Ron Ananian The Car Doctor

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - Hour 1 - October 31, 2026

After nearly five decades in the repair business, Ron Ananian has a confession: There are still things he can't fix. Or at least, things he hasn't figured out how to fix yet.

Take a 2009 Ford Mustang with a rear-window defroster tab that simply refuses to stay attached. After years of frustration, repeated failures, and one determined effort, Ron discovers that four tiny bumps on a metal tab may hold the answer. It's a lesson in patience, observation, and why even experienced mechanics never stop learning.

Then the phones light up. Carl in Wisconsin wonders why his 2024 Nissan Pathfinder shows unusually low battery voltage after a 200-mile trip. Ron explains modern computer-controlled charging systems and how to tell normal operation from a problem.

Joe in Florida faces a potentially $5,000 ABS repair on his 2017 Honda Accord. Could repairing the electronic module instead of replacing the entire assembly save thousands? Ron discusses the diagnostics, risks, and economics of that decision.

And Dodge in Delaware wants to exchange the transmission fluid in his 2023 Toyota 4Runner. Ron walks through the cooler-line method and explains why preventive maintenance matters.

Finally, Ron remembers a conversation with his father, an aircraft mechanic, who taught him something as a young boy that has stayed with him throughout his career: When you encounter something you can't fix, stop, think, be logical, and remember that there's always a solution.

Sometimes the greatest tool in a mechanic's toolbox isn't a wrench. It's the willingness to keep learning.

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor — America's Favorite Working Radio Mechanic.

Car Advice, Done Right

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Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - Hour 2 - October 31, 2026

Five Shops Missed It. One Honda Nearly Lost Control.

A 2017 Honda Accord arrives at R/A Automotive with a popping and clunking noise that two dealerships and three repair shops couldn't resolve. What Ron and technician Danny discover is frightening: a dangerously loose ball joint allowing nearly three-quarters of an inch of movement. And that's only the beginning. A stripped brake caliper mounting bolt reveals another potentially catastrophic failure waiting to happen. How did so many shops miss it?

Then, Greg in Florida calls about his 1980 AMC Eagle that stalls after 20 minutes of running. Is it the DuraSpark ignition module, or is everyone overlooking the obvious? Ron explains why testing beats guessing every time.

Walt calls from Hawaii with a 1993 Toyota Camry that suddenly stalled and wouldn't restart until it cooled down. Ron explores ignition components, temperature sensors, and the challenges of diagnosing intermittent failures.

Plus, a spirited conversation about Ferrari, Bugatti, and the Right to Repair, and a listener responds to Ron question from last week: Have Americans fallen out of love with their cars?

Real calls. Real problems. REAL ANSWERS!

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor — America's Favorite Working Radio Mechanic.

Car Advice, Done Right

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Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - Hour 2 - October 24, 2026

Have we fallen out of love with our cars, or has owning one just become too expensive?

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor, opens Hour 2 with a question worth thinking about. A customer spends nearly $6,000 repairing a nine-year-old Chevy with just 70,000 miles. Why? Because spending $6,000 to keep a dependable car on the road beats spending $30,000 or $50,000 to replace it.

But that gets Ron thinking. Have we lost the emotional connection we once had with our automobiles?

From Sunday drives with Dad in an old Lincoln to colorful muscle cars, car washes, and weekend Cars & Coffee gatherings, Ron wonders whether today's drivers still love their cars or simply view them as expensive transportation.

Plus, in this hour:

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2009 Ford Escape washer pump mystery: A Delaware caller discovers why a failed front windshield washer might actually be connected to the rear wiper motor.

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Old-school gasket repairs: Tips for sealing a cork valve cover gasket on a 1986 Dodge 600.

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Coolant isn't just for winter: Michael Marcangelo, Senior Product Manager at PEAK, joins Ron to explain why antifreeze protects your engine year-round.

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Coolant colors, chemistry, and compatibility: Why choosing the correct coolant matters more than simply matching colors.

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Concentrate or premixed? Which makes more sense for your vehicle and your maintenance routine?

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Cooling system safety: How to recognize leaks, avoid dangerous burns, protect pets, and know when it's time to service your antifreeze.

Cars have changed. Prices have changed. And maybe our relationship with the automobile has changed, too.

But one thing hasn't: Good mechanics aren't expensive. They're priceless.

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor™ — America's Favorite Working Radio Mechanic.

Car Advice, Done Right

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Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - Hour 1 - October 24, 2026

Sometimes the best thing a mechanic can do for a customer is send them somewhere else.

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor, opens this hour with a real story from his repair shop. A customer brings in a 2010 Honda for what seems like a simple tire repair. But four aging tires, worn steering components, and an unexpected $1,800 repair estimate turn a small problem into a much bigger decision.

