Comebacks are the real teacher. Hits you right in the pocketbook and the reputation--two things that mean ALL for a small shop. Fixin' and teaching Eric, you're doing a great service for all us who learn from it-professional and otherwise.
@@gimmeaford9454 Exactly. I wouldn’t believe any shop that claims to have never had a come back. It’s whether or not you make the customer whole when a come back happens that matters.
After working on computer for 60+ years, I can attest to the fact. Most people do not understand the frustration one feels when working on an intermittent. For me it started in 1963 and was still true 2 weeks ago. 😠 I'm hanging it up now at 80 years old. No more 'friends and family' repairs. Good luck to you. Enjoy your videos.
I have used a 12 volt truck low air buzzer or piezo buzzer instead of a test light so I could move a harness or wiring when looking for opens and issues, while not having to watch a test light ,just listen for the beep while touching components. Great work once again Eric !!
Just wanted to stop in here and say thank you for all your content. I used your GM truck guide to change the 5.3 in my Yukon. I watched all four videos and it really helped me. It started up without a hitch.
I had an intermittent problem on a C141 Air Force plane. It only showed up when the plane went above 13,000 feet. I had to troubleshoot it while flying with it. Turned out to be two wires backing out of their stay-cons that were located in an area that was in an area that got cold causing the wires to shrink and back out. One came completely out, the other was only connected by one strand. Thankfully, all the wires were numbered every so many inches. There were quite few techs that tried to find the problem. I was lucky that one wire had backed completely out. Great experience!!
Of course the customer comes back, the previous repair was guaranteed and thus the whole repair in this episode is free now (except of the 30 bucks relay).
@@pz6316The customer pays the tow truck. That's why warranties are called limited warranties, otherwise Eric would be paying the customer for lost wages, pain and suffering and punitive damages.
Don't beat urself up, Eric. The green weenies are the devil. You saved the customer some money on a NEW box and a big headache wirin all that back together AND did the nice thing by leavin a note for any future folks who might be pokin around down there. AND... this was a TOTALLY proper way to go about the repair in this particular situation. Keep em comin and HAPPY EASTER to you and Mrs. O. 👍😎
Had that exact same thing happen on my '08. Luckily, I guess, I had pulled the whole from clip off earlier looking to install fog lights. I had taken the cover off and pulled a relay looking for power sources, and the jeep quit, no crank, no start. Put it back together and it worked. A year or 2 later, when the exact same symptoms occurred, I remembered the relay box. Yep, corroded pin. What a stupid place to put an electrical component. When I had the clip off earlier, I noticed how much mud and dirt were stuck in the corners. Started a yearly routine of removing the front clip in the summer and washing out all the dirt and debris. Now if I had only known about Fluid Film then. Oh well. Thanks for the channel and the content. I'm about 45min from where you are and I can relate to the weather and vehicle conditions.
My daughter has a 2011 dodge caravan that does this. then when you jump it ( but only with a jump box) im assuming it sets the relay and it starts. at least now I have a place to start to check before we buy a TIPM. chrysler vehicles !!!!
I had an 08 Caliber that was the exact same issue. First problem was an intermittent mil with a cooling fan code. Several months later I finally found the relay box corrosion . This car was towed in with a no crank no start. Got off the ramp truck and started up. Damn. Super frustrating.
Gotta love the fact you made this video and not hid the fact that comebacks occasionally happen. Cars are a pain in the butt when it's internment problems .keep up the great videos and repairs
how about a comeback from the misuse of an improper tool that damaged and smashed other pricey parts that were nearly new (a mere 3 months old and cost +400$)
A man willing to admit and broadcast a comeback on UA-cam for his fans. That shows Eric is the real deal. He’s a technician we all want to be. One of the best problem solver and logical thinking technician out there.
The older I get, the more I miss my ‘55 Chevy when I see stuff like that. Thankfully, the wife’s 2017 Volvo at 70,000 miles has been dead reliable and not reliably dead. My dad taught me a lot in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s, but this “improved, complicated modern technology” would have driven him nuts…as it does me. I will never complain about ‘50 and ‘60 era, British, Lucas electric components again. For someone who does his own maintenance, you’re an inspiration.
If you ever encounter something like this, keep the wire in place with RTV, it can be removed relatively easy, it's weatherproof, it holds good tension...:)
As an electrician I can't tell you how many houses I've walked into only knowing that x, y or z quit working. First I start identifying circuits then I remove the closest outlets, switches and light fixtures until I find where the circuit is broken. Usually it's a wire nut that's either fallen off, burned up from excessive loading or wires installed incorrectly. It takes a lot of TIME and PATIENCE then...you're the hero for fixing it...until the bill.
