I’ve been a tech for 39 years, about 32 years ago I was sent to a week long Toyota factory electrical class and in the first hour of the Monday morning class the instructor told us that on Friday after lunch there would be a test consisting of two faults created in a real entire wiring harness,the catch is that you can’t leave the class to go home until you found and repaired the problem. Because I was over 150 miles from home I decided to pay extreme attention to the instructor from the first hour on that first day and guess what I was the first to find and fix my harness that was many years ago and it’s made my career a whole lot more profitable and more rewarding.
School is oftén a deliberate bug added to find. You can use another type of logic knowing your instructor. But on the customers car, you have to read the car, the service file, and it's environment. It can be tough, or it can be simple. Let's hope you can access that section to make the repair.
I was a mechanic for over 25 years I work for Ford and Chevrolet and I met a quite a few people in my time that were not mechanics they were part changers. I remember one vehicle coming to me that was a Chevrolet. They had changed the battery twice because it would not stay charged, and after all the checking, I found out that it was the drive belt tension. It simply was slipping.
I only joined your channel lately Kenny....but man your the best...I mean it. Love your stuff. I watch South main auto also and the stuff I have learned from you guys? I have saved a pile in money by doing it myself. Slowly working through all your vids. Keep em coming. Be safe....Hugs from Newfoundland
Just a couple of things, I would have soldered the wire splice also and then sealed it with heat shrink. Also by putting a small dab of dia electric grease on the plug connections will help to keep water out and a lot easier to disconnect next time. Retired certified mech with over 40 years experience. Good video and advice .
You took me back to the good ol days when I worked at a GM Delco Tech Center and we repaired all electrical issues and did GM warranty work. Unbelievable where we found wires broken pinched or just not hooked up there were days it was real challenging. Enjoyed the video Kenny your doing a great job.
As a low voltage tech i 100% believe that solder job will last almost forever. you Tinned the Tip and only used as much as necessary. good clean soldering job!
During the past 53 years after numerous repair of the past 9 cars since 1974.I found only 2 mechanics that possess the trouble shooting skills! I am talking about a top notch mechanic guy at the car dealership that charged $15.00 an hour in 1974 working on my brand new car until my 9th car in 2020.
I drive the owner of the shop I work at crazy with this. Ran into a problem today actually. Brakes were "metal to metal" but what was was the rotor coming in contact with the caliper bracket. Now why? Had a new hub installed into the spindle that wasn't pressed in enough. Took me about 30 minutes to figure this out. They just wanted a quick fix and get their money that wouldn't have fixed anything. I approach things with the mindset that x failed. Why? If I can't find anything else I just do the repair and call it a day. If I find something else I dig until I can't dig anymore.
That's just it...mechanics are few and far between, techs (who rely heavily on scanners) are somewhat abundant. Can't really blame em. They're trained with a focus on more modern machines, with a push for high speed turnarounds. Naturally, you default to scan, and considering nothing lasts worth a f&ck anymore...swap the part.
Kenny, I had to write to tell you that a few months ago, I bought a 1998 dodge B1500 van and the gas gauge did not work. So, since I will be traveling all over the place I ordered an OEM fuel pump but had not installed it yet as I was making other repairs. (Like new radiator, timing chain, T-stat, water pump, etc) Well, after seeing this video I decided to crawl under the van and have a look at the wring coming from the tank and, sure enough, right where it is about even with the transmission several of the wires were ripped apart and one had about a 4" section missing. I repaired those wires and now my gas gauge reads like it should. I am so glad you made that video as it really helped me. I am keeping the new pump and taking it with me on the road in case the old one goes out. I just wanted to thank you and tell you I would have never checked the wiring and would have wondered why the new sending unit on the new pump was not working.
great vid, love the thinking, I would never send a car out of the shop without fixing the problem and charging the customer for my mistake/wrong diagnosis, i would keep it there until i find the problem, i don't understand why people would pay for something to be fixed and it's not!
As I've bought many of used cars an trucks over my lifetime I've ran into this situation with connections more than once ! Great troubleshooting there Kenny !
So I had somewhat similar issue on a 94 Buick century. The knock sensor error code was there. I ended up working on diagnosing it and the sensor was good (i tested it) and the connector was good. So I did a volt meter continuity check on the wire between the computer and the sensor and it turned out that the wire had failed or internally broken between the two points. So I went down to my local car quest in Junction City, Oregon. (A great parts shop!) They had the right size wire, which is really important to get the right size. Especially for things like sensors. You don't want to go too large or too small of a wire because it can throw off the resistance between the 2 points. I was able to buy both connectors and the piece of wire for, I don't know maybe it was 12 bucks. And I bought the tool to remove the connectors from both ends like you did. The little flat spade tool. And that was a few bucks. But Carquest had the crimping tool to attach the connector ends onto the wire along with the little insulator water resistance piece on the end. And they did that for free. I got it reassembled and it worked. It took me stabbing a new hole through the firewall rubber plug for the new wire but I got it to work and a no longer had a error code and fixed the sensor error code. Now I get that soldering the new connector does technically work. But I feel that doing the new connector is a better way to go about this. I mean I've always heard that you shouldn't solder stuff on automotive stuff. I mean we don't even solder stuff On the HVAC systems that I deal with and they're basically non moving parts. Anyway not a bad fix, and very good diagnosis of the issue. I would suggest that you get a refillable can that you could put cleaner into instead of just using cans of brake cleaner which kind of gets expensive. It's cheaper to have a refillable can that you can put whatever solvent you want Into it. And over time it becomes cheaper. Now of course you have the offset cost to buying the refillable can. But I feel like they hold more and are a little bit more efficient than the spray disposalable cans. Overall a good repair and definitely saved the customer money. I could definitely see some shops whould throw in a new fuel pump into that truck or replace other parts instead of doing a full diagnosis. A lot of shops are just so shit. I've been watching you for awhile. Watching you is like watching myself work on vehicles. You're a very thorough and you do a very good job of diagnostic work. That's something that's really lacking in the modern age and that a lot of people just aren't capable of doing. That sounds bad but a lot of people are just parts cannons. They don't really truly understand the systems or frankly anything else. Keep up the good work sir, it's appreciated. Ready for the next video!!!!
