A point-of-sale system is what a business uses to take payments and keep records of what was sold. Auto shops use it to help manage invoices and customer transactions.
Tech Metric is computer software a repair shop can use to handle things like billing and customer orders. It’s not a car part—it's more like the shop’s “cash register + management system.”
The speaker says she drives a 2010 Honda CR-V (CRV). The CR-V is a compact SUV known for being practical and long-lived when maintained, which is why it’s often chosen as a dependable family car.
A hybrid uses gas plus electricity. That usually helps you get better gas mileage, but you still want to pick a hybrid model that’s known to be dependable.
The Toyota Prius is a hybrid, meaning it uses both gas and electricity to help save fuel. The host is saying that if you’re going to buy a hybrid, the Prius is the safest choice because it’s been done well for a long time.
The Honda Pilot is a bigger family SUV. The point being made is that you shouldn’t wait for the car’s “oil life” warning to come on before changing the oil.
Oil life is the car’s way of telling you how much life it thinks your engine oil has left. The host thinks it’s safer to change oil sooner rather than waiting until the car says it’s almost time.
An oil change interval is how often you’re supposed to change the oil. The host is saying the longer interval the dealer suggested wasn’t what they trusted, so they changed it sooner.
This is a collision repair shop that works on trucks and other heavy vehicles. The ad says they handle body repair and have experience working with insurance and fleet vehicles.
Fleet work means repairing vehicles used for a business, like delivery or service trucks. These customers usually want quick repairs and consistent quality. The ad is saying the shop has experience with that kind of customer.
An aftermarket warranty is a warranty you buy from a company other than the car maker. The rules can be different—what’s covered, what’s not, and how claims are handled. The host is basically saying to compare it carefully against a warranty backed by the manufacturer.
This is extra warranty coverage that comes from the car’s manufacturer, not a third-party company. It can help pay for certain repairs after the original warranty runs out. The host is recommending you ask the dealer what extended coverage the factory offers.
A factory extended warranty is extra protection you buy from the car maker. It helps pay for certain repairs after the original warranty ends. It’s different from some third-party warranties that may be harder to use.
Most new cars come with a warranty that lasts a set time and mileage (like three years or 36,000 miles). While it’s active, repairs that are covered should still be paid for. The point is you don’t necessarily have to go to the dealer every time to keep the warranty valid.
Carfax is a history report for a car. It can include things like service and inspections that were reported. Having records on it can make it easier to prove the car was maintained.
Oil records are proof of when the car’s oil was changed. Regular oil changes help protect the engine. If something goes wrong later, having those records can help explain that the car was maintained.
Oil needs to be changed regularly to keep the engine clean and lubricated. The host recommends doing it sooner (around every 5,000 miles) instead of waiting for the car’s reminder.
If the battery is completely dead, the car doesn’t have enough power to start or even wake up properly. Newer cars can get confused if you try to jump or charge them the wrong way, so it’s worth doing it carefully.
A 10-amp charger charges the battery more slowly than a high-amp jump starter. Slow charging can be safer for the battery, but you still need to make sure it’s the right type of charger for the situation.
A 50-amp boost is meant to give the battery a big quick power push so the car can start. On newer cars, you have to connect the cables correctly and follow the instructions, because wrong connections can cause problems.
They’re worried that trying to jump or charge the car might cause extra issues. Newer cars have computers that watch battery voltage, so if the battery is weak or the jump is done wrong, the car can record warning codes or behave oddly.
A glass-mat battery (often called an AGM battery) is sealed and uses a special material inside to hold the battery fluid. It’s designed to be more durable, but it still wears out over time.
A dry cell battery is a sealed battery that you usually don’t have to refill. Even though it’s “maintenance-free,” it can still go bad if it’s old or if the car sits and the battery gets drained.
Jump-starting is when you use another battery (or a booster) to get enough power to start the car. It can work in a pinch, but if the battery keeps going dead, it usually means the battery is aging or being drained.
“Operating temperature” is the engine’s normal heat range where systems work efficiently and the charging system can properly replenish the battery. Short trips or infrequent starts may not fully recharge the battery, especially if it’s already weakened.
Car batteries don’t last forever. In some places, they commonly need replacement after a few years, especially if the weather is tough or the car sits unused.
Some things plugged into the car can slowly use up the battery, even when the car is off. If the car sits for a couple weeks, that small drain can add up and leave you with a dead battery.
The host describes a scenario where removing the battery wiped the screen and required dealer reprogramming. This highlights how some vehicles store settings and calibration data in modules that may need to be reset or re-flashed after battery replacement.
A jump pack is like a portable battery that can start your car when the battery is dead. Instead of waiting for a tow or another car, you connect it and crank the engine. It’s a quick, practical tool to have around.
AAA is a roadside assistance organization that provides services like towing and jump-starts when a vehicle breaks down. The hosts contrast waiting for AAA with using a jump pack to solve the problem immediately. This highlights the practical time-saving value of owning one.
A dead battery means your car doesn’t have enough power to start or run normally. Sometimes it’s just the battery being old or drained, and sometimes it’s because the charging system isn’t working right. When power drops, screens and other electronics can act up too.
The alternator is what charges your car’s battery while the engine is running. If it’s not working, the battery can run out even if you just started the car. That’s why a bad alternator can cause repeated “dead battery” problems.
This is the name of the auto repair shop being advertised in the episode. They’re emphasizing they’ve been around a long time and focus on honest repairs. It’s more about the business than car technology.
Concept
engine oil vs parts cost
The speaker argues that routine maintenance (grease and oil) is cheaper than repairing worn components. This is a common ownership principle: preventing wear through lubrication and timely service often costs less than fixing the damage after it happens. The episode frames it as a “misled public” problem—people may delay maintenance to save money but pay more later.
