Hey Ivan, you bring up a valid point about being compensated for your work. First of all, you didn't manufacture it, design it, buy it, or break it. You're there to resolve their issue, and I don’t think you’re running a soup kitchen. For them to replace that truck today would cost them an arm and a leg. This wasn’t just a common problem where you could rely on a Google search. In this case, you needed a professionally trained technician. Unfortunately, in this case, it was going to take some time. I could easily see someone trying to sell this guy a transmission, let alone just a valve body. In the end, you had a confirmed fix. You're not getting that from Google.
Figure it this way. You go to a dealer and say "Fix it", they do and it costs XYZ. If you were to ask for a 'discount' they'd laugh you right outta the place and the vehicle stayed put. The very fact that Ivan entertained the idea shows his integrity as well as understanding of real world problems for the customer. The room gets filled with 'what aboutisms' pertaining to all the hrs spent by 2 guys with 2 seperate shops, traveling, etc. and they are valid points. What it boils down to is a poor design with known issues that somebody has to deal with, and then offer some sort of warranty. As designed, that cannot happen. Water intrusion issues plague these vans, from computer systems, to head and tail lights constantly blowing out, to caliper pins rusting up and seizing. They are a hot mess.
Automotive engineers have designed and built very, VERY good weather packed electrical connectors for at least half a century. And to neglect to weatherproof the PCM? Un-freaking-believable! And yet, there it is.
Very true, but I think this case was unique. This van sat on a dealer lot for something like over a year, with ALL the water from the windshield pouring directly onto the computer. That's a pretty fringe case.
These vans have known issues with the cowl leak. It is preventable. th-cam.com/video/lICLzx1hKXw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=5D2HKRAKAOxvuKUt . This is a commercial vehicle, it is the livelihood of its owner, this van has been at the Chrysler dealership 3 times, have they checked the drains? No! Have the owners researched common problems? Unlikely. If the owners and service shops actually looked over this vehicle with an eye toward preventative maintenance then issues would be spotted before they become extremely expensive. Every morning the hood should be up on a commercial vehicle. Check your oil, check your coolant level, look for the general condition of the entire engine compartment. Look for leaks, listen for noises. Do a walk around, check your lights, check your tires, check the general overall condition of the exterior. Factory maintenance intervals should be followed at a minimum. This van doesn't get any of that, they just ignore the bulb failure warning on the instrument panel. I'm going to bet the owners flatly decline recommended services when they take it to a shop for specific repairs or service. It's important to have a shop that is trustworthy doing your maintenance so when your vehicle needs something you can trust that it does and the shop isn't just trying to bilk you. This problem is user error to a large extent, with service shops lack of action being the other factor.
The problem was caused by a clogged drain. This is a not uncommon problem and can cause much worse problems than what happened here. Clearing the drains is a maintenance item which very few owners ask to have done. It is not a design problem.
Just wanted to comment on this. The glow plugs seize in engine so bad, you often times have to remove the cylinder head and punch them out from the inside.
I can tell you have never worked at a Dealer Ship. Most Dealers have 2-3 guys out of twenty that are pretty good. The rest are in training. Dispatch has to move work around the shop. Flat rate is a tough system. Also, people will buy a new Truck/van/car and never come back. So ten years go by and when Its all beat to $hit then a Customer shows up with some bizarre problems. And the Tech is seeing for the first time. All Dealers are run by the Lawyers. This why NO used ECMS Where did Ivan get his training ???? Not out in the back yard.
I disagree. Dealership will not install or program used parts. If that is what you expect. Then take used parts to the dealership and try to ask for a warranty.
@@davidstleon8388it's got nothing to do with unquantified So call Technician. It's about used parts. You can have a so called qualified technician and still not or can't fix it.
I put the open computer in the oven at 70 deg c overnight, it work great, and grease the connectors and pins with dielectric tribosyn. 330 keep out water salt and corrosion
The moral of the story!! A professional diagnostic cost you what is fair, on top of that, you solve a problem for so many people with similar issues!! Great job
I just had one of those vans in my shop this week, had misfires and transmission codes. was still under powertrain warranty but dealer could not take if in for a few weeks. the misfire codes were just plugs and a coil, so I replaced them (under intake). The trans codes were for a signal loss of transmission speed sensor. (going in to dealer for that). Tips in Mitchel were for wiring harness issues due to water leaking down on to connector. I noticed the plastic tube (The one shown at the end of the video) was disconnected at the top.
The tube fallling off at the top is common (hose clamp fix) but when that happens the water drains down behind the transmission and wouldn't cause this problem. However! - the two transmission speed sensors DO live right under that drain. We've never seen one actually go bad, but we have seen wiring damage from road debris take out the wiring. Hot tip: you CAN swap those two sensor connectors with each other. It will code immediately for a speed mismatch, and put itself into limp, but it would allow you to look at the data from each sensor, which might tell you if a sensor was bad or the wiring was bad. I think those speed sensors are under $25 each.
Great video! Dealer can reprogram PCM. I have had this done. Dealer just lazy ad makes more $$ selling you a new one! Install a cover, "roof" over the PCM using the mounting bolts.
I think this is a GPEC2 PCM and on the promaster there is no way a dealer can program a used one. It needs a complete clone or sometimes you can swap the eeprom and then fix the flash. The only tool I found that can do it through OBD is ECU hero.
Now that I know it it a Stallantis product I understand the reason it was getting water ingrese that companies reputation just keeps going further down quality meter. The only thing I would tell the customer is now it is going get rid of it ASAP. Cheers Ivan again great video for teaching us how to use diagnostic equipment.
I can’t believe that thing would do anything with the severity of water intrusion. What a design. Wonder what that crap was that plugged the drain? Weird. Great stuff anyway. Have a great weekend Ivan. 👍👍🇺🇸
@@bernardaflores1720 Ok, hard to see see in video, just looked like black…. stuff. Is the cowl screen broken or missing or is this just a common problem on these vans ? With the exception of sunroof drains getting plugged, I’ve never heard of this problem.
