Spoke with the customer and he just wanted it to run. He said he will take care of the wiring and the misfire. Just didn't have the tools to figure out why it wouldn't run. Close the hood, pull it out and see you guys on the next one! -Eric O.
Ahhh perfect I have closure. I wish the gentleman luck with the rest of his issues great job diagnosing this I would've gone after the chewed wires and the thing still wouldn't run
@@gregsly1247 His videos are usually good. However I do have a question. According to UA-cam this video is up since 50 minutes ago. I am really puzzled that your comment is already 2 days old. Am I missing something?
I’m 68 been a mechanic/tech for 50 years. Still working out of my shop at home, since 1987. As much as I bitch about these new cars and all their electronics I love the challenge of working on them and figuring out electrical and drivability issues. Thank you for what you do.
I have a great buddy who owns an honest buy here/pay here lot and mechanic shop in the hood. He really cares about the people. He bought a large lot next door and I watched him fill that lot with totaled wrecks he bought at auction. He figured out the most common lines of vehicles his customers wanted to buy or wanted to get repaired, and he knew what totaled vehicles to buy at auction to pick parts off of for those customers. It saved them money, and he made money selling the cars and repairs. I thought he was nuts, but the more I have learned since watching you, the more I realize how many parts show up in car after car, year after year. It broke my heart when I realized that the Cadillac I inherited from my dad is really just a glorified Monte Carlo in many aspects! Anyway, my buddy is as rich as an honest man can be, and that's just one way he does it. And his lot looks a heck of a lot like Wilburts!
In 1974, fifty-years-ago, General Motors sold the Chevy Nova, the Oldsmobile Omega, the Buick Ventura, and the Pontiac Apollo. Every part of these four models was identical, with the only difference being the visible surfaces; inside and out. Note particularly the coincidence of the name of the Chevy version---N.O.V.A.
My first car (in 1994) was a well-rusted '86 Olds Firenza, aka Chevy Cavalier, Pontiac J2000, Buick Skyhawk, and Cadillac Cimmaron. GM did that kind of thing a lot. Your buddy was smart. That's a great way to have rare parts on hand!
MAF has a screen so it wont suck up small children or animals...😁😆😁😆. I retired two years ago, so your videos are a great opportunity to stay somewhat current with the tech and systems. You may not remember me, we emailed a few times over the years. 40 year auto industry career, 37 with GM CCA. Thanks for being you and I'm looking forward to the million subscriber whats up Wednesday episode.
I just wanted to drop in and say thank you for what you do. I've been a mechanic on long island for 10 years and you honestly changed my diagnostic game forever. I used to fall asleep to your videos years back Cheers brother
Wilberts is really the most amazingly organized salvage yard I have ever seen. When I think of the hours I spent rolling around in tic infested weeds looking for parts that may or may not be on the actual vehicle.... I used to go to one here in the SW that was basically a small town that slowly became a large salvage yard. The directions would literally be: Go down and hook a right on 6th street, drive a quarter mile. The Fords are all out in the field to the left...
Eric, I'm 49 y/o. But when I grow up, I want to be like you. Lol! Man, you are really good at what you do. Lord bless you. I could watch your videos all day. Very knowledgeable. Thank you for your service.
I used to love going to “auto junkyards” when I was young. Several years ago I went with my son who was building a race car and needed a fuel tank for an Acura. We went to the local yards and all the tanks were unusable because the yards drilled holes in the plastic tanks to remove any fuel. As I recall he finally found a good one on line and bought it. Wilbert’s looks like a very well maintained yard!
I do hope they change that practice of damaging parts, but I doubt they ever will. Metal tanks rust, plastic tanks can be drilled when they are full of fuel. People need to occasionally replace them.
Come on Eric needs comments for the algorithm. He has an agreement with the lawn mower guy. Lawn mower guy mows while Eric is videoing and Eric runs air tools while lawn mower man explains cutting, weeding, feeding and the finer aspects of lawn care on the Avoca Lawn Care Channel. A win-win against the You Tube.
Thank you for posting this excellent video! I watched Part 1 as well. I hope your mechanic customer has also watched both these parts, and profited from them.
Unfortunately here in my country (the Netherlands) yards are not allowed anymore (because of soil and groundwater contamination mainly). They are now called car deconstruct companies and you pay for it when buying a new car. They just deconstruct the car and put everythig usable that came off it, on a website and store it in a dry heated hall. All better, but I do miss the strawl on the yard between the wrecks.
I hear you Eric. I've gotten myself into trouble a number of times by fixing things because I felt like it was the right thing to do without being asked to do those things. It got a lot worse than not being able to charge my time for it, but also going so far as being accused of either lying about those problems, and or causing the problem in order to get more work, both things being the farthest thing from my mind. I learned that the person asking for the work needs to be the one to discover the problem and even then I would sometimes get accused of causing the problem to get more work if I touched it at all. That's never been in my nature. If anything I would err on the side of giving my time away rather than stealing from people. It's a strange world when you mean well, and want the best for people but instead they assume you're a crook. Maybe they're projecting their own personality. I don't know. I just know that everything you're saying about this is sound wisdom.
Same for me, more than once over 38 years of wrenching. Now with all these new cars and a gazillion modules it’s ever worse. Medically retired from all the wear and tears. Some days I miss but most days I don’t.
