Niall MotorMouth Jenkins dives into the often-overlooked habit of pre-trip vehicle checks, emphasizing how simple maintenance like checking fluids and tire pressure can prevent costly repairs and breakdowns. He shares practical advice on staying ahead of car issues, debunks myths about 'maintenance-free' cars, and stresses the peace of mind that comes from knowing your vehicle’s condition. The episode also touches on safe driving in winter conditions, the value of trusted mechanics, and offers tips for avoiding repair scams when stranded away from home. Plus, Niall highlights community support initiatives and upcoming resources for vehicle maintenance.
"What's the ONE thing you check on your vehicle regularly...or never check at all? Be honest"
Today's episode his close to home - because hardly anyone actually checks their vehicle until until something goes wrong.
We're talking about pre-trip inspections ... those quick, simple checks that can mean the difference between driving with confidence or being stranded on the side of the road.
Are you living in the known, where your vehicle is reliable and predictable? Or the unknown, where stress, surprise breakdowns, and expensive repairs are always lurking? From coolant levels to leaks, tire condition to warning signs - this isn't complicated, but it is ignored.
If you've ever said "it'll be fine" ... this episode is for you. Take control, reduce stress. Drive with confidence. Because a few minutes today can save you thousands tomorrow.
Car Connection Motormouth Merchandise available in our online store at (ccbusnet.com) grab some gear and join the crew in the battle against addiction. we are working hard helping those who have made the decision to deal with their addiction get to a Total Freedom Addiction Campus Canada & USA where a New Life awaits them there, Tnx so very much friends, Nile & Skippy.
More episodes 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. Thank You!
e-mail questions for our Saturday Q&A Show, or a topic you would like me to cover anytime, look forward always to hearing from y'all. NMJ ([email protected]) ([email protected])
Like, share, subscribe, follow, comment on videos, ring the notification bell, listen, watch, connect, join our community, all these little things help us so much friends to grow on our platforms in order to reach/help more people just like you and me! Your support is very much appreciated friends! Motormouth & Skippy.
"you can totally change your mindset and put money back in your pocket drive an older vehicle keep it reliable fit and tidy and you're not paying interest and you're not paying principal payments"
Driving an older car means you keep a car that's not brand new but still works well by fixing it when needed. This way, you don't have to pay for a new car loan and can save money.
Owning an older vehicle involves keeping a car that is 10 to 15 years old or more in good condition through regular maintenance and repairs. This approach can save money by avoiding car payments and interest associated with new car loans.
"on any maintenance or repairs and pack the miles on that's where we got to really stop listening to the talking heads and the white noise"
Fixing your car regularly and early helps it run well for a long time. Doing small repairs before big problems happen saves money and stress.
Regular maintenance and timely repairs are crucial to keep any vehicle running reliably, especially older cars. Staying ahead of the curve on these tasks prevents bigger, more expensive problems later.
"I look at a car exactly the same if we couldn't see the odometer would it matter answer is no times no divided by no plus no equals no we would have no idea"
The odometer is a gauge in your car that shows how far the car has been driven. People use it to know how much the car has been used.
An odometer is an instrument in a vehicle that measures the total distance the vehicle has traveled. It is often used to assess a car's usage and condition but can sometimes be misleading if tampered with.
"here's where marketing comes in and they try to create that confusion and second guessing yourself that you can't have a vehicle 10 15 years old and maintain it"
Car ads and sellers sometimes try to make you think old cars are bad or expensive to fix, so you buy a new one instead. But that’s not always true.
Marketing often creates confusion and doubt about owning older vehicles by suggesting that maintaining them is costly or impractical. This can pressure buyers into purchasing new cars unnecessarily.
"if you're following a maintenance schedule you're ahead of the curve you're staying ahead of repairs and maintenance making sure that that vehicle is reliable"
A maintenance schedule is like a plan for taking care of your car regularly so it doesn't break down or need expensive fixes. It tells you when to do things like oil changes and check-ups.
A maintenance schedule is a recommended plan for regular servicing and upkeep of a vehicle to ensure reliability and prevent costly repairs. Following this schedule helps keep the car in good condition and avoids unexpected breakdowns.
"making sure that that vehicle is reliable and it doesn't mean you're going in the shop and dumping two three four thousand dollars on it not when you got the maintenance caught up it just becomes routine"
Routine maintenance means doing small, regular check-ups and fixes on your car, like changing the oil or checking the tires, so it stays healthy and doesn't break down.
Routine maintenance refers to regular, scheduled servicing tasks such as oil changes, tire rotations, and fluid checks that keep a vehicle running smoothly and prevent major repairs. It is a cost-effective way to maintain vehicle health over time.
"then you got problems that's when stop that's when you're gonna get a major repair bill but again if it's one repair bill at four grand or thirty eight hundred dollars to get every single thing up to par"
A major repair bill is a big, expensive cost you have to pay when your car breaks down badly because you didn't take care of it properly.
A major repair bill refers to an expensive cost incurred when a vehicle requires significant repairs due to neglect or failure of maintenance. These repairs can be avoided or minimized by regular upkeep.
"...needs a roof first thing they look at needs a roof no curb appeal what kind of weeds..."
Curb appeal means how nice a car or house looks from the outside. If it looks good, more people might want to buy it.
Curb appeal refers to the attractiveness of a property or vehicle when viewed from the street or outside. In automotive terms, it relates to how visually appealing a car is to others, which can affect resale value and desirability.
"...no scanners no engine analyzers no being too concerned about the service light because that's why you've got a technician that you can rely on right because that we talked about that last week have a service tech..."
The service light is a warning on your car's dashboard that tells you something needs to be checked or fixed. It means it's time to get your car looked at by a mechanic.
