Dive into practical spring car care with insights on rustproofing, tire age, and essential vehicle maintenance. The host shares decades of mechanic experience, emphasizing the value of regular inspections, quality rustproofing products, and understanding tire lifespan to avoid costly repairs. Real-life stories highlight the pitfalls of modern vehicles versus older models built to last. The episode also touches on community support, addiction recovery efforts, and the importance of caring for your vehicle to save money and extend its life.
Welcome to this week's Q&A Saturday where we answer your real automotive questions from the Motormouth community.
Today's questions focus on spring vehicle maintenance and a few topics that many drivers are unsure about.
In this episode we discuss:
1) What maintenance should you do to your vehicle in the spring
2) Is rustproofing really worth it?
3) When should summer tires actually be replaced
We also talk about how to read the date code stamped on the sidewall of your tire, which tells you exactly when it was manufactured. If you want to see where that code is located, check out our YouTube video where we walk through it step -by- step.
Understanding a few simple maintenance details can help extend the life of your vehicle and prevent expensive surprises down the road.
Have a question for next week's show?
Send it in and join us for Q&A Saturday where we tackle real-world car ownership questions from drivers just like you.
Car Connection Motormouth Merchandise available in our online store at (ccbusnet.com) grab some gear and join our crew in the fight to battle addiction, helping those who have made the decision to beat their addiction get to a Total freedom Addiction Campus where a New Life awaits them there! Thank You So Very Much Friends, Motormouth & Skippy.
More Episode and ...project Details & Links are available at Car Connection Business Network (ccbusnet.com) you'll find everything on our homepage if you'd like to follow the build & repair work & connect with our program partners click their logo to meet them Thank You!
Like,Share, Follow, Comment, Subscribe, Ring notification Bell miss no new videos, join our community, all these little things really help all our platforms grow so we can reach as many people as possible just like you and us! And Help them too, We Love you all very much! Skippy & Motormouth.
Together lets keep our ignitions turned on engines running smoothly!
Happy Healthy Motoring Friends, Nile Motormouth Jenkins.
"Whether it's a 25 year old Jeep Wrangler getting a second chance at life, or a Nissan Rogue getting its brakes back in order."
The Jeep Wrangler is a tough and popular SUV that can drive off-road on rough terrain. People often fix them up to keep them running well or make them look cool.
The Jeep Wrangler is a rugged off-road SUV known for its iconic design and strong off-road capabilities. It has a loyal following and is often restored or modified by enthusiasts.
"Whether it's a 25 year old Jeep Wrangler getting a second chance at life, or a Nissan Rogue getting its brakes back in order."
The Nissan Rogue is a small SUV that many people use every day. It's good for driving around town and has features to keep you safe and comfortable.
The Nissan Rogue is a compact crossover SUV popular for its practicality, fuel efficiency, and comfortable ride. It is a common daily driver with a focus on safety and technology features.
"...f the day, and went out onto the freezing frozen tundra called Lake Erie, frozen over like Antarctica. I..."
The Toyota Tundra is a big truck made by Toyota. It is built to carry heavy loads and drive on rough roads or in tough weather. People use it for work or outdoor activities.
The Toyota Tundra is a full-size pickup truck known for its durability and strong V8 engine options. It is often praised for its reliability and capability in tough conditions, making it popular for heavy-duty use and off-road adventures. The Tundra is frequently discussed for its performance in challenging environments like frozen lakes or rugged terrain.
"...We're locked down. So you got to have snowblowers and spares. You need to have something that can get you around in the winter if a vehicle won't pull it off..."
A snowblower is a machine that helps clear snow from places like your driveway by pushing or throwing the snow away. It's very useful when there is a lot of snow in winter.
A snowblower is a machine used to remove snow from driveways, sidewalks, and roads by collecting and throwing it to the side. It is essential for clearing heavy snow during winter, especially in regions with frequent snowstorms.
"...You need to have something that can get you around in the winter if a vehicle won't pull it off. So at ATV or snowmobile, those things are a must living alongside a great lake..."
A snowmobile is a special vehicle that moves on snow using skis and tracks, so you can travel even when there is a lot of snow on the ground.
A snowmobile is a motorized vehicle designed specifically for traveling on snow and ice. It typically has skis in front and tracks in the rear, making it ideal for winter conditions where roads are impassable.
"...You need to have something that can get you around in the winter if a vehicle won't pull it off. So at ATV or snowmobile, those things are a must living alongside a great lake..."
An ATV is a small vehicle with big tires that can drive on rough or snowy ground where normal cars might get stuck. People use them to get around in tough conditions.
An ATV, or All-Terrain Vehicle, is a small, open motorized vehicle with four large tires designed for off-road use. It is useful in snowy or rough terrain where regular vehicles may struggle.
"For me, it's high octane, 99.5% octane boost, not a penny less."
High octane gas is a type of fuel that burns more smoothly in certain cars. Using it helps your car run better and avoid engine knocking.
High octane fuel refers to gasoline with a higher octane rating, which resists knocking or pinging during combustion. It is often recommended for performance or high-compression engines to improve efficiency and power.
"They said it was pattern failure. Worst stinking vehicle they ever owned and he said, look, give me 500 bucks for it and you can have it."
Pattern failure means a car has common problems that happen a lot with that kind of car. So many people have the same trouble with it.
Pattern failure refers to a recurring or common mechanical or reliability issue that frequently affects a particular vehicle model or type. It means the vehicle has known problems that tend to happen repeatedly across many units.
"As long as the frame and subframes and the structural integrity of the vehicle is top drawer, you got something to work with."
The frame and subframes are like the car's skeleton that holds everything together. If they are strong and not damaged, the car is safer and better to fix up.
The frame and subframes are the main structural components of a vehicle that provide support and rigidity. Ensuring these parts are in good condition is critical for safety and the overall integrity of the car, especially when buying older or used vehicles.
"As long as the frame and subframes and the structural integrity of the vehicle is top drawer, you got something to work with."
Structural integrity means how strong and solid the car's body and frame are. A car with good structural integrity is safer and lasts longer.
Structural integrity refers to the strength and soundness of a vehicle's body and frame. It determines how well the car can withstand stresses and impacts without deforming or failing.
"We're putting together a page on our website, totally dedicated for you, all of you, to jump on that page, read all about what our car connection fleet maintenance system is all about. You'll get to see what's included in it, everything about it, how it came about, and how you can get one."
A fleet maintenance system helps people or companies take care of many cars or trucks at once so they don't break down and cost a lot of money.
A fleet maintenance system is a structured program or service designed to manage and maintain multiple vehicles efficiently, often used by businesses or organizations to keep their vehicle fleets in good working order and reduce downtime.
"We've got to do a valve cover gasket. I'm talking about how important that is on the Volkswagen Golf. The valve cover gasket is a serious deal. It cannot be leaking oil."
The valve cover gasket is a seal on top of the engine that stops oil from leaking out. If it leaks, the engine can get damaged.
The valve cover gasket seals the valve cover to the top of the engine cylinder head, preventing oil leaks. A leaking valve cover gasket can cause oil loss and engine damage if not addressed.
"Fuel filter, spark plugs, cap and rotor, wires, the whole package."
A fuel filter cleans the gas before it goes into the engine so the car runs smoothly.
The fuel filter removes impurities and debris from the fuel before it reaches the engine. Replacing it regularly helps maintain engine performance and prevent damage.
