Victoria Day weekend sets the tone for a drive-home checklist built around simple habits: don’t assume your car is ready, do a quick circle check, open the hood to check fluids, and look around before you head out. The hosts also tackle longer-term thinking—maintenance beats age—and answer a question about service lights that have been on for months. Towing gets its own attention, from securing the load to locking the trailer coupler and doing a walk-around.
Victoria day long weekend is wrapping up across Canada and many drivers are heading home today before the work week begins. In today's Motormouth Morning Podcast we cover 5 important safety reminders before you hit the highway.
From a proper pre - trip circle check to securing roof racks, trailers, hitch carriers and cargo loads, this is all about avoiding preventable problems on the road home. We also touch on towing safety, checking chains, lights, trailer latches, tires and why a quick walkaround at every fuel or coffee stop matters more than most drivers realize.
We also recap some great Saturday Q&A questions and touch briefly on fleet maintenance systems and why high mileage alone should never automatically scare buyers away from a well-maintained older vehicle.
Summer driving season officially begins now - and for 2026 our message is simple: Safety First.
Like, subscribe, and share the channel to help us keep real-world automotive content rolling every week.
Drop your questions and experiences in the comments - your question could be featured in an upcoming Q&A segment.
Follow us on Facebook & Instagram reels & Bloopers there! Behind the scenes content and updates.
☕️ Want to help support the channel and keep the coffee flowing in the shop? You can now support us directly at: buymeacoffe.com/motormouthnile
Don't forget to check out the Motormouth Merch links in the description (ccbusnet.com)
All proceeds to Total Freedom Addiction Campuses Canada and USA helping those ready to deal with their addiction get there🚗 Thank You❤️ Skippy & Motormouth
Drive safe this Victoria Day weekend-and we'll see you in the next one👀 💕🇨🇦
"how long would you keep your vehicle, how long would it last if you were actually following a maintenance plan, my answer for you is, well, it's official..."
A maintenance plan is a checklist of services and checks you do over time. The idea here is that keeping up with it helps a car last longer, even as it gets older.
A maintenance plan is a schedule of inspections and service intervals meant to prevent small issues from becoming expensive failures. The host’s point is that following a maintenance plan is what determines how long a vehicle can last, not just its age.
"my answer for you is, well, it's official, the 2007 FJ cruisers, like almost 20 years old, I just, that came to me on Saturday because I was getting some work done on it, the calipers got here, the pads are here..."
This is a Toyota SUV from 2007. The host is using it to explain that a car can last a long time if you keep up with maintenance and fix problems when they appear.
The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a rugged, retro-styled SUV that became popular with off-road and “keep it forever” owners. In this segment, the host uses a 2007 FJ Cruiser as the example for how long a vehicle can last when it’s maintained and repaired as issues show up.
"the calipers got here, the pads are here, gonna show you how to put a four piston caliper on, that's gonna be part of the video, so you're gonna want to watch for that..."
A four-piston brake caliper is part of the braking system. It squeezes the brake pads against the brake rotor using four pistons, which can improve how evenly the brakes grab.
A four-piston caliper is a brake caliper design that uses four pistons to clamp the brake pads against the rotor. More pistons can help apply braking force more evenly and consistently, which is why enthusiasts often upgrade to multi-piston setups.
"and bleed the system, so you're gonna want to stay tuned for that, and how to remove a tie rod end, exactly..."
Bleeding the brake system means getting air out of the brake fluid lines. If air is in there, the brakes can feel soft and may not stop as well.
“Bleeding the system” means removing air from a hydraulic brake system so the brake pedal feels firm and braking force transfers correctly. Air in the lines can cause a spongy pedal and reduced braking performance.
"and bleed the system, so you're gonna want to stay tuned for that, and how to remove a tie rod end, exactly, I found another problem yet in the spring evaluation on the 07 FJ cruiser..."
The tie rod end is a steering part that helps control where your wheels point. If it’s worn, steering can feel loose and the car may not track straight.
A tie rod end is a steering component that connects the steering linkage to the steering knuckle. If it wears out, it can cause looseness, wandering, or uneven tire wear because the wheels won’t track as precisely.
"yesterday I put a battery in it, and showed it a little bit of love, uncovered the blankets off of it, and took it outside"
The battery is what gives the car the electrical power it needs to start. If it’s old or weak, replacing it can bring the car back to life.
A car battery provides electrical power to start the engine and run the vehicle’s electronics. Replacing a weak or dead battery is a common, straightforward maintenance item for older cars.
"because the odometer means nothing, this is a marketing spiel, that's all it is"
The odometer is the mileage counter on a car. The host is saying that just because a car has a lot of miles doesn’t automatically mean it’s not worth keeping.
An odometer measures how many miles a vehicle has been driven. The speaker’s point is that mileage alone doesn’t determine whether a car is good or bad—condition and maintenance matter more.
