The Car Show with Dane Donovan - 10/18/2025
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Car
Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 is a small SUV that is known for being dependable and good for everyday use.
Term
5W20 oil
5W20 oil is a specific kind of oil that helps keep the engine running smoothly, especially when it's cold outside.
Term
10W40 oil
10W40 oil is another type of engine oil that works well in different temperatures and is often used in older cars.
Term
synthetic oil
Synthetic oil is a special kind of oil that helps engines run better and last longer, especially in tough conditions.
Company
Mobil 1
Mobil 1 is a popular brand of engine oil. It's known for being very good at protecting engines and is used in many cars.
Company
STP
STP is a brand that makes products to help cars run better, like oil additives that can protect and clean the engine.
Term
engine longevity
Engine longevity means how long an engine can last before it stops working well. Taking care of it with regular oil changes and good parts can help it last longer.
Term
conventional oil
Conventional oil is the regular oil that has been used in cars for a long time. It's made from natural oil and needs to be changed more often than synthetic oil.
Term
oil changes
An oil change is when you replace the old oil in a car's engine with new oil. This is important to keep the engine running smoothly and to prevent damage.
Term
burning oil
Burning oil means that a car's engine is using up oil faster than it should, which can happen if there are problems inside the engine. This can lead to needing more oil more often.
Term
check engine light
The check engine light is a warning light on your car's dashboard that tells you there might be a problem with the engine. It can mean different things, so it's important to check it out.
Term
engine replacement
Engine replacement is when you take out a broken engine in a car and put in a new one. This is usually done if the old engine can't be fixed.
Term
oil life
Oil life is a percentage that tells you how much longer your car's oil can be used before it needs to be changed. It's not the same as how much oil is left in the engine.
Term
oil light
The oil light is a warning light on your car's dashboard that tells you if the oil level is too low or if there's a problem with the oil pressure. If it lights up, you should check your oil right away to avoid engine damage.
Term
black smoke
If you see black smoke coming from a car's exhaust, it means the engine is using too much fuel. This can happen for different reasons and might mean the car needs repairs.
Car
Dodge Ram
The Dodge Ram is a big truck that people use for carrying heavy loads or towing things like trailers. It's known for being tough and powerful, making it a popular choice for work and play.
Car
Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a small car that many people like because it doesn't use much gas and is very dependable. It's a great option for families or anyone who needs a reliable vehicle.
Car
Ford F-150
The Ford F-150 is a large truck that can carry heavy loads and is great for work or family use. The 2007 version is known for being strong and reliable.
Term
rust
Rust is what happens to metal when it gets wet and starts to break down. It can make parts of a car weak and unsafe.
Term
frame
The frame is like the skeleton of a car. If it gets rusty or damaged, it can make the car unsafe to drive.
Term
obsolete
Obsolete means that something is no longer made or available. For cars, it means you can't get new parts for it anymore.
Term
pre-purchase inspection
A pre-purchase inspection is when a mechanic checks a used car to see if it's in good shape before you buy it. It's important to make sure there are no hidden problems with the car.
Term
Carfax report
A Carfax report tells you important details about a used car's history, like if it has been in accidents or if it has a clean title. It's a tool to help you know more about the car before buying it.
Car
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a well-known car that many people trust because it lasts a long time and is good on gas. The 1990 version is one of the earlier models that many drivers liked for its comfort and space.
Car
Honda Element
The Honda Element is a type of SUV that has a unique boxy shape. It's known for being roomy inside and is great for carrying things or people.
Term
low oil pressure
Low oil pressure means that the oil in the engine isn't flowing well. This can be a problem because oil helps keep the engine parts moving smoothly and prevents damage.
Term
engine rebuild
An engine rebuild is when a mechanic takes apart an engine to fix or replace parts so it works like new again. It helps make the engine last longer.
Term
misfire
A misfire happens when an engine's cylinder doesn't work correctly, making the engine run unevenly. This can happen for various reasons, like a bad spark plug.
Part
fuel injectors
Fuel injectors are parts of the engine that spray fuel into the engine's cylinders. They help the engine run smoothly and efficiently by mixing fuel with air for combustion.
Car
Audi 100
The Audi 100 is a fancy car that was made a long time ago, known for being smooth to drive and having lots of nice features. It's important in car history because it helped Audi become a well-respected brand.
Car
Bmw X3
The BMW X3 is a small SUV that offers a comfortable ride and good performance. The 2010 version is part of the first generation of X3s, which are popular for their luxury features.
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Good afternoon and welcome to the car show on 55KRC.
I'm Dane Donovan from Donovan's Auto & Tire Center,
taking your car questions.
The number to call, 513-749-5500.
It is a gorgeous Saturday afternoon
and I barely made it as usual.
