I've found that if you leave the battery connected while messing with a starter or alternator, you can take a boring dull job like that and turn it into a fun game of "OPERATION"
Then you warranty the wrench. And I have never inadvertently left a pair of pliers on top of my battery and shut the hood, making connection between B+ and sheetmetal. Nope, wasn't me. That paint was like that...
I went to Ranken Tech in St. Louis, MO. During the drivability/electronic part of the course, I was instructed by a former Marine. He stood about 6'5" and went about 285lbs. Walking up to him and saying "I think......" was akin to a death sentence. He demanded to know what measurements you'd made, what they told you, and your diagnosis based on FACTS. That training has stuck with me all of these years.... Glad to see that you're carrying on the tradition. Kudos!
Outstanding thumbs up video. What is remarkable is that if this customer went to another shop they would have been worse off. The customer probably would have ended up with a questionable re man starter and a higher repair bill.
Living Larger Yes, Joe Garage would have changed the starter and it would have fixed the problem. I think the dealer would have changed it even knowing what the problem was due to the very concern Eric pointed out at the end. His way works for me.
As a retired mechanic myself I can appreciate the correct effort you made to test and repair a connection ,sadly that effort and the lower charges are seldom recognized or acknowledged except in your own mind. So here is an atta boy for doing it real
Your videos often make me wonder how many times I've been unnecessarily parts-changed. That's why I'm doing my own work again. Eric, your videos are the best. I think I've made this same type of comment every time I've posted on SMA videos, but I'm just darn grateful!!
I owned a shop in CT (also rust belt) for over 20 years and I know how hectic things can get. It amazes me how much time and effort you take to make and edit these videos and still go fishing and camping with the family. I also appreciate it very much. I have since moved to GA and am a diag tech at my Church's Car Care Ministry. I think this is were honest mechanics go when they make it to Heaven... No rust, no complaining customers, no bills, 5 lifts, no hard schedule...you get the idea. We do lack diag equipment as our OTC scanner broke but it was good for a few years. I am now relegated back to the Snapon Brick & DVOM LOL. It's all good though. Merry Christmas O family. TYVM 🔩
This is one of those cases where replacing the starter would have probably fixed it too, but a little diagnosis saved you from having to change out 5 starters at warranty labor rates to get a good one.
FrugalPrepper Was thinking the same, change the starter and clean the contacts during installation. Would have spent money on a new starter for no reason
My students and I spent much of last week learning about the importance of looking for voltage drops that appear on a loaded circuit, specifically starting and charging systems. This video is a perfect example of why LOADED voltage drop testing is so easy and important. I shared it with the students this morning. Thanks Eric O!
Voltage drops are why they went from 6 volts up to 12 volts back in the 1920's and 1930's. With 6 volts you need twice the current for the same amount of power transfer. This makes small resistances at the connections more significant because they will cause higher voltage drops. Older 6 volt cars always had a lot of problems with dim headlights. I heard recently that some auto manufacturers are considering going up to 36 volts. This will reduce the required gauge thickness for all the wires and reduce the significance of connection resistances.
Took a live mechanics test once that had this very fault bugged into the car to see if it could be found. Since my electrical instructor pounded V drop testing into our heads I found it right away. But it sure did sound like a bad starter. Great job on the vid Eric. The basics are always our friend.
Never a criticism for you Eric... only gratitude for the sharing of your time and thanks to Mrs. O... for overcoming her fear of heights/and or airbag deployment.. have a Merry Christmas O family and SMA family !!
Hey, love the videos. I'm a retired heavy equip. mechanic, and I still enjoy these kind of vids, guess it's in my blood. Keep up the good work, keep testin.
An excellent and simple diagnostic video Eric! This just goes to show that just because the problem may seem obvious, you should still test just to be 100% sure.
I'm just a DIYer but I came across a similar situation a couple of years ago on my friend's 2008 Corvette. In this case his starter was toast but it was because the nut on the starter for the hot lead was loose. The high resistance caused the post to overheat and melted the plastic around it until the plastic crumbled and the post/nut fell off when I touched it. It either worked loose or it wasn't tightened properly at the factory.
I've seen this happen quite often on older chevy and dodge starters, but the bad connection happens on the inside of the solenoid, between the post and copper contact ring. Those solenoids you could take apart and clean the contacts, polish the copper ring, and be back in business. Also, a bad starter will also mimic a bad battery but you can do an amperage draw test on a starter and see if it's out of specification before replacing it.
