Dane Donovan fields car questions on a sunny Cincinnati Saturday, starting with the pain of high diesel prices and TSA delays ahead of a Houston trip. The core advice: don’t “resurrect” cars that have sat outside for months or years—rodents, debris, rust, and brittle seals can turn a cheap fix into an unsafe money pit. Callers then cover restoring an ’85 Mazda RX-7 (expect big costs, especially with rotary parts), diagnosing a 2013 Chevy Cruze that stalls when hot (likely crank sensor/connection continuity), and when to do the first oil change on a new Honda (around 5,000 miles). AC low-refrigerant issues are handled via proper evacuation, dye, and leak tracing—not stop-leak cans or blanket reseals.
Dane Donovan tackles the challenges of resurrecting old cars. He shares a personal story about a customer who tried to revive an eighty-five Mazda RX, highlighting the importance of inspecting a vehicle before purchasing. Dane also discusses the risks of leaving cars parked outside, where they can be damaged by rodents and moisture. He advises listeners to drive their vehicles regularly or store them in a garage to prevent costly repairs. Dane takes calls from listeners, offering expert advice on car maintenance and repair.
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Semaglutide is a medication used for weight management and related metabolic conditions. In the transcript it’s mentioned as a name-brand option, implying there are different versions available.
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Telehealth means you talk to a healthcare provider remotely, like by video or phone. The ad is saying the process is designed to be easier to follow.
Telehealth is remote healthcare delivered via phone or video instead of in-person visits. The transcript describes it as a “supportive” experience for weight-loss medication.
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Say goodbye to stains and messes with liquid and stain-resistant fabrics that make cleaning easy."
Stain-resistant fabric is made to help liquids and messes not soak in as easily. That usually means cleaning is faster and less stressful.
Stain-resistant fabrics are treated or engineered to repel liquids and reduce how easily stains penetrate. In the transcript, this is used to market easier cleaning for furniture.
"Now, my gas light was, well, it wasn't on. Typically, it's not really good to get your gas light."
Your “gas light” is a warning that you’re running low on fuel. It’s telling you to get gas soon so you don’t end up stranded.
The “gas light” is the low-fuel warning indicator on your dashboard. When it comes on, you have limited fuel remaining, and driving much farther can risk running out of fuel.
"But there's a gas station right across the street from the studio and I filled up. Now, I do have a diesel truck and I paid, it was, I hate to say, 529 a gallon for diesel."
A diesel truck runs on diesel fuel instead of regular gasoline. Diesel engines can be efficient, but diesel prices can still be high.
A diesel truck uses a diesel engine, which typically has different fuel economy and fueling behavior than gasoline vehicles. Diesel fuel is often priced differently and can be more expensive during supply shocks.
"And we popped the hood and the entire underneath the hood, the entire engine bay was covered in leaves and debris and acorns and massive infestation."
The engine bay is the compartment under the hood where the engine and many related components live. When debris and pests accumulate there, it can block airflow, trap moisture, and damage wiring and components.
"And again, even though it may have low miles, the moisture from the ground will still rust out the brake lines, rust out the exhaust, and do significant damage to the vehicle."
Brake lines are the pipes that move brake fluid to your brakes. If they rust through, you can lose braking power and the car becomes unsafe to drive.
Brake lines carry hydraulic fluid to the brakes, and they must remain sealed to work safely. Rust can weaken or perforate them, leading to brake fluid leaks and reduced or lost braking.
"The moisture from the ground will still rust out the brake lines, rust out the exhaust, and do significant damage to the vehicle."
The exhaust system carries fumes out of the car. If it rusts while the car sits, it can start leaking and become noisy or fail inspections.
The exhaust system routes hot gases away from the engine and includes components like the muffler and pipes. When a car sits, moisture can cause corrosion that may lead to leaks, loud operation, and failed emissions checks.
"That car won't start. It again has rodent damage. You know, these these things are..."
When a car sits, animals can get in and chew wires and parts. That can stop the car from starting or cause electrical problems.
Rodents often chew wiring, insulation, and hoses when a car sits. That can cause electrical faults, no-start conditions, and sometimes expensive troubleshooting before the car can be made safe.
"...the BMW right out just putting, putting four tires and putting a battery in it right there."
If a car sits, the tires can go flat or get damaged. Replacing them is often the safest way to get the car back on the road.
Replacing tires is a common first step when a car has been sitting because old tires can be flat, cracked, or unsafe. Tires that have been deflated for a long time may also be beyond repair due to sidewall damage.
"Yeah. Well, I mean, is that the Mazda, is it a rotary engine? Yes. Yes. All right. Okay. ... the rotary is a pretty unique."
A rotary engine is Mazda’s special engine type that doesn’t use normal pistons. Because it’s different, parts and repairs can be harder to find and more expensive.
A rotary engine (Mazda’s Wankel design) uses a spinning rotor instead of pistons. That makes it unique, and it often means sourcing specialized parts—especially for older cars that are out of production.
"Like, hey, it was my dad's, or it was my uncles, or my brothers, or my mom's, whatever, right?"
Sentimental value means the car has emotional meaning to someone. The host is saying that people who care about the story behind the car may be more willing to invest in fixing it.
Sentimental value is the emotional attachment people have to a vehicle because of who owned it or what it represents. The speaker argues that this attachment often changes how people approach restoration budgets and expectations.
"... came here on my way here. My dream car is a 2003 Ferrari 360 Medina. I mean, that's my dream car. And I, the ..."
The Ferrari 360 is a high-performance sports car made by Ferrari. It’s designed to be fast and fun to drive, and it’s often considered a dream car by enthusiasts. In the podcast, it’s mentioned because someone is talking about wanting one.
