The "Other Shop" Told This Lady She Needed A New Instrument Cluster...
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- Опубликовано: 9 май 2024
- In this video I bring you along as I look at a ladies 2012 Toyota Rav 4 that is having issues with the cluster. She had it at another shop and was told she needed a new instrument cluster. It doesn't take long to find out the cluster is fine but there is a big problem with the data network. Let's have a look and find out what the real issue is.
-Enjoy
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Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. South Main Auto Repair assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. South Main Auto Repair recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained. 
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I was waiting for Luna to snatch up a mouse and say "Here's your problem lady!
I was worried Luna was down inside the engine bay when Eric cranked up!
YES! You stole my thunder on this one, but I was rooting for her too! 🤣😂😅
@@timd1833He knows the penalty for ANY injury to Mrs. "O's" cat. Life would be hell. 😈😈
MOUSE ON DA RUN....MOUSE ON DA RUN...GET IT KITTY !!
😂😂😂
Finding this issue isn't the miracle, the miracle is finding a smart, honest mechanic that doesn't take the parts cannon to every repair.
This. Finding a mechanic that will take the time to find this problem, rather than throw parts at it, or just decline the job is the issue. You may not be the smartest guy around (as you say), but you take the time to find the problem, focusing on quality, not quantity, plus actually caring. Thats the difference with SMA.
sadly, the industry pushes them to be that way, either having to meet/beat book time or are so overwhelmed busy with repairs, they just parts slap to get many jobs done in a day and hardly stay caught up. the more honest ones will end up with it on the back burner and never find the time to get to it. ( car sits at shop for weeks/months)
AMEN
100% agree. The miracle is finding a competent mechanic.
Ditto that !
I’ve been an electronic tech since 1983 and you are by far one of the best troubleshooters around. You should not sell yourself short, there’s a lot of “mechanics” that would never find those broken wires and would just give up after the cannon was empty. Keep up the good work, it’s so refreshing to to see an honest mechanic that knows what he’s doing!
AMEN ON YOUR COMMENT..
@@randybeard6040 Piling on, A&P, degreed engineer and backyard mechanic. SUBSCRIBED.
South main and pine hollow are 2 of the best.
To think that the other shop would have had her pay for a new console and still have a problem then charge her more and still likely not actually troubleshoot the problem.
One of the few RUclips videos that actually show a true technician at work. I hope many viewers watch and appreciate why you pay for a "True" technician to diagnose and repair their vehicles. Thanks for taking the time to create this highly educational and interesting video.
7:08 Luna giving it the cat scan. OMG.
The way she came running, She KNOWS there's been mice in there somewhere.
First garage ever with a CATSCAN facility! Eric already has X-ray vision for green crusties.
@@davidtoups4684 looking for a toy to run out!
i know that was Funny as Heck ! " Cat scan " i'm going to have to steal that one.
Wasn't the joke cat for a cat scan and a lab (dog) for the lab tests?It's been a while.
Cat immediately identified Mouse Damage. Smart Kitty!
cat refused to hunt mouse,,smart cat..clean cat, fragrent cat..
Ok, so from a 'technically-minded viewer' perspective Eric, you showed us the 'problem, lady', shared your thought process, held our hands while you diagnosed it, explained *how* you diagnosed it, and demonstrated a real-world repair that was very suitable for this age and mileage of vehicle. Then, right at the end, when we're out here whoopin' an' hollerin' that it works, you gave us an encouraging outro that will inspire others to believe that they can also do it the right way. Your business and your YT channel are successful because you genuinely give a shit, and we've all suffered at the hands of shops that don't. None of that is blowing smoke anywhere fella, 'tis just what I see. You are a great communicator, and your knowledge and skills are clear to see. Not everyone has the ability to think through a system, and imagine defects in their heads so they can get to a fix quickly and effectively. Yes, we all need the manuals and diagrams, but they are useless unless we have the knowledge to interpret them.
I love being able to demonstrate the cause of a defect to a customer, not because it strokes my ego, but because it a) helps them understand what's wrong with their plane and b) gives them (and me!) confidence that I know what I'm doing, and that I can fix it, and get them going again.
I've learned that the go-to diagnosis is "broken wire". But you are incredibly fast and efficient in finding exactly what wire is broken.
There's probably about a mile of wiring inside a car, knowing what wire is broken is crucial, and then comes the fun of tracking that wire through the entire car to find where that wire is broke. Flood cars are fun to do that on because you can have mud jamming up a connector hidden behind a roof pillar or in a trunk seam.
