Ivan, I have a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Sahara. It was suffering from stalling under heavy loading yet triggered no codes. I took it to my mechanic and all he could see was the fuel pressure was on the low side and recommended a new fuel pump. I was watching Eric O working on a same year and model Jeep and his problem was a bad ground. This led me to go looking for the ground on my fuel pump. As Eric O would put it, it was a green puss sack. Repaired the ground and now there is full fuel pressure, and it no longer stalls under heavy loading.
Ivan - you deserve a 2 post lift. Still amazes me how much get done without it, and it actually makes you very relatable for people working on their own cars.
You are great Sir. I cant stand these types of problems. Because my coustomers dont pay the fair price and if i do some work and it comes back then they want to kill me. So when ever i see these types of car i just say the coustomer that i am not qualified of this specific model of car plz go some where else. Botom line is as a technician I know how much you need to throttle your brain for these type of work and some time it gets Really frustrating and annoying. You are doing very well sir. I really Respect your knowledge and hard work. ❤❤❤
Thats. Why i watch you ivan i want to be the tech people will tow there car from four hours away becuase they know or heard of your skill level good job
Just think about where you started! Working with Keith for what was it, a week? We've seen lots of struggles. You have probably had a lot more than you've shown. *RESPECT!*
Good Job, I have had a hand full of those FTP sensors over the years at GM bringing the 5v down also and that A pillar connector having water intrusion causing APP issues especially caddy's! Visual inspection is always the best tool in the box for finding wiring issues. Now wait for the rotten pump retainer to kick a P0455 ! "Ever since you fixed my car I have a CEL and evap codes!!! "
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics time for a lift my friend for those jobs, you will regret it when your my age! Hopefully the tangs that hold the lock ring aren't little rusty useless nubs lol. I don't miss the rust belt. I escaped to the south west for an down hill ride of a technician.
Great diagnostic, Ivan! Intermittent shorts can be frustrating and very time consuming, while the repairs are usually simple (after spending hours looking for the contact point). And the car was not even street legal, to make the necessary tests... Kudos to your patience and determination! Crazy problem with the AC system (who forgets refrigerant seals?), but the whole car seems to have been exposed to sloppy works all over. Great job solving that too!
I bought myself a 2013 1.6 115hp opel mokka, no turbo, no gdi, no electric handbrake, no led headlights. An oldschool car that is possible to repair without getting ruined. Im keeping it as long as i can. Dont want the newer money pits.
Funny enough those got exported as a Holden Trax, which is considered a lemon over here. You'll still need a GM tech2 scan tool if you actually need to diag anything on the car though.
You have the patience of a saint and the determination of a hungry bear Ivan. Then again, you don't have to worry about the hustle and bustle of a busy shop environment either. No distractions. I also know the pain of having to chase an intermittent problem that doesn't show up for me on my test drives. But nice find though. That could have been very easily overlooked.
Great patience and detective work . Unfortunately , whenever the " wrong hands " touch anything , it only makes things more difficult . In addition to garbage parts , wrong parts , items not programmed , etc. Most wire harnesses are extremely tight . They can easily be disturbed by BIG HANDS and HACKS . Obviously , when mounts wear or items are " rerouted " by EXPERTS , the damage begins .
GM has known that there are wiring harness issues in those cars for many years and they've done nothing about it. Nice find Ivan!!! Someone will be back in that engine bay fixing more wiring related issues before the customer is done with the vehicle.
You do a stellar job with a hand full of very well chosen tools. The old expression "GO WITH WHAT YOU KNOW" ls living well in you humble shop. You have tweeked my knowledge on many things under the hood, and I always like to learn somthing new and your a good teacher!😊
Two things. 1. Rust belt. You all should have totally different cars than the ones we work on in Kentucky. 2. I thought GM can’t be that poorly designed. But I see most was due to very sloppy repairs. That’s a shame. I hope that wasn’t done by a professional shop. And your patience and persistence is greatly admired. This pushing 70 body doesn’t have that any more. Del
Ivan, I bet your customer really appreciated you getting him to the end of the tunnel. We all hope that care spends the next few years delivering the transportation in which the customer intended when he bought it. Thanks for Sharing!
Nice video and diagnosis. Wiring problems can be very time consuming to find. The worst I had was a 180 ton Demag truck crane. I spent four days chasing wires and testing a no shift condition on a 16 Speed ZF electronic power shift set up.
I can relate. Vibration and dirt are EVEN bigger problems on construction equipment. If split loom harnesses are used, the edges of the split loom, with the help of the dirt and vibration , act like teeth and wear into the wires. AND, the only way to find the damage is to remove clamps and remove the split loom.
I do appreciate your patient and methodical approach. In my time in the industry that was always one of my specialties, electrical intermittents. It takes a certain mindset to thrive at that.
On my 2011 Chevrolet. All the wiring loom turned to dust within 4 years living in the desert. I replaced it all before an eminent wiring failure. It's still good 8 years later. Harbor Freight loom quality is pretty good. No signs of drying out yet. I'm also impressed that the Malibu didn't have any heat door or air door actuators clicking away. They had to have been replaced before you got it into your shop.
I thought it was common sense to make sure the vehicle was road worth before sending it in for repairs, or to let the shop know it would need to be brought up to that point. Another great job by Ivan to save a problem vehicle from the junkyard.
It's common sense but a lot of the time someone will dump their car on you with either a dead battery or it will be out of fuel...or both. I had a customer drop a Toyota Avalon off for A/C repair. After replacing a defective compressor I took for a test drive and discovered the transmission would hardly pull the car. I called the customer to inform and was surprised when he said he was aware and is gonna address that issue next.
