@@andrewallen9537 I had a similar issue! In my old Civic Si 2007, There was this NON STOP rattling, banging and squealing coming from the pass side wheel well! Turns out, it was my Ex G/f! She was still stuck in the shock when I ran her over! LMAO!
Moving a car by pushing on the tire is gonna make me the favorite son in law. My FIL is a mechanic for 60 years and we still push on body work. I am gonna ace this! Thanks a bunch!
Method I’ve used for decades to loosen stuck wheels. Loosen the bolts/nuts a turn. Drive car a foot and hit the brakes. Doesn’t take much force. Works first time every time. On old vws/fists and Japanese cars that obviously haven’t been rotated in years. I don’t even try to take them off before I Loosen slightly. Move it and Clunk. Then I lightly grease the the hub to try to prevent it next spring.
Regarding tip #5 using the door as a lever to find clunks. If it is an older GM product, first you will need to isolate the clunk coming from the worn out hinge on the door itself!
I love this video, I have been a ship mechanic for 10 years and I have work hacks that when I show them to a young 3rd engineer or a fitter struggling with a job I blow their mind, there is no substitution for experience of finding the easyest way to do a job, not the "correct" way, the least time wasting way, great advice Wizard.
Mcraveo, I was an industrial hydraulics tech. for 16+yrs built custom, one off machinery for the offshore oil/gas industry. I became known as Dr. James, had my on little 'tricks of the trade'......
I too have 10+ years working on ships. Sometimes assisting the outside machinists as and Boilermakers helper welding for them. Common sense is a valuable tool.
Tip 8: Rotors and drums generally have two extra holes tapped in them to put bolts in that will press against the wheel hub and press the drum or rotor off when the bolts are tightened
@@itsnotfunny8257 The parking brake on some models is automatic when the car is in park. Some people might not realize it. The automatic feature can be deactivated with a scan tool.
@@briang.valentine4311Is there another way? Disconnecting battery or something? (Seems like that ought *not* to work because if the battery dies the car rolls… maybe a two step process?)
@@wholeNwon I was also thinking the same thing, especially on an older GM with those heavy ass doors. On the 3rd gen F bodies for instance, it was nearly impossible to find one that didn't have at least one door sagging.
11:00 mark. It drives me crazy watching Barrett Jackson when they push cars on/off the stage! I’ve seen so many cars with subtle dents caused by the palms of peoples hands!
Dave: I appreciate that you care enough about "us out here" to share tips that improve how we maintain cars and do other work for ourselves and our families. Thank you.
In regard to #4, I've seen a lot of mystery intermittent electrical issues instantly disappear when the battery cables were tightened down fully. I work at AutoZone and the very first thing I always do when testing batteries is try to wiggle the connectors by hand. You should not be able to do this by hand no matter how much pain and bleeding you can handle. This is actually a frequent problem when batteries are replaced and cable connector bolts bottom out before a full connection is made due to the new battery using skinnier terminal posts than the factory battery.
I once owned an 82 mazda B-2000 pickup. Easy to get to the starter but have no idea how many times I used the jack handle to bump the solenoid. I rode in with one of our electricans from a week long road job and had to bump the solenoid to start my truck, the guy laughed so much my sides even huurt. He said, 'james, your a mechanic, why don't you just fix the starter. My answer 'why, I got a jack handle.....lol
Loved the tips on finding a clunk in the front-end, removing seized rims, brake rotors, and the extra-long slim ratcheting wrench, and moving a car by pushing the tires--brilliantly simple! As a DIY-er, those were super-fantastic tips, but the 3-stage rivet removal technique takes the prize. I have not seen any other video show that yet--thanks so much Wizard!
Sir. I have never seen one of your videos ever before. I must say: YOU ARE THE BEST!!! You don’t get excited. You give total information. Great common sense tips. Favorite product names. You actually show tools and parts that you need by holding them up to the camera where WE CAN SEE THEM,which is uber important and most video makers don’t bother to do! In other words-YOU ARE A GREAT TEACHER! That’s the highest compliment I can give someone. Thank you!
I have saved several young ladies a tow by asking what’s wrong and throwing it in park and turning the key. It’s fun to just tell them you said a prayer or something to make it run.
RE The battery terminals. Reminds me of something that happened when i was a teenager. My dad went to look at a car for sale as a non-runner. It was a Renault 25 V6. A luxury car over here in europe that was popular in the 80's. My dad took a look at it, and the owner said the "AA" had even sent a guy to look at it and they gave up. So it was a non-runner. We paid the money. Hooked up tow ropes and towed it away. My dad pulls over about 3 roads away. Pops the bonnet (hood). And shows me that the battery is in backwards !!. Took it out, flipped it around and sure enough it fired up almost straight away. He was so happy as it was really cheap and yet a very nice car. And yet a trained mechanic didnt spot that !.
Hi Wizard! I’m having a bad day, but I always watch your videos when I’m angry or upset since your videos calm me down and I love to watch them. You and your family have a great day and a happy new year! 👍
I have frequently watched inexperienced techs struggle with a job, so I wander over, show the the best way to do something, and then wander back to what I was doing. This leads to one of three results the next time they do that job. 1) They remember. 2) They remember "something", and come ask me to show them again, which I gladly do. 3) They make the same mistake again,. For #3, I let them struggle. Eventually, I might ask them if they remember what I showed them last time, but some lessons have to be learned the hard way.
