What an engineering disaster!!! Four hours, breaking down the AC to change the alternator on a 06 foreign junker?!? I can change the alternator on any GM in an hour with my eyes closed, and they last long! My 2000 grand Prix has the factory original alternator..
The only problem I have with this mechanic is why doesn't this garage isn't close to my area? This guy knows what he is doing. This isn't just a way of income it is a way of life. We need more like him in this world.
Yeah I understand same here except I'm a mechanic and I have finally understood what the big problem is with mechanics. A bad mechanic is not even a real mechanic they just do this because their in it for the money and they have never have gotten involved in this. The good mechanic is in it because they have fun doing clean work and are good at it and are not in it just for the money, we help people and enjoy doing it and it results in always being flooded with work and never not having work. And mechanics like me don't have to worry about the money part. Everyone out there be aware of mechanics that are in it for the money. Find a good mechanic who is always flooded with work and who you can see they enjoy helping people.
One thing I can say is that Eric is teaching the future techs of the world. I will admit I use to be a parts cannon style tech when I started. I couldn’t trouble shoot but then started watching Eric and scanner danner. I’m definitely making sure I diagnose the job properly before putting parts in. I’m assuming a lot of other mechanics have done this too. Eric is a role model for all of us mechanics and we all hope we can be half as good as him one day.
@@adviseandmorecarsandmore8346 I've known shops flooded with work because they lie about the price then jack up the price when they got your car apart. Also seen shops that had 5 stars that had terrible mechanics. A recommendation may be the best way, although even then you never know what you're getting.
so why not just start the car and pull the positive cable off the battery? if the car dies, you know the alternator is junk...ive diagnosed many alternators that way. never been wrong so far.
Excellent teaching event. I love these episodes when things are quiet and we can spend quality time in the shop. I especially enjoyed the duty cycle difference. If I saw that duty cycle drop to zero I would have thought something was wrong. That was invaluable information. You could have been home an hour ago, so thank you for spending this time with us.
Anybody can learn how fix cars/trucks ect If your instructor is Eric O. I've gotten much better as a diyer since I've been watching his videos. I don't mind at all buying parts as long I can install them with a good out come. How many people will take time from their day to make a video to help others? Thank you
I appreciate the process he goes through and shiws. Every other video people make is then doing edited takes of them just zapping bolts off and making it look easy. Eric shows in real time what happens and its very refreshing to see.
I admire the way this man explains stuff. Simple, to the point, no smoke, no mirrors. Fully compatible with the way I tend to learn the best. Thanks Eric!
Having repaired a lot of alternators over the years. Having been out of it for about 20 years now, this is a new type controlled from the ECU. like the old external regulator types. Well now I am back at it here in Canada fixing alternators. No real money in it but it helps people out. If I get a good one I will make a video about it. I used to do magnetos, Dynamos and starters as well. Still got some of the gear and the books. I had a good one this weekend which would have made a good video. A Delco Remy with a new rotating field. It would not fire up, turned out to be not enough residual magnetism in the new field. I had to bring the wires to the sliprings out to magnetize it externally. Then away she went. All parts tested ok. Most alternators have 1 of a few, very common problems, Brushes worn or sticking, regulator died and bad front bearing. Diodes rarely fail, windings rarely fail. Another common fault is broken cases. Starters is nearly always bushes and brushes. But no money in that business anymore unless you do specialist work like boats and plant or vintage cars and racing cars. Domestic cars, no hope you will starve. Allister
The world needs more people like you. You don’t charge customers more money that you need to. $200 is the different between paying the rent or going hungry.
Must be a nerdy electrician, I love watching your electrical fault finding, you know your stuff and you talk to us, not down to us. Keep up the good work Eric.
I want to thank you for uploading these videos, I'm in college at the moment and use your videos as an additional study tool. You'd make a good instructor, as you are able to effectively explain procedures and still keep it interesting. Thanks again from the west coast of California for the cornucopia of knowledge! Just wrote a report on diagnosing and giving a step by step on replacing an alternator and starter motor!
I’ve been studying voltage drop and just bought my first book on auto electronics. I understood everything in that video. Maybe I am learning something. Thanks for the explanations and spending time to draw it out. Really appreciate when you have time to do the white board
Good video. This would have simplified my fiasco on my daughter’s 99 Hondoo Accord 2 years ago. It was a no charge situation due to corrosion on the negative battery cable at the body. I discovered it by tugging on the cable and what was left in the pressed lug came out. Lots of green crusties. I don’t live in the rust belt either. The gods of auto repair were with me and I didn’t have to replace the alternator. Don’t assume. Test and examine.
I really appreciate Eric O taking the time to explain these concepts in detail. I'm always still learning so having Dr. O give me an in depth lecture will only make me smarter when dealing with an alternator circuit. Ty.
Had an alternator charging issue on my Volvo XC90, around 11 Volts and with some checking, decided to replace the externally mounted regulator (electronics and brush assembly) for around $45 from FCP. Easy to replace and back to 14+ volts. Not all alternators have this externally but sure saves you replacing the entire unit which would be a PITA, similar to Eric O's Sonata. Keep it up as we appreciate all of the 'teaching moments' that you share!
Brushes wear out on alternators; something has to transfer voltage to the rotor and something needs to wear so it's either the copper on the slip rings or the brushes. So if the vehicle has done a lot of miles it might need new brushes. Pull an alternator off a scrap yard, swap it for the bad alternator, then rebuild the old alternator, then you have spare. Btw loved your little scope for the pcm!
Hello Eric, I'm very happy about your videos. I'm car electrician in Brazil and another day I was working in a truck that had a bad cranking and almost didn't run, because you I remembered I should to do a drop voltage test and I did,so I found the problem and fixed it cleaning the bad wire ground. Thanks Eric you are the best.lol
Poor guy... You don't even have a dry eraser. Had to use your sweatshirt... 😆 Thanks for the whiteboard work. I for one appreciate the thorough diagnostics explanations. Thanks for the hard work you do to publish excellent content!
@@dirtracingfan8742 I think all of us who subscribe should send him one. I can only imagine what the office would look like! HaHa, and the mail carrier would hate us!
Never seen Scotty, but I’ve watched Eric O for about a year. The thing I like about Eric, is that he is as honest as the day is long. It’s not RUclips schtick. All you need to see is the Saturday shop cleanup and scrap run. He could have put a couple hundred bucks in his pocket with the scrap money, but nope, a stop at the local animal shelter, donating the scrap money, plus another $100 directly out of his pocket speaks loud. Watching Eric methodically go through performing basic screening tests to advanced testing to give his customers value for their hard earned money is first class. If I lived closer to upstate New York, I’d give up my diagnostic tools and let Eric perform my repairs. Finding a competent mechanic that also is a great diagnostic person is a rare thing. Too many parts replacers out there.
Just for your and everyone's information - Scotty is NOT a mechanic. He got his start as a local news reporter down in Tampa. He did a small report on a car show and then that started it. He quit the news reporter job after a few years then got on RUclips and started preaching his crap. His dad was a mechanic and Scotty was just the kid that played around in the garage and banged hammers on the wall. No interest in cars or knowledge.
