Under The Hood! Americas' Favorite Car Talk Show Get Your Calls Answered On-Air
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Part
power steering belt
The power steering belt helps the car's steering system work smoothly. If it breaks, it can make it hard to steer the car.
Part
serpentine belt
The serpentine belt is a long belt that connects different parts of the engine to help them work together. If it wears out, it can cause problems with the car's electrical system and air conditioning.
Part
timing belt
The timing belt is a part of the engine that helps keep everything working together. If it breaks, it can cause serious damage to the engine.
Car
Mitsubishi Outlander
The Mitsubishi Outlander is a type of SUV that is good for families and has plenty of space. The 2010 version is known for being reliable and practical.
Term
V6
A V6 engine has six cylinders arranged in a V shape. It's a popular engine type because it offers a balance of power and size, making it efficient for many cars.
Car
Chevrolet Equinox
The Chevrolet Equinox is a small SUV that is popular for families and everyday driving. The 2026 version is the latest model, which may have new features and improvements.
Part
bumper
The bumper is the part of the car that is at the front and back, designed to help protect the car if it bumps into something. It can help keep you safe in a minor accident.
Part
timing chain
The timing chain is another part of the engine that helps keep everything in order. It's stronger than a timing belt and usually lasts longer, but if it breaks, it can cause serious engine problems.
Car
Willie's pickup truck
The 1953 Willie's pickup truck is an old classic truck that many people find interesting. It's known for being tough and reliable, making it popular among collectors.
Part
four-cylinder engine
A four-cylinder engine is a type of engine that has four parts called cylinders. It's usually smaller and uses less fuel, making it good for older trucks like this one.
Term
12 volts
12 volts is the amount of electrical power used in most cars today. It helps run things like lights and heaters.
Part
fan motor
The fan motor is what makes the fan blow air inside the car. If it doesn't work, you won't get any air from the heater or air conditioning.
Part
six-volt fan
A six-volt fan is a type of electric fan that runs on six volts of electricity. It's often found in older cars and helps keep the engine cool by moving air.
Part
intercooler
An intercooler helps cool the air that goes into the engine after it's been compressed, which can make the engine run better and produce more power.
Part
actuator
An actuator is a part that helps open or close things, like the back door of a car. If it's broken, the door might not work properly.
Car
Toyota Venza
The Toyota Venza is a type of car that looks like a mix between a car and an SUV, offering lots of space and comfort. It was popular for a while, but now it's not made anymore, which might make it harder to find one to buy.
Company
Road Ready Wheels
Road Ready Wheels makes replacement wheels that look like the original ones that came with your car, so you can easily swap them out without any special tools or parts.
Part
TPMS sensors
TPMS sensors are devices that check the air pressure in your tires. If the pressure gets too low, they let you know so you can fix it before it becomes a problem.
Part
aluminum alloy wheels
Aluminum alloy wheels are wheels made from a mix of aluminum and other metals. They are lighter than regular steel wheels and can make a car look nicer and perform better.
Part
steel wheels
Steel wheels are wheels made from steel. They are usually heavier than aluminum wheels and are often found on cheaper cars or used for winter tires because they are strong and less expensive.
Term
aftermarket wheels
Aftermarket wheels are wheels that you can buy from other companies instead of the ones that came with your car. They can change how your car looks and performs, but not all of them fit perfectly.
Car
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is a large SUV that can carry many passengers and cargo. The 2013 version is known for being comfortable and practical for families.
Term
naturally aspirated V6
A naturally aspirated V6 engine gets air into it without any extra help from a turbo or supercharger. This means it works well but doesn't have the added power boost that those other systems provide.
Term
coolant change
A coolant change is when you replace the liquid that keeps your engine cool. It's important to do this regularly to help your car run well and avoid overheating.
Term
water pump
The water pump helps keep the engine cool by moving coolant around. If it breaks, the engine can get too hot and cause serious problems.
Term
Toyota WS
Toyota WS is a special fluid used in Toyota cars to keep the transmission working well. It's important to use the right fluid to avoid problems.
Term
NS3
NS3 is a special fluid used in Nissan cars to help the transmission work properly. Using the right fluid is crucial for the car's performance.
Car
Chevrolet Tahoe
The Chevrolet Tahoe is a big SUV that can carry a lot of people and stuff, making it great for families or trips. It's important to take care of it, like changing the transmission fluid, to keep it running well, especially if you have an older model from 2010.
Car
Ford Fusion
The Ford Fusion is a car made by Ford that is designed for everyday use. It's known for being comfortable and having a lot of space inside.
Car
Northstar engine
The Northstar engine is a powerful engine used in Cadillac cars. It's known for being high-performance, but some people have had problems with it leaking coolant.
Car
Chevrolet El Camino
The Chevrolet El Camino is a vehicle that looks like a car but has a truck bed, making it useful for carrying things. The 1959 version is famous for its stylish design and is loved by collectors.
Car
Mazda Cx5
The Mazda CX-5 is a type of vehicle called a crossover SUV. It's designed to be spacious and comfortable, making it a good choice for families.
