Your car’s A/C is what cools the inside of the car. On extremely hot days, it may not cool as fast or as much as you expect, even if it’s working properly.
Ambient air temperature just means how hot it is outside. A/C has to work harder when it’s hotter outside, so cooling results can change with the weather.
Spark plugs are small parts in a gas engine that create the spark that starts combustion. If they get worn out, the engine can run rough or lose power.
A “tune up” is a maintenance visit to get your engine running right again. In many cases it includes things like replacing spark plugs, not just checking your tires or brakes.
A vehicle inspection is a check to make sure important parts of your car are safe before a trip. It’s more than engine maintenance—it can include brakes, tires, and fluids.
Tires are what keep your car stuck to the road. If they’re worn or damaged, your car can handle worse and stop less effectively—so it’s smart to check them before a long drive.
Term
fluids filters
Fluids and filters help keep the car’s systems clean and working properly. Before a long trip, it’s a good idea to make sure the right fluids are at the right levels and the filters aren’t clogged.
A fuel line is the part that carries gas from the tank to the engine. If it leaks, you can smell fuel and it can be a fire risk, so it needs attention.
A braided metal line typically refers to a fuel or hydraulic hose/line reinforced with a braided outer layer for strength and durability. The host is asking whether the leaking component is that style, which affects sourcing and repair options.
The host is emphasizing that the fuel line is under high pressure, which affects what repair methods are safe. That’s why they caution against using generic rubber hose without proper fuel-rated components and secure connections.
A return line is the path that sends extra fuel back instead of using it. They’re trying to tell whether the leak is on the supply side or the return side.
The fuel rail is a metal “distribution bar” that holds pressurized fuel and feeds it to the injectors. If a line feeding it leaks, the engine can’t get the right fuel safely.
A Jeep Cherokee is an SUV. Here, the person has a 1998 model and hears a rubbing noise in the back, so they’re trying to figure out whether it’s something like the rear axle/differential or related parts.
Term
four Leader
They’re talking about four-wheel drive, meaning the car can send power to all four wheels. That helps it grip better when roads are wet, snowy, or rough.
A rubbing noise often means something is scraping or dragging. Since the person says it’s in the rear, it could be a problem near the rear wheels, brakes, or axle parts.
The rear differential is a part in the back axle that helps the two rear wheels turn at different speeds, especially when you’re turning. If it’s worn out or damaged, it can make loud or rubbing/grinding noises from the rear.
A wheel hub bearing is a part that helps your wheel spin smoothly. When it wears out, it can make a rumbling or groaning noise, especially as you drive or slow down.
A stethoscope can be used like a mechanic’s listening tool to find where a noise is coming from. The technician listens to different parts while the car is running to figure out which component is making the sound.
Term
pinpoint
To “pinpoint” means to figure out the exact spot that’s causing the problem. In this case, it’s about finding which part is making the loudest noise.
A rear bearing is a small part that helps something rotate smoothly at the back of the car. If it starts failing, it can make loud noise and can break down enough to send metal bits into the fluid that lubricates the drivetrain.
Gear oil is the special fluid that lubricates the gears in the drivetrain. If metal debris gets into it, it can act like sandpaper and cause more damage inside the differential.
A drive line specialist is a mechanic who specializes in the parts that send power from the engine to the wheels. If the noise is coming from the rear drivetrain, they’re more likely to know exactly what’s failing and how to fix it.
A “third opinion” is the idea of getting an additional independent diagnosis when you receive conflicting repair recommendations. In drivetrain noise cases, different shops may interpret the source differently, so a third assessment can help confirm the true failing component before repairs.
It means fixing the parts that send power from the engine to the wheels. Mechanics rebuild those parts when something inside is worn out or making noise.
Hub bearings help the wheel spin smoothly. When they wear out, they can make loud noises and sometimes the wheel will feel loose or move more than it should.
The Bristol Bullet is a special sports car made in very small numbers. People bring it up because it’s known for being tough and long-lasting compared with many other cars. The podcast comment suggests it’s built to handle hard use.
The Ford Fusion is a regular passenger car (a sedan) meant for daily driving. A 2018 model with about 80,000 miles is at the stage where you start paying closer attention to routine maintenance and any problems that show up with age. People talk about it because it’s common and practical, so owners learn what to expect.
A class action lawsuit is when lots of people with the same problem team up to take legal action together. If it’s mentioned with a car issue, it usually means other owners have seen the same kind of problem.
An actuator is a motor-like part that physically moves something when the car tells it to. If an actuator in the transmission system is failing, replacing it can fix shifting problems without needing a full transmission replacement.
