Checking Your Vehicle After the Rain and Valve Adjustments on Your Car or Truck

Bumper to Bumper Radio, the car guys on KTAR, 92.3 FM in Phoenix, AZ, broadcast every Saturday from 11:00 am to noon. On this show, Matt Allen of Virginia Auto Service in Phoenix, AZ talks about what to check after this week’s heavy rain and why valve adjustments are one of the under-maintained services shops often skip. Also on this show:

• Checking your floor mats, sunroof drains, and the debris around the trunk seal so a leak does not turn into mildew or electrical problems.
• Why some multi-location shops sell the easy work and leave the harder services alone.
• Valve adjustments on Honda, Acura, Toyota, and other Japanese cars, including tight valves that can set a lean-condition check engine light.
• How to use the under-hood label and your owner’s manual to see if your valves are adjustable.
• Cars and Coffee on Scottsdale Road!
• 2001 Ford Focus: At 55k original miles, do my tires still need to be replaced if they look brand new but may be more than eight years old?
• 2026 Chevrolet Duramax: The store has three kinds of diesel exhaust fluid at very different prices. Which one should I buy?
• 1996 Jeep Cherokee: After I installed an aftermarket aluminum radiator, transmission fluid is leaking at the cooler fitting. What should I check?
• 2013 Volkswagen Beetle: Is a synthetic clay bar a good way to detail the paint, and can I put a louder horn in this car?
• 2023 Volvo: I need new tires after a couple of years in Arizona. What should I look for that will last in the heat?
• 2025 Mazda CX-50: My sunroof exploded on the freeway. Who can replace it, and is this a warranty job?

Cars talked about on this show are the 2001 Ford Focus, 2026 Chevrolet Duramax, 1996 Jeep Cherokee, 2013 Volkswagen Beetle, 2023 Volvo, and the 2025 Mazda CX-50.