Winter is here, and it's crucial to perform three essential checks on your vehicle: the exhaust system, battery, and timing belt. Niall Motormouth Jenkins shares insights on how to inspect these components to prevent costly repairs and ensure safety on the road. He emphasizes the importance of checking for exhaust leaks to avoid carbon monoxide issues, testing your battery to avoid unexpected failures, and understanding the risks associated with timing belts, especially in interference engines. Tune in for practical tips and a few laughs along the way!
Question : "what's ONE winter problem you've dealt with before-battery, exhaust , or timing belt? In today's episode of the Car Connection Workshop Podcast, we're talking about The Big Three winter must-checks that most drivers ignore until it's too late:
1) Battery testing - cold weather kills weak batteries FAST
2) Exhaust system inspection - leaks can send carbon monoxide into your cabin
3) Timing belts - especially on interference engines ( breaks = engine damage = $$$)
If your vehicle uses a timing belt , know the replacement interval and change it EARLY. And remember - interference engines and broken belts don't get along. Pistons meet valves, and suddenly you're shopping for an engine you never budgeted for. Plus-DO NOT blast through deep winter puddles, Water can get behind the timing cover, freeze overnight, and destroy the belt the next time you start the engine. A little preventative maintenance, right now, can save thousands and keep you safe all winter long. Like and follow to help us grow into 2026 and start helping those who truly need it, Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, Listen on iHeart and every podcast platform worldwide, Visit StevensvilleOnTheWeb.ca and click "Businesses tab" , Every subscribe helps us move toward monetization - so we can support single moms, widowed ladies, and folks trying to rebuild their lives. Don't forget to grab some Motormouth Merch from our web site ccbusnet.com all our program partners are there on our home page connect by simply clicking on their logo, all of our links are there top right hand corner of the home page, and our merch store! buy some merch help save someone from addiction! how cool is that! Your support literally becomes someone else's safety and second chance. "Safety isn't expensive-emergencies are. Check the big three, stay winter ready, and keep more money in your pocket where it belongs." Happy Motoring! Thanks for tuning in and watching! Much appreciated friends, Peace, Patience, Kindness, always, Nile Motormouth Jenkins NMJ
"Here's an extra bonus motormouth tip. Put the four-way flashers on. Go to the back of the car. If the four-way flashers are working all the way around the car, that means your signals are all working."
Four-way flashers are the lights that blink on all sides of your car. You use them to warn other drivers when you're having trouble or need to stop unexpectedly.
Four-way flashers, also known as hazard lights, are lights that flash simultaneously on all four corners of a vehicle to alert other drivers of a potential hazard or emergency situation. They are typically activated by a switch on the dashboard.
"That means the brake lights are working at the back too except for the cyclops. The third eye, yeah, that's different. That's different."
The third brake light is an extra light on the back of your car that lights up when you press the brake pedal. It's usually located higher up, so it's easier for drivers behind you to see when you're stopping.
The third brake light, often referred to as the 'center high mount stop lamp' (CHMSL), is an additional brake light located higher than the standard left and right brake lights. It enhances visibility for drivers behind the vehicle when the brakes are applied.
"If it's a power seat or manual, just slip it forward and there you go. Brake lights are on."
A power seat is a car seat that you can move around using buttons instead of pulling on a lever. This makes it easier to find a comfortable position when you're driving.
A power seat is an adjustable car seat that can be moved forward, backward, or tilted using electric controls rather than manual levers. This feature allows for easier customization of seating position for comfort and accessibility.
"What's the big deal about the walk around? You know what? Truck drivers, bus drivers, coach drivers, they all do their walk. They're circle check and we should do a circle check as well."
A circle check is when drivers walk around their vehicle to make sure everything is okay before they drive. They look at things like the lights and tires to catch any problems early.
A circle check is a thorough inspection of a vehicle, typically performed by drivers of larger vehicles like trucks and buses, to ensure that everything is in working order before driving. This includes checking lights, tires, and other critical components.
"I'm looking at the tires, see if there's anything stuck in the tread that doesn't belong there."
A tire is the round rubber part of a car that touches the road. It's important to check them for any damage or things stuck in them to keep the car safe to drive.
