Bonus information. I am the happy owner of the Equator. Ivan was a pleasure to work with and explained everything to me in language I could understand. A true professional. The truck has started ever since the fix. Many thanks Ivan!
I’m convinced Ivan isn’t of this planet…his ability to diagnose and repair is beyond any other mechanic/tech I’ve ever known, seriously, his diagnostic abilities are second to none. I wish I had even a quarter of his abilities.
I wonder if this is a solder joint problem related to lead free solder. We had a problem at work recently where certain boards would grow dendrites between the pads of a very tight pitch connector during the "damp heat" test which was causing system failure during the test. Basically you warm the system up to about 40 °C and keep the humidity high, but not condensing, and hold it there for up to 48 hours. It turns out only boards which needed manual re-work during initial manufacturing had this problem. It was traced back to a problem with the solder flux being used during the re-work process. We changed the flux chemistry and the problem went away. Naturally, we use lead free to be RoHS compliant. I am not saying dendrite growth caused the Nissan problem, but my point is you just need to be careful with your solder process. Something that was never a problem with leaded solder, or with a wider pin pitch, or with a different flux formula, or in different operating conditions can become a problem and take a significant amount of effort to troubleshoot and fix.
Lead-free solder is the work of the devil, it makes anything subject to high vibration half as reliable. I thought automotive, medical, aerospace and military were exempt from RoHS (for obvious reasons) so has that changed now?
@@arcadeuk You are right. RoHS does not apply to "means of transport for persons or goods", but there is a end-of-life vehicle (ELV) directive dating back to 1997 which aims to "prevent[] the use of certain heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, mercury and hexavalent chromium". That is technically for the EU, but with a global company like a big automaker there may be reasons to adopt rules like this world wide. It also depends on who actually makes the ECU. Nissan probably has a contract manufacturer design and build this part, someone with a specialization in automotive control units. If whatever company makes them already has lead-free SMD lines then that is what they would build. So maybe the solder isn't lead-free, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is. I work for a German company and they make us jump through hoops to use any part which has an RoHS exemption and if it isn't RoHS compliant at all there is no chance in hell we can put it on a board. I forget sometimes that other industries aren't even covered by RoHS.
Almost certainly a solder joint issue. I wonder if the PCB is potted, epoxy coated or just the ECM case is environmentally sealed. Would love to get it on the bench and probe around the PCB with some freeze spray.
Automakers (or their suppliers) do use lead free solder for cost reason. Leaded solder requires that line to be completely separated from other production. Plus to handle the leaded stuff, way more complicated material management procedures are required (handling with toxic substances), which adds cost. As the lead free solder technology has somehow matured, most switched to it just to save cost. But I don't think such a temperamental thing as a cracked solder or a whisker short circuit would behave so consistently over the all 5 years. My bet would be more on the use of some inadequate component, whose parameters vary with temperature so the thing fails consistently at the same temperature threshold. Mainly electrolytic capacitors are known to deteriorate their ESR at freezing temperatures. When the electrolyte starts freezing, it stops conducting the current; and in these capacitors one electrode is formed by and so connected via that electrolyte solution. There are of course types using electrolyte formula that does not freezes (at least until -40degC), but there could have been batch with either somehow compromised electrolyte composition (unintentionally more diluted, inadequate mixing,...), or a wrong capacitor type was mixed in. And a capacitor is on the spotlight also because during cold cranking the circuit has to activate voltage boosting to maintain internal voltages even when the battery voltage is sagging. And this boosting may bring higher current load on the capacitors, so when their ESR gets higher, the voltage ripple becomes too high for the computer to operate correctly.
As an electronic technician the 2 tools for solving this sort of problem was a can of freezer and a soldering iron. Normally this sort of problem was associated with electrolytic capacitors rather than dry joints and when time is money these tools proved invaluable. Love your train of thought on solving problems Ivan.
On board circuits are another profession all together. Caps are not an issue like old days and diag a board is high skilled biz... Most DIY board fixes I've lucked out on are microscopic resistors that short/open. I've done plenty of reflows on clusters and drl modules however...
I owned a 2009 Nissan Titan. Powerful pickup. Same problems. Finally after 3 different dealers couldn’t fix it. Even though website addressed that issue. I contacted the finance company. They made Nissan buy it back. I was fortunate under lemon law.
Bonus information to the bonus information. It's been 9 months since Ivan "fixed" my Suzuki Equator. I am happy to report that it started right up today even though temps were in the low single digits. Was there ever any doubt? I don't think so! Thanks again Ivan. Good job.
As someone who has spent a lifetime solving technical problems I can tell you that you found a very capable guy to troubleshoot your issue. I don't watch him for any particular car repair, but just because I enjoy watching his process. If all mechanics were at his level cars would last a million miles.
As an engineering electronics technologist dealing with communications I love watching your troubleshooting skills. The armchair quarterbacks all suggesting cold spray, heat gun techniques to isolate to component/pin level are correct in some ways but seem to forget your customer has to pay the bill or you do this for free. So business sense, you don't have the time nor does the customer want to spend the money going down to this component level sleuthing. I am entertained by your videos, thanks.
Yeah, fine to do for the sake of curiosity or for yourself, but not when running a business. But I would like to see a tear down of this one - it's quite possible the fault is obvious. And this is the home of NPR repairs! You really have to admire the quality control when the same parts fail on all the the same vehicles. Many people don't realise that quality control isn't about making the parts work longer or better, but that they're all the same, design faults, poor solder joints and all.
@@normyanke2515 Got that right. Anything surface mount I need a magnifier and strong light. Tweezers and probably a hot air iron. Absolutely not happening outside under a hood. Plus get it not exactly right and then 2 days later tow truck and bill.
With regards to the electronics not working in low temperatures, it suggests cracked solder joins. It's likely on some through-hole connection, possibly on the connector itself.
A cold temperature problem with electronics could be related to a bad solder joint, things shrink and you have a bad connection. It could also be an input or output that goes through an optical isolator. Optical electronics are greatly effected by cold, a photo diode becomes much less sensitive. It could also be an issue of a bad bonding of the leadframe (external pins) to the die (actual ship) inside the IC. You can sometimes localize the problem area of the PCB with freeze spray.
Yes agreed and for that reason, alternate and correct "solder" formulas need to be used to prevent this and keep them reliable/durable. I have had cheap O flashlights that work more reliably than some of these automotive electronics.
When I try to explain your channel to my friends, I call you an auto cardiologist. Amazing. You need to have instructional videos to teach young people how to do this kind of repairs. Simply amazing!
These are those videos. We're learning. It stems from having a good foundation. I have a basic foundation in automotive electrical and struggle to follow some things. However, I get the general idea and I'm learning a lot.
You'll need a subscription to Service Data, and wiring diagrams, and a couple good scanners as well as a solid foundation in auto electrics. Then young people can learn how to do this kind of repairs.
I had a Nissan sentra that wouldn't start on cold days. It was a manual transmission so I could push start it and it would run and start all day. Nissan couldn't fix the issue. I finally got rid of the car. Wish I would have known this 3 years ago. Thanks for putting out great videos
The comfy diagnostic bay isn't cold enough to reproduce the intermittent problem, explaining why the dealer wasn't able to make the diagnosis. Bravo, Ivan!