Don't sell yourself short. I would say most of us are not working mechanics and only run across this stuff once in a blue moon and the way you break it down and your uncanny ability to sniff out broken wires is nothin short of autistic savant stuff. Didn't mean to sing your praises, but I haven't seen a better teacher in field applications on this stuff yet. Classroom diagnostics or any classroom teaching falls way short of what you find in the field, and I am mostly referring to the HVAC trade, but is the same for most fields. Your skill is being able to teach practical field applications that is then easy enough understand. I think part of it is that you take the time to move the camera so we see it all and give us a proper explanation. Dammit, I did it again, more praising. OK. You piss me off when you make it look so easy. I struggle. Cars are much different than AC stuff. Anyways, take it for what it's worth, or don't. You have the gift. Thx Eric.
Great, now you pissed me off 😂 If it makes you feel better I struggle with A/C
He completely discects it 😮
@@SouthMainAuto Loads.
Well another mechanic who does work constantly said she needed a new cluster. Mr. O is way above a normal mechanic.
I was the best parts cannon/parts hanger in Denver lol. Until I really started watching Sir, since I have started learning from him. I have since graduated from mechanic to Novice technician. All thanks to Sir!
Dear Eric,
I'm retired at age 68. Back in 73, I worked in a machine shop. A year later, I got an electrical apprenticeship in a factory that manufactured mining equipment including locomotives. As a side job, I worked in a local auto garage/body shop. When I became a journeyman, I moved on to working on locomotives in the railroad industry as an electrician and a technician. Years later, I became an instructor to teach people how to fix locomotives. As time went on, I was promoted a few times until I managed a railroad training department until I retired. I trained people for the last 30 years of my career.
If your ears were ringing the other day, a retired co-worker and I were praising you. He was my best railroad apprentice who became a close friend and retired as an electrical technician. We both have nothing but praise for you. I'm inspired, humbled and grateful that I can follow your adventures! You ARE a GREAT TEACHER! By the way, Einstein also once said, "why should I clutter my mind with something I can look up?"
Best Wishes Always,
Tom K
There is a generation out there now that could really lean on Eric. Eric when your done with your shop go teach some more. You already are. Best teacher I ever had. Thanks Eric.
@@mikemuzzell5167 - Mike, Thank You Sir! If Eric was a locomotive mechanic looking for an instructor's job before I retired as manager, I would have hired him in a heartbeat!
Once again don't sell yourself short. I've seen techs in dealerships who test then simply replace the part because repairs take time. Only the customers suffers. Great job Sir.
Hey Tom, thought you might appreciate this tale. In 1993, I left the film industry to go work on the railroad. I worked for a very small railroad in Wilmington, NC that operated the state ports and a couple customers outside the port. CSX would drop and pick up from us and we'd do the final or beginning stages. The railroad was owned by a company in Florida that owned several short lines across the country. There were only four of us that worked there - so we did everything. Operate, track work, paperwork, and all the repairs. We had two locomotives (EMD 1200) one of which had been flooded during a flood. When we were not busy with railroading, I would get in the pit and entangle myself in the traction motors with cans of contact cleaner (great for your nervous system) and clean... and clean. The scale of everything is astounding.. adding 5 gallons of oil is like adding a quart. We eventually, or rather I finally got all that swamp mud off the motors and the locomotive went back to service just in time for me to go back to the film industry. Watching CSX ride through the yard with the train brakes on, pulling all the switches out of alignment, with no apologies after asking them to use the locomotive brakes only and they're making 4x what I was making was just too much for me. Track work SUCKS. Hunting and cutting for a car in a yard SUCKED and I don't have to tell you about cleaning traction motors.
@@jeffreyhughes7107 - Hi Jeff! Yes, traction motors were the worst! Now everything is all AC traction motors and the DC is slowly going to the wayside. Have to agree totally with you on engineers! The crews used to write-up defects and we'd pull our hair out trying to find the problems. Best thing in the world was event recorders because we could download the recorder and we often found that the root cause of problems was in the operator's seat.
Don't care how humble you are...true genius.
I will have to admit that this is one of the best troubleshooting I've seen. If I could find any shop near here that was half a competent or willing to put the effort in I would let a shop do the work on the car. I understand you closing comments about receiving praise. there is nothing preventing other shops from doing things like what you are doing. its technical but not impossible. The difference is character- willing to put in the work to do it right and with integrity. Last time I trusted a local shop I knew there was a leak in the turbo coolant tube- not a fun driveway repair. so I asked them to do it. they wouldn't until they used their pressure tester and magically came up with a coolant tank leak that wasn't there. I figured this was just the price they were punishing me for doing the analysis myself so 375 dollars later they tried giving it back without doing the fix I asked to be done. then having their lead tech look at it again they found the original problem in the exact location I found it, and fixed it - another $1000 and week sitting in the shop, then a few days after getting it back, started having issue with acceleration and found they had lost the connector for the throttle cable and had simply left the end hanging on the knob waiting to fall of in some bump on the highway hours from home. And this is one of the more trustworthy shops in the area. At least I know they are scamming and just have to put up with it to get them to do things I don't have the proper tools to complete well. I feel for the people who don't even know and don't have someone like you who is trustworthy in their area. Thank you for doing the job right and caring to be one of the rare honest ones.