LIVE
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Here is the Under the Hood Show podcast.
Thanks for listening.
This is Under the Hood.
Welcome to the Under the Hood Show.
We are glad to have you with us.
Russ Evans is here to answer your automotive questions.
Thanks for joining us under the hood.
Shannon Nordstrom is here to do the same.
Some hoodies.
Thanks for tuning in so we can help you tune up.
I'm Chris Carter here to answer your calls at 866-594-4150.
Anything caught your attention that we need to get to before we start taking calls?
No.
I think the calls are more important.
Okay.
You sure?
Not really.
Because I'm not sure I am ready to talk about anything quite yet.
All right.
You got to work yourself up.
I got to get, I just switched gears and ran up here.
I got to switch.
I got to get my mind ready.
866-594-4150.
Let's talk to Kevin in Colorado.
Kevin, you're on the Under the Hood Show.
What can we do for you?
I'm calling about a 2010 Mitsubishi belt on it.
It's got three of them.
It's got a weird little, you know, it's got a serpentine belt.
It's got a power steering belt and then the timing belt.
Which I was just curious if it's, if you've ever done those and how am I biting off more
than I can chew?
Well, the timing.
It's work.
2010, 2010 Outlander is what you said you had, correct?
Yes.
That's correct.
Okay.
And it's got the V6.
It's a 3.0 liter V6.
It's got 80,000 miles on it.
So I think it's, you know, to needing some belts.
Yeah, to do a timing belt at home, you know, you've really got to, you've got to look and
understand how you're going to do it before you put any wrenches on it.
So you're going to have to watch a YouTube video on it or something so you can see
exactly how it comes apart, goes back together.
Make sure you feel comfortable doing it.
You really don't need a lot of specialty tools, basic shop tools and a torque wrench to do
that job.
You're going to have to drain the coolant out of it and refill it of course when you
do the water pump swap on it and stuff like that.
And then the other belts are going to be pretty standard.
A lot of people do those themselves in a garage at home, sometimes out in the driveway,
you know, but there's a, you're going to need a floor jack to go underneath it.
So you can take the motor mount off the front of it and stuff like that.
But it can be, it can be done.
You also have to remember that if you're doing that and you don't get everything
tight, the tragedy would be that the belt would jump for some reason and then
you're going to need an engine.
It's, it'll destroy the engine completely.
So that, that would be the worst that could happen.
So watch the video, see what you think.
You could also have the same problem if you take a spark plug out and you
drop up a screw in the cylinder.
So there's a risk with everything, but there's also the reward.
If you do this and you don't have a problem, you say, look, I saved a lot of money.
I felt like I accomplished something.
I put all those things back together.
The sprockets are lined up and it runs.
So that's, that's pretty cool.
Yeah, part of the problem.
Yeah.
You know, there's not a whole lot of YouTube videos for this vehicle.
So I was thinking about a service manual.
Sure.
I can't even find a Haynes manual.
So you think like Mitsubishi service manual would be a good investment
if I'm going to keep the car?
You should be able to find that stuff online.
I'll bet you'll be able to find pictures.
And I'm not sure why people wouldn't have the Mitsubishi picture out there.
I mean, look up something like maybe changing a water pump on an
outlander on YouTube, something like that.
I'm really shocked that somebody doesn't have a timing belt video on YouTube.
Well, and if not, you know, the days of people going to the library are kind of
almost sound old to some people.
Like, why would I do that?
But there's a lot of people that still go there.
And some of the local libraries have subscriptions to Mitchell and all that.
They did it one time.
I haven't checked for a long time, but they the all data, the Mitchell
are one of them.
I know like Identifix is one that is out there from a company
that we are collaborated with on a lot of stuff.
And that is a place where you could get a step-by-step instructions.
We use all data sometimes.
We use Identifix sometimes here at our auto recycling facility.
When we have to take apart something for the first time, there is times where
we're taking apart a 2025, 2026 that we've never seen before.
And we're like, okay, how does this come apart?
I was just down in the shop the other day and they had a 2026 equinox.
And there was two very qualified dismantlers just standing there kind of
studying because they weren't quite sure all the pieces they had to take off to
get at to take the taillight out.
Interesting.
The taillight seems like an easy item, but in this case, there was
end caps of the bumper, part of the bumper that had to come off.
There was lots of things to get at where you could even imagine
where the fasteners are to hold that taillight in.
And so that is why those companies exist is because they help
write the service procedures for the industry.
And so that's probably the might be a good place to go, even if there's
not a YouTube video, there would be a step-by-step procedure
in one of those types of online repair guides.
And that's the same type of repair guides that Russ and his team use at
the service center.
If they get into something they haven't done for the first time,
they have, they look and see, all right, the book says this
operation is supposed to take us 6.2 hours and you can get a
step-by-step breakdown of the procedure.
I know like for a timing belt, I guess Russ, I think of one of our,
he's not new anymore, but one of our newer techs, Sean, when he
came from the autodismandling side and wanted to learn to
become a tech, it was something that he was, I remember
talking to him, I said, what were you intimidated by?
And he said he was the first time I had to put a timing chain
together, timing set up.
