Talkin’ Cars - Part 2

It's Night's Eyes, Dan Ray, I'm telling you Mazy Boston's news radio.

Welcome back everyone, if you're just joining us. My name is Dan Ray. This is Nightside and WBZ in Boston, and we had the lighted to have with us the WBZ car guys, veteran guest here on Nightside and on several of the VZ talk programs, Larry and Scott.

Rubinstein, and we are gonna go right to the calls.

Gentlemen. I think we had a clean first hour. I don't think we've left anything on the table. If we're ready to go, let's start hour number two.

No, no, we got Okay, well, I've got I did leave something on the table. And I really want to humbly change my opinion. I believe the last call we have was Wayne, Yes, Wayne, and I think I yeah. I think I got a little confused with some numbers. I didn't realize there was one hundred and fifty K on this and I actually rethought my opinion and I'm

All right, well, Wayne, Wayne, you've had a second thought.

Here, so you can get two thumbs down from us and find something else.

You got it, You got it, Wayne. Okay, let's now go to Jay and Plymouth. Jay, you called back. I promised i'd put you to the head of the line, and here you are. You're on, Jay, go right ahead.

Do you hear me?

I could hear you. Fine. I know you dropped off before and I'm trying to do this as an accommodation for you. Go right ahead. You're on with Larry Scott.

Well, thank you, guys, because I was I was in my car and I'm on top play. You know, they didn't have any auto mechanics classes where I went to high school. And my problem I have is I have a twenty twenty three Chevy bolt and apparently there are rodents that really love eating the wires because they have one or soy being component and I have I got peppermint spray. But I wondered, what else can I do to, maybe, you know, get rid of this problem.

What you do have an answer?

What do you got mice?

And I've got one too?

Go ahead, dead, Yeah, I'm sure they're not rats, but yeah, I think it's mice.

I'm thinking I think in mothballs, gentlemen.

Go ahead, all right, Well, first of all, we have had customers that have that problem. There is a product though called mouse Blocker, which you put under the hood of your car, and it's attaches to your battery. The install that is maybe twenty minutes at best, and it has flashing lights and it makes noises and it keeps the rodents out of your engine bay. Now will they go into your car? I don't know. I hope not.

Jay.

If you get a computer harness that is eaten by rodents and you've got a bill that's going to exceed a thousand dollars, your insurance will cover it.

Well really, oh is that really?

Really? Yeah? And you have to let them know and they will cover it. Similar to a car accident or something of that nature. You are covered if the harness gets eaten. Scott, you said that you wanted to add to it.

Well, I mean, first of all, that was wonderful advice and exactly so. Firstly, in our shop, we've had I can think of at least four this past season that have done upwards five to ten thousand dollars worth of damage due to destroying wiring harnesses. And what's required to not just get the smell out, but the tear a car apart, dig through all your wiring harnesses and repair everything. The only other suggestion I had so calling your insurance company is a brilliant idea, and they I've had more

That's all.

By the way, James, I could just add I'd like the channel Mint Romney for a moment here.

I don't think we should call them rodents. These are varmit. Just there we go.

We talked about shooting varmits, so I'm gonna channel Mitt Romney and uh get rid of your varmits. I hope this has helped you.

I know, I don't.

I don't have a gun, Dan, so I don't know about.

To shoot them.

There's a very timely question, Dan, this is.

A very timely question. He's talking about a mouse entering your cow illegally, the damage they can carve.

Yeah, obviously the de mice do not have legal access to the.

Vehicle, breaking and breaking it In breaking and entering, the death penalty would work.

I think you have to.

I think you have to deport the mice and build a wall to keep them out. There you go.

He was born in America though, that's the problem.

David boy Well, that's a little different story.

Yes, due process right, Yes, okay, Day, that was a great call.

Thanks for calling back.

All right, Hi, thanks Danny, thank you.

I think we're going to top that call. But we're gonna try We'll be back with more calls. If you'd like to join the only line that's open. Listen up six, one, seven, nine, ten thirty. I don't want anyone uh breaking their knuckles, their fingers or their fingernails dialing the other number because those lines that line is full. I told you would have a good entertaining program tonight, no doubt about it.

Lost twenty four to three to the New York Jets.

