Great work. Glad to see a tech / mechanic not scared off by electronics. Seems most just replace electronic modules when sometimes they have very simple problems inside. I especially like your curiosity / knowledge to actually activate it with the signal generator.Thanks
Thanks Ivan! I followed your process to fix the speedo on a 97 Rav4. I've been a subscriber for the last month and I have really enjoyed your videos, so much so, I've gone back to watch your old videos.
Thanks to this video I fixed my 93 Camry's speedometer. Mine was showing a much higher speed than the actual speed. I first solder the obvious dry joints but it was still faulty but taking note from your video I soldered every component...Success. Thanks
I once worked in card build at IBM and ran the wave solder machine. It was a track that ran the cards over a pink flux then a fountain of solder. For any components that could not take the heat, we used fiberglass tape to block the lands then manually soldered the "non wets" later. This process soldered all the joints at one time so occasionally there was a dry joint.
A masterful example of diagnostic reasoning and deduction Ivan .You just saved a lot of instrument clusters without tampering with the mileage . Well done !
Just this past summer, I threw one of those clusters in the trash! It was a nice junkyard spare that I kept around for my daughters Corolla that now has 200k on it. Super nice fix on this one Ivan and a ton of fun to watch. Thanks so much for sharing it with us!
Baxrok2 That's why I saved my old cluster when I swapped my clusters out. Thought about throwing it out several times but then remembered that components can go bad and solder joints can break, so I kept it just in case. Lol
Yeah, it wasn't exactly a rational decision I must confess. I was in a jam and had to get out of my storage space quickly. I should have kept it and at least attempted to sell the darn thing for a few bucks. Heck, I could have even sent it to Ivan to hang on to!
Baxrok2 Yeah I would send mine to Ivan too but now after watch that video, I wanna keep mine for parts. Lol. Those clusters sell on ebay for about 30 dollars. If you have the upgraded cluster that has the tachometer, those are in much higher demand and sell for as much as 60 to 70 dollars. I know because I was gonna buy mine on ebay but found a good one in a pick and pull yard for $25.
Great video, Ivan! A month or two ago I fixed a heater control panel in a 2000 Honda Accord the same way. I didn't get quite as technical with the scope and signal gen but a plastic probe while plugged into the car and I found a bad solder joint on a surface mount resistor. Your analysis of the board went a bit deeper since I didn't attempt to figure out why the bad solder joint caused the problem, I just resoldered it an put it back in the car. Well done!
I can't tell you how much your diagnostic videos help me. It's not the nuts and bolts so much, it's the process of following your logic to make sense of the circuits. I've always been intimidated by electronics because I could never visualize the flow of electrons/watts/amps/etc. But when I saw that correlation between the two signals I smiled. I want a $2400 PICO for Christmas so I can fix my $20 garage door opener. But the learning is priceless! I think I owe you money. LOL
Electronics repair isn't easy even for professionals. Normally you have to know how to test components in circuit and out of circuit, and it's different for each type. Nice repair as always. I love when you hack stuff!
Wanted to let you know that the piston repair series you did on this vehicle was great. Really enjoyed it as it clears things up with why 3-5000 mile oil change intervals are important. These oils say you can go 10,000 or more but that will only lead to oil coking issues and burning.
Trying to fix an old part is amazing! I see a lot of people replacing alternators, starters, Power steering pumps, transmisions etc... without even take a look inside of the part to see if they can repair it! In my repair shop we repair all that, even ECU's repair and more!
Had the exact same issue with my 1994 Corolla at 294,xxx miles. Tried re-flowing all of the solder joints (I didn't have an oscilloscope and am not as good with electronics repair as I'd like to be, but I'm learning!), but no luck. Wound up replacing my factory instrument cluster, which did not have a tachometer, with one from an "Anniversary Edition" (AE101) Corolla that did have the tachometer, but needed to roll the new odometer up to match the old, which thankfully was not that difficult (just push the gears to the side and rotate, just have to be very careful you don't snap the little plastic tabs/ears). Also, thanks for the video. I always enjoy learning about how to do this sort of stuff better/more methodically and your videos and Eric O's are always helpful (love the case studies!).
Thanks lvan, Your confidence with electric control and pcb's is so interesting. The pico model # is a jem. Automotive repair appears to be a challenging realm To apply your skills. :)
One commonality I have noticed with a lot of instrument clusters is that the resisters need reflowing. Not sure if it is because of, vibration or age and or type of solder used. Remember you replacing a motor and having to reflow resistors on a gm cluster. I was referred to your channel from South Main Auto Channel a few months back and he had to send in a cluster panel and called in to find out what was done, of course reflow of resisters but also stated that the old flux they used back then could cause seepage "usually yellow" onto the board and connect joints sometimes even causing a short. You do great investigative videos, too the point with a process, Have been learning a lot. Keep up the great work and keep the vids coming.
vibration and heat related, resistors turn power into heat :) the yellow crusty was flux not cleaned off, it doesn't hurt anything on many devices. now if your dealing with high frequency and RF then it would be very bad.
Hi Ivan I think your videos are really informative and they shows your logical approach to problem solving and your diagnostic skills are a rare thing these days in younger techs. And finally you reply to comments unlike some of the other u tubers
Chris, thank you for the kind words! Honestly I think that the comment section can be just as educational and entertaining as the video itself. I try my best to keep the conversation alive, especially the thought-provking discussions :)
Really like to see component repairs on "non serviceable parts". In this case a junkyard cluster is probably dirt cheap but that wouldn't be nearly as much fun. Really enjoyed the video keep em coming like this. I fixed 10 dollar paper shredder once...sometimes its just the satisfaction of figuring it out.