That's a lot of stuff, yeah.
Yeah, and so it was like, okay, I'm very mechanical.
I've taken apart many, many things.
He had dismantled cars for over five years and he was still
a little bit intimidated by that whole timing thing.
That's gotta be a good start.
Yeah, but working on it with Russ and his experience and
his teaching ability, they were able to step through it and he
said after I did it once, then I kind of lost my fear, but that's
kind of the same boat you're in if you've got mechanical
aptitude.
Let's hope you only do it once.
But yeah, exactly.
Well, maybe he'll do it for the neighbors after that and
trade them for a case of beer or something.
Does that help you out there, Kevin?
Yeah, I appreciate it, guys, that's a smart point going
to the library and I'll just study for a little bit and
then try to tackle it.
Yeah, and you might even be able to print out that step-by-step
procedure off the system to get those print screenshots or
something if you can't find something online and that'd be
your, I mean, truly your best bet.
Now, a lot of times in those systems they will say you need
Mitsubishi tool number, blah, blah, blah, part number to
hold the timing gear in place and it's probably true that
would be the best thing to do, but a lot of times without
that particular tool they'll be a pretty available work
around, you can figure out to do the same operation.
Kevin, good luck.
Thanks very much for the call.
866-594-4150.
That's the number to reach us here at the end of the
hood show.
Let's go to Idaho and talk to Mike.
Mike, you're on the end of the hood show.
What can we do for you?
Well, I've got an old vehicle classic kind.
That's a 1953 East Willie's pickup truck.
This has a little four-cylinder, 134 engine.
Just kind of, I restored it years ago and I just converted it
to 12 volts and finally hooked up the heater.
I was going to hook up the heater core, but it's leaking in it
for you to start the heater and it's a six-volt fan motor,
so I really need to change it anyway.
What do you think of these aftermarket ones?
Do you get them pretty cheap on like Amazon?
You think I should go like more original and keep it
more original or just the aftermarket, you know, $60
heater core with a 12-volt fan and a switch and everything?
I like the six-volt fan.
That six-volt fan will just go like crazy until it
bursts into flames.
Wow, I got a lot of women.
Well, I'll tell you what, I have a good used one.
I'll tell you.
Now, just get an aftermarket one.
The aftermarket heaters are actually even better.
They're more efficient than the factory one, the cores.
As long as you get the biggest size, you can fit in there,
they're going to be more efficient.
Those factory ones just weren't, they look fine, but who cares?
Are you afraid of like Amazon?
I mean, you can buy them on eBay and Amazon just cheap,
but if I buy more like an American major or a reputable brand
rather than some, I like the nice ones.
I like to go with ones where the name of the company
has more better consonants and more good that don't make sense.
W-K-Y-U-I-O. Oh, that's the kind of, that's my favorite kind.
Yeah. Anything with like Hangzhou or something in it?
Yeah. You know, if you really look, you're going to find that
pretty much everything's made in China, unfortunately.
Some of those things.
And you'll find a lot of times it's the same product
that's being sold by a different vendor many times.
It's the quality of what you get because you can get,
they have, for instance, LED lighting, some of the home LED lighting
that is made by China in China for European spec retailers
is held to a different certification level.
So they're getting some really good quality LED lights.
It's not the China does not have the capability
to build something good. It's just that they build it cheaply
because the rest of the world is demanding it cheaply
so they can sell it. You know, they don't put a rocket,
well, I really shouldn't comment on their rocket in space
because it's having some issues right now,
but they're not going to get to space, you know,
without at least the ability to build something.
Even if they're copying it, they're building it well to do a job.
That bridge that just went down didn't give me a lot of confidence.
Right. The land shifted.
They've always had some
hours take a while. There's one quick.
But you know that you do get what you pay for,
but as far as those things go, I've bought some cores
that were pretty good and some other companies have some pretty
poor ones and I've always looked at YouTube to see
what people are using if I need an intercooler for something.
I look and I see what other people are using
and if they're good, what their long-term reviews have been of it.
And I found that one $200 part versus another
$300 part, the $200 one might be better. It might might-
The customer reviews, if you read past the AI summary of the reviews,
which is kind of frustrating to me sometimes,
but it does help on a quick glance.
But if you read down and you make sure and you look at
some reviews that are from the current and then maybe go back a few months,
go back a year and just kind of browse through them,
you can usually get a pretty good picture of what the product's like.
When I'm looking at stuff on Amazon, I truly do.
I never find out, I never get, I always get
the exact thing I'm looking for, but also that you get,
oh, it's great. I've had, this is my fourth one, I love it.
And then you get this junk, it never worked.
Well, but the majority of them are usually pretty telling
because I always look at the one that says his junk didn't work
and I'm like, that guy didn't know what he was doing apparently.
And that does happen too.
For sure.
You'll see some.
Or they had another problem or good.
When I opened it, the color came right off in my hand and you're like,
it's not, that's not even what I'm looking at.
I'm like, that goes, that was written by a competitor.
No, I, if I had a choice though, I mean, all seriousness,
we're having some fun here at the same time.
