I bet it was that EGR valve since the monitor was not set. Great video Eric! Intermittent can be tough to deal with, but I think you have to at least look at them. I leave it up to the customer, if they want to pay for me to look at it and drive it around all day, maybe we can find something. Most are okay with an hour. I like your approach of cleaning as many potiential problem areas related to the symptom in an hour and shipping it.
When I worked at the Chrysler dealer we had a data recorder. When the vehicle acted up the customer had a button to push. I fixed several intermittent problems that way. One that comes to mind was a vehicle that would seem to miss or buck at highway speed. It took some looking on the data recording but finally by advancing it frame by frame and looking at the values I discovered the vehicle speed sensor was glitching to 150MPH for one frame. So the computer thought the vehicle was over speeding and shutting the fuel off for like a second.
@@chrisclark6044 It was a device called a Co Pilot that came with the diagnostic system Chrysler had at the time, this was the mid 1990s. It plugged into the diagnostic connector and had a button that clipped on the sun visor. I have no idea if it would still work with newer cars. However some of the diagnostic equipment have a data recorder function that does the same thing. I doubt that you would want to sent your scan tool with a customer for however long it took for the vehicle to act up.
Shop I went to charged me for diagnostics, changed all the plugs and coils and charged me over $900. I drove out of their shop and had the same problem (misfires) 2 miles down the road. I ended up buying a few tools, watched your videos and Scanner Danner videos. I purchased an Alldata subscription and found low fuel pressure. My neighbor changed my fuel pump for me and now my car runs great! Some shops are not repair shops, they are parts changers and have no clue about diagnostics. The people in your area are lucky to have someone like you that really is a diagnostic technician. Thank you for your videos and being an honest repair shop.
So true, SMA is not a parts changer, neither is scanner Danner or Ivan w/ PHAD. These shops are following the correct procedures to fix what is causing the problem so they do not have come backs and having to work for free the second time or third. There is a process to do this, it takes skill, equipment, knowlege and some research to find the failure points. Sometimes all it turns out to be is a corroded electrical connection or a bad solder joint...no parts needed at all, just a fix to something that was manufactured with flaws or a poor design that needs corrected.
I think you handled it the best way you can by doing some basic checks, and maintenance. The important thing is that you let the customer in on the plan, so they know what to expect, and if they have the trouble again, they know that you have already eliminated the some simple items.
"people buy products because they see a sticker on a race car." I worked for some professional teams in a nationally known series. First: STP for the older viewers. Second: One team was getting a significant amount of money for prominently running the logo of a major oil company. We had a handful of their empty quart bottles in the transporter in case we needed to add oil in public view. Those bottles were filled with another oil that made a noticeable increase on the dyno. The sponsorship agreements never required actual usage, just logo display.
I love watching the logical methods you use. I wish I could be as detail oriented as you but it is enjoyable to watch you work. Common sense is in big supply on this channel.
@@Beretta96Dan I'm an honest electrician though! My father is an honest retired mechanic, so I saw how he built his client base throughout his career and he taught me to treat every customer as if they were family. If this was my mother or father or uncle or aunt etc, how would I fix their problem. And I get repeat customers because of it.
Would hate for the intermittent problem to happen in the wrong envoironment such as high risk zones like RxR crossings, intersections, steep grades and so on. It depends on what it is.
@@YaksAttack Maybe your wife works, too. When it's time to pay all the bills, get groceries, try to go out and eat sometime, etc...You can't treat everyone like family!
Regardless of outcome, you certainly didn't hurt anything by cleaning the throttle body. Keep up the great diagnosis and I thoroughly enjoy your videos. I'm pretty much only viewing your and Watch Wes work videos, I always come away feeling like I learned something and thoroughly enjoy. All the best.
I've been using power foam for about 20 years and it is the best product I've found. I also worked at a NAPA jobber for 20 years, and out of all the products I've seen over time power foam works the best. I also do a brake clean douche too for a rinse. I feel you used the product correctly so I hope your viewers find this helpful.
"Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't" , gotta love it. My wife has a Subaru. Your customer does his own oil changes because you don't have to lift them up to do it. Very easy. Well done, you have to eliminate what it isn't in order to find out what it is.
Being a Subaru specialist for 5 years, the only two outcomes I can relate to this type of concern is: Dirty throttle plate with Subaru having such a picky throttle relearn process (new battery? recently jumped? just cleared DTC's? anything to reset or clear memory from the car.) Or the old outback's had a ton of torque converter issues, but mainly it would present with hard to moderate braking = engine stalling but some customers misunderstood and said it would run rough and stall out which is correct, a DTC will be set for Engine Stall History and will reset some adaptives causing a rough idle. Been watching for years, hopefully this makes sense! *after watching the entire video, I am confident that in what you did with cleaning the throttle body and reconnecting the battery and letting it idle, the customer will not return with the issue they came in with
Sounds like a solid plan and basic things you started with. Definitely keep the EGR in mind since the monitor wasn’t run. Should have given it a CAT scan since Luna was there and you found mouse turds. 😂😂
I think I would check for TSBs and also Identifix and or Suretrack first, to see if others have experienced the same problem. Depending on what, if anything, was found, I would use the information to direct further diagnosis. Next a visual inspection and check the related fluids, oil, coolant. Aside from that, what you have done makes perfect sense to me.
As soon as you said new battery, I knew exactly what customer was talking about. Those subaru take a full month to relearn everything. The rpm goes way down and stays that way for a month of consistent driving, there's a bad hesitation when you step on the gas, and stalling and just poor driving. I hated changing my battery.
Ever since computer cars came out, I've used a small motorcycle battery with a cig lighter plug wired to it. Install it before changing battery then remove it after you connect the battery, and you won't disturbe the ecm. no relearn
They learn a lot quicker with a clean throttle body. When the memory is cleared it does a throttle body reset. So when throttle closes and hits a ridge then you end up with a low idle and stalling
There’s a relearn process you can do. UA-cam has it. Something like letting it idle for 10 min, then turn off, the letting it idle for 15 min. I forgot exactly but that’s helped me when it does the stumbling after a battery change
My mama always said intermittent's are like irritable bowel syndrome, you never know when it's gonna.... Well you get the point. Good vid. Thanks Mr. O.
One thing I can say since first watching you a long time ago is that your content has been on point, and you haven't changed a thing! Other channels have started well but went down fast as they forgot what got them there. Thanks!