Concept
marketing spiel
"because the odometer means nothing, this is a marketing spiel, that's all it is, because I'll tell you what"
They’re calling out sales hype. Their point is that the reasons to buy new cars are often exaggerated compared to what actually happens with maintenance.
The speaker uses “marketing spiel” to criticize sales messaging that pushes buyers toward newer cars. In this context, they’re arguing that advertising about wear-and-tear or depreciation is overstated compared with real-world upkeep.
"check the tires all the way around, number two, that's your pre-trip circle check, do it, get in
[1652.5s] that habit, if you're going to be on the road for an hour or two hours, you don't take time"
Before you drive, do a quick walk-around of the car. You’re checking tires and looking for obvious problems so you don’t get surprised on the road.
A pre-trip circle check is a quick walk-around inspection done before driving. It typically includes checking tires, lights, and visible fluid leaks so you catch common issues before they become roadside problems.
"if you're going to be on the road for an hour or two hours, you don't take time during
[1658.5s] the week to check your fluids, don't assume, because we know what that means, right, don't assume,
[1666.1s] I'll let you figure that out if you're new to that word, number three, if you're going to be"
“Fluids” are the important liquids your car needs to work right. Checking them helps you avoid overheating, brake issues, or not being able to see through the windshield.
In this context, “fluids” means the car’s essential liquids like engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid (if equipped), and windshield washer fluid. Checking them matters because low or leaking fluids can lead to overheating, brake problems, or loss of visibility.
"make sure you secure the load,
[1691.6s] because otherwise the popo is going to give you a visit, and give you some paperwork,"
When you tow, you have to tie things down so they can’t move around. If they shift, it can make the trailer unstable and unsafe.
“Secure the load” means properly restraining cargo so it can’t shift, fall, or bounce while towing. When loads aren’t secured, they can change the trailer’s balance and create dangerous handling or even cause the cargo to spill onto the road.
"just so you know, make sure you've got the
[1709.3s] right chains on there, and make sure the chains are installed correctly, how do you install the
[1715.0s] chains guys, left to the left, right to the right, is that how you're doing it, that will get you
[1722.7s] pulled over, you take the left, put it over to the right, put the right chain over to the left,"
Trailer chains are extra safety connections. If the hitch fails, the chains help keep the trailer from coming loose.
Trailer chains are safety chains that act as a backup connection if the hitch or coupler fails. They must be installed correctly and kept with proper slack so the trailer won’t separate, while still allowing normal movement during turns.
"so they create, they cross each other, and make sure that you don't just have the s-hooks, you have the s-hooks that have the clip, the safety clip on, so when you snap it in, it can't jump out of the hole on the trailer hitch itself"
S-hooks are the metal hooks used to connect safety chains. The point is to make sure they’re clipped/locked so they can’t pop open.
S-hooks are common hardware used to attach safety chains between a trailer and the towing vehicle. The host emphasizes using the correct S-hooks with the safety clip so they stay locked and can’t disengage.
"the s-hooks that have the clip, the safety clip on, so when you snap it in, it can't jump out of the hole on the trailer hitch itself that's on the vehicle, okay, just a little warning,"
A safety clip is a small lock that keeps a hitch connection from coming undone. It helps prevent the trailer from becoming loose while driving.
A safety clip is the retaining piece that locks a hitch pin or hook in place. Without it, the connection can loosen from vibration and road movement, which is why the host stresses it.
"so when you snap it in, it can't jump out of the hole on the trailer hitch itself that's on the vehicle, okay, just a little warning, and plug the lights in, that would be good,"
The trailer hitch receiver is the part on your vehicle that the trailer hitch slides into. You want it locked in place so the trailer can’t come loose while you’re driving.
A trailer hitch receiver is the square opening on the vehicle that accepts the hitch shank. The host is warning that the hitch connection must be secured so it can’t shift or “jump out” of the receiver while towing.
"I just found another item on the FJ Cruiser, and I assumed it was grease, and when I actually got my hands on it, I'm going, oh, that's not good, that's not grease, that's a bushing that's coming out, not good,"
A bushing is a small part that helps hold components together and reduces vibration. If it’s coming out, something is loose or worn and should be checked before towing or driving.
A bushing is a rubber or metal-lined part that reduces vibration and allows controlled movement between components. The host says the “bushing” was coming out on the FJ Cruiser, which implies a loose or failing suspension/attachment component that could affect safety.
"make sure that thing's latched in, and lock out the tongue latch, yeah, don't leave it open, if you know what I mean, put a bolt through there, a bolt and a nut, or a lock, or a pin, or a clevis pin,"
The trailer tongue latch is what keeps the trailer attached to your hitch. If it isn’t locked properly, the trailer can detach—so the host recommends securing it with a pin or bolt.
