Dane Donovan shares practical advice on vehicle maintenance, focusing on wiper blades and their upkeep. He discusses how often to change them, tips for prolonging their life, and the benefits of using products like Rain-X. Listeners call in with various car issues, including oil pressure problems in a Ram 1500 and alignment troubles in a Honda Accord. Dane provides insights into potential solutions and emphasizes the importance of regular maintenance and using quality parts. The episode wraps up with a festive message from Dane's family.
In this episode of the car show, Dane Donovan answers listener questions and shares expert advice on car maintenance and repair. He discusses how to prolong the life of wiper blades, recommending the use of Rain X and proper cleaning techniques. Dane also helps a caller with a noisy engine, suggesting the use of Lucas oil treatment and Bars Leak products to potentially extend the life of the engine. Additionally, he addresses a caller's issue with a drifting vehicle, attributing the problem to a radial tire pull and recommending tire replacement.
"Rainax, OK? Rainax is a phenomenal product. And here's why it's like a wax for your windshield, OK?"
Rain-X is a product you can put on your car's windshield to help water slide off better. It works like a wax, making it easier to see when it rains.
Rain-X is a brand of water-repellent treatment for automotive glass. It creates a hydrophobic surface that causes water to bead up and roll off, improving visibility during rain. This product is often applied like a wax to the windshield.
"So you're cleaning, you know, you're cleaning your wiper, your wiper blades themselves, right?"
Wiper blades are the rubber parts on your car that wipe rain and dirt off the windshield. They help you see better when driving in bad weather.
Wiper blades are essential components of a vehicle's windshield wiper system, designed to clear rain, snow, and debris from the windshield for improved visibility. They are typically made of rubber and are mounted on a pivoting arm that moves back and forth across the glass.
"And again, the best way to do it is it's a it's a wax and you apply it to your windshield just like you would a wax on your car, right? It's, you know, wax on, wax off, right? It's and again, what it does is allows the the water to not collect on the windshield, it allows it to bead and blow off the windshield. I'm I promise you, you apply that product to your vehicle. You won't even need your wiper blades."
Windshield wax is a special product you put on your car's windshield to help water slide off easily. It makes driving in the rain safer because you can see better without using your wipers as much.
Windshield wax is a product designed to create a hydrophobic layer on the glass, allowing water to bead up and roll off instead of collecting on the surface. This can improve visibility during rain and reduce the need for windshield wipers.
"...some of these newer cars, your Audi's, your BMW's, your, you know, your Mercedes, these wiper blades are costing anywhere between 50 to 60"
Mercedes is a well-known German car brand that makes luxury cars. They are recognized for their high-quality vehicles and advanced safety features.
Mercedes-Benz is a German automotive brand known for its luxury vehicles, high-performance cars, and innovative technology. The brand is a division of Daimler AG and is recognized for its commitment to safety and quality.
"...some of these newer cars, your Audi's, your BMW's, your, you know, your Mercedes, these wiper blades are costing anywhere between 50 to 60"
BMW is another German car brand that makes luxury vehicles. They are famous for their sporty cars that are fun to drive.
BMW, or Bayerische Motoren Werke, is a German luxury vehicle manufacturer renowned for its performance-oriented cars and motorcycles. The brand emphasizes driving pleasure and is known for its sporty models and advanced engineering.
"...some of these newer cars, your Audi's, your BMW's, your, you know, your Mercedes, these wiper blades are costing anywhere between 50 to 60"
Audi is a car brand from Germany that makes luxury cars. They are known for their stylish designs and high-tech features.
Audi is a German automotive manufacturer known for its luxury vehicles, advanced technology, and performance. The brand is part of the Volkswagen Group and is recognized for its Quattro all-wheel-drive system and innovative designs.
The Ram 1500 is a big truck that can carry heavy loads and is often used for work or towing. It's also comfortable for everyday driving and has a lot of modern features.
The Ram 1500 is a full-size pickup truck known for its strong performance, comfortable ride, and advanced technology features. It is popular among both work and recreational users for its versatility and capability.
"...big horn with the 3.6 six cylinder engine. And I've been fighting oil pressure problems all year..."
A 3.6 six cylinder engine is an engine with six cylinders that work together to produce power. It has a size of 3.6 liters, which helps it perform well in cars.
The 3.6 six cylinder engine refers to a specific engine configuration that has six cylinders arranged in a V-shape, with a displacement of 3.6 liters. This type of engine is commonly used in various vehicles for a balance of power and efficiency.
"...And I've been fighting oil pressure problems all year. And just lately it's starting to sound a little bit like a sewing machine..."
Oil pressure problems happen when the oil in the engine isn't circulating properly, which can cause the engine to wear out faster or even break down. It's important for the oil to keep everything running smoothly.
Oil pressure problems refer to issues with the oil circulation within the engine, which can lead to insufficient lubrication and potential engine damage. Maintaining proper oil pressure is crucial for engine health.
A worn out engine is one that has been used a lot and doesn't work as well anymore. It can make strange noises and might not run smoothly, which means it may need repairs or replacement.
A worn out engine refers to an engine that has experienced significant wear and tear over time, leading to decreased performance, efficiency, and reliability. This can result from factors like age, lack of maintenance, or excessive use.
"But rebuilding one of these things, it's probably more efficient to, you know, replace it with some other rebuilt engine or out of the box engine."
A rebuilt engine is an engine that has been taken apart and fixed up with new parts so it works like new again. It's usually cheaper than buying a brand new engine.
