GM Death Code Strikes Low Mile 2012 Silverado P0601
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ย. 2024
- This 2012 Silverado runs for a few minutes then dies and will not crank or start. The only code is a P0601.
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I swear wes is one of the only Mechanics on TH-cam that works on absolutely everything....tractor trailers and garbage trucks to lawnmowers scan tools and o scopes ... this man knows his stuff and is very talented.
that's normal for rural mechanics, though. Wouldn't surprise me if the local vet also have to help deliver human babies, because that's usually what those kind of communities are like
@@thesteelrodent1796 I live in rural Georgia but I only work on domestic and Asian cars and trucks and don't really want to work on anything else
@@thesteelrodent1796 Thats the main reason they want 15 min cities..keep the majority useless and reliant
Good mechanics specialize in one area. Odd jobber.
This is why I love my 1979 chevy 400k miles never left me stranded ever.!!!
I have a 91 dodge with the Cummings 5.9 ltr diesel, looked after it, replaced clutch 2 times, has over 750,000 Km’s the chassis has been gone over 4 times but I oiled it every year so it still works. That motor/tranny is the best I have ever seen, can’t say that for the rest of the truck. But we still use it on the farm and t owning wagons etc EDIT, sorry that’s KM’s
LoL.... For the majority of my professional Technician career at a GM dealer I was the tech that did almost all pass-thru module programming and I absolutely freaking loved it! I agree with you though, even with the GM SET (Specialized Electrical Training) course, there were times when you'd have to pull out a Ouija board and summon the knowledge of darkness to find the answer you seek to get past a recalibration stumbling block.
I remember pass-thru programming. GM master tech here. It’s come a long way, but problems still occur all the time. I think it has gotten worse. These new GM vehicles are trash.
It's unbelievable the amount of broken wires and module failures I encounter in GM vehicles now. I'm retired from profesional wrenching but i do earn good cash money on the side now, diagnosing and repairing GM electrical and driveability failures. There was a time till the mid 2000's where GM wiring was just about bulletproof and the modules would sometimes become logic locked where a good swift battery disconnect would bring things back up and running. I drive VW's and Fords now and with very good reason. The failure rates of GM engines now too shocks me! GM has fallen to 1985/86 quality and reliabilty levels and thats pretty darn low!
@@gmctech GM is my favorite stuff to work on. But, its junk. Only reason I buy the stuff is because I buy it broken for pennies on the dollar, throw some parts at them and keep them going. If I paid retail money for a car, it surely would not be a GM. Ford is just as bad.
GMTech. I work as an electrician at the FWA (Fort Wayne Assembly) Silverado truck plant. This T1xx build was a disaster and still is, on launch these trucks lost brakes, my cousin is an engine engineer for GM, he got one of the launch trucks, guess what happened on a Saturday morning? Yes, he lost all the brakes on this truck, he got every engineer boss out of bed that morning. Guess what, the brake problem was resolved that week. Moving forward these trucks are a disaster, the fuel management system is killing these trucks.
IBM MVS JCL for a 3033 was more understandable than GM SET for a pick up
As a 65 year old guy, I used to work on 50's, 60's and 70's cars and trucks, and I don't envy you guys now. I was an industrial electrician for my career and it's astonishingly similar to what you do, except for all the security and emissions issues you have to take into account. I would write my program as I saw fit and let 'er rip. If it was an existing machine, I could download the programming to my laptop, examine it in every detail, make changes as necessary, and upload it back to the CPU. Newer CPUs allowed you to make edits on the fly. And I never had to worry about bricking the CPU if I made a mistake - just clear it and start over.
I'm not watching to learn how to do these things to my 2011 Silverado, but If I have to take it to my guy, I'll know what he's in for and not begrudge paying him accordingly. I still do all the stuff I can do not related to ECMs, BCMs, and such. Thanks for putting in the extra time and work to document what you do, as I know it's frustrating enough to do the work without worrying about lighting, camera angles, exposure, plus then editing it down to appeal to a wide variety of youtube consumers, from noobs who don't know the difference between a filter and an injector, to professionals who do it 8 hours a day. Oh, and the eye candy at the end was nice too! She seems uncomfortable being on camera, but also, she looks at you like my wife looks at me - the "Why are you recording me, ya dork!" look.
One of the few times where replacing the ECM/PCM actually resolves "customer complaint". Nice work as usual Wes!
I had to replace my ECM in a 1983 Trans Am. That was from the stone ages though, so I don't think anybody knew what programming was. Except for me; I was writing assembler code back then lol.