Everyone sees & thinks differently, and people can be weird in many fascinating ways. Some have bad intentions, others simply ignorant and oblivious, yet their behaviour could be identical. It’s always been this way and i can’t see why it would ever change.. it’s life. I’ve had the same experiences from working on customers vehicles my whole career, just not as a mechanic though. I’ve also had a pretty terrible experience from a smaller two person owner-operator shop I had booked in for tyres and general suspension work. They did none of the work we had booked, instead It dragged out while they tried to nickel and dime me it was one of the shittiest most helpless experience I’ve ever been through getting fleeced
I've been on the customer side of this and it's not pretty. Last year all I asked the shop to do was check for leaks and convert it to R134. Instead they messed around with our SUV for two days "trying to get it working as best as possible". Thanks to their efforts I have an engine block covered in UV dye. Took it back they want $1200 to replace the compressor with non OEM. Straight up robbery. Used a UV light and found there is one o-ring leaking at a blank behind a snap ring (GM R4 compressor) and I'll bet $100 they caused it. I checked pressures with my gauges and it was a mess of oil and dye I had to clean off the gauge connectors. I suspect they overcharged the system to get temps down and also put too much UV dye and too much oil in the system. Over pressurized the system (oil doesn't compress) leading to seeping around the o-ring. If I had access to a recovery machine I'd do it myself. Messing around trying to get it working for two days made me mad. It's an R134 conversion. The condenser is too small it will never be ice cold sitting idling. However on the freeway it blows ice cold enough to freeze you out! Check for leaks and refill according to the sticker is all I asked for. It's literally push the button on the machine and it does it for you but yet they still screwed it up. Then made me double mad they want $1200 to fix their mistake when all it needs is a 50 cent o ring. This nonsense is why the public distrusts the auto repair industry.
Eric, I had to laugh when you were talking about Techline Connect. I couldn’t agree more when you were saying that it only works 50% of the time. I had that very same thought the other day when I was programming a Silverado. In fact at one point, I believe about a week or so Techline Connect claim their systems were down. So I was SOL for the day. It was around 3:30 pm my time when it came back on line. Bottom line is I always dread having to pick up the GM Scanner because I know it’s gonna be a headache every time. Ron
As the owner of a 2006 Impala LT with 178,000 miles and no major issues I found this video very informative. I was a mechanic for roughly fifteen years and still do my own work on my car. Thanks for sharing this in depth footage!!
Well Eric O what can I say. I am a retired GM mechanic that worked on them for 50 years. A broken wire was sometimes very difficult to find, but you knew it would fix the problem when you fixed the wire! Since I worked at a Dealership using salvage parts was not going to happen. I am not saying it is a bad idea, clearly it works. Many times, when the vehicle was under factory warranty, we would replace a module, and it would not fix it? We would track down the broken wire, label the old module "TEST MODULE', put it in the toolbox to use on the next one that we think the module is bad. I know someone will think I was sticking it to the customer, no it was under warranty and I was making GM pay for bad diagnostics. The test module would save me time on the next one. You took on the 'NIGHTMARE FROM HELL'. First the wiring was chewed up from mice! Next the customer had already been working on it. And last but not least, it would not run. Most shops would have passed on working on this. Good job. In Oklahoma between Squirrels, mice, rats, I had to repair a lot of destroyed wiring harnesses. Yes some of them was repaired under warranty, because GM should not have made the wiring harness taste so good. Someone told me the harness manufacture used peanut oil on the wires to help pull the wires through. ??
More modern vehicles use biodegradable wires/more natural covering on them. The old plastic cover wasn't tasty, the new stuff is soy based, and I don't know if it tastes good, or just not bad, but rodents like it.
The manufacturer and their engineers are really morons, because they are aware of the problem with peer. Why not use capsaicin oil, or peppermint oil or pest tape. Rodents are attracted to peanuts. It just boggles my mind. Actually I believe that they want customers cars to break down, so that their stealerships could sell a new wire harness.
Nobody like you Eric I apreciate your knowledge,Wizdom and humor all the while you show how humble you are, I am far in Pa. but some day I would like to visit you. God Bless you and your Family.😊
Its amazing to think of how many cars have been scrapped for a wiring issue. When I was a kid I would go to a junk yard and find a good battery and just go from car to car and apply power and see what came to life.
You should have sent him to the dealer to get some wire harness work for 6k. Always love your vids Eric. Bin watching you for many years and have learned so much. Thank you for all you do!!
I bought the lisle tool for connectors also, and have never used also😂. I really use my pocket snapon screw driver for all plugs, and alot of other stuff. I really use that pocket screw driver for ALOT😂!!
I don't even see why you needed to explain why you didn't carry on and fix the other issues. As you said, you fix what you were contracted to fix and that is it. Sure, note the other issues and then let the customer know. It is then the customers decision as to if they wish you to carry on and fix everything or it is a thank you for letting me know, I will fix it myself. That is not just commonsense ( which we already know is becoming a very rare thing and for those who still have this gift, Cherish it) but, it is also normal business practice. You are afterall a business, not a charity. Keep safe and well everyone :)
I thought GM BCMs couldn't replace and program that once programmed one time that was it. Learned something with this video. The only other thing I would add is crank variation relearn is important for accurate misfire diagnostics. I've seen doing that make a false misfire reading go away. And Wilbert's should have some golf carts for you to use in their yard.
i know for a fact the 2000-2005 were not interchangeable/reprogrammable. i had to replace a bcm in my old 01. it had to be programmed by the vin number.
Hi all, Up here in the the part of Canada, where I live, and yes we are in the rust AND road salt belt here. we have our own version of Wilbert's. It's called Kenny U-Pull, and it's organized exactly like Wilbert's. It's like a treasure trove in the various yards, if you need it, they will probably have it somewhere. My brother and I made a roadtrip of 185 miles each way just to get parts for a Volvo Convertible. it was pretty cool to do it. Eric, you have great Integrity. Extreme Respect. Cheers from Montreal Canada
Hi Eric. I'm enjoying your diagnosis and repair on the Impala. I'm 75 and used to work for a large "Auto Dismantling" in Northern California in the 70s. We were on about 125 acres. Our advertising slogans were "What Is Your Car But Used Parts", and "Used, But Not Abused". My Son is an A.S.E. Auto Mechanic (LOL...) in Southern California. After working in sales at the Auto Dismantler, I worked at a Chevy Dealership in many capacities, including Mechanic to General Manager. I'm retired now, from a largely known insurance company after 30 years. Please keep doing what you do and sharing with the world. Tell Mrs "O" thank you from one of her fans.
That Impala looks pretty good for its age, I guess it has minimal salt rot so worth fixing. I hope the engine miss isn't expensive to fix by the mechanic/owner. Meanwhile a car keeps on going for few more good years. Having a good junkyard helps you. Too bad they have disappeared where I am in New Jersey due to property costs, pollution laws, declining demand.