Great to know that there are still a few honest mechanics out there. Someone else would have gotten away with a starter replacement. I seen it personally. I work at a shop that customers where get ripped off, so I quit and moved on to better things.
Another awesome video from SMA. I know these may seem simple to you, but it helps me a lot knowing that there are other people out there that take the time to check before replacing parts. Thanks.
Good video. A lot of guys would have put a starter in anyway just to pad the bill and I'm sure most heat shields would have stayed on the shop floor ensuring the customer would return for another starter in six months. Huge difference between you Eric and the people in the industry that cause most customers to think they are getting robbed whenever they get too close to a repair shop.
Great vid Eric! Love starting my day off with SMA! Really like the attention to detail you have and taking the time to always verify your initial diagnosis. I’m sure most shops wouldn’t do that. Throw a starter at it and clean up the bolt and wire connection and send the lady on her way. That’s why i don’t take my car to shops anymore. Can’t trust them. But with your videos I’m becoming a better and better weekend warrior! Your an inspiration Dr. O.! aka “The Car Whisperer” lol
Excellent advice! Always test the circuit under load! I've been stung by this twice. First time, wheel loader: electric fuel priming pump not working, pump had power, replaced the pump, didn't fix it. dug further and found the voltage dropped to 2V when you flicked the switch. Turned out to be a broken pin in the connector in the back of the cab. Second time. Wood chipper: Intermittent engine shutdown, No com error codes for engine ECM. Unplugged ecm plug and tested for power grounds and data link continuity, all good so made the call on the ECM. Didn't fix it. Dug a bit further, Supply voltage at the ECM was dropping to 6V when under load. Turned out to be a poor connection at the emergency stop switch which had been wired directly into the ECM power feed.
The crappy thing about this situation is someone who just assumed they needed a starter and tore it apart and put a new starter in it would have probably fixed the bad connection in the process of installing a new one and they would have thought their parts cannon worked perfectly. Althoygh the customer would have had to buy a new starter in the process and paid for the labor of changing it. The costomer would have had no clue they got ripped off cause the problem would have been gone after replacing the part. Even though they only realy had to clean up the connection. Anyways that dodnt happen with eric o and thats why i love watching him and learing from him. Thanks for everything u do eric. Great vid
Awesome! Great Video! It's surprising how many problems like that one come along. Diesels are notorious for bad electrical connections. I've seen some good ones. NICE repair job! Many thanks to Mrs. O for all her hard work to help bring this video to us. Does she get diagnostic tech pay for this job? Have a great one!
When many hear the word voltage drop test, memory of professors and complicated testing comes to mind. As you show here, in the right hands as a screening test a voltage drop test can take seconds, testing both the battery and the wiring all the way around. What I find interesting in this case is how your test light did not show a reduced dim glow under its own current even when you tested on the post. By itself, the light wasn't sensitive enough to uncover the problem. Then, when a second person turns the key, the massive current draw reveals the diagnosis. So, even with a test light one can be fooled if the testing is not done with current matching the normal circuit draw. Without the green crusties and sparking I would have wondered if the battery was undercharged or on its way out, basically showing internal resistance in the battery itself. So, the way you did this is a quick screen for a bad battery, too. I can see why old school mechanics teach this specific technique, it screens for abnormalities everywhere.
I think if these principles were applied to all service industries we could all benefit. Sometimes we need to be reminded to not brush off the simple things. Thanks for sharing.
Good Morning from Philadelphia Pa here.....Great to see Mrs. O in the driver's seat of this vid..Thanks Mr. O..like always you make our day here with your helpful vid. of your day...
like the Vise Grip ground clamp! Going to so equip one of (but not all of) my lights. Saw a similar starter issue on a brand new Dodge once c. early 70's... the battery cable nut on the firewall mounted starter relay was only finger tight. Came that way from the factory...
This video is a nice addition to the last couple that SHOW AGAIN why testing a component before replacing one is why people trust Eric O to work on their cars. He did the right thing and the customer didnt have to pay for a new starter they didnt need. People dont want to waste their money on parts they dont need nor want because of a neglectful lazy mechanic who doesnt take the time to test the needed components. Great job Dr O, and keep doing what you do best, testing testing testing!
Ancient Pangolin Lots of times. If you live in a rust and corrosion free area,you wouldnt see much of this. I have lost count on how many of these I have experienced.