The trailer tongue latch is the mechanism that locks the trailer coupler to the hitch ball. The host warns not to leave it open and suggests adding a bolt/nut or pin so it can’t pop open.
"put a bolt through there, a bolt and a nut, or a lock, or a pin, or a clevis pin, so that the latch can't pop open, I see that a lot, and they're looking for that too,"
A clevis pin is a strong pin used to hold a hitch latch in place. It helps keep the connection from coming loose, especially when paired with a clip.
A clevis pin is a U-shaped pin used to secure a hitch or latch connection through aligned holes. It’s often paired with a retaining clip so the pin can’t work its way out from vibration.
"there you go, put that on the shopping list, one lynch pin, yes, and that stays with the trailer, always,"
A lynch pin is a small safety pin that prevents other pins from falling out. The idea is to keep the trailer connection locked and to always have the pin available.
A lynch pin is a removable retaining pin used to keep other pins or latch hardware from sliding out. The host recommends adding one to the trailer setup and keeping it with the trailer.
"and if you have an end gate, make sure the end gate is secure, that it's not going to drop down, or a pin's not going to fall out, because that'll all get you a big super duper whopping ticket,"
An end gate is the hinged door/panel on the back of a trailer. If it’s not latched, it can open and drop cargo while you’re driving.
An end gate is a hinged panel on some trailers that closes the rear or side opening. If it isn’t secured, it can swing down or release, causing cargo to spill and creating a safety hazard.
"even if you have one of those carriers that slides into the receiver on your vehicle, make sure that's tied down, it's not going to come out, nothing's going to fall off,"
A receiver hitch is the opening on your vehicle where hitch-mounted accessories attach. If you’re using a carrier, you still need to secure it so it can’t come loose.
A receiver hitch is the standardized hitch interface on a vehicle that accepts accessories (like bike racks or cargo carriers) using a shank inserted into the receiver. The host warns that even these accessories must be tied down so they can’t slide out or fall off.
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Good morning Niagara, you're tuned in to Car Connection where the coffee is hot, the
tools are ready and the talk is always tuned up.
I'm your host Nile MotorMouth Jenkins coming to you straight from the Car Connection Workshop
where we mix a little humor, a little know-how and a whole lot of horsepower.
Here it's not just about fixing cars, it's about keeping you rolling, saving you money
and giving you the confidence to understand what's under that hood.
From the classics to the commuters, the weird noises to the what the heck moments, we've
got you covered.
So grab your coffee, sit back, join the crew because this is Car Connection, your Monday
through Saturday morning pit stop for stories, smarts, a few good laughs and I'm Nile MotorMouth
Jenkins and we're shifting into drive this morning, that's right.
Long weekend is just about over, I didn't want to be the one to say it but I thought
it's just a quick reminder that you know, yeah, we've cracked it off and the weather
wasn't too bad, we'll have our Monday morning weather for you in just a few moments, if
you're getting through the drive-through, grab your order, double flip-dipple check-in,
remember we're just, you know, we're not quite out of the first long weekend of summer.
So the vacation time switch could be partly down, mostly off.
So double check and lock it down.
If you're working today, give your boss the stink eye, you know, it's Victoria Day weekend.
Yeah, it's a holiday.
Team player, not today.
All right, let's jump into it right away, we've got quite a plethora of things to get
through, so stay with me now if you're up early and you're getting this podcast, great,
that means you're up at 8am.
That's not too bad, I get up at 46 days a week, sleep until six on Sundays, okay,
I said it, all right, I said it, I got that out of the system, there, yeah, that's a sleep
in for me, most of the day is gone by then.
I have five things for you today and a quick, we're going to rally back just quickly on
the questions that we had for Saturday Q&A, it was a great, a great drive factor of questions,
well done all of you for sending your questions in to me by Friday, on Fun Friday, noon hour
is the cut off for questions so that I can pop three out of the stack that comes in and
I didn't see yours in the stack, I looked and couldn't find
it, you did send it, right, yeah, I thought so.