Term
crackcase held eleven gallon
This refers to the engine’s crankcase capacity—how much oil the engine holds. Oil capacity matters because it affects how quickly oil degrades and how much contamination the oil can absorb before it needs replacing. Even with a larger capacity, regular oil checks and changes are still important.
The speaker references a Dodge Ram equipped with a diesel engine, using it as an example of how owners may add products to manage diesel characteristics. It’s a common real-world scenario: people try additives to reduce noise or improve drivability.
In this context, an additive is a product added to the engine or fuel system to change behavior—here, to help “quiet” diesel operation. Additives can sometimes help with specific issues, but results vary and they’re not a substitute for proper maintenance.
A brake fluid flush replaces old brake fluid with new. Brake fluid can pick up water over time, and that can make braking feel worse and be less reliable.
A coolant flush replaces contaminated or degraded coolant to keep the engine’s cooling system working efficiently. Fresh coolant helps prevent overheating and corrosion inside the engine and radiator.
A tune-up is general maintenance aimed at restoring engine performance and drivability, often involving items like spark plugs, filters, and ignition/fuel system checks. Skipping it can lead to symptoms such as rough running or misfires over time.
A misfire is when part of the engine doesn’t fire correctly. It can make the car shake or feel weak, and it can eventually cause bigger problems if ignored.
The speaker’s core point is that driving without sufficient engine oil can cause oil starvation—loss of lubrication to critical engine parts. Without lubrication, friction and heat rise quickly, leading to catastrophic engine damage and the need for an engine replacement.
Conventional oil is the more basic kind of engine oil. It usually breaks down faster, so you have to change it more often to keep your engine protected.
Synthetic oil is a higher-tech oil that usually lasts longer. The idea is that it stays effective for more miles, so you can typically change it less often than conventional oil.
If your radio gets static, it can sometimes be caused by the car’s ignition system creating electrical noise. The host is saying that changing ignition parts can help confirm whether the problem is related to spark/ignition.
Spark plugs create the spark that starts combustion in your engine. If they’re worn or related ignition parts are failing, they can sometimes cause electrical issues like radio static.
Instead of one ignition source for multiple cylinders, some cars use a separate ignition coil for each cylinder. That design can change how the ignition system behaves and how much electrical noise it produces.
The timing of when the problem happens matters. If it only shows up when the car shifts up at low speed—and goes away when you press the gas and it shifts down—that often points to the way the transmission is controlling gear changes.
The transmission is what changes gears so the car can accelerate smoothly. If the problem happens right when it shifts, it often means something about how the transmission is operating or how healthy the fluid is.
A drain-and-fill is when a shop (or owner) removes some of the old transmission fluid and puts in new fluid. It’s often done to improve shifting if the fluid is old or dirty.
Some cars have a transmission filter that helps keep the fluid clean. If the external filter hasn’t been changed yet, it could still be clogged, which can affect how smoothly the transmission shifts.
On an automatic, the torque converter is part that transfers power from the engine. If it “shutters,” the car can feel like it’s jerking or shuddering for a moment.
When transmission fluid remains dark or contaminated even after several changes, it suggests the problem may not be solved by draining/refilling alone. Common causes include ongoing internal wear, incomplete fluid exchange, or restrictions (like a clogged filter/cooler line) that keep circulating dirty fluid.
Current draw is how much electricity the lights use. If the lights pull a lot of power—especially when the van is off—they can drain the battery faster.
LED lights are the accessory lights they added to the van. Even though LEDs are efficient, they can still use enough power to drain a battery if they’re wired or switched in a way that keeps drawing current.
“Jump the thing” means using another battery (or a jump starter) to get enough power to start the car. It can help you get going, but it doesn’t always tell you whether the charging system is working. You still need to check if the battery stays charged after starting.
When the engine is running, a healthy charging system usually makes the battery voltage rise above normal “resting” levels. Around the mid-14 volts range is often a sign the alternator is charging. If it’s much lower, the battery may keep dying.
A clamp-on current meter is a tool that measures how much electricity is flowing. You can clamp it around a wire instead of cutting anything. It helps you tell if the car is charging the battery correctly.
A lead-acid battery is the classic type of car battery. It stores electricity using lead plates and a chemical inside, and it’s what many older vehicles used. It can wear out faster if it gets drained too much or sits in hot conditions.
The speaker’s experience—needing a battery roughly every two years—highlights how battery wear can become a recurring maintenance issue. It also suggests the importance of diagnosing root causes (like charging voltage, parasitic draw, or battery type suitability) instead of only swapping batteries.
Brand
dura ass
They’re talking about a battery brand and how it might be made by the same company as other brands. The point is that the label doesn’t always mean the battery is completely different inside. What matters most is the battery type and how well it matches your car’s needs.
Brand
durro cell
They’re comparing two battery brands and suggesting they may come from the same factory. That means the brand name alone might not tell you everything about quality. Battery type (like AGM vs lead-acid) and fit for the car can matter more.
AGM is a newer style of lead-acid battery. Instead of a liquid you can slosh around, the battery holds the liquid in a special fiberglass material. It usually lasts well and is designed to work better with today’s electronics.
LIVE
Those are winds.
See you the w first stepping out of temple keeping brother Bedem with the song on the reggio.
I gotta keep a baby a song and maybe want to roll my windows down and close. Good afternoon to
welcome to the car show.