This reminded me of the time when I first got my current car (Citroen C4 Grand Picasso). It was struggling to start which pointed to a starter motor on the way out. This was what I was told by the place that I bought it from. I knew better than to assume that this was the case. My first port of call was the battery and the readins I was getting with the multimeter suggested that it was on the way out. To be 100% certain I took it down to my local Halfords (UK equivalent of Auto Zone and Advance Auto) who confirmed that the battery was duff. The cheapest battery they had was £95 for their own brand so I politely declined and I bought an Exide battery for just shy of £60 delivered on eBay and it is still going strong to this day.
You need to get a junk car on it's side in between the lift posts and set off the air bags on it and wait for Mrs. O to come in. Then you can be like "Thank God you weren't in there. I was just raising it up and the air bags went off and it fell right off the lift!"
I've seen photos from a garage in my area where one post of a two post lift failed and the car went BOOM! Happened in like 2 seconds. The tech had just walked out from underneath the car to get something from the toolbox. If he had been under the car 5 more seconds he would have been gone.
I had the same problem over 30 years ago on a Crown Vic. Neighbor's car, only a few months old. I was ready to call the starter relay/solenoid until I heard the arc and smelled something burning. Of course, from underneath I could see the arc. I think the nut was never properly torqued at the factory. It was also a pain to access and clean the cable end and stud. Fluid Film did not exist back then
Great stuff Eric. Wonder if the "gypsy hack" down in North Carolina will recognize you saving a customer hundreds of dollars...lol. Like to see some of the Honda brake line repairs. Keep the great content rolling. Thanks to you and Mrs O for the extra effort you invest in your videos and your customers.
Wow, this video was a deja-vu moment for me. Last Friday I helped a friend diagnose a Camry no-start just like this. Turned out to be a similar high resistance issue in a power cable connection. He had guessed and pulled the battery but it tested OK. Lesson learned (again).
Had a similar problem on the 175 amp main fuse connection on my 2007 taurus. It was a intermittent connection at that fuse box by the radiator and if memory serves me right it kept showing up as a low battery. I thinking it was a old battery changed it only to have the problem reappear a week or so later. Used the meter that time and found the voltage drop then cleaned it up. Looked somewhat like your sample. I thought I was smarter than that but shortcut burned me for the price of an un needed battery. Thanks for another good video.
I remember (and you most likely remember too)the days when car starter solenoids were rebuildable.I still overhaul all the solenoids I can get parts for. Delco 50 MT and other large starters. Which brings me to a suggestion for a video, maybe some time you could crack open an old starter and alternator and show the viewers why you do not want those studs to spin and some suggestions how to prevent the dreaded Bakelite crunch. Thank you for your emphasis on TEST DON'T GUESS I believe it makes us all better mechanics
I second the motion. I would like to see and know, and understand just exactly what fails in a starter; for example.......is it usually just the brushes wearing out? or the commutator surfaces wearing out, getting pitted, getting dirty, etc.? Or the insulation between the segments getting pitted or falling out? Or a stator winding developing an open? I'm the type (as many of us probably are) that for my own personal car I would not mind taking a saturday to sit at the bench and do a total rebuild of the OEM starter. But I know that's usually not economical for a service shop to do. So yeah, show us how to rebuild one, man.
Most don't think to test before replacing, it is a wise thing to do and it saves money in the long run not only for the client but also for the business
I had this problem before on my jeep but unlike you I pulled it out and had it tested to find out it was fine so I figured it was the connection put it back in and never had the problem again. Lucky for me my jeep was lifted and wasn't to much of a pain to remove .
Interesting you mentioned removing the negative lead first, the way it's always been the "done thing"... But strangely a lot of modern cars with lots of electronics "prefer" the positive lead removed/connected first... I can't remember the reasoning behind it but its something to do with spiking of chips :/
Yup. Would have had to remove the shield and drop the exhaust anyway to change the starter so why not test it. Great catch and another happy appreciative customer. Maybe she'll bring you cookies? lol. Peace out my friend...
Yep always test….I did emergency generator work for years. Many were remote locations and no parts stores for miles. We would take what we thought it would be according to what the customer told us. Yep, found bad connections, mice, squirrel and other damage.
Rust and corrosion, money makers. I make my money repairing fuel related small engines,you fight rust and corrosion. Had she taken it to a dishonest dealer( most of them) They would have hit her up with a starter bill. You know it too!
