation. And she said, because you're a celebrity, are you expensive? And I was walking out the door because my radio had just shown up and I said, you know, it's not a matter of if I'm expensive or not.
I'm going to fix it right. Isn't that really what counts? Isn't that what you're looking for? Why, why weren't you with your last mechanic or why aren't you there anymore? She didn't have an answer for that.
It doesn't matter who works on your car in a sense. You know, why are you there? And I think you have to answer that question first time because everybody always says, or a lot of people always say, they're looking for a new mechanic.
Well, why are you looking for a new mechanic? What is it that you're looking for? And you know, if you, and we have this conversation a lot, you and I, we talk about this and we say, is it price? Is it, is it punctuality? Is it, is it honesty? Is it, you know, potential or the ability?
And I think it's all those things, but somewhere they has to come up in some kind of a stacked order. I really do. I don't think it can be. You're looking for all of it because it can't be. You can't be the cheapest, the fastest, the best.
You know, the most flexible, it just doesn't work like that. There's just too many variables in the automobile repair game. There's too many things, there's too many things that have to go right in order for something to be completed correctly.
So I don't know if that's the right question to ask anymore. Are you a good mechanic? Are you an honest mechanic?
I think the, I think the better answer is, are you capable? And I think that's what you need to really be talking about and saying to yourself, you know, is it, is it the ability to fix the car?
I think that's where you have to modify your language and be ready for that. So, but in any event, Mary went out the door and, you know, off she went and it was good and we kind of rolled along. So I just thought I would share that with you and some for another. I see the phones are lit up.
Tom, are we ready to go to phones here and remote? Yeah, let's go to John in Virginia. See what's going on here, John. Oh, no, John's not there. John's not in Virginia. So I'm not sure what's going on there.
But in any event, going back to my story about picking a mechanic, yeah, that's.
That's what we get, right? It's.
Um, it varies like that. So had a nice ride out coming out to PA. It, uh, I discovered, you know, the road being a very unforgiving place, you know, the way things just move along on the term pike.
And, uh, took the big plow truck. It was great. The plow truck kind of went from getting its 11, 12 miles to the gallon around town to all of a sudden it got 26 miles out on the highway. I have to take more road trips, I think. I think that's probably the better way to do it.
Um, so, but, uh, in any event, I think, uh, Tom is ready for me now. And, um, let's pull over and let's, uh, let's, let's jump. Let's see if we can get a phone call up. Tom, we, uh, oh, don't take the call yet. Okay.
Well, what, Tom, let's pull over, take a pause. And, uh, let's do that. I'm running any in the car doctor 855560 9900. We'll be back right after this. Don't go anywhere.
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Hey, let's, uh, let's go to John and Virginia, 20 Honda Fit, Mass Air Flow Center, full. John, you're out with the car doctor. What can I do for you?
Hey, I recently purchased the, it's actually a Nissan Kix. It's a 2020 Nissan Kix. Ok. And it doesn't matter. Car is a car.
Exactly. Um, came up with a P0101 or place the Mass Air Flow Center. I have a really old scan tool and I'm unable to do the calibration.
And I was hoping that doing a drive test would calibrate itself. Is that possible?
When you say calibration, what do you mean calibration?
I looked up on YouTube. They say you have to do a calibration of the system. I'm assuming that I don't know.
They're probably talking about that you've got a reset fuel trim. So let's, let's go back when you, when you had the old Mass Air Flow Center in it, or the original Mass Air Flow Center in it.
Did you do any testing? Or did you just happen to randomly change it?
So like I said, it was recently, recently purchased. I took it in the dealer. They said it wasn't under warranty. So they said it was a Mass Air Flow Center. I replaced the Mass Air Flow Center.
It went out within a week. I replaced it again because it was a P0101. And then I researched on YouTube and it says you got to do some sort of calibration.
Okay. So here's what I want you to do. Take your, take your scan tool.