@@crowttubebot3075 Hats off to you sir. You are the tech/mechanic that new techs need to get to know and have the privilege of working with or at the same shop. I would have loved to have worked with the attitude that you practice with those who need help or those who come to you for help. I had the opposite where a question about help or a visual inspection to estimate a problem or job found part of a oil change when I was new was met with the tales of how this career is terrible and I will be broke and lonely if I choose to stay and that I need to find a better job or being told that is my problem. Also dealt with the techs who only want to be bothered when your trying to recommend gravy work and taking my ticket so they can clock it to get paid for the oil change I did because a oil change is beneath them but not when it came to getting paid for me doing it or a PDI because I was hourly and they were flat rate. I even tried to sweeten the pot by offering to do oil changes for them if I could in exchange for being shown how to do a alignment or brake flush with the machines etc.and was met with nothing. Again I think your work ethic is awesome and more senior techs are needed to practice this to help the next generation. Thank You
Loved round one, loving round two! After 18 years I still picked up two tips. I was going to get those wrenches anyway. Now I can help the wizards at the same time.
Great tips. For tip #8, if you're not sure of your hammer aiming skill, thread the wheel nuts back onto the studs so the top of the nut is flush with the top of the stud. That way, if you accidentally hit a stud you won't mar the thread. Where I live salt is used on the roads. Rotors and drums never come off easily. They're always rusty and usually need to be heated with a torch. I'm amazed at how clean the undersides of Wizard's vehicles look. No rust!!!
Actually learned something kinda new here even though I do the very same thing as you do for a living. The trick to rock the car on the ground to find a clunk was something I had never thought of. But still I have found pretty much all the clunks I've had to diagnose. On balljoints I use channel locks (if they fit) and try to squeeze the side of the cup on the other end and the nut on the other - if there is any movement then the balljoint is bad. This has been very useful on to diagnose those upper control arms on VAG cars with the multilink setup (A4, Passat 3B, A6 C5 and so on). Gentle fiddle with a tire iron on bushings if not visibly broken also has found many tired parts. Anti roll bar drop links with balljoints on both ends - if it can be turned from side to side easily when the car is on a lift then they are at least near failure if not failed already. Channel locks work here also. Many many years ago when I was still learning and gaining the basic experience I even tried removing the drop links and drove around the block - the clunk was gone. I had the new parts on the table but I wanted to be sure before I fitted them because the old ones did not feel so loose to hand even when removed (I did not yet use the channel lock method at that time). Though on some cars the anti roll bar might hit something else in the suspension if the car is driven without the droplinks so this is something to think first before doing it. On wheel bearings my methods are trying if there is any play with the wheel on, then spin the wheel and listen and last I grab the coil spring and then spin the wheel. If I can feel "judder" on the spring then the bearing is bad. A few rare cases have been where I had to use a mechanics stethoscope on the knuckle near the bearing while spinning the wheel to hear the bearing noise. I am sure this is all clear to you but if someone going through these comments might pick up an idea from here and then I didn't write this for nothing :)
I appreciate the clarification on my CVT fluid change. Love your videos, and keep helping people out with the maintenance that need to be done. People who want to keep their vehicles healthy into the 300k mileage. I’m for sure following your expert advice. Appreciate everything you do CAR WIZARD!!!
On the brake drum or rotors another trick is to look for screw holes and run the right size bolt in the holes evenly with a power tool. This method pulls the rotor without damging anything surrounding the rotor. also if the holes aren't there i use an air hammer in between the studs works like a charm.
I always enjoy watching other people's tips and tricks. Learn a ton of new things that always come in handy. I've got one for you if you are out and need to change a flat that is stuck like the Cadillac. Since you most likely don't have a dead blow in the trunk we got to use what's on hand. The spare. It never has failed me within one or two blows. The weight does almost all the work too. A bonus is that if it's a low car that you can't really get access to the back on the side of the road you can hit it along the bottom face and there is very little worry about damaging a rim. At most you may need to clean a little rubber mark from it.
I needed to push a car today and remembered this video. IT"S SO MUCH EASIER to push the car by pushing a wheel! I've seen people doing it on TV, but never actually gave it a second thought. Don't know how to explain it, it's counterintuitive but it just works.
I love that the Wiz delivers these words of wisdom with the same amount of disgust and sarcasm as any shop teacher telling the 25 assholes in 4th bell the same lesson for the umpteenth time hoping it gets through their thick skulls😂😂😂 And remember kids Wisdom grows,fingers don’t”
Another video that should be #1 on youtube! Great info Wizard, and wonderful that you share it! Many mechanics play by the knowledge is power rule, and are not to be trusted. Your clients are truly blessed by having an honest mechanic.
Not just loose battery cables but dirty, oxidized and/or corroded battery terminal connections! Clean your battery and terminal connections TWICE a year people! Once in the spring and once in the fall. It should look like shiny metal using a battery terminal brush.
This is my favorite series on this channel. I was waiting for the classic wizard humor, "ohhhhh sorrry!" We got a brief moment in tip #8 but it was as good as the normal one. 😀
Having all of those northstars around is a nice chance to do a multi part video on boring out and doing the bolt conversion if you have the time and are up for it.
I just learned tip 3 getting shifter out of park when i did a timing belt on a Honda Odyssey about 5 months ago👍 Tip 5 just saved me a lot of wasted time, thank you!
Just subscribed. I have been trying to find a clunking noise in my mercedes for a couple of weeks. An hr here an hr there and the advice I found was either push down on the hood in both corners of the car to hear the clunking or put it on a lift and wiggle, push, twist, etc to locate the noise. I found the issue and waiting on parts. So I tried your method and found it in 3 minutes. Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge. Diagnosing is 95% of the problem. I already knew a few of your tips except this and the pushing on the tire to move the car instead of putting hands/ pressure on the body. Thank you so much.
@@gertraba4484 I was thinking an eccentric rich friend, but honestly I could use a good mechanic, too. Mom has used the same guy for seventeen years and loved him, but when I had misfires on three cylinders he told me to pull the spark plugs and see what is wrong with them. I did, found some stuff that needed to be replaced, and swapped it out, but it was still misfiring. I went back and he said "I'm not fixing your car! You fix your car!"
