Saturday Q&A: Brake Shake, Mystery Leaks & Avoiding Costly Vehicle Surprises
Car Connection Workshop
Saturday Q&A: Brake Shake, Mystery Leaks & Avoiding Costly Vehicle Surprises
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Term
Car Fax
Car Fax is a website/report that tries to show a car’s past using records from different agencies and insurers. If an accident wasn’t reported, it may not show up, so it’s not a perfect guarantee.
Concept
hidden damage
Hidden damage means the car may have been hurt before, but you can’t easily see it at first. A careful inspection is how you catch issues that could cost a lot to fix later.
Concept
service tech
A service tech is a qualified automotive technician who can inspect a used car for problems that aren’t obvious during a casual look. In this segment, the host recommends bringing one when buying privately to uncover hidden damage and reduce the chance of costly surprises.
Place
Niagara region
Niagara region is a place in Ontario, Canada. The host mentions it just to talk about the weather, not about cars.
Car
Renault Wind
The Renault Wind is a small car with an open-top design, meant for driving with the roof down. It’s built to be easy to handle and park because it’s compact. People might talk about it when sharing what it’s like to drive a convertible in real life.
Car
Toyota FJ Cruiser
The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a rugged SUV with a classic, off-road-inspired design. Here, the host is using his 2007 FJ Cruiser to show that staying on top of maintenance can keep a vehicle running for a long time.
Concept
deferred maintenance
Deferred maintenance means putting off repairs or service. The risk is that a small problem can turn into a big one later, costing far more money.
Concept
fleet maintenance
Fleet maintenance is how people keep a bunch of vehicles serviced on time. They use a checklist so each required service gets done and recorded, instead of guessing or forgetting.
Term
brake shake
Brake shake is when your car feels like it’s vibrating or shuddering when you press the brakes. It often points to problems with the brake rotors or how the brake parts are fitted.
Term
brake pedal
The brake pedal is what you press to make the car slow down. If the pedal shakes or pulses when you brake, it usually means something in the braking system isn’t working smoothly. It’s a sign you should have the brakes inspected soon.
Term
pulsation
Pulsation is when the braking feels like it’s vibrating or “thumping” in a repeating way. It can happen when the brake parts aren’t making smooth, even contact. If you feel it, you should get the brakes checked.
Concept
full brake system evaluation
A full brake system evaluation means checking more than just “pads and rotors” to find the root cause of the symptom. That typically includes inspecting components for wear, checking rotor condition, and verifying the brake hydraulics and related parts are functioning correctly. The goal is to fix the underlying issue rather than doing a superficial repair.
Concept
brake job
A brake job is when a shop repairs or replaces brake parts. The host is warning against a low-quality, rushed fix that doesn’t really solve the problem. If the brakes still feel wrong afterward, you may end up paying again.
Term
stop on a dime
“Stop on a dime” just means the car can brake very quickly and smoothly. It’s the kind of stopping you want in an emergency. If your brakes shake or pulse, stopping like that may not be reliable.
Term
brake pads
Brake pads are the parts that squeeze onto the spinning brake disc to slow the car down. If they’re installed sloppily—like not cleaning things first—they can work badly or wear out fast.
Concept
cheap backyard pad slap
This phrase describes an improper brake-pad installation done casually—typically skipping steps like cleaning mating surfaces and using the correct lubricants where needed. The result is often poor braking performance early on and accelerated wear later.
Term
full four-wheel brake inspection evaluation
This means a mechanic checks the brakes on all four wheels, not just one axle. The goal is to find problems early so you don’t end up with worse damage later.
Term
fluid dripping underneath my car
If you see liquid dripping under your car, it usually means something is leaking—like oil or coolant. If you don’t figure out what it is, the leak can get worse and cause expensive damage.
Term
air conditioning system ejecting the moisture
When the A/C is on, it can pull moisture out of the air, and that water can drip onto the ground. That’s usually normal, but other fluids (like oil or coolant) are not.
Term
dyes
Technicians can add a special dye to a fluid so they can later see where the leak is coming from. Then they use a special light to find it.
Term
black lights
A black light is a special UV light that can reveal a leak when dye has been added. It helps the mechanic find the exact spot the fluid is coming from.
Term
rear brakes
“Rear brakes” are the brakes on the back wheels. If they’re worn or not working smoothly, you may feel shaking or notice braking doesn’t feel right, so they’re worth checking during a service visit.
Concept
evaluation twice a year
This is the idea of getting your car checked regularly—about two times a year—so small problems are found early. That way, you can fix wear before it turns into a bigger, more expensive repair.
Concept
prevents damage by getting to it beforehand
The host is saying the best strategy is to fix things early—before they break completely. That reduces the chance that one problem causes other damage and becomes a much bigger repair.
