Spring Forward: Plan Your Maintenance or Pay for it Later
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49:14
Car
Nissan Rogue
The Nissan Rogue is a small SUV that many people drive every day. It needs regular care like fixing brakes to keep it safe.
Car
Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler is a tough and popular SUV that can drive on rough roads and trails. Many people fix up older Wranglers to keep them running well.
Term
brakes
Brakes help your car stop when you press the pedal. Keeping them in good shape is very important to stay safe on the road.
Car
Toyota FJ Cruiser
The FJ Cruiser is a tough SUV made by Toyota that can drive well off-road and is built to last a long time.
Car
Honda Civic
The 1999 Honda Civic DX is a small car that is easy to drive and lasts a long time. It has a manual gearbox which means you change gears yourself, which some drivers like because it makes driving more fun.
Car
Honda Crv
The Honda CR-V is a small SUV that many people use for everyday driving. The 1998 version can sometimes get rust spots near the back of the car, which is a common problem area.
Term
rust
Rust happens when metal gets wet and starts to break down, making the car look bad and sometimes unsafe. You might see bubbles or blisters on the paint when rust is underneath.
Term
stone chips
Stone chips happen when tiny rocks hit your car and make little holes or scratches in the paint. If you don't fix them, the car's paint can get worse and even start to rust.
Term
clear coat
The clear coat is a shiny, see-through layer on top of your car's paint. It protects the color and makes the car look glossy and new.
Term
base coat
The base coat is the colored paint on your car. It's the part that gives your car its color and sits under the shiny top layer.
Term
touch up paint
Touch up paint is a small bottle or stick of paint you use to fix little spots where your car's paint got chipped or scratched, so it doesn't get rusty.
Term
scratch
A scratch is a line or mark on your car's paint that happens when something rubs against it hard enough to leave a mark.
Term
ding
A ding is a tiny dent or bump on your car's surface that happens when something lightly hits it.
Term
painted surfaces
Painted surfaces are the colored layers on the outside of your car that make it look nice and protect it from damage.
Term
body metal
Body metal is the metal parts that make up the outside of your car, like the doors and panels.
Concept
limited production
Limited production means only a few cars like this were made, so they are rare and special. This makes them more valuable to collectors.
Term
road salt
Road salt is stuff spread on icy roads to make them less slippery. But it can make cars rust faster if it stays on the metal parts.
Concept
U-Pull-It centers
U-Pull-It centers are places where old cars are taken apart so people can buy and take parts they need. It usually means the car is no longer usable as a whole.
Concept
fleet service maintenance
Fleet service maintenance means taking care of many cars owned by a business to keep them running well and avoid surprises.
Term
pre-owned
A pre-owned car is a used car that someone else owned before you. It usually costs less than a brand-new car but can still work well if it was taken care of.
Term
spring vehicle maintenance
After winter, cars can have problems from cold and salt on the roads. Spring maintenance means checking and fixing these to keep your car safe and working well.
Part
carburetor
A carburetor is a part in some engines that mixes air and gas so the engine can run. It helps the engine get the right amount of fuel to work properly.
LIVE
Good morning folks! You're tuned into Car Connection where the coffee's 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.
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, get it done with a little wit, a little wisdom, and a whole lot of fun.
The Car Connection isn't just about nuts, bolts, and diagnostics, it's about connection. Connection to our vehicles, to the people who drive them, to the community that keeps dying and 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 every week, Monday through Saturday, with our Motormouth Morning Drive, so come and join us helping to keep your ride safe, reliable, and ready for whatever road lies ahead.
So whether you're a weekend rancher, or a daily commuter, or someone who just wants to understand what that strange rattle really means.
Welcome aboard, stick around for some shop talk, expert advice, a few good laughs, and maybe a story or two if I have a flashback. It does tend to happen.
Here in the Car Connection Workshop, lots of things going on. We have a very busy week going. Every week is a busy week around the Car Connection Workshop.
Monday's our video shooting day, and then we get them edited, get them into our library if we don't need them right away, and load up more videos on our YouTube channel.
So we have two coming out today, one on Friday. The one coming up this Friday will be, yes, we went on, Skippy and I, my videographer, went on a journey yesterday.
We took you out to the south shores of one of the Great Lakes, the shallowest Great Lake I might add.
Lake Erie, completely frozen over, and the sights are just fantastic. Outstanding what water, pressure, and ice can do on a Great Lake.
And it was just amazing to see, and we were out there playing, showing you the sights and the sounds, and the ice caves and castles, and the giant moguls, and even a couple of icefisher persons way out there on the lake.
From where we were standing, they looked like a piece of rice. Yeah, a dark piece of rice.