A rebuilt engine is one that has been disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled with new parts to restore it to a like-new condition. This process can extend the life of an engine and is often more cost-effective than purchasing a new one.
"My question is, is there anything that I might be able to do as far as oil treatment or anything else like that to get a little bit more life out of this..."
Oil treatments are special liquids you can add to your engine oil to help it work better and last longer. They can make your engine quieter and help it run more smoothly.
Oil treatments are additives that can be mixed with engine oil to improve performance, reduce friction, and extend engine life. They can help in reducing engine noise and improving overall efficiency.
"...to get a little bit more life out of this so that it's not pinging so bad and getting worse?"
Pinging is a noise that happens in the engine when the fuel ignites too early. It can be bad for the engine if it keeps happening.
Pinging, also known as engine knock, occurs when fuel in the engine ignites prematurely, causing a knocking sound. This can lead to engine damage if not addressed, as it indicates improper combustion.
"How many miles were on the vehicle? Oh, two hundred and thirty two thousand."
Miles are how far a car has driven. Knowing the number of miles helps you understand how much the car has been used and if it might need repairs soon.
In automotive terms, 'miles' refers to the distance a vehicle has traveled, which is an important factor in assessing its wear and tear. Higher mileage can indicate more potential maintenance needs or issues.
A wrist pin is a small part that connects the piston to another part in the engine. It helps the piston move up and down, which is important for the engine to work.
A wrist pin is a small cylindrical component that connects the piston to the connecting rod in an engine. It allows for the movement of the piston as it moves up and down in the cylinder.
Lifters are parts inside an engine that help the valves work properly. They make sure the valves open and close when they should, which is important for the engine to run smoothly.
Lifters are components in an engine that help control the movement of the valves. They play a crucial role in the engine's performance by ensuring that the valves open and close at the right times.
"just an old life synthetic, you know, oil 50W 20."
50W-20 oil is a type of engine oil that describes how thick it is at different temperatures. The numbers help you know how well it will work in hot or cold weather.
50W-20 oil refers to the viscosity rating of the engine oil. The '50' indicates the oil's thickness at high temperatures, while '20' indicates its thickness at low temperatures. This rating helps ensure proper lubrication in varying conditions.
"A lot of times, especially on like GM's lifters collapse and but Lucas is one and then there's a company called Bars leak."
Bars Leaks makes products that help fix engine problems and prevent leaks. They're often used in older cars or those with a lot of miles on them.
Bars Leaks is a company that specializes in engine repair products and additives. Their products are often used to seal leaks and improve engine performance, particularly in high-mileage vehicles.
"There is one online. I do believe it's made by Lucas. But those are the two."
Lucas Oil Products makes various products that help engines run better and last longer. They are popular among car enthusiasts and mechanics.
Lucas Oil Products is a well-known manufacturer of automotive additives and lubricants. Their products are designed to improve engine performance and longevity.
"But I do think that those products and add them will prolong the life of those lifters. But as far as the noise, I got a the gentleman that cuts cuts our grass at our shops. He has a he has a ram saying same size engine, everything."
Ram is a brand that makes trucks. In this case, the speaker is talking about a truck that has a similar engine to another vehicle they are discussing.
Ram is a brand known for its trucks, particularly the Ram 1500, which is popular for its performance and utility. The mention here likely refers to a truck with a similar engine size, indicating a comparison of performance or issues.
"I've got a 2016 Honda Accord Sport that I bought new. I've got 66,000 miles on it."
The Honda Accord Sport is a version of the Honda Accord that has some sporty features and looks. It's a popular car for families and individuals who want a reliable vehicle with a bit more style.
The Honda Accord Sport is a trim level of the popular Honda Accord, known for its sporty features and enhanced performance compared to the base model. It typically includes upgrades like larger wheels, a sport-tuned suspension, and additional technology features.
"I'm driving a 2025 Ford Transit van that has a transmission problem. It has 3,500 miles."
The Ford Transit is a large van that people often use for work or transporting goods. The 2025 version has some new features and improvements.
The Ford Transit is a versatile van known for its spacious interior and utility, commonly used for commercial purposes. The 2025 model continues to offer various configurations to suit different needs.
"...I got a 2005 Silverado and it wouldn't start. It wouldn't start."
The Chevrolet Silverado is a big truck that people use for work or towing things. The 2005 version is known for being strong and reliable.
The Chevrolet Silverado is a full-size pickup truck known for its durability and versatility. The 2005 model is part of the second generation of Silverados, which offers a range of engine options and configurations suitable for both work and personal use.
"And as well as when I was in there, I replaced the coil, too. And it started up fine, ran it for a week, and then all of a sudden it's not starting again."
An ignition coil helps start the engine by creating a spark that ignites the fuel. It's an important part of the engine's ignition system.
A coil, or ignition coil, is a crucial component in an internal combustion engine that transforms low voltage from the battery into the high voltage needed to ignite the fuel-air mixture in the engine's cylinders.
"So another friend suggested a crankshaft sensor. Could that be impossible?"
A crankshaft sensor helps the engine know how fast it's turning and when to inject fuel. If it's broken, the engine might not start.
A crankshaft sensor monitors the position and rotational speed of the crankshaft, providing critical information for engine timing and fuel injection. If it fails, the engine may not start or run properly.
"...what were the two parts that you said a coil and what's the module? Ignition module. The module."
