Engine doesn't have to be running. I was unbolting a CV axle with the key in the ignition and sifter in neutral so I could rotate the axle to the next bolt. I shut the door and got locked out, had to call a toll truck to unlock it for me.
That statement could only be made from a person with experience. In addition with the other gross stuff that needs to be removed before rolling around inside of the vehicle. I will not name the stuff, I am sure that you know what I am referring to. Makes you have doubts about the younger generation. 30 years of age and younger. Obviously not all but far far to many.
@@hammerhead6537 - I know how you feel. I worked at a Dodge dealership in the 90's. Working on a Le Baron ( if memory serves) with a PCM problem, the PCM was located inside the right kick panel. I had to dig through all kinds of disgusting shit in the floor board to get to it. I couldn't understand how anyone could get in that car every day without cleaning it AT SOME POINT.
I was under the dash once and removed a panel only to have dead cockroaches fall in my face. There were chicken bones on the floor too. Absolutely disgusting.
Ha! We just had this discussion last night. 1 don’t move the seat 2 don’t change the radio station or turn it up 3 don’t move mirrors unless you have to. It seems like if you do any of these things something will break.
What if the customer is 5'1" and you are 6'5", there's no freaking way you can get in that car without moving the seat. Loved the video, as always. Keep them coming.
I’ve had a couple of cars my 12 yr old daughter couldn’t have fit between the seat and the steering wheel... I typically don’t move the seat unless I have to . What’s rule #2 ?
Jack Sroka am 6’5. Am currently a lube tech so I do hop into peoples shit for a short drive and to move car in bay, you just fuckin tuck in an drive. Looks hilarious from outside the car, knees up above the steering wheel n shit hahaha
I would have put the switch back on after powering seat fully forward then when customer comes in let him just switch it back to where he wants it, mind he don't go too far though! But he'll most likely tell you it weren't broke before it came in! Nice little video again Eric, Thank You!
Appliance tech here!!! #1 rule... appliance has to be accesible before I work on it. I don’t pull or move the appliance unless they sign a waiver!!!! Great rule Eric !!!
@@researchandbuild1751 I had an old Chrysler that did that. But being an old Chrysler it went senile and automatically put the seat and mirrors to my wife's preference anytime the doors unlocked.
these little things you think about ARE the reason why we the people of thewhole world want to meet you and have you fix our car. you are on that pedistall because you are a good person. Hard to find!
Free Diag! Some of us big guys have no choice. The customer will be more upset if we get wedged in and the fire department had to bring out the jaws of life and tear the car open to get us out!
Hahaha! I just tell them that the seat will be moved. I try to move it back in the vicinity of where it was. Never have had any complaints. They understand more space is needed to get under the dash.
@@D6Spanky Exactly. Have to be able to get in the dang car to fix/drive it. Same thing goes for mirrors. I don't want to mess with somebody's settings but I do want to be able to drive their car safely.
I always thought i have nothing more to learn ..watching yiu all the time and always think same...am also a certified auto tech but man did i learn some HUUUGE ! ? " Never move a customer seat back " am making that rule ××01 now
This is why I started washing my own car. Go to car wash, first thing guy does is get in car and yank the handle and put seat all the way back!! Then they "clean" inside windshield leaving more streaks than a baby diaper. Good tip!
Bread - I wish i could give you two thumbs up. Bring my car in for tires because i can't do THAT myself, and i get the car back, seat reclined and moved all the way back and radio station turned LOUD to some awful station. The least they could do is put it back somewhat. Then afterwards they have their hand out for a tip.😡
Hi Eric. I live in NH. and do the same work as you. I started in 1970 and just retired. We got the same rust and junks as you. I agree with you on the seat but have you ever put the E brake on and then it won’t release? That’s one more thing not to touch. Electric windows the same thing. Why would anyone want to be a mechanic? Have a good day and don’t touch anything except ice cream.
Revvv up your seat motors! Today I'm gonna show you how to hotwire the driver's seat to adjust the center of gravity in your car. Ensuring proper gravity alignment will improve fuel economy cause we all know gravity = friction. Heck I know a mechanic who's been a mechanic since Apollo 11 landed on the moon where there's a lot less gravity. Come join me in the trunk of my car!!
I was 19 and 6'2" working in a body shop. I always moved the seat back. i had too! And sure enough there was one car with a seat that went back but didn't come up. My dad read me the riot act. It sucked. What am I suppose to do?! I tell you another thing too, some people get irritate if you moved their seat!
@@stevenrice47 They sure do... I was even once asked to 'decommission' a customers power seat so the car wash folks couldn't mess with it. Just pulling the fuse wasn't an option as other family members would occasionally drive it. The answer was installation of a seat 'kill switch'. It worked well!
DIY Steve i have done this. but i tell customer . so they can adjust seat themselves without a suprise. honesty has more value. Mr. SouthMain St. is a good man. not a sneak.
@@stevenrice47 If you dont want the mech to move your seat. Don't be a midget. Often I cant even get in between the seat back and the steering weel and I'm not even that fat.
Some customers will blame you for all subsequent failures once you repair something. If you did a brake job a few months before the alternator goes, some customers will come back and complain. "It never did that before you people worked on it." This is one of the reasons I don't fix things for a living anymore.
@@AcmeRacing lol so true I'm a heavy equipment technician, went out and did a PM oil/filters. He called the shop and said I made his tilt cylinders leak.
