*A must play song if you own one of these vans:* ruclips.net/video/RFnkCIwGwiA/видео.html Power Probe IV w/Case & Acc: amzn.to/2Uj6v4h Alligator Clips Test Leads : amzn.to/3bodNcO
I'm very grateful for your impressive dedication to making the right call, through diagnosis. I've learned more electrical advice from you than my journeymaan.
You seem to be a combination of a Genius Mechanic and a regular back yard mechanic. " banged on it with a chunk of pavement". You were born to do this. Im not sure if thats lucky or not.
@@rjb6327 ... Several of his videos feature cars sent to SMA from other local shops that couldn't quite get the job done by throwing parts in them. Diagnosis is sometimes an arcane art.
You can never have "too many" grounds, especially in a state that uses a lot of road salt! We use a quite a bit of road salt here in Wisconsin, and I always check the grounds first.
It's magic to me how you diagnose these issues. It's like solving a mystery or a puzzle. The diagnosis videos are my favorites, as I try to figure it out before you do (However, I've never done it yet.) Keep up the great work.
Classic rust bucket, I remember jacking up my 68 Caddy convertible from the front bumper and listening to the coil springs break and seeing the doors binding from the car folding in half. 😯
Gary Player says, "The more I practice, the luckier I get." Like many things in life, Ya got to be well grounded!. Thanks, Eric. Another great video. My meemaw taught me to tin the wire first, makes it easier to crimp. Then finish it up with heat and a little more solder, Cheers!
Good thing you were paying attention Eric. The owner definitely gave ya a good clue to where the problem was. Didn’t take ya long to track it down and put a nice repair in place. There’s not much left down there to connect to. Can only hope the guy realizes how bad the rust is getting
I'm glad to see you coat the new connection. We spray plastidip as we manufacturer many firetrucks that end up in your neck of the woods. Love it and keep 'em comin!
This video saved me a ton of time and frustration. I had just finished cutting off my running boards and my van stopped running. Sure enough, the running board was completing the ground from the body to the frame. The ground strap rotted in two. I was searching around for tips on dropping the tank to replace the fuel pump when I found this video. Thank you Eric!
I watch to learn how to troubleshoot all things so wanted to thank you and your family for helping regular guys like me understand the new age ways the car company has complicated autos in general cuz I'm stuck in the 1960s when cars were simple I see people give up and throw away cars all the time ,no one gets the Hi-Tech computer or lingo used in all cars today the videos are first class and so are your skills are first rate top notch and a class act mechanic and you don't cus or throw a fit , and that takes years to explain so your dad must be a good personality to learn from for many years so thank him to for all of us out here learning to catch up in so many ways,good job RUclips and south main auto
Eric, an easy way to crimp a ring connector to battery cable is to first form the ears that crimp onto the copper strands around a 5/16" steel rod, then remove the rod, insert the cable wires, and perform a final crimp-down on the copper strand before soldering. Always worked for me. Also, always let the molten solder solidify completely before moving it (taking it out of the vise, in this case). When the shiney(liquid) solder turns dull, it's cooled (solidified) enough to move. I am a SMA junkie.
I love that you do some of the things that us shadetree mechanics do, like beating on the gas tank. The basics still are the basics, even with all the electronic doodads we have today.
Eric a little trick with heavy gauge wires is to bend it where you want to strip like a good u-bend, take a sharp razor and run it a lot the top of the bend and it will cut super easy and as long as your not a gorilla with the blade you won’t cut the strands. .
Just a piece of advice to others from a guy with plenty of soldering experience. You are quite right. You MUST solder the wire to the terminal because they will otherwise corrode in that environment, being dissimilar metals.
GM actually stores them in the Gulf of Mexico (not near, in.) before selling them in the northern markets. If we saw new shiny undercarriages, we'd probably riot.
@Fascist Pedant Oddly enough, you're dead right. While the saltwater will accelerate rusting, the lack of oxygen at the bottom actually slows the process down significantly.
Eric I’ve been binge watching your videos for the past few days. Not working right at the moment so your channel has helped tremendously with boredom!!!
I remember that day when one of these chevys kicked my butt due to this ground wire. That was the day when I decided to become good at automotive electrical troubleshooting. Regards everyone. Stay safe.
Sad to see such rust on any vehicle. In any northern state you have to make lots of money to replace the vehicle you need to work. I am still driving my 94 ford with only minor rust at the fenders. Thanks for sharing and be safe Eric and family.