Ground wires provide the electrical return path for sensors and control modules. If ground connections are corroded or loose, they can cause erratic behavior—sometimes including transmission control problems—so fixing grounds can resolve issues that look like major mechanical failures.
LIVE
Bohm jotting down.
There in.
Sec the pos down shit today.
Good afternoon, and welcome to the Car Show on fifty five KRC Talk station. I'm Dane Donovan in studio live
taking your car questions. The number to call five one
three seven nine fifty five. That number again, five one
three seven fifty five hundred.
Yes, I am in studio.
I want to wish every all the all the dad's out there happy Father's Day. And it's a it's a
it's been a busy weekend. Busy well I shouldn't say
busy weekend, but it's been a busy week Uh. Got
a lot going on at Donovan's and you know, well, uh first and foremost, you know, I just want to thank our customers and and uh you know we right now are it's just absolutely just hammer time. We are
just getting pumbled. And you know, our customers at Donovan's
are are some of the greatest people.
Uh, you know, we.
We do our absolute best to get to everybody's needs, right and but and we've we've talked about this on the show many times. You know, I want people to
get their cars in as early as possible because I mean, it's it's seasonally. I mean, we kind of get dumped
on about May June when everybody's taking those summer road trips, and uh, you know right now we're backed up almost two weeks, uh to try to get in you know.
And I had a gentleman call Friday afternoon said, hey, my son's in town.
And I did is.
I you know, while he's in town and his car looked at Monday morning, and I'm like, I got a two week backlog.
You know.
It's so it puts it puts a lot of pressure on the rest of my employees and the technicians, and and then and then and then it's you know again for those who you know, we're diligent about scheduling, scheduling in advance. You know, it's not fair to put them
off because of their you know. So you know again, uh,
at Donovance, we have the best customers, we really do.
But understand that we are doing the absolute best that we possibly can. But understand that if you think that
you if you know, most of us plan accordingly when we're doing we're going on vacation. Now. I understand sometimes
there's a family emergency and and you got to go.
But if you are listening to me right now on this Father's Day weekend. And you know you're going on
a trip in July or August. Schedule your vehicle. Now,
schedule it in advance. Okay, that way. Two things. One,
you know, nobody we don't want to do, you know, thousands of dollars worth of work to your car, brakes and tire odds and tires or whatever, right, and then you just hop in and go right. You want to
get it in. You want to make sure that it's
inspected properly. You want to make sure that the work
is done efficiently and not rushed. Right, and then you
know you want to give it a couple of days before you go, you know, on vacation, right, if you you.
Know, let's let me put it this way.
If you were I'm gonna use a simple analogy here, if you were gonna get your knigh replaced, right, would get your neigh replaced and then and then next weekend run the Boston Marathon.
Now, you wouldn't do that because you need rehab.
You need to make sure everything's good to go, make sure there's no issues, no problems. And uh so it's
just you know, it's something that we want to get to everybody, but we can't get to everybody at the same time because then it just it you know, it's it's just it's it's too busy, right, So just think about it. If you are going on to vacation in July,
if you're going on vacation in August or September, now it's the time to get it in, get it looked at, get it inspected. So nobody, whether you bring it to
Donovan's or any other shop, you want to make sure that you have time to drive that car and make sure that there aren't any underlying issues that maybe were missed or you know, maybe you know, I don't know.
It's just something that you want to do, so everybody benefits.
You benefit because you get your car in and you know it's ready to go, it's roadworthy. We benefit because
we're able to get it in, get it looked at efficiently, have enough time to do so, and get it back to you and then you have time to drive it.
Right.
That's just something that we all want to do, and we don't want to try to cram your car in just real quick on the last minute thing, because that's what mistakes happen. Right, and we don't want to do
that At Donovans. We don't want to do that. No
mechanical wants to do that. So we want to make
sure that we give you, the customer, ample time to get the car in, get it looked at, get it fixed, drive it. You know, you know, at least a couple
of days, maybe a couple of weeks before you go on your long road trip. Right. So it's it's it's
a it is crunch time. It's busy, uh for those
of you out there as well. You know it right now,
it's gorgeous outside, it's beautiful.
You don't.
I had the windows down, no AC, just had the windows down, and uh, but now would be a good time again to to turn that AC on and find out whether or not it's working. You know, we we
usually I'm telling you, it's it's like clockwork. That that
very first like ninety degree day. It's about ninety where
everybody meets their breaking point. That's about when everybody says,
I need to get my air conditioning looked at and fixed, because that's when you get in the car and it's one hundred and ten degrees and you're like, you know, you're just dying. So we're rapidly approaching that. We've almost
got there a couple of times this week. So again, Pop,
you know it's nice out, you might have the windows down, turn the air conditioning on and see if it's working right, and if you feel that it's not getting as cold as it should now Again, typically air conditioning operates at twenty degrees below ambient air temperature. Right, So if it's ninety,
it's gonna cool your car down to seventy. If it's
seventy degrees, your car is gonna go down to fifty degrees, right, So understand that. A lot of times too, people are like, oh,
it's one hundred degrees outside, man, my AC is not working.