That was indeed leaves and sticks and such in the main and only cowl drain tube, which is a close to 2" affair and generally doesn't cause an issue. Even if it falls off, water generally goes harmlessly onto the tail of the transmission. But like in this case, if that drain is plugged, 100% of the water coming from the windshield will be forced to go somewhere. In this case, the water had MADE paths that it normally wouldn't have, taking out the seal for the DS windshield wiper and some other rubber seals. Clearly, an extreme case. I believe this van sat on a lot for over a year as well.
Great job Ivan! It's not right that the guys with the most knowledge take the hit on compensation. Just like the construction business that plagued me for years. Meanwhile everyone else makes out like a bandit😠
I couldn't imagine owning one of these piles. Ivan, you could buy one of these and use it to haul your tools around in. When it broke down, you could make videos about repairing it. What was that? They don't make a memory card big enough to record the problems? So, this guy had to pay for your drive/diagnostic time TWICE plus $1,326.00? If I owned one of these, I would need to plan a vacation to Pennsylvania Furnace periodically. It wouldn't be so bad, I could rent a motel room and enjoy the sights in a vintage Toyota. Kip really likes these; that is all I am going to say. GREAT VIDEO!
the problem was the blocked water drain tube from the windshield seen at the end of the video. If this issue was widespread there would be a recall/service bulletin already.
For clarity, that clip at the end is clearing some kind of blockage out of the main windshield cowl drain. With that drain plugged, the water is FORCED to go directly into the engine compartment. If I had to guess, my guess is that this blockage was the root cause of this ENTIRE problem. The Promaster has common water intrusion issues, but rarely to they dump water directly onto the PCM.
Really tough Diag! For all involved. One way to dry out hidden moisture is by putting the part inside a sealed vacuum chamber and applying vacuum with AC evac pump until you see no more moisture being evacuated. Vacuum chamber can be made from a gasketed sealed electrical enclosure (Example Hoffman brand) of appropriate size with the needed fittings for vacuum. Tougher problem to tackle is the hidden green crusties. Moisture removal may not solve the problem but the cost is worth the try.
IVAN, that case study on that van's issues were tough to overcome! But as always you got that sucker fixed and stuck to what you know based on the data you were seeing. Good job.
Thanks for the challenging video. I would have tried to bake the PCM for a few hours at 125-150F or so. Also might have tried to create a weep hole in the bottom of the PCM before baking. And maybe inserting isopropyl alcohol or something that absorbs the moisture into the back of the pcm where the moisture lives. There should be a way to remove that PCM board, even though you may have to drill out the connecting points and figure out a way to reattach the board. I guess I'm a hack for $1300+
A fair point. What about a bag with some kind of desiccant in it? I wouldn't be looking for a fix, I'd be looking for any kind of change. @@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics
Happy, but expensive ending, Ivan! Water intrusion (factory feature?) sure made a lot of damage, dealers were unfriendly and you had to go there twice. Diagnostic spot on, though!
I just picked this scanner up during Christmas time. I snagged it at the perfect time, it was on sale and then it had a coupon/flash deal on amazon. Total price including tax $725.
Famous last words. "The dealership was useless". I've heard that same story from a few Chrystler dealers. They just won't reflash a PCM that you supply. Company policy perhaps? And sometimes they even give you some lame sounding excuse as to why. Oh, but they will gladly sell you a new or refurbished unit. Furious sarcastic rebuttal excluded. Anyway, this reminded me of a 2003 Ford F150 I did recently. Customer complaint, water intrusion behind the driver side of the dashboard and behind center rearview mirror. Truck stalls in the rain. The sunroof drain goes into a cavity under the windshield cowl. Then that cavity has another drain that exits behind the left front tire. The cavity drain was blocked solid causing a backup to the sunroof drain. And the windshield was glued in with clear bathroom caulk. Needless to say, the caulk didn't hold.
I have a Ford Transit. It has the same cowl drainage issues, as the drains easily plug up and water can overflow on several harnesses and components/sensors. I was made aware/warned about this early on, and keep them clear ..
Tough diagnosis! You are certainly tenacious! You know, in the old days, you wouldn't see that inductive spike on a solenoid - it would have been clamped or damped. Now, they're looking for the spike to verify connection! Way too sophisticated......
Love these videos, I would have tried to bake the ECM in an oven at like 100 deg F for 6 hours to see if that would dry it out. If it did, then seal it better.
Drying it out may not fix it. Once water gets in, it starts acting like an electrolyte as it picks up contaminants. As it dries, it leaves traces that will bridge components and connections. And water may enter and damage components or just short them out. You really need to pull the board out and clean it, but that won't fix damaged components. The problem here is that the board is potted in, so there's a bunch of trapped moisture.
That is why I said "try" since if it worked, then you might save thousands of dollars and months of time. It seems that in this case with enough time, effort, and money it got fixed properly..@@major__kong
True, but baking it would have been a major aid in diag. If the problem moved or changed, it would have pointed toward the PCM and saved us a lot of headache!@@major__kong
We had a railroad scale with a box that contained a circuit board where the 4 load cells were connected together. The scale would get flooded in heavy rain. The case and wire inlets were supposed to be sealed but would be full of water. I remembered when I was a child that my mother sealed jars of jam and jelly with a layer of paraffin wax on top. I got some paraffin, found a plastic tray slightly larger than the connection box, melted the paraffin and encased the box with it. No more problems with water intrusion.
Clogged drains are a common problem. The drains are usually identified in the owner's manual and cleaning suggestions are provided. But most people never open the manual.
The dealer probably suspects used computers also have water intrusion issues. They are avoiding comebacks for "your reprogramming did not work, I have a whole new set of problems now".
I may be mistaken, but I know some modules (and maybe ecm’s) can’t be reprogrammed without clearing the eprom(s), which is beyond a dealer’s capabilities. Pretty sure Eric O. sent one out to Kieth(?) & he recoded the eprom to accept new programming.
many newer vehicle will not program with the dealer level programming tools, as they are VIN locked. there are ways to clear vin but people that know how to do it usually don't make that method public.