The ignition module helps your car start by sending the right signals to the spark plugs, which create the spark needed to ignite the fuel in the engine. Without it, your car might not start or run properly.
An ignition module is a critical component in an ignition system that controls the timing and delivery of electrical signals to the ignition coil, ensuring that the spark plugs fire at the correct moment. It plays a vital role in starting the engine and maintaining its performance.
Select text to request an explanation
Good afternoon and welcome to the car show 55 KRC, the talk station.
I'm Dane Donovan from Donovan's Auto and Tire Center here to take your car
questions, the number to call 513-749-5500.
That number again, 513-749-5500.
If you don't know already, it is the season to finish your shopping.
Now, I have not started as usual.
You know, I, I live day by day.
I'm, my wife is probably listening.
She knows that.
And I'm going to, I'm going to try to get it done.
I, I'm usually like the Christmas Eve shopper.
And, you know, like I said, I just live my life day by day, but I hope everybody
out there is thinking about that and finishing up their shopping on my way in
today.
I was driving past the Kevin mall, which was absolutely packed.
That's not really my style of shopping.
I don't really like to gaze and just kind of spend hours shopping.
I like to just have a plan, get in and get out.
That's that, that is just me.
I didn't even like sitting in traffic, trying to get here today because of, of
all the shoppers.
It's just not my forte, but, you know, I have a outstanding wife that does most
of our, all of our shopping.
I shouldn't say most, all of our shopping.
I'm, I'm responsible to get her presence.
Um, dear, they're coming.
I promise.
Uh, but I hope everybody's having a good day.
We've, uh, the weather has just been absolutely crazy.
And, uh, last week we had, we had breakfast with Santa and, um, young lady
that I was talking to, I said, Oh, you know, she was asking me about, I think
we were talking about cause she goes, you know what, of course, if somebody
comes up to me, they usually have a car question, which is fine.
Love, I enjoy doing it.
That's, that's why I'm here every Saturday to answer your car questions.
But, uh, she had a great question for me.
She goes, I, you know, I hate to bother you.
I'm like, no, just it's my job.
That's what I do.
It's, it's all I talk about.
It's all I live, breathe, you know, at two, three, four o'clock in the morning.
Even when I'm texting my producer, Danny at three 30 in the morning, I text him
at 430 this morning.
So he, he had texted me last night said, are you coming in?
And I said at 430, I think it was 433.
Wasn't that Danny?
I said, yeah, it was about 433.
I said, yeah, I'm coming in.
439 is what he said.
I said, yeah, I'm coming in.
But, you know, those are the things I think about, you know, when you
can't sleep at night is, is, is work or whatnot.
But anyways, she says, Hey, I have a question for you.
She goes, how often should I change my wiper blades?
And I, I thought this was a great question.
Now, in the sense of you're like, oh, it's a standard wiper blade, right?
You get new ones, but how often should I be changing them?
Right?
So the industry standard is about every six months.
Okay.
Now, can you get a year out of white blades?
I change my wiper blades once a year.
Can you get a year out of your wiper blades?
Absolutely.
But here's how you do it.
And it's a very simple thing that you can do at home, even if you're
listening today, if you're here in the tri-state area, it's, you know,
it's about 40, it's 45 degrees out.
So a little brisk, but you can get out there and do this.
So a couple of things you can do to prolong the life of your wiper blades.
And again, this time of the year, right?
You get the salt, the haze, you get the sun, you get the glare.
I had so many people that came in with that really cold weather that we had that,
you know, turn on their wiper blades when the, when the windows frozen, right?
And then they strip out the wiper arms or they break the blades.
I had a gentleman come in, he was like, hey, I made a mistake.
I only have one wiper blade.
Can I come in and get it done?
Absolutely. Right.
But how do we, what are some tips that we can do to prolong the life of our
wiper blades in the simplest thing, a couple of things that you can do?
One, in order to prolong the life of your wiper blade,
what I recommended to this young lady was, hey, look, take your wiper blade,
get an alcohol wipe, OK?
And you want to wipe down those wiper blades, just, you know,
some alcohol or alcohol wipes and you're wiping down that wiper blade.
You would not believe the amount of dirt.
Now, what happens is, you know, dirt debris and everything else that it collects
to that rubber, right?
So you don't really get, that's where you get your smears, your streaks, right?
So it's a good thing to do in order to prolong that life is,
again, alcohol wipe, wiping them down and not just once, several times.
And you want to try to get all that dirt and debris off the blade itself.
It really, really helps prolong that blade, OK?
The other thing that you can do, and we really don't talk about it,
and I don't talk about it enough, but there is a product out there
and I'm not endorsed by them by by any means, but I apply it to my vehicle is
Rainax, OK? Rainax is a phenomenal product.
And here's why it's like a wax for your windshield, OK?
You apply it like a wax.
And when you do this, I'm telling you, it is a night and day difference, right?
So you're cleaning, you know, you're cleaning your wiper,
your wiper blades themselves, right?
So now you're you're getting all the dirt, debris and every and, you know,
tree sap, ice, whatever, right?
You're getting all that debris off there, right?
But in order to make the wiper blade work less, you apply Rainax.
And again, the best way to do it is it's a it's a wax and you apply it
to your windshield just like you would a wax on your car, right?
It's, you know, wax on, wax off, right?
It's and again, what it does is allows the the water to not collect
on the windshield, it allows it to bead and blow off the windshield.
I'm I promise you, you apply that product to your vehicle.
You won't even need your wiper blades.