It is, but it can't keep up because it's too hot. Again.
Typically, most air conditionings will operate around if you use a thermometer, they'll usually operate at twenty degrees below the ambient air temperature, that outside temperature. Okay, so understand that
because a lot again, again, we get a lot of people to come in and say, hey, my air conditioning's not cooling. It's not cooling, uh quick enough, not fast enough,
and you know the freewon's work and everything's working, and it's like, no, it's it's working perfectly fine, it's just it can't keep up because of the temperatures. So those
are again if you're going on a road trip in the in the near future, and you I would recommend this anytime, whether it's in the middle of the winter or middle of the summer. If you're traveling, you want
to make sure that you give your car a good checkup.
Now, a lot of people typically.
What we get a lot of too, is like, oh, I need to tune up well in the in most people associate that word as hey, I need my car inspected. Right,
So tune up in our industry is making sure that you have at least when I started, you know, you made sure that your cap, your road or your wires, your buttons, you know, cap, road, a wire, spark plugs were all replaced, right, But all of these vehicles nowadays have spark plugs that last. I mean, you have platinum
spark plugs that last. I mean they're recommended. Most manufacturers
recommend a tune up at one hundred and ten thousand miles. Now, again,
one hundred and ten thousand miles is when you should replace the spark bugs. That in the industry is what's
called a tune up. Now, a lot of times you'll
see like your AC and your furnace companies, you know, hey, you know forty nine to ninety nine tune up on your on your furnace. It's a little bit different in
the automotive industry. Okay, So when make sure that you
when you bring your vehicle into having inspected to say, hey, listen, I'm gonna take a long road trip. I would like
to have my vehicle inspected to make sure that it's roadworthy and that everything, every component in the vehicle is working.
That I don't need tires, that I don't need breaks, that maybe any fluids filters, things like that. Right, So
make sure if you are going to go on a long road trip, you state that to your mechanic, Hey, I would like to have a vehicle inspection or a safety inspection or a trip inspection, because I'm going to go on a long road trip and I would like to have every component on my vehicle checked so that I know that it's safe for the road. Okay, if
you go into your mechanic and just say, hey, I need to tune up and leave that's that, you know, there's nothing we can do with that. You have to
make sure that you explain to them, Hey, this is my intentions. This is what I'm gonna do with my vehicle.
What I'm gonna do is I'm gonna take my car all the way to Colorado, so I would like to have it properly inspected, make sure that it is safe for the road. Okay, So make sure you know, a
lot of times there's always that breakdown when you take it to your mechanic. You know, so often we get
people come in and just say I need a tune up and okay, well, and at Donovan's we asked those we asked those questions, why do you think you need a tune up?
Well, you know, I'm.
Going on a long road trip and I want to make sure it's safe for the roads. Okay, all right,
Well that's not a tune up, that is a vehicle inspection.
So you want to make sure that you articulate that to your mechanic. That way they know exactly what they're
gonna do.
Because if you.
Take your if you bring your car to me and you're gonna take it out across country and you just go oh I think I need a tune up and you leave.
Well, I don't you know.
We can't operate in that manner because what are we gonna inspect the breaks the tirods that, no, we're not, because a tune up is specifically in the automotive industry, it's typically making sure that the car is properly tuned in the sense of replacing sparkplugs. Okay, So make sure
that when you bring your vehicle to any of your mechanics, you articulate that to them. And you know a lot
of times too. Noises, right, people have we all the time,
We spend countless, countless hundreds of hours a year trying to find noises.
And what happens is.
They're not explained to us properly in the sense of their like, oh uh yeah, let's just check the suspension.
I got noise.
Well okay, well, you know we again, you need to articulate when's the noise happening. Hey, listen, I have a
noise at about forty miles an hour when I hit a bump on the highway. Right, we want to make
sure that we articulate that and make sure that we tell our mechanic because I think I think most people think that if they give if if we give donovance or we give our mechanic less information, it's gonna cost us less. That's the mentality that most people have. It's like, oh, well,
I'll be very vague that way, it doesn't cost me more, when it's actually the opposite, because if you tell me you bring your car to me and say I have a noise, check the suspension, now I have to spend more time investigating that, which costs more time, which costs more money, which costs you more money. Right, So you
want to make sure that you're giving your mechanic all of the information that you possibly can't. Hey, I have
a noise in the morning when I'm backing up, when it's cold and it's been the car's been sitting for three days. That's when I hear this noise. And it's
only when I'm backing up and I'm coming off my curb.