Being a car from Philadelphia, it's not surprising that the turn signals and headlights don't work. We have a Police force that's not allowed to pull people over for inspection issues anymore. You can have expired inspection and emission stickers and the Police can't pull you over because it is believed that it is racial profiling (it's actually called The Driving Equity Law). There are thousands of cars driving around Philly that haven't been inspected in years and are so unsafe. Ivan was so worried about taking that car on the road without turn signals and headlights but if you were in Philly you'd have no worries. It's insane! You can see that the Owner never even mentions the turn signals or lights. It's hilarious. Great work Ivan!
So what you are saying is that in the majority of cases when a police officer was acting in a way to serve and protect, it was deemed by the powers that be as discrimination?
Someone needs to start something where there's a good resource for finding mechanics who are extremely thorough like you. It's really needed these days. So many shops just throwing parts at stuff, lol.
@@mph5896 Agreed. Cant remember how many times i have had a vehicle in that has had thousands of dollars spent trying to solve an issue and wont approve more than 1 hour of time. Then really get mind blown when a couple of them say the other shops only charged 1 hour to diagnose 🤔🤔the issue. HUH?
The common denominator is the bare wire. Sometimes the codes can lead you right to the problem.....just have to locate the wire in this case where it was bare. I was thinking a corroded or partially corroded wire, but this was better cause it was bare. Good one Ivan.
I had a very similar problem with my daughter’s 2011 Malibu with the 2.4 engine a few years ago. The local dealer tried the parts canon for 2 years but could never find the real issue causing the intermittent reduced power. After researching it online, I discovered the only people who seem to fix this issue replaced the faulty battery cables on this car with non-OEM cables and cleaned all 5 grounds. I did the same and it has now been over 2.5 years, the car has run flawlessly without a single reoccurrence. If one cannot find a bare wire or short, this would be another option to try since it has worked for a number of us.
Had intermittent proble.m with my 09 Yukon, 5.3ltr. some days fine, then start again and dash lites go crazy, abs, trac control, no tach no speedo, hunting idle. Changed cam and crank sensors, new battery. Fine for a few days then here we go again. Finally found that a sluggish starter was the problem all along. The computer wasn't seeing a good crank up and everything went nuts. Starter/alt shop rebuilt starter and problem solved. GMC dealer wanted to fire the parts cannon to the tune of $2500 when. All it needed was a starter.
That 3.6 liter LFA engine is notorious for issues. You had to pull the bumper cover off to replace the headlights? 154,000 miles on that car? I would take your Mystique over that car any day of the week. Great video!
Enjoyable to watch Ivan . Communication with the customer and another car fit for the road . Good tip make sure your car has the basics to drive for road test 🔧⚒🛠💥👍
I have the same car? Changed alternator twice changed the starter changed battery! Drop off with ao called at shop broke down on the road for 5 hours today walked with my child the jerk wouldn't answer his phone 😭 where are the grounds i have a bad ground its the only thing possible i spent a tune of money 4 different shops any advice what can i do or start? Had var for year only worked 5 months out of the year it keeps acting like the alternator is out 2 new alternators something else is wrong please help where are the grounds on this car 2011 chevy Malibu 3.6 ltz
5500 amd over 2 grand in and still noting and they recalled the battery cables i see his was changed only on negative post but since he did that the cover can not be put on to keep battery cool??
Great diagnostic. That said, I would never test drive a car with defective seat belts. You should tell customers up front that any safety violations must be corrected before the diagnostic proceeds. Protect yourself my friend.
Your attention to detail is amazing Ivan. Well done Sir. Yes the 2.4 ecotec 4 bangers are junk. My ex has a 2013 Equinox she bought last October. I taught her how to check her oil at every gas purchase, but something just went very wrong. Both VVT solenoids were replaced with OEM ones 2 months ago by me due to a code. Ran fine until I believe the oil pump failed. Known issue ignored by GM. Engine makes a horrible noise, it is now at a stealership(Apple Chevrolet) waiting to see if her car shield policy will replace the engine even though the previous owner was very meticulous with the maintenance. I warned her about auctions, but she did not listen.
stop saying things like this ^^^^ he may start charging us to watch ! i wonder how many of us watchers are pro mechanics , as opposed to " home mechanics" ( and i would put him in the top 3 . ( that will slow down his swelling head )) 🤣 i'm not a car mechanic , i do motorcycles. but diagnosing is the same methodology.
So some months ago...I said I HAD to have topology. So to the rescue finally comes a Kingbolen K10! Combining a sale price and another discount from Amazon, just did make it work. And lo...the software seems VERY similar to your Thinktool Pros...I wonder if all these overseas manufacturers are under one roof....either way...I got a capable tablet, that beats my Autel MK808 to pieces!
Ivan, great job keeping the customer informed along the way. This creates a bond of honesty and if he lived closer to you, a customer for life! All these repairs were pretty simple, even putting back the old correct ECM! There must be many ignorant mechanics, not TECHNICIANS out there working on computer-operated vehicles.
Chevy used to make good wire looms. I've never touched my old s-10 wires and they are still solid. I frequently work on a 08 buick lecerne for a family member and have had to replace every wire loom as I go.
Great diag and repair as always Ivan. Luckily working at a dealership most intermittent issues we deal with have tsb’s or someone in the shop has dealt with it before to offer some guidance. Most wiring issues I deal with are rodent caused or just poor workmanship.
Nice work appreciate how you determined how to solve the problems.. i bought some mgi speed ware braided wire loom in a few different sizes to replace and make repairs on my projects. That materal is pretty tough .. i remember working on some cat dozers there wiring harness are pretty heavy duty . I was told points of contact where harness can give problems . Thanks for sharing your knowledge
Fantastic diagnosis Ivan! Ive been down this road many times. Glad you found it. I chased an almost identical condition on a Ram V6. In my case it was the oil pressure sensor shorting out the 5volt ref to one of the TPS and APP sensor.
My thought was that it could be a similar issue with the wiring around the throttle pedal depending on the size of the shoes of the driver and how the driver pushes on the pedal.
Who wouldve thought... An awesome diagnosis and 'repair'..with no parts..Just Smarts..as with the AC.. Nice going once again.! Wish you were closer.!! Thanks for the vid. Kudos..