LIVE
Good morning Niagara. You're tuned into car connection where the coffee's hot,
the tools are ready, and the talk is always tuned up. I'm your host Niall
MotorMount Jenkins coming to you straight from the car connection
workshop where we mix a little humor, a little know-how, and a whole lot of
horsepower. Here it's not just about fixing cars, it's about keeping you
rolling and saving you money, giving you the confidence to understand what's
under that hood. From the classics to the commuters, the weird noises, and to the
what the heck moments, we've got you covered. So grab your coffee, sit back,
join the crew, because this is car connection your Monday through Saturday
morning pit stop for stories, smarts, a few good laughs. I'm Niall MotorMount
Jenkins. We're shifting into drive this morning. It is Q&A Saturday. So good
morning and welcome to MotorMount's morning drive, 8 a.m. We've made it to
the weekend officially. It's been a busy week. You guys having a busy week out
there? Yeah, let me know in my email, MotorMount. Jenkins at gmail.com. Don't be
shy to connect. I don't bite hard as much anymore. Yeah, the therapy's working. I'm
not no longer a biter. So that's good. It's good for you. Well,
we have three solid questions to get through this morning and may perhaps one
of these questions been rattling around in your brain for quite some time. So
thank you to all those who submitted their questions by noon on Friday on fun
Fridays. So then I have the time to sift, select and post so that we can walk
those questions out in detail that may perhaps help you, not only the person
that wrote in the question, but it may help you as well. It just might. You
never know. And owning and operating an older automobile doesn't have to be
stressful, folks. You know, there's there's a couple of things that you have to
get past. And that is it's getting older. It's going to need maintenance. And what
does it mileage doesn't matter. Maintenance matters. That's it. And once you
get past that and you learn that you know what the vehicle is important to
the household, we do need to get it looked at on a regular basis to stay
ahead of the maintenance curve. The only time things become unglued is when
there's a lot of service work that needs to be done to bring that vehicle back
up to par. And that's where it's better to have your vehicle looked at on a
regular basis than wait till something goes wrong. Because that's usually when
you get one of those work orders. Yeah, you get one of those invoices with your
car that you can't stop inhaling. You know what I'm saying? That's that's
plenty avoidable. It really really is. And owning and operating an older
automobile right now, if it's solid and the structure is good, you are in
really good standings based on all the problems that are facing a number of the
auto manufacturers right now with problems, lots of big problems. But you
know, they've opened up a world of hurt on themselves. And I'm just going to
leave that parked right where it is. I'm not seeing anything with the car
manufacturers that I haven't seen in 1992. When they tried the same stupid
things, profitability over quality of workmanship. Period. How many of you
would like to have someone work on your automobile that's fully not qualified?
But he charges you a lot of money. Would you be in for that? Probably not.
Probably not. The consumer is the one who holds the power. And the problem that
we face in the world today is we have more conned consumers than prosumers.
When you become a prosumer, that means you're watching your pennies and you
want value for your money. And if the value is not there, go to another
flavor, whatever it is. Just move on. That's the best thing I can suggest to
you to reduce the aggravation, stress and turmoil in your life. And keep just
remembering this. Milage doesn't matter. Maintenance matters. It doesn't matter
if you have a vehicle that's three years old. If you're not going to maintain it,
guess what? It's going to hell in a hand basket. At some point, you're going to
get that invoice where you need 34 $5,000 worth of work to bring
that vehicle up to par. That's just the way it works. It really is simple. And
having an older automobile doesn't give me any stress whatsoever. Why? Because I
follow my own roadmap, folks. I'm teaching you some really big gold nuggets. And
that's what this program is for. That's what our YouTube channel is for, as well
as to teach you always five basic principles of vehicle ownership. What
it is, where it is, how it works, how you broke it, perhaps, how you could have
learned some basic fundamentals to know how to treat and operate your
automobile properly, how to take care of it properly. You can keep it as long as
you want. That's the truth. The talking heads out there are always spewing
their vomit that, you know, you've got to get rid of it every three to five years.
Get out of it and get into something else. Are you kidding me at the price tag
today? I mean, if money's no object, absolutely. If, you know, your company
is making so much money that you need to find things to write off the income,
write down the income, great. But for the average Joe, hello, I'm not in that
position where, you know, I can just pay,
pay, and then get rid of it and then start the process all over again. So before
I head off on a tangent, let's get our morning beverage going here. If you're
joining us for the first time, thanks for passing by. Don't forget, everything we
talk about here is the largest drawer in our toolbox and that is our website. The
homepage of our website will give you all contacting information. If you'd like
to follow us and watch the builds and repair work that we do on our YouTube
channel, which will teach you all the basic fundamentals. So whether you're a
girl or a fella, older, younger, senior, widowed, single mom or a single gal that's
taking care of your own car, that's what our YouTube channel is built for, is to
show you all the basics. Not building hot rods, monster trucks or custom hot rods
or anything like that. The channel is dedicated to teaching you everything I've
learned in 44 years as an automotive service tech and I am very much still up
to speed and hands on. This is what I'd known and this is what I do. So there's
two ways of owning an automobile. In being in the know, that means you know what's
going on with your vehicle and you're tracking it and you're staying in charge
of your maintenance kudos to you because you're winning as that's a prosumer
right there. You're winning and not playing the car game. The second way of
owning an automobile is being in the unknown. You have no idea what condition
your vehicle is in whatsoever and I don't know how you can sleep at night
because I really count on my automobile to get me where I need to go on time and
back because everything we do with car connection runs on a very tight schedule
because there's scheduling. Things have to be done in a specific amount of time
in order to meet the scheduling. So owning an automobile that way will give you a
lot of stress, a lot of strain, pressure and a lot of unrest. Owning an
automobile in the know gives you freedom and peace of mind mind. You
cannot put a price tag on peace of mind whatsoever. Well let's have our morning
beverage together if you're just sliding through the drive-thru and you
are a worker on the weekend. Yes, I don't think I usually don't get weekends off
until I go on my my late summer hiatus. It's usually September. Yeah, so once the
kids are back to school and everybody's getting back on track, that's when I
sneak away for a couple weeks and just have some white space. Brain drain. So if
you're like me, it's a working weekend. Well, let's have our morning swiggy
together and say thank you to the team at the husband and wife team, Kathy and
Dave Grimo and his brother Dan at Niagara Block, 5,000 Montrose Road in Niagara
Falls, Canada, building Canada since 1931. They create all the blocks that you
see on buildings. The designer ones, they're just the basic center block.