Thank you for all of the years of learning. I have watched your videos all the way through my apprenticeship. I have no problem sending you three dollars per month.
Thank you for all your videos they sure help I'm a back yard mechanic but I try I'm working on my sister impala no start on crank i don't have the test equipment but I will change that box you changed i will have to take and get it program but it thanks for all your help God bless you and your family
Appreciate the little gems about human nature along the way to another successful repair. Along with 905K other subscribers, much appreciate all that you give us opportunity to learn. Thank you.
Enjoy watching your videos. It's refreshing to see the honesty, care, diligence to look after your customers. I started to send you a tool reminder after the first video. I said, no to be sure he'll gather up what he needs since he knows what exact part and how many were supposedly available. I am wondering if you might go to Wilberts with what you have in hand to increase the drama factor. Almost time to relocate away from the land of rust and taxes. If you want the snowy weather, that's only 4 to 5 hours away. Or you can pick somewhere in between. We'll welcome you even though you have that Yankee in you. Believe me, you'd have pleanty of company with others that finally realized the Southern life is much more enjoyable.
Wilberts should let a film crew come on his lot and do a 'junk yard wars" where they throw a car together and then have a crash derby. lol. New show every other week. He could make the big time
WOW, well my 2006 CHEVY IMPALA is still running good. I have taken very good care of that car. Just had it repainted 2 years ago and MACCO did a fantastic job.
My dad was a Chevrolet guy. Our family sedan was an Impala or Caprice for years and years.. My first recollection was a 1957 four door lilac colored Impala with a white roof!
Changing the BCM on GM vehicles 100% can cause you to have to do a crank or cam relearn. It's a curvball for the driveway mechanic that requires a fancy scan tool assuming you didn't already have one to program the BCM. It can also cause a misfire before you do the relearn. If you're reading this before it goes out the door, do a relearn.
@@slalomking you're not kidding. I electively replaced my BCM in my HHR to gain factory remote start. The hoops I jumped through were absolutely insane. In this video Eric uses GM software to program the BCM, what I did was I actually had to open the donor BCM to get to the eeprom chip, put a clip directly on it so I could read it, manually change the VIN number and the mileage in the hex file, then flash the eeprom chip. If I had used GM's service, it would have configured the BCM with the factory options which did not include factory remote start. And that's how I know replacing the BCM causes a misfire and throws a code for crank and/or cam relearn. Eric made a follow-up comment claiming he did it right, that arrogance annoys me a little. Given the situation the customer didn't care, but technically Eric did not complete the BCM replacement if he didn't do the re-learn. Hopefully the customer has a fancy enough scan tool to do the re-learn himself or he's going to be paying another mechanic. My autel ap200 can't do it, luckily I'm able to use a 3rd party adaptor and tech2win to do it and it was only a $100 investment.
For a BCM +5V VREF output you would think it would be separate from the logic +5V supply, so if VREF failed the digital core would still be working. If there is only one +5V supply for both VREF and logic than if the on-board voltage regulator circuit failed the BCM would basically be dead. The good news is a failed module power supply is easy to repair. When ever I swap a module I treat the connector pins with Deoxit D5 spray before reassembly. This will clean and lubricate the connector pins. If the pins have a lot of oxidation I use Deoxit D100L in the small brush bottle and then apply to the module pins (usually male) then cycle the seating of the connector a couple of times. You can actually feed the pins free up and the oxidation is removed as you cycle the connector. I have had old modules that were sitting on the shelf with heavily oxidized pins and after applying D100L I just keep cycling the connector until I feed the pins loosen up (Deoxit includes a pin lubricant), perhaps 4 to 5 cycles, then reinspect the pins.
I will not stop watching, Eric is good at what he does and takes pride in his work two things you really want in a mechanic and very hard to find, however I'm relegated to being a second class subscriber, and have to wait for members who get to see the video first, I know nothing about how UA-cam works, I'm just wondering if all the subscribers dropped this channel and only members were left, would there be any regret, any lost income, I don't know, maybe it's good to have a hiarky, for subscribers, I'll continue to be appreciative of my blessing to get to see part 2 at a later date, so that members can feel special.
Original wires, maybe original plugs. The owner wants to give it a shot before it comes back to South Main Auto. Thanks for showing us the way Mr. O. I hope my '04 WT doesn't have one of those BCMs.
I am always surprised that once a car or truck passes the ten year old mark, lots of parts are not available from a dealer. So you're stuck with aftermarket junk. After watching these videos, often the junkyard is a dark better option. I'm an old man still learning from Eric O. - Thanks
>>>> Loved the video Again enjoyed your method of deduction and of course your testing process and mindset, plus having great tools doesn’t hurt either. !! Great Advise !! Only do what was agreed upon period, stop there and communicate with your customer to update them. If they want more work they will let you know. Your labor, your talent, your experience, your toolset, and your intellectual property must be paid for in full. This is your product and shouldn’t be given away for free, it is your business and not your charity. This applies to any and all work and business environments. Thank you Eric
The trip to Wilbur’s reminded me of a place called shortys in Bridgeport Pa, in the 90’s I would go looking for GM A body parts, and I saw row after row of the olds cutlass’, all died because of the ECM death sentence. Nice repair Eric.
Excellent video, made better with a cameo by Mrs. O. You're right - you're in the business of fixing what the customer wants to have fixed. I went to a dermatologist for a skin cancer on my back, a procedure mostly covered by insurance. He surprised me by squirting liquid nitrogen on a brown spot (harmless) on my cheek, for which he charged me $100, not covered by insurance.
As for "calling it quits" ...it's not your car so you're gonna either working for free on stuff or start spending someone else's money that doesn't want to spend it, you do what you were hired to do and notify them of "hey we found xyz" and move on. I'm pretty sure there isn't one mechanic in my area that would make a trip to the junkyard to help fix a car faster and save the customer money, you are a good person and great mechanic Eric.