Thanks so much for being a great teacher, I think I've got it drilled into my head now how you can't rely on ohms resistance measurements to test for a good ground. I just have to rewatch some of your other videos on maybe using a test light and maybe break out the instructions on my power probe to really learn the proper way to test electrical connections. I know some of your other videos just checking for proper voltage at a connection didn't necessarily mean there was sufficient current flow there as well. I think I see a common theme here, when using a volt-ohm meter, you can't assume you have sufficient current flow to the component you're testing. This is tough stuff to wrap my head around, I really appreciate this video to help me get where I need to be. Thanks!
SHEVROLEY!!!! Man, make more videos, I'm in quarantine and your channel is one of the few that cranks me up and teaches me something with a laugh. Kudos to you!
I have lived in Michigan all my life and I always thought our winters/salted roads were hard on vehicles, watching your videos and I will admit New York win hands down when it comes to winter salt damage. Great videos keep up the great work.
Thanks for keeping the content flowing. Here in France we’re confined so need plenty of content! I’ve got a 2005 Passat on the drive and keep hearing “if I can do it you can do it”....
Having the same problem with a 97’ Jeep Grand Cherokee... running fine, parked it, now if just spins and won’t start... bit of ether and she fires right up for a tic.. Thank you for this video, heading out right now to check out grounds.
you are an extremely skilled diagnostician . pleasure as always. How in the world could anyone ever give any one of your videos a thumbs down ? They must have DYSLEXIA ! GREAT JOB !
thank you for the lesson Eric, I think this maybe the same problem I am having with my 95 Dodge, runs fine going down the interstate, goes into a limp mode, key off in neutral, fires right back up,
I have been watching your videos for awhile now Eric . They are not only entertaining I find them very educational. You are very good mechanic and teacher. I greatly what you and people like Scanner Danner are doing for us . I realize that you are costing yourself time that translates into money. When this pandemic is over I plan on contributing thru PayPal. I think you folks are worth supporting for what your sharing with us . Please stay safe during this crisis Mr. O
Great video. A bad chassis or body ground can manifest in all sorts of weird issues. Random lights coming on when other accessories are powered on. turn signals flash when brake lights come on. fuel gauge drops from full to half tank when the head lights are turned on. Lots of crazy things happen when that circuit finds a ground through other circuits.
Was just gonna go out and work on my trailer but seen a SMA video come up. Thanks Eric O for keeping me quarantined in the house for 17 minutes and 23 seconds. Love your videos! Stay safe out there.
There's alot to be said about proof reading. My whole point of commenting was to show some appreciation. Wouldn't you know it that's the word I missed. I appreciate what folks like yourself and Scanner Danner are doing for us . Thank you.
Enjoyed Eric,thanks,and to us all stay safe,make sure the older peoples have access to the basics,just be safe,we all love Theo family,hopefully we can all be safe with common sense,I’m ranting sorry people,be safe ,thank you for the short video,enjoyed.
I love watching your videos Mr O. I appreciate you making one during this crisis, thanks. You inspire me to do my own work. I'm not a professional like you or many of your viewers, so I have a lot to learn and you set a good standard to work by. Good health to you and your family. Best wishes from here in the UK.
Those NY winters are really hard on vehicles. Looks like this one won't be structurally safe before too long. That "Chevy Van" song goes back to my days.
Ground to the P/S pump? Block to frame with a longer cable would be my suggestion. I fried a water pump years ago by running a ground from the alternator on a Cat engine. Lesson learned.
In general it's not a good idea to solder crimped connectors to stranded wire. The wire will crack and break with bending. You are probably ok because of the size of the wire. But, if it experiences much movement it will fail. Don't take that as a knock. Just friendly advice. Love your videos Eric! You keep it real. And you have superb troubleshooting skills. Thanks!
Another excellent video on the importance of the ground side of a circuit. It is easy to focus just on the power side. Some may have been tempted to replace the fuel pump - that would hurt $$$!!!
I used to do the EXACT same thing then one day my brother gave me this amazing tool that you put the copper cable ends inside and you smack it with a hammer and it works amazing. I've even used a little chunk of copper pipe for a butt connector.
I think we have a classic example of a love-hate relationship with NY state salted roads. A big chunk of South Main's biz is due to the damage inflicted by the salt. Yet to fix it, it is a huge PITA. I think this should be a textbook case study for some psychologist/psychiatrist somewhere.