The Ferrari 360 is a mid-engine sports car from Ferrari, known for its performance-focused design and distinctive driving feel. In the podcast, it’s brought up as a “dream car,” which is why it fits the conversation—people often discuss it as an iconic, desirable model. It’s also a common reference point when talking about classic modern-era supercars and what enthusiasts want to own.
"...probably have to get it towed and we'll probably have to push it in and get it up on the lift."
Getting the vehicle “up on the lift” means raising it so technicians can inspect and service components underneath. For non-running or long-stored vehicles, this is often necessary for diagnostics, removal, and repairs.
"You know, unfortunately, I know we got to take a break, but you know, I had a young lady who bought a vehicle from a buy here, pay here live on Thursday."
“Buy here, pay here” is when the car lot sells you the car and also finances it. People who can’t get a normal loan may use it, but it can come with higher costs and riskier cars.
“Buy here, pay here” (BHPH) is a type of used-car financing where the dealer both sells the car and provides the loan. It’s often used by buyers with limited or no credit, but the cars can be higher-risk and the terms can be expensive.
"Way back in 1958, my grandfather opened Donovan's Auto Entire Center right here in Cincinnati. A lot has changed since then, but our commitment to honest auto repair hasn't."
They’re talking about their auto repair shop and how they try to be honest about repairs. The point is that they focus on fixing what’s actually needed.
This is the business name mentioned by the hosts, tied to their family-owned auto repair operation. The segment frames their approach as “honest auto repair” and emphasizes doing what the vehicle needs.
"he was going to check and see if it got a spark. So, he pulled the coil pack and found that it was getting a good spark and he just put it back in."
The coil pack helps create the spark that lights the fuel in the engine. If it’s not working right, the car can crank (turn over) but still not start or can stall.
A coil pack is the ignition component that generates high voltage to ignite the air-fuel mixture in the cylinders. If a coil pack is weak or failing, the engine may crank but won’t start or may stall intermittently.
"it cranks. It literally just sounds like, I mean, I guess it sounds like it wouldn't have gas or something. Like, it cranks over fine, it's got plenty of battery power."
Cranking is when the engine is being turned over by the starter. If it cranks but won’t run, it usually points to spark, fuel, or sensor/computer problems.
Cranking means the starter motor turns the engine over. A “cranks but won’t start” symptom helps narrow the diagnosis toward ignition, fuel delivery, or engine management inputs rather than a dead battery or seized engine.
"when you remove that connector and connect it back, it's a difference of night and day. It starts up 100% normal."
A connector is the electrical plug that connects wires together. If it’s not making a solid connection, the car can act up randomly until you unplug and plug it back in.
A connector is the plug-and-socket electrical interface between sensors, modules, and wiring harnesses. If a connector is loose, corroded, or has an internal pin issue, it can create intermittent faults that clear temporarily when unplugged and reconnected.
"And again, if the car doesn't know where the crank position is, it's going to, it's going to stall the car."
Crank position is the computer’s “where is the engine right now?” information. If it can’t get that info, the engine may stall or refuse to start.
Crank position is the engine computer’s reference for where the crankshaft is during rotation. If the computer doesn’t know crank position (e.g., crank sensor failure), it can’t correctly time ignition and injection, leading to stalling or no-start.
"we don't have, I'm assuming you don't have a check engine light or any codes, correct?"
The check engine light comes on when the car’s computer finds a problem. If the sensor is failing, it often logs a code and may turn this light on.
The check engine light (CEL) is triggered when the engine computer detects a fault and stores diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). The speaker is asking whether the likely crank sensor issue would normally produce a CEL/code.
"make sure you buy one from the dealer or AC Delco or Delphi."
AC Delco is a well-known parts brand. The idea is to buy a reputable sensor so you’re not chasing the same problem again with a questionable replacement.
AC Delco is an OEM and aftermarket parts brand commonly used in GM applications. The speaker recommends it (and similar OEM-style brands) to reduce the chance of fitment or signal-quality issues from low-quality parts.
"make sure you buy one from the dealer or AC Delco or Delphi."
Delphi is a company that makes car parts like sensors. Buying from a trusted brand helps ensure the replacement works correctly.
Delphi is a major automotive supplier that makes sensors and other components, often used as OEM or OEM-equivalent replacements. Using a reputable supplier can improve reliability versus unknown aftermarket brands.
"So I, when I purchased my vehicle, I changed the oil at 5,000 miles. Now, again, he says that there is an additive."
They changed the oil at about 5,000 miles because they wanted to protect the engine early. Changing oil sooner than required is usually not harmful, but it can be unnecessary depending on the car.
The caller chose an early oil change at 5,000 miles to support break-in, rather than waiting for the car’s oil-life estimate. While early changes are generally safe, the ideal interval is still determined by the manufacturer’s specifications and your driving conditions.
"And again, Freon's a gas, right? So there's no way that you can like just check the level."
Refrigerant isn’t like a normal fluid you can check by looking. Because it’s under pressure, you need measurements to know how much is in the system.
The speaker emphasizes that refrigerant exists as a pressurized gas in the system, so you can’t accurately check “level” by sight. That’s why AC diagnostics and charging rely on measured quantities and gauges/machines rather than simple visual checks.
"Freon is always under pressure. If your car's parked on the side of the street, or you're driving it... it's always under pressure, no matter"
The refrigerant in the AC system stays pressurized. That’s one reason leaks can be hard to diagnose and why the system needs proper charging equipment.
Car AC refrigerant is maintained under pressure throughout operation, and even when parked it’s still part of a sealed, pressurized system. This affects how leaks behave and why charging must be done with the correct equipment and safety procedures.
"and a lot of these vehicles too have rear air, right? So it could be lines going to the back. I know in the Honda Odyssey's that happens too."
They’re using the Honda Odyssey as an example of a minivan where the A/C lines can run to the back. So the leak might be in the rear lines, not just under the hood.
