I am soooo Thankful and relieved... I'm thanking Master Mechanic Rainman Ray!!! Our car would start only sporadically, after alot of trying, and we had a hellova time worrying about getting to Dr.s, or anywhere, and then having to get home. It's been an ongoing heavy worry, and I can't even tell you how it got our blood pressure up every time we had to go somewhere, especially if we have to go to the hospital (we have many health issues)! Ted's been watching Ray's repair videos for a few years now, and knew Ray is an excellent mechanic. Well, long story short, we called and got an appt. We were in their office talking with them for an hour, and knew in our hearts we could trust him. When Ted got online this morning, this video of our car repair was up!!! And OMG! All I can do is tell you, if you're in the Bradenton area, and you have engine issues, I HIGHLY recommend Ray! It's hard to find honest, great, repairmen nowadays, and I can vouch for Ray, big time 🙂 Thank You Ray!!!! ❤
When you have just one car, reliability is super important. I had an issue with a regal years ago, just like that one. Now days cars are so dang expensive, I don't know how people buy them. Everybody is not rich, I refuse to believe that. They need to make a law that every car manufacturer has to make at least one car that is affordable. It would help if people would stop buying them no matter how high the price, geech, I need to shut up now, I'm getting started on a rant.
Ray, that was a masterpiece and very satisfying to see the interior corrosion of the part that caused the problem. Major props to your light bulb that sacrificed its life for your viewers.
Being a retired electronic engineer, I always enjoy watching Ray diagnose what seem to electrical issues. I’m sure that there are many in the “Monkey Wrench Gang” that are unable to chase such problems as completely and efficiently. Ray for the win!
me too! i thought cause may have been the ignition switch but as it turned out was a downstream component. learnt all about the transmission switch & its location - new for me. i like Rays switch dissection at end showing corroded copper tracks. i always wonder if it could have been salvaged & reused to save cost of new switch.
@@qhew nah, this one was too far gone. sure, you could salvage it, but how long until it starts to give trouble again? I don't think that is a very expensive part.
Cars are complex electronic systems with an engine and drivetrain attached - too many mechanics don't/won't learn the ins and out of these systems (Those electronics may be cursed at but the most unreliable cars around today are still vastly better in terms of usability and maintenance downtime than the most reliable cars from the 1960s and that's almost entirely down to removal of complex mechanical systems which were constantly wearing) (In a similar way, airlines are complex logistical operations which happen to fly aircraft) A plug/socket in that state MUST be checked to see how water got into it, or else it'll ba back later (misaligned seals are common failure points) - and I tend to stuff them with dielectric grease to ensure that if water does get past the seals , it can't get to the actual connector pins (It's stopped repeated issues on a few vehicles with badly designed connector positions - telcos have used grease-filled connectors in weather-exposed locations for 60 years for the same reason)
Ray...Your high school math teacher did well..teaching you to show how you got the answer....I got the same answer as you (neutral Safety) but I got it the first time you turned the ign switch...With an intermittant like that car's....neutral safety is 99% of the time..the culprit.
Nice to see a fault properly diagnosed rather than just shot gunning it with parts. You can confidently hand it back to the customer knowing it's fixed.
First clue was brake light. The brake Reservoir looks like it might’ve been leaking or they have dripped brake fluid down on it. There was a recall on the reservoir from Ford about that switch also
It's singular how the customer is worried about the possibility of the car not starting but not a sweat for the possibility it not stopping (checking brakes message)
One of my first inclinations was the neutral safety switch, or range selector. But, as usual, Ray's total diagnostic method eliminates down the circuitry to positively diagnose (diag) the issue. The proverbial parts cannon will work at times, but one cannot expect a customer to pay for the ammo for that parts cannon when misses happen. A true diag goes the route Ray has taken. I'm so glad to also see a comment from the owner of this vehicle, the back story goes to show how important a good repair is.
This video has pointed me in the right direction for a 2001 Mercury sable 3.0 liter with 91,000 miles on it I was looking to buy. I tried to start it and nothing happened. Turned the key back to off and tried again and the engine turned over and fired up. The owner said some times that happens, but they were not putting anymore money into repairs. I live in the upper Midwest and want a old beater car to use this winter that all ready is rusting away from road salt, instead of destroying my newer car. This was a timely video for what maybe the issue for that car.
What I like about this channel, all the cars you work on are total bangers that have one tyre in scrap heap. None of this fixing up Lambos. You should have a project thats a 'barn find' 1989 F-150 with a million miles on the clock.
I hate the unnecessary complexity in modern vehicles added to protect idiots from their own stupidity. In my new car (manual transmission) I have to have the clutch pedal fully depressed before it will start. I'm amazed that I managed to drive unprotected vehicles for 50 years without killing myself. In fact, I needed to move my old car when there was an engine problem (wet ignition during a creek crossing) by putting the car in first gear and cranking on starter motor to move to dry ground for wd40 application. You can't do that with a new vehicle. Love your work Ray, that opening of the "protection" switch was truly awesome proving your diagnosis.