So Pats are.

One and two in the Red Sox tonight only could muster one hit from the number nine hitter in the lineup. They lost it two to nothing. They were almost no hit tonight. Tough night for Boston teams.

Coming right back on night Side.

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

We're in the Window World Nightside Studios with Larry Scott Rubinstein. The WBZ car guys. I really want to say the w I want to say the Nightside car guys, but if they're the WBC, they're bigger than Nightside. Let's go right back to the phones. Folks have been very patient, Sheldon in Sharon, Sheldon, you're next on Nightside. Thank you for holding through the news. Go right ahead. You're own with Larry Scott Rubinstein.

Hello, gentlemen, I have an interesting problem.

I think I might be able to.

Stump.

I had a check engine light, APO, so I went and I bought a hermostat.

You're a little muffled, hey, Sheldon, do be a favor. Are you on a speaker phone a headsetters? You're just a little muffled?

Here?

Does it sound better? I have to hold my phone partner away.

Well, he's bick to this phone. I just want to let people know a code P zero one twenty on all vehicles as an insufficient cooling temperature, usually seen when the engine doesn't warm up the full operating temperature, so the thermostat would depth. I can see where you're going with this. What do you got?

Do you hear me?

Now?

Yeah? A little better. I don't know what type of phone you're on, but give it up. Give it your best shot, Sheldon, Go right ahead.

Okay, So I had to check engine light. I bought the part. I saw that it takes a lot of It takes several hours to to replace it on a twenty twelve forward focus. It's underneath the car and a lot of things had to be moved. So I took it to my mechanic and before I got there the code went away. But the reason I was worried about this was that I would get a flapping sound when I would turn turn the car on, playing with the

Okay, So if that flapping sides you're hearing when you're working with the h back controls is a blend or actuate. Now what that means is that when you go from let's say, from recycle to fresh air, there's a little door that opens and closes to either let fresh air come in to your HVAC system.

Or that's what it sounds.

We are to recycle the ear that's inside of the car. Now, there are several actuators or blendors in their car. There is another one that controls the temperature, how much heater core access or how much air conditioning access. It's very easy to tell which one has gone. It's just a very small motor, about the size of the half of a roll of quarters. And the problem is it's got metal shafts in very cheap plastic gears, and the gears

I have a partial solution. If I turn it on with the fan on, I don't get the problem.

M Well, it's going to come back and bite you. Eventually, you know that the problem is here. What's the year of the car?

Seldom twenty twelve.

I've got two hundred and nineteen thousand miles on it.

Okay. So practically speaking, how how much longer do you want to keep the car?

I'll keep it till the falls apart, until.

It falls apart, okay. So, knowing that you have a blend or issue, why don't you get an estimate and see if it's worth it? Because if this fails in the middle of the winter and you can't get heat, you're going to be sorry you did not heed this advice. I'm trying to help you out.

I hope that helps.

It's just a question, I hope.

So we get the flapping sound or not? Well that Michael, right, get lapping.

That flapping sound means that your HVAC unit is not working the way that you're asking it to the fact that you could do it with your with your fan motor on, that's only going to work for so long. And that's why I asked you, how long do you plan to keep this? So why did you at least get a price estimate of what it's going to cost to change that and then you can make the intelligent decision as to which way you want to go. Sheldon?

All right, Sheldon, I think you got some good advice and I got full line, so I got to keep rolling. Thank you so much.

Thank you guys.

Nice all right, take care of Sheldon.

You have a good night. And some of these are it's like people whatever, We'll see what people think. Let's go next to Angelo in Newton. Hey, Angela, welcome back to night. So on your own with the WBC craw guys. Go ahead, Angelo, I'm doing Dan.

Thank you for taking my call that I got a question. I have a nineteen ninety six athlete fifty four, a pickup, and it got forty eight thousand miles on it, and all of a sudden it stops. I can crank the engine and the billy wants to start and wants to stop. Sometimes it starts idling ruck. If somebody told me that could be the gas, is that true, and they said I should throw a fueling jet the cleaner in it.

It certainly couldn't hurt, but I'm doubtful that's the problem. So when you start to let me ask you a question, what is a ninety six five oh five eight? It's four to sixty's got the big six point eight liter? It should be yes, I think it was a six six eight, Okay, No, seven to five. Excuse me, that was a seven point five. I you remember those? Yep, it was a seven to five. So you start the vehicle and it wants to stall right out on you.