Eric ---- as i was clearing my laneway/ driveway today i thought to myself. I wonder what Eric does to clean his driveway/laneway. VIDEO! We could see Eric's plow setup & a ride along with him while he plows. You might think people wouldn't want to see that. But trust me they would.
Good find mr O.... Ive seen that sparking before on that conection...diagnosis is usualy a starter. I think your lucky it came undone ok...usualy rips the terminal from the solonoid...oops..now it needs a starter motor..👍😁😁😁😁
Had a nearly identical issue with a family member's Toyota Camry. Could have sworn it was a starter as the battery was good and strong, clicking at the starter but no turning. Even removed the starter and had it tested at the auto parts store. After reinstalling the starter, I noticed that the positive battery cable to the starter was corroded and arcing when we bumped the key to try to start the car. We wiggled the positive cable a tad and found a position where the car would start. Corrosion ate at the cable connector enough to where the car wouldn't start. Replaced the connector and car has started every day since.
More... can't imagine how life existed before the 'lowly' test light. Don't care what they say, they're still one of the most useful diagnostic tools there is...
I love my power probe. It does exactly what a test light does with the added functions of measuring voltage and giving the ability to supply + or - at will. Want to test the integrity of a ground? Touch the tip and give it power. If it trips the circuit breaker it can support at least 10 amps without issue. I love my power probe.
Another great video my friend keep up the great work. I thought the nut would fall off or be baked on. Glad it all worked out see you in the next video thanks again my friend
Definitely that silly shield. It's holding in all the moisture. Downright suspicious engineering Kia. Like they wouldn't know this. 90% of shops would get ya for a new starter replacement. Thanks Eric and Vanessa O Happy ! ! Holidays ! !🌬❄☃️🎄🎁
I've found that if you leave the battery connected while messing with a starter or alternator, you can take a boring dull job like that and turn it into a fun game of "OPERATION"
Lol no comment haha
Then you warranty the wrench. And I have never inadvertently left a pair of pliers on top of my battery and shut the hood, making connection between B+ and sheetmetal. Nope, wasn't me. That paint was like that...
ykmalachi I used to love that game even though I sucked at it. That would be a great vijao
yeah..one time I was sold the wrong starter for a celica.. the post rubbed against the block ..can you sat arc welding :)
Sure Gary. We believe you, especially Eric.
I went to Ranken Tech in St. Louis, MO. During the drivability/electronic part of the course, I was instructed by a former Marine. He stood about 6'5" and went about 285lbs. Walking up to him and saying "I think......" was akin to a death sentence. He demanded to know what measurements you'd made, what they told you, and your diagnosis based on FACTS. That training has stuck with me all of these years.... Glad to see that you're carrying on the tradition. Kudos!
Once again, the test light receives the SMA employee of the month award. :)
Outstanding thumbs up video. What is remarkable is that if this customer went to another shop they would have been worse off. The customer probably would have ended up with a questionable re man starter and a higher repair bill.
Awesome, how many shops would throw a starter at it 'just cause'. Nothing like a good honest shop, a rare treat indeed, sadly.
Living Larger Yes, Joe Garage would have changed the starter and it would have fixed the problem. I think the dealer would have changed it even knowing what the problem was due to the very concern Eric pointed out at the end. His way works for me.
As a retired mechanic myself I can appreciate the correct effort you made to test and repair a connection ,sadly that effort and the lower charges are seldom recognized or acknowledged except in your own mind. So here is an atta boy for doing it real
Your videos often make me wonder how many times I've been unnecessarily parts-changed. That's why I'm doing my own work again. Eric, your videos are the best. I think I've made this same type of comment every time I've posted on SMA videos, but I'm just darn grateful!!
Another honest repair, great family business. Stay warm.
I owned a shop in CT (also rust belt) for over 20 years and I know how hectic things can get. It amazes me how much time and effort you take to make and edit these videos and still go fishing and camping with the family.
I also appreciate it very much.
I have since moved to GA and am a diag tech at my Church's Car Care Ministry. I think this is were honest mechanics go when they make it to Heaven... No rust, no complaining customers, no bills, 5 lifts, no hard schedule...you get the idea.
We do lack diag equipment as our OTC scanner broke but it was good for a few years. I am now relegated back to the Snapon Brick & DVOM LOL. It's all good though.
