Battling Deepfakes, When CARFAX Gets it WRONG, and the Mechanics of Car Care

Are electric SUVs the road warriors of tomorrow? Let's cruise into the future with Scout Motors Inc., Volkswagen's electrifying revival. This week on the Tech Mobility Show, I, Ken Chester, steer into the electrified landscape of automotive innovation. We take a pit stop at the challenges and opportunities for Volkswagen's Scout brand as it charges into the electric SUV market, pitting itself against titans like Jeep and Ford Bronco. The conversation shifts gears to a candid discussion on the non-union manufacturing move and what it spells for the industry.

What happens when CARFAX, that industry titan of vehicle accident and maintenance records, gets it WRONG about your car?  One woman's experience maybe a cautionary tale to take heed. 

Hold onto your seatbelts as we navigate the unnerving twists and turns of AI-generated deepfakes. The digital age has thrown up a roadblock in identity verification, and I'm here to map out the detours. From the dark alleys of phishing emails to the biometric boulevard, we explore the high-speed chase between cybercriminals and the guardians of online security. It's a race where the ingenuity of facial recognition is pitted against the cunning of deepfake technology, and only the most innovative will cross the finish line unscathed.

Finally, let's pop the hood on vehicle maintenance, where ignorance isn't bliss—it's a breakdown waiting to happen. I'll pass on some mechanic's wisdom, guiding you through the essential checkpoints of brake noise diagnosis, battery lifespan, and the often-overlooked cabin filter. You'll learn how to keep your tires, shocks, and wipers in top-notch condition, ensuring a smooth ride and clear vision on the road. Tune in and turn each episode of the TechMobility Show into your co-driver, keeping you informed and in control behind the wheel.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:15

It's time for the Tech Mobility Show with Ken Chester. Ken is a veteran journalist who doesn't always color between the lines, so here he is, the host with the electrified personality Ken Chester.

Speaker 2: 0:28

Real facts, real opinions, real talk. Welcome to the Tech Mobility Show, your program for news, information and perspective at the intersection of mobility and technology. I'm Ken Chester, and let's get started. Here's what I want to share with you during this episode what happens when the Carfax report is wrong, how to unmask AI generated deepfakes, and just what is meant by a vehicle safety inspection. We'll talk about all that and maybe a little bit more. I enjoy hearing from you, and maybe a little bit more. I enjoy hearing from you To add your voice to the conversation, be it to share an opinion, ask a question or suggest a topic for future discussion. You can call or text the Tech Mobility hotline, that number, 872-222-9793, or you can email me directly at talk at techmobilityshow. And that is talk at techmobilityshow. Drop me a line. Love to hear from you From the Tech Mobility News Desk.

Speaker 2: 1:34

A few years ago, we talked about Volkswagen, who bought what was left of the International Truck Division of Navistar. They also owned a brand that was popular in the 60s through the 80s called the Scout the International Scout. For those of you that may not know what that is actually, the Scout was designed to go up against the Jeep CJ series which came out of the Second World War and actually started what became known as the SUV segment of the auto industry. The Scout was built for 20 years in Fort Wayne, indiana, and had quite a run During that 20 years. International Harvester built over 530,000 different variations of the Scout during that time and it covered a lot of ground and even to this day there's Scouts running around Because it was so durable, so reliable and so easy to work on, and that was by design. And I say all this Because Volkswagen Created a whole separate Subsidiary called Scout Motors Inc, and the head of Scout Motors, scott Keogh, actually ended up Going back to Fort Wayne, indiana, during Harvester Days a few years back to kind of get bask in the aura, learn more about the heritage of not just the Scout but the other international vehicles that were built for retail sales, like the Travelall, which was bigger than the Scout. International even built a pickup truck for a while. Bet you didn't know that. Ironically enough, a lot of these vehicles, even though they've been out of production all those years, are still on the road.