Hi Ivan I've been watching a lot of your videos recently , your diagnostic skills are amazing, I've been in the motor trade for 42 years here in the UK 30 of them working on BMW, some of the problems I've watched you diagnose have taught me a thing or two, especially when you get the scope out, I don't think a lot of workshops own a scope or know how to use one, keep up the good work.
I've been out of the trade for a bit over quarter of a century in NZ. We always had an oscilloscope everywhere I worked in NZ, but almost nobody had a clue how to use it except one guy I worked with late in my apprenticeship - he was a mechanic that looked like a nerd so of course HE knew. So I mostly had to teach myself with library books - remember those?. The first one was a gigantic yellow Krypton as part of the "tunescope".
@@brucemadden1626 Think of a Kindle... made of lots of pieced of paper joined at one edge with the words written on them, instead of the display. And much more durable and not subject to whimsical editing for political expediency. If you stumble across one in the wild labelled "dictionary", look up "vaccine". The results may surprise you.
A lot of shops dont even know what a scope is and some mechanics think that an expensive snapon scanner tells you everything that's wrong with the car without doing any diagnostics, it is insane what actually mechanics think, imagine the average customer.
That box laying in the corner of the shop with a dead rat and a pound of dust on it is the scope. That big shiny thing sitting on top of it is the parts cannon. I like being right, so i use the scope on electrical. I own 3 automotive oscilloscopes, and 2 scientific scopes with attenuators for automotive use. All but 1 is a digital oscilloscope. great tools.
I really like your follow up videos. It is great to have you connect all the videos rather then having to find them as on some other channels.. Great content also.
Great video, but respectfully disagree with the decision to *not* contact Flagship One. They were supposed to provide a programmed computer, and they didn't finish the job. They need to explain why.
Customer just needs to warm up the glow plugs in the ECM to start vehicle in cold weather... Or, wrap ECM with a heated throw to insulate it from the cold. Of course, moving to a warmer climate is also a good fix, with NPR! (No parts required!)
The problem is most likely a failed capacitor in the ECM. When you have inductive loads switched by the ECM, the back EMF will be returned to the supply. Normally the energy will get dumped into the capacitor and all will be good. That will try to increase the voltage across the capacitor but the current will flow back to the battery. See the Scanner Danner 29V video for what happens when it can't! However if the capacitor has dried out, it will not perform at low temperatures and you will have large spikes on the supply. This will cause the capacitor to heat up and it will regain some of its capacitance. This explains why it started when sat KOEO for a few minutes. The satellite TV boxes that we used to have in the 90s ran really hot and if there was a power cut or it had been unplugged for any reason, they would fail to start up. A quick and dirty test was to unplug it, heat the capacitor next to the SMPS controller and plug back in. 99% of the time they would start, so you knew that replacing that capacitor would be a fix. Generally also replaced a couple of resistors that ran hot too.
My guess on the problem with the failed module is a faulty uC resonator/crystal. The uC is static (no clock) until the module dissipates a little power warming up the crystal. This would be easy to test if you have access to the circuitry and use some freeze spray to cool down the crystal.
DEAR SIR, IVAN I AM 75 OLD LICENSED IN CALIFORNIA SINCE 1977WITH TEST AND REPAIR. I AM GIVING YOU A++++++++! YOU MADE US PROUD IN ALL YOU STUDY CASES; THANKS A MILLION
How ironic I have the same issue with my Nissan Pathfinder 2012 every winter or when it starts to get cold, she wouldn’t start. She would crank crank crank, but no start but I followed the little method about a year or two ago, and she would start if she doesn’t. I put another battery to it to give it more of a boost, and she would start, but the Nissan dealer said to bring in the Nissan Pathfinder 2012 there’s a recall on the ECM or ECU. Hopefully they will replace it and hopefully my problem will be solved. This Mechanic is a great mechanic. We need a lot more like him out there. I’m pretty sure there is, he’s very on point with everything he says and explains to you so you can understand how your vehicle should be working. God bless him in all the other mechanics maybe all have a happy, happy new year and a merry Christmas. God bless.
Looking forward to the cruise control diagnostic! Not a system that usually gets shown on diagnostic videos, so it should be a good learning experience for all of us!
So quick note on the ECM, while beyond your control, the internals have a couple of points of failure. First, cold solder joints or capacitors. Since you were able to get this to operate after leaving the key on for a while then it would start with no problem. A cold solder joint would not "warm up" and allow the ECM to work. However, a faulty electrolytic capacitor would function properly once the voltage level stabilized within it. This type of capacitor holds the voltage level at the point where the CPU can operate as intended and the car would start. This occurred to me before minute 3, as you were talking voltage stability issues through that relay. Faulty grounds will cause the same issue, so checking battery terminals on the battery, the ground connections to the frame and engine block are critical. Sometimes, they need removed, cleaned where they make contact and reattached. I've seen that resolve transmission shifting issues too. Electronics require good connection paths to function properly especially when certain overseas suppliers are counterfeiting major brand parts with subpar components, such as capacitors. I actually got a 35 cent settlement check for a class action lawsuit where these manufacturers were sued. Anyway, you have a great site, great troubleshooting for us to follow and I've learned a lot from you in a short period of time! Thank you and keep it up!
Had a Ford Ranger (2003) that would not start when cold. Long diagnosis period (multiple issues) but what was determined in the end was that the engine coolant sensor was defective and was telling the ECM that the engine was warmed up when it was actually cold. The temperature Guage on the dash was reporting the temperature correctly which fooled us for a while. The problem was detected when live data did not match the dash Guage. Turns out this engine (3 liter) uses two coolant sensors. One sends voltage to the dash Guage (good) and the other supplies voltage to the ECM (defective).
I really like my thinktool and, while I know they aren't a sponsor, got it watching you use it. That pre and post report feature is really handy, besides a bunch of other features I keep finding out about. Thanks, Ivan.
Wow..every years since the last 4 years of every very cold winter my 2006 nissan sentra does the same thing. Only in the cold. Thank you for this. After watching this I need to check my ecu
I am glad this went good for you. Flagship1 is local to me. I have used them 4 times for ECM replacements. There was a problem with them EVERY SINGLE TIME. I will never ever use them again.
i had good luck with flagship one on my 2008 jeep liberty. i have and will continue to recommend them to others. keep up the great work ivan....i enjoy watching your work.
I've had 3 generations of Snap-on Verus and have saved every scan over the last 12 years. (Migrated records from previous scanners). I agree 100% that you need to keep this information for future reference in cases like this. Good video...
I had the same exp w/ a 98 Jetta -- car would start stumbling when I was driving in the cold. Had damn near everything replaced (or replaced it myself). Finally scored a "test" ecu from a dealership (almost new), plugged it in, and I was good to go until the thing rusted apart.
I got a rebuilt, reprogrammed with my VIN, ECM From Flagship1 for a Dodge Stratus. It worked fine the first time. They kept me updated several times on the status of my order without me asking. I am completely satisfied.