The speaker mentions the Honda Odyssey as an example of a vehicle that can have rear A/C plumbing where leaks may occur. This highlights that A/C leaks aren’t always at the front of the car.
"don't go to any parts place and be like, oh, I'm going to... it has a sealant in it... the sealant will ruin my $10,000 machine... I wouldn't recommend it."
Some products claim they can seal an A/C leak by adding a chemical to the refrigerant. The problem is it can make the system messy or blocked, so a shop may not be able to fix it properly afterward.
The speaker warns against using consumer “sealant” products that are added to the refrigerant to stop leaks. Sealants can clog or contaminate components, making it harder or impossible for a professional to diagnose and repair the system correctly.
"and then we blacklight it, we try to figure out where it's leaking out at... So that's what I would do is I wouldn't do a reseal, I'd just fill it up, put dye in it, put oil in it, and have it blacklighted and figure out where it's coming from"
They explain how shops find A/C leaks step-by-step. The idea is to locate the real problem area instead of guessing and replacing expensive parts.
This episode segment focuses on systematic A/C leak troubleshooting: recharge, add dye/oil, then use blacklight inspection to locate the leak. The goal is to avoid unnecessary parts replacement and reduce repair cost.
"So that's what I would do is I wouldn't do a reseal, I'd just fill it up, put dye in it, put oil in it, and have it blacklighted and figure out where it's coming from, all right?"
They add a special glowing dye to the A/C. Later, a blacklight shows exactly where the refrigerant is escaping.
Adding fluorescent dye to the A/C system allows the technician to visually confirm the leak location under UV/blacklight. It’s commonly used when the leak is intermittent or hard to find by inspection alone.
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Good afternoon and welcome to the car show.
I am Dane Donovan here to answer all of your car questions.
The number to call, 513-749-5500.
That number again, 513-749-5500.
And yes, I am in studio.
Would love to hear from you.
It is a beautiful Saturday afternoon.
Finally, the sun has come out in Cincinnati.
Man, I had the windows down listening to some music and it was great.
Now, my gas light was, well, it wasn't on.
Typically, it's not really good to get your gas light.
I was getting close to needing gas.
It was about 160 miles before I needed gas.
But there's a gas station right across the street from the studio and I filled up.
Now, I do have a diesel truck and I paid, it was, I hate to say, 529 a gallon for diesel.
Oh, 529.
That hurt.
That was painful.
Hopefully, it's just temporary and we can get through this.
And I'm supposed to fly to Houston here in a couple of weeks.
And hopefully, they get these things figured out.
Because they're saying the lines for TSA are three, four hours.
I'll probably just pack up and just go home.
I'm not waiting four hours to get through TSA.
So, man, what a challenge.
But hopefully, it's temporary.
We can get back to our daily lives because that hurts.
But again, I'm taking your phone calls in studio today.
Love to hear from you again.
The number to call 513-749-5500.
It was a very busy week.
We had St. Patrick's Day on Tuesday, right?
Hope everybody had a good time but was responsible.
And we ran into some busy, it's been a little hit or miss.
Some days were a little busy and then other days were not.
For some reason, and again, I've been doing this for 26 years.
And we were able to make it through our repair shops.
We were able to make it through the 2008 financial crisis.
And we were able to make it through the global pandemic.
And now, everybody's getting the pinch right now as well.
And typically, we'll see, obviously, people aren't going to go out and buy new cars
at this current moment because there's a lot of uncertainty.
But in those three, again, this week and then the global pandemic and the financial crisis,
what I see all, I started this week and I'm like, I'm not looking forward to this.
I had several vehicles towed to us that people were trying to resurrect.
So I see this all the time where people are like, hey, I don't want to go out and buy a new car.
But I'm just going to, this car that's been sitting in my driveway for years,
I'm going to try to get it going and start driving it.
And I'm here to tell you, don't waste your time or money.
I had one towed in to one of my shops just yesterday and got it towed in.
It was like, oh, yeah, the tow guy said it might have some type of
squirrel or mouse infestation.
And I'm like, oh, this doesn't sound good.
So he goes, it's been sitting for quite some time.
And we popped the hood and the entire underneath the hood,
the entire engine bay was covered in leaves and debris and acorns and massive infestation.
The car is roughly 20 to 23 years old.
It's white, but you wouldn't know it because it's all just from sitting underneath the tree,
just a massive, and there's already wires you can already see.
Just from popping the hood, you can see wires all chewed up and it's unfortunate.
But the problem is, and I understand that you might want to try to get these things
back out on the road.
But look, I'm here to say, if you have a car that's been sitting outside for years,
or even sometimes, sometimes it can even be months,
there can be significant damage done to that vehicle.
So if you have access to a garage, now I understand that we always have,
I have two cars in my garage, but there's a lot of stuff in there as well with three boys and
scooters and bikes and yard equipment or whatnot.
But if you have an extra vehicle and you can put it in your garage,
please do so because it's especially parking them underneath trees and whatnot.
You're essentially sending it to a shop that, I mean, you just don't know the extent of the
damage. And again, even though it may have low miles, the moisture from the ground will still
rust out the brake lines, rust out the exhaust, and do significant damage to the vehicle.
If you have a car that's, I don't care, it could be 20 years old and only have 10,000 miles on it,
and it's like, oh, that's a great car.
If it's been sitting outside that entire time, it's not.
It's going to be a rusted mess and you can't get parts for it.