I remember several years ago Eric was interviewed by a local news publication where he lives. He said, "We've all done dumb things. If someone hasn't done dumb things they haven't done anything at all." It really is refreshing to see him make a mistake every once and a while. GREAT VIDEO!
Outstanding video, Eric! I fought a similar problem on one of our multi million dollar air defence systems. The green crusties mixed with fan blown dust was packed between two relay pins. Depending on humidity, the relay appeared engaged even when not commanded. replacing the relay was a non-fix. The sun came out later in the day and all is well! Next morning with the dew point up and now she's broke again. I fought that bugger for dang near two weeks.
Watching your videos helped me diagnose the faulty trailer wiring on my step dad’s 03 Chevy truck. It was actually “just a fuse” which is the mechanics dream job.
No he admitted to being wrong. His task was to repair the car. He sent it out running. No mistakes were made he just couldn't finish his diagnosis last time because the vehicle fixed itself.
That seems pretty clean for a 2015 in upstate New York! Don't worry about it too much, you got it fixed now. I feel like that design is built to fail, with jumpers between relays though. I always like your explanation of the fault, the diagnosis, and the repair.
A good example of using a good old fashioned test lamp to fault find. Power probes, Led's etc can fool you as they don't show good current, just volts. It's current makes stuff work. Good fix in the end Mr O
Several years ago I pulled a front tire and fender liner and worked on corroded wires on my wife's 2012 Patriot. Then a couple years ago it cost me $3000 to have the rotted whole rear end replaced. Then a year after that the shiftless transmission died. We've had two Jeeps. No more.
Love the videos, Eric. Keep them coming, your diagnostic skills are second to none! But I laughed so hard when you said “ man, I really freaking hate cars… “
This is exactly why your customers come back to SMA!! You Take care of them as it should be. As the Old saying goes, if you don't take care of your customers..... Someone Else Will!!!! Nicely done EO. Probably will take this HEEP right to the JUNK PILE, If the FRAME don't ROT beforehand! 🤷♂...
To be clear, everything you did the first time was needed. You just wanted to save the customer big $$$ by not getting into changing the fuse box and relay box and connectors, and all that labor. Intermittent problems usually have multiple components. Your work on this car is available for all to see. The customer can see the additional work you did now.
Things that fix themselves during troubleshooting are the hardest problems to determine root cause. The last part of my career was teaching heavy truck mechanics how to troubleshoot electrical systems. The hands-on portion of the class involved the instructor "bugging" a vehicle and the students attempting to troubleshoot the problem. One of our instructors was working on an intermittient bug on an electronic circuit. He was using a variable resistor dialed in to get a circuit to just barely work. The problem was that the bug itself was intermittent. Once you got it dialed in perfectly and gave the vehicle to the students, the circuit always worked perfectly. There was no way for the students to verify the problem.
Great Video ! Use Ge Clear Silicone 2 for a Less permanent cavity filler than 5 minute epoxy. turns to Clear hard rubber. still holds. but can be picked out & removed. where 5 min epoxy is permanent. i think you will like it. Great sealer to keep the green crustys away & Hold stuff in place. Ge clear silicone 2 can be had at home depot paint section. Clear = Hard clear rubber. Black & White much softer. Great video !
Great video Eric, we all get a boomerang job every now and then it's par for the course, At least you admitted it and you recorded the fix, not many you-tube channels would have been so honest, all the best from the UK 👍
Another repair option could have been to open up the case a bit more so the female blade terminal slipped completely through. Then splice the 2 existing jumper wires to a 6" piece of new wire. Pass that up and through the block and connect to the relay terminal before you install the relay in the block. Then feed the wire back down through the block and install the relay. That way, if someone does pull the relay in the future, the terminal attached to pin 1 comes out with it and they recognize that special care is needed.
And this is why I hate plastic connectors because trying to get one from the dealership is a pain in the butt. Been wracking my head to solve a weird issue where my 2009 ford mustang's radiator fan would kick on at high speed, but not low speed. As of right now, got my money on the bussed electrical center's four large female connectors underneath. Knowing my luck, it's likely going to be a fried/corroded connector pin. I'm hoping the one female connector containing the load side wire to the low speed relay to the BEC isn't melted because that plastic connector piece is likely gonna be a salvage hunt. Already checked the outbound wiring for the load side of the radiator relays from the BEC, good continuity, good voltage, that's intanct, so there's progress in the whole adventure into delving right into electric avenue. 😮💨
Nicely done, Mr. O. My eye, however, kept going back to that heavy gauge ground cable on top of the headlight arc. That looks to be the future of a whole number of other problems as it progresses into Stellantis Green Crustydom.