Hi There I used to run and auto electrical company and yes you are mostly correct and a very good video on diagnosing an bad alternator. I have also designed many alternator installations for marine engines and it is not simple. I will not labour the details. but when checking volt drop you have to measure the current as well. My standard used to be no more than 0.5V for a 12V system. 250mV at full load I would say is right on the limit, two wires usually, 250mV each side. I don't think there was a fault but the manufacturer is using too small gauge wire. I used to get this all the time on marine installations. The IGN input on most modern alternators is the battery sense. So they are using it to control voltage. My standard was 13.8V minimum on the battery with full output from the alternator. Many systems these days go higher. 14 and 14.4V I see often. The higher the voltage the greater can be the electrolyte loss. Be careful with the ground connection when checking for volt drop because the ground line on the battery only carries the current to charge the battery not the whole system current. When dealing with current networks it can be confusing where all the current is going particularly on boats with steel hulls. So measure the current in the wire as well as the volt drop. That is why you had such a low figure for the ground as opposed to the alternator output. The alternator output was distributing from the battery post hence full current flow to that point. I was on a Vacuum truck on Friday 14 DEC with a new installation. This truck had a ground isolator and the idiots grounded the new equipment directly to the battery through a 16AWG wire. the Ground switch had bad connections so the truck ground went through this 16G wire. The guy complained that since the new burner was fitted his truck would not start properly and smoke was pouring out of the new equipment, The new equipment only draws 20A and the 16g wire was too small for even that. So it had a false ground, no problem if the isolator worked but when it failed all the truck current went through this little 16g wire, hence the dreaded smoke came out of the wires. Luckily I was there, usually I am not on site now, so I demonstrated how to fault find this problem. I had 12V all over the ground connections so no ground but finding it was fun. Bad connections on the isolator switch. This was in PEI Canada and we have plenty of salt here. Good luck and brilliant videos I love them. Keep up the good work, very instructional and I have learned a lot about finding faults using a code reader. Yours Mr. A. K. Denyer B. Eng. Hons. elec P.Eng. MIET
That sums it up pretty much. As long as the battery is good and ya check for voltage drops to make sure ya don’t just have a bad cable, make sure the computer is doing its job.. bada bing time for a new alternator. Good thorough diagnosis and repair Eric. I love that little pico scope
Eric, I really enjoy this type of video. It includes a quick and simple “how the system works”, and then an actual demo of how to use that knowledge to do an accurate diagnosis. While this particular video did not include the “wrenching nuts and bolts to swap the alternator” portion, I still found it very valuable.
Like Scotty would say: "Rev up your engines...so you can test if the alternator is working!" Great instructional on how to test the alternator circuit for bad grounds/connections via voltage drop and the duty cycle. As you've shown diagnosis is key - firing the parts cannon is not a viable solution! BTW - I had no idea some models of cars use the ECM to control duty cycle for voltage loads. Reminds me of my VW's CIS injection system - it uses an ECM to control duty cycle on the continuous injector pulse - and that was back in '84! Neat to see that applied to voltage regulation too.
Another great video. I love the way that you explain what you are doing and why. It really amazes me that I see negative comments on your videos - you always do a great job that (in the long run) saves customers money - and educates us; what's not to like?
Some people just can't stand knowing someone is more knowledgeable than they are, about something. They have to criticize to make themselves feel superior. They are the ones that stand around and do hardly anything accept talk.
One thing I would add would be to inspect the drive belt and tensioner not questioning the master I just have been burned on that before. Love your videos as always!!!
I remember when I got my 2013 kia, I tested the battery and voltage with car running. I never could understand how you can have less than 13v output and a good alternator. Apparently on newer cars it does this to reduce engine load and better fuel economy. My local alternator rebuilder told me the same thing.
fyi if you ever have electrical issues, start checking grounds. then wires. i keep after my junk so i know it's state most of the time. keep them terminals clean :)
Thanks Eric, this video makes me want to go out and play with my U-scope.Try a 2004 KIA Optima V6 2.7. Ball joint, tie rod , cv axle, motor mount, jack the engine up and it was still a press fit. I have the factory manuals on the car and a 4 cyl is no problem, step by step instructions. When it came to the V6 all it said was remove wheel , splash guard, and "other components", so basically it told me "good luck"
You do realize its located at rear bottom of the engine on that car.. Why would both the KIA and Haynes manuals say to start with removing the wheel and fender splash guards if it could be gotten from the top? It doesn’t look like enough room to get it out even if you strip the front of the engine but I’ll take a another look at it.
School is in!!!.....I am familiar with Scotty's videos and like you said, "take the extra 5 minutes".....Customers are willing to pay for honesty, due diligence, and great work however, i'm not so sure about the "give it the old reach around"...ahahahah...who knows, I could be wrong. (I know you were talking about the car). Love this informative hands on approach...thank you and keep up the fine work.
A thorough test to prove the part is bad! Great Video! You did a video one time on a vehicle that took 3 replacement tries to get one that handled the accessory load AND send power to the battery for battery charge. I remember the alt output was not enough to handle the accessories AND the battery. I think when you throttled up it almost handled all loads.
Great info. I love how you explain things. Story time. When I was first starting as a mechanic, 15 years ago. I was working at a Mitsubishi dealer and caught a mid 2000 Galant with a battery light on. Being a young mechanic I trusted the equipment and it said bad alternator. We replaced with a factory unit, under warranty. Tested it and tested fine. Customer came to get the car and fired it up and the battery light on again. What he neglected to tell us was the battery light would go out after the car warmed up, 🤔. After chasing the wiring for what seemed like forever. It turned out that the pins going to the instrument cluster were at fault. 1 pin was slightly bent and and when cold it would retract and when warm go back.
I literally wasted almost $500 on my older high mileage 2002 corolla. Reman alternator, new interstate battery, brand new Negative and Positive battery cable harness, only to find out one of the ground wires was slightly loose causing the charging system drainage. Wish I found your channel sooner!
2000 Grand Cherokee not charging. Turned out to be one of the small control wires weren't making very good contact. Same type of connection on the HVAC fan caused it not to run. Both repairs were a @PineHollowAutoDiagnostics repair. No parts required! Yes, I was wearing a shirt. No, I don't have a headlamp! Oh, the previous owner had replaced the alternator.
Very well covered Not just parts swapping, a very thoughtful consideration of what charges the battery under load conditions, as in rear defroster blower motor on high and headlights all needed for typical winter driving! Stay healthy this winter!