They were quite a ways out there. The wind was very, very sharp.
What a beautiful stunning day for us to shoot that video for you, and share with you where we are, where we're located, and why getting your vehicle prepared and being prepared in your homestead for winter is a very, very big deal.
So stop by to watch that video on Friday, and I hope you enjoy it.
We just had some fun with you out there playing in our backyard called the South Shores of Lake Erie.
Well, we have a ton of things to get through today to get back on track.
Today begins a brand new season for our podcast.
We are in season two, episode 101.
So I got a couple of things I want to close off today, and then begin with a couple of items to spring forward.
Yeah, we're springing forward, so hang in there with that.
We need to sample our coffee this morning, have a swiggy together.
We need our morning weather report, find out how things are going to happen out today, what's happening around us.
But first and foremost, I want to say thank you to those program partners that have stuck with us 31 years on radio and now completely switched over to digital.
These are people that are passionate about the products and goods and services that they deliver.
And if you are one of those people, we have an opening for one spot to fill.
So you need to connect with me very, very quickly in order to capture that spot.
To tell you how much is it, more than a dollar less than a million.
That's how I did estimates in the automotive shop when people would call.
How much the change in water pump on my thing me, whatever, I don't know what engine size, what year, it's green.
Oh, it'll be more than a dollar, but less than a million.
You go, what?
Yeah, that's about all I can do unless the car is right here where I can see it and estimate your vehicle for you properly, not over the phone.
I said, you know, giving an estimate on your car, what you see is like me trying to give you a haircut through the phone or better yet describe what a banana tastes like.
And you've never had one before.
So lots of things you have to you learn when you own an automotive repair shop because you deal with stuff like that all day long.
So thank you to my brothers from other mothers, my certified financial planning professional duo Tony Miele and Larry Tietro combined have 50 years experience as fiduciaries with IG wealth management.
They manage portfolios, debt management, estate planning, not escape planning, estate planning, powers of attorney, mortgages, life insurance, critical illness insurance, and a whole lot more.
So whatever you have going on financially, if you feel like you're drowning in debt, get an hour in a coffee discovery meeting book.
Leave your wallets at home.
Did you hear me?
Leave your wallets at home.
There's no sales.
They're going to listen to find out where you are, what your concerns are.
And these guys are two of the best decorated CFPs in all of Canada, but you will never even know it.
They're my brothers from other mothers.
They're very, very humble.
And I've been working with Tony and Larry for well over 20 years.
So when I'm speaking to you, I'm speaking from my heart and experience because they handle all those areas for me.
I have life insurance, critical illness insurance, wills, powers of attorney.
That's all stuff that once it's taken care of, you feel so much better.
And then if you're drowning in debt, you've had an opportunity to sit and figure out a game plan to turn that around for you.
So that's why I'm speaking from my heart to you.
There's a lot of people.
I hear the conversations out there in my travels.
There's a lot of people hurting.
Most, a majority of the population of Canada is less than $200 from being bankrupt.
That's a lot of pressure.
That is a lot of pressure.
So get your questions answered before it's too late.
And if somebody's telling you it's too late or you know, that little voice that says it's too late, you know, it's over.
Forget about it.
I hear that with cars too.
Well, you know, it's fun.
It's getting old.
It's five years old.
You know, why start now?
It's kind of, it's over.
You know what I hear there?
E.R.
Yeah.
From Winnie the Pooh, I hear E.R.
It's not over till it's over.
Until she's singing.
And I'll tell you what.
When you sit down and you get that discovery meeting, you're going to feel like the world is off your shoulders.
If you have investments at the bank, you have got to make that decision that that doesn't work.
They make money off your money.
That's right.
They're making money off of you hand over fist.
Just look at all the bank's profit margins from 2025.
That'll wake you up to understanding banks aren't there to help us anymore.
They have their place in the food chain, but that's not it.
They're not there to help you get rich.
No, you'll get pittance.
They make the big money.
So I can say that the guys can't say that, but I can.
And it's absolutely true.
Your money's parked there making you nothing.
So get that discovery meeting done and find out how you can turn that around.
A lot of my friends, it took a while to convince them, but now they love me.
And they love Tony and Larry because their investments have never, never created that much in return.
And it won't.
Thank you to Earl Louise Grand at City Auto Sales and Leasing for being our Greater Toronto Areas Premier pre-owned auto store.
So if you or someone, you know, is in the market for a pre-owned automobile, you know, even if it takes them 90 minutes to get there, they need to get there because they can buy with confidence, be treated with nothing less than honesty and integrity.
They sell no junk.
They bring in no junk, just low mileage, top quality vehicles at fair prices.
They have in-house leasing and financing available.