Really like the videos man, shows how rusty metal wrecks havoc. Ground, abs sensors brakes and cv axles. Down in the south, rust is not and issue just plain old diag skills needed. Keep the vids flowing.
If you had no idea what your doing it would be a "lucky catch". But you sir, know what your doing and that is why you get "lucky"! Thanks for the content.
Interesting the starter motor worked fine, so the engine ground was excellent. Even though the engine is bolted to the frame in many places, old vehicles rely on those extra ground straps to minimize resistance.
Another good teaching video. I’m not far from you, near Jamestown, NY. Unfortunately I deal with rust like you. I’m tired of it. I buy all my personal vehicles out of state. Fluid film is good stuff. I’m going to try woolswax. It’s thicker, so it’s supposed to hold up better in high splash areas. Stay healthy. Thanks, joe
I always solder/tin the wire first, dip the copper strands in flux, solder the copper ends, place on to the terminal bit of heat to stick the wire to the terminal and then bend the ends, bit more heat and solder just at the end, super neat way of doing it, don't get any whiskers!!!!
I would have just connected the pump directly to the battery with a switch to turn it on and off as needed (for a diesel engine). For gas.... You did it perfectly!
When I first got my 66 f100 I ran battery cables to all grounds and connected up to ground on battery had no problems for years until I went through the truck and cleaned up rust
well your the man!!! I have a GMC work van and it did the same thing. I changed the fuel pump because I did not hear it coming on. she did not start so I changed the chrankshaft sensor no luck. BUT she's an old rusty girl!! YEP that grounding strap was pretty brittle. I tried it with some wire and gator clips first and it worked but I did mess with the other grounding strap a bit. so I just pulled it off the motor. Did the same thing you did and its working> Thank you!!!
The fuel pump failed in my old 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac last year and my mechanic (a one man shop) couldn't find any of his neighbors to help him push the truck into his bay so he could get it up on the lift to drop the fuel tank. What he did to start and drive the truck in to the bay was he rigged up a fuel supply and pump and connected it to the pressure test point on the fuel rails.
Done about a dozen of those. The braid is part of the negative cable but are always on back order. I usually go from the starter bolt down to the rearward control arm frame bracket with a cable. Hog out the hole with a unibit and grind it clean. 5 minutes and on to the next rott box. Gotta love Western NY
Thanks I just learned some good info. I like the way you think and diagnose and explain. Good fast work, you came up with a good result for the customer. I am now a subscriber. Thanks again
Jeremy Mann It's not too bad. Just remember to Engage Safety Squints(Stolen from AVE) and wear an approved safety mask, and maybe cotton balls in each year to prevent rust from being trapped forever in the ear canal.
HEY! spent the past 12 hours working on my chevy I randomly came across this video (been to channel before however) this ended up being my exact problem, I replaced the fuel pump which I sorta needed to anyway thinking that might of been it butit was the frayed ground wire to the frame it just disintegrated in my hand when i inspected it, went and got a new one and viola. Thanks!
I used to put a cable on the motor mount bolt driver side lower rear and run it to a hole in the frame and jam a 3/8-16 nut and bold and called it good.......can't count how many pumps got replaced over this for nothing.... They are just as bad up here too. I think New York and Ontario share the same philosophy on snow/rust control....
you done good. i am so happy to live in Alabama we do have mud but the rust you have to deal with is just to much. but like someone said tough job but someone has to do it
Our 2010 Forester had a broken ground strap no idea how that happened. I checked and it had two more ground straps. My early days of repairing snowmobiles and working on the lighting and shut off for the ignition taught me valuable lessons on the importance of having a ground strap on the engine to frame. One common issue was the tail light wiring was routed under the seat, after a few years, the wires would end up wearing through at the seat and grounding on the tunnel. Even the newer snowmobiles had the exact same problem. Lol.
Oh yeah I've seen many of those ground straps broken before. First one I found the pump wasnt cycling so I went to lift it on the 2 post and it shifted enough that it made a good ground and the pump would come on. I've had 3 or 4 of them since.
Great video. One suggestion is to "tin" the copper strands before you crimp them. After crimping, then do your formal soldering. You won't lose any strands.