Speaker 2: 3:41

So what is Volkswagen trying to accomplish with Scout Motors Inc? Many people were hoping that they would come back to the spiritual touchstone for the brand and build that plant or have it built in Fort Wayne, indiana. Unfortunately, that is not what they decided to do. They bought a plot of land about 1,400 acres, I believe near Blythewood, south Carolina, and they're planning to relaunch the Scout brand as SUVs that are electric Electric SUVs is their plan. In the midst of all of this, they wanted to emphasize the company's mission was to revive an American legacy and bring manufacturing jobs back to US soil. One of the bones I have to pick is non-union US soil. There's a reason why they went south instead of building it for Wayne. I'm not okay with that. The groundbreaking event celebrated Scout's rich history and its ambitious vision for the future, showcasing original vehicles and providing a glimpse into the state-of-the-art production center through 3D models and virtual presentations. They expect to have these vehicles in production by the 2026 model year and, in fact, 350 people already work for Scout Motors Inc.

Speaker 2: 5:15

Here's the problem. The industry that part of the industry right now, has some pretty amazing vehicles in it. Right now has some pretty amazing vehicles in it. To be honest, jeep hasn't sat on its laurels all this time and their trail rated vehicles and we've talked about that and kind of a bone I pick with Jeep, but we'll deal with their trail rated vehicles which carry on the essence of can do, and we've reviewed a variety of other gasoline powered vehicles that are extremely can do, in particular the Ford Bronco, and recently I talked to you about the Ford Bronco Sport Heritage model, which really impressed me because I didn't believe that it had that kind of capability until I spent a week with one. The Bronco is truly the larger Bronco is truly a go-anywhere, do-anything vehicle. They actually have seven different models and you literally can order this thing, you can customize it out to wazoo, literally. You talk about customization. When they reintroduced the bronco, they built it with that in mind. You can even get a seven speed manual transmission with a ford bronco. Ford wasn't playing and I've had several broncos, including a bronco raptor, which to say they're amazing, I would wear the word out, so I'm not going to, but they're amazing, I would wear the word out, so I'm not going to, but they're amazing.

Speaker 2: 6:46

Against this backdrop, scout is coming in to develop a line of SUVs, standalone product where it was one product in different models. This is one name with different products. How will they do? Well, my first big question is what are you going to put it on? What is rugged enough in the Volkswagen Group portfolio, if anything, or even in their Triton truck portfolio, if they have anything like Duty, that can even start as your starting point to build an EV, because at this point it's not good enough to be as good For Scout to get the respect of people who are traditionalists and folks that are looking at the brand for the first time ever with maybe a nod towards the history.

Speaker 2: 7:42

This thing would have to be exceptional, because the products out there right now are exceptional. Let me throw this one in I recently did a review of the Chevy Colorado ZR2, and it was exceptional for off-road and articulation and everything that it could do. So as I look at this and they're talking about building 200,000 of these a year when they're up to speed and, in case you've forgotten, ford is in the middle of western Tennessee Building Blue Oval City they're coming to grips with a truck that they said Is unlike anything they've ever built before, ever, and it's going to be an EV. And they're bringing everything they've ever learned over 100 years, plus everything they've recently learned relative to EVs, to bring this vehicle to market, based on what I've experienced both with the F-150 Lightning, the Ford Bronco, the Ford Bronco Sport. Ford ain't taking no prisoners. Chevy's not resting on its laurels. Other manufacturers are bringing some pretty gnarly vehicles to market, both EVs as EV performance, and non-EVs, which are gasoline but very efficient and very off-road capable. This is not like 1960, when all you really had the day the International Scout came to market was the Jeep CJ series. It was really the only direct competitor they had at volume at that time. It was still a few years actually six years before the original Ford Bronco came to market. Few years actually six years before the original Ford Bronco came to market.