My 93 Corolla speedometer is doing the exact same thing yours was doing. I will need to get the instrument cluster taken out and looked at. Thank you for posting this video. Think I will try what you have shown in your video and check those solder joints at those two resistors.
I never knew about the signal generator built in to the older picos. Good for you to go the extra mile and find the board problem, I don't think many mechanics would have made it to that point.
Ivan, another great video but PLEEAASSE buy a decent solder station for PC board work. You can peel a trace off the board without even trying with your butane torch. Hako or Weller are once in a lifetime purchases that will give you trouble free service.
nice Ivan your quit the well rounded mechanic diagnostic tech and so on. Been waiting for Eric to do a speedo repair but he hasn't got around to it. LOL... thanks bud your 1 of my favorites........
He's going to be ready for another oil change before Ivan does the first one...that's one way to generate business. So that's how you can go 100K and have no engine wear HAHA Ivan's pretty smart :D
Loved the video, it's always great when I get an idea of how the electronics work. Breaking out the scope and showing the signals I find fascinating. Gotta get my hands on one
Again. Awesome instructional video. One thing I found helped me was to take the circuit board into the sunlight. Much easier to see cracked solder joints. Also we are seeing more of this due to lead free solder.
Very cool Ivan. You continue to inspire and teach. I certainly appreciate you taking the time to make these videos. You may not remember but I "helped" (basically watched) you work on a F 150 with a slight (miss at idle) at ETCG's meet and greet a few years back. That was a tricky one. I know you're close with Eric O, he's thinking of having a meet and greet. I think that would be awesome so please encourage him to do it. Probably 2 uga dugas of persuasion would do it...lol The "peoole" would definitely come. Thank you
nice of them to add a signal generator to the scope. so many are scared to do that level of repair but it didnt work when it came in so if you let the smoke genie out you are still out nothing. if you know what signal it expects you can like you did replicate it and trace the board from input to output to find your problem .when the one trace dropped and the other symetrically rose that was from a transister
Excellent fix! Those engines vibrate quite a lot and as the motor mounts age, there is even more vibration transmitted to the cluster. Perhaps that is a contributory factor to the solder joints taking a hit
Haha it is a bit loud and vibrational for sure. That is why the previous owner named it "Turbolet"....because it sounds like a jet taking off above 3k rpm!
Bill Rimmer yes my engine vibrates a lot too. I looked at my motor and transmission mounts but it's hard for me to tell if they are bad. They look fine. I couldn't see any of them torn.
Signal generators can be used to test all kinds of different sensors and systems on cars, by simulating the signal that a sensor should be sending. Signal generators are sometimes called frequency generators or function generators. The type that has "AWG" (arbitrary waveform generation) capability are more expensive than those that don't. But they all generate square waves, sine waves, triangle waves, etc. You can set the frequency and amplitude to anything you want. Most of them do also have a "voltage bias" feature. So for instance, you could set the generator to send out a 2 hertz sine wave, riding on a .45 volt DC bias, and send that signal into the PCM to simulate a working O2 sensor. Hundreds of other uses. They are one of the most important pieces of test equipment in any electronics lab. These generators are fantastically advanced, especially compared to what was available 20 or 30 years ago. They are also very cheap, considering all they can do. Research brand names before buying. They are available from all electronics test instrument suppliers. They can range in price from around 150 bucks up to thousands. A perfectly good signal or function generator for use in auto diagnostics can be had for two or three hundred bucks. It should never be necessary to spend more than $400, even that would be overkill. Here are a couple examples: www.alliedelec.com/b-k-precision-4010a/70146347/ www.valuetronics.com/product/afg-2000-instek-series-arbitrary-waveform-generator?spid=5302&gclid=CjwKCAiAr_TQBRB5EiwAC_QCq0avW4Cl1caI8s3VjeURDf7V1r_pYgWnkc-jrQdDp6Bc0aesPQzutxoCILEQAvD_BwE _____
I use the 2205A for diagnostics and run it off a Dell Mini. The 8-bit vertical resolution leaves a lot to be desired especially for injector waveforms but I am happy with it for the price. The software is what sold me, especially since you can also use it with Linux.
I had a Dell Venue Pro 8 tablet + Pico, slow to start the scope app but otherwise OK. Then one night the Li-Po battery bulged to 3 times of original height, cracked open the case ,glass and digitizer. And that was that then.. At least it did not catch fire and burn down the house.
I love your thought process You never quit until you finally ask yourself the right question which lead you to the answer. Nice work buddy!! Thank you for sharing this awesome experience with us. When you gonna post a video that you shot on the island last time you were there ??????
Nice job. I think I would have replaced that 15k resistor though. Sometimes the end cap can break away internally and soldering it is a temporary heal. I've seen that sort of thing take months to resurface.
I agree with some of the other comments. Invest in an adjustable temperature soldering station and one of those magnifying lamps. I have found a lot of tiny hairline cracks in solder joints with the magnifying glass that could not be seen otherwise. Those larger surface mount resistors seem to be a common place to find them as well as on heavy components like transformers etc...
I still have a 93 Corolla which refuses to give up the ghost. Doesn't burn oil either. If the speedometer cacks like this one , I'll know what to do. Thanks man.
Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics That not only shows how talented you are but it also says alot about you as a person. You're not a throw away person like everyone else. No swaptronics here.