The service light on a vehicle's dashboard indicates that the car's onboard computer has detected an issue or that scheduled maintenance is due. While it signals attention is needed, it doesn't specify the exact problem.
"do you know where the washer fluid is do you know where the overflow jug is for the radiator do you know where the fluids go"
The radiator overflow jug is a container that holds extra cooling liquid for your car's engine to keep it from getting too hot.
The radiator overflow jug is a reservoir that holds excess coolant from the radiator when the engine heats up. It helps maintain proper coolant levels and prevents overheating.
"do you know where the fluids go how do you check your power steering fluid how do you check your motor oil"
Power steering fluid is a special liquid that helps you turn the steering wheel easily when you drive.
Power steering fluid is a hydraulic fluid used in power steering systems to help drivers steer the vehicle more easily by transmitting power to the steering mechanism.
"do you know where the fluids go how do you check your power steering fluid how do you check your motor oil"
Motor oil is the liquid that keeps your car's engine parts moving smoothly and stops them from getting too hot or damaged.
Motor oil lubricates the engine's moving parts, reduces friction, helps cool the engine, and prevents corrosion. Checking oil level regularly is essential for engine health.
"how do you check your motor oil can you check your automatic transmission fluid if you have an automatic transmission is there a dipstick"
Automatic transmission fluid is a special liquid in cars with automatic gears that helps the car change gears smoothly and keeps the parts working well.
Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) is a specialized fluid used in vehicles with automatic transmissions to lubricate moving parts, cool the transmission, and enable smooth gear shifts.
"can you check your automatic transmission fluid if you have an automatic transmission is there a dipstick not the one behind the wheel that's always the one in the passenger seat the dipstick"
A dipstick is a stick inside the car's engine or transmission that you pull out to see how much fluid is there and if it looks okay.
A dipstick is a metal rod used to check fluid levels such as engine oil or transmission fluid in a vehicle. It is inserted into a reservoir and pulled out to visually inspect fluid level and condition.
"you don't know how to check and adjust your tire pressures these are all very basic things that most people could learn how to do"
Tire pressure is how much air is inside your car's tires. Having the right amount helps your car drive safely and saves gas.
Tire pressure refers to the amount of air inside a tire, usually measured in PSI. Proper tire pressure is critical for safety, fuel efficiency, and tire longevity.
"always let your service tech know hey i'm heading out of town i'm going to be gone for a week can you check it over let them know you're going out of town and that you want to make sure that your vehicle's in top drawer condition"
A service technician is the person who fixes and looks after your car. Having one you trust means your car gets good care and you don’t get tricked when it needs repairs.
A service technician is a professional who inspects, maintains, and repairs vehicles. Building a relationship with a trusted technician can ensure better care and honest repairs for your car.
"mechanics don't know you there your your vehicle is not known there that is a dangerous position to be placed in because of why those shops know what are the odds if we rip you off that you're going to come back after us it's not going to happen so you leave yourself wide open to be taken advantage of"
If your car breaks far from home, some repair places might try to charge you too much or fix things you don't need. It's good to have a mechanic you trust to help avoid this.
When your car breaks down in an unfamiliar place, some repair shops might overcharge or perform unnecessary repairs because they know you are unlikely to return. This is why having a trusted mechanic or technician is important.
"i had an oil change today and i don't look at anything until the next service that's the talking heads selling you on that deal"
An oil change means taking out the old oil from your car's engine and putting in new oil. This keeps the engine running smoothly and prevents damage.
An oil change involves draining old engine oil and replacing it with fresh oil to ensure proper engine lubrication and performance. Regular oil changes are critical for engine longevity and efficiency.
"i just went yesterday and picked up the oil for the 08 ragu uh nissan rogue yeah my mind says ragu because i you know i liked ragu spaghetti sauce at one time"
The Nissan Rogue is a small SUV that is good for families and everyday driving. The 2008 model was the first one made and is known to be reliable and easy to use.
The Nissan Rogue is a compact crossover SUV known for its practicality and reliability. The 2008 model was the first generation of the Rogue, offering a balance of utility and fuel efficiency.
"yeah so um yeah the transmission oil the the gentleman"
Transmission oil is a special fluid that helps your car change gears smoothly. Checking it regularly helps keep your car working well and stops big problems.
Transmission oil (or fluid) lubricates the components inside a vehicle's transmission, helping it shift smoothly and preventing wear. Regular checking and changing of transmission fluid can extend transmission life.
"...you're checking your fluids belts and hoses and tire pressures on a regular basis doing the little things that is going to save you a ton of money..."
Belts and hoses are parts inside your car that help it work properly. Checking them means looking for cracks or leaks so your car doesn’t break down.
Belts and hoses in a vehicle are critical components that transfer power and fluids. Regular inspection helps catch wear or leaks early, preventing breakdowns and expensive repairs.
"...i check your vehicle over and go and tell you you're going to need front brakes in about four to six months you could choose to do them now but you could still ride them out..."
Front brakes are the parts on the front wheels that help your car stop. They wear out over time and need to be checked and replaced to keep you safe.
Front brakes are the braking components located on the front wheels of a vehicle. They typically handle most of the braking force and require regular inspection and replacement to maintain safe stopping performance.
""...fleet maintenance that's what i did for decades i'll tell you what companies that have two 300 400 units out there running the highways and byways delivering products goods and services can't afford to have one of their vehicles go down...""
Fleet maintenance means taking care of many vehicles owned by a company so they don't break down and can keep working. It's important for businesses that use lots of cars or trucks every day.
Fleet maintenance refers to the systematic upkeep and repair of a company's group of vehicles to ensure they remain operational and minimize downtime. This is crucial for businesses that rely on multiple vehicles for deliveries or services.