Looks like your battery is missing
It will happen again they have defective pins that plunge into the computer
@@jamesmatthews2966, do you mean the pins physically "stab" into the computer innards? (causing electrical shorts, etc.)
@@jeffearnest3269qWTF??????
The marriage of expertise, truth , and sarcasm on this channel is fantastic :)
It's gotta be 95 minimum to do square bales...Man that brought back some PTSD I didn't realize I had from my childhood.
How about stacking said bales in a hay mow on a 95 degree day? That's fun, too!
can you explain this reference?
@@beiste6708 it seemed like every day that you'd be on the bale wagon stacking the bales, it was the hottest day of the month
Yup, I still have nightmares about being up in the barn rafters stacking bales in heat and dust so thick you could barely breathe.
@@DeweyCheatumNHoweLLC Necessary, not fun.
Thank God we have people like Wes that understand how to work with this stuff. Give me back my 1972 Plymouth Cuda any day.
Love to see y'all supporting eachother! I see channels wearing merch from other channels and it makes me feel good knowing this is a good community of folks all just doing what ever it takes. Hats off to ya!
😎
I didn't pay attention.....
Who's was he wearing?
@@dans_Learning_Curve Mrs Wes has a Diesel Creek emblazoned shirt.
@@dans_Learning_Curve mrs w had diesel creek on! Love matt hes da man!
She was wearing diesel creek.... Didn't have the new logo so maybe the met one time?and it from then
I have a 95 Tahoe videos like this will keep me in the 1900s
Scary
Keep them coming
Enjoyed watching this video. I don’t know anything about the computer modules on newer vehicles. I’m 75 and I like the days when a car stopped running, and it wasn’t locked up you either had a fuel problem or spark problem.
I agree completely. I grew up with points, condenser, carb and a coil. I've learned a LOT from watching videos like this. I have a cheap code reader that I am learning and need to get real time readings now. It is fascinating how far auto technology has come.
Yes bring hammer
Yes sir I'm 51 and grew up same way. Rebuilding a 88 jeep but now it has simple hei distributor and a regular carburetor and regular manual pump .👍
@@larryalexander4833 I can remember when the HEI first came out. It was some kind of magic with no points. Looks primitive by todays standards
But thirty years ago we were all using bag phones and pagers. Crazy how the world has evolved.
@@unti419 yes sir and in my opinion not for the good .
You went about diagnosing the problem correctly. Always verify power and ground before replacing components. Great to see another diagnostic tech out there.
I love how the module has ears and holes to be bolted up, but still lives in a plastic clip that'll eventually dry out and break. xD
I want to thank you for making these videos. I've been laid up for the last five weeks from a badly broken ankle and have been stir crazy. Your videos have helped me get my fix on automotive work so I don't go completely insane. I know I'll be back in the shop before I know it, but it's really nice to basically live vicariously through you at the moment.
i too was caught whistling in the dark, from a bad atv accident. i bout had my arm ripped off at the shoulder, and went crazyyyy asf. prayers you get healed up bro
The Highlight of my morning, appreciate you having us along
Liked the small shout out to "Diesel Creek" per your lovely wife, whose name escapes me. Excellent work again Wes, your troubleshooting skills and patience are admirable to say the least
Bloody love these videos. For the humour, the lifestyle, the problem solving!
You need an SMA brake clean soundeffect for something! Highly addictive.
I like the unboxing of the parts. that's the most addictive soothing portion.
Nooooo!
Rainman Ray wore that sound effect out and killed it in one vid..lol
Not SMA, rather Rainman Ray.
Wes, your channel is the best. I tune in for the repairs, for the sometimes arduous diagnoses, and thorough step-by-step processes, and the variety. Equal to all that is the great humor, nearly always deadpan but always makes me laugh.
"Let's see if we can get you written out of the will." 😂 Great sport she is.
And Max the Great Hunter and wind connoisseur is a plus.
Keep em coming.
All the best to you and yours...from us in North Carolina.
You hit the nail on the head. "Beaurocracy" and "pain in the ass"!!! They go well together!!!
Just like "Dishonest" and "Politicians"
Great Video. I never knew that you could program a GM control module without being a OEM shop. I’m sure the programming box is not cheap but nice to know. Very informative as always. Thanks
Oh darn.... The perfect opportunity to mimic the Vehcor Scream!
Wes,
This brings back bad memories when I was a tech for a major auto manufacture in R & D. I worked directly with BCM, ECM's in prototype vehicles. Even though working for the company it was like pulling teeth trying to get the info on programming due to the anti theft systems. You and I could share some fun stories over cold beverages.