When I worked on the workshop floor many years ago [long since retired] we too had a battery booster trolley. For us, it was generally known as the "Volts Wagon" & yes, we had more than our share of VW vehicles in the fleet. [1970's & '80's]
So just how many times did a new hire go in and connect up a 6V battery to the wagon, while set to 12V boost charge. Or set it to boost charge, and go to lunch, coming back to a battery bulging and steaming, and acid all over the floor pan.
had same problem with my 93 cherokee and when I set it up I used reverse to adjust switch. When the backup lights came on i knew i was close. I cleaned the old switch and used dielectric grease in it to protect and lube it. My old one became dry and that's why I reused it . Been well over 10 years now.
During my years of technical support, I developed two related sayings for intermittent problems: "I can't fix it if it won't stay broken" and "I don't trust problems that magically fix themselves because they usually break themselves later on"
Thank you Ray for the tear apart switch part. It makes for good understanding of how and confirmation of repair. It’s not done a lot for people to quite understand how or if it was the real problem. Keep up the great work. ✌️🇺🇸
Starts in neutral again since the Neutral safty switch has been changed to a new one Nice Diag Video Raymond Good repair i was thinking the ignition switch was intermediately Failing 33:50 @Rainman Ray's Repairs
Good morning Ray. Back in 2004, I bought a 2002 Ford Taurus to replace my wife’s car that she had when we got married in 2004. A good solid car nothing special but dependable. That car had a similar starting issue so like to see what Ray finds.
Knowing something is broken is half the battle of a technician , knowing how to repair it and why it broke is the other half . Just replacing parts is not fixing the issue . Educating the customer on or about why things go bad is also the responsibility of the repair person. Ray you do a great job of educating , thanks . Stay safe , have fun.
Nice job diagnosing the issue and giving this one-car family the attention they required to return their Taurus ASAP. Thanks also for the extra time to record the dismantling of that electrical component and showing us its inner workings so that those of us not in the trade can better understand how these types of components operate. Lastly, the pinned comment from your customer was a nice addition, I don't think I've seen much of that on your channel and think you should consider more of that type of actual customer feedback in the future. 💯
I had a 2002 mercury sable premium station wagon . Same car as this taurus. I had the same problem, I did not had money to fix it, so I junked it. I regret it. I miss that car. Now I own a 2020 ram, but I like that car better. It was so comfortable and fast. And I used to fit a lot of stuff in the back, good reliable car.
The coolant hose tee above the trans range sensor cracks and leaks coolant on to and into the switch and causes the failure. Looks like the hose was replaced at one time...
Looks like sertin lights on dash go on and off when you wiggle the Key and turn the key and the Key lock cylinder Makes me think the Ignition switch is Bad Ray 11:25 @Rainman Ray's Repairs
Twenty five years ago I drove a clapped out, rusty, (kinda goes without saying), 1981 Ford E150 work van. I never had to take the key out of the ignition. There was about six inches of slop in the shift lever linkage that prevented the range selector switch from contacting unless you reached over the steering wheel with your left hand and held the gear selector lever all the way up while turning the key to start it... Almost as good an anti-theft device as the sun-burnt paint and manual transmission in my twenty year old Hyundai....
Have a similar problem with lawn mower. Frequently won't start unless you hold blade activation lever back manually. Which means routing left hand through steering wheel to operate switch.
@2:30 Every time my mom had an issue with her vehicle not working correctly, she would threaten said vehicle by "work damn it or I'm taking you to the shop.".....and it would work for a bit. Also, vehicles *tend* to work correctly if something is intermittent at the shop.
Back in the day we could just bypass that switch and continue on. Not these days, when you have a dozen wires going to the switch its much more complicated. I suspected the switch and Ray did a great job of explaining the diag👊
In an independent test, the Ever Start battery outdid all the other batteries including the really expensive gel battery. I have an Ever Start battery in my Ram 1500 pickup with a 5.7 liter Hemi. I live in Vermont and temps can get to be 20 degrees below zero. It starts no matter how cold it is. The Ever Start is much cheaper than buying a battery at a parts store or garage. Of course, I have to point out the fact that Ever Start is made by the same company that makes Eastern batteries.
Just getting into the video, my 4.7 4Runner had the same symptoms, was convinced the starter was on the way out, so I had my mechanic order one for the weekend. 1200.00 job, it's UNDER the intake manifold! 5 hour job. #$@%! Had to get my GF to the dr, no start noclick, the it starts. While she was there, I went to a computer store across the street and got electronic cleaner and flooded the shit out of the key switch. You should see the mud that came out! Has started every time since( been months)
Hi Ray, ln uk we have a tin of spray stuff called Damp Start. Spray all electrical plugs with this and it drys like a plastic film. This seals all plugs against water intrusion. It's the stuff rally cars use to keep water out of electrics . Used it on many of my cars an had no problems with electrics on car. If you want to unplug connection no problem. Just respray when you put it back together again. Why manufacturers don't do this l don't know. Rather get you to replace expensive parts. All accessories shops stock this in uk.Damp Start swear by it. You have a great day Ray.