I wish it put out a larger voltage range, like from 0V to 12V. My friend Dmitry L. (who sent me the 2204A) has a video on how to amplify the signals: ruclips.net/p/PLpeFrVvpwTisFI9jbesHyZOnI5Zw9VqRV
I did a similar repair video on my 1994 project corolla. In my case it was a bad capacitor. However, the speedometer was never accurate even after the fix it always read higher. Looks like I'll be pulling the cluster and rechecking the resistor solders too. Cool video. Thanks!
Ivan, that was easy repair! But I had no idea how that was done. I learned so much from this video! Loved it! I knew you were racing!!!! Hahaha. Just kidding buddy! Great video! See ya in next video! :)
You can add a simple amplfier circuit to get the number of volts you want, but you will need external power. The positive side of this is, any error that could damage the ouput of the generator only will damage the little amp you added. You can do with a very simple circuit only a few Components. Also you can generate the aux voltage from the USB 5V so you can get it fully portable. And with only one little componente module that costs 7 dollars, you put to genetare the plus side and other to generate the minus side. The amp feeds from V- to V+ so it can do from V+ to V-. You can give it a gain so it gets full scale when pico is at full scale. Of course output will be pico output times the gain you choose.
Not only did the Geo Prizm accelerate faster than a supercar, it managed to travel 796 miles in less than half an hour!! 2:17 257,911 miles 25:30 258,707 miles
Great fix! The Pico 2204A is a very handy scope and also a bargain. With 10x and 100x propbes you get the voltage range up to 2000V. You can also define your own probes, like current clamps etc. Only drawback is that the AGW is limted to +-2V due 5V USB power. But that range covers many ABS sensors and ~all O2 sensors. In case you need 0-12V output signal at the budget cost, perhaps your friend could take a DC-DC step-up module and make a voltage amplifier powered from car battery or USB power bank? And vote also from here for a Weller. I have had mine for 36 years and it still works just as well as Wellers always work (well).
Wow ! Absolutely a great device! Very useful. Dmitriy asked for feedback / ideas, here's what I commented to his video (#1), what you think about these since you are working in the field. (Naturally all of those are not needed nor mandatory, but since feedback was asked..) "Excellent device!! Very useful. You asked for ideas / feedback. Here's mine: - for final version option for same size casing options as Pico scopes are -> easy to clip together - Pico AWG out at same horizontal place as amp in -> easy to use a short cable - add USB pass-though connectors at the back -> 5V from USB (use dc-dc step-up if needed) USB cable from PC to amp and then to Pico, only one USB port needed. - do we actually need the switch for output? could all outputs work at the same time? - add led indicators for digital sensor power and ground -> easy to see if there is a problem right away - alternate model without internal signal generator -> at all times pico can provide AWG - "stand-alone + pico" version with signal generator, you can use without scope (scanner + live data + tester) - my vote goes to more expensive op-amp"
Definitely could. 2204A works well for automotive use, it even has CAN bus protocol analysis and everything in the SW. There are new/none $250 prize range scanners which have scope or any of those capabilities 2204 offers. There are many reasons why from DIY mechanic to diagnostician would benefit from having a scope + AWG + amp combo with a reasonable cost. Add low cost pressure transducers made by Dimitry and sourced low cost amp clamps to the mix.
Thanks for your video. I guess i should reflow all the parts of my speedometer pc board since I do not have all your expertise or your amazing tools. i have been driving more than a year without speedometer and odometer in my Toyota Corolla 1998 LE 1.8. i will start with resonator and resistors.
Nice job there Ivan. I would have suspected the SMD resistor to have an internal crack in it or something though. Multi-layer SMD ceramic caps tend to blow up/short when mechanically stressed over time (BTW).
Great fix man! That was impressive. I wouldn't know what leads to hook where on electronics like that. Last cluster I fixed was my own '93 Volvo 940 - I just went scortched-Earth and reflowed EVERYTHING, hahaha. It did the trick, but I'd rather know what the hell I fixed!
I do admire your dedication to making this work and fixing it, this is rare nowadays when people just change parts until everything is fixed, but still.....would it no have been easier to get the damn cluster from junkyard ? kyard ? :)
Nice diagnosis & repair Ivan! Neat trick with the odometer. It's due another oil change and you haven't done the first one and after 100K no engine wear...see that college education is paying off HAHA. Nice touch with the Pico and tips!!
I knew you'd have it all calculated out and then you'd figure how to accelerate it by increasing the frequency with a typical step recovery diode multiplier. :D
My buddy had a ford 500 with a Speedo problem. It had to do with cracked or bad solder joints that had to be cleaned and re soldered. All the old Speedo’s had a voltage limiter in the dash that went bad and all the gauges would act up when the limiter went bad.
Thanks for the video. My 1996 geo Prizm has a working speedometer but the odometer and trip meter are counting 44% faster than they should. I'm going to be pulling the cluster and inspecting solder joints like you did. It's not that big of a deal if I can't fix it but one thing that's nice is the car probably doesn't really have 175,000 miles on it like I thought it did when I bought it.
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics There is a jumper (looks like a surface mount resistor) on the top center of the same speedometer board. If the jumper is there the odometer is in miles, if open it counts in km. Mine had a bad solder joint so it was intermittent. It would change resistance when I touched it. I reflowed it and about to do a test drive.
It's fixed. The odometer exactly matches the interstate mile markers now. I just bought the car, now I'm wondering how many miles it really has. I'm going to make a quick video to show my repair to help the next guy, and will reference your video too.
