The Car Show with Dane Donovan - 3/14/2026
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40:52
Term
jump pack
A jump pack is like a portable battery that helps you start a car when the battery is dead. You connect it to the battery and it gives the car enough power to crank.
Term
car had been sitting for about a month
When a car sits unused, the battery can slowly drain. Things like alarms and computers may still use a little power, so after a month the battery can be weak.
Term
battery
A car battery is what powers the electronics and helps start the engine. Batteries don’t last forever, so age matters when a car won’t behave normally.
Concept
modules and different computers
Instead of one brain, the car has multiple computer modules that each handle different tasks. If the battery isn’t supplying enough power, those modules may not work correctly.
Concept
vehicle sitting drains batteries
If a car sits unused, the battery can slowly lose power. Sometimes it looks fine at first, but it can still be too weak to run everything reliably.
Concept
extreme cold and extreme heat strain batteries
Very cold or very hot weather makes batteries weaker. That can cause starting problems or weird electrical behavior.
Car
Mini Cooper
They’re talking about putting a new battery into a MINI Cooper. On some newer cars, the battery replacement isn’t just “swap it and go”—the car may need to be told the battery was changed.
Company
Donovan's Auto & Tire Center
Donovan’s Auto & Tire Center is the local shop being promoted in the segment, positioned as an “honest expert service” provider. The mention also ties the show’s maintenance message to a real-world service option.
Company
DonovanTire.com
The segment directs listeners to DonovanTire.com, which is presented as the place to find the shop’s services and locations. It’s a practical call-to-action for listeners who want local maintenance or tire work.
Term
fuel pressure
Fuel pressure is how strongly the fuel system pushes gas to the engine. If the car cranks but won’t start, checking fuel pressure helps figure out if the engine is actually getting enough fuel.
Term
spark
Spark is what ignites the fuel in the engine. If there’s no spark, the engine won’t start even if the battery and fuel are okay.
Car
Chevrolet Camaro
That’s a 2023 Chevrolet Camaro, and “LT1” is a trim level that usually means it comes with a V8 setup. The details matter because different engines and transmissions can have different quirks.
Term
CVTs
CVT means “continuously variable transmission.” It’s a type of gearbox that doesn’t shift like a normal automatic—it uses a system that can smoothly change the gear ratio.
Term
E85
E85 is a fuel blend made of about 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Converting a vehicle to run on E85 usually requires compatible fuel system components and an engine calibration (tuning) so the engine can handle the different fuel chemistry and energy content.
Concept
four inch lift
A four-inch lift raises the truck higher off the ground. That can affect how the truck handles and can lead to extra wear or problems if it isn’t set up correctly.
Term
direct injection engine
Direct injection means the engine squirts fuel straight into the cylinders. Because of how it’s set up, it can be more sensitive to using the right fuel so it runs smoothly.
Car
2015 Hyundai Tucson
This is a Hyundai Tucson SUV from 2015. The caller is bringing it up because they think it may be related to an engine that burns oil.
Brand
Lucas oils
Lucas Oil is a company that makes oil additives. They’re mentioning it because some additives tell you exactly how much to use depending on how much oil your engine holds.
Term
oil change
Oil changes are when you replace the engine oil (and often the filter) so the engine stays clean and protected. If you wait too long, the oil gets dirty and doesn’t protect as well.
Concept
engine oil vs fuel additive (oil-specific vs gas-specific)
Not all additives are interchangeable. Some are made to go into the engine oil, and others are made to go into the gas—using the wrong type won’t help the same way.
Term
two cycle oil
Two-cycle oil is used in small engines that mix oil with the fuel. The oil can break down faster in hot weather, so it’s important to use fresh fuel/oil mix.
Term
change your oil
Oil in your engine gets dirty and loses its ability to lubricate over time. Changing it regularly helps the engine stay healthy and run smoothly.
Term
carbon and soot
Carbon and soot are leftovers from burning fuel. Over time they can build up inside the engine and cause problems like reduced sealing.
Term
absorbent glass mat
It’s the special material inside an AGM battery that holds the battery fluid in place. That’s what helps the battery stay sealed and more flexible to mount.
Concept
mount them on their sides
AGM batteries can often be installed sideways because the fluid inside is held in place. That reduces the risk of spills compared to older battery types.
Term
distilled water
Some older car batteries need occasional topping off with distilled water. AGM batteries usually don’t, because they’re sealed and don’t have caps you remove.
Term
original flooded cell batteries
Older car batteries had liquid you sometimes had to refill. If you didn’t add water, the battery could wear out faster.