No, it stopped. I can crank the engine, but it takes a while, but to start, it won't start right away.

Okay. And what does it take for it to start? Is it just always an extended crank and then once it, once it does finally started, it runs fine.

Yeah, but then after a while sometimes it starts iving.

Grow up.

That's vitally okay. Does it seem like it's misfiring and like it's down a cylinder? No, I'm more inclined to think you have a fuel pressure problem. If you if you get up on top of that big motor, you'll see you got a couple of fuel rails up there, and it'll be a little port. It looks like almost like a valve stem. It's a fuel pressure tap. Is this something you working on yourself or having a having a having a mechanic look at for you.

I don't have to have a mechanic look at it.

Okay, So so they should be I mean, this is pretty old technology for where we're at nowadays. Unfortunately with the with the older technology, it doesn't give us a lot of the info we get nowadays with all the computers in there. With that being said, the very first thing I would start to do is stop by checking

By somebody says it could be even buying cheap gas too.

Is that right? Yet? Cheap cheap gas doesn't help.

I mean because you could have a you couldn't get that usually turned out the new ball and me the combustion cham aside. You end up with a vowve the deposits and the thing is that nature. If there's water in the gas, that's a different story. But at the same time that they do the fuel pressure test, they can take a fuel sample and you can test it for water.

Okay, because I need to put regular.

Hope that helps. I got other folks behind us here, angel I think you got a good answers.

Okay, Okay, guys, thank you.

Angelo. I hate here. I just I want to give everybody a chance. Gonna go next to Michael in Attamborough. Mike, you were next on night side with the car guys to.

The car guys the professor. I bought another odd ball car to go along with my original lawn, the insight, which is a quite desired him and I did get keybones, but I still had it repaired.

By the way you take a left trun out of anywhere and someone hits it, your fallt unbelievable. Unbelievable, even though you look. I bought and none of the little jokes. Mercury Milan twenty ten hybrid.

I love the car.

I love it and comfortable, first first time I bought anything other than a GM with the tufting of.

I'm getting.

I'm getting from the front end. On occasion, I'm told maybe a swave, that maybe a ball joint.

What do we got?

What?

What are you getting again from the frontis I'm sorry.

A crunching.

He's trying to make a noise, my phoney, gun badok So, if you get a crunching noise up and down, in most cases, that is a ball joint most cases. Now, if you have it on a drive on lift, the type of lift that you drive onto and then they put the car up so your wheels have all the

Okay, So that thing can that think can break when I'm driving right?

It certainly can't. Yeah, I mean, this is not something that you want to mess with, you know, try to in the next couple of weeks. Go to a shop that has a has a drive on left. And what we used to do in my shop is have one tech up top bouncing the car up and down, and the other tech with a stethoscope clime isolated. Uh. Now, Scott had a great tool, but not many people have it.

Noise that's coming from. It's not visible, but ty Rod, I mean of the pot the breaking.

Right there, there is a ball and socket and case in that in the metal there's a ball and socket. When they start to rot out, that's when they make that crunching noise.

Okay, by gentlemen, we're at the bottom of the hour. I hate to break this up, but Michael, give us that crunching noise one more time before you leave. Good job, good job, Thank you, Michael. It's always an entertaining phone call. I hope that helps. Thanks Mike, appreciate it. Scott Larry will stay with us through the news.

Now.

The only lines that are open right now is the six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty line, And if you call right now, we'll get you in before midnight. I guarantee you that whatever question you have about cars, your automotive questions, as you can tell, Scott and Larry are pretty well versed in this stuff. I gotta tell you they don't get stumped. And I know some of you are asking questions and you're you're looking for an answer, but you got to take the answer that they're gonna

This Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm WBZ Boston's news Radio.

All right, gentlemen, we have full lines. We're gonna get to everybody in here tonight, that's for sure. Anybody who's on the line, you stay right there. We'll hopefully get to even a couple more people. But let's go right now, Nodland, we have full lines. Gonna go next to Jane and Shrewsbury. Jane, you're on with the BZ car guys, Larry and Scott Rubinstein.