You want to give your mechanic that information. That way
we can okay, okay, now we can narrow it down right.
And again, a lot of people have the mentality of if I give them the least amount of information, it's gonna cost me less, when ultimately it's the opposite, it's gonna cost you more because it's gonna I'm gonna spend more time trying to.
Delve into the noise that you have.
Right, So it's always critical that you give your mechanic all of the information that you possibly feasibly can right understanding that, hey, if I if I give him all this information, my mechanic is going to spend less time diagnosing, which is going to cost me less, not the opposite.
Okay, So it's very important.
You know, it saves us immense amount of time when you give us all of the critical information you have when it comes to air conditioning ac uh, you know when you're going on a trip, and what your intentions are.
With the vehicle, what do you you know that that those.
Are critical things that we need to know and all across the industry. That's not just tit Donovan's, it's it's
across the industry. So it's critical, it's important. So you
want to make sure that your car performs at one hundred percent. Making sure that you identify exactly the issues
and the problems that you have will save you money.
It will save you money. And as you know, out.
In today's standards, nothing costs less. So giving those vital information,
all the vital information you possibly can about what you want and what your intentions are with your car, saves you money.
It's important, So all.
Right again, taking your phone calls and number call five one, three seven nine fifty five one hundred that number again five to one, three seven, four nine fifty five on our get phone lines are wide open.
Love to hear from you. Coming up. We have James.
You're listening to the car show in fifty five car see the talk station. This is fifty five KRC and
iHeartRadio station.
Do you have a truck camper r VA a 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 Cincinnati 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 getting your vehicle back on the road. Call five one, three eight two thirty eight
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Your opinions are welcome to here fifty five krc P talkstation.
Taking your car question. Is the number to call five
one three seven four nine fifty five hundred. Sorry I
was a little bit late there. I was talking to
my boss, Tony Bender, great guy. Uh for those of
you who don't know who he is, he's a legend around here, one of the legends. There's many, there's many
a legends around here, but Tony's one of them. So
I consider him a great friend of mine. And uh, sorry,
we were we were chit chatting. So all right again,
taking your phone calls a number call five one, three seven nine fifty five hundred. Let's go to the phones.
We have James. Hey, James, welcome to the car show.
How can I help?
How are you, mister Donovan?
I'm good, sir. How are you very good?
Happy Father's Day to you?
I bet thank you. Two thousand and.
Six, every Colorado with a two point eight just had the time chain that supposedly jumped the Sprocket replaced for CITs a ton of money. Now we have a fuel
line that's leaking. It's not the one that comes from
the tank. Three quarters of the way to the engine.
It's part of it that I guess it's coming up from the transmission area up the side of the.
Motor that's leaking.
And he says he can't find anyone that's making that part anymore, so he's thinking of doing it by hand with all the little stuff that you might have to do whatever. Is there any type of a rubber hose
that we can use to make it a little bit cheaper?
Yeah?
So is it a braided metal line? The fuel line?
Really, I can't say.
I don't know much about it.
Okay, so a lot of the times, Yeah, when when that happens and you can't get the part with it being a little bit older, I mean, it's what twenty years old, So obviously they're not gonna make it. You know,
you've you've got two options typically there are well you've first option is obviously you could try.
To and this isn't When it comes to a fuel line, you know, it's got to be high press. Is it
a is it.
A feed line or a return line or a that like, is it a feed line?
I mean, is it feeding a fuel to the fuel rail.
That's what I think I'm thinking it is.
Yeah, Okay, so it's it's pressurized, so you want to make sure you, I mean, rubber is not really you If you do rubber, you could you know, you could potentially cut the part that's leaking and flare the line and use a fuel line hose and use some clamps.
Because it's obviously it's going to be under a tremendous amount of pressure. You could do that obviously used as
an option as well. Now again I I don't. I
wouldn't recommend it because obviously that thing's just gonna be.
It's gonna be as it's twenty years old.
Uh.
The other option is there are a lot of companies out there.
I don't know. Oh man, I can't.
I think it's you'll have to don't quote me on this, but I do believe like Cincinnati, he's called Cincinnati Hydraulics.
Now it's again it's hydrauls.
But they can typically if you bring them the line itself, they can usually manufacture one in house. Now typically, again
they don't quote me on this. I don't know if
they would do fuel line. I know that they do
hydraulic lines.
Uh.
There are companies out there that will make you a liigne.
But you're gonna have to bring that line to them.