Term
drain plug
A drain plug is a bolt you can remove to let fluid out for service. If a transmission has one, it usually means you can change the fluid more easily.
Term
RV
An RV is a home-on-wheels. Because it can sit for a while, people often use a power disconnect so the batteries don’t slowly die.
LIVE
Good afternoon and welcome to the car show.
I'm Dane Donovan, taking your car questions, the number to call 513-793-47.
I forgot the number.
Sorry, I got excited, but look, I need numbers and everything like that, but you know, Xaver's
been playing basketball for the past three weeks, and I haven't been here.
Unfortunately, they went down in a dismal loss, and in my team, you see, they had a horrible loss as well.
But, you know, it's his disease, you know, March Madness, you know, that's what happens when, but I don't know.
I guess being in Cincinnati, you don't really have high hopes for any of our teams, right?
I mean, we did get, you know, I did get to see the Bengals go to the Super Bowl, and again, we lost that.
I was born when the Reds won the World Series, but, you know, I was very young, so I don't remember it.
But, man, Cincinnati sports are just, oh, it's just hard to watch.
I try not to put too much effort into it, because then, you know, well, back in years ago when the Bengals were winning
in the year that we were going to the Super Bowl, you know, my wife's like, I'm just going to leave the house,
because, you know, I'm screaming at the TV, and she's like, I'm just going to leave.
So I try not to invest too much effort into it in time, because, man, I just feel like Cincinnati sports are always letting me down.
So real quick, I want to talk about, again, I'm taking your car questions.
Love to hear from you.
But, you know, I got a phone call for, actually, I didn't get a phone call.
My wife was on Facebook and customer, a great customer of mine, put on Facebook, hey, who puts batteries in on Saturday,
because Donovan's is closed.
So I knew the customer, I reached out to the customer, I said, hey, what's going on?
She said, well, my daughter was going to work and the vehicle won't start.
I said, all right, well, I'll, you know, I said, I'm going to go, I'll go get my jump pack.
I'll run down there.
And she's like, you don't have to do that.
It's a Saturday.
I'm like, I don't care if that's what I got to do.
I'm going to take care of my customers and truly it's about taking care of the customer.
And that's what I, what we at Donovan's really, really strive on.
And if it's after hours, before hours, if it's on the weekend, whatever I got to do to make sure that, you know,
and again, you know, their daughter had to get to work.
She ended up taking a different car, but she was like, hey, Dane, you know, my daughter's going back to Notre Dame tomorrow,
going back to school, kind of need this car, right?
And we've all been in that situation.
And, you know, I was like, hey, I'm going to hop in the shower real quick.
I said, I'll be down there in 15, 20 minutes.
And obviously, they were very, very appreciative and come to find out the car had been sitting for about a month, right?
The car was, the car's three years old, four years old, technically.
And again, the average life of a battery is three to four years, right?
So she goes, what should we do?
I said, well, the battery, the voltage on the battery is a little low.
I said, but I don't think you need a battery.
So what happened was because of, because again, these newer cars, they are computers on wheels, right?
So, you know, when the components of these, and again, everything in your car, if you have a newer car,
you know, I would say probably, you know, I mean, anyway, I mean, 2000 and up really,
but most of your cars operated by modules and different computers, right?
So when these modules and computers don't get the proper voltage, they don't do what they're supposed to be doing
because they're not getting the right voltage, right?
So long story short, I'm able to get it started, get it going, and they're like, you know, what do we do?
And I'm like, well, the battery's fine.
It just, they're like, well, it's been sitting for over a month.
And I'm like, well, the battery test good.
You know, she's like, should we pre, you know, prevent, you know, should we replace the battery now?
And I said, well, I mean, again, the average life of batteries three to four years,
but the problem with batteries is, you know, you will, I can test the battery today.
And in two hours, it'd be absolutely dead.
Like it will not give you any signals.
Now, most batteries will, you'll get a slow crank or you'll get, you will most of the time get signs.
But again, everybody, a lot of times when we put batteries in vehicles, again, people will go, oh, I just did.
I just put that battery in and you go back and it's like, well, it's been three or four years and like, yeah, they should last longer.
It's not like your remote batteries in your TV remote, right?
It's a car battery is demand, you know, it's in the elements, it's in the high heat, it's in the really, really cold.
And again, all of the components of your vehicle need that battery, right?
So that voltage needs to be there, right?
So in that process, because the other components of the vehicle weren't working, right?