You know, your scan tool reads an OBD2 language. Right. I want you to hook your scan tool up. And I want you to look at calculated load.
All right. As a PID.
Okay. With me. And what, what size engine is in this car?
I don't know. All right. It's like daughter's car. I don't know.
All right. So whatever it is, a 1.5, a 2 liter, what size, what size engine this is. And then I want you to go for a road test, warmed up, closed loop.
And I want you to look at a couple of things. I want you to see what, what fuel trim is number one. All right. And, and where's fuel trim? Short term, short term, short term, long term.
But calculated load is our, is our key denominator there. If this is a 2 liter engine at idle, we're going to see roughly 1.8 to 2.5 grams of air flow per second or calculated load.
If it's really higher, really low, then maybe I've got a mass air flow out of calibration. Maybe that's a separate issue.
I could also have a torn intake duct. I could have a restricted air intake. All right. And then where did you get the mass air, where did you get the mass air flow sensor from?
Advanced auto, and it's exactly like the original.
Well, it'll look exactly like it, but it's ability to read, you know, depends on how good the electronics are internally.
Yeah.
I also figured out it's a 1.6 liter.
Okay. So at idle, calculated load, looking at calculated load, we should see 1.4 to 1.8. If I saw a 2, yeah, that's not so bad. If I see 3.
And the air intake duct is good, and there are no vacuum leaks. And the rest of the vehicle is mechanically sound. I'm going to say you just got another bad mass air flow.
I'd be curious now that you've got three mass air flows included. Could you turn in the original? Did you have to turn it in for a core?
I did. Well, I have to turn it into so warranty issue.
Well, no, the very first one, the original one you had.
The one that came with the car, do you still have that? I do not have that.
Okay. So you only have the one mass air flow that's in the car.
Correct. Right. Yeah. See, the problem is you replaced an OE part, didn't do any testing.
And now you've got to start the test, but you're testing with an unknown part of unknown quality.
Yes, sir.
Right. So got to do the mass air flow test. Got to see what calculated load is. Is calculated load correct?
Because if it's correct at idle and you're still getting the fault, then I'm going to say maybe it's another bad mass air because it's out of range at higher end.
I'd also like to see what fuel trim is as you're cruising down the road.
Does it go excessively high? Does it report excessively out of range?
All right. It's kind of odd to have three bad mass air flows.
All right. There is no calibration test I'm aware of other than resetting memory and fuel trim and then going for a ride.
Okay. And maybe maybe that's what you're reading on YouTube. But sometimes YouTube University will lead you down the wrong path.
So I would be cautious about what you're doing there.
Yes, sir. Thank you.
Now at least you've got some knowledge. I would go and look at that calculated load and see what that does.
How how close or how inaccurate is it?
And then you can call me back next week. We can talk a little bit further about it and make some better decisions. All right.
Yes, sir. Thank you very much. A calculated load and fuel trims.
Right. Yep. Absolutely. All right, John.
Yes. There are thank you so much.
You're very welcome.
Yeah. Again, I hate the idea of just.
You know, blind changing apart. Let's do an email from Al.
Hey, Ron, I own a 2024 Toyota Highlander.
What recommendations would you make for fluid changes? Another maintenance item.
The engine is a 2.5 liter with a supercharger.
I believe Toyota's recommendations are too long if I want to keep the car from more than 10 years.
Current mileage is 24,000. Thanks, Al.
You know, Al, I agree. I'm not crazy about the manufacturers, you know, fluid changes in maintenance lists.
And especially a supercharger, turbocharger, I think is what you're trying to say.
You know, they work harder. They work real hard. They build a lot of engine hood, under hood engine heat.
And I think you really want to take a look at all the fluids.
A big fan of oil changes every 5,000 miles.
I think it's an absolute must. I think it's something you just need to do.
You know, I disagree completely with the 10,000 mile oil change interval.
As you well know, a good quality filter. Absolutely.