Kenny: I want to be your brake clean supplier. The commissions on that have to be huge! I recently found your channel and I have been watching a lot. You make it look easy. Thank you for excellent content.
@@sandcrabronco I think Ray uses closer to 2 cases/day, ha ha. He loves the stuff. Watching his and Kenny's videos got me to using it too although, I am still only on my 2nd can.
If you checked your repair for the first time on camera, you're very skilled and confident. I would have turned the camera off. Always enjoy, thanks for sharing.
i have fixed 100s of modules for cars none that control the operation of the car. I'm a board level tech old school and a excellent trouble shooter for wiring. i like your way of looking at problems and enjoy the show. got to wore out to crawl around cars any more but watching smart people is still fun..
Great find and repair. Not dissing your- or anyone's experience, but having (also) done electronic repair both personally (CB & Ham Radio) and professionally (to BELLCORE Standard in the telecom industry), I respectfully must say something about soldering.
* Use a clean, tinned iron. * Make sure both sides of the joint (wire & terminal, wire & PC board, etc) are clean. * If possible, pre-tin both sides of the joint. At best use a 63% Tin/37% Lead solder, either with a rosin-flux core or an external rosin flux (NEVER ACID FLUX!). * Heat both sides of the joint with the iron, flowing an additional small amount of solder if necessary. * Let the joint cool naturally; don't blow on it.
Yes, in an automotive environment a soldered connection in/on a wire could possibly fail due to vibration. The aim would be to make such a connection as robust as possible and only where it could do good. Otherwise, use a properly mechanically-crimped connection.
The magnets on those lights work great. I find them under motor coaches all the time when they come in for inspection. I usually say hey are you missing a light? Then I hand it to them.
I remember a mechanic putting a new fuel pump in an early 2000’s Yukon. It still didn’t work.This guy didn’t know about the pump test wire under the hood. When he asked for help , I jumped the test wire and traced back , quickly found a green death spot , cleaned, soldered and shrink tube and the truck started. Im thinking the truck didn’t need a pump and to find out, it wasn’t the first pump. This truck worked hard in the winter of the salt belt so finding green wasn’t really a surprise. Guess what! Next year towed in for same symptoms. Ended up finding about 5 un sealed poke holes in the same wire I fixed the winter before. Ended up replacing about 6’ of wire this time . I wasn’t getting paid to fix the other mechanics jobs so guess when I found the green the first time left it up to him to finish the job but that backfired cause the year later it was left to me to fix it again
Lost count of the amount of 'special tools' I've made to release terminals from blocks, everything from welding rods to stainless steel wire and a couple of hammers to forge things to shape (plus files and sharpening stones) Once upon a time it was so easy, but now, with micro sized wires and manufacturers wanting their own 'personal' design I'm kinda glad I'm retired although availablity of disconnect tools is way better than it was (originally not even available even to dealers - just fit a new harness, etc). Many of the 'weathertite' connectors do come apart quite easy just as you showed, being able to re-use it is great , some designs are just not available as replacement in my experience That kind of repair is exactly why I bought the Snap On gas soldering iron 40 years ago. (although Im not sure if it still works as I haven't used it at least 8 years) I've never been a smoker but usually carried a lighter because it's so handy
It appears there is still a missing part of that connector. It snaps on the connector and retains all the wires & terminals into the connector body. Great job by the way!
The problem is, “parts changers” are right maybe 60-70% of the time. It’s risk management: throw a $30-$40 part at the problem vs $120-$150/hr diagnostics charge, and be right 60% of the time. Add in a DIY’r with a little experience, a decent code reader, and Google/U-Tube research skills, and the percentage is probably higher.
Well let me tell you, I retired after 45 years of which about the last third of it was working for the nation's largest retailer. For anyone that has ever worked for them I think you will be aware that their Florida headquarters must have a office of people just trying to figure out how to cut your pay. One day they walked into our dealership and said "we didn't need any more master techs, we just need warm bodies". From that point on they were hiring "technicians" who's primary skill was picking fruit. You don't know how sick it was having these kids walk up to me and tell me "this is the code I pulled, what part should I replace" ? And the thing that really set me off was the constant request to borrow tools because they didn't have anything and they wouldn't pay them enough to buy tools. I literally took two thirds of my toolbox home because I was so fed up with tools disappearing or would come back broken. As it approached the end of my stay the dealership was down to me and one other gentleman as Master techs. The rest of the "technicians" had no ASE's and very minimal factory training. It was the happiest day of my life when I walked into my general manager's office and told him I was done.
Great video thanks Kenny ,showing in detail how to disassemble repair and reassemble that connector taught me more than watching ten general repair vids that just brush over such repair methods . Love your videos and your presentation is A1.
I had a mechanic tell me, you can go about this one of two ways. You can either A, have it professionally diagnosed or B, throw parts & money at it. Wise words of a good mechanic
I went into this video curious about the thumbnail and finished it thinking about my time in the Navy. I did wiring and electrical repairs for over 20 years and the number of times that I’ve seen people throw parts at a problem instead of troubleshooting makes me sick. That was a great repair and a good lesson for everyone out there, thanks for sharing it!
My 2013 4Runner quit running. Took it to two car parts stores where the battery and alternator checked out good. But within a few minutes the lights went dim so I drove it home and parked it, with a kind tow truck driver following after he, too, found battery and alternator good. He referred me to a well-reputed service shop, and said he’d tow the 4Runner there for no extra charge (pun not intended). After hours and hours of diagnostic testing, at a cost of $800, they decided that the alternator was bad. They replaced it, charging me $400 for the part which I found I could have purchased for about $250. I’m not convinced that extensive - expensive - diagnosis is always better than seat-of-the-pants judgment. That kind of judgment comes from experience. Even with modern diagnostic tools there’s no substitute for the training that experience provides to the mind and memory. I kick myself in the butt for not just buying an alternator and putting it in myself. If that didn’t fix it (which it would have) I would have at least found out that I had a truly more complex problem that required diagnostic tools and skills beyond my own. You, sir, I’m confident would have done better than that shop. I perceive that you have been around cars since long before they were computerized. The shop who worked in my car seems to have had techs who had never worked on non-computerized cars. Love your videos. Prayers for your wife’s recovery,
Looked like someone had already been into that wiring harness, trying to fix the fuel gauge problem. Wire was probably broken at the connector but the wire jacket was still in place at the connector. Anyway, good find & fix!