Great job as always 👍 Dumb question... Wouldn't be worth maybe put the computer near a source of heat like a wood stove. Let it get warmed up for a couple of days. Just like you would stand near it to warm up.To evaporate the moisture and dry the inside complety. I know it's not going to get rid of the green crusty.
Trickery and tom foolery from other mechanics before it came to kips shop someone along the way would have noticed 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 Fixed as usual great video 👍
17:19 before you went this far always check CVI values per spec if they are out of range it will set codes such as the X solenoid and or incorrect X ratio
Try aluminum foil over the connectors and over Computer. Cheap and waterproof. I would cover ALL of the connectors because you know others are getting wet too.
Point taken, but that physical computer is common to Promaster, Challenger, Jeep, Minivan, and probably the trucks too. I believe this problem's root cause was the blocked cowl drain. If you take the big picture view, this repair is great thing, because I will be checking this on my customer's vans, and calling it out in my videos.
@@promastersonly1419 Ivan's repairs are always worth the watch. Blocked drain would definitely contribute. Had that issue on my own vehicle and I am still trying to find a SIR module for it after it sat in water.
@@2packs4sure I wonder. There would be more airflow with a plastic cover, under the hood, than there would be under any dash, where many vehicles have the PCM mounted. ;) Not sure it would make any difference at all.
@@farmermiyagi1338 There's a whole list of variables,,,, if it's under the dash about the max temperature it's gonna get on a hot day is a 140°F but if it's under the hood 200 plus degrees maybe then you add reduce air flow with a cover and the temperature goes up,,, so I don't know...
@Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics It does keep the ones you type but it's quirky. If you search, select, clear the search box. You should see everything you've selected across multiple searches. You might have to view the data steam in-between searches first. I'm not sure on that but I know it does work.
What I find interesting is the inductive kick is only associated with the final cutoff, not the PWM pulses "during". That indicates something more than a simple switch to ground going on. Not related to the problem, just an interesting (odd?) design.
A bit late here, but this was a wild one. Amazing how the crappy location for the ECU! There is obviously a reason why engineers put stuff like that there (sarcasm?). Either way, I was really happy to see a lot of "Russian" notations in an episode! :D
Fact-Toyota,. GM, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, Kia/Hyundai, or any other manufacturer I can think of gives any information on whether or not a used computer can or will work in their vehicles nor how to trick them into working if need be (and there often is a bit of a trick). So, a lot of dealers won't mess with it as it may end up leaving them in a bind. Well, GM does on their Global stuff as they say not to, but not many go that far. I have so many techs ask me if a used module will work and if it's not in writing in the service info I say so.
Here in Australia its a Fiat Ducato.. The so called auto box a big issue some do not make 100 000km with out a big failure with so called auto trans, Manual with solenoids to change gears.. Major electrical, fluid issues with its sharing to over areas, also expensive to repair even bigger issue to find someone to fix problem... Best advice on older models go manual.. The latest ones now returned to conventional auto box with torque converter...
Actually Ivan, the dealer is correct. These used ECM's can only be done if they are cloned or hotswapped with witech. The hotswap does not always work. They are not like older Chryslers. When you program a new dealer ECM there is no key programming. The BCM transfers the key data during the programming event. When you program keys they only program to the BCM. The dealer was right in this case unless you wanted to pay them too fart around with the used one it just simpler to do new one unless you can just clone it.
Oak trees are bad for water drains, sunroofs, engine cowls, fresh air inlets. Poor engineering only compounds it. Luckily people like Ivan and other mechanics who want to fix things properly exist.
I have been chasing the same problems the van will misfire and flash more lights on in the dash Cruise control won’t turn on and the air conditioner turns on by its self. The tac bounces all over the place. I sprayed wd-40 all over the computer and ever connection leading to it. After about ten min I shut it off and pulled the neg off the battery and then it started fine. It’s definitely moister I feel.
Probably jam those connectors with di electric grease I have to do that to my headlight harness connectors or high and low beam will short between terminals from grime and road salt.
As soon as I saw that Rams head, I knew there would be ridiculous engineering in store. You could not GIVE me a Chrysler product. Watch SMA, all GM, or Chrysler. Very very few Fords.
I'd looked at buying some of these for my business, but not without research.... I wish they'd fix the supply issue with the Transits and Express vans...., but that's a whole other issue....
Someone doing Promasters should be able to get a used wiper tray if the seals for the wipers gave out and just replace it. It looked like a problem that could have been figured out with a hose though, of overflowing the gutter, you run a hose on low the tray should not fill up if it is not filled with leaf dams.
Not unusual to see coolant in the gearbox harness on Audi Q7 and related cars. They put a coolant solenoid on the same harness and when it leaks capillary action takes it straight to the connector knocking out the gearbox.
Hello Ivan. I totally enjoy watching your videos and am motivated by your though processes where the logic can be applied for many other problems besides cannon blasted cars and trucks. I have a couple of questions for you. One is why All data? What makes it your service of choice and what do you do with your old tools like scanners and scopes when you upgrade to newer more powerful tools? The used markets in Canada are thin compared to the USA. Thanks and keep up the great work!...Drew from Canada
I’ve never seen you do this Ivan, but if I had to perform a repair like this that resulted from repeated water ingress through bulk connectors I would flood the connectors with dielectric grease after cleaning the pins. In most connectors this should prevent further water migration into and through the connector. So, why not?
My dodge caravan sport was doing about the same ,I had to change two sensors on the top of transmission after change the two sensors it run like it use too.
I wonder if you could do at least a temporary fix on a module with water intrusion and intermittent problems by putting it in a vacuum chamber to remove the water, then spraying it down with deoxit?? I don't think I would send a customer down the road and tell them it's 100% fixed because you don't have an idea about internal corrosion. But I think it would be an interesting experiment. Especially if it was my own vehicle.
I don't understand why he didn't unblock that cowl drain when he first noticed water in the engine compartment. My first thought when you started on it was "blocked drain." Seems the simplest things are the most overlooked.
sure seems like if you are going to put a pcm under the hood priority one would/should be water intrusion protection.two month down time for that van was probably three fold in revenue on top of repairs.hard to believe that van newer as it is has these issues,this is coming from a construction van owner when they are down you are down.best van iv ever ran was an express hard on fuel but in 300,000 miles water pump,radiator cap,and spark plugs and one coil.I feel for those guys im very familiar with the down van issues in my career.the more complex they become the more revenue you loose trying to keep them on the road.
