Ron opens todays Classic Car Doctor episode working on an oldie but a goodie, an 80's Ford Fairmont. Showing us all that vehicle age has no relevance to a diagnostic approach, he walks us through the steps of what to look for in this no crank, no start vehicle. Ron then goes to Iowa on call to discuss synthetic engine oil, air filters and Nitrogen fill for tires with a caller.  He closes it out today talking with a listener in California. The listener has an F150 Pickup with a different engine from the factory install. One of the problems is with the emission control system and how to connect. Ron offers some insight and explains the process. Are you enjoying Classic Car Dr episodes and the look back? Let us know,    ron@cardoctorshow.com.   And don't forget our You Tube channel!  All this and more at www.cardoctorshow.com      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ron starts todays' episode of Classic Car Doctor talking about his favorite tool; its always right, easy to use and real, real simple, Can you guess what it is? As an example he discusses a repair from the shop this week on a customers older Buick. He then goes to New Orleans for a first call and talks to the proud owner of a 2006 Chevy Silverado that has some air conditioning problems only on start up. He then concludes this all talk, no interview episode by talking to a caller addressing their concerns over Top Tier gasoline, how to properly identify it and the benefits of using it.  Enjoying these Classic Car Doctor Episodes? More info at www.cardoctorshow.com Contacts us. ron@cardoctorshow.com    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ron starts this episode with a call on an 05 Sienna that has multiple personality disorder; more than just a miss fire and spends some time trying to convince its owner HOW to diagnose in a consistent manner. His next call is from Richard in Louisiana; he has a 2014 Avalon with a backup camera beeping that stopped working; Ron gets him to the answer with some questions of his own. Ron then responds to an email from a listener in California asking Ron to cover maintaining hybrids on future shows; Ron agrees and provides some quick basic tips with more to come. He then circles back to talk more about the price of gas: The Car Dr closes the hour with a call from Joe in Delaware about a 2016 Ford F250 with broken valve springs : then answers an email on a 14 Subaru that was eating oil : and talks about customer service and why you the consumer should question your mechanic if the answers they give you does not make sense.   Visit us at https://www.cardoctorshow.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ron is very busy this hour; he starts this episode talking about the 80% rule of auto repair; when its ok to take your best shot and guess or as Ron puts it "The Mr. Spock Time Travel Conundrum" to fix a car, He then cites an example from the shop this past week; a 2014 Ford Escape with high mileage and a turbocharger fault.  He then helps a caller with an older Toyota Sienna that dies on the road and won’t restart and is more than a little frustrated as he tries to fix it himself. But the good Doctor shows us his bedside manner and walks him through the steps. Ron's next up is 2 for 1; a listener in Maine has questions about changing trans fluid on both his older vehicles with high mileage; a 2008 Toyota Sienna and a 2012 Chevy Malibu. : Next is Bob, a regular Car Dr listener who has questions about a 13 Escape that is consuming coolant : Ron closes out the hour with another story from the shop this week about the older customer and her run in with parking lot concrete bumpers and the ensuing damage. Visit us at https://www.cardoctorshow.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this second part of Classic Car Dr this week its all phone calls! Ron opens the segment taking multiple questions//calls on transmission service & repair; Both Chrysler products; one a 1996 Chrysler New Yorker and the other a 1998 RAM 2500 Pickup Truck. He then jumps into a conversation picking up where he left off with John from Vermont who has some additional questions and comments about a recent repair on his Audi. Ron finishes the week trying to finish John's concerns but ultimately runs out of time BUT he is able to guide John back to the previous repair facility with the right questions to ask to address the Audi's problems. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to this weeks Classic Car Doctor lead-off episode. Today its from August 16, 2014 and Ron opens the show with a story from his shop. Things were humming along and flowing UNTIL this 1999 Honda Accord showed up with an intermittent crank but no start problem and no service appointment.  It had no spark, no injector pulse and no fuel pressure  when it would not start. Once it happened to Ron it didn't take him long to diagnose it. Ron was able to get a diagnostic direction simply by looking at the dash board and reviewing which trouble lights came on when the problem happened. Listen in to hear the diagnostic flow. His first call this hour is from Terry in VT with a 2003 Chevy Pickup and a binding ignition lock cylinder. Ron dispenses some advice on how to proceed and repair. He concludes this  episode by answering an email form a listener that has a brake shudder on a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer that is really an ABS issue and a very common problem. Tune in to hear it all. Do you like listening to these Classic Car Dr shows? Please drop us an email; ron@cardoctorshow.com and let us know your thoughts & opinions. Visit our web site for more info as well as links to our growing You Tube Video library.