It's amazing and it does a phenomenal job.
Now, please do not apply it.
You don't apply it to all the glass in your car, just the windshield, right?
Because that'll allow you do it on the sunroof and the and all the other
doors in the back window.
It allows the windows to fog up.
You don't want that, but you do want to apply it to the windshield.
So just stick to the windshield.
That is the best way to apply the product.
And again, if you're going over 20 miles an hour,
you never even have to turn on your wiper blades.
Now, I don't know the specifics and I'll look that up.
And when I when we I'll look that up,
I don't know how often you're supposed to apply it.
I probably should have looked that up.
But I usually apply it every three months by that time it starts wearing off.
And it's a it's a slow process progress.
So you don't really you don't realize it's not working, you know,
because it doesn't always rain.
And, you know, we're not in Seattle.
It doesn't always rain all the all the time in Cincinnati.
But that is the best way to apply the product. OK.
Now, they also have a product where you can buy it with windshield washer fluid.
And you just add it to your washer fluid.
And every time you're using that washer fluid, it's applying the product. OK.
So if you're like, Dan, I really don't have time to do that.
I don't have time to wax my windshield. OK.
There is another, you know, a another
what's the word I'm looking for another solution to apply in the product.
And that is buying a gallon of it.
You can buy it at any parts warehouse.
You buy it, you add it to your windshield washer fluid.
And then every time you're using that windshield fluid, it applies the product.
And I told her that I was going to talk about this.
And I just think it's something that in this time of the year,
it really is a safety concern if you're not applying if you can't.
If you've got all that salt residue and you've got the sun.
And I actually was at the gas station the other day.
And this is no lie. A gentleman walks in, he buys one bottle of water.
A small bottle. And I'm like, that's kind of an awkward thing.
Just one little bottle of water.
So and his car is running and he turns his wiper blades on
and he just runs it over the over the windshield to clean his windshield
because his washer fluid didn't work, right?
So, you know, that's that that that is a safety concern.
Now, I didn't I looked over, I'm like, I mean, that's one way of getting it done.
I mean, I probably would have just used the free
the free squeegee that they have at the gas station.
But he went in and he applied water to the windshield
and these cold temperatures don't necessarily want to do that because,
you know, you don't really want to add water to to the gaskets
and the seals and everything else to the vehicle.
But, you know, it again, it's a safety concern.
How do we prolong that life of the of the wiper blade
and how do we make sure that we're staying safe on the road, right?
With all the other distractions, as far as your screens, your your phones
putting on your makeup always drives me crazy.
I've actually seen people reading books while they drive, which absolutely
makes me nervous, you know, with all the other distractions,
something that you can do at home and prolong the life of wiper blades.
And, you know, you can go by if you have a standard vehicle,
you can go and buy a wiper blade for, you know, nine bucks, right?
But some of these newer cars, your Audi's, your BMW's, your, you know,
your Mercedes, these wiper blades are costing anywhere between 50 to 60
dollars a piece. That's no lie.
And you can't go to any of your local parts where you can only buy them
from the dealer. I had an Audi in the other day.
I had to buy it from the dealer because you cannot get that wiper blade
anywhere else, right? So protect your investment.
And how do you do that?
You make sure the wiper blades cleaned off and you apply rain
X, which allows that wiper blade to be used less and saves you a little
bit of money in your pocket so you can spend it more on Christmas presents.
So, all right, again, taking your phone calls.
The number to call 513-749-5500.
That number again, 513-749-5500.
Phone lines are wide open.
Love to hear from you.
Coming up, we have Keith.
You're listening to the car show on 55KRC, The Talk Station.
This is 55KRC, an iHeart radio station.
Way back in 1958, my grandfather opened Donovan's Auto and Tire Center
right here in Cincinnati.
A lot has changed since then, but our commitment to honest auto repair hasn't.
We believe in making sure your vehicle gets everything it needs and nothing
it doesn't, because as a family owned business with our name on the wall,
integrity matters.
From 1958 to today, Donovan's Auto and Tire Center is still
Cincinnati's honest choice for auto repair.
And we're proud to keep this city moving.
Three area locations.
Find yours at DonovanTire.com.
All the news and the views of Brian Thomas, Monday morning at five on 55
KRC, The Talk Station.
Taking your car questions, the number to call 513-749-5500.
I'm Dane Donovan from Donovan's Auto and Tire Center here every Saturday.
Well, I'm here most Saturdays, not every Saturday.
Now, what I will tell you is right after Christmas, I will be in Florida.
So, yeah, going to take a vacation.
First, first one of the year.
Well, you know, yeah, Tony's rolling his eyes at me.
But it my wife can contest to that that it is my first one.
Kids are excited.
We did it last year.
It worked out real well for us.
We're heading down to Florida and we're not, you know, we're not going to be
in 98 degree heat.
So we had a good time.
So the kids are looking forward to it.
So looking I'm looking forward to it as well.
So all right, again, the phone number to call 513-749-5500.
Let's go to the phones.
We have Keith. Hey, Keith, welcome to the car show.
How can I help?
Hi, Dane.
Thanks for taking my call and Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
I hope you enjoy your vacation, too.
That's exciting.
I'm driving a 2014 Ram 1500
big horn with the 3.6 six cylinder engine.
And I've been fighting oil pressure problems all year.
And just lately it's starting to sound a little bit like a sewing machine.
I took it into my mechanic over here in northern Kentucky.