The tire is a rubber component that encases the wheel of a vehicle, providing traction and support. Regular checks for damage or foreign objects in the tread are crucial for safety and performance.
"We were able to fix it with a plug patch combo but a spoon jammed in the tire and it was in and it was folded over."
A plug patch combo is a way to fix a hole in a tire. It uses a rubber plug to fill the hole and a patch on the inside to keep air from leaking out.
A plug patch combo is a method used to repair a punctured tire. It involves inserting a rubber plug into the hole and applying a patch on the inside to seal it, ensuring the tire remains airtight and safe for use.
"Thanks to Earl and Louise Grant at City Auto Sales and Leasing in Toronto. They're GTA's premier pre-owned auto store for well over 25 years now."
City Auto Sales and Leasing is a car dealership in Toronto that sells used cars. They focus on providing good quality vehicles and helping customers with financing options.
City Auto Sales and Leasing is a pre-owned auto dealership located in Toronto, known for its extensive inventory and customer service.
"...our old seven FJ cruisers got another exhaust leak,..."
The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a tough SUV that looks a bit like classic Land Cruisers. It's great for off-roading and has a unique style that many people love.
The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a retro-styled SUV known for its off-road capabilities and distinctive design. It was produced from 2006 to 2014 and is popular among off-road enthusiasts.
"...exhaust system inspection, yep I got a leaker,..."
The exhaust system helps get rid of the gases that come from the engine. It also helps make the car quieter and cleaner for the environment.
The exhaust system is responsible for directing exhaust gases away from the engine and reducing harmful emissions. It typically includes components like the exhaust manifold, catalytic converter, and muffler.
"...you got to open exhaust somewhere that throws off your oxygen sensors and what that means..."
Oxygen sensors check how much oxygen is in the car's exhaust. This helps the engine run better and keeps emissions low, which is good for the environment.
Oxygen sensors measure the amount of oxygen in the exhaust gases and help the engine control module adjust the air-fuel mixture for optimal combustion. They are crucial for emissions control and fuel efficiency.
"...the second thing is carbon monoxide doesn't smell taste or you can't even see it but in the winter it sits heavy underneath your vehicle, so if you're sitting there idling for way too long..."
Carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas that you can't see or smell. It can build up in your car if it's running for a long time without moving, which can be very harmful.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be harmful or fatal if inhaled in large quantities. It is produced by the incomplete combustion of fuels, including gasoline, and can accumulate in enclosed spaces, such as inside a vehicle when idling.
"...we need to be prepared and if we test the battery and and it's on the low side of the scale..."
Battery testing is when you check how well a car's battery is working. This helps make sure the car will start and run properly, especially in cold weather.
Battery testing involves checking the charge and health of a vehicle's battery to ensure it can start the engine and power electrical systems. It's important to perform regular tests, especially before winter, to avoid unexpected failures.
"...I got booster cables I thought well just check see if uh if uh CJ's in town...he goes yeah I gotta set two so we're good to go..."
Booster cables are long wires that help start a car with a dead battery by connecting it to another car's working battery. They transfer power from one battery to the other.
Booster cables are heavy-duty electrical cables used to connect a dead battery to a charged battery in another vehicle, allowing the dead battery to receive a jump start.
"...the standing voltage on a battery is 12.6 to 13.4 volts and we want to see as close to 13.4 as possible..."
Standing voltage is the amount of electricity a battery has when it's not being used. It's a good way to check if the battery is still good.
Standing voltage refers to the voltage level of a battery when it is not under load. This is an important indicator of the battery's health and charge state.
"...if it drops into the weak zone which is around 11 to 10.6..."
The weak zone is when a battery's voltage is low, meaning it might not work well or could fail soon. It's a sign that you should replace it.
The weak zone refers to a range of battery voltage levels that indicate the battery is not performing well and may soon fail. This typically falls below 12 volts.
"...whether your engine under the hood has a timing belt show of hands I don't know it's another IDK moment that's what we say in the workshop IDK I don't know well you need to know because in the winter that's generally when they snap..."
A timing belt is a part of the engine that helps keep everything moving in sync. If it breaks, it can cause big problems, like damaging other parts of the engine.
