Idle Talk Radio with Ashley and Tom

This episode of Idle Talk from King’s Auto Repair (West Reading) mixes car-culture talk with real-world vehicle questions from local drivers. Tom and Ashley cover: - A practical breakdown of diesel-rated engine oil and when it may (or may not) be safe in a gasoline engine especially for older vehicles. - Why older luxury vehicles can be deceptively expensive to own, and why you should never buy a...

In this episode of Idle Talk, Tom and Ashley from King’s Auto Repair cover real world issues local drivers are dealing with right now:   - Why buying a used car with the check engine light on is almost never a “quick sensor fix”   - How catalytic converter failures (and theft attempts) are hitting wallets and what you can do to reduce your risk   - A listener question about a stuck seatbelt, how t...

This episode of Idle Talk from King’s Auto Repair (West Reading) covers a handful of real-world “odd” problems that showed up in the shop—exactly the kind of issues drivers struggle to describe until they become safety concerns. Topics include: - A rare ABS hydraulic control unit (HCU) failure that mimics a bad master cylinder and creates a dangerously low brake pedal. - Why brake fluid service ma...

In this episode we talk about the effects of ethanol in gasoline and what the octane actually means. Here are some of the bullet points from the show: Ashley talks about like being "that dad" cleaning the windshield of her car along the street while waiting on the kid to get done with practice The topic of discussion was octane levels and ethanol in fuel.  Gasoline's resistance to burn is measured...

We had a great conversation about Pennsylvania Emissions testing on the radio show. It was so good I decided to cut it out of the show for its own podcast and write a blog post. Pennsylvania Emissions Waivers are difficult to navigate. Your car needs to fail emissions inspection 2 times and you need to have spent $150 towards fixing the emissions failure issue. Listen to the podcast to find out mo...

On this episode we discuss spouses driving habits that the other can't stand. We argue about 2 and 4 lane highways. Tom gets to gloat about winning a disagreement. We also discuss Tom falling asleep, driving up on people and staying behind them. We also discuss Ashley's speeding and leaving the car in 2nd or 4th gear when she parks the car. This podcast seems more like a marital counseling secessi...

On today's show we discuss modern cars that are considered uncollectible. We talk about the crazy paint options on the new Corvette. Tom stumbles over a callers question about checking the level of a CVT transmission on a Honda Accord.     If you would like to learn more about your car check out our blog over on our website: King's Auto Repair Website King's Auto Repair on Facebook: King's Auto Re...

On this episode we talk about a warranty company denying coverage on an engine. We also talk about oil changes and 30 bad driving habits. Tom claims he never yells at other drivers while driving. Ashley does not believe him mostly because she is sitting next to him. We also discuss speeding tickets and Jim calls in and confuses Tom and Ashley while trying to make a joke.   If you would like to lea...

On this episode of Idle Talk we discuss a Tesla stopping for no reason and causing an accident. We have a pretty good idea why it stopped and we discuss it.  A caller asks about brake, coolant, and power steering flushes.  We advise another caller on buying a car at an auction. Tom talks about an article he is writing about brake pads and why there are a lot of vibration issues now days. He expres...

On today's show Ashley leads off with talking about the cars that were lost on the Felicity Ace cargo ship. Our hearts only bled for 1 car on that ship, the 1996 Honda Prelude SiR. We then talk about Ashley's driving and how she does not recognize anyone she passes on the road including her mom.   The discussion then turns to crash tests of cars made in India, crumple zones and the Moose crash tes...

Tesla builds 1,000,000 car  Tesla Model 3 how to open the doors. On the model s their handle comes out when you walk up to it   model 3 key is cell phone/ credit card  no more tax credits for tesla $7500 to buy an electric cars. Talk about how tesla used the government tax credit to sell more cars and how they throttled the model 3 at release  to not release low end model 3s during the end of the...

Well since I have been lazy by not putting up our shows in a timely manner I thought I would do them as Flashback shows. During this show we flashback to the day the world shut down. We called in ourselves using the speakerphone in our office as our 1 and only microphone because the studio was closed. Our first topic of the night after the rona discussion was a recall on Ford F150 headlights being...