Au contraire, Mon AMI, I have learned a lot from this video, and I am an aircraft electronics technician, and many of these tests are applicable to most vehicles. Always a pleasure.
in ALL your videos, I really appreciate the troubleshooting aspect you bring to it. I've actually bought many of the tools you use (Power Probe IV) because I appreciate troubleshooting versus loading up the parts gun
"Dange it all to Heck!"- Those leads don't stay on! Installing the alternator, a 'bit of a son of a mother'! Thank you SMAR for a fine video, love the overview whiteboard at the beginning and the step by step with each test. I'd give a dozen more likes if I could! :)
Excellent video, had to replace the alternator on my 2003 Mazda protege 5 with the 2.0L4 last year as I had issues keeping the battery fully charged as even driving 38 miles each way to work in very heavy stop and go traffic 5 days a week, eventually, the battery needed a jump. Turned out, the alternator was barely charging but not enough to trigger the battery light, but it was not keeping the battery fully charged either. Something about the regulator I think was faulty so a new one was procured and I installed it. Not easy in a tight engine bay, caught some videos on YT to see how its done by those that have done one. The easiest is from below the motor, I did it up top and it meant a twist, turn and then install, but I got it. Now getting the damn belt tight enough to NOT shred etc was another story, but I got it and it's been hunky dory since then. Saved my battery that was slowly being killed off. Turned out I may have had this issue for several years as I kept going through batteries every 2 years since I bought the car in 2012. So far, so good... Anyway, love your videos and they are interesting and you are very entertaining too, thus I finally subscribed a few months back. :-)
thank you for showing the steps that you go through when without a doubt proving a part failure. this is what distinguishes a professional from an amateur. poor diagnostics will cost extra time and money. Thanks again for the informative content, you are helping more people out then you may realize.
Another great video! One question. Assuming that you are the only mechanic working at the odd hours that you work to make these videos, and the air compressor always comes on at key moments, you must have air leaks. Why don’t you fix the air leaks?
It is all hard piped with over 100 feet of pipe and about 50 different connections. Just not worth tearing everything apart for it. It really does not kick on that much, just funny when it does during videos
Eric O!...you just solved my problems observed with the "significant other" car. She said that it has been starting rough, running rough and with general poor idle...even the headlights were weird. I did the same tests with my cheap voltmeter to see the same thing illustrated above. I am confident that NAPA can supply the part tomorrow for installation. I even had 12.15 volts being supplied to the battery from the positive alternator stud. Thanks, priceless stuff...keep it coming. Just so you know, I plan to show off my skills without immediately informing her of my Eric educational...and maybe impress her. This will likely fail miserably...ha!
Eric that was one of the best videos I've personally seen you produce since I've been watching you and that's a very long time.Thanks for using the U scope whiteboard and a simple voltmeter and explaining the readings. Not that I don't know what the results should be it's just nice you used tools us everyday DIYers use. Great explanation and thanks for taking your own personal time to explain it to us. Very much appreciated. ❤️️❤️️
Wow, it's been forever since I last saw a Jasper engines sign. Used to ride in the car through Jasper, Indiana as a kid on the way to see grandma and grandpa.
Have you ever rebuilt one of their engines. I took a 350 Chevy Jasper rebuilt engine apart, two of the cylinders were bored .10 over. One cylinder was bored .20 over. The others were stock. The crank had one main turned .10 under. Two rod journals turned .20 under. You would have had to get 3 ring sets, two rod bearing sets and two main bearing sets. Of course we took the parts and had everything turned or bored the same but we had to buy all new piston, which the old ones wasn't worn that bad.
Hilarious coincidence that the day you post this video a 2004 Chrysler Town & Country comes into my school 's shop with an intermittent battery light/charging issue. I've already had electricity part 1 & 2 (courses in my automotive program) and used the exact same methods as Eric O here, but it was great to have this as a quick refresher when I had a brain fart. In the case of the van the alternator was TRYING to do its job, but the ancient serpentine belt (measured with a belt depth gauge indicated it was past worn and in danger of imminent failure) combined with the valve covers puking oil everywhere (the belt, alternator, connectors, etc) made it not always work correctly. Told the owner to get the oil leak fixed pronto & replace the belt, if that doesn't fix the alternator problem I'll diagnose more from there.
I like the time you spend explaining your diagnostic techniques. I really don't like parts changers. The auto worlds gain is the art worlds loss 👌🏻 Thank you , sir.
I must have fallen asleep for a minute when MrO announced he changed the alternator. When I woke up at the end of the video I couldn't figure why readings were good lol. Watched a second time and it was clear.
Thank you for using the Uscope. I am considering purchasing one and seeing it used is very helpful. Please use it more as it will help everyone that has it, and the people that are considering buying one. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for taking the time to show us that. I thought just attaching the ohm meter to the cold battery. Then doing it when the car was running was enough. Because as you showed it should be in the nominal range of 12 volts. 12 up to 14. The wire between them could be bad. That little part is cheap to fix if it was. Great job.
Eric, I needed this video like last week. You wouldn't believe the crap I had to go through with my 2000 Caravan Sport. Although there's no way to test the alternator on vehicle (back of engine, underneath windshield cowl, and intake manifold). Removed and reinstalled twice, 2 auto part stores tested alternator to be good when in fact it wasn't. I ended up buying a new one and hoped for the best. So far it's been 5 days and no problems. But great detailed video!
Good explanation! I had a case with my grandfathers Honda Odyssey, the battery would randomly die, was getting to the point where it needed jumped every day, then it suddenly went away and it occasional, every test it was tested good same with the battery, well he got a new Alternator I put it on, what a job it was... And all seemed fine and it started to do it again, out of the blue, Tested it everything was fine, change the battery anyway, still occasionally did it. I tore the entire front end of that van apart and I found that inside of the sleeve for the hot wire that goes to the alternator was not crimped down from factory enough, this probably had been going for 8 months lol, So glad its fixed, tired of jumping it, and tired of seeing it lol.
I wish all garages were as thorough as you are with pre and post testing. If I lived closer to you, YOU would be my garage of choice for repairs out of my purview. Those being, blowing up shocks etc. ;-)
Eric - love your explanations here, but I'm a bit surprised that you'd start with the voltage drop test. If the alt isn't putting anything out, it's essentially a high-resistance load across the battery - i.e., no current flowing across it, thus no voltage drop across the cables. If the alt isn't working, I'd first check for field voltage or even full-field it manually; if there's still no output, it's dead. Also, if I saw anything more than 0.1V across a 4' or so cable at full load, I'd be tightening the heck out of the terminals - and replacing the cable if it doesn't go down. Thanks for your great content!
I have a 2009 Hyundai Sonata with the 2.4l with 92,070 miles and so far it hasn't needed an O2 sensor or alternator. It did need a new serpentine belt tensioner and belt a few months back though. As far as I can tell, that's the only work then engine has ever had done on it. It's a great car!
First of all, are you a descendant of, or related to, Walt Disney ??? Your drawings are very good, make people laugh, and if ever syndicated, may give you a second backup career !!!! Just adore that fan belt and fan / pulley drawing. And I continue ..... your theory lesson is commendable....as well as the correct checks to make to determine a faulty alternator. You earned your days pay. Mrs. O. can go grocery shopping now. Well done !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Knowing I have some chargingproblems on my Subie, and the fact that it is 5°F here in the northern part of Norway, above the arctic circle at this very moment, the best part of it is that Eric O gives a very good insight in troubleshooting a bad alternator. Oh and warm coffee. Yeah and a blanket and my trusted couch to go with :) Thank you for your great videos Eric. Have a great day :)
Hey Eric, thanks for taking time before going home to do this for us. I gotta say I’ve learned more from you, Ivan, Keith, Danner and other RUclipsrs (Mario too!) than what they’ve taught me at the shop I work at!