A timing belt is a critical component in an engine that synchronizes the rotation of the crankshaft and camshaft. If it breaks, it can lead to severe engine damage, especially in interference engines where pistons and valves occupy the same space.
"...if your engine is not is there's interference engine and non-interference and what does that mean okay try and make it simple..."
An interference engine is a type of engine where the moving parts can hit each other if something goes wrong, like if the timing belt breaks. This can lead to expensive repairs.
An interference engine is one where the pistons and valves occupy the same space in the cylinder. If the timing belt fails, the pistons can collide with the valves, causing significant damage.
"...we're talking this may sound high tech but it just means major engine damage so if you go pile driving through slushy puddles..."
Engine damage means something is wrong with the engine that can make it not work properly. This can happen for many reasons and usually means it needs to be fixed or replaced, which can be very costly.
Engine damage refers to any harm that affects the engine's performance, efficiency, or functionality. This can result from various issues, including mechanical failures, overheating, or contamination, and often requires extensive repairs or replacement.
Select text to request an explanation
Good morning Niagara. You're tuned into the 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, and the what the
heck moments, we've got you covered. So grab your coffee, make sure you check it before
you leave the takeout window that everything is as it should be as you ordered it, just
saying. Yeah, a little safety so you're not disappointed. So sit back, get that favorite
cup of Joe in your cup holder and lock it in place. Keep an eye out for the other guy
if you're driving. You know who he is, the maniacs out there, and join the crew this
morning because this is car connection. Your Monday through Saturday morning pit stop for
stories, smarts, a few good laughs, and I'm Motormouth Jenkins and we're shifting in the
drive right here, right here, right now on the Motormouth morning drive in the car connection
workshop. We got a ton of stuff going on in the shop, getting ready for next week's trifacta
videos. We put out three videos every single week on our YouTube channel. If you're not
aware of that, it's Nile Motormouth Jenkins, but I'll make it easy for you. Our website,
which we've had for decades, we did just wrapped up 31 years with our live call in automotive
program called car connection on radio. We did not resign for 2026. We decided, let's reach
more people instead of circles, you know, this many people in this circle and then the next
circle and the next circle. No, podcasting is where it's at. People want to listen when they
want to listen, where they want to listen and how they want to listen. And that's why we chose
iHeart radio to be our platform to send out our podcast to all of you. So through our car
connection, businessnetwork.com website, I'll shorten it up for you, ccbusnet.com, ccbus is in
samnet.com. On the homepage of our website, in the top right hand corner, you will see all the
links for every platform that you can connect with us. So we have YouTube, Instagram, Facebook,
Stephensvilleontheweb.ca. My pops lives in Stephensville, some awesome businesses and eateries
there. I wanted to be a part of that. So I am. So you click on the businesses tab, you'll find our
profile page on Stephensvilleontheweb.ca and you can email me through there. You can email me
through ccbusnet.com and you'll see the iHeart link as well. We can be found on all podcast
platforms wherever you pull your podcasts from. We're there. Search us in the search box,
car connection workshop. That's all you got to put in there and we'll come up on your podcast
platform that you pull your personal podcast from. So thank you for joining us. Like, share, follow,
ring the bell, all those things on Facebook. We have reels that you won't see anywhere else.
We put three videos up every single week, two for Tuesday, one every Friday on our YouTube channel
and we always cover the five things. What it is, where it is, how it works, how it breaks,
and what could you have learned to do differently to prevent that breakage from happening,
taking money out of your wallet. All our videos are teaching videos. We have a lot of fun with you
and we enjoy putting the videos together so that you can learn the concept of all the components
on your automobile, whether it's an old one or whether it's new one, all the basics are the same.
They're exactly the same, whether it's analog gauges or digital, whether it's low tech or
high tech. All the components do the same thing on vehicles 25 years ago and five days ago coming
off the assembly line. It all works the same. So our videos are there to teach you ladies
and single fellas, whoever you are out there. If you want to know how to stop yourself from being
taken advantage of at the service department, our YouTube channel and our podcast right here
is a tool that you can use to educate yourself, have a few laughs at the same time,
and work together to prevent you from spending money on your vehicle and being sold a bill of
goods. When you have the knowledge, you have the power. It's that simple. The more you get to know
about your vehicle, all the components and how they work, the better it is for you,
especially you ladies. You are easy prey out there in the service department, very, very much so.