Good lesson on diagnostics. My only question is did you use heat shrink with the glue on the inside or do you find that regular heat shrink is waterproof enough for these applications? Keep the good stuff coming.
Some mechanics just assume it's the fuel pump, but in hind sight they should have checked it with proper diagnostics. 😉 the days are gone when we just had 1 little wire from the dash going to the sender in the tank. - I Miss The youthful Body, But Not The Youthful Mind. I Miss The Old-Time Cars, Of Every Single Kind.
i usually have to be diagnosed but i have guessed on a part before and it was right. i read alot on my car and know it better than anyone. sometimes can get lucky but not always.
Kenny, From a veteran electrician who started in the mining locomotive industry 50 years ago when solderless terminals were just coming into vogue and we used to heat solder in large steel cups in a blast furnace, , , , , , as you finally pulled out a soldering iron and used it in a video, I could hear choirs of angels sing.
I sure try to diagnose everything but sometimes you just have to give up and start throwing parts at it and hope it fixes it. I won't do this to a customer's vehicle but my own like my 12 Ram 2500 Laramie, I know Ram/Dodge/Mopar whatever you want to call it have had badly designed front ends for a long time, even my first Mopar a 1970 Coronet 500 I was replacing ball joints and tie rods a lot, because they were undersized for the vehicle. Now the RAM after looking for worn/loose/bent parts I couldn't find anything wrong, so I sent it to 2 RAM Dealerships (against my better judgement) and even a garage Richard Rawlings had involvement in . Nobody could figure it out. They All refused to replace anything, so I started to upgrade parts like the Track Bar to a Carli, Ball Joints, it has teg correct tires, stock Ride height the only thing added is the Air Bags on the rear I don't use unless towing. it didn't fix it but did make it manageable to tow my camper. After pulling a 10000lb camper all around the USA for a year I stopped driving it and went back to My Yukon, I'm going to trade the truck for something else, I don't want to that Cummins is a great engine, I just can't take the white knuckle driving anymore, and its not just while towing, another reason I hate to sell it is because it's Pre DEF the last year of it's kind.
As I recall most times the direction of the gauge with most resistance is to the empty end. Having it stuck on the empty end is pretty clear sign of open wire to the sending unit.
For what it’s worth, the fuel pump in this truck is a tank module that incorporates the fuel level sender. The sender IS replaceable separately, but it is common practice to replace as a unit, especially if there are many miles on it. Furthermore, these trucks of this vintage were NOTORIOUS for having inaccurate fuel gauges due to faulty senders, although usually they would indicate a quarter tank while running out of fuel. So I can see why someone would have condemned the sender. Having said that, a road test after replacement would have shown pump replacement was an unsuccessful repair. Good job chasing down and repairing that wire!
@@paulwindisch1423 these trucks had a bad habit of burning pumps up. Usually from running low on fuel too much or bad fuel pump ground. The senders are another basket case of their own as ive experienced plenty with inop senders. Mine went out twice along with 3 different fuel pumps that just stopped running
Thank You ! You and I are about the same age.... I do exactly what you do on this... I can't correctly properly fix anything unless i know why...... What is the exact issue !
My dealer tried to sell me a wiring harness for over $600.00 for a damaged connector. Said it was too new of a car. I took the connector to a junkyard, and found one. From a car almost 10 years older. You are right. They just want to toss parts.
Love your channel, Kenny, but wow: the stock price of brake cleaner manufacturers would really go up if every mechanic used as much brake cleaner as you do! Personally, I prefer to use stoddard solvent in a pressure-izable spray bottle. It's MUCH cheaper than buying cans of brake cleaner.
Oops, almost forgot: brake cleaner dissolves some kinds of plastic and paint, and it is hard to know beforehand whether it will or not, so sometimes you get a very unwelcome surprise. Stoddard solvent doesn't do that.
That's why where I worked they switched to a 55-gallon drum of acetone. And they gave us those old-school sprayers that you have to charge up with air pressure.
In a commercial shop, EPA is often the worst nemesis to the environment. Its simpler and easier to use spray cans than to inventory and account for what wpuld often be better solutions.
you re a very anylitical thinking mechanic , soo you solve unusual curcumstances some LAZY or unimformed hacker mechanics just cant do ! I am learning by watching ya !
lol, So - I lost my Astro stick light and had to buy another. I swear my GF probably took it and used it somewhere. Well, A few months later in replacing my radiator in the car I found it inside next to the windsheild wiper water container! Still works. Had to charge it of course. I swear, If its not a magnetic light its a 10mm socket that always goes missing :)
@14:40, you went too short on the heat shrink, and I generally go with two pieces, one shorter and another longer to double cover the splice. The 2nd piece I use has adhesive inside that seals the wire to be waterproof, otherwise the heat shrink you used will allow salt water to wick into the connection. Any salt that gets in there will change the chemistry of the copper into an oxidized non-conductor. And use a proper heat gun, they are cheap, and apply the right amount of heat.
