Storing Your Car for Winter With Pat Goss

It's been a while since we have seen Pat Goss, so here he is once again, this time with tips on Storing Your Car for Winter.

Fixing A Car That Smokes Under The Hood

"Twas the night before Christmas

`Twas the night before Christmas and all through the dark


Not a car was still broken, all those plugs had there spark

Wrenches were stashed all snug in there boxes

While me by myself was having Christmas party leftovers, some bagels and loxes

Out in the lot there was such a clatter

I sprang to my feet and yelled Hey what's the matter!

Now what to my blood shot tired eyes should appear

But some crazy old guy with sleigh with reindeer

He approached the front door with a smile so bright

I quickly unlocked it and turned back on the office light

Excuse me kind sir but I am having some trouble

The left rudder on my sleigh has started to rumble

The balancing was wrong pulling much to the right

Those reindeer have been working too hard, this cold night

I have so much to do and little time to do it

Could you could please get right too it!

Without saying a word I went to work right away

Too bad the alignment machine had no specs for a sleigh

Meanwhile the reindeer were prancing around

That Rudolf and comet what a couple of clowns

In a matter of time the rudder was straight and the alignment done too

I helped him load up all the presents, but one

He wanted to pay me, but cash he had none

I hope it was from Sears a one half inch air gun

He started the sleigh by calling their names

Come now, Dasher! , Prancer and Blitzen!

Get off your butts Comet and Vixen!

It started to idle and float in the air

Then Rudolf lit up the sky with his nose extraordinaire

I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

Happy Christmas to carfix_online, and to all a good-night!

Coolant Oil Mixing

In this vehicle we found trans fluid mixing with the coolant, but there was no external leak. It was being pressured into the overflow tank and leaking out the overflow tube. Our thought was that the trans cooler inside the radiator was leaking and mixing that way. We removed the radiator to confirm our suspicion. We were correct, but not in the way we thought. Here's what we found.

Warning Not to Use E15 Gas in Your Car

Fixing Cars All By Yourself

.Getting Cars Ready For Winter Weather

Interactive Video Repair Part 4

Replacing A Bad EGR Valve

Interactive Video Repair Part 3

How To Fix Stripped Lug Nuts On Your Wheels

Interactive Video Repair Part 2

Using A Giant Screwdriver To Find Car Noises

Interactive Video Repair Part 1

Classic Nutz & Boltz radio from Jan 6,2007

The full Hour of Nutz  boltz radio show from several years ago. Enjoy!(A show that was on radio for over 26 years)

Fixing A Leaking Oil Pan Drain Plug

Replacing A Bad Electronic Water Pump, Yes electronic now!

I think Scotty is right on this one! see for yourself!

Leaking Sun Roof Repair

Car Headlight Maintenance

Deciding If It's Time To Buy A New Car

Fixing a car that hit a giant pothole

Fixing Broken Plastic Car Parts

Do Fuel Additives Work? Do we need to use Isopropyl alcohol(dry gas)?

Pat Goss takes the mystery out of "do fuel additives work" and puts some mystery back in with why you need to add Isopropyl alcohol(dry gas)evey month of the year! Really, It's a closed system so how is all that moisture going to get in? Send comments to the mailing list on what youthink!

Loose nut behind the Knob- Another ..realfixesrealfast

A very common complaint on Highlanders as they get older is that the A/C seems to change on it's own. You may start cold and then suddenly on it's own it will get warm or even hot. Or, it can go the other way. This can be because of a bad A/C control head, or it might simply be the "loose nut behind the knob" Here's what I'm talking about, and how to fix it. This is a simply repair and it might just save you several hundred dollars.

"The Motorman" Leon Kaplan explains how to adjust your mirrors

Choose the Correct Headlight Bulb

Safety Tip: driving in the rain

Duct Tape

http://www.gonzostoolbox.com/StoriesFolder/DuctTape.html

Duct tape, the universal fix it tool
Have you created or repaired something with duct tape?
Lets hear about it.

Memories: Old Shadetree Mechanic show on TNN

This one is for those that remember the old "Shadetree Mechanic" show seen on TNN in the early to mid 1990's. A much better show and not so much an info-commercial, like the shows of the same today. Namely "Motorhead Garage" where you can see the same guys doing current shows today!