And basically what he's telling me is the engine is just so worn out that it,
you know, it needs to be rebuilt.
But rebuilding one of these things,
it's probably more efficient to, you know,
replace it with some other rebuilt engine or out of the box engine.
My question is, is there anything that I might be able to do as far as oil
treatment or anything else like that to get a little bit more life out of this
so that it's so that it's not pinging so bad and getting worse?
Sure, great. And I'm sorry.
How many miles were on the vehicle?
Oh, two hundred and thirty two thousand. OK, all right.
And when the noise it's making,
did he tell, did he indicate to you exactly what was the result?
Was it a lifter? Is it a wrist pin?
Is it? Did he indicate to you?
What was he mentioned that it was in the top of the engine?
And I think it's lifters and pins in the top of the engine.
OK, all right. Yeah.
Two two suggestions I have that might prolong it.
Unfortunately, you know, we we have used it.
I think it I think it will help.
I don't know that how how long or how long it's going to prolong the life of the engine.
But usually lifters there are two products that I'm thinking about.
Have you have you let's go let's start with
have you have you used any additive or done anything other than just oil?
No, just a. OK.
Just an old life synthetic, you know, oil 50W 20.
So that's all that's all I've used to it. All right.
So there are.
There's one product. It's Lucas oil treatment.
We have we've used them.
It's just it's an additive, thicker additive to try to help with that lifter.
A lot of times, especially on like GM's lifters collapse and
but Lucas is one and then there's a company called Bars leak.
And they have one for a high mileage engine repair.
There is one online.
I can't remember. I do believe it's made by Lucas.
But those are the two.
Bars leak, B. A. R. S.
So it's Bars leak and it's engine repair or Lucas oil products.
Those are the two that we've used.
Now, what I will tell you is are you going to add it to the engine
and the noise is just going to stop?
No, I don't I don't believe so.
I don't think that I kind of believe that once it starts.
But I do think that those products and add them will prolong the life of those lifters.
But as far as the noise, I got a the gentleman that cuts cuts our grass at our shops.
He has a he has a ram saying same size engine, everything.
And his man, it is hammering.
And it's I'll be honest with you, it's been doing that for about two or three years.
And he's just changing oil.
So I think certainly in the product itself isn't expensive.
I mean, it's it's like 15 bucks.
I mean, you can buy a parts warehouse.
But I don't I don't know of a product out there that that is going to
necessarily reverse the the noise and stop it.
But those are the two products that we use at our garage.
Lucas and Bars leak are the two companies that we use.
And like I say, if you add it, is it that you're going to start it up
and noise is gone? No, I don't believe I don't believe that.
Do I think it's going to prolong the life?
Yes, how long that I don't know.
But, you know, we, like I said, this gentleman,
his truck's been doing this for I bet two or three years.
Wow. And the thing is, is the it's still going strong
and he's not adding anything other than oil.
So I think I certainly think it'll help by using one of those two products.
And again, I, you know, that's just what we keep in stock at our stores.
Well, let me ask you this because you're you're pretty much confirming
what my mechanic said.
He actually mentioned the Lucas Lucas product.
But what he did say and he didn't talk about volumes specifically,
but he said, don't put too much in because if you do,
it might have trouble starting if it's too cold or something like that.
Yeah. So what do you what do you think the ratio of that Lucas product is to my full?
Yeah, it's a great question.
It is it is on the bottle exactly like, hey, you need to add this much
based upon per court, right?
So it's on the bottle.
I don't know off the top of my head, but it's on the bottle exactly
how much you should add per court.
But and I would reckon I'd go by their recommendation.
But yeah, like he said, what happens, you know, obviously what
the product is it's almost like when you put it in, it looks like maple syrup.
I mean, it's thick, right?
Right. And but it coats the engine.
The
you if you put too much product in a lot of people,
they will just add more and more and it'll be better.
No, you don't want to do that like your mechanic said, because you overwhelm the engine.
So it you're you're basically essentially changing the viscosity of the oil, right?
The thickness, right?
So if you add too much product, then it's harder for the engine to operate, right?
So it's kind of like when you add engine oil, it's like you swim in a pool.
When you add this product or too much product, it's now now.
Now it's like you're swimming in a pool of jello, right?
And it's a lot harder.
So I would go by the recommendations by the Lucas company itself.
And like I said, it's on the bottle.
Don't go by the notion of like, oh, well, if I add more, it'll be better.
That's that's not the case.
And you're going to overwhelm it.
But like I said, it's on the bottle and what, you know, it's a great product.
I think a lot of people I've never used the product, but there's a company out
there called Motor Coat that's supposed to help as well.
But I've never used it, so I really can't speak for it.
But I've used the other two products.
And like I said, it has helped.
Did it get rid of the noise?
No, but certainly it's going to, you know, you're you're treating it with some
medicine, right?
We're not doing major surgery here.
It's just treating it with some medicine.
And those are the two.
Yeah.
And those are the two products that I would recommend.
But no, I would not rebuild that engine.
I would replace that engine with a remanufactured if you want to go that route.
OK.
And would you stick with the 5W20 oil or would you go to a different weight?
You could go to a no more than 5W30.
I wouldn't go any, you know, no 1540 or anything like that.
Maybe if you want to move up a little bit, maybe like a 530.
But I wouldn't go any higher than that.
All right.
Well, listen, I appreciate you taking my call again and thank you for all your help.
You got a great show.
All right. Well, thank you very much.
I appreciate it.