But if I had a choice and I saw there was a made in the USA item
and the price was within a good margin, decent margin, not so bad,
I'm buying the one made in the USA.
And especially if the reviews concur, that just as that solidifies it for me.
He's rolling downhill right now.
He's just, it's out of control.
You got to watch those willies roll over.
Mike, thanks very much.
Thanks very much for the call.
Too soon, 14 years, too soon.
Good luck.
866-594-4150.
My neighbor.
We missed an opportunity there.
My, oh yeah, the color.
It's gray.
He was red or blue or brown or black.
There's choices there.
My neighbor pulled up with a willies jeep on a trailer the other day.
And it didn't stay, but I wanted it.
I wanted it to be his project and I wanted to watch it.
I want that.
You wanted to watch it be created.
Where did it go?
I don't know.
I don't know.
It was on the trailer and the trailer left too.
So I don't have enough years.
You know, at this point in life, it's like, I remember when I was a kid
and the neighbor pulled up with something in the garage
and it was not finished by the time we moved and
will it ever be finished?
You know, those things like that.
Let's talk to Paul in Arizona.
Paul, you're on the end of the hood show.
What can we do for you?
2009 Toyota bends a power hatch in the rear.
I cannot get it open and there's no manual release that I can find.
How do I get it open to change the actuator?
Oh, he just, he got a torch.
No, we're not going to torch it.
Good deals on plasma cutters on Amazon.
I think he just needs a good plastic cutter, probably.
You're going to have to rip the panel off.
However you can do it to get that panel, sometimes you can
pull on it and bend it enough that it'll pop past the little lip on the door
and you can get it out of there without destroying it.
Other times you can end up coming to our place and picking up a,
or wherever, I don't know where you're at.
But oh, Arizona, find a car dash part.
You'll find a place that has a hatch.
You'll ask them, hey, can I buy the inner panel off your hatch?
And they'll say, well, anything's for sale for a price.
And you'll pick up a cover and you're going to go.
Sometimes you can actually buy some of these cars,
probably not the Venza, but maybe sometimes you can buy a whole hatch
for the parts you need and then return for scrap the stuff you don't use.
Like let's say you need an actuator and you need a panel
and you find out maybe they want $250 for a whole hatch,
but buying those individual pieces or $225,
you might as well just get the whole thing.
Hey Russ, before we get him completely down that path,
if you look at the rear panel on the inside in all seriousness,
if you look at that panel and you see that it's got a split,
like before it goes up the sides of the hatch,
if you saw that, you could probably see if you can get a hold of the top of it
and pull it down and kind of open it up kind of like an envelope or a card kind of open the top up.
And then maybe you can get your hand into an opening
and get at the latch to trip it or on bolt it, more likely not,
but we've had that luck sometimes.
But before you go down that road,
wouldn't there be a manual release somewhere in there?
Not on a hatch vehicle.
It's inside the hatch.
Yeah, if it was a trunk, they have to have a release,
but on a hatch, there isn't always a release because you've got other acts.
You can crawl to the other doors.
You can crawl to a side door, you can crawl out,
you're not stuck in a trunk.
And I agree with you that there should be a release,
but there is not always a release.
I know I've seen at least one out there,
but I can't think of any right now.
Is there a, can he, is there a pop off the thing with the key in?
No, it's electric.
They don't.
I would guarantee you that he would have already been on the internet
and looked that up and not be calling us if that was the case.
Yeah, right.
Now here, before you start getting violent,
because it's going to cost you a little money,
but it'll be fun.
But for a little bit until you,
because that plastic will always cut your fingers.
So put on some light gloves.
That stuff is just heavy close.
Well, something you can still work with.
You don't want to.
Not those little cotton.
You'll look like Chris.
Damaged,
girly hands.
Yeah, look at that.
And not like working girls.
I mean, like, you know,
let's not go there.
Not that kind of work.
I mean, like somebody who.
Okay, I'll give you back.
Give me back on track here.
The method I've seen us use,
Russ has talked about it before too.
If you can have someone that is pushing the button for the hatch,
and at the same time,
without hitting it so hard that you're damaging the metal,
but be kind of whacking on the side of the hatch,
just kind of thumping it solid down near the latch,
sometimes you'll get lucky and it'll pop.
Just because of the fact that you're the vibration
and you're trying to actuate it at the same time.
So many of those,
it's not a straight constant power signal anymore.
It's like a,
you know, it's a closed area network
and they're sending a,
they're sending a signal out of a module.
And it just gives a quick
boop, a pulse basically to open it.
So the timing is not always going to work that way.
But Russ, you've had that happen
to work on a door before, haven't you?
Where you've had a front door that you couldn't get open.
Yeah, a lot where you wouldn't open
and you just give a little,
wiggle it back and forth while somebody's
pulling on the handle or whatever.
At the same time, you just try some vibration,
some manipulation, some different things,
and maybe you get lucky.
I would try, Paul.
I'm sure you've tried this,
but what I would do is I would take the fob
and I would hold it back there
and I would push it like 10 times
and then I'd push it harder and harder
and get closer and then I'd push it up against the thing
and I hit the stupid thing against the door.