The car basically kind of flooded out.
And again, I was able to get it started.
But, you know, she goes, Dane, should I replace it?
I'm like, you know, as of right now, it looks, it's fine.
It was just because it was sitting for over a month, right?
But, you know, again, going into the summer, you know, extreme cold and extreme heat will, it puts a massive strain on your batteries.
Now, again, a lot of these newer cars have multiple batteries.
You have an auxiliary battery and you have a starting battery.
I mean, my truck has two batteries and two alternators.
So a lot of these, because these cars, again, everything in, I mean, your door locks, your radio, your mirrors, I mean, everything has a module and everything demands the proper battery voltage.
Now, again, most of all your new cars nowadays, they have what's called a AGM battery.
Okay, so years and years ago, you had a, you know, a acid filled battery, right?
But now everything is a dry cell battery, which leads to, yes, it's better and they are supposed to last longer.
But, however, they are a lot more expensive.
I just put a battery in a Mini Cooper a couple of days ago and it was almost $500.
Now, a lot of people go, well, I could go to, you know, so-and-so car parts place and get one for $150.
Well, you know, on a BMW and a Mini, you have to properly, you have to put that battery in and then you have to go in with a computer and you can't do this at home.
Go in with a computer and tell that car that you put a new battery in it.
Otherwise, the alternator won't properly charge the battery.
It'll either overcharge it or undercharge it and then you run the risk of doing damage to your vehicle, right?
So it's not something that you can really do anymore on these newer cars.
The batteries are just, they are very, these cars are very sophisticated and it's just, it's not the way it used to be.
So, you know, and again, luckily in this particular case, we were able to get her started, get it going and she's going to be able to drive back to Notre Dame.
And I said, if it doesn't start there, like, would you trust your daughter to go back to school?
And I said, I tell you what, if it won't start, I said, I'll drive to Notre Dame.
I could use a walk around the campus and take a look at the place.
So I was there once in my life.
My dad took me to a football game there, beautiful campus.
But I said, I'll go there myself if I have to.
And they're like, you're not going to drive four hours.
I'm like, hey, whatever I got to do.
So it's important.
I always want to take care of my customers.
So all right, coming up.
Well, he looks like he just dropped off.
So you're listening to the car show on 55 KRC, the talk station.
This is 55 KRC and I heart radio station.
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.
That's why at Donovan's, we give you everything you need and nothing you don't.
Honest expert service to keep your car running longer.
Donovan's Auto & Tire Center, Cincinnati's honest choice for auto repair since 1958.
Three locations in Bluash, Pleasant Ridge and our new location near Xavier, Donovan's Auto Foreign.
Find yours at DonovanTire.com.
55 on 55 KRC, the talk station.
I'm getting rusty.
I'm just getting old.
You know, I was out late.
You know, my bedtime is usually eight o'clock and I was out till like midnight.
So I'm just, I'm my bearings are just all out of whack.
So 75137495500, you know, trying to keep zip codes and phone numbers together as I don't know, man.
I just have a mental block.
I don't know what's going on.
So I think it was, I think it was Tony Bender.
He distracted me and I got stuck in traffic to get here as usual.
71, you know, can't get anywhere in the city without there being a car accident.
So, all right.
Again, I'm taking your phone calls.
The number to call 5137495500.
Let me see here.
We have Jim.
Hey, Jim, welcome to the car show.
How can I help?
Yeah.
Can you turn your radio down?
Sorry, I'm getting feedback.
Okay.
Let me turn the radio down.
Yeah.
And my wife is a 20 on Madeleine Toyota RAO4.
Okay.
Yeah.
Just turn 201,000.
Okay.
It just turned what?
201,000.
Okay.
It's a Toyota.
It's still new.
I can make it go another four hours.
But anyway, it won't start.
It's going to bring a new battery in.
It's got plenty of gas and fuel pressure.
The guy next door is a technician.
He says it's got a bad problem.
What is a problem?
No.
2011 RAO4 is not going to have a...
They don't have problems.
Problems are in the...
So your car is back in like the 80s, you know, the 70s, 80s, when they started going to computers,
there was what's called a prom inside the computer itself.
And you could swap those out and put those in.
A 2011 RAO4 is not going to have a prom.
It's going to have a module.
It does not have a...
I mean, it could potentially have a bad module, but you can't...
It doesn't have a prom.
Okay.
That's kind of...
That's old school.
In fact, I...
Lord, I haven't seen one in years.
So now I don't...
Will it start on ether?
No.
It won't start.