@@AcmeRacingExactly, If I didn't hear that a hundred times when I was in business, I use to tell customers; I had a dog that died once and he never did that before. They didn' know what to say then.
@68Camaro RS/SS After the first 10 minutes of playing with a power seat in a new car it rarely gets moved again,,,, until. By which time the switch is full of smutsch or the motor has seized. Another of those value adding accessories 98% of people couldn't care less about
@@rayg9069 However, keep in mind that many vehicles are regularly driven by different height drivers... meaning very frequent adjustments. But even after saying that, in all cases manual adjust seats are by far more reliable, and in my opinion, the correct technology for the application.
I find the more adjustment options, the less comfortable I seem to be. I can never get the 64 way adjustable seat perfect, but I am quite content with my bench seat that moves in one direction.
I would love to get my hands on that Mitchell on-demand again. The garage I worked at years ago had it and I found it indispensable for wiring issues as well as torque specs.
Give me a good ol' mechanical sliding seat any day. I remember the days when we didn't have power seats, power windows, power door locks or power steering.
I was a alignment tech for a while and the best where the ones that tried to kill you by lowering the steering wheel and sliding the seat forward when you turned them on. They literally could crush you to death.
@@davidh7339 It seriously will crush you. I was a bit younger when this happened and might've been severely hung over when this occurred. But one time it was already close and I planned to move the seat back when I turned it on. But it surprised the heck out of me and I panicked a little when I couldn't reach the controls on the door because it was all the way opn as it started squeezing me. Being hung over it took a second or 2 before I realized to turn the car off.It truly squeezed the air out of my chest and hurt like hell..…..lol Funny thing is as I write this I'm starting to wonder if I was straight enough at times to see if the cars drove straight. lol
Omg, I just got reminded of the miata I had to move around into the paint booth when i was a teenager. My knees were in the dashboard and of course it was standard shift
Hope you have a good weekend Eric. Wife and I are tieing one on tonight. Had to pause to watch the video though! Derina Harvey Band is playing in Edmonton tonight. If you get a chance for a festival with the kids be sure to see her show on tour. Gets the feet moving with minimal liquid encouragement and zero encouragement for the kids, they just go go go. Tonight is adult only (bar not festival) and with my liquid preload I might be dancing on the ceiling! LoL great video and have a great weekend.
AHHHhhh, Ford's from the past. Yes, everything is reverse polarity. Seats, Windows, door locks, etc....Wiring nightmares, and fire hazards as those switches pass some serious amperes through them and the wires. I've seen my share of burned wires and switches from Explorers, rust-stangs, and other Ford products of that time period.
i'm a larger fella so sometimes i have no choice, i do try my best to avoid it because i've had a toyota 86 electric drivers seat fail and it ended up being a nightmare situation for my work.
@01:22 This switching configuration is what we call H-Bridge switching. Today its designed using MOSFET transistors aka Solid State Switching circuits. Hello Marie xD
I've been told that before too. I feel it is ok to if you have to test drive it to duplicate the concern. You have to have the seat in the right place so you can safely drive it. Now if it's only a little off then you should be able to deal with it.
I used to work for a Southern California Mercedes dealer. One summer day I went out to get a 1998 S Class to bring in for service. It was hot as hell that day so when I got into the car to pull it in I rolled down all the windows. Both back windows would not roll up again. The shop ended up eating two window regulators. The customer probably knew they were messed up when he brought the car in.
I WORKED AS A VALET FOR 10 YEARS, ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPLANT FROM "SOME" CUSTOMERS WAS " THE VALET MOVED MY SEAT", SO I HEAR YOU ERIC ON THE NUMBER 1 RULE........
@D.O.A. I AM 6'2 AND 290 LBS, THE BAD THING IS OPENING THE DOOR AND SQUEEZING IN....THE DOOR PART IS BECAUSE YOUR IN A PARKING GARAGE WITH OTHER CARS PARKED NEXT TO YOU...
When I bought my car I had the choice of electric seats for the low low price of $800, I'm the only one (other than mechanics) who ever drive it, I'm thinking that's a "luxury" I can do without.
I ran Auto Repair Shops for a couple of decades. Our repair orders (RO) stated customer grants PERMISSION FOR us to operate the vehicle, for the purpose of testing, repairs, logistics, etc. Unless a cust advised in advance, that something in the vehicle did not operate properly, it was on THEM , we would not take responsibility for failures occurring during normal operation. It is not safe to operate a vehicle, without first positioning the driver properly in the vehicle, and adjusting mirrors for his stature. Good communication is KEY! If I come to your house, Mr Customer and turn on a light, am I responsible if the bulb blows out at that moment? Of course not. Turning on the light did not make it fail, operating the light, for years/months/etc. caused its eventual, inevitable, failure. JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING FAILS IN ONE POSSESSION, DOES NOT MAKE IT HIS FAULT.
my fail is usually the window goes down. not up!! so you dont get locked out of the car by the door lock systems at times , oh the fun of repair bussines !!!
