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@Army of Gog I guess you haven't seen the cracking block recall on the new A25A-FKS motors. So far only announced for current Gen Rav4, but that engine is in the 70 series Camry's. I know, I have 3 of the "Modern Greats" for Toyota, sad day!
"Not the greatest video"??...we're sitting at home due to the "Safe at Home" directive by our gubnor with very little to do. Heck, the highlight of my day would be watching Josh change a set of tires.
Eric, I am an aircraft mechanic. We follow the same logic duplicate the issue if possible then try and figure it out. Our scan tools are different but similar for components. A lot of our problems are fixed by unplugging units cleaning plugs and pins and reseating/resetting and letting the system self test. If the component fails the unit is replaced and retested. In our world, we do not work on components just self-test and replace as required. Logic is our best troubleshooting tool in the box. Really enjoy the troubleshooting our system are different but skill and logic is the same.
Eric, you do not fully appreciate how valuable this video is to the unwashed public. It gives them a real insight into "Defect confirmed, I spent all day to find the cause and eventually the problem went away on its own and I could not make it happen again. Unfortunately that will be $300 for the days labor" These issues are a lot more common in the industry than most people outside of it realise. Very well done sir.
That was the "fix" for my 99 Jeep XJ. Gauges started wigging out, and I pulled the cluster and unplugged it. Blew compressed air around the connectors, sprayed cleaner, and reassembled. It's been perfect for the last 10+ years. Sometimes in life.....
We all if you have worked on cars with computers for years will run into craziness like this every once in a while keeps you humble congrats on the find
Well I’m just glad it acted up again and you found the cause. Quite often I’ve heard solder joints crack and need to be reflowed with new solder to get the board working again.
Good job Eric, a friend of mine had the same jump starting 6 months his Audi until finally the cluster gave up, no one found the issue, I said give the cluster to a electronic service and they found some led issues and other small electronics on the board and after that all good again,. Stay safe brother.
Used to work in IT. People hated when you asked if they shut the computer down and restarted it. "Thats always your first question you always ask!" But 90% of the time it fixes it. Got to love computers!
I remember a TSB on Odyssey vans around this time where the gauge controller module got stuck in a loop like this and the solution was to disconnect both battery terminals and hold the wires together for 30seconds so any capacitance was drained which would reset all modules. Removing the cluster to hook it up probably had the same effect. Some Honda's it was part of the cluster, others it was a module behind it.
I think you will see in the owners manual, page 187, where it states, “NEVER let the trip odometer be exactly 1% of the odometer under any circumstance.” There’s your problem lady!
Enjoy your videos very much Master Eric. Was laid off Mar. 23,2020 Permanently. Worked out great because I was going to retire in November. Getting a lot of screen time because of Corona and have been watching all your stuff. You are a life saver ! Had the same problem with my 2004 Ford Focus which would also turn on the chime and map lights. Never had this with the dozen Foci's that we had as service vehicles (2000-2002) I found no cracked solder connections. Rubbed the back side of the instrument cluster down with a dry paint brush and sprayed it down the a nice clear coat of Rustoleum (NOT A SPONSER). Ford changed the cluster in 2003-2005 THE PROBLEM NEVER CAME BACK. SUSPECTED HUMIDITY. MY SON GOT $250 FOR IT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO (6/2021)
I was a GM mechanic right out of college for 5 years... flat rate, sink or swim and making 400 a week and 100 of that going to the snap on guy. I have since changed careers and and happy I did. I do miss those those days sometimes but I get my fix working on my hotrod and watching you. I REALLY enjoy all of your videos. You experience and knowledge and willingness to share and help is just awesome! I wish you the best and to stay safe during these uncertain times. Thanks for being you!
My armchair-mechanic guess is just as you said. Possibly a bad connection, but also possibly the processor in the cluster having it's internal registers garbled by wavering voltage from flat batteries and jump starts. In hindsight, pulling it's fuse to give it a clean reboot could be something to remember for similar faults in the future. I think my next stop would have been popping in a scavenged cluster, even if just to see if the fault persisted.
I rather see an honest video of a mechanics work than to see an 'always successful' mechanic videos. I love to see all of your days work as a mechanic, so it can humble many viewers to exercise patience and practices. People learn from even the failures and humble experiences. I'm not saying YOU failed at all. I'm saying experiences like this can teach all viewers.
My diagnosis is that the problem is a broken solder joint in the cluster’s circuit board that caused the center display to flicker. It happened on my 2007 CR-V cluster and I was able to repair the cluster. I’ll watch and compare your work to my experience.
My '03 F150 had a problem with the odometer flashing then eventually going out completely. Turned out the soldering in the cluster was causing it. I resoldered it for free and it works fine now. I agree with you. Looks like a bad power source to the cluster to me.
Had a similar issue with an old '96 Dodge Neon I used to have. Cracked solder joints would cause the speedometer to randomly cut out (mileage doesn't increase either when the gauge isn't working). You could push on the cluster and it would start working again then cut out quickly after relieving pressure or sometime later. I finally took it out and re-flowed the solder joints along with adding a bit of lead+tin electronics solder. That fixed it.
My worst problems as a computer engineer were intermittent problems. If it ain't broke you can't fix it. I'd rather it blow up than just start working correctly for no good reason. Keep on truckin'!!
You hit the nail on the head when talking to customers. Whenever I run into something like that the first thing I mention is the battery is the filter of the electrical system and a weak or dead battery creates a lot of noise which causes electronics to glitch. I also ask if they have ever had their phone glitch requiring a reboot. They understand that pretty well. Good job on powering up the module to verify it wasn’t a buss issue.
As a machine tech myself, there is only so much you can do if it “magically” fixes itself after fiddling with it. You did fine, all things considered. Good job! 😃
Great example of what happens to us when a proublem comes in and then fixes its self after we are spending some time on the issue..,but I'm glade it acted up again for you Eric ,this way it's confirmed the cluster is the issue.great video ,and one of those issues I'm sure will help a lot.