You know, you can't sit there and say, hey, I have a two thousand and six shavy Colorado, I need a fuel line melee. They're not gonna be able to
manufacture that. There are companies out there that will make
that line with the typer I'm sorry, with the you know, tapered ends and the proper fittings and.
The right pressure and so on and so forth.
So but again, you're gonna have to take that line off and and and find somebody that can manufacture it. Now, again,
in the past, a lot of hydraulic lines and stuff like that against CINCINNTA. Hydraulu has always helped me with that.
But I don't know if they I don't know particularly if they would do feel lunges. But there's somebody out
there that can make that line. But you're gonna have
to find that company and bring it to them. But
I don't know of anybody off the top of my head.
Have you tried.
Have you tried at all? Like Amazon or anything like that,
just you know, believe or not. I buy We buy
a lot of parts off of Amazon as well, because a lot of times you'll find manufacturers out there because, uh, you know, people I don't I don't think a lot of people under realize this, but I do believe percentage wiz.
I think I don't know, like thirty percent or seventy percent of everything that's sold online as people that are making stuff in house and at home and they're selling it out of their garage and selling it on Amazon.
So you could try that, but.
You know, there's somebody out there that could take care of you and get that line fixed, but you're gonna have to probably most likely get it to them in order.
To be.
Okay, all right, very welcome. Uh huh, you take care,
but bye. You know that's that's the thing is a
lot of these older vehicles. Now I'm I'm you know, Uh,
I say it every It seems like I sound like a broken record, but I'm gonna say it every every week.
If you have an older vehicle like James that and it's no six right, and you may there might be a part that you can't find. I promise you it's
worth the investment to find someone that can make it or build it or fix it or repair it.
Uh.
It's far better to do that than by these newer cars today. I mean, it's just I mean, I have
a I have I think I talked about it two weeks ago and I'd still sitting at my store. It's
a twenty twenty four Buick. I think it's a Buick Encore.
I think it's an SUV and customer brought it in for complaint with a vibration. Well, the vibration is the
right front break is locked up, okay, the break coast internally fails, okay, And with it only being two years old, there's nothing in the aftermarket world that is available right now, okay.
And the part itself is on national back order with no release date, meaning GM can't produce.
Enough to you know, to provide it.
And it's apparently it's only the right front break coast that fails. That to me, I'm a little bit dumbfound
and I don't understand why. But it's the right front
great coost that fails. You can't get one. It's on
national back order. They can't produce enough of them, right.
So I just I can't fathom, you know, spending seventy sixty seventy thousand dollars on a car and two years later at twenty thousand miles. You can't drive the car
because you can't get parts for it.
It's that you know.
Unfortunately, I'm not picking on any of them, but you know, all these manufacturers do everything they possibly can to make it as cheap as possible. A lot of its government
regulation as well. You know, as far as fuel economy,
all these cars burn oil because they have to use the cheap you know they have. So you know, if
you have an older vehicle, and I'm not saying it just because I work on them, I'm telling you keep what you have, especially if it's older, because what they're making and what is coming up. You know, all of
you know and understand. Like you know, you buy a refrigerator,
you for those of you who've been around for sixty seventy years, you know you would buy a refrigerator and it last ye thirty years. Or you buy a furnace
it last year twenty five years. Nowadays, what do you do?
You buy a washering or dry it last year about five years, and it's more expensive to fix it than it is just to replace it and get a new one. Right,
same as your refrigerator, same as your furnace. And that's
exactly how they're making vehicles. Now, you buy a furnace,
it's gonna probably call you costume, maybe fifteen fifty, ten twelve.
I'm not in the I'm not in the business. But
ten twelve, fifteen thousand, you know, repair it. You know,
refrigerator's gonna be you know, a couple grand. Your washing
dryer is gonna be a couple grand in five years when they break, you throw it away. And that's exactly
how they're making vehicles Today's exactly. I mean, it's I mean,
it's it's so you know, as soon as you had planned obsolescence, right as soon as you buy, as soon as you get that car paid off, it's got all kinds of problems and you can't afford fix it, and you just junk it and get a new one. So
if you've got an older car, you know, I would say two thousand to two thousand and fifteen, you know, in that range, keep it, keep it, fix it as long as you can get parts for it. Unless somebody,
unless you're a mechanic or somebody tells you, hey, it's not safe. It should not be on the road. It's
not safe. It's a danger to either you your family
or other people out on the road. That's probably when
you get rid of it. But if if they're saying, hey,
it's reparable, we can fix it. It's gonna cost you
a couple of grand I'd highly recommend that you fix it, as long as you're happy with it and you want to keep the car on the road.
So it's it's.