You're a great guy, Eric. I have said it before but No One in my area has half the conscience that you do. Sadly. It's made me do as much of my own work that I can, and I'm now too old to be rolling around on the pavement fixing things. :(
Eric calls these a comeback, but if it is working fully when it left it was an intermittent problem. It has to come back broken to fix it in most cases! A good mechanic isn't going to tear apart a car looking for a possible problem. If you want it fixed.... Bring it back when it's acting up fella.... Been there done that many times! Great job Eric. I'd bring it back to you in a heartbeat if you had explained that to me! Later! J Poll.
When it comes to epoxy-based relay/fusebox repairs, I was taught to lightly grease the terminals, then plug them in to maintain the correct pin location. Then just turn the box over and glop in the epoxy. It'll hold the connector in the box, but the grease prevents it from messing with the relay or fuse, so they're still replaceable.
Hi Eric, I hope the owner of this vehicle is watching, you just went way Above and beyond for them and did an outstanding job for them! You should be proud of yourself Eric! Its no wonder you have people coming out of the woodwork to get to your shop and have the job done right! Good Man!
These are the best videos. My wife spit out her coffee when she heard BOB battery operated boyfriend. She’s still laughing. But these electrical problems are the best
Good job Eric hopefully your customer understands that electrical is not always one direct it's just too bad that you live in a climate that makes problems
I sprayed fluid film all over the 120v AC control board in my pool chlorinator just to stop any corrosion that was on it. I covered the whole circuit board in it and reinstalled it wet. That was last spring and it ran like that all summer long with the control board soaked in fluid film so I would say that fluid film is definately not conductive in any way if it can handle house AC and not mess with the microcontroller on that board. It was completely soaked in fluid film too. I basically used it as conformal coating.
As an Electrical Engineer and former Electronics Tech, I always say "intermittent failures are the bane of my existence". But, I learn something every time I find and correct one. Keep up the good work, Mr. O. Your troubleshooting skills never fail to impress.
Hey I’m wondering would corrosion cause an intermittent misfire only when the engine is warm? Found corrosion on the terminals connecting to the coil from the ignition module of an older distributor setup and hoping that’s the source of my issue
@@mrsemifixit I am not a mechanic, but in my opinion, it's possible. When things get warm, they expand, and I have seen that cause issues. The clock in my 2005 Corolla would only display the time when it was cold (under 25 degrees F) outside. Using freeze spray, I was able to isolate it to a thermally intermittent diode. I replaced the diode, and it has worked ever since. The corrosion would cause a poor connection, and if it expands, it could make the connection worse. I will leave the rest up to this more experienced in ignition system diagnosis.
The original video of yours was the only one I can remember where you really didn't have a good explanation or hypothesis for the fault. I remember it frustrating me that the video made it seem like it just magically fixed itself. Thanks for following up and closing the loop. Best mechanic on the UA-cam!
Thanks Eric for sharing this. I’d like to say for me personally that you don’t need to try to justify to us why you have chosen that repair method. Some people may try to call it poor work but personally i only judge these things in two aspects 1) will the repair work and last 2) if the customer who paid is happy with that then it isn’t the internets business Have a good one :)
You had this one diagnosed at the 2 minute mark of the first video! I worked on one of these once, I think it was a 2008 Liberty (the Canadian version). That would be my first place to check very thoroughly. Easy to be an armchair quarterback though. Thanks for he memories, lol
My stepdad has an 07 Sebring, been trying to get them to dump it, it has so many electrical problems mainly leaving them stranded. Had the best mechanic we could find take the fuse boxes apart and they were completely corroded and he spent a lot of hours cleaning and soldering and it's still crap. Only 62k miles garage kept and babied. Thank God they finally threw in the towel and I'm gonna find them a little Toyota. And we live in SW Virginia, very little salt on the roads.