"so if you're looking for something that's just you want to turn it into a beater or whatever let them know that as well because they may just have a goodie that you would fit your budget"
A 'beater' is a cheap car that might not look great or be perfect but is good enough to drive around every day without worrying too much about it.
A 'beater' is a car that is inexpensive and often older or in rough condition, typically used for daily driving or as a secondary vehicle without much concern for cosmetic or mechanical perfection.
Select text to request an explanation
Good morning Niagara! You're tuned in to Car Connection where the coffee's hot,
the tools are ready, and the talk is always tuned up. I'm your host, Niall
MotorMouth Jenkins, coming to you straight from the Car Connection
workshop where we mix a little humor, a little know-how, and a whole lot of horsepower.
Here it's not just about fixing cars, it's about keeping you rolling, saving you
money, and giving you the confidence to understand what's under that hood. From
the classics, to the commuters, the weird noises, to the what the heck moments, we've
got you covered. So grab your coffee, sit back, join the crew, because this is Car
Connection. You're Monday through Saturday morning pit stop for stories, smarts, and a
few good laughs, and I'm Niall MotorMouth Jenkins, and we are shifting in to drive
this morning. So thank you for letting us into your world, as we let you into
mine, and you may need treatment. Therapy, deep, deep psychotherapy. Well good
morning and happy St. Patrick's Day, top of the morning to you little people.
Remember, green, something, you've got to have something green on today, and it
can't be a green glaze donut. So you've got to wear a green clothing item, something.
So here's where your creative comes in. Now if you're in a green car this morning, that
would work. Absolutely. Green shoes, yep, that would work. Absolutely. Something green
from the fridge? Definitely not. Past the date too. Well let's kick right into gear
this morning. Wow, what a wacky weather day in the Niagara region yesterday. It was good
until it wasn't. Yeah. I had to go out for a run to take some, not a run, but you know,
took the car, had to do some, get some errands done and pick up some car parts, and ended
up going on a Costco cruise. Yeah. You know the big store? Costco. Costco cruising with
the big cruising machine, and man it was busier than a pack of wet hornets yesterday. I will
not do that again. It took me way too long to get in and out of there. I just needed
a couple things, and I'll tell you, the streets inside a Costco were over the top busy. So
not a good time if you want to get in and get out and get gone. But anyhow, let's take
a look at the weather today. I was, I stopped by the farm to visit my friend Charlie, and
when I was leaving there it was like, okay, what happened? It was nice when I arrived
at 6 p.m. and rolling out a couple hours later, and I'm like in a blizzard. And it was a bit
of an interesting ride back to the shop, let me tell you. So take it easy out there this morning.
If you're in the Niagara region, we got a little more measurement of winter. Winter's saying,
I'm just letting you know I'm not leaving without leaving you with a memory. Just one more. But I
feel really bad for the Robins this morning. Where are they hiding? Did they go to a shelter
somewhere? Anyhow, let's thank Niagara Block, the Greenville family at 5000 Montrose Road,
Niagara Block. I was right out there yesterday in their own backyard. They've been building
Canada since 1931 with building supplies, hardscape, landscaping materials to help you
create that beautiful backyard space that you've always wanted. Make sure you get in touch and
connect with their sales team there that will help you to pick out the right products and
connect you with a contractor that can estimate your backyard space with accuracy and get the
job started. Get on their calendar because the good guys, they tend to fill up their calendars
very, very quickly with a waiting list. So thank you for Niagara Block bringing to us this morning,
the morning weather. And it is Tuesday morning and it is Happy St. Patty's Day. Welcome to season two
episode 113 this morning and we're going to be talking about a very interesting topic,
hardly any one pre-trips. We're going to break that out a little bit more so you get a better
understanding. What does that mean exactly? It's like acronyms. Not a day goes by when
another acronym shows up. You're like going, your brain's trying to figure it out and eventually
just go, I don't know. I don't know what that is. It becomes an IDK. Well this morning, here's what
you can expect in the Niagara region. 13 degrees now with windy conditions. I think I saw Dorothy
and her little dog go by my bed or window last night. It was miserable by the South Shore's Lake
Geary. It was like midwinter, not just a little blasting. So right now it is stinking cold out
there at 13 degrees now with windy conditions still continuing. Wind is making it feel colder
at about minus nine. Cloudy conditions expected around 6 p.m. and today's temperature range will
be from 13 degrees to 27 degrees and it will feel more like minus nine to 13 degrees Fahrenheit.
Today's high will be a high of 27 and an overnight low of 13. Yesterday we actually
hit a high of 55 overnight low 27 but I think it got colder than that because it was one heck
of a miserable drive in late evening last night getting back to the shop. 3.35 inches of snow.
We probably got that topped out more between 4 and 5 inches here along the South Shores of Lake
Geary where the car connection workshop is located. Possible chance of 0.05 inches of rain. So that's
where we're sitting today in your commute early morning commute. Be careful. There could be some
icy patches and slow down. That's my best advice for you. Slow down. Keep an eye on the other guy.
Hey if they want to go buy you and scooting like their pants are on fire they got a case of super
diarrhea. Whichever one applies just let them go because if they get into slushy stuff and they
start wiggly waggling in front of you because they have summer tires on still you could become
a part of their rolling nightmare. Just so I'm just giving you I'm just warning you you furry
varmints that's all. Take it easy out there I had a couple of people fly past me last night and I
just let them go. I was toodling it was the plows had just started coming out and I couldn't even see
the center line. I had no idea where the center line is and the snow is coming down heavy and
it's blowing and it's thick. It was an interesting drive but you know you still get those clowns out
there. They think they're infallible and they just go flying past you regardless of road conditions.