And if they don't have the vehicle you're looking for, they've been in the business 20, almost 25 years now.
They have the resources, the connections to find that specific vehicle for you and do all the legwork.
And they won't just pick something for the sake of picking it.
If it's junk, it's junk. They leave it there.
That's Earl Louise Grand.
They are truly dedicated to customer service and making sure that you get your money's worth.
Low mileage quality vehicles at fair prices.
Thank you to Niagara Block at 5,000 Montrose Road, Niagara Falls for bringing this morning's car connection morning weather.
To you, the Grimoire family, building Canada since 1931.
Building supplies, hard landscape materials to help you to build, design and enjoy your backyard space.
So connect with them today and let them know that we sent you.
They can line you up with contractors that you can trust to estimate your project accurately, start the project and finish the project.
And I'd say on time, but you know, when you're working outside, you know, it's like a forest gump.
Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.
And that's what they have to deal with.
So you got to keep that in mind as well that if the weather is cooperative, things happen on time.
But if it doesn't, you know, things get put behind.
So that's Niagara Block, 5,000 Montrose Road, Niagara Falls.
Let them help you put together that beautiful backyard space for you to enjoy in summer, 2026 and on.
Thank you to Crystal Ridge Dream Center.
In times when community support is crucial, Crystal Ridge Dream Center shines as a beacon of compassion and transformation.
They have afterschool programs for the kids.
They help them with their homework.
They get they have have access to free music lessons so they can pick up an instrument and learn it.
They get lots of love, hope, and they're changing lives of men, women, children, young adults, seniors and single moms one at a time at Crystal Ridge Dream Center.
Check them out and see how you could possibly get involved.
Either don't being a monthly giver or a one-time giver or sending them some gift cards.
They feed out the door and they'll be feeding today.
They're almost serving 300 meals out the door on Tuesdays and Fridays.
It's tripled in the last year or two.
So you can help them with that.
Anything that you can do that is laid on your heart would be an absolute blessing to them to help them to be able to do what they do.
They're a faith-based nonprofit organization that are helping people in our very own backyard here in the Niagara region.
Total Freedom Addiction Centers will tell you more about them as we move along this morning.
So let's get rolling and let's start with our morning weather report to find out so that you know what's going on ahead of time.
Let's see.
We've got some snappy weather coming up.
I see some 60-degree weather into next week, so we're going to talk about that as well.
We're starting to see almost 50 degrees by the end of this week.
Heading into the weekend, we could see 60 degrees.
How about them apples?
Yeah, but then it could be the calm before the storm.
It is March.
Remember the lion and the lamb thing.
All right, let's see what we got in detail today.
Well, here we go.
No chance of precipitation today is 75 percent, possibly rain up to .05 of an inch.
23 degrees right now, partly cloudy.
Wind is making it feel colder, about 20 degrees.
Clear conditions from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. with drizzle expected around 4 p.m. today.
Today's temperature range will be from 21 degrees to 39 degrees, feels like 19 to 38.
So I've been outside at about 4.30 this morning.
It is quite cool and crispy along the south shores of Lake Erie, and there's a full moon.
You can see everything outside this morning.
I mean, there's no hiding.
It's not a good morning for hide-and-seek, that's for sure.
The moon is super bright outside.
Well, let's have a swiggy together.
Whatever your morning beverage is, if you're slipping through the drive-through,
don't forget to double-check your order and lock it down in your cup holder.
We don't want to hear of any spalaches happening.
Yeah, that's slow-mo as you're turning back out onto the road and you see that, you know,
you're watching traffic and you're looking to get into traffic,
and you see the cup starting to tilt, and it's like,
No!
Just speaking from experience, it does happen.
So lock that thing down, make sure it is, and let's have a swiggy together.
We count it down, that's how we do it here in Car Connection Workshop.
Three, two, one, have a beverage together and get our morning kicked off just right.
Three, two, one.
Oh, that is so good today, let me tell you.
Skippy and I, we actually had to, we were shooting the video out in the south shores of Lake Erie yesterday.
I'll tell you, as far as the eye can see, ice, all you see is white.
As far as you can see, it was so clear yesterday, we were able to shoot the buffalo skyline,
so you could see that, and the background was amazing.
But it was so cold, I had to keep kind of twizzling my fingers and my gloves,
because my fingertips were going numb, right through my gloves,
and I wore a thick pair of gloves, but the cold got in there,
and Skippy and I had to, you know, shut down the video,
and go and warm up in the car for a little while,
in the truck, getting in the truck and firing up, warm up,
and then go out and do another shoot.
But it was worth it, what a beautiful, beautiful sunny day,
it helped to make and put together a really cool video for you as we're wandering around.