Not bashing here. Your technique is a good solution. You hit on my idea, which is is jump that one relay out of the box, and hang it somewhere close by with a proper universal relay mount and connector. It would have been a little less money for parts than the OE. Every tech has their own ideas and solutions. I'm just happy to see an honest man showing the world how to actually do this type of work. I have learned a lot watching your videos which is making me better at diagnosing electrical issues and in turn a better tech. I wish this had been around in the 1990s when I was getting paid for auto work. We were taught mostly mechanical and very little electrical. Of course, vehicles weren't as advanced back then. Keep the videos coming. I enjoy watching your process and learning.
Comebacks are the real teacher. Hits you right in the pocketbook and the reputation--two things that mean ALL for a small shop. Fixin' and teaching Eric, you're doing a great service for all us who learn from it-professional and otherwise.
and it doesnt matter how good you are, every now and then, one is going to bite ya in the rear.
It won’t hit your reputation at all if you handle it properly. Even the best mechanics in the world get comebacks.
If you never had a comeback you're probably not producing.
@@gimmeaford9454 no doubt. Each time is an opportunity to shine (or not) by the way it is handled. Good shops, and good customers understand this.
@@gimmeaford9454 Exactly. I wouldn’t believe any shop that claims to have never had a come back. It’s whether or not you make the customer whole when a come back happens that matters.
After working on computer for 60+ years, I can attest to the fact. Most people do not understand the frustration one feels when working on an intermittent. For me it started in 1963 and was still true 2 weeks ago. 😠 I'm hanging it up now at 80 years old. No more 'friends and family' repairs. Good luck to you. Enjoy your videos.
I guess I’ve got three years to go .
Wish you many good years of R&R.
The most common statement of vehicle mechanics. "Man I really hate cars!" lol
The same can be said of IT guys. But about computers.
I've said that more than 1 time lol. It's how it is . 🍺🍺
It’s always better when you repeat it. 😂😂😂
Same can be said of Appliance Techs.
Car mechanic and it guy are completely different. Unless your talking about a part changer
Awesome . To see an expert in his field admit he made a mistake is proof of an honest man. My hats off to you Mr. O You're that guy !
Amazing how Eric goes to the immense extra trouble of giving us clear camera views, and explanations, so we can follow this easily
I had a feeling that jeep would be back ! Its a jeep thing ! 😝
don't insult real jeeps like that. :D
@@johnhufnagelThey are all made by Chrysler, doesn’t matter!
It’s an automobile thing
@@SteelheadTed Or even worse they're all FIATs!
Jeep yup junk they are
I have used a 12 volt truck low air buzzer or piezo buzzer instead of a test light so I could move a harness or wiring when looking for opens and issues, while not having to watch a test light ,just listen for the beep while touching components. Great work once again Eric !!
Solid idea!
Awesome idea!
Yes M2!
Been watching for years now. I turned this on and my 9 month old son smiles and watches it everytime now. Keep up the good work!
Start'em young!
@@Cybersawz Bullshit !
Just wanted to stop in here and say thank you for all your content. I used your GM truck guide to change the 5.3 in my Yukon. I watched all four videos and it really helped me. It started up without a hitch.
If you made some green crusty hunter t, T-shirts I would be down for one 😂 Another great sleuth hunting success.
SMA shirts with Crusty Green Huntin' Machine or with any of Eric's double entendre's or other funny asides during diagnosis would be awesome!
Yes!
The classic reach around
Now that's a very solid, old-school diag done with no scan tool---love it
I had an intermittent problem on a C141 Air Force plane. It only showed up when the plane went above 13,000 feet. I had to troubleshoot it while flying with it. Turned out to be two wires backing out of their stay-cons that were located in an area that was in an area that got cold causing the wires to shrink and back out. One came completely out, the other was only connected by one strand. Thankfully, all the wires were numbered every so many inches. There were quite few techs that tried to find the problem. I was lucky that one wire had backed completely out.
Great experience!!
That repair was totally legit. Another example of excellent diagnosis.
Absolutely! Intermittent electrical issues are a challenge, even for the best mechanics.
I just come here for the humor and hope a car gets fixed at the same time. 🤣🤣
"You know what we need to do with that one, (grabs relay)we need to set it over there" as he chucks it across the room...😆
That was great!
Another guy on UA-cam yells “Pile!” as he does that.
Yeah just had to laughffff
It must be satisfying to know that your customers trust you to repair a comeback fault, and not go to another shop instead.
Of course the customer comes back, the previous repair was guaranteed and thus the whole repair in this episode is free now (except of the 30 bucks relay).