And it's not a week goes by where I find out someone else, even fellas, have been taken
advantage of in the service department. So that's what we're here for. On Instagram, you'll also
see videos there and bloopers on Stevensvilleontheweb.ca, videos and reels and bloopers that you will not
see anywhere else. So be a part of the motor mouth crew. Get yourself some merchandise. Our store
is there for you on the top right hand corner of our home page. When you purchase
merch off our store, it's safe. There's a shopping cart shop. Pick your color, pick your size,
put it in the cart, pay for it. Very, very safely online on our store. And the product is put together
and shipped directly to you. How cool is that? And you're helping others through Total Freedom
Darien Center, New York, USA, and Total Freedom Sydney, Manitoba to deal with personal addictions,
whatever that looks like. So proceeds from the merch goes directly to those campuses to help
people who've made that decision. Today's the day to get a new life, to break free from whatever
that addiction is. The help is there when you're ready, as my professor used to say all the time
when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Well, I also have another motor mouth
winter tech tip for you. So here's where if you have a passenger that can work a crayon
and a brown paper bag, they can write stuff down for you. If you want to listen and re-listen,
we have our podcast archived on our website at carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com.
There you will also meet fantastic business owners that can help you in their profession.
And they're not there to work for free, but I can tell you can trust every single one of them
on our website, click on their logo, open their profile page and connect and let them know that
car connection sent you. So first and foremost, we always have a swiggy together. I got my morning
coffee here. Just getting over that cold thing. You know, just when I thought it was gone,
I don't know if anyone out there has gotten this cootie, whatever it is, it goes away
and then it kind of bounces back. It's like a boomerang cold. It's like, oh, I feel pretty good
today. And then tomorrow, I feel like a bag of hammers, like a million bucks all crumpled up.
Yeah, like decaf coffee. I feel lousy. Yeah, you got to have high tests. We allow no turkey bacon
and no decaf coffee in the car connection workshop. It's hardcore. It's bacon all the way, 100%
and it's 99.5% octane booze coffee. It has to it has to be good. It really does kicking horse coffee.
454 one of my favorites and three sisters. That's another good one from kicking horse coffee. I love
it. I found that coffee up in Baincroft, Ontario on a summer vacation, renting a cottage up there.
Went into a place called the old tin shed. Yeah, if you're ever up there in Baincroft,
you got to go in the old tin shed because you can get yourself some kicking horse coffee
and they have really cool stuff in that store. There's a dead old Dodge pickup truck out front
with a skeleton and it's so cool. Very, very cool. Some great eateries there too as well.
Wonderful place to visit. So just a little plug in from Baincroft, Ontario.
Do you know you don't have to go all the way to North Bay to find moose?
Yeah, they're right in Baincroft. Just say it. They go through the drive through and everything.
All right, let's go on three, two, one. We have a swiggy together. Whatever your morning beverages,
it's quite all right with us. If you're not a coffee drinker, that's okay.
Raise your glass. Raise your cup. Let's have a swiggy together on three, two, one.
That's what I call one of the oz of life right there. That is nectar. Absolutely. All right,
your motormouth winter tech tip. Get your crayons ready. Fold that brown paper bag up so you can
write until you drop. Fold the page over. Start again. Number 32? Yes, number 32.
He gads, man. We're getting to the bottom of the barrel now. Here it is, brothers and sisters.
Check your lights. That's right. Not the other person. Check your lights. Front,
back, brake, and signal because winter nights are long. You notice this? I'm an early riser,
so I mean it is black as the ace of spades when I get up at 4.30 in the morning and but you know,
just shortly after dinner hour, boom, it's dark as black as the ace of spades. That's a part of
winter I don't care for. You know, bring the sunshine. Let's have it as long as we can.
Blue skies and sunshine. So winter nights are long and driving dark makes you a snow ninja nobody
wants to meet. So how do you check your brake lights? You want me to give you a little tip?