Visual inspection would not immediately reveal it. Its under and had to use a mirror, but you knew where to look. It took a while but no one else found it, just replacing parts, after parts, after parts with no solution. Excellent work. The Computer did say 5v Reference issue, it did point you on the right direction, some what. Thanks.
Nice video IVAN.It's great that you were able to fix this guys car.Having to go out on a test drive with a iffy car is not good,it's bad enough that you may get stuck on the side of the road like it sometimes happens.But even worse to get pulled over by the police,for a fix it ticket only to find 20,000 FENTANYL tabs in the flat spare tire.haha When the cop says get out with your hands up,do you automatically charge 1 extra hour diag time?I wish all the wire diagrams were free. thanks for the video Ivan.
Hi Ivan, Greetings from the UK, I am always impressed by your work Ivan, your patience with this job was very impressive, as for the Air Con seals, it is pretty obvious that the person who did that either did not care or did not know any better, in both cases they should not be doing the job.
Just gotta say.... I ❤ U man, Patience to perfection. Heat and vibration. Just helped me out with my intermittent dash light issue, 2010 Chevy Malibu LTZ driving me bonkers.
I was turned on by another youtuber to use Refrigeration Technologies RT201B Nylog Gasket/Thread Sealant. I had the same issue with those type off gaskets leaking on the HP side directly on the compressor and at the condenser. The GM style Schrader valve on the HP service port was also leaking. This is on a 2000 Buickster with 69k on the clock and the quality of detail, or lack thereof, in routing the harnesses and lines is not as bad since the main panel is behind the rear seat, but still no comparison to a BMW 3 Series, for instance. Today, I was watching a vid from DiagnoseDan who had a similar issue on a Audi using the GM style harness covering. Well done!
The outside of the car clean the inside of the car clean under the hood a disaster harness falling apart all over the place bare wires resting on blazing hot motor the owner should spend more time and energy Under the hood clean,new loom,tight and secure correct routing 👍👍👍👍👍 Great video another win
good diag. I like when its not obvious and see how you approch the issues. I get a lot of intermittent electrical issues and its a nightmare to diag when you can't duplicate the problem. I still have a bad habbit of touching harnesses to see if thats the issue i need to get that scope out and watch the data like you do. I sold my 08 malibu early summer and about to sell my 2010 camaro, I'm getting a new Toyota Tacoma. I won't buy another GM as i keep watching the quality drop and so many issues on these new vehicles. I honestly thought that body style malibu was the most reliable and i never had issues with my 2.4 but i changed the oil every 5k and used mobil 1. 90% of its life from 08 to 23 to 150k it only needed maintence.
@@dongningprc and when the unions get their way then gm finds ways to get their money by screwing dealerships on warranty claims and then screwing the techs on labor times. Because of the law in illions and a few other states that warranty time must be multipled by 1.5 they are slashing labor times left and right.
Thank you for the A/C section at the end. I have a similar problem where we detected a leak at the condensor with dye in the system. The shop says to replace the whole condenser but now after watching this video i wonder if it's just a bad seal on the pipes.
Great diagnosis video, just a note, depending on your state you may need a license to do HVAC recharge, and this video can incriminate you if you don't have it, just be careful Can't wait for the Landrover video, hope it comes soon
Yup that's why they sell those cans of Freon to customers with the hose attached already. 😂😂 But if memory serves me. I believe you need a license for the R12. They sell R134a and 1234yf to customers now. No license needed.
gotta love replacing headlight bulbs in malibus last one I got to by dropping the front of the inner fender, I think that only works on the low beam but it saves some time
I enjoy watching your videos and yea sometimes twice . I remember Cat showing up at work to fix the ac on a couple dozers . The d11 high track had a leak on the ac . The service tech charged the system with i think around 350 psi of nitrogen . Found the leak ..i said i going to remember that just in case . Thanks for the videos
You raised some interesting topic points about driving someone else’s car during your commentary. Hopefully you will not mind these questions. Do you operate as an LLC? Do you carry extra insurance just in case they lie and don’t actually have it? How much trouble do you have getting paid for extra work that you had to do to get it safe to drive on the road, like you did here?
thats one well used malipoo, def been in a front and rear accident, seatbelt retractor is probably blown and they just unbolted the one end, gas tank leaking from a rotted sending unit/pump, wiring harness is about to grenade, but gotta have that ac working!!! how long does it have left before the timing chains blow thou? lol
Water. The intermittent condition may have been found on the test drive if the AC worked and there was condensation on the line it was rubbing, or if there were wet road conditions. Just a thought.
Really liked this video and learned a lot. Seems thats all i ever dealt with was intermittent issues But that was mostly before CAN when there was lots more wiring and connectors
HAPENED TO SEARCH FOR INTERMITTENT ENGINE STOP ON MAZDA 929 1988. YOUR YOU TUBE ANALYSIS WAS OOU TSTANDING. I AM ELECTRICL/NUCLEAR ENGINEER FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT START UP. YOU WOULD BE A GREAT STARTUP ENGINEER I M RETIRED BUT YOU HAVE EXCELLENT SYSTEM UNDERSTANDING. ENJOYED THE PRESENTATION. DR KOOY PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER.