I lived my life one minute at a time.
I am here and my son had a football game
so they were in the playoffs.
And so it was fun.
I unfortunately got roped into being on the chain gang
so I had to run the chains
and towards the end I'm like, hey, I gotta go.
Somebody's gonna have to take over.
I'm like, I'm not gonna make it on time
and then Tony Bender's gonna be mad at me
and nobody wants that.
But my wife just updated me.
They won their game 14-0.
And it's my middle son, Nolan.
So he had a great sack, great tackle,
did a great job.
The whole team did a phenomenal job.
So good job to the All Saints football team.
They move on in the playoffs.
Also our Bengals.
I didn't see that coming.
I'll be honest with you.
I have not lost faith, but on a Thursday night,
I turned into a pumpkin after nine o'clock
so I wasn't gonna subject myself to watching it
in hopes that they do win
and they pulled it off, did a phenomenal job.
So kudos to them as well.
And then after this, I am heading to a car show.
It is unfortunately, it's invitation only,
but it's for a great cause
for Hampton County Police Association.
So I'm gonna head there.
So I'm gonna bolt out of here as soon as I can,
head home, change, and head down in there.
So it's a gorgeous day.
And again, in studio, taking your phone calls,
again, the number to call, 513-749-5500.
And number one more time, 513-749-5500.
Let's go to the phones.
We have Jimmy.
Hey, Jimmy, welcome to the car show.
How can I help?
Good afternoon.
Good afternoon.
How are you?
I have a solution for you.
Always talk about oil consumption.
My wife is, I bought her a 2011 Toyota RAV4,
wonderful vehicle.
It has 100 and almost 190,000 miles on it.
So the oil rings are wore out.
Originally it was to have 5W20 oil.
And it kept using oil.
So I drained it out and changed the filter.
And I put 10W40, mobile one,
a synthetic oil in it.
And I put 10W40, mobile one,
a synthetic oil in it.
And one can of STP.
And it don't use a drop of oil now.
That works.
Okay.
So can you, do you have your radio on?
Yeah.
Can you turn it off?
Yes, please.
Yeah.
Sorry.
I'm getting.
Yeah.
You got everybody.
Yeah.
Yeah.
There's a lot of feedback.
All right.
So you changed the filter.
All right.
So you changed the oil just to STP?
I mean, still the same.
Is it still 5W20?
No.
I put 10W40, mobile one.
10W40.
Okay.
You have a can of STP.
It doesn't use one drop of oil.
It needs oil rings.
I could pull that and bring it.
But I feel it's something else showing what it is.
So 10W40, mobile one.
Yeah.
And one can of STP.
You know what that is?
Is it some type of oil out it is?
It's a thickened petroleum.
I drag raced all my life.
You get 700, 500, 600,000 miles out of an engine.
Every time I change the oil, I put two cans of STP in it.
One way or another.
You don't remember the commercial days to hell?
I know.
I'm sorry.
Yes, I do.
I'm sorry.
I'm getting so much feedback.
It's just hard to hear you.
I apologize.
So I was just getting so much feedback.
I don't know if it was this phone or radio.
So I do apologize.
But yes, I am familiar with the STP.
And yes, oil consumption is something that we deal with on a daily basis.
Again, again, we've talked about this.
It is a wildly, wildly not talked about issue,
which I always talk about it on the show because we need to talk about it.
Everybody needs to be aware of it is that these newer cars,
and I don't care if it's, you know,
I've seen cars with 40,000 miles that start using oil.
It happens to most of these cars.
It's the way that they're designed.
And we all need to be aware of it because again,
back in 2008, it was, you know,
we all talked about changing oil every 3000 on conventional oil,
every 5000 on synthetic.
And then all of a sudden,
at the drop of a hat overnight,
when we were in that financial crisis,
and the automakers were needing to sell cars
and doing anything they could,
a lot of them were giving away free lifetime oil changes
or, you know, free five or six or 10 oil changes.
And I mean, my father-in-law included, you know,
when he bought his new vehicle,
they gave him several oil changes.
And when he took it in at 5000 miles,
like, oh, you're not due, we're not going to change it.
And these cars burn oil
and you should continue to stay on the path
of changing that oil every 5000 miles.
These cars are burning oil.
I just had a Hyundai and I talked about this.
I just had a Hyundai in two weeks ago.
A gentleman came in,
check engine light was on, the vehicle was running rough.
He just had the engine replaced from Hyundai.
I'm talking brand new, not used,
not remanufactured, brand new engine from Hyundai.
This was the car's first oil change.
And he brings it to me because the car's running
rough check engine lights on.
Brings it to me, there's no oil in it, none.
And that Hyundai just replaced the engine.
And, you know, we're told and taught that,
hey, look, focus on the light,
focus on when the car tells you you need oil.