Something that we need to It's a conversation that we need to talk about because these cars are just not uh they're you know, their computers on wheels and uh, they just the technology and the way that they're manufacturing these vehicles is just.
They're not built to last.
Okay, So if you've got an vehicle like James did, if you can fix it, fix it as long as it's safe to be on the road. So all right, again,
taking your phone calls and I'm gonna call five one, three, seven four nine fifty five hundred coming up. We have
uh is a bridget Uh she's uh, she's coming up.
And again phone lines are wide open.
Love to hear from you, So give me this the call now again five one, three, sent four nine fifty five hundred.
Your listening to our show on fifty five KRC 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 everything 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.
We may not always agree, but we can agree on one thing. Fifty five KRC is the talk station taking
your car questions. The number call five one three.
Fifty five hundred.
I'm Dave Donovan taking your car questions. Love to hear
from you again. The number to call five one three. Uh.
We uh, We're gonna go right back to the phones.
We have bridget, Hey, bridget Welcome to the car show.
How can I help Hi?
Yes, thank you for taking my call.
Absolutely, I have one of those.
Older vehicles you were talking about.
I got a ninety eight Jeep Cherokee.
Love it, love it. Those things are is it?
That?
Is it?
The four Leader?
Yes it is, Yes it is.
Those things are wheel drive. Yeah, okay, I will never
get rid of it.
But I'm having an issue.
I hear a rubbing noise.
I guess he's the best I can describe it to you.
It's it's in the rear end. And I brought it
to a shop and I asked, you know, them to drive it and figure out what was first guy told me he thinks it's the rear wheels, hub hub wheels.
He wouldn't know for sure, though, because he needed to take it all apart first to find out. So I said,
all right, well, don't do that. Well, I said, I'll
come back, and I went to another shop and another guy drove it, and he told me I need a whole new rear differential. So I don't know who to believe.
I want to fix it. I'm afraid to drive it,
and how do I find out which one's right without them both taking it all apart and costing me thousands of dollars because I know either one of.
Them is expensive?
Yes?
Correct? Yeah? Correct?
So so the rubbing type noise you have does it does it increase as this when the speed, you know, the faster you go.
No, actually I hear it less the faster I go.
It's when you start slowing down that you can really hear it. I don't know if that has to do it,
you know, just the general speed and not hearing it because I'm going faster or I don't know.
Okay, but you when you're slowing down, so it's kind of almost like a like a rumbling almost like you're going over like a rumble strip on the highway, kind of just kind of a groan.
Yes, yes, okay, I wouldn't say it's a grinding, but I don't know.
Yeah, it's a groan rubbing.
Yeah.
So so the the first gentleman you took it to, he said it was a wheel hub bearing or a wheel hub yes, yes.
Yes, yes, okay, the rear one.
He wasn't sure, but he'd needs to take it all apart.
Yeah see, yeah, I just I disagree with that immensely.
So so typically, so on your on the jeep, it's gonna be a rear the rear axle is gonna be fixed, the rear differential is going to be fixed. Okay, right,
So on the outside on your left rear and your right rear wheel are gonna be bearings. There's gonna be
a bearing out there that holds the axle. Okay, so
it could be that hub or that in the differential, because those eventually will break down and then you've got gears inside the rear differential.
They're all kind of intertwined.
So typically, uh if it's if it is a wheel bearing, you know they're gonna have to take apart that that differential and remove that action and get it out to and and uh so, but.
The the point of my story is.
Either one of them, they're gonna have to take apart that differential and they're gonna have to take apart.
And investigate it.
However, if you properly, if you have what a stethoscope.
So what we typically do is we'll get the vehicle up in the air. Okay, this is what I would
recommend we well, typically will put a technician in the car and we'll put the car up in the air and we'll have them put it in drive and give it gas and we'll use the stethoscope and we'll we'll we'll listen to you know that those bearings on both sides. Now,
sometimes it can be tricky because when when you're dealing with an axle and a differential, you know, sometimes it you you know, it can travel through that axle and through that differential. But we'll put a technician up in
the air, use the tethoscope to pinpoint where it's the loudest at right. So if if it is the right
rear act, the right rear bearing, that's where it's going to be the loudest that.
So we're going to use the tethoscope.
We're going to find out exactly where it's the loudest that and that will typically allow us to determine exactly where that noise is coming from and what action we what proper action we need to take in order to repair it. But I either way, a lot of times
when that bearing starts coming apart, those metal shavings get into the gear oil, and that gear oil then gets into the differential and so on and so forth.
So you want to make sure that you take action when you can. It's it.