Here you go. Here's an extra bonus motormouth tip. Put the four-way flashers on. Go to the back of
the car. If the four-way flashers are working all the way around the car, that means your signals
are all working. That means the brake lights are working at the back too except for the
cyclops. The third eye, yeah, that's different. That's different. But you know what I usually do
just to check that because I normally skip, he's not around. I can say skipping and just check my
third brake light. I take my snow brush and I put it on the brake pedal and I kind of jam it up
against the seat and take a little walk to the back and just check. That's it. No problem, man.
No problem. Just put the seat all the way back. Put your snow brush in there. Get it on the brake
pedal. Bring the seat forward. If it's a power seat or manual, just slip it forward and there you go.
Brake lights are on. You can check the third brake light by yourself. If you're in a hurry,
just put the four-ways on. Do a walk all the way around. Shut them off. Put your all your lights
on so you can check and make sure all your marker lights are running. That here's the deal.
What's the big deal about the walk around? You know what? Truck drivers, bus drivers,
coach drivers, they all do their walk. They're circle check and we should do a circle check as
well. I do it all the time. I'm looking at the tires, see if there's anything stuck in the
tread that doesn't belong there. The weirdest thing I ever found in a tire was a spoon. A freaking spoon
and it was jammed right in that tire and it made one heck of a hole. We were able to fix it with
a plug patch combo but a spoon jammed in the tire and it was in and it was folded over. It was brutal
to get out. We got it out and patched her up. That's the weirdest thing I've ever seen in somebody's
tire and other than a great big bolt, ginormous bolt. That one was not able to be fixed. The hole
was bigger than a hamburger patty. Making sure that you are being seen. That's what we're talking
about. It's good that you're able to see and you've got a visual out there. Absolutely because you
got to keep an eye on the other guy but you need to be seen. If people can see you on the road,
all your lights are working. You're not a one-eyed bird out there. You know what you call a one-eyed
cat? Mr. Peepers. I think that's a great name. Mr. Peepers for sure. Yeah. A three-legged cat.
Lucky. Don't you think? Aren't those good names? I think so. I think it's really good. Let's say
thanks to our program partners and give a big warm welcome to them so if you do that for me,
just click on their logo, open their profile page, send them an email, say welcome aboard
the MotorMouth Morning Drive. Thank you to Crystal Ridge Dream Center. Serving men and women and
children, meals, love and hope and changing lives one at a time in the Niagara region. Our non-for-profit
faith-based organization, we always for 31 years, car connections always come alongside
a local charitable non-profit organization so that we can help people in our very own backyard.
And you can do that as well. You can choose to be part of the community there at Crystal Ridge
Dream Center by being a monthly donator. They're always looking for food cards, you know, like
gift cards for the grocery store. Twice a week, Tuesdays and Fridays, they're now feeding over
200 people per day, Tuesdays and Fridays. It's crazy how they can keep up with their volunteers.
It used to be around $400 a feed, but they're telling me it's closer to $800 now with
grocery prices. So if you could help them out with that, that would be amazing. If you want to
volunteer there, you can connect and say, hey, I'd like to volunteer. They have 60 plus volunteers
and I'll tell you, they just had a banquet there and a Christmas banquet for all those who volunteer
their time. People are so happy to be working with Crystal Ridge Dream Center. How cool is that?
That is super cool. They're excited about what's going on there and how lives are being changed.
Thanks to Earl and Louise Grant at City Auto Sales and Leasing in Toronto.
They're GTA's premier pre-owned auto store for well over 25 years now. They're both their husband
and wife team. They're car guys and they have a lot of resources to find that specific vehicle.
You're looking for, they do carry a great inventory of low mileage quality vehicles at fair prices.
They sell no junk. They also have in-house financing as well. So good credit, bad credit,
no credit. They can help you out there very, very much so. So you can buy it with confidence and
be treated with honesty and integrity. City Auto Sales and Leasing, Rita and Ramiz,
Shenouda, the owners at Rainbow Motors and Garage in Scarborough. You have a small car lot
there available to you. They do have an inventory again. Let the fellas find that car for you
through the resources they have. You can buy with confidence there. Sales and service you can trust.