And it is a safety concern. And the problem is, even if I get this particular vehicle running,
most likely he's going to drive out of there and one of the brake lines is going to blow
because it's been sitting for so long. And I want to fix everybody's car, but
sometimes these things can be just lost causes. And I don't ever, ever want to waste anybody's
money. And we want to make sure that your car is safe, can be out on the road, and we can get
you back up and running. But again, during these troubled times, and everybody's kind of feeling
the pinch, right? The groceries are expensive. The gas is expensive. A lot of the we're going
on spring break. So we want to try to cut corners. But if you have a car that's been sitting,
if you have a car that's, you know, I'd probably say 10 years or older, and it's been sitting for
a year or plus, I would highly recommend that you try not to get that thing started and get it
back out on the road. Now, if it's been sitting in a garage and you've started it and maintained it,
that's a different circumstance. But if it's been sitting outside, not been run, not been driven
for years. I mean, and then I had a second vehicle that was towed to me, I think actually yesterday
as well. I mean, the tires are blown out there. The tires are 11 years old. They're all flat.
That car won't start. It again has rodent damage. You know, these these things are,
it becomes again, it's a very, very challenging part of what we do. Because again, we do our job
is to fix cars. But sometimes you're, you're, you're bringing me a car that is an open checkbook.
You know, I could start with, hey, we need to do a b and c and it's going to be,
you know, I mean, the BMW right out just putting, putting four tires and putting a battery in it
right there. We're almost at $2,000. And that can't even tell you, I can't even promise you that it's
going to start, it's going to run. It's been sitting for over a year. Tags have been expired for over
a year. And, you know, I, you know, that's $2,000. And that's just to pull it into the bay.
And then, you know, any, anything else that's going on with it, you know, so I understand
that think people are getting, you know, feeling that pinch. I get it. But in my personal,
professional opinion, I, if you have a vehicle that's been sitting for years or a year outside
has been ran, I would not advise you to try to resurrect that thing and put it back out on the
road. It's a safety concern for you and your family. It's a safety concern for other drivers
out there as well. And again, a lot of times, you know, I would, I as a business owner too,
yes, I want to fix these cars, but I don't want to spend $2,000 of this, this, this young lady's
car or money and then turn around and go, Hey, look, it's going to need another 3,000.
You know, so, you know, do your due diligence. If you have a car that you don't necessarily
always drive, you can be in a garage, great. But in even, you know, a lot of people, well,
I'll just throw a car cover over. That doesn't do it. That is useless simply because the squirrels
and the rodents and the mice can still crawl up underneath it and it's still exposed to moisture
and it's still exposed to the elements, right? So a car cover doesn't do you any good. So just,
just think about that. I know again, it, you know, we're feeling the pinch, but we, you know,
it's not advisable to try to get these things back up and running. It is just, it's a lost cause
and I never, ever want to do that to a customer. I don't want to spend people's money and, you know,
unfortunately, you know, if I spend this young lady's $2,000 and the car still, you know, needs
thousands more, it's just a bad situation, right? So she's upset because she spent $2,000 and she
doesn't have a working car. I'm upset because we've just spent $2,000 and she still needs more.
You know, so do your best to make sure that if you have a, you know, it's always nice to have a
second car, but if you do drive it, you know, I would say at least, at least you need to drive
that thing once a week. If you have a second car once a week, it's outside, that's fine, but drive
it. That, that's the best thing for it. These things are not designed to just sit and be parked
and sit underneath a tree. That's not what they're, that's not what they're designed for. They got
to, I mean, even if you could just, you know, not necessarily drive it, but just start it up and let
it run, you know, you got to let it, you know, I mean, it would be like if you, if you laid in bed
for a year and then all of a sudden tried to run a marathon, it's not going to happen.
And again, you're going to spend a tremendous amount of money and essentially most of the time,
most of the time in the 26 years I've been doing this, most of the time when these vehicles come
to me, it's a lost cause and it's never a good combination for anybody, right? Cause I don't
want to waste your money. I want to fix your car, but there's just so much uncertainty because
when these things are parked and they're, they're not being used, a lot of things break. And then
even if in a good particular situation where I can get it started and I can get it fixed,
all the gaskets in that car, you know, they, they, they're not working anymore, right? So gaskets
get hot, cold, hot, cold, they get brittle and then they stop doing their job. So then you start
leaking oil, you start leaking coolant, you got a pressurized coolant system. So, you know,
if you've got a second car, please drive it. Don't just leave it parked. And please don't
leave it under a tree if you can. If it sits outside, at least leave it exposed to some of the
sun and not underneath the tree. Underneath the tree is the worst. So, all right, again,
taking your phone calls, another call, 513-749-5500. All right, coming up, we have, let me see here,
we have Tom, Michael, Charlie and Donnie. You're listening to Car Show on 55KRC, the talk station.
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Do you have a truck, camper, RV, or trailer that needs body repair? If so, call Frank's Heavy Truck
Collision Repair. Located just off I-75 at Route 63, it's convenient to both Cincinnati and Dayton.
With over 30 years of experience, including insurance work and fleet work, Frank's knows the
most important things are quality work and customer satisfaction. Frank's Heavy Truck Collision Repair
prides themselves in doing the job right and getting your vehicle back on the road.
Call 513-829-9030. 829-9030.
All the news and the views of Brian Thomas Monday morning at 5 on 55KRC, The Talk Station.
Taking your car questions again, the number to call 513-749-5500, and I was not looking at the
screen. I was talking about resurrecting old cars, and my first question here is for Tom.
He's trying to restore an 85 Mazda RX, so Tom, welcome to the show. How can I help?
Hi, Dave. I'll tell you what, when I first heard you talking, I thought, damn, that's me.
Well, I wasn't even looking at the screen. I'm talking, and then I look at the first
question, it's like restoring 85 Mazda. I was like, oh, man. Well, here's the deal.
Again, restoring it is perfectly fine if you're willing to invest the time and the money.