Great to see that you still believe in doing what is right. Some people like to try to take advantage of shops bring in vehicles that have multiple issues but telling the shop on one of the issues hoping to have everything fixed so the issue they brought it for can be fixed. When I was in LE i went to a shop on a call of fraud. The shop had fixed the problem given by the owner but none of the other issues. The owner's claim was that they should have fixed everything to get the vehicle running. After listening to both sides I told the owner you got what you paid for and the man wants you off his property. Owner did not like it and left.
Damn, I wish something would break so I could go to the U-Pull for parts. Sorry I bought Toyotas so I don't get as many junkyard outings as I once did.
Love your work. Your diagnostic expertise is exemplary. There are a lot of maker challenges that UA-camrs in the maker world set for each other, and it can be really enjoyable stuff. Would you consider setting up a challenge with one or more other mechanic UA-camrs to send each other cars with issues you created to see how long it takes them to figure them out and fix them?
Love visiting Wilbert's and see his "" Yard "" full of explorable cars and trucks and what not !!!!! That box had screwed up all that working stuff and replacing that box fixed it all !!!!! Love these sleuth videos and solving them with Sherlock Eric !!!!! Never a dull moment at Avoca SMA !!!!!!! Hope he gives you the job to find the miss, more sleuthing.
Going from a private fleet technician for so many years (16) to a dealer technician, the hardest thing for me to do was STOP fixing things. Just doing what the customer had asked for and having to get their permission to do any extra work was a difficult change. In the fleet, if you saw something wrong, you just fixed it, because it saved downtime, and unplanned downtime wasn't an option. Fix it while its down so it doesn't need to return. But working for billable hours is a big difference.
Love these Wilberts videos reminds me of when i was younger and going to pinch-a-part here in Aus to fix my car. Sadly i don’t live anywhere near one anymore.
Nice fix. One of our pick n pulls is set up like Wilberts except ours doesn't leave any tires or rims on the cars. They sell those separately inside if they are any good. They also use old steel wheels welded together to mount the vehicles on.
I got to say the way Eric's mind works in diagnosing problems the trip to New York would it be worth it if you had a serious problem with your automobile. Eric at South main Auto you're the best!
Eric, walking down a row at Wilbert's eyeing. the treasures quiescently rusting there, "I used to work on that one. This one looks familiar. I think I fixed that one a couple of times. This one here used to belong to a buddy of mine.". I dunno. Maybe time to change his signature sign off to "Remember, if I can't fix it, nobody can." Love ya Eric O. 😁
Spoke with the customer and he just wanted it to run. He said he will take care of the wiring and the misfire. Just didn't have the tools to figure out why it wouldn't run. Close the hood, pull it out and see you guys on the next one!
-Eric O.
SO you came back here just to brag that you made the right call? 😀 j/k Keep up the great work!
When a mechanic of +40 years takes it to you, That's Respect!
Ahhh perfect I have closure. I wish the gentleman luck with the rest of his issues great job diagnosing this I would've gone after the chewed wires and the thing still wouldn't run
So you're telling me you didn't fix it for free.. and then give the guy $10k dollen prize money.. like mRBeast does?
That's why we follow the facts 😉 and not guesses @@Qballl
I could spend all day just walking around the junk yard. Something magical about it.
👍👍
That’s awesome
I like this..
Totally agree!!
It's the smell. And when cars used 90w gear oil, it smelled even better!
It's like a land of wealth just waiting to be harvested. lol..
Yet it gets scrapped so readily
My first real job was working at Wilbert’s, I was 15. There was only one yard then. Great people, I’m 65 now and still keep in touch.
We love hearing these stories, thank you for keeping up with us and our favorite UA-camr!
Great video, Wilbert's field trip and a visit from Mrs O😁
@@gregsly1247 His videos are usually good. However I do have a question. According to UA-cam this video is up since 50 minutes ago. I am really puzzled that your comment is already 2 days old. Am I missing something?
I like the field trips to Wilbert’s as well as seeing Mrs O’s smile.
@@Roads_of_Europe The video is released to members first, then to the rest of the world
@@Roads_of_Europeyes because he was a member of eric o and if you join you watch it before public thats what the star is for.❤
@@peterg3661 Thank you. That makes sense...
You need a Wilberts tool bag that lives in your work vehicle. 😊😊
That’s awesome
I like this..
I’m 68 been a mechanic/tech for 50 years. Still working out of my shop at home, since 1987. As much as I bitch about these new cars and all their electronics I love the challenge of working on them and figuring out electrical and drivability issues. Thank you for what you do.
I have a great buddy who owns an honest buy here/pay here lot and mechanic shop in the hood. He really cares about the people. He bought a large lot next door and I watched him fill that lot with totaled wrecks he bought at auction. He figured out the most common lines of vehicles his customers wanted to buy or wanted to get repaired, and he knew what totaled vehicles to buy at auction to pick parts off of for those customers. It saved them money, and he made money selling the cars and repairs. I thought he was nuts, but the more I have learned since watching you, the more I realize how many parts show up in car after car, year after year. It broke my heart when I realized that the Cadillac I inherited from my dad is really just a glorified Monte Carlo in many aspects! Anyway, my buddy is as rich as an honest man can be, and that's just one way he does it. And his lot looks a heck of a lot like Wilburts!
Well there was no Cadillac W-body so not sure if you are referring to an Eldorado but it is not related to a Monte Carlo.
In 1974, fifty-years-ago, General Motors sold the Chevy Nova, the Oldsmobile Omega, the Buick Ventura, and the Pontiac Apollo. Every part of these four models was identical, with the only difference being the visible surfaces; inside and out. Note particularly the coincidence of the name of the Chevy version---N.O.V.A.
My first car (in 1994) was a well-rusted '86 Olds Firenza, aka Chevy Cavalier, Pontiac J2000, Buick Skyhawk, and Cadillac Cimmaron. GM did that kind of thing a lot.
Your buddy was smart. That's a great way to have rare parts on hand!
“As rich as an honest man can be” what an awesome quote.
What is a buy here/pay here lot?