Had that with a window on my car several times and especially when it starts pouring rain and it won't go up, but with a little persuation on the door panel it would go up, never fixed it because of the cost of diagnosis and parts,5 months later I gave it to charity (running on 7 cylinders) with a 180000 miles on the odometer
I remember back in the early 80’s our 6 foot+ tech jumped into a Chevy Chevett on the way into the diagnostic bay his big foot got stuck under the lower dash and gas peddle. The car lurched forward about five yards and smashed into out new Sun Tune diagnostic cabinet. The cabinet buckled but the gear survived. Some times it might be a good idea to move the seat but remember to return it to the proper position🤔
Mr. Customer: "But Mr. O. the seat worked perfectly fine until you fiddled with it! I want a new switch installed for free! You're a rip off and a hack!!!" ;)
where there you go , meemaa's tips to remember is growing into a second volume. Self publish on amazon ( print as you sell) or as an ebook and pay for those three chillens education down the road :) I once meet the guy who wrote 109 tips for working solo as in a solo remodeling contractor. I asked him . He said " I have colleges to pay for ". just saying you do know stuff folks would pay for .
stevenwithanS I’m a giant and have lived in this little persons world so long my spine has started to collapse to compensate, everyone’s a hobbit to me, I move all seats back or claim no part in possible accidents if I drive from outside the vehicle
I once had the "easy entry-exit" move the seat forward when I put the key in and jam my knees so hard into the dash I thought the plastic was going to crack. The less you touch on anything you are repairing the better!
Been there. Im 5' 8" so I can typically squeeze under the dash when the seat is forward but when it's way back I keep a pillow handy to shove behind me. Lol
The contacts are more likely dirty inside the switch, I spray contact cleaner in it,dry it with compressed air,I then spray inside the switch with PB Blaster. Usually gets it working again.
Eric O. doubt you'll have time to read but here goes. always been a "shade tree mechanic" since i was old enough to fetch beers for my dad. always swore i would never work on anything newer than 88. that is till i started watching you videos. not a newbie to cars by no means just always been scared working on things other than older gm vehicles, i build my own SBC and BBC drag motors for my s10. well wasn't till recently i picked up a $300 crank no start 2003 Hyundai. figured what the heck 300 wont make or break me and give me a plat form to work on.. well got that puppy fixed and flipped it for 1500. then on to the next vehicle and so on.. until recently i was "blessed" with a 05 Lincoln navigator 5.4 3v, and you guessed it timing jumped on driver side cam 180* out (phaser crapped out) to my surprise i bought the timing kit reinstalled all timing components except for camshaft and now she runs.. just a thank you for getting me motivated to work on things i never thought i would do.. basically what i have learned is it's all the same principal just have to hold your mouth right to get to certain things and some electronic scan tools help alot! heres to you and south main auto repair!
would be funny seeing you test drive in a 4 ft 11 womans seat !! the bad thing with power seats is they break and you don't really need them and risers are big bucks
Had a coworker do a brake job on a cls550 Mercedes. Took it for a spin to bed the brakes and decided to open up the sunroof. It never closed back. Hahaha. Customer said it never had a problem and the tech broke it. Ever since then I never touch anything power in a car unless I’m diagnosing it. Test drives in the summer can be kind of toasty when the customer has no AC.
Sometimes I have no choice but to move the seat. I am 6’ 2” and I literally physically cannot drive some vehicles because of how people have the seats adjusted.
Lol I once worked as a valet at a parking company in Syracuse. And I remember the first rule there was NEVER lock the car unless it was from outside with the door open and the key worked. First day on the job....I locked my own keys in the car....I learned really quickly how to use a slim Jim that day. 🤣🤣
In the case where the customer is, say, 4’3” and Technician is 6’7” I wonder if it makes sense to quickly test the seat before moving it into the bay by trying to move it slightly in the needed direction and return direction. And if it does not want to go in a certain direction, write it up and advise the customer it will have to be fixed at their expense or I can’t work on your car at all.
Eric I wish you were closer! I wouldn’t care what the cost would’ve I would trust you to diagnose and fix my 94 Toyota pickup ...I’m at my wits end and don’t know any good mechanic that would properly diagnose it
Being young and stoopid (and a valet for a "nice restaurant") I ended up parking a fairly regular customer's Cadillac that he had "accidentally" left cracked open the sunroof. When I went to close it, I realized the interior cover was jammed ahead of the glass with no easy way to correct it. So of course when the customer saw the damage "I" caused, he immediately went to the owner of the restaurant and complained. End result, dinner for four covered, repairs to sunroof covered, and luckily I didn't have to pay for it all since the restaurant owner knew the guy was a shyster but without proof there was no point in arguing. I only hope Eric doesn't end up with a surprise ending.
also a very good lesson is, always turn the key on without being in the seat, since some of them have auto-adjusting seats per key fob... nothing like the seat being way back and going full forward when ignition is on, been there done that, of course I know to just jump out when it starts moving...
back when i worked at the shop the only time i ever moved a seat was if it was to far up for me to even get in. i'm 6'1" so when someone under 5' came in i had a time getting in. but i would and could scrunch myself up to bring it in the shop. test drives were something else some times..lol
How many times have you done that ? Me, every mother loving time im upside down under a dash and hit the seat controls and wonder why the seat is now flat in the trunk. haha
Used to do this at the salvage yard all the time. I think it was a BMW, all the wires for the seat went to one harness so i just started prodding around until i found the Airbag wires for the seat.
Heard of a guy who opened a customers sun roof (that hadn't been opened in eons) & ended up with some leaky ripped seals. Ended up being a colossal pita.
Great suggestion, but being 6’4” I almost always need to move the seat back to get in the car. Fortunately I get the seat to move forward most of the time 🤫
By now I'm used to the fact that after taking a vehicle in for service the seat will be moved, the mirrors will be pointing at the sky/seats, the radio will be on a different station, half my loose change in the console will be missing, and the fuzzy dice will have bald patches. Makes me wanna check the registration to make sure it's my vehicle.