The problem is, again, a lot of these people try to resurrect a car, and they're thinking,
ah, a couple hundred bucks, I'll get this thing back up and running. And that's not the case,
especially when rodents get in there. I mean, I've had customers where rodents totaled a car,
and I'm not talking an old car. I'm talking new cars. They get in there, and they destroy
harnesses, and it's just kind of like it sometimes can be challenging. Now, again, if you've got an
older vehicle in the sense of, hey, if that 85 Mazda was garage capped, it runs in drives or whatnot,
but if it was in a junkyard, I think you might be up against a little bit of a challenge.
Right. How long have you had the vehicle? It's been in a garage. It hasn't been driven in quite a
long time. What I was planning to do no matter what is, and I've done this before, is put a new
motor in, and then I'll go up to 10,000 if that doesn't do it, then I'll stop because I'm a hard
head. Yeah. Well, I mean, is that the Mazda, is it a rotary engine? Yes. Yes. All right. Okay.
Well, I mean, and here's what you get up against, too, is sometimes finding parts.
Were you able to find an engine? I know exactly where one is, and actually it's
a company that does a couple of companies that do re-manufactured. Okay. All right. Good. Because
the rotary is a pretty unique. Yeah. No, it is. It absolutely is. And again, it's one of those
things where when you're doing this, you know, sometimes a lot of people do it for
sentimental values, right? Like, hey, it was my dad's, or it was my uncles, or my brothers,
or my mom's, whatever, right? You need help me again. Huh? You need help me again. That's why
I'm going to do it. Okay. All right. Okay. And again, that's, I mean, that's what a lot of us
will do that for sentimental benefit. Or maybe it's like, hey, you know what?
It was my first car I ever owned, and, you know, I want to buy another one and restore it, right?
And that's great. I'm not against that, right? Because we all have, you know, we all have that,
right? I mean, not all have, but some people don't have sentimental value, but some people do.
All I want to do is bring attention to the fact that, hey, look, you know, so many people bring
me these older cars that they don't, they're not attached to, they don't have sentimental value,
right? And they think a couple hundred bucks and we'll get it up and running. And it's like,
man, it's just not like that. Now, something like this, if you dive in, understand that,
hey, look, you know, sometimes you just have to keep your checkbook open because it can get
pricey. But again, if you're all in and you know that's what you want, I mean, I get it. With it
being an 85, it's going to, this is a little bit of a unique situation, right? But like that Subaru,
I mean, it's 25 years old, it's been parked and the guy doesn't have any sentimental value. He's
just trying to get it up and running. And it's like, man, it's, you know, so, you know, I get it.
In fact, I came here on my way here. My dream car is a 2003 Ferrari 360 Medina. I mean,
that's my dream car. And I, the guy was parked right next to me on the way here to the studio,
right? And, you know, they're still extremely expensive, but it would be something that I
would be willing to spend the money on. And, but, you know, everybody has different standards on
what they want. I just want people to understand that, you know, in fact, right before I came here,
I was picking up, I have six oak trees in my yard and those things are dropping sticks, like,
especially as windy as it's been, I had sticks everywhere. So I'm picking up sticks and my
neighbor's like, hey, he walks whoever he goes, hey, I've got a, you know, brother of mine that
lives in, I think, Milwaukee. And so he's got a 2017 Dodge Ram and it needs a module and they,
they, Dodge doesn't have one. You can't get one. What are your thoughts? And I'm like, well,
you know, there's, there's options. There's, there are people out there that can rebuild them.
There are people out there that, you know, you can maybe find a used one, or there's a local
company here in Cincinnati that I potentially, he may have one for, but, and I, and I told me,
he's like, man, it's, it's, you know, it's, it's a 2017 and Dodge hasn't been able to make the part
or replace the part in 10 years. And I'm like, and I told him, I said, I see it earlier and earlier
and earlier and more and more frequent. I mean, I've got cars that are two, three years old.
And, you know, especially after COVID, you still can't get parts on cars. They can't keep up with
demand because these things are failing left and right. So be patient. And I want to hear about
the sink. Send me some pictures. Okay, we'll do. And actually, could we just ask is a,
is a final question. If I brought it over, would you be able to look at it and just say,
you know, this is hopeless, or this is going to cost you 20,000?
Absolutely. And just, just a ballpark, just to, you know, kind of filter it.
Yeah, I'd love to give you my opinion and tell you, right, correct. If it's a lost cause or not,
I'd love to do that. In fact, I enjoy doing that because I, again, yes, my job is to fix cars
and work on cars. But my job is also to give you an honest opinion, right? I wouldn't want my doc,
I wouldn't want to go to my doctor and just go, Hey, doc, do you think I'm going to be all right?
Or, you know, give me your, you know, I want your opinion, you know what I mean? And that's
what I'm here for. And that's, you know, so I'd absolutely, yeah, love that. I'd love to help
you out. And you said it hasn't ran in years. So probably have to get it towed and we'll probably
have to push it in and get it up on the lift. And, and yep, I'd be happy to do that for you.
Not a problem at all. Outstanding. Outstanding. Thank you, sir. Hope to see you.
That'd be great. Thank you so much. Thank you, Dan. All right. Take care. Bye-bye.
You know, I, you know, again, doing this for 26 years, I do
a lot of people, especially with our, our, our business and what we do for our customers and
whatnot, take pride in what we do. Are we perfect in every aspect of the business? No,
sometimes we're all human, right? Some things happen, we make mistakes, you know, but we always
correct them or at least give me the opportunity to correct them. But I truly do a lot of people
respect our opinion and everybody, you know, and, and again, everybody's entitled to their
own opinion, but seeing what I see on a daily basis, a lot of people look forward to or at least
want to get an opinion. And I like to give them and say, Hey, listen, I mean, there's a lot of
times where people buy cars and that's the, and we've talked about this on the show. When you're
buying a used car, especially as expensive as they are, you want to get an opinion, right?