For 2011 GM the real time data (live data) rate should be fast enough to see even short +5V VREF drop outs using a scan tool, but I do applaud your use of the PicoScope for corroboration, so well done Ivan. The first basic check is the battery cable connections, condition and do they follow the vehicle electrical diagram. The Battery Neg lug should be replaced. The screw clamp style lug that replaced the factory crimped lug is crap (when used I also suspect a crap neg battery feed cabling). ECM sensor wiring (like the MAP sensor wiring) should use at least plastic or friction tape wrapped high temp plastic loom to protect the wires. Wire feeds are never routed on the engine without protection and are secured as to not move due to engine vibration which could result in chafing. The MAP wiring is wrong and highly suspect as a candidate for chafing. Any bad or missing loom should be replaced. The chassis ground across from the ECM has some green crusties. The headlamp pigtails are readily available. Even the actual OEM style are not that expensive. You can use a Borescope camera to inspect wiring on the top of the fuel tank without having to drop the tank. For older than 10 year car rust belt repairs which I did for about 20 years until seeking some sunshine, the inspection will usually result in bringing the vehicle wiring harness back to a reliable factory condition, or at least as good as a repair can be made, in one way or another, usually resulting in a small list of needed wiring repair, which needs to be done if you want to provide a warranty on repairs, because if the car stops working within the warranty time it is coming back to you. For 2011 ECM avoid shorting 5V VREF to ground as a diagnostic test. It is current limited, but the circuitry is not as robust as to support a short to ground as a test, the voltage regulator may just fail due to heat.
Hello my friend your just the man im looking for!!! Please 🙏 help my battery cables ends would not tighten the alternator was changed twice the battery twice the starter also!! Today i picked up my car from the shop i explained that the cables will not tighten down well he changed the alternator the car was ready to be picked up i broke down a half hour later with my child for 5 hours on the road the mechanic would not answer for me i tried to order both postive and negative battery cables gm recalled them so i cant het new ones i told the first guy not to cut the cables he did anyway now im in the same condition the battery is charged the alternator is good where are the grounds if you can please help me ill pay you 😢 what do i do next? Reading your comment you seem to know about these chevy Malibu 3.8 ltz 2011 thanks 🙏 🙏
There was a TSB for negative battery cable on some 09-14 chevy models that csuse all sorts weird electrical errors. It was a manufacturing problem and the tsb was through April of 2022 for warranty purposes. Basically cable would corrode inside the neg battery clamp causing weird faults
My '12 2.4 ecotec panel lit up & serv eng/ power steering. Had to pull over. Had driven about 20 min ( this time) before this happened. Got it towed home. Had battery charged & tested fine. Drove again in 2 days, after a couple short stops, did it again. Wish you could do a good run on my car. About to replace alternator. Ill be out w/ the mosquitos in the morning to check wires. Bettin on that wire touching copper cuz anything out of place or not 1/2 full is gonna be a problem😅. Gas, oil, antifreeze. I felt all your frustrations
Ivan, I have a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Sahara. It was suffering from stalling under heavy loading yet triggered no codes. I took it to my mechanic and all he could see was the fuel pressure was on the low side and recommended a new fuel pump. I was watching Eric O working on a same year and model Jeep and his problem was a bad ground. This led me to go looking for the ground on my fuel pump. As Eric O would put it, it was a green puss sack. Repaired the ground and now there is full fuel pressure, and it no longer stalls under heavy loading.
No Parts Required!
Some people should not try to work on there car cause they have no idea what the hell there doing 😂
@@wendwllhickey6426 their---they're
@@wendwllhickey6426 Their, not there(which is a place).
Q pop it on ll l pop
Really admire your patience having to repair the car before you could even start 🤦🏻♀️ At least it had fuel in the tank 😂 Awesome work as usual 👌🏻
I think owner should keep his hands off, the problem with the car is him messing with not knowing crap about cars 😂
This guy should never touch another car ever again he caused more problems for him shelf than he should have😢
Ivan - you deserve a 2 post lift. Still amazes me how much get done without it, and it actually makes you very relatable for people working on their own cars.
I definitely hope he has a larger shop in the future plans. I don't think he would be able to fit a two post in his garage.
I very rarely need a lift for diagnostics... But yes a slightly bigger building would be nice 😉
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics I am always amazed at how much you get done. I think shops are nice, however, you seem to get along just fine.
@@lvsqcsl remember where he came from.
@@dans_Learning_Curve " remember where he came from." Cornell University in Ithaca New York. Where were you thinking?
It always amazes me that people know and don't care or are completely oblivious to multiple safety issues with their vehicle.
Another brilliant diagnostic. You are becoming the Guru when it comes to fixing cars.
You are great Sir. I cant stand these types of problems. Because my coustomers dont pay the fair price and if i do some work and it comes back then they want to kill me. So when ever i see these types of car i just say the coustomer that i am not qualified of this specific model of car plz go some where else. Botom line is as a technician I know how much you need to throttle your brain for these type of work and some time it gets Really frustrating and annoying. You are doing very well sir. I really Respect your knowledge and hard work. ❤❤❤
That fuel leak should be addressed. That is a fire hazard and expensive to have fuel leaking away. Great video to watch.
I absolutely love these case studies ,, it gives me lots of things to look for I never even thought of ,,,,,, grate vid ,,,,,
Thats. Why i watch you ivan i want to be the tech people will tow there car from four hours away becuase they know or heard of your skill level good job
Just think about where you started! Working with Keith for what was it, a week?
We've seen lots of struggles. You have probably had a lot more than you've shown.
*RESPECT!*
Life would be boring without struggles... And without struggles there would be no rewards! 😉
Wow, what is going on with that ABS unit😳
A day without a PHD video is like a day without sunshine. You are the best, Ivan!
Good Job, I have had a hand full of those FTP sensors over the years at GM bringing the 5v down also and that A pillar connector having water intrusion causing APP issues especially caddy's! Visual inspection is always the best tool in the box for finding wiring issues. Now wait for the rotten pump retainer to kick a P0455 ! "Ever since you fixed my car I have a CEL and evap codes!!! "
Oh it smelled like gas and P0455 popped up right away :)
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics time for a lift my friend for those jobs, you will regret it when your my age! Hopefully the tangs that hold the lock ring aren't little rusty useless nubs lol. I don't miss the rust belt. I escaped to the south west for an down hill ride of a technician.
Great diagnostic, Ivan! Intermittent shorts can be frustrating and very time consuming, while the repairs are usually simple (after spending hours looking for the contact point). And the car was not even street legal, to make the necessary tests... Kudos to your patience and determination!