And so many people come to me and I say,
hey, you know, you need an oil change.
And they're like, oh, no, no, my car says I still have 30% life left.
I'm not going to change it right now.
Well, again, let me reiterate that that is not the level of the oil.
That is the life of the oil.
Your car literally can come to me with a quart of oil in it.
And everybody assumes, and rightfully so,
you assume that that oil light's going to come on.
And I'm here to tell you that they don't.
I cannot tell you in the past 10 years,
the last time I saw a car come into my shop or any of my shops
with a low oil light on.
They don't come on. They're there.
But I literally have cars come in with,
I'll pull a half a quart of oil out of them.
They hold four or five quarts, no oil light.
Cars run in rough because there's no oil in it.
And, you know, I'm not a conspiracy theorist
and thinking that, you know, it's designed that way.
But we need to talk about it.
It's something that we need to discuss
because it's something that is here.
I don't think it's going away anytime soon.
And I understand that oil is an oil change today.
I mean, you know, years ago, it used to be, you know,
I remember when I got into business,
it was, you know, 20, 30 bucks for an oil change.
Well, some of these cars are $100, $150.
I get it. It's expensive.
The oils are, you know, more sophisticated.
They're better.
Do I think that they're good enough that you can go
10, 15,000 miles changing once a year?
No, because the vehicles are consuming it.
Okay.
And a lot of people assume that,
oh, well, I'm not seeing any white smoke out of the tailpipe
or I'm not seeing anything.
It happens. You don't see it.
If you ever pay attention, get on the high,
when you're getting on the highway,
look at the car in front of you.
Now, obviously, stay safe, focus on the road.
But at the same time, look at the tailpipe.
I see a big old puff of black smoke coming out of that tailpipe.
That is oil that is soot that is burning through.
And again, you'll see it.
I promise you, you'll see it if you just focus on it.
And the problem is, we focus on, oh, I've got 30% life.
Well, yeah, you've got 30% life,
but you only have a quart of oil in your car.
And it does substantial damage to your vehicle.
And I understand that we don't want to be at a repair shop.
It's like going to the doctor or the dentist, right?
You don't want to be there, but we need our cars to get our kids to school.
In my case, football this morning, work.
And they're expensive. I get it.
But you want to make sure that you keep up on it.
And I harp on this all the time.
And the gentleman just talked about it,
opening up the show with, hey, I've got an oil consumption issue.
And there's a lot of things out there that will tell you, try this, try that.
And you can try them.
I have not, in my opinion, found a product that I have,
can wholeheartedly back and promise you that it's going to take care of your problem.
But what I can do with this platform is tell you,
you need to be aware of maybe making sure that you check your oil regularly
and making sure you're changing it regularly.
Now, that's not focusing on,
you want to focus on that little sticker up in your window.
That's it.
Don't focus on what the car salesman told you to do,
not your neighbor down the street, Bob,
who's been a mechanic for 30 years and what he says.
You want to focus on what that little sticker says.
And again, we all have to, most of us,
all have to stop at the gas station and get gas in our car.
So take that time instead of getting on your, excuse me,
getting on your phone and checking social media or what,
get out of your car, pop your hood and check your oil level.
It's important.
You know, and you can come by any Donovan's,
you can come by any of our locations,
you can go to DonovanTire.com, find your nearest location.
We'll check it for you for free.
We'll just swing on by and just say,
hey, Dan, can you check my oil?
We'll do it for free.
Not a problem.
I'd rather do that and you get the longevity out of your vehicle
than you blow it up, right?
Because there's no oil in it
or you're causing all kinds of other issues, right?
So it's important.
It's imperative.
We talk about it and I can't harp about it enough.
So it's important.
So, all right.
Again, taking your phone call.
It's a number to call 513-749-5500.
That number again, 513-749-5500.
Phone lines are wide open.
Coming up, we have Paul.
You're listening to the car show on 55KRC, the talk station.
This is 55KRC, an iHeart radio station.
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Music
Taking your car questions the number to call 513-749-5500.
I'm Dane Donovan from Donovan's Auto and Tire Center.
And for those of you out there enjoying the wonderful weather we're having,
it's great.
But everybody still has car problems.
And in fact, I even had one myself this week.
So I have some older vehicles and I get picked on all the time by my cousin.
I don't like to let things go.
In fact, my wife even makes fun of me as well
because I have a car that I bought when I was 18
and she's like, can you just sell that car?
And I have a hard time parting with my stuff.
Now, by no means am I a hoarder.
Maybe a car hoarder, but not like a hoarder hoarder, right?
So I'm not like keeping old clippings and newspapers and trash or whatnot.
But I do like the cars that I've purchased.
I like to keep because I don't owe anything on them.
