Ron Ananian The Car Doctor

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Latest Episodes:

The Mystery Rattle, the No-Start Corolla & Winter Wiper Blades Oct 17, 2026

Show notes

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - Hour 2 - October 17, 2026

Winter is coming. Are you and your car ready?

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor™, tackles one of the most overlooked safety items on your vehicle: windshield wiper blades. Joining Ron is James Croston, Senior Product Manager at PEAK, for a conversation about why good wiper blades matter, how often they should be replaced, and what makes one blade better than another.

From streaking and chattering to snow, ice, and freezing temperatures, Ron and James explain why being able to see clearly isn't a luxury. It's a necessity.

Plus, real calls and real repairs:

2021 Chrysler Pacifica: A mysterious dashboard rattle at highway speeds. Is it inside the dashboard, or is the wind revealing something else?
2003 Toyota Corolla: A previously discussed no-start problem is finally resolved, but a mystery sensor leaves Ron asking an important question: Did we really find the cause?
Winter car care: Why Ron starts questioning batteries at four years old, recommends fresh wiper blades, and suggests replacing headlight bulbs in pairs when appropriate.

It's another hour of automotive troubleshooting, practical maintenance advice, and lessons from a mechanic who believes that fixing a car is only half the job. Understanding why it failed is what really matters.

Good mechanics aren't expensive. They're priceless.

Car Advice, Done Right

🌐Visit: CarDoctorShow.com

📸 Follow Ron on Instagram: @ronananian

🎥 Watch repair tips and shop videos on YouTube

📻 Join the conversation LIVE Saturdays 2–4 PM

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up to My Eyeballs in Quicksand: A Mechanic's Week From Hell Oct 17, 2026

Show notes

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - October 17, 2026 - Hour 1

What happens when a simple brake job turns into a repair shop nightmare?

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor™, takes listeners behind the scenes of a week that went sideways. With his only technician unexpectedly hospitalized, Ron finds himself working alone, juggling repairs, and battling a 2011 Ford E250 van whose grinding brakes reveal rusted components, seized parking brake hardware, and a growing list of hard-to-find parts.

It's a story about experience, persistence, and the quicksand that even seasoned mechanics can find themselves sinking into.

Plus, real calls from across America:

2024 Ram 2500 Cummins: Is Hot Shot's Secret Stiction Eliminator worth using in an expensive diesel engine?
2012 Lexus CT200h: A mysterious cold-start rattle raises questions about engine timing, hybrid drivetrain components, and proper diagnosis.
2004 Lexus RX330: Catalytic converter codes return after oxygen sensor replacement. Why replacing parts isn't the same as diagnosing the problem.

From unexpected shop challenges to expensive repair decisions, Ron delivers real-world automotive advice from someone still turning wrenches every day.

Good mechanics aren't expensive. They're priceless.

Car Advice, Done Right

🌐Visit: CarDoctorShow.com

📸 Follow Ron on Instagram: @ronananian

🎥 Watch repair tips and shop videos on YouTube

📻 Join the conversation LIVE Saturdays 2–4 PM

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An $18,000 Headlight Repair? Have New Cars Gone Too Far? Oct 10, 2026

Show notes

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - October 10, 2026 - Hour 2

Have modern cars become too complicated—and too expensive for the average driver to own and repair?

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor™, tackles that question after a listener from Iowa raises concerns about the growing cost of automotive technology. Ron shares real-world examples from the repair bay, including a 2019 Ford Edge requiring $1,000 in liftgate parts and a two-year-old Genesis facing an astonishing $18,000 headlight-related repair estimate.

And what happens when the technology becomes so expensive that a relatively minor accident could total a vehicle?

Also in this episode:

A listener asks whether six months is too long between oil changes, even when driving just 3,000 miles.
A 2003 Toyota Corolla develops a mysterious no-start condition, with the cooling fan running and the temperature gauge behaving strangely.
Why the shortage of skilled automotive technicians and the cost of diagnostic equipment matter to every vehicle owner.
Preventive maintenance advice for a low-mileage Dodge Durango.
How to recognize a possible flood-damaged used car before making an expensive mistake.

Plus, Ron reflects on a visit to his old high school, where an eight-bay automotive shop has been reduced to just one bay—and what that says about the future of the repair industry.

Cars may have changed, but the fundamentals haven't. Good diagnostics, proper maintenance, and knowing what you're buying can save you thousands.

Real Experience. Real Questions. Real Answers.

Car Advice, Done Right

🌐Visit: CarDoctorShow.com

📸 Follow Ron on Instagram: @ronananian

🎥 Watch repair tips and shop videos on YouTube

📻 Join the conversation LIVE Saturdays 2–4 PM

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 25-Year-Old Suburban, The $20 Test & The Call From Saudi Arabia Oct 10, 2026

Show notes

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - October 10, 2026 - Hour 1

Sometimes the simplest tests lead to the biggest answers. Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor™, takes listeners inside the shop with a remarkably clean 2001 Chevy Suburban showing just 31,000 miles—but suffering from a mysterious multiple-cylinder misfire. Using scan data, an old-fashioned mechanic's stethoscope, and a multimeter, Ron tracks the problem to a failed spark plug and ignition coil.