It was almost like being on the surface of the moon, it was really, really unique.
It was worthwhile going out there and sharing our backyard with you,
so check that out, that's going to drop into our YouTube channel Friday, March the 10th.
Yes, that's correct, Friday, March the 10th,
so we got the whole thing edited yesterday,
it took us a whole day for shooting and editing all the pieces together,
and Skippy's going to put some really cool reels together on our Facebook and Instagram pages,
so you might want to check that out as well.
The best place for you to connect with us,
and the biggest drawer in our toolbox is our website,
carconnectionbusinessnowwork.com.
On the homepage you'll see the logos for all our program partners,
so that you can just click and connect through their profile page,
and thank you ahead of time for giving them your business,
we appreciate that because they bring you this channel,
and our YouTube channel, Facebook, Instagram, Stevensville, on the web.ca,
we have a business profile there, Skippy is from Stevensville,
and her passion is to connect businesses and people together,
so that was the purpose of her creating that Stevensville on the website,
the website was to bring the community and the business owners together as a communal service,
so it's really cool, you got to check that out,
they have over 7,000 people watching that channel,
and just click on the businesses tab, you'll find us there,
we have our iHeart link on the homepage,
all of this is in the top right hand corner,
including our carconnection motormouth merch store,
you can purchase merch online and pay for it, order your size, color, everything,
get your carconnection limited edition morning beverage mug,
we call it a coffee mug, but you can call it whatever you want,
proceeds from the purchase of merchandise,
you join our crew in helping those who are struggling with addictions
get to a total freedom addictions campus,
they have over 20 years of service there,
they know exactly what to do and how to do it
to help someone get passed over through, under, around their addiction,
and get that new life that they're looking for,
so be a part of our carconnection crew,
help us to get those struggling with addiction to get to a total freedom addiction campus,
Canada and USA,
and you'll know that you're working alongside us to help and serve others.
Well, what are we talking about this morning?
I wanted to finish off one thing that I forgot yesterday,
I didn't have a sticky note on it, but we actually ran out of time,
so in closing on Rust, that's what I was talking about yesterday,
I got in more depth with Rust because
in order to get all the feature benefits behind our carconnection fleet maintenance schedule,
you've got to have a vehicle that qualifies to spend money on,
to maintain it, to keep it going,
to make it to 300,000, 400,000, 600,000 kmiles,
and I've said it before, I have one vehicle,
the FJ is going to reach 400,000 km this year,
and our little rocket, which has been sleeping for the winter,
I've taken it off the road, it's so pretty,
I didn't want to spoil it with winter,
we headed out to a car show last year, very first time,
and we're going to take it out to a few cars and coffee,
and let the young generation have a look at her,
and she's just been resting, but she's almost at 300,000 km,
that's a 1999 Honda DX Civic 5-speed air conditioning,
one owner purchased brand new,
and so we're the next caregivers,
she's getting a good life, she does needs,
I see a tiny bit of cosmetic surgery at the back,
which is a common area for Hondas to break out
in around where the rear bumper attaches to the lip on the quarter panels,
that's a problem area, with my 98 Honda CR-V,
I stayed ahead of it,
but I would see these little blisters coming up in the paint,
and that's when you know rust is already in behind,
so when you see those things on your vehicle this spring,
when you give it a really good makeover,
get all the winter stuff vacuumed out,
and give it a good wash and a clean up inside,
if you see any stone chips on the paint,
any barnacles, little blisters,
if you want to keep that car, you've got to get on top of those,
you've got to get them cleaned out and sealed,
so stone chips look innocent,
but not with today's paint products,
the base coat, clear coat,
as soon as you get a stone chip,
now the paint has already been compromised,
because the base coat, which is the pigment,
the color is like a sponge,
and it draws moisture right in under the clear coat,
which gives the paint depth and sheen,
so touching up those stone chips is critical, folks,
so you're going to want to get a touch up stick,
or a bottle of touch up paint,
and just seal those stone chips off,
like I said, they look innocent,
but they take off like crazy,
into a great big, what I call a rust barnacle,
and as I talked about yesterday,
the body panels today,
like Skippy gets out of the truck yesterday,
lets the door go on the FJ,
and puts a granny dent in the side of the 2008 Nissan Road,
and so then she's trying to lick her thumb and fix it,
and I'm going, what are you doing?