All that corrosion inside that is exactly why even though it has a weather pack connector, a little bit of Dielectric grease would have been key to keeping that thing from having a problem.
Loved this one. A great piece of diagnosis. I used to own a Land Rover Discovery 2 (not sure what they called it in the US), and they put that switch just under where the aircon drains where, so they were a common failure. Trouble was Land Rover stopped making the switches and a £100 part soon became £350-£400 if you could get one. Keep up the good work - I just love videos like this.
I love these seemingly basic diag videos and post mortem of failed part/s. I read a bit below that there was some recall on that switch from brake master cyl leaking onto it. I wonder if it at all smelled like brake fluid inside that carcass. I never tire of your content Ray...keep 'em coming..you are a major asset to auto mechanics.
The more things change the more they stay the same. Back in 1969 I had the same problem on my 1963 Impala. I diagnosis Ray's issue at the beginning of the video. Great work Ray!
My 2000 Ford Taurus left me stranded at my pharmacy. Because Ford thought it was a good idea to put the oil filter above the starter and over time oil would leak into the end plate and saturate the brushes everytime the oil was changed. Since then I change my own oil and have made a shield to cover the starter when I change the filter.
My 2004 Mercury Sable (Taurus in disguise) has been the most reliable car in our multi-generational family--outlasting and outdriving about five other cars and makes...I'll never get rid of it❤❤
He needs to check your brake system that is lighting up on your dash. Fluids and switch etc. That could be brake fluid and water that got into the selector switch.
I loved reading the comment from the car owner!! I am happy for them and I wish I lived close by Rays Repairs! Have a great day to all who travel here and an even better tomorrow for all your tomorrow's to come..
My wife & I absolutely love watching your videos. This video was awesome I especially like your disassembly of the faulty switch for confirmation. I know my wife was very interested and she even said it was really cool. She used to be a very good electrical assembly tech way back before I made it so she could be a stay-at-home mom full time. Thank you for your videos and the time spent educating all of us. So cool! You are the man, Ray, thank you so much. Please, please, please, keep up your awesome work.
Ray, you are better than anything in TV, aside from my Dolphins winning. I’ve learned so much. You gave the me the knowledge and courage to change the valve cover gaskets on my sons car saving a lot of money. Did that 2 months ago and no more oil in spark plug tubes. Thank you sir.
As soon as he said intermittent start and the starter wires were clean, I immediately thought neutral safety switch. You still have to work your diagnostic path, of course.
I can’t believe how many customers seem happy to ignore a “check brake system” warning from their car. Car won’t start in the morning - need to get it fixed. Car might not stop when a child runs in front - who cares? Amazing!
The time it took to diagnose the issue was longer then time to fix - which just shows how taking the time to diagnose it properly can result in such quick repairs some people would have thrown a parts cannon at it.. blaming starter / relay / etc until maybe finally getting to the position sensor.. - considering the failure and water intrusion - id replace the connector with new one - and add some dielectric grease just to help prevent more water getting in.. because if one side failed to hold - the other side did too. the case looked like it relied on both the internal o-ring and the gasket o-ring on the connector to prevent water intrusion..
Just a thought... would it be worthwhile to dab a little dielectric grease in the wire connector on that component? Maybe a little added protection to keep moisture out?
Good point! I thought the same thing but didn't want to come across as a armchair mechanic. I grease just about every electrical connector on my cars for many years.
A less than honest mechanic would most likely charge for a starter plus something else just to get some more money. Ray, on the other hand, is totally honest and saved this customer from a big unwanted and unnecessary waste of time and money.
That is an amazing amount of gunk in that switch. Betting the seal on the unit was crap, and they drove through a puddle during wet weather, and the splash anti gravity ate it.
We had a 2002 Mercury Sable (same as the Taurus) with the 24 valve engine. It was a great car, never broke down, or leave us stranded. We drove it to 200K without any major repairs. Sold it to a college kid who drove it for a couple of years, until he wrecked it.
@@golletim Are you saying that heater cores are difficult to replace in those cars? Show me one modern car where it's an easy job that doesn't involve removing the dashboard and 20+ hours of book labor.
I hate BS chimes. I only want a chime for having the lights on with the engine not running with the door open and for fuel level low. I hate the ones for having the key in the ignition, the door being open, or the seat belt not being fastened.
I have taken the switch apart and cleaned them and put them back together and they worked fine. I also have taken window switches apart and cleaned them and they worked great.