It should be perfectly fine to drive per se, but you want to take action soon because against uh I disagree that they they you know, one says it's a baron the other says it's a differential. Uh, you know
obviously it says you're calling from Arkansas's are correct?
Yes?
Correct?
Yeah, So you can't come to Donovan's. It's gonna be
little that's gonna be a little bit of a drought.
But you know, you want to get it to a a drive line specialist. Now Here in Cincinnati we have
a we we would able, we would be able to determine exactly what it is and what it's going to cause, or what's it gonna what, what it's going to cost.
You need to get it. It sounds to me like, uh,
if you're getting two different diagnoses that you know, I think you should get another third.
I think you should get.
A yeah, a third Uh and what what our third opinion?
So now what I would tell you to do is going forward. What I would recommend and is finding finding
somebody that is able to identify and and be a drive train specialist, somebody that can rebuild it. Because when
it comes to rear differentials, if it is the rear differential not not. I mean, if you bring your car
to me, I can't rebuild rear differentials, right, I'm not a specialist. You have to take it to somebody who
is a drive drive train or drive line specialist. So
you want to find somebody who specializes in the drive train that could whether it's the bearing or it's the differential, you want to find somebody that specializes in that and can identify and can rebuild it, because it's it's a whole nother monster, right, So it's it's kind of like I'm gonna use an analogy here. If if you're if
you're if your knees bothering you, you don't typically go You might go to your doctum and say, hey, my needs bothering me, and he goes, hey, let's try this.
But if if your knee needs to be replaced, you go to a you know, a knee specialist. Right your
doctor general doctor's not gonna be able to do that.
So you want to find somebody that specializes in drive train rebuilding. And and uh so, but I disagree with
I different I disagree with them. You know, typically you
get it up in the air, use the stethoscope and try to pinpoint exactly where the noise is coming from as far as where is it the loudest, and that identifies and and again if if if it is one of the hub bearings or bearings in the back, typically you're gonna get movement from the wheel. So if it's
up in the air, you know there's gonna be movement either you know, side to side or up or down.
Typically, Uh, not always.
The case, because if it's a fixed axle, you're not gonna get too much movement. But yeah, get it to
a drive train specialist and get a third opinion.
But that's that's how I would handle it.
Okay, let me ask you this in ballpark.
What's this gonna cost me?
It's probably gonna cost you.
I mean to rebuild it, probably gonna if if it's a drive train or a I mean, if it's a bearing, huh, you're probably close to one thousand bucks. But if you
have to rebuild that differential, you're you're probably in the thou you're in a couple.
You're probably spending two or three two or three. Yeah,
it's four thousand for the truck.
I know, I know, But just get a third opinion.
But I you know, but keep it, you like it, keep it. Yes, those things are bullet Those things are bulletproof.
It's just I know they are it's a ninety eight.
You know it's yep. You know she's led a good life.
So keep it going, but at least just get a third opinion, because I disagree with their diagnoses.
Som okay, okay.
Well, thank you for the call, continue to listen, and you have a great day. I will you too, all right,
bye bye, Arkansas. I've never been to Arkansas. What is
that about a ten hour drive? Twelve hour, fifteen hour?
I don't know.
So already I'm taking your phone calls and I'm gonna call five one three seven.
Four fifty five hundred. Coming up, we have Ron. You're
listening to the car show on fifty five cars the talk station.
Taking your car questions, and I'm gonna call it five one three seven fifty five hundred.
Let's go back to the phones. We have Ron. Ron,
Welcome to the car show. How can I help?
I have a twenty eighteen Ford Fusion, about eighty thousand miles on the vehicle. It had a cracked block, and
there's about fifteen thousand miles on a brand new long block.
My question is, logic seems to me that I just want to keep that thing and drive it and drive it and drive it that At the same time, I think I want a new truck.
Okay.
The logical thing to do is just keep this real life is that when you're eighty years old, you don't need a new truck. And we're worrying about it. What
do you say? All right?
So you said it has a cracked block?
The original engine did. Yeah, it was replaced about fifteen
thousand miles ago with a new long block.
Okay.
So the car runs and drives now, right, okay, But you want to get a new truck. What kind of
truck do you want to get?
Probably and f one point fifty okay.
And you said you're but you said you're eighty years old.
I'm eighty years old than mine. I depend on my
son for most everything, especially transportation wise. So as much
as I would like to have a new truck, I just think that is not a wise thing to do.
And so typically if he's if he's is he is he driving? Is he transporting you in that that Ford Fusion?
Sure?
Okay?
And that for about three years?
Okay. How many miles are on the the Ford Fusion.
About eighty thousand.
Okay.
And but as currently as that car sits and as you're how you're operating it, everything's perfectly fine, correct, right, Yeah, I.