Well, I created a problem here,
I go, yeah, two things,
never let go of a door,
hang on to it till you're out of the vehicle,
don't be a granny dent,
or swing the doors open,
too late,
I got a little repair job to do there,
but that took very little effort to cause damage,
that's where I'm going with that,
very little effort to ding, dent, scratch, chip,
today's painted surfaces on our vehicles,
the body metal is so thin,
it only has one side,
so what I wanted to just wrap up the rusties yesterday is,
here's what you've got to know how rust works,
so first of all,
you're buying a brand new vehicle,
get it rust proofed right away,
whoever's lips, whatever talking head tells you
your warranty's going to be void,
that's incorrect,
whatever talking head says,
it's going to wreck your car,
that's wrong, put a check in the box,
that's incorrect,
it won't do either,
it's just another part of the game
to stop you from getting a lot of life out of that automobile,
way beyond the factory warranty,
way beyond, 300,000 K,
600,000 K, 400,000 K,
is absolutely achievable,
even if it's a pre-owned vehicle and it's clean,
it's dry underneath,
get it rust proofed right away,
start the process,
that's what I call it,
start the process,
because once you have the foundation in your hands,
a solid vehicle,
you're already a winner if you start the process
of having it rust proofed,
rust requires two elements to take off,
and I'll tell you,
in today's world, on today's cars,
the rust gets in there so stinking fast,
you know, it's crazy how fast these vehicles
start showing signs of decay,
it really is,
you know, I've got vehicles that are,
I think our oldest one now is 1967,
yeah, all my vintage stuff,
I sold it off years ago,
and it's worth,
actually I don't even talk about it anymore
because it's painful, yeah,
it's painful,
what I sold them for,
what they're worth today was not a good idea,
I listened,
and I'm telling you,
I listened to the wrong talking head,
and that cost me,
not thousands, hundreds of thousands,
and vehicles that I bought as I was young,
packed them away and took care of them,
today they're worth,
just two of them would be almost a half a million dollars,
US, that's what they sell for,
I was just watching a YouTube video
and I saw my car right in the YouTube video,
the exact one,
and I almost passed out when I heard them say,
they only made 900 of these,
this is it, this is one of the 900,
and I'm going, I had that exact car,
same year, to a T, even the color,
bam, I sold it for five grand,
I sold it for five grand,
today he said this is a priceless vehicle sought after,
that does kind of make your stomach turn over,
anyway, there's a story for you,
so rust needs two elements to compromise your vehicle,
right now, I don't care how old it is,
whether it's a year old,
five years old,
15 years old, now is the time
when rust is going to take off
once it receives two elements,
40 degrees Fahrenheit,
and moisture,
and what happens,
residue from road salt
and that road salt spray activates,
the acids in the salt brine
and the road salt activate,
and rust takes off like you would not believe,
so that's why making that decision,
I want to keep this car as long as I stink and can,
that is the right decision to make,
it absolutely is, because you can win the game,
the game of not getting sucked in
to paying interest and principal
to drive a vehicle to impress people
you don't even know or you don't even like,
who cares, who cares, nobody cares,
you have to care,
and if you hang on to my coattails,
you too can win in the automotive longevity repair game,
you listen to the talking heads
and they're going to take you down the path of destruction
where you're working your tails off out there
to make freaking car payments,
huge ones, my neighbor,
he finally made a decision to dump his vehicle,
$2,200 a month
to drive a fancy pickup truck,
he woke up,
because he was getting behind on other bills,
he's going, I can't keep the truck, I can't do this,
I can't pay the house and the bills
and I got a great job,
but there's no money left,
since seeing he's gotten rid of it,
he was really serious about it,
he goes, something got to go,
he says I might have to walk away from my house,
I don't know,
he says I'm paying $2,200 a month
to drive a pickup truck,
are you out of your stinkin' mind folks,
give your head a shake,
really, you don't have to do that,
Skippy and I made it all the way out to the lake yesterday,
we went down towards Crystal Beach,
about a 20 minute drive,
and you know what,
made it all the way back home in a vehicle,
$2,007 with almost $400,000 on it,
and if I knew the ice was more solid,
I probably woulda drove out onto the ice for ya
and shot the videos,
but it was crackin' pretty good,
right at the boat launch,
where I was walkin' around,
the ice was just exploding at times,
and one crack I was standing on it,
and it cracked right in front of me
and scooted right across by my feet,
about 50 yards the opposite direction,
it was about one inches wide,
we show you in the video anyway,
I don't wanna spoil it,
we show you that in the video,
the ice just opened right up at that point,
so I wasn't gonna drive down on the ice with the FJ,
but I would have if it was,
if we had gotten down there earlier in the season,
I woulda put the FJ out on the ice for you to see that,
but anyway, that's what you have to know,
is you've gotta get on the rust control right away,
even if I bought a vehicle today
that was over 10 years old,
and we have one in the weeds that was donated to us,
thank you to Saundra for doing that,
what a blessing that turned out to be,
we're able to take her mother's car and rescue it,
and rescue it,
and it's gonna prevent one person driving in the FJ
all around town and stuff,
and that just doesn't make sense,
one person in a pickup truck,
one person in a big SUV,
no, you need a puddle jumper to do those things,
if you have more people or big errands to run
and parcels and stuff to pick up and move and stuff around,
then yeah, take the what I call the trundle buggy,
but anyways, that rogue, this Enrogue, it's a 2008,
it's just a few years old,
and I banged off all the heavy rust,
and the metal underneath is still good,
if it had sat about another six months,
that would have been a different story,
and I haven't put it on the road into the road salt
because I want it sprayed first,
so now the roads are starting to stay dry,
and we're getting closer to 40 degrees,
once we stay over 40 degrees,
it will be going in to the rust protection shop
to get it done,
and if you wanna know what product I use,
go to the homepage or website,
I have the profile up there,
you'll figure it out very, very quickly,
I'm not giving them any free air time
because they don't show us any love,
but they do have the best product out there,
neutralizes the acids of road salt,
it creeps and gets into all the nooks and crannies,
and now is the time to have that done.