Crazy problem with the AC system (who forgets refrigerant seals?), but the whole car seems to have been exposed to sloppy works all over. Great job solving that too!
If you don't know crap about cars either learn about them ,or keep hand out of it cause you just make it worse.
@@wendwllhickey6426 Yep.
Did anyone else notice the green crusties on that front ground wire in the engine bay?
That's normal for salty states haha
I bought myself a 2013 1.6 115hp opel mokka, no turbo, no gdi, no electric handbrake, no led headlights. An oldschool car that is possible to repair without getting ruined. Im keeping it as long as i can. Dont want the newer money pits.
Funny enough those got exported as a Holden Trax, which is considered a lemon over here. You'll still need a GM tech2 scan tool if you actually need to diag anything on the car though.
You have the patience of a saint and the determination of a hungry bear Ivan. Then again, you don't have to worry about the hustle and bustle of a busy shop environment either. No distractions. I also know the pain of having to chase an intermittent problem that doesn't show up for me on my test drives. But nice find though. That could have been very easily overlooked.
Great patience and detective work . Unfortunately , whenever the " wrong hands " touch anything , it only makes things more difficult . In addition to garbage parts , wrong parts , items not programmed , etc. Most wire harnesses are extremely tight . They can easily be disturbed by BIG HANDS and HACKS . Obviously , when mounts wear or items are " rerouted " by EXPERTS , the damage begins .
Yay! The Malibu lives to die another day! With air conditioning too! Nice job Ivan!
GM has known that there are wiring harness issues in those cars for many years and they've done nothing about it. Nice find Ivan!!! Someone will be back in that engine bay fixing more wiring related issues before the customer is done with the vehicle.
ALL my wire loom stuff turned to dust lol. do all cars do this?
@@daytonpyro for some reason lots of issues with wiring and wire loom in Chevy Malibu model cars.
You do a stellar job with a hand full of very well chosen tools. The old expression "GO WITH WHAT YOU KNOW" ls living well in you humble shop. You have tweeked my knowledge on many things under the hood, and I always like to learn somthing new and your a good teacher!😊
We had a 2010 Malibu. Gotta love pulling the bumper cover to change bulbs.
A lot more cars are doing that today👎
Two things. 1. Rust belt. You all should have totally different cars than the ones we work on in Kentucky. 2. I thought GM can’t be that poorly designed. But I see most was due to very sloppy repairs. That’s a shame. I hope that wasn’t done by a professional shop.
And your patience and persistence is greatly admired. This pushing 70 body doesn’t have that any more. Del
There's plenty of bad GM designs, like the Holden Astra or Captiva / Cruise
inspiration and perspiration your persistence is unbelievable great job not just throwing more parts at it
When the customer brings a vehicle and says that this is the last resort before the crusher, then failure is not an option! 🙂
Ivan, I bet your customer really appreciated you getting him to the end of the tunnel. We all hope that care spends the next few years delivering the transportation in which the customer intended when he bought it. Thanks for Sharing!
You diagnosed a problem and fixed it. Nice job! It was giving you a good run but wasn't able to hide. Bonus cool fix!
Nice video and diagnosis. Wiring problems can be very time consuming to find. The worst I had was a 180 ton Demag truck crane. I spent four days chasing wires and testing a no shift condition on a 16 Speed ZF electronic power shift set up.
I can relate. Vibration and dirt are EVEN bigger problems on construction equipment. If split loom harnesses are used, the edges of the split loom, with the help of the dirt and vibration , act like teeth and wear into the wires. AND, the only way to find the damage is to remove clamps and remove the split loom.
Well done! Intermittent problems are the worst kind to try and fix, but you showed how it's done.
I do appreciate your patient and methodical approach. In my time in the industry that was always one of my specialties, electrical intermittents. It takes a certain mindset to thrive at that.
On my 2011 Chevrolet. All the wiring loom turned to dust within 4 years living in the desert. I replaced it all before an eminent wiring failure. It's still good 8 years later. Harbor Freight loom quality is pretty good. No signs of drying out yet. I'm also impressed that the Malibu didn't have any heat door or air door actuators clicking away. They had to have been replaced before you got it into your shop.
My daughter has a 2010 Chevy Cobalt and most of her wiring looms had disintegrated. I ended up re-wrapping them and putting more loom on them.
I like the way He goes along and traces the electrical problem and fixed
Thank you Ivan for putting the time in these videos for us! I learn so much from you!!!
I thought it was common sense to make sure the vehicle was road worth before sending it in for repairs, or to let the shop know it would need to be brought up to that point. Another great job by Ivan to save a problem vehicle from the junkyard.
It's common sense but a lot of the time someone will dump their car on you with either a dead battery or it will be out of fuel...or both. I had a customer drop a Toyota Avalon off for A/C repair. After replacing a defective compressor I took for a test drive and discovered the transmission would hardly pull the car. I called the customer to inform and was surprised when he said he was aware and is gonna address that issue next.
@@topher8634At least he was honest about it, some will try blame you, 😂
@@ronaldshank736 I was worried he might.
Same goes for HAVE GAS IN IT. So many have it on E and I’m not getting stranded. Sorry.🤷♂️
@@topher8634 Fix the AC first and fix the transmission later???? Crazy!!
Being a car from Philadelphia, it's not surprising that the turn signals and headlights don't work. We have a Police force that's not allowed to pull people over for inspection issues anymore. You can have expired inspection and emission stickers and the Police can't pull you over because it is believed that it is racial profiling (it's actually called The Driving Equity Law). There are thousands of cars driving around Philly that haven't been inspected in years and are so unsafe. Ivan was so worried about taking that car on the road without turn signals and headlights but if you were in Philly you'd have no worries. It's insane! You can see that the Owner never even mentions the turn signals or lights. It's hilarious. Great work Ivan!
They are probably uninsured as well. What a shame.
So what you are saying is that in the majority of cases when a police officer was acting in a way to serve and protect, it was deemed by the powers that be as discrimination?
