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

Final "Extra" Episode: Pat Goss does get stumped!

It was going to happen sooner or later, but finally someone(Guess who?)stumped Pat Goss on his radio show. Listen by clicking below.

Stump Pat: Episode 7

Another try at stumping Pat goss!

Stump Pat: Episode 6

They are still trying to stump Pat Goss! Can it be done?

It came out from under the Dash!

Years ago when I was very young my father who was not a mechanic but a fairly good handy man, as he built his own club basement had fixed a problem on his old American Motors Rambler, that allowed him to drive the car, until it could be properly repaired. How did he know what to do?

The problem was the ignition switch which on those cars was prone to going bad. When it went bad it would keep the starter motor engaged and as you know it, if left running while the engine was running, it would burn up the starter motor in short order.

I can remember my father reaching underneath the dash, and low and behold, not even looking he pulled out this green wire which apparently came off the ignition switch. I was amazed "It came out from under the Dash" It must have not been on tight and it was a spade type of termination, because if just came off without any tools!

It was the starter solenoid feed wire. That wire was connected to the part of the ignition switch that apparently shorted out and was constantly applying 12 volts to the starter solenoid. The starter stopped spinning and he had found a way to temporary control the starter by placing a jumper wire between the wire he removed and the terminal it came off, from the back of the starter switch, until he had the switch replaced. At least he could drive it then.

Was it just plain dumb luck that he happened to pull the right wire off the starter switch? I never asked him. I guess back then I just didn't have the interest in how things got fixed. But to me it was like a magic trick. That's probably why I remember the story today!

Stump Pat: Episode 5

The Fifth attempt to stump Pat Goss with a question he can't answer!

How back pressure works

He is back. After over a year Dave Rock has a channel back. In this presentation he shows you how and why back pressure on an engine makes it run.

Ode to Santa and the Economy

Ode to Santa and the Economy Gonzo 2011There goes Santa, running for his sleigh; He’s gotta run fast, to get away.You see, the economy has struck the North Pole as well; The elves are on strike, and his wife is givin' em' hell.These days when Santa appears at the local department store; It’s not just for fun or photos, but for gifts he needs to score.He'll check the store layout and make a quick dash;Why even Santa max'd out his credit card and is low on cash.So off he goes, into the night; To find those gifts, and get out of sight.Now, he’s not going to make a whole lot of stops;‘Cause look out Santa… here comes the cops.Santa leaps to his sleigh and flys far into the night; Carrying all those gifts, on his yearly flight.Way into the morning, the police search high and low;Only to find a few tracks left in the snow.You'll hear all the alarms blaring, late into the night;But old Saint Nick will be long gone, and clean out of sight. Santa has to be quick, to have it done by Christmas Eve;So many gifts, and so many places to be…The presents will be wrapped, and the tags will be off;Cause old Santa is very careful, not to get caught.So check your presents, early on Christmas day;(Keep it hush-hush if they're from Santa, OK...?) Now, I don’t know if Old Saint Nick, stopped at your house or not; But I thought you should know … … … … … THOSE GIFTS ARE HOT ! !Happy Holidays to All

Stump Pat: Episode 4

The series continues to Stump Pat Goss with a question!

Lauren Fix Ambushes Drivers

Stump Pat: Episode 3

The series to stump Pat Goss continues!

Stump Pat: Episode 2

Second of series to see if Pat Goss can be stumped!

Hey Look, I Found The Loose Nut

Looking for a great Christmas gift for that hard to find person? Pick up a copy of my best selling book "Hey Look, I Found the Loose Nut" it's a hysterical look at what goes on at a repair shop from the mechanics point of view. Very short stories, (only a page or two) never boring and quite funny. Great gift idea even for the non-reader of books or novels. Available at Amazon.com or autographed copies at www.gonzostoolbox.com (use your paypal account) Hope everyone has a great holiday this year and an even better new year. http://www.amazon.com/Hey-Look-Found-Loose-Nut/dp/0881444308/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323301862&sr=1-1

Stump Pat: Episode 1

The first of the series to see if Pat Goss can be stumped! Listen below