Another one is remember to ask customer if driver's window has problem as it is customary to open it during servicing to prevent lockouts. Also, try to avoid adjusting mirrors on test drive, its annoying. Lastly, don't eat their candies. 😛
Avoid problem , note where seat is when it comes in ,if you need to move seat to make the repair do so and then jump switch to return it to original position , your problem was you did not mark seat position before working on it , your best defense is that I never moved the seat, and if it is back on its marks the customer has nothing on you. Learned this hard way adjusting a brake light switch and taking the seat full back for access to the switch and not noting where I started.
I never knew this, but then again, not a mechanic but I've seen especially tall mechanics moving my seat back on occasion so they can get in and move the car. I'm not short but average so my seat is roughly in the middle of travel, but I also keep it a notch forward and notch the seat back angle back a little because having the seat back straight up is uncomfortable to me. Needless to say, not an issue as my seat is not electrified.
Being 6'5" I ALWAYS have to move the seat back! Not moving the seat back is advice I could have used a while back. How was I supposed to know that the area behind the driver's set was where the customer kept her fish tank? Doesn't everyone? Crunched it! At least there were no fish in it that day!
NEW RULE #1 - Hire a small employee with tiny legs ding dong. Order that person to make you coffee in the morning and stand in the corner until needed. NEW RULE #2 - Self driving autonomous Teslas will soon be here. The car will drive itself into the bay and onto a lift. It will even tell you human what parts to order, how to change said parts and even said to you when finished, "If I can do it, so can you" and then the car drives away. So NO need to change the seat position.
Thought for one minute you found something under the seat that you were not meant to see! One lady customer had something hidden under her seat I am sure she did not expect anybody to see!! All I can say is it must of made long journeys and traffic jams more pleasurable! Did see her in a whole different light when she came to pick her car up!
my seat is always back as far as it goes but i have the set back reclined in a spot i like and it is hard to adjust if that gets moved. the seat being moved something i worry about if i bring it somewhere. air vents are another thing that i worry about having to readjust again if they get touched at all.
Rule #2 always roll window down before closing door with engine running.
I have learned this lesson on numerous occasions working in multiple professions. 😒
Really, roll them down? Power seats may not be essential, but I'd never buy a car without power winows.
Engine doesn't have to be running. I was unbolting a CV axle with the key in the ignition and sifter in neutral so I could rotate the axle to the next bolt. I shut the door and got locked out, had to call a toll truck to unlock it for me.
But my wife drives with her face on the sreering wheel.
That's rule #1 for me. Driver window goes down. If none of the windows work, driver door gets latched with pocket screwdriver.
Costumer. "it wasn't broke when I brought it here, you must have broken it. I want a new car!"
Exactly.
That statement could only be made from a person with experience. In addition with the other gross stuff that needs to be removed before rolling around inside of the vehicle. I will not name the stuff, I am sure that you know what I am referring to. Makes you have doubts about the younger generation. 30 years of age and younger. Obviously not all but far far to many.
@@hammerhead6537 - I know how you feel. I worked at a Dodge dealership in the 90's. Working on a Le Baron ( if memory serves) with a PCM problem, the PCM was located inside the right kick panel. I had to dig through all kinds of disgusting shit in the floor board to get to it. I couldn't understand how anyone could get in that car every day without cleaning it AT SOME POINT.
@@robertgantry2118 They live in filth. Not a big deal for a pig.
I was under the dash once and removed a panel only to have dead cockroaches fall in my face. There were chicken bones on the floor too. Absolutely disgusting.
Ha! We just had this discussion last night.
1 don’t move the seat
2 don’t change the radio station or turn it up
3 don’t move mirrors unless you have to.
It seems like if you do any of these things something will break.
What if the customer is 5'1" and you are 6'5", there's no freaking way you can get in that car without moving the seat. Loved the video, as always. Keep them coming.
That's why you hire 2 shop girls to shuttle cars around.
I’ve had a couple of cars my 12 yr old daughter couldn’t have fit between the seat and the steering wheel...
I typically don’t move the seat unless I have to .
What’s rule #2 ?
@@BlueCollarBachelor
Oh...that's why every shop wants girls around. ;-)
Jack Sroka am 6’5. Am currently a lube tech so I do hop into peoples shit for a short drive and to move car in bay, you just fuckin tuck in an drive. Looks hilarious from outside the car, knees up above the steering wheel n shit hahaha
When seat won't move back, recline and sit on the back of the seat. It won't work for road test, but good for getting it into the shop.
I would have put the switch back on after powering seat fully forward then when customer comes in let him just switch it back to where he wants it, mind he don't go too far though! But he'll most likely tell you it weren't broke before it came in! Nice little video again Eric, Thank You!
Steve Ashcroft ass croft... you jerk! you think of a sneaky way first. you are y we like this man and hate you.
Steve Ashcroft - I like that!
Steve Ashcroft sorry, just realized you beat me to the punch.
Appliance tech here!!! #1 rule... appliance has to be accesible before I work on it. I don’t pull or move the appliance unless they sign a waiver!!!!
Great rule Eric !!!
That is a good rule. It limits your liability, especially if a client has a habit of making claims in bad faith.
Rule #2 never move the wife's seat even if it works. Good advice Eric and Marie. ❤️
I have a lexus, it has multiple seat memory buttons
@@researchandbuild1751 I had an old Chrysler that did that. But being an old Chrysler it went senile and automatically put the seat and mirrors to my wife's preference anytime the doors unlocked.