When you said “Cat Scan” and then I seen your kitty I about peed myself! You are the best! Thank You I needed that!
Yea, That was Hilarious when i heard that ! 😂
Ya that was pretty funny lol
Eric, WHY on earth do you have to be over 14 hours away from me... I swear everyone needs an "Eric/ SMA" local to them. Great work as usual.
Better than being across the country 😂
road trip
@@1marcelfilms I was randomly driving thru Avoca NY, and all of a sudden these dozen codes popped up. First time it happened. Honest, No i swear i'm not from you tube.... Just randomly in Avoca for, for, for.... the ice cream.
He's 3 -4 Days drive for Me ! Class yourself Lucky guy !
We are out here...the problem is...we get enough word of mouth that we no longer need to advertise! So ask around!
Eric, I was an Appliance repairman for 27 years. A technician who loves his job and cares about the customer is who I was....and it is who you are! Just that makes you Special! I love watching your videos!
Treat Mrs. O like a Queen...after all she loves you!
Thanks for taking the time to show us your troubleshooting steps! I’ve learned so much from just watching!❤
Rare qualities in a mechanic:
Honesty
Integrity
Fairness
Your years of experience
Willingness to go the extra mile.
There is an old saying, easy for the person that knows. These qualities are in YOU not everyone. That’s why you are praised. May be easy to you, but the world needs more people like you.
Oh, and your sense of humor and humility…. On point my guy 😂
Hear! Hear!
When my elderly mothers radio reception failed entirely in her Equinox, the Chevy dealer quoted her $455 and told her they would have to tear apart the interior to replace the antenna. She asked me to look at it. The antenna itself had simply snapped off, (she probably didnt wait for the garage door to open fully before backing out). I grabbed needle nose pliers and simply backed out the nugget of threaded part that stayed screwed into the hole, ordered a new antenna from amazon for $16 bucks and 2 days later when it arrived, simply screwed it in. It was LITERALLY a $16 part, that took 30 seconds to replace, (both removing the piece broke off inside & twisting the new antenna in)! I wanted to strangle the dealership, for lying to my mom, and trying to rip her off.
I'm sure they had the antenna in stock, and could have had her in and out in 5 minutes. Even if they had charged her $50, I would have said "Thats a bit excessive, but ok, i get it". But the fact they lied thru their teeth to try to charge her $455 is despicable!
Qualities seldom seen in the “Excelsior” gov't.
👊🏼👍👏🏼✅ Great Job.
Mr.O, don't sell yourself short as this is a miracle as shown by the shop trying to sell the customer an instrument cluster. No one wants to diagnose anymore, and all they want to do is shoot the parts cannon. You are one of the old-school talents that still does diagnostic troubleshooting. You, Ivan, and Scanner Danner are just a few who look at the problem and take the time to find the root cause as best you can. This is why so many viewers seek you out for your expertise. Please don't be mad at your viewers for wishing we had a talent like you in our area. The alternative is to be overcharged, pay the parts cannon shop, and still have the problem after letting go of hundreds if not thousands of dollars and the shop saying we don't have an answer for you now pay me.
I love soaking in knowledge and you do a great job at picking a plan of attack with the most affordable way possible. I could spend 20k on the equipment to analyze the CAN bus, but a simple meter for 60 dollars can help me pinpoint an open circuit in the network. I've been in computers, networking, and automation for years and this just feels like home to me. I enjoy learning every day from youtuber's like yourself because it will help me build my business and help me succeed in life. Going from being laid off, broke, poor, loosing the love of my live over it, working at a dead end job at a walmart to having hope of being someone and doing something that I love doing and making a living out of it helps me greatly. Thanks again for all you guys do.
A real mechanic doing the actual diagnosing. Love it.
It’s good to see Mrs. O in your video. Every video is better with Mrs. O.
Yep totally agree
Mrs O in the thumbnail too, I was wondering why she may want a new cluster.
@@smadge1 Same here, I looked at the thumbnail and realized it wasn't her van.
I miss the old videos, Eric would be working on a vehicle and Mrs. O would be in the bay for almost half the video, and they'd be telling stories back and forth.
Every time she says what she's cooking, I regret that I'm 2000 miles away.
Hello Eric, A few weeks ago I worked on a 2015 Rav4 that the emergency flashers were on all the time and the customer had to disconnect the battery. I also saw signs of mice intrusion inside the car. scanned the car and no codes of course since the battery was disconnected before driven over to my garage. disconnected the hazard switch and 4 ways still flashing. Checked all data wiring diagrams and the signal lights are controlled by the combination meter. Removed the combination meter and found a large mouse nest made out of the insulation material Toyota uses to insulate the HVAC ducts. no visual damage to the wiring. checked the hazard switch wiring at the plug that connects to the back of the combination meter and the switch, functioned ok which led me to the combination meter. took the meter assembly apart and found signs of mouse urine that made its way to the circuit board. pulled all the gauge needles off and LDC display out and removed the board from the housing. tried to clean the board with deoxit and a nylon brush. ended up using some WD-40 and it cleaned the board of all the mouse juice. I cleaned all the plastic parts with soap and warm water. reassembled and installed back in vehicle and problem solved. Thought I was going to see you find a nest behind the cluster on yours today.