Merry Christmas O family. TYVM 🔩
This is one of those cases where replacing the starter would have probably fixed it too, but a little diagnosis saved you from having to change out 5 starters at warranty labor rates to get a good one.
FrugalPrepper Was thinking the same, change the starter and clean the contacts during installation. Would have spent money on a new starter for no reason
My students and I spent much of last week learning about the importance of looking for voltage drops that appear on a loaded circuit, specifically starting and charging systems. This video is a perfect example of why LOADED voltage drop testing is so easy and important. I shared it with the students this morning. Thanks Eric O!
Voltage drops are why they went from 6 volts up to 12 volts back in the 1920's and 1930's. With 6 volts you need twice the current for the same amount of power transfer. This makes small resistances at the connections more significant because they will cause higher voltage drops. Older 6 volt cars always had a lot of problems with dim headlights. I heard recently that some auto manufacturers are considering going up to 36 volts. This will reduce the required gauge thickness for all the wires and reduce the significance of connection resistances.
Long time viewer, first time commenter. One of my favorite videos of yours, with a great title too! Keep up the good work, Eric. Test, don't guess!
Took a live mechanics test once that had this very fault bugged into the car to see if it could be found. Since my electrical instructor pounded V drop testing into our heads I found it right away. But it sure did sound like a bad starter. Great job on the vid Eric. The basics are always our friend.
Great video Eric. Showing the basics that so many seem to miss.
Never a criticism for you Eric... only gratitude for the sharing of your time and thanks to Mrs. O... for overcoming her fear of heights/and or airbag deployment.. have a Merry Christmas O family and SMA family !!
Hey, love the videos. I'm a retired heavy equip. mechanic, and I still enjoy these kind of vids, guess it's in my blood. Keep up the good work, keep testin.
An excellent and simple diagnostic video Eric! This just goes to show that just because the problem may seem obvious, you should still test just to be 100% sure.
Thanks for taking the time in your busy day to shoot a video like this. You really have been cranking out the videos lately.
I'm just a DIYer but I came across a similar situation a couple of years ago on my friend's 2008 Corvette. In this case his starter was toast but it was because the nut on the starter for the hot lead was loose. The high resistance caused the post to overheat and melted the plastic around it until the plastic crumbled and the post/nut fell off when I touched it. It either worked loose or it wasn't tightened properly at the factory.
That was awesome, just a bad connection, I would have unnecessarily replace the entire cable. Eric O. you never fail to educate. thank you sir.
I've seen this happen quite often on older chevy and dodge starters, but the bad connection happens on the inside of the solenoid, between the post and copper contact ring. Those solenoids you could take apart and clean the contacts, polish the copper ring, and be back in business. Also, a bad starter will also mimic a bad battery but you can do an amperage draw test on a starter and see if it's out of specification before replacing it.
Great to know that there are still a few honest mechanics out there. Someone else would have gotten away with a starter replacement.
I seen it personally.
I work at a shop that customers where get ripped off, so I quit and moved on to better things.
Great video as always. I found your channel and can't stop watching. I've learned a ton!
Another awesome video from SMA. I know these may seem simple to you, but it helps me a lot knowing that there are other people out there that take the time to check before replacing parts. Thanks.
Good video. A lot of guys would have put a starter in anyway just to pad the bill and I'm sure most heat shields would have stayed on the shop floor ensuring the customer would return for another starter in six months. Huge difference between you Eric and the people in the industry that cause most customers to think they are getting robbed whenever they get too close to a repair shop.
Thats what seperates the good mechanics from the bad ones. Awesome video, keep it up!
Found and replaced 2 leaking coolant elbow on a 2000 Buick. Learned a lot from you, Thanks Mr. O
Great vid Eric! Love starting my day off with SMA!
Really like the attention to detail you have and taking the time to always verify your initial diagnosis. I’m sure most shops wouldn’t do that. Throw a starter at it and clean up the bolt and wire connection and send the lady on her way.
That’s why i don’t take my car to shops anymore. Can’t trust them. But with your videos I’m becoming a better and better weekend warrior!
Your an inspiration Dr. O.! aka “The Car Whisperer” lol
You are an honest mechanic!! Some would have put on on anyway!!!! I commend you Sir!!!!