one of the places i worked banned those disposable lighters because some welder lit one off in his pocket. took half his leg off. zippos were still ok though. on another note i really wish there was one place that listed and supplied terminals and housings. thats one reason i never toss any wire harness or part thereof. yep some suppliers have repair pigtails but never the one you need
Maybe ya did it off camra but that harness needs to be taken down, wiped off reaped and the split loom put back on then put back into it body clips. Honestly the fewer splices on the underside and outside of the cab the better every electrical connection is a spot that can coroid with electrolysis because its wet and electric power is being ran through it. I always cover a connection with grease then if it needs it heat shrink so the grease is incapulated at the splice and helps keep water away from the joint, dont you remember the 1970 to 2000 fords every connection had a ton of grease in it you pull a lamp bulb behind it was Lithium grease. All the connection in the motor bay has grease in them. The grease repels water. Im as old as you are or older all my experience on cars was on electrical systems. As a professional electronics installer. I took a 1949 Willie's jeep truck and redid the entire electrical system from bumper to bumper from 6 volts to 12 volts and From every bulb back using 10ga wire to everything, as well as installing a fuse box that uses blade style fuses, I used gm Chrysler and Ford color codes the door pins witches were 2 wire so that was wired up like a Ford, the owner put in a Ford 6 cylinder motor the ing switch was done as a gm turn signals used a kenworth style turn switch. The ww wiper blades were a joke but worked it was a rope spring and pully system, I used modern headlams the dam parking lights were brighter then the orignal headlamp system. The guy drove it for about 15 years only thing it didn't have was a heater, and I was going to add a ceramic heater for him but he didn't want to spend the money. The truck got sold to a collector.
hey Kenny whats the reason you rarely solder wires? Just curious because where you used a butt connector I would have soldered because thats how I was taught. Love the channel!
I don’t know why he does it but we do it because a properly crimped connection with hold up better to shock and vibration than solder will, as solder may have a tendency to crack under pressure much the same as my sister in law.
When you finished soldering put solder on the tip and turn it off. The solder when cooled will protect the tip from oxidising and your tip will last longer.
I have a 1988 Chevy K2500 truck and often when I try to accelerate, it wants to jerk instead of accelerating. I don’t know if it’s the fuel filter, MAP sensor or issue with the transmission or if any fuel additive could clear up the problem.
Hey question Kenny...have you ever dealt with having to replace bad ground wires under the vehicle? Ive got one that was strapped across the brake line underneath drivers door that was from the frame to the chassis. The wire is totally dilapidated. I took it off the brake line but I need to replace it. Its one of those braided kind of ground wires. Well my question is what gauge wire should i replace it with? The parts store acts totally clueless on what I try to ask them for. Ik they have to have the grounding wires..cars wont function correctly without them. So I am stuck having to make my own.
My fuel gauge just quit yesterday in my Jeep ZJ. I have a Creader VII and I hooked it up and it says fuel sensor high voltage. I assume that means I need a new fuel pump?
You got good soldering skills. I've done more soldering on wires and electronics I couldn't possibly count, years of experience, I know a good soldering job just by looking at how it's done. Not bragging just been doing it for a long time. Funny thing is, I just fixed a one wire connector off a Mazda just the other day. It had the same problem as yours did. I'm just glad it was a one wire connector. Was able to remove the male end, bring it to my soldering station at my home and repair it basically the same way you just did.
Great job Kenny. Did you reinstall that wire holding harness on side of plug where you soldered the wire from when you buttoned everything up??? Just curious
Yes. Everything got put back I'm place. I found a nicer piece of loom on a wreck we had , and placed it all nicely back where it belongs . I'm quite picky about that kinda stuff . I want the next person to actually not be able to tell it was repaired if I can at all help it
@@WrenchingWithKenny thanks. I see how dedicated you are and meticulous but would have been nice to see, especiallt after seeing that rats nest of wires you started with
It was good to see not only the diagnosis but the craftmanship of the repair. Had to laugh at the term. " Memphis twist and electrical tape" I've fixed a few of those. They always work....long enough to get the car out of one shop, to find another to locate and rix the mrss.
I’ve been a tech for 39 years, about 32 years ago I was sent to a week long Toyota factory electrical class and in the first hour of the Monday morning class the instructor told us that on Friday after lunch there would be a test consisting of two faults created in a real entire wiring harness,the catch is that you can’t leave the class to go home until you found and repaired the problem. Because I was over 150 miles from home I decided to pay extreme attention to the instructor from the first hour on that first day and guess what I was the first to find and fix my harness that was many years ago and it’s made my career a whole lot more profitable and more rewarding.
What was the problem?
That's so cool John! Thanks for sharing!
CLASS...THE FOCAL POINT TO KNOWLEDGE!!!
School is oftén a deliberate bug added to find.
You can use another type of logic knowing your instructor.
But on the customers car, you have to read the car, the service file, and it's environment.
It can be tough, or it can be simple.
Let's hope you can access that section to make the repair.
I need an Alibi... 🤔
Thanks to your videos we will keep on wrenching
@billseay6399 Thanks for watching. I appreciate you. Keep wrenching 🔧 Kenny
Your running commentary is excellent.
I was a mechanic for over 25 years I work for Ford and Chevrolet and I met a quite a few people in my time that were not mechanics they were part changers. I remember one vehicle coming to me that was a Chevrolet. They had changed the battery twice because it would not stay charged, and after all the checking, I found out that it was the drive belt tension. It simply was slipping.
I only joined your channel lately Kenny....but man your the best...I mean it. Love your stuff. I watch South main auto also and the stuff I have learned from you guys? I have saved a pile in money by doing it myself. Slowly working through all your vids. Keep em coming.
Be safe....Hugs from Newfoundland
South main is an amazing channel. I love rainman ray’s repairs too.
Eric O is the GOAT
RainmanRay has a great channel.
Try pine hollow auto diagnostics
@@dean9498 Just love him, too. Good for his own success, he's running his own shop and still spittin' out the finds like Kenny!
Just a couple of things, I would have soldered the wire splice also and then sealed it with heat shrink. Also by putting a small dab of dia electric grease on the plug connections will help to keep water out and a lot easier to disconnect next time. Retired certified mech with over 40 years experience. Good video and advice .
You took me back to the good ol days when I worked at a GM Delco Tech Center and we repaired all electrical issues and did GM warranty work. Unbelievable where we found wires broken pinched or just not hooked up there were days it was real challenging. Enjoyed the video Kenny your doing a great job.
As a low voltage tech i 100% believe that solder job will last almost forever. you Tinned the Tip and only used as much as necessary. good clean soldering job!
Tech tip..., I always put a little dialectic grease in the connector to prevent "fretting ".
It’s getting nearly impossible to find a mechanic today that knows even basic diagnostic methods. Techs today who do are considered geniuses
It's not just mechanics. Most body shops don't even do basic body work, just replace panels.