Also did you see Sherwood at Royalty Auto service was all excited about finding the "Green Crusties" on an Audi under the fuse/relay box under the hood? He gave you a shout out.
Thanks again for your posts and all your time, see you again on the next "What's up Wednesday"
Arkwright Dave
'
Wow that was a good one! Yeah, he's a good dude. I was talking with him on the phone the other day for about an hour and he mentioned he was all excited when he found the green!
@@SouthMainAuto Scott @Vehcor mentioned the GREEN CRUSTIES today.You've coined a term Sir.
Maybe Toyota needs mouse proof insulation and wiring !!!
Your electrical vids are my favorite. Mind you, I have the face of a Labrador retriever trying to understand someone reading Shakespeare most of the time. But each one of these peels back the mystery and magic of automotive electrical wiring. Thanks!
Nice to see someone that has a real technical approach to troubleshooting. I worked on computers for 50 years and you did everything right.
The plural of mice is meeces. As in, "I hate you meeces to pieces." Just ask Mr. Jinks the cat.
As Obama would says just to be clear", the plural of mouse is mice and the plural of mice is meeses... is there a suitable plural for meeces?
@@tuberstitiousmeecii
George Clinton said that as well.
@@tuberstitious Meeseeks
The Lady will call you a saint, you are a great mechanic, 2012 Toyota Rav 4 lives. Thank you sir.
A lot of Mechanics seem to not give a shit about Their Customers, you do and I love Your channel.
Eric, I appreciate your humility, I really do. It's quite refreshing. But seriously... you opened the hood, smelled a mouse and pretty much knew that a gnawed wire was going to be the problem and that no new cluster was needed. That much was your experience informing you. Then you busted out your PRO diagnostic skills (and tools) and BOOM! found it and fixed it. That was your skill at work. Again, I totally appreciate your humble attitude, but you are definitely not ignorant! Besides, we all know that if you get too big for your britches, Mrs. O. has ways to keep you humble. 🙂
Yes James - the exact same thought struck me too. I can't decide whether the mech at the other shop was as dumb as dog**** or he was a shrewd guy who knew his limitations, knew he wouldn't be able to find the gnawed wire, and just quoted some large price to dissuade the lady from doing anything about it.
The other shop being local knows that SMA is well versed in that type of work & if he was being real sent it there to save the owner money.Small area word gets around.
What makes you a Great Mechanic is:
You take the time to Diagnose.
You also take the time to show/explain/teach.
Eric love watching you diagnose a problem. You are a good mechanic because you just don’t throw parts at the problem. My brother is also a mechanic, now retired and he and you work allot alike. Thanks for the great content.
Mr. O, you have the best scan tool out there, between your ears, and you aren't afraid to use it!
Great diagnosis, but loved the CAT scan lol
40 years ago I was taught to check for signal at the end of circuit, if signal not there, check in middle, then check halfway back until you found the signal. This helps locate the issue. Which is exactly what you did, Great Job!
"Creating binary partitions of the problem space!"
Yes, the old divide and conquer, the way they taught us in the electronics classes in college in the 70's
That's my preferred approach but sometimes based on ease of access to the component (load) or fuse. Sometimes one can get lucky, the side you start from may be the fault.
@@abdul-kabiralegbe5660 "binary artitions... weighted by effort"
You're the best mechanic I ever seen work on a car
Sorry Eric, but you are absoluttely correct that other shops would not be able to diagnose it. Thus why it came to you in the first place with the "diagnosis" that the instrument cluster was bad. They are simply parts replacers, not diagnosticians. Love to watch you work. Thanks for all the hard work you do.
No, you are not a miracle. But you are an amazing professional mechanic -- knowledge + experience + great temperament + tenacity + honesty + a bunch more.
This SMA video had it all! The dad jokes, the pestering Mrs O. The well thought out diagnostic process and the ability to sniff out broken wires. I know you say this is simple stuff any anyone can do it, but the fact is, they won’t.
Check out scanner Danner an Mario diagnostics are also good trouble shooting channels , but yea Eric is good at figuring out these wiring problems.
"That's where I store all my hopes and dreams" killed me!
You are very good at troubleshooting and repairing electrical problems . You have a divide circuits in half approach which speeds up the process . I can tell and appreciate the process . I’m now retired but did troubleshoot and repair for over 30 years in the Banking Industry Security and ATM system. It takes a lot of experience combined with technical understanding to accomplish what you do . Your humble and professional skills and knowledge shine through the videos you produce . Thanks for sharing . I enjoy watching and learn from your experiences. I also do a lot of my own vehicle repairs too .