Speaker 2: 9:29

Questions, questions, questions. My heart is broken that they're not building in Fort Wayne. I'm just going to tell you right now. I'm just, I'm sorry, it's just where I'm at, but I have questions of whether or not this multi-billion dollar gamble by Volkswagen and a standalone manufacturer called Scout Motors can actually pull it off. We should see prototypes, probably in the next year, and as they come out and as I get time with them, I'll let you know.

Speaker 2: 9:56

But the bar is set exceptionally high right now because everybody is spending billions of dollars. To get it right, this vehicle would have to have gnarly off-road capability for beginners, which means you're starting with an extremely robust frame. You'd have to have, over and above battery performance capabilities either, exceptional crawl, expanded range and some novel ways to charge when you're out in the middle of nowhere. Can they pull all that off and still come in at a price point that somebody is willing to spend money? And, more importantly, what's the dealer body going to look like? Will it be Volkswagen dealers? Will there be a standalone network? Don't even know yet. So many questions. Don't even know yet so many questions. What happens when Carfax gets it wrong when it comes to your car? You are listening to the Tech Mobility Show.

Speaker 3: 10:55

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Speaker 2: 11:26

Social media is the main place to be these days, and we are no exception. I'm Ken Chester of the Tech Mobility Show. If you enjoy my program, then you will also enjoy my weekly Facebook videos, From my latest vehicle reviews to timely commentary of a variety of mobility and technology-related topics. These short features are designed to inform and delight. You Be sure to watch, like and follow us on Facebook. You can find us by typing the Tech Mobility Show in the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to our Facebook page. Social media is the place to be these days, and we're no exception. I'm Ken Chester of the Tech Mobility Show. If you enjoy my program, then you will also enjoy my weekly Instagram videos, From the latest vehicle reviews to timely commentary on a variety of mobility and technology-related topics. These short features are designed to inform and delight. You Be sure to watch, like and follow us on Instagram. You can find us by typing the Tech Mobility Show in the search bar.

Speaker 2: 12:23

For those of you that listen to podcasts, we have just the one for you. Hi, I'm Ken Chester. Tech Mobility Topics is a podcast where I upload topic-specific videos each week. Shorter than a full show. These bite-sized programs are just the thing, particularly if you're interested in a particular topic covered on the weekly radio show, From Apple Podcasts to iHeartRadio and many podcast platforms in between, we got you covered. Just enter Tech Mobility Topics in the search bar, wherever you listen to podcasts.

Speaker 4: 13:00

Of the new personal midsize cars, one is getting a lot of recognition. Yesterday's Dodge Charger got recognition for winning 75 racing titles. Today's Charger is a midsize car with a style that keeps it ahead of the crowd and it's getting recognition. Hey Charger, Maybe too much recognition, hey Charger.

Speaker 2: 13:24

The 1975 Dodge Charger. Basically it was the sibling of the 1975 Chrysler Cordoba, which were considered personal cars. Today it would be considered large two-doors. Dodge decided to take a more luxury turn and be slightly performance-oriented, at least in look against the Cordoba, which was designed to be upscale and luxury. In terms of performance there really wasn't any difference. They shared all the same engines, powertrains built in the same plants and everything. But it was the look and a personal note.

Speaker 2: 14:02

Back in the day, when that car was new, I was actually selling them for a living and we actually bought those. We had a deal where program cars, which are cars bought by rental car companies, and then they got out of them with so many miles on them. They were buying them at auction in Boston, paying us $10 to drive them back to the dealership some 50 miles away. They'd run them through the shop and they'd sell them. On the weekend They'd go for $6,600 new. We were selling these with 10,000 to 15,000 miles on them for $4,875. And we sold them all every weekend it was literally Wednesdays. He'd buy them at auction, get them back to the dealership, sell them on the weekends. It was a heck of a deal. It was an easy $10, but remember that was 1975. Hey Charger, easy 10 bucks, but remember that was 1975, hey charger.