DynoValve® Saves Gas and Cuts Emissions: Lauren Fix, The Car Coach

The DynoValve ® is a newly patented Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) Valve. The DynoValve is designed for use in Automotive gasoline powered vehicles. The DynoValve replaces OEM PCV valves. The DynoValve eliminates the vacuum problems associated with todays standard PCV valves by optimally regulating the flow of engine blow-by gases. SaviCorp accomplished this unique ventilation with the use of an electronically controlled switch. The Electronically Controlled DynoValve precisely regulates the flow of blow-by gases returning to the engine intake system.


So with that in mind, view the intro video below and tell us what you think on the carfix_online mailing list! Like it? How much did Lauren Fix get for this endorsement? other?

Uplander Sliding door fix

A Free Fix For A Failed Car Inspection P0420 Code

classic Nutz&boltz- Redline SI-1

Listen below to the Interview with Roy Howell (Vice President of Redline oils)who was on the Nutz and Boltz radio show several years ago, with the host, the late David Solomon better know as Doc Dré as he explains what SI-1 fuel system treatment can do!

Relay testing

2013 Shelby Cobra. The Last American Muscle Car?

Tire Life 5 or 6 years or..

Pat Goss takes a listeners call and talks about how long a tire should be left in use on a vehicle. He also adds that depending on the use you could get by going longer then the industry says which is 5-6 years.

Key Cycles and Codes

Key Cycles and Codes
Do you remember a time when we didn’t have a malfunction indicator light on the dash?
If you do, then you would also remember the thick, heavy smog of California’s valley
cities and the stench from an exhaust pipe while sitting at a traffic light. Technology and the family vehicle have come a long way from the days of belching high amounts of NOx, CO and HC out of the tailpipes.

Back in 1982, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) began a course of action that forever would change the automotive industry. It developed regulations that would require all vehicles sold in their state to have an on-board diagnostic system (OBD I) to detect emission failures. It could monitor O2 values, EGR and basic engine functions, but not much else. It was pretty good at telling you that an O2 sensor had failed, but couldn’t monitor the condition of the catalytic converter.

By 1996, all manufacturers updated their emission control systems to the OBD II system. (There were some small exceptions, but all those exceptions were met by 1999.) Now, with more O2 sensors (front and back of the converter) and even more information coming from the air input, engine conditions and load changes, a more precise, detailed monitoring could take place.

OBD II brought a lot of changes regarding how a technician diagnoses a vehicle. With OBD I, a failure had to occur in order to produce a service code, while OBD II can monitor failures or even partial failures. These days, codes have become part of the normal process in determining a fault. There are several different types of codes. Beyond engine, transmission, HVAC or body codes, there’s also a way to break down the priority of some of those codes.

For instance, an “A” rated code is a code that will trigger the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) with only one occurrence or failure. The OBD II system will also store it as a history code, failure record and/or freeze-frame data to aide the technician in diagnosing the problem.

A “B” code is a less serious emission code and usually will occur at least once on two consecutive drive cycles before the MIL will come on. If a failure occurs on the first trip, but not on the next trip, the MIL will remain off. However, once it does fail twice, it’s stored just like an “A” code would be.

There are even lower priority “C” and “D” codes. Even though these codes may not directly involve the engine, all codes (in the general term of “codes”) are related to the emission status in some way or another.

If you’re not sure which is a low-priority code and which is a high-priority code, try disconnecting a sensor with the engine running. If the service light doesn’t come on right away, there’s a good chance it’s not a high-priority sensor.

DRIVE CYCLES
In order to understand the priority of a code, we also will need to define a drive cycle. A drive cycle (or trip) consists of a complete warm-up from cold with the vehicle driven for a length of time that allows the coolant temperature to rise by at least 40° F. (Note: a startup has to be less than 160° F in order to start a drive cycle.). An example of a drive cycle would be a cold-started engine (for example, where the coolant temp is below 122° F and the air temp and coolant temp are within 10 degrees of each other). The key can’t be on prior to a drive cycle because the O2 heater circuits would most likely be heating up and the results from the sensor diagnostics may not run. The fuel tank also has to be above a half tank, preferably three-quarters full.

Note: Outside temperature and other conditions also have to be met. This varies from manufacturer to manufacturer.

• Start the engine and allow it to idle for about two to three minutes with the A/C on. (The PCM will start to run its internal diagnostic checks on the O2 heater circuits, air pump and EVAP purge valve.)

• Now it’s time for a drive. Bring the vehicle up to 55 mph at a nice, steady (not jerky) throttle. (The PCM will now check for misfires, fuel trim data and canister purge.)

• Hold steady at 55 mph for about three minutes. (Now the PCM checks EGR, air pump, O2 sensors and canister purge.)