She rusty! Almost as bad as my S10 plow truck ... but that's still running for now. 😁 I learned about voltage drop testing when I was at MMI 20 years ago, but for whatever reason, I never used it, and forgot about it over the years. Then I saw one of your vids 3-4 years ago on it. Months later I had a bad ground in the new fog lights and headlight assemblies I installed in our '93 940, and I remembered your vid. Whenever I put the high beams on, the engine would choke, lights would go orange, and it would die. I had a 10.78 volt drop on the ground wire up there! I just drilled a hole nearby in the core support, ground off the paint, and ran a ground wire to that - haven't had an issue since. 👍🍻
Cool diagnosis. I feel dumb. My 1996 Chevy WT1500 had a rustier frame than this one but the body panels and rockers were in good condition. Just had some rust on the underside of the door and the cab corners. The body on this beast did not look good. My ground strap looked the same but used just a 10 gauge piece of wire being too cheap to buy a battery cable. That was some quality work in the video and the new strap will outlast the truck by 15 years.
I love South Main Auto. Thanks for the great videos. I wish you could do a collaboration with Mighty Car Mods. Make them learn a bit from the rust belt.
![ARGENTINA vs. CHILE [3-0] | RESUMEN | ELIMINATORIAS SUDAMERICANAS | FECHA 7](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/De3AWmXzhuA/mqdefault.jpg)
*A must play song if you own one of these vans:* ruclips.net/video/RFnkCIwGwiA/видео.html
Power Probe IV w/Case & Acc: amzn.to/2Uj6v4h
Alligator Clips Test Leads : amzn.to/3bodNcO
Hey were's the jeep hat.
South Main Auto Repair LLC good song I remember it well
I'm very grateful for your impressive dedication to making the right call, through diagnosis.
I've learned more electrical advice from you than my journeymaan.
That makes it run better when you here this song. Lol
Eric, what site do you use to find all those fancy wiring diagrams?
Flashlight falls, ERIC: "Whoa!! Man down!" just cracks me up evertyime. Or Eric's classic: "What the thunder!" - Always a good day with SMA!
Or.. whoa fella! There's yer problem lady! Brakleen ! Napper, advanced auto, etc -- not a sponsor
My personal favorite is "Enhance"
@@Br4c3F4c3 or, un-enhance. :-)
You seem to be a combination of a Genius Mechanic and a regular back yard mechanic. " banged on it with a chunk of pavement". You were born to do this. Im not sure if thats lucky or not.
Best thing about this quarantine is I can binge watch SMA!
Hmm. good idea I haven't watched all of his vintage footage.
** check your supply of
Coffee.
Beer.
Internet Connection.
And tp
Don't worry, we will be able to go out come Easter
@@elynio1711 damn sure isn't your fault but that sure as hell did not age well did it. ☹️
You need a “ there’s your problem lady” shirt!
Those words sound good only from Eric. None of the others trying to use it sound right.
Ever get the feeling that other local shops are saying "go see Eric at SMA, he is an expert on rust nightmares"
If you look him up on Google maps, I think he's the only shop in town.
@@rjb6327 Seems like he said at one time that there were a couple in town.
It's western/upstate NY. Every shop works on rust nightmares on a daily basis :-P
@@rjb6327 yelp shows 5 in the area
@@rjb6327 ... Several of his videos feature cars sent to SMA from other local shops that couldn't quite get the job done by throwing parts in them. Diagnosis is sometimes an arcane art.
SMA. Shiny Metal Action.
One positive attribute at SMA..the lead mechanic is well grounded.😎👍
Bite my Shiny Metal Ass!!! 😂😂😂😂😂
@@adventureoflinkmk2 good Futurama reference
That ground cable just doubled the value of that rust bucket...
Makes me glad I don't live in up state New York.
Your right. That ground cable is the best thing on that van
Filling the tank full of gas doubles the value.
Never underestimate the value of a work van that still runs.
Well technically it probably did more than that, turned it from a non running van to a running driving one
You can never have "too many" grounds, especially in a state that uses a lot of road salt!
We use a quite a bit of road salt here in Wisconsin, and I always check the grounds first.
It's magic to me how you diagnose these issues. It's like solving a mystery or a puzzle. The diagnosis videos are my favorites, as I try to figure it out before you do (However, I've never done it yet.) Keep up the great work.
The Best Mechanic Ever
He is fussy about the new ground wire on an old rust-bucket van. That is dedication to quality work.
The no crank/no start diags are definitely my favorite. Thank you for another one!