Now I know why you’re called the Wizard. You have some brilliant tips. Thank you so much for sharing your Awesome knowledge. Keep it coming Wizard Dave ! Bravo !!!
I did find that shifter lock release in another youtube video when my shifter went bad. It saved me a ton of money in repairs, which turned out to be a fancy rubberband.
Great video. Just went to turning wrenches about 2 years ago from construction. A few tips i already knew as most in the business, but most have been a real time saver. So thank you for taking time to make these videos. Greatly appreciated keep up the good work.
You mean NPRs Car Talk with “Click” and “Clack” the “Tappet” brothers?...this guy couldn’t hold a candle to them!! Don’t insult us. Those two guys were genius. This guy is just a competent mechanic. Knowledgeable but No sense of humor and culturally illiterate...not entertaining at all. Really. The guy verges on boring.
Tip 11. If you have a bad wheelbearing but don't know which side gone bad. Raise the car up, spin the wheel and put your hand on the spring. If you feel vibrations in the spring, then you know you are sitting next to it :)
Helpful tip: I tell my guys every time you do ANYTHING with AC, moving it, disconnecting it or whatever, ALWAYS check to see if the AC works before repair. When you’re Noh is done and you’re doing exit checks, you will be scratching your head if the AC doesn’t blow cold and it opens it wide open for the customer to say it worked before it came in. Nice video!
FIRST ask the customer whether the AC works. If he says "yes", turn it ON and see whether it does before the customer leaves. If he has left, check the AC immediately, If it doesn't work, CALL him at once. Saves a LOT of potential problems and appearances in small claims court.
wholeNwon Yes, I bet that would work best for automotive with the customer more involved. There is a largely big gap between myself and the end user, dispatch, the rig crew, the operator and the person paying the bill. It’s less of a personal experience usually. We aren’t going to claims court over AC, it’s just not something we want to do, so we check.
@@smittymwsful Sure. I was thinking in terms of the average community auto repair shop. There are many other situations where it's impractical and insurance companies are often involved instead.
Love your channel, but I got to say, tip no.5 - Look at tip No.6 - and say ''NO, STOP'' etc.. The force you are applying to the hinges using the length of that door as a lever is more than some hinge mountings can take. My old XYZ would have been damaged if someone had swung on the door - For sure. If it's a Mercedes then sure swing on the door.
Every time I have any electrical issue the first thing I do is clean the batter cable connections. Daughters camry, driving it the Guage cluster kept cutting out along with the hvac controls and radio. The alternator was putting out 14volts and the battery 12.6. They both passed on the tester. I cleaned the battery posts. They had very mild corrosion. That fixed everything. It was just the battery cable connection. A caravan, the alternator failed so I bought a new one. It turned out to just be a loose battery cable connection on the back of the alternator. I check that every time the alternator fails from that day forward.
My wizard tip.. to find exhaust leaks, blow air through your tail pipe by BB using a leaf blower or vacuum on reverse. Now spray soapy water on areas of your exhaust you might expect a leak like at any joints or on your manifold. Any leaky spots will produce soap bubbles as the air comes out of them. Then you can likely patch it with various brands of welder tape on the pipe or welder putty on the manifold, like JB weld.
15:50 - For all these pro tips... Why not tell people to put the lugs back on the studs? So in case you do miss; you're hitting the lug instead of marring the thread, good tip as opposed to "Don't do that". This is exactly what I do, and that's exactly what I do.. Live in the rust belt so I know a thing or two about rusted on rotors.
Younger generations aren't built for this guy. He'll embarrass you, shame you, and make you feel stupid. But he'll teach you how to do things the right way.
This tips are the best "little solutions for BIG POBLEMS" you can find in any place. "Experience is the mother of every science" and this gentleman is a living proof of that. Thanks a lot for this TIPS...
I learnt 5 new tricks today. Thank you Wizard. Now one from me. 3.8 L GM engine. Had a no start in a parking lot close to home. Son tells me to pour hot water over the crank sensor down low. Got some hot water from a shop, poured it over the sensor and the car started and got me home. Next day I replaced the sensor. Would probably work on other cars too.
Great videos, just would like to point out on the rear rotor and drum removal, the very first thing to do is back off the shoes from their engagement of the drum. For a rotor, there is for most models still a pair of shoes in the "hat" part of the rotor for the parking brake, just like a drum brake set. The external disk brake pads are only for your active braking while driving. The shoes under the hat are just for parking/e-brake. And like any other drum brake, a ridge can build of rust from where the shoes do not contact the drum surface. So make sure the parking brake is off, and get into the adjuster star and back it off many clicks till you can't hear the shoes dragging, and plus some more for the rust ridge. If the rotor or drum is free , and the rust ridge is still grabbing the shoes, you'll get this springy feeling while pulling the drum off. Gotta back off the adjustment star some more. I've had Jeep rear parking brakes rust up so bad here, that no backing off of the shoes' adjuster that helped, and we mangled the backing plate and shoe hardware while getting the rotor off. Than pull the axle shaft and replace the rear backing plate loaded with new hardware and parking brake shoes. The pure rear drums, usually the shoes's adjuster can be backed off enough that the rust The Wizard is pointing out, is the only real problem left. After 40+ years of working on all my own vehicles, didn't want people to think the only holding the rear drum or rotor from coming off was some rust build up, which yes, the Wizard is 100% right, it's an issue. But up here in the rust belt of NY, the rust cause more obstacles than what the ball pen hammer can cure.
I started my apprenticeship back in 78 as a collision repair/refinishing/coatings specialist. Your a good man. I like your "switch on,switch off"relay idea.. Its all good
#9 The rivet trick is priceless. One thing I'd add to the comment is that an elongated rivet hole could lead to failure of that rivet via vibration. It can be really hard to find that buzzing noise driving you crazy, especially if the rivet stays in place and appears to be intact. Not to mention the added strain on the other rivets and assembly pieces. That is a really good tip, one of my personal fav's of the series.