Excellent advice! Always test the circuit under load! I've been stung by this twice. First time, wheel loader: electric fuel priming pump not working, pump had power, replaced the pump, didn't fix it. dug further and found the voltage dropped to 2V when you flicked the switch. Turned out to be a broken pin in the connector in the back of the cab. Second time. Wood chipper: Intermittent engine shutdown, No com error codes for engine ECM. Unplugged ecm plug and tested for power grounds and data link continuity, all good so made the call on the ECM. Didn't fix it. Dug a bit further, Supply voltage at the ECM was dropping to 6V when under load. Turned out to be a poor connection at the emergency stop switch which had been wired directly into the ECM power feed.
Another incredible image from the SMA garage. The sizzling solenoid! Awesome lesson Dr. O and thanks!
A simple test like this will save you a lot of money for a DIY'er. Thank you for the information.
The crappy thing about this situation is someone who just assumed they needed a starter and tore it apart and put a new starter in it would have probably fixed the bad connection in the process of installing a new one and they would have thought their parts cannon worked perfectly. Althoygh the customer would have had to buy a new starter in the process and paid for the labor of changing it. The costomer would have had no clue they got ripped off cause the problem would have been gone after replacing the part. Even though they only realy had to clean up the connection. Anyways that dodnt happen with eric o and thats why i love watching him and learing from him. Thanks for everything u do eric. Great vid
That was an awesome visual. Okay, now that was a good idea for the test light. I think I'll be making one for myself. Great stuff Eric and Vanessa.
Awesome! Great Video! It's surprising how many problems like that one come along. Diesels are notorious for bad electrical connections. I've seen some good ones. NICE repair job! Many thanks to Mrs. O for all her hard work to help bring this video to us.
Does she get diagnostic tech pay for this job? Have a great one!
Made myself a test light like yours today. What great idea!
When many hear the word voltage drop test, memory of professors and complicated testing comes to mind. As you show here, in the right hands as a screening test a voltage drop test can take seconds, testing both the battery and the wiring all the way around. What I find interesting in this case is how your test light did not show a reduced dim glow under its own current even when you tested on the post. By itself, the light wasn't sensitive enough to uncover the problem. Then, when a second person turns the key, the massive current draw reveals the diagnosis. So, even with a test light one can be fooled if the testing is not done with current matching the normal circuit draw. Without the green crusties and sparking I would have wondered if the battery was undercharged or on its way out, basically showing internal resistance in the battery itself. So, the way you did this is a quick screen for a bad battery, too. I can see why old school mechanics teach this specific technique, it screens for abnormalities everywhere.
This is why techs learn to always load a circuit. That's when problems show themselves.
I love your work. this was nice. I never trust connections without seeing the condition for arcs or corrosion and tightening
4:07 that was REAL fun, lovely family indeed. One of the few old dinasours who truly love each other unconditionally.
Ah what a guy you still took time out to give Mrs O a life lifting experience, a ride in a car up a lift, hope she's grateful.
Mrs O doin another great job at SMA she's a great boss you should give her a raise Eric.... lol
I think if these principles were applied to all service industries we could all benefit. Sometimes we need to be reminded to not brush off the simple things. Thanks for sharing.
Good Morning from Philadelphia Pa here.....Great to see Mrs. O in the driver's seat of this vid..Thanks Mr. O..like always you make our day here with your helpful vid. of your day...
like the Vise Grip ground clamp! Going to so equip one of (but not all of) my lights. Saw a similar starter issue on a brand new Dodge once c. early 70's... the battery cable nut on the firewall mounted starter relay was only finger tight. Came that way from the factory...
This video is a nice addition to the last couple that SHOW AGAIN why testing a component before replacing one is why people trust Eric O to work on their cars. He did the right thing and the customer didnt have to pay for a new starter they didnt need. People dont want to waste their money on parts they dont need nor want because of a neglectful lazy mechanic who doesnt take the time to test the needed components. Great job Dr O, and keep doing what you do best, testing testing testing!
Not silly at all! Testing will save lots of headache & $$. Thanks for your vids!
P.S. Love the scope on a rope modification. Bees knees, will be MaGyvering one myself...
Sweet! I was waiting for the testlight to ground the starter stud to the body an see some more sparks ;)
Oh you had to bring up the bad memories of my favorite test light :(
Need a mechanic like you Eric in Georgia that you can really trust..
Good job, nice to see an honest mechanic.
Reinforces the lesson Eric taught on the diag of the riding lawn mower. Good lesson to know.
You are a very honest man.