I finally figured out why I find your videos so relaxing. You’re the automotive equivalent of Bob Ross.
Classic rust bucket, I remember jacking up my 68 Caddy convertible from the front bumper and listening to the coil springs break and seeing the doors binding from the car folding in half. 😯
OUCH!!
Gary Player says, "The more I practice, the luckier I get." Like many things in life, Ya got to be well grounded!. Thanks, Eric. Another great video. My meemaw taught me to tin the wire first, makes it easier to crimp. Then finish it up with heat and a little more solder, Cheers!
Good thing you were paying attention Eric. The owner definitely gave ya a good clue to where the problem was. Didn’t take ya long to track it down and put a nice repair in place. There’s not much left down there to connect to. Can only hope the guy realizes how bad the rust is getting
I'm glad to see you coat the new connection. We spray plastidip as we manufacturer many firetrucks that end up in your neck of the woods. Love it and keep 'em comin!
This video saved me a ton of time and frustration. I had just finished cutting off my running boards and my van stopped running. Sure enough, the running board was completing the ground from the body to the frame. The ground strap rotted in two. I was searching around for tips on dropping the tank to replace the fuel pump when I found this video. Thank you Eric!
I watch to learn how to troubleshoot all things so wanted to thank you and your family for helping regular guys like me understand the new age ways the car company has complicated autos in general cuz I'm stuck in the 1960s when cars were simple I see people give up and throw away cars all the time ,no one gets the Hi-Tech computer or lingo used in all cars today the videos are first class and so are your skills are first rate top notch and a class act mechanic and you don't cus or throw a fit , and that takes years to explain so your dad must be a good personality to learn from for many years so thank him to for all of us out here learning to catch up in so many ways,good job RUclips and south main auto
Eric, an easy way to crimp a ring connector to battery cable is to first form the ears that crimp onto the copper strands around a 5/16" steel rod, then remove the rod, insert the cable wires, and perform a final crimp-down on the copper strand before soldering. Always worked for me.
Also, always let the molten solder solidify completely before moving it (taking it out of the vise, in this case). When the shiney(liquid) solder turns dull, it's cooled (solidified) enough to move. I am a SMA junkie.
I love that you do some of the things that us shadetree mechanics do, like beating on the gas tank. The basics still are the basics, even with all the electronic doodads we have today.
Yep, always go for the easy and cheap things first. The knocking on a starter trick got me home one time, and I was surely grateful for that.
'95 Ford Windstar. I could hit the tank, fuel pump would run. Hit it again, pump would stop.
New pump time.
Eric a little trick with heavy gauge wires is to bend it where you want to strip like a good u-bend, take a sharp razor and run it a lot the top of the bend and it will cut super easy and as long as your not a gorilla with the blade you won’t cut the strands. .
Just a piece of advice to others from a guy with plenty of soldering experience. You are quite right. You MUST solder the wire to the terminal because they will otherwise corrode in that environment, being dissimilar metals.
It’s nice to see a mechanic deal with rust. Good video as always
pretty sure youre just finding cars at the bottom of the ocean at this point
Comment of the week
They keep better at the bottom of the ocean.
GM actually stores them in the Gulf of Mexico (not near, in.) before selling them in the northern markets. If we saw new shiny undercarriages, we'd probably riot.
LoL.
"" Next time Mr Eric O works on the Titanic.""
@Fascist Pedant Oddly enough, you're dead right. While the saltwater will accelerate rusting, the lack of oxygen at the bottom actually slows the process down significantly.
Eric I’ve been binge watching your videos for the past few days. Not working right at the moment so your channel has helped tremendously with boredom!!!
I remember that day when one of these chevys kicked my butt due to this ground wire. That was the day when I decided to become good at automotive electrical troubleshooting. Regards everyone. Stay safe.
Sad to see such rust on any vehicle. In any northern state you have to make lots of money to replace the vehicle you need to work. I am still driving my 94 ford with only minor rust at the fenders. Thanks for sharing and be safe Eric and family.
Thanks so much for being a great teacher, I think I've got it drilled into my head now how you can't rely on ohms resistance measurements to test for a good ground. I just have to rewatch some of your other videos on maybe using a test light and maybe break out the instructions on my power probe to really learn the proper way to test electrical connections. I know some of your other videos just checking for proper voltage at a connection didn't necessarily mean there was sufficient current flow there as well. I think I see a common theme here, when using a volt-ohm meter, you can't assume you have sufficient current flow to the component you're testing. This is tough stuff to wrap my head around, I really appreciate this video to help me get where I need to be. Thanks!