They do it all right there on the premises. They have steel girders and
angle irons and rebar. They have all those materials to create the building.
They're also professionals at hardscape landscapes. So if you're looking to create
a beautiful backyard space for yourself this year, that's where you need to go.
They have all the materials you can think of to create such a beautiful place
where you can just hang out. You probably won't want to go anywhere else. And I know
people that have done that. They've made their home the place to hang out with
friends and family and neighbors and they don't travel go on
vacations. My home is my vacation. Getting some time off and just being
able to hang out at home is really, really cool. I'm around my stuff and I can get
up and get something out of the fridge or make something to eat. So if that's
what you'd like to do, check in with Kathy Grimo. She has a list of contractors
that can put that estimate together and the design and all the features and get
it done for you. How cool is that? So thank you to Kathy, Dave, and Dan Grimo
at Niagara Block. So on 321, whatever your morning beverage is, we're gonna share
it together. So if you're joining us for the first time, that's how we do it in
the car connection workshop. It's like connecting. Yeah, yet we're not at the
coffee shop together, but we're in the shop together on 321. 321. Mm-hmm. I'm
liking that this morning. Really. Busy day yesterday. It's been a busy, active
week, to say the least. And I see there might be a message on my phone. I'm
thinking there is. Somebody trying to get in touch with me yesterday. It was a
long busy day yesterday working. Okay, what's next? Hey, how about finding out
what the weekend weather is gonna be? Mike would be kind of cool, right? So again,
our homepage, carconnectionsbusinessnetwork.com. Everything we talk
about lives on our website. I keep it super simple for you. You want to connect
with me? That's where you'll connect. The top right hand corner, all the platforms
that we have going. If you haven't subscribed to our YouTube channel, then
you're missing out on a lot of teaching that will help you to maintain your
vehicle to the to the nines. And you know what? You'll save money. Trust me, you
will because you're not making those humongous car payments. You know, just
a off on a little tangent here. I just don't know how people do it. Honest to
goodness, get up, trade time for money to cover off a car payment. Like no,
that's a lot of pressure, folks. You know, you can you can easily find
something 2016. You can even go back to 15 and find a really decent 15 that's
been well loved and taken care of and just pick up where they left off. You
know, you could buy a 17 or a 19 2019. And you know, even if you got to use a
line of credits to get it, work to pay it off in one year. Yeah, you're not
going to be paying like these. I don't know how people do $1,500 a month. My
neighbor was doing $2,200 a month. Now I see his house is up for sale and the
expensive truck is gone. So you know, he was he was pretty open and said I got
to get I got to get some financial relief. Like I'm gonna go under. So you
know what, folks, don't don't do that to yourself. You know, you don't need to buy
something to impress somebody you don't even know or don't even like. So again,
subscribe, subscribe to our channel. Learn as much as you can. Listen,
re-listen to the podcast because what you hear here, what you hearing, what you
hearing right now, you will not hear on our YouTube channel. So it's not a mirror
image. So if you combine both our podcasts on all platforms, wherever you're
pulling your podcast from, we're there Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Podbean and the
like. So just type in car connection workshop. Bam, we're there. And it's
motormouth Jenkins for our YouTube channel. But we've made it even easier. Go
to our website, homepage, carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com top right
hand corner, click on any one of the links that are there and go shopping in
our online store. All the items are there for you to select size, color,
whatever. All the proceeds go to our nonprofit faith based organizations
called Total Freedom Addiction Campuses. And Skippy and I, we have a burn to help
those who are ready to say, you know what, I got to get through this over it,
round it under it, get rid of this addiction. We want to get them there. So
we take no proceeds from any of the items you buy in our store, our online
store. So just, you know, stand with the crew here and let's get that next one
to a Total Freedom Addiction Campus where a brand new life begins. We're
working to change lives one at a time. So everything is there on our homepage.
All our program partners are there. Just click on their logo, open the page and
meet them. And thank you for those who are giving them their support. We really
appreciate that because we couldn't have done the switch over from radio to
digital without some program partners. We had, we've had lots of program
partners over 31 years in radio and we managed to get four program partners that
said it's about time you go digital motor mouth. We're behind you. Just do what
you got to do. Keep going. Keep focusing and moving forward. So we say thank you
to those program partners. And if somebody else out there doesn't like that,
we do that. Well, give us your address and your e-transfer. We'll give you our
e-transfer and you can pay for it. How's that sound? No problem. You know, just
solutions. No problems, just solutions. So thank you to City Auto Sales and
Leasing, providing low mileage quality vehicles at fair prices. There's where
you can go, friends. Greater Toronto Area's premier pre-owned auto store.