This is an awesome video. Never seen a starter arc like that
Ancient Pangolin Lots of times. If you live in a rust and corrosion free area,you wouldnt see much of this. I have lost count on how many of these I have experienced.
This reminded me of the time when I first got my current car (Citroen C4 Grand Picasso). It was struggling to start which pointed to a starter motor on the way out. This was what I was told by the place that I bought it from. I knew better than to assume that this was the case. My first port of call was the battery and the readins I was getting with the multimeter suggested that it was on the way out. To be 100% certain I took it down to my local Halfords (UK equivalent of Auto Zone and Advance Auto) who confirmed that the battery was duff. The cheapest battery they had was £95 for their own brand so I politely declined and I bought an Exide battery for just shy of £60 delivered on eBay and it is still going strong to this day.
Ĺĺll put cxxdz344)44$$$$)$$)344434
Great job diagnosing the problem and saving the lady a ton of money on a new starter.
You need to get a junk car on it's side in between the lift posts and set off the air bags on it and wait for Mrs. O to come in. Then you can be like "Thank God you weren't in there. I was just raising it up and the air bags went off and it fell right off the lift!"
FrugalPrepper that's awefull!!
James Burns That's why it's awesome!
Ha Ha , the Mrs. would freak. OMG he has to get that on film !!!!!!!
FrugalPrepper that would be gold
I've seen photos from a garage in my area where one post of a two post lift failed and the car went BOOM! Happened in like 2 seconds. The tech had just walked out from underneath the car to get something from the toolbox. If he had been under the car 5 more seconds he would have been gone.
HIIII, the Lovely Mrs. O! Seeing you is like a breath of fresh air.
You ain't dead. 😂😂😂 Good one Mrs. O
I had the same problem over 30 years ago on a Crown Vic. Neighbor's car, only a few months old. I was ready to call the starter relay/solenoid until I heard the arc and smelled something burning. Of course, from underneath I could see the arc. I think the nut was never properly torqued at the factory. It was also a pain to access and clean the cable end and stud. Fluid Film did not exist back then
Nice to get lucky now and again, you and the customer. Good job Eric
Great stuff Eric. Wonder if the "gypsy hack" down in North Carolina will recognize you saving a customer hundreds of dollars...lol. Like to see some of the Honda brake line repairs. Keep the great content rolling. Thanks to you and Mrs O for the extra effort you invest in your videos and your customers.
Eric O. Another good fix eric .It's good to know there a mechanic out there that test before throwing parts on cars or trucks .thanks for video's
Eric O., you are the first tech. that I've come to know in your videos, that try to save the customers mega bucks. Wish you lived closer to SW Ohio.
Great fix job Doc O, & thanks for the asistance Eric, lol. You're both great!
Your the best. Eric
Merry Christmas to SMA and your wonderful family.
Not silly at all! Great content and presentation. Thanks for sharing.
That is a awesome video Eric. Wishing your family a very Merry Christmas and All the best in the coming New Year... Love this channel!!!!!!!!!
I like your three thumbs up final test on this video. You got to love your 100% approach!
Wow, this video was a deja-vu moment for me. Last Friday I helped a friend diagnose a Camry no-start just like this. Turned out to be a similar high resistance issue in a power cable connection. He had guessed and pulled the battery but it tested OK. Lesson learned (again).
Great video- again. Mrs. O makes it better. Love her wise cracking you.
And lest I forget, not to undermine every detail given by the customer in his complaint, Good job Eric.
I always love how admiring Mrs. O. looks at Mr. O. And who can blame her. :-)
Had a similar problem on the 175 amp main fuse connection on my 2007 taurus. It was a intermittent connection at that fuse box by the radiator and if memory serves me right it kept showing up as a low battery. I thinking it was a old battery changed it only to have the problem reappear a week or so later. Used the meter that time and found the voltage drop then cleaned it up. Looked somewhat like your sample. I thought I was smarter than that but shortcut burned me for the price of an un needed battery. Thanks for another good video.
Eric you are HONEST .
I remember (and you most likely remember too)the days when car starter solenoids were rebuildable.I still overhaul all the solenoids I can get parts for. Delco 50 MT and other large starters.
Which brings me to a suggestion for a video, maybe some time you could crack open an old starter and alternator and show the viewers why you do not want those studs to spin and some suggestions how to prevent the dreaded Bakelite crunch.
