Great diag! I agree. I have tried to use a thermal imager many times without luck. However, if it's an older vehicle and cold outside, sometimes it can help. One tip I do whenever I have a suspected module is to look at scan data for all the inputs; many times, that's a big help, especially on Honda's. Thanks for sharing!
The sweet smell of victory! You gotta love when you stay the course and come out on top using the basics! I probably would’ve stopped at the frm module myself honestly but this video is a reminder that as technicians it is our duty to show up for our customers and protect their pockets and give them what they’re paying us for. You nailed this one precisely and got it all on camera for us to be reminded to sticks to the basics, be strategic and diagnose it to the end. Great video and I appreciate all the hard work and experiences you share with us to help us to become better techs and more efficient and capable of the job we all love to doing!
Absolutely brilliant Diagnostics and Troubleshooting process. I have a draiin through my 2008 e91's FRM and my money is on the door lock mechanism. I am going to use my Similar Flir thermal imaging camera that also plugs into my phone and perform the same process. I really like the bench testing of the FRM you did to rule it out. Perseverance is the key Thank you from Ireland
Excellent diagnosis Sadel! Very important to check all the input to that ECU once you isolated the component! I thought you would check the data since there are some ECU available to read with the ignition switch off. Always learning from you and from the comments bellow! Thank you for sharing brother!
This is how I found a gps tracker causing a current violation. I am still watching to see what yours is caused by as I write but I used my 20/60 clamp and pico to find it. The owner thought it was the fuel pump module bc soap spilled on it and fuel pump would cut off bc of the draw pulling battery too low. Anyways that was my first time using the pico for current draw and it's going to be my go to now to assist in finding these. Hope all is well with you and your lady brother 🙏🏻💪🏻
Hope you got through it all, it was a good one. Thanks for watching and we are good, hope same with you.... P.S. Are you going to any training events coming up?
Great diagnosis. Could you've seen it on the scanner at the FRM if any of the door latch inputs were activated? It would be nice if you had the lab scope on the communication wire and seeing if it was awake. Thanks for sharing.
I actually didn't think to check the data pids in the frm, and as far as scoping the data lines, I stayed away from doing that because I could tell that not many modules were awake based off of the draw level being not as high. Also when I only had the one connector plugged in, and draw was present, none of the communication lines were attached to that connector so that told me also that no network staying awake issue at hand. Thank you for watching
Thank you for another Top Drawer DIAG, the 45-minute video could probably be closer to 30 but love the details on the first go around. Left out a few steps that seemed as though they were coming as further proof such as plugging in the FRM fully and unplugging the other 2 connectors in the door, maybe you did that off-camera but I don't think so. A bad switch that did not show up on the scanner??? Love your stuff.
Sadel, get a low cost UNI-T UT60BT DMM, only US$40 in Amazon USA. That has a bluetooth capability with free apps and you can use your phone or tablet to read out the milliamps data with logging graph ( but no current clamp use, typical DMM amperage use ) without you needing go to back to battery at the trunk. It is accurate enough by 1 milliamp compared to Fluke 289 or Fluke 177. In fact the graph is good to 1 hour at 1 data point per second and the data is still stable, at 2 hours or more the DMM itself is still buggy for its data log recovery...it is so cheap, that is acceptable....LOL. If you want to use thermal cam, play around with it to understand Emissivity value. It take practice to use it properly on different surfaces. Mario got "bitten" because the fuse in question which was supposed to be carrying the current is those type of fuse with mini transparent plastic cover and thermal cam can not see thru such obstruction properly albeit a see thru plastic, example clear acrylic, clear plastic or even glass. Naked ATO / ATC fuse is easy to be accurate to scan with thermal cam, more so those non shiny plastic material from LittelFuse brand. Shiny metallic object or even shiny aluminum nameplate/sticker will give different temperature value compared to a matte metal finish it is on, albeit the same temperature, even angle of the thermal cam sensor towards the a shiny object can make a difference, it is the way Emissivity value works. Even reflection from somewhere else but hot , can be registered on the thermal cam as though as it is the thermal activity of the object you are shooting if it is shiny enough to catch that hot reflection. Spend an hour or two shooting many different objects and at different angle with a thermal cam, you will learn a lot. Thank you for sharing the video....awesome as always.👍
thanks for the tool tip, i'll have to look into that for sure. And yes I was aware of some of that info but thank you for sharing it all and making us aware so that way we can learn. Thank you for watching!
So, the only part that lost me a little was the line between finding power flow on the small earth to isolating the lhf door? You understood the small ground to be for the processor (something being input). Causing the processor to stay active. Did you just look up what inputs go into the FRM? Front doors and windows etc. Then got lucky on the first door you disconnected, the draw dropped?