BTW my board looks different than yours and my car is also a 1996 Geo Prizm with tachometer. My video is here: ruclips.net/video/EhwiaNFT3mk/видео.html
having trouble with my car ... 95 corolla - speedo didnt work since i got it last may, previous owner says it never worked for him. when it's cold, the needle doesn't move. when the car warms up some, the speedometer will work slightly but with a lot of lag. it usually trails behind actual speed by 5-10mph, worse the colder it is. last night it was 20 degrees and i was going 65 while the speedo said 20. the odometer and trip meter both work fine. so far this has been just an aesthetic problem and i have a gps with a speedometer to keep track of speed. however, last weekend the car stalled out, transmission kept jumping around & engine misfiring. i replaced the spark plugs, was enough to get home. still running rough. replaced the entire ignition system save for the ICM. now it runs ok but if it's cold it doesn't like shifting and it doesn't like going over 63mph. at 65mph, the transmission will slip every 20 seconds or so (or a misfire? it's sort of hard to tell). if the engine is cold, regardless of outside temp, i can go 70-75mph no problem. once the engine gets warm, then it starts acting up. the transmission oil looks good, still pink, and at the proper level. have had zero problems with the car at all, drove it 10,000 miles since the end of may this year. initially i was thinking the vehicle speed sensor, after seeing this video, perhaps it is something else. not sure how to further diagnose .... any idea on what might be happening?? or where to continue looking
Scope, bench power supply, function generator, and capacitor decay. Brings back electronics lab memories. Did Dr. Ivan find a faulty pull up resistor solder joint?
Gene Mean yes, it could have been either. Not really sure where that resistor is actually located in the circuit. I was debating between pull up and pull down myself. I just went with pull up because the voltage on the scope held steady at a higher voltage when the continuity was reestablished.
Test drove once a 1994 Toyota Corolla 1,6. Speedometer worked fine but central locking was messed up. Locked the car and few seconds later door locks popped open again. Otherwise it was good car but I ended up buying much newer but smaller car.
You, sir, are amazing. Quick question: (not that I would EVER do it), since it appears so easy to reverse the mileage on this kind of odometer (mechanical), how do we know that people don't do that when trying to sell a used car?
I completely agree that the scopes on a vantage etc are crap and way over priced. However, with the Pico, you have to combine the cost of the Pico with the cost of the laptop/tablet you have to connect to it. At that price point it isn't as affordable. And then you have the problem of planned obsolescence. For example, Standard USB (USB-A & USB-B) is going the way of the Dodo and will soon not be available on 'modern' machines without adapters. Eventually something else will replace it completely and you'll be S.O.L. Or in a couple years the Pico software may not work on newer OS's if the Pico company stops supporting your model Pico scope. So you'll have to keep an ancient machine laying around to use your Pico. Thats a P.I.T.A. IMO, I prefer a stand alone scope. You can get one that would blow the doors off a Pico or Vantage in resolution, memory, accuracy & bandwidth for less then a couple hundred bucks (like the scopes made by Rigol).
The odometer on my 96 Prizm has been broken forever. I noticed, while browsing the local Pik and Pull, that almost all of the odometers are broken. I took one apart and saw that it is definitely a mechanical break. Can you or anybody else out there figure out how to fix this broken odometer? Thanks for a great channel!!
Great work. Glad to see a tech / mechanic not scared off by electronics. Seems most just replace electronic modules when sometimes they have very simple problems inside. I especially like your curiosity / knowledge to actually activate it with the signal generator.Thanks
Thanks Ivan! I followed your process to fix the speedo on a 97 Rav4. I've been a subscriber for the last month and I have really enjoyed your videos, so much so, I've gone back to watch your old videos.
Thanks to this video I fixed my 93 Camry's speedometer. Mine was showing a much higher speed than the actual speed. I first solder the obvious dry joints but it was still faulty but taking note from your video I soldered every component...Success. Thanks
I once worked in card build at IBM and ran the wave solder machine. It was a track that ran the cards over a pink flux then a fountain of solder. For any components that could not take the heat, we used fiberglass tape to block the lands then manually soldered the "non wets" later. This process soldered all the joints at one time so occasionally there was a dry joint.
A masterful example of diagnostic reasoning and deduction Ivan .You just saved a lot of instrument clusters without tampering with the mileage . Well done !
Excellent Ivan, still amazes me with your knowledge and skills.
Just this past summer, I threw one of those clusters in the trash! It was a nice junkyard spare that I kept around for my daughters Corolla that now has 200k on it. Super nice fix on this one Ivan and a ton of fun to watch. Thanks so much for sharing it with us!
noooo not in the trash! 200k is not many miles for these, unless it burns oil :)
Baxrok2 That's why I saved my old cluster when I swapped my clusters out. Thought about throwing it out several times but then remembered that components can go bad and solder joints can break, so I kept it just in case. Lol
Yeah, it wasn't exactly a rational decision I must confess. I was in a jam and had to get out of my storage space quickly. I should have kept it and at least attempted to sell the darn thing for a few bucks. Heck, I could have even sent it to Ivan to hang on to!
Baxrok2 Yeah I would send mine to Ivan too but now after watch that video, I wanna keep mine for parts. Lol. Those clusters sell on ebay for about 30 dollars. If you have the upgraded cluster that has the tachometer, those are in much higher demand and sell for as much as 60 to 70 dollars. I know because I was gonna buy mine on ebay but found a good one in a pick and pull yard for $25.
Good to know. Next time I'm at the junkyard I'll be looking for one with a tach!
Great video, Ivan! A month or two ago I fixed a heater control panel in a 2000 Honda Accord the same way. I didn't get quite as technical with the scope and signal gen but a plastic probe while plugged into the car and I found a bad solder joint on a surface mount resistor. Your analysis of the board went a bit deeper since I didn't attempt to figure out why the bad solder joint caused the problem, I just resoldered it an put it back in the car. Well done!