Don't forget that the AR-15 can shoot 5000 rounds in half a second and the barrel shroud (shoulder thing that goes up), makes it the most powerful pistol shotgun in the world. 🤣
I had a 2001 Toyota Corolla with a stubborn evap code that the mechanic actually gave up on. He kept my car for almost 2 months, charged me over a grand, and fixed nothing. I gave up on it, couldn't get it inspected even though we changed every single part of the evap system, smoked it several times, it kept throwing the code, and the registration expired... On a car that ran PERFECTLY and got 36 MPG. A year later, my Mom's Ford F-150 decided to DIE in the middle of her driveway, and she had no ride to work. I gave her one of my VW New Beetles, (I have 2) and we mailed the title to the Totota Florida, to my brother, who transferred the tag from her truck to the Toyota, when THAT came through, I gave her the Toyota, she drove it to work for 2 years in NY with the Fl. tag, then drove it, loaded heavy, to Fl, and stayed there. Then she drove it 3 more years, 65 miles each way to work. It won't start now. She parked it to drive her Honda Accord to work, and was switching them out each week. I believe the CPS went, then it sat and got rat chewed, as Toyotas are known for. When it finally stopped running, it had over 400,000 miles on it. When I gave it to her, it had 285,000 miles on it. NY and our STUPID rules cost me more than one good car. Not anymore. If it going to cost more that a grand to fix a STUPID CEL that doesn't effect it running condition, I register it in Florida. Screw NY. I'm done playing their expensive games.
Aside from sharing your vast knowledge, your positive attitude while working these problems is simply amazing. Any videos I made would have to be muted, but I'm working on it, with you as my inspiration.
It's a good thing you video tape all your customers car repairs, so atleast you have proof you ran thru the car from top to bottom, some customers are kinda con artist to say something else is wrong and you did something to it kinda deal
Thanks! Once again, my favorite professional auto mechanic and diagnostic genius shows us how it gets done. And, to be a simp for AMSOIL products, they’ve never let me down. Use AMSOIL in all my vehicles and lawn equipment. So, good choice, Mr. O! FINALLY a SMA video my wife didn’t spoil. Take care and HOWDY to the family from Texas!
Back when I had to this I found being honest as you are here in the video's is the best way but also had to put the plan in the discretion on the recipe so that both the customer and shop could remember days, weeks, months down the road.. Fortunately in today's day and age I also like using the power of the internet and see if it's a common problem I just haven't seen yet. Thanks for sharing all this valuable info
Please share a follow-up on this especially if the problem persists. I know you shared what your process will be... it would still be interesting & provide a little closure.
For almost a year my car keeps sending a "Low Evap" . After 20 or 30 miles it clears itself. Bought myself a cheap code reader and sure enough. It tells me to replace the gas tank cap. I had already done that. THANKS!! ;) The Mechanic I do have is just like Eric! God Bless him!! Down to Earth and very honest! My advice to everyone here is...IF you find a good mechanic? Keep him! They are worth more than Gold!
This seems like a pretty reasonable one to take on, especially when you can knock out a few potential issues in an hour’s work and have a good plan for eliminating other possible problems if this doesn’t fix it.
your assumptions are correct and you did tackle the right equipment that causes these symptoms. however sometimes the catalytic converter is blocked (fully or partially) which can cause the car to stall. or any blockage on the exhaust pipe can give such symptoms.
The plan was discussed with the customer and they agreed you should try this. Excellent 100K service on the Outback air intake system. Hoping for an update. As an industrial maintenance mechanic - "There is something wrong with the machine." I would arrive at the machine in question. "How long is it going to take to fix it?" Well, I need to find out what is wrong then I can tell you. A certain customer was usually not happy with that answer.
DEAR SIR; THE BEST APPROACHED UNDER THE SUN; REQUIRED INTERVAL SERVICES, KEEP UP BASED ON MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE WITH EXCELLENT DOCUMENTATATIN FOR THE FACTS ON THE WORK ORDER. ERIC YOU ARE ON THE TOP OF YOUR WORK. PERIOD. THANKS.
Intermittent stalling, ha! This video reminds me of the "good old days" when cars were carbureted, vacuum was king, the hood was opened at least once a week and everything ran like crap all the time! Today our expectations are too high, what do you mean it stalls occasionally? Suck it up, drive around it, be creative! :). Thanks for all the great content Eric O! Love your channel!
I really like your videos. I'm not a mechanic, but I try to do my own repairs . However, I know my limitations and will take it to a shop if I know I can't handle the repair. I've learned so much from you and want to thank you for all the videos. By the way, really miss your opening line " Hey There Viewers Welcome To The South Main Auto Channel" my eight year old daughter loves that.
When my 99 frontier 3.3 hit about 60,000 miles, it would fall on its face after warmer up at a red light, or stop sign. Finally figured out that the butterfly value on the throttle body was getting built up with dirt and carbon. Clean it out, and I was good for about another 6 to 7 months. Then I would have to do it again, and it didn't matter what type of air filter I used. So I made it a habit that every time I did my oil change, I would clean the throttle body, and never had a problem with it again.
That pesky pcv system coking up your intake. Lol oil was being sucked up in to your engine intake and collecting on the butterfly valve. Probably had excessive blowby other than a bottom end rebuild an oil catch can would have helped. Can make a cheap one plenty of instructions on the interwebs
Love your videos your just a genuine all around good guy and making your customers happy is always your goal ! You could just sweep the shop floor in a video and still have thousands of views it’s you and your personality that makes us watch keep up the great work !
I appreciate getting a chance to hear yr thoughts on how your shop handles intermittent problems. As a industrial electrician I try to resist using the parts cannon. But sometimes the boss wants something done. Bonus!!! Luna!!
Stalls after battery replacement. No codes no skip. Disconnect battery for a minute. Reconnect. Turn ignition on engine off for ten seconds before starting. This resets minimum air rate. If it still stalls, replace air fuel ratio sensor and oxygen sensor. Both sensors!!!!! It will stop stalling and eating cats.
Great video Eric O. as always.The best thing here is you let your customer know what was going on unlike a lot of shops.This is why I watch your channel because you put your customers first and your honest.
Another great video! The customer got what he paid for. Everything was needed and if that doesn’t fix the issue you can check that off the list. Good job.