Trans fluid at 50.
Trans fluid between 50 and 60. Dressed to the driveline fluids.
You know, rear diff front diff.
The front transfer case, if we want to call it that, or the power takeoff unit on that particular car, has less than a quart of fluid in it.
And you can't imagine the abuse that it's taking in terms of heat and power distribution.
And they just put such a small unit in there.
And they have for the longest time that, you know, all the driveline fluids at 50.
I like coolant at 5 years. I think that's mandatory. I think fuel system cleaning at 30.
Where you're going to hook up the physical machine and clean the rail.
And, you know, perhaps a kit from CRC to do a fuel system cleaning to make sure it because that should be a direct injection engine.
And in all likelihood, that is a port and direct injection engine.
So doing a fuel system cleaner at every oil change.
A drop or a drop in into the tank.
I think that's mandatory as well.
You know, as complicated as the cars are getting, it still comes back to maintenance and fluids and the things you're talking about.
And if you want to keep the car 5 years, 10 years, or somewhere in between or beyond, it comes back to fluids being the vital part of keeping the car and getting it there.
And it's just so gosh darn important. But just stay with the fluids, like I said, Al and I think you'll see that you'll get that result.
So let's do another piece of where are we?
Hey, Ron, this one comes to us from Robert.
Robert's got a 70 in pallet with a 352 barrel. Sometimes it's as if I can't knock off the choke.
There's an electric solenoid that bumps the linkage raising the idle. It's not the choke.
That's on the power steering manifold coming off on the top of the manifold passenger side coming off on the top of the manifold.
No matter how long I let it idle, the solenoid doesn't release the linkage.
This car doesn't have and never had AC. What is this and what's it for and what's it called so I can replace it?
That's actually there on a non AC car in 1970, Robert.
Because what they did was that's supposed to close the throttle.
The idea was that it would close the throttle and prevent the car from doing run on.
This is back when gasoline, octane ratings were changing and we were changing the quality of fuel and cars experienced,
you know, dizzling and pre-ignition, detonation, a variety of gasoline performance issues and they figured out that if they closed the throttle plate,
they would shut off the air supply and cause the engine to shut off quickly if it was having any of those issues when you turn off the K.
I don't know that you need that anymore because obviously gasoline has changed a few times in the past 60 years, 50 years.
And I would set this up on the base idle screw off the carburetor itself and then use that as a slight bump up.
And I would play with it and adjust it. It's something that was there as an emission control back in the day and I don't know that it's mandatory anymore.
It was just an idle of solenoid is what it's called.
Now if this was an AC car, that was designed to bump out when you turn the AC on and provide an additional RPM for the engine when it was under the load of air conditioning.
So, you know, a completely different story, but this is a very mechanical car.
This is a question of, you know, can you make it run OK, just on base idle screw that back to base idle screw off a touch, use that idle up to allow the throttle plate to close more when you release it and then it'll have its curb idle and it's bump up idle if you want to think a bit like that.
That's all you need and that solenoid is probably not available too much at auto parts stores anymore.
It was just an idle of solenoid, single wire mounted on the side of the carb.
You'd probably find it online at some of the carburetor rebuilders and some of the vintage car places.
You know, I would look in some of the catalogs for cheveller Camaro because they have it as well.
So, you know, it's a it's a fairly common item across the board for general motor products of that era and that vintage.
All right, so all right, let's pull over 855560 9900.
I'm running any in the car doctor. I'll be back right after this.
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Let's go to Tom and Utah, O2 Toyota Sequoia. What's going on, Tom?
Well, I engage the four-wheel drive low.
And then when I went to this is a short story. When I went to disengage it.
It appears that it's partially disengage.
It allows me to reach speeds.
But when I turned, you can tell that the front wheels are still engaged.
I have an indicator on the dash that shows the four wheels.
And usually when it's in four-wheel drive, those are all green.
Those have turned off, but there's an orange dot in the middle of that that stays on in fact it's blinking.