Speaker 2: 14:53

I want to share a cautionary tale about carfax with you. For one consumer they got the information totally wrong about her car and it took a near miracle and a number of months to get the information corrected Again. This is a cautionary tale and this is topic A. Everybody's heard of Carfax. It was started in 1984 by a Missouri-based computer analyst who believed odometer fraud could be reduced or eradicated by collecting mileage readings from state inspection records and that he could make a living doing so. His name was Edwin Barnett III. When he started this in 1984, he began selling reports based on the 10,000 vehicle records he obtained. Within nine years' time, carfax was receiving automobile records from all 50 states. By the time the company was 10 years old, carfax was maintaining a database with more than 100 million records. 10 years after that, carfax was maintaining around 3 billion records. Today, based in Columbia, missouri, that's where their data center is. Carfax Data Center today keeps up with over 6 billion records, and I point that out because I want to set the stage for what happened.

Speaker 2: 16:23

And part of what happened is one little funky fluke of the state in which this happened in and I'll explain that in a minute but honestly, still concerning, because Carfax makes a point of getting the right information and making sure that if it's a vehicle that's been damaged, that you know about it, because it could cost you thousands of dollars. If you didn't know, it was a 2021 Subaru Outback. Lady bought it new. Somehow, carfax, collecting all this data, got her information, started sending her courtesy reminders of oil changes and other maintenance, and we've all gotten that. You bought a new car and suddenly you get all this stuff from the dealer Generated by Carfax Reports. By the way, it was a marketing ploy, a way to Carfax connect with potential customers in a seemingly helpful manner and help the dealership make more money.

Speaker 2: 17:26

Here's what happened. Now she was just plodding along, life was good, and then last summer she clicked open a professional Carfax email and was stunned to see that it listed her beloved Subaru as having been in an accident. Problem is, her car was never in an accident Ever, ever, ever. She thought it would just take a few minutes to contact Carfax. Oh, you got it wrong and you know, correct it. No, took six months and the intervention of a local newspaper. You know their investigative reporting people.

Speaker 2: 18:10

You would think that a company as big as Carfax would want to make sure they got the data right and you would think a company that big would have a hotline you could call, say hey, I've got a problem with this record, and have a nice easy process to correct it. Guess what? No, here's the first thing you need to know about Carfax. You can't call them. It's not possible to call them Because, like a growing number of companies, they don't accept phone calls. Unfortunately, through the bots and emails, particularly with stuff that falls through the cracks, it's really hard to communicate the weird stuff that happens when it doesn't exactly fit what the company is expecting For their traditional stuff. You don't have a way to step outside and contact somebody with something that is out of the norm.

Speaker 2: 19:03

Anybody checking the records of that particular Subaru owned by that lady Would have seen the fake accident and she estimates it would have cost her $1,200 in value. They asked for records. She gave them records. They asked for the police report. She thought they had it. She said I would, but I was not in an accident. I don't have a police report to give you. On and on, this went back and forth and then, finally, they stopped talking to her completely.

Speaker 2: 19:38

So how did this happen? Well, one of this is because of a little quirk in the state of Massachusetts when it comes to registering vehicles, and in Massachusetts the Registry of Motor Vehicles sometimes issues the same plate number to two vehicles. And in Massachusetts the Registry of Motor Vehicles sometimes issues the same plate number to two vehicles, one passenger and one commercial. And according to the registry in the Commonwealth, they said there are 3,200 duplicate passenger commercial plates. However, they do identify them differently. So on the registration, one would be identified as a passenger car, the other one would be identified as a passenger car, the other one would be identified as a commercial vehicle. So you would know there would be a difference.

Speaker 2: 20:19

She pressed Carfax to find out what the date was and on that date in December of 2022, she was 1500 miles away. In Florida, her car was parked miles away from where this accident supposedly happened, in the garage for the winter at her condo. There was no way that car could have been in an accident, even though the police report was properly coded. Carfax still wouldn't accept that as an answer and in fact told her to get the police to correct the accident report, which was actually correct to begin with. You've got to be kidding me.