Go ahead, Jane, Hi, everybody, I'll get right to it. I have kind of a multi part question, Dan, Okay, sure, I have a twenty year old Sienna xcelly good trim line that supposedly has no major problems with the undercarriage because I had the brakes done recently. So I'm just curious about your opinion as to whether or not it makes sense to it only has eighty thousand miles, makes

Because it is a Sienna. Drive it till it don't drive no more. That's a great vehicle. Okay, and back they were making great vehicles then too, and they still are now. I mean they do it. They have had a couple of cars that I would not say is good to buy. But you've got yourself a great vehicle unless you have money to burn, drive it till it don't drive no more.

Okay, I do.

Better, mindsel.

I have a one noise that I won't make. That's just a humming noise. It started to sort of hum accelerate, and I had two mechanics listen when it first started, and they said they didn't hear anything. But now it happens more often. It doesn't seem to affect the handling, but it kind of hums. Does that sound familiar?

You know?

I got the call. It was a little bit broke, broken up, Scott. Did you hear her question in full?

Yeah?

It was another concern with humming. So we had we had a question, if you listen to the show earlier tonight where somebody had mentioned a humming noise. Uh, does say it only happens when you're accelerating it? Did it happen a certain speed?

No, it's accelerating sort of generally, I'd say not constant.

Not constant, Okay, so when you get up to like above a certain speed, it doesn't stay air.

Or it's just a little bit intermittent. I think it's not the whole time you're accelerating noises.

There's only hard to diagnose over the phone. There was a constant, I'd lean towards the wheel bearing, but I really would now that you're the noise is more happening more often. I would take it back to your mechanics, who sounds like they've done a good job taking this, taking good care of this vehicle for you, and let them listen to it and try to get your point in.

The right direction.

Could be anywhere from a wheel bearing as we talked about, to tires to it. Tires really wouldn't be intermittent. Bearing wouldn't be so intermittent. I'm more inclined to think possible transmission from description. But again, I really think there's something that needs to be heard in person.

Okay, so what do you think about the possibility that it could be in an inboard CD joint? Possibly, but I mean you.

Tend to hear You tend to hear those knock more than anything.

Not the outdoard but the one on the inboard.

Anything as possible. But again I'm gonna pick to what I say. I really think this needs to be driven and listen to on the road to try to get a sense of the direction.

Of where we need to go using a tool like the one that we're talking about.

Yeah, we all done here, Jane.

I wanted to ask a more general question that I think the audience would be interested in, and that is, I haven't even older Sienna that I want to replace, and nowadays you find a lot more of them with all wheel drive, and usually run flat tires. Run flat tires decrease your gas mileage, and I think they're probably more expensive to replace. So I'm just curious about your feelings about all wheel drive, the cost of that, the run flats.

Both right on both counts. Yeah, they get all wheel drives in general, do get four miles? You're now driving four wheels compared to a two wheel vehicle, Whether it be front or red. Driving four wheels is always going to cost more fuel correct run flat tires, yes, significantly, you know, more expensive than a traditional you know, inflated tire. So yeah, very correct on both points. With that being said,

Right right, that makes sense. I don't do a lot of heavy snow driving. But my final thing is what do you recommend for lubricating the window gasket? I had a window go off track from sticking because of the building up.

If you, yep, if you just go to a one of your local parks stores and just tell me you want a silicone spray and you just want to you know, put the window down in get you know, try to get up as tight in that channel as possible, and then make sure you wipe it off clean and then when you close it, run the window up and down a few times to make sure it doesn't kind of smudge on the window. Because you'll need a good. You know windocks or whatever. They get that off, right.

I think a lot of people save a lot of money.

All right, great things.

I gotta get out of Thanks chains. Always appreciate your time. Right now. Let me go next to Bill and door Chester. Bill, you're a the VC car guys going ahead? Built Hi guys, how a U we're doing? Question?

I have two thousand and eight four focus.

Every time I back up in the morning, the driveway hit my bike steel.

All ray, I think it's cover the front.

Well, there's moisture on the car.

In the morning, I go, I go back up to the s wheel where I release.

The emergency brake. I put the emergency brake.

On every night.