Ivan, I am a tech specializing in basically what you do. I am 20 years in, and i have used FS1 for computers and modules STRICTLY AS A LAST RESORT. I have had good luck, though their reviews are generally bad, i chalk it up to flawed diagnostics on the part of the diagnosticians. Many people throw parts at it. So far FS1 has been ok, I gave them a 5 star review as the PCM i most recently bought is working fine. I use either my snapon solus ultra, or my Autel Maxi Sys elite, and the Autel scope, which is awesome gear. I can define my own sensors and transducers like in a Pico. I also use a Snapon Vantage Pro. Old but great for some guided tests. Keep on rockin, vids are great.
I have used FS1 on many occasions. They dont program. They scrape and paint. I got one that was full of trash and water damage. As you say, last resort only. The one i bought for my old ford 7 lug f250 is still working fine. They say "pre programmed" to explain the existing flash on the computer. The lack of new VIN PROVES they dont program. I agree that many of their bad reviews are simply bad diagnostics, or the parts cannon misfires. However the ones that say they have different problems, or new ones, i tend to believe. I once got a Jasper transmission with codes the old one didnt have, in places that werent the problem. It took 2 weeks to convince them to send me a different tranny. so no ones perfect. It took putting 2 other engines and a transmission on hold to get their attention. Yes the new replacement unit fixed it.
Ivan, on the cruise control, I had the switch assembly go bad on my Armada. Looks just like the ones on the Frontier in this video. It's a cluster of switches with resistors that send different voltages for different buttons. Easy fix/replacement. In my case I don't know if there was a DTC (no scanner). There was no check engine light, but the fault would make the CRUISE lamp in the cluster blink rapidly any time the cruise control was switched on.
Cars are a marriage of mechanical and electrical engineering. It’s no surprise that it would be difficult for many mechanics to master both aspects, especially with more and more computer based systems and so many different ones. It’s interesting that someone who understands all of these engineering aspects so well isn’t actually working as an engineer at an automotive company.
Since it's running now, and we should be past the coldest days of winter, here's hoping you can keep warm and work inside when you resolve the cruise control problem.
Great video, loved all the "bonus footage"' clips. kept looking at the time every time you were ending and I was like, he has a lot more time on the video and then boom "Bonus Footage". Great trouble shooting and can't wait until the cruise control fix.
Nice read and diag. Sounds like an engineering problem in design of ECM. Initially by the creator, should have tested for extreme temperatures in both directions. Might be a common problem for many units like this one. Ivan, you need to put out your own TSB'S. The world will thank you!
hey ivan, the spray/straw assembly on the WD40 cans will snap onto most other spray cans., I put the spray nozzles off empty wd40 cans on all my other cans, like pb blaster, ect. works great.
Hi Ivan, very interesting fault well executed. I used to work in refrigeration( now retired). We used to get weird faults with low temperature equipment where electronics were involved. Usually caused by a cracked solder joint. We would repair if time critical ( ie: loss of food in large warehouse ) or on emergency call after hours. Love your video's easily understood with out the BS. I used to be in the motor trade for 15 years(1968.....) all you needed was a spanner, hammer and crowbar, would fix most things :). Cheers Mike
I've only been watching your channel for a few months, and am so impressed with your "clinical" diagnosis ability. You demonstrate exactly why soon, "average" folks may not be able to afford parts and labor. BTW, and I assume you've answered this question 100's of times, "Why do you not use a relatively warm shop for your work?"
1) I cannot transport a warm shop for mobile calls. 2) This truck only acted up in the cold, so a warm shop would be the exact wrong place to test it ;)
Flagship One Inc maybe needs to tighten there belts when it comes to sending product out before it is ready. I realize mistakes can happen, but if it happens time after time, I don't consider that a mistake. It is sloppy work in my mind. I know places that would fire the employee that did this, especially if this is a common problem with the employee. Last point, what if whoever had this computer repaired could not change the VIN? Now you are stuck waiting for that repair to also take place.
Used to be, back in the day, when the dealer always outshined any other garbages. Now a days, in my opinion, they don’t anymore. Not sure if their folks no longer get the training or what it is.
Ivan I really enjoy your videos and your thorough methods of finding the 'issues'. Thanks so much for taking the time to do these programs and teaching us how to be better diagnosticians and not just 'fire' off the parts cannon. There are so many 'shops' out there just 'throwing the dice' and charging people for things they don't need. Bob
Good job Ivan, i had the same thing happen with my driveway gate. It would only open about 2ft in the cold but when it warmed up it worked fine. 1 year later i decided to parts cannon it with a control board and lucked out.
I didn't even know that Suzuki Equator even exist. Most likely that ECM came from Nissan Xterra with transmission failure due to coolant and ATF mixed up. Interesting case as usual! Thanks Ivan!
Ivan, great diagnosis. Lots of things could go wrong with the computer. Hope that company Flagship One continues to grow and mature as we need more companies in the automotive business who are responsive to their customer's needs. I think the owner of this truck was pretty tickled with your work and the end result. Thanks for Sharing!
hey ivan been watching you for a while now i have learned alot ihad a 2001 pt cruzer with a bad ecm got one from flagship1 they advertize threeday shipping plug and play however it took them 2and ahalf months to get it to me so you are not the only one that has had trouble with them only one goodthing came from my experience with them is it actually worked i wont use them ever again thanks for the content and keep on wrenchin
This reminds me of a car my shop worked on in the 1990s. It would start and run smooth until the engine warmed up a small amount, then it would have a miss lasting a few minutes during warm-up. When the engine got slightly warmer, it would run fine again. So the problem only lasted a few minutes, then the engine had to cool down to test it again. After over a week of diagnostic testing during those few minutes per day, we finally strongly suspected the pick-up coil in the distributor and replaced it. That fixed the problem. The pick-up coil winding must have had a bad connection where it was soldered or crimped to the connector. We had some decent diagnostic tools back then, but not as nice as the tools available now.
Nice video. My son has a 2012 Nissan Pathfinder with the 4.0 and his ECM went out (crank/no start at all temps) last year. I bought a non programmed ECM from a junk yard and had the local Nissan dealership install and program it. No problems since.
What is most concerning is the fact that the ECM went bad 5 years ago. If I read the odo correctly and doing some quick math, this problem started at about 61 - 65K Miles ago. That is dreadful initial quality in my book. Regretfully 99% of us don't have a genius like Ivan in the area to fix such poor initial quality issues.
9:38 I used flagship1 and they sent me one with no tire pressure option (and I think no oil life reset either), at least I don't have the electrical issue though and no more blowing out BCM's
HI Ivan it would be cool to put back the old ECU in the truck in the cold again and just heat up the ECU with a heat gun to see if it will stat again and you could do a simillar test with dry ice and see if the truck won't start with a cold ECU.
Dude - I love the honesty and calling out the flagship 1. We all know stuff happens and there is nothing we hate worse than "comebacks" but we have to stand by our work. I think its easier when face to face while internet orders have distance in their favor. Just like you said, in the case of the DIY'er might have been hosed. Some vehicles will not start if all the modules don't match and they all hold the VIN.