Very nice job explaining the operation of the charging system!! And thank you very much for taking the time to do so..hands down one of the BEST mechanics on RUclips!!
I actually have that exact engine I was looking forward to the replacement steps. Judging by your comments, I'll have to leave myself ample time to replace when that time comes. 2007 185k with the OG alternator.
I love the videos! I have two requests: please do a video on all of the scan tools you have purchased and explain likes/dislikes about each. My second request is could you please go over how flat rate works, i.e. does changing a water pump include time to drain/refill the coolant system?
Great job of explaining all that! Very basic but there is a lot of fundamentals you pointed out that are not so easy to understand, all at once for for many new techs! I love my uScope. It’s my go to and all time favorite tools. What a powerful addition to any toolbox! I was wondering why you never pop up on my feed..I swore I was subscribed. Apparently not 🤪.. I’ve been learning from you for years. Go figure. I’ll be seeing all your new content now so I’m content! Keep up all the great work Eric O!
This pcm stuff is interesting sometimes. I remember in the beginning it did throw me for a loop. Takes some time to work out a plan. Great explanation of operations and functionality.
When it was full fielded, at idle with full load, was that an example of what burns out alternators with new brushes after install with a low battery. When you cut the load and when you had a higher rpm, the field was modulated and so had some cooling time. The full field, at idle (car most likely stationary) would build up heat with the least airflow. A few minutes won't matter, but let the car run to "charge" the battery, and you burn out the alternator before the brushes wear in so they can handle the higher current. I've been amazed a how much the engineers depend on those minute "off" periods to reduce the thermal build up in circuits.
Great video. I love the voltage drop test to rule out corrosion / cracked cable / etc. Without a scope - with only Ye Olde $15 volt meter from Sears Roebuck - could one determine anything from the field wire? E.g. if it shows a steady 12v, regardless of load, can we conclude the ECM isn't commanding it on? If it shows something greater than 0v with no load, and we turn on all the things (rear defogger, blower on high, high beams, drill press, disco ball, hot tub, escalator, etc), and the field wire then shows a steady 0v - can we assume ECM is commanding it to give ALL THE BEANS?
A few years ago I had a Chevy Express 3500 van with the 5.7 L. The alternator wasn't charging but when I brought it in to Advance Auto Parts it tested as good so I didn't buy another one. It turned out the field circuit controlled by the ECM had failed. I got it to work by wiring the field circuit old school by running a wire from the fuse box to the field terminal and wired a light bulb in series to serve as the "battery light" and also serves as a resistor. Much cheaper than replacing the ECM and everything else on the truck worked fine otherwise.
Duuude!!! How ironic that you post a video about alternator problems. I think thats whats happening to my car now. My lights went dim & then my radio turned off. Lights on dash board started to show. This happened on monday (dec.3rd) mechanic is coming to my house this weekend.
Half a dozen mechanics replaced my car's battery before even one of them bothered to check the alternator. If you lived in my town, you'd have a license to print money -- a mechanic who's competent, honest, and conscientious.
I learn something in every video. Thank you Eric. This old dog is learning new tricks. Is that alternator rebuildable? Most are if armature is good...most time regulator and brushes go up in cars that I have worked on. Hmm...14 volts with load...ship it. Caught this one in another SMA binge watch, wow you have a lot of videos..lol Thanks again for sharing your time and knowledge.
As many tips you gave us, I would like to give you one back. There is an updated valve cover gasket if you do find one leaking on an alternator on these 3.3 and 3.8
Bro you really need to come up with a course training course you have so much knowledge and such a great way of explaining things that you will be a great teacher.. Im in im always watching your videos is actually better then Netflix 😃😃
Most of the auto parts stores that I know of will not do that cable check. Most require you to remove the alt and bring it in for testing. So, that would be something to keep in mind if you yank the alt off and have it tested at the store of your choice and they say that it tests good, check the cables. The alt being under the control of the ECM is a new one on me. Have not played with the newer autos very much. Great instructional vid.
Jeep did this ecm controlling the charging some years back. Alternatorman on youtube has a fix for that. if you want a schoolin on alternators, check him out.
Great video as usual. Most of us can test the alternator. Not the part with the scope though. Too expensive for the backyard mechanic. Thanks for making this video
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*uScope Master Kit (AES# uMaster) : www.aeswave.com/cart.php?m=affiliate_go&affiliateID=2525b91fc8e906e8215984074c9d9e8f&go=www.aeswave.com/uScope-Master-Kit-1-channel-automotive-scope-p9273.html
Adjustable Insulation Piercing Test Clip with B-plug Inputs (AES# PE-10) : www.aeswave.com/cart.php?m=affiliate_go&affiliateID=2525b91fc8e906e8215984074c9d9e8f&go=www.aeswave.com/Adjustable-Insulation-Piercing-Test-Clip-with-B-plug-Inputs-p8507.html
The link to the scope does not work, it just points to the official home page
In the first link, change the 2nd "http" to "https" (after "go=").
grab the link from the item search. since the link points to your cart it wont allow us to see the item you are pointing to
what do you think about Autel scope versus UScope ??
What an engineering disaster!!! Four hours, breaking down the AC to change the alternator on a 06 foreign junker?!? I can change the alternator on any GM in an hour with my eyes closed, and they last long! My 2000 grand Prix has the factory original alternator..
The only problem I have with this mechanic is why doesn't this garage isn't close to my area? This guy knows what he is doing. This isn't just a way of income it is a way of life. We need more like him in this world.
Yeah I understand same here except I'm a mechanic and I have finally understood what the big problem is with mechanics. A bad mechanic is not even a real mechanic they just do this because their in it for the money and they have never have gotten involved in this. The good mechanic is in it because they have fun doing clean work and are good at it and are not in it just for the money, we help people and enjoy doing it and it results in always being flooded with work and never not having work. And mechanics like me don't have to worry about the money part. Everyone out there be aware of mechanics that are in it for the money. Find a good mechanic who is always flooded with work and who you can see they enjoy helping people.
One thing I can say is that Eric is teaching the future techs of the world. I will admit I use to be a parts cannon style tech when I started. I couldn’t trouble shoot but then started watching Eric and scanner danner. I’m definitely making sure I diagnose the job properly before putting parts in.
I’m assuming a lot of other mechanics have done this too. Eric is a role model for all of us mechanics and we all hope we can be half as good as him one day.
Amen to that. How do you know who you can trust?
@@adviseandmorecarsandmore8346 I've known shops flooded with work because they lie about the price then jack up the price when they got your car apart. Also seen shops that had 5 stars that had terrible mechanics. A recommendation may be the best way, although even then you never know what you're getting.
As a former 30 yr technician I find your diagnostic skills fantastic and the proper way to do even simple jobs like this. Thx for the vids.
farmark...as a 30yr back yard parts changer, I love his vids, too!!
39 years here and I like watching other people work, too. 😜
so why not just start the car and pull the positive cable off the battery? if the car dies, you know the alternator is junk...ive diagnosed many alternators that way. never been wrong so far.
you can't do that test on modern cars where everything is controlled by computer commands you will destroy the canabus.