Speaker 2: 20:52

Bottom line Carfax has the authority and, more importantly, the responsibility to ensure it does not assign a police accident report incorrectly. Doing so, by knowingly doing so, misleads the public, to say nothing of undermining public confidence in a company that prepares to give customers peace of mind. In other words, get it right. They recommend reaching out to everybody. Should it happen to you. Don't take it for an answer and don't take it lying down. Contact them, go to social media, your insurance company, the Better Business Bureau, whatever you have to do should you find yourself in that same position Doesn't happen much, but when it happens, you need to make sure you can get it corrected. Deep fakes now powered by AI, they can be even more difficult to spot. I show you how.

Speaker 2: 21:41

This is the Tech Mobility Show. Do you listen to podcasts? Seems that most people do. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. If you've missed any of our weekly episodes on the radio, our podcast is a great way to listen. You can find the Tech Mobility Podcast just about anywhere you can enjoy podcasts. Be sure to follow us from Apple Podcasts, iheart Radio and many platforms in between. We are there. Just enter the Tech Mobility Podcast in the search bar. Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media it's the place to podcasts. Social media it's the place to be. We're no exception. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. Several times a week, I post to TikTok several of the topics that I cover on my weekly radio show. It's another way to keep up on mobility, technology news and information. I've built quite a library of short videos for your viewing pleasure, so be sure to watch, like and subscribe. That's the Tech Mobility Show on TikTok. Check it out, as if you didn't have enough to worry about. Welcome to the crime as a service era. Welcome to the crime as a service era.

Speaker 2: 22:56

An explosion in online services and platforms present organizations with a very difficult task how to be certain that someone who say they are online In other words, are you who you say you are, and how do we prove it? Add an adversary in the shape of generative AI that creates deep fakes to steal identities and generate new ones, and it's a daunting situation. This is topic B. Let's back up a minute. This comes from securityinfowatchcom, an attempt to give you an idea of how to unmask the threat of AI-generated deepfakes. Now, granted, this is primarily aimed at businesses and organizations, but as we are working our way through this and it has the ability to impact everybody, I thought I would share a little bit with you. First, I'm just trying to grapple, grab, put my mind around. They actually have it.

Speaker 2: 24:09

Crime as a service is a thing that there is so much in the way of apps and software available in the deep web, and those tools are getting as good, if not better, than the tools used to fight it that literally you don't have to be that experienced a criminal anymore. If you've got the money, you literally can pay for a package, get it and create havoc at will, on demand, anywhere you want to, anytime. That is the scary part. Today we find ourselves in this era where cyber criminals networks operate with alarming sophistication and speed. You don't believe me If you've been getting emails for the last 15 years.

Speaker 2: 24:54

The spoofing emails you're getting now are more and more difficult to tell apart from the legitimate ones. Unlike five years ago, unlike 10 years ago. They stuck out like a sore thumb back then. Now you really got to look and if you don't have a really close relationship with the organization, it could be easy to be fooled or get panicked. It is that severe, particularly when now they typically interact with you. When you interact to maybe change, update or add something and you're getting emailed in the normal course of things during that time and they start interjecting theirs, it throws a wrench in it. That could be a problem. Traditional authentication methods like passwords and one-time passwords you know what they're using now with hey, you want to get in, let's send you a one-time password. We are going to text you a number to your phone that we have on record and you type that in and we'll verify it. Well, those methods, which are often used as multi-factor authentication, are proving insufficient in the face of these advanced threats. That's how bad it's.

Speaker 2: 26:20

Getting Crime as a service and the availability of online tools accelerate the evolution of the threat landscape by enabling criminals to launch advanced attacks faster and at a larger scale than ever before and, I will say, even more sophisticated. If the attacks succeed, they have the potential to rapidly escalate in volume and frequency, amplifying the risk of serious financial and reputational damage. Europol, the European Union's law enforcement agency, has reported in some instances where criminal organizations created and delivered tailored deep fakes on request. In one case, a threat actor was willing to pay up to $16,000 for the service. And these deep fakes that are now being created, at a quality that makes them virtually impossible to detect without using complex monitoring and analysis tools. Needless to say, they target primarily financial institutions.