"Fuel filter, spark plugs, cap and rotor, wires, the whole package."
Spark plugs help start the engine by creating a small spark inside the car’s engine.
Spark plugs ignite the air-fuel mixture inside the engine cylinders to start combustion. They need to be replaced periodically to ensure efficient engine operation.
"Fuel filter, spark plugs, cap and rotor, wires, the whole package."
The cap and rotor are parts inside the car that help send electricity to start the engine.
The cap and rotor are components of the ignition system that distribute electrical current to the spark plugs. They wear out over time and need replacement to maintain proper engine firing.
"Oh, we got to do a clutch. Yes, the clutch is super duper hard to press. You almost have, if you drove that for a week, you'd have, you've had muscles in your legs like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Lou Ferrigno. So we got to pull the transmission out and see what's happened. I believe that there's some fingers in the pressure plate on the clutch that are bent."
The clutch is a pedal in some cars that helps you change gears. If it’s hard to press, it might be broken or worn out.
The clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages the engine from the transmission in manual transmission vehicles. A hard-to-press clutch pedal often indicates wear or damage, such as bent pressure plate fingers.
"So rust-proofing. We're going to be talking about that in just a few minutes. So hang in there."
Rust-proofing means protecting your car from rust by putting special coatings on it. This helps keep the metal from getting damaged by water or salt.
Rust-proofing is the process of applying protective coatings or treatments to a vehicle's metal surfaces to prevent or slow down corrosion caused by moisture and salt. It is especially important for older vehicles or those exposed to harsh environments.
"You'll see a box that says spring time and fall time maintenance. So right now it's spring time maintenance. What does that mean? On the maintenance schedule, that's your evaluation time. That's get the vehicle in the shop, complete check over. A complete, what I call, an automotive physical."
Spring time maintenance means taking your car to the shop in spring to make sure everything is working well after winter. They check and fix things so your car runs smoothly.
Spring time maintenance refers to a scheduled vehicle checkup that typically occurs in the spring. It involves a thorough inspection and servicing to prepare the vehicle for warmer weather, addressing any issues caused by winter conditions.
"Doesn't drip, it creeps. And it creeps because of the electron theory. The vehicle is negative negatively charged. The product has positively charged molecules unlike charges attract. So I always like to say the positive charges are the little girls and the negative charges are little boys and they're chasing each other around your vehicle. And that's how it creeps. The molecules chase each other. They're attracted to each other."
Electron theory here means that the rustproofing stuff has tiny parts that are positive and they stick to the car parts that are negative, helping the rust protection spread everywhere.
Electron theory in this context explains how rustproofing products work by using positively charged molecules that are attracted to the negatively charged vehicle surfaces. This attraction allows the product to creep into small areas and protect against moisture.
"And in this time of year, it also neutralizes the acids from road salt. That is the huge bonus because when we hit 40 degrees in the vehicles wet, those acids from that liquid road salt and the road, the rock salt, that's when the acids are activated in the rusties. They take off. It doesn't take months, folks."
Road salt is salt put on roads in winter to stop ice. But it can make cars rusty faster if it gets on them and stays wet.
Road salt is a de-icing agent spread on roads during winter to melt ice and snow. While effective for safety, it can cause corrosion on vehicles by accelerating rust formation, especially when moisture is present.
"Going through the drive through and doing one of those under spray pressure washes, bad idea. That's all I'm going to say about that. That's a bad idea, friends. Do not do it. No under spray. Power wash, car wash. That will just accelerate everything. So where the acids are from road salt, you just fed it the ingredient it needs to eat your body metal."
Underbody spray means washing the bottom part of your car. If done wrong, it can push dirt and salt into hidden spots and cause rust faster.
Underbody spray refers to washing or spraying the underside of a vehicle, often done in drive-through car washes. Improper underbody washing, especially with high-pressure sprays, can force corrosive materials like salt and moisture deeper into crevices, accelerating rust rather than preventing it.
"Still making payments now they can't and it's out of warranty. It needs a cylinder head pulling off and find out exactly why coolant's going into the engine."
When a car is out of warranty, it means the company won't fix problems for free anymore. You have to pay for repairs yourself.
Out of warranty means the vehicle is no longer covered by the manufacturer's guarantee to repair or replace parts at no cost. Repairs after this period are typically the owner's financial responsibility.
"I want them prorated. I want you to take two years of value off those tires because I'm only going to be able to run them for four. Not six."
If you buy tires that are already a couple of years old, you should pay less for them because you won't be able to use them as long as new tires.
Prorated tire pricing means adjusting the price of tires based on their age or remaining usable life. For example, buying two-year-old tires should cost less than brand-new ones because you get less usage time.
"But first and foremost, figure out how old they are. If they're going into the seventh year, like one car we have in the fleet, even though the tires look fantastic, the rubber is seven, seven years old."
Tire age means how old your tires are. Even if they look fine, old tires can be unsafe because the rubber gets worn out over time.
Tire age refers to how long tires have been in use or stored, which affects their safety and performance. Even if tires look good, rubber degrades over time, typically recommending replacement after about six years.
"working on everything from light truck and passenger vehicles all the way up to Mack trucks, Peterbilt trucks,"
Mack Trucks is a company that makes big trucks used for carrying heavy loads or construction work. They are famous for being tough and reliable.
Mack Trucks is a well-known American manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks, widely used for freight and construction purposes. They are recognized for their durability and distinctive bulldog hood ornament.
"working on everything from light truck and passenger vehicles all the way up to Mack trucks, Peterbilt trucks, Kenworths, freight shakers,"
Peterbilt trucks are big trucks used to carry goods over long distances. They are known for being strong and can be customized to fit different needs.
Peterbilt is an American brand of medium- and heavy-duty trucks, known for their quality and customization options. They are commonly used in freight transport and long-haul trucking.
"working on everything from light truck and passenger vehicles all the way up to Mack trucks, Peterbilt trucks, Kenworths, freight shakers,"
Kenworth trucks are large trucks used to carry heavy loads. They are built to last and are used a lot in industries like shipping and building.
Kenworth is a major American manufacturer of heavy-duty and medium-duty trucks, known for their durability and advanced engineering. They are popular in freight and construction industries.
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Good morning folks! You're tuned to Car Connection where the coffee is strong, the stories are real, and the wrenches never stop turning.
I'm your host Niall Motormouth Jenkins coming to you from the Car Connection Workshop where the smell of fresh oil, a little elbow grease is all part of a balanced breakfast.
And around here we don't just talk cars, we live them. Whether it's a 25 year old Jeep Wrangler getting a second chance at life, or a Nissan Rogue getting its brakes back in order.
Or a mystery leak that's got everyone scratching their heads. This is where we roll up our sleeves and we get it done with a little wit, a little wisdom, and a whole lot of fun.
The Car Connection isn't just about nuts and bolts and diagnostics, it's about connection. Connection to our vehicles, to the people who drive them, and to the community that keeps Niagara rolling.
Because when you fix a car, you're not just turning a wrench, you're restoring someone's confidence, freedom, and maybe even their sanity.
We're here Monday through Saturday with Motormouth's Morning Drive at 8am helping you keep your ride safe, reliable, and ready for whatever road lies ahead.
So whether you're a weekend rancher, daily commuter, or someone who just wants to understand what that strange rattle really means.
Welcome aboard, stick around for shop talk, expert advice, a few good laughs, good laughs, and maybe a story.