Great video, truly the best mechanic on UA-cam. When Mr. O retires and no longer fixes cars, I can see him being like Kilmer and reviewing cars, reminiscing about past repair success stories and doing “bonus questions and answers”.
Or maybe he can take a trip south to Florida and help out Rainman Ray in his new shop, where they don’t see too many rust belt cars! Ring the bell. Mash the “subscribe” button, and leave a comment below. 😌
Sometimes taking the opportunity to give things a clean and a tickle can prevent/reduce problems becoming permanent. Preventative maintenance my mentor used to drum into me. Tip top job
Over my career as a mechanic, it has always been customer concern dependent. The concern in this video, I definitely would have looked at the throttle body first, as the old GM 3800's come to mind for their hot start/stumble issue. Other issues I just try to get as much info up front as I can, for example maybe a window motor or lock actuator acting up, is it weather dependent, doesn't work when rains etc. I always was upfront with folks about pricing, and never skipped the visual on anything. My career has actually taken me down a bit different path the last couple of years now that I am mobile and go to collision shops to do ADAS calibrations, but I still am the go to tech for our company for diagnostics. Just usually now it has more to do with crushed wiring, connectors, modules, green crusties etc. Keep up the great content, Dr. O! Just curious if you received the package I sent a few months ago?
We charge them the one hour reduced rate diag charge and explain to them we are unable to determine an issue at this time due to the issue not being present currently.
This was a very information-filled video. Good job. The one reason I watch your videos is when a customer brings a car into your shop. You do not nickel and dime the customer. I.E. the air filter.
We will ask the customer if we can drive the car for a few days on our own time. Drive it home. Drive it over the weekend. We usually have the guy that lives the furthest distance from the shop. And we also will do the unplug method like you said. And have customers drive with engine light on.
When my grandparents 98 Ram was acting up we were pretty sure it was the transmission. I took it to some guys that specialize in Ram transmissions. They told me the couldn't get it to act up. I filled the tank and told them to drive it back and forth to work and for lunch. They had a scope hooked up to record when it finally did it four days later. The torque convertor lockup would slip sometimes. Some of them are just that hard to find.
That is the only thing one can do just as you did with no trouble codes and everything working those intermittent are a complete challenge good job on your part.
When Eric started the car @24:52, you could tell from the sound, the big 2.5 was making 15 more bhp (although I think Eric's estimate regarding contributing factors was off; I estimate +5 hp from using the Power Foam on then EGR valve, +8 hp from using the Power Foam on the throttle body, and +2 hp from cleaning the mouse nest out of the air box)...🤣
I had a stalling problem with a '65 Mustang - after starting it cold, driving about 10 mins, parking for 20-30, it would stall on startup. More precisely, driving from home to the ice cream store, and having an ice cream, and then it would stall when we started it up to leave. I couldn't figure it out. Mechanic said he couldn't reproduce it. He was located the same distance away, so I suggested he leave it cool overnight, and tomorrow, at the end of the day, drive it to the ice cream store and have an ice cream on me. He reproduced it and figured it out. 😎
@@danielmonsanto8286 Right. I thought the ice cream store was just a coincidence, just exactly the right distance where a 20-minute cool-down would recreate the problem, but no - it was the ice cream itself. Or lack thereof. I started shoving a strawberry sundae down the throat of the carburetor, problem solved! 😂
In my little, EXTREMELY non professional, drinking a few beers in my spare time shop, I handle many things by saying "I'll give it a shot but, no guarantees. Anything newer than OBD I is out of my comfort zone and, I actually prefer carburetors and distributors! Like me though, those vehicles are few and far between these days. Modern vehicles have WAY too many pretty colored wires for me to attempt a lot of repairs. That's OK though since I'm not trying to make a living at it. I do enjoy watching your videos and, I do learn from them.
I had a similar issue with my 2014 Impreza. It would sometimes do a weird idle and stall and did it quite often. First and foremost I NEVER use Fram filters. I use OEM or Wix. The issue was caused by the Variable Valve Timing Control system. When an engine oil gets low, dirty or sits, it can plug up the oil valve. This is a common problem with this system. I did an engine oil flush, replaced the filter and oil and it ran like new and the problem never came back.
Just FYI if you were using an OEM Subie filter on anything besides the 3.6R engine, it was MADE BY FRAM. (AFAIK only Subaru of America did this; Subaru of Canada and Subaru of Japan still used the fantastic Tokyo Roki filters, which Subaru of America still used on the 3.6R 6 cylinder engines.)
When it comes to intermittents, I generally just wait until the problem gets worse (read: more consistent) so it becomes easier to diagnose. Faults like these make it very tempting to start firing the parts cannon. On another note, I had a very similar problem with my old Mitsubishi Galant. It turned out to be a bad mass airflow sensor. The car never threw codes.
Started in the second source parts business 11 years ago.. My personal experience has brought me to purchase OEM parts for certain regular maintenance. Break pads OEM last longer, starters the same. Spark plugs and O2 sensors as well.
If it started acting up after the new battery install I would definitely suspect the dirty throttle body, but they seem to run consistently bad. The intermittent condition is confusing. Will be curious how it works out for the owner.
I had an issue like that on a early 70s Toyota. It would run fine then the engine would die. After pulling over to the side of the road it would start back and run smooth as can be. Turns out that when a fuel additive was dumped in one time the cardboard liner in the cap stuck to the bottle and ended up on the bottom of the tank. It floated around on the bottom til it got sucked onto the fuel outlet. Once the suction was gone the disc floated away til the next time it got close to the outlet.
@@phillipfritz7014 We had eliminated everything in the fuel system so we dropped the tank to see if there was a blockage. This was an early 70s car, long before EFI on board computers and electric fuel pumps so there wasn't much in the fuel delivery system other than a pump, tank and fuel line.
The difference between me and Eric is that 5% of his automotive work is “probably a waste of time”, whereas 95% of my work is probably a waste of time :)
I love your thought process, honesty, integrity and just your damn good knowledge and attitude. If every business approached the consumer and their problems as you do. We would have the absolute most efficient, logic based system in the world! Oops forgot many businesses are run by money grubbing yahoos. Great video as always. Keep them coming. Thank you
You did the right steps for this fella. However, when cleaning any throttle body, when you open the throttle plate, gently release it back to the close position. Don't let it snap back. Both the throttle body, and the egr valve needed cleaning, so no time of money wasted there, plus the air filter does need to be changed sooner. Don't forget the cabin air filter too. Good work Eric. I wish I had a shop near me with a competent, and thorough mechanic like you. The dealer probably won't see my car for service, except for recalls, and warranty work.