I read a lot of used car warranty contracts for this.   It is here, our warranty show! We answer 3 questions and a statement about used car warranties: What should you look for Why do you think you need one What are the different types warranties Why we advocate to save your money and not purchase one We also unpack why you keep getting all these phone calls about extending your car's warranty. Th...

Well since I have been lazy by not putting up our shows in a timely manner. I thought I would do them as Flashback shows. During this show Ashley and I talk about March snowstorms. They seem to come out of nowhere and dump a lot of snow just as the weather starts to warm up. Then we talk about a rare care that you might see on the road and wonder what it is; the Fisker Karma . It is an electric ca...

On this week's show we talk about shooting video for social media. We found a company that is doing Lithium battery recycling. A call comes in from Garth about leaking head gaskets on his 2003 Ford F150. Then we move to discussing the mini pickup trucks and how the ones from the 70s were like being in a Sardine can. The new ones are much nicer and get great fuel mileage. As always the electric car...

On tonight's show we start off talking about engine oil and specifications. We take a phone call about how speed limit information that pops up on instrument clusters. Then we talk about one of the most hated things on cars in Pennsylvania, lightbars. We also answer questions about a transmission and a mechanic that would scrape a sticker off the back window every year at inspection time.   If you...

On tonight's show Ashley and I talk power steering and how it works.  We also talk about the the new way manufactures are designing power steering systems by making them electric. Ashley and I also joke around about turn signal and license plate fluid. We also unpack our once a week phone call where someone says " I need an alignment because my car shakes at highway speeds" Check out a video about...

On this episode of Idle Talk Radio I have a substitute co-host with me in the studio. Ashley ran off to Montana for the week and let me in charge of everything. So I enlisted the help of our lead Mechanic Dan. Dan is our ASE Master Mechanic. He worked for 10 years at a Honda dealership before he came to work here at the shop. It was his first time on the radio and he was a little nervous.  We talk...

On tonight's Idle Talk we discuss maintenance and spark plugs. Tom talks about spark plug gimmicks and why the don't work. We ask 2 questions: "When you see 2 or more Toyota Prius together, what is the plural of Prius?" and "How do get Subaru Badges for the back of your Subaru?". If anyone has the correct answer we would love to know. We also talk about Catalytic Converter theft and how to make yo...

On this episode Ashley and Tom discuss the right to repair laws and how the effect your life every day. For years independent car repair shops have fought with manufactures to gain access to information to repair cars. Now the Right to Repair laws that the independent car repair shops fought for are being used to investigate everything from cell phones to McDonald's Ice Cream Machines. George call...

On tonight’s Idle Talk Radio show Ashley gives us a history lesson on rubber. George calls to talk about hydroplaning and tire care. Sam calls in with a few questions about tires which we never thought of and our radio grandmother Ardel calls in to ask a few questions about a friend that is moving to Pennsylvania. Take a listen and learn and laugh with us. If you have a comment or car question ple...

This week we talk to Jake who's check engine light made an appearance right before inspection, George who has water on the passenger floor, and Rick who has an issue with a reoccurring check engine light on his 2000 Honda Civic Si.  Along with these great calls we talk about Ashley's almost accident and something Tom learned about tires this past week.     If you have a comment or car question ple...

In this sliced and diced episode we talk about Constant Variable Transmissions (CVT) and Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) transmissions. There are a lot of complaints about these "new" transmissions. We hear people don't like the way they shift or feel when they are driving. Some of these transmissions were complete failures and you can't find the cars around anymore.  We also have a discussion with Dav...

 On this episode Ashley and Tom discuss how vehicle technology is constantly changing. We talk about a 1981 Olds Cutlass that was in the shop and how it had one of the first electronic engine computers. We also discuss old and new headlight design and how no one seems to aim headlamps anymore. We also learn about how the TREAD act mandated the use of tire pressure monitoring in all cars 2008 and n...

Two weeks in a row Ashley can't remember that is nighttime. Ashley throws me under the bus about wanting a puppy. We discuss a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu that we had in the shop with a weird noise that we had trouble finding. Ashley confesses that she DOES read the owners manual on every car she owns. We talk about Start/Stop technology and Hybrid trucks. We also discuss the use of AGM batteries in in...