There’s literally no worse feeling you can have once you’ve walked through the door of an automotive repair shop than to hear the word “new” before the words “engine” or “transmission.” That’s because suddenly you’re in the world where multiple thousands of dollars are going to be leaving your bank account very quickly. Or your credit card balance is about to blow up like a birthday balloon.
Those are serious, and seriously expensive, diagnoses. It’s usually pretty difficult to argue with since both are major components of any working automobile.
But let’s give a round of applause and a slap on the back to radio host John Clay Wolfe. He offers a ray of hope that you can get your car back in running shape for at most $300.
Rule out a dead battery vs. new transmission
In a recent clip on TikTok that’s been viewed more than 50,000 times, Wolfe peaks in close. He tells us why some dead cells in an old battery could be the real problem.
“I said, before you do that, before you spend $4,000 on new transmission, go down to the auto parts store, swap your battery out. When you have dead cells in your car battery, it makes the electric components act weird,” Wolfe said.
“All of these mechanicals are tied together with electric components now, and they run on specialized voltage level. If you have a dead cell in your car battery, then it changes the voltage level need a new motor or you need a new transmission. They might not be lying to you. They don’t know either. But I’m telling you, go $100 on a new battery before you go spend $10,000 or $5,000 on a new motor or a new transmission.”
The “Pro Tip Of The Day” clip seems to be something of a rarity for Wolfe. The bulk of his TikTok library focuses on talking shop with his listeners about the potential resale value of whatever make and model of a vehicle they’re currently driving. It’s not exactly insulting to watch, but it does make radio listeners of a certain age yearn for the good ol’ days of Car Talk, with the on-air personalities Click and Clack, dispensing car advice on NPR affiliates across the country.
Still, Wolfe will wind up saving fans money with that one tip, and for that he gets some credit.
Comments on the clip were mostly grateful to Wolfe. One shared having the exact experience happen recently.
“This happened last weekend to us. First A/C wouldn’t cool, then tach quit working then windows wouldn’t go back up. Dead cell in battery,” they wrote.
@johnclaywolfeshow_ Here’s a Pro Tip: Change your Battery! 🔋🚗 Whenever you experience mechanical or transmission problems, before you spend all of your money, try changing your battery first. You can thank me later! 😉 #cartalk #carculture #carproblems #cartips ♬ original sound – The John Clay Wolfe Show
And there’s this one, too: “Great advice, happen to me on a 14” Jeep Cherokee, just needed a battery.”
Another advised that a bad battery could be why the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree. “Do you have a series of check engine lights things flashing on your dash typically it’s the battery been doing this so long time,” they note.
The Daily Dot reached out to Wolfe via direct message.
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