Thank you for your emphasis on TEST DON'T GUESS I believe it makes us all better mechanics
The words Bakelite crunch give me cold chills and make me wanna say naught words haha
I second the motion. I would like to see and know, and understand just exactly what fails in a starter; for example.......is it usually just the brushes wearing out? or the commutator surfaces wearing out, getting pitted, getting dirty, etc.? Or the insulation between the segments getting pitted or falling out? Or a stator winding developing an open? I'm the type (as many of us probably are) that for my own personal car I would not mind taking a saturday to sit at the bench and do a total rebuild of the OEM starter. But I know that's usually not economical for a service shop to do. So yeah, show us how to rebuild one, man.
Most don't think to test before replacing, it is a wise thing to do and it saves money in the long run not only for the client but also for the business
I had this problem before on my jeep but unlike you I pulled it out and had it tested to find out it was fine so I figured it was the connection put it back in and never had the problem again. Lucky for me my jeep was lifted and wasn't to much of a pain to remove .
Yup have encountered that many times especially on the Marine industry come across low voltage issues all the time with the green crusties.
893,958 more suscibers to 1 million, won't be long IMO
If people had the sense to watch this instead of "reality TV" Eric would've hit 1m a long time ago.
Great info. Thanks Eric
This is the reason I sub to your channel and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Interesting you mentioned removing the negative lead first, the way it's always been the "done thing"... But strangely a lot of modern cars with lots of electronics "prefer" the positive lead removed/connected first... I can't remember the reasoning behind it but its something to do with spiking of chips :/
Yup. Would have had to remove the shield and drop the exhaust anyway to change the starter so why not test it. Great catch and another happy appreciative customer. Maybe she'll bring you cookies? lol. Peace out my friend...
good to check for sure great job showing the problem and repair
Good job Eric, customer must have been thrilled to save the dough.
Don’t say sorry,good man always confirms his gut,that’s y allways check,enjoyed the video mr o.
Yep always test….I did emergency generator work for years. Many were remote locations and no parts stores for miles. We would take what we thought it would be according to what the customer told us. Yep, found bad connections, mice, squirrel and other damage.
Rust and corrosion, money makers. I make my money repairing fuel related small engines,you fight rust and corrosion. Had she taken it to a dishonest dealer( most of them) They would have hit her up with a starter bill. You know it too!
This is true, and it would have fixed it and customer would be happy.
Silly ,what Silly? SILLY would be if you DIDN'T fix it! Another great diagnosis!
Eric ---- as i was clearing my laneway/ driveway today
i thought to myself. I wonder what Eric does to clean his driveway/laneway.
VIDEO! We could see Eric's plow setup & a ride along with him while he plows. You might think people wouldn't want to see that.
But trust me they would.
Good find mr O....
Ive seen that sparking before on that conection...diagnosis is usualy a starter. I think your lucky it came undone ok...usualy rips the terminal from the solonoid...oops..now it needs a starter motor..👍😁😁😁😁
Excessive Resistance Excellent Diagnosis Eric 😎👍🏼
Had a nearly identical issue with a family member's Toyota Camry. Could have sworn it was a starter as the battery was good and strong, clicking at the starter but no turning. Even removed the starter and had it tested at the auto parts store. After reinstalling the starter, I noticed that the positive battery cable to the starter was corroded and arcing when we bumped the key to try to start the car. We wiggled the positive cable a tad and found a position where the car would start. Corrosion ate at the cable connector enough to where the car wouldn't start. Replaced the connector and car has started every day since.
Long time no see Eric. I see I have some catching up to do with your videos. As always excellent work. 🇺🇸
I see I beat Vladimir to post here first.
Hahaha!
More... can't imagine how life existed before the 'lowly' test light. Don't care what they say, they're still one of the most useful diagnostic tools there is...
I love my power probe. It does exactly what a test light does with the added functions of measuring voltage and giving the ability to supply + or - at will. Want to test the integrity of a ground? Touch the tip and give it power. If it trips the circuit breaker it can support at least 10 amps without issue. I love my power probe.
Another great video my friend keep up the great work. I thought the nut would fall off or be baked on. Glad it all worked out see you in the next video thanks again my friend
Definitely that silly shield. It's holding in all the moisture. Downright suspicious engineering Kia. Like they wouldn't know this. 90% of shops would get ya for a new starter replacement. Thanks Eric and Vanessa O Happy ! ! Holidays ! !🌬❄☃️🎄🎁
Three thumbs up for re verifying initial diagnosis, taking the time to test it.