You're not going to get any junk there and you're going to be treated amazingly
well. To our certified financial planners helping all of us stay on track with
our finances, even when it seems like the whole world's caving in on you, it's
not. You have two fellows here that are two of the best in all of
Canada. Connect with them. So whether it's taking a look at your investment
portfolio and find out what's really going on, having a look at a pile of debt
that you're buried under and how you can deal with that and get rid of it. A
state planning, that means you only have kids at home. You have a checkbook and
stuff. That means a state planning. Doesn't mean go down to the big W
store and get a $20 will and testament package because that won't hold up. You
need in the state plan done thoroughly, properly and locked down tight. Mortgages
haven't had a mortgage with a bank for almost 15 years. Great rates. Fantastic
people to deal with. Amazing. I love it there. And life insurance, critical
illness insurance and you know, insurance may seem like an expense until we need
it, right? Isn't that right? I mean, don't get me on that topic because you
know, it takes me days to come down, but it's true. It's when we need it, you're
glad that you have it. So get yourself booked in for an hour and a coffee
discovery meeting. Leave your wallet and your purse at home. They're not gonna
sell you anything, but be open, honest and lay all the cards on the table and let
the fellas take a look at where you're at and where you'd like to be. That's
what they do. I've known Tony and Larry for over 20 years. They're my own
personal financial planners. And when I'm speaking to you about these things, I'm
speaking from my heart because these guys have helped me through some very
tough rows to hold. Let me tell you, I'm speaking from 110% experience into
Niagara block. Fantastic family. The Greenville family has been amazing and we
could do what we're doing without our program partner partners. So you know
what? I have to do this and I want to do it. Just make sure that we say thank you
to all of you who are helping us to move forward with our YouTube channel by
subscribing and doing the little things like share, follow, leave a comment. Much
appreciated. Ring the notification bell so you don't miss any automotive tips
whatsoever because that's what's gonna help you save money. So if you want to
save time, money, and even a few bloody knuckles, that's what car connections all
about. That's the lane I've been carving out for almost four decades and we're
glad to have you with us. Well, the weekend weather is looking up, folks. So if
you're doing some seasonal work outside, getting the yard tidied up, adding some
color, we're in good shape now. I think we're going to be able to roll out our
30-day fuel savings challenge, which will net you a minimum of $100 back in
your pocket a month. If you want to double that, then you've got to be brave
enough to do the second 30-day challenge behind that to possibly increase
that to $200. How about a $2,400 fuel savings in one year? How many of you out
there gonna get a $2,400 raise this year? Yeah, probably not. Or how about even
just at the minimum an additional $1,200 this year in the next 12 months? It's
doable. How do I know? Because I'm just teaching you what I do and it works. I
don't waste my time with stuff that doesn't work and I tell people that all
the time. In fact, I was contacted this past week, would I review some automotive
products? And I was open and honest. I said absolutely, but I'll tell you I will
give it, I will give your products a 100% honest review and I will be absolutely
blunt and honest with the product. I don't endorse any products that suck. Well, I
didn't say that part. I just said I don't endorse anything that I would not use or
bring into the car connection workshop myself. So everything is on the shelf. My
resources for parts just like Louise and Earl Grant, they have the resources to
find that vehicle you're looking for if they don't have it. And if it's out there
and it's any good, Earl will find it for you and save you a thousand steps,
folks. So to work, be able to work with people like that and know that they're
selling you quality vehicles. Man, I drive all night and all day to get there
because that's an area where it's so easy to end up with somebody else's
pile of junk. It's true. It's absolutely true. I bought one a couple of years ago
during the COVID stupidness and I redid that. I'm still trying to figure out how
to get all the videos off my GoPro. If I watch one more tutorial that I say, you
know what, don't try and teach because you can't. You know, there's some people
that just can't teach. You know, when I'm watching a tutorial and they're clicking
here, click, and you get dizzy, you're
going, dude, like, don't try and teach because you can't. That's not how you
teach. You've got to break things down for people. Slow down. They're not you.
That's what you have to forget when you're teaching. You're not me. I'm not
you. Otherwise, it's like trying to give someone a haircut over the phone. So once
I figure out how to get to, I've got some really good footage on there and it
might be a little bit rough because I was just learning how to use camera gear
during the COVID stupid campaign. A lot of people made a lot of money on that.
Yeah, so anyhow, I ended up with a vehicle that the lady lied through her
stinking teeth. The vehicle having previous damage. I went looking to see if,
you know, if I could find any intel. They didn't have a car fax, but a car fax
is no good, folks. If they don't report damage, do you understand that? You
have to understand that. If a person wrecks their car and has had wreckage
before and they know if they put in another insurance claim, they're going
to, like, dump them like a hot potato, they're going to pay for it out of their
pocket either by lying a credit or credit cards or whatever to get it fixed and
it won't be reported because it didn't get reported to insurance. So a car fax
is only good for honest people to remain honest. But it's not the gospel is
what I'm saying. If the accident or wreckage was not reported, it's not
there. So it didn't happen, right? So anyways, I ended up with this vehicle
and I got way over my head on not the mechanical part of the aspect of the
vehicle was finding hidden damage. Yeah, it happens. She got me a nurse, a nurse
at that. Anyways, I got it done. It was good therapy during, you know, the
lockdowns and stuff, but yeah, you got to be careful where you're getting stuff
from. If you're buying, if you're buying a vehicle or looking at a vehicle
privately, you really need to take a service tech with you. You really do
because these people, they'll lie like carpets to sell that vehicle out from
they just want to dump it, but they want to get all the money if you don't want
to say it. Okay, weekend weather. Here it is. That was a roundabout way, but it
is Saturday and it is talk show. Yeah, that's what it is. You got to have the
gift of the gab to have a talk show. That's just the way it is because
otherwise it sounds like this. No conversation. Today we're going to have
to see a high of 66. How about that? Holy smokes. How did we get there? 46
degrees right now, mostly cloudy, and this is in the Niagara region, South
Shores of Lake Erie, making it feel colder about 39. Sunny conditions
expected around 6 a.m. Today's temperature range will be 46 to 66. Click
and he click and feels like 37 to 65 degrees. So it's still, you know, you
won't get toasted out there and you won't be sweating bullets, but you'll be
just fine. Once you get rolling, it's perfect planting weather. So get your
get your spades and everything else all polished up ready to go because this
is planting weather. You can get them watered in and they'll be so, so happy.