@David Lewis forget the mask 70% isopropyl alcohol is best, spray on your hands forget the surfaces, better than hand sanitizer which is 50-60%. I have a small spray bottle in the wife's car and another in mine, if the rubbing alcohol hoarders have wiped out your neighborhood pharmacy try some high proof vodka above 140, ethyl alcohol works the same and that one you can spray in your mouth for medicinal purposes. 70% is the key, kills viruses better than anything. How do I know? I worked with Coronavirus in COPD labs 2 decades ago, now I enjoy Brake jobs and SMA repair videos.
I have to say this is now my favorite auto channel on youtube. I discovered you a few days ago and have been addicted since. I go to school for Auto in RI and since the quarantine I miss my shop time. Watching you work I have learned a bit more about what an actual shop works like. I love the dynamic that your shop has. Keep safe Mr. Eric O and keep the content comming.
Beautiful. 5000 miles beyond the factory warranty and you have this happen. My 2006 Honda Accord the dashboard lasted 140,000 before it just died intermittently. Problem happened randomly, I and others could not figure it out. Then the transmission starting going on top of that. So I sold it to become someone else's problem. So skillful and lucky you were able to isolate it and figure it out - very tough to do.
With all the green safe soldering these days just a hot summer days can lesson soldered circuit board joints and a good pot hole and the connection comes lose. Be surprised how many start relays on accords, ABS modules on Volvo's, and other things have torn apart and the solder connections to pins were mechanical fit causes stress the solder joint is broken, cold solder joint etc. I repair with silver solder, stronger and never see the problem return. Electronics in vehicles are becoming more prevalent but same time being made cheaper and less reliable. If were US domestic car company they plan for obsolescence on purpose.
Watching this at home in the UK on lock down also! Could be worse, I'm still allowed to work, and I've got quality content like this for entertainment outside that. Keep it comingggggggggg! :)
had a similar issue with my outback... low battery voltage was the prob and traced back to the alternator not charging, changed it once (had a good price at a local rebuilder) 3 months later changed the alternator again... opened the alternator to see cheep repair (the guy only changed blown diodes and crappy soldering...the first alternator had stator winding which wasn't the good wire gauge...imagine you know the smell...finally went to carquest, got a good rebuilt and a battery and never had problems since on my 2001 rust wagon...during this time of confinement I took to myself to work on all the family cars, suspensions, brakes ,fluids and all with the holy swearing, thanks Eric for all the tricks of the trade to work on rusty nuts & bolts! cheers
Sometimes the fix is electronic garbage,and we will never know, perhaps the module stuck in reset because the battery’s junk,but mr o,you made us smile,well done,keep safe, thanks.
Good information, Erik and thank you. Just finished watching your old stripped out spark plug video and thought you might like this info. Thinking about those chips in the hole. When you change wiper blades, take an old wiper blade and some needle nose pliers and pull the metal insert out of the blade before you throw it away. Its stainless steel about 3/16 wide by whatever length the blades are. You can bend a hook of any size on one end then add the gauze off those Q-tips and be able to reach down about 12 or more inches to fish things out of a hole. In addition, one end may be split about 3/8 of an inch. That gives you a fork on that end. I think the material is 304 stainless. I know you can use it as TIG filler material. I have also used it to re-enforce fiber glass patches. You can grind any shape you want on the end. Most wiper blades have that type of insert and they just go in the garbage when people change blades. I haven't seen this idea on youtube before. Dennis
Eric, if you weren't on the other side of the country, I'd offer to look at it and see if I could fix the problem for you for something to do.. Most likely it is a broken solder connection or a voltage regulator on the PC board issue. 55 yrs in electronics repair, and learning a lot from your auto repair videos. Please keep them coming.
I fixed a Jeep defroster/heater fan once by unplugging it and plugging it back in. It seemed to keep working until I sold it a year later. (It was about 20 years old). Thanks for sharing the video Eric.
Holy heck Eric, you're living in a ghost town there! I hope you and your family are doing alright and that your business don't take too much of a hit during all this craziness (especially in light of your recent investments in it). Hopefully it will blow over soon (but sadly I doubt that it will...). I myself have been stuck for five weeks at work now because of all the international travel restrictions. I simply can't risk being stuck on the wrong side of the border, away from work (I'm a Swede working in Norway). But at least I stil have a job... and your videos to cheer me up Eric, thanks for that. Be safe.
Nice video Erick I worked as a marine mechanic when the computers started coming in and we had lots of jobs just like that fixed then not fixed Thanks for sharing.
I fixed my own GM cluster. dead battery/ current draw issue with a five-dollar soldering iron thanks to ERics info, diagnosis and another YOUTube video on the topic. Thanks Eric. Chase the dead battery for a few weeks including a new battery, many tests,,, a few jumps.
you sure did diagnosis it, you chased a weird issue and verified what was working.. this is the steps of diagnosis something now working properly. great video.. and THAT ENDING!!!! lol
Bought a used Caravan a few years back that had a air bag light on, so I disconnected the battery, sprayed all the terminals, reconnected them and "wham bam, thank you, ma'am" it's been fine since. I call those repairs, Givin' some lovin'!
Excellent process Eric! Gotta love those intermittent issues. Glad it didn't get away 😆 that's easily where the client can think you're giving them the classic reach around lol great documentation, and thanks for sharing!
Got a used one for it the other day and shipped it off to united radio with the OE one. They are going to switch over the EEPROM for me so the ODO is what it should be. I was just glad it finally acted up in the end :)
@@SouthMainAuto If you had put in the "new" used one, would you or a dealer have to completely reprogram the computer? How much for the fixed part? XXX for the used part? XXX for the repair by United Radio? What caused the problem? BAD battery for TOO long? Bad jump to battery? Is the "virus" affecting your business?
@@artymike4506 He could have put the used one in as is no problem. But the odometer would not have been accurate. That's the only reason he sent it off.
I'm just concerned Eric isn't even wearing gloves. I love Eric and Vanessa so much, their videos make me so happy, I love their dynamic, the love they have love each other and I love Eric's sense of humor. I wish he would take more precautions, especially when touching other people's cars. I live in Hawaii, but hear New York is getting hit pretty hard. Can't be sure where those cars have been or who's driven them. Don't want to be a fear monger but I love these guys so much. Mahalo Nui Loa, Andy
Thank you for the video Mr.O. I was happy to see the cluster was at fault, you would have lost sleep thinking about it otherwise! Stay safe over there Eric and family, this Coronavirus is sticking with us for awhile yet. All the best from a closed pub in the UK.