• Let off the throttle and coast down to around 20 mph without using the brakes or depressing the clutch. (Now the PCM will make its final checks on the EGR and canister purge systems.)

Note: Newer systems do not need a drive cycle to run some of the internal diagnostics. Evaporator system checks on some vehicles are capable of running their self-diagnostic tests right in a person’s garage without them even being near it or having the key on.

WHAT’S IN A CODE?
Keep in mind the purpose of all these codes is to inform the driver of the emissions that are being expelled from the tailpipe. Anytime the hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxides (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) or evaporative emissions exceed 1.5 times the federal test procedure (FTP), the MIL will illuminate. The drive cycles are how the PCM can determine the conditions. But, as we all know, there are a lot of consumers out there who ignore those little lights on the dash until it’s too late. Or, in many cases, the light isn’t on their list of immediate concerns or it disappears.

Here’s a code (similar to most all codes) that might explain things better.
P0401 — Insufficient EGR flow
- The control module turns OFF the MIL after three consecutive ignition cycles that the diagnostic runs and does not fail.
- A current DTC (last test failed) clears when the diagnostic runs and passes.
- A history DTC clears after 40 consecutive warm-up cycles, if this or any other emission-related diagnostic reports no other failures.
- The DTC can be cleared with a scanner or by removing the battery feed voltage from the PCM.

THE INSTRUMENT PANEL
How many times have you had a customer call you and tell you that the light was on, but now it’s off? Chances are (if it didn’t go into history) that it met the criteria of the three consecutive drive cycles. However, that doesn’t necessarily clear it from history, and if you had a real frugal customer you could tell them, “Oh, just drive the car around 40 times without any failures and the code will clear itself from history, as well.” But, that might get you a few strange looks at the service counter.

Removing the battery source from the PCM brings up even more issues. That can bring on a “re-learn” for the computer, and it might involve a drive cycle to stabilize the idle or shift patterns. Using a scanner to clear the codes is still a better way for the tech and the owner.

The point here is not necessarily detailing the procedures or the changes that you’ll find in how each manufacturer sets up its particular internal tests and diagnostics. This is just one example of how it’s done (but most are similar). If nothing else, at least you’ll have a reference to explain to your customer the reasoning behind key cycles, drive cycles and why a service light may go off one day and not the next. Hopefully, by increasing their awareness of what today’s cars are doing and how all these emission codes relate, it will contribute to the quality of their life and yours, as well.

Fixing A Misfiring Engine P0301

Windows down or up! For better fuel economy?

Buying Parts on line

Pat goss explains how to buy parts online.

Beam Style wiper blades

Pat Goss asnswers a listener call in about wiper blades and describes what has changed over the years with respect to wiper blades. Listen below.

classic Nutz&Boltz-The Organic Mechanic!

Another classic Nutz&Boltz interview. Is there such a mechanic around that can be considered Organic! Listen in as Doc Dre's guest explains.

Fixing squeaky brakes

Pat Goss on TSB'S

Pat Goss talks about how Technical Service Bulletins can help fix your car.

New Improved K - Twist

Thought I show this one since I posted k-twist awhile ago.

Fixing a sinking brake pedal

Replacing a broken door handle

Identifix- a real time saver!

classic Nutz&Boltz- Motorvac discussion

Another Classic Nutz&Boltz interview talking about the Motorvac machine and what it is used for.

Listen below by clicking on the musical note!

Removing Stuck Lug Nuts On Your Wheels

Free recall notices for your vehicle

CARFAX offers recall data on all major car brands. Find everything from Toyota recall or Honda recall info, to Chevrolet and Ford recalls. Easily check open recalls by VIN to see specific issues with your vehicle.

Yes it's new and free! go to.. http://recall.carfax.com/

Why Does My Car Lack Its Usual "Getup-and-Go"?

How to: replace broken CV axle

Are We Too Reliant on Technology?

Testing Evidence and logic part 3

Why Luxury Cars Are Expensive To Fix

Testing Evidence and logic part 2

Nissan Distributor Cam Sensor Fault

Story: The Salesman and his Magic Beans

====================================================================================
This story is dedicated to a mechanic Doc Dre (founder of nutz&boltz radio show and Motorwatch Journal)as he told the story many years ago. Enjoy it!
====================================================================================

Many things have shaped my career as a mechanic. I remember when I took a job in the only sports car shop in town because I was tired of turning a wrench on ordinary cars. Or maybe it was because I had fallen in love with a '58Afla-Romeo-Giuliette-Sprint-Veloce and my Bertone-bodied mistress lured me into the world of exotic cars. Anyway, this is a university town and there are plenty of rich kids with sports cars. And a large number of tweedy college professors who bought weird cars in Europe and shopped them home. I was challenged by the Alfas, Austin Healys, MGs, Jags and all the rest. It seemed pretty classy to a twenty-year-old used to working on 36 HP Beetles for $3 an hour.