Have you tried that, Paul?
Yes.
Yeah, I was pretty sure he'd tried that.
Dude, wait, it just opened from fear.
Yeah, it opened from Chris.
That's about what I would do.
It's quite solid, I was surprised.
That...
New trick on the show,
just hold your phone up real close to the hatch
and we'll open it for you.
Oh, yeah.
Russ, is there anything else on that network
that could be stopping that hatch from opening
that has nothing to do with the actuator?
All sorts of stuff.
In the end, you could get a wiring diagram
you could go into the back,
get to the bulkhead connector in that side
and connect power and ground
that actuates that latch right there
and see if it'll pop open.
That would tell you you have an electrical fault
and not something in there.
Because it would really be sad
if you went to all the medieval,
massive, nasty work.
And it was up front.
And the problem wasn't the actuator.
So you want to rule that out first.
We've had some fun with this call, but I...
Paul's not having fun.
No, he's not.
Paul, thanks very much for the call.
Good luck.
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I'm Russ Evans with Shannon Nordstrom and Chris Carter.
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Welcome back everybody.
It's time to get back under the hood
with our motor medics.
866-594-4150.
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Congratulations from everyone here
at the end of the hood show
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They're celebrating 50 years of collector car coverage
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The place to go to learn about everything.
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All sorts of stuff they got.
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866-594-4150.
Let's go to Kansas and talk to Matt.
You're on the end of the hood show.
Matt, what can we do for you?
Hey, I was looking for maybe some
long-term ownership or maintenance advice.
I'm the original owner of a 2013 Ford Explorer
with the 3.5 liter naturally aspirated
V6, first got 104,000 miles on it.
Getting ready, we're preparing to do the,
I guess, the third coolant change
in the life of the vehicle.
But I'm sure as you guys are aware,
it has the timing change driven water pump.
Sure.
Is there anything besides maybe coolant changes
that someone could do to try to extend
the life of the water pump?
I know that from what I've read,
100,000 miles seems to be a typical
time frame for those things,
for the seals to start to leak.
So just curious about that.
And then I have a follow-up question
on different items.
Yeah.
Changing the coolant is the thing
of the utmost important you can do that.
But using the accurate coolant is extremely important
because if you put the wrong coolant in it,
you're going to have issues.
We have a partner at peak and they cover
all makes, all models, all the colors you
can think about.
They have the proper coolant for that vehicle.
And when I say proper coolant,
just because you put the right color in a vehicle,
doesn't necessarily mean it's the right one.
And the auto parts store can help you out with that.
There are things in coolant,
more than just water and color and freeze protection.
There are additives in there to prevent rust,
to prevent seals such as the ones in water pumps
from drying out, from wearing,
corroding and leaking,
and lubrication components to lubricate
moving components like water pumps
or any kind of heater control valve,
things like that.
If you don't get the correct coolant,
that can be an issue.
Most of these water pump failures we see
in these cars,
if I have a customer that calls me and says,
I have a water pump that failed in my,
in my Ford or anything that's internal like that,
I ask them how many miles around it.
And they usually tell me around 100,000.
And I say, have you ever changed your coolant?
And they say, no, I, why should I do that?
I'm like, well, this is one of the main reasons right here
to prevent a failure of a water pump,
which is going to be expensive in a lot of cases,
leads to an engine replacement.
So that changing that coolant is the best thing you can do
in using the correct coolant for the vehicle.
Okay. Yeah. And so far, I've had the coolant changed
as a dealer. So hopefully that,
hopefully they're using the right coolant.
I would, you would, you would think that they would ask as,
as a person who has you guys as a resource,
but if I didn't would have no,
no resource. If I'm just bringing my car in to my shop
and I've, do I have to worry about any of this?
There's, if the shop is doing the right thing,
then you shouldn't have to, that's why you go to the shop.
They should know, they should put the right stuff.
And I can tell you, I spend a,
if I could put together all the hours into one bundle
that I spend looking up and obtaining the correct
oils or fluids for vehicles, I bet I would have an extra week of work,
an extra 50 hours of, of my time available,
because I am spending, you know, every day,
I'm spending a few minutes here and there.
Just making sure that what fluid does that take?
Do I have that fluid? Let's get that fluid.
This one takes Toyota WS. This one's a NS3 on a Nissan,
different fluids for transmissions and CVTs.
Oh, this Mercury takes a special Mercury CVT only.
And you're not just Googling it. You have a, a research.
No, I have, I have a system that tells me what fluid goes in that
and it's based on the factory recommendations.
And sometimes I have to go to the factory site,
see what fluid they sell by the partner.
Is there like a consumer edition of that fuel of that, that system?
The auto parts store. Okay.
The auto parts store there, if they'll either list it as 100% accurate
or they won't list it at all and they'll say,
we have to consult the dealer because they don't want to get into the point.
If you go into an, let's see, go into O'Reilly Auto Parts or AutoZone,
Advance and you say, I need some fluid for my 2010 Tahoe and they say,
oh yeah, the transmission fluid, it takes us. Here you go. And they sell it to you.