During the past 53 years after numerous repair of the past 9 cars since 1974.I found only 2 mechanics that possess the trouble shooting skills! I am talking about a top notch mechanic guy at the car dealership that charged $15.00 an hour in 1974 working on my brand new car until my 9th car in 2020.
I drive the owner of the shop I work at crazy with this. Ran into a problem today actually. Brakes were "metal to metal" but what was was the rotor coming in contact with the caliper bracket. Now why? Had a new hub installed into the spindle that wasn't pressed in enough. Took me about 30 minutes to figure this out. They just wanted a quick fix and get their money that wouldn't have fixed anything.
I approach things with the mindset that x failed. Why? If I can't find anything else I just do the repair and call it a day. If I find something else I dig until I can't dig anymore.
That's just it...mechanics are few and far between, techs (who rely heavily on scanners) are somewhat abundant.
Can't really blame em. They're trained with a focus on more modern machines, with a push for high speed turnarounds. Naturally, you default to scan, and considering nothing lasts worth a f&ck anymore...swap the part.
They are taught to change parts so companies can't make more money, screw the customer 😂
Kenny, I had to write to tell you that a few months ago, I bought a 1998 dodge B1500 van and the gas gauge did not work. So, since I will be traveling all over the place I ordered an OEM fuel pump but had not installed it yet as I was making other repairs. (Like new radiator, timing chain, T-stat, water pump, etc) Well, after seeing this video I decided to crawl under the van and have a look at the wring coming from the tank and, sure enough, right where it is about even with the transmission several of the wires were ripped apart and one had about a 4" section missing. I repaired those wires and now my gas gauge reads like it should. I am so glad you made that video as it really helped me. I am keeping the new pump and taking it with me on the road in case the old one goes out. I just wanted to thank you and tell you I would have never checked the wiring and would have wondered why the new sending unit on the new pump was not working.
Thats awesome !! I'm glad you found it and fixed it !! Those B vans are great vans !! Always loved them !! Thanks for telling me your story !!
great vid, love the thinking, I would never send a car out of the shop without fixing the problem and charging the customer for my mistake/wrong diagnosis, i would keep it there until i find the problem, i don't understand why people would pay for something to be fixed and it's not!
As I've bought many of used cars an trucks over my lifetime I've ran into this situation with connections more than once ! Great troubleshooting there Kenny !
don't forget that grey wire lock clip! Nice Job.
So I had somewhat similar issue on a 94 Buick century. The knock sensor error code was there. I ended up working on diagnosing it and the sensor was good (i tested it) and the connector was good. So I did a volt meter continuity check on the wire between the computer and the sensor and it turned out that the wire had failed or internally broken between the two points.
So I went down to my local car quest in Junction City, Oregon. (A great parts shop!) They had the right size wire, which is really important to get the right size. Especially for things like sensors. You don't want to go too large or too small of a wire because it can throw off the resistance between the 2 points.
I was able to buy both connectors and the piece of wire for, I don't know maybe it was 12 bucks. And I bought the tool to remove the connectors from both ends like you did. The little flat spade tool. And that was a few bucks. But Carquest had the crimping tool to attach the connector ends onto the wire along with the little insulator water resistance piece on the end. And they did that for free.
I got it reassembled and it worked. It took me stabbing a new hole through the firewall rubber plug for the new wire but I got it to work and a no longer had a error code and fixed the sensor error code.
Now I get that soldering the new connector does technically work. But I feel that doing the new connector is a better way to go about this. I mean I've always heard that you shouldn't solder stuff on automotive stuff. I mean we don't even solder stuff On the HVAC systems that I deal with and they're basically non moving parts.
Anyway not a bad fix, and very good diagnosis of the issue. I would suggest that you get a refillable can that you could put cleaner into instead of just using cans of brake cleaner which kind of gets expensive. It's cheaper to have a refillable can that you can put whatever solvent you want Into it. And over time it becomes cheaper. Now of course you have the offset cost to buying the refillable can. But I feel like they hold more and are a little bit more efficient than the spray disposalable cans.
Overall a good repair and definitely saved the customer money. I could definitely see some shops whould throw in a new fuel pump into that truck or replace other parts instead of doing a full diagnosis. A lot of shops are just so shit.
I've been watching you for awhile. Watching you is like watching myself work on vehicles. You're a very thorough and you do a very good job of diagnostic work. That's something that's really lacking in the modern age and that a lot of people just aren't capable of doing. That sounds bad but a lot of people are just parts cannons. They don't really truly understand the systems or frankly anything else. Keep up the good work sir, it's appreciated.
Ready for the next video!!!!
I bet guaranty Chevrolet would have had factory connectors.
It’s nice to see a mechanic actually diagnose the problem!
Watching you is like watching a mirror of myself. Except you have much fancier tools than I had in my boxes under that old shade tree lol
Great troubleshooting, great video.
Very good video, Thank You for this instructional video. I'm a 20-year technician myself and I learn something here myself.
Excellent job Kenny
Thanks for the video Kenny nicely done 👍✅ great job 👍. Take care of yourself and family and be Blessed ❤️❤️.
Very good video Kenny
Kenny: I want to be your brake clean supplier. The commissions on that have to be huge! I recently found your channel and I have been watching a lot. You make it look easy. Thank you for excellent content.
Checkout Rainman Ray, he must use a case of brake clean a day! Polar opposite of Kenny though.
@@sandcrabronco I think Ray uses closer to 2 cases/day, ha ha. He loves the stuff. Watching his and Kenny's videos got me to using it too although, I am still only on my 2nd can.
I think Ray gets high on the vapors. That’s why he loves it. LOL
At 12 dollars a can, I use lacquer thinner a lot in a sprayer but that is expensive too.
I just subbed,I have watched your channel for a a week or more, you have great presentation skills, thanks for the channel!
Good repair, good diagnoses! Reminds me of times at the shop.
I just started watching and subscribed your experience love it your my new go to ch thanks Kenny
Outstanding information.