I just give them the space. It's kind of like you know what you're not sucking me into your
nightmare. Absolutely not. If you spin out I don't want you catching me or clipping me or anything.
I just want to get where I'm going and get home safe and sound and drive according to the road
conditions this morning. So you you make the judgment call but here's the thing.
Everything's good and smooth until it's not and it only takes one person to make a wrong choice
and if you're right there you get sucked into their world and you know what at the end of the day
in in Canada anyway it's called uh um oh I forgot now anyways you fix your car
and they fix theirs and everybody goes home unless there's injuries.
It's not right. We'll talk about insurance sometime when you know my blood levels are good.
The pressure system is fine and and even then we'll do it. It's the it's the way it works.
So if somebody causes you to have a wreck and there it was their fault as far as the law goes
if they their procedure was incorrect they'll get charged but you still have to fix your car
and they fix their own. It's that simple and it sucks. It really does. Well there are two ways
to own a car living in the unknown or living in the know. One creates a lot of stress and the other
gives you a lot of freedom and this is the lane that I've been carving out and have been carving
out for over 40 years is when you understand what I just said and you're an automobile owner
you can totally change your mindset and put money back in your pocket drive an older vehicle keep it
reliable fit and tidy and you're not paying interest and you're not paying principal payments
and that would that relieve a lot of financial stress from you you know some some homes have
two cars on loan that's a lot of hours you've got to put out to pay for that just so that you
have something to drive and that's tough that's a tough position to be in and so that's what I
don't teach I don't teach and don't promote getting in the hole to drive a vehicle when
you can drive a 10 15 year old vehicle keep it neat and tidy running well ahead of the curve
on any maintenance or repairs and pack the miles on that's where we got to really stop listening to
the talking heads and the white noise if you didn't know when you were born you would never
know how old you are I look at a car exactly the same if we couldn't see the odometer would it matter
answer is no times no divided by no plus no equals no we would have no idea but here's
where marketing comes in and they try to create that confusion and second guessing yourself
that you can't have a vehicle 10 15 years old and maintain it and and look after it it's costing
you more money to do that no it's not proven every single time I got an invoice right on my tabletop
you know to bring the vehicle right back up to snuff was four grand okay you say well that's
that's a lot of money how many car payments is that how many let's say it's $400 a month
that's only 10 car payments how long have you got the finances set up for five or seven years
that's only 10 car payments at $400 that's not even a year that's a pretty cheap ride folks and
that's the way you gotta look at it and learn to be more of a prosumer not a con consumer
and it's a mindset again if you couldn't see the odometer on your vehicle it went blank
how many miles would you know that you've put on that vehicle and if you're if you're following
a maintenance schedule you're ahead of the curve you're staying ahead of repairs and maintenance
making sure that that vehicle is reliable and it doesn't mean you're going in the shop and dumping
two three four thousand dollars on it not when you got the maintenance caught up it just becomes
routine it's like dental isn't it don't go to the dentist for five six years and then you start
having a problem something's going on in the mouth health and you head in there and then you get told
you got decay on nine teeth need to be fixed
but prior to you were faithful with your mouth health going forward check up every six months
everything was good everything was up to par nothing was falling apart but then you went
six years without going to the dentist going for a check up and now you have problems
and now there's there's things that have happened because of what lack of maintenance
yeah as my dentist would say hey motorball just uh floss and brush the teeth you want to keep okay
exactly so you can compare the two very very quickly no maintenance on your teeth for years
and then you get a problem yep and then you go in and you discover you've got this cavity that
cavity this is a cavity that's a cavity and that one oh baby that one's gonna cost you
because you stopped the maintenance so an older vehicle if you work it just like you
go for a dental checkup once every six months to stay ahead of the nasties that can develop in your
mouth then you got problems that's when stop that's when you're gonna get a major repair bill
but again if it's one repair bill at four grand or thirty eight hundred dollars to get every
single thing up to par how many car payments is that think about if you're making a car payment
right now think about your car payment interest in how many car payments is that to pay for that
and it's paid off the vehicles paid off and now it's up to snuff where it should be and now you
keep an eye on it from there on in and make sure that you're following your maintenance checklist
you'll be just fine and it won't matter how many kilometers click over on it it just doesn't matter
whatsoever that's the sales and marketing strategy that's why I call it the car game
the car game doesn't matter what's on the odometer when you're viewing your vehicle
as a tool to get you where you need to go she doesn't look pretty but she'll get you where
you need to go yeah that's all that matters really that's all that matters you don't need to make
be making car payments to to drive something that you really can't afford to impress people
that you don't even know and you may not even like all right so enough said on that that's your
psychology that's your automotive service and repair psychology 101 that's where you got to get
your brain to go and you got to get out of your own head and look at things super simple
anything and everything standing around you in 360 degrees need some kind of repairs maintenance
and service just imagine if somebody said well you know your house is almost 10 years old you
should be getting out of there and go and getting a new one what would you say to that person are
you out of your flipping mind well it is 10 years old you know you've lived in that house 10 years
old you should probably flip out of that and get a new one right yeah you're off the christmas
gift giving list buddy you would you would look at them differently wouldn't you you'd go are you
serious serious is a heart attack it's 10 years old you know stuff's gonna start going wrong with it
and imagine on the other side of the scale you just don't do anything 10 15 years you're still
you know stuff needs looking after you're just letting it go let it go let it go to a point where
maybe all of a sudden life changes and you got to put the house up for sale and the real estate's
agent agents going well the doorknob is nice i might be able to sell the doorknob for 40 bucks
and all that service and repair when somebody comes and looks at your home
is going to go needs a roof first thing they look at needs a roof no curb appeal what kind of weeds
are those anyway place looks like amityville horrors anybody live here just think about that