I'm hoping maybe there's some type of vacuum issue or something that's maybe not an entire rebuild.
Yeah, I agree. It sounds like the front axle is partially engaged.
Hi, mileage on this unit.
Yes, sir.
Have you tried backing up with the unit in two-wheel drive to see if it releases?
I have. I've tried backing up when I disengage in reverse.
Try to doing it in neutral.
Right.
Moving forward and backing up, you know, those different things.
Because in the past, that has worked.
But this doesn't happen very often, but now that it's happened, I've been able to get it out in the past.
But now it's happened.
It won't release.
It won't release. That's correct.
Have you looked at the fluid on the front diff or the transfer case at all?
I have not.
Just fluid level or does either one of those show metal particulate not to say the ugly word?
Amen.
Yeah.
You know, is it, you know, what are we chewing up?
Because if you continue to drive this, you're going to break something even more if that's possible.
Right.
And that's a concern.
You know, even if you pulled the front drive shift, something's locked on.
And, you know, in a case of this, I don't even know if I would tell you to start disengaging if there's vacuum controls to try and manually shift it because it just sounds like something's broken and it really should get fixed because you can't count on it.
You can't trust on it that it's going to release if you ever had to put it back in in the future.
Right.
Yeah, it's only, it's only low.
It's not where we'll drive high.
Right.
It's only effective in the low.
Have you tried shifting into four-wheel drive high?
Yes.
Yeah.
And it won't go.
Yeah.
Right.
It won't release.
I mean, it goes.
It won't release.
Right.
You can't tell that it's in low until you make a sharp turn and you how it grabs when you make a turn.
Yeah, it hops.
Right.
It hops.
It sounds like the front diff is locked on.
So, you know, there's an actuator there that if you were to remove it, you might be able to get the piston to slide out and release it.
But then the problem is, does it happen again?
And if, you know, if, in other words, what I'm saying is if you can't trust it to use it, then take it apart and fix it, right?
Yeah.
You know, as much as you don't want to do it because you're probably going to tell me there's 300,000 miles on this thing.
Yeah, 260.
Yeah.
So, you know, isn't, isn't this a case where if you're going to keep the truck, you might as well find out now what's bad before you really do, if it's possible, more serious damage and it's going to cost you more money.
For sure.
Yeah.
You know, I don't think I would drive this at all or much longer, Tom, because you're only chewing something up.
Okay.
I'm almost up.
Yeah.
I'm almost certain you're going to go check front diff fluid and take a magnet and fish it down around in the bottom and you're going to come up with shavings.
But it sounds like it sounds like the front diff is locked on.
And, you know, maybe you pull the front drive shift, put the transfer case in neutral.
If the transfer case spins, then, you know, the transfer case is okay.
And then your problem's in the front diff and break it down that way.
Okay.
And notice, you know, at least, you know, then what you've got to take apart, you know, do you have an actuator that stuck on on the front?
Take a look at the way the system actuates up on the front is the actuator not releasing.
And if you were to disassemble that, does that allow it to release?
And it's maybe it's more of a control thing than the actual diff itself.
Right.
Yeah, I'm following you.
Right.
Got to take something apart, my friend.
I know you don't want to do it.
I know that's why you called me.
There's no magic bullet for this one.
It sounds mechanical.
Yeah.
Just trying to look at the colors hoping maybe you had some vacuum secret, but I don't think we do it.
No, I don't think you do.
I think you've tried them all.
Like I say, you may find an actuator that stuck on, but in the meantime, how much have you driven it at this mileage?
Have you heard anything at the very least you owe it?
You owe it a check of the fluid.
And fluid level fluid condition, that kind of thing.
Yeah.
I may have only driven it 10 miles just trying to, you know, do different weird reverse types of things, but I haven't driven it much.
Right.
Yeah.
So listen, it won't matter how much you've driven it.
The answer is going to be how much will it tolerate at this age of mileage?