@@bjr2379Place Your Bets!
How is this funny?
Yes when I change a Coolant Reservoir & Engine Mount it fixes my "Reduced Power" every single time! 😅
Someone needs to start something where there's a good resource for finding mechanics who are extremely thorough like you. It's really needed these days. So many shops just throwing parts at stuff, lol.
Customers do not want to pay for the time it takes to be thorough. Most aren’t willing to pay for an all day of diagnosis.
@@mph5896 Agreed. Cant remember how many times i have had a vehicle in that has had thousands of dollars spent trying to solve an issue and wont approve more than 1 hour of time. Then really get mind blown when a couple of them say the other shops only charged 1 hour to diagnose 🤔🤔the issue. HUH?
The common denominator is the bare wire. Sometimes the codes can lead you right to the problem.....just have to locate the wire in this case where it was bare. I was thinking a corroded or partially corroded wire, but this was better cause it was bare.
Good one Ivan.
I had a very similar problem with my daughter’s 2011 Malibu with the 2.4 engine a few years ago. The local dealer tried the parts canon for 2 years but could never find the real issue causing the intermittent reduced power. After researching it online, I discovered the only people who seem to fix this issue replaced the faulty battery cables on this car with non-OEM cables and cleaned all 5 grounds. I did the same and it has now been over 2.5 years, the car has run flawlessly without a single reoccurrence. If one cannot find a bare wire or short, this would be another option to try since it has worked for a number of us.
Had intermittent proble.m with my 09 Yukon, 5.3ltr. some days fine, then start again and dash lites go crazy, abs, trac control, no tach no speedo, hunting idle. Changed cam and crank sensors, new battery. Fine for a few days then here we go again.
Finally found that a sluggish starter was the problem all along. The computer wasn't seeing a good crank up and everything went nuts. Starter/alt shop rebuilt starter and problem solved. GMC dealer wanted to fire the parts cannon to the tune of $2500 when. All it needed was a starter.
That 3.6 liter LFA engine is notorious for issues. You had to pull the bumper cover off to replace the headlights? 154,000 miles on that car? I would take your Mystique over that car any day of the week. Great video!
Enjoyable to watch Ivan . Communication with the customer and another car fit for the road . Good tip make sure your car has the basics to drive for road test 🔧⚒🛠💥👍
I like watching your diagnostic process. I work on electric forklifts , I enjoy performing diagnostics on the electrical issues
I have the same car? Changed alternator twice changed the starter changed battery! Drop off with ao called at shop broke down on the road for 5 hours today walked with my child the jerk wouldn't answer his phone 😭 where are the grounds i have a bad ground its the only thing possible i spent a tune of money 4 different shops any advice what can i do or start? Had var for year only worked 5 months out of the year it keeps acting like the alternator is out 2 new alternators something else is wrong please help where are the grounds on this car 2011 chevy Malibu 3.6 ltz
5500 amd over 2 grand in and still noting and they recalled the battery cables i see his was changed only on negative post but since he did that the cover can not be put on to keep battery cool??
Great diagnostic. That said, I would never test drive a car with defective seat belts. You should tell customers up front that any safety violations must be corrected before the diagnostic proceeds. Protect yourself my friend.
Gee, I view it as safe as riding a motorcycle with an airbag.
He doesn’t wear a seat belt anyways so there is that😉
Your attention to detail is amazing Ivan. Well done Sir. Yes the 2.4 ecotec 4 bangers are junk. My ex has a 2013 Equinox she bought last October. I taught her how to check her oil at every gas purchase, but something just went very wrong. Both VVT solenoids were replaced with OEM ones 2 months ago by me due to a code. Ran fine until I believe the oil pump failed. Known issue ignored by GM. Engine makes a horrible noise, it is now at a stealership(Apple Chevrolet) waiting to see if her car shield policy will replace the engine even though the previous owner was very meticulous with the maintenance. I warned her about auctions, but she did not listen.
Timing chain primary tensioner is good to break on them and cause plenty of noise. I have saved plenty of those engines
No just the 2.4s that have direct injection. Yes you do have direct injection!
@@dougdelzer6891 I agree the non direct injection 2.4s with port injection were known to be pretty good/reliable
An incredible mechanic.
Give me an old carburetor any day . I've got one these nightmares sitting my driveway too .
Now deal with the leaking brake lines at the ABS module and the leaking fuel tank…..They are both Safety issue’s. 😳🤘🏼🇺🇸
"Heat, vibration and ... partial rodent knawing."
The triple whammy considerations to under the hood wire exposure.
Another one saved from the crusher by PHAD. Thanks Ivan!
Love watching Ivan repair these cars
I have no idea most of the stuff you're talking about but love listening to your readily understandable commentary in your laid back style....love it
Another "Happy Last Resort Customer". I'm glad things worked out for Mr. Philly
Id say after watching thousands of videos on auto repair, you are in the top 2 of mechanics. I watch every minute of your videos its like mesmerizing.
I appreciate that! 🙂
stop saying things like this ^^^^ he may start charging us to watch !
i wonder how many of us watchers are pro mechanics , as opposed to " home mechanics" ( and i would put him in the top 3 . ( that will slow down his swelling head ))
🤣
i'm not a car mechanic , i do motorcycles. but diagnosing is the same methodology.
So some months ago...I said I HAD to have topology. So to the rescue finally comes a Kingbolen K10! Combining a sale price and another discount from Amazon, just did make it work. And lo...the software seems VERY similar to your Thinktool Pros...I wonder if all these overseas manufacturers are under one roof....either way...I got a capable tablet, that beats my Autel MK808 to pieces!
The Kingbolen K10 is the next generation replacement for the ThinkTool Pros. I'm actually testing one as we speak :)
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics oh terrific! Like it or not let us see what you can make it do on some project or other!
Thanks for showing us the tests that didn't work. The power of visual inspection!