Where I go in the morning, they still terribly backing up? How you go on to the squirrel? Does do you hear the squaling noise if you don't use your emergency break like like I always need the submersion break when I shot the car. But does it squeal? If you would you please experiment one time not use your E break and see if you still have have the squeal?

Okay, how are you trying that?

Okay? That will tell us whether it actually is the front or it's the rare. If it was moisture, it would be more of a grindy sound, it wouldn't be a squealing sounding.

Sound.

Can be caused by glaze pads. It can be caused by sticking rotors. There's a there's a couple of things. But let's try it without the e break one time and let's see if the squal is gone, and that way you'll know whether you have a table that's sticking.

Okay, all right, great, thanks Bill, good questions, Thank you. Let me get in here before we got to go to break and we are going to go ahead.

Hold on, Tony before you get this collar end.

Okay.

You've been a little.

Bit confused as to what to call us, and I've talked to Scott, I've talked to Sandra, and we'd be honored if you just call us Dan Ray's night side car guys. That would be fine.

All right, agreat that's a promotion, the night side car guys, the w busy nightside car guys. That'd be great. Thank you, guys. Best, let me go to Tony Tony in Ohio. Tony, go right ahead, you next on nightside.

Yes, I've got a twenty twenty Kia soul and I got a break light issue. Uh, the lights work, but I have to depress too far before they engage the lights. And I replaced the switch at the pedal from a dealer. It's a dealer part, but it's the same. It doesn't I've got the same problem. Uh is there a second switch because this has no moving parts. It's it's I don't know if it's a sensor.

Is it the dashboard brake warning light that that you're seeing.

No, it's the brake lights, the brake lights at the back. You know you put your brake on the light your brake lights. There's nothing on the.

Dash okay, so you aren't getting want of light on the dash. And they have replaced the brake light switch, the one that's over by the pedal.

Yes, is there, and it makes it sound like when you put your brake on, you know, to engage the shifter. And I'm wondering if there's a switch connected to that.

So the well, the problem again you have the brake lights won't shift.

Yes, yes, the brakes work, but I have to depress too far before they the light engage before.

Like the okay, all right, sorry, so yes that that can be done with all with adjustment.

Well, there's there's no moving parts on it.

How can you have a break switch with no moving parts?

Well, that's that's what I'm thinking, and that's what we get.

Something's gonna be moving.

The bracket that holds this switch is an adjustable bracket. In fact, when you put in the switch, there is an adjusting process to it where you pull it all the way out. It's it's just not plug and play. You have to adjust the switch when you install it.

Okay, okay, I'll I don't want to tie you up. You guys got a lot of calls. I'll just I'll try it. I wasn't thinking about that. I'll try that adjustment.

Thank you to appreciate the break you become a regular caller. Love love to hear from folks in Ohio. Thank you very much. I have a great night. Okay, think all right, we're gonna take one quick break here and Phil, Ron, Katie and there. We are going to do our darness to get all four of you in here. So you've got to be quick and direct and as well, Scott and Larry and I will as well, and we'll get out of the way. Get this last commercial break in. This has been a great night for the BC Car Guys,

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

Okay, we're going to try to do the impossible.

We're going to try to get four calls in in about seven minutes. Let's go fill in Boston, Phill Next up on Nightside, Go right ahead.

Okay, quick one twenty fourteen Honda Civic. I don't know what side the engine eight thousand dollars. I hadn't the beast a new side to put in and Dad disconnected the bat or whatever that tells me. That's supposedly once that happens, if I get a stick, it's got to go to the system again. Gotta program, you know, if you're driving like a hundred mine and the bottom liners it's the bottom line is. But now I get the car. I turned the key and there's nothing there. There's no

Man, I gotta be quick here, Phil, what's your question?

The question is a good question, ignition. Should I if it's not cars not starting properly? Should I look at the the starter that the I mean the h but the endine the start Of'm nervous. I'm sorry, man.

Yeah, but you know I gotta you gotta give me a question.

I got three people waiting behind you. Feel.

What's your question?

What did the steering? The fuel? I got a feel, Papa, feel jet. I don't know what I I gotta get it. The cow will start.