I have a tip. On Chevy Silverados after you have been driving on snow covered roads on your way to work during the winter. After you get off work the starter won't crank. What happens is the drain hole in the starter housing gets snow and water packed up there into the starter gears. It then freezes and won't let the starter turn over. You need to go under the pickup with a little benzomatic propane torch and warm up the starter to melt the ice. After that I put a dab of door and window caulking over that hole and have had no issues with my pickup starting for the last 4 years now.
15:40 if you don't want to hit the studs, you can get 2 hammers, and put one hammer against the rotor where you want to hit, and used the other hammer to hit that hammer.
For battery connections I have been using Noalox compound for a couple of decades. It's formulated for aluminum electrical wiring, but it absolutely, completely eliminates battery terminal corrosion for the life of the battery. It has the consistency of grease, but it's conductive.
Had a squeaky clutch pedal... turned out to be my shoes. 🙈
😂🤣😂🤣🤦♂️
had an awful noise on the passenger side of my car years ago..turned out it was my ex wife
🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂
🤣🤣😂😂
@@andrewallen9537 I had a similar issue! In my old Civic Si 2007, There was this NON STOP rattling, banging and squealing coming from the pass side wheel well! Turns out, it was my Ex G/f! She was still stuck in the shock when I ran her over! LMAO!
One of my fave automotive YT channels. He's built for this, dry humor, decades of experience and of course -- honesty.
I came here through Hoovie's channel. This dude is amazing.
and brutal sarcasm!
@@captainamericaamerica8090 ,,
it's not one or two times, it's like fifty.
Sorry Wizard, I screwed up the threads
Moving a car by pushing on the tire is gonna make me the favorite son in law. My FIL is a mechanic for 60 years and we still push on body work. I am gonna ace this! Thanks a bunch!
Agreed.
Tip #6 is probably the most useful, for any car, not only expensive luxury cars.
That's how I got my riding mower back to the garage when it threw a belt.
Still you gotta wonder why a car is too precious to be pushed by the body. I doubt it would work on an SUV.
@@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885 I tried it today , and it's so much easier, almost effortless.
@@bohdanked weird - but it didn't have a Chassis frame I'm guessing.
Method I’ve used for decades to loosen stuck wheels. Loosen the bolts/nuts a turn. Drive car a foot and hit the brakes. Doesn’t take much force. Works first time every time. On old vws/fists and Japanese cars that obviously haven’t been rotated in years. I don’t even try to take them off before I Loosen slightly. Move it and Clunk. Then I lightly grease the the hub to try to prevent it next spring.
Regarding tip #5 using the door as a lever to find clunks. If it is an older GM product, first you will need to isolate the clunk coming from the worn out hinge on the door itself!
And be careful not to break the glued on door hinge clean off!
Bill Williams best comment
I love this video, I have been a ship mechanic for 10 years and I have work hacks that when I show them to a young 3rd engineer or a fitter struggling with a job I blow their mind, there is no substitution for experience of finding the easyest way to do a job, not the "correct" way, the least time wasting way, great advice Wizard.
Mcraveo, I was an industrial hydraulics tech. for 16+yrs built custom, one off machinery for the offshore oil/gas industry. I became known as Dr. James, had my on little 'tricks of the trade'......
I too have 10+ years working on ships. Sometimes assisting the outside machinists as and Boilermakers helper welding for them. Common sense is a valuable tool.
Tip 8: Rotors and drums generally have two extra holes tapped in them to put bolts in that will press against the wheel hub and press the drum or rotor off when the bolts are tightened
I’ve done this with Toyotas multiple times. It’s a great feature!
ALWAYS BACK OFF THE HANDBRAKE, I can't stress this enough after seeing so many techs just forcing the drums out and stretching the retaining pins.
@@itsnotfunny8257 The parking brake on some models is automatic when the car is in park. Some people might not realize it. The automatic feature can be deactivated with a scan tool.
@@briang.valentine4311Is there another way? Disconnecting battery or something? (Seems like that ought *not* to work because if the battery dies the car rolls… maybe a two step process?)
I have massive respect for this guy. There are so few mechanics that really know what they're doing and have this level of work ethic.
The clunk is gone but, now my door is misaligned.. lol
Was waiting for someone to say that.
@@wholeNwon I was also thinking the same thing, especially on an older GM with those heavy ass doors. On the 3rd gen F bodies for instance, it was nearly impossible to find one that didn't have at least one door sagging.
I was going to say now I get wet when it rains
Also try it on a car that isn't sprung like a 70s waterbed.
Man, I was watching in horror as he pushed down on that door. Rock the car, fine, but don't be pushing down on the doors ffs
11:00 mark. It drives me crazy watching Barrett Jackson when they push cars on/off the stage! I’ve seen so many cars with subtle dents caused by the palms of peoples hands!
Not to mention what the oil in your skin does to that high dollar premium paint work.....
I put a dent on a van's rear door hatch pushing it
My girlfriend's transmission just went out on her c4 Corvette and we're going to use tip 6 to get it in the garage.
Dave: I appreciate that you care enough about "us out here" to share tips that improve how we maintain cars and do other work for ourselves and our families. Thank you.
In regard to #4, I've seen a lot of mystery intermittent electrical issues instantly disappear when the battery cables were tightened down fully. I work at AutoZone and the very first thing I always do when testing batteries is try to wiggle the connectors by hand. You should not be able to do this by hand no matter how much pain and bleeding you can handle. This is actually a frequent problem when batteries are replaced and cable connector bolts bottom out before a full connection is made due to the new battery using skinnier terminal posts than the factory battery.
