Ron Ananian The Car Doctor

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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  🌐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.

August 1, 2026  Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor Ever wonder why your mechanic asks that you bring your vehicle in with fuel in the tank? Ron explains why arriving with only a few miles to empty can delay repairs, prevent proper road testing, increase diagnostic time, and even create unnecessary liability for both the customer and the repair shop. Then Ron answers listener questions about choosing the right brake lubricant, waking up a PT Cruiser after months of sitting idle, and whether "lifetime" transmission fluid really lasts a lifetime on a high-mileage Ram pickup. It's another hour of practical automotive advice, real repair stories, and the honest perspective that only comes from someone working in the service bay every day. 🌐Visit: CarDoctorShow.com 📸 Follow Ron on Instagram: @ronananian 🎥 Watch repair tips and shop videos on YouTube 📻 Join the conversation LIVE Saturdays 2–4 PM Eastern  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 25, 2026  This week on Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor, Ron explains why the best repairs begin with the basics—not assumptions. A 2010 Ford Explorer with transmission trouble leads to a deeper discussion about water-damaged electronics, obsolete parts, and why replacing the obvious problem first often saves time and money. Then it's a conversation about Subaru's automatic stop/start system, warranty concerns, and whether aftermarket modifications really put you at risk. Ron also welcomes Tony Ingram of Advance Auto Parts to discuss the right way to wash, wax, and protect your vehicle, including the growing popularity of ceramic coatings and why proper maintenance protects far more than just your paint. The hour wraps up with practical advice on restoring an older GM door latch when replacement parts no longer exist, plus a quick Mailbag answer on Nissan Titan steering repairs. Whether you're chasing an electrical gremlin, wondering if a modification is worth the risk, or just trying to make your vehicle last another 100,000 miles, this episode reminds us that good diagnostics—and good maintenance—never go out of style. 🌐Visit: CarDoctorShow.com 📸 Follow Ron on Instagram: @ronananian 🎥 Watch repair tips and shop videos on YouTube 📻 Join the conversation LIVE Saturdays 2–4 PM Eastern      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.