Speaker 2: 27:29

We talked about one-time passcode authentication, and that meets the what-you-have factor of authentication, otherwise known as the possession factor. Big words, having your phone, a phone on file, but phones can be stolen. Phones can be hacked, phones can be spoofed. Similarly, passwords are an example of knowledge and what you know factor. Even the we'll assign a password for you make it very complicated. They're equally vulnerable, as they can be forgotten, shared or socially engineered. Consequently, businesses have been prompted to reevaluate their security strategies and explore more innovative and resilient solutions. So here's where we are now.

Speaker 2: 28:16

Biometrics, a commonly adopted form of identity verification in financial services, is voice biometrics, chosen for its ability to speed up authentication, a platform or service based on the principle of people that have their voice with them all the time. However, this is a problem. Why? Because cyber criminals have used generative AI to create voice deepfakes to gain unauthorized access to financial accounts. How long do you think it takes if you was going to record somebody's voice. You wanted to replicate it using generative AI. How much voice would you need to get? One minute, it's all you need to create a highly convincing dupe. One minute Recording one minute of a person's voice. One minute, it's all you need. So where are we going If voice biometrics ain't going to cut it? They're talking now about facial biometrics. And if an alarm went off way back in the back of your head, that was you remembering me talking about some of the problems law enforcement was having using face recognition software. That's what you remember. And if you remembered that, good for you. You were paying attention. You remember. And if you remember that, good for you. You were paying attention.

Speaker 2: 29:41

Here's what the industry is saying about this now. Facial biometrics provide a far more reliable verification solution. Unlike passwords and one-time passwords OTPs, facial biometrics resolves your usability issues that have plagued traditional authentication solutions by employing adherence or what you are, a form of verification. By using inherent characteristics to verify your identity. The unique features of the human face are now a powerful tool in the fight against cyber threats. Instead of protecting your passwords and making sure you didn't share them with anybody, your verification now is out in the open. It's your face. Nobody, theoretically, could steal your face, so they say. However, the effectiveness of biometric face verification lies in its departure from the notion that faces are secret. However, the strength of biometrics is its uniqueness, non-shareability and immunity to theft.

Speaker 2: 30:45

Here's where we get back to deep fakes. There's an added piece that they need, and they're talking about that. They have to add to that, and it's called liveness capability. In other words, it's not enough to see your face and it's called liveness capability. In other words, it's not enough to see your face, but it's how they tell the difference between an AI generated likeness of you and you. It's called liveness capability and it needs to be included in any biometric facial recognition system. The problem is not every system is that robust, but they gotta be. They have to engineer that in. They have to engineer that in, and one of the ways they do it is through a process of matching a selfie image with a government issued ID. One way to do it what is checked during a vehicle safety inspection? I explain.

Speaker 2: 31:37

We are the Tech Mobility Show. To learn more about the Tech Mobility Show, start by visiting our website. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. The website is a treasure trove of information about me and the show, as well as where to find it on the radio across the country. Keep up with the happenings of the Tech Mobility Show by visiting techmobilityshow. That's techmobilityshow. You can also drop us a line at talk at techmobilityshow. Did you know that Tech Mobility has a YouTube channel? Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. Each week, I upload a few short videos of some of the hot topics that I cover during my weekly radio program. I've designed these videos to be informative and entertaining. It's another way to keep up on current mobility and technology news and information. Be sure to watch, like and subscribe to my channel. That's the Tech Mobility Show on YouTube. Check it out.