I liked your solution and thanks for the heating tip👍🇬🇧
If you checked your repair for the first time on camera, you're very skilled and confident. I would have turned the camera off. Always enjoy, thanks for sharing.
i have fixed 100s of modules for cars none that control the operation of the car. I'm a board level tech old school and a excellent trouble shooter for wiring. i like your way of looking at problems and enjoy the show. got to wore out to crawl around cars any more but watching smart people is still fun..
Another awesome video
Nice job Kenny, show them how's it's done!!!
Great find and repair. Not dissing your- or anyone's experience, but having (also) done electronic repair both personally (CB & Ham Radio) and professionally (to BELLCORE Standard in the telecom industry), I respectfully must say something about soldering.
* Use a clean, tinned iron.
* Make sure both sides of the joint (wire & terminal, wire & PC board, etc) are clean.
* If possible, pre-tin both sides of the joint. At best use a 63% Tin/37% Lead solder, either with a rosin-flux core or an external rosin flux (NEVER ACID FLUX!).
* Heat both sides of the joint with the iron, flowing an additional small amount of solder if necessary.
* Let the joint cool naturally; don't blow on it.
Yes, in an automotive environment a soldered connection in/on a wire could possibly fail due to vibration. The aim would be to make such a connection as robust as possible and only where it could do good. Otherwise, use a properly mechanically-crimped connection.
Keep Wrenching. And Wiring. ⚡ 😉
Nice work Kenny! Your experience shows.
The magnets on those lights work great. I find them under motor coaches all the time when they come in for inspection. I usually say hey are you missing a light? Then I hand it to them.
Another great job!
Great video, I learned a lot from it! Too bad that there isn't a way to give it two thumbs up.
U are the best 👌 👍
Excellent job
I remember a mechanic putting a new fuel pump in an early 2000’s Yukon. It still didn’t work.This guy didn’t know about the pump test wire under the hood. When he asked for help , I jumped the test wire and traced back , quickly found a green death spot , cleaned, soldered and shrink tube and the truck started. Im thinking the truck didn’t need a pump and to find out, it wasn’t the first pump. This truck worked hard in the winter of the salt belt so finding green wasn’t really a surprise. Guess what! Next year towed in for same symptoms. Ended up finding about 5 un sealed poke holes in the same wire I fixed the winter before. Ended up replacing about 6’ of wire this time . I wasn’t getting paid to fix the other mechanics jobs so guess when I found the green the first time left it up to him to finish the job but that backfired cause the year later it was left to me to fix it again
Thank you for this video Kenny, great diagnosis and repair!!!
Lost count of the amount of 'special tools' I've made to release terminals from blocks, everything from welding rods to stainless steel wire and a couple of hammers to forge things to shape (plus files and sharpening stones)
Once upon a time it was so easy, but now, with micro sized wires and manufacturers wanting their own 'personal' design I'm kinda glad I'm retired although availablity of disconnect tools is way better than it was (originally not even available even to dealers - just fit a new harness, etc).
Many of the 'weathertite' connectors do come apart quite easy just as you showed, being able to re-use it is great , some designs are just not available as replacement in my experience
That kind of repair is exactly why I bought the Snap On gas soldering iron 40 years ago. (although Im not sure if it still works as I haven't used it at least 8 years)
I've never been a smoker but usually carried a lighter because it's so handy
I've used a very sharp pick to open and reuse terminals like that but I like the soldering option. Subscribed.
Love your work Kenny,
Keep it up
Wow dude! There are some diagnostic super wizards out there.
It appears there is still a missing part of that connector.
It snaps on the connector and retains all the wires & terminals into the connector body.
Great job by the way!
He’s gonna unplug it to fix the harness, just temporarily connected it to see if that was the fix
I thought that too lol
It's not missing. He took it off in the beginning of the video, but didn't put it back on, at least not in the video.
Not all terminales are used in a connector 😊,
The problem is, “parts changers” are right maybe 60-70% of the time. It’s risk management: throw a $30-$40 part at the problem vs $120-$150/hr diagnostics charge, and be right 60% of the time. Add in a DIY’r with a little experience, a decent code reader, and Google/U-Tube research skills, and the percentage is probably higher.
Well let me tell you, I retired after 45 years of which about the last third of it was working for the nation's largest retailer. For anyone that has ever worked for them I think you will be aware that their Florida headquarters must have a office of people just trying to figure out how to cut your pay. One day they walked into our dealership and said "we didn't need any more master techs, we just need warm bodies". From that point on they were hiring "technicians" who's primary skill was picking fruit. You don't know how sick it was having these kids walk up to me and tell me "this is the code I pulled, what part should I replace" ? And the thing that really set me off was the constant request to borrow tools because they didn't have anything and they wouldn't pay them enough to buy tools. I literally took two thirds of my toolbox home because I was so fed up with tools disappearing or would come back broken. As it approached the end of my stay the dealership was down to me and one other gentleman as Master techs. The rest of the "technicians" had no ASE's and very minimal factory training. It was the happiest day of my life when I walked into my general manager's office and told him I was done.
Excellent
Good morning!
Wiring harness problems are so painful to get actually fixed and complete
Good job 👏
Nice and neat I love it
Great video thanks Kenny ,showing in detail how to disassemble repair and reassemble that connector taught me more than watching ten general repair vids that just brush over such repair methods . Love your videos and your presentation is A1.
Nice diagnosis and repair
Nice video, I always learn something from your videos, like that it seems like you work on pretty much anything, Thanks again.
I had a mechanic tell me, you can go about this one of two ways. You can either A, have it professionally diagnosed or B, throw parts & money at it. Wise words of a good mechanic
A big part of being a good mechanic is being a perfectionist. It's easy to cut corners just to end up doing it twice.
great video....U really know what to do!!
Those cyclops lights are great. I wish I bought more when WWW mentioned them a year or two ago when they were a couple pennies less.
Nice job Kenny 👏👏👏👏
Great work and video. Thank you.
I went into this video curious about the thumbnail and finished it thinking about my time in the Navy. I did wiring and electrical repairs for over 20 years and the number of times that I’ve seen people throw parts at a problem instead of troubleshooting makes me sick. That was a great repair and a good lesson for everyone out there, thanks for sharing it!