So high for today 66 and yesterday same. Click and he click 66 yesterday. Let's
a in zero precipitation. Let's have a look at Sunday. We did say weekend
weather, right?
Sunday's low will be 49 between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. The high will be 68 between
2 p.m. and 3 p.m. The temperature range will feel like 45 degrees to 64 degrees.
Wind will make it feel cooler than the actual temperature. We are out at the
wood lot yesterday preparing for the fall. I want to get all the wood in long
before the fall because it just gets way too much. So a different plan this
year. So yesterday was a grunt day and the wind was so cold. My pops was with
us. He's 89 and I had to get him a toke out of the truck. So the wind was out
of the north and it's wide open there. It was windy all day and it had a very
cold bite to it. So feels like and conveys hot how warm or how cold it
feels. That's how they come up with. I'm just reading that ahead of time. The
making it feel cooler thing. Yeah. Okay. So it's going to be 45 to 64 for
Sunday. Going to top out at 64. So the wind will make it feel a little bit
cooler. And that's why I mentioned that yesterday. The wind was about 14 knots
and it was cold. Like I said I had to pops forgot his hat. And I said I've I've
got clean toks in the truck. If you need one. Yeah, I'll take that. And he wore
that toke all day. But the wind was sharp. We mostly got windburned not
sunburned. It wasn't super hot. The equipment was running cold. It was all
good. We now have a full page up on our website. Just a reminder for those of
you are not following along with the maintenance system. You know, it doesn't
matter whether you get our maintenance system or fleet maintenance system that
I've designed that I've been using for decades and I modified it to work for
you and keep it super simple. But that's how you that's how you're going to get
a vehicle the last super long.
Like 20 years in July, middle of July, the oh seven FJ cruiser will be in my
hands for 20. No, it'll be 20 years old. But I bought it in 2013. So I've owned
it 13 years. So yeah, and it's still quite nice. In fact, you can watch some
videos I've been evaluating it spring evaluation is just about done. And when
it's done, you know what? I don't need to look at it until the fall. Everything is
you know, change stuff before it breaks. That's the secret. That really is the
secret. Something looks odd. And you can't say, Yeah, that should be fine. No, it
should be. Yes, it's good to remain in service or no, it's not. Because they're
going, Well, you know, well, let's see how far it goes. Not a good idea. That's not
a good idea. That's where a $200 repair that you push off can turn into a $5,000
repair. How about them apples? If you like apples, how about them apples? So our
fleet maintenance system has a whole page for you to peruse on our website at
ccbusnet.com. That's the short version. I put all the information in the
descriptions of our videos and the podcast. So I because you know what, you
may be driving, but most of the time, you know, it just kind of goes in one ear and
out the other. I know that I'm exactly the same. If I don't mark it down, you
know, my mind's always working in the future. I don't live in the now I live in
the future all the time. I'm thinking ahead quite a bit ahead in it. That's
just the way I run. So if you want to have everything before you what you need
to do with your vehicle, that's the fleet maintenance. You post it up, put a
checkmark in the box next to the maintenance that needs to be done when
it's done and you don't even need to think about it. The maintenance system
does all the thinking for you. All you have to do is take the dry erase marker
and put a checkmark, a happy face, a dot, whatever, you know floats your boat in the
box to say yes that maintenance has been done. Now you don't have to think about
it and then you do that for the whole year and at the end of the year wipe it
off and start again. It's laminated. So it's environmentally friendly. It really
is. So check that out on our website. You can see and read everything all about
it. There's an order form there for you to do that to order it e-transfer and I
ship them out directly to you. So if you want it autographed as well, I don't
mind doing that either. All right, let's jump into our questions this morning and
some good ones and I again I want to say thank you to all those who take that
time to send your questions in by noon on Friday so I have time to sift them and
review which ones I feel would be best to unpack that many of you may be
thinking about or have thought about and break them down. Not just give you a
fluffy answer give you the answer and that's the thing. So let's jump in.
Melanie right out of the gate with question number one. Thank you Melanie
for bringing that forward. When I apply now I read this in their English okay
that way you know they wrote it. I didn't write it so I haven't edited the
questions. I read them exactly how they're on the email. So before you know
somebody gets me on grammar and whatnot it is what it is and it is what it is
not. It's not edited by my person. So Melanie asks when I apply my breaks I
feel a shaking. What's happening and is this dangerous? Actually it says
daggers but yeah I know what that means. Dangerous is this dangerous? Is it
daggers? That could be a new word. It could be. I might I might use that in
some. Well anytime you feel something not quite right in your breaking system
be it a noise or pulsation in the brake pedal when you apply the brakes or if
you apply the brakes heavier you feel kind of like the vehicles going chuff
chuff. It's not good. Is a car going to explode or you can end up in the
rhubarb somewhere on the rooftop? No but where you need to get to is definitely
get the vehicle into the shop ASAP to have a full brake system evaluation. We
and I'll drive by and I'll slow down enough to look at their work not at the
vehicle. I'm looking at the work they're doing. Folks we don't want a cheesy
brake job. You know what I want? I want my vehicle to stop on a dime and give me
change. If some idiot pulls out in front of me I want to be able to avoid being a
part of their nightmare. Do you know what I'm saying? I'm trying to say it in as
much love as I can but that happens and it happens a lot. Even a good friend of
mine said this week this guy did this. I could not freaking believe that he would
do that and I said you know what I've watched them up on 4th Avenue in St.