Good vid man , I would have done the same things ! Throttle body was nasty so you may have gotten a good result from the foam ! Keep em coming folks I'll keep liking !
We just drive the heck out of them to try and get problem to show. We chase all our own parts so just use customers vehicle as a shop truck for a few days. If the problem doesn't show in that period ship it and tell them to try and come back while its acting up
My 2008 does this randomly at idle and I ordered a used throttle body for $40 and I'm going to give it a try. I've taught the current throttle body to idle 5 times. No effect. I think the vent for the fuel tank is clogged and it might be part of it. I haven't go that far. It's getting worse though. Once it warms up, now it will mostly stutter and sometimes stall at idle. I've cleaned the throttle body over and over. The wires are very tight for the drive by wire where it plugs in the throttle body. I hate stuff like this. There are no codes. I checked for vaccum leaks no vaccum leaks. I pulled the EGR valve and it looks great. I've changed the MAF sensor after cleaning the MAF sensor. If clearing the vent and pressure sensor and throttle body doesn't work, I'll try unplugging the EGR valve.
Hey Mr O, just a backyard micananiac but I do have a Subie. Great product on the throttle body. 1 st thought: pcv valve or cracked hose to pcv. 2nd thought: Subaru uses soy based wire coatings. With those mice I wonder if they are dining on his wiring? 3rd thought: spark tube seals leaking oil into tube and sitting at the base of the plug. Boxer engine is prone to it. Spark then shorts from the boot to to oil/block. Good luck and keep us posted. Have a good evening 👍
Friends don't let friends use Fram! Intermittent problems are tough to deal with. Unless it happens to you, which as you say, it never happens at the Mechanic! More than half the time, I find them by accident. Have a great day, Sir! o7 PS, I love how you and your cat talk to each other! :)
I just had a Expedition same symptoms about 2 month ago and preformed throttle body and iac clean so far all good. I didn't do mass or egr just to see if it would go away but that would have been my next step. So saw this title and had to watch but I watch all your videos. Thanks for all your videos just like being in the shop with you all straight up.
Im a tech actually at a western new york dealership. I treat them very similar to what you said. I will spend way more time on a safety type concern then say a radio concern. Also been working on same brand for 19 years so relay highly on experience from problems seen in the past. It can be hard to teach the newer guys to try on intermittent problems especially with the flat rate system. As you know this business is getting harder by the day and unfortunately their are more bad techs in the business that shot gun parts then guys like you and me who get more enjoyment in finding the exact problem.
So for intermittent I use a 10 pound sledge. If properly done things become much more consistent. Logical guessing and reasonable costs. Nicely done. Learned how to clean a throttle body
Years ago, Scotty turned me on to running laqure thinner throughthe fuel tank to clean the fuel and cat system. I had a customer just like you that had a hard start problem also. We talked it over and ran thinner in the fuel. Around a week later the problem dissapeared. A few weeks later, his kid totaled the car... I belive carbon was the cause, but didn't get to see the results. LOL
Well, as a "home mechanic," a comeback means my wife says "it's still doing it." 😊. Tried a lot to fix an intermittent misfire on my son's Ranger before we found a cracked coil pack! Thanks as always, Eric!
UPDATE: 9/7/23 car still runs like a champ. Symptoms never returned.
Power Foam ftw!
I bet it was that EGR valve since the monitor was not set. Great video Eric! Intermittent can be tough to deal with, but I think you have to at least look at them. I leave it up to the customer, if they want to pay for me to look at it and drive it around all day, maybe we can find something. Most are okay with an hour. I like your approach of cleaning as many potiential problem areas related to the symptom in an hour and shipping it.
When I worked at the Chrysler dealer we had a data recorder. When the vehicle acted up the customer had a button to push. I fixed several intermittent problems that way. One that comes to mind was a vehicle that would seem to miss or buck at highway speed. It took some looking on the data recording but finally by advancing it frame by frame and looking at the values I discovered the vehicle speed sensor was glitching to 150MPH for one frame. So the computer thought the vehicle was over speeding and shutting the fuel off for like a second.
That sounds like a super useful tool. Was it hooked into the DLC?
yes it was hooked to the data link@@compu85
Isn't that how the STUXNET virus disabled Iran's uranium centrifuges?
What “button” do you speak of? How can I obtain said thing?
@@chrisclark6044 It was a device called a Co Pilot that came with the diagnostic system Chrysler had at the time, this was the mid 1990s. It plugged into the diagnostic connector and had a button that clipped on the sun visor. I have no idea if it would still work with newer cars. However some of the diagnostic equipment have a data recorder function that does the same thing. I doubt that you would want to sent your scan tool with a customer for however long it took for the vehicle to act up.
Shop I went to charged me for diagnostics, changed all the plugs and coils and charged me over $900. I drove out of their shop and had the same problem (misfires) 2 miles down the road. I ended up buying a few tools, watched your videos and Scanner Danner videos. I purchased an Alldata subscription and found low fuel pressure. My neighbor changed my fuel pump for me and now my car runs great! Some shops are not repair shops, they are parts changers and have no clue about diagnostics. The people in your area are lucky to have someone like you that really is a diagnostic technician. Thank you for your videos and being an honest repair shop.
Seems most shops are just parts slingers these days as you say. Faster and easier way to make money, why bother looking for the actual problem??
Flatski daddio: I find watching Eric O diag a problem helps me immensely since he does this day and night and probably asleep.
I'm just a schmuck that enjoys watching SMA videos but thought I could hear an extra 7.5 horsepower throbbing
in the exhaust noise.
Those shops have a phrase "The Money Ran Out,'' they use when they can't guess it. ben/ michigan
So true, SMA is not a parts changer, neither is scanner Danner or Ivan w/ PHAD. These shops are following the correct procedures to fix what is causing the problem so they do not have come backs and having to work for free the second time or third. There is a process to do this, it takes skill, equipment, knowlege and some research to find the failure points. Sometimes all it turns out to be is a corroded electrical connection or a bad solder joint...no parts needed at all, just a fix to something that was manufactured with flaws or a poor design that needs corrected.