Yep, me too! Thanks @southmainauto!
SHEVROLEY!!!! Man, make more videos, I'm in quarantine and your channel is one of the few that cranks me up and teaches me something with a laugh. Kudos to you!
Everytime I see the bottom of the cars you work on I just shake my head. No way I can deal with that much corrosion and Rust. My hat off to you man.
I have lived in Michigan all my life and I always thought our winters/salted roads were hard on vehicles, watching your videos and I will admit New York win hands down when it comes to winter salt damage. Great videos keep up the great work.
yes we have it the worst in upstate NY, its aweful
had an old chevy that the throttle cable turned into a fuse link. made it home on shoe strings instant learning experience
This was one of the first SMA video's I watched that got me interested in the whole diag process. Easily one of my favorites!
Thanks for keeping the content flowing. Here in France we’re confined so need plenty of content! I’ve got a 2005 Passat on the drive and keep hearing “if I can do it you can do it”....
Having the same problem with a 97’ Jeep Grand Cherokee... running fine, parked it, now if just spins and won’t start... bit of ether and she fires right up for a tic.. Thank you for this video, heading out right now to check out grounds.
Great use of the Power Probe. Great job SMA. Stay Safe. Stay Healthy
I think the ol' girl has a date with the crusher when the next sticker comes due!
Body on frame vehicles can't fail NYS inspection for holes in the body. As long as the frame is solid it's a pass.
If it runs, it's good to go.
A Bit of a sand blast, a bit of Film Spray. Then it will be better than Macgyvers swiss army knife.
yar--that's just sheet metal--patcheroo and keep on truckin'
max p you sure on that? In Vermont holes in the body is a no no.
you are an extremely skilled diagnostician . pleasure as always. How in the world could anyone ever give any one of your videos a thumbs down ? They must have DYSLEXIA ! GREAT JOB !
thank you for the lesson Eric, I think this maybe the same problem I am having with my 95 Dodge, runs fine going down the interstate, goes into a limp mode, key off in neutral, fires right back up,
I have been watching your videos for awhile now Eric . They are not only entertaining I find them very educational. You are very good mechanic and teacher. I greatly what you and people like Scanner Danner are doing for us . I realize that you are costing yourself time that translates into money. When this pandemic is over I plan on contributing thru PayPal. I think you folks are worth supporting for what your sharing with us . Please stay safe during this crisis Mr. O
Great video. A bad chassis or body ground can manifest in all sorts of weird issues. Random lights coming on when other accessories are powered on. turn signals flash when brake lights come on. fuel gauge drops from full to half tank when the head lights are turned on. Lots of crazy things happen when that circuit finds a ground through other circuits.
Your video's remind of why I stay in Alabama and not having to do that anymore.
Take care with everything that's going on in New York just now Eric🤘🤘
Was just gonna go out and work on my trailer but seen a SMA video come up. Thanks Eric O for keeping me quarantined in the house for 17 minutes and 23 seconds. Love your videos! Stay safe out there.
There's alot to be said about proof reading. My whole point of commenting was to show some appreciation. Wouldn't you know it that's the word I missed. I appreciate what folks like yourself and Scanner Danner are doing for us . Thank you.
Enjoyed Eric,thanks,and to us all stay safe,make sure the older peoples have access to the basics,just be safe,we all love Theo family,hopefully we can all be safe with common sense,I’m ranting sorry people,be safe ,thank you for the short video,enjoyed.
Your vids are giving people hope in these times of uncertainty. Good for you man
Gotta love voltage drop testing 😂
Great video Eric!
I love watching your videos Mr O. I appreciate you making one during this crisis, thanks. You inspire me to do my own work. I'm not a professional like you or many of your viewers, so I have a lot to learn and you set a good standard to work by. Good health to you and your family. Best wishes from here in the UK.
Those NY winters are really hard on vehicles. Looks like this one won't be structurally safe before too long.
That "Chevy Van" song goes back to my days.
Ground to the P/S pump? Block to frame with a longer cable would be my suggestion. I fried a water pump years ago by running a ground from the alternator on a Cat engine. Lesson learned.
Eric's attention to detail. "Finished appearance" going on a complete rust bucket!!