I still remember that rainy, damp, bone-chilling morning. The weather was giving me a real feeling of what it must be like to live in England. I struggled to get the engine and tranny out of a Sprite in order to change a 2-dollar carbon T/Obearing, when a 50's Port Hole Buick honked its horn to enter the shop. Little did I know that my whole life was about to change.

When I opened the door, the mist and fog swirled around the old Buick as it rolled inside. The driver was a little old man with skin so yellow and thin you could almost see inside him. He reminded me of one of those visible anatomy plastic models.Barely taller than the rear-view mirror, he couldn't have weighed more than ahundred and ten pounds--but he had the loose of a salesman."Hiya, boys!" he said as he plucked a cigar as big as a grease gun from his mouth. "I wanna show you boys a few products that are gonna make you some money." Oh no! He was a salesman, and I had let him in!

Dave, Carl, and Don walked over to stand beside me, all of us instantly mesmerized by the appearance of this little man."I was a mechanic myself once," he said as he tossed a yellow plastic thing with wires toward us. I instinctively moved to one side as Dave picked it out of the air. It looked like one of those Mausers that all the bad guys carry in old movies.It was shaped like a pistol, with a trigger, a couple of switches, and some wires with alligator clips on the ends. It was the kind of thing that would get you thrown in jail if you took it through airport security. The little guy reached back into the old Buick and brought out a small plywood box. He walked around front and placed it by the right wheel. In a flash, he was on top of the box with the hood up.

Then he snapped his fingers twice. Crack-Crack! The sharp reports rattled off the shop roof like shots from a .38! The strange yellow device flew past my face again, this time headed in the direction of the old guy. He caught it in his left hand, and in one fluid motion the alligator clips popped out between the bony fingers of his right hand. It was like watching a magician.

"This boys, is a Snappy--a patented and registered trademark. I invented it. Now I'm going to teach you how to make money with this indispensable and highly scientific diagnostic instrument. This is a tool no mechanic can do without.""The red and black leads are connected to any 6 or 12 volt battery--red to positive and black to ground--except for old Fords and English cars. The orange clip goes on the solenoid feed wire." "On GM cars it's the purple wire that runs across the firewall. My special wire-piercing device on the clip allows you to connect it without crawling under the dash. The green lead goes to the coil primary.

In a minute, I'm going to show you how to check coil polarity using my Snappy and an ordinary pencil."He went on for more than an hour as we learned how to test for bad grounds,locate opens, check fuses, and bulbs. It was strange, because none of us had said a single word since he and his old Buick rolled through the door."Since you guys have been such good listeners, I'm going to make you a special deal."

Four left hands reached for their wallets. "No! I don't want your money...not until I show you my newest invention, he said as he puffed his cigar--which was now so short he had to spit it from his lips. "Sorry!" he said as he ground out the butt with his black and white oxford."After many years of experimenting--Ya know, I worked for the War Department during the big one, I have finally perfected a chemical method of replenishing the metal that wears from the piston rings and cylinder walls of internal combustion engines."His eyes began to bug out, and the veins stood out in his neck. He talked faster and faster with his arms waving as he told us the details. It seemed that the oil companies were out to get him.

They were trying to steal his invention before he could get a patent on it. From the cavernous trunk of the Buick, he produced a small cardboard box. It was filled with five small flat brown cardboard packages that looked like patent medicine boxes. He slid open one of the packages and in it were twelve big, round, bean-like capsules. They looked like worm pills you might give a horse."Got an oil burner?" he asked. "A real smoker?!" I opened my mouth for the first time in more than an hour. "The Vauxhall," I blurted. Dave shot me a threatening glance and Carl's eyes rolled back in his head. We all knew the Vauxhall had been run out of the water and ruined the rings on a couple of pistons.

This little 4-door car parked in a back corner of the shop had a for lorn look about it, its narrow fenders appeared kind of hunched around the grill--reminding me of a cowering dog."Start it up!" he commanded. I jump in it. It cranked real fast for a long time before catching, and then billowed heavy blue smoke from the tailpipe. The smoke hung heavy in the air, drifting up towards the shop roof, giving the place the air of a Civil War battlefield. The Vauxhall panted and shivered as it idled on two cylinders.