It's got fuel pressure and smell gas.
The battery's good.
I checked the battery.
The load test on the battery's fine.
Okay.
But I'll figure out what's wrong with it.
It's not getting spark.
I was going to say, do you have spark?
So obviously you need fuel, you need spark.
You're saying it doesn't...
You're not getting spark?
No.
So it's got a bad module on it.
It could.
Toyota's have had issues with the modules, but it's not a prom.
Proms were inside the modules and those were in older cars.
You can't replace them.
These cars nowadays don't have proms.
They have modules.
So it could be...
I mean, you would need to see if you have a signal coming out of that module.
But, I mean, could just be...
I mean, unfortunately, there would be something that I would need to diagnose.
I mean, if you don't have spark, then we need to figure out exactly if it's a, you know,
distributor issue, ignition.
I mean, it could be a bad crankshaft positioning sensor that's not sending the signal.
I mean, there's a lot of things that could result in that.
But if it sounds like you've identified it as far as, like, you know, you don't have spark, so...
It's going to be water today.
So I'm going to go check my garage and I'm going to check.
I'll find out.
Call me back.
I want to know.
Okay.
All right.
Thank you.
Man, that feedback was killing me.
All right.
Let's go back to the funds.
We've got Tim.
Hey, Tim, welcome to the car show.
How can I help?
Hey, I'm doing pretty good.
How are you?
I'm good.
I'm out of sorts today.
I don't know what's going on with me.
I've been...
All right.
Well, anyway, I've got a 2023 Chevy Camaro LT1 with the 6.2 liter V8 and 10 speed automatic.
And I've got a couple of questions.
First question is, I'm a third owner.
It's got 33,000 miles flushed to transmission or not.
33,000 miles?
33,000 miles flushed to transmission or not.
The dealer said to wait till 45,000.
I'm not sure about that.
Now, you said it's a 23?
Yeah.
2023 Chevy Camaro LT1 10 speed automatic.
No, I don't...
I mean, you can.
I mean, there's nothing wrong with being preventative and doing it early.
Let me put it this way.
It's not going to hurt.
I just don't want to blow the transmission up.
That's what I was getting after.
Is the dealer full of it or should I...
Do they recommend a flush or like a drain infill?
I think it's a flush.
I'm not 100% sure, Dane.
I think they said do a flush at 45.
Basically, they said don't touch the transmission till 45,000.
I flushed a Chevy Cruze I had at 40,000.
So I was like, hmm, that just sounds high on the mileage.
I still want to blow my transmission up.
Right, right, right.
I mean, I'm not opposed to it.
I mean, like I said earlier, I stated earlier in the show, we...
I have a newer truck and they told me, hey, change your oil every 15,000 miles.
I'm like, I'm not doing that.
I'm going to do it at 5,000.
I mean, I have the ability to do it at 5,000, but I don't...
I mean, does it...
I don't necessarily like flushes per se.
I would need to do a little bit of research whether or not it has a filter.
I'd be more inclined to doing a filter change and just doing a refill opposed to a flush.
A lot of times when you do a flush, it's a little evasive.
You're forcing that fluid through that filter.
Now, again, like Hondas and Toyotas, they don't have filters.
They have screens and that's why you don't really typically want to flush a Honda or Toyota.
You want to do a drain and fill.
What I would recommend is find out if it has a filter that can be replaced and I would change the filter and do a transmission service.
I would do that before I did a flush.
Because again, if it has a filter and you're forcing all that...
With it being a 23, I'm not...
All these transmissions...
I mean, is it a CVT transmission, do you know?
Probably.
I mean, I wouldn't want to be quoted on that off the top of my head.
I would imagine it's a CVT.
All these cars have CVTs in them and so they don't have filters.
No, I don't think...
I mean, I don't know.
Just 10 years ago, we were recommending transmission services every 30,000 miles.
So I don't think...
I really don't think it'd be a problem.
I wouldn't have a problem with it at all.
Okay.
Well, I'm not late either on the service.
Right.
Correct.
Yeah.
What was your other question?
Now, my other question is, what would it take to run the car on E85?
Because I've heard of E85 kits and would your shop be able to put the kit on?
No, we really...
I mean, we wouldn't do anything like that.
But I mean, why do you want to go to E85?
Well, not to get political, but with the gas prices high
and the thing only runs on the power exclusively.
That's kind of why I'd like to run it on E85.
That's just...
I mean, I really think it's just temper.
I mean, I don't know.
I wouldn't do it.
I don't think so.