That's true.
Yeah.
Take it apart.
It's worth keeping.
Yeah, I agree.
It's been a good ride over all of us.
Yeah.
You know, it's to go and replace it now.
When you look at the price of a new one, all of a sudden, overhauling every driveline component in the truck looks like a bargain.
Hey, man.
Yeah.
So.
Yeah, this one's probably around 90 to 100,000 new.
Right.
Oh, yeah.
You know, everything is so it's, you know, it's not a question of what you should, what should you do?
It's a question of how much should you do?
Yes.
You know, and do it once and get it over with.
So.
All right, kiddo.
Yeah.
Enjoy your show.
Thank you for all you do.
You're very welcome, sir.
Yeah.
I appreciate you being there today.
You be well.
Yeah.
It just kind of comes down to, can we, can we fix it?
And, you know, on the other side of it, Tom, if you're still listening, fix it now.
We can still get parts for it because it's 23 years old.
And, you know, drive it another 20 years.
855-560-999-00 running any of the car doctor.
Let's pull over and take a pause.
I'll be back right after this.
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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 when mindset comes in.
Someone will be eliminated.
Fresher is coming down.
Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th.
Watch the trailer on trainergames.com.
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And we're back at 555-6-0-999-00 on any of the car doctor.
Let's go to Joe and Iowa.
Oh, two Dodge pickup.
Joe, welcome to the car doctor.
Sure, how can I help?
Yeah, good afternoon fellows.
Hey, so my kid, I got a couple things I want to ask you about.
Sure.
One of my kids.
One of my kids got, yeah, the 2002 Dodge.
It's a 3,500.
It's got the Cummings diesel engine.
And he started to start the other day.
It sits for quite a while.
The battery's your dead.
So he went on, got two brand new batteries.
He stuck them in and he went to start it.
I don't remember.
In a few days or something.
And he couldn't get it started.
The batteries weren't dead.
He checked it with voltmeter and they were pretty much dead.
So I took a look at it.
Just glance.
And I see, well, look like he might have left the light on in the cab.
So I shut that switch on the rotary switch.
I shut that off and think, well, you know, that must have been the problem.
You know, pulled the batteries down.
And it does have two batteries.
And then I charged them, looked at it the next day.
They were about down to less than a volt.
So I thought, well, that's interesting.
One of the way else is going on.
So then I checked the radio and the radio switch was on,
but there was no volume coming out of it.
So I thought, well, maybe by chance, maybe the radio pulled down.
I didn't think the radio would have any voltage going to it
with the key out of the ignition.
But it should never.
Yeah.
Right.
It shouldn't.
Okay, that's interesting.
So I went ahead and shut the radio off, rotary dial radio.
I shut it off and charged batteries again.
The next day, the battery stayed.
I never could get a full 12 12 and a half volts on the batteries.
First of all, what are you charging the batteries with?
A trickle charger?
You know, at that time, I had a charger that was putting out a 6 amp charger.
Okay.
You really need to charge to correctly charge a battery,
such as what's required for that Cummins diesel.
You're really going to need a professional grade repair shop charger.
All right.
And you should be, you know, are you disconnecting the battery cables
when you're charging?
No, I left them hooked up and I charged them together.
No, disconnect them and charge them individually or go buy a real charger.
All right.
It'll take, it'll take too long.
Besides the fact that if you leave it hooked up and there's a draw in the vehicle,
you're pulling against the charger.
Yeah, I figured that too.
All right.
Yeah.
So, you know, the first step is you've got to get the chart,
you've got to get the batteries up to correct the level.
It may not happen overnight with a, with a low amp charger like that.
All right.
It may take a couple of days for each battery.
Oh.
Yep.
I'm sorry.
At what rate, uh, amp reach rate where you talk and it might take that.
Well, you know, we're, if we're, if we're in the shop,
I'm rolling it over to the automatic charger and it's going to set the charge rate
based on the internal resistance value of the battery and its capacity.