It's amazing to me that the dealership couldn't sort it out, unless it just wasn't cold enough at that time. Nice work as usual Ivan. FYI: The heading says Nissan no start but the owner and grill says Suzuki. ;)
I had a similar issue, not on a car computer though. when it was below 30 degrees my internet went out, What the cause was, "Pull Out" when it was cold a the cable wire shrank and pulled out of the connector. This is kinda the same thing when cold I would surmise a wire or pin shortens and doesn't make a good or any connection. Once it warms up the wire expands and makes the connection. Great Video and Job
I got one from Flag Ship 1 also, what a piece of junk I got. Looked like it just came out of the junk yard and didn’t work. VIN wasn’t programmed, corroded pins and more plus customer service sucks.
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics a little over a year ago. Still have the bad ECM because they just stoped communicating with me. Even after I programmed my VIN still had more issues with their ECM than the old one. Ended up getting one from a crashed car to replace my original ECM.
Another definitive diagnosis and fix Ivan! Its good that a company tries to put right what they put out for their customers even though they still had a step or 2 that needs to be done in this case. Most company's I've dealt with specifically on electronics components outright tell you that they won't cover warranty specifically on used parts. Seeing the customer's video and hearing the satisfaction of having their vehicles fixed is the cherry on top for us who fix cars apart from getting paid to fix these. Thanks for taking us along. Cheers!
had the same problem with flagship one....would not send out replacement computer until they got the other one back....always corrupted programing.....
I’ve seen similar confusion before when a pcm was replaced. Two functions didn’t work. It turned out the junk yard car didn’t have those optional extras. I think an as built memory flash sorted it.
I’m a bit skeptical on the thermally intermittent ECM. Wished you followed up your diagnostic with heat gun and cold spray for P/F demonstration. I enjoy your videos.
Ivan ,I purchased a ecm from flagship for my 1998 DODGE2500 VAN about 2 years ago and it was plug and play and worked perfectly as soon as I installed it. Now I wonder if I was just lucky LOL Anyway Love your show and Hi from Canada
Ivan I believe the faultier if I remember correctly is a Joint that cracks do top the cold meaning on the PCB board either one of the traces has a crack that reopens or a component same thing that a reflow of the board might be able to fix that some people have had a joint reflowed and it works in past videos of yours you have done reflows of broke joints before
HI IVAN ,another very good learning video.NOW what MYSELF and most of your viewers what to see is the owners old EMC. that is if it didn't have a core charge and if it did if it is cheap enough {50 bucks} to pay it,and keep the old one to take apart so you can do the necrospy on it ,to SATISFY your viewers that it DOES OR DOES NOT have a cold solder joint? Let's go guys,let Ivan know if you want to see that. I know i do. thanks IVAN your the MAN or should i say PROFESSOR?
Did the dealer attempt to start it OUTSIDE , below 20° ? Did they attempt to diagnose it OUTSIDE as well ? If this was a warranty issue , they either fix it , loan you a similar vehicle or take it back . It may also fall under the lemon law . But if it was outside overnight and you SHOWED them a no start , HOW could they dispute it ? Great fix .
Oh man, your experience is showing! Great work! Been following you from before you changed your channel name. Oh, thank you for not using the term: VINN! Vehicle Identification Number Number! Some will get it, some will stay stuck in their paradigm! 😉 I know we all have them.
I had a 94 jeep yj that did the exact same thing. Crank no start in cold weather. Had no injector pulse or spark. Slapped a used ECM in it and it work fine for many years after that
I'm surprised a Nissan Dealer would work on an Equator claiming it wasn't a Nissan. I took a Mazda Tribute (Ford Escape) to a Ford dealer and they wouldn't work on it claiming it wasn't a "FORD"....LMAO!
I have purchased 2 auto computers from flagship one in the last 3 years. Both computers fixed the problem we had. I did not check vin numbers on those so now I need to do that.
Ivan, another great video. Sure am learning a lot from you and Eric and the Rainman. Was a mechanic for many years, but in the 60"s, 70", and the early 80"s. Easy peasy back then. Will this Thinkcar diagnose the transfer case on a 4 wheel drive?
Bonus information. I am the happy owner of the Equator. Ivan was a pleasure to work with and explained everything to me in language I could understand. A true professional. The truck has started ever since the fix. Many thanks Ivan!
Thanks for the feedback, Ken! Was a pleasure to get your Equator back to 100% full health again :)
I’m convinced Ivan isn’t of this planet…his ability to diagnose and repair is beyond any other mechanic/tech I’ve ever known, seriously, his diagnostic abilities are second to none. I wish I had even a quarter of his abilities.
Don't worry, he won't get a big head, he wears a beanie cap and a tight headlight as a preventative.
@@kenvasko2285 xD
Dealer mechanics are just parts exchangers Ivan is the real deal 👍
I wonder if this is a solder joint problem related to lead free solder. We had a problem at work recently where certain boards would grow dendrites between the pads of a very tight pitch connector during the "damp heat" test which was causing system failure during the test. Basically you warm the system up to about 40 °C and keep the humidity high, but not condensing, and hold it there for up to 48 hours. It turns out only boards which needed manual re-work during initial manufacturing had this problem. It was traced back to a problem with the solder flux being used during the re-work process. We changed the flux chemistry and the problem went away. Naturally, we use lead free to be RoHS compliant.
I am not saying dendrite growth caused the Nissan problem, but my point is you just need to be careful with your solder process. Something that was never a problem with leaded solder, or with a wider pin pitch, or with a different flux formula, or in different operating conditions can become a problem and take a significant amount of effort to troubleshoot and fix.
Lead-free solder is the work of the devil, it makes anything subject to high vibration half as reliable.
I thought automotive, medical, aerospace and military were exempt from RoHS (for obvious reasons) so has that changed now?
@@arcadeuk You are right. RoHS does not apply to "means of transport for persons or goods", but there is a end-of-life vehicle (ELV) directive dating back to 1997 which aims to "prevent[] the use of certain heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, mercury and hexavalent chromium".
That is technically for the EU, but with a global company like a big automaker there may be reasons to adopt rules like this world wide. It also depends on who actually makes the ECU. Nissan probably has a contract manufacturer design and build this part, someone with a specialization in automotive control units. If whatever company makes them already has lead-free SMD lines then that is what they would build.
So maybe the solder isn't lead-free, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is.
I work for a German company and they make us jump through hoops to use any part which has an RoHS exemption and if it isn't RoHS compliant at all there is no chance in hell we can put it on a board. I forget sometimes that other industries aren't even covered by RoHS.
Almost certainly a solder joint issue. I wonder if the PCB is potted, epoxy coated or just the ECM case is environmentally sealed. Would love to get it on the bench and probe around the PCB with some freeze spray.
It make the possibility of cold solder joints much more likely for sure.
Automakers (or their suppliers) do use lead free solder for cost reason. Leaded solder requires that line to be completely separated from other production. Plus to handle the leaded stuff, way more complicated material management procedures are required (handling with toxic substances), which adds cost. As the lead free solder technology has somehow matured, most switched to it just to save cost.