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ron starts this episode talking about a recent report on HID and LED headlights, night blindness and problems with night vision driving. He wraps up the 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 driveshaft repair and talks about the 6, almost 7 week search to find the $2300. part. His next up is a call from a listener in Arizona with an 03 Buick Lesabre with questions on the Mass Airflow Sensor,. Ron answers the questions and also offers some quick easy tips to determine if your MAF sensor is failing BEFORE it sets a fault code and leaves you stranded. Then Ester calls in from VA; She has an 03 Corvette Anniversary Edition and is need of an AC Control Head, a part which is obsolete from GM. Ron steers her into the winners circle with multiple choices of where to look and what she can expect to find. He then talks  about doing trans fluid service on a Toyota Venza and fluid changes in general masking a case for the value in maintenance. He then takes a call on a Volvo XC70 where the passenger side taillight goes out when the vehicle is placed in reverse. His final segment this week is answering a listeners question from The Car Doctor Facebook page about a 2023 Ford Maverick hybrid pickup asking if there is any risk to the hybrid battery when the car is stored long term.  The answer and real concern is not what you suspect. A surprising but true answer from Ron! Visit us at https://www.cardoctorshow.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ron begins the hour with a repair from his shop this week; a 2009 Honda Odyssey that has a P0325 Knock Sensor fault; he dives in deep talking about the difference between dynamic and static code faults; how to use them to your advantage; and concludes the segment by finishing the tale with what caused the code in the first place and how common it is! Can you guess the cause? His first call this hour is an 04 Dodge 2500 RAM pickup with four wheel drive problems : Ron brings to light and briefly discusses a recent news article warning about $5 a gallon gas becoming more common once again. A caller from VA is trying to repair the rust on the back fenders of his 2004 Ford F150; Ron offers some ideas that eliminates the body work and makes the repair more mechanical. The next caller is from Florida and has  a 2017 Jeep Patriot that is losing anti freeze; but only when its parked.  After helping the Florida Jeep owner Ron concludes the hour talking about a 2017 Chevy Suburban in his shop that needed rear brakes; but the repair took a turn south because the last shop that did the brakes put the brake pads on incorrectly by as Ron describes it "using a hammer and screwdriver". The fun times begin NOW! Visit us at https://www.cardoctorshow.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this second half of the hours show Ron talks to a listener from Maine that is car shopping. He has a list based on Ron's recommendations in the last few months' Ron walks him thru the good, the bad and the ugly. What to buy and watch out for and what may not be the most desirable. Ron also takes us on a "tour" of how these cars from Model Year 2014 may be diagnosed and repaired discussing at length the procedures for computer reflashing. He concludes the call with some comments about the Audi the caller is interested and explains how you check the engine oil on these cars since they no longer have an engine oil dipstick. His next call is from West Virginia. A listener has a broken car in his driveway and is trying to purchase a diagnostic scan tool so he can repair it himself. Ron walks him through what he should be looking for and discusses some basic diagnostic routines. He finishes off this episode talking to a caller who also needs help with a dead car; Ron gives him some on the spot, on the run information as the time runs out on what to look for and the testing that should be done. Do you like listening to Classic Car Dr episodes or not? We want to know. Please drop us an email. ron@cardoctorshow.com    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this blast from the past Ron opens the hour talking about how to be a successful auto repair shop. One of the factors he states is how much auto repair varies by region and location. He offers up his "Dirty Dozen", the basic list of things to always check to ensure a vehicle is in good operating condition. He then takes a call from a listener in Maine who is having problems with tire wear on a 2011 Ford F150. Ron speaks at length about proper tire maintenance, covering mounting, balancing and wheel alignment and why these steps are important to ensure tire longevity.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How about a 2011 Jeep Liberty that runs terrible and has trouble on hot days?  Ron's next up is a bit of a Frankenstein vehicle; the original engine has been replaced by something different .and well, its bits and pieces being held together in this 03 Tacoma. The OBD II port tests show no codes BUT the check engine light is on. Ron offers a definitive approach to get to a conclusion quickly.  He then covers basic mis-fire diagnostics on an 07 Escalade with multiple misfires. After walking the caller thru the steps he then takes a call on an 01 VW Gulf with a bad voltage regulator  and an owner that can't find the right part. Ron gives him the info he needs to solve his problem.  The last call of the hour is from a listener in Virginia that has an 04 Chevy Trailblazer where the transmission won’t engage. Ron's solution and diagnostic step is simple and clear to determine the fault.  Visit us at https://www.cardoctorshow.