Who paid the tow truck
@ mark, the OTHER shops are ALL bringing their difficult repairs to SMA 🇺🇸🗽🍶👌
@@pz6316The customer pays the tow truck. That's why warranties are called limited warranties, otherwise Eric would be paying the customer for lost wages, pain and suffering and punitive damages.
Enough to drive you crazy!
Phew!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!
I've used a dab of gorilla glue at the crimp to hold the pins in place without issue of removing the relays on ATV boxes...
I wish Eric was in my town, I can't find good masters of mechanics that really know their work. Hats off to you Eric.
Don't beat urself up, Eric. The green weenies are the devil.
You saved the customer some money on a NEW box and a big headache wirin all that back together AND did the nice thing by leavin a note for any future folks who might be pokin around down there.
AND... this was a TOTALLY proper way to go about the repair in this particular situation.
Keep em comin and HAPPY EASTER to you and Mrs. O. 👍😎
Had that exact same thing happen on my '08. Luckily, I guess, I had pulled the whole from clip off earlier looking to install fog lights. I had taken the cover off and pulled a relay looking for power sources, and the jeep quit, no crank, no start. Put it back together and it worked. A year or 2 later, when the exact same symptoms occurred, I remembered the relay box. Yep, corroded pin. What a stupid place to put an electrical component. When I had the clip off earlier, I noticed how much mud and dirt were stuck in the corners. Started a yearly routine of removing the front clip in the summer and washing out all the dirt and debris. Now if I had only known about Fluid Film then. Oh well. Thanks for the channel and the content. I'm about 45min from where you are and I can relate to the weather and vehicle conditions.
My daughter has a 2011 dodge caravan that does this. then when you jump it ( but only with a jump box) im assuming it sets the relay and it starts. at least now I have a place to start to check before we buy a TIPM. chrysler vehicles !!!!
I had an 08 Caliber that was the exact same issue. First problem was an intermittent mil with a cooling fan code. Several months later I finally found the relay box corrosion . This car was towed in with a no crank no start. Got off the ramp truck and started up. Damn. Super frustrating.
Electrical corrosion makes a lot of headaches for the owner and the mechanics who have to find the problem.
I would say most would never find that intermitten green crusty problem. Eric, you're a true pro!
Gotta love the fact you made this video and not hid the fact that comebacks occasionally happen. Cars are a pain in the butt when it's internment problems .keep up the great videos and repairs
how about a comeback from the misuse of an improper tool that damaged and smashed other pricey parts that were nearly new (a mere 3 months old and cost +400$)
Have seen that happen, someone was testing out a power probe and pushed the button while on the wrong connector. OOPs.
"Recalls", as we call them in the appliance industry, is a sad fact of being a Tech...no matter how good you are. Sometimes junk is junk.
I learn so much from Eric, Mrs O., and the cat. Thanks for taking the time to show us whats what!
Even as a comeback, I'd gladly pay you for that exact repair. That harness will probably last longer than the undercarriage.
Now this was a great video.
Thanks for bringing us along!! You da man, Mr. O!
I've used hot glue to hold pins in place
Yep, me too. Works great.
I like this.
Yep, especially the black version used on dent pull tabs. Seems to stick to the plastic better.
Man oh mam Eric just keeps digging till he gets that green gopher .
A man willing to admit and broadcast a comeback on UA-cam for his fans. That shows Eric is the real deal. He’s a technician we all want to be. One of the best problem solver and logical thinking technician out there.
Most mechanics would keep throwing random parts at it until they bankrupted their client without ever arriving at a fix.
Troubleshooting is an art.
Nothing like a cup of coffee a donut and an SMA video at 6:00 am in the morning.
The older I get, the more I miss my ‘55 Chevy when I see stuff like that. Thankfully, the wife’s 2017 Volvo at 70,000 miles has been dead reliable and not reliably dead.
My dad taught me a lot in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s, but this “improved, complicated modern technology” would have driven him nuts…as it does me. I will never complain about ‘50 and ‘60 era, British, Lucas electric components again.
For someone who does his own maintenance, you’re an inspiration.
If you ever encounter something like this, keep the wire in place with RTV, it can be removed relatively easy, it's weatherproof, it holds good tension...:)
Rtv itself is corrosive
As an electrician I can't tell you how many houses I've walked into only knowing that x, y or z quit working. First I start identifying circuits then I remove the closest outlets, switches and light fixtures until I find where the circuit is broken. Usually it's a wire nut that's either fallen off, burned up from excessive loading or wires installed incorrectly. It takes a lot of TIME and PATIENCE then...you're the hero for fixing it...until the bill.