@@Billy_Darley because you might destroy the ECM and other modules. Hyundai's have MANY microprocessors.
Excellent teaching event. I love these episodes when things are quiet and we can spend quality time in the shop. I especially enjoyed the duty cycle difference. If I saw that duty cycle drop to zero I would have thought something was wrong. That was invaluable information. You could have been home an hour ago, so thank you for spending this time with us.
Well stated!
Well said!!
Anybody can learn how fix cars/trucks ect If your instructor is Eric O. I've gotten much better as a diyer since I've been watching his videos. I don't mind at all buying parts as long I can install them with a good out come. How many people will take time from their day to make a video to help others? Thank you
I appreciate the process he goes through and shiws. Every other video people make is then doing edited takes of them just zapping bolts off and making it look easy. Eric shows in real time what happens and its very refreshing to see.
I admire the way this man explains stuff. Simple, to the point, no smoke, no mirrors. Fully compatible with the way I tend to learn the best. Thanks Eric!
You were dying to do that sonata joke weren't you
Waiting all year.
It got a chuckle out of me.
Eric would be getting an upvote anyway, but not normally after just few seconds :-)
I laughed.
Actually, if you decided to change careers go into stand up comedy and call yourself Shecky "O"
There are days when I can’t believe the effort you put in these videos. Great job Mr O. Thanks again for another cool job.
Having repaired a lot of alternators over the years. Having been out of it for about 20 years now, this is a new type controlled from the ECU. like the old external regulator types. Well now I am back at it here in Canada fixing alternators. No real money in it but it helps people out. If I get a good one I will make a video about it. I used to do magnetos, Dynamos and starters as well. Still got some of the gear and the books. I had a good one this weekend which would have made a good video. A Delco Remy with a new rotating field. It would not fire up, turned out to be not enough residual magnetism in the new field. I had to bring the wires to the sliprings out to magnetize it externally. Then away she went. All parts tested ok. Most alternators have 1 of a few, very common problems, Brushes worn or sticking, regulator died and bad front bearing. Diodes rarely fail, windings rarely fail. Another common fault is broken cases. Starters is nearly always bushes and brushes. But no money in that business anymore unless you do specialist work like boats and plant or vintage cars and racing cars. Domestic cars, no hope you will starve. Allister
The world needs more people like you. You don’t charge customers more money that you need to. $200 is the different between paying the rent or going hungry.
Must be a nerdy electrician, I love watching your electrical fault finding, you know your stuff and you talk to us, not down to us.
Keep up the good work Eric.
I nominate Eric " The SuperGenuis" for Mechanic of the Year!
I want to thank you for uploading these videos, I'm in college at the moment and use your videos as an additional study tool. You'd make a good instructor, as you are able to effectively explain procedures and still keep it interesting. Thanks again from the west coast of California for the cornucopia of knowledge! Just wrote a report on diagnosing and giving a step by step on replacing an alternator and starter motor!
Man I hope the people in your community appreciate how great of a local mechanic they have
I’ve been studying voltage drop and just bought my first book on auto electronics. I understood everything in that video. Maybe I am learning something. Thanks for the explanations and spending time to draw it out. Really appreciate when you have time to do the white board
Good video. This would have simplified my fiasco on my daughter’s 99 Hondoo Accord 2 years ago. It was a no charge situation due to corrosion on the negative battery cable at the body. I discovered it by tugging on the cable and what was left in the pressed lug came out. Lots of green crusties. I don’t live in the rust belt either. The gods of auto repair were with me and I didn’t have to replace the alternator. Don’t assume. Test and examine.
I really appreciate Eric O taking the time to explain these concepts in detail. I'm always still learning so having Dr. O give me an in depth lecture will only make me smarter when dealing with an alternator circuit. Ty.
The white board of knowledge makes an educational appearance at SMA.. It doesn't get better than that. Thanks Eric!
Maybe a couple of Bob Ross videos before you start drawing . Just saying......."Happy Alternator"
"it-sonata-charging" -- nice.
That was actually funny
Had an alternator charging issue on my Volvo XC90, around 11 Volts and with some checking, decided to replace the externally mounted regulator (electronics and brush assembly) for around $45 from FCP. Easy to replace and back to 14+ volts. Not all alternators have this externally but sure saves you replacing the entire unit which would be a PITA, similar to Eric O's Sonata. Keep it up as we appreciate all of the 'teaching moments' that you share!
Brushes wear out on alternators; something has to transfer voltage to the rotor and something needs to wear so it's either the copper on the slip rings or the brushes. So if the vehicle has done a lot of miles it might need new brushes. Pull an alternator off a scrap yard, swap it for the bad alternator, then rebuild the old alternator, then you have spare.
Btw loved your little scope for the pcm!
Hello Eric, I'm very happy about your videos. I'm car electrician in Brazil and another day I was working in a truck that had a bad cranking and almost didn't run, because you I remembered I should to do a drop voltage test and I did,so I found the problem and fixed it cleaning the bad wire ground. Thanks Eric you are the best.lol
Poor guy... You don't even have a dry eraser. Had to use your sweatshirt... 😆 Thanks for the whiteboard work. I for one appreciate the thorough diagnostics explanations. Thanks for the hard work you do to publish excellent content!
Trey Herren what the percentage of chance Eric gets a handful of dry erasers sent to him after this video.
I'm not sure that drawing was perfectly to scale, though. ;-)
Kenneth Humphrey I was thinking the same thing
@@dirtracingfan8742 I think all of us who subscribe should send him one. I can only imagine what the office would look like! HaHa, and the mail carrier would hate us!
Never seen Scotty, but I’ve watched Eric O for about a year. The thing I like about Eric, is that he is as honest as the day is long. It’s not RUclips schtick.
All you need to see is the Saturday shop cleanup and scrap run. He could have put a couple hundred bucks in his pocket with the scrap money, but nope, a stop at the local animal shelter, donating the scrap money, plus another $100 directly out of his pocket speaks loud.
Watching Eric methodically go through performing basic screening tests to advanced testing to give his customers value for their hard earned money is first class.
If I lived closer to upstate New York, I’d give up my diagnostic tools and let Eric perform my repairs. Finding a competent mechanic that also is a great diagnostic person is a rare thing. Too many parts replacers out there.
Just for your and everyone's information - Scotty is NOT a mechanic. He got his start as a local news reporter down in Tampa. He did a small report on a car show and then that started it. He quit the news reporter job after a few years then got on RUclips and started preaching his crap. His dad was a mechanic and Scotty was just the kid that played around in the garage and banged hammers on the wall. No interest in cars or knowledge.
wolfsnack he did his homework and helped lots of people. you naysayer.
