NightSide’s Car Guys Check In - Part 1

It's Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm tell you easy Boston News video.

All right, welcome back, thanks very much, Dan Watkins, as we head into our ten pm hour, and we are delighted to have with us as we here have a couple, well two or three times a year now the WBZ car guys, Larry and Scott Rubinstein, gentlemen, welcome back to Night's. I hope everybody's feeling better than I am.

Well. I am feeling good today and good evening to you. Dan. I am hoping that the medicine you took is putting you back to the road of recovery.

Yeah, I hope so too. I mean, I feel better than I did yesterday. And sixteen hours of sleep. That's that's the longest amount of sleep I've ever had in my life. So I'm happy about that. And this is wrapping the year with you guys, and then tomorrow night with the charity combine, it's gonna be great. So let's talk about cars. Rob was saying to me during the break. He said his car seems to know when to break down. He said, if he gets some money back in taxes

Who have that feeling.

Well, in my case, Dan, it was the exact opposite. When I was starting out younger, before I had a family, just starting to have a family. Whenever I got my income tax refund checked back, the transmission would go or the radiator would go, and thankfully I had the money there, but you know, that's money I would have rather have put into my savings accounts. So my problems were just the opposite.

Well, Rob, that hopefully is going to make rub feel a little a little bit better. Were looking for We're gonna hit cold weather. People are going to pull.

Out some morning this week and the car is going to tell them that the tire is the right rear tire or the left front tire is low.

Why is that?

Well, one of the reasons why the tire goes low is because when you heat up a tire, the air expands. When you cool the tire, then it can contracts. When it contracts, the pressure drops down, so your tire pressure sensor. If a person is complaining that the tire pressure sensor light is on in cold weather, it's because the air in the tire has contracted to the point that it's down below the threshold that the manufacturer of the car wants to see for tire pressure. So I am retired now,

Good good to know.

Let's get this clarified because people often asked me. As a matter of fact, one person today wrote and they wanted to know you guys, I know the shop is closed. Root one Auto, which for many many years was your headquarters. You sold that the root one Auto was still in business in the same location.

Correct, it's in the same location. The family that bought it has done a terrific job of overhauling it from top to bottom, all new floors, all new equipment. You know, a new broom comes in, as the old saying goes, and they just went to town and that place is absolutely gorgeous now it is the taj Mahal.

Okay, but you still are you still writing your pieces for the local newspaper up there as well?

Newspapers are going the way of the dinosaur, as you, I'm sure, as certain as you have seen too, I am not. I do consult at Ruwanado frequently. In fact, I was there yesterday for a few few hours. And I work with them, and I have the distinct pleasure of having the All Data information system at my ready. They've been good to me for the past twenty years and giving me access to all the repair information that

Interesting, So that's a subscription. And what is the webs is their website. I assume.

All that a L L D A T A.

Dot com.

Yes, yes, I'm sorry.

About that, okay, and you can you can put in what type of car you have, what year, and you can get all the information you need about your particular.

Vehicle, every everything that the manufacturer has put out about the way to repay your vehicle, the part numbers, how long it takes, the method to do the job, the tools you're gonna need, I mean, everything is right there so that the di Y guy, if he wants to invest in the tools and in the scanners and things like that, he can fix anything on the car that he needs to. The information volume is mind boggling.

Yeah, I'm not a di Y guy, but I know that Scott is very much a DIY guy. What are you doing these days, Scott? Because people know that when when Route one Auto was purchased you you're working up in New Hampshire, correct?

I am?

I am. I am currently a service advisor over at FoST Motors up in Extra New Hampshire. We are the the actual biggest largest still at this crisis jeep Dodge dealer in all of New England. Proud to say that with some more units than anyone else. So with the more units, that means we have a ton of service customers. So now I've gone from being a jack of all manufacturers so per se, to strictly working with Jeeps and Dodges, Rams,

Okay, well, I'm going to take a quick break here. It's sixteen and we're gonna go to phone lines. Folks are waiting six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty one line at six one, seven, nine three, one ten thirty. I don't want to make people wait, so we're gonna get to phone calls forthwith. Right after this quick break on Nightside. It's a Thursday night. It's gonna get cold

Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.

