If you are removing spark plug wires without unplugging the coil make sure to ground it or you could damage the coil or pcm! Thanks for these throwback quality videos! its 2006 automotive class all over again! Great work
Thanks 12VGS and Spelunkard. Yes I do appreciate the constructive comments on video quality- I found that keeping the aspect ratio as it is the quality is less pixelated. My camera is pretty weak and it's made far worse by the fact I have poor lighting. I'll try to improve the resolution in future videos!
At about 13:00 going forward you're talking about compression testing and setting up to do a field test. Yes, thank you for the reminder. That's exactly how my blown head gasket sounded like. It'd been so long since I heard one that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to pick it out in the future. Well, I say exactly, but since I lost compression on more than one cylinder it was actually worse. That sound can be mistaken for needing a tune up....disable the ignition to remove that variable for the sound, perfect! A bad exhaust manifold can also sound like needing tune up, but there is a difference in that sound too. It's more like the air is being slapped versus the timing not seeming right from either timing or spark plugs, ect.
Yeah Matt, it is just another variable to think about but remember, it is NOT that common. I can remember the conversation between an instructor and I about this very thing back when I was in tech school. Such a simple thing could be overlooked. You just have to arm yourself with knowledge.
On checking the fluids... when checking the coolant, pay attention for stop-leak! I had a friend take me some years ago to look at a 3800 Camaro for his wife. I felt horrible because I completely missed stop leak mud in the radiator, and being a 3800, it had the dreaded intake manifold leak. Also, it could be indication of head gasket problems, obviously.
Matt, I would like to point something out. Keep in mind, with age, old sparkplugs fail. What I mean by that is the porcelain can crack near the spark tower on the SP, resulting in an actual compression leak. High compression engines with 'el cheapo' spark plugs are more prone to this but it does happen. Compression can actually blow out the spark plug and cause a compression leak internal to the spark plug. I have seen this(rarely) while working in the field. I just thought you should be aware of this. Thru my observations(watching your videos) it seems like you enjoy engine performance faults, and the above information seems appropriate for you to know. Junk Yard parts....don't even get me started, lol. Awesome video series my friend and yes, I watched all of them.
Wow thats a good one, never heard of that but I see what you're saying! Yes that would indeed cause a potential false concern on the cranking compression test.
An easy way to fix the lighting may be to change the lights (I am assuming that you have fluorescent tubes like most home garages) to a light with a higher colour temperature, and maybe even go to LEDs
Thanks am gonna check ur video n do it myself I recently change the oil ,the distributer spark plugs/wires I mean it runs pretty good ur videos really help me out thanks a lot n wel see if its just the lightbulb I hope it is thanks...
Here's another one that I hadnt given much thought... Many times the manufacturer will specify which sparkplug to use somewhere on the data tags inside the hood (usually around the radiator). If you can remove one plug, check that it is the right plug. Yes you might be assuming the rest are the same. I was doing a check for a friend of mine on a car he was going to buy. The previous owner purposefully (can you say idiot) put the WRONG plugs in the car. It required those funky double pole plugs. He even had a set of new correct plugs in the trunk! Needless to say, the car ran a whole lot better after we installed the correct plugs
True- my reasoning for seeing if any key starts the car however is to make sure it wasn't stolen. Boy do I have a story about that I will have to tell sometime.
Hello Matt, I have changed recently (not me personally, a service shop) my crank case breather filter because when I opened the oil filler cap, there was pressure air comming out. With the new filter besides the pressure, now I also have a pretty dense white mist puffing . What can be wrong? My car is a 2006 bmw 120D. Please give me your opinion, it relly counts for me.
I always advise against that because with the drive you are changing the BASELINE of your initial variable set you are examining. Always start with your baseline of variables and have that established before you drive the car. This way you identify issue that will not show up on the test drive!!! Test driving the vehicle first is the most common mistake, actually.
fair enough if you are only inspecting vehicles every now and then, great videos for those who need a process and you have done a great job explaining as you go, I have my own process and mind set, test driving a vehicle gives ample information if the mind is in tune pin pointing to any abnormal noises, knocks, suspension operations, transmission shudder/vibration or clutch slip/shudder, bearing/differential noise etc, I prefer only lifting the vehicle once not twice, I have my reasons test driving prior to inspecting but I do, 3-5 vehicle inspections per day.. ua-cam.com/users/Incarmobilefeatured?disable_polymer=1
Q: What if it's a Used Car dealership that's selling the car, and you ask about the timing belt, then they say that they replaced it when they got the car in... is this something to be concerned about ? What's the chances they could make up a receipt? You couldn't really call them to confirm, unlike if another mechanic changed the belt, you could probably call them to confirm, they might have a history in their database of changing it...