They fix all years, makes and models up to and including light commercial vehicles. They also
have extended warranties on the vehicles that they sell as well. So sales and service you can trust.
Rainbow Motors and Garage, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada are certified financial
planning professionals. Tony Miele, Larry Tietro combined at 50 years experience as fiduciaries
with IG Wealth Management. They are my personal financial planners and I've known them for well
over 20 years. These guys are two of the best of the best in all of Canada and they've been
recognized for that. You have an opportunity to sit with them for what we call an hour and a coffee.
Both Tony and Larry really don't need any more clients but they promised me when they came
aboard with us in 2007 the whole idea was that they're making their time available to help you
with an investment portfolio that's with the bank. You're not making any money to turn that around so
that you know your money's working hard for you instead of you hard for your money. If you're in
debt up to your eyeballs and being beaten in the head with a debt dragon's tail for the third time,
let's get that looked after. Estate planning, wills and powers of attorney, mortgages, their mortgage
rates are amazing. I would not ever think about having a mortgage anywhere else. I've been with
them for going on 15, I think 15, 16 years now and life insurance. They're not selling you stuff you
don't need. They have life insurance and critical illness insurance. Everything that I just talked
about I have it all taken care of by Tony Mealy and Larry Teacher. I'll check in with them,
book an hour and a coffee by Zoom, go to the office, they'll meet you wherever you want to meet
and get in that hour and a coffee and get your questions answered. Thank you to the Grimo Family
at Niagara Block, 5000 Montrose Road, Niagara Falls, building Canada since 1931. Building supplies
and hardscape landscaping supplies, they have all the gorgeous backyard materials you'll need to
create your special oasis. So you know what, I was just thinking today, I would tell you by about
mid January towards the end of January at the latest, get connected with a solid landscaping
company and they can help you with that at the Grimo Family as well because they know the contractors
because here's the deal, there's a lot of new homes going up and over the winter they build the
homes then the properties need landscaping, you're going to be at the back of the bus because when
the landscapers are busy working on new builds, you got to take your turn and I've been there,
I waited two years for a specific landscaper because that's who I wanted to do the job,
I saw their work and I'm like you know what, they're worth waiting for. So get that all put
together so ahead of time so that when springtime comes, you're on their calendar and thank you
to Total Freedom Dairy and Center New York and Total Freedom Sydney Manitoba Canada, it's a men
only campus, that's where your new life awaits you so you don't have to go into 2026 dragging
that addiction behind you, like a 300 pound bowling ball, not good. All right let's jump right in,
I've got three tips for you today, yeah and I call them the big three, yep the big three Jerry,
you remember that episode of Seinfeld, the big salad Jerry, you know when what's her name,
I forgot her name now, she ordered the big salad, it was a really big deal, that was a
that was a funny show, yeah a show about nothing, Elaine, Elaine they go out for dinner and what's
his name is paying for the paying for lunch and she orders the big salad and he blows a gasket,
I thought it was so funny, anyway I digress, the big three, are you ready for it, you got your crayons
ready, you got your brown paper bag, keep your eyes on the road and the other guy, number one
exhaust system inspection, yep I got a leaker, our old seven FJ cruisers got another exhaust leak,
it spent 1400 bucks on it a couple summers ago getting stainless steel exhaust but it's the area
that I didn't have replaced, yeah coming back from London Ontario, I sound the truck sounds like a
pizza delivery guy, yeah you can hear me coming two miles away I'm sure or more and everything
looked good back in October, I did a full service getting ready for winter, the winter season,
everything looked good, everything looked like it was going to make it, you just don't know,
so in the winter time we don't want any exhaust leaks whatsoever for two reasons,
number one you got to open exhaust somewhere that throws off your oxygen sensors and what that means
is you are losing fuel economy like a bag of hammers, it's going right out the tailpipe,
so if you you know if you like paying for the price of gas and wasting it that's okay,
you know carry on, soldier on soldier but the second thing is carbon monoxide doesn't smell
taste or you can't even see it but in the winter it sits heavy underneath your vehicle, so if you're
sitting there idling for way too long carbon monoxide is building up underneath your car
and it can get into the nooks and crannies and you may not be with us after that, so we don't want
that to happen, so make sure your service guy is checking the give them the permission, look my
exhaust over from engine to tailpipe, anything that looks weak please make me aware of it and what