And you know, so again, I'm 41 years old.
The car that I have as a Civic had it since I was 18.
Bought it when I was a senior in high school.
Still running great.
Runs like a top.
The battery might be currently dead at the moment.
But but I had.
After that, I couldn't no longer get my wife and three children in a two door Honda Civic coupe.
So I bought my father's old F 150.
It's an 07.
It's impeccable shape to an extent.
Now, and this goes to and we talk about this all the time when you're buying a used vehicle.
Okay.
When you use this as an example, you might look at the outside of it and go, oh, man.
This thing's impeccable shape.
Looks great.
I mean, if you look at my truck, it my dad's old truck.
It looks impeccable.
It's great.
Yes, there is some rust on it.
It's not perfect.
Inside's perfect.
But my parts guy, my driver was driving it earlier this week.
And he says, Hey, Dane, some your back glass is rattling.
And so that's weird because it shouldn't be.
So I lo and behold, I go back and sure enough, the frame right there where the bed and the
cab meat has completely rusted through.
I mean, it's hanging by a thread.
So the bed was beaten up against the cab.
So took the bed off of it and lo and behold, it is unfortunately, it's shot.
I mean, there's, I don't think that there's much that I can do.
Can't get a frame for it.
It's obsolete.
Can't buy used one.
It's just way too much work.
So you look at my truck.
It looks in great.
It's looks like it's in great condition, but the rear end of it's about ready to fall
out.
So if you're buying a used vehicle, it's important and impeccable.
It's it's important.
Even if it's impeccable shape, it's important that you get it inspected.
Now, whether you you're in the tri-state area or you're buying out of town,
buying a reputable shop and do what's what we what we call a used vehicle
inspection, get it inspected by somebody who's reputable and can have it inspected.
Make sure you check the car fax report.
And you again, I don't even if the car fax report.
I see that so often that people go, Oh, well, I checked the car fax report.
It's good.
Well, that's not necessarily the case because guess what?
If I wrecked my vehicle and I towed her the whole friend of an elf,
which did happen last year, I had a buddy of mine that has body shop.
I had him fix it.
And guess what?
Doesn't show up on the car fax report because I had my buddy do it and I paid him to do it.
And it's not on the car fax report.
So if it's not on the car fax report, it doesn't always necessarily mean it hasn't been wrecked.
Years ago, I had a Lexus that was a pre-owned certified 100,000 mile and customer still brought it to me.
And lo and behold, I found that at the dealership, it was completely towed on the front end that did like,
I think they did like $30,000 damage to the front end of this vehicle.
And I found it.
And unfortunately, the lady took it back and they're like, Oh, well, we weren't aware of it.
And we're not going to make it certified anymore.
So it's important that you do that and get them inspected because if I sell you if anybody wants to buy it,
lightly use Def 150, let me know.
But always get them inspected if you're buying a used vehicle.
Always. It's important.
And like I said, we all have car problems.
I had one this week.
And unfortunately, I think my truck's going to probably end up in maybe a heap of metal.
All right.
Again, the number to call 513-749-5500.
Let's go to the phones.
We have Paul.
Hey, Paul, welcome to the car show.
How can I help?
Don't sell the Civic.
I still miss my 90 Accord that I sold at $394,000.
Wow.
Anyway.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mine's a 2000 and she only has like 143,000.
She's still, but it's just, it's just so difficult with hauling three boys back and forth to sports
and schools and everything like that.
So no, I'm going to keep it anyway.
We talked a few weeks ago about my 2008 element.
The engine started making a racket.
And you had a low oil pressure issue?
Yeah, oil pressure.
I wound up, you know, I pulled the chain cover and valve cover and didn't see any issues.
And to get the pan off to check it, you got to almost take the engine out.
So I wound up pulling the engine and putting in one I had rebuilt and I had hit some misfire
problems with it.
I had to call last couple of weeks.
I think he took those off.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I apologize.
Yeah.
A little bit of a football going on.
Yeah.
So I wound up pulling the injectors from the engine I pulled out and put those in the engine I installed
instead of the ones that had been sitting around for a while.
And that's cured my...
Your misfire?
Cured my misfire.
So I'm back in business with this.
So oil...
I still haven't pulled the, still haven't pulled the pan off the old engine to diagnose it.
But your oil pressure is back up and everything's running smooth.
Oil pressure is like 25 at idle and it's like 70 or 80 by the time you get to 2000 RPM.
And how many miles were on that engine that you pulled?
Well, 260 so maybe.
Wow.
Okay.
And you rebuilt this engine that you just put in?
Yeah.
Like new sleeves, new...
No, not new sleeves.
Okay.
I wound up bored over 20,000 so I put new pistons, rings and rod bearings and crank bearings.