Ivan, great job keeping the customer informed along the way. This creates a bond of honesty and if he lived closer to you, a customer for life! All these repairs were pretty simple, even putting back the old correct ECM! There must be many ignorant mechanics, not TECHNICIANS out there working on computer-operated vehicles.
Good find and fix Ivan. Love to hear a followup. What's up with brake fluid on ABS?
Not sure about the brake fluid... Didn't even notice that! You guys have sharp eyes!
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics also green crustys on rad support ground
3.6L... it's an LY7. Send it to the crusher! They're ticking timebombs anyway.
Chevy used to make good wire looms. I've never touched my old s-10 wires and they are still solid. I frequently work on a 08 buick lecerne for a family member and have had to replace every wire loom as I go.
My three favorite diagnostic technicians on UA-cam is, South main auto, Pine Hollow and Diagnose Dan. Excellent mechanics.
Beautiful Diagnotics ivan, intermittent faults needs Attention! So.. thanks for awesome process u showed us!
Great diag and repair as always Ivan. Luckily working at a dealership most intermittent issues we deal with have tsb’s or someone in the shop has dealt with it before to offer some guidance. Most wiring issues I deal with are rodent caused or just poor workmanship.
Nice work appreciate how you determined how to solve the problems.. i bought some mgi speed ware braided wire loom in a few different sizes to replace and make repairs on my projects. That materal is pretty tough .. i remember working on some cat dozers there wiring harness are pretty heavy duty . I was told points of contact where harness can give problems . Thanks for sharing your knowledge
Fantastic diagnosis Ivan! Ive been down this road many times. Glad you found it. I chased an almost identical condition on a Ram V6. In my case it was the oil pressure sensor shorting out the 5volt ref to one of the TPS and APP sensor.
Great job!
My thought was that it could be a similar issue with the wiring around the throttle pedal depending on the size of the shoes of the driver and how the driver pushes on the pedal.
Who wouldve thought... An awesome diagnosis and 'repair'..with no parts..Just Smarts..as with the AC.. Nice going once again.! Wish you were closer.!! Thanks for the vid. Kudos..
Visual inspection would not immediately reveal it. Its under and had to use a mirror, but you knew where to look. It took a while but no one else found it, just replacing parts, after parts, after parts with no solution. Excellent work. The Computer did say 5v Reference issue, it did point you on the right direction, some what. Thanks.
There are several newer cars like this with TSBs for wire harness contact with engine compartment components, good job tracking it down!
Nice video IVAN.It's great that you were able to fix this guys car.Having to go out on a test drive with a iffy car is not good,it's bad enough that you may get stuck on the side of the road like it sometimes happens.But even worse to get pulled over by the police,for a fix it ticket only to find 20,000 FENTANYL tabs in the flat spare tire.haha When the cop says get out with your hands up,do you automatically charge 1 extra hour diag time?I wish all the wire diagrams were free. thanks for the video Ivan.
Ivan is one heck of an expert, I'm totally impressed!
Hi Ivan, Greetings from the UK, I am always impressed by your work Ivan, your patience with this job was very impressive, as for the Air Con seals, it is pretty obvious that the person who did that either did not care or did not know any better, in both cases they should not be doing the job.
My birthday and a PHAD video what a day🎉
Happy birthday!
Fisher is who I mostly deal with too, I just find them to be the most consistent.
Their customer service and delivery times are top notch!
Just gotta say....
I ❤ U man,
Patience to perfection.
Heat and vibration. Just helped me out with my intermittent dash light issue, 2010 Chevy Malibu LTZ driving me bonkers.
Great diagnostic - diagnose before parts is the main take-away for me - that and make a car legal before taking to a shop!
I was turned on by another youtuber to use Refrigeration Technologies RT201B Nylog Gasket/Thread Sealant. I had the same issue with those type off gaskets leaking on the HP side directly on the compressor and at the condenser. The GM style Schrader valve on the HP service port was also leaking.
This is on a 2000 Buickster with 69k on the clock and the quality of detail, or lack thereof, in routing the harnesses and lines is not as bad since the main panel is behind the rear seat, but still no comparison to a BMW 3 Series, for instance.
Today, I was watching a vid from DiagnoseDan who had a similar issue on a Audi using the GM style harness covering.
Well done!
The outside of the car clean the inside of the car clean under the hood a disaster harness falling apart all over the place bare wires resting on blazing hot motor the owner should spend more time and energy
Under the hood clean,new loom,tight and secure correct routing 👍👍👍👍👍
Great video another win
Love the channel. Retired tech always loved the diag more than repair
good diag. I like when its not obvious and see how you approch the issues. I get a lot of intermittent electrical issues and its a nightmare to diag when you can't duplicate the problem. I still have a bad habbit of touching harnesses to see if thats the issue i need to get that scope out and watch the data like you do. I sold my 08 malibu early summer and about to sell my 2010 camaro, I'm getting a new Toyota Tacoma. I won't buy another GM as i keep watching the quality drop and so many issues on these new vehicles. I honestly thought that body style malibu was the most reliable and i never had issues with my 2.4 but i changed the oil every 5k and used mobil 1. 90% of its life from 08 to 23 to 150k it only needed maintence.
The stronger the union, the worse the quality
@@dongningprc and when the unions get their way then gm finds ways to get their money by screwing dealerships on warranty claims and then screwing the techs on labor times. Because of the law in illions and a few other states that warranty time must be multipled by 1.5 they are slashing labor times left and right.
Thank you for the A/C section at the end. I have a similar problem where we detected a leak at the condensor with dye in the system. The shop says to replace the whole condenser but now after watching this video i wonder if it's just a bad seal on the pipes.
Great diagnosis video, just a note, depending on your state you may need a license to do HVAC recharge, and this video can incriminate you if you don't have it, just be careful
Can't wait for the Landrover video, hope it comes soon
Not needed in Pa.
Over regulation is choking the economy and making things unaffordable.... too many politicians and too many bribes destroy nation.