Also in wet situations, the nutral switch has a lot of control of the transmission shifts. This sounds stupid but it happened to my wifes Ford van built on the same chassis as the Taurus. I changed it in less than a hour and was my first NS. I kept reading the shop manual and every sympton came back to the NS. Fixed her crazy transmission problems . The transmission eratic shifting ( like staying in lower gears, not shifting ) made it hard to drive. Maybe this will help someone.
These kinds of vids are awesome! To take the extra time and open the highly suspected faulty component and actually confirm it. Interesting AND extra certainty! Love it!!! Oh and also come along in the detective work. Yay!!!
Hi Ray...@26.55 of the video, there is a rusty hose clamp right above the switch. I'm thinking a coolant leak is dripping onto that switch and leaking from the torn seal @40:05. That much water into a horizontal connector would seem improbable.
Got all excited it was going to be an ignition switch video! Turns out it's a component iv never heard of. My ignition switch looked worse than that , it had welded and tore off the connections, the key positions were rearranging themselves, It's not fun being the I need it back by Thursday guy. Waiting till Monday automatically costs $430 on top of whatever the bill is.
Long retired now, but after 45 years in the industry, Ray, and people like him makes me proud of our chosen trade. Sadly the bad apples seem to stand out and give the rest of us a bad name. Ray is very honest with himself and it shows in his work. Like you were saying in previous videos check the subscribe button, I too was somehow kicked off your list after I checked! You seem to be having fun in your work as it should be. Nothing like a job well done, and your pride in your work shows that too. Many, many happy and prosperous years Ray, keep up the fantastic work!
What most customer don’t understand, is that diagnostic work is “process of elimination” Many of the diagnostic/electrical testers add to the cost of a shop. Then add time spent and the experience behind that time. Then a simple repair comes and customer became irritated. A workman is worthy of his wage and Ray has certainly proven that time after time. May the Good Lord bless you and your family Ray as you remain steadfast and honest in this industry.
Many years ago I had an intermittent start condition like that, I took the hot wire from the solenoid and used it to activate a relay, I used like 10G wire to feed plenty of amps to the solenoid and bingo, reliable start forever more.
I am soooo Thankful and relieved... I'm thanking Master Mechanic Rainman Ray!!! Our car would start only sporadically, after alot of trying, and we had a hellova time worrying about getting to Dr.s, or anywhere, and then having to get home. It's been an ongoing heavy worry, and I can't even tell you how it got our blood pressure up every time we had to go somewhere, especially if we have to go to the hospital (we have many health issues)! Ted's been watching Ray's repair videos for a few years now, and knew Ray is an excellent mechanic. Well, long story short, we called and got an appt. We were in their office talking with them for an hour, and knew in our hearts we could trust him. When Ted got online this morning, this video of our car repair was up!!! And OMG! All I can do is tell you, if you're in the Bradenton area, and you have engine issues, I HIGHLY recommend Ray! It's hard to find honest, great, repairmen nowadays, and I can vouch for Ray, big time 🙂 Thank You Ray!!!! ❤
I like hearing the comments from the actual customers. He's a valuable asset to your community.
@@Lanie1203 Same here. This should be pinned.
@@hdfxrs9121 I don't know what pinned means but it sounds like a good thing.
I wish we had a Ray in our area, even after watching all these car repair videos I still got ripped off on a car repair just recently.
When you have just one car, reliability is super important. I had an issue with a regal years ago, just like that one. Now days cars are so dang expensive, I don't know how people buy them. Everybody is not rich, I refuse to believe that. They need to make a law that every car manufacturer has to make at least one car that is affordable. It would help if people would stop buying them no matter how high the price, geech, I need to shut up now, I'm getting started on a rant.
23:19 I about lost my sh** at work hearing that. Hahahahaha
I like it when you take stuff apart to find failure.......
Ray, that was a masterpiece and very satisfying to see the interior corrosion of the part that caused the problem. Major props to your light bulb that sacrificed its life for your viewers.
27:45 Living Ray's life with Ray; many, many, many ¼ turns at a time!
It is always satisfying when a repair concludes with a flaming hot smoking gun.
Being a retired electronic engineer, I always enjoy watching Ray diagnose what seem to electrical issues. I’m sure that there are many in the “Monkey Wrench Gang” that are unable to chase such problems as completely and efficiently. Ray for the win!
me too! i thought cause may have been the ignition switch but as it turned out was a downstream component. learnt all about the transmission switch & its location - new for me. i like Rays switch dissection at end showing corroded copper tracks. i always wonder if it could have been salvaged & reused to save cost of new switch.
@@qhew nah, this one was too far gone. sure, you could salvage it, but how long until it starts to give trouble again? I don't think that is a very expensive part.