Appreciate the video, Eric. It's good to see how you diagnosis and investigate issues. Your practical approach to evaluating what's happening and determining why is very helpful and instructive. Keep them coming.
Just needed a Jolt to hard reset PCB. Maybe a undervolt happen because of the bad battery. The dash onboard memory/CPU was in a loop. That's my diagnose of the problem.
Keep up the good work Eric. Been watching your channel for a while now and love it its real work in a real garage. I've learnt quite a lot watching your videos and its given me more confidence working more on my own vehicles thank you for that. I may even start studying to be a qualified mechanic.Your on all day now we are in lockdown in the UK for covid 19. Stay safe.
That is a really good idea about just powering it up externally. To make sure nothing else is causing the problem. Great job!👍 I was not expecting what happened at the end that is awesome you figured it out.
9:25 my bmw wouldn't start. Thought I had a bad starter, after pulling the fuse to check if it was blown and seeing that it was OK. I put it back and the car started after that, its been starting ever since. So who knows! Gotta love electrical gremlins
Hey man, I am really impressed with your diagnostic, electrical pathway and ingenuity skills. I enjoy watching you diagnose and repair things on these modern cars with all the freaking circuitry, firmware and whatnot. You really take an intelligent approach to it and I dig it. I don't sub to many people, but I think I'm gonna here. Hi from KY by the way. Also, you got a cool family. Live long and prosper as has been said.
poor pin fitment= gremlins! I f'n hate electrical issues in my rigs. Sometimes I look up at the sky and say, 'why god, why hast thou forsaken me?' Thanks for the great video! Your thought process is very instructive.
It's the old joke about when they start building cars they way Microsoft writes software. If it crashes, get out and slam the doors and get back in again and you're good to go.
Eric, I have a 2003 Ford Taurus SES with the big 3.0 Duratec DOHC V6, about 104k miles. Yes, the South is kind to cars. For at least 8 years the "loose gas cap" light was lit up... I replaced the cap with an aftermarket, then a genuine Ford part. No fix. It would ALWAYS pass inspection, NO codes (the famous P0442 is what I always expected to find, but never did.) Recently I built a home made smoke machine and smoked the tank, found a couple of tiny leaks around the charcoal canister - replaced all the rotten hoses and fixed all the leaks, no more smoke. Still the damn light was lit up! I'm going to sell the car so I decided to pull the cluster (never been out since it was brand new) to replace some burned out bulbs... and when I got the cluster out I FOUND THE PROBLEM! On the Taurus the cluster "board" is really just copper traces on some kind of flexible plastic. The cluster connectors clamp over the edge of the "board". Somehow one of the traces (the "loose gas cap" circuit) migrated in one of the connectors and SHORTED to it's neighbor pin (the ABS indicator). That short was apparently finding enough ground to light up the "loose gas cap" bulb! I carefully trimmed and moved the trace back to where it belonged and it's now working. Thanks for all you do for everyone - I hope you and the rest of the O Family stays safe and healthy. "If I can do it, you can do it. Thanks for reading!"
I think this is a fantastic example of why diagnosing isn't as simple as the average Joe thinks, and serves as proof that the majority of repair shops are honest. Not every problem is easy to diagnose, and not every problem solves itself. This car could have the same problem pop up a week from now again, and there's nothing you did wrong. You spent your billable time diagnosing it, and you deserve to be paid for that time. Hopefully it's an understanding and honest vehicle owner.
I had an 05 Pilot that I drove from new to 340,000 miles. Loved it,.it still had the old man gauges in it, but I had to have the control and radio bulbs changed many times. There seemed to be some sort of grounding in the dash. But, I loved that truck, it was unstoppable.
Encountered the same problem with a honda and an isuzu pick up truck. Both cars were used for a while with bad batteries. Suggested to both customers to change the instrument clusters and good enough it fixed the problem. And installed new batteries as well.😂 good content right there.🤙
I had a 2013 civic doing a similar Thing, but there was a tsb about doing a battery cable reset. I know it doesn’t apply to the odyssey but I think you did the right thing. Replace battery, and do the reset. Maybe low battery voltage made the logic inside the cluster go haywire. Once you unplugged it and cut power to it , it rebooted itself. If you look under tsb on gauges / instrument cluster you’ll see the tsb I’m talking about .
Hey Eric! At 19:14-19:16, You said, "you didn't want to go chasing ghosts if they don't wanna come out and play"!. You could take a trip back up by that old abandoned State Mental Hospital, that you and, your brother went by in his Wrecker! Remember on the way to get that Road Tractor, the Milk Tanker Truck. He was saying it was supposed to be haunted! Maybe if you take the cluster up by there and, spend the night with them, maybe they could hold a Tech School class overnight and give you a few new pointer's on these cluster issues! HA,HA,!! I doubt Mrs. O. would want to go, so you will probably be going by yourself! THANKS MAN, for all you do, and for your time! I was ASE. CERT, had them all and, worked as a Truck Mechanic, Class 8's, the BIG stuff. I can't walk anymore, so I kinda Live through you, and watching you work! I worked with alot of older guys, so I usually got "Volunteered" to do all the electrical stuff myself! I loved it! BLESS YOU, and, Mrs.O,The Kids, MeeMaw, and, all your friends a families!! PRAYERS GOING UP FOR YOU ALL!! Oh yea, One more thing I almost forgot, Who needs Lysol when you have something alot better? BRAKE CLEANER!! Washed my hands with it for years! That stuff wiil kill anything! From the other Eric, in N.C. PEACE.................................................................................
Almost like the"good old" Pre-OBD2 days in BMW, disconnect the battery and short the positive and negative wire, turn the front lights and ignition on, leave for 10 minutes to ensure that all capacitors in misc modules are depleted. Connect battery and presto: everything is working good (for some time)
I’m gonna guess that was because of capacitor saturation. That happens when you don’t create a discharge circuit. This becomes really noticeable in cheap radios, the reception gets fuzzy and the sound goes away slowly.