Wow.
You know, seals and all that good stuff.
So is there somebody that you take to have that machined or do you machine it yourself?
No, I don't machine it myself.
I had...
Smythe Automotive has done a lot of machine work for me.
Okay.
And I've had good success with it.
Well, good for you.
Well, I appreciate the follow-up.
And yes, I was gone.
I apologize.
But I'll be here for a while now.
So...
All right.
All right, Paul.
Well, thank you very much.
You have a great weekend.
I'll still call you back when I diagnose the old engine just for fun.
All right.
Thank you, sir.
So that's the thing.
If you want to invest the...
Again, I...
If you want to invest your time and your money...
Now, you know, we all get to that point where we decide whether or not it's worth it.
Right?
And, you know, again, the guys at work were like,
ah, just junk it.
Just junk it.
I get it.
Most people would.
But I don't owe anything on it.
It doesn't have any sentimental value.
But, hey, you know, it's a good truck.
I know what I have in it.
It's, you know, again, it was my dad's.
He bought it brand new.
And I know what I have in it.
I've put a tremendous amount of work into it.
Now, unfortunately, the frame is something that can be fixed.
Now, it's whether or not I want to put the time and money into it.
Now, you might sit there and go,
well, Dane, if you, you know, have the frame fixed or whatnot,
exceed the value of the car, it might.
And most people would nine out of 10 times people sit there and go,
it's not worth it.
I get it.
But for me, I think it's worth.
I think it's worth it because I know what I have.
Now, if I turn around and go buy a $10,000 truck tomorrow,
I don't know what I have.
I don't know who had it.
I don't know if anybody changed oil in it regularly.
I don't know what I don't know what I'm getting into.
So in my opinion, it's worth investing a little bit more money
in knowing what I have opposed to going out and buying something
that I don't know what I've got, right?
So, you know, and that's something that even,
and I'm here to tell you too,
even if you have a car that you bought brand new,
you've had its whole life,
and you're in the predicament that I'm in,
you have to tell yourself,
I don't care what Joe Schmo says down the street.
I don't care what your neighbor says or anybody else.
You have to just confide in yourself and decide whether or not
it's worth it to you.
And in my opinion, it's worth it to me.
Whether it exceeds the value of the car or not,
it's worth it to me, okay?
Now, yeah, granted, I have the ability to have it fixed,
and that does save some time and money.
But I've had customers that have spent,
I mean, I had a gentleman,
one a great customer of mine,
he had a Buick Riviera,
and I'm telling you what,
it was like a 93 Buick Riviera,
and I want to say in our old system, we kept track,
but I want to say he,
total what he spent with me was like $30,000
over the course of this vehicle fixing it.
Now, again, it was a 93.
Now, he made this thing all the way up to,
I want to say like 2020.
So, I mean, he got a tremendous amount of life out of it,
and it was still in impeccable shape,
but it just got harder and harder to find parts for it, you know?
So, it's one of those things
where you just have to not take anybody else's opinion
and focus on whether or not it's worth it to you
and if you want to invest the time and money, period.
So, for me, I think it's worth it.
Somebody else, it might be not.
So, all right, again,
taking your phone calls on number to call 513-749-5500.
Coming up, we have...
Wow, we've got the phone lines.
We have Warren, Mike, Terry, and Paul.
You're listening to The Car Show on 55KRC, the talk station.
October is here, and at Donovan's Auto & Tire,
we're proud to give the girls a break again this year.
Hi, I'm Dane Donovan.
All month long, you can get free brake pads or shoes
with your complete brake job,
and we'll donate 10% of the proceeds
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and enjoy time to relax, laugh, and live.
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Cincinnati's Honest Choice for Auto Repair since 1958.
Book your appointment at DonovanTire.com.
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Loans are originated by SoFi Bank and a member FDIC.
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Don't miss Clay and Buck Monday at 1206 on 55KRC,
the talk station.
Taking your car questions to number to call
513-749-5500.
Let's go back to the phones.
We have Warren.
Hey, Warren, welcome to the car show.
How can I help?
I got a 2010 BMW X3.
It's got one of those three-liter sexes in it.
Great car.
Got a valve cover, apparently.
That's leaking.
And got a phenomenal number just to replace the valve cover,
like 1,400 bucks.
That sounds a little weird to me.
They say it's a plastic valve cover on top of the BMW.
And it cracked.
And it's got to be a way to fix that thing cheaper.
Also, it does not have a dipstick.
You press this button on the dash
and it tells you where the oil level's at.
Just wonder if you've had any experience with those.
Yes, very.
I have quite a bit of experience with them.
And so on the BMWs, yes.
So I'm not familiar with them cracking.
I don't know that I've ever seen one crack,
but the plastic valve cover.