The little man had a smile on his face, as if he knew something we didn't. He let it run for a minute and then instructed me to shut it off and remove the spark plug. He saw oil fouling on #3 and #4 and shoved one of his beans intoeach spark plug hole.

He then asked me to start the engine. The longer it ran, the smoother it idled, and smoke stopped coming from the tailpipe."The Snappys are five bucks each," he said as he threw us each one. "I'll be back through from Chicago in a month. Try the Beans...and we'll settle up then."He jammed another cigar in his face, jumped into the Buick and slammed the door.

I could see him stretch to reach the pedals. The starter cranked a half-turn and the straight-eight ticked over almost silently. As he backed out into the fog, theBuick disappeared like the Titanic, without a sound. I'll never forget that day,March 20, 1964. A month passed. Then summer came and went. So did Vietnam. But the little old man never came back.

For the longest time I expected to see him, just barely peering over the steering wheel, every time I saw an oval-port Buick. The years drifted by. Recently, I thought I saw him driving a new Park Avenue. Have you ever noticed that when you owe someone money, you think about them? I mean, it's unfinished business. Maybe the oil companies DID get him or was it the cigars? I've still got my Snappy as a reminder that it wasn't just a dream. Oh, and those magic beans? But, that's another story.

Automotive certification & repairs- classic Nutz & Boltz radio

Bobby Kudirka talks to Doc Dre about automotive certification and repair on the Classic Nutz & Boltz radio show.


(Note: This segment is rather long about 15 min.

Testing Evidence and logic part I

Post comments and solutions to what the problem might be on the mailing list. this could make for an interesting discussion!

Chry Van Window Noise

Causes of excessive gasoline consumption

From the classic(broadcasted for over 26 years) Nutz & Boltz radio show several years ago(06-04-05) Doc Dre brings on a guest to discuss causes of excessive gasoline consumption.

Fixing power window motor and regulator

Oil change shops-Can they do it all? Do they want to ?

Pat Goss audio segment from New Channel 8 discussing what oil change shops might and might not do, whether you need more then just oil changes!

What is K-twist?

How Do I Check Tire Pressure and Tread?

Fixing ABS Brake Problems On Your Car

The Man Behind The Curtain - - - - It ain't easy being the wizard

The Man Behind the Curtain
Story by Gonzo ASE Mastertech

Here in my fantasy land, my daughter Katie is the gate keeper to the Emerald City. One of her main tasks is sorting out the cars for repair by type, length of time needed, or condition. My job is to play the part of the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-understanding wizard. I try to keep the flying monkey wrenches from pulling the stuffing out of everything, while still maintaining an even temperament throughout my busy day. But then there are those travelers on that yellow brick road that leave me puzzled, sometimes shocked at what they are telling me. These are the ones I let her handle; especially on those days when I’m already in a bad mood because my crystal ball isn’t working.

“Yes, I’m having a problem with my car,” The customer tells Katie at the front desk, “the last mechanic said my air filter caused my radio and door locks to short out.”
Sitting at my desk just out of sight, I’m listening to this fable. By now Katie can hear my pen rhythmically start clicking; which she already knows is a sign we have another traveler from the yellow brick road. As the story unfolds I’ll start to grumble or throw in a few timely grunts or coughs all while maintaining my position behind the curtain. My daughters (and my wife) have been around my wizardry far too long. If I’m having one of those days, and somebody comes in with a fable like this one… the best thing to do is take care of it in the front office without getting me involved. They’ll all agree, “Just leave him be, he’ll be fine back there behind the curtain fixing the cars, pulling those levers and stuff. Just leave him be, he’ll make some fire, flame, and smoke belch out from around the corner, but he’s actually harmless.”


Katie answers the customers concerns, “Honestly, I may not be the technician here… but, I think I can answer this one for you… I seriously doubt that could happen. However, if you can give me some more details on what the actual problem is, I can relay that message to him.”
“Can I just talk to him myself?” the customer will ask.

“Let me do you a big favor,” Katie pleads with them, “I don’t think you want to bother him with that kind of question. He’s already in a grouchy mood today, and I think you better leave the asking part to me. He’ll fix it, but believe me when I tell you… pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. He can be a little on the grouchy side sometimes, and if you ask him a question like that you may not like his answer.”