Trond jarle Pedersen My 88 E90 325is had bad batteries that needed to be replaced. I soldered in a AA holder and bought the batteries online, all the funky dash issues were resolved.
It is probably Silver Migration in the cluster from lead free solder. I only know this from a video you did about 4 years ago. I learn a lot from this channel
My guess is the low voltage issue of the battery. Since newer cars rely so heavy upon electrics. .5 for the fiddling ( diag) and a shot of terminal tightening spray. Lol, stay safe Eric see ya on the next video!!
The only digits showing were 1, 4, & 9. Seemed unusual to me. Of course the first position showed a zero, so it could have just been a weird coincidence.
The second you put the last screw in?! Nah, not a chance. It will crap out again the second your customer gets in and drives five minutes down the main road 😜 Edit: interesting. Murphy's Law didn't rear it's annoying head this time! Maybe a micro crack in pcb... as it creates resistance, it creates heat, goes runaway just enough to dive current flow low enough for voltage to fall. Resets, whole process starts again. I'd love to pick it appart and look at it. I love weird electrical problems hahaha! Thanks for the cool videos, always educational.
I have 213,000 miles on my Accord and its in great shape. However my wife's CRV's steering wheel looks bad and has 205,000 miles. I think its got to do a lot about how people clean them or don't, etc.
The oils in your hands and fingers are usually the cause of the Honda wheel failing I had a 99 Accord and the worst 3 or 4 areas were directly where I was holding regardless of my cleaning it off hoping that was helping
The oils in your hands and fingers are usually the cause of the Honda wheel failing I had a 99 Accord and the worst 3 or 4 areas were directly where I was holding regardless of my cleaning it off hoping that was helping
I was thinking the same thing. I have fixed many GM clusters this way. Also 97-02 Camaro BCMs have an issue where a relay breaks free of the board and causes many electrical issues including a wonky cluster. Reflow the solder joints and problems go away.
@@rebelndirt8830 This is also a real problem with the 04-08 F-150's. The cluster develops some cracked solder joints and the brake warning light will stay on and in my case the dome light would also come on and off whenever it felt like. A quick reflow of the solder joints has it back to normal.
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Have you seen and new Hondoos with the gas in oil problem yet?
PS: Honda's don't break =)
@Army of Gog Enjoy the crap gas mileage.
Must be a *loose* connection 😉
South Main Auto Repair LLC I thought this was a boosted bois vid🤣
@Army of Gog I guess you haven't seen the cracking block recall on the new A25A-FKS motors. So far only announced for current Gen Rav4, but that engine is in the 70 series Camry's. I know, I have 3 of the "Modern Greats" for Toyota, sad day!
"Not the greatest video"??...we're sitting at home due to the "Safe at Home" directive by our gubnor with very little to do. Heck, the highlight of my day would be watching Josh change a set of tires.
I can arrange that lol
Ultra low profile tires if you don't mind. 😂
South Main Auto Repair LLC do it. Also you should do a good one for the April fools day
Fred Hutcheson maybe a set of PAX will come in lol
@@SouthMainAuto PLEASE DO - hell Id be willing to bet we would buy the tires if ya left the donate button on
Oh... And the video was still interesting, because that was a weird fault.
Fancy seeing you here--- Its a small world Best wishes
sup big clive
Eric, I am an aircraft mechanic. We follow the same logic duplicate the issue if possible then try and figure it out. Our scan tools are different but similar for components. A lot of our problems are fixed by unplugging units cleaning plugs and pins and reseating/resetting and letting the system self test. If the component fails the unit is replaced and retested. In our world, we do not work on components just self-test and replace as required. Logic is our best troubleshooting tool in the box. Really enjoy the troubleshooting our system are different but skill and logic is the same.
Same in the marine world .
Eric, you do not fully appreciate how valuable this video is to the unwashed public. It gives them a real insight into "Defect confirmed, I spent all day to find the cause and eventually the problem went away on its own and I could not make it happen again. Unfortunately that will be $300 for the days labor" These issues are a lot more common in the industry than most people outside of it realise. Very well done sir.
That was the "fix" for my 99 Jeep XJ. Gauges started wigging out, and I pulled the cluster and unplugged it. Blew compressed air around the connectors, sprayed cleaner, and reassembled. It's been perfect for the last 10+ years. Sometimes in life.....
Just the other 4000 faults in the XJ stopped you from noticing?
@@tcpnetworks Not sure what you mean? Other than that issue, the Jeep has been flawless. 120k now and still going strong, and daily driven.
@@tcpnetworks those xj are pretty damn reliable
I just smack the dash on mine real hard. It comes back.
We all if you have worked on cars with computers for years will run into craziness like this every once in a while
keeps you humble
congrats on the find
Well I’m just glad it acted up again and you found the cause. Quite often I’ve heard solder joints crack and need to be reflowed with new solder to get the board working again.
Good job Eric, a friend of mine had the same jump starting 6 months his Audi until finally the cluster gave up, no one found the issue, I said give the cluster to a electronic service and they found some led issues and other small electronics on the board and after that all good again,. Stay safe brother.
I like the surprise ending.
Surprise? Only if you were not paying attention.
Used to work in IT. People hated when you asked if they shut the computer down and restarted it. "Thats always your first question you always ask!" But 90% of the time it fixes it. Got to love computers!
I remember a TSB on Odyssey vans around this time where the gauge controller module got stuck in a loop like this and the solution was to disconnect both battery terminals and hold the wires together for 30seconds so any capacitance was drained which would reset all modules. Removing the cluster to hook it up probably had the same effect. Some Honda's it was part of the cluster, others it was a module behind it.
...hmmm, makes sense
As an owner of an ‘07, there’s no such thing as a cruddy Odyssey video. Thank you.
I think you will see in the owners manual, page 187, where it states, “NEVER let the trip odometer be exactly 1% of the odometer under any circumstance.” There’s your problem lady!
Glad I'm not the only one who noticed that!! 😁
Bingo!
No way is this comment a joke?
Enjoy your videos very much Master Eric. Was laid off Mar. 23,2020 Permanently. Worked out great because I was going to retire in November.
Getting a lot of screen time because of Corona and have been watching all your stuff. You are a life saver !