You are exactly on point, I ended up looking up wire diagram for that specific connector and looked at what else was tied to it, and all the doors and some other inputs were tied to that connector. So my thought was to unplug all doors and retest, I obviously started with the drivers door and got lucky
Hi sadel. I would love to share something with you and experiencing on a Benz GLK 350 2014 4matic. It happened that we flashed the lift gate coontrol unit with a think diag master tool for the lift gate to start working. The lift gate actuator was replaced. Now after the programming followed by the scn coding. We had to actuate the lift gate for us to kick in the actuator using my Autel maxi sys elite. After this first I noticed that the lift gate switch wasn’t functional any more and doesn’t illuminate. upon pickup the reverse cam wasn’t working And lastly the driver seat switch group wasn’t functional any more. All these were functional prior to the programming.Here is my question 1) do you think the tool didn’t do this programming correctly 2) could there be a bug somewhere Any idea to this is highly appreciated
it almost sounds as if the programing / coding went wrong, like it got written with the wrong vehicle options or operations available. I would try to do it with another tool and see if it restores it back
excellent diagnostic, i have a question i have a 2018 amg 63s 4.0 , it feels like misfiring, i check ignition coil whit pico cop, on one side of the coil is flat waveform and the other side wave form is like bumps, this ignition coils feeds 2 cylinders, what do you thing ? i'm on the right path or there's something that i miss??
I was studying the wire diagram for that one particular connector and noticed all door lock inputs were on it and some window switch inputs as well. My initial plan was to unplug all four doors and start watching the amps, just so happens that when I did the first door it happened to be there where the draw was
I'd also add, if you look at Mario's last video. I think he was far too reliant on using the flashy thermal tool and it nearly bit him also! I think on all the heavily bus'd vehicles. You need to not only check for the draw but also scope that the car actually goes to sleep comms wise. So many of these draws are coming from modules that either won't shut up or are corrupting the signal. More often than not, the age old culprits = audio, telephone or transmitter/receivers.
Yes I can see where they can get you misled for sure, or not show anything at all if its behind plastic covers like mine was. I knew this one there was no need for scoping any bus because of the amount of draw was too small and I figured it was solely just a single module or component because if it was something that was awake on the bus than other modules would be awake also and cause a higher draw amount.
Great diag! I agree. I have tried to use a thermal imager many times without luck. However, if it's an older vehicle and cold outside, sometimes it can help. One tip I do whenever I have a suspected module is to look at scan data for all the inputs; many times, that's a big help, especially on Honda's. Thanks for sharing!
That's a good tip, I hadn't even thought to look at the data pids of the frm. I'll keep that in mind for sure. Thanks!
The sweet smell of victory! You gotta love when you stay the course and come out on top using the basics! I probably would’ve stopped at the frm module myself honestly but this video is a reminder that as technicians it is our duty to show up for our customers and protect their pockets and give them what they’re paying us for. You nailed this one precisely and got it all on camera for us to be reminded to sticks to the basics, be strategic and diagnose it to the end. Great video and I appreciate all the hard work and experiences you share with us to help us to become better techs and more efficient and capable of the job we all love to doing!
Yes this one was important to stay with it and double check, that FRM replacement would have been an expensive mistake. Thanks for watching!👍
Absolutely brilliant Diagnostics and Troubleshooting process.
I have a draiin through my 2008 e91's FRM and my money is on the door lock mechanism. I am going to use my Similar Flir thermal imaging camera that also plugs into my phone and perform the same process. I really like the bench testing of the FRM you did to rule it out.
Perseverance is the key
Thank you from Ireland
Excellent diagnosis Sadel! Very important to check all the input to that ECU once you isolated the component! I thought you would check the data since there are some ECU available to read with the ignition switch off. Always learning from you and from the comments bellow! Thank you for sharing brother!
Thank you for watching as always
This is how I found a gps tracker causing a current violation.
I am still watching to see what yours is caused by as I write but I used my 20/60 clamp and pico to find it. The owner thought it was the fuel pump module bc soap spilled on it and fuel pump would cut off bc of the draw pulling battery too low.
Anyways that was my first time using the pico for current draw and it's going to be my go to now to assist in finding these.
Hope all is well with you and your lady brother 🙏🏻💪🏻
Hope you got through it all, it was a good one. Thanks for watching and we are good, hope same with you....
P.S. Are you going to any training events coming up?
Great diagnosis. Could you've seen it on the scanner at the FRM if any of the door latch inputs were activated? It would be nice if you had the lab scope on the communication wire and seeing if it was awake. Thanks for sharing.
I actually didn't think to check the data pids in the frm, and as far as scoping the data lines, I stayed away from doing that because I could tell that not many modules were awake based off of the draw level being not as high. Also when I only had the one connector plugged in, and draw was present, none of the communication lines were attached to that connector so that told me also that no network staying awake issue at hand. Thank you for watching
@@DTEAuto got it. Thank you
Thank you for another Top Drawer DIAG, the 45-minute video could probably be closer to 30 but love the details on the first go around. Left out a few steps that seemed as though they were coming as further proof such as plugging in the FRM fully and unplugging the other 2 connectors in the door, maybe you did that off-camera but I don't think so. A bad switch that did not show up on the scanner??? Love your stuff.
ASTUTE DTech Engineering Sadel
Brilliant video
👍
From Nick Ayivor from London England UK 🇬🇧 ⏰️ 20:03pm
Excellent diagnostic video, Sadel!
Glad you liked it!