Had the starter go out on my Escort ZX2 S/R. I knew how terrible they were to replace, so I hammered that bastard to life for 6 months.
I once owned an 82 mazda B-2000 pickup. Easy to get to the starter but have no idea how many times I used the jack handle to bump the solenoid. I rode in with one of our electricans from a week long road job and had to bump the solenoid to start my truck, the guy laughed so much my sides even huurt. He said, 'james, your a mechanic, why don't you just fix the starter. My answer 'why, I got a jack handle.....lol
Loved the tips on finding a clunk in the front-end, removing seized rims, brake rotors, and the extra-long slim ratcheting wrench, and moving a car by pushing the tires--brilliantly simple! As a DIY-er, those were super-fantastic tips, but the 3-stage rivet removal technique takes the prize. I have not seen any other video show that yet--thanks so much Wizard!
My tip for disk is the screw get another longer one screw it in till it pushes back at you and pulls the disk off too
Wow, he flails his hands around almost as much as Scotty! That’s the sign of a master mechanic.
Think Scotty has manual artificial lung pumps. Has to keep his arms going to breath and talk fast. I do enjoy listening to these well informed guys.
@@arvbergstedt3303 So do I. Don’t know why I made that comment. Probably just for comic relief. 😁
Sir. I have never seen one of your videos ever before. I must say: YOU ARE THE BEST!!! You don’t get excited. You give total information. Great common sense tips. Favorite product names. You actually show tools and parts that you need by holding them up to the camera where WE CAN SEE THEM,which is uber important and most video makers don’t bother to do! In other words-YOU ARE A GREAT TEACHER! That’s the highest compliment I can give someone. Thank you!
I knew a guy who replaced TWO starters on a car before realizing that his girlfriend didn't put the car in Park before turning it over
They deserve each other.
I hope they didn’t reproduce
I have saved several young ladies a tow by asking what’s wrong and throwing it in park and turning the key. It’s fun to just tell them you said a prayer or something to make it run.
Thats impossible. He wouldn't be able to change the starter if he was that stupid.
Why 2? It had to be 3! You GUYS need to buy and LEARN how to use a multimeter!
This video is frickin amazing. Like every single tip is brilliant, the rivet one in particular 👍
Agreed! Never knew that about pop rivets!
I agree the rivet one was great.
In a word "superb"!!!!!
A real wizard !
Dang, that tip on removing rivets is gold.
Thanks Wizard!
i love the semi pissed off attitude when he does these
Dont wind up the wizard
I see stupid people...!
Yeah I think it's not just 'when he does these':)
He's very good at staying calm while explaining what you were doing wrong. Like we're his children. Lol. Thank you poppa wizard.
16:00 - Some drums and rotors have a threaded hole for you to use a screw to slowly remove the drum/rotor.
RE The battery terminals. Reminds me of something that happened when i was a teenager. My dad went to look at a car for sale as a non-runner. It was a Renault 25 V6. A luxury car over here in europe that was popular in the 80's. My dad took a look at it, and the owner said the "AA" had even sent a guy to look at it and they gave up. So it was a non-runner. We paid the money. Hooked up tow ropes and towed it away. My dad pulls over about 3 roads away. Pops the bonnet (hood). And shows me that the battery is in backwards !!. Took it out, flipped it around and sure enough it fired up almost straight away. He was so happy as it was really cheap and yet a very nice car. And yet a trained mechanic didnt spot that !.
Nice
So you all took advantage of someone who didn't know better...cool story...
Hey nice find!
So a guy from Alcoholic's Anonymous was sent to look at it ?
@@raypatterson4894 Automobile Association. Its a break-down service in the uk.
Thank you very much! These tips are so awesome, especially for people who are not mechanics by trade.
Great videos, thanks!
"You don't have time for fighting." 😎 Great life lesson
Hi Wizard! I’m having a bad day, but I always watch your videos when I’m angry or upset since your videos calm me down and I love to watch them. You and your family have a great day and a happy new year! 👍
John Redcorn gives good messages
Daniel S. Nancy recommends him 👍
Rusty Shackleford
CarsTrucksWhatever yup
@@dalegribble3684 I hope you have a better day dale. Happy new year to you.
New t-shirt idea " I've been fighting that for half an hour" 👕
nope,........................ NOBODY BEATS the WIZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@@gertraba4484 that's why the shirt is green, for new Junior Mints and apprentices 👍
And you can do different lengths of time!
I have frequently watched inexperienced techs struggle with a job, so I wander over, show the the best way to do something, and then wander back to what I was doing.
This leads to one of three results the next time they do that job. 1) They remember. 2) They remember "something", and come ask me to show them again, which I gladly do. 3) They make the same mistake again,.
For #3, I let them struggle. Eventually, I might ask them if they remember what I showed them last time, but some lessons have to be learned the hard way.
@@crowttubebot3075 Hats off to you sir. You are the tech/mechanic that new techs need to get to know and have the privilege of working with or at the same shop. I would have loved to have worked with the attitude that you practice with those who need help or those who come to you for help. I had the opposite where a question about help or a visual inspection to estimate a problem or job found part of a oil change when I was new was met with the tales of how this career is terrible and I will be broke and lonely if I choose to stay and that I need to find a better job or being told that is my problem. Also dealt with the techs who only want to be bothered when your trying to recommend gravy work and taking my ticket so they can clock it to get paid for the oil change I did because a oil change is beneath them but not when it came to getting paid for me doing it or a PDI because I was hourly and they were flat rate. I even tried to sweeten the pot by offering to do oil changes for them if I could in exchange for being shown how to do a alignment or brake flush with the machines etc.and was met with nothing. Again I think your work ethic is awesome and more senior techs are needed to practice this to help the next generation. Thank You
Loved round one, loving round two!
After 18 years I still picked up two tips.