So another trifact of questions, well done and here we are, it's Monday morning and it's
a motor mouse morning drive once again, remember if you're just joining us, all our podcasts
are available on whatever platform you're visiting including Podbean, nobody's responded
my email on that, you're hurting my feeling, what type of car would you be driving that
you feel you could call it Podbean, what would that be for you, in fact I just had a conversation
yesterday with someone who actually has the specific vehicle that I would definitely call
Podbean, so you can find us on Amazon, Spotify, Apple, we're all there, we're there all the
time and also on any other platform, our podcast immediately export over to our, or is it import,
help me out on that one, I can never figure that out, do they export or do they import
over to our YouTube channel, so all our podcasts were just about ready to head into season
three already, so there's well over 200 podcasts for you to enjoy, well no, we're not over
200, so motor mouse, get it right, yeah, so there's like, to be exact I would say 167
podcasts after we finish this one will be over on our YouTube channel, just so you know,
so if you missed something and you weren't able to get your co-pilot to write that down
with the pack of 16 cradle of crayons and a leaf bag, I went through a few leaf bags
yesterday, yeah cleaning up stuff, you know, the yard stuff and you go, like where did
that come from, are people dumping stuff here, come on, should there be more than five leaves
to pick up, seriously, anyhow, that's all taken care of, and some pruning and some clean up
and getting the gas up already for installation, cutting some grasses down, what did you do
on your long weekend, did you like, hey let me know in the email, send me an email, motormouth.jankins
at gmail.com, what did you do on, what did you do on your weekend, open the cottage, park the camper
ready for the summer at your favorite cramping summer spot thingy, open the trailer, you know,
if you're already kind of locked into a position somewhere with your trailer, that's your go to
position for summer, or did you tent it, yeah, like roughing it, you know, maybe just a plastic
tarp in a, in a ground sheet, in a sleeping bag, yeah that would have been good when the
thunderstorm came through the other day, that was, it got wild, was sitting on the back porch
and taking a break, just chilling for a few minutes and the, the storm came in and it was
cracking like you wouldn't believe and then next minute the rains going sideways because of the
wind, so we're going to jump into that in just a moment, so let's get our morning swiggy done,
we thank Earl Louise Grant at City Auto Sales and Leasing, if you or somebody you know looking for
a pre-owned automobile, this is where I would highly recommend that you just pack a lunch,
get your toothbrush, whatever you got to do, drive and get there because they sell low mileage,
top quality vehicles at fair prices, Greater Toronto Areas, Premier Pre-owned Auto Store,
that's Earl Louise Grant, husband and wife team, Earl's a car guy and let me tell you,
they don't haul in any junk from anywhere, if you are looking for a beater, call them and let them
know, find out what's in their used car corral, it's as is, where is, I've actually plucked some
decent stuff when I used to do that to help mummies and daddies get a decent car for their
kid because you know what, you don't buy them a brand new car or almost new car to beat it to
death, that's, they got to have some skin in the game, you get them a beater and get it all fixed
up and then teach them how to maintain it and it's easy, we're going to cover that this coming week,
how do you teach your kids how to take care of your automobile when you suck at it, oh,
did I say the quiet part out loud, I think I did, oops, but it's true,
teach them by showing them mummies and daddies, so if you're bad, really bad at taking care of
your automobile, guess what you're teaching your youngins, exactly the same thing, because this
is what you have to know, your kids are going to do 20%, if you're lucky, of what you do right
and 80%, 80% of what you do wrong, actually they'll do 100% of what you do wrong,
so they'll do very little of what you do right, but they'll copy your bad habits 100%
to perfection, so just keep that in mind, I thought I'd throw that in there, so when it comes to the
car, you're the example, yes you are, you're the example and I tell you, this conversation right
here would always be had in the workshop, when I'm looking at the kids car for, I don't know how
many times in the same breakages, which means they're doing it, they're breaking the car and they
know how to break the car, then they go, mom your car's broken, here's the keys, my friend's picking
me up, so when it's broken, it's your car, when it's working, it's their car, that's what you
have to fix, the kids have to have skin in the game, so if you're looking for a vehicle,
it's city auto sales and leasing, you'll find everything that we talk about, lives on the
homepage of our website, it is the biggest drawer in our toolbox where you can find everything you
need to connect with us on the homepage or all the logos for all our recommended businesses
as we rebuild the car connection business network, so if you are a business owner,
wherever you are, connect with us because wherever you are, we're there, because if you're hearing
this, wherever you are, that means we are where you are, or did you catch up with that? Have
another morning beverage, you'll be just fine, so everything is there, click on their logo and
that opens a profile page and you can meet them and connect with them and thank you for doing that
because we need their support as we've transitioned over to more ways for you to watch, listen and
engage, so come and join us anytime, Monday through Saturday, we're here, we're shooting videos today,
Skippy will be here in a few hours and I have a plethora of just 15 minute videos that we're