Hi There I used to run and auto electrical company and yes you are mostly correct and a very good video on diagnosing an bad alternator. I have also designed many alternator installations for marine engines and it is not simple. I will not labour the details. but when checking volt drop you have to measure the current as well. My standard used to be no more than 0.5V for a 12V system. 250mV at full load I would say is right on the limit, two wires usually, 250mV each side. I don't think there was a fault but the manufacturer is using too small gauge wire. I used to get this all the time on marine installations. The IGN input on most modern alternators is the battery sense. So they are using it to control voltage. My standard was 13.8V minimum on the battery with full output from the alternator. Many systems these days go higher. 14 and 14.4V I see often. The higher the voltage the greater can be the electrolyte loss. Be careful with the ground connection when checking for volt drop because the ground line on the battery only carries the current to charge the battery not the whole system current. When dealing with current networks it can be confusing where all the current is going particularly on boats with steel hulls. So measure the current in the wire as well as the volt drop. That is why you had such a low figure for the ground as opposed to the alternator output. The alternator output was distributing from the battery post hence full current flow to that point. I was on a Vacuum truck on Friday 14 DEC with a new installation. This truck had a ground isolator and the idiots grounded the new equipment directly to the battery through a 16AWG wire. the Ground switch had bad connections so the truck ground went through this 16G wire. The guy complained that since the new burner was fitted his truck would not start properly and smoke was pouring out of the new equipment, The new equipment only draws 20A and the 16g wire was too small for even that. So it had a false ground, no problem if the isolator worked but when it failed all the truck current went through this little 16g wire, hence the dreaded smoke came out of the wires. Luckily I was there, usually I am not on site now, so I demonstrated how to fault find this problem. I had 12V all over the ground connections so no ground but finding it was fun. Bad connections on the isolator switch. This was in PEI Canada and we have plenty of salt here. Good luck and brilliant videos I love them. Keep up the good work, very instructional and I have learned a lot about finding faults using a code reader.
Yours Mr. A. K. Denyer B. Eng. Hons. elec P.Eng. MIET
That sums it up pretty much. As long as the battery is good and ya check for voltage drops to make sure ya don’t just have a bad cable, make sure the computer is doing its job.. bada bing time for a new alternator. Good thorough diagnosis and repair Eric.
I love that little pico scope
I bet my teacher to show these during class. So much knowledge & real world experience.
Did your teacher ablige and show them or you still trying to get the teacher to show them?
Eric, I really enjoy this type of video. It includes a quick and simple “how the system works”, and then an actual demo of how to use that knowledge to do an accurate diagnosis. While this particular video did not include the “wrenching nuts and bolts to swap the alternator” portion, I still found it very valuable.
Like Scotty would say: "Rev up your engines...so you can test if the alternator is working!"
Great instructional on how to test the alternator circuit for bad grounds/connections via voltage drop and the duty cycle. As you've shown diagnosis is key - firing the parts cannon is not a viable solution!
BTW - I had no idea some models of cars use the ECM to control duty cycle for voltage loads. Reminds me of my VW's CIS injection system - it uses an ECM to control duty cycle on the continuous injector pulse - and that was back in '84! Neat to see that applied to voltage regulation too.
Another great video. I love the way that you explain what you are doing and why. It really amazes me that I see negative comments on your videos - you always do a great job that (in the long run) saves customers money - and educates us; what's not to like?
Some people just can't stand knowing someone is more knowledgeable than they are, about something. They have to criticize to make themselves feel superior.
They are the ones that stand around and do hardly anything accept talk.
Starting your pod casts with the wiring drawing helps tremendously. GOOD JOB!
One thing I would add would be to inspect the drive belt and tensioner not questioning the master I just have been burned on that before. Love your videos as always!!!
I remember when I got my 2013 kia, I tested the battery and voltage with car running. I never could understand how you can have less than 13v output and a good alternator. Apparently on newer cars it does this to reduce engine load and better fuel economy. My local alternator rebuilder told me the same thing.
Really interesting video. You are teaching a 45 year back yard mechanic a lot of stuff. Thanks for your extra time spent.
fyi if you ever have electrical issues, start checking grounds. then wires. i keep after my junk so i know it's state most of the time. keep them terminals clean :)
Thanks Eric, this video makes me want to go out and play with my U-scope.Try a 2004 KIA Optima V6 2.7. Ball joint, tie rod , cv axle, motor mount, jack the engine up and it was still a press fit. I have the factory manuals on the car and a 4 cyl is no problem, step by step instructions. When it came to the V6 all it said was remove wheel , splash guard, and "other components", so basically it told me "good luck"
You can remove and replace the alternator on the 2.7 from the top without tearing into the suspension. It is a lot easier.
You do realize its located at rear bottom of the engine on that car.. Why would both the KIA and Haynes manuals say to start with removing the wheel and fender splash guards if it could be gotten from the top? It doesn’t look like enough room to get it out even if you strip the front of the engine but I’ll take a another look at it.
School is in!!!.....I am familiar with Scotty's videos and like you said, "take the extra 5 minutes".....Customers are willing to pay for honesty, due diligence, and great work however, i'm not so sure about the "give it the old reach around"...ahahahah...who knows, I could be wrong. (I know you were talking about the car). Love this informative hands on approach...thank you and keep up the fine work.
Luis Olivero I have a Great reach around joke but I’m pretty sure It would get me flagged in Eric’s comment section so I’ll have to keep it to myself.
A thorough test to prove the part is bad! Great Video! You did a video one time on a vehicle that took 3 replacement tries to get one that handled the accessory load AND send power to the battery for battery charge. I remember the alt output was not enough to handle the accessories AND the battery. I think when you throttled up it almost handled all loads.
Great info. I love how you explain things.
Story time.
When I was first starting as a mechanic, 15 years ago. I was working at a Mitsubishi dealer and caught a mid 2000 Galant with a battery light on. Being a young mechanic I trusted the equipment and it said bad alternator. We replaced with a factory unit, under warranty. Tested it and tested fine. Customer came to get the car and fired it up and the battery light on again. What he neglected to tell us was the battery light would go out after the car warmed up, 🤔.
After chasing the wiring for what seemed like forever. It turned out that the pins going to the instrument cluster were at fault. 1 pin was slightly bent and and when cold it would retract and when warm go back.
I literally wasted almost $500 on my older high mileage 2002 corolla. Reman alternator, new interstate battery, brand new Negative and Positive battery cable harness, only to find out one of the ground wires was slightly loose causing the charging system drainage. Wish I found your channel sooner!
2000 Grand Cherokee not charging. Turned out to be one of the small control wires weren't making very good contact.
Same type of connection on the HVAC fan caused it not to run.
Both repairs were a @PineHollowAutoDiagnostics repair. No parts required! Yes, I was wearing a shirt. No, I don't have a headlamp!
Oh, the previous owner had replaced the alternator.
Flipflops?