And Merry Christmas.
You too.
All right. Bye bye.
All right.
Again, taking your phone calls and number to call 513-749-5500.
Coming up, we have Al, Doug and Bill.
You're listening to the car show on 55KRC, the talk station.
Do you have a truck camper, RV or a trailer that needs body repair?
If so, call Frank's Heavy Truck Collision Repair, located just off I-75 at Route 63.
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Taking your car questions, the number to call 513-749-5500.
We've got a lot of calls, so I'd like to go right back to the phones.
We have Al.
Hey, Al, welcome to the car show.
How can I help?
Hi, thank you.
I've got a 2016 Honda Accord Sport that I bought new.
I've got 66,000 miles on it.
I've had, I've put new tires on it twice.
Now that I've got the ones that I put on the second time, I'm having a problem.
Every time I go down the road where I have to hold my steering wheel,
it'll pull to the left, it'll pull to the right.
If I'm coming to a stop, it'll pull to the left.
And I've hit it at Honda three times for front end alignment.
And every time I take it, they have to adjust it some way.
And it still isn't right.
Okay.
You said that you're on your second set of tires?
Right.
Okay.
Do you know what kind of brand of tire is on there by any chance?
Continental.
Continental?
Okay.
That's what came on it.
Okay.
All right.
And have you had any, have you had the brakes looked at or replaced by any, by any, by any means?
I have, I have them check them every time I take the car in for service.
Okay.
All right.
So it sounds like potentially you could be dealing with a couple of different issues.
I don't think obviously they've done the alignment multiple times and that's not fixing it, right?
So there's a couple of things that can cause it.
So let me ask you something.
Your first set of tires that you had, was the car doing that before or did you notice it after the second set of tires that were replaced?
After.
After.
Okay.
Great.
Great.
So you, a lot of times there's a couple of different reasons why a vehicle will pull or drift or whatnot, right?
So you might have two different problems.
What potentially obviously the alignment has been done.
There is what's called a radial tire pull.
And what that is is there is a steel belt in everybody's tires.
Every vehicle has a steel belt.
Okay.
So a lot of times if the tire is a, is defective, not, you know, you might not see that, you know, that defectiveness, right?
But what happens is again, you have what's called a radial tire pull.
So a lot of times if we have a vehicle that comes into our shop that has a pull, right, or a drift, what we typically do is we'll do an alignment, right?
If it doesn't work, let me backtrack.
If a vehicle has a pull or a drift, typically what we do is we'll cross the front tires.
Okay.
Now, if we cross the front tires and that, that pull still stays the same, then we know it's an alignment issue.
So now we'll pull it in and we're going to do an alignment.
If that pull or drift changes, then I know it's in the tires.
Okay.
Now, unfortunately, you can't see that by the naked eye.
You can't, you can't see it.
There is an alignment or a tire balancing machine.
It's called a road force balancing machine that can sometimes determine that.
But I do believe that the issue that you're having isn't an alignment issue.
It's, it's in the tires.
It's a radial tire pull.
So I do believe that it's in the tires.
Now, again, what I would recommend going, if you go back to Honda's, recommend, hey, listen,
cross my two front tires, see if anything changes, right?
If it doesn't, okay, then let's rotate the tires, see if anything changes.
Okay.
That's where I think we need to go next because obviously the alignment's not fixing it.
Okay.
So it most likely is in the tires.
And again, there's nothing that they can do other than replace the tires.
Now, I like continental as a brand.
I sell continental.
I have continentals on my own vehicle, but that, you know, it doesn't, you know, there,
there could just be a defect in one or one of those, one of those tires or multiple tires.
And it's not anything that they did wrong.
It's not me picking on continental.
It happens.
It happens on a very cheap tire.
It happens on, I've had, I mean, in my opinion, I mean, Bridgestone and Michelin or in continental
or some of the best brands tires out there.
And it's happened on all brands.
It just happens.
So I think you have a defect in the tire.
Now, what I also will tell you is when you had mentioned, hey, sometimes when I break,
it'll pull.
Usually if, if the vehicle is pulling when applying the break, that's usually in the breaks
itself.
Now, again, it could be related to the fact that the tires are just effective, right?
So I don't want you going pulling hairs and replacing breaks and calipers and everything
like that.
I don't want you to do that.
But hypothetically, you go ahead and you replace the tires and hey, that drift or that
pool's gone, but I still feel it when I'm breaking, it's in the brakes, right?
So, but before you go doing that, I really think get it back to them and tell them to
cross front tire, see if things change.
If they don't, let's rotate them.
Let's just see if it changes, right?
You're not, you're not replacing tires.
It's not costing you anything.
I mean, other than the rotation, but I mean, I mean, we offer that for free if you purchase
tires through us.
So try that first, but I think you have a radial tire pulling again.
The steel belt in that tire is probably just, you know, understand that tires are round.
We get that, right?
But it's not perfectly round.
They still are, in a sense, kind of like an egg, right?
You've got a high point and a low point in a tire.
That's why sometimes when we're balancing tires, they balance out too high.
So we have to break them back down and then rotate them 180 degrees, right?
Because your wheels not perfectly circle.
Your tires not perfectly circle.
And, you know, sometimes, you know, that can cause it as well.
And that's what causes vibrations.
But just know that, you know, tires can be defective.
And I think that's what you're up against and what you're dealing with.
Well, I have an old, I have my own change every 3000 miles.
And then they automatically rotate my tires for me.