Had the same problem with my 2004 Ford Focus which would also turn on the chime and map lights. Never had this with the dozen Foci's that we had as service vehicles (2000-2002) I found no cracked solder connections. Rubbed the back side of the instrument cluster down with a dry paint brush and sprayed it down the a nice clear coat of Rustoleum (NOT A SPONSER). Ford changed the cluster in 2003-2005 THE PROBLEM NEVER CAME BACK. SUSPECTED HUMIDITY. MY SON GOT $250 FOR IT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO (6/2021)
Good job Eric. I think you have a unique way of diagnosing electrical problems. Your videos are very energetic!
I was a GM mechanic right out of college for 5 years... flat rate, sink or swim and making 400 a week and 100 of that going to the snap on guy. I have since changed careers and and happy I did. I do miss those those days sometimes but I get my fix working on my hotrod and watching you. I REALLY enjoy all of your videos. You experience and knowledge and willingness to share and help is just awesome! I wish you the best and to stay safe during these uncertain times. Thanks for being you!
My armchair-mechanic guess is just as you said. Possibly a bad connection, but also possibly the processor in the cluster having it's internal registers garbled by wavering voltage from flat batteries and jump starts. In hindsight, pulling it's fuse to give it a clean reboot could be something to remember for similar faults in the future. I think my next stop would have been popping in a scavenged cluster, even if just to see if the fault persisted.
I rather see an honest video of a mechanics work than to see an 'always successful' mechanic videos. I love to see all of your days work as a mechanic, so it can humble many viewers to exercise patience and practices. People learn from even the failures and humble experiences. I'm not saying YOU failed at all. I'm saying experiences like this can teach all viewers.
My diagnosis is that the problem is a broken solder joint in the cluster’s circuit board that caused the center display to flicker. It happened on my 2007 CR-V cluster and I was able to repair the cluster. I’ll watch and compare your work to my experience.
Is this only part prone to Honda's Odysseys
tin based solder instead of lead.. cracks easier.. and they can make 'whiskers' and create a short
My '03 F150 had a problem with the odometer flashing then eventually going out completely. Turned out the soldering in the cluster was causing it. I resoldered it for free and it works fine now. I agree with you. Looks like a bad power source to the cluster to me.
Had a similar issue with an old '96 Dodge Neon I used to have. Cracked solder joints would cause the speedometer to randomly cut out (mileage doesn't increase either when the gauge isn't working). You could push on the cluster and it would start working again then cut out quickly after relieving pressure or sometime later. I finally took it out and re-flowed the solder joints along with adding a bit of lead+tin electronics solder. That fixed it.
Yep. A regulator that sinks some heat through the mounting pins could be a good candidate.
My worst problems as a computer engineer were intermittent problems. If it ain't broke you can't fix it. I'd rather it blow up than just start working correctly for no good reason. Keep on truckin'!!
"got it sitting here currently" - couldn't resist could you? That just shows that you've got potential.
Ohm my gah watts wrong with you? 😸
You just had to complete the circuit, didn’t you?
He's well grounded in electric theory.
Turned out the test was positive and condition is terminal. How shocking is that? At least you didn't jump to any conclusions!
That just hertz.
You hit the nail on the head when talking to customers. Whenever I run into something like that the first thing I mention is the battery is the filter of the electrical system and a weak or dead battery creates a lot of noise which causes electronics to glitch. I also ask if they have ever had their phone glitch requiring a reboot. They understand that pretty well. Good job on powering up the module to verify it wasn’t a buss issue.
As a machine tech myself, there is only so much you can do if it “magically” fixes itself after fiddling with it. You did fine, all things considered. Good job! 😃
Almost fooled me! You got it right at the very end. Nice job Dr. O!
I think you are the only one that waited till the end haha. Thanks for watching :D
@@SouthMainAuto I noticed that too. Too many cu-does let me know they didn't finish watching. He, he!!
South Main Auto Repair LLC That 40 minute ad kinda draws folks away from the follow up.
South Main Auto Repair LLC Eric I always watch til the very end. I can’t get enough of your videos!!!
Eric, I think this is a great video. It shows how it is in the real world. Sometimes this is how it goes.
Great example of what happens to us when a proublem comes in and then fixes its self after we are spending some time on the issue..,but I'm glade it acted up again for you Eric ,this way it's confirmed the cluster is the issue.great video ,and one of those issues I'm sure will help a lot.
Eric, please stay safe during this covid-19 . I know new York has a lot of cases. Love your channel man. Best wishes to you and your family.
@David Lewis Especially when he gets cars from out of his area, they might be from NYC. And he is in the driver seat touching keys, knobs, buttons.
@David Lewis forget the mask 70% isopropyl alcohol is best, spray on your hands forget the surfaces, better than hand sanitizer which is 50-60%. I have a small spray bottle in the wife's car and another in mine, if the rubbing alcohol hoarders have wiped out your neighborhood pharmacy try some high proof vodka above 140, ethyl alcohol works the same and that one you can spray in your mouth for medicinal purposes. 70% is the key, kills viruses better than anything. How do I know? I worked with Coronavirus in COPD labs 2 decades ago, now I enjoy Brake jobs and SMA repair videos.
@@cvcbsec10 ... good advice. However, talk about "open container" laws in your State. Yikes!! haha
I have to say this is now my favorite auto channel on youtube. I discovered you a few days ago and have been addicted since. I go to school for Auto in RI and since the quarantine I miss my shop time. Watching you work I have learned a bit more about what an actual shop works like. I love the dynamic that your shop has. Keep safe Mr. Eric O and keep the content comming.
Crazy, never seen that before. Glad it showed up again for you to identify the problem though because I know how frustrating that can be.
Beautiful. 5000 miles beyond the factory warranty and you have this happen. My 2006 Honda Accord the dashboard lasted 140,000 before it just died intermittently. Problem happened randomly, I and others could not figure it out. Then the transmission starting going on top of that. So I sold it to become someone else's problem. So skillful and lucky you were able to isolate it and figure it out - very tough to do.
9:20 If you'l notice, it only starts reseting/rebooting after Eric touches it,
my guess?
bad/cracked/cold solder joint in connector?