10,000 miles.
The plastic valve cover,
what happens to them is they warp.
So what we've done in the past,
what you can do as an alternative,
but just be aware of it.
So what we have in the past,
the gaskets fail on the valve cover gasket
or on the valve cover.
However, the valve cover is plastic.
They warp from heat.
They don't always seal properly.
So in the past,
there have been times where what we've done
is we've replaced just the gasket.
And it's a 50-50 shot.
So sometimes that takes care of it.
Sometimes it does not.
You have to replace the gasket
and you have to replace the valve cover
because it's still continuous leak
because it's warped.
My suggestion is I'm sorry.
Does that save money?
Oh, absolutely.
Absolutely.
It would probably save you about
it probably save you about four or $500
by just putting a gasket on it.
Again, I have not seen one crack.
Now, just because I haven't seen it,
doesn't mean it can't happen.
What I would tell your mechanic is say,
hey, listen, tell him,
I understand that this valve cover,
that it's plastic, could be warped.
But can we just try to
put a gasket on it first?
I understand that it may not repair it.
It may not fix it.
But let's try that first.
Now, again, if it doesn't fix it,
you're back in the same boat
and then they're taking it back apart
and you're doing the whole job.
At all of my shops,
I have a BMW with a valve cover gasket leaking.
We do recommend replacing
the gasket and the valve cover
and it is about $1400.
But again, as an alternative,
you can have them just replace the gasket.
It's a 50-50 shot.
Sometimes we're successful with it.
Sometimes we are not.
But I think if you know going into it,
I mean, it's not going to leak immediately.
So they're going to put a gasket on it
and it might be
a year or two before it starts leaking again
and then...
That's worth a while.
So just tell them, hey, listen,
I'd like to just replace...
Let's try the gasket.
I understand that it might not 100%
fix the vehicle,
but I'm willing to take that sacrifice
and that chance of just replacing the gasket
and see where we're at and go from there.
So it is labor-intensive,
but again, it probably would save you
about $400 or $500
if you just did the gasket.
Second question.
Is there any way to put a...
Not instead of a gauge,
showing whether it's
off a gallon
of oil,
a quart of oil.
Is there any way to put the dipstick in it?
No, sir.
Okay.
Second related point, got an 88-core vet,
runs terrific
and
still goes like it originally did.
A good bit simpler
and less expensive to work on
than the BMW.
88
and
will still spin the tires
rolling at 20 mile an hour.
Goes like crazy.
Well, thank you.
I might try that.
Just try the gasket.
When you go in there
just say, hey, listen, I understand the implications
that this might not 100% fix it,
but I'm willing to take the chance
of just replacing the gasket for now
and go from there.
And again,
you're going to have success to...
You're going to have success to a point.
It will stop that oil from leaking.
It's just a matter of how long
do you prolong.
And again, it could be six months.
It could be two years.
But if you're like, hey, Dane, it's worth me
saving $400 or $500
and just trying to put a gasket on it
it might not work in telling your mechanic
that too. Say, listen, I understand that
this isn't
the 100% fix.
But I'm willing to take the opportunity
to just
replace the gasket. Let's start
there. And I understand that if it
doesn't fix it,
that's on you.
You just say, hey, put it on me.
But I want to try this first.
Let's try to treat it with a little bit of medicine
before we do surgery.
Sounds good.
Good advice. Thank you.
Well, thank you very much. You take care.
Bye.
That's the thing.
I've talked about this all the time.
I want to get to all these calls.
When it comes to cars
and I always kind of relate to the human body
because most of us can relate.
If you wake up one morning
and I'm 41 years old
I'm not old
per se. I feel like I am.
You know, you get up and you're like
that ankle hurts or that knee hurts.
You don't just ultimately call
your doctor and go, hey, we're going to do surgery.
You might need to
walk it off or maybe you need some Advil
or maybe there's another
underlying issue. But your doctor's
you're not going to go to your primary doctor
and he's just going to say, oh, yep.
Go ahead and replace it. No, let's treat
it with some medicine first. Let's see if there's something that we can do
on our end
to treat it with some medicine before we do any
type of surgery, right? And in his
case, again
we do at all of our
Donovan tire locations do recommend
replacing the gasket and
the valve cover.
And again, it's because the valve covers
are plastic. They warp
BMWs are notorious
for that. Now again,
have we had success by just replacing
the gasket? Absolutely.
And
if you know that going into
the matter that you're like, hey, listen, I'm taking
a gamble here. I'm taking a chance.
Now it will seal his
his oil leak up.
How long is where we're
at, right? Again, it could be six months
could be two years.