On fifty five KRC. I'm Dame Donovan here alive in
studio taking your car questions. I'm gonna call five one
three seven four nine fifty five hundred. That number getting
five one three seven fifty five hundred. Uh, it's uh
here in Cincinnati. It's kind of a gloomy, rainy day.
Uh. But I was out for the last two weeks.
My boys had their spring break, which we had the opportunity to go down to uh Nashville, Tennessee and say at the Gaylord. Uh, if you've never been, I highly
recommend it. It's expensive, just about just about as expensive
as everything else. Uh, but uh, you know, the boys
had a good time. They have an indoor water park
and stuff like that. So we did that, and then
I was in Houston, had to fly out a you know, we drove down to Nashville, did the whole spring break thing, and then Wednesday I flew out to Houston, UH for a work conference.
So our point of sale system.
So if anybody who that listens to me and has a repair shop or maybe looking at buying a repair shop and wants to use a in my opinion.
A awesome product.
Our point of sale system is called tech Metric T E K.
M E T R I C. Tech Metric. That's what
we use.
Man, it it is mind blowing, what I mean. We
got on with them six years ago in twenty twenty, and they had just developed it. They had just they
are a brand new company in twenty eighteen, so I mean they were brand new, you know, they were only two years running. And man have they come along tremendously.
And so they put on their first conference down in Houston, and man did they They certainly impressed me.
They did a phenomenal job.
So again, if anybody out there that's listening, that has a shop or maybe thinking about buying a shop or maybe switching shop software, your point of sale system, I highly recommend tech Metric. Now I am not paid by them,
I'm not endorsed by them, but we use it every single day and it's a phenomenal product.
You need to look into it. And they do an
outstanding job.
And the the conference itself was I thought most of it would be about the product. I already know most
of the product itself, so I was like, oh, you know, maybe it's just a refresher, but no, it was. It
was about you know, you know, new products that they're unveiling and you know what, you know, building up yourself and your company and your product. And I was, I was,
I was really really impressed, and they did a phenomenal job.
So again that was again spring break, and this work conference is why I haven't been here in the past two weeks.
So I do apologize, but I can only be so many places at one time.
So all right again then i'mbern call five one, three, seven, fifty five hundred.
We're gonna I'm gonna go straight to the phones. Right now.
We have Karen. Hey, Karen, welcome to the car show.
How can I help?
Well, I thank a million. You know, I've never called before.
I listened to you all the time. I'm like one
of those geeks.
You know, Yeah, well, thank you for calling. How can
I help?
Yes?
Yes, so my husband I drive a twenty ten CRV okay, and my daughter needs a car. So my car is
sixteen years old. It is an absolute perfect car.
I love it.
And so I'm going to give her my car. And
so we're looking for a new car. So I tried
I've tried different cars out and so I've tried, you know, the Subaru, the Toyota, the ramp for the Corolla, crossbar, the Chevy, I can't remember what it was. And then
I went to Honda and I drove the CRV and you know it, I'm sleeping CRV. You know, it feels
really comfortable, the body feels right and so but my my problem is I was wondering I drove a gas and I drove a hybrid. I just don't know enough
about it, like you know, to get a hybrid or you know.
I mean, I just wanted to hear your expertise.
Absolutely so great question. So I've always been I've always
been a Honda guy. I've always liked their product. They
are Hondas are a great product. Okay, So you cannot
go wrong with the CRV. So if you're comfortable with it,
you like it. And again, you have a you know,
you have a sixteen year old CRV.
Now it did you? I'm assuming it did you very well.
Oh it's a perfect car. I mean, and that's why,
you know, I got granddaughters that are sixteen seventeen. They
need a car, and it's like, you know, you know, I know it's a good car, and never're looking for.
A used car.
And I was like, oh, you know, so I can what so I'm happy.
To do it.
Yeah.
So, I mean, you know, I I you cannot go wrong with the CRV hands down, you can't go wrong with it. If you're gonna do hybrid, the only hybrid
that I would recommend.
Would be the Toyota Prius.
Okay, you know they they have absolutely mastered and perfected the Prius Hybrid. Those things are I mean, I just
bought one from a customer. She you know, it needed
a bunch of work, and I mean it had two hundred and ten thousand miles on and you would have thought it was a brand new car. So Toyota has
mastered the hybrid. When it comes to the Prius, I
really don't like we've we've seen other issues with you know.
I mean, granted, Toyota has a hybrid Highlander, they have a hybrid Ciena. We haven't really seen those because they
kind of unrolled those. But the Prius has really really
proven itself. But I'm not hybrid kind of guy. I
like the I like the thought of being able to turn the key and hear the engine running, you know.
In fact, one of my employees one time, I said, hey, can you pull this car in? And he was he
was new to the industry, but he goes, hey, man, the car won't start. I'm like, what do you mean,
I won't start? He goes, it won't start. I go there,
I'm like, no, it's a hybrid, buddy. I'm like the
you know, the engine doesn't start until you start rolling.
So if you're gonna do a hybrid, I do the Prius.
The problem the the issue with the PRIs though, is at some point it depends on how long you're going to keep it. You know, the hybrid batteries eventually go
bad and depends on how much you know, how long you're going to keep it, how many miles you're going to keep it. The hybrid batteries are very expensive. They're
you know, upwards of five thousand dollars to replace. Now
you know you won't have to deal with that, you know, until it has probably one hundred and fifty two hundred thousand miles, but that is something to fact are in.
But I think I think you hit a home run buying the CRV. That's that. That would be my pick.
Okay, okay, yeah I didn't. I see it and and
it's like, you know, I'm seventy five years old, so I mean, I'm planning on, you know, keeping this car.