Like I said, if you're even buying a used vehicle,
that's an 08 that's going to get sprayed
with what my friend Jillian calls the Marmalade,
we're getting some Marmalade on there,
and lots of it, I'll get it sprayed in the spring,
and then I'll get it redone in the fall
so that it gets right into the body metal
because we put a lot of work into that vehicle
to bring it back to life,
and save it from going to the U-Pullet centers
and get picked over,
and you know what,
it's very easily going to last 10 years,
very easily,
no problem whatsoever.
Okay, let's jump into today's topics,
now that I cover that,
so remember, acids from road salt
activate at 40 degrees F,
Fahrenheit,
add moisture to that,
now the rusties are awake,
and they're on the move,
so you need to make that application
of rust protection top choice
on your maintenance list,
and here's the thing,
did you know that most $5,000 repairs
start at about 200 bucks?
Start as a $200 maintenance item.
Would you rather spend small money on a schedule
that we put together,
the car connection maintenance schedule
based on fleet service maintenance,
or would you prefer big money on a surprise?
I don't know, I can't answer that question for you.
That's the question that everyone must make.
Am I happy working my heini off
just to make a stinking car payment
and pay interest to the bank?
Or am I going to do something that's smarter
and either A,
really take good care of the one
that's in the driveway that's paid off,
or if you're buying pre-owned,
I'm very big on pre-owned,
because you know, you get something that's decent,
low mileage,
like Earl Louise Grant provided
at City Auto Sales and Leasing in Toronto,
Rexdale area.
Now you've got a great foundation,
you're not paying huge money,
you're making a payment, yes,
and paying interest,
but it won't take seven years to pay it off.
You know, somebody else took the hit on the depreciation,
you walk in and get yourself a goodie.
That's the way to do it.
To pay it out,
right and cash is even better,
and that's what Tony Miele and Larry Tietro,
our certified financial planning professionals,
can teach you how to do that.
How to budget for vehicle repairs and maintenance
so you can keep the vehicle you have
that's paid for going forever
and preparing for replacement.
Preparing to have the budget in place
to get the replacement
when the time comes.
Well, I have some really good news for you.
Last night, last thing,
at the end of the day,
it was time to replenish the wood supply
for the fireplace,
because we heat our home with wood,
and I saw two robins.
It was official.
I did a little happy dance.
I did. I did a little happy dance in the wood pile.
And I'm like, I hear robins,
I got to see them.
I have to see them.
And they were in the very top
of one of the tallest catelpetries
on the street,
and they were as a pair,
and they were singing.
And I'm going, they're here.
The scouts are here.
So robin signing official.
Don't forget, clocks forward this weekend,
midnight on Saturday,
before you put your nightie on,
your flannels,
and head to bed into the Pop-Tart.
Turn your clocks ahead one hour.
One hour.
Got it spring forward.
So I'll keep reminding you the rest of the week,
because it does get easy to forget that.
And I've had that happen.
Planning for spring vehicle maintenance.
This is that huge time of year
where we've had winter
here in Canada.
And everyone's had their own style of winter
this year.
And we've actually,
we're thankful that the lake was completely frozen,
because when it is not,
that is when we have three, four day blow ins,
and usually the power goes out.
And yeah, it's a pretty treacherous four days
of snow.
All day, all night,
and it can go on for days,
if the lake is open.
But this year,
blessed that the entire lake,
almost all the way up to the ice boom,
and we show you that,
point that out to you from where we shot the video yesterday
on the South Shore's Lake Geary.