You are the man Eric I'm retired automotive mechanic I love your videos an diagnostic ❤
You are the man Eric I'm RETARDED automotive mechanic I love your videos an diagnostic
The amazing thing is that your customer can pull up a video to see what you did.
I remember several years ago Eric was interviewed by a local news publication where he lives. He said, "We've all done dumb things. If someone hasn't done dumb things they haven't done anything at all." It really is refreshing to see him make a mistake every once and a while. GREAT VIDEO!
I admire your adeptness at sniffing out the problem.
This year is my 56th year in the electrical game and I can tell you that an intermittent fault is any technicians nightmare.
Absolutely
Outstanding video, Eric! I fought a similar problem on one of our multi million dollar air defence systems. The green crusties mixed with fan blown dust was packed between two relay pins. Depending on humidity, the relay appeared engaged even when not commanded. replacing the relay was a non-fix. The sun came out later in the day and all is well! Next morning with the dew point up and now she's broke again. I fought that bugger for dang near two weeks.
Lol - 'Son of a frig hole'.
Just got to love the invented curse words Eric!
That one pin is why I go straight to the relay anytime an ASD code pops up, or a no crank condition gets towed in, or the cooling fans stop working.
Eric's integrity shines through, embracing failure as an opportunity to teach and learn.
The pain, the shame, the comeback! Good video!
I used to have so much trouble understanding those wireing diagrams. But after watching your videos, it all makes sense now. Thank you
Watching your videos helped me diagnose the faulty trailer wiring on my step dad’s 03 Chevy truck. It was actually “just a fuse” which is the mechanics dream job.
BOB = NOT "Battery Operated Boyfriend" 🤣
Which is your phone...😅😅😅
Does this mean then that an ATM= titless teller?
Used to teach dance at a singles club, my girlfriend was helping and she would often go help guys she called BOB learn to dance.
Love how you admit you made a mistake. Takes a real man in this day and time. You are a great teacher! Hope the family is well.
No he admitted to being wrong. His task was to repair the car. He sent it out running. No mistakes were made he just couldn't finish his diagnosis last time because the vehicle fixed itself.
Good job as per usual, Eric.
I have nightmares about the green crusties!
Every vehicle owner should! working for the county I hated salt spreaders and the rear vehicle wiring !
That seems pretty clean for a 2015 in upstate New York! Don't worry about it too much, you got it fixed now. I feel like that design is built to fail, with jumpers between relays though. I always like your explanation of the fault, the diagnosis, and the repair.
probly wash it all the time like my bronco sport bene 2 winters and the only real rust starting is on the muffler i try to wash it alot tho
The clipboard returns! I was worried Mrs O grabbed it. 😊 Thanks for the video!
A good example of using a good old fashioned test lamp to fault find. Power probes, Led's etc can fool you as they don't show good current, just volts. It's current makes stuff work.
Good fix in the end Mr O
Several years ago I pulled a front tire and fender liner and worked on corroded wires on my wife's 2012 Patriot. Then a couple years ago it cost me $3000 to have the rotted whole rear end replaced. Then a year after that the shiftless transmission died. We've had two Jeeps. No more.
Damn you like sticking your finger in the power socket doing it twice to prove it kicks?
Me too. I'm from the UK, and now I've had a Jeep, I definitely won't be having another one 😅
Jeeps are just great until you out of sight from the dealer lot.
You have a great deal of patience and excellent knowledge of troubleshooting
I see your problem lady.... you're leaking straw.
Love the videos, Eric. Keep them coming, your diagnostic skills are second to none! But I laughed so hard when you said “ man, I really freaking hate cars… “
This is exactly why your customers come back to SMA!! You Take care of them as it should be. As the Old saying goes, if you don't take care of your customers..... Someone Else Will!!!! Nicely done EO. Probably will take this HEEP right to the JUNK PILE, If the FRAME don't ROT beforehand! 🤷♂...
Wish we had a mechanic like you where I live nice job
To be clear, everything you did the first time was needed. You just wanted to save the customer big $$$ by not getting into changing the fuse box and relay box and connectors, and all that labor. Intermittent problems usually have multiple components. Your work on this car is available for all to see. The customer can see the additional work you did now.