You've got a receipt for that. You told them what you wanted.
You put in your vehicle and it damages something.
They're, they're in trouble. They just told you for a fact what it takes.
But on the other hand, if you go in and they say, we're not sure what it takes.
We have all these fluids. You can either pick one yourself
or consult the dealer, but we're not going to tell you what it takes.
They're off the hook. They've done the right thing because they don't know
and they're not pretending to know.
That would freak me out so much if I went into the Auto Parts or said,
hey, I need this. And they're like, we're, we don't, no, we're not, no, we're,
good luck. I'd be like, what, what?
That's seldom. And that's seldom going to happen.
Usually they'll say, I don't have an interchange for that.
Yeah. Yeah.
But they're, they're, they're probably going to give you a good, a really good,
I know if you go into Advance Auto Parts, they have a very detailed listing of,
of their products. I mean, they've, they've, they consult with the OEM manufacturers
and they'll give you some really good listings of, of the stuff.
Matt, did you have another question?
Yeah, yeah, I did. So I typically do my own oil changes on this vehicle.
And so having known about the potential water pump issue, each time I've changed the oil,
I've looked for any evidence of coolant leaks. And apparently it's able to typically weave out
like near the AC compressor. Well, the last time I did this and I looked, I noticed that
on the bottom of my AC compressor, there's green dye residue. My air conditioner is working
fine. It should be cooling fine. However, it appears that that might be an indication that I'm leaking
refrigerant from the compressor, but it's right near the bottom of the compressor.
There's a brass fitting inside the compressor. And I've heard about scroll valves on other
compressors. It's still the compressor. No, it's not replaceable. So a whole unit,
you got to replace the whole unit. But if it's green, 100%, it has been leaking at some point
and may have leaked just a couple drops. And that'll go a long way to making it look that way.
On a very hot day, maybe it was 98 degrees out high humidity, the AC was running on high,
the engine bay was super hot. And it just seeped out a couple drops. You could do that every summer
for 15 years, and it wouldn't affect it. Not not a tiny amount. If it gets to be a little
larger, you're going to start noticing a performance drop. And that's why a lot of AC systems have to
be recharged at five, six, seven, eight years. And then they're fine for another five or six,
because they have seeped out a little bit under extreme duress. And that can happen.
Does that help you out there, Matt? Okay. Yeah. So don't worry until it starts to
stay performance. Right. When it starts to end, but when it does, don't wait. Get it
recharged, get it checked, because if you do, when you're running low on refrigerant and performance,
you're running low on oil. The oil is being carried with the refrigerant, and that keeps
everything cool and from destroying itself. Matt, thanks very much for the call. Good luck.
866-594-4150. We go to Michigan. Talk to David. You're on the end of the hood show. David,
what can we do for you? Hey, guys, first off, love your show. And I feel I'm brilliant
by the time one hour comes by. And actually, no, I don't feel brilliant, but I feel a lot more
a lot smarter than I was the previous hour. So I appreciate how you guys put everything into.
I feel that same way. It could be, it could be a trick. It could be like me. I
leave here thinking I'm smart and I'm not. So just be aware when your people are talking to
you, you might not have the brilliance feel like. All right, go ahead. Well, you guys,
okay. I have a 16 fusion, a 2.5 engine. This is my second 2.5. My other one was rear-ended.
I absolutely love the vehicle. I've never had a serious, I've never had any issue prior
to what's happened recently. So living in Michigan, obviously we don't need air,
we, I use the air a decent amount. And then all of a sudden it's getting cold. I put my
heater on a couple of, I don't know, a month or so ago. And it wasn't, I wasn't feeling it warm.
I come to find out that there was a lot of fluid, that there was no fluid in there.
My friends that are mechanically inclined said there's never a reason why you shouldn't,
why you should ever leak fluid. But sometimes it happens. So I've gone to three or four
Mechanics and recently I've put like a half of 50-50 mixture into it. So here's what I'm
finding. I've had a check for a heater for. The guy told me he looks underneath the carpeting,
underneath my floor mat on the passenger side. There's nothing there. I don't smell a sweet
smell. And yet when they put the car up on a lift, nothing is coming out. So
and I said to him, is it just possible something is slightly burning throughout, you know what I'm
saying? And I know what you're saying, but you, you're scaring me because I know what engines
in this car. So, but he's not had any problems. So, but he's losing a tiny little bit, right?
Right, but, but nothing, nothing is, nothing is, you're not seeing, and then my friend
checked the dipstick and he said, if there's, if something is leaking into
fluid, it'll burn it. Right. It would look like a brownish, a beige.
Yeah, but it'll burn it out the tailpipe. Tiny little bit. Yeah. There's a fix for this.
There is. And it fixes almost every time. So don't just seal it. K seal it. Yeah. So
get yourself a bottle of K seal. You can pick it up pretty much everywhere.
How about K? It's easy. The letter K dash S E A L. Oh, it's got a little seal on it.
K seal. Yep. Comes in a little, little bottle. You, so the K seal ultimate is going to be the
strongest of it. 33% more sealing car. But we've heard the commercials. I read them every week.