But I don't think such a temperamental thing as a cracked solder or a whisker short circuit would behave so consistently over the all 5 years. My bet would be more on the use of some inadequate component, whose parameters vary with temperature so the thing fails consistently at the same temperature threshold.
Mainly electrolytic capacitors are known to deteriorate their ESR at freezing temperatures. When the electrolyte starts freezing, it stops conducting the current; and in these capacitors one electrode is formed by and so connected via that electrolyte solution. There are of course types using electrolyte formula that does not freezes (at least until -40degC), but there could have been batch with either somehow compromised electrolyte composition (unintentionally more diluted, inadequate mixing,...), or a wrong capacitor type was mixed in.
And a capacitor is on the spotlight also because during cold cranking the circuit has to activate voltage boosting to maintain internal voltages even when the battery voltage is sagging. And this boosting may bring higher current load on the capacitors, so when their ESR gets higher, the voltage ripple becomes too high for the computer to operate correctly.
As an electronic technician the 2 tools for solving this sort of problem was a can of freezer and a soldering iron. Normally this sort of problem was associated with electrolytic capacitors rather than dry joints and when time is money these tools proved invaluable. Love your train of thought on solving problems Ivan.
On board circuits are another profession all together. Caps are not an issue like old days and diag a board is high skilled biz... Most DIY board fixes I've lucked out on are microscopic resistors that short/open. I've done plenty of reflows on clusters and drl modules however...
I see I'm not the only electronics guy who watches this channel because we admire the methodical approach to problem solving.
I owned a 2009 Nissan Titan. Powerful pickup. Same problems. Finally after 3 different dealers couldn’t fix it. Even though website addressed that issue. I contacted the finance company. They made Nissan buy it back. I was fortunate under lemon law.
I've been burned by flagship 1. Probably the worst experience I've had with a parts supplier/ re manufacturer . Glad it worked out for you though
Me too.
Bonus information to the bonus information. It's been 9 months since Ivan "fixed" my Suzuki Equator. I am happy to report that it started right up today even though temps were in the low single digits. Was there ever any doubt? I don't think so! Thanks again Ivan. Good job.
As someone who has spent a lifetime solving technical problems I can tell you that you found a very capable guy to troubleshoot your issue. I don't watch him for any particular car repair, but just because I enjoy watching his process. If all mechanics were at his level cars would last a million miles.
As an engineering electronics technologist dealing with communications I love watching your troubleshooting skills. The armchair quarterbacks all suggesting cold spray, heat gun techniques to isolate to component/pin level are correct in some ways but seem to forget your customer has to pay the bill or you do this for free. So business sense, you don't have the time nor does the customer want to spend the money going down to this component level sleuthing. I am entertained by your videos, thanks.
Yeah, fine to do for the sake of curiosity or for yourself, but not when running a business. But I would like to see a tear down of this one - it's quite possible the fault is obvious. And this is the home of NPR repairs!
You really have to admire the quality control when the same parts fail on all the the same vehicles. Many people don't realise that quality control isn't about making the parts work longer or better, but that they're all the same, design faults, poor solder joints and all.
Plus there is almost certainly a heavy conformal coating, and it may even be potted.
i have seen similar issues with 2way radios. The oscillator would shift or drift when freezing. It required a repair of the circuit to fix it issue.
@@johnnicol8598 not to mention one would have difficulty coming up with the connectors etc to do this work on the bench, and under the hood forget it.
@@normyanke2515 Got that right. Anything surface mount I need a magnifier and strong light. Tweezers and probably a hot air iron. Absolutely not happening outside under a hood. Plus get it not exactly right and then 2 days later tow truck and bill.
The last couple of episodes with follow ups from happy customers is a nice touch closing the video. Good job!
With regards to the electronics not working in low temperatures, it suggests cracked solder joins. It's likely on some through-hole connection, possibly on the connector itself.
A cold temperature problem with electronics could be related to a bad solder joint, things shrink and you have a bad connection. It could also be an input or output that goes through an optical isolator. Optical electronics are greatly effected by cold, a photo diode becomes much less sensitive. It could also be an issue of a bad bonding of the leadframe (external pins) to the die (actual ship) inside the IC. You can sometimes localize the problem area of the PCB with freeze spray.
I was thinking along the same idea. One would need a schematic of the unit.
I know when I get cold, certain things shrink.
@@jblo6822 There was shrinkage! Do women know about shrinkage?
@@jblo6822 you just won the internet!
Yes agreed and for that reason, alternate and correct "solder" formulas need to be used to prevent this and keep them reliable/durable. I have had cheap O flashlights that work more reliably than some of these automotive electronics.
When I try to explain your channel to my friends, I call you an auto cardiologist. Amazing. You need to have instructional videos to teach young people how to do this kind of repairs. Simply amazing!
These are those videos. We're learning. It stems from having a good foundation. I have a basic foundation in automotive electrical and struggle to follow some things. However, I get the general idea and I'm learning a lot.
Thanks for the kind words David!
@@Auto209 Stick with it. It's a valuable and transferable skill and there's a shortage of competent people.
You'll need a subscription to Service Data, and wiring diagrams, and a couple good scanners as well as a solid foundation in auto electrics. Then young people can learn how to do this kind of repairs.
I had a Nissan sentra that wouldn't start on cold days. It was a manual transmission so I could push start it and it would run and start all day. Nissan couldn't fix the issue. I finally got rid of the car. Wish I would have known this 3 years ago.
Thanks for putting out great videos
The comfy diagnostic bay isn't cold enough to reproduce the intermittent problem, explaining why the dealer wasn't able to make the diagnosis. Bravo, Ivan!
Hi Ivan I've been watching a lot of your videos recently , your diagnostic skills are amazing, I've been in the motor trade for 42 years here in the UK 30 of them working on BMW, some of the problems I've watched you diagnose have taught me a thing or two, especially when you get the scope out, I don't think a lot of workshops own a scope or know how to use one, keep up the good work.
I've been out of the trade for a bit over quarter of a century in NZ. We always had an oscilloscope everywhere I worked in NZ, but almost nobody had a clue how to use it except one guy I worked with late in my apprenticeship - he was a mechanic that looked like a nerd so of course HE knew. So I mostly had to teach myself with library books - remember those?. The first one was a gigantic yellow Krypton as part of the "tunescope".
@@TonyRule What's a "book"?
@@brucemadden1626 Think of a Kindle... made of lots of pieced of paper joined at one edge with the words written on them, instead of the display. And much more durable and not subject to whimsical editing for political expediency. If you stumble across one in the wild labelled "dictionary", look up "vaccine". The results may surprise you.
A lot of shops dont even know what a scope is and some mechanics think that an expensive snapon scanner tells you everything that's wrong with the car without doing any diagnostics, it is insane what actually mechanics think, imagine the average customer.
That box laying in the corner of the shop with a dead rat and a pound of dust on it is the scope. That big shiny thing sitting on top of it is the parts cannon. I like being right, so i use the scope on electrical. I own 3 automotive oscilloscopes, and 2 scientific scopes with attenuators for automotive use. All but 1 is a digital oscilloscope. great tools.
I really like your follow up videos. It is great to have you connect all the videos rather then having to find them as on some other channels..
Great content also.