My 2013 4Runner quit running. Took it to two car parts stores where the battery and alternator checked out good. But within a few minutes the lights went dim so I drove it home and parked it, with a kind tow truck driver following after he, too, found battery and alternator good. He referred me to a well-reputed service shop, and said he’d tow the 4Runner there for no extra charge (pun not intended).
After hours and hours of diagnostic testing, at a cost of $800, they decided that the alternator was bad. They replaced it, charging me $400 for the part which I found I could have purchased for about $250.
I’m not convinced that extensive - expensive - diagnosis is always better than seat-of-the-pants judgment. That kind of judgment comes from experience. Even with modern diagnostic tools there’s no substitute for the training that experience provides to the mind and memory.
I kick myself in the butt for not just buying an alternator and putting it in myself. If that didn’t fix it (which it would have) I would have at least found out that I had a truly more complex problem that required diagnostic tools and skills beyond my own.
You, sir, I’m confident would have done better than that shop. I perceive that you have been around cars since long before they were computerized. The shop who worked in my car seems to have had techs who had never worked on non-computerized cars.
Love your videos. Prayers for your wife’s recovery,
Like you did, Kenny you read the vehicle for it's simplicity! Someone reckless was under there again!
Awesome
Looked like someone had already been into that wiring harness, trying to fix the fuel gauge problem. Wire was probably broken at the connector but the wire jacket was still in place at the connector. Anyway, good find & fix!
Good lesson on diagnostics. My only question is did you use heat shrink with the glue on the inside or do you find that regular heat shrink is waterproof enough for these applications? Keep the good stuff coming.
Some mechanics just assume it's the fuel pump, but in hind sight they should have checked it with proper diagnostics. 😉 the days are gone when we just had 1 little wire from the dash going to the sender in the tank. - I Miss The youthful Body, But Not The Youthful Mind. I Miss The Old-Time Cars, Of Every Single Kind.
i usually have to be diagnosed but i have guessed on a part before and it was right. i read alot on my car and know it better than anyone. sometimes can get lucky but not always.
Kenny,
From a veteran electrician who started in the mining locomotive industry 50 years ago when solderless terminals were just coming into vogue and we used to heat solder in large steel cups in a blast furnace, , , , , , as you finally pulled out a soldering iron and used it in a video, I could hear choirs of angels sing.
Haha 😄 !!! Thanks Thomas !! I appreciate you !!! Hope all is well with you and your family !!
Yes sir makes me want to do a little dance 😊
Here in Memphis,TN. All of the electrical work I see done is by what I like to call the "Memphis twist and tape".
I sure try to diagnose everything but sometimes you just have to give up and start throwing parts at it and hope it fixes it. I won't do this to a customer's vehicle but my own like my 12 Ram 2500 Laramie, I know Ram/Dodge/Mopar whatever you want to call it have had badly designed front ends for a long time, even my first Mopar a 1970 Coronet 500 I was replacing ball joints and tie rods a lot, because they were undersized for the vehicle. Now the RAM after looking for worn/loose/bent parts I couldn't find anything wrong, so I sent it to 2 RAM Dealerships (against my better judgement) and even a garage Richard Rawlings had involvement in . Nobody could figure it out. They All refused to replace anything, so I started to upgrade parts like the Track Bar to a Carli, Ball Joints, it has teg correct tires, stock Ride height the only thing added is the Air Bags on the rear I don't use unless towing. it didn't fix it but did make it manageable to tow my camper. After pulling a 10000lb camper all around the USA for a year I stopped driving it and went back to My Yukon, I'm going to trade the truck for something else, I don't want to that Cummins is a great engine, I just can't take the white knuckle driving anymore, and its not just while towing, another reason I hate to sell it is because it's Pre DEF the last year of it's kind.
As I recall most times the direction of the gauge with most resistance is to the empty end. Having it stuck on the empty end is pretty clear sign of open wire to the sending unit.
Kenny nice job , that connecter is a Metri pac 150 you can tell by measuring it a 150 =1.5 mm a 200=2mm ect
Liked that one ☝️
Kenny don’t breathe those brake cleaner fumes! We want you to stick around a long time!! 😊. JR
Nice repair. Who ever replaced fuel pumps for fuel gauge problems is at a loss in auto repair. Keep up the good work.
Fuel level sender is usually a non-replaceable part of the fuel pump assembly. Most new cars you can not buy just the sending unit anymore.
For what it’s worth, the fuel pump in this truck is a tank module that incorporates the fuel level sender. The sender IS replaceable separately, but it is common practice to replace as a unit, especially if there are many miles on it. Furthermore, these trucks of this vintage were NOTORIOUS for having inaccurate fuel gauges due to faulty senders, although usually they would indicate a quarter tank while running out of fuel. So I can see why someone would have condemned the sender. Having said that, a road test after replacement would have shown pump replacement was an unsuccessful repair.
Good job chasing down and repairing that wire!
@@paulwindisch1423 these trucks had a bad habit of burning pumps up. Usually from running low on fuel too much or bad fuel pump ground. The senders are another basket case of their own as ive experienced plenty with inop senders. Mine went out twice along with 3 different fuel pumps that just stopped running
Good job! And i hear ya on the eyes. Gettin older sucks haha.
Thank You ! You and I are about the same age.... I do exactly what you do on this... I can't correctly properly fix anything unless i know why...... What is the exact issue !
Right?! Chasing wiring is always crazy. I start thinking it is one thing & end up finding issues along the way. Thanks for watching. Keep wrenching 🔧
I had a melted connector and just spliced in a "jump wire" around the connector with the 2 wires attached.... In a pinch..
I’d love to buy that truck! Wish I knew how to get in touch! 🤷♂️👍🏼🤔
My dealer tried to sell me a wiring harness for over $600.00 for a damaged connector. Said it was too new of a car.
I took the connector to a junkyard, and found one. From a car almost 10 years older.
You are right. They just want to toss parts.
Love your channel, Kenny, but wow: the stock price of brake cleaner manufacturers would really go up if every mechanic used as much brake cleaner as you do! Personally, I prefer to use stoddard solvent in a pressure-izable spray bottle. It's MUCH cheaper than buying cans of brake cleaner.