He has 40 plus years as a license qualified service technician. I just paid my licenses and checked. They got my payment so that means I get my stickers and my updos.
That's what you get.
People tend to shut their brains off on weekends when they drive. That's what I've experienced.
It's like, you know, hey dude, you only have to do one thing behind that wheel. Can we get started? Yeah, and focus on that. You think we can?
Sometimes, sometimes it is what it is.
If you're off for the weekend and looking forward to March Break coming up, hope you got a whole lot of stuff planned.
I see the Robins are kind of hiding. I don't blame them because it's cold today.
Yeah, it's cold. Let's jump right into our weekend weather so we can have a sneak peek at what we got coming.
Yeah, it's arrived already. So, you know, when we get our own plan, we can change that up.
Thank you to our Louise Grant for bringing the Saturday Weather Report to us at City Auto Sales and Leasing, providing low mileage quality vehicles at fair prices.
They sell no junk, folks. That's why they're part of Car Connection and they've been a part of Car Connection for a number of years now, providing GTA's premier pre-owned vehicles.
Greater Toronto Area. That's what that stands for for all those who are listening and let us know where you're listening from.
I really like to know that. So, in the comments on our YouTube videos, leave us a comment where you're listening from.
I love, love, love that. And if you're joining us for the first time, thanks. Appreciate it. You might not be the same after today.
Treatment is good. Yeah. Heavy Duty Counseling.
And join us. We've got weekend weather coming up right now. We'll have a swiggy together, so get your morning beverage ready, whatever that may be.
Get your 16 pack of crayons, your folded up leaf bag that looks like a laptop, and take some notes.
Everything we talk about lives on our website at carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com. That's C-C-B-U-S-N-E-T.com.
We also include that in all the descriptions on our YouTube videos and also on the podcast. That is our biggest drawer in the toolbox where you can find our program partners.
Click on their logo on the homepage, and that will open profile pages. They're all set up the same, so you can meet them.
And thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving them your business. We appreciate that.
Top right-hand corner of the homepage. You'll find all the platforms we're involved with.
If you haven't subscribed to our YouTube channel just yet, if you're part of that 93% that's enjoying the videos, which I know you are, how come you're not subscribed?
That really helps us. A great deal. All the likes, shares, follow, put your comments down below.
All those things. Ring in the bell. All those little things help our platforms to grow.
And if we grow, that means we can help more and more people just like you and me. And that's what matters.
We want to get to the point where we can pay for parts and perform the labor and shoot the videos and share them with you, but we can't do that until we are properly monetized.
And that's what has to happen. And you're the ones that can make it happener.
So thank you from Skippy and I. We love you all very much. We appreciate your support on our Instagram, Facebook, Stevensvilleontheweb.ca.
Just click on the Businesses tab to find a profile page for us.
And our iHeart radio icon is there in the top right hand corner.
And would you help us out also? Our online merchandise store is available as well where you can get car connection, motor mouth, merchandise.
And when you grab some gear, you join our crew in fighting addiction and helping those who have made that decision to battle that addiction and win, get to a total freedom addiction campus, USA and Canada.
Because there's a new life waiting for them there. It is a life change. It's not a program.
It's not do your time, pop out the other side and hope for the best. No, no, no.
It's a one year visit to the campus.
And they really know what they're doing there.
20, almost 25 years of battling addiction, but the person has to want to be there, has to be ready to do what's necessary.
Forget the programs. Programs don't work.
These are addiction campuses. And that's what they do.
So when you purchase merchandise, you're joining part of our crew and helping those who have made that decision to battle that addiction and win.
Let's help get them there. Thank you very, very much.
This morning's weather, again brought to us by City Auto Sales and Leasing or Louise Grant.
They are amazing car guys. They sell no junk, this low mileage quality vehicles at fair prices.
If they don't have the vehicle you're specifically looking for, then you need to let them know what you're looking for.
They have the resources to find it. That way you're not buying somebody else's pig with lipstick on.
Yeah, because lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig. Yeah, or a skunk and a mink coat.
It's still a skunk and you don't want those things in your driveway.
So check in with Earl and Louise Grant, City Auto Sales and Leasing.
You can find them on our website. Make sure you say hello that we sent you.
And even if you got to drive two hours to get there, let me tell you, I have driven half a day to get to a vehicle that I had predetermined.
It met all the boxes that I needed to check off in order to say, yeah, I'm going to go look at it.
But that's me. That's not you.
But knowing that you can go to a car lot and know that you're not buying something that was crashed, fixed up, doctored up.
And yeah, it's been fudge factor tend to move it down the road. You don't want that in your driveway.
You don't want to be making payments on something like that.
So thank you, Earl Louise for making today's Saturday morning weather report.
Well, here it is, babies over.
Well, dress warm. I'm going to say that first.
35 is the high for today. That's Fahrenheit.
I always talking inches, feet, yards, square feet, square yards and Fahrenheit.
Yeah, 35 degrees is the high for today.
28 will be the overnight low.
And I see some snowflakes in there.
So let's go to precipitation, see what they got hiding here for Saturday's low will be 28.
I just said that between 8am and 9am.
There you go.
And the high will be 35 between 4pm and 5pm.
The temperature range will feel like 6 degrees to 29 degrees.
So that means things can freeze and the wind will make it feel colder than the actual temperature.
So here's what I'm going to give you a tip right now.
Lift those wiper blades off the windshield, especially overnight because they will be frozen to the glass tomorrow morning.
And you don't want to be that person that forgot to shut them off the night before and they're frozen and you hop in and all you hear is bang.
And you know what I hear next?
Cha-ching.
How much cha-ching will determine on the damage?
Snow, precipitation, total, greater than one inch.
Greater than one inch.
So that is the weather report.
Do you want to know what it's going to look like for tomorrow?
Well, let's, why don't we, we got a minute.
Let's take a peek.
Here it is for Sunday.
This is more better as they say in English.
53 degrees is going to be the high for the day.
Yeah, 58, 53 degrees for the high, 28 for the low at 3 a.m.
Well, at 3 a.m. I'm thinking about getting up, but not quite.
The high will be 53 degrees Fahrenheit between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. tomorrow, that Sunday afternoon, early evening.
The temperature range will feel like 16 to 39.
The wind will make it feel colder than the actual temperature.
And again, precip, no rainage, just greater than one inch of snow.
And we woke up to snow this morning.
Some light snow.
Things are frosty on the south shores and just to let you know that Skippy and I,
when we skipped out of the shop for the, for the day, most of the day,
and went out onto the freezing frozen tundra called Lake Erie, frozen over like Antarctica.
I'll tell you, it was just absolutely gorgeous day.
Sunny, blue sky, light wind that was really, really cold on the lake.
But as far as you can see, ice and mother nature moguls, ice castles, ice caves.
It was brilliant. It was absolutely brilliant.
That video was now loaded on our YouTube channel.
Just give you a bird's eye view.
What happens on the south shore Lake Erie and how important it is for us to make sure that we have our vehicles ready
and prepared to do battle with winter because we never know what we're going to get.
Just like Forrest Gump.
Yeah, the south shore Lake Erie is like a box of chocolates.
You never know what you're going to get.
And we don't.
We could have a three or four day blow in and that's it.
We're locked down.
So you got to have snowblowers and spares.
You need to have something that can get you around in the winter if a vehicle won't pull it off.
So at ATV or snowmobile, those things are a must living alongside a great lake.
They are they are a must.