going to put together and put those in the library and get them edited and loaded up ready to go,
everything's in the hopper for this week, two for Tuesday, that would be tomorrow already,
two for Tuesday, one for Friday, they're all loaded in ready to go and we have over almost 400
pieces of information, if you want to know all the basics of owning and operating an automobile,
we have all of that in our YouTube channel and our podcast, so catch up with us, all right,
so check in with Earl Louise Grant, top right hand, top right hand corner of our homepage,
where you'll find the link for our YouTube channel, Facebook, Instagram, there's Reels and
bloopers pasted there that Skippy puts up and we're also on the Stevensvilleontheweb.com.ca,
yeah, yeah, Stevensvilleontheweb.ca, come on, it's a holiday Monday, give me a break,
yeah we are posted as experts there, just quickly click on the business tab, you'll find us and I
know that Skippy posts some stuff there as well, she lives in Stevensville, family
between the two of us we know quite a few people in Stevensville, my pops lives in Stevensville
and the website is designed to connect the community to the local family owned businesses
and vice versa, so it's a great way for that to happen and that's a website that our very
own Skippy put together to do that, to create a communal website and I think that is just so,
so special, so let's have our morning swiggy, we count it down 321 and let's
letter rip tater chip 321 yeah that's pretty decent for a Monday morning
but I am looking forward to my coffee, that's nectar around the car connection workshop,
coffee is like hooking yourself up to the battery pack and putting the leads on either ear lobe
for just a minute or so, yeah don't recommend you do that but if you don't, if you run out of
coffee it will certainly get your engine running, number two we need the weather this morning,
don't we, let's see what's going to go on and we thank Kathy and Dave and Dan Grimo for bringing
the morning weather to you from Niagara Block, 5000 Montrose Road Niagara Falls, they've been
building Canada since 1931, so you know when you see them out there just give them a big how do you
do, a big wave, they have all the building supplies, they make so many blocks I can't even tell you,
you know if you look at a building and you see the designer blocks on there, there's a chance they
may have made those blocks, there's a very good chance, so if you're making a building of some
kind, a workshop or storage facility, whatever it may be, building a home, get in touch with them,
they have all the blocks and metal and rebar and all that stuff to hold it all together, they also
specialize in hardscape landscaping, so if you're looking to create that backyard space that you've
always wanted and you've got to have definitely the outdoor kitchen thing going, yeah, you know if
you're living out there you need to cook out there too, you know what's the sense of dragging it in
out of the house, just do it, do it, create that outdoor living space so that you can really,
really, really enjoy the outdoors with family and friends, so they have everything you need,
including if you need a referral to a contractor that you can rely on to estimate the job, design
it even, put it all together, start it, finish it and let you enjoy it, just talk to Kathy Greenwell,
she has a list of referral contractors that she can send you over to, so let's take a look,
shall we, let's take a look at the Monday morning, Victoria Day morning, day, morning and day,
let's have a look and see what's going on, today, oh it's looking special, very special,
yeah, absolutely, possibility of RAIN, I'm not saying it, 0.05 of an inch, 62 degrees right
now, mostly clear wind is making it feel cooler, about 59, clear conditions will continue all day
in today's temperature range in our area in the Niagara region, south shores of Lake Erie, 61 to
82 degrees, it will feel more like 59 to 83 degrees, so they have a what they call a yellow
heat warning for us, yeah, so something just as a reminder is your sunscreen goes on before you
turn into a human piece of bacon, I'm just saying, because I do it all the time, I go like I'm kind
of toasted, yeah you're looking a little red like a lobster, did you put any sunscreen on,
is that the time, yeah exactly, well let's jump into today's topic, just a quick recap from Saturday,
Saturday's Q&A, it was phenomenal, phenomena, it was phenomena, another trifactor of questions
well done and thank you to Steven, who asked my service lights been on for months, probably two
years, truth, truth here, car runs fine, should I be concerned, if you want to find the complete
answer to that, you'll have to re-listen to Saturday's podcast, thank you to Rachel for
giving us question number two, motormouth, I heard you mentioned it's cheaper to maintain an older
car, please explain, thank you, and we did, I broke that down into a war and peace edition, actually
Cole's notes version, and to Marilyn, great question, my AC seems to be working fine,
should I still have it serviced and checked over, absolutely, yes, yes, plus yes, and thanks to
Skippy, she told me, I mean mentioned it to me, gave me orders to put together a buy me a coffee
dot com forward motormouth Nile page, so we now have a page on the buy me a coffee dot com website,
it's completely safe and secure, and you can send us whatever amount you'd like to donate to us to
help us buy supplies and pay for the production of the videos and the podcasts, we'd really
appreciate that, and Skippy, um, volin told me to get that done, she said it would be a good idea,
so I did, I got it done, so I, I did get a texted gold star, uh, when I texted her at work and said,
um, I got it done, it's done, very good, so it's buy me, our page is buy me a coffee dot com forward
slash motormouth Nile, and I put that in all the descriptions now because Skippy said so,