I mean, we don't turn over our cars, you know, we just drive them. And and that's but hitting driven though,
I was like, Wow, should I do the hybrid or the gas? You know? And I was leaning toward the guess,
but I just thought I needed an expert answer.
Sure, yeah, really, yeah, you're you're very welcome. You know.
Again, I like, I like the CRV. I would go
with the gas. They have perfected that. I don't like
the Honda hybrids. I would if you're gonna do hybrid
only Prius, but Toyota Prius. But you can't go wrong
with the CRV, So I'd go gas. If it was me,
That's what I would do, okay. And then the other
the other thing that I want to say, and I mentioned this, Actually a customer talked to me yesterday. He goes, hey,
I've got a brand new Honda Pilot, and Honda says they won't change my oil until it has a fifty you know, until the light comes on, says fifteen percent oil life. I really don't recommend that you wait till
fifteen percent oil life. It's we you know, it's just
not good for the you know, I recently had the ability to buy a new vehicle, first one.
I'm forty years old, first vehicle I ever.
Bought brand new, and you know, they told they told me when I bought it, They're like, oh, you can change it every fifteen thousand miles. And I'm like, well,
I'm not doing that, but so I changed mine every five thousand.
So I'd recommend you.
You know, it's looking at that little sticker up in the window and just changing it in every five thousand.
And this gentleman got his first free oil change and they they he has like six thousand miles and like, we won't change it because it's you don't have fifteen percent oil life.
I just I don't recommend that.
So if you buy a new just even if they're like, hey, we won't change it, just pay for it and get it done. It's you know, it's it's so important to do,
and it's so inexpensive to, you know, get the longevity out of these vehicles.
So yeah, so here's another question. I got right, Do
you hit time for me to ask the second question?
Yeah, so I I do? Can can we can you
hold for just a moment and then we'll bring you back.
I gotta take a short break. Okay, all right, thank
you so much. Karen.
All right, taking your phone calls and thenber call five one three seven fifty five hundred. That number gain five
one three seven five hundred. We're gonna finish up with
Karen later, uh, after the break and uh and then we've got George coming up.
He's got a battery issue.
So you're listening to the car show and fifty five KRC the talk station.
This is fifty five KRC, an iHeartRadio station.
Do you have a truck, camper, r V or trailer that needs body repair? If so called Frank's Heavy Truck
Collision Repair located just All five seventy five or Route sixty three. It's convenient to both Cincinna and Date with
over thirty years of experience including insurance work and fleetwork.
Franks 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 get in your vehicle back on the road. Call five one, three eight two, nine
ninety thirty eight two nine ninety thirty.
It's Glenn Beck weekday mornings at nine oh six on fifty five KRC, the talk station.
It's Glenn Beck.
But right now it's Dane Donovan here to answer your car questions. Uh here on fifty five KRS. So here
every Saturday from one to two. Again, I apologize. I
was out of town for the past couple of weeks or two weeks, uh Nashville and Houston. So it was
a busy week. So we had a great time. But
I want to go back to the phones. Karen, thank
you for holding. What was your other question that you had?
Okay, so when you buy a new car, my old CRV I was catered for sixteen years and I stayed with the dealership on it and they kept my records, you know, and all that. So I'm warning and everybody said,
you're not. You know, it's way more expensive, blah blah blah.
Could you advise on that.
Like, sure, absolutely, So one thing, if you're gonna buy a new car, first and foremost, I tell people all the time, if you're going to buy a new car, ask them if they have the option for an extended factory warranty. Not aftermarket warranty, a factory warranting and extended
factory warranty. So when I bought my new vehicle myself,
I asked, hey, do you have an extended factory warranting and they said, yeah, we do. We can extend it
up to one hundred thousand miles. And I said, I'll
you know it was. It was an extra eight grand,
but it covered me up to one hundred thousand miles.
So I would I would recommend that because these vehicles are very I know, it's a Honda Cervy. I bought
a four truck. I didn't buy anything fancy, it's a
four truck. But I really think in today's world it
would be beneficiary. Now, I would not recommend buying any
type of if they're like, no, we don't offer that, but we have this aftermarket warranty. Do not buy that.
Those are they're scams, okay. And I tell people when
they buy used cars. Don't buy them. They're scams. I
and most repair shops don't take them. I don't take them.
But as far as you know, I would get that.
And then you know, if they don't offer it, and you're like, okay, fine, most manufacturers are three year thirty six thousand miles okay, And a lot of people have their pre you know, they think, oh well, I have to go to the dealer because I'll avoid my warranty.
And that's not the case.
Okay again, three year thirty six thousand mile warranty on your vehicle. You can take it to the dealer and
anything that's broken will be covered. After that, you don't
have to go back to the dealer. You could bring
it to me. You can take it to Bob down
the street.
Who I mean.
I would obviously recommend going to a reputable shop like every you know, all of our shops we report to carfaxts, so everything that we do goes on your Carfax report.
Everything if we just bring it in for checking your tires goes on your Carfax report. So if there is
something down the road where there's an issue and Hannah's like, hey, you know, we need to see all your oil records or something like that. It's gonna be on your carfax report.
But we can we can always print it out. I
mean you can't. We always save everything. So a lot
of times people think that they have to go to the dealer it's good or it's gonna avoid their warranty.
And that's that's simply not the case. As long as
there's a trail of showing that you've maintained the vehicle and you've changed the oil regularly early, that's really all you need. But and and it also goes back to
why I recommend, you know, changing the oil every five thousand miles, That's what I recommend.
If you want to go five six thousand miles.
You know, that's where I want you to be at.
Honda always wants you to you know, hey, wait till it says fifteen percent oil life.
I really don't.