Okay, great.
Well, then, yeah.
Well, then have, have them do that and see if anything's changed.
And then report back to me.
Okay.
All right.
Now, if I decide to bring it to you, where would I take it?
Bring it to my Ridge Road location.
That's the 5601 Ridge.
Okay.
I've got a great team there in the sense of I have a great team at all my stores.
Don't get me wrong.
But we are more tire driven at the Ridge Road location than my auto foreign shop.
So we're more tire driven there.
So I have a little bit more expertise there for tires.
Right.
So bring it to the Ridge location and we'll get you taken care of.
Now, would that be by appointment only?
Tires we do first come first serve basis.
So, I mean, we open up at eight.
So if you came in at eight and said, Hey, you know, I spoke with Dan on the radio and
we're going to try to take a correct a drifting or a pulling issue.
We'll get you in, you know, right away.
Unfortunately, you know, if you show up at noon and there's 10 people in front of you,
you're going to have to wait, but you can make an appointment.
If you want to sit and wait, you can make an appointment, but tires we typically just
do first come first serve basis.
So like I said, Monday through Friday, we open up at eight a.m.
We'll get you in and get you taken care of.
Okay.
Would they be able to take it out on the road?
Yes, sir.
Yeah.
Yes, sir.
I think what we, what we need to do is I'll drive it either with you or we'll drive it
together or I'll drive it and we'll, I think that's what's best.
We start that process first, kind of get a feel for what's going on.
And then that's when we start making our changes.
Okay.
Is that Monday through Friday?
Yes, sir.
Monday through Friday.
Eight to five.
Sounds great.
Sounds great.
I should have done this when I got my new tires.
That's okay.
Hey, hey, you're asking the right questions.
So it's not a problem at all.
So I appreciate the phone call.
All right.
Okay.
Thank you very much.
Yes, sir.
I appreciate it.
Happy.
You too.
Take care.
Bye-bye.
All right.
Again, the taking your phone calls, the number to call 513-749-5500.
Coming up, we have Doug, Bill, Mark and Jim.
You're listening to the car show on 55KRC, the talk station.
If your car isn't just a machine, it's your daily partner.
And with new cars becoming more expensive than ever, smart maintenance for your current
vehicle just makes sense.
Hi, I'm Dane Donovan, third generation owner at Donovan's Auto & Tire Center.
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Honest expert service to keep your car running longer.
Donovan's Auto & Tire Center, Cincinnati's honest choice for auto repair since 1958.
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Find yours at DonovanTire.com.
This is 55KRC, an iHeart radio station.
Taking your car questions, the number to call 513-749-5500.
Although we're running out of time, I'm absolutely going to do my best to get to everybody.
So let's go back to the phones.
We've got Doug.
Doug, welcome to the car show.
How can I help?
Yes, sir.
I'm driving a 2025 Ford Transit van that has a transmission problem.
It has 3,500 miles.
Oh, my gosh.
It's a company vehicle that is leased, and it's then the dealership getting a new transmission.
And my problem is, yesterday it was pointed out to me that I may be blamed for that.
Now, here's some specifics.
They lease these vehicles that come with a speed limiter at 75 miles per hour.
When the weather's good and the traffic's light, I like to push you that 75 miles per
hour, and they're telling me that because I was doing that, that's what ruined the transmission.
The failure was the parking brake was engaging and would not disengage, which I don't see
the correlation.
But when I look it up, it seems like the speed controller is inside the engine and has nothing
to do with the transmission.
Or am I wrong in that?
Well, first and foremost, look, there's absolutely, in my opinion, no reason why you should be
blamed for anything.
The vehicle should be operating like it's supposed to be doing.
Your driving habits should not be a result of why the car needs a transmission.
Listen, I've talked about this on the show before.
I mean, I have my own vehicle.
It's a Ford.
I like Ford, love Ford products.
17,000 miles of check engine light came on.
And it's why I always harp on this show about how, hey, fix what you have because the products
that are out there today, they put too much.
And I was actually talking to Tony Bender about this earlier today who showed me a video.
They put so much technology in this, and we don't need that.
All we need is roll down windows and cranks and buttons to push things.
And it's just too technical.
So no, I don't think that there's anything that you did wrong.
I mean, again, the manufacturer has a three year 36,000 mile warranty on it.
I mean, you shouldn't be, I mean, it's going to be covered by Ford.
It should be covered by Ford, but I don't think that there was anything that you could have
done to result in why the transmission is out at 3500 miles.
That's what confused me because other than, you know, I admit I speed, but other than that,
I don't, I do not abuse the vehicle.
I mean, I drive it normal.
I went from driving Econoline Vans for 47 years to the Transit, which was a change for me.
And the Econoline's were a great truck, but the Transit's a completely new design.
And with this failure, it really shocked me at because I've never seen a transmission fail so soon.
Yeah, I'm not a big fan of the Transit.
I mean, Ford does a great job.
Do they do a perfect job on everything that they make?
No, I do not like the Transit.
I mean, the rear brake system on a Transit is an absolutely engineering disaster, in my opinion.
Again, I have a Ford.
I have multiple Fords.
I like the product, but there are certain Fords that I do like and there are some that I don't.
And, you know, the Ford Focus and the Ford Transit are just not a great product.
And again, I mean, a rear brake job on a Transit is an engineering nightmare.
And it's just absolutely...
Oh, it's hours you got to pull axles.
It's ridiculous.
So, but again, to your point, no, you didn't do anything wrong.