And if u have programmable seats, set her position to number one!!
these little things you think about ARE the reason why we the people of thewhole world want to meet you and have you fix our car.
you are on that pedistall because you are a good person.
Hard to find!
@6 6 Why don't you worry about your own shortcomings, everyone has them. Leave the guy alone it's RUclips post, not a letter of importance.
@6 6 could've been phone auto spell. Leave him alone and work on your resume for the next time you get fired for being a prick LoL
@@Jeff-ch8gv good for you
Free Diag! Some of us big guys have no choice. The customer will be more upset if we get wedged in and the fire department had to bring out the jaws of life and tear the car open to get us out!
Hahaha! I just tell them that the seat will be moved. I try to move it back in the vicinity of where it was. Never have had any complaints. They understand more space is needed to get under the dash.
@@D6Spanky Exactly. Have to be able to get in the dang car to fix/drive it. Same thing goes for mirrors. I don't want to mess with somebody's settings but I do want to be able to drive their car safely.
@@gearheadautomotivel.l.c.5476 Agreed.
I always thought i have nothing more to learn ..watching yiu all the time and always think same...am also a certified auto tech but man did i learn some HUUUGE ! ?
" Never move a customer seat back " am making that rule ××01 now
Good to see Marie is still with you, hadn't seen her in a video for a while.
This is why I started washing my own car. Go to car wash, first thing guy does is get in car and yank the handle and put seat all the way back!! Then they "clean" inside windshield leaving more streaks than a baby diaper.
Good tip!
Bread - I wish i could give you two thumbs up. Bring my car in for tires because i can't do THAT myself, and i get the car back, seat reclined and moved all the way back and radio station turned LOUD to some awful station. The least they could do is put it back somewhat. Then afterwards they have their hand out for a tip.😡
Hi Eric. I live in NH. and do the same work as you. I started in 1970 and just retired. We got the same rust and junks as you. I agree with you on the seat but have you ever put the E brake on and then it won’t release? That’s one more thing not to touch. Electric windows the same thing. Why would anyone want to be a mechanic? Have a good day and don’t touch anything except ice cream.
"Rustang"... I don't know what you said for the next 3 minutes because I laughed my azzzzzoff
My first car was a Rustang and man was it a Mustake lol
people have been saying that since the first ever mustang started rusting lol was this really your first time hearing it? lol
I've heard it a million times but I wasnt expecting it. Surprise is the spice of life!!
i remember it from the rustang vs crapmaro car forum wars
I had a friend who had a Rustang. There was a hole in the driver's side floorboard. You could see the road going by underneath.
Revvv up your seat motors! Today I'm gonna show you how to hotwire the driver's seat to adjust the center of gravity in your car. Ensuring proper gravity alignment will improve fuel economy cause we all know gravity = friction. Heck I know a mechanic who's been a mechanic since Apollo 11 landed on the moon where there's a lot less gravity. Come join me in the trunk of my car!!
100% read that in a Scotty Kilmer voice. It's been 5 min and I'm still laughing! Lol
yes i also read in in scotty kilmer tone
That made my morning a tad better. TY. It's especially important ifn you're so big you have to adj tbe seat to get the stance right on the suspension.
And don't forget to RING THAT BELL
Apollo 11 never did land on the moon...!
Lol, i would have never thought about not moving the seat. Thanks for another lesson
I was 19 and 6'2" working in a body shop. I always moved the seat back. i had too! And sure enough there was one car with a seat that went back but didn't come up. My dad read me the riot act. It sucked. What am I suppose to do?! I tell you another thing too, some people get irritate if you moved their seat!
@@stevenrice47 They sure do... I was even once asked to 'decommission' a customers power seat so the car wash folks couldn't mess with it. Just pulling the fuse wasn't an option as other family members would occasionally drive it. The answer was installation of a seat 'kill switch'. It worked well!
DIY Steve i have done this. but i tell customer . so they can adjust seat themselves without a suprise. honesty has more value. Mr. SouthMain St. is a good man. not a sneak.
@@stevenrice47 If you dont want the mech to move your seat. Don't be a midget. Often I cant even get in between the seat back and the steering weel and I'm not even that fat.
Always pull the hood release before draining the oil.
Customer "That mother trucker seat worked when I brought it here"
ha! exactly!
LoL just one of them days
Some customers will blame you for all subsequent failures once you repair something. If you did a brake job a few months before the alternator goes, some customers will come back and complain. "It never did that before you people worked on it." This is one of the reasons I don't fix things for a living anymore.
@@AcmeRacing lol so true I'm a heavy equipment technician, went out and did a PM oil/filters. He called the shop and said I made his tilt cylinders leak.
@@AcmeRacingExactly, If I didn't hear that a hundred times when I was in business, I use to tell customers; I had a dog that died once and he never did that before. They didn' know what to say then.
Hence why manual seat adjustment is better
@68Camaro RS/SS After the first 10 minutes of playing with a power seat in a new car it rarely gets moved again,,,, until. By which time the switch is full of smutsch or the motor has seized.
Another of those value adding accessories 98% of people couldn't care less about
@@rayg9069 However, keep in mind that many vehicles are regularly driven by different height drivers... meaning very frequent adjustments. But even after saying that, in all cases manual adjust seats are by far more reliable, and in my opinion, the correct technology for the application.