Sadel, get a low cost UNI-T UT60BT DMM, only US$40 in Amazon USA. That has a bluetooth capability with free apps and you can use your phone or tablet to read out the milliamps data with logging graph ( but no current clamp use, typical DMM amperage use ) without you needing go to back to battery at the trunk. It is accurate enough by 1 milliamp compared to Fluke 289 or Fluke 177.
In fact the graph is good to 1 hour at 1 data point per second and the data is still stable, at 2 hours or more the DMM itself is still buggy for its data log recovery...it is so cheap, that is acceptable....LOL.
If you want to use thermal cam, play around with it to understand Emissivity value. It take practice to use it properly on different surfaces.
Mario got "bitten" because the fuse in question which was supposed to be carrying the current is those type of fuse with mini transparent
plastic cover and thermal cam can not see thru such obstruction properly albeit a see thru plastic, example clear acrylic, clear plastic or even glass. Naked ATO / ATC fuse is easy to be accurate to scan with thermal cam, more so those non shiny plastic material from LittelFuse brand.
Shiny metallic object or even shiny aluminum nameplate/sticker will give different temperature value compared to a matte metal finish it is on, albeit the same temperature, even angle of the thermal cam sensor towards the a shiny object can make a difference, it is the way Emissivity value works. Even reflection from somewhere else but hot , can be registered on the thermal cam as though as it is the thermal activity of the object you are shooting if it is shiny enough to catch that hot reflection.
Spend an hour or two shooting many different objects and at different angle with a thermal cam, you will learn a lot.
Thank you for sharing the video....awesome as always.👍
thanks for the tool tip, i'll have to look into that for sure. And yes I was aware of some of that info but thank you for sharing it all and making us aware so that way we can learn. Thank you for watching!
Great diag & case study, thanks Sadel.
Glad you liked it!
My understanding is that parasitic draws smaller than 0.5A dont really develop enough heat to show on thermal imagery. Thank you.
So, the only part that lost me a little was the line between finding power flow on the small earth to isolating the lhf door?
You understood the small ground to be for the processor (something being input). Causing the processor to stay active.
Did you just look up what inputs go into the FRM? Front doors and windows etc. Then got lucky on the first door you disconnected, the draw dropped?
You are exactly on point, I ended up looking up wire diagram for that specific connector and looked at what else was tied to it, and all the doors and some other inputs were tied to that connector. So my thought was to unplug all doors and retest, I obviously started with the drivers door and got lucky
@DTEAuto nice work Sadel!
I wish I was in America. I would ask to come and learn off you.
Fantastic step by step process
Glad you liked it
Legendary...nice one my man
thank you for watching
Hi sadel. I would love to share something with you and experiencing on a Benz GLK 350 2014 4matic. It happened that we flashed the lift gate coontrol unit with a think diag master tool for the lift gate to start working. The lift gate actuator was replaced. Now after the programming followed by the scn coding. We had to actuate the lift gate for us to kick in the actuator using my Autel maxi sys elite. After this first I noticed that the lift gate switch wasn’t functional any more and doesn’t illuminate. upon pickup the reverse cam wasn’t working And lastly the driver seat switch group wasn’t functional any more. All these were functional prior to the programming.Here is my question
1) do you think the tool didn’t do this programming correctly
2) could there be a bug somewhere
Any idea to this is highly appreciated
it almost sounds as if the programing / coding went wrong, like it got written with the wrong vehicle options or operations available. I would try to do it with another tool and see if it restores it back
excellent diagnostic, i have a question i have a 2018 amg 63s 4.0 , it feels like misfiring, i check ignition coil whit pico cop, on one side of the coil is flat waveform and the other side wave form is like bumps, this ignition coils feeds 2 cylinders, what do you thing ? i'm on the right path or there's something that i miss??
is there a trouble code? usually mb is smart enough to see a bad coil and would flag a coil code.
there's no codes
Very good systematics 👍
Thanks 👍
Perfect diag sadel .
Nice work 💪!
Thanks 🔥
One question though, what led you to that particular door?
I was studying the wire diagram for that one particular connector and noticed all door lock inputs were on it and some window switch inputs as well. My initial plan was to unplug all four doors and start watching the amps, just so happens that when I did the first door it happened to be there where the draw was
A1 content!
Great diag 👍
Great diag, very detailed
Glad you liked it!
I'd also add, if you look at Mario's last video. I think he was far too reliant on using the flashy thermal tool and it nearly bit him also!
I think on all the heavily bus'd vehicles. You need to not only check for the draw but also scope that the car actually goes to sleep comms wise.
So many of these draws are coming from modules that either won't shut up or are corrupting the signal.
More often than not, the age old culprits = audio, telephone or transmitter/receivers.
Yes I can see where they can get you misled for sure, or not show anything at all if its behind plastic covers like mine was. I knew this one there was no need for scoping any bus because of the amount of draw was too small and I figured it was solely just a single module or component because if it was something that was awake on the bus than other modules would be awake also and cause a higher draw amount.
@DTEAuto great insight. I hadn't thought of that. Of course an entire module waking up would pull more than 100-140 milli-amps
Great work!
Thanks!
nice video, thanks
Glad you liked it! Thank you for watching
Bravo