MAF has a screen so it wont suck up small children or animals...😁😆😁😆. I retired two years ago, so your videos are a great opportunity to stay somewhat current with the tech and systems. You may not remember me, we emailed a few times over the years. 40 year auto industry career, 37 with GM CCA. Thanks for being you and I'm looking forward to the million subscriber whats up Wednesday episode.
That’s awesome
I like this..
I love when you go to the pick your part, it's like when we went on a field trip in school, nice to get away.😀
That’s awesome
I like this..
Wilberts saves the day, what a great recycling business
That’s awesome
I like this..
I just wanted to drop in and say thank you for what you do. I've been a mechanic on long island for 10 years and you honestly changed my diagnostic game forever.
I used to fall asleep to your videos years back
Cheers brother
Eric,you really lay it down for your customers and UA-camrs! Love and respect for you! Thanks!
Wilberts is really the most amazingly organized salvage yard I have ever seen.
When I think of the hours I spent rolling around in tic infested weeds looking for parts that may or may not be on the actual vehicle....
I used to go to one here in the SW that was basically a small town that slowly became a large salvage yard. The directions would literally be: Go down and hook a right on 6th street, drive a quarter mile. The Fords are all out in the field to the left...
That’s awesome
I like this..
We do our best to keep the weeds and ticks away! 😂 Thanks for the compliment!
Ya do what you're hired to do and that's the deal. Perfectly done!
That’s awesome
I like this..
I love when you go to Wilbert's. I wish I had a junk yard like that where I live.
Eric, I'm 49 y/o. But when I grow up, I want to be like you. Lol! Man, you are really good at what you do. Lord bless you. I could watch your videos all day. Very knowledgeable. Thank you for your service.
That’s awesome
I like this.
I used to love going to “auto junkyards” when I was young. Several years ago I went with my son who was building a race car and needed a fuel tank for an Acura. We went to the local yards and all the tanks were unusable because the yards drilled holes in the plastic tanks to remove any fuel. As I recall he finally found a good one on line and bought it. Wilbert’s looks like a very well maintained yard!
I do hope they change that practice of damaging parts, but I doubt they ever will. Metal tanks rust, plastic tanks can be drilled when they are full of fuel. People need to occasionally replace them.
Yes, they do that at pretty much all junkyards these days, not to mention puncturing the stamped steel oil and transmission drain pans as well.
Truck driver from Elmira watching a guy from Avoca while sitting in truck stop in bath but love the videos very informative for this driveway mechanic
That mower gets some incredible hours
Right? I wonder how much fuel he goes through in a week...
@Hey_Its_That_😂Guy
@@AlonzoJohnson-l4m Beep...beep!
@@Hey_Its_That_Guy Lawnmower Guy changed to a battery mower.
Don't know what was running in the background
Come on Eric needs comments for the algorithm. He has an agreement with the lawn mower guy. Lawn mower guy mows while Eric is videoing and Eric runs air tools while lawn mower man explains cutting, weeding, feeding and the finer aspects of lawn care on the Avoca Lawn Care Channel. A win-win against the You Tube.
Thank you for posting this excellent video! I watched Part 1 as well. I hope your mechanic customer has also watched both these parts, and profited from them.
Wilbert’s has to be the cleanest yard I’ve ever seen. Gonna have to take a ride up and see it sometime.
Unfortunately here in my country (the Netherlands) yards are not allowed anymore (because of soil and groundwater contamination mainly). They are now called car deconstruct companies and you pay for it when buying a new car. They just deconstruct the car and put everythig usable that came off it, on a website and store it in a dry heated hall. All better, but I do miss the strawl on the yard between the wrecks.
We can’t wait to see you!
I hear you Eric. I've gotten myself into trouble a number of times by fixing things because I felt like it was the right thing to do without being asked to do those things. It got a lot worse than not being able to charge my time for it, but also going so far as being accused of either lying about those problems, and or causing the problem in order to get more work, both things being the farthest thing from my mind.
I learned that the person asking for the work needs to be the one to discover the problem and even then I would sometimes get accused of causing the problem to get more work if I touched it at all.
That's never been in my nature. If anything I would err on the side of giving my time away rather than stealing from people.
It's a strange world when you mean well, and want the best for people but instead they assume you're a crook.
Maybe they're projecting their own personality. I don't know.
I just know that everything you're saying about this is sound wisdom.
Same for me, more than once over 38 years of wrenching. Now with all these new cars and a gazillion modules it’s ever worse. Medically retired from all the wear and tears. Some days I miss but most days I don’t.
I've seen the old platitude SO many times; 'No good deed goes unpunished.'
That’s awesome
I like this..
Everyone sees & thinks differently, and people can be weird in many fascinating ways. Some have bad intentions, others simply ignorant and oblivious, yet their behaviour could be identical. It’s always been this way and i can’t see why it would ever change.. it’s life.
I’ve had the same experiences from working on customers vehicles my whole career, just not as a mechanic though. I’ve also had a pretty terrible experience from a smaller two person owner-operator shop I had booked in for tyres and general suspension work. They did none of the work we had booked, instead It dragged out while they tried to nickel and dime me it was one of the shittiest most helpless experience I’ve ever been through getting fleeced
I've been on the customer side of this and it's not pretty. Last year all I asked the shop to do was check for leaks and convert it to R134. Instead they messed around with our SUV for two days "trying to get it working as best as possible". Thanks to their efforts I have an engine block covered in UV dye. Took it back they want $1200 to replace the compressor with non OEM. Straight up robbery. Used a UV light and found there is one o-ring leaking at a blank behind a snap ring (GM R4 compressor) and I'll bet $100 they caused it. I checked pressures with my gauges and it was a mess of oil and dye I had to clean off the gauge connectors. I suspect they overcharged the system to get temps down and also put too much UV dye and too much oil in the system. Over pressurized the system (oil doesn't compress) leading to seeping around the o-ring. If I had access to a recovery machine I'd do it myself.