i leave you with that for a moment all right if you're scooting through the drive through
slow down take it easy it's not the 401 all right and uh double check your order let's
have a swiggy together and we thank our certified financial planning professionals our program
partners for making this podcast and our youtube facebook instagram stevensvilleontheweb.ca
our i heart radio we're on all platforms with our podcast so whether you're pulling them off of
apple amazon soon you'll be able to pull them off of youtube because i'm going to fire over
the first series which has a hundred episodes in it over to our youtube so you can grab them
there as well so keep you posted and the best place for me to be able to keep you up to speed
and help you connect with us is our website homepage of our website is the biggest drawer
we have in our toolbox and everything we talk about lives at our website it's the biggest
bestest drawer in the toolbox for us to make sure that you can easily connect with us at car
connection businessnetwork.com that's ccbusnet.com i always put all the information in all the
descriptions for youtube and also for our podcast so take the moments to read the whole
description i put a lot of automotive service and repair nuggets in there that i don't always
talk about on the podcast or even on youtube and i do that purposely to help you to know more
about what you don't know when it comes to owning an automobile and taking care of the service so
whether you're a single mom single dad widowed guy or gal or you live on your own you're single
it doesn't matter it doesn't matter what your status is to learn just some automotive basics
that will help you and go a very very long way in bringing money back into your pocket exactly
that's exactly what it does now once this weather moves out i'll really be pushing
for many of you to jump on board with our 30 day fuel savings challenge which will very at the very
minimum will put a hundred dollars a month back in your pocket back in your savings account if you
don't have a savings account you'll be able to start a savings account that's simple so i'll keep
you posted on that when i feel that the ambient air temperatures outside are stabilized then we
can run that program and run it well with accuracy and put some more money back in your pocket so
raise your cup this morning if you're joining us for the first time a couple of housekeeping tips
turn your cell phone down so you know you're not distracted number two a 16 pack of crayola crayons
number three a folded up leaf bag to look like a laptop so you can write some notes down
so join us so if you're just scooting through the drive-thru i'll always remind you double check your
order yes people make mistakes it's true lock it down in your cup holder get safely out on the
road and let's have a swiggy together and thank you to tony mealy larry teetro our certified
financial planning professionals you should always work with somebody who works with portfolios
investment portfolios debt retirement estate planning powers of attorney beneficiaries the whole
nine yards and health proxies mortgages life insurance critical illness insurance you want
to make sure they have the credentials cfp certified financial planning professionals
book yourself an hour and a coffee with tony or larry i've worked with them for well over 20 years
and i'm what i'm saying to you is makes my experience they're not only my great friends and
my brothers from other mothers but you know what sit down with them take advantage of that hour and
coffee and here's another piece of information leave your wallets at home and your purses at home
you will not need to take any money with you no one's going to sell you anything no condemnation
but you will get your questions answered by those who have the certification certified financial
planning professionals are not aren't advisors advisors are apprentices they're not cfps they
don't understand tax laws they only sell you cookie cutter programs go into one bank they're
going to sell you the same thing as 10 other banks because that's what they're told to do
cfps don't work that way a cfp has a lot more knowledge and certifications to have those credentials
they're like working with a licensed mechanic versus an apprentice that's the best way for me
to describe it so take advantage of their their offer to have that discovery meeting an hour and
coffee get your questions answered completely i don't do mortgages with banks anymore haven't for
about 15 years the rates are great and you know what they treat you like a human being yeah not
just a number and i don't like that i absolutely don't so on three two one let's have a swiggy
together this morning and drive safe out there really mean that you guys and gal stay safe out
there the roads are a little gnarly this morning three two one mm-hmm that is a snowy cold morning
beverage right there all right let's job jump right into our topic job right into the top
topic that i don't know i don't know what i'm doing i'll let you know when i get it figured out
it's only our 32nd year in our first year coming up in a while on all the platforms
so you can find us very easily from the homepage of our website all the businesses that are our
program partners you can connect with them and give them your business we'd certainly appreciate that
because they are backing the programs for you they don't cost you anything so our podcast is here
our youtube channel facebook and instagram is all there with the help of our program partners
and just click on their logo and it will open their profile page and you can get to meet them
and connect so thank you for doing that really appreciate that as well and for all of you who
are enjoying the youtube videos and i know you are 93 of you have not subscribed yet so if you
would do that for us like share comment put your comments down below in the comment box under the
videos and ring the notification bell so you're notified when the new videos come out two for
tuesday one every friday that's what we work with and thank you to skippy for being our videographer
that helps us put all that together that's very very much appreciated so show us some love help
us get to monetization so that we can pay for the parts fix the cars shoot the videos and help those
that need a hand up not a handout well i wanted to spend a little more time on instead of giving you
a number of topics all in one podcast and trying to squish it all in there and sometimes i don't
know about you but for me when i i go to some of these seminars they cram so much into a short
period of time it's like sucking on a fire hose and you know you can become overwhelmed i do it's
like you know what the not the information is great the knowledge that we're gaining is great
but it's like coming at you at like a hundred mile an hour and you all you have is a baseball
mitt to catch it it can be you can miss a lot of stuff so i decided that on the podcast because
they go so fast and we got to get our our commercials in there as well it takes time and
and time disappears very very quickly so i'm going to just pick a topic and then cover that
on each podcast from here going forward as we head into early spring and springtime there's
a ton of things that we can monitor on our vehicles and keep them running and not be in
debt doing so so today i wanted to break out a little bit better and in more detail hardly
anyone pre trips or at least regularly checks their vehicles and i'm thinking gone are the days
where we had the gas bars where you know the dude would come out