I mean, you start tampering with things like that.
I wouldn't recommend that.
I don't even know who would do it, but I can tell you we won't do it.
I try to stick to the factory stuff, the stuff that we can get from the dealer
or locally sourced, right?
I just don't get into modifying or doing anything like that.
I mean, personally, I wouldn't do it.
I don't know that you're going to necessarily...
I just don't like tampering with factory stuff.
That's just me.
That's just my personal preference, right?
Some people go out buy a brand new $100,000 truck and then do a four inch lift
and tires and wheels and lights and all that.
And it's like, man, that's just not me.
I don't like tampering with factory stuff because I see three, four, five years down the road
what headaches it causes.
And I just...
The guy goes by lethal garage and he claims that the kit that he has has GM sensors and stuff
that only GM makes.
So I was wondering if he knew anything kind of about going this direction
or if it's something that you just wouldn't do or...
I wouldn't do it.
I wouldn't do it.
I wouldn't do it.
I don't see the benefit to it.
And again, in three weeks, the gas prices may be back down to where they were.
They may be more, but I wouldn't do it in my personal opinion, but that's just me.
I just don't like tampering with factory stuff because you get in there, somebody who might install it
for the lack of a better word, a hack and he's hacking into wires and then you run down the road
and you've got module issues and headaches.
For me, I want simplicity in life.
Life is already challenging enough with the factory stuff.
And then when you go tampering with that factory stuff, it just brings on more headaches.
I understand the gas prices are expensive because my truck's a diesel and diesel is shot up too,
but I'm not going to change how the truck runs just because of the...
I don't like people tinkering with my stuff.
But that's me. That's just my preference.
I definitely appreciate your take on that.
I was just wondering what it caused damage to the vehicle or what might happen.
You really can't put regular in it because it'll create spark-knock.
This is a 6.2-liter V8. You can't do that.
And I think according to the owner's manual, you have to...
Only use shell gas because only shell has the clean certified gas or whatever the heck it is.
The V-power, yeah.
Well, something about the gas has got to be clean to a certain layer, whatever,
because it's a direct injection engine and all that jazz.
So that's why I'm sticking the shell V-power.
Alright. Well, good luck to you.
Alright. Well, thank you so much.
Alright. You take care. Bye-bye.
Alright, again, taking your phone calls on our call 513-749-5500.
Coming up, we have...
Who we have?
We have Todd and John and...
Looks like Deanna.
So you're listening to the car show on 55KRZ, the talk station.
The best way to wake up in the morning? A hot cup of coffee and Brian Thomas.
Monday morning at 5 on 55KRC, the talk station.
Taking your car questions, the number to call 513-749-5500.
That number again, 513-749-5500.
Yes, Xavier, again, basketball has been going on for three weeks and I lost my bearings.
I rushed in here. I was stuck on 71 in a car accident and...
But not me. There was another car accident.
In fact, Tony Bender called me, but I was on the phone when he called me and he's like,
Hey, there's a traffic accident on 71 and just so...
I don't need to take 71, but I was dropping my son off, so I lost my bearings.
So I do apologize.
Alright, let's go back to the phones. We have Deanna.
Welcome to the car show. How can I help?
Hello.
How are you?
Car. There we go.
I have a 2015 Hyundai Tucson.
And I know a while back I was listening to you were talking about having C foam because they burn oil.
I had put some and I put like a half a can in because I didn't know what to put in.
And it helped. It was... I was adding oil maybe every two weeks, a quarter oil, maybe less.
And now it's about a month and a half, so it has helped.
I didn't know how often if this is like something I need to keep doing or wait until it gets bad again or...
No. So typically what I recommend is...
Are you... I'm assuming the C foam that you're doing is, you know, you added it to the gas tank, correct?
Well, the last time I put it in the oil.
Okay.
Because they do have... they have a couple of different products.
But yeah, what happens is those rings get all plugged up with, you know, carbon and the oil soot and then the rings don't...
They allow the oil to get past the ring.
So no, I would add it every oil change.
Okay. The whole can or half a can?
Um, I... to be honest with you, I would read the bottle or the product itself.
I don't think... I'm not quite sure on exactly how much.
I'm so sorry. I think...
All right.
Yeah, usually it depends on the amount of oil that goes in the car.
If it's, you know, it's sometimes some of these products like, you know, Lucas oils has an additive too, where it's like, hey, if you put four quarts in, use a quarter of the bottle.
If you have six quarts, put half the bottle, you know.
So I would read the... but I would do it every oil change.