And if you don't end up using them one particular winter, then, you know, hallelujah, but it's going to catch up to you.
And when it does, it always does.
Let me tell you, it always does.
Thank you to Crystal Ridge Dream Center for all that they do for young and old seniors, widows, men and women, single moms, children, young adults, and those who are financial cramped that cannot make ends meet.
They feed out the door every Tuesday and Friday.
They have after school programs for the children and they have to raise their own funds.
They don't get any government funding whatsoever.
They are faith based nonprofit organization.
They can administer a tax receipt for anything over twenty five dollars, but they do all these things to the kids after school, feed them, love on them, play games with them that get their minds going.
And they also have music lessons if they would like to take that and they make up games and stuff that the kids just absolutely love.
And that is all done out of their pockets.
So they really, really rely on all of us to do a little something.
So changing lives one at a time in our very own backyard in the Niagara region.
And especially in these times, folks, when community support is crucial, Crystal Ridge Dream Center shines as a beacon of compassion and transformation.
They're located right in the heart of Crystal Beach.
So if you remember, remember the Crystal Beach amusement park?
That's where they are.
And that's a really hard hit area there.
Low income families and they need a hand up.
So check them out on our website, would you?
They are our official car connection fundraising nonprofit faith based organization will be out there cruise events, fundraising events, making people aware of what they do.
All their 61 volunteers at Crystal Ridge Dream Center are doing to help those struggling in the community and changing lives one at a time.
And I'll tell you, the kids just absolutely love being there after school.
Well, our topic today is Q&A.
It's Q&A Saturday.
That's questions and answers.
And we got some, I've pulled some questions that were sent in.
I picked the top, what I felt was the top three for today because it doesn't take long to suck up an hour of airtime.
I've got lots of experience doing that for now being in our 32nd year with car connection and the car connection workshop.
And I'm liking this platform so much better.
It's so much freer and I feel like I can breathe now.
You ever get that feeling?
I feel you ever get to a job where you actually feel like you can relax and breathe.
You're not, you're not two tents, like a teepee and a wigwam.
Yeah, you don't feel like that two tents.
You can relax and enjoy a beverage, get up and make yourself a cup of coffee and bring it to your desk and work with it.
And you don't have no taskmaster beating on you saying, what are you doing there?
What?
What's it to you?
You copper writing a book.
Exactly.
I've had a few of those jobs.
And that's why I took the offshifts, extended afternoons or nights.
Yeah, anyone like me, bosses aren't around.
You can work and not feel like you're wound up tighter in a coil spring.
Well, let's jump in this morning again on Fun Fridays.
You're always welcome to come and join us on Fun Fridays.
You never know what we're going to talk about and dive into, but we will dive into something and unpack it and take a look at and have some fun at the same time.
So come and join us.
Don't miss Fun Fridays.
It's a great way, I think, to kind of let our hair down, relax, laugh.
Just remember, laughing releases dolphins and everyone needs more purpose.
There you go.
Put on pump.
Not even a donut on that one.
You suck.
I'm just saying.
Could you?
Hey, Siri, are you around somewhere?
Are you?
Yes, she says, I'm your assistant 24-7.
Well, here I got something for you, Siri.
Could you rustle up me a hot cup of coffee, one of those chocolate donuts with little sprinkles on?
Maybe not.
Well, that's worth a try.
All right, on 321, let's have our swiggy and let's get into the first email that was sent to me from Don.
He's asking great question.
What should?
Are you giving me back talk?
You're going to hurt my feeling.
I feel unsafe right now.
Siri.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm going to make a sign and I'm going to march up and down the sidewalk in front of the car connection workshop because I feel unsafe.
Okay, enough of that.
A little bit of wokeness here, I think.
No, we don't allow that anywhere.
Same with turkey bacon.
That's wrong.
We don't allow that either in decaf.
If you're drinking decaf this morning with us on a swiggy, hey, that's your deal.
Yeah, it's your deal.
We got to accept that.
We have to agree to disagree.
For me, it's high octane, 99.5% octane boost, not a penny less.
So Don's asking this, what should I do to my vehicle in the spring?
Well, I got some great ideas for that.
So stick around in about 30 seconds as we count down having a swiggy together.
You ready?
On 321, let's let a riptator chip.
321.
That's so good.
That should be illegal.
Just checking.
Siri around.
Maybe.
I think I saw her there for a minute.
Well, did you know most $5,000 repairs start as a $200 maintenance item?
It's true, and it happens over and over and over and over again.
Would you rather spend small money on a schedule that will help you track your vehicle maintenance on your own?
So you don't have to rely on the fella to do it for you because after all, it is your ride.
And if you want to keep it, if you're interested in having longevity with your engine, your transmission, all your drive, drive line and your vehicle, then you're on the right channel because that's my niche.
I can take the worst pattern failure pile of scrap iron and turn it into a reliable source of transportation for very little money and then track the maintenance on it and stay ahead of it.
I got a vehicle from someone one time at our shop on the Hamilton Mountain.
They ditched it.
They were fed up with it.
They said it was pattern failure.
Worst stinking vehicle they ever owned and he said, look, give me 500 bucks for it and you can have it.
And I'm like, really?
You're good with that?
You write me a receipt right here and I go, yeah, we're done with it.
My wife and I, we're going to go get something else.
Well, folks, that turned out to be one of the best vehicles I personally ever owned.
And that one, my $500 beauties because I would buy them all the time off of people.
They walk away from it because, you know, they treated it like slobville inside and outside.
It just needs some mechanicals, clean it up, dress it up, take care of it, love on it, take it for a walk, give it a bath.
Probably for the first time in who knows how long and get it back out on the road.
And I buy them for like 500 bucks, pull the whole interior out, shampoo the carpet, the seats and get the sandwiches and dead French fries and what nots from out underneath.
That makes smell really bad plus tuna and clean it all up, do all the mechanicals.
And then I never even had to advertise it because I had clients saying, hey, if you get another one of those vehicles that you do up, can you give us a call and let us know?
We wouldn't mind having a second or third vehicle for our son and daughter that are working part time going to school.
And as fast as I could do one, it wouldn't be gone.
And they turned out to be really good vehicles.
So, you know what, another man's junk, another man's treasure.
As long as the frame and subframes and the structural integrity of the vehicle is top drawer, you got something to work with.
It's not, you know, it's not fill the oil, check the gas and it's not leaking more fluids than it has.
You got something to work with. You really, really do.
How long would your car last if you actually followed a proper maintenance plan?
We're putting together a page on our website, totally dedicated for you, all of you, to jump on that page,
read all about what our car connection fleet maintenance system is all about.
You'll get to see what's included in it, everything about it, how it came about, and how you can get one.
You'll be able to click right on that page and get yourself a car connection fleet maintenance system.
For less than most of you spend at Tim Hortons every month.
So, we're making them available, $59 for a kit, for those who are subscribed and liking, sharing, following,
ringing the bell on our YouTube channel, learning from all the videos that are there.
And we are going to load up our YouTube channel. We have almost 200 videos there.
We put three new ones up every week, two for Tuesday. It's a two for Tuesday for us.
It's me and Skippy, and then a new one comes up on Friday as well.
So, three per week, we're going to load all our iHeart podcasts onto our YouTube channel.
How cool is that? I think that's cool. I have no idea how to do it, but we'll be doing it.
Absolutely. It's going to get done very shortly.
So, that page, profile page is being worked on.