all right, I listen, most of the time, maybe sometimes not, okay, shall we move on, now
how long would you keep your vehicle, how long would it last if you were actually following
a maintenance plan, my answer for you is, well, it's official, the 2007 FJ cruisers,
like almost 20 years old, I just, that came to me on Saturday because I was getting some work done
on it, the calipers got here, the pads are here, gonna show you how to put a four piston caliper
on, that's gonna be part of the video, so you're gonna want to watch for that, and I'm doing it all
with hand tools, so, so that not everybody has a compressor, not everybody has power tools,
you have what you have in your tool kit, so I'm gonna show you how to do that, start to finish,
and bleed the system, so you're gonna want to stay tuned for that, and how to remove a tie rod end,
exactly, I found another problem yet in the spring evaluation on the 07 FJ cruiser, and yes,
you can keep it as long as you want, mileage doesn't mean anything, you gotta get that out of your
head, what matters is, if you're maintaining that automobile, I don't care how old it is,
three years, five years, eight years, 21 years, 25 years, it can be fully, and this is the myth,
I'm gonna bust it down right here, whoever that is that says it's costing too much money to
own and operate an older automobile, that is such a load of crap with a K, come to my house
talking head, that's what I say, come take on motormouth, I'm gonna take your lunch money
and your milk money, because that is not true, it is absolutely not true, in fact, I just found
out Saturday, and I like to talk about aircraft, and the reason being is, there's a lot of little
airplanes, when you see them going by over your head, the airplane that was going over our heads
on Saturday, somebody I know, who just got their license about a year ago, a 1969 Piper,
so talking head, convince somebody who owns their own aircraft that they're gonna buy a
brand spanking new one, it ain't gonna happen folks, no, they get refurbished all the time,
they have to be, so apply the same thing to that older automobile in your driveway,
and shut up the talking heads, you know, we're gonna be pulling out
another great car from 1992, wait till you see this thing, and all it needs is some
a little TLC, bring a few things up to date, and that baby, yesterday I put a battery in it,
and showed it a little bit of love, uncovered the blankets off of it, and took it outside,
and I'm standing there and I'm looking at, I'm going, this vehicle is 1992,
so the talking head is gonna say to me, well, you know, it's gonna cost you money to fix that
thing up, you know, it costs money to run the freaking lawn mower, you know, it has to have
blades, it's gotta have filters, or you can run it till you can, till you're pulling it till your
arm comes out of the socket, or you can have it so that one or two pulls away you go and you're
getting the job done, I'm not buying a brand new lawn mower every year, hello, that's the point
I'm trying to make, and I'm gonna keep hammering it home, because the odometer means nothing,
this is a marketing spiel, that's all it is, because I'll tell you what, there's vehicles
brand new off the tram in the factory that are now three years old are a big pile of hoopty,
yeah, that's a pile of hoopty, there's nothing left of it by the time you finish paying it off,
the newer stuff, you have to tenderize that like a really bad stake that you could fix a tire with,
yeah, you gotta, this new stuff, oh my gosh, don't even look at it the wrong way, it's broken,
they're terrible, so much plastic, it's unbelievable, might as well put it in your blue box,
yes, so when you're done with it, after three years and 60,000k, just put it end over end inside
your blue box at the curb, and go get yourself a 15 year old vehicle and carry on into the sunset,
I think I went off on a rant there, but it was worth it, yeah, we gotta cover that,
having an older automobile, you're going to, so here's the point I make to those who say well,
you know I have to have a reliable automobile, that's why I buy a brand new one, my car is three
years old, okay, it's three years old, you just said the word old, exactly, point taken, hello,
so now it's three years old and that's out of warranty, it doesn't need any parts,
that's what they're saying, okay, all right, yeah, maybe we can sell you some,
some great, you know, property in the Everglades, why not, the Gators will eventually go away,
after they've eaten everything, all right, we got a great, a great program here, let's jump in,
five things, so have you got that, mileage doesn't mean anything, what matters is caregiving to that
automobile, and if you don't have a game plan, we have one set up for you, that's our car connection,
fleet maintenance system, there's a full page that you can read all about it on our website,
at carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com, ccbusnet.com, number one, you're going to be traveling home in
in a number of hours, unless you're scarfing an extra day, you could always call in well,
you know what I'm saying, well, I ain't going to be coming in today, I think I've,
I think I got African Ganga Refilis, what, you'll get the day off, works really good,
because they can't even Google it and find it, so number one is you're going to be traveling home,
don't forget, that's a trip, okay, do a circle check on your vehicle,
get the hood open, check the fluids, look around, make sure everything looks good,
so you don't get caught heading for home, and it's going to be a beautiful day in most of the area,
I can say in the Niagara region, it's going to be absolutely outstanding day, first day heading
into the 80s, which means we'll soon be able to do the 30-day fuel savings challenge, where we can
get a hundred bucks back in your bank account on one vehicle in your household, if you do two,
guess what that, you know, do your math, figure that out, that's a pretty darn good thing, right?