You know, we're, we're buying, you know, none of us would go and buy a house and not have it
inspected, right? Right? And, and, and, and, you know, of course, house prices are through the roof,
right? But I mean, when I, when I bought my first house, I paid, I think I paid 150,000 for it,
right? When I was 21, I was 21 years old, bought my first house. I think the average life or the
average age of somebody who's buying a house stays like 40 or 45 or something like that.
But I was 21 when I bought my first house. It was 150,000. It was a lot for me at that age,
but I still had it inspected, right? Some, some of these cars nowadays brand new, you know,
a new Cadillac Escalade is, is over $100,000, right? Even used, you know, I bought my wife's car.
It was, it was five years old with 100,000 miles on it. I still paid almost 50 grand,
you know? So you want to make sure that you get that inspected, you take it to your mechanic,
you have it inspected, protect your investment. I understand it's a depreciating asset. It's
going to go down in value, but you still want to make sure that you're not buying somebody
else's problems. I can't tell you how many times people, you know, you know, you get a 100,000
mile car and you take it to the dealer and they're like, oh, you need $5,000 worth of work and people
would, sometimes people go, you know what? I'll just trade it in and I'll get a new one, right?
People have that, some people have that financial stability that they can do that and that's great.
But then what they, what do they do? A lot of people think that they put it right back on the
lot. No, they sell to a, an auction and auctions it off. Somebody else buys it and then you end
up buying it and then you end up just buying somebody else's problems. So if you're going to buy
used vehicle, make sure that you get it inspected by somebody, a reputable shop. Doesn't have to
always be Donovan's because that might not always not be the case. You might find one that's down
in Florida, find a shop down in Florida and have it inspected. You know, unfortunately, I know we
got to take a break, but you know, I had a young lady who bought a vehicle from a buy here, pay here
live on Thursday. She spent an absorbent amount of money and, and unfortunately she was swindled
big time in my opinion. And she's, you know, she's like, I'm 20 years old. I don't know what to do.
You know, I bought this car. It's wrecked. Nothing works on it. And now, you know, I'm in this,
you know, she didn't have any credit and, and she's in a pickle and I felt really bad for her. But,
you know, and then, and then she traded her car in and then was responsible to repair what was
wrong with the car that she traded in and then gets a car that in my opinion was in worse condition.
And now she's on the hook for this massive, you know, and it's, it's unfortunate. I, I, I hate to
see things like that. And had we been able to physically look at the car before she purchased
it, I would have been able to save her. But, you know, so just make sure that when you're buying
these cars, you get them inspected. I don't care if it's two years old or 20 years old, get them
inspected. It's important. So, all right, again, taking your phone calls and number to call 513-749-5500.
Coming up, we have Michael, Charlie and Donnie. You're listening to the car show on 55KRC,
the talk station. Way back in 1958, my grandfather opened Donovan's Auto Entire 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 Entire 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.
The best way to wake up in the morning? A hot cup of coffee and Brian Thomas.
Monday morning at five on 55KRC, the talk station.
Taking your car questions and number to call 513-749-5500.
Patiently waiting. We have Michael on the phone. Hey, Michael, welcome to the car show. How can
it help? Yeah, so we've got a 2013 Chevy Cruze and it's already, it's a couple of mechanics.
So, doing 60 miles an hour on the highway and it just stalls. I mean, it stalls like,
you would have thought somebody just turned the key off. Well,
the first time we just replaced the relay and it came, it started back on,
we got 50 miles out of it. The second time we took it to a mechanic and he pulled the
coil pack out of it just to see if it was getting the spark and it was. So, he ended
up not doing anything to it. He just put it back in and it started up again. Well,
that time we got about 200 miles out of it and then it finally stalled again.
We've replaced the coil pack and the spark plugs and since then it has stalled three times
and every time I get out and I wiggle the little plastic connector and it comes back on.
But my dad took a look at the car and he says that it's got a good connection there,
nice and tight and strong. So, what do you recommend?
I'm sorry, what connector are you messing with?
So, the coil pack, the hardest, the female clip that clips onto the coil pack is the coil pack.
So, all you do is unplug it and plug it back in and it starts right back up.
Correct. But my dad looked at it and he's familiar with these things
and he does not believe that it's a bad clip. Like, it's got a strong connection,
it looks good and clean, it doesn't have any rust or any build up, nothing like that.
So, we're wondering if, you know, if you had any good ideals.
So, okay, so as of right now, the only thing that you've replaced is the coil pack.
Right. When we took it to the mechanic the second time that it stalled,
he was going to check and see if it got a spark. So, he pulled the coil pack
and found that it was getting a good spark and he just put it back in.
It just started up. So, he recommended to us, he said you could replace the coil pack and it
might help it, it might not. Well, we did that, we did that and we thought it fixed it because
that time we got about 200 miles out of it. Well, about the time that we started thinking it was
fixed, here it comes again. So, it stalled again and then just because of the work that he did
on the car, it made me think, you know, unplug it, plug it back in and three times it's worked since
then. But I don't imagine you're going to get that off too many times though.
No, no. I mean, you know, and when it stalls, I'm assuming you just coast like,
if you're going 50, you said you're going 50 and it'll just stall?
Well, I mean on the highway, yeah. So, I'll throw it in neutral and the whole
time I'm coasting, I try to start it back up. And is it cranking?