Great video, but respectfully disagree with the decision to *not* contact Flagship One. They were supposed to provide a programmed computer, and they didn't finish the job. They need to explain why.
I did follow up with them. They will look into why the ECM wasn't properly programmed...
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics excellent.
I am a little disappointed with Flagship One not shining. I think I know where NOT to go.
Ivan I'm speechless, your confidence and quick diags blow me away!!!
Customer just needs to warm up the glow plugs in the ECM to start vehicle in cold weather... Or, wrap ECM with a heated throw to insulate it from the cold. Of course, moving to a warmer climate is also a good fix, with NPR! (No parts required!)
The problem is most likely a failed capacitor in the ECM.
When you have inductive loads switched by the ECM, the back EMF will be returned to the supply.
Normally the energy will get dumped into the capacitor and all will be good. That will try to increase the voltage across the capacitor but the current will flow back to the battery.
See the Scanner Danner 29V video for what happens when it can't!
However if the capacitor has dried out, it will not perform at low temperatures and you will have large spikes on the supply.
This will cause the capacitor to heat up and it will regain some of its capacitance.
This explains why it started when sat KOEO for a few minutes.
The satellite TV boxes that we used to have in the 90s ran really hot and if there was a power cut or it had been unplugged for any reason, they would fail to start up.
A quick and dirty test was to unplug it, heat the capacitor next to the SMPS controller and plug back in.
99% of the time they would start, so you knew that replacing that capacitor would be a fix.
Generally also replaced a couple of resistors that ran hot too.
I'm going with cracked solder joints. Very common issue with the heating/cooling cycle of lead free solder joints in ECM's
My guess on the problem with the failed module is a faulty uC resonator/crystal. The uC is static (no clock) until the module dissipates a little power warming up the crystal. This would be easy to test if you have access to the circuitry and use some freeze spray to cool down the crystal.
DEAR SIR,
IVAN I AM 75 OLD LICENSED IN CALIFORNIA SINCE 1977WITH TEST AND REPAIR.
I AM GIVING YOU A++++++++! YOU MADE US PROUD IN ALL YOU STUDY CASES; THANKS A MILLION
Ivan, you are a classy guy! Most people didn't notice, but I did.
I’ve seen guys use cold spray in a can to cause things to act up at low temps. Same goes for a heat gun for high temp faults. Great diag!
How ironic I have the same issue with my Nissan Pathfinder 2012 every winter or when it starts to get cold, she wouldn’t start. She would crank crank crank, but no start but I followed the little method about a year or two ago, and she would start if she doesn’t. I put another battery to it to give it more of a boost, and she would start, but the Nissan dealer said to bring in the Nissan Pathfinder 2012 there’s a recall on the ECM or ECU. Hopefully they will replace it and hopefully my problem will be solved. This Mechanic is a great mechanic. We need a lot more like him out there. I’m pretty sure there is, he’s very on point with everything he says and explains to you so you can understand how your vehicle should be working. God bless him in all the other mechanics maybe all have a happy, happy new year and a merry Christmas. God bless.
That's awesome the owner took the time to make that little video.
Looking forward to the cruise control diagnostic! Not a system that usually gets shown on diagnostic videos, so it should be a good learning experience for all of us!
It could be a faulty brake pedal switch.
So quick note on the ECM, while beyond your control, the internals have a couple of points of failure.
First, cold solder joints or capacitors.
Since you were able to get this to operate after leaving the key on for a while then it would start with no problem.
A cold solder joint would not "warm up" and allow the ECM to work.
However, a faulty electrolytic capacitor would function properly once the voltage level stabilized within it.
This type of capacitor holds the voltage level at the point where the CPU can operate as intended and the car would start.
This occurred to me before minute 3, as you were talking voltage stability issues through that relay.
Faulty grounds will cause the same issue, so checking battery terminals on the battery, the ground connections to the frame and engine block are critical. Sometimes, they need removed, cleaned where they make contact and reattached.
I've seen that resolve transmission shifting issues too.
Electronics require good connection paths to function properly especially when certain overseas suppliers are counterfeiting major brand parts with subpar components, such as capacitors.
I actually got a 35 cent settlement check for a class action lawsuit where these manufacturers were sued.
Anyway, you have a great site, great troubleshooting for us to follow and I've learned a lot from you in a short period of time!
Thank you and keep it up!
Had a Ford Ranger (2003) that would not start when cold. Long diagnosis period (multiple issues) but what was determined in the end was that the engine coolant sensor was defective and was telling the ECM that the engine was warmed up when it was actually cold. The temperature Guage on the dash was reporting the temperature correctly which fooled us for a while. The problem was detected when live data did not match the dash Guage. Turns out this engine (3 liter) uses two coolant sensors. One sends voltage to the dash Guage (good) and the other supplies voltage to the ECM (defective).
I really like my thinktool and, while I know they aren't a sponsor, got it watching you use it. That pre and post report feature is really handy, besides a bunch of other features I keep finding out about. Thanks, Ivan.
Ivan, I'm out of auto repair 17 years and really enjoy your videos. You are really awesome.
Wow..every years since the last 4 years of every very cold winter my 2006 nissan sentra does the same thing. Only in the cold. Thank you for this. After watching this I need to check my ecu
I am glad this went good for you. Flagship1 is local to me. I have used them 4 times for ECM replacements. There was a problem with them EVERY SINGLE TIME. I will never ever use them again.
If you. can get old computer I am pretty sure you will see dry joints . Next level computer repair. Ivan the top tec.👍
i had good luck with flagship one on my 2008 jeep liberty. i have and will continue to recommend them to others.
keep up the great work ivan....i enjoy watching your work.
I've had 3 generations of Snap-on Verus and have saved every scan over the last 12 years. (Migrated records from previous scanners). I agree 100% that you need to keep this information for future reference in cases like this. Good video...
I had the same exp w/ a 98 Jetta -- car would start stumbling when I was driving in the cold. Had damn near everything replaced (or replaced it myself). Finally scored a "test" ecu from a dealership (almost new), plugged it in, and I was good to go until the thing rusted apart.
I got a rebuilt, reprogrammed with my VIN, ECM From Flagship1 for a Dodge Stratus. It worked fine the first time. They kept me updated several times on the status of my order without me asking. I am completely satisfied.
Ivan, I am a tech specializing in basically what you do. I am 20 years in, and i have used FS1 for computers and modules STRICTLY AS A LAST RESORT. I have had good luck, though their reviews are generally bad, i chalk it up to flawed diagnostics on the part of the diagnosticians. Many people throw parts at it. So far FS1 has been ok, I gave them a 5 star review as the PCM i most recently bought is working fine.
I use either my snapon solus ultra, or my Autel Maxi Sys elite, and the Autel scope, which is awesome gear. I can define my own sensors and transducers like in a Pico. I also use a Snapon Vantage Pro. Old but great for some guided tests.
Keep on rockin, vids are great.