Messing around trying to get it working for two days made me mad. It's an R134 conversion. The condenser is too small it will never be ice cold sitting idling. However on the freeway it blows ice cold enough to freeze you out! Check for leaks and refill according to the sticker is all I asked for. It's literally push the button on the machine and it does it for you but yet they still screwed it up. Then made me double mad they want $1200 to fix their mistake when all it needs is a 50 cent o ring. This nonsense is why the public distrusts the auto repair industry.
Excellent work as always Eric!! Extremely informative.
That’s awesome
I like this..
Eric, I had to laugh when you were talking about Techline Connect. I couldn’t agree more when you were saying that it only works 50% of the time. I had that very same thought the other day when I was programming a Silverado. In fact at one point, I believe about a week or so Techline Connect claim their systems were down. So I was SOL for the day. It was around 3:30 pm my time when it came back on line.
Bottom line is I always dread having to pick up the GM Scanner because I know it’s gonna be a headache every time. Ron
As the owner of a 2006 Impala LT with 178,000 miles and no major issues I found this video very informative. I was a mechanic for roughly fifteen years and still do my own work on my car. Thanks for sharing this in depth footage!!
Well Eric O what can I say. I am a retired GM mechanic that worked on them for 50 years. A broken wire was sometimes very difficult to find, but you knew it would fix the problem when you fixed the wire! Since I worked at a Dealership using salvage parts was not going to happen. I am not saying it is a bad idea, clearly it works. Many times, when the vehicle was under factory warranty, we would replace a module, and it would not fix it? We would track down the broken wire, label the old module "TEST MODULE', put it in the toolbox to use on the next one that we think the module is bad. I know someone will think I was sticking it to the customer, no it was under warranty and I was making GM pay for bad diagnostics. The test module would save me time on the next one. You took on the 'NIGHTMARE FROM HELL'. First the wiring was chewed up from mice! Next the customer had already been working on it. And last but not least, it would not run. Most shops would have passed on working on this. Good job. In Oklahoma between Squirrels, mice, rats, I had to repair a lot of destroyed wiring harnesses. Yes some of them was repaired under warranty, because GM should not have made the wiring harness taste so good. Someone told me the harness manufacture used peanut oil on the wires to help pull the wires through. ??
More modern vehicles use biodegradable wires/more natural covering on them. The old plastic cover wasn't tasty, the new stuff is soy based, and I don't know if it tastes good, or just not bad, but rodents like it.
That’s awesome
I like this..
The manufacturer and their engineers are really morons, because they are aware of the problem with peer. Why not use capsaicin oil, or peppermint oil or pest tape. Rodents are attracted to peanuts. It just boggles my mind. Actually I believe that they want customers cars to break down, so that their stealerships could sell a new wire harness.
I applaud you for 50 years! I put in 37 years at the same dealership. It felt like a second home to me.
Nobody like you Eric I apreciate your knowledge,Wizdom and humor all the while you show how humble you are, I am far in Pa. but some day I would like to visit you. God Bless you and your Family.😊
Always love seeing the Wilberts junkyard walk, they're so well organized.
That’s awesome
I like this..
"I'll be right in Mrs O".... 1 hour later... I'm impressed and doff my hat to you.
That’s awesome
I like this..
There was a customer inside. lol.. Do you think they invited a third or something?
Its amazing to think of how many cars have been scrapped for a wiring issue. When I was a kid I would go to a junk yard and find a good battery and just go from car to car and apply power and see what came to life.
You're the man, Eric.
You should have sent him to the dealer to get some wire harness work for 6k. Always love your vids Eric. Bin watching you for many years and have learned so much. Thank you for all you do!!
You accomplished what was requested by the customer. If he wants more, new video and more diagnostic charges.
Good one Mr. O. Nice to see Mrs. O.
Very organized yard. Good lesson as usual
He's lucky, sitting for two years in the rust belt usually does a lot more damage to a car! Thanks for sharing this with us!
I bought the lisle tool for connectors also, and have never used also😂. I really use my pocket snapon screw driver for all plugs, and alot of other stuff. I really use that pocket screw driver for ALOT😂!!
That’s awesome
I like this..
I love it that you always give us the updates .most YT mechanic don't. Thanks Eric
I don't even see why you needed to explain why you didn't carry on and fix the other issues. As you said, you fix what you were contracted to fix and that is it. Sure, note the other issues and then let the customer know. It is then the customers decision as to if they wish you to carry on and fix everything or it is a thank you for letting me know, I will fix it myself. That is not just commonsense ( which we already know is becoming a very rare thing and for those who still have this gift, Cherish it) but, it is also normal business practice. You are afterall a business, not a charity. Keep safe and well everyone :)
Its not bad he says it. I'm sure there are aspiring shop owners on here, its a good lesson for them.
Love. When. You. Plug. In. The. New part. Then. Every thing. Works. Amazing. ❤❤❤❤❤❤
That’s awesome
I like this..
I thought GM BCMs couldn't replace and program that once programmed one time that was it. Learned something with this video. The only other thing I would add is crank variation relearn is important for accurate misfire diagnostics. I've seen doing that make a false misfire reading go away. And Wilbert's should have some golf carts for you to use in their yard.
i know for a fact the 2000-2005 were not interchangeable/reprogrammable. i had to replace a bcm in my old 01. it had to be programmed by the vin number.
Hi all,
Up here in the the part of Canada, where I live, and yes we are in the rust AND road salt belt here. we have our own version of Wilbert's. It's called Kenny U-Pull, and it's organized exactly like Wilbert's. It's like a treasure trove in the various yards, if you need it, they will probably have it somewhere. My brother and I made a roadtrip of 185 miles each way just to get parts for a Volvo Convertible. it was pretty cool to do it. Eric, you have great Integrity. Extreme Respect.
Cheers from Montreal Canada
That’s awesome
I like this.