David Scheiber i noticed that too. I would bet that or loose pin fitment.
As long as we're guessing I go with some kind of thermal breakdown in one of the components.
My bet is on a bad capacitor on the circuit board.
Definitely !
With all the green safe soldering these days just a hot summer days can lesson soldered circuit board joints and a good pot hole and the connection comes lose. Be surprised how many start relays on accords, ABS modules on Volvo's, and other things have torn apart and the solder connections to pins were mechanical fit causes stress the solder joint is broken, cold solder joint etc. I repair with silver solder, stronger and never see the problem return. Electronics in vehicles are becoming more prevalent but same time being made cheaper and less reliable. If were US domestic car company they plan for obsolescence on purpose.
My wife finds me funny because I open UA-cam and go oooh a new SMA video to watch.
Your videos are awesome and I can't stop watching them.
Watching this at home in the UK on lock down also! Could be worse, I'm still allowed to work, and I've got quality content like this for entertainment outside that. Keep it comingggggggggg! :)
had a similar issue with my outback... low battery voltage was the prob and traced back to the alternator not charging, changed it once (had a good price at a local rebuilder) 3 months later changed the alternator again... opened the alternator to see cheep repair (the guy only changed blown diodes and crappy soldering...the first alternator had stator winding which wasn't the good wire gauge...imagine you know the smell...finally went to carquest, got a good rebuilt and a battery and never had problems since on my 2001 rust wagon...during this time of confinement I took to myself to work on all the family cars, suspensions, brakes ,fluids and all with the holy swearing, thanks Eric for all the tricks of the trade to work on rusty nuts & bolts! cheers
As someone once said "If it ain't broke, i'll work on it until it is"
Our teletype repairman in VietNam had a sign over his door: "If we can't fix it, it ain't broke."
If it ain’t broke, you’re not trying - Red Green
I once saw a bumper sticker that said: "The Government's Motto: If it ain't broke, fix it until it is."
TronicsFix..
Sometimes the fix is electronic garbage,and we will never know, perhaps the module stuck in reset because the battery’s junk,but mr o,you made us smile,well done,keep safe, thanks.
Good information, Erik and thank you. Just finished watching your old stripped out spark plug video and thought you might like this info.
Thinking about those chips in the hole. When you change wiper blades, take an old wiper blade and some needle nose pliers and pull the metal insert out of the blade before you throw it away. Its stainless steel about 3/16 wide by whatever length the blades are. You can bend a hook of any size on one end then add the gauze off those Q-tips and be able to reach down about 12 or more inches to fish things out of a hole. In addition, one end may be split about 3/8 of an inch. That gives you a fork on that end. I think the material is 304 stainless. I know you can use it as TIG filler material. I have also used it to re-enforce fiber glass patches. You can grind any shape you want on the end. Most wiper blades have that type of insert and they just go in the garbage when people change blades. I haven't seen this idea on youtube before. Dennis
Eric thank you for your effort of making videos for us!!! 💫
Eric, if you weren't on the other side of the country, I'd offer to look at it and see if I could fix the problem for you for something to do.. Most likely it is a broken solder connection or a voltage regulator on the PC board issue.
55 yrs in electronics repair, and learning a lot from your auto repair videos. Please keep them coming.
Horray! new SMA video to watch for us folks that are laid off...
I fixed a Jeep defroster/heater fan once by unplugging it and plugging it back in. It seemed to keep working until I sold it a year later. (It was about 20 years old). Thanks for sharing the video Eric.
Holy heck Eric, you're living in a ghost town there! I hope you and your family are doing alright and that your business don't take too much of a hit during all this craziness (especially in light of your recent investments in it). Hopefully it will blow over soon (but sadly I doubt that it will...). I myself have been stuck for five weeks at work now because of all the international travel restrictions. I simply can't risk being stuck on the wrong side of the border, away from work (I'm a Swede working in Norway). But at least I stil have a job... and your videos to cheer me up Eric, thanks for that. Be safe.
Nice video Erick I worked as a marine mechanic when the computers started coming in and we had lots of jobs just like that fixed then not fixed Thanks for sharing.
To complete a "Russian" repair you need to spray some WD on it and say out loud NO PARTS REQUIRED😁
Then put it in a frame straightening jig. "Luke new !"
I see you're also a fan of Ivan's.
I fixed my own GM cluster. dead battery/ current draw issue with a five-dollar soldering iron thanks to ERics info, diagnosis and another YOUTube video on the topic. Thanks Eric. Chase the dead battery for a few weeks including a new battery, many tests,,, a few jumps.
Wow, this car has been driven for 25K miles in the past 10 years. In fact, it only drove 5K miles in the past 5 years! What a rare gem!
you sure did diagnosis it, you chased a weird issue and verified what was working.. this is the steps of diagnosis something now working properly. great video.. and THAT ENDING!!!! lol
Eric, nevermind the Amish exhaust! It's environmentally friendly and all organic!
Bought a used Caravan a few years back that had a air bag light on, so I disconnected the battery, sprayed all the terminals, reconnected them and "wham bam, thank you, ma'am" it's been fine since.
I call those repairs, Givin' some lovin'!
Looks like a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
Glad to see another video! Sense of normalcy in chaotic times! You and your family stay safe!
Excellent process Eric! Gotta love those intermittent issues. Glad it didn't get away 😆 that's easily where the client can think you're giving them the classic reach around lol great documentation, and thanks for sharing!
Got a used one for it the other day and shipped it off to united radio with the OE one. They are going to switch over the EEPROM for me so the ODO is what it should be. I was just glad it finally acted up in the end :)
@@SouthMainAuto If you had put in the "new" used one, would you or a dealer have to completely reprogram the computer? How much for the fixed part? XXX for the used part? XXX for the repair by United Radio? What caused the problem? BAD battery for TOO long? Bad jump to battery? Is the "virus" affecting your business?
@@SouthMainAuto The original part appeared to have a SHARPIE mark on the back. Was it original?
@@artymike4506 He could have put the used one in as is no problem. But the odometer would not have been accurate. That's the only reason he sent it off.