Cars are complex electronic systems with an engine and drivetrain attached - too many mechanics don't/won't learn the ins and out of these systems (Those electronics may be cursed at but the most unreliable cars around today are still vastly better in terms of usability and maintenance downtime than the most reliable cars from the 1960s and that's almost entirely down to removal of complex mechanical systems which were constantly wearing)
(In a similar way, airlines are complex logistical operations which happen to fly aircraft)
A plug/socket in that state MUST be checked to see how water got into it, or else it'll ba back later (misaligned seals are common failure points) - and I tend to stuff them with dielectric grease to ensure that if water does get past the seals , it can't get to the actual connector pins (It's stopped repeated issues on a few vehicles with badly designed connector positions - telcos have used grease-filled connectors in weather-exposed locations for 60 years for the same reason)
@@qhew Me too- I thought ignition switch but Ray is the man !
Ray...Your high school math teacher did well..teaching you to show how you got the answer....I got the same answer as you (neutral Safety) but I got it the first time you turned the ign switch...With an intermittant like that car's....neutral safety is 99% of the time..the culprit.
Nice to see a fault properly diagnosed rather than just shot gunning it with parts. You can confidently hand it back to the customer knowing it's fixed.
Love these diagnostic videos, they really show you how to troubleshoot rather than use the parts cannon.
Thanks for the autopsy. It's nice to know WHY something fails and to confirm that the "fix" was the correct one.
I completely agree, Ray's troubleshooting skills are on another level.
Nice find on the Corrosion in the netural saftey switch electrical plug Raymond that could cause the intermediate issue 17:08 @Rainman Ray's Repairs
First clue was brake light. The brake
Reservoir looks like it might’ve been leaking or they have dripped brake fluid down on it. There was a recall on the reservoir from Ford about that switch also
Interesting and good eye Harrry. Thanks for the heads up on that.
Ah the devil's in the detail, nice catch.
Ray you didn't put any dielectric grease in that plug, for shame Mr. Ray for shame! 😜😜😜😜
It's singular how the customer is worried about the possibility of the car not starting but not a sweat for the possibility it not stopping (checking brakes message)
One of my first inclinations was the neutral safety switch, or range selector. But, as usual, Ray's total diagnostic method eliminates down the circuitry to positively diagnose (diag) the issue. The proverbial parts cannon will work at times, but one cannot expect a customer to pay for the ammo for that parts cannon when misses happen. A true diag goes the route Ray has taken. I'm so glad to also see a comment from the owner of this vehicle, the back story goes to show how important a good repair is.
My first thought was the relay. I had a 98. From what I learned the relays are subject to overheat the wire terminals on these.
I caught myself smiling when you realized....you got it!
A peek into the mindset of a top notch mechanic. Very educational and informative.
This video has pointed me in the right direction for a 2001 Mercury sable 3.0 liter with 91,000 miles on it I was looking to buy.
I tried to start it and nothing happened. Turned the key back to off and tried again and the engine turned over and fired up. The owner said some times that happens, but they were not putting anymore money into repairs.
I live in the upper Midwest and want a old beater car to use this winter that all ready is rusting away from road salt, instead of destroying my newer car. This was a timely video for what maybe the issue for that car.
Ray, you should be proud of this. Such a common repair on such a common vehicle. So many people are being saved right here 🎉😂😅😅❤!!!!!!🎉🎉🎉🎉
What I like about this channel, all the cars you work on are total bangers that have one tyre in scrap heap. None of this fixing up Lambos. You should have a project thats a 'barn find' 1989 F-150 with a million miles on the clock.
I hate the unnecessary complexity in modern vehicles added to protect idiots from their own stupidity. In my new car (manual transmission) I have to have the clutch pedal fully depressed before it will start. I'm amazed that I managed to drive unprotected vehicles for 50 years without killing myself. In fact, I needed to move my old car when there was an engine problem (wet ignition during a creek crossing) by putting the car in first gear and cranking on starter motor to move to dry ground for wd40 application. You can't do that with a new vehicle. Love your work Ray, that opening of the "protection" switch was truly awesome proving your diagnosis.
When I worked on the workshop floor many years ago [long since retired] we too had a battery booster trolley. For us, it was generally known as the "Volts Wagon" & yes, we had more than our share of VW vehicles in the fleet. [1970's & '80's]
Great job on the diagnostics I just love watching you trace down electrical stuff 🤠👍
So just how many times did a new hire go in and connect up a 6V battery to the wagon, while set to 12V boost charge. Or set it to boost charge, and go to lunch, coming back to a battery bulging and steaming, and acid all over the floor pan.
Thats it... im naming my jump box voltswagon.
Volts wagon 😂
@@likearockcm Volts WagEn
had same problem with my 93 cherokee and when I set it up I used reverse to adjust switch. When the backup lights came on i knew i was close. I cleaned the old switch and used dielectric grease in it to protect and lube it. My old one became dry and that's why I reused it . Been well over 10 years now.