Things that fix themselves during troubleshooting are the hardest problems to determine root cause. The last part of my career was teaching heavy truck mechanics how to troubleshoot electrical systems. The hands-on portion of the class involved the instructor "bugging" a vehicle and the students attempting to troubleshoot the problem. One of our instructors was working on an intermittient bug on an electronic circuit. He was using a variable resistor dialed in to get a circuit to just barely work. The problem was that the bug itself was intermittent. Once you got it dialed in perfectly and gave the vehicle to the students, the circuit always worked perfectly. There was no way for the students to verify the problem.
Great Video ! Use Ge Clear Silicone 2 for a Less permanent cavity filler than 5 minute epoxy. turns to Clear hard rubber. still holds. but can be picked out & removed. where 5 min epoxy is permanent. i think you will like it. Great sealer to keep the green crustys away & Hold stuff in place. Ge clear silicone 2 can be had at home depot paint section. Clear = Hard clear rubber. Black & White much softer. Great video !
Use a silicone rated safe for electrical connections. Normal RTV silicone uses acetic acid and smells like vinegar when it cures.
I really like your attention to detail, and your concern for others that may work on a vehicle after you!
Great video Eric, we all get a boomerang job every now and then it's par for the course, At least you admitted it and you recorded the fix, not many you-tube channels would have been so honest, all the best from the UK 👍
Good call
Intermittent electrical is the #1 trigger for "I hate cars!".
Another repair option could have been to open up the case a bit more so the female blade terminal slipped completely through. Then splice the 2 existing jumper wires to a 6" piece of new wire. Pass that up and through the block and connect to the relay terminal before you install the relay in the block. Then feed the wire back down through the block and install the relay. That way, if someone does pull the relay in the future, the terminal attached to pin 1 comes out with it and they recognize that special care is needed.
Eric April fools are still a few days away 😅
Great job 👍
And this is why I hate plastic connectors because trying to get one from the dealership is a pain in the butt.
Been wracking my head to solve a weird issue where my 2009 ford mustang's radiator fan would kick on at high speed, but not low speed. As of right now, got my money on the bussed electrical center's four large female connectors underneath. Knowing my luck, it's likely going to be a fried/corroded connector pin. I'm hoping the one female connector containing the load side wire to the low speed relay to the BEC isn't melted because that plastic connector piece is likely gonna be a salvage hunt. Already checked the outbound wiring for the load side of the radiator relays from the BEC, good continuity, good voltage, that's intanct, so there's progress in the whole adventure into delving right into electric avenue. 😮💨
Nicely done, Mr. O. My eye, however, kept going back to that heavy gauge ground cable on top of the headlight arc. That looks to be the future of a whole number of other problems as it progresses into Stellantis Green Crustydom.
You're a great guy, Eric. I have said it before but No One in my area has half the conscience that you do. Sadly. It's made me do as much of my own work that I can, and I'm now too old to be rolling around on the pavement fixing things. :(
Eric
Great job!!
What pain 😅😮
Greg from Minnesota
Eric calls these a comeback, but if it is working fully when it left it was an intermittent problem. It has to come back broken to fix it in most cases! A good mechanic isn't going to tear apart a car looking for a possible problem. If you want it fixed.... Bring it back when it's acting up fella.... Been there done that many times! Great job Eric. I'd bring it back to you in a heartbeat if you had explained that to me! Later! J Poll.
Noticed the note on the wall: “take care of my wife”.
When it comes to epoxy-based relay/fusebox repairs, I was taught to lightly grease the terminals, then plug them in to maintain the correct pin location. Then just turn the box over and glop in the epoxy. It'll hold the connector in the box, but the grease prevents it from messing with the relay or fuse, so they're still replaceable.
Looks like a good fix to me.
Come, Watson.... The game is afoot!!!
Ah…. The “take care of your wife “ reminder. Smart man.
I suspect that was Mrs. O's doing
She is a beautiful/ wonderful/ caring woman. Better take care of her as she does to him....of course nobody ever claimed Mr. O ignores his bride.
@@applianceman6194 He'd better, otherwise BOB might enter the picture... 🫢😁
Hi Eric, I hope the owner of this vehicle is watching, you just went way Above and beyond for them and did an outstanding job for them! You should be proud of yourself Eric! Its no wonder you have people coming out of the woodwork to get to your shop and have the job done right! Good Man!
What a bulldog! Great work.
It happens
Great repair!!
I've done that with my snowmobile..
I stuck a sta con in a spare factory fuse holder to power my heated shield..
You’ll never get your money back out of this repair! It was exactly what was needed and you did a great job.