I'm just concerned Eric isn't even wearing gloves. I love Eric and Vanessa so much, their videos make me so happy, I love their dynamic, the love they have love each other and I love Eric's sense of humor. I wish he would take more precautions, especially when touching other people's cars.
I live in Hawaii, but hear New York is getting hit pretty hard. Can't be sure where those cars have been or who's driven them.
Don't want to be a fear monger but I love these guys so much.
Mahalo Nui Loa, Andy
Thank you for the video Mr.O. I was happy to see the cluster was at fault, you would have lost sleep thinking about it otherwise!
Stay safe over there Eric and family, this Coronavirus is sticking with us for awhile yet. All the best from a closed pub in the UK.
Never a bad video from you. That kind of thing happens more often than people think.
Coincidence the trip mileage is exactly 1% of the car mileage?
That is amazing.. I was thinking that and read the comments to see if I was the only one haha
Thought the same thing.
Same here, weird an 08 would have 40k miles. Kid haulers usually get a good workout.
I see I'm not the only one who notices these things...
Bill King "There's your problem, lady."
Appreciate the video, Eric. It's good to see how you diagnosis and investigate issues. Your practical approach to evaluating what's happening and determining why is very helpful and instructive. Keep them coming.
When you were using the test light I was anticipating you'd leave it on for a bit and see if the light flashed when the dash reset.
Same
I was just thinking that myself
Me too!
Me too.
Just needed a Jolt to hard reset PCB. Maybe a undervolt happen because of the bad battery. The dash onboard memory/CPU was in a loop. That's my diagnose of the problem.
Keep up the good work Eric. Been watching your channel for a while now and love it its real work in a real garage. I've learnt quite a lot watching your videos and its given me more confidence working more on my own vehicles thank you for that. I may even start studying to be a qualified mechanic.Your on all day now we are in lockdown in the UK for covid 19. Stay safe.
Hope someone's keeping an eye on Vinnie.
Was thinking about him as well. I"m sure he has a support network in place long before now, but still... I hope he has all that he needs.
I asked about him in the last live stream. Eric said he's still putting around town.
Go Vinny!
That is a really good idea about just powering it up externally. To make sure nothing else is causing the problem. Great job!👍 I was not expecting what happened at the end that is awesome you figured it out.
Before watching, my theory based on my experience as a Honda tech, is that it will need a gauge cluster
A dual filament bulb test lamp. Very cool! Two birds with one stone. I will be building one today!
9:25 my bmw wouldn't start. Thought I had a bad starter, after pulling the fuse to check if it was blown and seeing that it was OK. I put it back and the car started after that, its been starting ever since. So who knows! Gotta love electrical gremlins
Hey man, I am really impressed with your diagnostic, electrical pathway and ingenuity skills. I enjoy watching you diagnose and repair things on these modern cars with all the freaking circuitry, firmware and whatnot. You really take an intelligent approach to it and I dig it. I don't sub to many people, but I think I'm gonna here. Hi from KY by the way. Also, you got a cool family. Live long and prosper as has been said.
just calling your attention to the 41941 with 419.4 trip flash alert
poor pin fitment= gremlins!
I f'n hate electrical issues in my rigs. Sometimes I look up at the sky and say, 'why god, why hast thou forsaken me?'
Thanks for the great video! Your thought process is very instructive.
It's the old joke about when they start building cars they way Microsoft writes software. If it crashes, get out and slam the doors and get back in again and you're good to go.
Funny you say that, because GM cars to reset them you turn the car off and open the door for 10 seconds then close it lol
Window 98 or XP, when it doubt, restart!! I remember those days.
Michael Stoliker
Control Alt Delete!
Just slam the dashboard with the palm of your hand and say aaeeyyyyyyy!
Don’t chase the gremlins, you’ll never catch them!!!
Great video Eric-O!!!!!!!
Customer: How’d you fix it?
Mechanic: I fiddled with it...
😂
It would be funny if he can actually play a fiddle/violin in the shop
@@phatbuddha1 nope
Eric, I have a 2003 Ford Taurus SES with the big 3.0 Duratec DOHC V6, about 104k miles. Yes, the South is kind to cars. For at least 8 years the "loose gas cap" light was lit up... I replaced the cap with an aftermarket, then a genuine Ford part. No fix. It would ALWAYS pass inspection, NO codes (the famous P0442 is what I always expected to find, but never did.) Recently I built a home made smoke machine and smoked the tank, found a couple of tiny leaks around the charcoal canister - replaced all the rotten hoses and fixed all the leaks, no more smoke. Still the damn light was lit up! I'm going to sell the car so I decided to pull the cluster (never been out since it was brand new) to replace some burned out bulbs... and when I got the cluster out I FOUND THE PROBLEM! On the Taurus the cluster "board" is really just copper traces on some kind of flexible plastic. The cluster connectors clamp over the edge of the "board". Somehow one of the traces (the "loose gas cap" circuit) migrated in one of the connectors and SHORTED to it's neighbor pin (the ABS indicator). That short was apparently finding enough ground to light up the "loose gas cap" bulb! I carefully trimmed and moved the trace back to where it belonged and it's now working. Thanks for all you do for everyone - I hope you and the rest of the O Family stays safe and healthy. "If I can do it, you can do it. Thanks for reading!"
I've fixed a lot of stuff just by re- seating connectors.
I think this is a fantastic example of why diagnosing isn't as simple as the average Joe thinks, and serves as proof that the majority of repair shops are honest. Not every problem is easy to diagnose, and not every problem solves itself. This car could have the same problem pop up a week from now again, and there's nothing you did wrong. You spent your billable time diagnosing it, and you deserve to be paid for that time. Hopefully it's an understanding and honest vehicle owner.
Video ain’t over til you hear the music!!!
That's what I was waiting for too!
Video is better than you think, Eric. Intermittent problems suck.
Typical Battery reset can do wonders on Honda electrical issues. Take it from an Acura technician.
My guess: battery charger connected, hit the boost button and blew the voltage regulator in the cluster. Good video Eric. Hope all are well. 👍
In the beginning, god created Eric O.
Yes but without form, that's why he made Mrs. O.
Ahhh, like he said!!
In the beginning, Mrs O. Created Eric O!! Lol
Then built the cars around him.