Yeah, it cranks. It literally just sounds like, I mean, I guess it sounds like it wouldn't have
gas or something. Like, it cranks over fine, it's got plenty of battery power. It cranks fine,
it just won't do nothing. Okay. So, all right. And then, when does, does it, will it stall
ever when the engine itself is cold? Not necessarily like 30 degrees cold. I'm just saying like,
if it's been sitting all night, will it fire up every time? It's just, does it stall or quit
when the engine is hot, like normal temperature? Like, you know,
it's never done it when it was cold. Okay. All right. So, what I mean, when you, when you,
when you remove that connector and connect it back, it's a difference of night and day. It
starts up 100% normal. But I'm telling you, if you looked at this connector, it looks like it's
in perfect condition. Well, yeah, I mean, you know, a couple of things. So, we could be dealing with,
it could be, you know, a computer issue, again, and maybe when you mess with that connector,
you know, it's a continuity issue, right? Continuity. Continuity is that you want to make
sure that you have a good, you know, signal that's coming from the computer to that wiring
harness, right? Sometimes they'll break off somewhere. So, when you're wiggling it and when
you're messing with it, it then makes a good connection. So, we could be dealing with a possibly,
potentially, not necessarily completely severed or broken wire, but a connection issue. And then,
when you go to mess with it, you're essentially, you know, causing that, you know, you're,
it's just like kind of like a light bulb when you kind of smack it and all of a sudden it starts
working. Right. So, we could be dealing with a continuity issue. I do know that the, a lot of
times crank sensors, you said your mechanic did say that it has good sparks. So, usually if a
crank sensor has an issue, you know, it's not going to, you know, right? And we also, we also
checked the fuel pressure. So, it's getting plenty of fuel pressure and getting plenty of sparks.
And then my dad, my dad was saying something like, how you say you wiggle it? He was saying maybe
it resets a relay or something. And he wanted to know, do you think it's a good ideal to maybe
replace the relays? No, I don't think it's a relay issue. I wouldn't think it's a relay issue.
Messing with that connector, I don't think it's going to make that relay. I mean, do you think it,
click back? You don't think it's a coincidence that all three times I went back to that
connector and it's all three times it worked. It's got to be something.
Yeah, I mean, yeah, if it like happened once maybe, but yeah, three times leads me to believe
that we may have potentially, again, you said there's no green corrosion or anything like
that in the connector. The connector looks good. It snaps in. So, I would, yeah. Here's,
obviously without looking at it, I think crank sensors are very, very common
on those vehicles. We replace a lot of crank sensors on those. And again, if the car doesn't
know where the crank position is, it's going to, it's going to stall the car. And they're always
going to, they get hot when they get hot, they quit working and the car goes, wait a minute,
we don't have, I'm assuming you don't have a check engine light or any codes, correct?
I was getting ready to ask, do you think that's the code that it would throw if I went up and
got it scanned? Not always, not always. So, I think it'd be worth trying because sometimes it'll,
it may not flag it, but it could be stored in memory where there was a crank sensor issue.
Crank sensors are notorious to quit working when they get hot, notorious. Any car, they get hot,
they quit and then the car doesn't know what the crank position is and boom, shuts the car off.
And then, you know, it could be coincidental. I mean, the fact that it happened three times
leads me to believe it's probably not a crank sensor, but, you know, by you jiggling those wires,
again, we might have a continuity issue where again, you're getting a probe out and you're
checking continuity and you're making sure that you're getting a signal out of the computer
to the connector. And if you don't have good continuity, then obviously you've got a broken
wire and then you're pulling that wire loom off and then you're trying to find that broken wire.
But if I were you before we go into all of that, I would replace the crank sensor. I want you to
start there because if you've got good fuel pressure. Now, again, typically if a crank sensor,
I just, I want you to rule that out. Crank sensors are cheap, they're easy to put in there,
but what I'd recommend is make sure you buy one from the dealer or AC Delco or Delphi.
Don't buy anything on eBay or anything like that or a standard or anything like that. I'm not
knocking that product, it's just AC Delco or Delphi. Yeah, it's something that you can do at home,
they're down, obviously it's down by the crank sensor, you usually just got to pull the wheel off
or so I want you to start there first. Obviously when you have that off, check the connector there
as well because again, you could have green corrosion at the connector and the sensor itself
isn't necessarily bad, but try that first because if you've got good fuel pressure, because again,
fuel pumps too will quit when they get hot, but if you've got good fuel pressure then
I think you need to start with the crank sensor. That would be the next thing I do before we go
into computers and continuity and digging into that needle in a haystack. So try a crank sensor
and then call me back. All right, sounds good. All right, thank you very much. Have a great day.
Yes, sir. Take care. Bye-bye. All right, we're slowly running out of time, but I promise you
we've got Charlie and Donnie coming up next. You'll listen to the car show on 55k or see the
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Going back to the phones, patiently waiting is Charlie and Donnie. We're going to go to Charlie.
Charlie, welcome to the car show. How can I help? Oh, hi, Dane. Hey, thank you so much for
waiting. I do appreciate it. Oh, that's fine. I have a 2026 Honda CRB and I'm just got a quick
question. When should I have the first oil change done? Great question. All right, so
I recently again had the opportunity to buy my first new vehicle at the age of 40 and I talked to,
I bought a Ford and I talked to one of our employees that worked for us that worked for Ford for 30
years. And I said, hey, look, you know, I was always under the impression under the impression
that you should change it, you know, right away because there's metal and breaking and and so
on and so forth. But they, what I found is that they put a special additive in there to help
break in on the engine, right? So I, when I purchased my vehicle, I changed the oil at 5,000
miles. Now, again, he says that there is an additive. Now, I don't know if every make and
model does that, but I think Honda has something. I'm not positive. Yeah. I, you know,
I again, I mean, when I bought my truck, they were like, oh, you know, change it every 15,000
miles, which I'm like, not going to happen. I just, I think it's the most important thing to do for
your vehicle. What I would recommend, and again, he said there, again, there is an additive that
does help the break in process. And what on my truck, I changed the oil at around just roughly
at 5,000 miles, just a little over. Because he says that additive they put in there for the first
time does help with the break in. So I would go five. I would not go based upon, you know, the oil
life. I know that Honda has the oil life. And they're saying like 10% or 12 months.