It's all about written contract. Every contract needs to have 3 components- an offer, and acceptance, and consideration. In other words "One of the conditions for me buying this car from you is you are guaranteeing it has had the timing belt replaced at "X" miles." If your offer is accepted and you pay the consideration and then find the timing wasn't changed as guaranteed, the contract has been violated and you can take legal action varying from getting the timing belt changed up to even returning the car, Good luck getting a used car seller to agree to such a thing though.
what about the age of timing belt, I mean it might still be good on mileage, but if the car has been sitting for years doesn't the belt get hard itself which makes it easier to break?
E38ish I believe I mention this in another part but absolutely- that's critical. However my policy is to always recommend timing belt change at recommended interval regardless of how new or old belt looks. Anyone can just put a sticker saying when it was changed and even if a new belt was installed, were all the timing components and tensioner new as well?
Yes it's called a leakdown test. I have several videos on this. Basically you put compressed air into the cylinder at TDC compression and listen for the air exiting.
thanks for all the tips I GOT fucked on the first car i bought and the truck i got after(lucky i dumped it on someone else had electrical issues and brake issues) I only got from 128,900 to 172,500 on the lemon car i boughtI spend my whole savings on it at the time back in 2013 4500$ and i dump another 4k in repairs $8500 I got screwed badly right no i;m saving for another car i got about 4200 so far trying to save 9k to 10k... I have more in my savings about $13,000 (plus the 4200)n but i'm really scared i might get screwed again
Muniz Jimmy Jimmy.- No kidding thats a very serious concern. If you have low oil/drop in oil pressure you will have no way of knowing and could destroy the engine. I would have the bulb replaced right away- it should come on with KOEO (Key On Engine Off) as a bulb check. If it doesnt you most likely have a bulb failure. You might look up my "replace dashboard light bulb" video if you plan to do this yourself. If this is a used car you are considering buying I wouldn't even consider buying it unless I did a manual oil pressure test first.
The world needs more people like you!
The way you've gone through the pathologic examples is very interesting and really helpful.
If you are removing spark plug wires without unplugging the coil make sure to ground it or you could damage the coil or pcm!
Thanks for these throwback quality videos! its 2006 automotive class all over again! Great work
Good point. at 40Kv it’s going to find a ground one way or another!!!! I should have mentioned that.
Thanks 12VGS and Spelunkard. Yes I do appreciate the constructive comments on video quality- I found that keeping the aspect ratio as it is the quality is less pixelated. My camera is pretty weak and it's made far worse by the fact I have poor lighting. I'll try to improve the resolution in future videos!
At about 13:00 going forward you're talking about compression testing and setting up to do a field test. Yes, thank you for the reminder. That's exactly how my blown head gasket sounded like. It'd been so long since I heard one that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to pick it out in the future. Well, I say exactly, but since I lost compression on more than one cylinder it was actually worse.
That sound can be mistaken for needing a tune up....disable the ignition to remove that variable for the sound, perfect!
A bad exhaust manifold can also sound like needing tune up, but there is a difference in that sound too. It's more like the air is being slapped versus the timing not seeming right from either timing or spark plugs, ect.
Yeah Matt, it is just another variable to think about but remember, it is NOT that common. I can remember the conversation between an instructor and I about this very thing back when I was in tech school. Such a simple thing could be overlooked. You just have to arm yourself with knowledge.
I wish I wouldve seen this vid 4 years ago. I got an amazing deal on a car that had the check engine light bulb removed.
On checking the fluids... when checking the coolant, pay attention for stop-leak! I had a friend take me some years ago to look at a 3800 Camaro for his wife. I felt horrible because I completely missed stop leak mud in the radiator, and being a 3800, it had the dreaded intake manifold leak. Also, it could be indication of head gasket problems, obviously.
excellent information and excellent explanation of the rationale behind everything! I would like to suggest fixing the aspect ratio though!
I liked the Choo Choo train blow-by!
Matt, I would like to point something out. Keep in mind, with age, old sparkplugs fail. What I mean by that is the porcelain can crack near the spark tower on the SP, resulting in an actual compression leak. High compression engines with 'el cheapo' spark plugs are more prone to this but it does happen. Compression can actually blow out the spark plug and cause a compression leak internal to the spark plug. I have seen this(rarely) while working in the field. I just thought you should be aware of this. Thru my observations(watching your videos) it seems like you enjoy engine performance faults, and the above information seems appropriate for you to know. Junk Yard parts....don't even get me started, lol. Awesome video series my friend and yes, I watched all of them.
Wow thats a good one, never heard of that but I see what you're saying! Yes that would indeed cause a potential false concern on the cranking compression test.
Nice video-thanks!!
An easy way to fix the lighting may be to change the lights (I am assuming that you have fluorescent tubes like most home garages) to a light with a higher colour temperature, and maybe even go to LEDs
Thanks am gonna check ur video n do it myself I recently change the oil ,the distributer spark plugs/wires I mean it runs pretty good ur videos really help me out thanks a lot n wel see if its just the lightbulb I hope it is thanks...