I think you handled it the best way you can by doing some basic checks, and maintenance. The important thing is that you let the customer in on the plan, so they know what to expect, and if they have the trouble again, they know that you have already eliminated the some simple items.
Absolutely!!!
"We didn't really fix anything, but we're having fun" Wise words from America's best car mechanic.
It's all fun and games til you work on something all day and find out you didn't fix anything, at least that's what my ex wife told me.
@@timwheeler1503 It's having the experience under your belt and trying to avoid it next time...that's gold.
Having fun with foam .
its all fun and games until someone gets hurt.
It's never a waste of time cleaning dirty bits.
"people buy products because they see a sticker on a race car." I worked for some professional teams in a nationally known series. First: STP for the older viewers. Second: One team was getting a significant amount of money for prominently running the logo of a major oil company. We had a handful of their empty quart bottles in the transporter in case we needed to add oil in public view. Those bottles were filled with another oil that made a noticeable increase on the dyno. The sponsorship agreements never required actual usage, just logo display.
What brand/type oil did you guys use?
Such a honest human. Lets throw some no-parts needed maintenance/underskirt inspections at it before looking for random cannon ammo.
I love watching the logical methods you use. I wish I could be as detail oriented as you but it is enjoyable to watch you work. Common sense is in big supply on this channel.
On my personal vehicle (I'm an electrician not a mechanic), I ignore the intermittent problems until they become consistent problems 😂
We electricians know how the scam goes! Thieves have no honor!
@@Beretta96Dan I'm an honest electrician though! My father is an honest retired mechanic, so I saw how he built his client base throughout his career and he taught me to treat every customer as if they were family. If this was my mother or father or uncle or aunt etc, how would I fix their problem. And I get repeat customers because of it.
Would hate for the intermittent problem to happen in the wrong envoironment such as high risk zones like RxR crossings, intersections, steep grades and so on. It depends on what it is.
@@YaksAttack Maybe your wife works, too. When it's time to pay all the bills, get groceries, try to go out and eat sometime, etc...You can't treat everyone like family!
They only become real problems on rainy Friday nights at 9pm. 😂
“We didn’t really fix anything but we’re having fun” is a way to describe many of my days in the shop
Regardless of outcome, you certainly didn't hurt anything by cleaning the throttle body.
Keep up the great diagnosis and I thoroughly enjoy your videos. I'm pretty much only viewing your and Watch Wes work videos, I always come away feeling like I learned something and thoroughly enjoy. All the best.
Yes, you feel like these are the ones you can trust.👍🙏
Like going to auto shop in high school but better
Fixed our 14 Outback! Wife had problems with rough idle and idle dipping upon stop. Runs like new now! Thanks!
Man i could hear the extra 15 HP when he fired it up.
I've been using power foam for about 20 years and it is the best product I've found. I also worked at a NAPA jobber for 20 years, and out of all the products I've seen over time power foam works the best. I also do a brake clean douche too for a rinse. I feel you used the product correctly so I hope your viewers find this helpful.
"Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't" , gotta love it. My wife has a Subaru. Your customer does his own oil changes because you don't have to lift them up to do it. Very easy. Well done, you have to eliminate what it isn't in order to find out what it is.
Being a Subaru specialist for 5 years, the only two outcomes I can relate to this type of concern is:
Dirty throttle plate with Subaru having such a picky throttle relearn process (new battery? recently jumped? just cleared DTC's? anything to reset or clear memory from the car.)
Or the old outback's had a ton of torque converter issues, but mainly it would present with hard to moderate braking = engine stalling but some customers misunderstood and said it would run rough and stall out which is correct, a DTC will be set for Engine Stall History and will reset some adaptives causing a rough idle.
Been watching for years, hopefully this makes sense!
*after watching the entire video, I am confident that in what you did with cleaning the throttle body and reconnecting the battery and letting it idle, the customer will not return with the issue they came in with
Sounds like a solid plan and basic things you started with. Definitely keep the EGR in mind since the monitor wasn’t run.
Should have given it a CAT scan since Luna was there and you found mouse turds. 😂😂
I think I would check for TSBs and also Identifix and or Suretrack first, to see if others have experienced the same problem. Depending on what, if anything, was found, I would use the information to direct further diagnosis. Next a visual inspection and check the related fluids, oil, coolant. Aside from that, what you have done makes perfect sense to me.
As soon as you said new battery, I knew exactly what customer was talking about. Those subaru take a full month to relearn everything. The rpm goes way down and stays that way for a month of consistent driving, there's a bad hesitation when you step on the gas, and stalling and just poor driving. I hated changing my battery.
Ever since computer cars came out, I've used a small motorcycle battery with a cig lighter plug wired to it. Install it before changing battery then remove it after you connect the battery, and you won't disturbe the ecm. no relearn
Best to jump a 12v source to the vehicle before disconnecting battery cable to keep the system "alive" while swaping in a new battery.
They learn a lot quicker with a clean throttle body. When the memory is cleared it does a throttle body reset. So when throttle closes and hits a ridge then you end up with a low idle and stalling
There’s a relearn process you can do. UA-cam has it. Something like letting it idle for 10 min, then turn off, the letting it idle for 15 min. I forgot exactly but that’s helped me when it does the stumbling after a battery change
No. Kidding. But there's a procedure to reset the stochio- throttle body in an hour.
My mama always said intermittent's are like irritable bowel syndrome, you never know when it's gonna.... Well you get the point. Good vid. Thanks Mr. O.
One thing I can say since first watching you a long time ago is that your content has been on point, and you haven't changed a thing! Other channels have started well but went down fast as they forgot what got them there. Thanks!
There was no point to years of Price is Right but it still popular. You showed more in this than you think. Tips, tricks and knowledge
Just because you have the brushes doesn’t mean you have an AR-15, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have one either. 😄 Great video as always, Eric!