Why would Ron recommend a national tire and repair chain instead of keeping the work in his own shop? The answer says a lot about customer trust, the changing automotive repair business, and what it really means to put the customer first.

Plus, your calls and questions:

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Used or new Cadillac? A New Jersey caller whose Lincoln was totaled in a nor'easter needs help choosing her next vehicle, with comfort, warranties, and possible flood damage all part of the equation.

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Fuel additives and engine protection: Micah from Maine asks about Hot Shot's Secret, Stiction Eliminator, and maintaining his high-mileage-minded Subaru.

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Whatever happened to wiper blade refills? Ron explains how vehicle aerodynamics have changed wiper blade and air filter designs.

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A Jeep that nearly burned: A Nevada listener shares a frightening story about leaves and debris igniting inside the heater box of his 1997 Jeep Wrangler.

It's an hour of real-world automotive advice, unexpected lessons, and a reminder that good mechanics aren't always the ones who sell you the repair. Sometimes they're the ones who help you find the best way to get it done.

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor™ — Real Experience. Real Questions. Real Answers.

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

Car Advice, Done Right

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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:

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2021 Chrysler Pacifica: A mysterious dashboard rattle at highway speeds. Is it inside the dashboard, or is the wind revealing something else?

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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?

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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

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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:

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2024 Ram 2500 Cummins: Is Hot Shot's Secret Stiction Eliminator worth using in an expensive diesel engine?

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2012 Lexus CT200h: A mysterious cold-start rattle raises questions about engine timing, hybrid drivetrain components, and proper diagnosis.

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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

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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:

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A listener asks whether six months is too long between oil changes, even when driving just 3,000 miles.

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A 2003 Toyota Corolla develops a mysterious no-start condition, with the cooling fan running and the temperature gauge behaving strangely.

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Why the shortage of skilled automotive technicians and the cost of diagnostic equipment matter to every vehicle owner.

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Preventive maintenance advice for a low-mileage Dodge Durango.

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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

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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

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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

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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:

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Why fault codes don't lie — but don't always tell the whole story

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How moisture can destroy a Ford DPFE/EGR pressure sensor

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Why evidence of rodents changes the entire diagnostic game

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What a 1.8-liter engine's mass airflow reading can tell you

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Why changing oil viscosity because of hot weather isn't necessarily a good idea

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The CRC 05320 fuel-system cleaning kit

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - Hour 2 - September 12, 2026

Auto repair doesn’t always go according to plan—and sometimes just getting to the problem is half the battle.

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor, takes you inside the service bay with a 2021 Ford Escape Hybrid suffering from a communication fault with its active grille shutter system. Multiple scan tools, OE-level diagnostics, circuit testing and a lot of disassembly eventually reveal the real culprit: a corroded power wire buried deep in the harness. It’s a perfect example of why good diagnostics have to be slow, methodical and proven—not guessed.

Then the phones light up. A listener with a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee has a “Service Shift Selector” warning and suddenly no reverse. Ron explains why the transmission itself may not be the problem and uses an old-fashioned landline telephone system to make today’s vehicle computer networks easy to understand.

Next, what do you do with a 2002 Honda with an incredible 323,000 miles and a slight transmission engagement delay? Repair it, replace the transmission—or leave well enough alone? Ron weighs the economics of keeping an older vehicle alive.

Plus: Ford 3.5L internal water-pump failures, Nissan ABS/VDC problems, wheel-speed diagnostics, and preparing a diesel for winter.

Real cars. Real problems. Real-world diagnosis.

Car Advice, Done Right

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Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - Hour 1 - September 12, 2026

Where do great mechanics come from? Are they born with “the touch,” or can it be taught?

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor, looks at the technician shortage from a different angle: maybe the automotive industry hasn’t done enough to nurture the next generation.

Ron remembers a young trade-school graduate named Gus who knew the procedures—but one flat tire at the far end of the shop parking lot revealed something his education hadn’t taught him: how to improvise when the procedure no longer fits the situation. It leads Ron back to one of his father’s lessons: follow steps one through ten—but also know when the repair demands that you think outside the box.

Then there’s Danny. Years ago, Danny walked into Ron’s shop carrying an F-150 steering knuckle and needing help pressing ball joints. Ron handed him the tools and instructions and watched. Within half an hour, Danny had figured it out himself. Ron knew immediately: “Kid, you’ve got it.”

Nature or nurture? Maybe great mechanics require some of both.

Ron also gets back to the nuts and bolts with a 1996 Ford 7.3L Power Stroke water-pump repair—a job that reminds him how much fun working on an older truck can be after spending days diagnosing and disassembling a technology-packed Ford Escape Hybrid.

Plus: hunting down an obsolete Fiat 500 trunk latch, diagnosing P0420/P0430 catalytic-converter faults, aftermarket versus OE catalytic converters, and why a trouble code should begin a diagnosis—not automatically dictate the repair.