Enjoy your content and quality. Boe
Wes you deserve a fuckin medal bro I don’t understand how you can remember all that information in your brain your a genius and will follow your channel all the way mate I love it
Love that the people selling programming for our cars can't make a program for windows that doesn't crash yet. So confidence-inspiring!
Very clever having Mrs Wes driving her daddies truck 🚚 of the trailer.
Great diagnosis and repair.
Thanks for sharing.
Best Comment Award !!! "Daughters" never get in trouble with Dad in these instances ... very shrewd Wes !!!
You make everything look easy Wes! I really do enjoy watching and learning from you!
"It's almost like I work on cars every day"
I appreciate your work Wes. I just replaced the gearbox on my "modern" 2007 Opel Vivaro van. What a *#@$ job that was ! But it's in and it works !
You're a funny guy too ! I like your humour !
Typical Joe Biden loving gun banning clown eh?
LoL in Toyota Tacoma..."I think you are doing something wrong...?"
I fix a lot of stuff but this repair was so far over my head I could barely see my computer screen! You’ve got mad skills!
I have seen some of the looks that Mrs. Wes has thrown your way and it is wise to stay out of the way when the towing service is in operation.😁
Awesome job, as usual. Keep at it.
We agree!
Towing service operators are unsung heroes. They'll come out to get you and save you from yourself and the rattlesnakes all around you no matter the weather or FQ you employed to get your fool self stranded wherever you are. 😁
(FQ = Foolishness Quotient - covers things like "forgot to torque that last bolt" and "It's okay, I can test this without shielding", as well as my personal favorite, "Baaah, that's not a raincloud!"
Wes you have the best automotive channel on you tube. Thank you
She's "back in the will" and you're back in her "good graces".
I would consider that a win-win.
I had a ram 1500 that was doing that and throwing similar code2 shops tried and couldn’t figure it out. Turns out the alternator was shorting out when it got wet. It ran fine and then one day started raining and started acting up. Stared testing and figured it out. This is another prime example why we need to start going away from computer cars and back to analog vehicles
That will never happen. Computers in cars have allowed emissions to go as low as they have. Emissions have gone down, while performance has gone up, especially on smaller engines. They hit limits with carburetor engines long ago. You could never hit modern tight tolerances with old systems. The future of electric vehicles need to be computerized, no ifs or buts about it. Computers are part of our life now. I love tech and am amazed at how the boundaries keep getting pushed.
Getting into IT and electronics was the best thing I ever did, because life depends on them now.
Pressure is real when reprogramming modules, had a DRG 450 once that had a module failure during an update, had about 20 fault codes after that lol, also noticing more and more improvements to your filming and editing, keep it up guys you bring so much entertainment to us nerds.
Laughs in Tacoma..."Reprogramming"...? WTH is that? It that when I shift my 2000 Tacoma from 4 wheel back into 2 wheel drive, after pulling one of these out of the mud or something...? I'm confused??? Or is "reprogramming" the other word for soldering, when I pull out my dash, and have to resolder all of my connections after shaking them all loose from 20 YEARS of beating the absolute HELL out of it...? American made trucks are SO CONFUSING to me, because something is always BROKEN!!!
@@brentfarvors192 It honestly depends on how well the manufacturer has integrated the elecrronics into the vehicle, it is usually very rare to have to replace ECUs if the manufacturer has put some thought into protecting its circuits, in the example i named on the DRG450 reachstacker we simply had some bad luck with the ECU dying prematurely since we have about 20 other vehicles on site using the same ECUs and most have clocked 10000hrs and some over 20000hrs without issue.
@@HStahlberg Just stating that Toyota has never seemed to have these problems...Hmm...?
@@brentfarvors192 Toyota is not immune to making poor design choices, Wes has an older video about tearing down the engine on a Rav 4 because of excessive oil consumption due to a bad piston ring design. Honestly it's kind of a wash when it comes to the reliability of newer vehicles, different brands but like 80% of the components in all of them come from the same factories.
@@HStahlberg That's why I only buy cars that were made IN Japan...
Considering I have a similar truck, thanks for making me want to spend another $2000 in tools so I can fix it myself instead of $100 to have a dealer program a module the next time one fails. Good content, love seeing you take the mystery out of fixing modern stuff.
$100 to program a module ?? you must be stuck in 1980 mode
buy a vx diag gm nano, about $125 can connect to gm with a $50 vin buy gm. have 2 years to use it. works like oem gm scan tool (tech 2).
Great vid as usual Wes. You make us smarter every time you put out a video. That for sharing.
As an EE and SW engineer, you did a great job troubleshooting this. ROM failure means the engine sw is suspect and starting is NOT ALLOWED !!. After you validated power the only other possible failure is the ECM.