In general it's not a good idea to solder crimped connectors to stranded wire. The wire will crack and break with bending.
You are probably ok because of the size of the wire. But, if it experiences much movement it will fail.
Don't take that as a knock. Just friendly advice.
Love your videos Eric! You keep it real. And you have superb troubleshooting skills.
Thanks!
Another excellent video on the importance of the ground side of a circuit. It is easy to focus just on the power side. Some may have been tempted to replace the fuel pump - that would hurt $$$!!!
Just Saved Us from a massive headache, Thanks!
I used to do the EXACT same thing then one day my brother gave me this amazing tool that you put the copper cable ends inside and you smack it with a hammer and it works amazing. I've even used a little chunk of copper pipe for a butt connector.
Willa Herrera it’s a hammer crimper I forgot the exact name but there cheap and work great.
@@FishFind3000 I got mine at Harbor Freight, and if you have a large vise, you can just "squeeze" the tool with that. You're right! Great tool.
I think we have a classic example of a love-hate relationship with NY state salted roads. A big chunk of South Main's biz is due to the damage inflicted by the salt. Yet to fix it, it is a huge PITA. I think this should be a textbook case study for some psychologist/psychiatrist somewhere.
Another great video, Eric. You're a magician at keeping the dearly should-be departed, going.
SURFING RUclips I FOUND THIS VIDEO REALLY NEEDED SOMETHING GOOD AT A TIME LIKE THIS THANKS FOR YOUR TIME !
Really like the videos man, shows how rusty metal wrecks havoc. Ground, abs sensors brakes and cv axles. Down in the south, rust is not and issue just plain old diag skills needed. Keep the vids flowing.
Thanks for the great lesson. You are a real problem solving Mechanic who uses technology, theory & solutions.
If you had no idea what your doing it would be a "lucky catch". But you sir, know what your doing and that is why you get "lucky"! Thanks for the content.
Interesting the starter motor worked fine, so the engine ground was excellent. Even though the engine is bolted to the frame in many places, old vehicles rely on those extra ground straps to minimize resistance.
Motor mount are rubber
Another good teaching video.
I’m not far from you, near Jamestown, NY. Unfortunately I deal with rust like you.
I’m tired of it. I buy all my personal vehicles out of state.
Fluid film is good stuff.
I’m going to try woolswax. It’s thicker, so it’s supposed to hold up better in high splash areas.
Stay healthy.
Thanks,
joe
I always solder/tin the wire first, dip the copper strands in flux, solder the copper ends, place on to the terminal bit of heat to stick the wire to the terminal and then bend the ends, bit more heat and solder just at the end, super neat way of doing it, don't get any whiskers!!!!
Living in Minnesota I’m very glad we don’t have inspections, as cars rot here and an inspection would severely limit their lifespan.
I'm up in Duluth and probably 2/3rds the cars here wouldn't pass any inspection
I think pretty soon that whole vehicle is gonna be grounded...
grounded into chunks, and recycled.
I would have just connected the pump directly to the battery with a switch to turn it on and off as needed (for a diesel engine).
For gas.... You did it perfectly!
When I first got my 66 f100 I ran battery cables to all grounds and connected up to ground on battery had no problems for years until I went through the truck and cleaned up rust
well your the man!!! I have a GMC work van and it did the same thing. I changed the fuel pump because I did not hear it coming on. she did not start so I changed the chrankshaft sensor no luck. BUT she's an old rusty girl!! YEP that grounding strap was pretty brittle. I tried it with some wire and gator clips first and it worked but I did mess with the other grounding strap a bit. so I just pulled it off the motor. Did the same thing you did and its working> Thank you!!!
Now that I've started watching AvE as well, I can finally understand the references!
This guy knows all the tricks
The fuel pump failed in my old 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac last year and my mechanic (a one man shop) couldn't find any of his neighbors to help him push the truck into his bay so he could get it up on the lift to drop the fuel tank. What he did to start and drive the truck in to the bay was he rigged up a fuel supply and pump and connected it to the pressure test point on the fuel rails.
That was great, Mr. O. I don't know how they sell new cars in places that don't have rust issues.