Then the phones go international! A listener from Saudi Arabia calls about a 2013 Ford Expedition with an air-conditioning problem that became worse after an evaporator cleaning. Ron walks through blower motor diagnostics, resistor testing, and why replacing parts isn't the same as diagnosing a problem.

Plus, a New York caller asks whether Ford should help replace the severely rusted engine cradle on his 2011 Fiesta—and what to do when a potential safety recall doesn't appear under his VIN.
Three vehicles. Three different problems. One lesson: Start with the basics, test before replacing parts, and never assume new means good.

Real experience. Real questions. Real answers.

Car Advice, Done Right

🌐Visit: CarDoctorShow.com

📸 Follow Ron on Instagram: @ronananian

🎥 Watch repair tips and shop videos on YouTube

📻 Join the conversation LIVE Saturdays 2–4 PM

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have Cars Become Too Complicated? Hybrids, High Gas Prices & the Search for Simplicity Oct 03, 2026

Show notes

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - Hour 2 - October 3, 2026

This hour, Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor™, looks at an automotive world caught between technology, fuel economy, affordability and reliability. Hybrids are gaining ground as drivers look for better mileage without completely changing the way they drive—but even conventional gasoline cars have become increasingly complex.

Ron also tackles a strange 2020 Subaru Forester with a rear hatch that seemingly opens by itself and leaves the battery dead, including the possibility of key-fob interference, electronics problems and even unexpected triggers around the vehicle.

Then a caller with a 1995 Toyota pickup faces the question every owner of an aging vehicle eventually asks: When is an old car worth saving? With frame rust, dwindling parts availability and restoration costs mounting, Ron explains why sometimes the smartest solution may be finding the right donor vehicle—or knowing when corrosion has simply gone too far.

Plus: fuel economy, rising gas prices, flood-damaged cars entering the marketplace, keyless-entry theft concerns, the growing popularity of hybrids, and why Ron still believes cost per mile matters more than the technology badge on the trunk.

And one lucky caller walks away with the Advance Auto Parts DieHard 73-Piece Roadside Emergency Tool Kit.

Because whether your vehicle is 31 years old or brand new, the goal hasn't changed: keep it reliable, keep it affordable, and keep it on the road.

Car Advice, Done Right

🌐Visit: CarDoctorShow.com

📸 Follow Ron on Instagram: @ronananian

🎥 Watch repair tips and shop videos on YouTube

📻 Join the conversation LIVE Saturdays 2–4 PM

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Accident That Never Happened — Until the Mouse Gave It Away Oct 03, 2026

Show notes

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - Hour 1 - October 3, 2026

Sometimes a trouble code is like waking up with a pain in your neck. Your body knows something isn't right — and so does your car.

This week on Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor™, Ron follows the clues on a 2021 Ford Escape Hybrid that keeps revealing problems one at a time. First it was a failed grille shutter actuator. Then an EGR high-flow code. Then an airbag sensor fault.

And then Ron pulled up the interior trim.

There was a nest. Chewed wiring. And suddenly, an accident that supposedly never happened became part of the story.

Ron explains why good diagnostics are often sequential — fix what you can prove is broken, clear the way, and see what the vehicle tells you next.

Then Steve from Virginia calls about his 2013 Honda Civic with nearly 194,000 miles and a frustrating drop from roughly 23–24 MPG around town to just 18. Ron walks through a practical fuel-economy diagnostic strategy, including mass airflow readings, coolant temperature, thermostat operation, intake deposits, fuel quality, tire pressure, idle time, and why you should verify the dashboard MPG calculation the old-fashioned way.

Also in this hour:

Why fault codes don't lie — but don't always tell the whole story
How moisture can destroy a Ford DPFE/EGR pressure sensor
Why evidence of rodents changes the entire diagnostic game
What a 1.8-liter engine's mass airflow reading can tell you
Why changing oil viscosity because of hot weather isn't necessarily a good idea
The CRC 05320 fuel-system cleaning kit
Why learning a skilled trade can provide more than just a paycheck

And Ron comes back to one of the most important rules in diagnosis:

“Tell me what's good, and I'll tell you what's bad.”

Because good mechanics don't start by guessing what's broken.
They prove what works.

Car Advice, Done Right

🌐Visit: CarDoctorShow.com

📸 Follow Ron on Instagram: @ronananian

🎥 Watch repair tips and shop videos on YouTube

📻 Join the conversation LIVE Saturdays 2–4 PM

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Modern Cars Fight Back: The Weekend Wrencher Sep 26, 2026

Show notes

BEST OF THE CAR DOCTOR - Hour 1 - September 26, 2026

This Hour of Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor™ is for the Weekend Wrenchers—the driveway DIYers, toolbox in hand, trying to save money and keep their vehicles going as cars get more complicated by the minute.