Catherine's. I watched a girl that wanted to make a right hand turn and I'm
sitting there waiting to make a right hand turn with the rest of the crowd.
She jumps the curb goes down the sidewalk cuts through the traffic light to
get to 4th Avenue and I watched that happen and I'm going you gotta be you
know kidding me. I can't believe that person just did that. Jump the curb with
the car headed down the sidewalks there or wider like mini size you know Austin
mini yeah and tore down the sidewalk to cut the whole corner to make a right hand
turn on the 4th Avenue off a Martindale Road if you know that area. My job was on
the carpet in my car but anyways I say that is brakes they need to be a hundred
percent folks no cutting corners no Chinsky brake job it needs to the job
needs to be done tight and right if you've got any any kind of sensation in
the brake pedal something doesn't feel right when you're applying the brakes
then probably hundred percent there's something not quite right leaving it
alone it cars do not self-heal. I haven't had one that has honestly service
lights on it's until you fix the damn thing period you know you put a
put your favorite pet there a piece of hockey tape or whatever but the light is
on and the car can't warn you anymore so there's no service light for brakes
unless the brake pedal goes to the mat then you're you know the red brake light
or orange light or whatever the icon is on on your car will come on and tell you
you have no brakes those are the things you don't want to find out when
somebody jumps the curb in front of you or behind you or beside you yeah how
about just a few weeks back a feller I was in around the Centennial Park area
just coming past the Burlington Street off-ramps and I hear this rocket
coming I don't know what it had on for exhaust I don't know maybe a downspout
from a house I have no idea but I heard it behind me this chap makes a fourth
lane on a three-line highway I kid you not he jammed himself between me and the
next lane because it was a gap and I mean he wasn't just traveling slowly he
had he was putting a giver to it I'm just watching this I backed right off I
stay way back anyway because you know what I don't need to be wrapped up in
somebody else's stupid nightmare life gets crazy it's crazy already don't add
more crazy you know what I mean you want some crazy no thanks I'm full kind of
thing you know so brakes we don't mess with those and here's what I would also
say Melanie if you've got a backyard or that's doing backyard work make sure the
quality of the work is really really good okay yeah I last summer Skippy can
tell you she's our videographer it was break nationals and some of the vehicles
we got into were a name or somebody else was messing with the brakes what a
staking mess they made ruined brand new brake pads didn't clean lubricate or
anything just we call it a cheap backyard pad slap and down the road it
went she thought she had safe brakes but I showed her what was going on she goes
oh my gosh I go yeah oh my gosh explains it really really well but it's gonna be
tight and right when it leads here so you can watch those videos on our YouTube
channel that's what I'm talking about you'll learn so much in so little time
and we're very conscientious about time on the videos and we're tightening them
up even more as long as I can get the segment in and start the topic and
finish the topic we do have to put our promos in for our program partners
they're picking up the tab they deserve a shout out and if that's a challenge you
know just take the little cursor and just go up to where we start okay just do
that you just put your cursor on the little red line as you're watching the
video we go and get into the meat of the videos we're trying to keep them around
15 minutes to be conscientious of your time but without sacrificing getting
all the information in there so whether folks like it or not we have to put our
program poem promos in there that's the way the world works radio TV you name it
somebody's paying for the program so I wanted to get that out of the way that's
what you're gonna see we're really tightening it up to stay it's tight to
20 minutes but we're trying to get to 15 so bear with us I don't want to take up
too much of your time but at the same time I want to make sure you get all the
nuggets you're gonna need out of the segment okay number two so Melanie from
here don't just let somebody do a break job for you in the backyard unless
they're qualified period that's what I'm gonna tell you you're not saving any
money trust me I threw away breaks last year that was that were bought and paid
for that were just turned into a miserable pile of junk so money not well
spent so get your car in for a full four-wheel brake inspection evaluation
make sure that the technician takes it for a drive and I here's what I
recommend go with the tech for a little ride around the block so you can point
out the concern that way there's no miscommunication we can reduce the
chance of miscommunication okay question number two great great job there
Meli you're on it great job for keeping an eye on your automobile and knowing
your automobile number two James sends us an email question number two there's
some kind of fluid dripping underneath my car onto the driveway now what well I
don't have a magic wand or crystal ball but it is a great question we know
vehicles have fluids if you can't identify the fluid yourself it's coming out
of somewhere whatever it is it's arriving on your driveway is it gonna
self-heal probably not is it gonna get worse more than likely and when I can't
tell you but here's what I always say if there's a fluid leaking from your
vehicle on your driveway and it's not the air conditioning system ejecting the
moisture because that's what air conditioning does it removes the
moisture from the air that's all it does it removes the moisture from the air
so that you feel colder cooler don't let those little things go because that's
where I would say many of the $200 fixes can end up costing you thousands
later a if we don't know what fluid it is we don't know what component requires
that fluid to take care of it and prevent it from getting damaged so those
little leakers turn into big leakers and can end up causing catastrophic damage
to some component that's on your vehicle so grabbing that issue while it's in its
infant stage and determining we've got dyes we've got black lights we've got
all kinds of tools and devices to help us to locate leaks what it is where it
is and what is it going to take to seal that back up but letting it go is not
going to be the answer because that can be a disaster that spells a recipe for
disaster because when is that leak going to open up on you when you're in the on
the highway in the traffic's backed up and it's hot outside it will let go