fill your washer fluid you'd open the hood get the nozzle in there get in the gas fill going
check in your oil and power steering fluid those days are gone they are long gone and i don't foresee
that ever coming back where you pulled in to fill up with fuel and a gas bar attendant comes out
pops your hood check your oil for you man and gets under the hood and just has a look around
and checks your fluids for you and oh you're low on winter washer fluid can i top that up for you
those days are behind us so what do we do going forward i was shocked to hear
in doing some research on the weekend from and i there's a few texts that i watch on youtube that
i know that are they're they're really good fellas they're diagnosticians they run a good shop
a very clean shop and they're doing it right and one of the texts that i watch made that comment
that hardly anyone pre trips or at least regularly checks their vehicles and all you really need to
do and learn is some basics nothing technical no scanners no engine analyzers no being too
concerned about the service light because that's why you've got a technician that you can rely on
right because that we talked about that last week have a service tech and a repair shop
that keeps you on track with your vehicle maintenance is worth its weight and gold
because you can trust them to keep your vehicle running and running well they're not
upselling you stuff that you don't need and there is so much of that going on right now
it's disgusting i hear about it all the time from somebody wherever i go hey you got a minute
can i ask you something and i know a car questions coming and again remember you send me car questions
during the week email them to me at nile at ccbusnet.com that's n i l e no s okay
at ccbusnet.com and again in the description box for youtube videos and our podcast
you will find that information there for you so if you can't write it down don't worry about it
just pull a podcast anyone pull a youtube video any one of them you will see that in the descriptions
i do the titles i do the descriptions i do the sco i do all of that myself i do it myself
so when i say we it's me myself and i trust me i wear many hats
no dresses anymore okay just say it um yeah you want to stay on track with that stuff
just the basics pop in the hood do you know how to open the hood of your own car
do you know where the washer fluid is do you know where the overflow jug is for the radiator
do you know where the fluids go how do you check your power steering fluid
how do you check your motor oil can you check your automatic transmission fluid if you have
an automatic transmission is there a dipstick not the one behind the wheel that's always the one
in the passenger seat the dipstick yeah backseat drivers they have their place don't they anyhow
yeah trunk that's it but if you're in a minivan that's gonna be a bit tricky
yeah that's gonna be a bit tricky but if you have a trunk you can pull over and say
now now your seat is in the trunk yeah or zip it yeah exactly so knowing the basics
people aren't even doing the basics anymore do you know how huge that is
because you open the hood and you see some kind of liquid somewhere that it probably shouldn't
you've now already had a visual you know there's a problem developing there but if you never open
the hood you don't even know how to open the hood you don't know how to check and adjust your tire
pressures these are all very basic things that most people could learn how to do we've got videos
up for those on our youtube channel i think in the first dozen videos we did i walked through in the
shop those very same things i just spoke about the basics can you check your power steering fluid
do you know where the reservoir is that holds your brake fluid you know whether it's full or not
where's the line that shows you the level the fluid level do you know how to read that those are
some very simple basic things that it sounds like to me with the term hardly anyone pre-trips
so even before you head out on a journey you're not even bothered to check anything and i i figured
out why that is i know with two brain cells i figured it out you're listening to the talking
heads that say oh you don't need to be concerned about that stuff it's maintenance free oh it maintains
itself does it how so sure lock how does it do that somebody comes to the house while i'm sleeping
pops the hood checks all the fluids for me i never need to check or check or
top things up that's the consumer part you're buying in to the losing battle
they want to win the car game they don't want you to fix it they don't want you to check your
fluids they don't want you to adjust your tire pressures they want you to destroy your vehicle
to the point where you say it's just not worth putting the money into this older car that's
another lie from the pit of hell from the talking heads that sales and marketing people got to stop
buying into that crap because that's what it is you need to learn the basics checking adjusting
tire pressures check your power steering fluid check your brake fluid fill up your washer fluid
jug check and make sure that the antifreeze level is where it should be on the overflow bottle
these are all simple things that you don't need a a big massive toolbox full of tools to be able
to keep that car going with simple things because i'll tell you over and over again how many times
i've seen a two hundred dollar car repair which is what it would have cost you if that was done
at the point of visualizing there's something developing under the hood because there's some
kind of fluid where it shouldn't be i think and that can turn into a five thousand dollar car
repair very quickly so you can spend a little money now or wait see if itself heals tomorrow
morning when you wake up and you turn the car on the service light is is off right and everything
is done and it's it's uh car has healed overnight no it doesn't just so you know that two hundred
dollar repair does turn into a very expensive pair repair because it's called cause and effect
catch it in its infant stage we can get it taken care of and prevent you from having a catastrophic
breakdown engine damage transmission damage we see it all the time because you ignore it
and when you ignore it it's going to come back to get you i'm just telling you i got four decades
of experience and i've seen it over and over and over again it will come back to get you
so not even bothering to pre-trip your vehicle check it before you get out on the road for your
journey or make an appointment to get the vehicle into the shop and get it checked over always let
your service tech know hey i'm heading out of town i'm going to be gone for a week can you check it
over let them know you're going out of town and that you want to make sure that your vehicle's
in top drawer condition nothing's sitting there and going to interrupt your journey and there
you're sitting on the side of the road in a strange place mechanics don't know you there your your
vehicle is not known there that is a dangerous position to be placed in because of why those
shops know what are the odds if we rip you off that you're going to come back after us
it's not going to happen so you leave yourself wide open to be taken advantage of that's a
for for you ladies out there that is a very intimidating position to be found in not a
good one a solid gold mechanic doesn't wait for you for your car to break he helps you stop it
from breaking in the first place that's the service tech you want when you're out of town