So, if you're interested and you want to know a little more ahead of time, send me an email.
And in the email comment fleet, F-L-E-E-T, and capital letters, and I'll send you the details in advance.
So, that's what's coming up.
So, for all of you that are going to change your mindset on treating your vehicle like a piece of trash,
and making car payments every month, I'm not in for that.
It's not necessary.
You can save your time and money, not working to pay off a car for seven years.
And with that, before I jump into the first question, I wrote something down.
Oh, here it is.
Yeah, I was doing a little research, and I like to listen to what other technicians in other parts of the world are talking about.
Hardly anyone pre-trips or at least regularly checks their vehicles.
I'm like, I've been saying that for years.
But the ones that are doing that, checking your fluids, keeping an eye on your tire pressures, doing the basics,
your vehicle is going to last a whole lot longer than the fellas and fellas that are in this category.
Hardly anyone pre-trips or at least regularly checks their vehicles.
That's a problem, because if you want longevity and want to save money,
and not just make all the payments and interest payments, and then you got to go get something else because there's nothing left,
that doesn't make any sense.
But if that's what you want to do, I'm okay with it.
It's not my car.
That's the way I look at it.
I'm here and have been on the radio and now on the digital platforms.
I'm here for those that say I'm sick and tired, fed up, disgusted and bored with paying for junk that doesn't last.
Yeah, planned obsolescence.
I'm going to tell you, write that down on the bathroom mirror with a lipstick.
Planned obsolescence.
We're in the car game, folks.
Not a card game, the car game.
That's what we're in.
The better you know the rules, the more money you're going to stuff back in your pocket and I'm here for you.
Not for me.
I'm here for you.
You have full access to a four decade old, not old, steady on, on that I'd say.
I'll take on any 20 year old in the work field.
They're usually begging for their mommies.
I'm tired.
I'm hungry.
I want to go home.
Not yet.
We got eight hours more to go.
Yeah.
You got to have stamina.
Here's another little tip I found in my research.
2024 Chevy tracks, that little three cylinder, whatever, coolant issues.
And the one particular I was looking at, I feel so, I feel bad for the person right sitting here.
Still making payments on it and now it's broken and it's out of warranty.
Yeah, it's got a coolant going into the cylinders and it's that little three cylinder.
Remember when they came out with the Pontiac Firefly?
It was a one liter engine.
Well, they brought the same junk back again and they put it in the tracks, Chevy tracks.
So be careful.
Be careful, folks.
You could not give me a 2026 automobile.
I wouldn't want it, honestly.
And I'm answering you honestly.
No, I don't want that stuff in my driveway.
That eats your bank account.
Yeah, not only you got to make payments and interest payments to have that thing, but you know what?
They don't last.
The sheet metal is so thin it only has one side.
The electronics are so cheap and nasty.
You're lucky if you can make it without having to put a $1,500 computer in the thing.
Cheap electronics.
I'm talking about the domestics.
They need to pull their socks up.
You know, I've got some domestics from years ago that are still going.
What up?
What's up with that?
78 Ford Bronco.
You're going to see that one on YouTube.
We just put a 460, 7.3 liter engine in there.
The body's solid.
Today?
I don't know, folks.
I don't see the quality, but I see the price tag.
Price of good sold does not reflect in the quality.
So this poor person,
2024 Chevy Trax gets the big GM kiss off
that says,
Sorry, but you're out of warning.
We'd love to help you, but
pause.
We can't.
Would you buy our vehicle again next time?
No.
Absolutely not.
We got 67 Chevy pickup from Georgia.
You can hop in it and go to Florida tomorrow if you want.
Go and put 1600 miles on it.
And it's not all rotted out at all.
What up with that?
How can that be?
Was technology better back then?
That's my question to the engineers.
Was technology better back then?
Or worse?
Built to last.
That one is 1967.
It's solid.
I mean, would I want to drive to Florida in it for comfort?
Not really.
But I'm just saying, if I had to,
absolutely, I would.
It's a bench seat.
You can lay right down in there and have an app.
No problem.
You can get to everything under the hood.
It's not all made of plastic.
We got plastic engine parts that are falling apart all around us.
They can't take the heat under the hood temperatures.
The plastic is falling apart.
And plastic intake manifolds.
Plastic valve covers.
Plastic thermostat housings.
Plastic oil housings.
Oil filter housings.
It's split open because the plastic can't take the heat
and heating and cooling.
So this poor person is now still making payments
on this 2424 Chevy Trax.
It's got 70,000 kilometers on it, miles.
And no warranty.
Now doesn't have the money to fix it.
And from the other rest, I started doing further research.
There's a class action suit coming out for General Motors on this one.
And they deserve it.
You know, it could be cracked cylinder head.
It could be head gasket.
But you know what?
1999 Honda Civic DX hatchback.
Five-speed air conditioning still blows penguins out of the dash
with 289,000 kilometers on it.
None of this stuff going on.
Head gasket, cracked cylinder head.
At 70,000 folks.
Yeah.
So I was doing more research.
And here's what another tech said.
And I actually stood up and gave him a standing ovation
in front of my computer.
And he said, older is better and more reliable.
He said, today's world, I would sooner go looking
for a rust-free, older something or other.
Take it home.
Throw some parts on it.
Bring the maintenance up where it should be.
And keep that thing going as long as I possibly can.
And I will win.
He said, and I'll win over something else like the Chevy Trax.
2024.
Now the people got to make payments on it.
They can't.
It just really breaks my heart, folks.
Now they got a car.
They're making payments.
Got to keep the insurance on it.
And they can't use it.
They don't have the money to fix it.
It's the sign of the times.
So there you go.
What I'm teaching you, you will win the car game.
You'll win hands down every stinking time.
You win?
Are you in yet or not?
Because that's losing.
And that shouldn't happen.
It should not happen.
We're bringing in the 1992 Gulf Cabriolet from Carmen.
It's a carman series.
So it was built in Germany.
It's a car originally from California.
And I'll tell you, wait till you see underneath it.
You can lick the floor.
And I might.
I'm not sure yet.
Break lines, all of it.
Spotless underneath.
So we got some maintenance to do on that.
That vehicle has a bit of a backstory.
I was married for 24 and a half years to the same gal.
And she ran away from somebody on Facebook.
That's as far as I'm going to go at the time.
And I bought this vehicle the year before that happened.
And it was her dream car and the color she wanted.
And my pops helped me and we got it over from one of my clients in the U.S.
and tucked it away, hit it away.
And I was just about to get started on doing all the maintenance.
Doesn't need any body work.
Doesn't need a top.
The top is like brand spanking new.
Air conditioning and even as air conditioning.
And that's a Digifont system in that 92.
Which means, you know what, the electronics on it are top drawer.
The engine is as solid as the rocket Gibraltar.
It'll outlive all of us.
Those engines run and run and run and run.
And she didn't know I had that.
And I was going to give it to her.
Scheduling to give it to her on Valentine's Day the next year.
So it was all timing.
It came in at the wrong time.
So anyways, that's the backstory of that vehicle.
So I've had it tucked away.
And now we've got a space coming up.
And I'm going to bring that vehicle in.
We've got to do radiator, brakes, shocks, just upgrade stuff.
Stuff from it sitting around.
I have all the parts tucked away for it.
Have for years.
Everything is box, brand new radiator, pads and rotors.
We've got to do a valve cover gasket.
I'm talking about how important that is on the Volkswagen Golf.