Relax, my friend, relaxed, so queer quick. Okay, if the vehicle is not even cranking, and you're saying you don't even have the engine, spin right, no, spin nothing, don't forget about fuel and anything else. Gotta we got to focus on the starter. Three main things you need on the starter. You need to have a good ground at the starter itself. You need to have a good mean twelve vot positive source at the starter, and you need a trigger. And the trigger wire comes from the vehicle

Right, fair enough? Pheel. I hope that helps. It's a complicated problem.

You do.

Thank you, Thank you, Phil Ron, You're.

Next on nights. I gotta be quick.

Wrong, go ahead, Hi, thank you.

Dan.

That's been in two thousand, Cameron Toyota one hundred and ninety two thousand miles on it and it's in the past year. It's cost me thirteen hundred for one repair for rodents. The second I had full joint, failed ball joint and other things underneath the car across me forty six one hundred. And then just yesterday it's that the check engine light is on. They suggested the teleconvernment is going at the cost of about three thousand. So the cours go ahead.

What's the question? I think, I know where you're going here.

Go ahead?

Yeah, Well what do I do? It's time to unloaded?

I think, yes, yes, how many?

How many thousand miles on it? Okay, not a little bit only it's a little bit early. But by what you have just said it's time to trade it in because it's just going to keep costing board. Now your repairs exceed the value of the car. You've got all the signs. If there were me, I say bye bye.

All right, Rod, you got it. That's a three to nothing vote to get rid of the car.

Thanks Roan, thank you.

Let's keep it got too Claire and Florida get clear, and then we got Katie Claire go right ahead.

Hi, good evening, Thank you for taking my call. I have like twenty nineteen Nissan Rogue Sport, and I've moved it from Connecticut, from Massachusetts to Connecticut to now Florida temporarily. My question is is whether I should there should be a change in maintenance since I moved to Florida compared to Massachusetts.

Florida, thank you so much easier. It's a Florida is going to be much Yeah, Florida's going to be much easier on this vehicle than New England could have a treated. So I say, there's like the Larry was starting to go with it. Keep doing the good maintenance you've been doing, You're going to find it. It goes to a lot less dollars to keep this thing going down in Florida.

Good question, good quickly answer. Thanks Claire, last falling of the night.

Katie in New York, Kitty, we got about a minute.

Go ahead, Hi, guys. I has a two thousand and one Lexus four point thirty. It has two hundred and sixty six thousand miles on it. We bought it for sixty thousand dollars new back in two thousand and one. I just had to put ignition coils and spark plugs.

I love the car. Do I keep it?

Or is it just getting too old? Miles two hundred and sixty six thousand.

That car should give you roughly four hundred thousand miles, so you're just a little bit over halfway done with it. That's the great engine. These things will run forever with a minimum amount of maintenance.

Oh my gosh, it would day all right, three four thousand dollars until you get a three four thousand dollars spence coming your way. I agree with Larry, Yeah, keep it going.

Oh that's great. Thanks a lot, guys.

Katie.

Where are you calling from New York?

Well, I'm just I'm I'm north of Albany by about a nice little town called half Moon. I've lived many years, my whole life in New England, and then circumstances.

I haven't.

Quick question. Is this your first time calling?

No, I've called you once before.

A long time about call more often.

Okay, I loved your call. Thanks very much, gentlemen. I can't tell you how much I thank you. The w BUS Night side Car guys Larry and Scott Rubinstein. Thank you guys. You're amazing, amazing guests, and you also are so generous with your time to my audience. I just can't thank you enough. Thank you.

I miss seeing you studio, but it's so easy.

No one has to drive home when we're doing the show remotely, so we'll catch it again once, maybe a little after Thanksgiving when the snow is going to start to swirl, because we want to remind people to drive safely in the winter time. Larry, Scott, thank you so much. Say hi to everybody for us up there.

Okay, thank you Dan, Thank you Dan, good night, good night everyone.

WBZ night side car guys, Larry and Scott Rubinstein. They are the best. Thanks guys, keV a great night and I can't thank them enough. So I'm done for the night, Rob Brooks. We're a good traffic police officers. Tonight with all the calls, a lot of calls tonight, we actually ended up I think about seventeen calls, which is a good number of calls because some of them are complicated. I am back tomorrow night. Tomorrow night, of course, is Friday.