During my years of technical support, I developed two related sayings for intermittent problems: "I can't fix it if it won't stay broken" and "I don't trust problems that magically fix themselves because they usually break themselves later on"
Thank you Ray for the tear apart switch part. It makes for good understanding of how and confirmation of repair. It’s not done a lot for people to quite understand how or if it was the real problem. Keep up the great work. ✌️🇺🇸
Seeing the guts of that switch was a _HARD_ confirm, there!
Starts in neutral again since the Neutral safty switch has been changed to a new one Nice Diag Video Raymond Good repair i was thinking the ignition switch was intermediately Failing 33:50 @Rainman Ray's Repairs
Good morning Ray. Back in 2004, I bought a 2002 Ford Taurus to replace my wife’s car that she had when we got married in 2004. A good solid car nothing special but dependable. That car had a similar starting issue so like to see what Ray finds.
Knowing something is broken is half the battle of a technician , knowing how to repair it and why it broke is the other half . Just replacing parts is not fixing the issue . Educating the customer on or about why things go bad is also the responsibility of the repair person. Ray you do a great job of educating , thanks . Stay safe , have fun.
Videos like this really help me keep 20 year old trucks on the road! I hate car payments!
Nice job diagnosing the issue and giving this one-car family the attention they required to return their Taurus ASAP. Thanks also for the extra time to record the dismantling of that electrical component and showing us its inner workings so that those of us not in the trade can better understand how these types of components operate. Lastly, the pinned comment from your customer was a nice addition, I don't think I've seen much of that on your channel and think you should consider more of that type of actual customer feedback in the future. 💯
Coffee's done, and it's time for Rainman Ray!
great video. I really appreciate the post mortems / failure investigations. It really helps confirm that the issue has been resolved.
I had a 2002 mercury sable premium station wagon . Same car as this taurus. I had the same problem, I did not had money to fix it, so I junked it. I regret it. I miss that car. Now I own a 2020 ram, but I like that car better. It was so comfortable and fast. And I used to fit a lot of stuff in the back, good reliable car.
Thanks for pulling the switch to confirm the problem.
The coolant hose tee above the trans range sensor cracks and leaks coolant on to and into the switch and causes the failure. Looks like the hose was replaced at one time...
Good find, replaced alot of those, the first sign is the radio would quit while shifting into gear
Looks like sertin lights on dash go on and off when you wiggle the Key and turn the key and the Key lock cylinder Makes me think the Ignition switch is Bad Ray 11:25 @Rainman Ray's Repairs
Twenty five years ago I drove a clapped out, rusty, (kinda goes without saying), 1981 Ford E150 work van. I never had to take the key out of the ignition.
There was about six inches of slop in the shift lever linkage that prevented the range selector switch from contacting unless you reached over the steering wheel with your left hand and held the gear selector lever all the way up while turning the key to start it...
Almost as good an anti-theft device as the sun-burnt paint and manual transmission in my twenty year old Hyundai....
Have a similar problem with lawn mower. Frequently won't start unless you hold blade activation lever back manually. Which means routing left hand through steering wheel to operate switch.
@2:30 Every time my mom had an issue with her vehicle not working correctly, she would threaten said vehicle by "work damn it or I'm taking you to the shop.".....and it would work for a bit. Also, vehicles *tend* to work correctly if something is intermittent at the shop.
Back in the day we could just bypass that switch and continue on. Not these days, when you have a dozen wires going to the switch its much more complicated. I suspected the switch and Ray did a great job of explaining the diag👊
The hardest part of any repair, is finding the cause of the problem. Great job.
Masterful diagnosis.
In an independent test, the Ever Start battery outdid all the other batteries including the really expensive gel battery. I have an Ever Start battery in my Ram 1500 pickup with a 5.7 liter Hemi. I live in Vermont and temps can get to be 20 degrees below zero. It starts no matter how cold it is. The Ever Start is much cheaper than buying a battery at a parts store or garage. Of course, I have to point out the fact that Ever Start is made by the same company that makes Eastern batteries.
Just getting into the video, my 4.7 4Runner had the same symptoms, was convinced the starter was on the way out, so I had my mechanic order one for the weekend. 1200.00 job, it's UNDER the intake manifold! 5 hour job. #$@%! Had to get my GF to the dr, no start noclick, the it starts. While she was there, I went to a computer store across the street and got electronic cleaner and flooded the shit out of the key switch. You should see the mud that came out! Has started every time since( been months)
Hi Ray, ln uk we have a tin of spray stuff called Damp Start. Spray all electrical plugs with this and it drys like a plastic film. This seals all plugs against water intrusion.
It's the stuff rally cars use to keep water out of electrics .
Used it on many of my cars an had no problems with electrics on car.
If you want to unplug connection no problem. Just respray when you put it back together again.