The lake is frozen as far as the eye can see,
which means no open water.
And that's why we didn't see a lot of lake effects
snow this year until,
we did up until the lake was starting to freeze
because we were in some deep freeze temperatures
for weeks on end,
for quite a few weeks actually.
So planning for spring vehicle maintenance is huge
in getting down to the nitty gritty,
how did my vehicle fin through the winter months?
You don't know what you don't know until you get after it.
So it's so important and critical
to make sure that your vehicle's booked in
for a complete physical.
That's what I call it.
Check everything.
Fluids, belts, hoses, brakes,
pull them all,
pull all the wheels off,
and let's take the brakes apart
and have a really, really good look
at what's going on.
Suspension and steering.
Because we got potholes,
I don't know about you,
but Skippy and I,
we had some potholes in the FJ yesterday
that even shook both of us,
like two marbles in a jar.
Huge.
Skippy goes,
well, that was a big one.
And I said, look at the size of the next one.
It's almost big enough to swallow this FJ.
So those are the things
that hammer your suspension
and steering components
really hard.
And here's what we know in the industry.
Suspension and steering components
aren't made as well
as they used to.
They used to be able to take
quite a pounding,
but because of,
yeah, mass production,
yeah, top name brands
that we could count on
to give us quality parts,
they've really
cut it back.
They've really scaled it back.
The price does not reflect
the quality of the goods sold.
Not anymore.
We're having to hunt down parts
constantly changing direction,
changing name brands
that we could count on
to get a better
quality component.
Because now,
they've so stretched the word premium,
it's disgusting.
So here's what I suggest to you.
And it's pretty accurate.
Where you see the term premium,
just substitute premium
for cheap.
And that's pretty deadly accurate.
Especially in the automotive repair business.
When I see that word
premium tie rod end,
no,
don't want it.
That tells me where it's come from
and it might last a year.
It might last 18 months.
And we're going to be after it
a second time.
I'm not into that.
Let's get the best parts we can
and sift through the junk
and put the best parts on
so we can keep you rolling
for a long time. So spring
forward with your vehicle maintenance.
Not fall back.
It's not the time to take your eyes
off that automobile.
Especially if it's paid for
and you want to keep it long
term, you're going to put some effort
in. That's all there is to it.
It's like weight loss.
You know, you look at yourself in the mirror
and you go, wow,
that's bad.
Yeah, I got to do something about
that. And then you get dressed
and you forget about it, right?
Turn the lights off. Turn those lights off.
Everyone got a camera.
You got to have a game plan.
But you can have a plan
but if you don't implement
the plan, what happens?
The same thing. It's like
my professor used to say, you know,
all CDs.
Yeah, that was back when we had CDs.
Well, we still do have CDs.
All CDs sound
exactly the same motor mouth
until you take the wrapper off
and put it in the disc player.
And you go, yeah, that makes sense.
Well, that's exactly it.
If you have a plan
for vehicle maintenance
but you don't implement the plan,
nothing changes.
It's exactly the same.
You're running the vehicle into the ground
and that, my friends,
is the dumbest thing I've ever seen
and seen it happen
over and over and over
and over again.
That's a lot of money
you're driving into the ground.
That is a waste of money.
A big waste of money.
So over the next little while,
I'm going to be tuning you up
in that area.
And I hope I spur you on
to do something about it.
But again,
most $5,000 repairs start
as a $200 maintenance item.
Would you rather spend
some small money
and get one of our car connection
maintenance schedules, fleet schedules,
maintenance,
or would you prefer big money
on a surprise?
It's up to you.
You know what?
Whatever you decide is good.
Because that's the thing.
That's the problem with life.
We get to choose.
That's right.
We all get to make a choice.
We all get to choose.
I choose
to no longer
make car payments.
I choose to no longer
feed the bank's interest.
Especially
with regards to an automobile
or stuff that I've already
bought before.
I don't need to use it
till I can't and not
service or maintain it because that means
I'm the dumb one
because I'm wasting
the hard-earned money
I had to make in the first place
to buy that component.
See, what am I talking about?
All your lawn and garden equipment.
Do you service it?
Do you take care of it?
Do you treat it like this is the last
weed trimmer I'm ever going to own
and take care of it?
Your lawn tractor,
your lawn mower,
your snowblower.
Do you take the time to put your snowblower
away properly
after winter
to prep it for being stored
so that it lasts?
And I even spray
my snowblowers down
with rust-proofing
so they don't rot out
because that's the big problem with them.
They rot out.
So if you can stop them from rotting out
and keep them running well,
you're not spending $2,000, $3,000
for a snowblower.
You don't have to.
I've got my oldest snowblower
is almost
35 years old.