Go right to the calls.

Let's start off with whoever's been waiting the longest, and that would be Ken in Florida. Ken, you are on with the WBZ car guys Scott and Larry.

Right, damn, this is great. I've meant to call talk to these guys for years. Dan, real quick. I hope you're feeling better. Get some good rests uh. When I come back up there in June, I would love to have lunch and or a cold one with you when I come back up.

Can be arranged.

That could be a ranged We'll reach me our guys. I'm in Selfless, Florida. I moved from Paul, Massachusetts five years ago. In twenty eleven, I bought an Audi Quatro wagon, you know, all wheel drive, a four with the turbo. It was used with twenty four thousand miles and now has one hundred and seventeen thousand. I try to take care of it. I've had some work on the sensors or whatnot. It's run rough lately. It's been running rough and when I get gassed after I filled up with premium,

At the receipt.

And also I need motor mouths, which are about seventeen hundred dollars. I'm not crazy about that, but I want to keep it running. It's only one hundred and seventy thousand miles and I don't Two quick questions. One, what you're opinion on gas added is in?

Two?

What about the motor mouths? And how can I keep this running at only hundred seventeen thousand miles for a few more years until I have the cash? Oh oh, sorry, One last question. One of these endurance I was thinking about purchasing one of those plans where you get the endurance, you know, the insurance coverage.

All right, very very good question. So well, we'll try to address them one at a time. There, good question for you. When you say that you have a problem, it's only after you slow it up with a full tank of fuel.

Yeah, because I'm usually running late going to work and I run it on it's almost on empty. And one time I had called Triple A would start in the Triple A said, you've got to give us some gas. But I've never had to do that. I just turned the key and it would start right up. So now it now it reluctantly start when I get gas.

Okay, if you fill it, you a half a tank, do you still have the same problem.

Yes, but you used to fill it. But yes, even I have to take and I buy Premium ninety.

Three, super super weird problem. The only thing I can think of is that possibly when the fuel is going in that possibly it's running up the vtlines and almost almost flooding. The flooding the engine is almost what it seems like it's doing. No kinds of check ingel for an EBAP system related code.

Huh, Now I have to check engine light on for something else. But my Firestone dealer said I need to go to Audi, which I don't want to do. So after that, I don't blame you.

I don't blame you.

On start after that though. So anyway, that's one problem. And then the other was.

The motor mounts.

So what was your question about the motormounts. If they're if they're broken, the phone, I mean, they's got to be done.

It's running a little rough, you know, not shaking, not stalling. But I do go off a bridge to work down here in Florida, and I get nervous that I'm going to like suddenly break down on a bridge the check engine like they don't have the code for that, and then until I worry about that, and then it uh yeah, I just want to want to keep it running.

I want to baby it.

Because it's only got a one hundred and seventy thousand miles on it, right.

So I mean then you if you if it's a vehicle you want to hold on to, then you owe it to your vehicle to a get that check engine like checked out.

That is important.

It's giving you a warning sign. So if the Firestone dealership can't handle it, then you either take it back to an Audi dealer or you need to find someone that's a European specialist. As you take BMW's and things like that, nature should be able to take a look at that for you.

I don't know. And funny just to keep it running longer could run for another one hundred thousand miles, I would think at.

Least it should.

But you owe to the vehicle to you know, find out what's going on, because you could be making a minor situation turn into a major situation, so I would address that check engine light sort of.

Then later, all right, what do you have?

You get some good information, please act on it.

Okay, the gap additors, all right, I'm sorry. One more.

Going on a long time here? What what is? What's your last point?

Is Japan additive? Like an additive like an STP or something.

I think that the additives that are in fuel nowadays should be plenty for what you what you need, what you have?

Good, right to go, Thanks, Keed, got to get more, folks. Thank you much. Merry Christmas.