I was going to get those wrenches anyway. Now I can help the wizards at the same time.
After 55 years I picked up 5 tips. Got you beat! 😀😀
I upgraded the rear end gears on my Prowler but don't know how to connect the module for the speedometer.
Great tips. For tip #8, if you're not sure of your hammer aiming skill, thread the wheel nuts back onto the studs so the top of the nut is flush with the top of the stud. That way, if you accidentally hit a stud you won't mar the thread. Where I live salt is used on the roads. Rotors and drums never come off easily. They're always rusty and usually need to be heated with a torch. I'm amazed at how clean the undersides of Wizard's vehicles look. No rust!!!
great tip on the rivet removal, thank you!!!
Actually learned something kinda new here even though I do the very same thing as you do for a living. The trick to rock the car on the ground to find a clunk was something I had never thought of. But still I have found pretty much all the clunks I've had to diagnose. On balljoints I use channel locks (if they fit) and try to squeeze the side of the cup on the other end and the nut on the other - if there is any movement then the balljoint is bad. This has been very useful on to diagnose those upper control arms on VAG cars with the multilink setup (A4, Passat 3B, A6 C5 and so on). Gentle fiddle with a tire iron on bushings if not visibly broken also has found many tired parts.
Anti roll bar drop links with balljoints on both ends - if it can be turned from side to side easily when the car is on a lift then they are at least near failure if not failed already. Channel locks work here also. Many many years ago when I was still learning and gaining the basic experience I even tried removing the drop links and drove around the block - the clunk was gone. I had the new parts on the table but I wanted to be sure before I fitted them because the old ones did not feel so loose to hand even when removed (I did not yet use the channel lock method at that time). Though on some cars the anti roll bar might hit something else in the suspension if the car is driven without the droplinks so this is something to think first before doing it.
On wheel bearings my methods are trying if there is any play with the wheel on, then spin the wheel and listen and last I grab the coil spring and then spin the wheel. If I can feel "judder" on the spring then the bearing is bad. A few rare cases have been where I had to use a mechanics stethoscope on the knuckle near the bearing while spinning the wheel to hear the bearing noise.
I am sure this is all clear to you but if someone going through these comments might pick up an idea from here and then I didn't write this for nothing :)
I appreciate the clarification on my CVT fluid change. Love your videos, and keep helping people out with the maintenance that need to be done. People who want to keep their vehicles healthy into the 300k mileage. I’m for sure following your expert advice. Appreciate everything you do CAR WIZARD!!!
I have to say; I just love, love, LOVE the head slap wizard does! 😊
You’re channel has come a long way since the beginning. Great job.
The wheel trick is priceless! I’ve been pushing on the interior A or B pillar.
I will absolutely use this on my 2000 Civic--as soon as I put the wheels back on!
I would sit in the car and use my left foot to move the car
My father had an 1984 Renault Encore and the interior plastics on the a and b pillars were all cracked up because of this :)
As a detailing enthusiast, I can’t state how much I appreciate this tip.
Yes I have to try this one I never would have thought it'd be so easy
On the brake drum or rotors another trick is to look for screw holes and run the right size bolt in the holes evenly with a power tool. This method pulls the rotor without damging anything surrounding the rotor. also if the holes aren't there i use an air hammer in between the studs works like a charm.
I always enjoy watching other people's tips and tricks. Learn a ton of new things that always come in handy. I've got one for you if you are out and need to change a flat that is stuck like the Cadillac. Since you most likely don't have a dead blow in the trunk we got to use what's on hand. The spare. It never has failed me within one or two blows. The weight does almost all the work too. A bonus is that if it's a low car that you can't really get access to the back on the side of the road you can hit it along the bottom face and there is very little worry about damaging a rim. At most you may need to clean a little rubber mark from it.
These videos go to show that no matter how long you've been working on cars, you can always learn new tricks. Keep 'em coming, Wizard!
Thanks for the rivet tip!! I do lots of small engine work and lots of times the pullstart is held on by rivets. Wish I knew this earlier.
I needed to push a car today and remembered this video. IT"S SO MUCH EASIER to push the car by pushing a wheel! I've seen people doing it on TV, but never actually gave it a second thought. Don't know how to explain it, it's counterintuitive but it just works.
I love that the Wiz delivers these words of wisdom with the same amount of disgust and sarcasm as any shop teacher telling the 25 assholes in 4th bell the same lesson for the umpteenth time hoping it gets through their thick skulls😂😂😂
And remember kids Wisdom grows,fingers don’t”
Congrats on 200k buddy!
Tavarish HIIII
Bro @tavarish what’s good bro!!
Tavarish! What's up my n.. oh.
Ahhhhhh!
One year later he more than doubled that up.
Another video that should be #1 on youtube! Great info Wizard, and wonderful that you share it! Many mechanics play by the knowledge is power rule, and are not to be trusted. Your clients are truly blessed by having an honest mechanic.
Not just loose battery cables but dirty, oxidized and/or corroded battery terminal connections!
Clean your battery and terminal connections TWICE a year people!
Once in the spring and once in the fall. It should look like shiny metal using a battery terminal brush.
Thank you, Wizard! I didn't know any of these valuable instructional how-to tips!
This is my favorite series on this channel. I was waiting for the classic wizard humor, "ohhhhh sorrry!" We got a brief moment in tip #8 but it was as good as the normal one. 😀
Having all of those northstars around is a nice chance to do a multi part video on boring out and doing the bolt conversion if you have the time and are up for it.
Yes I second this! (I hope to be a future Aurora owner)
I just learned tip 3 getting shifter out of park when i did a timing belt on a Honda Odyssey about 5 months ago👍 Tip 5 just saved me a lot of wasted time, thank you!