But it's, it's really great. I mean, a lot of shops have loved, learned to love this
because what happens is a lot of these blocks were porous from the factory. So the block itself
looked like a screen door under a microscope. There's really nothing wrong with the block,
other than it didn't, when it was cast, it just didn't work perfectly. But it's so small
that it's a minuscule amount. So if you're only losing that teeny tiny bit of coolant,
put the K seal in it, it will seal it 100%. And it's a permanent,
pouring solution. So you can put it in your cooling system. We used to use this,
something, a sealer, Cadillacs, every single one, right from General Motors said,
you put these sealant tablets in the coolant every time you drain and refill the coolant.
And then you put them in every couple of years because if you don't, this engine's going to
leak. They knew it. It was right from the factory, but it was considered a good fix.
And they had a part number for the tablets. Exactly. Now, K seal. If you own a North Star
engine, you put K seal in it. So can I ask you then, just as a follow-up, what caused this in
the first place? Or is it irrelevant at this point? The factory caused it. The manufacturer
of the engine caused it. Assuming it's that problem. Yes. If it is that problem, it is
a manufacturing defect. It's just in the, in the, I don't know. I'm not, I wasn't in the plant. I
haven't seen it, but I have seen some of it. It's interesting to see what caused it. Like the
General Motors failure. When we saw what caused the issue with the machining, it made sense.
I don't know what it is. It could have been that they had the material they were using for
these blocks contained too much oxygen. It could have contained some other element,
something that caused it to... Somebody didn't check a gauge every eight minutes,
like they were supposed to. And the machine just cast not 100% perfect, like other ones.
And it doesn't happen on every single one, but it happens on enough of them that when a customer
comes in, if they have a, if they tell me they have a small leak like this, I say, let's do the
K seal. It's going to be under 50 bucks and you're on the road. Maybe a hundred at the
most. If I got to drain a little cooling out of it. But if they come in and say it's
misfiring on cylinder number three and I've got a failed catalytic converter and the light's
flashing, I've put an engine in it. We're not going to fix this probably.
In the K seal ultimate, we're kind of talking about a lot here. I was just at Apex and SEMA.
And if you go to our Facebook page, if you're unsure of what bottle you're looking for,
there's a picture of me standing in front of the K seal booth. And it's got a very clear
picture of the product there. And you can see it, spell it.
But a weird flex.
It was a flex. No, but it was, you can see that there if you're wondering. And I talked to
those guys for 20 minutes in their booth and they're a great, you know, the head of the
companies, they're into this stuff. They are, they're chemically into this.
If we're telling you about it, it's because we use it regularly in our shop and we're
trying to give you that knowledge. We, there's nothing on the show we talk about that we don't
use every day in our shop.
And if you put it in yourself, it doesn't cost as much as when Russ puts it in.
That's true.
He charges quite a bit to pour it in.
David, thanks very much for the call.
$.55 cents at least.
$866-594-4150. Let me go back to something he said there. If I bring my car to you
and I say, I've taken it to four mechanics and none of them have been able to fix it,
does that make you try harder? Does it make you grumpy that they didn't bring it to you in the
first four? What's, how's that go as a, an icebreaker?
It, it used to, used to, it used to make me want to try harder. But now I just say,
okay, it's a car, I'll fix on it. But it also makes me think,
do I want to work on it at all?
Because if they say, for example, I've taken my car and defined this electrical problem
where it drains the battery, but only once a week, and I've been to four shops and they've
all charged me for it. Now I want you guys to find it and fix it.
You're like, no way.
Nope.
You bring it to me when it's dead every morning and it's a hundred percent
because they've already taken the work out of it.
But what really gets me, I still get a couple of year that come in and say,
I need an engine and I tell them it'll be this much. And they go,
but I've already spent $4,000 trying to get other shops to fix it.
I've been to three shops and they did all this and now they tell me I need an engine.
I can't afford that. It's like, sorry, you wasted half the cost of replacing the engine on
poor fixes.
Not replacing the engine.
Because you went to shops that didn't really find what you needed.
They took a wrong turn.
They took a wrong turn and made a bad decision.
Yeah. They just, they've made some choices.
And a lot of times it's the customer doing it.
The customer that you, when you hear, well, it could be $3,000 and we could fix this or
you might need an engine.
Right.
Oh, I can fix it for $3,000 and they, they try to twist your arm.
I've had some people really try to get me into, oh, just do this.
I say, well, here's what I'll do.
You come in here expecting that you're going to get an engine
and with the money up front.
I really appreciate it when somebody comes in
it's like when you go to a restaurant, you open the menu, you see the prices,
you are making an agreement when you tell that wait person what you want to order,
that you are going to pay as soon as they bring you that check.
You do not.
You do not go into a auto repair store anywhere in the world and say, oh, it'll be $3,500
to put a transmission in.
Well, go ahead.
Let's get it done.
Not having the money or thinking you might.
This happens to me.
This happens to other people I know a lot.
So don't do that because we get mad at you and we will figure it out.
So back on the real thing though, go in.
They've come to me.
This has happened to me, I know at least four times in this past year.