and you can't get to someone who knows you here's a little secret i will share with you
especially the ladies you're traveling your car breaks down in a town like i said already
the technicians don't know you the shops don't know your car they have no idea who you are
what you do is you call back home to your mechanic you let them know that you're broken
down in area abc you say i'm at this shop and the service tech's name is joe um is it okay
that joe gives you a call you'll probably say like i would oh absolutely get your back home
mechanic in on that repair so that joe is not now talking to you he's now talking to your service
technician that you do trust back home and now he's not going to be able to pull the wool over
your technician back home your tech back home is going to steer the repair for you and make sure
that joe is on the up and up that's how you prevent being taken advantage of if your vehicle breaks down
out of town get your home tech on the phone let them know what's going on get them into the repair
let them know where your car is who you're dealing with first and last name and then you
tell that service tech um yeah i talked to my technician back home he wants you to talk to
him directly now you've just pulled the rug out underneath his feet if that tech was considering
ripping you off he's now going to be talking to your home technician that you deal with when
you're at home just a little trade trade secret ladies take we've got all got cell phones we got
a means to connect connect and that will prevent that from happening to you because now that tech
knows that your tech is deep involved in your issue with your car out of town
so how can we prevent even that from happening well we can't prevent it as service tech's 100
percent because we we don't have magic wands and crystal balls we don't know what we don't know
you know like i always like to say you know yesterday i had toast and jammed for breakfast
this morning i plugged the toaster in and it doesn't work what happened i don't know
it just decided to quit and it happens that stuff happens it just does so how do we stay ahead of
that always do a pre-trip plan you're either checking all your fluids under the hood and
learning how to do that yourself with confidence and you can i know you can we ran women's service
clinics for about three years and we had quite a network of businesses with us and automotive
repair shops canada and the us and we would get one of the local shops in different areas to host
a ladies night we'd put you in coveralls get you out in the shop we had four electives for you to do
where it was hands-on you the tech would be there to monitor would walk you through things and then
it was hands-on and we had a blast we to always add an end of the night group picture with all the
ladies and coveralls and they loved it they absolutely loved it and i couldn't keep up that
was why i had i couldn't do it anymore it was a lot of pressure a lot of preparation and that
made my days even longer than they already were and i couldn't keep up the pace i really needed a
team to to go around the country doing that and it would have been amazing it would have been
actually outstanding and the ladies learned a lot they had a great evening you had to buy a ticket
to be on the team for the evening and there was only 12 spots available and the proceeds went to
local charity of the shop owners choice and there was we had sponsors a lot of our other
our program partners and recommended businesses jumped on board hey can i provide this for the
evening can i provide that for the evening and it was just an all-round great time so you can learn
the basics no matter who you are what age group you are as i've mentioned already single divorced
widowed um just living on your own and having to deal with all these things on your own reach out
and use the tools that we put together for you you can connect with me anytime through email
through our youtube channel send me a comment i check the comments and send me an email
you got a question i'll answer it saturdays now i do a one hour show with q and a you send your
questions in i'll sift through them and i'll answer as many questions as i can that are emailed in
on a saturday morning eight till nine a.m on saturdays fun fridays we just kind of let down our hair
and just chat and natter together on fridays monday through thursday send your questions in
it just takes you a minute you don't have to write the war and peace edition just send me a question
i'll get the gist of it and put your contact information there if i need more information
i don't mind giving you a call and talking to you over the phone and getting a little more intel
so that i can reach out and help you i've been doing that now for in our 32nd year
31 years on radio networks and now we're on podcast and now we can reach even more people
through the platform and that's that's exciting is to be able to reach more and more people
so by simply doing pre trips and even if it's just for the day
pop the hood have a look around check your fluids you know there's no such thing as
i had an oil change today and i don't look at anything until the next service
that's the talking heads selling you on that deal that's how we have wrecking yards now full of vehicles
that aren't rusted and rotted out the engines blown up the transmissions blown up you know i just went
yesterday and picked up the oil for the 08 ragu uh nissan rogue yeah my mind says ragu because i
you know i liked ragu spaghetti sauce at one time now it's all chemicals yeah i like making my own
sauce because then i know what's in it yeah so um yeah the transmission oil the the gentleman
comes out of the parts room i got a good rapport there and uh that's um nigerfall's nissan good
people there good people there goes now do you know how much this stuff is i go i know it's
going to be costly he goes yeah it is but i can give you a bit of a break i go away
anything's appreciated he said how many quarts do you want i said well i looked it up it says
nine eight point eight if i'm draining the entire transmission but we could do a service and put in
five and that fluid we can get out with the rest of the fluid we can't get out of the torque converter
without some the machinery that i do not have so he goes five and i go yeah i'll take five i'll do a
basic service i said it should have a service every 50 000 k and i said it's at 119 or 120 120
he goes yeah it should he says that's first generation cvt transmission treat it well
it'll do all right abuse it and it won't and he says how much it is it's $35 a court a leader
and i go yeah i said so that's going to be like 158 bucks i said i could i buy a cvt transmission
on in a crate this afternoon for that much he goes no absolutely not i go so that's a pretty cheap
service isn't it he goes you know i never thought of that i go a little money or a whole lot of
money you we can all decide what we're going to do i choose i know that's a weak area the cvt
transmissions aren't the greatest things in sliced bread but a service will save it from going down
early he goes absolutely he said i wish people thought the same way you did and i go well there
is a way to do that you got to educate him yep it's 158 dollars for the fluid but how much is
the transmission give him a price well that transmission rebuilt is worth blah blah blah
i can tell you it's going to be over six grand probably closer to 13 for that cvt transmission
out of the crate so 158 bucks or six thousand dollars plus i think it's a no-brainer personally