Very well covered Not just parts swapping, a very thoughtful consideration of what charges the battery under load conditions, as in rear defroster blower motor on high and headlights all needed for typical winter driving! Stay healthy this winter!
i'm watching all the way from nicaragua
thank you for doing this we all know it takes time to have everything on video
Au contraire, Mon AMI, I have learned a lot from this video, and I am an aircraft electronics technician, and many of these tests are applicable to most vehicles. Always a pleasure.
in ALL your videos, I really appreciate the troubleshooting aspect you bring to it. I've actually bought many of the tools you use (Power Probe IV) because I appreciate troubleshooting versus loading up the parts gun
"Dange it all to Heck!"- Those leads don't stay on! Installing the alternator, a 'bit of a son of a mother'! Thank you SMAR for a fine video, love the overview whiteboard at the beginning and the step by step with each test. I'd give a dozen more likes if I could! :)
big skookum there
Excellent video, had to replace the alternator on my 2003 Mazda protege 5 with the 2.0L4 last year as I had issues keeping the battery fully charged as even driving 38 miles each way to work in very heavy stop and go traffic 5 days a week, eventually, the battery needed a jump. Turned out, the alternator was barely charging but not enough to trigger the battery light, but it was not keeping the battery fully charged either.
Something about the regulator I think was faulty so a new one was procured and I installed it. Not easy in a tight engine bay, caught some videos on YT to see how its done by those that have done one. The easiest is from below the motor, I did it up top and it meant a twist, turn and then install, but I got it. Now getting the damn belt tight enough to NOT shred etc was another story, but I got it and it's been hunky dory since then. Saved my battery that was slowly being killed off. Turned out I may have had this issue for several years as I kept going through batteries every 2 years since I bought the car in 2012.
So far, so good...
Anyway, love your videos and they are interesting and you are very entertaining too, thus I finally subscribed a few months back. :-)
I appreciate you taking the time and drawing on the dry erase board. Really helpful to see the real world example and a simple wiring drawing.
thank you for showing the steps that you go through when without a doubt proving a part failure. this is what distinguishes a professional from an amateur. poor diagnostics will cost extra time and money. Thanks again for the informative content, you are helping more people out then you may realize.
Another great video! One question. Assuming that you are the only mechanic working at the odd hours that you work to make these videos, and the air compressor always comes on at key moments, you must have air leaks. Why don’t you fix the air leaks?
It is all hard piped with over 100 feet of pipe and about 50 different connections. Just not worth tearing everything apart for it. It really does not kick on that much, just funny when it does during videos
Nice to see someone that appreciates Scotty, he's a good dude
Eric O!...you just solved my problems observed with the "significant other" car. She said that it has been starting rough, running rough and with general poor idle...even the headlights were weird. I did the same tests with my cheap voltmeter to see the same thing illustrated above. I am confident that NAPA can supply the part tomorrow for installation. I even had 12.15 volts being supplied to the battery from the positive alternator stud. Thanks, priceless stuff...keep it coming. Just so you know, I plan to show off my skills without immediately informing her of my Eric educational...and maybe impress her. This will likely fail miserably...ha!
Eric that was one of the best videos I've personally seen you produce since I've been watching you and that's a very long time.Thanks for using the U scope whiteboard and a simple voltmeter and explaining the readings. Not that I don't know what the results should be it's just nice you used tools us everyday DIYers use. Great explanation and thanks for taking your own personal time to explain it to us. Very much appreciated. ❤️️❤️️
Damn, we're living in the future. Eric instructs the camera to 'enhance' and the camera zooms in!
Wow, it's been forever since I last saw a Jasper engines sign. Used to ride in the car through Jasper, Indiana as a kid on the way to see grandma and grandpa.
Have you ever rebuilt one of their engines. I took a 350 Chevy Jasper rebuilt engine apart, two of the cylinders were bored .10 over. One cylinder was bored .20 over. The others were stock. The crank had one main turned .10 under. Two rod journals turned .20 under. You would have had to get 3 ring sets, two rod bearing sets and two main bearing sets. Of course we took the parts and had everything turned or bored the same but we had to buy all new piston, which the old ones wasn't worn that bad.
Great things about the uScope is it’s easy to get in the shot and it’s high contrast.
Oh, and Scotty's the GREATEST YT MECHANIC EVAR.
Hilarious coincidence that the day you post this video a 2004 Chrysler Town & Country comes into my school 's shop with an intermittent battery light/charging issue. I've already had electricity part 1 & 2 (courses in my automotive program) and used the exact same methods as Eric O here, but it was great to have this as a quick refresher when I had a brain fart.
In the case of the van the alternator was TRYING to do its job, but the ancient serpentine belt (measured with a belt depth gauge indicated it was past worn and in danger of imminent failure) combined with the valve covers puking oil everywhere (the belt, alternator, connectors, etc) made it not always work correctly. Told the owner to get the oil leak fixed pronto & replace the belt, if that doesn't fix the alternator problem I'll diagnose more from there.
I like the time you spend explaining your diagnostic techniques. I really don't like parts changers. The auto worlds gain is the art worlds loss 👌🏻 Thank you , sir.
I must have fallen asleep for a minute when MrO announced he changed the alternator. When I woke up at the end of the video I couldn't figure why readings were good lol. Watched a second time and it was clear.
Thank you for using the Uscope. I am considering purchasing one and seeing it used is very helpful. Please use it more as it will help everyone that has it, and the people that are considering buying one. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for taking the time to show us that. I thought just attaching the ohm meter to the cold battery. Then doing it when the car was running was enough. Because as you showed it should be in the nominal range of 12 volts. 12 up to 14. The wire between them could be bad. That little part is cheap to fix if it was. Great job.
thanks for the videos Eric they are great and very professional, but where can I buy the orange scope that you used on this video ?
Eric, I needed this video like last week. You wouldn't believe the crap I had to go through with my 2000 Caravan Sport. Although there's no way to test the alternator on vehicle (back of engine, underneath windshield cowl, and intake manifold). Removed and reinstalled twice, 2 auto part stores tested alternator to be good when in fact it wasn't. I ended up buying a new one and hoped for the best. So far it's been 5 days and no problems. But great detailed video!
Good explanation! I had a case with my grandfathers Honda Odyssey, the battery would randomly die, was getting to the point where it needed jumped every day, then it suddenly went away and it occasional, every test it was tested good same with the battery, well he got a new Alternator I put it on, what a job it was... And all seemed fine and it started to do it again, out of the blue, Tested it everything was fine, change the battery anyway, still occasionally did it. I tore the entire front end of that van apart and I found that inside of the sleeve for the hot wire that goes to the alternator was not crimped down from factory enough, this probably had been going for 8 months lol, So glad its fixed, tired of jumping it, and tired of seeing it lol.
My car had the opposite problem. It was overcharging.
It was a very simple fix. I took away its credit card.
No more overcharging. :P
😆
That's bad even for a dad joke
You Need The Federal Reserves Money Printer.
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
I wish all garages were as thorough as you are with pre and post testing. If I lived closer to you, YOU would be my garage of choice for repairs out of my purview. Those being, blowing up shocks etc. ;-)
Great video on alternator testing Eric, thx for sharing 👍 Cheers, Steve.
Eric - love your explanations here, but I'm a bit surprised that you'd start with the voltage drop test. If the alt isn't putting anything out, it's essentially a high-resistance load across the battery - i.e., no current flowing across it, thus no voltage drop across the cables. If the alt isn't working, I'd first check for field voltage or even full-field it manually; if there's still no output, it's dead. Also, if I saw anything more than 0.1V across a 4' or so cable at full load, I'd be tightening the heck out of the terminals - and replacing the cable if it doesn't go down.