Ken.

Next up, let's go too. Bob in Bedford, Massachusetts.

I think, Bob, you were the person who wrote me an email today, if I'm not mistaken, right.

Dan, No, I left him a voicemail yesterday afternoon.

Okay, and I communicated back with you.

Right, yes, yes, I want to say thank you very very much for calling me. You've telephoned my home around ten forty this morning.

No problem, no problem, That's what I try to do.

People look at you, and I want to wish you a merry Christmas, and I hope you're feeling better.

Not great. Okay, go ahead, you're on the air. Good time.

Larry and Scott. Hi Scott, I have a two thousand and five Hyundai Accent, and I owned this car for a little over nine years since, since September of twenty fifteen. And the biggest problem I had with this car, guys, is it was the starter. I don't know what it was about the two thousand five Hyundai Accents. This is a two door hatchback. When I bought this car in September of fifteen, it had a pretty low mileage on it at the time. It has about around ninety thousand

No, are you kidding?

I've had to replace the starter about four times, maybe five. I've actually, to tell you the truth, I've literally lost count.

All right, So Bob, let me ask you this. When the starters go bad, are they grinding when you go to starter or are they just clunking?

No, they're a tremendous hesitation I was having.

Now.

I did replace the starter earlier this year by an auto mechanic. He put in a new starter around January or February when we had a very cold snap. And the starter is actually performing better now, much better. But when I was having all these problems guys. Yeah, like I said a moment ago, when I would turn the key big time hesitation, it would it would grind, it would go, and then it would and then it would turn over.

Okay, all right, So there was a problem with these and if your technician had done a voltage drop test, he probably would have seen it. Where the starters we were mounting up, there was paint on there, so the starter was not making a good ground. Oh well, what so the trick on that, and it really isn't a trick is when you pull the starter out, you clean the mounting surface of all of the paint that's still on there, so when the starter bolts in, it has

Yeah, that's what was that one.

Yeah.

I think I think my auto mechanic earlier this year, in January February, I think he did. I think he performed what you just.

Said, bolt a drop jest.

Yeah, and he did the ground or whatever whatever that was right, And the primary reason I called in to I is I wanted to get information about the location of your shop, but I understand you sold it.

I did, but I need I need to tell you the guys that I have it now. They do a good job. As I said that the opening of the show. I was there for a few hours yesterday doing some consulting, taking a look around. Two of my two of my guys that I employed for over twenty years are still there working now. So they came as part of the pack. When Scott and I sold our shop, they stayed with it. So it's pretty much the same group of people, except the management, if you will, has changed, and they've got

Rob, Chris. And is there somebody named Steve there too?

Steve Steve, he's been with me for oh gosh, probably close to thirty years, twenty five years, Tony, Tony is there, Tony, it's been with me for thirty years.

So yes, And who is Linda? Is Linda the reception at start?

That is correct?

You know?

Oh crow, Bob, so you know how to find him? Okay, you got the right place.

I think, I'm I'm I'm pointed in the right direction. Thank you, Dan, Thank you very much. Merry Christmas to you and to all your listeners. Thanks Rob, appreciate it, Thanks to you, Thank you, Larry, thank you, thank you, Scott, Bye bye, welcome.

Here comes the news. We get back more with the BZ car guys, Scott and Larry. And by the way, the only line that is opened to six one seven, getto on board. We'll get you through, that's for sure.

Coming back on night side.

You're on night Side with Dan Ray on w b Z Boston's news radio.

Back to the phones we go for the WBZ car guys, the WZ nice that car guys, Larry and Scott Rubinstein.

Let me go to June in Providence, Rhode Island. Hi, June, how are you welcome back?

Good?