Why manufacturers don't do this l don't know. Rather get you to replace expensive parts.
All accessories shops stock this in uk.Damp Start swear by it.
You have a great day Ray.
I think here in the states they call it dielectric grease, surprised he didn't put any in the plug.
Good day to you, Ray!
There is nothing better than watching one of your videos, for motivation, before starting my day.👍👍👍
What a mess and you are right, there would be no way to repair that switch. Glad you took it apart.
As thorough and trustworthy as Ray is, I'd let him work on my 79 square body anytime. Wish we all could have a Rainman.
Looks like the brake reservoir might have been leaking on the neutral safety switch at some point, the dash had a service brake system warning.
This was a “Best of the Rainman”, for those days when Ray calls in sick and can’t produce a movie, just watch this one again.
Always glad to see an old Ford still on the road. Part of the muracle car network.
That was a master class in fault finding and fixing. I learn so much every single video. Thank you Ray. You’re fricken fantastic.
All that corrosion inside that is exactly why even though it has a weather pack connector, a little bit of Dielectric grease would have been key to keeping that thing from having a problem.
Loved this one. A great piece of diagnosis. I used to own a Land Rover Discovery 2 (not sure what they called it in the US), and they put that switch just under where the aircon drains where, so they were a common failure. Trouble was Land Rover stopped making the switches and a £100 part soon became £350-£400 if you could get one. Keep up the good work - I just love videos like this.
Yeah. We've never been able to make good cars or bikes. Reliability & reparability are words that were missing from Brit manufacturers vocabulary.
I love these seemingly basic diag videos and post mortem of failed part/s. I read a bit below that there was some recall on that switch from brake master cyl leaking onto it. I wonder if it at all smelled like brake fluid inside that carcass.
I never tire of your content Ray...keep 'em coming..you are a major asset to auto mechanics.
The more things change the more they stay the same. Back in 1969 I had the same problem on my 1963 Impala. I diagnosis Ray's issue at the beginning of the video. Great work Ray!
All that work in a matter of 40 minutes...it's amazing
Intermittent issues are the worst to troubleshoot. Good job Ray!
So Ray "Columbo" found the "murder weapon" again!!! And we all saw the damage!!! Good Job again!! :D
Intermediate issues are always hard to diag 2:20 @Rainman Ray's Repairs
My 2000 Ford Taurus left me stranded at my pharmacy. Because Ford thought it was a good idea to put the oil filter above the starter and over time oil would leak into the end plate and saturate the brushes everytime the oil was changed. Since then I change my own oil and have made a shield to cover the starter when I change the filter.
These intermittent faults are frustrating. Good video again Ray.
My 2004 Mercury Sable (Taurus in disguise) has been the most reliable car in our multi-generational family--outlasting and outdriving about five other cars and makes...I'll never get rid of it❤❤
He needs to check your brake system that is lighting up on your dash. Fluids and switch etc. That could be brake fluid and water that got into the selector switch.
I loved reading the comment from the car owner!! I am happy for them and I wish I lived close by Rays Repairs! Have a great day to all who travel here and an even better tomorrow for all your tomorrow's to come..
Yes, I always replace the plug with the part. Here in the rust belt, those green crusties move down the wires.
My wife & I absolutely love watching your videos. This video was awesome I especially like your disassembly of the faulty switch for confirmation. I know my wife was very interested and she even said it was really cool. She used to be a very good electrical assembly tech way back before I made it so she could be a stay-at-home mom full time. Thank you for your videos and the time spent educating all of us. So cool! You are the man, Ray, thank you so much. Please, please, please, keep up your awesome work.
When Ray pulled that connector, I was waiting for him to check the contacts on the sensor with a mirror.
After seeing the inside of that switch, it's amazing that it worked at all.
Ray, you are better than anything in TV, aside from my Dolphins winning.
I’ve learned so much. You gave the me the knowledge and courage to change the valve cover gaskets on my sons car saving a lot of money. Did that 2 months ago and no more oil in spark plug tubes.
Thank you sir.
As soon as he said intermittent start and the starter wires were clean, I immediately thought neutral safety switch. You still have to work your diagnostic path, of course.
You and Eric O dropped vids within minutes of each other. That makes my morning 😊.
Eric O fanboy....🤦🏻♂️
I can’t believe how many customers seem happy to ignore a “check brake system” warning from their car. Car won’t start in the morning - need to get it fixed. Car might not stop when a child runs in front - who cares? Amazing!
@PeterAngles-jq7grThey wouldn't be running?
Ray is honest and very good
The time it took to diagnose the issue was longer then time to fix - which just shows how taking the time to diagnose it properly can result in such quick repairs some people would have thrown a parts cannon at it.. blaming starter / relay / etc until maybe finally getting to the position sensor.. - considering the failure and water intrusion - id replace the connector with new one - and add some dielectric grease just to help prevent more water getting in.. because if one side failed to hold - the other side did too. the case looked like it relied on both the internal o-ring and the gasket o-ring on the connector to prevent water intrusion..