Kip here: I worried about that too, but we had a couple hours of drive time on it with the PCM wrapped in plastic bags, and no evidence of melting on the bags. I don't think heat will be a problem. But with the cowl drain fixed, and the cowl super waterproofed, I think you could run the PCM stock and water wouldn't be a problem.
Chrysler is always on backorder since they dont make any new ones, but reman places have them on the shelf no sweat. You can also "make" a Promaster transmission out of a minivan or Journey transmission by swapping over the ring and pinion and the rear cover (mount is in the rear in a Promaster).
Yes, or Fluid Film. But if there's direct water impingement, it still may find it's way in. Need to fix the water leak first. Some connectors use weather packs, which is a specially designed rubber seal that lets wires pass through. Even with the weather pack, I'll spray a healthy dose of Fluid Film on the outside to help repel water to help the seal out.
Kip here: correct! I browbeat my customers to run a strip of gorilla tape sealing the cowl directly to the windshield glass. Do that, and keep the main drain clear, and you won't have this problem.
Would think you send the ecm off to the rebuild guys. They would get it programmed in 5 minutes. Most would move on, Pennsylvania truck with 200 on odo. Especially a dodge?
Without disassembly of the pcm we have no idea how green and crusty it was internally. I would have tried drying the pcm by burying it in a bag of rice to dry it out.
Hi Ivan quick one.how do you like your new lauch scan? i use a x431 pro 3 v4.0 for almost a year now and loving it . let me know cause im thinking updating to the model you have instead of renew the subscription.
Ivan, in last post I asked about my Thinktool and my dissatisfaction. And now I see you trashed yours. Please do a follow up on about this tool as I bought this on your video recommendation. Save others the waste of money. I knew I should have bought the launch or just updated by Verus.
All vehicle wiring connectors should be weatherproof. Especially computer connectors. The water dripping onto the computer should be a non- issue if the connector was designed and installed properly . This was either designed poorly or the connector was not installed properly. The cowl drain working properly will just mask the real problem.
Kip here: point taken, but we believe this thing was putting 100% of the water from the windshield directly onto the computer for over a year as it sat on a dealer lot. No a normal case.
Excellent video as always! Are there times when WD-40 would help? It's non-conductive and might work in conjunction with Deoxit. No doubt, with major water intrusion, WD-40 would not help.
The dealer waa right on the used pcm. This is a fiat under the skin and used pcm is only possible if you make it 'virgin' again. Not something that can be done with Witech2. Abrites (or another tool that can dump the memory) might be able to pull it of, not sure as these engines are not used in Europe.
Hey Ivan, you bring up a valid point about being compensated for your work. First of all, you didn't manufacture it, design it, buy it, or break it. You're there to resolve their issue, and I don’t think you’re running a soup kitchen. For them to replace that truck today would cost them an arm and a leg. This wasn’t just a common problem where you could rely on a Google search. In this case, you needed a professionally trained technician. Unfortunately, in this case, it was going to take some time. I could easily see someone trying to sell this guy a transmission, let alone just a valve body. In the end, you had a confirmed fix. You're not getting that from Google.
Figure it this way. You go to a dealer and say "Fix it", they do and it costs XYZ. If you were to ask for a 'discount' they'd laugh you right outta the place and the vehicle stayed put. The very fact that Ivan entertained the idea shows his integrity as well as understanding of real world problems for the customer. The room gets filled with 'what aboutisms' pertaining to all the hrs spent by 2 guys with 2 seperate shops, traveling, etc. and they are valid points. What it boils down to is a poor design with known issues that somebody has to deal with, and then offer some sort of warranty. As designed, that cannot happen. Water intrusion issues plague these vans, from computer systems, to head and tail lights constantly blowing out, to caliper pins rusting up and seizing. They are a hot mess.
This is a rebadged Fiat Ducato……if there is weirdness, there’s the explanation…..
@@adamtrombino106 One word, DODGE!
It was a plugged drain, not truck's fault but owner's fault.@@billmonroe8826
It probably it helped that the owners were Russian. :D
Nothing better than waking up on a Saturday morning to a new PHAD video!
Automotive engineers have designed and built very, VERY good weather packed electrical connectors for at least half a century. And to neglect to weatherproof the PCM? Un-freaking-believable! And yet, there it is.
Evil car companies possibly collude on making crap so that all their dealers keep the shop full.
Very true, but I think this case was unique. This van sat on a dealer lot for something like over a year, with ALL the water from the windshield pouring directly onto the computer. That's a pretty fringe case.
These vans have known issues with the cowl leak. It is preventable. th-cam.com/video/lICLzx1hKXw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=5D2HKRAKAOxvuKUt . This is a commercial vehicle, it is the livelihood of its owner, this van has been at the Chrysler dealership 3 times, have they checked the drains? No! Have the owners researched common problems? Unlikely.
If the owners and service shops actually looked over this vehicle with an eye toward preventative maintenance then issues would be spotted before they become extremely expensive. Every morning the hood should be up on a commercial vehicle.
Check your oil, check your coolant level, look for the general condition of the entire engine compartment. Look for leaks, listen for noises. Do a walk around, check your lights, check your tires, check the general overall condition of the exterior. Factory maintenance intervals should be followed at a minimum. This van doesn't get any of that, they just ignore the bulb failure warning on the instrument panel. I'm going to bet the owners flatly decline recommended services when they take it to a shop for specific repairs or service. It's important to have a shop that is trustworthy doing your maintenance so when your vehicle needs something you can trust that it does and the shop isn't just trying to bilk you.
This problem is user error to a large extent, with service shops lack of action being the other factor.
The problem was caused by a clogged drain. This is a not uncommon problem and can cause much worse problems than what happened here. Clearing the drains is a maintenance item which very few owners ask to have done. It is not a design problem.