Thanks for your great content!
I love when you have time to draw what's going on and it's nice and quiet it helps explain alot. I love the vids keep it up!
I have a 2009 Hyundai Sonata with the 2.4l with 92,070 miles and so far it hasn't needed an O2 sensor or alternator. It did need a new serpentine belt tensioner and belt a few months back though. As far as I can tell, that's the only work then engine has ever had done on it. It's a great car!
First of all, are you a descendant of, or related to, Walt Disney ??? Your drawings are very good, make people laugh, and if ever syndicated, may give you a second backup career !!!! Just adore that fan belt and fan / pulley drawing. And I continue ..... your theory lesson is commendable....as well as the correct checks to make to determine a faulty alternator. You earned your days pay. Mrs. O. can go grocery shopping now. Well done !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Knowing I have some chargingproblems on my Subie, and the fact that it is 5°F here in the northern part of Norway, above the arctic circle at this very moment, the best part of it is that Eric O gives a very good insight in troubleshooting a bad alternator. Oh and warm coffee. Yeah and a blanket and my trusted couch to go with :) Thank you for your great videos Eric. Have a great day :)
Fantastic, Love it when you go to the white board.. Exact testing points are great. Thanks for the video.
Hey Eric, thanks for taking time before going home to do this for us. I gotta say I’ve learned more from you, Ivan, Keith, Danner and other RUclipsrs (Mario too!) than what they’ve taught me at the shop I work at!
Thanks Eric. Good video. I do miss the old days, one wire alternator.
Old days??? The regulator was on the fender well in the old days.
Very nice job explaining the operation of the charging system!! And thank you very much for taking the time to do so..hands down one of the BEST mechanics on RUclips!!
I actually have that exact engine I was looking forward to the replacement steps. Judging by your comments, I'll have to leave myself ample time to replace when that time comes. 2007 185k with the OG alternator.
I love the videos! I have two requests: please do a video on all of the scan tools you have purchased and explain likes/dislikes about each. My second request is could you please go over how flat rate works, i.e. does changing a water pump include time to drain/refill the coolant system?
Great job of explaining all that! Very basic but there is a lot of fundamentals you pointed out that are not so easy to understand, all at once for for many new techs!
I love my uScope. It’s my go to and all time favorite tools. What a powerful addition to any toolbox!
I was wondering why you never pop up on my feed..I swore I was subscribed. Apparently not 🤪.. I’ve been learning from you for years. Go figure. I’ll be seeing all your new content now so I’m content! Keep up all the great work Eric O!
This pcm stuff is interesting sometimes. I remember in the beginning it did throw me for a loop. Takes some time to work out a plan. Great explanation of operations and functionality.
You are going to get 50 dry erasers in the mail now Eric....
fyi dry erase board cleaner works awesome on safety glasses. better than windex.
When it was full fielded, at idle with full load, was that an example of what burns out alternators with new brushes after install with a low battery. When you cut the load and when you had a higher rpm, the field was modulated and so had some cooling time. The full field, at idle (car most likely stationary) would build up heat with the least airflow. A few minutes won't matter, but let the car run to "charge" the battery, and you burn out the alternator before the brushes wear in so they can handle the higher current.
I've been amazed a how much the engineers depend on those minute "off" periods to reduce the thermal build up in circuits.
Great video. I love the voltage drop test to rule out corrosion / cracked cable / etc. Without a scope - with only Ye Olde $15 volt meter from Sears Roebuck - could one determine anything from the field wire? E.g. if it shows a steady 12v, regardless of load, can we conclude the ECM isn't commanding it on? If it shows something greater than 0v with no load, and we turn on all the things (rear defogger, blower on high, high beams, drill press, disco ball, hot tub, escalator, etc), and the field wire then shows a steady 0v - can we assume ECM is commanding it to give ALL THE BEANS?
You could measure the duty cycle with a regular meter or just install a test light and watch it flicker :)
Hook up a dwell meter and watch the ol' needle sway
Great explanation of the voltage drop test! Dealing with an F250 (7.3) with dual batteries in my stable right now.
A few years ago I had a Chevy Express 3500 van with the 5.7 L. The alternator wasn't charging but when I brought it in to Advance Auto Parts it tested as good so I didn't buy another one. It turned out the field circuit controlled by the ECM had failed. I got it to work by wiring the field circuit old school by running a wire from the fuse box to the field terminal and wired a light bulb in series to serve as the "battery light" and also serves as a resistor. Much cheaper than replacing the ECM and everything else on the truck worked fine otherwise.
Actually, Scotty says it like "RIIINNNNG THAT BELLLLLLLLL!!!!!!" real loud like.
Hey, that's just his style. Ya gotta love it.
Duuude!!! How ironic that you post a video about alternator problems. I think thats whats happening to my car now. My lights went dim & then my radio turned off. Lights on dash board started to show. This happened on monday (dec.3rd) mechanic is coming to my house this weekend.
Eric, what an Amazing intro! You have a Way with words! Thanks for ALL your videos! You make it Fun to Learn automotive repair and troubleshooting!
Half a dozen mechanics replaced my car's battery before even one of them bothered to check the alternator.
If you lived in my town, you'd have a license to print money -- a mechanic who's competent, honest, and conscientious.
Tremendous example of experienced troubleshooting. Excellent video!
I appreciate your explanation of the electrical side of this problem. Always instructive. Thank you.
nice change of pace from the brake jobs and wheel bearings, love the troubleshooting videos
I can’t believe you have a Keith Fenner sticker but no Abom79 sticker...☹️
I learn something in every video. Thank you Eric. This old dog is learning new tricks. Is that alternator rebuildable? Most are if armature is good...most time regulator and brushes go up in cars that I have worked on. Hmm...14 volts with load...ship it. Caught this one in another SMA binge watch, wow you have a lot of videos..lol Thanks again for sharing your time and knowledge.
Pocket scope is convenient, I’ve yet to do much with it though
Please continue to show us its uses.
As many tips you gave us, I would like to give you one back. There is an updated valve cover gasket if you do find one leaking on an alternator on these 3.3 and 3.8
Bro you really need to come up with a course training course you have so much knowledge and such a great way of explaining things that you will be a great teacher.. Im in im always watching your videos is actually better then Netflix 😃😃
Your awesome with the electrical stuff! I have some big issues with my car right now
Most of the auto parts stores that I know of will not do that cable check. Most require you to remove the alt and bring it in for testing. So, that would be something to keep in mind if you yank the alt off and have it tested at the store of your choice and they say that it tests good, check the cables. The alt being under the control of the ECM is a new one on me. Have not played with the newer autos very much. Great instructional vid.
Jeep did this ecm controlling the charging some years back. Alternatorman on youtube has a fix for that. if you want a schoolin on alternators, check him out.
i THINK he owns a shop that rebuilds and installs alternators.
Great video as usual. Most of us can test the alternator. Not the part with the scope though. Too expensive for the backyard mechanic. Thanks for making this video
Check those two 10MM bolts that hold the ground cable to the inner fender. They backed out on my Sonata. All sort of charging issues ensued.