The valve cover gasket is a serious deal.
It cannot be leaking oil.
And I'll explain that in the videos.
What else I got to do?
Oh, the windshield washer squirters are on a push button device.
Not working off the column, off the trigger switch.
Where it's a combination switch, which is your turn signals,
your high beams and your squirters.
So we're going to tackle that and get that fixed, put that back in factory order.
But there's a whole list of things that have to be done.
Fuel filter, spark plugs, cap and rotor, wires, the whole package.
And I've had all that stuff packed away because my plan was to get it all done
and give that as a gift on Valentine's Day the following year, but that didn't happen.
It didn't happen.
There were other plans that I had no idea about.
So anyways, we're going to get that thing together, get it in the shop.
Oh, we got to do a clutch.
Yes, the clutch is super duper hard to press.
You almost have, if you drove that for a week, you'd have,
you've had muscles in your legs like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Lou Ferrigno.
Yeah, you'd look like a bullfrog.
So we got to pull the transmission out and see what's happened.
I believe that there's some fingers in the pressure plate on the clutch that are bent.
And that generally is the cause of the clutch pedal being very, very hard to press.
So you don't want to break the brackets out of the clutch pedal area because that's a huge fix.
I've done it on an old Mustang and no thanks.
I don't wish to do that again.
So that's what's up and coming on our end of things.
And I always like to hear what's going on at your end,
but I thought I'd share that research that I was doing in the last mechanic that I was watching said,
folks, do yourself a favor.
And here's a fella that actually diagnosed this.
That's right, the 2024 Chevy Trax coolant issues.
And I really like his program on YouTube.
He's very good.
Very, very good.
I can't remember the name of his channel right at the moment,
but I've been watching him for years and he said, you know what?
Older is better.
And I said to him, right, right then and there, you said it fella, you said it.
Yeah.
South something automotive.
It's called South Main, South Main automotive.
Yeah.
He's in one of those rust belts where the cars, they absolutely rot out there.
I mean, it's bad.
It's bad.
South Main auto.
Eric, I think his name is.
Don't quote me on that, but nice fella.
He knows how to die.
He's got the tools and equipment and stuff.
And when he said that, it reminded me of my good friend Spencer,
who's been in the US in Buffalo area.
He's been an appliance doctor for a long time.
I've probably known him 25 years and he would always say,
motor health, don't get rid of your old washer or dryer.
Keep them going.
This new stuff is junk.
He's saying, I got people that have a one year old washing machine,
front load, the water pumps are gone and I can't even get one.
If I want one, I can't even get one.
They're on back order, which tells you there's a problem and they can't make
replacements fast enough for the amount of front washers that are
blowing the pumps out.
And he said the price of the pump for a few hundred bucks more,
you can go get another washing machine.
He said, I got a client that's saying, just, you know,
I'd get haul it out of here.
We're going to go get another washer.
We don't, we can't wait, you know, until the pump is available.
We need to wash clothes now.
No warranty on it.
No nothing.
So that's my friend Spencer.
He says, you got an old washer or dryer.
You look at that baby like it's a bar of gold.
He said, because that thing, those older ones will outlive us all.
This new stuff, he says, they're made so stinkin' cheap in the,
he said, even the metal on them, you could kick the side of a driver,
dryer and cave it in and make it look like an elephant stood on it.
So there you go.
Where is the better technology?
15, 20 years ago, 10 years ago, or now?
Yeah, I don't want that stuff.
My cutoff for me is basically that 2008 Nissan Rogue that was donated to us by
Sondra and we decided, you know, it's going to be a lot of work to get all the
maintenance caught up and stuff that was, you know, the vehicle had sat for
almost 11 months, not being used and had some rusties coming too,
some scabs underneath.
Decided to take the challenge on and, you know what?
That's about as new as I would want to go.
Because I even see the, you know, the body metal.
It doesn't take much to perforate, folks.
So rust-proofing.
We're going to be talking about that in just a few minutes.
So hang in there.
Question number one.
Don asks, Don, not as in Don, Dan.
Dan?
Can I say that right?
There's Don, D-A-W-N, Felette, Gell, and then there's Dan, a guy, a fella.
So I'm saying the fella instead.
Don, the fella, what should I do to my vehicle in the spring?
First and foremost.
First and foremost.
And it ties in with what Robert says in his question.
So I'm going to tie in.
Robert asks, is rust-proofing worth it?
Don asks, Dan, what should I do to my vehicle in the spring?
And then number three, Ann has a really good question as well.
And that's Ann with an E.
And we will plug all three of those in one lump sum, answer it all together.
Okay, spring time.
First and foremost, a complete evaluation.
Now, if you already had our car connection fleet maintenance system, you would see that is written in for you to check the box.
When that comes up on the list of services, checks, and maintenance, you'll see a box says rust-proofing.
You'll see a box that says spring time and fall time maintenance.
So right now it's spring time maintenance.
What does that mean?
On the maintenance schedule, that's your evaluation time.
That's get the vehicle in the shop, complete check over.
A complete, what I call, an automotive physical.
I don't want anything missed.
Nothing.
I want that vehicle checked, wheels all off.
Full brake inspection and evaluation, brake lines, fuel lines, fluids all tested and verified.
I want suspension and steering checked, lights, levels, tire condition, exhaust system, front to back.
Do we got any weak spots that need to paying attention to?
Belts, hoses, filters, cabin, transmission, power steering if it hasn't, filtrate system, cabin filter, all those things.
Are all mapped out for you on our car connection fleet maintenance system.
You don't even have to think about it.
It's right there.
All you have to do is tell the, just like a grocery list, write it down for the tech.
When you drop the vehicle off, here's what I want done.
After it's done, you can check the boxes off on the maintenance schedule.
This is done, yep, done, done, done, done.
What's the second thing you're going to do?
Once you have it evaluated, take care of all the moving components that need to be serviced, cleaned, maintained, replaced.
Or cleaned and put back in service, rust proofing.
Number one, that is top of the list, my friends.
That is money in the bank for you.
That's money in the bank.
If you want to know what product I use, they don't pay me a single stinking dime to have them on my website.
Nothing.
But they do have one of the best products out there.
So you can go to our website, carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com, ccbusnet.com is the short version.
Again, all that information is I'm going to remind you all the time.
Take the time and read the descriptions in the description box for the podcast and on our YouTube channel for the videos.
I include a ton, a plethora of gold nugget automotive service and repair tips that may not even make it in the podcast or on the videos.
I put them in the description and then all the information on how you can connect with me, how you can connect with others in our website,
how you can find us on all the platforms we're on so we can stay connected and get others connected as well.
And let's play the car game together.
Not card game, car game.
This is how you win.
So when you go to our website, you will see a logo for a rust proofing product.
That's the one I use.
And I have used it for 15 years.
Doesn't drip, it creeps.
And it creeps because of the electron theory.
The vehicle is negative negatively charged.
The product has positively charged molecules unlike charges attract.
So I always like to say the positive charges are the little girls and the negative charges are little boys and they're chasing each other around your vehicle.
And that's how it creeps.
The molecules chase each other.
They're attracted to each other.
And that's how the product creeps into all the nooks and crannies and prevents moisture from getting in.
And if there's moisture present, it pushes the moisture out.
And that's what we need.
And in this time of year, it also neutralizes the acids from road salt.
That is the huge bonus because when we hit 40 degrees in the vehicles wet, those acids from that liquid road salt and the road, the rock salt, that's when the acids are activated in the rusties.