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ron starts this episode railing about how auto repair is being judged by many and done by few and the amateur pontificators. He makes a strong case about how auto repair needs to be a more respected profession. His repair from the shop this week is about a 2018 Jeep Wrangler with failing rocker arms due to poor manufacturing. He takes a call on a 22 Colorado with a low voltage warning and explains why the system is operating as designed. His next call is from a show regular, Jeremy in Washington DC who was working on his sisters car this week and broke an engine mount bolt off in the engine block : He then takes a call on a 22 Ford Edge that has gone through 3 cat converters in 18,000 miles. Ron's concern is that while Ford is replacing the parts they are not solving the cause of the failures and explains to all the best method to get it solved once and for all.. His concludes the hour talking about an older Chrysler that needs front end work and how he used the AutoZone Web site to find and identify them. Visit us at https://www.cardoctorshow.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the second half of this weeks episode of Classic Car Dr we find Ron finishing up a call from the first half helping a listener make a choice about what vehicle to purchase. He then "take a ride" to Arkansas and helps an older Mazda, a 2002, with a potential charging system problem.  Do you like listening to the older shows? Let us know either way! ron@cardoctorshow.com   Visit us online, www.cardoctorshow.com     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the 1st posting Of Classic Car Dr. This episode of The Car Doctor is from September 27, 2014. In this first half of hour 1 Ron  talks about maintaining cars for customers over time; the generational affect of working on the parents and then the kids cars. He discusses an older Jeep that has some serious problems among which is a power steering leak that could lead to a fire. He concludes this segment with a call from someone about getting better fuel mileage on a 1994 Ford Explorer then starts a call helping a listener make a new vehicle purchase choice.  Do you like listening to the older shows? Let us know. Send an email to ron@cardoctorshow.com Visit on line at www.cardoctorshow.com      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ron starts this episode talking about the full moon and what  strange things happen in a repair shop as a result; one of which was the woman who came in at the beginning of the week & wanted to leave her suitcase in his shop : takes a call on a 12 Camry with a hesitation that's been going on for over 8 years: takes a call on a 14 Charger with ABS and Traction Control lights from Montreal. His repair of the week is a 15 Acura MDX with a check engine light & an unusual EVAP system failure. He advises a caller with an 04 Nissan Titan where 2 of the speed sensor cables have been eaten by a critter. He reviews a tech article from Alldata that talks about a Ford Transit that blows fuel pump fuses. He concludes the hour talking about doing headlight bulb work and wrapping headlights with a new product from the Xpel company.  ( www.xpel.com/automotive )  Visit us at https://www.cardoctorshow.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ron starts this episode talking about changes to the car doctor website to help listeners learn more and get more information to solve their problems. He also talks about the next generation of auto technicians; how they can get started in the business and what they should do to stay in it long term. The phone calls start this episode with a return caller and his 18 Hyundai Tuscon that is burning oil. He talks about used car prices and discusses some of the options from Auto Trader.  ( www.autotrader.com ) . He takes a call on a 13 Malibu where the radio just stays on. And then, mid show, the father who has the automotive technician daughter Ron talked about earlier calls in to thank Ron for his help years ago on an almost impossible to fix post office vehicle. HIs last call of the hour is from a listener with a 13 Grand Caravan that was making engine noise, the lifters and rocker arms were replaced along with other parts….now the rear defroster comes on when the door is opened. It seems every time it goes back to the dealership the problems increase with no end in sight.  Visit us at https://www.cardoctorshow.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once again we sit down with Haresh Gobin of Launch Tech USA and talk scan tools; what they are and how important to have one to properly perform vehicle diagnostics. The past, present and future development including EV's From March 23, 2024 Hour 2 Broadcast. Visit us at https://www.cardoctorshow.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ron welcomes first time guest Cody Smith of Cloyes Gear, manufacturer of timing chain components and gears. They chat about the do and don't of upkeep and talk in depth about timing chain design and use in today's engines.  Visit us at https://www.cardoctorshow.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ron starts this episode talking about a Subaru that needed an exhaust system : talks about maintenance issues he's seen lately : takes a call on 15 Camry and the tire monitoring system : talks with Haresh Gobin of Launch on scan tools, ADAS, and scan tools with electric vehicles. Visit us at https://www.cardoctorshow.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ron starts this episode talking about an 09 Caddilac CTS with a second water pump : talks about an 06 Camry that came into his shop for service that started with 3 different brands of tires on it : takes a call on a 2020 Legacy and replacing the rear brakes : talks with Cody Smith, Technical Product Director of Cloyes Gear on the subject of timing chains. Visit us at https://www.cardoctorshow.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.