Done about a dozen of those. The braid is part of the negative cable but are always on back order. I usually go from the starter bolt down to the rearward control arm frame bracket with a cable. Hog out the hole with a unibit and grind it clean. 5 minutes and on to the next rott box. Gotta love Western NY
I sure enjoy your videos just common sense and no arrogance it’s Great in down to Earth
Like Dinner and a movie, another kick but video from the master of rust! Thanks Eric!!!!
thank you for the info < sometimes a person needs a little update! thanks again>
Thanks I just learned some good info. I like the way you think and diagnose and explain. Good fast work, you came up with a good result for the customer. I am now a subscriber. Thanks again
You are a well grounded mechanic....
Love crimping and soldering 💗
Eric's reaction to jank is what I'm here for
Eric I would love to learn from you everything about repairing cars
Man I am so glad I live in Texas... I can't imagine working with all that rust.
So long as you get your monthly Tetanus booster, it's all good.
Working with it isn't too bad as long as you have a Victor wrench. Worst part is your feet sticking thru the floor like Fred Flintstone.
Jeremy Mann
It's not too bad. Just remember to Engage Safety Squints(Stolen from AVE) and wear an approved safety mask, and maybe cotton balls in each year to prevent rust from being trapped forever in the ear canal.
@@LuckyBaldwin777 I prefer the Harris wrench myself.
The only good thing about the rust is that the torch helps warm up the garage
HEY! spent the past 12 hours working on my chevy I randomly came across this video (been to channel before however) this ended up being my exact problem, I replaced the fuel pump which I sorta needed to anyway thinking that might of been it butit was the frayed ground wire to the frame it just disintegrated in my hand when i inspected it, went and got a new one and viola. Thanks!
I used to put a cable on the motor mount bolt driver side lower rear and run it to a hole in the frame and jam a 3/8-16 nut and bold and called it good.......can't count how many pumps got replaced over this for nothing.... They are just as bad up here too. I think New York and Ontario share the same philosophy on snow/rust control....
Nice work Eric O hope you're doing well today.
Hey... Don't point them digits at me without a glove!
Keep up the great work Eric! Stay Safe, Stay Home, Stay Alive!
you done good. i am so happy to live in Alabama we do have mud but the rust you have to deal with is just to much. but like someone said tough job but someone has to do it
Our 2010 Forester had a broken ground strap no idea how that happened. I checked and it had two more ground straps. My early days of repairing snowmobiles and working on the lighting and shut off for the ignition taught me valuable lessons on the importance of having a ground strap on the engine to frame. One common issue was the tail light wiring was routed under the seat, after a few years, the wires would end up wearing through at the seat and grounding on the tunnel. Even the newer snowmobiles had the exact same problem. Lol.
Oh yeah I've seen many of those ground straps broken before. First one I found the pump wasnt cycling so I went to lift it on the 2 post and it shifted enough that it made a good ground and the pump would come on. I've had 3 or 4 of them since.
"Oh man, dang window doesn't work over there". Lol, classic, nuthin gonna be easy.
Makes you wonder if the inner door handle was "broken" too....Chevy Van song and Free Candy sign..yikes!
could be a bad ground?
Ahhh, relaxing at home on a day like today...why, cause I’m watching SMA.
Great video. One suggestion is to "tin" the copper strands before you crimp them. After crimping, then do your formal soldering. You won't lose any strands.
She rusty! Almost as bad as my S10 plow truck ... but that's still running for now. 😁
I learned about voltage drop testing when I was at MMI 20 years ago, but for whatever reason, I never used it, and forgot about it over the years. Then I saw one of your vids 3-4 years ago on it. Months later I had a bad ground in the new fog lights and headlight assemblies I installed in our '93 940, and I remembered your vid. Whenever I put the high beams on, the engine would choke, lights would go orange, and it would die. I had a 10.78 volt drop on the ground wire up there! I just drilled a hole nearby in the core support, ground off the paint, and ran a ground wire to that - haven't had an issue since. 👍🍻
That vehicle is really Bad rust that was pretty cool I learn a lot from you show keep up good work
Rock On Sir Thank You for keeping us all GROUNDED
Cool diagnosis. I feel dumb. My 1996 Chevy WT1500 had a rustier frame than this one but the body panels and rockers were in good condition. Just had some rust on the underside of the door and the cab corners. The body on this beast did not look good. My ground strap looked the same but used just a 10 gauge piece of wire being too cheap to buy a battery cable. That was some quality work in the video and the new strap will outlast the truck by 15 years.
I love South Main Auto. Thanks for the great videos. I wish you could do a collaboration with Mighty Car Mods. Make them learn a bit from the rust belt.
Marty would have a heart attack!