Come in expecting to spend X amount of dollars to get an entire engine or transmission
replaced because this is 90% likely what you're going to need.
And when they come to pick it up, I say it's going to be 800 bucks.
We found this.
It was a wiring issue and a computer or it was this module we've replaced and
programmed and you're good to go.
Oh, I didn't need the whole thing.
No, but you were prepared just in case.
Now they're ecstatic.
They're super happy.
It's fixed.
Well, how long is it going to last as long as it would have lasted if this
part never broke?
It didn't do any damage and we fixed it.
You're good to go.
You don't have to put all these things on.
Some people come on.
You ever do that like replace a whole engine just,
but you just tell them it was only $500 just so it looks good?
No, but I can, you know, for full transparency.
I mean, most people know if they've come to our shop and done work,
they know all transparent where we put an engine in a vehicle one time.
And there was little mistaking on the communication because I was not
listening to that person.
It was John Neusebaum that used to, he's been passed away for years
and now his daughter is delivering auto parts to us.
Oh, wow.
Yeah, dealer.
He came in and he said, well, I don't think that engine was bad.
And we got his old engine and put it back in.
And I said, I tell you what, I'll put your old engine back in.
And if it wasn't, and we check what you did because I made a mistake
in our communication, said, if there's nothing wrong with it,
I won't charge you anything other than repairing that part.
But if it is, you get to pay the whole thing.
And we put the old engine back in and it was, it was not.
So we didn't charge him for that.
So we got to learn how to pull it out back in.
He told, I bet 100 people.
Let's talk to Jerry in Michigan.
Jerry, you're on the end of the hood show.
What can we do for you?
Hi, guys.
No, it's Gary from Michigan.
Hi, Gary.
Welcome to the guy with the 59L Camino.
Yeah, 59L Camino.
We remember that one.
Yeah, you guys, first of all, have been wonderful to me.
I took all your advice for us.
It's everything you told me to do on the El Camino.
She's running great, running quiet and smooth and cool now.
So it's in hibernation for the moment,
but I've got a problem with my wife's car.
It's a 16 Mazda CX-5 that has been a great car for us.
But all of a sudden, the navigation system
wants to keep rebooting constantly.
The radio works, but the navigation system keeps on doing everything.
I did a little work online about it.
In a part, there's a class section lawsuit
that the Mazda's having to replace all these things.
But it expired in April.
And I'm going, we were never contacted about anything with this.
So now are we supposed to pay for this darn thing?
In a good conversation with the local dealer,
and they said, yeah, we've done a variety of these.
Let's make an appointment.
We'll bring it in.
We'll clear it's clocks from the speech, do everything,
re-vote everything.
If that doesn't do it, we're just going to order
a new navigation system for you.
And it sounds like I'm hearing two different things.
I don't know if that lawsuit is still going.
No, you need to go into the dealer.
We're running out of time here,
but you need to go into the dealer
and have them do that to fix it,
but ask them specifically up front,
will I have to pay anything for this?
And if they say, yes, contact Mazda,
tell them you were not contacted.
You've owned this car for a long time
and can prove it and ask them why you were not.
But more importantly, go online,
find out which attorney was handling
that class action lawsuit,
and contact them because they'll have
the right people to contact for you.
Also make sure that your car was included in that specific.
In a lot of in numbers.
Yes, some of them are not.
Thanks very much for the call.
Good luck. That is not a fun situation to be in.
Until next time, for Russ Evans,
Shannon Nordstrom, I'm Chris Carter.
That's Doug Maschik in the booth over there,
Prairie House Productions.
You've been listening to The Under the Hood Show.
With Russ Evans, this is Shannon Nordstrom
thanking you for tuning into The Nordstroms
Under the Hood Show.
Have a great day and remember, PTLA.
The opinions heard on this program,
based on the many years of experience
of Russ and Shannon,
are offered for entertainment value only
and as a guide to your repair needs.
No claim to repair or cause is given or implied.
Always consult with your own certified technician
and follow all safety procedures
before attempting any repair.
To be a part of the show, call 866-594-4150.
Find out more by visiting UnderthehoodShow.com.
Under the Hood is produced by Prairie House Productions.
All content is the property
of Nordstroms Automotive Incorporated
and may not be used without our permission.
Copyright Nordstroms Automotive Inc.
About this episode
Listeners tune in for a lively Q&A session on automotive issues, featuring expert advice from hosts Russ Evans and Shannon Nordstrom. Topics include timing belt maintenance for a Mitsubishi Outlander, heater core replacements for a classic Willys pickup, and troubleshooting a malfunctioning hatch on a Toyota Venza. The hosts emphasize the importance of using the correct coolant and share insights on aftermarket parts. They also discuss the benefits of K-Seal for minor leaks and address a listener's navigation system woes in a Mazda CX-5. The episode is packed with practical tips and engaging automotive banter.
Original notes
This is a live on-ait talk show taking your calls and giving you answers about car repair before you go to a shjop and pay for them. Give us a try. Maybe we can save you on repairs.
Under The Hood show
Nordstroms Automotive Inc.
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