Aside from the fact it's a rare Toyota in your shop, this is immediately one of my favorite videos, Eric. One of your best explanations on that wiring diagram (even I could understand it!). When I heard the "soLder" comment, I thought sure we'd hear a BigClive reference!! Thanks as always, Eric!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Eric has definitely been watching some UK channels, what with "bit of kit". I'm just waiting for him to bust out some imitations of various accents :-)
The people who work on vehicles at the dealership watch your videos to learn how to be a Mechanic.
A continuity check is always a good place to be.
About the coment at the end that you are not the best person to teach diagnostics: That's not true! You are very good at explaining this kind of stuff! Through watching videos on your channel I got the confidence to do some car electronics troubleshooting myself. You showed me that it's not that hard and you only have to follow the trail of the clues. And your sentence "if I can do it, you can do it" at the end always motivates me. Thank you very much for all the great content!
Watching your videos has helped me be able to keep my cars on the road. Thank you for the knowledge and entertainment.
I learn from you every episode, Eric. And I have been fixing Vehicles since 1977. Thank you, You're a Great Teacher!
ASE CMAT L1 and GM Master Certified. Now semi retired.
You might not be a miracle worker in your opinion, however you are a very proficient and very ethical worker who provides not only affordable repairs, but also the necessary repairs without the "fluff" and without the "on-selling" of unnecessary parts and services. You have customers interest at heart, and us as your viewers.
So... the car got a cat scan and found the broken wires. You are a good tech for actually finding the root of the issue. You are like me, a rare breed who will actually fix it correctly.
Logical fault finding. A rare skill. Well done.
One rationalization a day. I like it. You discovered the problem, saved the customer a ton of money, and came up with a "perfect" solution for an imperfect real problem, and found some humor in the situation. Your wife added a wonderful touch. Devine comedy. Thanks, GB.
I learn more from watching your videos than I do through courses through my dealer 😂 Thank you for sharing the knowledge you have.
Greetings from Sweden.
I would have unpinned the connector and repaired the wires. if it's worth doing, its worth doing right. Don't slack. That makes you a hack. Great job troubleshooting. I learned a bit, thanks.
Impressed that you actually trace the issue back to the open but minutely disappointed that wouldn't connect through to pins. Nice work none-the-less. "Don't fold it over too tight, because you'll kink off the electricity" 😜
I know Eric’s name is all across America as 1 of the best diagnostic in the country if he can’t fix it. It can’t be fixed. Thank You Eric for another awesome diagnostic video
Nah, he calls Ivan when he's stumped. Ivan needs a real garage and lift though.
Ivan is definitely superior. Eric is awesome, but Ivan is at a higher level
@@dlewis9760 I think that he tried to get a building permit to build a shed to do just that & was denied by local planning laws & he does not want to move.
You are too modest Sir! You are one of the ones that have a Diagnostic gift! LIVE WITH IT!!
I agree with everyone. Don't sell yourself short Mr. O. The ability to know what to do, and what not to do is vital. Anyone can be a parts changer, but knowing what and what not to do shows a true mechanic.
Eric... I so appreciate your channel (and more importantly your demeanor and the way you talk through the process!) I've worked on my own vehicles for years, and for 25 years I've been a golf course superintendent who is required to be the equipment manager as well. It's my job to keep all our equipment running... your thought process has helped me tremendously! Start with the simple things first, test from the beginning and work your way back. Often times it's something you might not have originally thought. I've solved so many issues by isolating known working systems and finding what caused the issue, rather than just throwing parts that might not fix it at it. Thank-you for doing these videos, you have a great personality and are relatable to so many ("if I can fix it, you can too!") Much appreciate your approach and how you can work through the problem calmly and show us along the way that it really is most of the time something that may take time to find, but more easy to fix than you first thought. Thank-you so much! (and Thank-you to Mrs. O for brightening the room when she makes an appearance!) All the best brother!
As an Aussie I really appreciate you pronouncing the l in solder, enjoy watching your channel, take care dude
Wait I thought this was SMA not Humble Mechanic?! LOL
I’m almost 60 and have always had used cars with issues on issues. The hackery that takes place in shops is sketchy at it’s best and is a full on shit show on average, so to actually be able to watch a mechanic who takes diagnostics serious and can convey the logic and application of that logic is GOLD my friend. If you stack those diag skills with the sense of humor, the top of the line segways and the quality camera and editing…your gonna get praise on top of praise my guy.
The whole humble thing just cherries the whole shabang.
We appreciate you young man, on many levels. 🙏
Luv me sum SMA video❤
Excellent video and diagnstic approach! No parts required as Ivan would say!
I've been turning wrenches since the 80's and I still have so much to learn. You can only learn so much at the dealership under a time restraint and stress. Your videos help those who never delved into diagnostics to not be afraid of wiring diagrams and point of search. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and time.