whatever it is at the most inconvenient opportunity that's what I'm trying to
say so little what I call marks on your driveway those are important you know
why those are the indicators they're saying I got a problem I'm spotting
here so we want to get get it into the shop let's do a complete evaluation of
and we created something when we had the shop was called the Zarkis test yeah
Zarkis pizza made this pizza the size of a football field in fact when you
ordered one you asked for a Zarkis football field and it came in a humongous
white box we would save those white boxes because we get vehicles in that
are spotting on someone's driveway and nobody knows what it what it's spotting
and there doesn't seem to be any major top-ups anywhere but then usually the
person's not checking the fluids and in topping up as necessary but top-ups mean
we need to pay attention to do we have a leak if we're topping up fluids where did
the fluids go that's the big question the neighbor borrowed them maybe remember
the last time he borrowed your weed wacker and brought it back those well
that things a piece of crap well it is now you have pretty much somebody asked
me give weed wacker no do you have a chainsaw no do you have a log splitter
no why would I have one of those yeah no is the answer trust me because if you
want if you still want to use it yourself I know we're supposed to lend
stuff but you know what there's certain things you just don't lend so we would
use the white box park the vehicle in the shop overnight we'd mark the front of
the box front of vehicle and slide that underneath overnight so instead of those
those marks landing on the driveway we wanted them to land on the box so we can
then have an idea where the leaks are coming from right away saves you a lot
of money we just had to eat the pizza to get the box so we nicknamed that the
Zarky's test so if one of the fellas working on a vehicles coming in that's
got leaks we'd put it on the lift see if we could find something that sticks out
like a sore thumb and if not then we would do we'd say I'd say Jimbo tonight
put the car back out tonight put it in the wash bay and put the Zarky's test
under it bam done and I'll tell you we would nail the even the slightest
leaks because we'd be able to see on the box that white pizza box what the fluid
is and what location it came off the engine from so then we can get after it
and get it done before it really let's go so that's we we created the Zarky's
test I don't know what Zarky's pizza is still around but that's what we did with
their pizza box and the pizza yes the pizza was very good I gave it two
thumbs up so great question James you're reaching out and that's what the
questions are all about should I be concerned yes should you panic not yet
but we need to get that looked after so it doesn't get to that point where it's
really leaking and there's no question it's leaking okay question number three
Shelly super question as well my vehicle seems to be running all right I haven't
had it into a shop in quite a while should I be concerned yes because you're
you what's happening here is you're living in the unknown and you have an
older automobile when I say older three years there you go there's but there's
my definition of older for all the talking heads out there if it isn't
brand spanking new guess what it's older so when you buy it new one year from
that date it's already older two years from that date it's older three years
from that date it's getting all so that's my definition of older if you
haven't had it in the shop for quite some time even though everything seems
like it's tickety-boo that's when I get concerned even myself I really have a
look around and that's why this spring I said you know this spring I'm really
giving the FJ cruiser it's gonna be 20 years old in July a really stringent
spring evaluation so what's left just got to turn it around today and back it in
because it's kind of wide for the service bay and the tires are big I
didn't put any monster tires on they're just big from the factory they're big
wheels and I mean and right now they're smaller compared to other stuff now but
I need more space so I'm gonna take it outside turn it around back it in lift
it up and have a look at the rear brakes I'm hoping it's just a service and we're
down the road for the rest of the summer so when I don't hear anything I don't
feel anything I don't smell anything it doesn't mean everything's a hundred
percent that's why I highly recommend and even on our our car connection fleet
maintenance system you'll see it on there having an evaluation twice a year and
Melanie Shelley that's the reason behind that so that nothing gets away from you
or anything that is going unnoticed doesn't take off and make a giant repair
bill for you so if we can grab anything that's questionable that's just worn but
not destroyed yet we can avoid damage by getting to it beforehand it's still
waiting for things to show up because when that happens things can go crazy so
living in again as I mentioned already in today's program owning and operating
an automobile in the unknown is too much chaos free because you just don't know
what you don't know and many people just you know many they just hop in start it
up and they go they don't check the fluids they don't know if the engine has
enough oil they have no idea it's just even just gas start it and you go that
not owning an automobile that's the person that's going to get caught out and
have a ginormous repair bill because there's been a number of things starting
to go awry but didn't get caught that's chaos that is stress you want to you
want to make sure you're living in the know that means you know when you hop
in your vehicle you know when you're gassing it up everything is good it's
when you say would you drive that car tomorrow morning all the way 1600 plus
miles to Florida yes or no not no discussion required it's a yes or a no
and that's the question you need to ask yourself would I feel confident enough
that if I had to drive a thousand miles for a family emergency could I take my
car yes or no or you go well let's see what happens many people do that let's
see what happens and that spells chaos when is it gonna happen on that road
trip for sure because you're really pushing it but if you're maintaining
your vehicle and every six months having a full vehicle evaluation an honest
full evaluation you're ahead of the game because then yeah I could right now very
easily toss you a set of keys and go yeah carry on gas and go check the oil
along the way you're good to go 1600 miles one shot it's either yes or it's
no so that's a good question I'm gonna leave to you for this weekend is if you
had to jump in your car and get out of dodge and be somewhere overnight and you
had to take your car could it do that mileage yes or no without issue are you