Hi Eric. I'm enjoying your diagnosis and repair on the Impala. I'm 75 and used to work for a large "Auto Dismantling" in Northern California in the 70s. We were on about 125 acres. Our advertising slogans were "What Is Your Car But Used Parts", and "Used, But Not Abused". My Son is an A.S.E. Auto Mechanic (LOL...) in Southern California. After working in sales at the Auto Dismantler, I worked at a Chevy Dealership in many capacities, including Mechanic to General Manager. I'm retired now, from a largely known insurance company after 30 years. Please keep doing what you do and sharing with the world. Tell Mrs "O" thank you from one of her fans.
That’s awesome
I like this
That Impala looks pretty good for its age, I guess it has minimal salt rot so worth fixing. I hope the engine miss isn't expensive to fix by the mechanic/owner. Meanwhile a car keeps on going for few more good years. Having a good junkyard helps you. Too bad they have disappeared where I am in New Jersey due to property costs, pollution laws, declining demand.
That’s awesome
I like this
Wow those rims !!! (@2:11) are worth gold here in central valley Ca. !!!
I like my disconnect pliers. They are a relief to my arthritic finger joints
I purchased the Lisle straight ones which didn't fit most of the time. They just came out with the curved ones and they are great.
My wife works for Lisle here in Clarinda and I get lots of Lisle tools and the disconnect pliers were my Christmas present this fall!
@@harveypaxton1232 I got the straight ones to work most of the time. I have the curved ones on order.
Thank you for all of the years of learning. I have watched your videos all the way through my apprenticeship. I have no problem sending you three dollars per month.
That’s awesome
I like this..
You went above and beyond swapping plug wires! Totally fine to do what the customer asked and send it
Thank you for all your videos they sure help I'm a back yard mechanic but I try I'm working on my sister impala no start on crank i don't have the test equipment but I will change that box you changed i will have to take and get it program but it thanks for all your help God bless you and your family
Appreciate the little gems about human nature along the way to another successful repair. Along with 905K other subscribers, much appreciate all that you give us opportunity to learn. Thank you.
Your business ethics are to be commended. Need more like you. Wish I had Part 1 video about 10 years ago! Thanks
The ‘T’ is now ‘X’ so update your control module and fix what gets you a check!😂😂. Good job Erick
Another great video. Amazing analytical procedures. Thanks!
Here in the UK ,we are not allowed inside anymore ,used to go and spend most of Saturday wandering around ,Very enjoyable 😊😊😊
Enjoy watching your videos. It's refreshing to see the honesty, care, diligence to look after your customers.
I started to send you a tool reminder after the first video. I said, no to be sure he'll gather up what he needs since he knows what exact part and how many were supposedly available. I am wondering if you might go to Wilberts with what you have in hand to increase the drama factor.
Almost time to relocate away from the land of rust and taxes. If you want the snowy weather, that's only 4 to 5 hours away. Or you can pick somewhere in between.
We'll welcome you even though you have that Yankee in you. Believe me, you'd have pleanty of company with others that finally realized the Southern life is much more enjoyable.
Your absolutely right , some people will B.M.C if you do more than was asked. ! Have a wounderful day !
Great job SMA
Wilberts should let a film crew come on his lot and do a 'junk yard wars" where they throw a car together and then have a crash derby. lol. New show every other week. He could make the big time
WOW, well my 2006 CHEVY IMPALA is still running good. I have taken very good care of that car. Just had it repainted 2 years ago and MACCO did a fantastic job.
Movie references this time, compared to all the song comments last time! Love it.
That’s awesome
I like this..
Just got here form Part 1, never doubted you! Thanks for getting this one back up and running! Great video
My dad was a Chevrolet guy. Our family sedan was an Impala or Caprice for years and years..
My first recollection was a 1957 four door lilac colored Impala with a white roof!
Your absolutely right !!!! Got to have an OK to go on !!!!
Changing the BCM on GM vehicles 100% can cause you to have to do a crank or cam relearn. It's a curvball for the driveway mechanic that requires a fancy scan tool assuming you didn't already have one to program the BCM. It can also cause a misfire before you do the relearn. If you're reading this before it goes out the door, do a relearn.
Thanks Fungus, these newer cars are getting complicated
@@slalomking you're not kidding. I electively replaced my BCM in my HHR to gain factory remote start. The hoops I jumped through were absolutely insane. In this video Eric uses GM software to program the BCM, what I did was I actually had to open the donor BCM to get to the eeprom chip, put a clip directly on it so I could read it, manually change the VIN number and the mileage in the hex file, then flash the eeprom chip. If I had used GM's service, it would have configured the BCM with the factory options which did not include factory remote start.
And that's how I know replacing the BCM causes a misfire and throws a code for crank and/or cam relearn.
Eric made a follow-up comment claiming he did it right, that arrogance annoys me a little. Given the situation the customer didn't care, but technically Eric did not complete the BCM replacement if he didn't do the re-learn. Hopefully the customer has a fancy enough scan tool to do the re-learn himself or he's going to be paying another mechanic. My autel ap200 can't do it, luckily I'm able to use a 3rd party adaptor and tech2win to do it and it was only a $100 investment.
You’re an amazing mechanic, electrician and business owner. Plus you’re a lucky man married to Mrs. “O” Great videos👍
Excellent diagnosis & great tips!
Eric, it's a righteous fix, you got it to run! Cheers!
For a BCM +5V VREF output you would think it would be separate from the logic +5V supply, so if VREF failed the digital core would still be working. If there is only one +5V supply for both VREF and logic than if the on-board voltage regulator circuit failed the BCM would basically be dead. The good news is a failed module power supply is easy to repair.
When ever I swap a module I treat the connector pins with Deoxit D5 spray before reassembly. This will clean and lubricate the connector pins. If the pins have a lot of oxidation I use Deoxit D100L in the small brush bottle and then apply to the module pins (usually male) then cycle the seating of the connector a couple of times. You can actually feed the pins free up and the oxidation is removed as you cycle the connector. I have had old modules that were sitting on the shelf with heavily oxidized pins and after applying D100L I just keep cycling the connector until I feed the pins loosen up (Deoxit includes a pin lubricant), perhaps 4 to 5 cycles, then reinspect the pins.
Got it running and the windows go up and down and the horn works. good going.
Hey Eric,
Love the Seinfeld reference.