Oops, almost forgot: brake cleaner dissolves some kinds of plastic and paint, and it is hard to know beforehand whether it will or not, so sometimes you get a very unwelcome surprise. Stoddard solvent doesn't do that.
That's why where I worked they switched to a 55-gallon drum of acetone. And they gave us those old-school sprayers that you have to charge up with air pressure.
In a commercial shop, EPA is often the worst nemesis to the environment.
Its simpler and easier to use spray cans than to inventory and account for what wpuld often be better solutions.
Nice job Kenny , fixing something rather than throwing parts at it.
My kind of engineering 🖕🖕
you re a very anylitical thinking mechanic , soo you solve unusual curcumstances some LAZY or unimformed hacker mechanics just cant do ! I am learning by watching ya !
lol, So - I lost my Astro stick light and had to buy another. I swear my GF probably took it and used it somewhere. Well, A few months later in replacing my radiator in the car I found it inside next to the windsheild wiper water container! Still works. Had to charge it of course. I swear, If its not a magnetic light its a 10mm socket that always goes missing :)
When people start suing these shops for improper diagnoses this kind of thing will come to an end.
It's like Alfred Hitchcock at the beginning. A mystery. The Macguffin. What is the answer to the mystery. Good videos.
@14:40, you went too short on the heat shrink, and I generally go with two pieces, one shorter and another longer to double cover the splice. The 2nd piece I use has adhesive inside that seals the wire to be waterproof, otherwise the heat shrink you used will allow salt water to wick into the connection. Any salt that gets in there will change the chemistry of the copper into an oxidized non-conductor. And use a proper heat gun, they are cheap, and apply the right amount of heat.
one of the places i worked banned those disposable lighters because some welder lit one off in his pocket. took half his leg off. zippos were still ok though. on another note i really wish there was one place that listed and supplied terminals and housings. thats one reason i never toss any wire harness or part thereof. yep some suppliers have repair pigtails but never the one you need
Also, if one slides into the front windshield defroster it can blow up when the defroster is used. ben/ michigan
Maybe ya did it off camra but that harness needs to be taken down, wiped off reaped and the split loom put back on then put back into it body clips.
Honestly the fewer splices on the underside and outside of the cab the better every electrical connection is a spot that can coroid with electrolysis because its wet and electric power is being ran through it. I always cover a connection with grease then if it needs it heat shrink so the grease is incapulated at the splice and helps keep water away from the joint, dont you remember the 1970 to 2000 fords every connection had a ton of grease in it you pull a lamp bulb behind it was Lithium grease.
All the connection in the motor bay has grease in them. The grease repels water.
Im as old as you are or older all my experience on cars was on electrical systems. As a professional electronics installer.
I took a 1949 Willie's jeep truck and redid the entire electrical system from bumper to bumper from 6 volts to 12 volts and
From every bulb back using 10ga wire to everything, as well as installing a fuse box that uses blade style fuses, I used gm Chrysler and Ford color codes the door pins witches were 2 wire so that was wired up like a Ford, the owner put in a Ford 6 cylinder motor the ing switch was done as a gm turn signals used a kenworth style turn switch.
The ww wiper blades were a joke but worked it was a rope spring and pully system, I used modern headlams the dam parking lights were brighter then the orignal headlamp system. The guy drove it for about 15 years only thing it didn't have was a heater, and I was going to add a ceramic heater for him but he didn't want to spend the money.
The truck got sold to a collector.
hey Kenny whats the reason you rarely solder wires? Just curious because where you used a butt connector I would have soldered because thats how I was taught. Love the channel!
I don’t know why he does it but we do it because a properly crimped connection with hold up better to shock and vibration than solder will, as solder may have a tendency to crack under pressure much the same as my sister in law.
When you finished soldering put solder on the tip and turn it off. The solder when cooled will protect the tip from oxidising and your tip will last longer.
I have a 1988 Chevy K2500 truck and often when I try to accelerate, it wants to jerk instead of accelerating. I don’t know if it’s the fuel filter, MAP sensor or issue with the transmission or if any fuel additive could clear up the problem.
A knife and the ability to make fire goes back to the caveman days lol
Hey question Kenny...have you ever dealt with having to replace bad ground wires under the vehicle? Ive got one that was strapped across the brake line underneath drivers door that was from the frame to the chassis. The wire is totally dilapidated. I took it off the brake line but I need to replace it. Its one of those braided kind of ground wires. Well my question is what gauge wire should i replace it with? The parts store acts totally clueless on what I try to ask them for. Ik they have to have the grounding wires..cars wont function correctly without them. So I am stuck having to make my own.
My fuel gauge just quit yesterday in my Jeep ZJ. I have a Creader VII and I hooked it up and it says fuel sensor high voltage. I assume that means I need a new fuel pump?
You got good soldering skills. I've done more soldering on wires and electronics I couldn't possibly count, years of experience, I know a good soldering job just by looking at how it's done. Not bragging just been doing it for a long time. Funny thing is, I just fixed a one wire connector off a Mazda just the other day. It had the same problem as yours did. I'm just glad it was a one wire connector. Was able to remove the male end, bring it to my soldering station at my home and repair it basically the same way you just did.
Great job Kenny. Did you reinstall that wire holding harness on side of plug where you soldered the wire from when you buttoned everything up??? Just curious
Yes. Everything got put back I'm place. I found a nicer piece of loom on a wreck we had , and placed it all nicely back where it belongs . I'm quite picky about that kinda stuff . I want the next person to actually not be able to tell it was repaired if I can at all help it
@@WrenchingWithKenny thanks. I see how dedicated you are and meticulous but would have been nice to see, especiallt after seeing that rats nest of wires you started with
It was good to see not only the diagnosis but the craftmanship of the repair.
Had to laugh at the term. " Memphis twist and electrical tape"
I've fixed a few of those. They always work....long enough to get the car out of one shop, to find another to locate and rix the mrss.
They don’t teach to diagnose the problem anymore they teach to throw parts at it. That’s with everything now days.