There's nothing to be concerned about.
Unfortunately, probably at 3,500 miles if the transmission's already gone out, probably going to do it again.
But maybe look into it.
So good luck to you.
Call me back with an update.
I'd like to hear from you.
Okay, I'll see if I hear anything.
It just raised a concern.
But thank you for your time.
Thank you very much.
Merry Christmas.
Take care.
All right, let's go back to the phones who we got.
We have Bill.
Hey, Bill, welcome to the car show.
How can I help?
Oh, yeah, I'm glad you're in today.
I got a 2005 Silverado and it wouldn't start.
It wouldn't start.
So with a bunch of friends, we figured out it was electronic module.
And as well as when I was in there, I replaced the coil, too.
And it started up fine, ran it for a week, and then all of a sudden it's not starting again.
So another friend suggested a crankshaft sensor.
Could that be impossible?
I mean, it's over 280,000 miles on it.
Yeah.
No, you said your friend thought it might be a cranksensor?
Yeah.
I mean, he works, he has a mobile system.
He goes around and works on people's cars with a mobile unit.
And he said, you check that out.
But it is really going to be difficult to get to it.
It's right above the axle in the front.
But just looking, I picked one up and looking at it, it says to put some kind of SAV on it or something.
I guess so.
So I'm assuming, so the vehicle's cranking, correct?
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
It's cranking fine.
And it's trying to start this time, but it's just not doing its thing.
Gotcha.
Have you checked to make sure that you're getting fuel to the engine?
Oh, yeah.
I can smell it.
Okay.
All right.
I can smell it.
All right.
I know you mentioned that in the past that GM or notorious for bad fuel pumps.
Yeah.
Well, it's kind of the, you want to make sure that you're getting spark and you're getting
fuel, right?
Those are the two things you air spark and fuel that those are the things that you need.
So I just wanted to make sure that, Hey, if you've got fuel, okay, so it's not that.
And like you said, what were the two parts that you said a coil and what's the module?
Ignition module.
The module.
Yeah.
So kind of, yeah.
Okay.
And it started right up after I put those in.
Okay.
And let me ask you something.
Where did you get those products aftermarket or were they AC like, were they Delphi, AC
Delco, or were they aftermarket like a standard or standard?
Yeah.
I got them from KOI.
Okay.
They're good.
They're a good place.
Okay.
You know, KOI is a good place.
However, and sometimes you, and listen, we've been victim to it of ourselves, right?
You buy a part, you put it in, it's new and it's, it's, it's bad out of the box.
That happens.
So I think before, I mean, you could try to put a crank sensor in it, but what I would
recommend before you go racking your brain and throwing all these other parts at it,
what I would recommend is the, the ignition module.
I, if you can, I recommend getting an AC Delco or a Delphi, right?
Those, those two products are AC Delco makes Delphi, right?
So I want you to, I want you to replace that ignition control module with a AC Delco or
Delphi part before you go replacing the crank sensor.
I'm willing to bet that that part that you put on is probably defective.
I see it every single day.
Well, what I, what I did is I did go back and tell him that it's defective and he exchanged
it with no problems.
And I put that on and it's still the same scenario, but you think a second one would
be defective too.
I have, let me, I had one time I had a, we had a vehicle as a Subaru that needed an
alternator and we put an aftermarket alternator in it.
It took us five alternators before we got a good one.
So it can happen.
It can happen.
That's, that's no lie.
That's God's honest truth.
It took us five alternators to get a good one out of the box.
So I just don't, I don't like, um, there, you know, sometimes unfortunately that's your,
that's your only option.
You probably can still find an AC Delco or Delphi part.
That's what I'd recommend.
Um, but I mean, you could have, I mean, you can have a, uh, you know, a PCM problem.
You could, I mean, there's a lot of other issues, but I want to rule that out.
I just, I don't like, I like KOI.
I just, and all they do is sell the product.
I'm not really a big, do you remember what the brand was?
But yeah, it was a standard.
It was in a red box.
Yup.
Okay.
All right.
Yeah.
Um, I, you know, and I'm not picking on that.
Listen, I use standard products, but they're good at some things and they're bad at others.
I just, uh, I, I really, I would try to see if you could do that first.
But like I said, you, you're kind of in between, uh, the rock and a hard place because there's a lot of other moving parts as far as the PCM.
It could be a crank sensor.
It going to probably involve, um, some, a mechanic doing a diagnostic on it and trying to figure out exactly what you're up against.
But something that you can do before you get a toad or anything like that is I would get a toad.
I would get an AC delco ignition control module.
I would do that first.
And you can find, you can, you don't even have to go to them.
I mean, you can, you know, probably find it on Amazon.
So that's what I would, oh, he dropped off.
Okay.
So that's what I would recommend.
Okay.
Uh, but, um, so, hey, uh, so today because of the holidays, I have very special guests with me in studio.
We wanted to, uh, my wife and my three boys are here and, uh, we wanted to, uh, they wanted to say a couple of things, small things.
And, uh, I want to say from the bottom of my heart, thank you for the listeners.
Merry Christmas.
But, uh, again, here's, here is, uh, my family wishing you a Merry Christmas.
From our family to yours.
Merry Christmas.
Everybody have a wonderful Christmas.
We'll be back next week to answer all of your car questions.
Thank you so much.
We'll be back.
I'm sorry.
I already said that.
You're listening to the car show on 55 KRC, the talk station.
Yeah.
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