I'm happy to hear that you added it and you saw a change.
It may not have been...
Oh, that's huge difference.
Oh, okay, good.
Huge difference.
Okay.
And it's got a hundred and forty-five thousand miles on it, so...
Yeah.
I keep waiting for it to blow up, but...
Yeah. I would do it every...
Now, let me ask you something. How often are you... how often are you typically changing your oil?
Mileage wise.
I don't know if I should answer that.
That's...
Well, before I put the seafoam in it, I very rarely got an oil change.
Because you were just adding it.
I would constantly... yeah, so why waste the money?
So now, maybe a month and a half, I put some in.
I'm probably at six thousand miles right now on my oil change.
Well, that's...
Do they make one specifically for oil or is it just all a gas additive?
Or are they all the same?
No, they make one for oil and then they make one for gas.
I mean, you can put seafoam in your lawnmower.
I mean, it's a good product.
It's a great product.
Oh, heck yeah.
I use it on my two cycle and usually, two cycle oil goes bad very quickly in the summer
and I'll get a tank like a two gallon gas can.
It'll last you like two years with seafoam and it just doesn't go bad.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Great product.
But, you know, and that's...
Obviously, you heard me talking about seafoam, but that's the conversation that I like to have with people
because we've gotten away from...
I mean, I understand that cars can last a lot longer and they need less maintenance.
But the number one reason why people come into my shop nowadays is because their cars are broke down
because the cars don't have any oil in them.
So it sounds like you're ahead of the curve.
You're checking it.
That's the most important part.
As long as you're...
I mean, you do want to change the filter because that filter will collapse
and then not do what it's supposed to do and get those particles out.
So you still want to do it.
But five or six thousand miles is where I want you to be at.
I, you know, I even if it's...
I know I understand that you're adding it and you're like, well, it's kind of the, you know, kind of redundant.
Why would I change it?
But it still is good to get that because, I mean, that oil is going to burn off.
You know, the products that are in that oil are going to break down and burn off.
And, you know, so it is still critical that you get a change even if it is burning it.
But again, a lot of times cars come into me and the filters, it's literally...
They're literally collapsed because they're not doing their job.
So you still want to change that filter.
It's still good to get it done.
But yeah, any listener that is listening right now, I don't care what kind of car you...
I don't care if you have a BMW or a Mercedes or a Hyundai or a Kia.
Five, six thousand miles is when you should be changing your oil.
Period.
I don't care what the car tells you to do.
I don't care what the guy that sold it to you tells you to do.
Or your neighbor down the street, Bob, who was a mechanic for 20 years.
I'm telling you, all of these cars burn oil and they need to be changed regularly.
And it's the number one reason why cars come into my shop.
Now, most people say, well, yeah, it drives up business.
But I hate making that phone call to a customer going, hey, listen.
I have a Chevy Trax in my shop right now.
No oil in it.
And this young lady is $3,000 to fix this car.
Now, again, yeah, sure.
But I hate making that phone call to people because that's a lot of money.
And I have this...
Luckily, I've been blessed with this platform to talk about it and just tell people,
hey, look, change your oil.
It's so important.
It's the cheapest, easiest thing that you can do to get the longevity out of your car.
Because as you know, the average price of a vehicle today is $50,000, right?
So...
Bad.
Protect your investment.
Change your oil.
Or at least check it regularly and making sure that it's full.
That's important.
So, you know, Dana, you're on it.
You're putting the C foam in it.
It's a great product.
And again, what happens is that if you look actually at a piston, you know, the rings
itself has holes in it, and they get built up with carbon and soot.
And then that's what allows the...
Doesn't allow the rings to do their job.
So that C foam is supposed to break that down.
So you're on it.
Okay.
Just keep your eye on it.
Make sure it's full.
That's the most important thing, but changing it every 5,000, 6,000 miles is so important.
So you're doing a great job.
Keep up the good work.
All right.
Thank you.
Thank you for the call.
Have a great day.
You know, I get on this tangent, but how I'm telling you, it is so important.
These cars are so expensive.
And, you know, I mean, even my wife's car, I mean, hers burns a little bit of oil.
Not as bad as the Hyundai's and the Kia's, but you got to check it.
It's just important.
That's how you're going to get the most life out of your cars, change your oil regularly.
And listen, no matter if you take it to the dealer, if you bring it to Donovan's, or you
take it to the dealer, or you take it to your local shop, they are all going to put a little
sticker up in that window.
Okay.
And that sticker is your most vital, most important part of changing your oil.