I have used FS1 on many occasions. They dont program. They scrape and paint. I got one that was full of trash and water damage. As you say, last resort only. The one i bought for my old ford 7 lug f250 is still working fine. They say "pre programmed" to explain the existing flash on the computer. The lack of new VIN PROVES they dont program. I agree that many of their bad reviews are simply bad diagnostics, or the parts cannon misfires. However the ones that say they have different problems, or new ones, i tend to believe. I once got a Jasper transmission with codes the old one didnt have, in places that werent the problem. It took 2 weeks to convince them to send me a different tranny. so no ones perfect. It took putting 2 other engines and a transmission on hold to get their attention. Yes the new replacement unit fixed it.
Ivan, on the cruise control, I had the switch assembly go bad on my Armada. Looks just like the ones on the Frontier in this video. It's a cluster of switches with resistors that send different voltages for different buttons. Easy fix/replacement. In my case I don't know if there was a DTC (no scanner). There was no check engine light, but the fault would make the CRUISE lamp in the cluster blink rapidly any time the cruise control was switched on.
Cars are a marriage of mechanical and electrical engineering. It’s no surprise that it would be difficult for many mechanics to master both aspects, especially with more and more computer based systems and so many different ones.
It’s interesting that someone who understands all of these engineering aspects so well isn’t actually working as an engineer at an automotive company.
Since it's running now, and we should be past the coldest days of winter, here's hoping you can keep warm and work inside when you resolve the cruise control problem.
Great video, loved all the "bonus footage"' clips. kept looking at the time every time you were ending and I was like, he has a lot more time on the video and then boom "Bonus Footage". Great trouble shooting and can't wait until the cruise control fix.
Good for you for staying on top of these companies. You shouldn't have to change the vin.
Nice read and diag. Sounds like an engineering problem in design of ECM.
Initially by the creator, should have tested for extreme temperatures in both directions. Might be a common problem for many units like this one. Ivan, you need to put out your own TSB'S. The world will thank you!
What should he call them?
Ivan approved TSB?
Ivan's sure fix?
......?!
LoL 😂😆
@@dans_Learning_Curve
ITSB. Ivan's TSB.
MTSB. More TSB.
DNMATSB. Definitely not manufacture approved TSB.
@@Auto209 LoL 🤣😆
They may have but this took 6 years to manifest
My favorite scan tool, I got the thermal printer for it and the endoscopic camera, it prints reports and black and white pictures perfectly.
Cool!
great video Ivan I had a friend in Montana who had to get rid of a 2011 nissan the dealer couldn't fix which is sad when they can try a ecu for free
hey ivan, the spray/straw assembly on the WD40 cans will snap onto most other spray cans., I put the spray nozzles off empty wd40 cans on all my other cans, like pb blaster, ect. works great.
Hi Ivan, very interesting fault well executed. I used to work in refrigeration( now retired). We used to get weird faults with low temperature equipment where electronics were involved. Usually caused by a cracked solder joint. We would repair if time critical ( ie: loss of food in large warehouse ) or on emergency call after hours. Love your video's easily understood with out the BS. I used to be in the motor trade for 15 years(1968.....) all you needed was a spanner, hammer and crowbar, would fix most things :). Cheers Mike
Hammer fixes all?! LoL 😂😆
Yes, I've reflowed a few solder joints and got things working again! Replaced bulging capacitors.
Burnt diodes.
.....
I've only been watching your channel for a few months, and am so impressed with your "clinical" diagnosis ability. You demonstrate exactly why soon, "average" folks may not be able to afford parts and labor. BTW, and I assume you've answered this question 100's of times, "Why do you not use a relatively warm shop for your work?"
1) I cannot transport a warm shop for mobile calls.
2) This truck only acted up in the cold, so a warm shop would be the exact wrong place to test it ;)
I absolutely love my thinktool ! Always pleasently surprised at the things it can do , i always cruise thru the menus to see what is available.
It's a fantastic scanner!
If I were starting out a half century ago, I'd be your helpful assistant for gratis to attain some of your incredible knowledge.
Bravo.
Thank you for the kind words, Itch :)
Flagship One Inc maybe needs to tighten there belts when it comes to sending product out before it is ready. I realize mistakes can happen, but if it happens time after time, I don't consider that a mistake. It is sloppy work in my mind. I know places that would fire the employee that did this, especially if this is a common problem with the employee. Last point, what if whoever had this computer repaired could not change the VIN? Now you are stuck waiting for that repair to also take place.
Used to be, back in the day, when the dealer always outshined any other garbages. Now a days, in my opinion, they don’t anymore. Not sure if their folks no longer get the training or what it is.
Ivan I really enjoy your videos and your thorough methods of finding the 'issues'. Thanks so much for taking the time to do these programs and teaching us how to be better
diagnosticians and not just 'fire' off the parts cannon. There are so many 'shops' out there just 'throwing the dice' and charging people for things they don't need. Bob
Good job Ivan, i had the same thing happen with my driveway gate. It would only open about 2ft in the cold but when it warmed up it worked fine. 1 year later i decided to parts cannon it with a control board and lucked out.
Nice job Ivan. Failure by Flagship -Again.
I didn't even know that Suzuki Equator even exist. Most likely that ECM came from Nissan Xterra with transmission failure due to coolant and ATF mixed up. Interesting case as usual! Thanks Ivan!
Ivan, great diagnosis. Lots of things could go wrong with the computer. Hope that company Flagship One continues to grow and mature as we need more companies in the automotive business who are responsive to their customer's needs. I think the owner of this truck was pretty tickled with your work and the end result. Thanks for Sharing!
I hope they go out of business lol
@@Walczyk Why?
@@dongningprc flagship is horrible. They take bad computers and ship them back out
Nice fix on the cold start. Unusual behaviour for an ecm. Bought the ticket for the next cruise liner to Hawaii, hope the control is in order.
hey ivan been watching you for a while now i have learned alot ihad a 2001 pt cruzer with a bad ecm got one from flagship1 they advertize threeday shipping plug and play however it took them 2and ahalf months to get it to me so you are not the only one that has had trouble with them only one goodthing came from my experience with them is it actually worked i wont use them ever again thanks for the content and keep on wrenchin
This reminds me of a car my shop worked on in the 1990s.
It would start and run smooth until the engine warmed up a small amount, then it would have a miss lasting a few minutes during warm-up.
When the engine got slightly warmer, it would run fine again. So the problem only lasted a few minutes, then the engine had to cool down to test it again.
After over a week of diagnostic testing during those few minutes per day, we finally strongly suspected the pick-up coil in the distributor and replaced it.
That fixed the problem.
The pick-up coil winding must have had a bad connection where it was soldered or crimped to the connector.
We had some decent diagnostic tools back then, but not as nice as the tools available now.
Nice video. My son has a 2012 Nissan Pathfinder with the 4.0 and his ECM went out (crank/no start at all temps) last year. I bought a non programmed ECM from a junk yard and had the local Nissan dealership install and program it. No problems since.
What is most concerning is the fact that the ECM went bad 5 years ago. If I read the odo correctly and doing some quick math, this problem started at about 61 - 65K Miles ago. That is dreadful initial quality in my book. Regretfully 99% of us don't have a genius like Ivan in the area to fix such poor initial quality issues.