Haven’t heard from Cliff in awhile for all those Cheers fans! How about it! 😂😂
Thank you!
Mark
Good job Eric enjoyed the tour in the junkyard
I will not stop watching, Eric is good at what he does and takes pride in his work two things you really want in a mechanic and very hard to find, however I'm relegated to being a second class subscriber, and have to wait for members who get to see the video first, I know nothing about how UA-cam works, I'm just wondering if all the subscribers dropped this channel and only members were left, would there be any regret, any lost income, I don't know, maybe it's good to have a hiarky, for subscribers, I'll continue to be appreciative of my blessing to get to see part 2 at a later date, so that members can feel special.
As usual…quite interesting. Thanks.
We need a mechanic like you in NC. Love your videos. Keep up the great work.
Original wires, maybe original plugs. The owner wants to give it a shot before it comes back to South Main Auto. Thanks for showing us the way Mr. O. I hope my '04 WT doesn't have one of those BCMs.
I am always surprised that once a car or truck passes the ten year old mark, lots of parts are not available from a dealer. So you're stuck with aftermarket junk. After watching these videos, often the junkyard is a dark better option. I'm an old man still learning from Eric O. - Thanks
>>>>
Loved the video
Again enjoyed your method of deduction and of course your testing process and mindset, plus having great tools doesn’t hurt either. !! Great Advise !! Only do what was agreed upon period, stop there and communicate with your customer to update them. If they want more work they will let you know. Your labor, your talent, your experience, your toolset, and your intellectual property must be paid for in full. This is your product and shouldn’t be given away for free, it is your business and not your charity. This applies to any and all work and business environments. Thank you Eric
Coming home from a motorcycle ride with friends to a fresh new SMA vijeo is the best kind of day. Thanks Eric
That’s awesome
I like this..
The trip to Wilbur’s reminded me of a place called shortys in Bridgeport Pa, in the 90’s I would go looking for GM A body parts, and I saw row after row of the olds cutlass’, all died because of the ECM death sentence. Nice repair Eric.
Very interesting diagnosis process
Excellent video, made better with a cameo by Mrs. O. You're right - you're in the business of fixing what the customer wants to have fixed. I went to a dermatologist for a skin cancer on my back, a procedure mostly covered by insurance. He surprised me by squirting liquid nitrogen on a brown spot (harmless) on my cheek, for which he charged me $100, not covered by insurance.
As for "calling it quits" ...it's not your car so you're gonna either working for free on stuff or start spending someone else's money that doesn't want to spend it, you do what you were hired to do and notify them of "hey we found xyz" and move on. I'm pretty sure there isn't one mechanic in my area that would make a trip to the junkyard to help fix a car faster and save the customer money, you are a good person and great mechanic Eric.
That’s awesome
I like this.
You Rock Eric O!!!
Great to see that you still believe in doing what is right. Some people like to try to take advantage of shops bring in vehicles that have multiple issues but telling the shop on one of the issues hoping to have everything fixed so the issue they brought it for can be fixed. When I was in LE i went to a shop on a call of fraud. The shop had fixed the problem given by the owner but none of the other issues. The owner's claim was that they should have fixed everything to get the vehicle running. After listening to both sides I told the owner you got what you paid for and the man wants you off his property. Owner did not like it and left.
That’s awesome
I like this..
Damn, I wish something would break so I could go to the U-Pull for parts. Sorry I bought Toyotas so I don't get as many junkyard outings as I once did.
Another fantastic video 👍
Love your work. Your diagnostic expertise is exemplary.
There are a lot of maker challenges that UA-camrs in the maker world set for each other, and it can be really enjoyable stuff. Would you consider setting up a challenge with one or more other mechanic UA-camrs to send each other cars with issues you created to see how long it takes them to figure them out and fix them?
Who doesn't love a good trip to the you-pull-it yard
Great series of videos thanks Eric!
I like the Wilburt's adventures.
Love visiting Wilbert's and see his "" Yard "" full of explorable cars and trucks and what not !!!!! That box had screwed up all that working stuff and replacing that box fixed it all !!!!! Love these sleuth videos and solving them with Sherlock Eric !!!!! Never a dull moment at Avoca SMA !!!!!!! Hope he gives you the job to find the miss, more sleuthing.
That’s awesome
I like this.
Great job has always Eric you some great diagnostic skills enjoy your videos😊
Hello Einstein, thanks for sharing. Helped me a lot.
Going from a private fleet technician for so many years (16) to a dealer technician, the hardest thing for me to do was STOP fixing things. Just doing what the customer had asked for and having to get their permission to do any extra work was a difficult change. In the fleet, if you saw something wrong, you just fixed it, because it saved downtime, and unplanned downtime wasn't an option. Fix it while its down so it doesn't need to return. But working for billable hours is a big difference.
Love these Wilberts videos reminds me of when i was younger and going to pinch-a-part here in Aus to fix my car. Sadly i don’t live anywhere near one anymore.
That’s awesome
I like this
Nice fix. One of our pick n pulls is set up like Wilberts except ours doesn't leave any tires or rims on the cars. They sell those separately inside if they are any good. They also use old steel wheels welded together to mount the vehicles on.
I enjoy the multi-part presentations. Will at least the non-knuckle dragging one's. Thanks again.
That’s awesome
I like this
Nice work Mr.O! 🙌🙌🍻🍻
Great diag and repair. very nice video. Thanks for making it!
I got to say the way Eric's mind works in diagnosing problems the trip to New York would it be worth it if you had a serious problem with your automobile. Eric at South main Auto you're the best!
Nope, he’s done that before. Now he only does local work
@@slalomking yeah I can understand that he's been at it a long time. Dealing with the public is not such a nice thing all the time.
Eric, walking down a row at Wilbert's eyeing. the treasures quiescently rusting there, "I used to work on that one. This one looks familiar. I think I fixed that one a couple of times. This one here used to belong to a buddy of mine.". I dunno. Maybe time to change his signature sign off to "Remember, if I can't fix it, nobody can." Love ya Eric O. 😁