Focus on that.
So often I get people all the time like, well, my car says I still have 10% life left.
And, you know, that goes right through me because, you know, yeah, it has 10%, but guess
what?
The car doesn't have any oil in it.
You know, a lot of times people think that that's how much oil is left in the car.
The car could have zero, it could have a half a quart in it.
And it might say, hey, 10% life left.
But there's no, and everybody, you know, when I got into this business 20 years ago, you
would have an oil light.
That oil light would kick on.
I have not probably in, I bet I haven't seen an oil light on in a car in 10, 15 years.
These cars don't, the oil lights do not come on.
Everybody has this pre-notion like, oh, the oil light will come on if it's low.
It does not.
I never see it, ever, you know, and I get these cars day in and day out almost on a
daily basis, running bad.
Like I said, I just have a young lady Chevy Trax and, you know, there's no oil in the
car and it causes major, major engine malfunctions and damage.
So it's important.
So all right, coming up, we have, we have Todd, John and Brian, you're listening to the Car
Show 55KRC, the talk station.
What I specifically like about Donovan's is I feel like they're very honest about their
service, honest about the needs of our vehicles.
I want somebody I can trust and we can talk and have a long-term relationship with.
They prioritize what's needed now versus what's needed later.
I don't see any reason why we would go anywhere else.
Hi, Dale Donovan from Donovan's Auto & Tire Center.
The honest choice for car repair and Cincinnati since 1958.
Every time you bring your vehicle to Donovan's, you know you're getting everything your car
needs and nothing it doesn't.
Find the one nearest you at DonovanTire.com.
This is 55KRC, an iHeart radio station.
Taking your car questions, the number to call, 513-74-950-500, are running at a time.
So I want to get to all these customers or these, these callers I apologize.
Going to John.
Hey John, welcome to the Car Show.
How can I help?
Hey, Dane, I didn't, I don't have a quick question.
I'm just going to give you some information.
Yeah.
The gentleman called about the prom and you didn't know what prom was.
Prom stands for programmable read only memory.
It's where the program is stored at the ECU processor executes.
Today with flash memory, you used what, J2534 to update flash memory, which doesn't have
to be removed, but in the old ECUs like in the mid to late 90s, they were in a special
chip.
Right.
They had the MCAL and you would snap that into the ECU.
Correct.
You would take, you would literally take it apart and you'd snap it out and put a new
prom in.
Right.
But that's what prom stands for programmable read only memory.
Another thing.
Go ahead.
I was just going to say, I mean, but, you know, but, but all these cars, I mean, I mean,
they're, you know, to my knowledge, back in the, like you said in the 80s and the 90s,
you know, if there was an issue with it, you would take that module out or that computer
out and you would take it apart and put a, you'd snap a, you know, a new prom in there.
Correct.
Yeah.
But usually an ECU, the, the memories don't fail.
Okay.
They'll, they'll, uh, it's other components.
It's the components that do the heavy lift lifting, drive the solenoids and, and relays
and things like that.
The memories very rarely fail when, when you do an update on a new vehicle, you know,
over the internet where you use J 25 34 to download into the ECU.
That's normally because they want to change something, which will make the vehicle run
better or get better mileage.
It's not because, or in some cases it's because somebody in the software development group
screwed up, but not usually, not usually, um, I don't want to take up time and get for
the other guy.
Uh, the other thing I was going to mention is the AGM batteries, AGM batteries.
Um, that stands for, uh, absorbent glass mat and they separate the, the electrolyte
is actually in a fiberglass, um, like a sponge.
So they're, they're sealed and you can, you can mount them on their sides and because
of the way they're constructed, that's why they're more expensive.
But the, the, the, the characteristics are better.
So, uh, correct.
Yeah.
Yeah.
You say, but, you know, correct.
And then, you know, you're not, uh, you know, you're not putting, you know, I remember
like when I got into this might, you know, we would, you know, pop those caps off and
you'd put that, you know, distilled water and you get the lead ass in it.
But, but nowadays, yeah, you can put them on their side and, you know, and that's the
thing.
Like these batteries nowadays are, everybody's like, why are they so expensive?
I'm like, cause they're all the, all, you know, I mean, and some, some of them have multiple
batteries.
Like I said, you know, so, yeah, but they're still, they're still lead acid.
It's just that the electrolyte is in like a sponge.
So in their seal, you can still get sealed flooded cell batteries, you know, where you
don't have to add water, but you're right.
I mean, what would happen on the original flooded cell batteries of the water would evaporate,
you know, you have to add more water.