Yea, that’s right, I might just be in a grouchy mood, or… it could be that stupid sounding question that set me off… whatever it is, I would take Katie’s advice and let her handle it.
I know I’m not the only shop owner/technician who deals with this kind of thing. Whether your mood starts off from a bad cup of morning coffee or the hundreds other things on your mind, or the half dozen car problems you need to sort out with only a certain amount of time to do them all in. Sooner or later your patience can start to wear thin.
Even on those days I try to accommodate as many people as I can, as quickly as I can, but it never fails someone is going to come in and ask some question that you don’t need to be a wizard of the automotive world to answer.

“I need all my spark plugs removed. I read somewhere that spark plugs burn gasoline, so leaving them out will get me better gas mileage,” this genius from the land of OZ tells me.
Cars must really be some sort of fantasy for some people. That or they’re a few bricks shy a full load. On days like this, seriously, just let me deal with the cars, and let the front office deal with these fantasy land questions. It just boggles my mind how many people are out there flying around on their brooms without a clue how they actually work.
My wife calls running the front office; “Damage control”, she’s pretty sure if it was left up to me the only work I would have is the ones that were dropped off at the gates to the city or the front door with a note and a spare key.
If they manage to get past the gate keeper, they now have to be ready to deal with the smoke and flames spewing from that big head I seem to have (according to my wife). They’ll try to reword the same questions they just tried in the front office (that didn’t get anywhere) in different ways, just in case I might change the answer. By the time I’ve heard these fables in their third or fourth variation, I’ve had about all I can stand. (More flames and more smoke start emanating from that big fat head again.)

Needless to say, I’m probably my own worst enemy when it comes to things like this. Although, my wife and my daughters will tell you, “He might strike you at first, like a mean old grizzly bear, especially if you ask him something stupid. But deep down he’s just a big old teddy bear. He’s got a heart of gold, the courage of a lion, and pretty darn smart to top it off. Ya just don’t want to rile him up when he is in one of those moods.”

I got to admit, there’s no lollypop tree in my backyard. There’s no sugar coating my answers around here, and clicking your heels three times isn’t going to fix the car at all. Magic only works in fairy tales, good diagnostics starts with the proper information.
So for all those shop owners, technician, bodyman, etc… out there who have a tendency to roll your eyes when somebody asks that ultra-dumb question… you’re not alone.

Fantasy or not, there’s a whole lot of us wizards out there who probably should stay behind the curtain a little more often and let the front office sort out those horses of a different color ……………………………… including me.




Visit me at my website www.gonzostoolbox.com Order a copy of my best selling book while your there. Signed and sent directly to you.

Plastic parts-why I hate them!

Alignments with Pat Goss

Pat Goss explains what you need to know about alignments for your vehicle.


Listen below.

Rented red shop Rags-Dangerous!

If you're a shop owner or DIYer that uses rented red shop rags,
watch this video. I'll give details on a professional study & provide a
link to this study on the dangers of laundered shop rags, incl exposure to
heavy metals like lead, arsenic, beryllium & cadmium that exceed toxicity.

Pat Goss on News channel 8 Struts & shocks

This is the Audio version of Pat Goss explaining how to test Shocks and Struts on news Channel 8 with callers questions towards the end.

DocDre (David Solomon)and Chris Platt talk about Elder drivers on the classic Nutz & Boltz radio show recorded several years ago. Listen below by clicking on the musical note!

Getting Your Car's AC Ready For Hot Summer Weather

Michelin Safety video- Put new tires on the rear!

Replacing a radio in your car

Cleaning your car+caller questions

Goss Garage on News Channel 8 recently discussed how to properly wash your car, plus a caller or two's question. Listen below.

Lifetime warranty of rebuilt transmission

Pat Goss answers email about a lady who writes in she had to use the lifetime warranty on a rebuilt transmission. The shop claims that her front struts are bad and the bouncing of the vehicle caused seals in the transmission to break. We need to replace the struts in order to honor the warranty! Sounds crazy, but listen as there is an explanation to all this!

Car Buying Tips: Negotiating Your Best Deal

Here Pat Goss talks about how to buy your next vehicle

BRAD PENN® brand oil products

On a recent episode of "Motorhead Garage" Sam Memmolo interviews Richard Glady from Penn-Grade 1® oils about how they contain the higher level of anti-wear (ZDDP – zinc dialkyldithiophosphate) and enhanced film strength so critical to proper high performance engine protection on ‘flat tappet’ or roller cams.

http://www.penngrade1.com/

Run-Flat Tires

From the classic(broadcasted for over 26 years) Nutz & Boltz radio show several years ago Doc Dre brings on a guest to discuss problems associated with Run -Flat tires.


Listen below!