@@promastersonly1419 Yeah, I'll give it that. Still not a great design, but it might have held up better under different circumstances.
In europe these vans are equipped with diesel. Those are notoriously bad on glow plugs and injectors due to water sitting on the top of the engine
Just wanted to comment on this. The glow plugs seize in engine so bad, you often times have to remove the cylinder head and punch them out from the inside.
Are these US Pro Masters just a rebadged Fiat Ducato from Europe and the UK. T.I.A
I guess the only upside is that a lot of them are manual gearbox as well so the water ingress can't screw up that as well.
"the dealer was absolutely worthless" words to remember if you ever find yourself wanting to go there.
Works for every dealership in the country.
Where did the final fix come from?
I can tell you have never worked at a Dealer Ship. Most Dealers have 2-3 guys out of twenty that are pretty good.
The rest are in training. Dispatch has to move work around the shop. Flat rate is a tough system.
Also, people will buy a new Truck/van/car and never come back. So ten years go by and when Its all beat to $hit then a Customer shows up with some bizarre problems. And the Tech is seeing for the first time.
All Dealers are run by the Lawyers. This why NO used ECMS
Where did Ivan get his training ???? Not out in the back yard.
I disagree. Dealership will not install or program used parts.
If that is what you expect. Then take used parts to the dealership and try to ask for a warranty.
@@davidstleon8388it's got nothing to do with unquantified So call Technician.
It's about used parts.
You can have a so called qualified technician and still not or can't fix it.
and it makes eco around the word.....
Ivan, you are a very honest person. Great electronic/mechanical technician. Your videos are really awesome.
I put the open computer in the oven at 70 deg c overnight, it work great, and grease the connectors and pins with dielectric tribosyn. 330 keep out water salt and corrosion
The moral of the story!! A professional diagnostic cost you what is fair, on top of that, you solve a problem for so many people with similar issues!! Great job
Diagnostic is FAR more important than the repair. Modern cars are easy to fix, hard to diagnose.
I just had one of those vans in my shop this week, had misfires and transmission codes. was still under powertrain warranty but dealer could not take if in for a few weeks.
the misfire codes were just plugs and a coil, so I replaced them (under intake). The trans codes were for a signal loss of transmission speed sensor. (going in to dealer for that).
Tips in Mitchel were for wiring harness issues due to water leaking down on to connector. I noticed the plastic tube (The one shown at the end of the video) was disconnected at the top.
The tube fallling off at the top is common (hose clamp fix) but when that happens the water drains down behind the transmission and wouldn't cause this problem. However! - the two transmission speed sensors DO live right under that drain. We've never seen one actually go bad, but we have seen wiring damage from road debris take out the wiring. Hot tip: you CAN swap those two sensor connectors with each other. It will code immediately for a speed mismatch, and put itself into limp, but it would allow you to look at the data from each sensor, which might tell you if a sensor was bad or the wiring was bad. I think those speed sensors are under $25 each.
Great video! Dealer can reprogram PCM. I have had this done. Dealer just lazy ad makes more $$ selling you a new one! Install a cover, "roof" over the PCM using the mounting bolts.
I think this is a GPEC2 PCM and on the promaster there is no way a dealer can program a used one. It needs a complete clone or sometimes you can swap the eeprom and then fix the flash. The only tool I found that can do it through OBD is ECU hero.
A bag on this, a bag on that..put one on my face, I wouldn’t wanna get recognized driving one of those………great job sir figuring out la problem 👍👍👍
I agree, thanks for the Saturday morning video
Now that I know it it a Stallantis product I understand the reason it was getting water ingrese that companies reputation just keeps going further down quality meter. The only thing I would tell the customer is now it is going get rid of it ASAP. Cheers Ivan again great video for teaching us how to use diagnostic equipment.
As a precaution put a plastic shield over the engine computer to divert the water elsewhere
I did that ..
True
This is a FIAT though.
Fiat in Germany is jokingly spelled out "Fehler in allen Teilen" - Design Flaws in every single part sometimes :D
@@tschuuuls486 I was actually able to read that and I found it to be as funny as it was clever. Not to mention accurate.🤣😂😅
I have one of these vans in my flee6 and I'm going to make some kind of shield to protect the computer
@@tschuuuls486Fix it again, Tony.
I can’t believe that thing would do anything with the severity of water intrusion. What a design. Wonder what that crap was that plugged the drain? Weird. Great stuff anyway. Have a great weekend Ivan. 👍👍🇺🇸
The crap is just dirt, leaves and anything that comes down on the windshield
@@bernardaflores1720 Ok, hard to see see in video, just looked like black…. stuff. Is the cowl screen broken or missing or is this just a common problem on these vans ? With the exception of sunroof drains getting plugged, I’ve never heard of this problem.
Some cowls do not have a screens, Volvo:s need to keep them clean@@brianw8963
That was indeed leaves and sticks and such in the main and only cowl drain tube, which is a close to 2" affair and generally doesn't cause an issue. Even if it falls off, water generally goes harmlessly onto the tail of the transmission. But like in this case, if that drain is plugged, 100% of the water coming from the windshield will be forced to go somewhere. In this case, the water had MADE paths that it normally wouldn't have, taking out the seal for the DS windshield wiper and some other rubber seals. Clearly, an extreme case. I believe this van sat on a lot for over a year as well.
Great job Ivan! It's not right that the guys with the most knowledge take the hit on compensation. Just like the construction business that plagued me for years. Meanwhile everyone else makes out like a bandit😠
I couldn't imagine owning one of these piles. Ivan, you could buy one of these and use it to haul your tools around in. When it broke down, you could make videos about repairing it. What was that? They don't make a memory card big enough to record the problems? So, this guy had to pay for your drive/diagnostic time TWICE plus $1,326.00? If I owned one of these, I would need to plan a vacation to Pennsylvania Furnace periodically. It wouldn't be so bad, I could rent a motel room and enjoy the sights in a vintage Toyota. Kip really likes these; that is all I am going to say. GREAT VIDEO!
the problem was the blocked water drain tube from the windshield seen at the end of the video. If this issue was widespread there would be a recall/service bulletin already.