If two vehicles, two drivers take on the 30-day fuel savings challenge, you could potentially
put $2,400 back in your bank account, are you excited? I don't know, send me an email,
motormouth.jankins at gmail.com, does that excite you? It does me, and I do it all the time,
so that's how I know it works, everything I tell you, I do it myself, I don't play the game,
do as I say, not as I do, I walk the walk, I talk the talk, if you came to the shop today,
you would see the FJs in there, you'll see it on video, it's getting a complete evaluation,
I worked it pretty hard last fall, and only had enough time to basically a quick break check,
get the winter wheels on, and carry on through the winter, and I didn't use it that much in the winter,
so yeah, because I had an alternate vehicle to use, which was great, so I gave it a break,
because I did work it hard last summer, right through the fall, bringing winter fuel to the
fireplace, if you know what I'm saying, so traveling home today, a quick look around under the hood,
check the tires all the way around, number two, that's your pre-trip circle check, do it, get in
that habit, if you're going to be on the road for an hour or two hours, you don't take time during
the week to check your fluids, don't assume, because we know what that means, right, don't assume,
I'll let you figure that out if you're new to that word, number three, if you're going to be
trailering today, and packing some stuff up, and bringing home the trailer, because you're
heading back to the scottage, or the trailer, and you're going to be taking a load back,
and getting things further ready for summer 2026, make sure you secure the load,
because otherwise the popo is going to give you a visit, and give you some paperwork,
they watch trailers, and if they find one infraction, that trailer's not moving, you're
going to have to call a flatbed to haul that baby home, just so you know, make sure you've got the
right chains on there, and make sure the chains are installed correctly, how do you install the
chains guys, left to the left, right to the right, is that how you're doing it, that will get you
pulled over, you take the left, put it over to the right, put the right chain over to the left,
so they create, they cross each other, and make sure that you don't just have the s-hooks, you have
the s-hooks that have the clip, the safety clip on, so when you snap it in, it can't jump out of the
hole on the trailer hitch itself that's on the vehicle, okay, just a little warning, and plug
the lights in, that would be good, and make sure there's nothing dragging, nothing broken, check
your wheels, it, when you're, when you're leaving the scottage with a trailer, or whatever you were
hauling that needs to get back home, you treat it like you're going on a trip, for the first time,
you don't just say, well it made it up here, I'll tell you what, I just found another item on the
FJ Cruiser, and I assumed it was grease, and when I actually got my hands on it, I'm going, oh,
that's not good, that's not grease, that's a bushing that's coming out, not good, see what I mean,
you can miss something, and it can make a difference between, you know, having to play the old country
song, you pick the fine time to leave me loose wheel, you know, we don't want that stuff happening
out there, so secure your load, make sure it's secure, don't assume, do a walk around, make
sure, grab the tongue of the trailer, give it a shake, or jump up and down on that trailer, and
make sure that thing's latched in, and lock out the tongue latch, yeah, don't leave it open, if you
know what I mean, put a bolt through there, a bolt and a nut, or a lock, or a pin, or a clevis pin,
so that the latch can't pop open, I see that a lot, and they're looking for that too, so get yourself
a lynch pin, there you go, put that on the shopping list, one lynch pin, yes, and that stays with the
trailer, always, and if you have an end gate, make sure the end gate is secure, that it's not
going to drop down, or a pin's not going to fall out, because that'll all get you a big super
duper whopping ticket, number four, oh I already did that, the towing check, be safe, that's what
I'm saying, secure your load in the trailer, and on the vehicle, even if you have one of those
carriers that slides into the receiver on your vehicle, make sure that's tied down, it's not
going to come out, nothing's going to fall off, because that'll get you a massive ticket to unsafe
load, that's what it's called, and she'll be, somebody told me it was around 300 bucks, I don't
care to find out, myself, that's a lot of working for nothing, so towing, be safe, check, always,
when you're, before you leave to get to your destination, and when you're heading for home,
make it a habit, summer's just beginning, and you don't need to be going home to work,
home to work, get off the little wheel, lick the ball,
get some water, grab a pellet, jump back on to pay a fine, you know what I'm saying, to me,
that's bad, it's like opening a bag of chips and it looks like they rolled over it with a steam
roller, and you go, what's that, guess we're having, guess we'll make some fish and batter it with
chip crumbs, it's actually pretty good, just saying, number five, here it is, summer 26,
2026 has begun, top drawer, safety first folks, all summer, safety first, don't take a chance,
because as my military instructor always and boss always taught us was, it'll be that moment
that you say it should be good, it's going to get you, that's what he would always say,
it'll get you, because we worked on a lot of equipment, stuff that would kill you in a heartbeat,
if you lose your mind and shut it off for a second, that could be the difference between
whether you're going to the hospital or a body bag, and I'm not saying that to scare you, but
we worked on some pretty hairy equipment, and he'd say, never disrespect it for one moment,
no matter what kind of machinery it is or whatever it is, that moment you say in your head,
it should be okay, that's a no, so let's play safe, 2026, keep the cars going forever,
send me an email, let me know what kind of mileage you have on your vehicle,
what you're driving, and if you ever have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out,
I don't bite much or hard anymore, treatment is working, the