Just subscribed. I have been trying to find a clunking noise in my mercedes for a couple of weeks. An hr here an hr there and the advice I found was either push down on the hood in both corners of the car to hear the clunking or put it on a lift and wiggle, push, twist, etc to locate the noise. I found the issue and waiting on parts. So I tried your method and found it in 3 minutes. Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge. Diagnosing is 95% of the problem. I already knew a few of your tips except this and the pushing on the tire to move the car instead of putting hands/ pressure on the body. Thank you so much.
#1 tip: Find your own Hoovie
I need to get me one of those!
@@drippingwax a Hoovie or a WIZ???????????????????
@@gertraba4484 I was thinking an eccentric rich friend, but honestly I could use a good mechanic, too. Mom has used the same guy for seventeen years and loved him, but when I had misfires on three cylinders he told me to pull the spark plugs and see what is wrong with them. I did, found some stuff that needed to be replaced, and swapped it out, but it was still misfiring. I went back and he said "I'm not fixing your car! You fix your car!"
Front end clunk is fixed, now I need door hinge pins
That's funny dude!
You’re my new favorite mechanic bro
Now I know why you’re called the Wizard. You have some brilliant tips. Thank you so much for sharing your Awesome knowledge. Keep it coming Wizard Dave ! Bravo !!!
I did find that shifter lock release in another youtube video when my shifter went bad. It saved me a ton of money in repairs, which turned out to be a fancy rubberband.
I'm in the UK, and as most cars have manual gearboxes only I don't think I've ever seen this tip before. Super useful!
Often the location of the lock release is shown in the owner's manual.
Greatly Appreciated! Keep E'm Coming!!
Yes we need more tips!
Great video. Just went to turning wrenches about 2 years ago from construction. A few tips i already knew as most in the business, but most have been a real time saver. So thank you for taking time to make these videos. Greatly appreciated keep up the good work.
Thank you for proper rivet technique tutorial. Aerospace ftw!
Have you considered a call-in advice show or podcast? You could be the next iteration of Car Talk.
Yes!
You mean NPRs Car Talk with “Click” and “Clack” the “Tappet” brothers?...this guy couldn’t hold a candle to them!! Don’t insult us. Those two guys were genius. This guy is just a competent mechanic. Knowledgeable but No sense of humor and culturally illiterate...not entertaining at all. Really. The guy verges on boring.
Think you can be a little more harsh, pistonpuss???
Great idea
@@slipf18bustedflush42 you dont have to be here. Others including myself like the car wizard & don't always have to be entertained 24/7.
11:10 - that’s a wheely good idea
Fantastic job and thank you! This is like a PhD in time saving tips.
Tip 11.
If you have a bad wheelbearing but don't know which side gone bad.
Raise the car up, spin the wheel and put your hand on the spring.
If you feel vibrations in the spring, then you know you are sitting next to it :)
Helpful tip: I tell my guys every time you do ANYTHING with AC, moving it, disconnecting it or whatever, ALWAYS check to see if the AC works before repair. When you’re Noh is done and you’re doing exit checks, you will be scratching your head if the AC doesn’t blow cold and it opens it wide open for the customer to say it worked before it came in. Nice video!
FIRST ask the customer whether the AC works. If he says "yes", turn it ON and see whether it does before the customer leaves. If he has left, check the AC immediately, If it doesn't work, CALL him at once. Saves a LOT of potential problems and appearances in small claims court.
wholeNwon Yes, I bet that would work best for automotive with the customer more involved. There is a largely big gap between myself and the end user, dispatch, the rig crew, the operator and the person paying the bill. It’s less of a personal experience usually. We aren’t going to claims court over AC, it’s just not something we want to do, so we check.
@@smittymwsful Sure. I was thinking in terms of the average community auto repair shop. There are many other situations where it's impractical and insurance companies are often involved instead.
Love your channel, but I got to say, tip no.5 - Look at tip No.6 - and say ''NO, STOP'' etc.. The force you are applying to the hinges using the length of that door as a lever is more than some hinge mountings can take. My old XYZ would have been damaged if someone had swung on the door - For sure.
If it's a Mercedes then sure swing on the door.
i replace my mom's door bushings every other year, have been doing so since i was a teen.
Every time I have any electrical issue the first thing I do is clean the batter cable connections. Daughters camry, driving it the Guage cluster kept cutting out along with the hvac controls and radio. The alternator was putting out 14volts and the battery 12.6. They both passed on the tester. I cleaned the battery posts. They had very mild corrosion. That fixed everything. It was just the battery cable connection.
A caravan, the alternator failed so I bought a new one. It turned out to just be a loose battery cable connection on the back of the alternator. I check that every time the alternator fails from that day forward.
Apprentice walks out of the bathroom.
Wizard: "What took you so long?"
Apprentice: "I was fighting that for a half an hour."
Always learn something new... Great job Wizard!
Damn. Kudos on the rivet tip, that is excellent Forbidden Wizard Knowledge
My wizard tip.. to find exhaust leaks, blow air through your tail pipe by BB using a leaf blower or vacuum on reverse. Now spray soapy water on areas of your exhaust you might expect a leak like at any joints or on your manifold. Any leaky spots will produce soap bubbles as the air comes out of them. Then you can likely patch it with various brands of welder tape on the pipe or welder putty on the manifold, like JB weld.
What a channel! I have never seen a mechanic that can solve almost anything with PURE LOGIC. That is indeed its own kind of brilliance.
15:50 - For all these pro tips... Why not tell people to put the lugs back on the studs? So in case you do miss; you're hitting the lug instead of marring the thread, good tip as opposed to "Don't do that".
This is exactly what I do, and that's exactly what I do.. Live in the rust belt so I know a thing or two about rusted on rotors.
Thanks for the masterclass. The biography detail is the icing on the cake.