And and you know, and again I've talked about this all the time. It's not because you know it's like,
of course you're gonna say that, Dane, you sell oil changes.
But I'm telling you I changed about oil on my vehicle every five thousand miles, not because you know it.
I see so often these cars come in with no oil on them because the way that they're designed today, they burn oil, you know, so just change it every you know, focus on that sticker and change it every five to six thousand miles. That's it's the best thing
that you can do. And I mean they are really
low maintenance. That CRV is going to be low maintenance.
I mean you're not going to have to do anything to that thing till at least thirty thousand miles. So
I go with the CRV. That would be my recommendation.
But uh, you know, you don't have to stick with the dealer as long as you have record of it.
And again, if you have, if you go to a reputable shop and just ask them, like, hey, do you report to Carfax?
You know that way?
That way just in case, you know, you throw the receipt in your glove box or maybe you put it with some papers and you lose it or whatnot.
You've you've got that paper trail.
So yeah, perfect, same thing.
It's been.
It's a pleasure talking to you, and I really appreciate your expertise. And I live I live in fort right,
so after you know, well probably come see you.
You're very welcome.
I appreciate the phone call, and then you call me anytime you need advice. I'll be more than happy to
help you out. That's why I do this every Saturday.
Okay, all right, I love you and I love your music.
By thank you bye. Uh. That's what I do this
for every Saturday.
Uh, you know, just trying to help people out, give them the best advice.
I don't have all the answers.
I have a lot of the answers most of the answers, and I have twenty six years experience in this industry.
But you know, when I was down, when I was down in Houston, I there's things that I that I learned, you know. And that's the thing about this industry is,
you know, you always you have to continue to evolve with the vehicles and the tools and the equipment and invest in your customers, in your in your employees because it's an ever evolving industry and you just got to continue to adapt and improve yourself. And that's what it's
all about. And that's what that whole you know conference
was about. So all right, let's go back to the phones.
We've got George. Hey, George, welcome to the car show.
How can I help?
Thank you for calling my taking my call down. I'll
have a little problem with my grandson's twenty twenty two Masa.
The battery is completely dead. It don't turn it a bit,
and i'd like your opinion advice. Years ago, I worked
on these old cars, not these newer ones. It's so
highly technical. I have a battery charger that's a ten
am and also with a fifty amp boost to just jumpstart the car. But I see on the iPad that
this could create more problems than I got. How do
you see it, sir?
Great question? So, yeah, a lot. It's a what was
a what year making model?
Was it?
Again?
I'm sorry?
Twenty twenty two Masa four cylinder?
Okay, do you know if it has a dry cell battery like a glass matt battery?
No, sir, it's completely sealed.
It's okay, okay, No, I I don't I don't see that you'll have any issues. I mean, we use just
a you know, when we need to jump them or something like that, we use just a standard jump you know, twelve fold jump back. But uh no, I don't see that.
I don't see that there'll be any issues with that.
So I mean you said, it's like there's just no How long was the car sitting, sir?
Ways away? I try every week to start the car,
take it around the neighborhood for maybe three quarters of an hour. It's not ensured. I got coverage online to
take the car out, and I run the car to get it up operating temperature and to try to avoid such a situation. But I hadn't started in two weeks,
and uh two weeks ago it started. Fine, no fubt
me whatsoever.
Well, you know the thing is is with batteries too.
You know, I can and test the battery today and it's you know, it could be dead as a doornail tomorrow.
So I mean, the average life of a battery in this region, it says you're a Mason, Ohio. The average
life of a battery in this region is only three to four years. You know, it's a twenty twenty two.
It's I'm assuming it's an original battery. Correct, Oh, yes, sir, okay,
anything plugged into the cigarette light or any GPS or anything like that.
No, that's what I look for. I'm looking for anything
that could be drained in the battery. I don't say
anything okay, cool draining. I had the battery placed on
the twenty fifteen. I had GMC with the Triple A
and they they unhooked the battery as wise, I wanted to start up myself because one my other car. When
they put the battery in there, it wiped my computer screen out. And that's what I was worried about that Mazda.
If I go trying to charge the battery, whether it affect my computer screen on that Masta.
Now, no, it's no, it should not. No, it should
not on your on your Honda. What did what did
it lock it out because it needed a code?
GMC Oh, GMC, Oh my GMC. Well what it did?
It wiped my screen. I had to take it to
the dealer to get the screen reprogram They took the battery out of the car and that put the new battery in there, and after they didn't have no screen and I had to take it into the shop that had the same fixed. So I have my computer screen
like that. That's why I was concerned about charging that
battery on that.
No, no, you won't have any problems. You won't have
You'll be appreciated. Yeah, you'll be fine. You'll be fine,
all right, call me back on an update, thank you.
Uh yeah, that's the thing about these vehicles too, you know, in that particular situation, he could have I'm not saying he did, but you know, sometimes just a little bit of a jolt or you jump it backwards. You just
got to make sure that when you're jumping a vehicle, you know, black to black, red to red, if you're jumping in you know, there's so many devices out there.
You know, you can go on Amazon and buy a jump pack for fifty bucks. It's so small. You can
keep it in your glove box and if you get yourself into a pickle, you know again red to red, black to black, and you know you'll be fine. But
some a lot of time, not a lot of times.
Sometimes people jumping backwards and it does a lot of damage.
So you want to make sure if you're jumping your battery, you know again red to red, black to black, or i'd excuse me, I'd recommend getting a little jump pack on Amazon.
They're fifty bucks.