I can't tell you how much your diagnostic videos help me. It's not the nuts and bolts so much, it's the process of following your logic to make sense of the circuits. I've always been intimidated by electronics because I could never visualize the flow of electrons/watts/amps/etc. But when I saw that correlation between the two signals I smiled. I want a $2400 PICO for Christmas so I can fix my $20 garage door opener. But the learning is priceless! I think I owe you money. LOL
Wyatt, just get the $150 Pico like I showed in the video!!
The next time I have an hour off I'll be on Amazon or eBay!
Scratch Amazon or eBay. I went though your link and got it for $187 shipped. Thanks Ivan. This will be a great beginner tool.
Electronics repair isn't easy even for professionals.
Normally you have to know how to test components in circuit and out of circuit, and it's different for each type.
Nice repair as always. I love when you hack stuff!
At the 1 min. mark I had a feeling the solder iron was going to appear soon enough. lol Nice job using the scope to verify the repair. Cool stuff.
Wanted to let you know that the piston repair series you did on this vehicle was great. Really enjoyed it as it clears things up with why 3-5000 mile oil change intervals are important. These oils say you can go 10,000 or more but that will only lead to oil coking issues and burning.
I love fixing things in a throw away world. Great job Ivan!
Trying to fix an old part is amazing! I see a lot of people replacing alternators, starters, Power steering pumps, transmisions etc... without even take a look inside of the part to see if they can repair it! In my repair shop we repair all that, even ECU's repair and more!
Had the exact same issue with my 1994 Corolla at 294,xxx miles. Tried re-flowing all of the solder joints (I didn't have an oscilloscope and am not as good with electronics repair as I'd like to be, but I'm learning!), but no luck. Wound up replacing my factory instrument cluster, which did not have a tachometer, with one from an "Anniversary Edition" (AE101) Corolla that did have the tachometer, but needed to roll the new odometer up to match the old, which thankfully was not that difficult (just push the gears to the side and rotate, just have to be very careful you don't snap the little plastic tabs/ears).
Also, thanks for the video. I always enjoy learning about how to do this sort of stuff better/more methodically and your videos and Eric O's are always helpful (love the case studies!).
You put my 5 years of engineering school to shame. Nice diagnostic.
Thanks lvan,
Your confidence with electric control and pcb's is so interesting.
The pico model # is a jem. Automotive repair appears to be a challenging realm
To apply your skills. :)
One commonality I have noticed with a lot of instrument clusters is that the resisters need reflowing. Not sure if it is because of, vibration or age and or type of solder used. Remember you replacing a motor and having to reflow resistors on a gm cluster. I was referred to your channel from South Main Auto Channel a few months back and he had to send in a cluster panel and called in to find out what was done, of course reflow of resisters but also stated that the old flux they used back then could cause seepage "usually yellow" onto the board and connect joints sometimes even causing a short. You do great investigative videos, too the point with a process, Have been learning a lot. Keep up the great work and keep the vids coming.
vibration and heat related, resistors turn power into heat :)
the yellow crusty was flux not cleaned off, it doesn't hurt anything on many devices. now if your dealing with high frequency and RF then it would be very bad.
Hi Ivan I think your videos are really informative and they shows your logical approach to problem solving and your diagnostic skills are a rare thing these days in younger techs. And finally you reply to comments unlike some of the other u tubers
Chris, thank you for the kind words! Honestly I think that the comment section can be just as educational and entertaining as the video itself. I try my best to keep the conversation alive, especially the thought-provking discussions :)
Really like to see component repairs on "non serviceable parts". In this case a junkyard cluster is probably dirt cheap but that wouldn't be nearly as much fun. Really enjoyed the video keep em coming like this. I fixed 10 dollar paper shredder once...sometimes its just the satisfaction of figuring it out.
A junkyard speedometer would have worked, but the odometer would have been different....I wanted to keep this one original :)
My 93 Corolla speedometer is doing the exact same thing yours was doing. I will need to get the instrument cluster taken out and looked at. Thank you for posting this video. Think I will try what you have shown in your video and check those solder joints at those two resistors.
I admire your patience. I can't deal with those surface mounted tiny components.
Impressive diagnostic work Ivan! Very nicely done!
I never knew about the signal generator built in to the older picos. Good for you to go the extra mile and find the board problem, I don't think many mechanics would have made it to that point.
Well done appreciate the time and effort you put in to explain your repair. Great video
Ivan, another great video but PLEEAASSE buy a decent solder station for PC board work. You can peel a trace off the board without even trying with your butane torch. Hako or Weller are once in a lifetime purchases that will give you trouble free service.
fantastic Ivan. You can fix allmost all. I watch your videos every day.
nice Ivan your quit the well rounded mechanic diagnostic tech and so on. Been waiting for Eric to do a speedo repair but he hasn't got around to it. LOL... thanks bud your 1 of my favorites........
10 miles closer to the next service😁😁😁😁😁 nice job mate
He's going to be ready for another oil change before Ivan does the first one...that's one way to generate business. So that's how you can go 100K and have no engine wear HAHA Ivan's pretty smart :D
Loved the video, it's always great when I get an idea of how the electronics work. Breaking out the scope and showing the signals I find fascinating. Gotta get my hands on one
Just one word to describe this....................................................BRILLIANT!
Again. Awesome instructional video. One thing I found helped me was to take the circuit board into the sunlight. Much easier to see cracked solder joints. Also we are seeing more of this due to lead free solder.
Based on the thumbnail I thought that it was the Solid Diagnostics video. Still not disappointed. :)
Very cool Ivan. You continue to inspire and teach. I certainly appreciate you taking the time to make these videos.