Dealerships are taught for efficiency and not diagnosing. A dealership gets at least 100 cars an hour. They have zero time to spend over an hour diagnosing a mouse house car. They will tell you to buy a new cluster, install it, and then you will say its not fixed, then you come back the next day and let the insanity repeat. They use corporate bean counter computers to tell them what to do.
Nice to see someone troubleshoot a problem and no parts cannoning involved.
I know exactly what you're talking about. I was a field engineer for general electric medical systems 35 years. And you're right I don't know what it is but whatever reason I didn't seem to have a problem troubleshooting that equipment. And then I watch you and what you do and it's exactly the same thing. Like you I didn't consider myself anywhere near as smart or educated as some of the guys I worked with. But when it came to troubleshooting like you it just seemed to flow for me. Enough blabbering as usual great video.
You’re right Eric, “anyone” could have fixed those wires. Only the “talented ones” knows which wires to repair. I was in automotive fixed operations for 44 years and know that a majority of techs don’t have your diagnostic skills. That’s why other shop tell the customer to take back to the dealer or your shop.
Anyone who is a mechanic should have been able to fix it if IF they have troubleshooting skills and can read schematic diagrams
@@robhunter2435 In this case if I smelled mouse I'd just trace everything behind the dashboard to do with the instrument cluster and how it gets power. Without any schematics, I'd just do visual tracing and look for debris. Mice leave a trail of destruction as they go along so they do not get lost back to their nest. Just follow the damage. It would likely take longer than an hour but likely come to the same conclusion.
Really good watching an intelligent and logical approach to finding a problem!!
And… no irritating background music either!
Beetle Juice Beetle Juice Beetle Juice. Your voice is great and your sense of humor is comedic. Love it
Excellent job!! I love these types of troubleshooting videos!! Keep up the amazing job 👏
Thanks! 👍
What I find real nice is the fact that everything on the network went to crap the can - but the SRS was still working and reporting. This is perfect security.
Kudos for Eric to fix it how he did instead of billing the customer a whole harness, a plug and six gazillion hours to trace all that in order to install the new harness.
I love these electrical diagnostic videos because electrical is not my forte and I learn a lot from these videos. Thanks Mr. O!
eletronic tech since 1973. 2am and could not stop watching. You define awesome!!!
Excellent electrical/electronic troubleshooting. I was a field engineer for a computer company and the diagrams you use bring back memories of me tracing signals with logic prints for discrete component processors 45-odd years ago. Well done!
You seem like a good person to ask then.... so he essentially was checking the pins of the OBD port for the resistance value from service data, then traced the circuit that tested open?
@@pirtatejoe Yes. The crucial info is that the CAN bus has a pair of wires, which visit a bunch of modules in sequence. At each end of the chain are termination resistors, each 120 ohms. So if you measure the resistance between those wires, eg at the OBD connector, you should see 120 parallel with 120 = 60 ohms. If you see 120 instead, you know that one end of the chain is disconnected. So then you selectively unplug parts of the chain and measure in each direction at the disconnect to try to find which sections of the bus can your meter see a termination resistor, and which not... until you find the unwanted break.
@@Graham_Wideman Thanks! That makes sense. Think I was thrown off by the oscilloscope data. And, by the time he got to that point, he was testing from the connector instead of the actual OBD port and I felt maybe I missed something. Started making a bit more sense when he showed the wiring diagram again and could see where he was tracing along the circuit. So, those termination resistors are in the CAN bus modules themselves and part of the circuit when everything is connected. When he found the leg of the circuit with the wrong resistance, knew that module wasn't connected so either had failed or had a break in the circuit. I feel like this was a super great video... really important to see how to see a problem and how to work your way from point A to B along the wiring diagram testing along the way to diagnose the issue.
Well done, good Sir. Thanks for the lesson. Greetings from Ohio. I've been escaped from NY for 43 years and counting.
Based on this video, we have a sample size of 2: 1 shop who misdiagnosed it and 1 shop (SMA) who found the problem and fixed it without firing the parts cannon.
Those odds (even for a such a small sample size) do not look good for those of us who would rather not DIY.
Eric, i appreciate your humility and your ability to put video after video together that amazes us novices and trains the next generation of auto technicians.
Eric It's pretty simple, YOU are an excellent teacher
Normal debug methods and problems with learning it. It took me 2-4 years out in the field getting the crap beat out of me and working with my boss over the phone until I learned how to think. The classes help, but eventually you need to pay the piper and spend the time and take the punches and get back up.
I'm an emissions inspector in northern va and they wouldn't care if you got a cat from Amazon but better not get caught selling a used one also our waiver amount is 1030 bucks.
Haven’t seen Ms O in a decade, welcome back
You are an amazing mechanic because you save the customer money. So many mechanics are just parts chimps and don't actually solve the problem.
We would love another day at the shop like you've done in the past.