Okay.
Before I let you go, one quick other question.
How do you feel about seal transmissions having the transmission fluid changed?
You know, it's a great question, you know, you know, Audi and, you know, Audi is one
of them that has, you know, they can, they consider it a seal transmission and it's
lifetime fluid.
To be honest with you, I've never seen an Audi transmission ever go bad.
I mean, but that does just because I haven't seen it doesn't mean it can't happen, but
hi, you know, I don't know.
Okay.
Well, I've got, I've got a genesis for the seal transmission and it's got over a hundred
thousand miles on it and it runs great.
It shifts great and all of that, but it's like, you know, I'd like to have the fluid
change just to be on the safe side, but I just was going to, well, you know, to be honest
with you, a lot of the times when we have done that because I went on seal transmission
again, it does have a drain plug, but you can, you can reef, you know, you have to have
a scan tool.
It's got to be a certain temperature and it has multiple, it has two drain plugs and
yada, yada, yada.
A lot of times, you know, I don't know.
Sometimes I think we create problems by doing it, you know, and we have, I mean, there are
times where there was no transmission problem at all and we've changed the fluid and then
we created a problem.
So, um, no, I, okay, well, I have, I have mixed feelings about it.
I, you know, I, you know, I come from a background where we sold a lot of service and that, that's,
that's when I got into this business, that's what we did.
We, you know, you service these things every 10, 15, you know, but they're making these
cars nowadays, like, you know, you're washer and dryer in your refrigerator at home, right?
It lasts for about five years and you throw it away and get a new one and, right?
Well, I got two 20, two 20, 15s and I'm keeping them as long as possible.
Yeah.
So anyway, I'll let you catch your next caller.
Thank you, John.
Appreciate it.
Have a great day.
All right.
Going back to Todd.
Hey, Todd.
Welcome to the car show.
How can I help?
Hey, Dan, how's your dad doing?
He's doing great.
He's, uh, he is, uh, down in Florida, living his best life.
You know, he leaves, uh, now, uh, a little bit after Christmas and goes down to Florida
plays golf and then once it, once the weather here breaks, he comes back.
So, but he's, uh, health wise and everything else, he's doing great.
So I've listened to him for years, but number one is I'll get to the point.
I had a friend and he's a pretty smart guy, mechanically kept, uh, going through batteries,
get to the point.
I looked it all up.
I'm in the HVAC and the construction business multifaceted.
So I kept, I went down there and took my multimeter and it's straight, uh, pulling amperage,
uh, when it's, when nothing is on, no hood light or anything.
So I said, okay, and, uh, looked it up his radio head storage in there and he goes, I
don't want to lose my radio stations.
I said, okay, it's draining it.
I said, I have an RV and I said, you need to have a disconnect.
He went through three batteries.
He finally got a disconnect.
I had one of the previous cars, you have to pop the hood and disconnect it.
So it's not pulling amperage.
Yeah.
And I, I'm so sorry.
I got to cut you.
I apologize, Todd.
I got to cut you off.
I, I got, I got to be out in 20 seconds.
So hey, listen, I appreciate everybody calling.
I'll be back next Saturday, no more Xavier basketball.
So I'll be back next Saturday to answer all your questions.
Thank you so much.
Everybody have a great week and I, again, I will be back next Saturday to answer your
questions.
Todd, I do apologize.
Call back next week.
I'll get you taken care of.
Be safe out there.
Take care of each other.
I'll see you next week.
You're listening to carshow on 55 KRC, the talk station.
About this episode
Dane Donovan fields Cincinnati car questions while juggling sports-fueled distractions, then dives into real-world fixes and maintenance advice. A customer’s 3–4-year-old car that sat for a month won’t start; Dane explains battery voltage issues in “computers on wheels,” AGM batteries, and why some battery replacements require dealer-level programming. Callers also cover a 2011 Toyota with no spark (module vs prom), whether to flush a 2023 Camaro 10-speed, and using Seafoam for oil consumption. Dane repeatedly stresses frequent oil checks/changes and warns against risky fuel/ECU modifications like E85 kits.
Original notes
Dane Donovan takes your car questions. He shares a story about a customer's car that had been sitting for a month, and how he helped her get back on the road. Dane also discusses the importance of regular oil changes and the benefits of using seafoam to prevent engine issues. He also talks about the difference between older and newer cars, including the use of AGM batteries and the challenges of working with complex computer systems.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Car Show with Dale and Dane Donovan
55KRC (WKRC-AM)
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