Ron looks at how modern technology is changing the DIY repair game. Oil changes, filters, fluids and some brake work may still be within reach, but more repairs now require scan tools, service-mode procedures and information that can stop even an experienced DIYer in his tracks. A late-model GM brake job shows exactly where determination can turn into frustration.

Calls include advice on bringing a low-mileage 2018 Toyota RAV4 back to life after sitting for months; a Chrysler van with a fuel smell and intermittent stutter; and a 2010 Ford with a rough idle and questions about what the scan data is really saying.

It’s a practical hour about what you can still fix in the driveway, where modern cars push back—and why knowing your limits may be the smartest repair of all.

Car Advice, Done Right

🌐Visit: CarDoctorShow.com

📸 Follow Ron on Instagram: @ronananian

🎥 Watch repair tips and shop videos on YouTube

📻 Join the conversation LIVE Saturdays 2–4 PM

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Most Expensive Number in Car Ownership Sep 26, 2026

Show notes

BEST OF THE CAR DOCTOR - Hour 2 - September 26, 2026

What’s the most expensive number in car ownership?

It’s not the sticker price.
It’s not the monthly payment.
It’s not even the repair bill.

It’s cost per mile—the number almost nobody calculates until it’s too late.

This hour, Ron explains why modern vehicles demand a different approach to ownership and how looking ahead can save you from making an expensive decision later.

A real shop conversation asks the tough question: If your vehicle has $5,000 worth of repairs coming, is it still worth fixing? Ron also digs into why car ownership can’t be purely emotional, the debate over start-stop technology and long-term engine wear, and a Subaru recall involving potential fuel leakage and fire risk.

Being a good mechanic today sometimes means being a fortune teller—helping drivers see what’s coming before it gets expensive.

Because the smartest car owners don’t just react to repairs.

They plan for them.

Car Advice, Done Right

🌐Visit: CarDoctorShow.com

📸 Follow Ron on Instagram: @ronananian

🎥 Watch repair tips and shop videos on YouTube

📻 Join the conversation LIVE Saturdays 2–4 PM

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Right To Repair Updates, Who Really Control The Car? Sep 19, 2026

Show notes

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - Hour 2 - September 19, 2026

You bought the car. You made the payments. But when it needs repair, who really gets to decide who can fix it?

This week on The Car Doctor, Ron Ananian digs into the growing Right to Repair battle and explains why it goes far beyond getting a wiring diagram. Modern vehicles depend on software, secure gateways, scan tools, programming and telematics—and access to that technology may ultimately determine where your vehicle can be repaired.

Ron explains why Right to Repair is really about something much simpler: consumer choice.

Plus, a BMW M8 Competition that mysteriously needed spark plugs at only 5,000 miles, a longtime listener trying to push his Honda toward 400,000 miles, and Ron finishes the complicated cooling-system repair on a 2021 Ford Escape Hybrid—with a little help from the OPUS IVS platform.

And sometimes the hardest automotive problems have the simplest answers: a Chevy Silverado with an annoying squeak proves once again why good diagnosis still matters.

Real cars. Real problems. Real answers.

Car Advice, Done Right

🌐Visit: CarDoctorShow.com

📸 Follow Ron on Instagram: @ronananian

🎥 Watch repair tips and shop videos on YouTube

📻 Join the conversation LIVE Saturdays 2–4 PM

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Engine Oil Shortage Is Here: What Drivers Need to Know Sep 19, 2026

Show notes

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - Hour 1 - September 19, 2026

There’s a storm brewing in the automotive world—and this time it isn’t just about the price of gasoline.

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor™, takes a firsthand look at the growing engine-oil shortage as repair shops and retailers begin facing purchasing restrictions, prices climb and certain viscosities and specifications become harder to find. Why is this happening, how long could it last, and what should you be doing now to protect your vehicle?

Ron explains why modern engines require very specific oils, why simply grabbing the right viscosity off the shelf may not be enough, and why using the wrong specification to get through a shortage could become an expensive mistake.

Then it’s back to the phones: a 2000 Chevy Silverado with mysterious transmission and transfer-case problems raises an important diagnostic question—could something as simple as a bad ground be causing all the trouble?

Plus, with the cost of replacing a vehicle continuing to climb, Ron goes back to basics with practical maintenance advice: air and cabin filters, throttle-body cleaning, fuel-system service and the little things that can help your car run better and last longer.

Because today, it seems you have two choices: car payments or repair bills. Taking care of what you already own has never mattered more.

Real cars. Real problems. Real answers.

Visit us at https://www.cardoctorshow.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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