You may not remember but I "helped" (basically watched) you work on a F 150 with a slight (miss at idle) at ETCG's meet and greet a few years back. That was a tricky one.
I know you're close with Eric O, he's thinking of having a meet and greet. I think that would be awesome so please encourage him to do it. Probably 2 uga dugas of persuasion would do it...lol
The "peoole" would definitely come.
Thank you
nice of them to add a signal generator to the scope. so many are scared to do that level of repair but it didnt work when it came in so if you let the smoke genie out you are still out nothing. if you know what signal it expects you can like you did replicate it and trace the board from input to output to find your problem .when the one trace dropped and the other symetrically rose that was from a transister
Excellent fix! Those engines vibrate quite a lot and as the motor mounts age, there is even more vibration transmitted to the cluster. Perhaps that is a contributory factor to the solder joints taking a hit
Haha it is a bit loud and vibrational for sure. That is why the previous owner named it "Turbolet"....because it sounds like a jet taking off above 3k rpm!
Bill Rimmer yes my engine vibrates a lot too. I looked at my motor and transmission mounts but it's hard for me to tell if they are bad. They look fine. I couldn't see any of them torn.
Back in the 90s the speed limit was 55mph everywhere. Today it is 70 or 80 so the little old cars get a bit stressed out on the highway :)
Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics Especially if youre running 3300 rpms at 70mph with a 3 speed auto. :-(
Signal generators can be used to test all kinds of different sensors and systems on cars, by simulating the signal that a sensor should be sending.
Signal generators are sometimes called frequency generators or function generators. The type that has "AWG" (arbitrary waveform generation) capability are more expensive than those that don't.
But they all generate square waves, sine waves, triangle waves, etc. You can set the frequency and amplitude to anything you want. Most of them do also have a "voltage bias" feature. So for instance, you could set the generator to send out a 2 hertz sine wave, riding on a .45 volt DC bias, and send that signal into the PCM to simulate a working O2 sensor.
Hundreds of other uses. They are one of the most important pieces of test equipment in any electronics lab. These generators are fantastically advanced, especially compared to what was available 20 or 30 years ago. They are also very cheap, considering all they can do. Research brand names before buying.
They are available from all electronics test instrument suppliers. They can range in price from around 150 bucks up to thousands. A perfectly good signal or function generator for use in auto diagnostics can be had for two or three hundred bucks. It should never be necessary to spend more than $400, even that would be overkill.
Here are a couple examples:
www.alliedelec.com/b-k-precision-4010a/70146347/
www.valuetronics.com/product/afg-2000-instek-series-arbitrary-waveform-generator?spid=5302&gclid=CjwKCAiAr_TQBRB5EiwAC_QCq0avW4Cl1caI8s3VjeURDf7V1r_pYgWnkc-jrQdDp6Bc0aesPQzutxoCILEQAvD_BwE
_____
Excellent information. Thank you for sharing!
I use the 2205A for diagnostics and run it off a Dell Mini. The 8-bit vertical resolution leaves a lot to be desired especially for injector waveforms but I am happy with it for the price. The software is what sold me, especially since you can also use it with Linux.
I had a Dell Venue Pro 8 tablet + Pico, slow to start the scope app but otherwise OK. Then one night the Li-Po battery bulged to 3 times of original height, cracked open the case ,glass and digitizer. And that was that then.. At least it did not catch fire and burn down the house.
Fantastic Ivan always a pleasure speaking with you and watching your videos. Considering moving out that way. Keep up the great work
I'm amazed at every video how you figure this stuff out. Ivan you're a genious. Have to change your nickname to Ivan the winter bearded genious!
I love your thought process
You never quit until you finally ask yourself the right question which lead you to the answer.
Nice work buddy!! Thank you for sharing this awesome experience with us.
When you gonna post a video that you shot on the island last time you were there ??????
Dave, we have the next trip on the Staten Island Express coming up very soon :)
That signal generator is a great tool! I did not know that pico had that.
Awsome😎
Nice job. I think I would have replaced that 15k resistor though. Sometimes the end cap can break away internally and soldering it is a temporary heal. I've seen that sort of thing take months to resurface.
I agree with some of the other comments. Invest in an adjustable temperature soldering station and one of those magnifying lamps. I have found a lot of tiny hairline cracks in solder joints with the magnifying glass that could not be seen otherwise. Those larger surface mount resistors seem to be a common place to find them as well as on heavy components like transformers etc...
Great tip. That might be on my Christmas list :)
Your crickets are back Ivan
lol this footage was from a few months ago :)
I still have a 93 Corolla which refuses to give up the ghost. Doesn't burn oil either. If the speedometer cacks like this one , I'll know what to do. Thanks man.
Wow, a repair and not just a replace.
It's always more satisfying to repair, not just replace ;)
Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics That not only shows how talented you are but it also says alot about you as a person. You're not a throw away person like everyone else. No swaptronics here.
I have to admit I would just go to a wrecking yard for a gauge cluster and do the 'quick fix.'
That AWG setup would be great for diagnosing faulty ABS. It could mimic a WSS very easily.
I wish it put out a larger voltage range, like from 0V to 12V. My friend Dmitry L. (who sent me the 2204A) has a video on how to amplify the signals: ruclips.net/p/PLpeFrVvpwTisFI9jbesHyZOnI5Zw9VqRV
Well? Follow his instruction, and make the box! It could be an invaluable tool some day, saving your bacon.