Another great diagnosis. I'm sure Ukraine could use such skills with "no parts required". We're glad you're here. 👍
That was some fine diagnosis of the problem. I am happy it worked out for the customer and Flagship1 stepped up to the plate.
Bravo for making a complete video showing the successful repair.
9:38 I used flagship1 and they sent me one with no tire pressure option (and I think no oil life reset either), at least I don't have the electrical issue though and no more blowing out BCM's
HI Ivan it would be cool to put back the old ECU in the truck in the cold again and just heat up the ECU with a heat gun to see if it will stat again and you could do a simillar test with dry ice and see if the truck won't start with a cold ECU.
Dude - I love the honesty and calling out the flagship 1. We all know stuff happens and there is nothing we hate worse than "comebacks" but we have to stand by our work. I think its easier when face to face while internet orders have distance in their favor. Just like you said, in the case of the DIY'er might have been hosed. Some vehicles will not start if all the modules don't match and they all hold the VIN.
I just call it like it is...they are really trying to improve their quality control and are fast to respond to any concerns...at least to me haha
Sounds like FlagshipOne has a real quality control issue. Sounds like they’re not paying attention!!😲☝️
I bought a flagship one ecm for my 1995 Ford F250 and have yet to install it but this video give me confidence that it'll work.
It's amazing to me that the dealership couldn't sort it out, unless it just wasn't cold enough at that time. Nice work as usual Ivan.
FYI: The heading says Nissan no start but the owner and grill says Suzuki. ;)
All it is is badge engineering, like Pontiac Vibe = Toyota Matrix, same vehicle, different name and badges
the stealerships? they probably put it in heated garage overnight, then worked on it when the issue certainly wouldn't occur
Ivan the magician......Always a pleasure to go through these issues with you......Have you ever been totally stumped and given up ??
I had a similar issue, not on a car computer though. when it was below 30 degrees my internet went out, What the cause was, "Pull Out" when it was cold a the cable wire shrank and pulled out of the connector. This is kinda the same thing when cold I would surmise a wire or pin shortens and doesn't make a good or any connection. Once it warms up the wire expands and makes the connection. Great Video and Job
I got one from Flag Ship 1 also, what a piece of junk I got. Looked like it just came out of the junk yard and didn’t work. VIN wasn’t programmed, corroded pins and more plus customer service sucks.
How long ago was this?
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics a little over a year ago. Still have the bad ECM because they just stoped communicating with me. Even after I programmed my VIN still had more issues with their ECM than the old one. Ended up getting one from a crashed car to replace my original ECM.
Another definitive diagnosis and fix Ivan! Its good that a company tries to put right what they put out for their customers even though they still had a step or 2 that needs to be done in this case. Most company's I've dealt with specifically on electronics components outright tell you that they won't cover warranty specifically on used parts.
Seeing the customer's video and hearing the satisfaction of having their vehicles fixed is the cherry on top for us who fix cars apart from getting paid to fix these. Thanks for taking us along. Cheers!
Well done Flagship on redeeming themselves from an earlier issue.
had the same problem with flagship one....would not send out replacement computer until they got the other one back....always corrupted programing.....
I’ve seen similar confusion before when a pcm was replaced. Two functions didn’t work. It turned out the junk yard car didn’t have those optional extras. I think an as built memory flash sorted it.
I’m a bit skeptical on the thermally intermittent ECM.
Wished you followed up your diagnostic with heat gun and cold spray for P/F demonstration.
I enjoy your videos.
Looks like somebody watches DiagnoseDan ....
Would require a lot of time and either having a well equipped test setup or having the vehicle.
@@keltecshooter I have seen Dan do it as well as Eric from Advanced auto in Texas,And both times it worked!
@@johnsmith-wd5sq wow--another ERIC; so everyone named ERIC must be a mechanic!
@@johnsmith-wd5sq Does Advanced auto have a YT channel? I got too many hits searching that I dont know if any of them are who you are referring to.
Love seeing the owner fire it up! ❄
Awesome scan tool Ivan! Nice diagnosis!
Ivan ,I purchased a ecm from flagship for my 1998 DODGE2500 VAN about 2 years ago and it was plug and play and worked perfectly as soon as I installed it. Now I wonder if I was just lucky LOL Anyway Love your show and Hi from Canada
Ivan I believe the faultier if I remember correctly is a Joint that cracks do top the cold meaning on the PCB board either one of the traces has a crack that reopens or a component same thing that a reflow of the board might be able to fix that some people have had a joint reflowed and it works in past videos of yours you have done reflows of broke joints before
HI IVAN ,another very good learning video.NOW what MYSELF and most of your viewers what to see is the owners old EMC. that is if it didn't have a core charge and if it did if it is cheap enough {50 bucks} to pay it,and keep the old one to take apart so you can do the necrospy on it ,to SATISFY your viewers that it DOES OR DOES NOT have a cold solder joint? Let's go guys,let Ivan know if you want to see that. I know i do. thanks IVAN your the MAN or should i say PROFESSOR?
Ivan's artic adventures
Bravo for your negotiation with flag ship one. This helps everyone.
Did the dealer attempt to start it OUTSIDE , below 20° ? Did they attempt to diagnose it OUTSIDE as well ? If this was a warranty issue , they either fix it , loan you a similar vehicle or take it back . It may also fall under the lemon law . But if it was outside overnight and you SHOWED them a no start , HOW could they dispute it ? Great fix .
Oh man, your experience is showing!
Great work! Been following you from before you changed your channel name.
Oh, thank you for not using the term:
VINN!
Vehicle
Identification
Number
Number!
Some will get it, some will stay stuck in their paradigm! 😉 I know we all have them.
Nice!
All this knowledge/experience over the years really does make a difference on who works on your car.
Dude you really are awesome with the diagnostics been watching your videos trying to learn. Thank you keep up great work
Flagship company done the right thing fantastic really good all round
I had a 94 jeep yj that did the exact same thing. Crank no start in cold weather. Had no injector pulse or spark. Slapped a used ECM in it and it work fine for many years after that
I'm surprised a Nissan Dealer would work on an Equator claiming it wasn't a Nissan. I took a Mazda Tribute (Ford Escape) to a Ford dealer and they wouldn't work on it claiming it wasn't a "FORD"....LMAO!
I have had great service from flagship one. Recommend them regularly. Sorry to see you had issues.
I’d imagine a cracked solder joint, cold causing either plastic or metal to shrink. When it warms up some it expands and makes proper contact.
FYI, I ordered an ECM from FS1 back in July 2019 for my Chevy trailblazer. It came programmed with my VIN and works perfectly, no issues.
I have purchased 2 auto computers from flagship one in the last 3 years. Both computers fixed the problem we had. I did not check vin numbers on those so now I need to do that.
Great Job IVAN your diagnosis was Spot on Gotta Love AllData 🤟🏻🇺🇸
Ivan, another great video. Sure am learning a lot from you and Eric and the Rainman. Was a mechanic for many years, but in the 60"s, 70", and the early 80"s. Easy peasy back then. Will this Thinkcar diagnose the transfer case on a 4 wheel drive?
Hey Earl! If it's a module, the scanner should talk to it and give you codes and live data 🙂
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics Thanks.