I find the more adjustment options, the less comfortable I seem to be. I can never get the 64 way adjustable seat perfect, but I am quite content with my bench seat that moves in one direction.
Maybe if your from the 50s I change my seat position all over on long trips. I prefer power
But electric can get you those in between spots that manual just cant always get. Plus memory function when you have multiple drivers is nice.
Usually this happens 10 minutes before closing time and the customer is waiting
The girls all get prettier at closing time 😎
I would love to get my hands on that Mitchell on-demand again. The garage I worked at years ago had it and I found it indispensable for wiring issues as well as torque specs.
Sometimes the airbag light will come on as well. Never move the seat! Manual seats Ford Ranger. Great video Eric!
At least you could fix it easily. If it were a new car CANBUS and at least 3 modules would be involved in making the thing move!
Good morning Eric. Thank you for the video. Have a blessed and safe day.
Give me a good ol' mechanical sliding seat any day. I remember the days when we didn't have power seats, power windows, power door locks or power steering.
I really enjoy your channel. Fast, smart, to the point, lots of great information thanks to you both.
I was a alignment tech for a while and the best where the ones that tried to kill you by lowering the steering wheel and sliding the seat forward when you turned them on. They literally could crush you to death.
Sounds like a scene from the movie "Christine."
@@davidh7339 It seriously will crush you. I was a bit younger when this happened and might've been severely hung over when this occurred. But one time it was already close and I planned to move the seat back when I turned it on. But it surprised the heck out of me and I panicked a little when I couldn't reach the controls on the door because it was all the way opn as it started squeezing me. Being hung over it took a second or 2 before I realized to turn the car off.It truly squeezed the air out of my chest and hurt like hell..…..lol Funny thing is as I write this I'm starting to wonder if I was straight enough at times to see if the cars drove straight. lol
Omg, I just got reminded of the miata I had to move around into the paint booth when i was a teenager. My knees were in the dashboard and of course it was standard shift
Hope you have a good weekend Eric. Wife and I are tieing one on tonight. Had to pause to watch the video though! Derina Harvey Band is playing in Edmonton tonight. If you get a chance for a festival with the kids be sure to see her show on tour. Gets the feet moving with minimal liquid encouragement and zero encouragement for the kids, they just go go go. Tonight is adult only (bar not festival) and with my liquid preload I might be dancing on the ceiling! LoL great video and have a great weekend.
Also make sure you dont have any tools in your back pocket
Aka screwdriver as they will poke holes in seat!
Been there - done that!
I aspire to be on your level man. You are an example to me for sure.
Power probe better than a test light has a built in breaker, if you get the power probe 3 it has a screen to see voltage and other things.
AHHHhhh, Ford's from the past. Yes, everything is reverse polarity. Seats, Windows, door locks, etc....Wiring nightmares, and fire hazards as those switches pass some serious amperes through them and the wires. I've seen my share of burned wires and switches from Explorers, rust-stangs, and other Ford products of that time period.
i'm a larger fella so sometimes i have no choice, i do try my best to avoid it because i've had a toyota 86 electric drivers seat fail and it ended up being a nightmare situation for my work.
Great job providing excellent customer service. You didn't break it, but you fixed it! It had to be fixed regardless.
@01:22 This switching configuration is what we call H-Bridge switching. Today its designed using MOSFET transistors aka Solid State Switching circuits.
Hello Marie xD
Miss Marie is back!!
Newer subscriber here, I really enjoy your channel. I've had "stuck seat syndrome" happen to me many times over the years working on customers cars.
Not gonna lie, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who still makes rookie mistakes from time to time :).
I've been told that before too. I feel it is ok to if you have to test drive it to duplicate the concern. You have to have the seat in the right place so you can safely drive it. Now if it's only a little off then you should be able to deal with it.
It is things like this that keep me coming back! Thank you for another quick tip video!
I used to work for a Southern California Mercedes dealer. One summer day I went out to get a 1998 S Class to bring in for service. It was hot as hell that day so when I got into the car to pull it in I rolled down all the windows. Both back windows would not roll up again. The shop ended up eating two window regulators. The customer probably knew they were messed up when he brought the car in.
I WORKED AS A VALET FOR 10 YEARS, ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPLANT FROM "SOME" CUSTOMERS WAS " THE VALET MOVED MY SEAT", SO I HEAR YOU ERIC ON THE NUMBER 1 RULE........
@D.O.A. I AM 6'2 AND 290 LBS, THE BAD THING IS OPENING THE DOOR AND SQUEEZING IN....THE DOOR PART IS BECAUSE YOUR IN A PARKING GARAGE WITH OTHER CARS PARKED NEXT TO YOU...
When I bought my car I had the choice of electric seats for the low low price of $800, I'm the only one (other than mechanics) who ever drive it, I'm thinking that's a "luxury" I can do without.
Manual seats wont have failing switches xD
VW have the right idea. My seat squab slides manually but the backrest/ lumbar support is electric, that way you can always slide the seat.
@@danishghostrider no but the rails jam every time you adjust a manual seat in a customer's car. A switch is easier to fix than jammed seat rails.
LOL dang hate when that happens...It goes back just put it all the way up and they can move it back. 🤦🏼♂️ thanks for sharing
I ran Auto Repair Shops for a couple of decades. Our repair orders (RO) stated customer grants PERMISSION FOR us to operate the vehicle, for the purpose of testing, repairs, logistics, etc. Unless a cust advised in advance, that something in the vehicle did not operate properly, it was on THEM , we would not take responsibility for failures occurring during normal operation. It is not safe to operate a vehicle, without first positioning the driver properly in the vehicle, and adjusting mirrors for his stature.