Thank you. I have a question. I don't have a problem with my vehicle. Currently, I drive a twenty eighteen fort Explorer Limited and it has about one hundred and eight thousand miles. But I'm seriously thinking of giving that to a family member and buying myself a new vehicle. And I had This is my third Ford Explorer. I really like them. They're not too high to get in and out of, and when I fold down all the seats, I have quite a bit of, you know, capacity to

Ooh, tough choices. I mean, you've had Explorers for a while and there's once obviously treated you very good and not good enough that you want to give it to a family member. So and Explorers certainly have come a long way, but you're putting it against such a high name. I mean, if you've listened to our show before, you know how much Larry, how high Larry and I think of Toyota vehicles in general. Have you taken out either vehicle or a road test yet?

Well, I was, as Dan knows, I was out in LA for November, so I went to the LA Auto Show. So I looked at the vehicles there, and I had a rental that was a Ford Explorer, right, So the only question with the Toyota was it seems a little higher to get in and out of. I'm not very tall, and I find that like, I'm not too crazy about that aspect, but everything else seems pretty good about it.

Be a polluter.

Are you Are you a local commuter? Do you drive short distances to work every day?

Said?

I'm retired. I just drive a lot. I go wherever I want, you ever I want.

It's a majority.

Yeah, I think we could talk a lot about the different cars. I think you've got to kind of make a decision yourself. I don't know if these guys can make a decision for you.

Well, I just wanted to know about that that four cylinder engine in the Ford Exploit, is it going to be as responsive as my v sticks that I have in the twenty eighteen.

Four cylinder technology has come such a far away. And then I think, if you want to personally, if I had to choose, I would rather see you go with the four cylinder Ford over necessarily picking just for a hybrid. You've already given the Explorer. You like the Explorer, You're comfortable in the Explorer. I'm not a guy that's sold on hybrids. As somebody that gets to work with them every day. I don't think that they're necessarily a future A long term Yeah, but you've got to go with

Okay, all right, thanks Jude, look that help the little bit.

Thank you.

Thanks, great night.

All right, let's keep rolling here. You're going to go next to Marty and Florida Marty, You next to Nights.

I right ahead, buzzre excellent shoe guys. Listen, I really don't have a problem, but I wanted your opinion first of all. Coincidentally, I bought an Explorer in nineteen ninety two, an XLT brand new in South Florida.

I got rid of it with.

Two hundred and twenty five thousand miles thanks to cash for Clnkers. It was the worst vehicle I ever had. Everything went wrong and it started to rot and leak whatever. So I got rid of it. Then I bought cash for Clonkers. I bought it an on nine Dodge Nitro with two thousand miles. It was a demonstrative model. I have two hundred and twenty six thousand miles on it now. Well, I should say that last year the dealer said it was the leakage of anti freeze into.

Its bark plug.

They gave me an engine for free because I had that the powertrain warranty since then I've been riding and writing and writing and writing. I wanted to find out two things from you, what do you think of the Dodge and I trow, and maybe some feedback from people out there, because if this vehicle ever went, I would

Question for was it then I've got a two liter in.

It, it's four it's a six cylinder engine.

Oh, it's got the sixth on so it has probably the three point five I think so, yeah, it's either are three or three five. Back then, first of all, it's super impressive to hear that, you know, in being somebody that works for Stillantis nowadays, it's great to see that. Back then, you've got a product that you know has gone fifteen years, two hundred plus thousand miles. I think it's even better. We get to deal with some of the lifetime warranty stuff. I think it's great that they

In other words?

In other words, is somebody I saw some recently some use Oh I should mention I do have a serious problem.

My horn act up. Once in a while. My horn goes dead.

Okay, well ninety spring, it's racing.

It'll do ninety like nothing.

So is it something? What do you feel about them?

I feel that you know, I was never a personally a huge fan of a nitdro back in the day. It's not just not my style of vehicle. But I think obviously for fifteen years, you know, you see what you've gotten and it's definitely proven itself. So I think I think you're more of an expert on the vehicle than I am, because you've lived it for fifteen years, two hundred thousand miles more wise, Yeah, so why wouldn't So are you looking at the point where you are going to replace this vehicle.

Or no, I'm going to keep it as long as it runs.