Younger generations aren't built for this guy. He'll embarrass you, shame you, and make you feel stupid. But he'll teach you how to do things the right way.
This tips are the best "little solutions for BIG POBLEMS" you can find in any place. "Experience is the mother of every science" and this gentleman is a living proof of that. Thanks a lot for this TIPS...
Good stuff, Wizard. Thank you.
This is some good Wizarderie ! You should do more mechanics tips video they are The best √
I learnt 5 new tricks today. Thank you Wizard. Now one from me. 3.8 L GM engine. Had a no start in a parking lot close to home. Son tells me to pour hot water over the crank sensor down low. Got some hot water from a shop, poured it over the sensor and the car started and got me home. Next day I replaced the sensor. Would probably work on other cars too.
I’ve watch this and your other video on 10 tips. I knew all about the rivet removal. It was well worth watching them all to learn that one. Blessings
Absolutely glad I found your channel! I wish all mechanics shops were just like yours! Thank you for all you do!
This is a great series Wizard!
Really useful tips...
Great videos, just would like to point out on the rear rotor and drum removal, the very first thing to do is back off the shoes from their engagement of the drum. For a rotor, there is for most models still a pair of shoes in the "hat" part of the rotor for the parking brake, just like a drum brake set. The external disk brake pads are only for your active braking while driving. The shoes under the hat are just for parking/e-brake. And like any other drum brake, a ridge can build of rust from where the shoes do not contact the drum surface. So make sure the parking brake is off, and get into the adjuster star and back it off many clicks till you can't hear the shoes dragging, and plus some more for the rust ridge. If the rotor or drum is free , and the rust ridge is still grabbing the shoes, you'll get this springy feeling while pulling the drum off. Gotta back off the adjustment star some more. I've had Jeep rear parking brakes rust up so bad here, that no backing off of the shoes' adjuster that helped, and we mangled the backing plate and shoe hardware while getting the rotor off. Than pull the axle shaft and replace the rear backing plate loaded with new hardware and parking brake shoes. The pure rear drums, usually the shoes's adjuster can be backed off enough that the rust The Wizard is pointing out, is the only real problem left. After 40+ years of working on all my own vehicles, didn't want people to think the only holding the rear drum or rotor from coming off was some rust build up, which yes, the Wizard is 100% right, it's an issue. But up here in the rust belt of NY, the rust cause more obstacles than what the ball pen hammer can cure.
I started my apprenticeship back in 78 as a collision repair/refinishing/coatings specialist. Your a good man. I like your "switch on,switch off"relay idea.. Its all good
Love the tip on the rivet. Learned something new today. Thanks. 👍
This is an excellent tip - especially liked the rivet one as I need to remove the door speakers in my V70
As a 56 year old teaching myself auto mechanics,(mostly through utube vids) I really appreciate these tip videos keep em coming,!!
Dude you are a BOSS. Thank you for these tips.
"...and torque to Wizard ft-lbs." accurate, hahah
wow, this is really helpful. no ones ever showed me these simple things. thank you
Tip #9 from the aircraft industry was my favorite. I drilled out a lot of rivets..... now I’ll do it correctly!!
Hey THANKS Wizard I can watch these tips videos all day! Much appreciated!
Wizard got so triggered when explaining the battery terminal 😂
Can't say I know any mechanic who actually like side terminal cable ends......
Imagine being his kids when they do something dumb lol. The amount of stupid he can make you feel.
Terminals are the most common no start issue i run into. Not a tech tho just a backyard shadetree mech
@@0650asanders "Not the one that crashed the Prelude".
Yeah, kinda arrogant anger....
If a $180 tool saves you 10 hours of labor a year, at $50/hour then it's a bargain.
just looked and they dropped the price to $128
not even that, you pay employees a couple thousand dollar a month in wages and can't afford $180 equipment...?
or pad the bill and add it to the repair job
Techs buy the tools, not the shop.
Yeah but if you only work on your car own cars, it's a little harder to justify spending $180 on a tool that won't see much use.
If you try tip #5 on a 80's-90's Chrysler, there is a good chance you'll break the welds holding the door hinge to the pillar!
I've been wrenching on cars for over 25 years and this guy knows how they built the pyramids. 🧑🔧
that wrench would seriously had helped me changing the starter and alternator wire on a 2L 16v duratec without removing anything around it
I use mountain wrenches love them.
#9 The rivet trick is priceless. One thing I'd add to the comment is that an elongated rivet hole could lead to failure of that rivet via vibration. It can be really hard to find that buzzing noise driving you crazy, especially if the rivet stays in place and appears to be intact. Not to mention the added strain on the other rivets and assembly pieces. That is a really good tip, one of my personal fav's of the series.
I have a tip. On Chevy Silverados after you have been driving on snow covered roads on your way to work during the winter. After you get off work the starter won't crank. What happens is the drain hole in the starter housing gets snow and water packed up there into the starter gears. It then freezes and won't let the starter turn over. You need to go under the pickup with a little benzomatic propane torch and warm up the starter to melt the ice. After that I put a dab of door and window caulking over that hole and have had no issues with my pickup starting for the last 4 years now.
Great stuff Wizard, love the show!
15:40 if you don't want to hit the studs, you can get 2 hammers, and put one hammer against the rotor where you want to hit, and used the other hammer to hit that hammer.
Great tip
You never want to hit two hammers together use a punch
@@bandicoot543 explain your reasoning for not using two hammers.
David Jacobs two hardned steel surfaces, creates shrapnel and sparks
You can also put the nuts partially back on to protect the stud threads
A real good, and honest, mechanic is more valuable and smarter than at least five IT professionals.
For battery connections I have been using Noalox compound for a couple of decades. It's formulated for aluminum electrical wiring, but it absolutely, completely eliminates battery terminal corrosion for the life of the battery. It has the consistency of grease, but it's conductive.