That's what I'm saying.
Six amps, six amps is such, is, is on such a low scale.
You know, the professional grade charges will run anywhere from 20 to 35 amps in these batteries.
Today, to bring them up to speed and then it will, it will, you know,
tailor it down as they get closer to the top of their charge.
Okay.
You're trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon.
Okay.
It's going to, it's going to take a while.
All right.
Okay.
So, you know, that's, that's number one.
Number two, once you get the batteries up to charge, do you have a DVOM,
a digital volt ohm meter, something with a milliamp scale or an amp scale in it?
Yeah, I got a, I got a volt meter.
Okay.
So, let's set it, let's set it on amperage.
Let's set it on milliamps and let's put the meter in series.
And we can do this off of one battery, leave the other one disconnected.
So, it's not to provide an alternate power source and confuse things.
All right.
Okay.
And, and let's just, let's just measure for draw.
Do we have a draw on this vehicle?
The rule says, the rule says that you have to have less than 50 milliamps
in order for the vehicle to be considered okay.
On a draw, you need less than 50 milliamps.
Less than 50 milliamps.
All right.
And if you find an excessive high drop, you know, if it's there,
it may take a while to, you know, bleed down depending upon the amount of computers in O2,
not a whole lot of computers in this thing.
But within a half hour to 45 minutes, we should see under 50 milliamps.
And if after that 45 minute period we still see, you know, three, four, seven, eight amps,
then one of the time we're going to pop a fuse.
Just take a fuse out of, start with the underhood fuse box
and then work your way into the interior cabin fuse box.
Right.
And one of the time taking out, put it in.
Does it make any change?
One of those fuses is going to show us a circuit that's drawing.
Let me ask you this question.
Let me, let me ask you this question.
Is the radio and aftermarket radio?
You know, I'm not for sure.
I'm not for sure.
Ron, yeah.
Take a look.
If that radio is aftermarket, if it looks like it was installed by the previous owner,
you know, I probably start there.
I see a lot of problems with the aftermarket radio or the install that becomes an issue.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
I just didn't think there'd be any voltage to it.
You know, I was surprised when it actually kept a pretty good charge on it after the next day.
But well, let me, can I ask you?
I'll tell you what.
Sit tight.
Sit tight, Joe.
Let me pull over.
Take this pose when I come back.
We'll finish up.
All right.
I'm Ron and Annie in the car doctor.
We're back right after this.
And Doug.
I'll put a horrible call.
Hey, Ralph, open your eyes.
Ralph, you're really not going to call that.
Come on.
Hey, Ralph, why don'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 Liberty Mutual.com.
Liberty, Liberty, Liberty, Liberty, Liberty.
Ten athletes will face the toughest job interview and 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.
Fresher is coming down.
Trainer games on Prime Video January 8.
Watch the trailer on trainergames.com.
Did you know Microsoft has officially ended support for Windows 10?
Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Graham laptop.
Voted PC Mags Reader's Choice Top Laptop brand for 2025.
Thin and ultra lightweight.
The LG Graham keeps you productive anywhere.
And Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades.
Visit LGUSA.com slash iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Graham laptops with Windows 11.
PC Mag Reader's Choice used with permission.
All rights reserved.
Test sponsored by Samsung Galaxy,
Titzff January 5 on TNT,
True TV and HBO Max.
Hey, we're back!
Raining in the car to operate.
Fire 5 5 6 0 9 9 0 0.
Joe you're still there, Iowa.
Yeah, still here.
Yes sir.
A couple of questions.
You got a couple of minutes, Joe.
Go ahead.
Okay, I thought, he had any checkered this morning my kid,
he said had 11.60 volts on the batteries.
I thought that would need to be enough to crank it kind of slow,
kind of slow but he said it wouldn't do nothing. How much voltage? A battery is considered
under voltage at 12.1. A standing 12 volt battery should have 12 and a half volts to it.