I had an 05 Pilot that I drove from new to 340,000 miles. Loved it,.it still had the old man gauges in it, but I had to have the control and radio bulbs changed many times. There seemed to be some sort of grounding in the dash. But, I loved that truck, it was unstoppable.
"I touched it, and it's fixed." - Eric "King Midas" O.
Alex Derus King Midas made things turn to gold when he touched it...;)
Correct.
Encountered the same problem with a honda and an isuzu pick up truck. Both cars were used for a while with bad batteries. Suggested to both customers to change the instrument clusters and good enough it fixed the problem. And installed new batteries as well.😂 good content right there.🤙
Eric: changes the odometer.
Customer: can you set the trip odometer to exactly 1% of the milage. 😂
Actually these are some of the best videos. Dealing with intermittent issues separates the men from the boys.
I had a 2013 civic doing a similar
Thing, but there was a tsb about doing a battery cable reset. I know it doesn’t apply to the odyssey but I think you did the right thing. Replace battery, and do the reset. Maybe low battery voltage made the logic inside the cluster go haywire. Once you unplugged it and cut power to it , it rebooted itself. If you look under tsb on gauges / instrument cluster you’ll see the tsb I’m talking about .
Hey Eric! At 19:14-19:16, You said, "you didn't want to go chasing ghosts if they don't wanna come out and play"!. You could take a trip back up by that old abandoned State Mental Hospital, that you and, your brother went by in his Wrecker! Remember on the way to get that Road Tractor, the Milk Tanker Truck. He was saying it was supposed to be haunted! Maybe if you take the cluster up by there and, spend the night with them, maybe they could hold a Tech School class overnight and give you a few new pointer's on these cluster issues! HA,HA,!! I doubt Mrs. O. would want to go, so you will probably be going by yourself! THANKS MAN, for all you do, and for your time! I was ASE. CERT, had them all and, worked as a Truck Mechanic, Class 8's, the BIG stuff. I can't walk anymore, so I kinda Live through you, and watching you work! I worked with alot of older guys, so I usually got "Volunteered" to do all the electrical stuff myself! I loved it! BLESS YOU, and, Mrs.O,The Kids, MeeMaw, and, all your friends a families!! PRAYERS GOING UP FOR YOU ALL!! Oh yea, One more thing I almost forgot, Who needs Lysol when you have something alot better? BRAKE CLEANER!! Washed my hands with it for years! That stuff wiil kill anything! From the other Eric, in N.C. PEACE.................................................................................
The ol' Honda Oddity
I have always said, I would not drive or ride in Honda, under any circumstances.
Very interesting case, Eric. You sure strike some strange ones. Keep well.
Almost like the"good old" Pre-OBD2 days in BMW, disconnect the battery and short the positive and negative wire, turn the front lights and ignition on, leave for 10 minutes to ensure that all capacitors in misc modules are depleted. Connect battery and presto: everything is working good (for some time)
I’m gonna guess that was because of capacitor saturation. That happens when you don’t create a discharge circuit. This becomes really noticeable in cheap radios, the reception gets fuzzy and the sound goes away slowly.
Trond jarle Pedersen My 88 E90 325is had bad batteries that needed to be replaced. I soldered in a AA holder and bought the batteries online, all the funky dash issues were resolved.
We still do that after Pcm updates on VW/Audi when the tach stops working. Battery VooDoo.
It is probably Silver Migration in the cluster from lead free solder. I only know this from a video you did about 4 years ago. I learn a lot from this channel
give it to ur buddy from pine hallow, he'll tear it down to fix the circuit board russian style
My guess is the low voltage issue of the battery. Since newer cars rely so heavy upon electrics. .5 for the fiddling ( diag) and a shot of terminal tightening spray. Lol, stay safe Eric see ya on the next video!!
Anyone else notice the trip odometer was exactly 1% of the overall mileage?
The only digits showing were 1, 4, & 9. Seemed unusual to me. Of course the first position showed a zero, so it could have just been a weird coincidence.
Came here to post that...
Must have missed that! I was eating a sandwich!
No, not in my grandmas basement!
Yes, I made the sandwich myself!
Also, clock is flashing 12:00ish.
@@for2utube
The clock will do that after a disconnected or very dead battery.
The second you put the last screw in?! Nah, not a chance. It will crap out again the second your customer gets in and drives five minutes down the main road 😜
Edit: interesting. Murphy's Law didn't rear it's annoying head this time! Maybe a micro crack in pcb... as it creates resistance, it creates heat, goes runaway just enough to dive current flow low enough for voltage to fall. Resets, whole process starts again.
I'd love to pick it appart and look at it. I love weird electrical problems hahaha!
Thanks for the cool videos, always educational.
I'm more surprised by the fact that there's a 10 year Hondoo with a steering wheel that isn't falling apart.
I have 213,000 miles on my Accord and its in great shape. However my wife's CRV's steering wheel looks bad and has 205,000 miles. I think its got to do a lot about how people clean them or don't, etc.
The oils in your hands and fingers are usually the cause of the Honda wheel failing I had a 99 Accord and the worst 3 or 4 areas were directly where I was holding regardless of my cleaning it off hoping that was helping
The oils in your hands and fingers are usually the cause of the Honda wheel failing I had a 99 Accord and the worst 3 or 4 areas were directly where I was holding regardless of my cleaning it off hoping that was helping
Keep safe Mr. O. Same for family and friends
When the customer says what did you do point them to the youtube video....
When you can place your hand on an object and it is miraculously fixed that is the great Eric O!!
I would just crack it open and go over all of the solder joints with a soldering iron; That might work.
I was thinking the same thing. I have fixed many GM clusters this way. Also 97-02 Camaro BCMs have an issue where a relay breaks free of the board and causes many electrical issues including a wonky cluster. Reflow the solder joints and problems go away.
@@rebelndirt8830 This is also a real problem with the 04-08 F-150's. The cluster develops some cracked solder joints and the brake warning light will stay on and in my case the dome light would also come on and off whenever it felt like. A quick reflow of the solder joints has it back to normal.
It's a bad capacitor on the board. Just need to find it, then unsolder it and solder in a new one.
Threatening intermittent problems never works for me. It must not be afraid of me..