They take off.
It doesn't take months, folks.
It doesn't take months for that to happen.
But I have an engineering sheet that I got on the QT.
You didn't hear it for me.
And I was never here.
I am not the droid you were looking for.
They state right in the engineering of the liquid salt brine, wickedly corrosive to metal, wickedly corrosive to metal.
I hope you're understanding that.
It doesn't take two years, three years, five years for that stuff to eat your car.
It takes as little as six months to cause some serious damage.
So that's the other thing I love about that product.
It finds every nook and cranny and if there's the acids from road salt buried in some of those nooks and crannies we can't get to and apply the product, it neutralizes it.
That's what we need.
Going through the drive through and doing one of those under spray pressure washes, bad idea.
That's all I'm going to say about that.
That's a bad idea, friends.
Do not do it.
No under spray.
Power wash, car wash.
That will just accelerate everything.
So where the acids are from road salt, you just fed it the ingredient it needs to eat your body metal.
Warmth and moisture.
There you go.
Do not, I repeat, do an under body spray on your vehicle in the drive through car wash.
Ever, ever.
Bad idea.
Going to cost you money.
Alright, so rust proofing.
I've got the rogue has to go.
I've kept it out of the salt all winter and used the FJ Cruiser pretty much all the time because I want it to get sprayed and I didn't want any road salt in there.
The vehicle is very dry underneath.
I did treat it with some of the product.
I have it available here so I can do touch ups in an aerosol and I check vehicles when I've got them up off the floor either on jack stands working on them or up on the hoist.
And I touch stuff up with the aerosol.
You can buy it in an aerosol and that's what I do.
Little touch ups throughout the year.
But it's important.
It's detrimental to having a quality product to work with.
Not something that's already rotted out.
So you might say, well, you know, it's eight or 10 years old.
That's what the evaluation will tell you when you take it in the spring.
Say I look at over as well for structural integrity.
Are there any areas that look like we've got some serious perforation, corrosion building up flakiness.
You want to know that you need to know that if everything's good to go.
Then you spray that baby down with this rogue.
My game plan that works excellent is that's that vehicles new to us.
I don't really know it underneath, but I do to some degree now all the work that we've done.
I see areas and I banged all the loose scabby stuff off.
Now I want to get an application on there.
I'm going to do an application in probably about two weeks, maybe less.
A full application of that product that I have posted on our homepage or website.
You'll see a logo there and it'll make itself plain and simple to you.
What it is, you can click on it, it'll open.
You can see the product, how it's applied, everything.
You can know everything I know about it yourself.
So I'm going to get it done in the spring and then I'll have it done in late September, early October.
So I can really get some product on there and know that it's protected heading into winter, 2026.
That's the game plan.
This is how you win, folks.
This is how you win.
You cannot own and operate in any automobile and not put some money into it.
How about this, you know, like I've just talked about this family that's got this 2024 Chevy Trax.
Still making payments now they can't and it's out of warranty.
It needs a cylinder head pulling off and find out exactly why coolant's going into the engine.
And you know, that's what happened back to the one liter engine on the Pontiac Firefly.
Back in the early 90s, they blew up.
Coolant in the engine, liquid lock.
Boom, done.
I had one of them that I used to look after and that's what killed it.
It blew up.
Coolant in the engine.
It liquid locked and that's it, it's done.
And I ended up on that, I ended up putting another motor in and that one lasted quite a while but it too blew up.
At the end of the day, same thing.
It was just pattern failure.
You know, go as far as you can until she blows up and that was after the second motor, that's where that ended up in the scrap yard.
Okay, number three, question number three.
And with an E, when should I replace my summer tires?
Well, first of all, if you've been running those all winter, you need to pay very close attention to the type of conditioner.
And if their date stamped six years or older, I don't care what they have on for mileage, they got to come off.
They're done.
They're done.
We have one vehicle this year.
It doesn't do a lot of mileage, but the tires are in year seven.
So if I pull them down off the tire racks in the mini barn, they're done.
They're not going on the vehicle this year.
They're seven years old.
So there's lots of tread on them and they look really, really good, but the rubber dries out.
And if you want to watch a video on how I explain all the data that's on the sidewall of a tire, you can find that video on our YouTube channel.
So again, you're going to learn what it is, where it is, how it works, how it breaks.
And what could you have learned as some of the basic fundamentals of car ownership and being a great car caregiver will put money back in your pocket.
So a lot of times, yes, that $200 maintenance item can turn quickly on you into a $5,000 repair, as simple as that.
So first and foremost, you need to know how old those tires are.
You need to understand what the date stamp is.
Go to our YouTube channel, homepage or a website, click on the YouTube link, go into the library of all the videos and find the one I did on tires in there.
Explaining all the writing on the sidewall of the tires so you know how to check to see how old your tires are.
So if you've got them off the vehicle and you've been running winter tires like we do, it's easy then, very easy to find the date stamp on those tires.
So that's area number one.
If they're six years old, you can run them up to six.
And remember this too, when you're buying tires, if you know where the date stamp is, you make sure that buddy the tire salesman isn't ripping you off, selling you tires that have been stockpiled already for two years.
Following me?
Yeah, that'll bite you right in the pocketbook because you've lost two years on those tires.
You want tires stamped, date stamped from the year you're buying them.
If they're trying to sell you two year old tires and saying, oh no, it starts back at zero.
No, it doesn't.
No, it doesn't.
The date it was stamped and it stamped that production date, that's the day they were born.
They're good for six years, period.
So if a tire dude's trying to sell me tires that are already date stamped two years old, I'm going to look them in the eye and give them the stink eye and go, I've already lost two years.
I'm not willing to pay full pop for them.
You want me to buy them?
I want them prorated.
I want you to take two years of value off those tires because I'm only going to be able to run them for four.
Not six.
You got it.
See, it's the car game.
I keep saying that to you.
So you got it.
It's a mindset.
You got to become a really good caregiver to your automobile and keep the older ones going because they're made better.
I'm telling you, they're made a whole lot better than what's coming out now.
People are going to be shocked and odd just like this family.
It's two years old for Pete's sake.
Now you got to park it and go get something else and you're still making payments on it.
It's only two years old.
Yeah, that's an entry level vehicle around 20,000.
So you got $20,000 tied up in a cheap piece of junk that's almost brand new and out of warranty and now you're paying and making the payments on it and the cars of no use to you.
That sucks.
That really, really sucks.
So we can avoid that by learning some stuff.
Learning some stuff.
I'm not here to make many money off of any of you.
Help us grow our platforms.
You never know.
We might be helping somebody in our shop that you even know.
It might be you.
We don't know who's the next person that we're going to be able to help.
The more monetization we get, the more vehicles we can fix.
Pay for parts.
Put in the labor.
We got the location.
We got the tooling.
If I need tools, I've got fellows close by that have shops that I can say, hey, Dennis, can I borrow this?
Of course you can.
Come and get it.
They help us out.
We work together.
We work together.
We're not here to steal customers from them and my buddy, Dennis and Phil, they know that too.
We're here to help those that they just can't.
They just don't have the money to fix it.
So you help us.
We help you.
That's how it works, right?
That's how the world should spin.
I scratch your back.
You scratch mine.
You got this.
I got that.
Let's trade here.
I'll give you some of this.
You give me some of that.
You know, that's how the world used to turn around was you shared.
You shared stuff.
You know, oh, you need a ride.