You can plug it in at home, leave it in your glove box or your your trunk, and you know, just in case in that particular situation, so he can you know, get back out on the road. So it's
it's important. They're so easy, and they're so cheap, and
they're really user friendly. So you know, if you know,
we've got Mother's Day and Father's Day coming up, any birthdays or anniversaries might be something to think about to get them a little jump pack because it could save you a tremendous amount of time. You know, a lot
of people go, hey, I got a dead battery. I'm
gonna wait three hours for Triple A to show up before you know, I can get there. Save a tremendous
amount of time. So just again, they're like fifty bucks
and a good one, a decent one, you know, the one I've had. The one we use is more like
an industrial one. It's like two hundred and fifty bucks.
But we use ours all day long. And my guys
they beat it up quite a bit because it's they'll have you know a lot of times of a vehicle has an alternator that's you know, out and we need to pull the car in, and then they go to they have it hooked up in order to get the car pull in, and then they go to hit the brakes and the things slides off. The underneath the hood
onto the ground, and so you don't want to use mind, but you know, something to something to think about. But
you know, again, typically as long as you don't jump at backwards and again red to red, black to black, you'll be fine. Shouldn't cause any you know, electrical malfunctions.
So I don't typically see that.
So I'm not quite sure why his screen went out, but you know, things do happen when the batteries go dead.
So all right again, take your phone calls and I'm gonna call five one, three, seven, four, nine, fifty five, one hundred coming up. We have Leo and Paul taking
your car questions. So you're listening to the car show
on fifty five kr C, the talk station. Way back
in nineteen fifty eight, 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 every it needs and nothing it doesn't because as a family owned business with our name on the wall, integrity matters. From nineteen fifty
eight 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
dot com.
The place for Brian Thomas in the morning. Fifty five KRC,
the talk station.
Taking your car questions again the number to call five one, three, seven, four nine fifty five hundred.
Yes, I'm in studio one of the college just called.
It is Dandon Studio. Yes, again, I do apologize.
Spring break with the with the Boys, and then I was in Houston for a work conference, So I do apologize.
If anybody would like to come in here and take over the show for me and you know, help me out, You're more than welcome to. Maybe I can request Tony Bender. Yes,
maybe he can come in and help me do the show on Saturdays. That would be That would be great.
I think that's where we need to start. That was
my producer's suggestion. So all right, Uh, let's go back
to the phones. Wat waiting patiently is Leo.
He Leo. Thanks for holding on. How can I help?
Yes, I just wanted to say that your daddy taught you well. I cannot stress enough that grease and oil
are cheaper than parts. Had a whole lot easier to
install the mileage. I'm a retired trucker in the school
trade mechanic. I didn't keep up with all the latest equipment.
But when I was running my big trucks over the highway trucks, I changed oil every ten thousand a mile, but the crackcase held eleven gallon. I wow. I checked
the oil every every fuel stop and change oil every ten thousand miles. Kind of ended up changing all about
once a month. But uh, and I'm old school. I've
lightened up a little bit on the small automobile pickup engines that for for many many years I preached change every three thousand mile. I'll go along with you on
the five thousand. But but but no more. Grease and
oil are cheaper than parts and a whole lot easier.
Absolutely absolutely, I yeah, no, I appreciate the phone call.
You know.
It's now you know it's it's it's the uh, it's it is. So I feel like a lot of it's
just the general public being misled.
Now again, people might like people might be on.
The backside of the devil's advocant, and you're like, oh, of course you're gonna say recommend change because Dane, that drives up.
I mean, you can do whatever you want to do.
But what I'm telling you do and in your advice, My advice to you is, if you want to get the longevity out of your vehicle, the simplest and easiest thing that you can do is just make sure you're changing your oil or at least checking and making sure it's full. You know, we we've really gotten away from that,
you know, we we become complacent because when I when I was talking that Karen earlier, you know, Hannah's like, oh, fifteen percent oil life that you know, people tell me all the time. I'm like, hey, you do for an
oil change, Like, oh no, I don't. I still have
you know, five percent to go. Well, you don't have
five percent of oil left in your car. There's no
oil in your car, you know. So that's that's where
I have a you know, a big issue with this whole you know, focus on the light and you know, not focus on the sticker. I mean, it's it's the
life blood of your vehicle. It's so important that you
do it. And you know, again I had stated earlier
in the show, you know, when I bought my new truck.
They're like, oh, change it every fifteen thousand. I'm like,
I'm not doing that. There's no way I'm doing that.
So it's it's just important and you know, there are there are atoms out there that you can help. I
had a gentleman that has an Eco diesel on his Dodge Ram and he had some type of it wasn't motor coat, but it was kind of like some type of additive that's supposed to quiet the diesel down or whatnot.
So I mean additives, I do believe work. I don't
have a recommendation on an additive. I just I'm just
a big component on just hey, making sure it's full and making sure you change it regularly, and you know, the things will last very you know, because as you know, car prices aren't going down, they're going up.
Everything's going up.
So you know, protect your investment, spend you know, one hundred dollars on an old change and.
Do it just regularly. That's the best thing that you
can do.
You know, if you if you miss a break fluid flush or a coolant flush, odds are it's not gonna blow your car up. You miss a tune up, Okay,
it might have eventually have a missfire, but you're not gonna blow it up. You drive around for an entire
year and don't change your oil, and it has and there's no oil in the car, you're gonna blow it up and it's gonna need an engine, you know. So
it's just it's it's just so simple, and I just feel like we've gotten away from it, and the general public, in my opinion, is misled by when they should do it.
And again, if you're if you're using a conventional oil like you had stated earlier, you know, three thousand miles is where you need to be at. If you're using
a synthetic or a full synthetic oil, five thousand miles is where I want you to be at if you want to extend it to sixth grade. But understand that, uh,
you know, you tell somebody change your ole every three typically, what do we do? Know? Most of us, most general public,
they're gonna go five or six. Right, You tell somebody
go five thousand miles, they're gonna probably go about ten.