I did a similar repair video on my 1994 project corolla. In my case it was a bad capacitor. However, the speedometer was never accurate even after the fix it always read higher. Looks like I'll be pulling the cluster and rechecking the resistor solders too. Cool video. Thanks!
This one reads 3 to 4mph over the real speed. Not sure you can calibrate it easily. The trip meter is accurate however.
*WTF IVAN- I JUST WANTED MY CAR FIXED... YOU PUT 4K ON IT?* LOL Excellent fix, Man!
Ivan, that was easy repair! But I had no idea how that was done. I learned so much from this video! Loved it! I knew you were racing!!!! Hahaha. Just kidding buddy! Great video! See ya in next video! :)
LOL if I knew how fast this Geo was, I would have put on my seatbelt xD
How true! Hahaha.
I’M MIND BLOWN! 🤯
You can add a simple amplfier circuit to get the number of volts you want, but you will need external power. The positive side of this is, any error that could damage the ouput of the generator only will damage the little amp you added. You can do with a very simple circuit only a few Components. Also you can generate the aux voltage from the USB 5V so you can get it fully portable. And with only one little componente module that costs 7 dollars, you put to genetare the plus side and other to generate the minus side. The amp feeds from V- to V+ so it can do from V+ to V-. You can give it a gain so it gets full scale when pico is at full scale. Of course output will be pico output times the gain you choose.
Awesome video, great content with the electrical testing and signal generator bench test.
Not only did the Geo Prizm accelerate faster than a supercar, it managed to travel 796 miles in less than half an hour!!
2:17 257,911 miles
25:30 258,707 miles
Great fix! The Pico 2204A is a very handy scope and also a bargain. With 10x and 100x propbes you get the voltage range up to 2000V. You can also define your own probes, like current clamps etc. Only drawback is that the AGW is limted to +-2V due 5V USB power. But that range covers many ABS sensors and ~all O2 sensors. In case you need 0-12V output signal at the budget cost, perhaps your friend could take a DC-DC step-up module and make a voltage amplifier powered from car battery or USB power bank? And vote also from here for a Weller. I have had mine for 36 years and it still works just as well as Wellers always work (well).
Janne, my friend Dmitry made an amplifier for the Pico AWG! Check it out: ruclips.net/p/PLpeFrVvpwTisFI9jbesHyZOnI5Zw9VqRV
Wow ! Absolutely a great device! Very useful. Dmitriy asked for feedback / ideas, here's what I commented to his video (#1), what you think about these since you are working in the field. (Naturally all of those are not needed nor mandatory, but since feedback was asked..)
"Excellent device!! Very useful. You asked for ideas / feedback. Here's mine:
- for final version option for same size casing options as Pico scopes are -> easy to clip together
- Pico AWG out at same horizontal place as amp in -> easy to use a short cable
- add USB pass-though connectors at the back -> 5V from USB (use dc-dc step-up if needed) USB cable from PC to amp and then to Pico, only one USB port needed.
- do we actually need the switch for output? could all outputs work at the same time?
- add led indicators for digital sensor power and ground -> easy to see if there is a problem right away
- alternate model without internal signal generator -> at all times pico can provide AWG
- "stand-alone + pico" version with signal generator, you can use without scope (scanner + live data + tester)
- my vote goes to more expensive op-amp"
Very good suggestions. I think Dmitry can market his creation as a Pico add-on! I would by one :)
Definitely could. 2204A works well for automotive use, it even has CAN bus protocol analysis and everything in the SW. There are new/none $250 prize range scanners which have scope or any of those capabilities 2204 offers. There are many reasons why from DIY mechanic to diagnostician would benefit from having a scope + AWG + amp combo with a reasonable cost. Add low cost pressure transducers made by Dimitry and sourced low cost amp clamps to the mix.
Nice fix with the Pico.
I knew Hawkeye had another job.
Very cool great job Ivan
Да уж! Макароны у тебя в голове работают на сто процентов! :-)
Nice job,Ivan.
Thanks for your video. I guess i should reflow all the parts of my speedometer pc board since I do not have all your expertise or your amazing tools. i have been driving more than a year without speedometer and odometer in my Toyota Corolla 1998 LE 1.8. i will start with resonator and resistors.
Great learning video. Thanks. 👍
good video Ivan...
A hardcore smackdown to the Tesla Roadster.
Bloody hell, turn the nitrous off😲😲😲😲😲
VTEC, yo!
Javier Rocha yes u need to tune the NOS time.
Very interesting. Thank you muchly
Nice job there Ivan. I would have suspected the SMD resistor to have an internal crack in it or something though. Multi-layer SMD ceramic caps tend to blow up/short when mechanically stressed over time (BTW).
sweet, sorted, nice repair!
Great fix man! That was impressive. I wouldn't know what leads to hook where on electronics like that.
Last cluster I fixed was my own '93 Volvo 940 - I just went scortched-Earth and reflowed EVERYTHING, hahaha. It did the trick, but I'd rather know what the hell I fixed!
Nice. If in doubt, re-flow everything ;)
I do admire your dedication to making this work and fixing it, this is rare nowadays when people just change parts until everything is fixed, but still.....would it no have been easier to get the damn cluster from junkyard ?
kyard ? :)
I could have repaired it in way less time than it would take you to pickup or dig for a junkyard part, that may be bad also ;)
That is an option, but resetting the odometer would be a PITA!
So is that the definition of going nowhere fast?
Maybe it's a time machine to go back to the future haha
You might be right Ivan.
Great Fix Ivan.
Nice diagnosis & repair Ivan! Neat trick with the odometer. It's due another oil change and you haven't done the first one and after 100K no engine wear...see that college education is paying off HAHA. Nice touch with the Pico and tips!!