The authorities thank you for pointing that out for them. 😊
Yup that's why they sell those cans of Freon to customers with the hose attached already. 😂😂
But if memory serves me. I believe you need a license for the R12.
They sell R134a and 1234yf to customers now. No license needed.
@@2nickles647
In Washington state, you need the AC license to get the refrigerant. I plan on getting mine soon
gotta love replacing headlight bulbs in malibus last one I got to by dropping the front of the inner fender, I think that only works on the low beam but it saves some time
I enjoy watching your videos and yea sometimes twice . I remember Cat showing up at work to fix the ac on a couple dozers . The d11 high track had a leak on the ac . The service tech charged the system with i think around 350 psi of nitrogen . Found the leak ..i said i going to remember that just in case . Thanks for the videos
You raised some interesting topic points about driving someone else’s car during your commentary. Hopefully you will not mind these questions. Do you operate as an LLC? Do you carry extra insurance just in case they lie and don’t actually have it? How much trouble do you have getting paid for extra work that you had to do to get it safe to drive on the road, like you did here?
thats one well used malipoo, def been in a front and rear accident, seatbelt retractor is probably blown and they just unbolted the one end, gas tank leaking from a rotted sending unit/pump, wiring harness is about to grenade, but gotta have that ac working!!! how long does it have left before the timing chains blow thou? lol
The " Intermittant " Rabbit Hole has many tunnels.... and traps to avoid.... just ask Alice...
Water. The intermittent condition may have been found on the test drive if the AC worked and there was condensation on the line it was rubbing, or if there were wet road conditions. Just a thought.
A Chevy Malibu was never designed to still be on the road 12 years after manufacture.
Really liked this video and learned a lot. Seems thats all i ever dealt with was intermittent issues But that was mostly before CAN when there was lots more wiring and connectors
Well done..tenacity and patience ~!
HAPENED TO SEARCH FOR INTERMITTENT ENGINE STOP ON MAZDA 929 1988. YOUR YOU TUBE ANALYSIS WAS OOU TSTANDING. I AM ELECTRICL/NUCLEAR ENGINEER FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT START UP. YOU WOULD BE A GREAT STARTUP ENGINEER I M RETIRED BUT YOU HAVE EXCELLENT SYSTEM UNDERSTANDING. ENJOYED THE PRESENTATION. DR KOOY PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER.
Have also replaced many ignition switches on the impalas with switch in the dash like the one you were working on.
Customer replaced engine mount was my first go to for engine harness because of excessive movement and pulling and rubbing being amplified.
That's the parts rocket launcher, no cannon could fire all that in one shot, lol.
For 2011 GM the real time data (live data) rate should be fast enough to see even short +5V VREF drop outs using a scan tool, but I do applaud your use of the PicoScope for corroboration, so well done Ivan.
The first basic check is the battery cable connections, condition and do they follow the vehicle electrical diagram. The Battery Neg lug should be replaced. The screw clamp style lug that replaced the factory crimped lug is crap (when used I also suspect a crap neg battery feed cabling).
ECM sensor wiring (like the MAP sensor wiring) should use at least plastic or friction tape wrapped high temp plastic loom to protect the wires. Wire feeds are never routed on the engine without protection and are secured as to not move due to engine vibration which could result in chafing. The MAP wiring is wrong and highly suspect as a candidate for chafing. Any bad or missing loom should be replaced.
The chassis ground across from the ECM has some green crusties.
The headlamp pigtails are readily available. Even the actual OEM style are not that expensive.
You can use a Borescope camera to inspect wiring on the top of the fuel tank without having to drop the tank.
For older than 10 year car rust belt repairs which I did for about 20 years until seeking some sunshine, the inspection will usually result in bringing the vehicle wiring harness back to a reliable factory condition, or at least as good as a repair can be made, in one way or another, usually resulting in a small list of needed wiring repair, which needs to be done if you want to provide a warranty on repairs, because if the car stops working within the warranty time it is coming back to you.
For 2011 ECM avoid shorting 5V VREF to ground as a diagnostic test. It is current limited, but the circuitry is not as robust as to support a short to ground as a test, the voltage regulator may just fail due to heat.
Hello my friend your just the man im looking for!!! Please 🙏 help my battery cables ends would not tighten the alternator was changed twice the battery twice the starter also!! Today i picked up my car from the shop i explained that the cables will not tighten down well he changed the alternator the car was ready to be picked up i broke down a half hour later with my child for 5 hours on the road the mechanic would not answer for me i tried to order both postive and negative battery cables gm recalled them so i cant het new ones i told the first guy not to cut the cables he did anyway now im in the same condition the battery is charged the alternator is good where are the grounds if you can please help me ill pay you 😢 what do i do next? Reading your comment you seem to know about these chevy Malibu 3.8 ltz 2011 thanks 🙏 🙏
Awesome job. not very many people willing to go the extra mile.
Nice 👍🏼 !! Slayer !! Also wanna say that I love the posters / banners on your wall at 3:38 ! 👊🏼🎯
Outstanding! Love the level of detail.
There was a TSB for negative battery cable on some 09-14 chevy models that csuse all sorts weird electrical errors. It was a manufacturing problem and the tsb was through April of 2022 for warranty purposes. Basically cable would corrode inside the neg battery clamp causing weird faults
You are my top channel to watch I enjoy what you do.
Thanks
My '12 2.4 ecotec panel lit up & serv eng/ power steering. Had to pull over. Had driven about 20 min ( this time) before this happened. Got it towed home. Had battery charged & tested fine. Drove again in 2 days, after a couple short stops, did it again. Wish you could do a good run on my car. About to replace alternator. Ill be out w/ the mosquitos in the morning to check wires. Bettin on that wire touching copper cuz anything out of place or not 1/2 full is gonna be a problem😅. Gas, oil, antifreeze. I felt all your frustrations
First step: Scan all modules for codes and save the report 👍