You tell somebody once a year, they're gonna probably go every other year they change your oil. So you know,
we always tend to push those limits. But you know
these cars are you know, fifty sixty seven. You know
the average price of a car today is fifty thousand, fifty thousand dollars. I mean, protect that investment and just
spend one hundred dollars every five thousand miles and change your oil and make sure you're checking the level and just make sure that it's full. You know, it's it's it.
We just need to get back to basics.
I understand that cars have cars have advanced tremendously in our industry, tremendously, Right, you're not doing a tune up till one hundred and twenty thousand miles. But in my opinion,
oil has not advanced as much as these cars have.
And I think going back to the basics and just making sure that we're changing that regularly.
Is a no brainer. That's I mean, that's what I
preach all the time on the show.
And uh, there was a couple of weeks ago a fellow called in, I was having a problem with static sound in the in the radio and changed spark plug wars. Now, now,
back in my day, I'm not fooled with the years since they went to the individual cores per cylinder and then back in UH in my day, the UH they called him radio suppressed, which was basically a piece of thread dragged through graphite and that, and if you handled them much at all you would break that. You would
end up with the with the statics out. But when
when we was hot rotten and that, we went with a straight copper wire spark plug wires. Of course you
had the had the static in the in the radio, but you knew that you had a good spark going to your spark plug.
Yep, yep.
All right, well, hey listen, Leo, I gotta get I got I got a couple more, a couple more callers.
I really do appreciate it. Great questions.
So we're actually, uh, I actually have to take a short break, but uh, just it's real quick.
Two minutes.
So Paul, Neil Kathy, I promise you I'll get to you here. Give me a minute and we'll answer those
questions for you. So you listen to the Car show
on fifty five KRCD talk station.
Do you have a truck, camper, r V or trailer that needs body repair. It's so called Frank's Heavy Truck
Collision Repair located just off I seventy five or Route sixty three.
It's convenient to both Cincinnati and Date.
With over thirty years of experience including insurance work and fleetwork, Franks knows the most important things are quality worker, customer satisfaction, Frank's heavy truck collision repair, prize themselves, and doing the job right.
And get in your vehicle back on the road.
Call five one, three eight, nine ninety thirty eight to nine ninety thirty.
Taking your car questions and we've got to go back to the phones right away.
Dane Donovan here helping Paul. Hey, Paul, welcome to the show.
How can I help.
Twenty ten onto CRV. Every once in a while, you
get it's like a shutter from the transmission. It's i'll
call it kind of a medium frequency shutter, and it seems to happen, happen when it manages to shift to a higher gear at lower speeds, and because as soon as you touch the accelerator, it'll, you know, it'll downshift and the shutter goes away. You know. She this is
actually my daughter's vehicles at two thousand and nine till just before Christmas and gotten an accident, wrecked that one.
So we've only hit this one since January. I did
do when we picked it up. It's got one hundred
and about one hundred and seventy thousand on it. I
did do it three times, drain and fill with the transmission with new fluid. I haven't changed the external filter yet,
but that's on my list of things to do to it.
H Well, you said you've changed you since you bought it in January.
You've done three times, you've done to drain and refill. Yeah,
and is it a is it a standard about new fluid?
It's I mean, I.
Mean it's an automatic. But is it like a is
it a CVT? No?
Okay, good, it's a nightmare.
Okay, all right, I'd avoid those like to.
I do not like to see.
Nobody has been able to build a good CBT transmission.
Those things are a nightmare. So ah man, uh so,
I'm going to ask you a silly question. But sometimes
people will identify a like a transmission shutter or or you know, or what people will identify is it's slipping based upon a misfire. You don't believe it's a misfire.
No, there's no it's it. Uh No, I don't believe
it's the engine. Then there's no I mean, there's no
codes that are set well.
Sometimes those coils will break down and they can so a lot of times. Again, some people will identify a
missfire as a transmission slipping or shuttering, vice versa. There
could be a transmission shuttering and it's you know vice you know again vice versa.
So uh, I mean I'm assuming you to be.
More associated with, you know, with a changeing like I say, with the transmission. I think being in a higher gear
at a lower speed, and it's it's like it's you know, it's not it's not lugging, but you know it it's it will briefly shutter until you know, you do something with the trotle like back out of it or or increase of thritle, and it'll you know, it'll either shift gears or unload the unload the transmission.
Did you when you replace the fluid, did you use Honda fluid or like an aftermarket Yes?
Okay, you did?
Okay, Well, I mean I think you know, I don't.
It sounds like it's it's a torque bot torque converter shutter.
You know.
My wife's car does it too, and I've changed that fluid so many dagone times. You know, if you've changed
that fluid three times and it still hasn't changed, I mean, how did the fluid look when you when you changed it the first time?
Was it was it like oil or yeah?
Okay, it wasn't quite black, but it was it was on the dark side.
Yeah. Hondas are notorious too. I mean they're they're kind
of you know, they're kind of finicky. At like thirty
thousand miles, they really wanted to have that that transmission fluid chain. So I mean, I think it might be
and I'm not you know, we don't do a ton with transmissions, but I think you've done. I think you've
covered all your bases on changing that fluid, and I think it's I.
Don't know that there's much more that you can do.
Again, I'm not really a transmission specialist, but there might be somebody out there that could offer you something better.
I mean, we use Ridge Transmission. It's right next door
to us. You can maybe call them and maybe see
if you can get any recommendation from them. But I mean,
in all honesty, uh, you know, Hondas have a screen.