confident enough that your vehicles maintained well enough that you could do
that with without even hesitating yes or no send me an email let me know your
answer because if it's and don't don't manufacture a yes well you know I did
change the oil last year I did rotate the tires the last four years well I did
brakes three years ago should be okay should be it's either a yes or no that's
how we were taught by our military instructor great mechanic let me tell
you he could he taught us a lot of stuff great stuff and that's how he taught us
to fix automobiles was it's either a yes or it's a no nothing else in between
because he would say in the military when we had to go out to fix a tank or
some kind of device in the field and there's guys there protecting you and
bullets are flying and we got to get this machine going it's either a yes or
no we're either making it out of here or not but that was their job get that
tank going we need it and they take the the technician goes out there and he
stays with that thing until that thing's ready to go and that's the target
take out the equipment right take out the equipment yeah I wouldn't like that
job he said we would have to make sure you know these things are going out in
battle but everything is as it should be it's a yes not a maybe not a well it's
not leaking that bad it should be okay no it has to be a yes let your yet yay be
yay and your nay be nay so I hope that helps you a great deal Shelly don't be
afraid don't panic don't run for the hills the sky is not falling just get
your vehicle booked in with a service technician that you trust that's not
there selling you what you don't need but looking out for your best interest
making sure that your vehicle is reliable and that it's healthy so that
doesn't leave you suddenly stranded on the road somewhere because for women
fellas who cares but for the ladies that leaves them in a very compromised
position that we don't want them in you know there's kooks out there let's just
admit that there's kooks and then there's kooks times 10 and we don't want our
ladies getting caught out there right right but for you guys you don't care
doesn't matter you get all excited but you know what you'll you'll fend for
yourself but the ladies that's not a place where they want to be and we don't
want to put them there so get your vehicle evaluated but again make sure
it's someone you trust that's not just selling you stuff don't take your vehicle
to a shop that's paying the tax flat rate that's a mistake because they got to
make a living and a lot of them they don't have a conscience they'll just sell
sell sell up sell you everything you don't want that you want to be in a shop
where the the fellas are paid by the hour for the workmanship and they're known
for their workmanship and they got your back so when you ask them to evaluate your vehicle
they're not upselling you stuff you don't need you want them they want them to keep out keep an eye
out for you and make sure that your vehicle is healthy all the time so twice a year that is also
on our fleet maintenance schedule twice a year full evaluation so you can stay ahead of the curve
so that your vehicle becomes you can become very confident with your vehicle that you could yes
hop in and drive a thousand miles non-stop without issue so till Monday morning we'll see you again
for another motormouth morning drive I hope you've gotten some nuggets out of today's program if you
need to listen and re-listen all the podcasts populate to our youtube channel and all those
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ideas to help others besides ourselves thinking of others before ourselves and we can only get
there with your help so like subscribe share follow and comment and we'll see you in the next one
have a great weekend get out there and spruce up your garden because it's not going to be
steaming hot it's going to be just perfect so that you get those plants into ground and put some
color in your yard and feel good about it because you can get them watered in and they don't they're
not laying there all wilted so this is perfect planting weather we'll see you Monday happy healthy
motoring friends peace patience and kindness always everything you need is in the description
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grab a few things from our merch store our online merch store and just know you're standing with the
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let's help get them there we'll see you Monday bye for now
About this episode
Q&A Saturday focuses on avoiding older-car stress through disciplined maintenance planning. The host contrasts “in the know” ownership—tracking issues and staying on top of service—with “in the unknown,” where surprises get expensive. Listener questions kick off with brake shake: noise or pulsation through the pedal means an ASAP full brake inspection, not a “cheesy” fix. The mystery-leak segment explains how to treat driveway spotting seriously, using shop tests like the “Zarkis test,” and why Car Fax can miss unreported damage.
Original notes
A shaking brake pedal, mystery fluid on the driveway, and a vehicle that seems to be running perfectly fine despite not seeing a repair shop in quite some time. what could possibly go wrong?
In this Saturday Q&A episode, we answer three important listener questions that every vehicle owner should hear.
🚗 Melanie asks why her vehicle shakes when braking and whether it's dangerous. We discuss brake vibration, why it should never be ignored, and the importance of a complete brake system evaluation.
🚗 James discovers fluid dripping onto his driveway and wants to know what to do next. we explain why identifying the type of fluid and its source is the first step toward preventing a minor leak from becoming a major repair.
🚗 Shelley wonders if she should be concerned that her vehicle hasn't been inspected in quite a while even though it seems to be running fine. We discuss why regular inspections help keep you in the know, reduce unexpected breakdowns, and provide peace of mind.
Vehicle ownership doesn't have to be a guessing game. Staying informed and proactive can save you time, money, and frustration down the road.
#VehicleMaintenance #CarCareTips #AutomotiveAdvice
E-Mail Questions to: [email protected] or [email protected]
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More Episode and...project Details & Links are available at Car Connection Business Network.com (ccbusnet.com) you'll find everything on our home page if you'd like to follow the build & repair work we do, connect with our program partners, click their logo to meet them, and Thank You for giving them your support.
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Skippy & Motormouth💕🚗
Car Connection Workshop
Nile Jenkins
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