Good communication is KEY! If I come to your house, Mr Customer and turn on a light, am I responsible if the bulb blows out at that moment? Of course not. Turning on the light did not make it fail, operating the light, for years/months/etc. caused its eventual, inevitable, failure. JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING FAILS IN ONE POSSESSION, DOES NOT MAKE IT HIS FAULT.
my fail is usually the window goes down. not up!! so you dont get locked out of the car by the door lock systems at times , oh the fun of repair bussines !!!
Had that with a window on my car several times and especially when it starts pouring rain and it won't go up, but with a little persuation on the door panel it would go up, never fixed it because of the cost of diagnosis and parts,5 months later I gave it to charity (running on 7 cylinders) with a 180000 miles on the odometer
I remember back in the early 80’s our 6 foot+ tech jumped into a Chevy Chevett on the way into the diagnostic bay his big foot got stuck under the lower dash and gas peddle. The car lurched forward about five yards and smashed into out new Sun Tune diagnostic cabinet. The cabinet buckled but the gear survived.
Some times it might be a good idea to move the seat but remember to return it to the proper position🤔
Mr. Customer: "But Mr. O. the seat worked perfectly fine until you fiddled with it! I want a new switch installed for free! You're a rip off and a hack!!!" ;)
First the "bad air" now this.
Rookie day at SMA! Keep up the good work!
where there you go , meemaa's tips to remember is growing into a second volume. Self publish on amazon ( print as you sell) or as an ebook and pay for those three chillens education down the road :) I once meet the guy who wrote 109 tips for working solo as in a solo remodeling contractor. I asked him . He said " I have colleges to pay for ". just saying you do know stuff folks would pay for .
Keep up the great work thanks for the content
Some hobbits have the seat nearly touching the wheel. It has to go back.
stevenwithanS I like hobbits funny
Don't you just want to put those people on a leg stretcher?
stevenwithanS I’m a giant and have lived in this little persons world so long my spine has started to collapse to compensate, everyone’s a hobbit to me, I move all seats back or claim no part in possible accidents if I drive from outside the vehicle
So rude! Why are u calling me a hobbit dude? 🤣
I would be so happy finding out the problem is not the motor! Much cheaper and easier to replace (or jury rig).
Good advice! But we do have a costumer that is very short and I’m close to six feet tall,, jumped in the truck and dang near got stuck one time. Lol
I once had the "easy entry-exit" move the seat forward when I put the key in and jam my knees so hard into the dash I thought the plastic was going to crack. The less you touch on anything you are repairing the better!
Been there. Im 5' 8" so I can typically squeeze under the dash when the seat is forward but when it's way back I keep a pillow handy to shove behind me. Lol
Regardless you're the best Doctor of mechanics..
Great job again like always
The contacts are more likely dirty inside the switch, I spray contact cleaner in it,dry it with compressed air,I then spray inside the switch with PB Blaster. Usually gets it working again.
Eric O. doubt you'll have time to read but here goes. always been a "shade tree mechanic" since i was old enough to fetch beers for my dad. always swore i would never work on anything newer than 88. that is till i started watching you videos. not a newbie to cars by no means just always been scared working on things other than older gm vehicles, i build my own SBC and BBC drag motors for my s10. well wasn't till recently i picked up a $300 crank no start 2003 Hyundai. figured what the heck 300 wont make or break me and give me a plat form to work on.. well got that puppy fixed and flipped it for 1500. then on to the next vehicle and so on.. until recently i was "blessed" with a 05 Lincoln navigator 5.4 3v, and you guessed it timing jumped on driver side cam 180* out (phaser crapped out) to my surprise i bought the timing kit reinstalled all timing components except for camshaft and now she runs.. just a thank you for getting me motivated to work on things i never thought i would do.. basically what i have learned is it's all the same principal just have to hold your mouth right to get to certain things and some electronic scan tools help alot! heres to you and south main auto repair!
Pointing apparatus. Crackin' me up.
would be funny seeing you test drive in a 4 ft 11 womans seat !! the bad thing with power seats is they break and you don't really need them and risers are big bucks
Had a coworker do a brake job on a cls550 Mercedes. Took it for a spin to bed the brakes and decided to open up the sunroof. It never closed back. Hahaha.
Customer said it never had a problem and the tech broke it.
Ever since then I never touch anything power in a car unless I’m diagnosing it. Test drives in the summer can be kind of toasty when the customer has no AC.
Love the chime in @.06
My old mechanical fwd / back seat works just fine on my 28 year old vehicle. If I liked working on electronics, I might wish I had a new one.
Amen to that. I can do without gimmicks like electric seats that don't work on the once-in-a-blue-moon occasion I actually need to use them.
Sometimes I have no choice but to move the seat. I am 6’ 2” and I literally physically cannot drive some vehicles because of how people have the seats adjusted.
Lol I once worked as a valet at a parking company in Syracuse. And I remember the first rule there was NEVER lock the car unless it was from outside with the door open and the key worked. First day on the job....I locked my own keys in the car....I learned really quickly how to use a slim Jim that day. 🤣🤣
In the case where the customer is, say, 4’3” and Technician is 6’7” I wonder if it makes sense to quickly test the seat before moving it into the bay by trying to move it slightly in the needed direction and return direction. And if it does not want to go in a certain direction, write it up and advise the customer it will have to be fixed at their expense or I can’t work on your car at all.