Don't forget that the AR-15 can shoot 5000 rounds in half a second and the barrel shroud (shoulder thing that goes up), makes it the most powerful pistol shotgun in the world. 🤣
@@CountryBoy4ever You're funny right there.😂
I had a 2001 Toyota Corolla with a stubborn evap code that the mechanic actually gave up on. He kept my car for almost 2 months, charged me over a grand, and fixed nothing. I gave up on it, couldn't get it inspected even though we changed every single part of the evap system, smoked it several times, it kept throwing the code, and the registration expired... On a car that ran PERFECTLY and got 36 MPG. A year later, my Mom's Ford F-150 decided to DIE in the middle of her driveway, and she had no ride to work. I gave her one of my VW New Beetles, (I have 2) and we mailed the title to the Totota Florida, to my brother, who transferred the tag from her truck to the Toyota, when THAT came through, I gave her the Toyota, she drove it to work for 2 years in NY with the Fl. tag, then drove it, loaded heavy, to Fl, and stayed there. Then she drove it 3 more years, 65 miles each way to work. It won't start now. She parked it to drive her Honda Accord to work, and was switching them out each week. I believe the CPS went, then it sat and got rat chewed, as Toyotas are known for. When it finally stopped running, it had over 400,000 miles on it. When I gave it to her, it had 285,000 miles on it. NY and our STUPID rules cost me more than one good car. Not anymore. If it going to cost more that a grand to fix a STUPID CEL that doesn't effect it running condition, I register it in Florida. Screw NY. I'm done playing their expensive games.
Aside from sharing your vast knowledge, your positive attitude while working these problems is simply amazing. Any videos I made would have to be muted, but I'm working on it, with you as my inspiration.
It's a good thing you video tape all your customers car repairs, so atleast you have proof you ran thru the car from top to bottom, some customers are kinda con artist to say something else is wrong and you did something to it kinda deal
Check the idle actuator percentage first.
Doing maintenance like you did is a pragmatic approach on this. A lot of 'techs' would probably start loading the parts cannon.
I can see that.
Even myself as a diy, thinking it must be broken or about to not knowing you can clean EGR. $$$🤯🤯🤯
It’s easy to be chill when you’re working with a rational, logical, and reasonable man. 😁👊
Looking forward to the follow up.
Thanks! Once again, my favorite professional auto mechanic and diagnostic genius shows us how it gets done.
And, to be a simp for AMSOIL products, they’ve never let me down. Use AMSOIL in all my vehicles and lawn equipment. So, good choice, Mr. O!
FINALLY a SMA video my wife didn’t spoil. Take care and HOWDY to the family from Texas!
Waiting for the update 👍👍
I had a laugh at the brush and AR comment.
Back when I had to this I found being honest as you are here in the video's is the best way but also had to put the plan in the discretion on the recipe so that both the customer and shop could remember days, weeks, months down the road..
Fortunately in today's day and age I also like using the power of the internet and see if it's a common problem I just haven't seen yet.
Thanks for sharing all this valuable info
Please share a follow-up on this especially if the problem persists. I know you shared what your process will be... it would still be interesting & provide a little closure.
For almost a year my car keeps sending a "Low Evap" . After 20 or 30 miles it clears itself. Bought myself a cheap code reader and sure enough. It tells me to replace the gas tank cap. I had already done that. THANKS!! ;) The Mechanic I do have is just like Eric! God Bless him!! Down to Earth and very honest!
My advice to everyone here is...IF you find a good mechanic? Keep him! They are worth more than Gold!
This seems like a pretty reasonable one to take on, especially when you can knock out a few potential issues in an hour’s work and have a good plan for eliminating other possible problems if this doesn’t fix it.
your assumptions are correct and you did tackle the right equipment that causes these symptoms. however sometimes the catalytic converter is blocked (fully or partially) which can cause the car to stall. or any blockage on the exhaust pipe can give such symptoms.
you have to add the stickers to get the horsetorques, they have wifi tuning built into them. no stickers, no power :D
The troubleshooting process alone made this vid worth it.
The plan was discussed with the customer and they agreed you should try this. Excellent 100K service on the Outback air intake system. Hoping for an update. As an industrial maintenance mechanic - "There is something wrong with the machine." I would arrive at the machine in question. "How long is it going to take to fix it?" Well, I need to find out what is wrong then I can tell you. A certain customer was usually not happy with that answer.
DEAR SIR;
THE BEST APPROACHED UNDER THE SUN; REQUIRED INTERVAL SERVICES, KEEP UP BASED ON MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE WITH EXCELLENT DOCUMENTATATIN FOR THE FACTS ON THE WORK ORDER. ERIC
YOU ARE ON THE TOP OF YOUR WORK. PERIOD. THANKS.
You did the best you could, what more could a customer ask for!
Intermittent stalling, ha! This video reminds me of the "good old days" when cars were carbureted, vacuum was king, the hood was opened at least once a week and everything ran like crap all the time! Today our expectations are too high, what do you mean it stalls occasionally? Suck it up, drive around it, be creative! :). Thanks for all the great content Eric O! Love your channel!
I really like your videos. I'm not a mechanic, but I try to do my own repairs . However, I know my limitations and will take it to a shop if I know I can't handle the repair. I've learned so much from you and want to thank you for all the videos. By the way, really miss your opening line " Hey There Viewers Welcome To The South Main Auto Channel" my eight year old daughter loves that.
When my 99 frontier 3.3 hit about 60,000 miles, it would fall on its face after warmer up at a red light, or stop sign. Finally figured out that the butterfly value on the throttle body was getting built up with dirt and carbon. Clean it out, and I was good for about another 6 to 7 months. Then I would have to do it again, and it didn't matter what type of air filter I used. So I made it a habit that every time I did my oil change, I would clean the throttle body, and never had a problem with it again.
That pesky pcv system coking up your intake. Lol oil was being sucked up in to your engine intake and collecting on the butterfly valve. Probably had excessive blowby other than a bottom end rebuild an oil catch can would have helped. Can make a cheap one plenty of instructions on the interwebs
Love your videos your just a genuine all around good guy and making your customers happy is always your goal !
You could just sweep the shop floor in a video and still have thousands of views it’s you and your personality that makes us watch keep up the great work !
I think you approached this intermittent problem the right way Eric Have good day
I appreciate getting a chance to hear yr thoughts on how your shop handles intermittent problems. As a industrial electrician I try to resist using the parts cannon. But sometimes the boss wants something done. Bonus!!! Luna!!
Stalls after battery replacement. No codes no skip. Disconnect battery for a minute. Reconnect. Turn ignition on engine off for ten seconds before starting. This resets minimum air rate. If it still stalls, replace air fuel ratio sensor and oxygen sensor. Both sensors!!!!! It will stop stalling and eating cats.