Yeah, 10%. Yeah. And I, that I would not do that. I just, I never, it's, it cannot hurt the vehicle
to change it prematurely and early. I just, if I were you, like I said, last year I bought my
first new vehicle, I changed it at 5,000 miles. Now I understand that I have a different
perspective or I have a different opportunity to where I can change it myself, right? But
I'm telling you, you want to get the best life out of your car, I would change it at five. I would
not focus on oil life. I would focus on that little sticker they put in your window and change it
every 5,000 miles. That's, you know, five, 6,000 is where I'm happy. I've seen too many engine
problems and issues down the road by going to, you know, you should not be changing oil once a
year. It's, it's too hard on the engine. So I change it at five. That's what I thought. I thought,
boy, a year, that's a long, long time. Okay. Yep. All right. Great question. Thank you so much.
You have a great day. Enjoy the new car. So all right, let's go back to the phones. We have Donnie.
Hey, Donnie, welcome to the car show. How can I help? Hi, you've helped me in the past a couple
times. I'm calling for some advice on my AC system, which is exhibiting low refrigerant
characteristics. Okay. All right. Great. What is it something that you're just having to constantly
fill it up? Well, I don't have it ever filled it. Now, when I retired 11 years ago, I worked at the
green shirt car parts store and met many mechanics who said never touch the refrigerant cans with
stop leak. Correct. So before I pay to have my car recharged, I'm thinking it must be leaking
somewhere. Do I need to have you guys do a whole O-ring replacement on all of the connections?
No, no, I wouldn't advise that. I mean, that's going to be too costly, too expensive.
What I would recommend. So typically what we do in most repair shops now, you know, that
I just actually bought a new machine. I think it was almost, it was almost $10,000. But what we
typically do, we'll, we'll hook it up and the machine will do its thing. It'll suck down what
any Freon's in the system. So let's just say, you know, your system holds a pound of Freon,
right? So our machine is going to hook it up, suck down what's in there. So let's say we pull
a half a pound out, right? Okay, so it's half empty. And again, Freon's a gas, right? So there's no
way that you can like just check the level. You have to hook it up to a machine. That's the proper
way to do it. And then what we do is then, okay, you know, we put your half pound back in, and
then we put the other half that you need in in order to get it to operate. Now, what we do,
again, Freon's a gas, and it's, Freon is always under pressure. If your car's parked on the side
of the street, or you're driving it, or you're using it, it's always under pressure, no matter
what. So it's going to leak, you know, it could be leaking as we speak, right? So yeah, what we do
then again, because Freon's a gas, we then, we don't know where it leaked out at, we don't know,
you know, and a lot of these vehicles too have rear air, right? So it could be lines going to the
back. I know in the Honda Odyssey's that happens too. So what we'll do is we'll do, we will do,
we will put in a fluorescent dye, and then we typically will have you come back. So we'll
fill it back up, we'll put that dye in there, we'll put oil in there too, because the compressor's
a small engine, it actually has pistons in it. We'll put an oil in there for the compressor,
we'll put a fluorescent dye, and then fill it up, proper level, make sure it's all working. And then
normally we'll recommend that you come back in two weeks, two to three weeks,
we don't charge you for that, we charge you for the Freon to put that in and that whole system.
And then we'll have it bring it back in about two or three weeks, we don't charge you for that,
we'll just get it back up in the air and we'll black light the system and try to figure out
where that fluorescent dye is leaking at, right? So okay, but I wouldn't do a whole
reseal because it would be very, very expensive and extensive, and I think you would open up kind
of a can of worms. So just get it done professionally. Yeah, please don't get it, I call it a, you know,
don't go to any parts place and be like, oh, I'm going to, when you, you know, when you get those
cans of, I call it like a, it's like a cannon and it's like a bomb for your Freon system,
right? Because it has a sealant in it. Yes, it's designed to seal the system, but the problem is if
you do that and then you bring it to me, there's nothing I can do with it because that sealant
will ruin my $10,000 machine and then, you know, so it's, it's, it's, you know, probably in the
cars, I wouldn't recommend it. I just get it professionally done and it doesn't even, you
don't even have to bring it to me, it can be anywhere, but that's the way I would properly
handle it and that's the way to go, that's the way to go about it. And we're getting into,
we're getting into AC time of the year, so that's how I would handle it, but just have it checked out,
fill it with oil, make sure they put oil on it, make sure they put a fluorescent dye in it,
and then we blacklight it, we try to figure out where it's leaking out at and then that way we
were able to determine exactly where it's leaking at. The other thing that I would tell you too is
and a lot of people, you know, a lot of people times bring their car to me and we fill it up and
they're like, hey, you guys fixed my AC last year and now it's not working again. Well, we didn't
fix anything, we just filled it back up, right? Same concept as a, you put air in an inner tube
and you got a whole, you don't know where it's leaking out till you fill it up, right? And there's
so many components, right? You got an AC evaporator, you got the AC condenser, you got the AC compressor,
you've got the lines, you know, so there's a lot of components and sometimes people are like,
well, can you just replace it all? I mean, we can, but man, it would cost you thousands. So
that's what I would do is I wouldn't do a reseal, I'd just fill it up, put dye in it, put oil in it,
and have it blacklighted and figure out where it's coming from, all right? Where it's leaking out.
All right. Thank you so much. I appreciate your patience awaiting. So great questions.
Everybody have a great week. I will be back next Saturday to answer all of your car questions.
Again, you can check us out at DonovanTire.com. Three local locations. Find your nearest one
at DonovanTire.com. Thank you so much, everybody. Again, enjoy this wonderful weather and I will
be back next Saturday to answer all of your car questions. Everybody be good, take care of yourselves.
Love you. We'll see you next week. You're listening to The Car Show on 55KRC, the Talk Station.
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