Just a thought... would it be worthwhile to dab a little dielectric grease in the wire connector on that component? Maybe a little added protection to keep moisture out?
Good point! I thought the same thing but didn't want to come across as a armchair mechanic. I grease just about every electrical connector on my cars for many years.
Ray your like a magician , wow , you found that in no time. Way to go.
Do not use pressure washers on the engine. Water is forced into contacts. A dirty engine will never fail because of it. Just your cleaning.
Rainman Ray
Saves the day
All your woes
Have gone away.
Good save
Makes me miss my '03 Taurus SE 3.0L Vulcan. Traded her in at 234K miles for an '07 Civic that now has over 313K miles
A less than honest mechanic would most likely charge for a starter plus something else just to get some more money. Ray, on the other hand, is totally honest and saved this customer from a big unwanted and unnecessary waste of time and money.
That is an amazing amount of gunk in that switch. Betting the seal on the unit was crap, and they drove through a puddle during wet weather, and the splash anti gravity ate it.
We had a 2002 Mercury Sable (same as the Taurus) with the 24 valve engine. It was a great car, never broke down, or leave us stranded. We drove it to 200K without any major repairs. Sold it to a college kid who drove it for a couple of years, until he wrecked it.
Taurus's and Sable's were Great Cars, owned a Ford Taurus for many years, very Dependable..
Until they need a heater core....😮
@@golletim
Are you saying that heater cores are difficult to replace in those cars?
Show me one modern car where it's an easy job that doesn't involve removing the dashboard and 20+ hours of book labor.
Thank for showing us half the process of hotwiring a car.
Good morning Mr Ray hope y'all have a great day 😁 it's in the 50s in Tennessee in the morning
I would have to disconnect that damned chime
I hate BS chimes. I only want a chime for having the lights on with the engine not running with the door open and for fuel level low. I hate the ones for having the key in the ignition, the door being open, or the seat belt not being fastened.
I have taken the switch apart and cleaned them and put them back together and they worked fine. I also have taken window switches apart and cleaned them and they worked great.
Also in wet situations, the nutral switch has a lot of control of the transmission shifts. This sounds stupid but it happened to my wifes Ford van built on the same chassis as the Taurus. I changed it in less than a hour and was my first NS. I kept reading the shop manual and every sympton came back to the NS. Fixed her crazy transmission problems . The transmission eratic shifting ( like staying in lower gears, not shifting ) made it hard to drive. Maybe this will help someone.
Her van was called a Windstar. Great family hauler.
0:01
These kinds of vids are awesome! To take the extra time and open the highly suspected faulty component and actually confirm it. Interesting AND extra certainty! Love it!!!
Oh and also come along in the detective work. Yay!!!
Good to see the thermobreak inside the roof skin.
Hi Ray...@26.55 of the video, there is a rusty hose clamp right above the switch. I'm thinking a coolant leak is dripping onto that switch and leaking from the torn seal @40:05. That much water into a horizontal connector would seem improbable.
Videos like this are my favorites, troubleshooting a problem that I might be likely to have on one of my vehicles.
Love the autopsy. I was wondering what the interior of the switch is like.
I went through 2 Costco Interstate batteries in 3 years. I finally gave up on it and replaced it with a Walmart battery. It's been 3 years so far.
Got all excited it was going to be an ignition switch video! Turns out it's a component iv never heard of.
My ignition switch looked worse than that , it had welded and tore off the connections, the key positions were rearranging themselves,
It's not fun being the I need it back by Thursday guy. Waiting till Monday automatically costs $430 on top of whatever the bill is.
Long retired now, but after 45 years in the industry, Ray, and people like him makes me proud of our chosen trade. Sadly the bad apples seem to stand out and give the rest of us a bad name. Ray is very honest with himself and it shows in his work. Like you were saying in previous videos check the subscribe button, I too was somehow kicked off your list after I checked! You seem to be having fun in your work as it should be. Nothing like a job well done, and your pride in your work shows that too. Many, many happy and prosperous years Ray, keep up the fantastic work!
What most customer don’t understand, is that diagnostic work is “process of elimination” Many of the diagnostic/electrical testers add to the cost of a shop. Then add time spent and the experience behind that time. Then a simple repair comes and customer became irritated. A workman is worthy of his wage and Ray has certainly proven that time after time. May the Good Lord bless you and your family Ray as you remain steadfast and honest in this industry.
Many years ago I had an intermittent start condition like that, I took the hot wire from the solenoid and used it to activate a relay, I used like 10G wire to feed plenty of amps to the solenoid and bingo, reliable start forever more.
I always start with the Neutral Safety Switch on Fords. I always carried one in my glove box of my Ford Trucks in the 1980’s.