Great video Eric O. as always.The best thing here is you let your customer know what was going on unlike a lot of shops.This is why I watch your channel because you put your customers first and your honest.
My dads used the amsoil power foam on gummed up carburetors and it’s cleaned that up quite well
Another great video! The customer got what he paid for. Everything was needed and if that doesn’t fix the issue you can check that off the list. Good job.
loved Shania Twain growing up at Keuka Lake!
I'm just a Shadetree Mechanic. But I would check a few of the obvious things like you did and see what happens. Never hurts to clean things up.
I too am a shadetree mechanic.
@@shadetreemech290 I need a better tree!
Eric !!!!!!! Your a Good Man !!!
Great video, truly the best mechanic on UA-cam. When Mr. O retires and no longer fixes cars, I can see him being like Kilmer and reviewing cars, reminiscing about past repair success stories and doing “bonus questions and answers”.
Or maybe he can take a trip south to Florida and help out Rainman Ray in his new shop, where they don’t see too many rust belt cars! Ring the bell. Mash the “subscribe” button, and leave a comment below. 😌
@@williamsquires3070 And just remember viewers, if I can do it, you can do it. Thanks for watchin!
Sometimes taking the opportunity to give things a clean and a tickle can prevent/reduce problems becoming permanent. Preventative maintenance my mentor used to drum into me. Tip top job
Over my career as a mechanic, it has always been customer concern dependent. The concern in this video, I definitely would have looked at the throttle body first, as the old GM 3800's come to mind for their hot start/stumble issue. Other issues I just try to get as much info up front as I can, for example maybe a window motor or lock actuator acting up, is it weather dependent, doesn't work when rains etc. I always was upfront with folks about pricing, and never skipped the visual on anything. My career has actually taken me down a bit different path the last couple of years now that I am mobile and go to collision shops to do ADAS calibrations, but I still am the go to tech for our company for diagnostics. Just usually now it has more to do with crushed wiring, connectors, modules, green crusties etc.
Keep up the great content, Dr. O! Just curious if you received the package I sent a few months ago?
That throttle body looks brand new now and so much fun to watch. I need to get some!
We charge them the one hour reduced rate diag charge and explain to them we are unable to determine an issue at this time due to the issue not being present currently.
I wish someone in Georgia had this guys skills!!!
Hi Eric, Those brushes are good as long as you don't use them to brush your teeth after a TB cleaning with Berkbile 2+2.😛 Great job Eric, fun stuff!
This was a very information-filled video. Good job. The one reason I watch your videos is when a customer brings a car into your shop. You do not nickel and dime the customer. I.E. the air filter.
We will ask the customer if we can drive the car for a few days on our own time. Drive it home. Drive it over the weekend. We usually have the guy that lives the furthest distance from the shop. And we also will do the unplug method like you said. And have customers drive with engine light on.
When my grandparents 98 Ram was acting up we were pretty sure it was the transmission. I took it to some guys that specialize in Ram transmissions. They told me the couldn't get it to act up. I filled the tank and told them to drive it back and forth to work and for lunch. They had a scope hooked up to record when it finally did it four days later. The torque convertor lockup would slip sometimes. Some of them are just that hard to find.
That is the only thing one can do just as you did with no trouble codes and everything working those intermittent are a complete challenge good job on your part.
When Eric started the car @24:52, you could tell from the sound, the big 2.5 was making 15 more bhp (although I think Eric's estimate regarding contributing factors was off; I estimate +5 hp from using the Power Foam on then EGR valve, +8 hp from using the Power Foam on the throttle body, and +2 hp from cleaning the mouse nest out of the air box)...🤣
Mr O thank you for all the videos you put out. I fixed my car by cleaning the throttle body just from watching your videos saved me 500 dollars.
I had a stalling problem with a '65 Mustang - after starting it cold, driving about 10 mins, parking for 20-30, it would stall on startup. More precisely, driving from home to the ice cream store, and having an ice cream, and then it would stall when we started it up to leave. I couldn't figure it out. Mechanic said he couldn't reproduce it. He was located the same distance away, so I suggested he leave it cool overnight, and tomorrow, at the end of the day, drive it to the ice cream store and have an ice cream on me. He reproduced it and figured it out. 😎
Sir i think i know your issue. Your car is jealous whenever you get ice cream and is having a tantrum because it's not getting any. 😂
@@danielmonsanto8286 Right. I thought the ice cream store was just a coincidence, just exactly the right distance where a 20-minute cool-down would recreate the problem, but no - it was the ice cream itself. Or lack thereof. I started shoving a strawberry sundae down the throat of the carburetor, problem solved! 😂
In my little, EXTREMELY non professional, drinking a few beers in my spare time shop, I handle many things by saying "I'll give it a shot but, no guarantees. Anything newer than OBD I is out of my comfort zone and, I actually prefer carburetors and distributors! Like me though, those vehicles are few and far between these days. Modern vehicles have WAY too many pretty colored wires for me to attempt a lot of repairs. That's OK though since I'm not trying to make a living at it. I do enjoy watching your videos and, I do learn from them.
I had a similar issue with my 2014 Impreza. It would sometimes do a weird idle and stall and did it quite often. First and foremost I NEVER use Fram filters. I use OEM or Wix. The issue was caused by the Variable Valve Timing Control system. When an engine oil gets low, dirty or sits, it can plug up the oil valve. This is a common problem with this system. I did an engine oil flush, replaced the filter and oil and it ran like new and the problem never came back.
Just FYI if you were using an OEM Subie filter on anything besides the 3.6R engine, it was MADE BY FRAM. (AFAIK only Subaru of America did this; Subaru of Canada and Subaru of Japan still used the fantastic Tokyo Roki filters, which Subaru of America still used on the 3.6R 6 cylinder engines.)
Great video. I'm a Amsoil cult member, i use the Power Foam. You get a lot of white smoke for a short while but it really works to restore power.
When it comes to intermittents, I generally just wait until the problem gets worse (read: more consistent) so it becomes easier to diagnose. Faults like these make it very tempting to start firing the parts cannon. On another note, I had a very similar problem with my old Mitsubishi Galant. It turned out to be a bad mass airflow sensor. The car never threw codes.
Correct. Correct a mundo.