As always great logical troubleshooting. I’m retired maintenance electrician and auto mechanic. We used to troubleshoot network issues like this only our devices were often hundreds of feet apart. We used a spare terminator resistor to narrow down where we were broken. Sometimes frustrating but I loved electrical troubleshooting. Sad the world doesn’t have more techs like you.
That is why I watch your stuff along with some others on the RUclipss. Its to take in the diagnostic thought process and also the work ethic habits provided here so I can apply it to whatever I am working on. You are never going to fix something to everyone's satisfaction and knowing where the line of "good enough" is takes experience. It's one of the main upsides to things like RUclips.. I have the ability to learn from your decades of learning and get to enjoy some humor along the way.
As always, thanks for the video!
Eric,
I am not an automobile mechanic, but about 3 years ago I watched you diagnose an even more tenacious electrical issue. I wrote software for more than 40 years, went to university, but they didn't even touch on diagnostic practices. I learned it in the field over years. As I mentioned, I ran into one of your videos years ago, and forwarded to a coworker, and told him this guy diagnoses problems in much the same way we do.
Isolate the issues by eliminating obvious non-failures. In software it is often binary - this half works, this half doesn't - rinse, repeat. I find it totally unacceptable that any qualified shop could not even notice a CAN bus failure in a modern car. That is one step above "Is the power on?"
I've seen too many vids where "parts cannon" is the default response. Whole new dash cluster would have cost thousands and not fixed the problem. In fact, Luna did a better job than the "other" shop as to the nature of the issue. Some shops fire a parts cannon either out of ignorance (hopefully) or out of out-right malice trying to drain someone's wallet.
From your comment, you are not a "miracle worker", you are simply very competent at your job. Perhaps you are right - automotive tech schools should teach diagnostic skills and electronics skills. Hell, I can set the points on a mid-1970s VW, but there is no way I could figure out the electronics of my 2020 Nissan Leaf.
Was watching a video the other day where a so-called 'skilled mechanic' was just swapping parts for new in the hope of picking up in the fault (the 'parts cannon'). People in the comments were writing "wow, great diagnosis!". I despair.
This channel alone has made me a step above the rest. I never knew how to diagnose electrical problems until I came across your channel in 2018. Thank you
Eric O.
Dear Eric O.
Good day to you, and to all your viewers.
My name is Raj, located in the Caribbean, I look at your videos all the time.
It's always a never ending learning experience on your channel and videos.
You are very good at what you do, and your explanation on your videos are very clear, and easy to understand.
You make your type of job, look very easy, in which most of us who does the same, know its not, by our experience.
You do help a lot of people around the world by making these videos, and I would like to thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us.
Your determination in figuring out the wiring diagram is truly amazing, you really are relentless, giving up isn't your type of language, and that looks very good on you.
Thank you again very much.
I just have one thing else I would like to say, I hope it don't get you angry, it's just an advice?.
In the future if you ever come across a vehicle that was rats infested, and its clear to see, PLEASE!.
Let the customer get the vehicle steam clean!, before attempting to diagnose or repair anything.
Due to the world wide health issues we all when through in the pass years, we all should take our health more seriously,
For ourself and our families.
Rat droppings and rat urine is to be taken very seriously, wherever there is dropping there's urine!.
A friend of mine who's a good mechanic like yourself, he did the same for his friends wife vehicle,
not taking the rat droppings seriously, and repaired her car.
We all told him about it, and he said its all in the work, but he promise never to do it again, a promise he kept on till the very end?.
After repairing the car a few days later, he took his work uniform home to wash, his wife's job, something she always does laundry.
A few days after, she and her son got sick, went to the doctor got medication and came home, the next day things got worse.
The both of them had to go to a medical clinic emergency room, they were having problems breathing, and walking.
The doctors did some tests and said it's Rat poisoning, they were all shock, were did they got that from.
The doctor ask if you were doing renovation at home, moving, cleaning or if anyone was in contact with any rodents within the past couple of weeks?.
It took him a few minutes, and he realize it was his work uniform, and all the laundry she did that day at home.
He got angry with himself, and took blame for all of it, we told him your family needs you more now than ever, so keep it together, we'll get through this.
His wife is one of the kindest person you could ever meet.
His son started showing improvement in about four days, but his wife got more worse, and she were now fighting for her life.
I believe God, heard all our prayers and save her life, after about three weeks of medication she started to improve.
She and her son made a full recovery, with a life changing experience, that we all will never forget.
So to Eric O, and to all those viewers that took the time to read this comment, Thank you.
Always remember NOJob! is worth the risk of your health and your family's, because you never know when your luck could run-out!. Please take Rat droppings very seriously in the future!, It can kill you.
Be safe and take care to all of you.
Bye, cool, Raj. Thanks again.
You are good. I was a mechanic for 45 years still Mechanic at 73 Electrical used to always give me fits. I just love the way you found this problem. I love watching you and your wife interact. It’s a nice set up. Nice show. Keep up the good work.