But you end up with a happy customer who will tell everyone what great service they got!
And now the customer knows he is a man of his word ;)
Being Dutch... It makes me proud to see you get every last drop out of the fluid film can 😊
These are the best videos. My wife spit out her coffee when she heard BOB battery operated boyfriend. She’s still laughing. But these electrical problems are the best
Gotta love the love note! I always do when necessary.
Next guy could be me!-)
Fluid Film, like the lady in the hot sauce commercial says, “I put that sh*t on everything”.
😂
Good job Eric hopefully your customer understands that electrical is not always one direct it's just too bad that you live in a climate that makes problems
I would've epoxied the terminal in or just applied a dab of super glue to the terminal then slipped it in !
Or hot glue, it holds quite well but you can get it off if you need to.
I sprayed fluid film all over the 120v AC control board in my pool chlorinator just to stop any corrosion that was on it. I covered the whole circuit board in it and reinstalled it wet. That was last spring and it ran like that all summer long with the control board soaked in fluid film so I would say that fluid film is definately not conductive in any way if it can handle house AC and not mess with the microcontroller on that board. It was completely soaked in fluid film too. I basically used it as conformal coating.
S**t happens,it is ok.
As an Electrical Engineer and former Electronics Tech, I always say "intermittent failures are the bane of my existence". But, I learn something every time I find and correct one. Keep up the good work, Mr. O. Your troubleshooting skills never fail to impress.
Hey I’m wondering would corrosion cause an intermittent misfire only when the engine is warm? Found corrosion on the terminals connecting to the coil from the ignition module of an older distributor setup and hoping that’s the source of my issue
@@mrsemifixit I am not a mechanic, but in my opinion, it's possible. When things get warm, they expand, and I have seen that cause issues. The clock in my 2005 Corolla would only display the time when it was cold (under 25 degrees F) outside. Using freeze spray, I was able to isolate it to a thermally intermittent diode. I replaced the diode, and it has worked ever since. The corrosion would cause a poor connection, and if it expands, it could make the connection worse. I will leave the rest up to this more experienced in ignition system diagnosis.
I'd love to see the mechanic's face that finds the mattress tag note on the relay.
Yes always use a headlamp to load test the circuit .Power probes and pointed test light will lead you astray.
I've wedged something between the pin and bottom cover, so when cover snaps on holds pin up👍
The original video of yours was the only one I can remember where you really didn't have a good explanation or hypothesis for the fault. I remember it frustrating me that the video made it seem like it just magically fixed itself. Thanks for following up and closing the loop. Best mechanic on the UA-cam!
Great job locating the faulty electrical contact. And another good 'McGyver' repair.
A few zaps with your small tip solderng iron could of tightened it up--- so glad you thought of it. Mr, Magoo Milo, Maine PTL
Thanks Eric for sharing this. I’d like to say for me personally that you don’t need to try to justify to us why you have chosen that repair method. Some people may try to call it poor work but personally i only judge these things in two aspects
1) will the repair work and last
2) if the customer who paid is happy with that then it isn’t the internets business
Have a good one :)
You definitely narrowed that right down Good job. Love the video.
You had this one diagnosed at the 2 minute mark of the first video! I worked on one of these once, I think it was a 2008 Liberty (the Canadian version). That would be my first place to check very thoroughly. Easy to be an armchair quarterback though. Thanks for he memories, lol
My stepdad has an 07 Sebring, been trying to get them to dump it, it has so many electrical problems mainly leaving them stranded. Had the best mechanic we could find take the fuse boxes apart and they were completely corroded and he spent a lot of hours cleaning and soldering and it's still crap. Only 62k miles garage kept and babied. Thank God they finally threw in the towel and I'm gonna find them a little Toyota. And we live in SW Virginia, very little salt on the roads.
An older Camry or Corolla are good vehicles.
8:00 And here I always thought that 'BOB' was your uncle.
Not bashing here. Your technique is a good solution. You hit on my idea, which is is jump that one relay out of the box, and hang it somewhere close by with a proper universal relay mount and connector. It would have been a little less money for parts than the OE. Every tech has their own ideas and solutions. I'm just happy to see an honest man showing the world how to actually do this type of work. I have learned a lot watching your videos which is making me better at diagnosing electrical issues and in turn a better tech. I wish this had been around in the 1990s when I was getting paid for auto work. We were taught mostly mechanical and very little electrical. Of course, vehicles weren't as advanced back then. Keep the videos coming. I enjoy watching your process and learning.