But I'm saying that if I saw somebody selling one, I don't know why anybody want to sell it, you know, or used one. But I was just wondering if you have any heard of any people havny problems with it? Is mine and anomaly or is that the way they will are?

No?

I just I think that back then there was a good vehicle, and obviously you've done your maintenance and take it. A lot of vehicles get a bad reputation because people don't do maintenance. But if people take care of their stuff, they will. There are plenty of good vehicles out there to get a bad reputation because they were not maintained properly. So keep doing that.

I think we've I think we've gone through a lot of conversation here on this. I gotta keep rolling.

Marty, thanks so much, good shows always.

Thank you much.

Thanks Chris good.

Let me take a very quick break.

I got Jeene and Linda and Ed and ed, a couple of edds, two EDGs in Marshfield. We got we got the market cornered with EDGs and Marshfield and we'll be back on nights. O have the only one open, the only line open right now six one, seven, nine, three, one ten thirty back on nights out of the w BZ car guys.

Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World Nights Sight Studios on WBZ News Radio.

Oh, keep rolling here on night side. Let me see who is up next. We're gonna go to uh Linda in Weymouth, Linda tight on time you go right ahead?

Hi?

First off, your telephone number was nine eight three to two one.

Rightio is the other person that you want to ask for the Sergio is one of the owner and he's in the shop ninety nine percent of the time.

Is that the right number?

Yeah? Nine seven eighty five three two for zero zero one?

Okay. I have a Ford Focused twenty thirteen. It says eighty six thousand miles, but I had the transmission replace. They also changed the mileage when changed the transmission. My check on just check engine light had been on and that's what they said.

Was okay, so you've got a thirteen Focus and what miles did the transmission have to be changed?

I don't know what it was about a year and a half ago and I'm presidently, go ahead.

How many miles do you have on the car now?

Eighty six thousand. I'm looking at replacing it with a honder CRV twenty sixteen, and what how do I trade it in or what value should I get for it? If it's got that check light on still again? It said it's going to cost forty four thousand something to replace it, the engine light, their transmission.

So what I don't quite understand exactly what it is that you would like to know? What is the force?

What do I trade in? How do I trade in the car when it really doesn't have a life after I trade it in? Does that make sense?

Okay? Yeah, so you go, who's the now? You said you were buying a twenty sixteen Honda.

Yes, CRV with one hundred and one two?

And are you buying this from? Are you buying this from a dealer or a private party?

A dealer? I've been there twice before, and they're going to get me a discount for being repeat persons.

Okay? And how much are they going to give you in trade? Have you asked? No?

I haven't. I haven't gotten that bar yet.

You're not going to get I can't look it over, Linda, I'll tell you right now. I don't know as much as these guys. You're not going to get much on a car like that.

Okay.

I was thinking salvage value.

Okay, if if if the car didn't have a check engine light on, it would be worth anywhere from two thousand dollars to four thousand dollars. Okay, if you can use the tax right off. There's many charities that you can give it to, because you really can't sell a car to a private party with the check engine light on without expecting repercussions.

Okay, and Miguala would know how to how do you go about doing it? For caster kids? A side saying the call and okay. The other thing is I found a but June, you have a handle that goes into the car once the door is open to help get up into the seat. I got it at a I don't know, a discount place and I'm holding on to it. I was going to give it to someone, but I'm holding on to it. I don't think I'll be needing it because it's not that much higher.

That's good. That's good, Linda. Thank you for the challenging questions for my men. Challenging questions, Linda, thank you so much, talking again, good night, Edin Marshall. I had no clue there, guys, I really didn't edit Marshfield ed your next on Knights, I go ahead, ed In Marshfield. There's two heads here in Marshfield. So the ed In Marshfield whose number ends with well, it's the same guy. Because you've got two lines died up, let's drive the other one. Rob Eden Marshfield.

Ahead, Oh yeah, this is there right, yes, good, yeah.

Yeah, can we get any fine, but we're slowing the showdown, so go.