@@gerardmccarthy2432 I used to own one and am familiar with that issue. That was the least of the problems I had with it.
The wiring connectors should be weather proof even if the cowl drain is working there is still going to be water from splash during driving
@@010110rjw i give you a huge thumbs UP on that just a good size puddle and the van is DEAD and another 3 to 5 k in repair what a POS that Van is
Agree. It seems that you might be chasing your tail until you cure the water intrusion issues.
My friend says that they have to replace all of the cowling and make sure that the drains are clean. Thanks Ivan
For clarity, that clip at the end is clearing some kind of blockage out of the main windshield cowl drain. With that drain plugged, the water is FORCED to go directly into the engine compartment. If I had to guess, my guess is that this blockage was the root cause of this ENTIRE problem. The Promaster has common water intrusion issues, but rarely to they dump water directly onto the PCM.
You doing a recap of this on your channel? never mind saw the update
Indeed I am. Should post in about 30 minutes. @@siddo326
Really tough Diag! For all involved.
One way to dry out hidden moisture is by putting the part inside a sealed vacuum chamber and applying vacuum with AC evac pump until you see no more moisture being evacuated. Vacuum chamber can be made from a gasketed sealed electrical enclosure (Example Hoffman brand) of appropriate size with the needed fittings for vacuum. Tougher problem to tackle is the hidden green crusties. Moisture removal may not solve the problem but the cost is worth the try.
IVAN, that case study on that van's
issues were tough to overcome!
But as always you got that sucker fixed and stuck to what you know based on the data you were seeing. Good job.
Thanks for the challenging video. I would have tried to bake the PCM for a few hours at 125-150F or so. Also might have tried to create a weep hole in the bottom of the PCM before baking. And maybe inserting isopropyl alcohol or something that absorbs the moisture into the back of the pcm where the moisture lives. There should be a way to remove that PCM board, even though you may have to drill out the connecting points and figure out a way to reattach the board. I guess I'm a hack for $1300+
Kip here: it would have been interesting and basically free to try that as a diagnostic. I like the way you think!
@@promastersonly1419but if you destroy the PCM then you will have a big beached whale 😂
A fair point. What about a bag with some kind of desiccant in it? I wouldn't be looking for a fix, I'd be looking for any kind of change. @@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics
Happy, but expensive ending, Ivan! Water intrusion (factory feature?) sure made a lot of damage, dealers were unfriendly and you had to go there twice. Diagnostic spot on, though!
I was hanging off my seat in this, following you all the way Ivan! Nice ending!!!
Sounds like this van should relocate to the desert. 🤣🤣
I just picked this scanner up during Christmas time. I snagged it at the perfect time, it was on sale and then it had a coupon/flash deal on amazon. Total price including tax $725.
Famous last words. "The dealership was useless". I've heard that same story from a few Chrystler dealers. They just won't reflash a PCM that you supply. Company policy perhaps? And sometimes they even give you some lame sounding excuse as to why. Oh, but they will gladly sell you a new or refurbished unit. Furious sarcastic rebuttal excluded.
Anyway, this reminded me of a 2003 Ford F150 I did recently. Customer complaint, water intrusion behind the driver side of the dashboard and behind center rearview mirror. Truck stalls in the rain. The sunroof drain goes into a cavity under the windshield cowl. Then that cavity has another drain that exits behind the left front tire. The cavity drain was blocked solid causing a backup to the sunroof drain. And the windshield was glued in with clear bathroom caulk. Needless to say, the caulk didn't hold.
I have a Ford Transit. It has the same cowl drainage issues, as the drains easily plug up and water can overflow on several harnesses and components/sensors. I was made aware/warned about this early on, and keep them clear ..
Tough diagnosis! You are certainly tenacious! You know, in the old days, you wouldn't see that inductive spike on a solenoid - it would have been clamped or damped. Now, they're looking for the spike to verify connection! Way too sophisticated......
"...dealer was absolutely useless." That's been my experience too.
There's and engineer somewhere saying, " I told them that that was going to be a problem"
Love these videos, I would have tried to bake the ECM in an oven at like 100 deg F for 6 hours to see if that would dry it out. If it did, then seal it better.
Good idea!
Drying it out may not fix it. Once water gets in, it starts acting like an electrolyte as it picks up contaminants. As it dries, it leaves traces that will bridge components and connections. And water may enter and damage components or just short them out. You really need to pull the board out and clean it, but that won't fix damaged components. The problem here is that the board is potted in, so there's a bunch of trapped moisture.
That is why I said "try" since if it worked, then you might save thousands of dollars and months of time. It seems that in this case with enough time, effort, and money it got fixed properly..@@major__kong
True, but baking it would have been a major aid in diag. If the problem moved or changed, it would have pointed toward the PCM and saved us a lot of headache!@@major__kong
We had a railroad scale with a box that contained a circuit board where the 4 load cells were connected together. The scale would get flooded in heavy rain. The case and wire inlets were supposed to be sealed but would be full of water. I remembered when I was a child that my mother sealed jars of jam and jelly with a layer of paraffin wax on top. I got some paraffin, found a plastic tray slightly larger than the connection box, melted the paraffin and encased the box with it. No more problems with water intrusion.
Wow! That was one crazy Diagnosis! Great Job. 👍
Going through something similar up in canada with my baby. Thanks i will start looking at the connectors
Thanks for posting the data streams and the tip on free Pico software, I'm a beginner here and so new to this. Thanks!
It’s a crymler, the dealer looked up the trouble list and punted.
Does a drain tube for the cowl, I check mine yearly because of all the leaves and crap the wind brings during winter time. Great job!
Kip here: correct. I beleive the root source of this entire problem was the main cowl drain was plugged.
Clogged drains are a common problem. The drains are usually identified in the owner's manual and cleaning suggestions are provided. But most people never open the manual.
Some newer cars, no more paper back manual@@pcar5
Yeah, I was thinking of a drain problem akin to a sunroof drain issue. If that tube is an issue, it will have to be snaked on a regular basis.