How to spring clean your car

How to remove spark plugs without breaking them

P0401 EGR Insufficient flow test

Here is how to test code P0401 and the DPFE sensor. Sure, the DPFE has a high failure rate, but do we "throw" the part at it, or do we test it to be sure it's actually failed. AND, this is a great way to confirm the repair to prevent a "come back"

Finding A good repair shop

Pat Goss talks about what you need to know when finding a quality repair shop.


Listen below.

What is POR-15?

Listen below to the Interview with Thomas Slutsker (Owner of Por-15 Inc)who was on the Nutz and Boltz radio show several years ago, explaining what is Paint Over Rust (POR-15)with the host, the late David Solomon better know as Doc Dré.

Listen below!

Should I trade it in for one with better gas mileage?

Pat Goss does not think too much of those that want to trade in their car just to gain better gas mileage. Listen to this plus he takes a caller's question (which he really could help much)at the end of the segment as heard on his weekly TV show Goss's Garage.

Wondering About Warranties? Pat Goss Has Answers. Episode 5: Porsche Extended Warranty

A short cut for removing a heater core on a Ford Taurus

Duane Mariage takes you through the steps that shorten the time to remove and replace a heater core in this vehicle.

Spark plug removal on Ford Triton 3 Valve Engines

On a recent edition with Past Goss on news channel 8, he talked about the problems associated with removing spark plugs on Ford 3 valve engines. Also the I-team on channel 5 out of Cincinnati did a feature story on this problem. The story entitled "Investigation: $2,000 spark plugs, what some call design flaw, Ford calls routine". Visit this web page to read and see this story told at..

http://tinyurl.com/carfix-online-Spark-Plugs

Be sure to listen to Pat Goss's views on this by clicking the audio note below!

Wondering About Warranties? Pat Goss Has Answers. Episode 4

VI-Improvers in motor oil

Listen below to the Interview with Roy Howell (Vice President of Redline oils)who was on the Nutz and Boltz radio show several years ago, with the host, the late David Solomon better know as Doc Dré as he explains what VI improvers do in motor oils.

Fixing An Old Car With The Check Engine Light On

Wondering About Warranties? Pat Goss Has Your Answer. Episode 3: Extended Warranties for Mercedes

Test O2 Sensor with Duane Mariage

Wondering About Warranties? Pat Goss Has Your Answer. Episode 2

Replacing a broken headlight Assembly

Wondering About Warranties? Pat Goss Has Your Answer. Episode 1

How To Fix Small AC Refrigerant Leaks On Your Car

Scotty makes it look simple! Is it really!

What you should know about owning a Four wheel drive vehicle

Pat Goss explains what you should know about owning a 4 wheel drive vehicle. Listen below!

Finding a active short by Duane Mariage

A fuse that keeps on blowing is an active problem and can be difficult to find. However if you use these steps, you should be able to locate and repair it.

In this video Duane explains this!

Pat Goss discusses the importance of a Catalytic Converter

Fixing A Car With Multiple Trouble Codes

As promised a new edition to our blog! Scotty Kilmer

Fixing and understanding low spark voltage on engines

Here Dave Rock explains why a no start condition can be caused by low spark voltage

Interview about "USA Sealants"

Listen below to the Interview with John Navarro (National Sales Manager for USA Sealants)who was on the Nutz and Boltz radio show several years ago, with the host, the late David Solomon better know as Doc Dré.

USA Sealants, Inc.manufactures quality sealants for the automotive aftermarket industry

GI Think I'm A Mechanic

GI Think I’m a Mechanic I got an email from a guy who was getting out of the service and wanted to start his own repair shop. This story was inspired by his email. Enjoy.... leave a comment if you'd like. A tribute to mechanics everywhere