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor — Car Advice, Done Right.

Car Advice, Done Right

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Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - Hour 1 - September 5, 2026

A 2020 GMC Denali arrives at R\A Automotive on a tow truck with an intermittent no-crank—and a history that would make any mechanic stop and think. Nearly three years, five different shops, multiple starters, and the same problem keeps coming back.

Ron starts where every diagnosis should start: at the beginning. Working with GM expert Ernesto through the OPUS IVS diagnostic platform, Ron separates clues from conclusions, uses factory service information and pattern-failure knowledge, and begins proving what the problem ISN’T. The trail eventually leads to a loaded voltage-drop test, a questionable negative battery cable, and a starter-solenoid connection that has seen its share of previous repairs.

It’s a real-world lesson in why replacing parts isn’t the same as diagnosing a car—and why sometimes the most valuable question a technician can ask is: What have I proved right, and what have I proved wrong?

Also this hour: when should you get a wheel alignment, why a car can be out of alignment without pulling, an A/C system that cools until the Florida heat arrives, and why guessing at refrigerant charge can create more problems than it solves.

Real calls. Real cars. Real diagnostics. Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor.

Car Advice, Done Right

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Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - September 5, 2026 - Hour 1

A 2015 Dodge Durango arrives on a flatbed over the weekend with a crank-no-start. The tow-truck diagnosis? Fuel pump.

Maybe?!

By Monday morning, the Durango starts perfectly—and that’s where the real diagnosis begins. Rather than throw a fuel pump at it, Ron goes back to basics: codes, fuel pressure, fuel volume, current draw and finally a thermal imager. That’s when one electrical connector starts telling the story, climbing past 160 degrees.

The fuel pump wasn’t the problem. A failing connection in the fuel-pump circuit was.

Then comes problem number two: Chrysler’s apparent solution involves a wiring harness costing roughly $3,200. Ron keeps digging through service information, part numbers and cross-references until he finds the connector needed to make the repair for under $200.

Same vehicle. Same failure. Completely different repair.

Also this hour: a listener with a 2020 Honda Odyssey that intermittently loses electrical power, why a battery can test “good” and still deserve a closer look, the importance of loaded voltage-drop testing, and a 2004 Cadillac SRX presenting a different challenge—what do you do when the parts you need simply aren't available?

The lesson? A symptom is a clue, not a conclusion. Test the basics, prove what's good, find what's bad—and sometimes, think outside the box.

Car Advice, Done Right

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Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - August 29, 2026

How many scan tools does it take to fix one car? Sometimes more than you think.

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor, takes you into the service bay with a 2022 Honda HR-V that came in for routine maintenance and turned into a lesson about just how complicated modern auto repair has become. After service and resets, the TPMS and traction-control warnings wouldn’t cooperate. Multiple aftermarket scan tools couldn’t complete the necessary calibration—but access to the Honda factory-level tool finally got the job done.

Ron explains why today’s independent repair shop needs more than one scan tool, why factory-level access is becoming increasingly important, and why scan-tool manufacturers need to do a better job of telling technicians the exact conditions required before a calibration or reset can succeed.

Also this hour: Tom tries Ford’s new mobile oil-change service and asks whether convenience can really replace putting a vehicle on a lift in a properly equipped shop. A caller battles a terrible interior odor after an ozone-machine treatment, Ron explains permanent diagnostic trouble codes, and there’s an update on the 1972 Monte Carlo.

Finally, Ron looks at a 95,000-mile used Hyundai for a customer and raises an increasingly important question: With the price and complexity of today’s used cars, is an extended warranty becoming part of the cost of buying one?

Modern cars are complicated. Having the right tool—and knowing how to use it—can make all the difference.

Car Advice, Done Right

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Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - August 29, 2026

Sometimes fixing cars starts with knowing which cars—and which customers—not to take on.

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor, opens this hour with the story of a first-time customer looking for the cheapest possible brake job on her Lincoln. She already had another shop’s diagnosis, didn’t want to pay for an initial vehicle inspection, and questioned why Ron needed to look at anything beyond the front brakes. Ron explains why policies, procedures and managing expectations aren’t obstacles to good auto repair—they’re part of doing the job right.

Then it’s into the phones and mailbag: an intermittent ABS light on a 2010 Toyota Corolla, the high cost of modern vehicle repairs, a 2009 RAV4 with 202,000 miles and a failing transmission, CVT judder questions, a missing Lexus wheel-lock key, and one of the most difficult brake jobs around—the Ford Transit.

Plus, Ron shares a lesson from his first boss that has stayed with him for 50 years: cars will always need good brakes, good tires, a reliable battery and good wiper blades. Safety first.

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