Ahead, okay, okay, yeah, quick question. I have a Lexus, uh two thousand and seven, Alexis. I asked two point fifty.

I bought it with one.

Hundred and twenty five thousand. Unfortunately, I kind of let the transmission fluid go. I have two hundred and five on it now, and I don't know if what your advice is to do the do the fluid change or just let it go and see how long I get out of it out of the vehicle.

No way would I ever think to do anything with that transmission fluid at this point. Are you having a problem with transmission now? No, not at all.

Yeah.

So my my problem is is that I have a funny feeling that as soon as you try to flush that fluid or do anything like that. I mean, you know what, if you're going to do anything, maybe so fluid, right, you can do a fluid replacement where you simply just drop the pan out of the you know, drop the fluid out of the pan. And I'm not sure if that one has a drain colling on it, and maybe

Okay, And one more quick question is I've been using Mobile one oil on it, and I know some people say the synthetic of the time can cause the main sale to leach. What's your what's your advice on that?

I'm one that in back in seven, I think it was still a petroleum base, maybe a blend recommended back then.

But if you've been using it, how long, I gonny, how love many miles?

You've been using Mobi one four.

Eighty thousand since eighty thousand five?

Yeah, in eighty thousand, I mean it's done. You well, I don't see any reason to change from it at this point, and and I don't there's no way that a motor oil causes the seal to leak. Understand this, Synthetic motor oils are much slicker in the property values compared to a petroleum base that they're thinner, they're lighter, they almost create a bonding agent to the walls into metal surfaces. Okay, if a feal leak, it's because the seal has failed over time, So oil doesn't cause a leak.

Just a just a little interest. God, is that toyo wants straight five W thirty in it? They do not want? Well, yeah, but because.

He's already to write eighty thousand, you don't change over now right, No, no, I agree, I said, just a point of interests that from day one, that's all that they wanted day one, right, But yeah, you don't I think you know this is like, yeah, you don't want to see just like you ask me about the transmission fluid. You've got eighty thousand miles plus of doing something a certain way. I would not stop messing with something that's been working, or you're apt to cause more problems.

All right, and I think you get your answers. I think we lost in which sometimes happens. Okay, thank you, I appreciate all right, what do we get left here?

Rob? How much time? Two minutes? Let me see if we get Gene and evertton here real quick. You just have to wake through the news Gina and.

Ever Okay, thank you, Hi Dan, I'm very sorry they are sick. Rest and get more sleep. You always heal when you're sleeping, Okay, when you're resting. So just okay, that's it, all right, guys. Quick question okay, two things. My car has seventeen five hundred miles on it, it's a twenty twenty one hundred record. When is a break fluid required? When is a transmission fluid required when you know to replace them, and when there's an alignment required, is it required yet?

Alignments should be done about once the year, especially with these Massachusetts roads. Okay, I would yeah, yeah, because our roads are not very good. One alignment cost you less than a single tire, and if you want to tires to last, then you want to align them so that they're running properly. And that's also going to give you better few mileage if your tires aren't fighting you.

As far as what about the break.

I know you don't have a lot of break fluid. I wouldn't change that break fluid at thirty thousand miles.

Not at the seventeen five that I have right now.

No, No, I think that you're spending money you don't need to stand.

Okay, I don't know why they're saying they recommend it. But in transmission fluid, Okay.

If they're saying it. If they're recommending it, you want to look in your owner's manual, Okay, trim as far as your trans fluid goes, I would. I would go sixty thousand on that. During the break, I'm gonna dig into my into my all data, and I'm going to find all that information, and when Dan comes back from the break, I'll be very accurate and what I'm telling you.

Thank you.

It's a twenty twenty hands record and it's a turbo engine. That's all I know.

All right, you keep listening, Gene. Okay, we're gonna wrap it up here. Thank you very much. We are done for this hour. We have a bunch of lines mostly six one, seven, five, four, ten thirty. You can call now.

We'll get you real quickly on as right after eleven o'clock news one line at six one seven, John and Drake. It awaits. He starts us off on the other side.