I'll pick you up and take you out.
You know, these things, you know, if it's all about you, then you haven't got it right.
Because it's not to who much is given, much is required.
You know, life is the rent we pay for taking up space on this earth.
Are we all paying our rent?
So when should you replace your summer tires?
Well, if they're already off before you put them on, you want to make sure that you rebalance
them.
But first and foremost, figure out how old they are.
If they're going into the seventh year, like one car we have in the fleet, even though
the tires look fantastic, the rubber is seven, seven years old.
It's dangerous that becomes dangerous because you can have a blowout.
And you don't want to blow out because if you hit somebody else's car, the whole day
is a train wreck.
Everything goes upside down and sideways in a hurry.
We don't want that happening.
It's not worth it.
Get a set of tires.
Two, if they're good, the date stamp says you're good for another couple of years.
Get them rebalanced before you put them on.
The lightest ones, the lightest balance weights go on the front.
The heaviest ones further away from the driver.
That's the rule of thumb.
If they're rotational, that means you can only put them left front, can go to the left rear.
Left rear can go to the left front.
They have to stay on the side.
They switch on the side, front to back, back to front.
I always mark them in the fall when I take my summies off where they were located.
So when I pull the summies back off the tire rack and the mini barn, I look at the sidewall
on the inside, my writing, and I know this one, this left side was on the rear last summer.
It's going on the left side front this summer.
So rotate them.
You want to get them rotated.
Number two, was that number two?
Number three, tread depth.
If you take a penny, now I'm talking a Canadian penny.
But I can also talk an American penny as well.
We don't have pennies in Canada anymore anyway, for those who are listening from Paraguay
or somewhere else where you don't have pennies.
You can use a penny.
So if you have a Canadian penny, flip it over so you can see the queen's head.
And you put that into the treaded surface.
The more of her head you see, the better the tire is.
If you're seeing her crown, then that means if you're seeing a good portion of her crown,
so you're placing the penny into the tread, clean side crown facing the tread.
So what you want to see is more of her face, less of her crown.
If you're seeing a lot of crown, you don't have a whole lot of tire left, tread life left.
Check all the way across the tire.
So you can do that yourself.
What that tells me when you do that test is, a tire with full tire depth is 930 seconds
of an inch.
That's a full tire, 932s, 930 seconds of an inch.
When you get down to like 330 seconds, you're not quite bologna skin thickness on the tread.
If you're not doing a lot of highway, you can probably, I would say you feel safe to
toodle around town for one more season on those tires and then they're done.
They're done.
230 seconds, done.
That's a bologna skin right there.
The thickness of a bologna skin, no good.
Those are done.
So remember that.
Now, if you're using an American penny, you do the same concept with Lincoln's head.
Okay?
The more of his head, the top of his head you see, the less tire tread there is.
So if you're seeing a lot of his face and forehead, you're not doing too bad.
But if you see more of his top of his head, just like the Queen's crown, then you're getting
near the 330 second mark.
And that means, again, if you're running a lot of highway, take them off.
If you're toodling just around town, you could get another season out of that with 330 seconds.
Because at 330 seconds, they still, those tires still pass an Ontario Road Safety Inspection
at 330 seconds.
Below that, no.
No can do, superglue.
They got to go.
They're ready to be turned into black top.
Great questions today.
So thanks to Don, Don, Robert, and Anne with an E.
Well done, you, for sending in your questions and participating in the program.
Because that's what it's all about.
I can teach you live and even touch the scratch of a scratch of a scratch to teach you how to play
the car game and win and win.
There's a lot more things I can teach you being four decades plus in the industry, working on
everything from light truck and passenger vehicles all the way up to Mack trucks, Peterbilt trucks,
Kenworths, freight shakers, all of them, and motor coaches, and equipment tractors, hydraulic
powered stuff, and even lawn equipment.
I'm good on all of it.
Planes?
I'm not sure.
I don't know.
Trains?
Not been there.
Boats?
No.
Yeah.
Best day owning a boat is the day you sell it.
They are a lot of maintenance.
They are.
They're a lot of fun, but they're a lot of maintenance.
And you got to keep the maintenance up.
Because man, let me tell you.
I'll tell you this.
What we might talk about, if you want me to send me an email and we can talk about some boat stuff
and safety and taking care of the engines, you do not want to go out on the lake with anything leaking
on that engine.
If it's an inboard, it's just like a car.
You do not want to be stuck three and a half miles, two miles out on the lake by yourself fishing
and it doesn't start where you get a fire or you got leakage or it's overheating.
It's a long way from home and it's creepy.
Because two and a half miles out, two miles out, no one knows you're there.
Nope.
You're on your own.
Pretty much.
Unless another boat comes along or you can get somebody on the radio.
And a lot of people think you're out on the boat.
You use your cell phone.
That's your Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, which is pan, pan, pan when you're on the water.
That means you're a boat, a boater in distress, pan, pan, pan.
You want to make sure you have a radio in the boat.
Yeah, a two way so you can get to the Coast Guard.
You don't rely on a cell phone and GPS.
You have GPS on the boat.
You know how to chart your course.
You create a course before you leave the dock and leave it with somebody so they know where you're going to be.
There's a lot to do to be a skipper.
And if you're not good with vehicle maintenance, you should definitely not have a boat.
Period.
You should not.
We'll talk about that a little more as summer breaks here because, yeah,
trailering and boating and all that stuff, you got to be top drawer, man.
You can't be messing around with anything.
It's got to be right and tight.
Thank you to our certified financial planning professionals, Tony and Larry,
for making today's program available to you in Niagara and Block.
5000 Montrose Road, Niagara Falls, Building Canada since 1931.
Get your plans all put together to make that beautiful backyard space.
You will absolutely trust me.
I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Honest, that quiet spot where I can sit and relax and just unwind.
That's my spot.
I love it.
I love it to pieces.
So don't hesitate, get involved, get a contractor lined up through Niagara Block
and create that backyard space.
Thank you to Earl and Louise Grant, City Auto Sales and Leasing,
low mileage quality vehicles at fair prices.
You're in good hands.
You're in great hands with Earl and Louise Grant.
Absolutely.
And don't forget our total freedom campuses for addiction.
Buy some merch.
I don't care if it's a pair of socks.
Buy something.
Help us in the fight against addiction.
All age groups.
Nobody's safe anymore when it comes to addiction.
It's just horrible what's going on out there with school kids.
And I heard another story just the other day.
It's just heartbreaking.
We got to do something.
We got to do something.
And that's how we can work together.
Crystal Ridge Dream Center.
They're out there making it happen or serving men, women and single moms,
widows, orphans, seniors, children, young adults,
meals, love, hope, changing lives one at a time in the Niagara region.
We'll see you Monday morning.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
I hope you have lots of great plans for March break with your kids or grandkids
or just get involved, do some stuff.
And we'll see you Monday morning bright and early for another Motor Mouth.
I couldn't even remember my name there for a minute.
Motor Mouth.
I need coffee.
Send me a coffee, would you?
Siri, can we get a cup of joe over here?
Thanks, sweetheart.
You're the best.
Till Monday, come and see us again for another Motor Mouth Morning Drive,
8am.
Happy healthy motoring to all of you.
I'm in your corner.
Let's play the card game together.
The car game.
Yes.
So that you can win and put more money back in your pocket.
Peace, patience, kindness always.
We'll see you in the next one.
Love you all very much.
Bye for now.
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