is going to cost to fix it and get it fixed, so you're not going down the road hit a drift and
leave half your exhaust system there or it gets buckled up under the car and it does a ton of
damage to something else and that happens quite often, jams into the road buckles up, takes out
a brake line, a gas line, emergency brake cables or whatever else is in its way that is expensive,
number two it's cold outside, cold enough to freeze the knots off a tree and you know what
you think about last december it was gray and it was miserable and raining for days on end
and here we are, it's canadae, the great canadian winter, we got snow here on the south shores
of lake eerie where our studio is and our workshop and our broadcast center, we have about a good
solid eight plus inches and everything is frozen solid, so the lake is open we never know where
we're going to get you know some lake effect and you got to be prepared for that, so what am I talking
about batteries, you know the wind I was just out there a little while ago doing some maintenance
outside I had to put a couple of tires on on the bro and if you don't know what the bro is you have
to go to our our youtube channel and sift through the library and find out about the bro, yeah the
introduction of the bro to the shop it's going to be coming in probably before spring, yeah so you
have to check that one out some cool stuff going on there, battery test won't break the bank but I'll
tell you what it will do we'll give you peace of mind that your battery is strong enough to make it
through the cold snaps and we're in a we're in a pretty good cold snap right now I mean I'm looking
at some of the the digits you know up around up north and they're they're heading into single digits
right now and it's been snowing almost every day up in north country around bankcroft up that way
northeast arnstein port luring yeah I think my brother-in-law is uh heading up to the cottage
and uh putting the ice hut out they have a really my sister and brother-in-law they have a really
cool ice hut oh yeah she's a beaut they have heat they have music they have benches they're comfortable
and uh they're out of the they're out of the weather it's not canvas it's like a little house
and they pull it out with the snowmobiles how cool is that that is extremely cool so anyways
we need to be prepared and if we have if we test the battery and and it's on the low side of the
scale we can tell you that thing is going to fail it's going to fail so instead of waiting till it
fails and I've had that happen I tested my battery that was last September it was good it showed
good not once but twice I tested it again at the end of october because I usually do a full service
on everything that's drivable that we rode here around the workshop everything gets checked over
tail end of october we're ready to head into the winter and a second test at october still showed
that the battery in the 07 fj cruiser was right and tight it was good then I was out for the day
visiting clients and people and some personal errands I get back in town I go to the dollar store
which isn't a dollar yeah see if you could head in there if I gave you two minutes two minutes
for a fifty dollar dollar store gift card could you come out with three items under a buck a buck
or under but you know I'd only give you two minutes two minutes in the store to find three items under
a buck or there about thereabouts could you do it that'd be a real I think that'd be a really good
game show to video yeah probably go viral yeah send three people into the dollar store to find three
items I think I would even challenge it even more a minute one minute to to find three items in the
dollar store under a buck there's your challenge could you pull it off so anyways as I digress
battery test is worth its weight in gold right now because you're bet it's better to know
than not know you know it's better the devil you know than the devil you don't know
and so I get back in town I pull in I'm heading into a dollar store I come out click click click
I go you gotta be freaking kidding me right it's one of those what the heck moment so I'm like
I got booster cables I thought well just check see if uh if uh CJ's in town are gonna be in town my
friend and it just happened he's just crossing back across peace bridge he goes yeah I'm just
crossing the bridge motor mouth I can be there in a couple minutes I got booster cables he goes
oh yeah I gotta set two so we're good to go I said if you can just give me a boost so I get back to
the shop we'll get a new battery in here and yeah sure enough the battery totally failed
just like that I'd been on the road all day I can't even tell you how many times I shut it off and
started and it just quit done the battery was smoked it would not hold the charge so get your
battery tested even though yesterday and today I know you saying it started fine but you don't
know the condition the internal condition of the battery cells there's six cells to a battery
2.2 volts per cell the standing voltage on a battery is 12.6 to 13.4 volts and we want to see as
close to 13.4 as possible on a low test if it drops into the weak zone which is around 11 to 10.6
it's over that battery is not going to make it through the winter it is going to leave you
stranded so get it done I usually look at people and I'll say it's not a matter of if it's a matter