Eric I wish you were closer! I wouldn’t care what the cost would’ve I would trust you to diagnose and fix my 94 Toyota pickup ...I’m at my wits end and don’t know any good mechanic that would properly diagnose it
YOU'VE GOT TO LOVE IT , 98 RUST TANG !
Being young and stoopid (and a valet for a "nice restaurant") I ended up parking a fairly regular customer's Cadillac that he had "accidentally" left cracked open the sunroof. When I went to close it, I realized the interior cover was jammed ahead of the glass with no easy way to correct it. So of course when the customer saw the damage "I" caused, he immediately went to the owner of the restaurant and complained. End result, dinner for four covered, repairs to sunroof covered, and luckily I didn't have to pay for it all since the restaurant owner knew the guy was a shyster but without proof there was no point in arguing. I only hope Eric doesn't end up with a surprise ending.
I enjoyed Marie in the background giving you crap over this. . .!!! :-)
also a very good lesson is, always turn the key on without being in the seat, since some of them have auto-adjusting seats per key fob...
nothing like the seat being way back and going full forward when ignition is on, been there done that, of course I know to just jump out when it starts moving...
Have a hot midget customer vehicle like that too
back when i worked at the shop the only time i ever moved a seat was if it was to far up for me to even get in. i'm 6'1" so when someone under 5' came in i had a time getting in. but i would and could scrunch myself up to bring it in the shop. test drives were something else some times..lol
That's funny. We all keep learning all the time. Evan on thing we did know.
Assume the position! If you can remember what that position was in the first place.love the "Rustang"
" If I could put my seat back forward, I'd be in porno movies" - George Carlin
Unless its a manual seat. You can move it all day long. 2016 MX-5 owner here so no fancy smancy electrical parts where you don't need it.
How many times have you done that ? Me, every mother loving time im upside down under a dash and hit the seat controls and wonder why the seat is now flat in the trunk. haha
LOL and you don't even realize it until you come up for air!!
Used to do this at the salvage yard all the time. I think it was a BMW, all the wires for the seat went to one harness so i just started prodding around until i found the Airbag wires for the seat.
oh man. I do my best as a valet to not move the seat but every once in a while, I can't quite contort myself enough to get in.
Thank you for the PSA!
Heard of a guy who opened a customers sun roof (that hadn't been opened in eons) & ended up with some leaky ripped seals. Ended up being a colossal pita.
Great suggestion, but being 6’4” I almost always need to move the seat back to get in the car.
Fortunately I get the seat to move forward most of the time 🤫
By now I'm used to the fact that after taking a vehicle in for service the seat will be moved, the mirrors will be pointing at the sky/seats, the radio will be on a different station, half my loose change in the console will be missing, and the fuzzy dice will have bald patches. Makes me wanna check the registration to make sure it's my vehicle.
Another one is remember to ask customer if driver's window has problem as it is customary to open it during servicing to prevent lockouts. Also, try to avoid adjusting mirrors on test drive, its annoying. Lastly, don't eat their candies. 😛
Currently 5 am in NJ. Early bird gets the worm ! Time to make a new vid for my 40 subs. Nice vid Eric.
Nice quick lil' video. Thanks
Nice you had help with this one!
Yea, that was a tough rule for me to follow. I'm 6'7" and trying to squeeze behind the wheel with the seat forward, ain't gonna work.
thats why no mechanic moves my seats.its a good rule to follow. Thanks for the video!
Avoid problem , note where seat is when it comes in ,if you need to move seat to make the repair do so and then jump switch to return it to original position , your problem was you did not mark seat position before working on it , your best defense is that I never moved the seat, and if it is back on its marks the customer has nothing on you. Learned this hard way adjusting a brake light switch and taking the seat full back for access to the switch and not noting where I started.
I never knew this, but then again, not a mechanic but I've seen especially tall mechanics moving my seat back on occasion so they can get in and move the car. I'm not short but average so my seat is roughly in the middle of travel, but I also keep it a notch forward and notch the seat back angle back a little because having the seat back straight up is uncomfortable to me. Needless to say, not an issue as my seat is not electrified.
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
Being 6'5" I ALWAYS have to move the seat back! Not moving the seat back is advice I could have used a while back. How was I supposed to know that the area behind the driver's set was where the customer kept her fish tank? Doesn't everyone? Crunched it! At least there
were no fish in it that day!
NEW RULE #1 - Hire a small employee with tiny legs ding dong. Order that person to make you coffee in the morning and stand in the corner until needed.
NEW RULE #2 - Self driving autonomous Teslas will soon be here. The car will drive itself into the bay and onto a lift. It will even tell you human what parts to order, how to change said parts and even said to you when finished, "If I can do it, so can you" and then the car drives away. So NO need to change the seat position.
New cars in the future won't even have seats.
Thought for one minute you found something under the seat that you were not meant to see! One lady customer had something hidden under her seat I am sure she did not expect anybody to see!! All I can say is it must of made long journeys and traffic jams more pleasurable! Did see her in a whole different light when she came to pick her car up!
my seat is always back as far as it goes but i have the set back reclined in a spot i like and it is hard to adjust if that gets moved. the seat being moved something i worry about if i bring it somewhere. air vents are another thing that i worry about having to readjust again if they get touched at all.
That rule may not be a mechanics "Golden" rule, but it's right up there with "Verify the complaint".