Speaker 3: 32:39

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Speaker 2: 33:12

Social media is the place to be these days and we're no exception. I'm Ken Chester of the Tech Mobility Show. If you enjoy my program, then you will also enjoy my weekly Instagram videos From the latest vehicle reviews to timely commentary on a variety of mobility and technology-related topics. These short features are designed to inform and delight you. Be sure to watch, like and follow us on Instagram. You can find us by typing the Tech Mobility Show in the search bar.

Speaker 2: 33:42

So exactly what is checked during a vehicle safety inspection? How often should you have your vehicle checked? You're in luck because I have those answers and more, just for you. This is Topic C. Let me start by picking a bone the information that I got. I got it from Nationwide Insurance and they suggest. They got it from the Car Care Council and they suggest and make these following suggestions.

Speaker 2: 34:12

The problem is they're basing these suggestions that you live in a state where your vehicle is required by law to be inspected. I unfortunately live in a state where they abolished those inspection laws over 40 years ago and in this state there is no such thing as mandatory vehicle inspection. I wish there was sometimes, because some of the vehicles I've seen on the road have no business on the road and the state I moved away from you get inspected twice a year and you got a sticker in the window. And guess what? If you didn't pass, you got a rejected sticker in the window and you had so many days to correct the deficiency. That was back in the good old days. So let's say you live in a state like I do, like Iowa, where you don't have a vehicle inspection set up.

Speaker 2: 35:04

How often should you have your vehicle inspected and what should you be looking at? Let's start with the easy stuff, and a lot of this stuff you can do yourself and you should be doing continuously. It's a matter of walking around your car Is everything attached, is anything hanging or looks broken or damaged, checking your tires, looking tire wear, is it wearing, even Is it getting low? And they also do the quarter issue In terms of height of thread Of tread. I'm sorry, typically if you can see the head of George Washington they use a quarter. Then you're below four-tenths of an inch of tread and you probably are needing to change it. That's as old as the hills. Other things you should be paying attention to sounds, smells, vibrations of your vehicle, anything that is not normal Squeaks, squeals. Take a look at fluids, the easy stuff Check your oil, check your windshield wiping fluid. Either one of those gets low, you're going to get a warning light in your dashboard. But you shouldn't let it get to that point because that's when damage can happen.

Speaker 2: 36:30

Here's another fun fact Do you realize your brakes will tell you when you need to change them? No doubt you may have heard a scraping noise when you put the brakes on. That is by design. That is a clip on the calipers coming in contact with the disc telling you you don't have any pad left and they need to be changed. If you ignore that noise, you will start to cause damage to the disc and end up having to get those replaced. And let me stop right here.

Speaker 2: 37:03

You never, ever, ever, ever, ever want them to quote unquote turn the discs. What does that mean? Back in the day, folks would ride the brakes. That clip would bite into the discs, cause a groove. Because of the groove the brakes don't stop evenly. What some chops used to do said hey, you know what? We can put these on a lathe and turn them and make them smooth again.

Speaker 2: 37:31

What that actually means is removing metal from the engineered disc. Those discs were engineered by the automaker to meet certain performance standards in terms of heat, braking, durability, safety and all that. When you turn them and shave metal from them to get a smooth surface, you are jeopardizing your brakes actually. And what usually happens after that? Because you've lost metal now you've lost the ability for that particular disc to take heat, dissipate heat, and because they can't, they warp. When they warp, then you really your brakes start to shudder and you've got a safety problem and you're gonna end up replacing them anyway. That was kind of an outgrowth of back in the day when folks had what they called drum brakes and you know the brake shoes which pushed out against the drum would get grooves in them when they got worn and they would turn them. Those were a lot thicker and you could get away with a little bit of that back in the day. You can't do that to disc brakes, just so you know.