so reach out to me, motormouth.jankins at gmail.com anytime, if you haven't signed up for our YouTube
channel, I just spoke to a guy yesterday, unfortunately, it's an older gentleman,
he's been a long time listener, car connection, I said we're still around, you know, we're a
next gen, we're all digital, he doesn't have a computer or anything, so unfortunately he's not
going to be able to tap in anything, but so for you, like, subscribe, share, most of all,
subscribe to our YouTube channel, watch the videos, leave a comment in the comment box,
all those little things help all us YouTube online influencers to grow our channel to
reach more people, we can't do it on our own, we don't send you a bill for visiting our channel,
thank goodness we've got a handful of program partners or just, it just covers the expenses,
just, there's nothing, when I say there's nothing left over, I mean there's nothing left over,
so thank goodness to Earl and Louise Grant and Tanayagra Block, our certified financial planning
professionals, Tony Mielly, Larry Tietro, just been absolutely outstanding in helping us to move
forward, in fact, Tony Mielly said to me, he said it's about time, motormouth, so encouragement was
there, so again, if you have questions about finances, whether it's an investment portfolio,
whether you feel like you're drowning in debt, you don't have anything planned, anything planned out
for your estate, so no beneficiaries, powers of attorney, you don't have any health proxy set up
for your older children living, still living at home, or you need a mortgage put together,
life insurance, critical illness insurance, all those questions and some can be answered for you
simply by booking an hour and a coffee discovery meeting, so take advantage of that folks,
don't sit there stewing or having intense moments of fellowship with your spouse and getting all
cranked up, getting the whole house cranked up, get your questions answered, get a game plan put
together, so when you visit with either Tony or Larry, put your wallet away, put your purse away,
they're not there to sell you anything, and they don't need any more clients, they've been doing
what they're doing for over 50 years, they want to help you, and you have to be willing to be helped.
That's just the way it is, you know, the saying is, I just forgot it, but I'll be back, I'll be
back in just a moment, is a man convinced against his will is of his own opinion still, so if you're
not ready to sit and listen and sit and put it all on the table, then nobody's going to help you,
you're just going to drown in rumor, hearsay, and popular opinion, asking everybody else to
fix your world, when you've got guys, that's what they do, and they've done it
for some of my personal friends, and they're doing extremely well, even with a little bit,
can get you going, and they can show you and teach you how to get your money working hard for you,
instead of you, hard for your money, so thank you to our certified financial planning professionals,
Tony Miele, Larry Tietro, with IG Wealth Management, these guys are two of the best
in all of Canada, and they're very humble, so you got Earl Louise Grant for buying a pre-owned
automobile, you've got Tony and Larry to get you on track with anything related to financing,
and taking care of your estate plan, and we've got Kathy and Dave and Dan
at Niagara Block, keeping us in our backyard space, and just hanging out, chillaxing,
and building stuff, creating stuff, and thank you to the whole team at Total Freedom Darien
Center New York, taking care of those struggling with addiction, and we talk about them a lot,
a lot on our YouTube channel, I put all that information in the description boxes for you,
if you're you or somebody who you know is at that point in their life, they got an addiction,
and they're ready to deal with it no matter what it takes, Total Freedom is there,
there, the team at Crystal Ridge Dream Center, serving men, women, children, meals twice a week,
Tuesdays and Fridays, they have after-school programs for the kids, and they'll have programs
all summer, and there's no cost, they raise their own funds, they get no government funding as well,
same as Total Freedom, no government funding, no outside fingers broken into the pie, they run it,
and raise the funds themselves, so that's where we come in, whatever we can do makes a difference,
so they're changing lives one at a time in the Niagara region, they got programs for single moms,
widows, young adults, after-school programs, and they get no outside funding, so whatever you
can do to help is a help, that's it period, you know we're in this thing called life, and we don't
get out of it alive, just so you know, it's what we do while we're here, you know life is the rent
we pay for taking up space on this earth, the big question I leave you with today, are you paying
your rent, are you paying your rent, we'll see you tomorrow morning for another motormouth morning
drive, remember, you can keep that old vehicle and ride it off into the sunset like Thelma and Louise,
and who cares how much mileage is on it, I don't, and you shouldn't either, just take really,
really, really good care of that automobile and you won't have to buy them all the time,
you can put that money back in your pocket, you can put that money back into your children's future,
you don't need to play the car game, there comes a time when you do, and we'll talk about that later
this week, there comes a time where you got to call it and you got to move on, then what do you do
next, I'll teach you how to do that so that you win, I'm here to help you win, and I know I can,
if you're willing to listen and do, because the do does and the did is done, enjoy your Victoria day
and taking some fireworks wherever you are, and make sure you practice your ooze and oz before
you go, you know, like if you're going as a family, it's very important that you have that synchronized,
you know, ooh, ah, yeah, get it together, all right, have a great day, we'll see you tomorrow
morning, bright and early, 8am for another motormouth morning drive, happy healthy motoring, be safe out
there, peace, patience, and kindness always, and we'll see you in the next one, bye for now
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