The dealership just didn't want to program a used computer, i have installed and programmed used units with no issues.
The dealer probably suspects used computers also have water intrusion issues. They are avoiding comebacks for "your reprogramming did not work, I have a whole new set of problems now".
The Stealership doesn't make any profit from a customer supplied used unit.
Yes because they couldn't make money on selling a new computer
I may be mistaken, but I know some modules (and maybe ecm’s) can’t be reprogrammed without clearing the eprom(s), which is beyond a dealer’s capabilities. Pretty sure Eric O. sent one out to Kieth(?) & he recoded the eprom to accept new programming.
many newer vehicle will not program with the dealer level programming tools, as they are VIN locked. there are ways to clear vin but people that know how to do it usually don't make that method public.
Great job as always 👍
Dumb question...
Wouldn't be worth maybe put the computer near a source of heat like a wood stove. Let it get warmed up for a couple of days. Just like you would stand near it to warm up.To evaporate the moisture and dry the inside complety. I know it's not going to get rid of the green crusty.
Trickery and tom foolery from other mechanics before it came to kips shop someone along the way would have noticed 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Fixed as usual great video
👍
17:19 before you went this far always check CVI values per spec if they are out of range it will set codes such as the X solenoid and or incorrect X ratio
Great diag, Thanks for sharing! To be fair, I don't think it's possible for a dealer to program these PCMs used. It is a pain it needs to be cloned.
Wow, what a mess. Thanks Ivan!
Ivan the magician strikes again
That drain at the end reminded me of the C5 Corvette udders
Try aluminum foil over the connectors and over Computer. Cheap and waterproof. I would cover ALL of the connectors because you know others are getting wet too.
I would have to cobble me a cover box for that PCM. That was my very first thought when I watched the first video. That PCM needs a cover.
Agreed but it has to be very carefully designed not to trap heat..
Point taken, but that physical computer is common to Promaster, Challenger, Jeep, Minivan, and probably the trucks too. I believe this problem's root cause was the blocked cowl drain. If you take the big picture view, this repair is great thing, because I will be checking this on my customer's vans, and calling it out in my videos.
@@promastersonly1419 Ivan's repairs are always worth the watch. Blocked drain would definitely contribute. Had that issue on my own vehicle and I am still trying to find a SIR module for it after it sat in water.
@@2packs4sure I wonder. There would be more airflow with a plastic cover, under the hood, than there would be under any dash, where many vehicles have the PCM mounted. ;) Not sure it would make any difference at all.
@@farmermiyagi1338 There's a whole list of variables,,,, if it's under the dash about the max temperature it's gonna get on a hot day is a 140°F but if it's under the hood 200 plus degrees maybe then you add reduce air flow with a cover and the temperature goes up,,, so I don't know...
@Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics
It does keep the ones you type but it's quirky. If you search, select, clear the search box. You should see everything you've selected across multiple searches. You might have to view the data steam in-between searches first. I'm not sure on that but I know it does work.
I can imagine Ivan discussing DTC with his wife over dinner.
What I find interesting is the inductive kick is only associated with the final cutoff, not the PWM pulses "during". That indicates something more than a simple switch to ground going on. Not related to the problem, just an interesting (odd?) design.
A bit late here, but this was a wild one. Amazing how the crappy location for the ECU! There is obviously a reason why engineers put stuff like that there (sarcasm?). Either way, I was really happy to see a lot of "Russian" notations in an episode! :D
Another quality CDJ product! 🤭
Fact-Toyota,. GM, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, Kia/Hyundai, or any other manufacturer I can think of gives any information on whether or not a used computer can or will work in their vehicles nor how to trick them into working if need be (and there often is a bit of a trick). So, a lot of dealers won't mess with it as it may end up leaving them in a bind. Well, GM does on their Global stuff as they say not to, but not many go that far. I have so many techs ask me if a used module will work and if it's not in writing in the service info I say so.
Here in Australia its a Fiat Ducato.. The so called auto box a big issue some do not make 100 000km with out a big failure with so called auto trans, Manual with solenoids to change gears.. Major electrical, fluid issues with its sharing to over areas, also expensive to repair even bigger issue to find someone to fix problem... Best advice on older models go manual.. The latest ones now returned to conventional auto box with torque converter...
Chrysler loves to frack over its customets. ❤❤❤
Actually Ivan, the dealer is correct. These used ECM's can only be done if they are cloned or hotswapped with witech. The hotswap does not always work. They are not like older Chryslers. When you program a new dealer ECM there is no key programming. The BCM transfers the key data during the programming event. When you program keys they only program to the BCM. The dealer was right in this case unless you wanted to pay them too fart around with the used one it just simpler to do new one unless you can just clone it.
Oak trees are bad for water drains, sunroofs, engine cowls, fresh air inlets. Poor engineering only compounds it. Luckily people like Ivan and other mechanics who want to fix things properly exist.
I have been chasing the same problems the van will misfire and flash more lights on in the dash Cruise control won’t turn on and the air conditioner turns on by its self. The tac bounces all over the place. I sprayed wd-40 all over the computer and ever connection leading to it. After about ten min I shut it off and pulled the neg off the battery and then it started fine. It’s definitely moister I feel.
Probably jam those connectors with di electric grease I have to do that to my headlight harness connectors or high and low beam will short between terminals from grime and road salt.
As soon as I saw that Rams head, I knew there would be ridiculous engineering in store. You could not GIVE me a Chrysler product. Watch SMA, all GM, or Chrysler. Very very few Fords.
I'd looked at buying some of these for my business, but not without research.... I wish they'd fix the supply issue with the Transits and Express vans...., but that's a whole other issue....
I am pretty sure that the Witech, the dealer service tool will not allow reflashing a used ECM. Maybe different with an aftermarket scanner tool?
I would try using a food sealer on that EC before installing it.
Someone doing Promasters should be able to get a used wiper tray if the seals for the wipers gave out and just replace it. It looked like a problem that could have been figured out with a hose though, of overflowing the gutter, you run a hose on low the tray should not fill up if it is not filled with leaf dams.