Think you should keep what you have, so.
Lou I, it's Yeah. One of those things is when
your wants and your needs don't match up.
Yeah, yeah, I would keep what you have. I mean
having a new vehicle. I mean obviously you know he's
transporting you in it. I mean, you know, it sounds
like financially you can afford to buy one. But but
you know, I don't know that you you gain any I don't.
Know that you gain anything by buying a new.
Truck because if if the engine's been replaced, you don't have any issues with it. I'm willing to lean towards
I think you should just keep what you have. That's
my personal opinion.
Well, I I appreciate that that is exactly what I expected to hear, and I just think I'm very comfortable with doing man, Thank you.
Well, thank you very much for the call. You have
a great day. So all right, let's go back to
the funds we have.
Doug.
Hey, Doug, welcome to the car show. How can I.
Yeah, I got twenty fourteen four focus transmission issue. Are
you familiar with the.
Issues Oh yeah, there's a there's a class action lawsuit on those things. Those things are they that they are garbage?
Yeah, I've had trouble with so I know more about this transmission than than you know I need to. But
it finally I bought it from my watch, so finally I thought it went out. It quit run in. I
had to to a transmission place next day. They came
back with a six thousand dollars quote, and I thought that was ridiculous. I brought the car home, put a
new accuator, put two new actuators in it, lud the forks, and the thing runs great. So I just want everyone
to be aware if you got one of those cars and they say you need a new transmission, it's probably not.
There's even problems with the ground wires, uh, you know, or sometimes that even will take care of it.
Okay, all right, So which actuator I'm I'm assuming they're they were external actuators.
What what actuators did you replace?
There's two actuators, one of the top and there's one of the bottoms for reverse in the low gears, and one of the top.
Is for.
I replaced one on the top and it ran fine.
And I just wanted and took the bottom one end because I already bought it. It was four hundred dollars.
And it runs better than it did when I bought it.
It's far shifting.
It's boys stifted hard one.
It's been back. You know, it's been calibrated. You know
it's gotcha.
Okay, well yeah, we shoot, we lost them. So well,
that's always good to know. So I appreciate the phone call.
So all right, everybody, listen, everybody, have a great weekend, enjoy your Father's Day, and I will be back next Saturday to answer all of your car questions. Again, Everybody,
be kind to one another. Be safe out there.
On the road.
Right, there's just so much road rage going on in today's world, especially in Cincinnati.
Good Night.
I don't even honk it anybody anymore, because you just don't just be kind to one another, you know, be kind to one another. Make sure that you are diligently
watching your time so that you're not in a rush, so that you don't get upset if somebody cuts you off, or so on and so forth. It's important that we
take care of one another. And again, everybody enjoy their
Father's Day.
Weekend.
I will be back next Saturday to answer all of your car questions again. Then you can always find uts
find your nearest location Donovan's at donovantire dot com and we'd be more than happy to help you out. Everybody,
take care, have a great weekend and again I'll be back next Saturday to answer all of your car questions.
Thank you so much. Happy Father's Day.
You're listening to the Car Show fifty five krs the talk station
About this episode
Backed up nearly two weeks during the May/June rush, Dane and Dale urge listeners to schedule service early so road-trip inspections don’t turn into last-minute cramming. They break down what “tune-up” means now versus a true vehicle inspection, and share practical diagnosis tips—like describing when a noise happens and using a stethoscope to pinpoint where it’s loudest. The conversation also covers parts availability, custom line fabrication, and what to do when shops disagree.
As we celebrate Father's Day, Dane takes a moment to appreciate the importance of family and the value of honesty in business. He shares a personal anecdote about his own father's legacy and the commitment to integrity that has been passed down through generations of his family's auto repair business.
Dane discusses the importance of planning ahead when it comes to car maintenance. He emphasizes the need to schedule vehicle inspections and repairs well in advance, especially during peak travel seasons. He shares a story about a customer who was caught off guard by a busy schedule and the resulting delays. Dane also offers tips on how to identify potential issues with a vehicle's air conditioning system and how to address them before embarking on a long road trip.
Dane also delves into the world of older vehicles, discussing the challenges of finding replacement parts and the importance of investing in repairs rather than replacing the entire vehicle. He shares a story about a customer who had a cracked engine block replaced and is now considering buying a new truck but may not need to. Dane offers advice on how to weigh the pros and cons of keeping an older vehicle versus buying a new one.
If you're a car owner, this episode is a must-listen. Dane shares valuable insights and practical advice on how to care for your vehicle and make informed decisions about its maintenance and repair. Tune in to hear more about the importance of planning ahead, the challenges of older vehicles, and the value of honesty in business.