Started in the second source parts business 11 years ago.. My personal experience has brought me to purchase OEM parts for certain regular maintenance. Break pads OEM last longer, starters the same. Spark plugs and O2 sensors as well.
If it started acting up after the new battery install I would definitely suspect the dirty throttle body, but they seem to run consistently bad. The intermittent condition is confusing. Will be curious how it works out for the owner.
Another classic...."The more (foam) you put in it, the more horsepower you get out of it". Gotta love it!! 😂
I had an issue like that on a early 70s Toyota. It would run fine then the engine would die. After pulling over to the side of the road it would start back and run smooth as can be. Turns out that when a fuel additive was dumped in one time the cardboard liner in the cap stuck to the bottle and ended up on the bottom of the tank. It floated around on the bottom til it got sucked onto the fuel outlet. Once the suction was gone the disc floated away til the next time it got close to the outlet.
Win52D That's amazing. But how the blazes did you ever think to look for something like that?
@@phillipfritz7014 We had eliminated everything in the fuel system so we dropped the tank to see if there was a blockage. This was an early 70s car, long before EFI on board computers and electric fuel pumps so there wasn't much in the fuel delivery system other than a pump, tank and fuel line.
The difference between me and Eric is that 5% of his automotive work is “probably a waste of time”, whereas 95% of my work is probably a waste of time :)
I love your thought process, honesty, integrity and just your damn good knowledge and attitude. If every business approached the consumer and their problems as you do. We would have the absolute most efficient, logic based system in the world! Oops forgot many businesses are run by money grubbing yahoos. Great video as always. Keep them coming. Thank you
You did the right steps for this fella. However, when cleaning any throttle body, when you open the throttle plate, gently release it back to the close position. Don't let it snap back. Both the throttle body, and the egr valve needed cleaning, so no time of money wasted there, plus the air filter does need to be changed sooner. Don't forget the cabin air filter too. Good work Eric. I wish I had a shop near me with a competent, and thorough mechanic like you. The dealer probably won't see my car for service, except for recalls, and warranty work.
Good vid man , I would have done the same things ! Throttle body was nasty so you may have gotten a good result from the foam ! Keep em coming folks I'll keep liking !
We just drive the heck out of them to try and get problem to show. We chase all our own parts so just use customers vehicle as a shop truck for a few days. If the problem doesn't show in that period ship it and tell them to try and come back while its acting up
Would love to hear if this did fix the problem. You did exactly what I would have done. Start with basics.
My 2008 does this randomly at idle and I ordered a used throttle body for $40 and I'm going to give it a try. I've taught the current throttle body to idle 5 times. No effect. I think the vent for the fuel tank is clogged and it might be part of it. I haven't go that far. It's getting worse though. Once it warms up, now it will mostly stutter and sometimes stall at idle. I've cleaned the throttle body over and over. The wires are very tight for the drive by wire where it plugs in the throttle body. I hate stuff like this. There are no codes. I checked for vaccum leaks no vaccum leaks. I pulled the EGR valve and it looks great. I've changed the MAF sensor after cleaning the MAF sensor. If clearing the vent and pressure sensor and throttle body doesn't work, I'll try unplugging the EGR valve.
Hey Mr O, just a backyard micananiac but I do have a Subie. Great product on the throttle body.
1 st thought: pcv valve or cracked hose to pcv.
2nd thought: Subaru uses soy based wire coatings. With those mice I wonder if they are dining on his wiring?
3rd thought: spark tube seals leaking oil into tube and sitting at the base of the plug. Boxer engine is prone to it. Spark then shorts from the boot to to oil/block.
Good luck and keep us posted. Have a good evening 👍
Friends don't let friends use Fram!
Intermittent problems are tough to deal with. Unless it happens to you, which as you say, it never happens at the Mechanic! More than half the time, I find them by accident.
Have a great day, Sir! o7 PS, I love how you and your cat talk to each other! :)
Eric, as others have requested I would also like to see a follow up from customer if you could arrange it
They tell me "can't find a problem...fix it your self...here's my bill"
That’s not a sustainable business model.
I just had a Expedition same symptoms about 2 month ago and preformed throttle body and iac clean so far all good. I didn't do mass or egr just to see if it would go away but that would have been my next step. So saw this title and had to watch but I watch all your videos. Thanks for all your videos just like being in the shop with you all straight up.
I believe the amsoil was sent to you by a viewer and it was on a live stream a couple of years ago.
now here's a true fan of the channel... good memory
I miss the live streams...
@@MrHugawa Thank you.
I think we're overdue for another WuW!!
Subaru’s also have a habit of stalling just by pushing on brake pedal, or engine idles down almost to a stall!
Ask google 😆
Now Ray, we all know they asked Google, Facebook, and several vehicle specific forums before finally relenting and bringing it to us. 😂
Hey Siri....
I think Luna needs her own channel! 🐈
And her own SMA t-shirt (sweatshirt too for when it's cold).
Im a tech actually at a western new york dealership. I treat them very similar to what you said. I will spend way more time on a safety type concern then say a radio concern. Also been working on same brand for 19 years so relay highly on experience from problems seen in the past. It can be hard to teach the newer guys to try on intermittent problems especially with the flat rate system. As you know this business is getting harder by the day and unfortunately their are more bad techs in the business that shot gun parts then guys like you and me who get more enjoyment in finding the exact problem.
So for intermittent I use a 10 pound sledge. If properly done things become much more consistent. Logical guessing and reasonable costs. Nicely done. Learned how to clean a throttle body
Years ago, Scotty turned me on to running laqure thinner throughthe fuel tank to clean the fuel and cat system. I had a customer just like you that had a hard start problem also. We talked it over and ran thinner in the fuel. Around a week later the problem dissapeared. A few weeks later, his kid totaled the car... I belive carbon was the cause, but didn't get to see the results. LOL
Well, as a "home mechanic," a comeback means my wife says "it's still doing it." 😊. Tried a lot to fix an intermittent misfire on my son's Ranger before we found a cracked coil pack! Thanks as always, Eric!
Absolutely The Best!! We all can wish to have our own Eric in our town! 😢 a true master mechanic knows when and when not to use new parts!
Just cleaned one of those throttle bodies. Made. A big difference in the idle. Thinking doing an Italian/Berimans tuneup on it also.
unlike other youtube vits your volumn is great
Perfection, absolute perfection. I bet it's fixed and I guess I have to get me some amsoil.