After high school I made the choice to join the Marine Corps. It was a big step for a young guy who really didn’t have a direction, nor thought about the future. So, off I went to boot camp. I’ll admit it was tough, it was physically demanding and very mentally challenging. But, I did very well, got a lot of good marks and even a couple of special awards. One of the biggest surprises was when my platoon was on the “mess and maintenance” week. I was assigned to the commandant’s headquarters building. I was to shine all the brass, wax the floors, and general building maintenance. One day the Sargent in charge said it was time to mow the grass. He sent me and two other recruits out with scissors to clip the lawn in front of the headquarters building. Really, I’m not kidding…scissors, and I’m not talking about a large pair of scissors, no… more like your typical size for any home office or school desk. Well, being the bright, eager young lad I was I had to ask. “Sargent, ever hear of a lawnmower before?” Not that I was being smart and all… it just struck me dumb they wouldn’t have a lawnmower to do this job. But, then again, why not get a couple of young recruits to clip the lawn with scissors… we’ll work cheap. “Come here soldier, see what ya think of this,” he said. In a hall closet just inside the building there were four mowers stacked up on top of each other. They all seemed to be the same brand of mower, but all of them seemed to have been taken apart and there were lots of parts missing. “Well, can we use them Sarge?” I asked. “Those things haven’t ran since I’ve been here, but if you think you can get one of them going, it would make us all look good,” the Sargent answered. Luckily, the Sargent had a small box of tools stashed away, which just so happened to have all the missing parts stored in it from the various mowers. After some careful maneuvering I managed to get the mowers separated, and within an hour I had three of them running. Talk about a proud bunch of Marines mowing the commandant’s lawn. OohRah! The Sargent got a promotion out of it, and I got a special award for my efforts. Not a bad day in boot camp after all. I really didn’t touch a car for a long time after that. I spent a long time overseas and cars weren’t on the top of the list of things to be concerned about. It wasn’t until I was stationed stateside, and I was leaving my barracks one day when I noticed these two guys sitting on the sidewalk with an entire four barrel carburetor laid out in pieces in front of them. These two jarheads had no clue what they were doing. They were taking apart anything that had a screw on it. Clearly, these guys needed some help. Now, I spent enough time back home working on my grandparent’s farms keeping the machinery running and reading a lot of old service manuals my dad had collected that I had a pretty good idea what I was doing. “Need some help?” I asked. ”Sure could use a hand,” one of them said to me. The big challenge was to put all the parts back together on the carburetor without a new gasket kit, and make it work again. I’m telling you, this was one big mess for sure… these guys went as far as taking the small screws out of the butterfly flaps. (Never had much luck getting those things out when they are peened into place myself.) After I had the carburetor back together and installed on the car the last thing was to put the plugs back in and sort out the firing order. Only one problem, they broke one of the spark plugs off while taking them out. “Looks like we’ll have to run it on 7 cylinders for now,” I told them. It took a minute or so for the fuel to get up into the carburetor, but it did run. The exhaust was falling off, it was running pretty rich, but it was running. The guys were ecstatic! They bought the car for 50 bucks from another Marine who was getting shipped out, and the car had been sitting for about a year right there in the parking lot. Just hearing it run was an improvement. We all hopped into the car and drove around the barracks a few times belching smoke, backfiring, and making enough noise to bring the MP’s to the scene. (They thought it was pretty funny too… let us go with a warning.) After this little escapade I ended up being the barracks’ mechanic for everyone’s car problems. Most everything was “parking lot” type repairs, no engine rebuilds or tranny exchanges, just basic problems that could be handled with basic tools that a couple of young Marines could afford. It wasn’t til after I was out of the service that I realized repairing cars seemed to always fall into my lap. So I guess it’s safe to say I was destined to be a mechanic no matter what. A few tech classes, a little tutelage under an old watchful senior mechanic, and I was in business for myself. Well, here it is a few decades later and I’m still turning wrenches, I’m still scrapping a knuckle, and still making a living at it. I guess you could say it’s my career. Looking back on it now I guess I could have done something else with my working years, but like a lot of us in this automotive repair business, this was my calling. I am one of many mechanics and technicians of any small town or big city who might have done something else with their life, but cars and tool boxes became our vocation. I may have chosen to be in this business but quite honestly, it might have actually chosen me. Can’t say it’s been that bad of a deal. I’m sure everyone in the business has a story to tell of how they got started, and when I get the chance to hear someone else’s story I’ll take the time to listen. It’s really fascinating to me how we all ended up here… bending over the hood of a car or truck. I’m very proud of the auto industry, and I’m proud to be a part of it. Whatever some people may think about the job of a “mechanic” or how they might try to degrade it, there’s one thing to keep in mind…. it’s a necessary part of the world we live in. This country is built on moving goods, products, and people from one place to another, and without mechanics everything would come to a complete stop. As a tribute to all of the mechanics, technicians out there… a tip of the hat to one and all… your dedication and hard work should be commended. If no one else will say it… I will… Thank you for your continued efforts. You keep fixing them and I’ll keep telling your stories. Here’s a hand salute from an old Marine to everyone in the automotive trenches. I appreciate every one of you… 100 percent. OohRah!

Car Buying Tips: #1 Rule You Need To Know Before Buying a Used Car

Pat Goss explains in's & out's of used car buying

Winter_Driving_with Pat Goss