You said that there was an there was an external filter.
There's an external filter.
Is it a spin on filter?
No, it's it's got two nipples on it and hoses.
It's it's in the circuit that goes to the to the in the bottom of the radiator.
Well, I mean, I mean, I i'd probably you know, maybe your next step has changed that just maybe you know it's so plugged up, you know it's it's it's depriving the transmission of a fluid. So I mean, I
think that would be your next step.
Uh.
But you know, sometimes if it's a my wife's car when I bought it with one hundred thousand miles high of tor converse shutter and it still does it to this day, I just can't get rid of it.
So I just we just deal with it. But I
would change that filter.
If it has an external filter, I would change that, and then you call me back with an update. But
I think you've covered all your bases as of now.
All right, all right, take care, thank you. So all right,
let's go back to the phones real quick. We've got Neil. Hey, Neil,
welcome to the car show. How can I help?
Hey Dane, how are you?
I'm doing well? How can help you?
Can you hear me on this connection? Yeah, okay, great.
I've got a twenty seventeen Nissan in the thirty five hundred van. I bought a brand new It's not been
any trouble other than every two years, I got to put a battery in it. And I'm wondering if is
that just normal or is the fact that I added two strings of LED lights in the back of it affecting that. I actually did a current draw on the
LEDs and each string is pulling seven amps. But I
just didn't have any light in the back of the van and we needed for work, right and you know, it shuts off when the lights shut off, and one or two times it didn't, so we added a switch and we keep the thing off unless we need it.
I'm just wondering if two years is excessive.
I think so? Yeah, Yeah, I was, Yeah, I think
so absolutely so. I mean the average life of a
battery is three to four years. I mean we I
mentioned that earlier in the show. I mean three to
four years is standard life on a battery. So yeah,
I think two years is excessive. Now how many? So
how many total bats to seventeen? How many batteries have.
So every two years, you've put a battery in this thing.
I'll tell you what happened. After three years, the battery
died the first one. So I put a battery in
that would have been twenty twenty and then it wasn't more than maybe twenty six months later. I had to
jump the thing and I measured the up. I had good,
good fourteen and a half volts whatever coming, and I've got clamp on current meters and I could tell it was charging. And so I said, screw it, I'm out
on job sites. I need this. I'll put another battery in.
And I did, and I try to stick with the name brand batteries.
I don't Okay, Yeah, what kind of battery is it?
Is it?
Is it a lead acid or a glass matt?
Yeah, they're lead acid batteries. And then uh uh.
It was.
Just short of two years later that battery.
Uh was letting me down.
You know.
If I got to put a battery in this thing every two years and that's the worst I have to do, I guess I'm getting I guess I'm pretty lucky. But still,
what it is right now, I have a door of cell in it okay at this point, and I don't know if that's a good battery or go.
I mean, there's there's only like three or four actual manufacturers in the country that even make batteries. So you know,
you know, if you buy a dura ass or a durro cell, they're probably made me manufactured in the same plant.
You know.
What what I would maybe suggest is going to a glass mat. They they're just a they are more expensive,
but they're supposed to help, you know, maintain all the electronics and all the modules and all the computers. I mean,
most of all your new cars nowadays are all glass matt and you can and a lot of people don't realize, like, hey, if the car came with a lead acid, you can go to a you can go back and forth.
It's not like you can't do that.
But the AGM, it's called an AGM, or it's it's you know, it's a glass mat.
It's a dry cell battery.
Again, they're a bit heavier, they're a bit more expensive, but all of your new cars today, all of your new cars.
Today are all on the AGM glass mat.
So I if the next time you need one, or if you need one now, I would go with a a GM and let me know, let me know.
You know again, it's okay to move up to that.
Yes there is added cost, but that's the way I'd go, all.
Right, ply on this thing for my livelihood. Do you
have to have time for another short question?
I do not.
I have dot music going on. I got to roll
out in fifty seconds to call. I'll be back next Saturday.
Call me back, all right, Kathy. I'm thank you, Kathy.
I'm so sorry. Please call me back next week. I
promise you that you will be the first one in.
I'm sorry. I I'm out due to time. So uh,
Kathy so much, and everybody, all the callers, thank you so much.
Everybody have a great splendid week. Stay away, stay indoors
and away from the pollen.
I know all my kids are uh are taking all their allergy medicines this week, so again, thank you so much.
I'm Dane Donovan Donovan's Auto entire Center here to answer all of your car questions.
Everybody, have a great weekend.
If you're listening to the car show, I'm fifty five KRC, the talk station
About this episode
Dane Donovan fields live car questions while sharing travel updates from spring break and a Houston work conference for his shop’s point-of-sale system. The big advice centers on buying and maintaining Hondas: he strongly recommends sticking with a gas Honda CR-V over hybrids for long-term ownership, and if choosing hybrid, he only trusts the Toyota Prius. He also pushes oil changes every 5,000–6,000 miles instead of waiting for “oil life” percentages, warns against aftermarket warranty scams, and tackles battery dead-start issues, transmission shuttering, and LED-related electrical draw.
This episode of the Car Show features Dane Donovan answering listener questions and sharing his expertise on various car-related topics. He discusses the importance of regular oil changes, recommending to change oil every 5,000 to 6,000 miles, and warns against waiting until the oil life percentage drops to 15%. Dane also talks about hybrid cars, recommending the Toyota Prius as a reliable option, and shares his experience with a customer who had issues with a Honda Pilot's oil change schedule. Additionally, he offers advice on battery maintenance and discusses the benefits of using a glass mat battery.