Not unusual to see coolant in the gearbox harness on Audi Q7 and related cars. They put a coolant solenoid on the same harness and when it leaks capillary action takes it straight to the connector knocking out the gearbox.
Hello Ivan. I totally enjoy watching your videos and am motivated by your though processes where the logic can be applied for many other problems besides cannon blasted cars and trucks. I have a couple of questions for you. One is why All data? What makes it your service of choice and what do you do with your old tools like scanners and scopes when you upgrade to newer more powerful tools? The used markets in Canada are thin compared to the USA. Thanks and keep up the great work!...Drew from Canada
Ivan, why don’t you use the Kingbolen K10? That water infiltration is a killer! 🇺🇸
I’ve never seen you do this Ivan, but if I had to perform a repair like this that resulted from repeated water ingress through bulk connectors I would flood the connectors with dielectric grease after cleaning the pins. In most connectors this should prevent further water migration into and through the connector. So, why not?
Install rain gutter over ECM! 😁
I would call Gutter Guard and have them fix the water issue LOL
I saw in another video that there’s 3 drains in the cowl for the promaster, always getting plugged with leaves and crud
My dodge caravan sport was doing about the same ,I had to change two sensors on the top of transmission after change the two sensors it run like it use too.
I wonder if you could do at least a temporary fix on a module with water intrusion and intermittent problems by putting it in a vacuum chamber to remove the water, then spraying it down with deoxit?? I don't think I would send a customer down the road and tell them it's 100% fixed because you don't have an idea about internal corrosion. But I think it would be an interesting experiment. Especially if it was my own vehicle.
Great video again thanks for the information 👍 😀
No three icons on the dash? No way!😁
I don't understand why he didn't unblock that cowl drain when he first noticed water in the engine compartment.
My first thought when you started on it was "blocked drain."
Seems the simplest things are the most overlooked.
Vanya Fixes the Flooded Van
This video series should be shown to everyone that thinks the Apple VisionPro is going to put skilled technicians out of work. Not gonna happen.
sure seems like if you are going to put a pcm under the hood priority one would/should be water intrusion protection.two month down time for that van was probably three fold in revenue on top of repairs.hard to believe that van newer as it is has these issues,this is coming from a construction van owner when they are down you are down.best van iv ever ran was an express hard on fuel but in 300,000 miles water pump,radiator cap,and spark plugs and one coil.I feel for those guys im very familiar with the down van issues in my career.the more complex they become the more revenue you loose trying to keep them on the road.
I'd be very interested to see how they waterproof it AND keep it cool...
Kip here: I worried about that too, but we had a couple hours of drive time on it with the PCM wrapped in plastic bags, and no evidence of melting on the bags. I don't think heat will be a problem. But with the cowl drain fixed, and the cowl super waterproofed, I think you could run the PCM stock and water wouldn't be a problem.
Have one sitting at our shop for a trans that's on back order....(p0731) Junkmaster
Chrysler is always on backorder since they dont make any new ones, but reman places have them on the shelf no sweat. You can also "make" a Promaster transmission out of a minivan or Journey transmission by swapping over the ring and pinion and the rear cover (mount is in the rear in a Promaster).
Just a question as I'm watching. Could dielectric grease be used on the connectors as a weather deterrent?
Yes, or Fluid Film. But if there's direct water impingement, it still may find it's way in. Need to fix the water leak first. Some connectors use weather packs, which is a specially designed rubber seal that lets wires pass through. Even with the weather pack, I'll spray a healthy dose of Fluid Film on the outside to help repel water to help the seal out.
@@major__kong thanks for the info.
even with the tube fixed, the way the windshield cowl is designed it is still going to have a water leak.
Kip here: correct! I browbeat my customers to run a strip of gorilla tape sealing the cowl directly to the windshield glass. Do that, and keep the main drain clear, and you won't have this problem.
Huh, the L1 Automotive Training just posted a video about cloning a Jeep PCM that looks a lot like the one in this van.
Would think you send the ecm off to the rebuild guys. They would get it programmed in 5 minutes. Most would move on, Pennsylvania truck with 200 on odo. Especially a dodge?
I would consider putting the existing PCM into warm dry air for a couple of hours (90 degrees) and then testing it.
Without disassembly of the pcm we have no idea how green and crusty it was internally. I would have tried drying the pcm by burying it in a bag of rice to dry it out.
Stealerships = worthless! I knew they were going to make him buy a new computer. Too bad. And I hope they don't mess around. Fix that water leak.
Hi Ivan quick one.how do you like your new lauch scan? i use a x431 pro 3 v4.0 for almost a year now and loving it . let me know cause im thinking updating to the model you have instead of renew the subscription.
Great job.
Bravo.
Ivan, in last post I asked about my Thinktool and my dissatisfaction. And now I see you trashed yours. Please do a follow up on about this tool as I bought this on your video recommendation. Save others the waste of money. I knew I should have bought the launch or just updated by Verus.
I'm back to using the ThinkTool... Still my favorite scanner 😊
All vehicle wiring connectors should be weatherproof. Especially computer connectors. The water dripping onto the computer should be a non- issue if the connector was designed and installed properly . This was either designed poorly or the connector was not installed properly. The cowl drain working properly will just mask the real problem.
Kip here: point taken, but we believe this thing was putting 100% of the water from the windshield directly onto the computer for over a year as it sat on a dealer lot. No a normal case.
Excellent video as always! Are there times when WD-40 would help? It's non-conductive and might work in conjunction with Deoxit. No doubt, with major water intrusion, WD-40 would not help.
Every time I drive it in the rain it fails. Don't drive it in the rain.
Doc: My arm hurts when I lift it. Don't lift it
The dealer waa right on the used pcm. This is a fiat under the skin and used pcm is only possible if you make it 'virgin' again. Not something that can be done with Witech2. Abrites (or another tool that can dump the memory) might be able to pull it of, not sure as these engines are not used in Europe.
I don’t know if my Promaster cowl leaks. Please tell me how to protect it. Thank you 🙏🏻
Great job 👍
I’d go silicone mad on the scuttle and all joint areas on ecu, fix the cause to solve the problem