But if
and again at Donovans, we always try to
reiterate that, hey, listen, we can
we can do this or we
can do this, you know, it's it again, I'm
going to go back to
if you had to have open heart surgery
and you're like, hey, doc, why are you in if you see anything
else? Let's go ahead and knock it out. Let's get
it done, right? Because you don't want to go through that again.
Most people will look at it that way.
Other people go, you know what, let's just fix
what's wrong with my heart. And then if there's
something else that pops up down the road, I'll
worry about it later.
I mean, that that is a scenario
that most people can understand.
Everybody has a different thought process
is how they want to approach it
and what the cost involved is and
what the risk is.
So it's just something that when you take your car
to a mechanic, I had a
a young lady, a customer of mine
that
we did, we did some work on her car
and then later on down the road
it developed a coolant leak
and
and again, she was
very polite and respectful, but she goes
Dane, I don't know cars.
I didn't have this problem before
and can you help
me and can you walk me through
what I'm having this issue now after you've done
what you've done and I explained
it all and I'm like, hey, look, it's a
separate problem. It's a separate issue
and
I do believe that it's imperative
and it's so important that you explain
that to your customer. And if you
and if you are a customer and your car is
at the mechanic, ask those questions
and
you know, if they're a good
mechanic and they can walk you through
the process, it'll help
you understand what's going on with the vehicle
and I did that with her and she
understood and
and I and she was very
again, very respectful and polite, but
she was a bit frustrated because she says
I didn't have this problem before, but now I have
it after I've done some other work
to my car and she goes, I'm just
you know, I
confused this because
I don't know anything about cars and
a good mechanic and a good automotive
repair shop should
be able to
explain all of that
to you, lay it all out
and help you and guide you through that
process. I don't know anything about
you know, if my knee hurts or
I've got a pain in my chest or my head hurts
and whatnot, I
go to my doctor and he tells me what's wrong
with me, right?
And
I don't know anything about
the human body. He does. I take his
opinion and I roll with it.
So
and again, I understand
there's a million other repair shops out
there and some people
are some repair shops
are not reputable. We are
in a business for
68 years take pride in what we do. I love
what I do and
in fact so much that I'm here every Saturday
to answer car questions. So
you know, not necessarily to
gain your business, but it's
to have this platform
to talk to you and explain to you
what's going on with your vehicle and help you out
in the best way that I possibly can
and just give you the right
right information
so you can make the best decision for you
your family and your vehicle.
Okay, so.
All right, again, taking your phone calls and I'm going to call
513-749-5500
coming up we have Mike
Terry and Jared. You're
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Music
You're listening to The Car Show on
55KRC. I'm
Dane Donovan from Donovan's Auto
Entire Center here every Saturday from 1
to 2, MOTES Saturdays
as my producer, Daniel,
pointed out that
I was not here a couple weeks
and
I'm just a busy schedule.
For those of you
I'm going to get back to the phones. For those of you
who are out there, my wife
reminded me today
which I forgot, but today is sweetest day.
So if you have a sweetheart
make sure that you go out and get her some
candy or a card.
However, I did not.
I did though get up early.
I went out and got her coffee that she wanted
and her coffee cake and she goes,
what's the occasion? And I said, well just
you know, just trying to take care
of my wife and she's like, oh, I thought it was for sweetest
day. I'm like, yep, that's what it was for.
Absolutely.
So don't forget.
So I was like, well, you know, I was
honest with her. I was like, no, I did not know
that.
It's just something that we just, you know, I don't forget
Valentine's Day, but sweetest day.
But I said, hey, how about
later this afternoon we go to dinner.
So don't forget that this
afternoon sweetest day. If you haven't,
if you're listening and you forgot
to go out there and get some flowers
and cards or candy, whatever your wife
prefers or your significant other,
make sure you get them taken care of.
So all right, let's go to the phones. We have Mike.
Hey, Mike, welcome to the car show. How can I help?
Dang, I have
2018 F 150.
It's
302 coyote motor.
I
have the simplest repair
that I cannot do.
I've had this truck to two different
mechanics
and the dealer
and no one
can find
my ambient air
sensor.
So
I did some digging
myself
and there was
I guess if this truck was
built before
March of 2018
they
put it in the passenger
mirror.
It is not in the passenger mirror.
The wires are there but it's not there.
And then
if it was built after
March
of 2018
or whatever
it is in the center
grill support
of the radiator.
The hole is there
and the ambient air sensor is not.
My check engine
light is on
and the code that it throws
is the ambient air sensor
and no one can find it
on this truck.
Not even the dealer?
Not even the dealer.