so living in the unknown and that is the unknown when you aren't following vehicle
maintenance it's costing you a bundle over and over and over again that pattern continues and
it cycles and it's draining your bank account and it's wearing you out trading time for money
so again there's only two ways to own a car living in the unknown putting the blinders on
closing your ears you know see no evil hear no evil speak no evil kind of thing
i'm just i'm just going to ignore it and it will go away living in that is living and owning an
automobile in the unknown that is stress times 10 living in the known in the know means that you're
ahead of your maintenance you're checking your fluids belts and hoses and tire pressures on a
regular basis doing the little things that is going to save you a ton of money but more so
that gives you mental freedom gives you mental freedom and you cannot put a price tag on peace
of mind and remember one time i had a plumber working for me and he was doing some plumbing work
and i know my limitations there's things around the home i will not touch one of them is electricity
and plumbing i can do some of it and then there's other stuff no that's that's above my pay grade
we need somebody to take a look at it that knows what they're doing to get in here and they'll
have it done in in a jiffy well he was working away replacing some copper pipe at the time
and i don't know how we got on the topic but all of a sudden he just said you know what
niley says you can't put a price tag on peace of mind and i looked down and i go that's very good
you're absolutely bang on he goes you can't you cannot put a price tag on having peace of mind
so when you're driving older automobiles like i do now our newest one is a nine oh nine the next
one is an oh eight and they go down from there if you stay in the know you don't get ginormous
repair bills it just needs regular service and maintenance checking fluids belts hoses brakes
staying ahead of all those things and being in the know it's like me coming to you i check your
vehicle over and go and tell you you're going to need front brakes in about four to six months
you could choose to do them now but you could still ride them out and squeeze them a little
bit more and get four to six months out now you're in the know you're not driving down the road
and wondering i wonder how my brakes are according to what this service tech said hardly anyone
is doing any kind of pre-trip inspection on their vehicle and at the least regularly checking
their vehicles over the simple things so i encourage you today to take hold of our car
connection fleet maintenance system that we're wrapping it up right now so that it will be available
to you on a simple page within our website so i gave you all the instructions to our webmaster
they're working on that you'll be able to go into our website take a look at what the car
connection maintenance schedule system looks like fleet maintenance that's what i did for decades
i'll tell you what companies that have two 300 400 units out there running the highways and
byways delivering products goods and services can't afford to have one of their vehicles go down
they have spares they're fully maintained that they can pluck one out and get it down the road
but they would prefer to keep the entire fleet going that's where their profitability comes in
so that's how i developed the car connection maintenance schedule system from that knowledge
making sure that i didn't miss something when i'm working on a fleet vehicle when i was working
for others so we're we'll have that up on our website in a jiffy and i'll let you know when
it's there if you have questions about it or you want to know more about it just send me an email
nile at ccbusnet.com so that about wraps things up today like to say thank you
to crystal ridge dream center for being our faith-based non-profit organization serving men
women children single moms they have programs running all the time for the kids and for single moms
young adults kids of all ages and seniors that's what they do they don't take out
any government money or funding from anywhere else they have to hit the streets and rely on
each each and every one of us to put some money in the kitty so that they can run the services
that they run at no cost they feed between 260 and 300 people every tuesday and friday
in the region in the niger region so they're working in our very own backyard
changing lines one at a time especially in the times where community support is absolutely crucial
crystal ridge dream center shines as a beacon of compassion and transformation thank you to
url louise grant at city auto sales and leasing they're providing you with low mileage top quality
pre-owned vehicles at fair prices in-house leasing and financing available they have earned the
moniker of greater toronto areas premier pre-owned auto store you can buy with confidence and be
treated with nothing less than honesty and integrity that is url louise grant husband and wife team
for over 20 plus years they have lots of resources to find that specific vehicle you're looking for
if they don't have it in their inventory so let them know that i sent you and you'll be in really
good hands there they don't sell you any junk they don't bring in any any junk anything that they
take in on a trade that is not qualified by their standards gets moved out the used car corral
so if you're looking for something that's just you want to turn it into a beater or whatever
let them know that as well because they may just have a goodie that you would fit your budget
and you buy it as is where is and take it home and love on it and take care of it and get it back
out on the road kind of like what i do get it back out there on the road so visit our website store
we have car connection motor mouth merchandise available as well on our online store by safely
online pick your colors whatever it is you want put it in your shopping cart pay for it it gets
shipped directly to your door by freedom expressions which is just one of the businesses that they run
at the total freedom campuses to teach those who are going through addiction and ready to deal with
get them back into the workforce and responsible for holding down a job
renting an apartment having a place to stay feeding themselves they walk them through the whole
thing so when you buy some merchandise through our online store you join the car connection crew
in battling against addiction and helping those who are ready to take on that addiction
and get through it past it under it and around it because there's a new life waiting for them
at the total freedom addiction campuses in canada in the us there are an alternative addictions
program that brings christ centered healing and restoration to individuals and families that
have been enslaved by cycles of addiction and destructive behaviors lives are being changed
there come along with us be part of the crew with skippy and i and help those who are ready
to deal with their addiction make it a great day happy patty's day again wear something green
and corned beef and cabbage today i think is probably on the on the course and keep it under
100 and drive safe change your driving habits the road conditions today keep an eye on the other guy
and happy healthy motoring we'll see you tomorrow morning for another edition of the motor mouth
8 a.m morning drive bye for now
Request an explanation for:
1 cars
1 cars featured
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark.
Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.