It's in the shop right now.
It's got a drivability issue.
Some crud got in the carburetor
and I'll fix that this afternoon
and it'll be ready
because you never know in March
if you're going to get one more big
winter blow-in.
But now is the time to prepare
for spring vehicle maintenance.
What does that look like?
Are you going to get serious about keeping
your vehicle
and not working your butt off
to make car payments?
That's your choice.
We are going to jump on the
30-day fuel savings tips
once we get over 50 plus degrees
Fahrenheit. Otherwise it really doesn't
you won't really see
the huge savings.
You'll see savings
but I want you to see huge
savings
and take on the 30-day
fuel saving challenge
and watch how much money you can continue
to put back in your pocket.
That's where it counts
and that's what
preventative vehicle maintenance is all about.
Keeping that car that you have
if you're interested in keeping that
engine and transmission running
a lot longer
and keeping that vehicle that you already
have that's bought and paid for
a lot longer until
there's nothing left of it
but that won't be true.
At the end of the day
if you take care of that vehicle, guess what?
Somebody else will be interested
in buying that at the price you
can sell it for.
Absolutely.
I sold an example here
and I'll leave you with this.
By 1998 Honda CR-V
I bought that one
owner in the U.S.
it had 66,000 miles
on it.
I had that vehicle
almost
12 years
and when I sold it
it had 229,000 miles
and it since
went through
three owners after me
and I think
I saw it on the road a couple of weeks ago
it doesn't look anything like
when I had it but it still
it looked like it was the one
there were some details on it
that only I would know
because I put them on there
and they were on that specific vehicle
so I'm pretty certain
that I saw the old gal
and I really didn't want to give it up
I would have kept it if I could have
but the financing at the time
Tony Mielli said
no that has to go in order for you to get
the FJ and here's your budget for the FJ
and you're paying it off in one year
not five
not seven
one year
so that was the game plan
put on the table ahead of time
so I kept that
CRV
from 66,000 miles
to 229,000 miles
and it still looked like the day
I bought it because I took care of the body
I rust proofed it every year
I sent it into the body shop
when I had a number of stone chips
where I saw some blisters coming up
to get them on that right away
so it didn't take off
and eat out a section on the quarter
panel by the time you go
well that's a disaster now
you can take care of it
like I said, $5,000 in repairs
up front
that could have been $200
for a maintenance item
or would you rather spend money
on a schedule
and a maintenance plan that's written out for you
or big money on a surprise
till tomorrow
make it a great day
be safe out there
keep an eye on the other guy
keep it under 100
and put the coffee on
because we might just come to your house
peace, patience, kindness always
and happy healthy motoring
we'll see you at 8am
tomorrow morning for another edition
of Car Connection Workshop
in the morning
drive with yours truly
motor mouth, have a great day
bye for now
About this episode
Niall Motormouth Jenkins kicks off season two with a lively mix of automotive maintenance advice, community shout-outs, and personal stories. He emphasizes the importance of spring vehicle maintenance to avoid costly repairs later, shares insights on financial planning with trusted partners, and highlights local businesses and nonprofits supporting the Niagara region. The episode also teases upcoming video content featuring the frozen Great Lakes and discusses weather forecasts impacting vehicle care. With a blend of humor, practical tips, and heartfelt community connections, the show offers more than just car talk—it’s about preserving freedom and confidence through proper care and support.
Original notes
Spring is coming - but hope is not a maintenance strategy
In Season Two Episode 101, we stop circling the coffee pot and start talking about real spring vehicle planning. Oil changes ,suspension wear, brake inspections, corrosion checks - small, scheduled investments prevent massive surprise repairs.
Would you rather spend $200 on proactive maintenance... or $5,000 on a breakdown you didn't plan for?
Fleet thinking isn't just for corporations. It's how smart owners protect their vehicles, their finances, and their freedom.
Spring doesn't fix your car.
Planning does.
More episode and....project Details& links are available at Car Connection Business Network.com (ccbusnet.com) you'll find everything on our homepage if you'd like to follow the build & repair work we do & connect with our program partners click on their logo to meet them! Thank You!
Merchandise available at ccbusnet.com, grab some Motormouth Car Connection gear, help the crew help those struggling with addictions get to a Total Freedom Addiction Campus where a New Life awaits them there! Tnx so very much friends! Nile motormouth Jenkins.
Your Support is appreciated Friends, Like, Follow, Share, Subscribe, Comment, Ring the Bell to get Notified of New videos on YT. Help us keep the ignition on and running smoothly! NMJ
Peace Patience Kindness Always, See you in the next one! Skippy.
Car Connection Workshop
Nile Jenkins
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