They actually
even sent me
the
print out
of the location
and their location
I gave them the VIN number
and their location
showed the center
stud of the radiator
and it is not there
man I
one day I drove past a
off-road place
and I kind of know this guy
somewhat and he's a Ford guy
through and through
and for free
he came out and searched
about 40 minutes
and he goes
Mike I ran the code
it's coming up ambient air sensor
and I cannot find it
he said I don't know
what to tell you
and the only reason is
with the hot weather and stuff
it's affecting my air conditioning
mm-hmm
and
I'm at a loss
they even showed me the book
only $123 repair
at the dealer
to do this
and no one can find it
well would you let me
look for free
I sure would
I'll do it
where are you located
so I am
I'm just
I just looked up Melbourne because I wanted to see how far you were
so
I'm 15
12 to 15 minutes
from downtown Cincinnati so it looks like
maybe with where you're at
you're about 15 minutes from downtown Cincinnati
right
so I'm about 30 minutes from you
um like I said
if you just go up more 71
you get off at the Ridge Road exit
got it
just again it's my Ridge Road location
I've been there lately I have all
multiple I have other locations but
the Ridge Road location
is about 15 minutes from downtown so
again 30 minutes from you
I'll look at let me look at it
I always love
a good
you know
this is where I
I'll put four or five guys on it
I want to try to find it
like I said I won't charge it
let's try to
I want to be that guy that finds it
man I want you to be that guy
I'm at a loss because I'm pretty good
I love this truck
it just
I got a camper I haul
around known a couple small
dogs my wife and
you know that
ambient air sensor is definitely
affecting
my air conditioning and
um I just
can't believe I have been over this thing
a hundred times
I've traced wires I've
unless it's
maybe a sensor that I'm not
recognizing but
every ambient air sensor
even this one when I looked it up to
purchase it had like
the little nipple on it
pretty easy to recognize
correct and I
I can't find it
the dealer
couldn't find it and I've had
three different
auto mechanics and like I said the one
off road guy which I thought
he would be able to find it no problem
none of us can
find it
and I didn't want to get in
to taking the electric
mirrors off and all that
the passenger
mirror has
the little service door
under it that you just pop off
and it just has the
factory wires
in there
but no ambient air sensor
I lost
bring it by
I'll take care of you
I will thank you so much
let's go back to the phones
we've got Terry
welcome to the car show how can I help
I'll keep it quick so you can take more callers
because everybody's backed up
and you're rambling on
and nobody can get through
I'm playing an electric
or a hybrid vehicle
what can I expect
of a battery
on a fully electric
or a hybrid
how many years
so typically on electric
they haven't really been out long enough
that I've seen one come in that has 100
150 200,000 miles
so for the electric
I don't I to be honest with you
I don't know what you can expect
on a hybrid
I just bought I mean I've seen
Priuses go 200 300,000 miles
and still on the original battery
if you're gonna buy
between the two
if you're gonna buy a hybrid or electric
my opinion hybrid
if you're gonna buy a hybrid
buy a Toyota
okay the other question
I have real quick is
is there any mechanics
or any shops like
other than the dealers
that work on these
I mean as far as electric
I mean like electric I can do tires
and brakes or what not but
when it comes to electric no unfortunately
it's gonna pretty much go to the dealer
now if it's a hybrid yes I can work on
hybrids to an extent
I do have a buddy of mine that has
that owns Cincinnati hybrid down
in down on Madison road
in Madisonville
but there if it's a hybrid
yes there's people out there that fix
them as far as electric most of them
have to go back to the dealer
okay all right thanks all right thank you very much
Jared I do apologize
please call me back next week
I gotta get
thank you so much for waiting I really do appreciate it
I've got a skedaddle
I'll be back next Saturday to answer
all of your car questions you're listening
I'm Dane Donovan from Donovan's Auto
Entire Center
see you back here next Saturday you're listening
to the car show 55k RC
the talk station
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Why fight Portland traffic when unforgettable nights are waiting in Salem?
The Elsinor Theatre is your local spot to enjoy standout music, comedy, and performance art
in a setting as stunning as the show.
For 100 years, the Elsinor has attracted audiences from across the world
and has reclaimed its rightful place as the cultural and artistic center of Salem,
bringing outstanding live entertainment to the community,
creating lifelong memories.
And yours is next.
Step inside.
Visit elsinortheatre.com today.
About this episode
Dane Donovan discusses various automotive topics, including oil consumption issues in modern vehicles, the importance of regular oil checks, and the challenges of maintaining older cars. He shares personal anecdotes about his own vehicles, including a 2018 F-150 with a mysterious ambient air sensor issue that has stumped multiple mechanics. Listeners call in with their car questions, leading to discussions about hybrid and electric vehicle maintenance, the significance of thorough vehicle inspections when buying used cars, and the complexities of engine repairs. Dane emphasizes the need for awareness and proactive maintenance to prolong vehicle life.
Original notes
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Car Show with Dale and Dane Donovan
55KRC (WKRC-AM)
0:00
47:11