Hi Eric & Mrs "O"... I've enjoyed watching your RUclips Videos over several years. I'm a retired 74 year old fan. My Son is an ASE Certified Mechanic in Southern California. He also loves watching your channel. The mice can make anyone a lot of money if you have the right mindset and follow the clues and your tools. GREAT JOB Eric..!!
I really enjoy your videos. I just like to see you work through the problem. Thanks! I'll keep watching.
Brilliant repair! Kudos sir
Married for 30 years come July, and every spring my wife still puts on a spring dress for me, too. I hope she's still doing it another 30 years from now.
That was a thoroughly educational and entertaining video, Mr. O., thank you for taking us along.
Ever considered she might be dressing for herself, NOT you?
Maybe return the favor and come down for breakfast in one of her dresses and give her a good laugh. Congrats on 30 years !
@@johnt.848 She spends hours getting all dolled up and then comes out and models for me. So you tell me? You obviously have women figured out a lot better than I do.
@@floorpizza8074 If she has to try that hard, you are failing in your attentiveness.
@@who-gives-a-toss_Bear It's just amazing how you can turn a sweet thing a wife does for a husband (and has for 30 years) into a "you're failing as a husband" scenario. I wish you the best of luck in your relationship.
Great video! I followed your thought process all the way through without a problem. I personally think you do a very good job of explaining/teaching while you are on your quest for the problem! Thanks!
Eric your an amazing mechanic my friend. When I went through mechanic training for NYC Transit for the buses we were taught an entire class alone just on Multiplex, Dinex and all that. I have to say it’s great to see that this knowledge I got from here literally can be put to use on our cars too. It’s such an amazing thing to see how buses and cars are so alike when it comes to repairs even down to the electrical
Personally i hate squirrels more. One of those dang things chewed a harness almost in two. Had to repair 18 wires in an s1- blazer while laying on the engine reaching behind it to fix them. NO squirrels in my yard anymore!
I got rid of all my squirrels too, they are way worse than mice when they get into vehicles.
lol speaking about squirrels..I rescued a couple babies and while I was at work they managed to find some plastic water lines while they were loose in basement..came home to 10 inches of water down there while they hid in their hanging nest…they were released very soon after they could fend for themselves selves
@@mikehopkins7384 Thanks for sharing. I often wonder, especially with PEX piping, if squirrels and/or mice would chew on it and cause these types of problems.
@@timingridw.8547 They will. They will find water or food sources, they can smell the water inside. If you have rodent problems in a high rodent area you would need to run the PEX through armored elec conduit and mark it with flow stickers. Code might not like it but it solves the problem. I have copper pipes, I'd never use PEX.
Always love the electrical deduction, from an older ship board electrician. This is what we are taught on a much larger scale! But same thing. Shrink Drinks came out in the early 70's, for those of us that were already in the Navy in the early 80's.
بالرغم من كوني غير مختص بالكهرباء ولا أظن راح أسوي مثلك لكن شاهدت كامل الفيديو لأني أحب إصلاح الأشياء ومعرفة طرق الإصلاح.
i will not do this kind of electronic investigation but i watch this video because i love to fix things and to know how to do it.
Mrs. O in a sun dress as clickbait? All right, ya got me to watch.
Another great informative video. Also watched the one you linked earlier for Royalty down south where they gave you a shout-out for the green crusties. Could the network communication be wonky when wiring and resistance tests show good results?
Absolutely it can be bad with "good resistance." Good question btw. The resistance check is only to make sure the physical wires are intact. You can still have a module going nuts and messing up with perfect network resistance.
Love watching your videos like watching my son work he's been a mechanic for 38 years and like the way you find the problem also your a good family man stay safe always
You are one of the best I've seen and enjoy watching you. Some people have a place in their head that maps out wiring others see a pile of spaghetti with no end. I'm a old school mechanic and supposed to be retired. I get the jobs that the guy in the shack can't fix. Thank goodness you have shown me the way.
Did the odometer add the cumulative mileage once the repair was made? Or did those driven miles do uncounted? Awesome video!! And yes as someone who works in a Ford parts dept in California, it is a tragedy people can’t buy used, know good cats to fix their car.
You know that is a good question. I am not sure if the mileage recalculated from it's stored location or if the network being down stopped it all together...
1:10 143,719mi
46:25 143,779mi
(I had been wondering the same thing.)
@@mattmanyam nice catch my dude!
@@mattmanyam That's good the car has a failsafe for a broken ODO. In the old days that mileage would just be gone, then your Carfax would flag it today as NAM and someone rolling back the odometer.
Catscan 😂 I love it !
Yeah it's solder Eric not soder, welcome to Australia, and the UK, oh and every other English speaking country in the world.
Thank you for being so worldly and knowing where to store all your hopes & dreams 😂
Love your work mate.
Mrs O is looking great, love her visits to cheer things up !