I calculated that I would have to run the signal generator at 100mph for 50hours to get to the next 5k oil change ;)
I knew you'd have it all calculated out and then you'd figure how to accelerate it by increasing the frequency with a typical step recovery diode multiplier. :D
Waw. Exselecte diagnostic amigo. Nice video. Good. Trabajo
My buddy had a ford 500 with a Speedo problem. It had to do with cracked or bad solder joints that had to be cleaned and re soldered. All the old Speedo’s had a voltage limiter in the dash that went bad and all the gauges would act up when the limiter went bad.
Spectacular
great video Ivan thanks
You rocked it.
That was a cool ass video!
LUDICROUS SPEED!! NOW!!!
Fastest Geo Metro ever.
*Prizm :)
0-200mph in 1.2 seconds👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 I want that car👍
Thanks for the video. My 1996 geo Prizm has a working speedometer but the odometer and trip meter are counting 44% faster than they should. I'm going to be pulling the cluster and inspecting solder joints like you did. It's not that big of a deal if I can't fix it but one thing that's nice is the car probably doesn't really have 175,000 miles on it like I thought it did when I bought it.
So speedometer is accurate but odometer is over counting? Very strange!
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics There is a jumper (looks like a surface mount resistor) on the top center of the same speedometer board. If the jumper is there the odometer is in miles, if open it counts in km. Mine had a bad solder joint so it was intermittent. It would change resistance when I touched it. I reflowed it and about to do a test drive.
It's fixed. The odometer exactly matches the interstate mile markers now. I just bought the car, now I'm wondering how many miles it really has. I'm going to make a quick video to show my repair to help the next guy, and will reference your video too.
BTW my board looks different than yours and my car is also a 1996 Geo Prizm with tachometer. My video is here: ruclips.net/video/EhwiaNFT3mk/видео.html
Education Son! 😎
having trouble with my car ... 95 corolla - speedo didnt work since i got it last may, previous owner says it never worked for him. when it's cold, the needle doesn't move. when the car warms up some, the speedometer will work slightly but with a lot of lag. it usually trails behind actual speed by 5-10mph, worse the colder it is. last night it was 20 degrees and i was going 65 while the speedo said 20. the odometer and trip meter both work fine.
so far this has been just an aesthetic problem and i have a gps with a speedometer to keep track of speed. however, last weekend the car stalled out, transmission kept jumping around & engine misfiring. i replaced the spark plugs, was enough to get home. still running rough. replaced the entire ignition system save for the ICM. now it runs ok but if it's cold it doesn't like shifting and it doesn't like going over 63mph. at 65mph, the transmission will slip every 20 seconds or so (or a misfire? it's sort of hard to tell). if the engine is cold, regardless of outside temp, i can go 70-75mph no problem. once the engine gets warm, then it starts acting up.
the transmission oil looks good, still pink, and at the proper level. have had zero problems with the car at all, drove it 10,000 miles since the end of may this year.
initially i was thinking the vehicle speed sensor, after seeing this video, perhaps it is something else. not sure how to further diagnose .... any idea on what might be happening?? or where to continue looking
Well done.
Scope, bench power supply, function generator, and capacitor decay. Brings back electronics lab memories. Did Dr. Ivan find a faulty pull up resistor solder joint?
It may have been a pull down resistor??
Gene Mean yes, it could have been either. Not really sure where that resistor is actually located in the circuit. I was debating between pull up and pull down myself. I just went with pull up because the voltage on the scope held steady at a higher voltage when the continuity was reestablished.
It outruns a Tesla LOL acceleration on the speedo. But anyways nice fix Thumbs-up Ivan.
that speedo made my day XD
POCKET ROCKET!
Currently trying to retrofit this speedo to a mk1 mr2. Could you do an in depth video on that? Great info, man!
Keith has been looking for that screwdriver.
Which one? The Craftsman?
Hi Ivan if you buffed paint it would go 10mph faster and do better mpg!
There is no paint left to buff lmao!
Test drove once a 1994 Toyota Corolla 1,6. Speedometer worked fine but central locking was messed up. Locked the car and few seconds later door locks popped open again. Otherwise it was good car but I ended up buying much newer but smaller car.
Hi Ivan, another great video thank you. Can u please tell me what brand your laptop is?
It's an Acer One10
Nice !
You, sir, are amazing. Quick question: (not that I would EVER do it), since it appears so easy to reverse the mileage on this kind of odometer (mechanical), how do we know that people don't do that when trying to sell a used car?
I completely agree that the scopes on a vantage etc are crap and way over priced. However, with the Pico, you have to combine the cost of the Pico with the cost of the laptop/tablet you have to connect to it. At that price point it isn't as affordable. And then you have the problem of planned obsolescence. For example, Standard USB (USB-A & USB-B) is going the way of the Dodo and will soon not be available on 'modern' machines without adapters. Eventually something else will replace it completely and you'll be S.O.L. Or in a couple years the Pico software may not work on newer OS's if the Pico company stops supporting your model Pico scope. So you'll have to keep an ancient machine laying around to use your Pico. Thats a P.I.T.A. IMO, I prefer a stand alone scope. You can get one that would blow the doors off a Pico or Vantage in resolution, memory, accuracy & bandwidth for less then a couple hundred bucks (like the scopes made by Rigol).
The odometer on my 96 Prizm has been broken forever. I noticed, while browsing the local Pik and Pull, that almost all of the odometers are broken. I took one apart and saw that it is definitely a mechanical break. Can you or anybody else out there figure out how to fix this broken odometer? Thanks for a great channel!!
What?! No oil change video?