Here's another one that I hadnt given much thought... Many times the manufacturer will specify which sparkplug to use somewhere on the data tags inside the hood (usually around the radiator). If you can remove one plug, check that it is the right plug. Yes you might be assuming the rest are the same. I was doing a check for a friend of mine on a car he was going to buy. The previous owner purposefully (can you say idiot) put the WRONG plugs in the car. It required those funky double pole plugs. He even had a set of new correct plugs in the trunk! Needless to say, the car ran a whole lot better after we installed the correct plugs
valuable vid...
lol use the dime toward the purchase of the car...nice
Those brass wafers in the ignition lock could wear naturally. Meaning other keys just might start it.
True- my reasoning for seeing if any key starts the car however is to make sure it wasn't stolen. Boy do I have a story about that I will have to tell sometime.
7:15, good one!
great video brother
Hello Matt,
I have changed recently (not me personally, a service shop) my crank case breather filter because when I opened the oil filler cap, there was pressure air comming out. With the new filter besides the pressure, now I also have a pretty dense white mist puffing . What can be wrong? My car is a 2006 bmw 120D. Please give me your opinion, it relly counts for me.
first thing to do is test drive the vehicle, that should be the first part of the inspection. after that you will know to continue or walk away
I always advise against that because with the drive you are changing the BASELINE of your initial variable set you are examining. Always start with your baseline of variables and have that established before you drive the car. This way you identify issue that will not show up on the test drive!!!
Test driving the vehicle first is the most common mistake, actually.
fair enough if you are only inspecting vehicles every now and then, great videos for those who need a process and you have done a great job explaining as you go, I have my own process and mind set, test driving a vehicle gives ample information if the mind is in tune pin pointing to any abnormal noises, knocks, suspension operations, transmission shudder/vibration or clutch slip/shudder, bearing/differential noise etc, I prefer only lifting the vehicle once not twice, I have my reasons test driving prior to inspecting but I do, 3-5 vehicle inspections per day.. ua-cam.com/users/Incarmobilefeatured?disable_polymer=1
Q: What if it's a Used Car dealership that's selling the car, and you ask about the timing belt, then they say that they replaced it when they got the car in... is this something to be concerned about ?
What's the chances they could make up a receipt? You couldn't really call them to confirm, unlike if another mechanic changed the belt, you could probably call them to confirm, they might have a history in their database of changing it...
It's all about written contract. Every contract needs to have 3 components- an offer, and acceptance, and consideration. In other words "One of the conditions for me buying this car from you is you are guaranteeing it has had the timing belt replaced at "X" miles." If your offer is accepted and you pay the consideration and then find the timing wasn't changed as guaranteed, the contract has been violated and you can take legal action varying from getting the timing belt changed up to even returning the car,
Good luck getting a used car seller to agree to such a thing though.
I also take into consideration whether it's an interference engine...
P
what about the age of timing belt, I mean it might still be good on mileage, but if the car has been sitting for years doesn't the belt get hard itself which makes it easier to break?
E38ish I believe I mention this in another part but absolutely- that's critical. However my policy is to always recommend timing belt change at recommended interval regardless of how new or old belt looks. Anyone can just put a sticker saying when it was changed and even if a new belt was installed, were all the timing components and tensioner new as well?
Q: When a car has low compression, is there a way to tell whether the compression is escaping via the spark plug, rings, or other ?
Yes it's called a leakdown test. I have several videos on this. Basically you put compressed air into the cylinder at TDC compression and listen for the air exiting.
thanks for all the tips I GOT fucked on the first car i bought and the truck i got after(lucky i dumped it on someone else had electrical issues and brake issues)
I only got from 128,900 to 172,500 on the lemon car i boughtI spend my whole savings on it at the time back in 2013 4500$ and i dump another 4k in repairs $8500 I got screwed badly
right no i;m saving for another car i got about 4200 so far trying to save 9k to 10k... I have more in my savings about $13,000 (plus the 4200)n but i'm really scared i might get screwed again
All my lights on my Chevy blazer turn on except the oil light what does that mean n what can I do or should do???? Thanks
Muniz Jimmy Jimmy.- No kidding thats a very serious concern. If you have low oil/drop in oil pressure you will have no way of knowing and could destroy the engine. I would have the bulb replaced right away- it should come on with KOEO (Key On Engine Off) as a bulb check. If it doesnt you most likely have a bulb failure. You might look up my "replace dashboard light bulb" video if you plan to do this yourself. If this is a used car you are considering buying I wouldn't even consider buying it unless I did a manual oil pressure test first.
7:20 mechanic stealing a dime. should go to jail for that. lol
+Nick Hahaha, never saw it that way but good point! At least I'm less of a thief than most mechanics lol!
8:18 hahaha