Yeah, that's what I figured about 12 and a half. So that's the bottom line.
Okay, okay. And I looked at my volt meter and it doesn't, I got an amp AC scale but no
DC scale on it. Is there a way to convert it or you're going to have to get something that's
milliamps. Does it go to milliamp? In AC it goes to 200 milliamps I believe in or
10 amp setting 200 milliamps. Oh, there is a DC scale and I see it so I see it now.
Okay. Yeah, 200 amp. Right, so that's what you want. You want to put that on
milliamps and you're looking for a 50 milliamp draw or less. And I would think on a
no two Dodge diesel, you're probably going to be a lot less than 50 milliamps.
There's not a lot of computer electronics on that vehicle. How do you, how do you
look that up for to check for a draw? You're going to disconnect the negative battery
cable and put the meter in series. I'll go from the negative post to that.
Right. Yeah, so, so disconnect the other battery. So it's out of the equation.
Then you're going to just connect the negative battery cable and you're going to put one
lead of the meter to the post and one lead of the meter to the cable.
Okay, to the negative side. Yeah, to the negative side. I like working with the negative side.
Let's chance to spark and something. Okay, okay. I see what it just just see what it does.
And then just watch your polarity if it reads negative reverse your leads. Yeah, yeah.
Okay, how much time though, how much time do you, when you take that reading, is it just
inconvenient? 45, like I said, like I said to you before, Joe, have powered a 45
minutes. You should see a drop off under 50 milliamps. Again, depending upon the
amount of computers on that truck, an hour is the maximum. But, you know, that, that 30
to 45 minutes should do it. And I would start with looking at this radio, if you suspect
that maybe take that fuse out first and see where you go.
Appreciate the call, Joe. I'm here next week. If you need me, I'm running any
in the car doctor. It's been a pleasure until the next time. Good mechanics
aren't expensive. They're priceless. See you.
10 athletes will face the toughest job interview and 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.
Fresher is coming down.
Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com.
Did you know Microsoft has officially ended support for Windows 10?
Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Graham laptop. Voted PC Mags Reader's
Choice Top Laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight.
The LG Graham keeps you productive anywhere. And Windows 11 gives you access
to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades.
Visit LGUSA.com slash iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Graham laptops
with Windows 11. PC Mag Reader's Choice used with permission.
All rights reserved.
Season 2 of Unrivaled basketball is here and the talent is unreal.
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Unrivaled basketball. Season 2, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy,
tips off January 5th on TNT, TrueTV and HBO Max.
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This is an I Heart Podcast.
Guaranteed Human.
About this episode
Ron Ananian shares insights from his remote broadcast in Pennsylvania, discussing the importance of finding a capable mechanic rather than just a good or honest one. He recounts a humorous encounter at a radio repair shop that leads to a deeper conversation about customer expectations in auto repair. The episode features listener calls, addressing various automotive issues, including a Nissan Kicks' mass air flow sensor problem and a Toyota Sequoia's four-wheel drive engagement issue, providing practical advice and troubleshooting tips.
Original notes
Remote from “somewhere in Pennsylvania,” Ron turns a repair-shop counter chat into a bigger question: don’t shop for the cheapest or the flashiest—shop for the capable. Then the phones fly: a 2021 Nissan Kicks with a stubborn P0101 (use calculated load & fuel trims, don’t parts-swap), a 2024 Highlander maintenance roadmap (fluids early and often), a 1970 Impala idle-stop solenoid lesson, a 2002 Sequoia stuck in 4WD low (likely front-diff actuator/binding—stop driving, inspect), and a 2002 Cummins with dead batteries (charge correctly, then parasitic-draw test <50 mA).
Closer: “Good mechanics aren’t expensive—they’re priceless.”
- 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
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Got a car question? Call the Car Doctor Hotline 24/7 – (855) 560-9900
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Ron Ananian The Car Doctor
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