Buying a used car can be a stressful gamble. This week I am rejoined by José Ramirez (from LATTC). We discuss some things you can inspect to gain a little more peace of mind when deciding whether to buy the car or pass on it.

Some topics we discuss are looking at oil quality, listening for unusual sounds, using an OBDII scanner, evaluating leaks, and road testing rotor and strut condition.

Stay in touch, share your thoughts, recommend your trusted mechanic as a guest, get good tips and find out when episodes drop by subscribing! Email us at [email protected] and visit the website goodcarmapodcast.com

Thanks for joining me for this episode where I share some suggestions for great tools to keep in your car. Both for emergencies and for staying on top of your car's general condition.

In this episode I want to make sure everyone is aware of these great tools that may seem complicated to use but are really not so hard to learn to navigate!

My Amazon Affiliate Links to suggested products!

• Ancel OBDii Scanner for reading codes and other car data
• Teslong Borescope for seeing into hard to reach crevices of the engine and underneath the car
• Klein Auto-Ranging Multimeter for measuring voltage, resistance and amps
• Kaiweets Manual-ranging Multimeter

I receive a small commission for purchases made through the affiliate links. Using these links is a great way to get some fun tools and to support the podcast! 

Stay in touch, share your thoughts, recommend your trusted mechanic as a guest, get good tips and find out when episodes drop by subscribing! Email us at [email protected] and visit the website goodcarmapodcast.com

I'm joined by Ritchie Wimmer of Wimmer's Automotive. Ritchie is a shop owner and mentor to the next generation of technicians, teaching at Morro Bay High School. Community and integrity is important at Wimmer's Automotive, and they put it best on their website that they're "committed to the greater good of both vehicles and the people who drive them." 

This week I sat down with him at his shop in Central California's beautiful Morro Bay. We talk about a wide range of topics including the importance of our being good stewards of our cars, how to stand out as a candidate for a job when applying to shops, and ways to budget and keep track of maintenance and repairs.

Listener offer: Mention you found Wimmer's Automotive after hearing this episode, and you can get a $60 gift certificate toward your first service at their shop.

Wimmer’s Automotive

899 Piney Way

Morro Bay, CA 93442

805-776-8114

Stay in touch, share your thoughts, recommend your trusted mechanic as a guest, get good tips and find out when episodes drop by subscribing! Email us at [email protected] and visit the website goodcarmapodcast.com

Mr. José Ramirez from LATTC and I talk about the reasons we're adivsed to let your cars warm up for about 20-30 seconds before we start driving in the morning.

Just like your body, the car needs to get fluids circulating, and breathing regulated. Your car needs to get oil pumping through all parts of the engine. Air and fuel need a minute til it's regulated and burning the most efficiently.

Starting out the car and the day, it could be a great opportunity to take a few seconds and let things get harmonized.

A morning haiku break brought to us by Gemini:

Pause and let it breathe,
Needle drops to steady low,
Peace before the path.

Stay in touch, share your thoughts, recommend your trusted mechanic as a guest, get good tips and find out when episodes drop by subscribing! Email us at [email protected] and visit the website goodcarmapodcast.com

In this episode, Mariano and I continue our conversation about how trust develops with customers. Clear explanations, transparency about what’s being recommended, and helping drivers understand how different systems in their cars actually work make all the difference.

We also talk through several common situations where misunderstandings can lead to unnecessary repairs or confusion—like misunderstood trouble codes, good preventative maintenance recommendations that may at first feel like an oversell, and how small maintenance items can affect larger systems over time.

Topics in this episode include:

• Why misread trouble codes can lead people to assume a specific part needs to be replaced when the code is really pointing to a system that needs diagnosis
• When preventative "while we're here" maintenance recommendations are legitimate, especially when work is already being done in the same area and future labor costs can be reduced
• A common red flag in diagnostics: replacing a catalytic converter without identifying the underlying cause of the failure
• How habits at the pump —running very low or frequently topping off—can contribute to early fuel pump wear or EVAP system issues
• The role of simple maintenance items like air filters and how neglecting them can contribute to larger engine or catalytic converter problems
• How clear communication, photos, and explanations from shops can provide peace of mind to customers and help shops feel confident that their customers understand the work being done

Local people, you can find Mariano's shop on of all streets, Motor Avenue just north of Palms Blvd. Stop by for your next service! If you come in for a full synthetic oil change, mention the podcast and you can additionally get a free tire rotation.

fixcarnow.com

https://maps.app.goo.gl/aadC7PKUmuvV4qyP6

310-558-9097 | 3405 Motor Avenue, Los Angeles 90034

Stay in touch, share your thoughts, recommend your trusted mechanic as a guest, get good tips and find out when episodes drop by subscribing! Email us at [email protected] and visit the website goodcarmapodcast.com

This week I meet with the wonderful Mariano from FixCarNow in West Los Angeles! We talk through many topics including what builds customer loyalty and trust, how to prioritize repairs, and some specific good maintenance tips.

Local people, you can find Mariano's shop on of all streets, Motor Avenue just north of Palms Blvd. Stop by for your next service! If you come in for a full synthetic oil change, mention the podcast and you can additionally get a free tire rotation.

fixcarnow.com

https://maps.app.goo.gl/aadC7PKUmuvV4qyP6

310-558-9097 | 3405 Motor Avenue, Los Angeles 90034

Stay in touch, share your thoughts, recommend your trusted mechanic as a guest, get good tips and find out when episodes drop by subscribing! Email us at [email protected] and visit the website goodcarmapodcast.com

Part 2 with Ozzy!! Don't miss this great conversation where Ozzy shares more tips and info about basic car care. We touch on tires, brakes, coolant and of course oil changes. He gives great insight into the importance of keeping good service records and how it may improve the resale value of your car.

Stay in touch, share your thoughts, recommend your trusted mechanic as a guest, get good tips and find out when episodes drop by subscribing! Email us at [email protected] and visit the website goodcarmapodcast.com

Getting to know some basic maintenance steps, we can keep our cars from becoming high-maintenance. This is part one of a two-part conversation with Ozzy, a friend, a former fellow student, and an automotive technician with many years now in the field. He shares simple preventative steps that keep small issues from turning into major (i.e. $$$) repairs.

Stay in touch, share your thoughts, recommend your trusted mechanic as a guest, get good tips and find out when episodes drop by subscribing! Email us at [email protected] and visit the website goodcarmapodcast.com

One of the best things to happen to the environment was the catalytic converter. It reduced the toxicity of car exhaust to a small fraction of what it used to be. Before it, cars released carbon monoxide, unburned fuel, and oxides of nitrogen directly into the air — in amounts that blanketed cities in smog and caused real health problems.

The catalytic converter, when it's working right, converts these harmful gases into gases that won't burn our eyes, lungs or turn the sky green. 

Keeping your 'cat' healthy really matters. One simple way to do this is staying on top of oil changes.

This is part three of my conversation with José Ramirez, where we talk about how lack of oil changes can damage this important component.

Stay in touch, share your thoughts, recommend your trusted mechanic as a guest, get good tips and find out when episodes drop by subscribing! Email us at [email protected] and visit the website goodcarmapodcast.com

This week I continue my conversation with the great master tech and professor Mr. José Ramirez from LATTC! We talk about a few more topics related to the most important thing you can do for your car: keeping up with regular oil changes.

Stay in touch, share your thoughts, recommend your trusted mechanic as a guest, get good tips and find out when episodes drop by subscribing! Email us at [email protected] and visit the website goodcarmapodcast.com