Speaker 2: 38:36

Battery you don't want to wait until your car starts doing strange things to realize it's time to change the battery or suddenly it doesn't start. Rule of thumb If you have not changed your battery in three years or more, check it out. How do you check it? Most auto parts stores will check the condition of your battery for nothing. You walk in, you ask them, they will check and let you know the condition of your battery. You can expect to pay between $100 to $200 to replace a battery, unless you have a very, very fancy car where it could cost you more. But, as a note, three to five year batteries a good battery will run you $150 to $250 on average.

Speaker 2: 39:19

So there's that Transmission fluid. Let's talk about that a minute. Most vehicles today have sealed systems. What that means is you don't change, you don't forward the transmission, you don't check the fluid, check your owner's manual. Typically you'd have to take it back to the dealer, drop the pan. But you're talking five years or 150,000 miles. Normally Transmission qualities come a long, long way.

Speaker 2: 39:47

Let's talk filters. Did you know that your car has a cabin filter and it's probably nasty? Typically that filter sits behind in your dashboard, behind your glove box, and you might need a dealer to pull that out. But you should pull it out because it pulls all the pollen, pollution and nastiness out of the inside of your car to make it okay for you to breathe, and if it's plugged up it's not good for you. You should get that checked out. Air filter, same thing for your vehicle. Typically check your owner's manual to find out when that should be changed. It is a good investment to keep it clean, keeps your vehicle, you know, get good gas mileage and economy.

Speaker 2: 40:28

And while we're on that subject, coming back to tires for a minute, you go to any garage garage probably have them check the pressure in your tires again. According to your owner's manual, could be anywhere from 32 to 36 pounds per square inch. If they're over inflated or under inflated it could cost you fuel economy or safety issues. Something else five years or 100 miles if you have not had the struts which is part of your suspension system, shocks and struts. Most vehicles now are struts. They're good to, usually five years, 100,000 miles need to get them checked. If those get worn out, your ability to control the vehicle is in fact compromised. Get it checked out. Any good shop, muffler and tire shop could check them out for you. Give you a price on those. Those are things that you don't usually do Windshield wipers, the windshield itself.

Speaker 2: 41:23

We talked a little bit about steering. You should get an alignment, four-wheel alignment Probably. They say every six months. I'm saying every two years and anytime you get new tires or anytime you replace Struts and shocks, you definitely need alignment that keeps the car safe, that keeps you under control, and that's you need to do that. It's all these common sense stuff that you should do, at the very least. If you're not sure, check your owner's manual. It will give you a guideline if you're not experienced. We've come to the end of our visit. Be sure to join me here again next time.

Speaker 1: 42:01

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Speaker 2: 42:24

For those of you that listen to podcasts, we have just the one for you. Hi, I'm Ken Chester. Tech Mobility Topics is a podcast where I upload topic-specific videos each week, shorter than a full show. These bite-sized programs are just the thing, particularly if you're interested in a particular topic covered on the weekly radio show. From Apple Podcasts to iHeartRadio and many podcast platforms in between, we got you covered. Just enter Tech Mobility Topics in the search bar. Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media, it's the place to be where, no exception Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. Several times a week, I post to TikTok several of the topics that I cover on my weekly radio show. It's another way to keep up on mobility technology news and information. I've built quite a library of short videos for your viewing pleasure, so be sure to watch, like and subscribe. That's the Tech Mobility Show on TikTok. Check it out. To learn more about the Tech Mobility Show, start by visiting our website. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. The website is a treasure trove of information about me and the show, as well as where to find it on the radio across the country. Keep up with the happenings at the Tech Mobility Show by visiting techmobilityshow. That's techmobilityshow. You can also drop us a line at talk at techmobilityshow.

Speaker 2: 43:51

Do you listen to podcasts? Seems that most people do. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. If you missed any of our weekly episodes on the radio, our podcast is a great way to listen. You can find the Tech Mobility Podcast just about anywhere. You can enjoy podcasts. Be sure to follow us from Apple Podcasts, iheart Radio and many platforms in between. We are there. Just enter the Tech Mobility Podcast in the search bar wherever you listen to podcasts.