of when so when would you like to be stranded you know in a blizzard at work in the shopping mall
you know the little woman stuck with the kids the shopping mall won't start there's no power
can't get it unlocked yeah you just paint the picture it just gets ugly so don't go there
if the battery test week it's done don't wait to see you know it's like winter how many people
wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait to see if winter is actually going to happen in Canada come
who does that a lot of you do it's true and then usually I'd have to put my phone on hold
and care busy because I couldn't take any more customers in everybody's panicking and the shops
right now are still they're still putting on winter tires day number three how many of you know
whether your engine under the hood has a timing belt show of hands I don't know it's another IDK
moment that's what we say in the workshop IDK I don't know well you need to know because in the
winter that's generally when they snap and if your engine is not is there's interference engine
and non-interference and what does that mean okay try and make it simple
there's pistons and there's valves and when the timing belt breaks if the pistons dance
with the valves that means there's serious engine damage when the timing belt breaks
you're safe if you have an engine that's non-interference what does that mean when the
timing belt breaks which keeps the pistons and valves in sync with one another opening
and closing when they should but if the belt breaks the pistons don't dance with the valves
then there's no engine damage so if we add in a dual overhead cam engine compared to a single
overhead cam engine it's twice as much damage and a lot more money and in a lot of cases
it's an engine so you need to find out if your vehicle is equipped with a timing belt
and if it is what is the the service interval for that and you need if the belt is fine
it's still in good shape and it's here's what I tell people do this if your engine is
um from the manufacturer the timing belt they recommend 100,000 k take 20,000 off of that
you should be changing it at 80 you do not want to risk an engine for the price of replacing
the timing belt and again it's like the battery when that belt is worn out it's not a matter of if
it's a matter of when that belt snaps and again if it's an interference engine that means when the
belt breaks the pistons slam the valves so there's a lot of nasty dirty dancing going on there
that's costing you a ton of money if not a complete engine and that's it for the car off
to the scrap yard it's going that's most most of the time that's what happens five six thousand
dollars for a motor no honey we're gonna get a we're gonna we're gonna get a ticket for the 46
cedar the bus the thing you want to avoid in the winter if your engine is equipped with a timing
belt don't go splashing through the slushy puddles my friends or a big puddle of water on the road
because that water under pressure will jam itself in behind the timing cover where the
timing belt is and overnight the belt freezes to the cogs on the wheel we're talking this may sound
high tech but it just means major engine damage so if you go pile driving through slushy puddles
or big puddles of water that water will get into the timing cover and it will freeze the timing
belt and tomorrow morning when you go to start it the belt's gonna snap or most of the teeth are
gonna strip off of it and the engine's just gonna crank like like nobody's home because it's not
it causes engine damage again if it's an interference engine the pistons dance with the valves
it's game over just like that so that's all i got for you today i hope you got some nuggets out of
that these are what i call the big three you gotta take care of it in the timing belt that i would
make that my number one of the big three because when that belt breaks if your engine is equipped
with a timing belt and it's an interference engine it's game over car down and a big price tag to
fix it so you do not want to mess with that you need to know if your engine in your year making
model has a timing belt when is it recommended to be serviced as i used as an example change it
before the due date not after that's when i've seen a lot of motors get destroyed so if the
the manufacturer calls for 100 change at every 100k you get that sucker out of there at 80k
80 000 k it's not an item you want to play with and it's not an item you want to push to its limit
because when the belt breaks you lose right you lose big time on that so i hope you got something
out of this don't forget to like share follow and ring the bell be part of our youtube channel
instagram facebook stevensville on the web dot ca and also i heart radio we're on all major platforms
spotify amazon apple and wherever you pull your podcast from you can find us car connection workshop
in the search box and hit search and come and be part of the motormouth crew so until next time
i'm your host nile motormouth jankins you're tuned to the car connection workshop
keep it under 100 put the coffee on and remember folks peace patience and kindness all right
we'll catch you in the next one thanks for stopping by
you
you
you
you
you
three two one check test test test one two three check check check
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.