Holy balls, I like being a DIY, but the newer computer ran stuff is so expensive to work on. I appreciate your headache Wes, keep up the great work and letting us follow along
Not really massively expensive? A decent Chinese scan tool is 500? Covers most motors. Most dealers will also give you access to info for a one off charge with a time limit.
J2534 box starts at about $1500. Need a laptop to run it that has windows 10. That’s to program modules. I don’t bother with a charger, just hook up my jump box or a secondary battery and it works. I suck at IT stuff and still am able to do it fairly easily. For some reason I feel smart with every successful programming
Depends on the manufacturer, really.
You can get a knockoff Chinese J2534 cable for under a hundred bucks. Would I trust it with a customer's car? Hell no. Do I trust mine with my cars? Yep! Worst case I tow it to the dealership and feign ignorance at why that module is stone cold dead.
As you saw, GM is 40 bucks per VIN per year. Subaru is a couple thousand bucks per year unlimited (and only works 2016-and-up because their older software only supports their specific scan tool, not generic J2534, and their specific tool is discontinued and the official reseller is all 'good luck!'). Everyone else is somewhere on that spectrum.
You only need any of that if you're swapping modules around. A nice prosumer scan tool is sufficient for most service tasks.
Your sense of humor makes my day. My local "in house white knuckle towing service" will agree with yours.
My 2012 Duramax started cutting out randomly and momentarily during highway cruise. I can’t remember the code but it was something similar like maybe “ECM lost communication”. The dealer didn’t know what it meant either. I decided to do the easy things first. I removed the fuse box circuit board, looked for corrosion, cleaned it and plugged it back in. I checked all the ground wires for contact the main ground was a bit loose. It wasn’t where I could see it, so i don’t know if it was rusty. I loosened it, wiggled it and retightened it. THen I disconnected the ECM and TCM and looked for corrosion, cleaned both and reconnected them. I haven’t seen the problem since.
My 2019 Yukon would lose all sorts of electronics only at startup. Engine would start but no transmission engagement, no auto lamps, no climate control, amongst other things. I have a video on my channel showing the symptoms, as I took a video the first time I experienced the problem in January 2020 about a month after I purchased the vehicle used. The local GM dealer found nothing wrong. Then it happened again about a month later in February 2020. Then the dealer kept it for about 2-3 weeks. It wasn't a frequent problem so it was hard for them to diagnose as they never had the ability to replicate the issue in their shop.
They found a stored code for loss of communication with the ECU, so they replaced it, but also found the main ground to the frame behind the passenger front wheel to be caked with undercoating/wax. I can't say for sure which corrected the problem but in 2.5 years haven't experienced the issue again, I'm probably leaning towards the engine computer rather than the ground as I thought I would have experienced other oddities if there was an actual grounding issue.
I had it well documented with General Motors "escalated customer service" or whatever they're called. The techs at the dealership had to call into GM's escalated technical support because they too were stumped.
I posted about it on various forums and had a couple people mentioning that their 2019 Tahoes, Suburbans, and Yukons exhibited a similar symptoms so apparently I wasn't the only one.
Why are crappy electrics still a thing...
I always tell my customers, simple and stupid first, then dig deeper. I would say ~75% of electrical problems stem from either corrosion or a bad/loose/missed connection. 6ou did well. Was that loose ground hidden behind the block?
@@alouisschafer7212 Keeps me in Dr Pepper and carne asada 😆
I guess sometimes, what is wrong is exactly what's written in the error code
You just cured me from ever buying a new vehicle again.......
Why? they all break down, this guy huffing and whining about every little thing. Oh this is gonna be root canal, took like five minutes to update firmware. These Silverado's are running 300,000 miles on the OEM powertrain. That old Ford would be lucky to make it 100k without an engine swap. Been there.
Those old ford's are really the only old truck you see actually working anymore. People all around me still have f350 dump trucks and stuff.
I have been running my ‘97 powerstroke daily for twenty years now. Coming up on 400k and I trust it more than any newer vehicle. It always gives me lots of warning when something is wrong and always makes it home. I have literally never had to tow it.
That is a beautiful truck. Exactly how they should be taken care of.
Good job! The more I see of newer vehicles the less I like it. I have an older vehicle and that is bad enough. Clearly the average DIY mechanic wouldn't be able to deal with this stuff. I certainly wouldn't want to. Glad there are people like you who can do it.
Yes, with modern vehicles, there are some things I can do myself (brakes, for example), but when the computer controlled stuff starts glitching, I'm at a loss to do more than clear a code and hope it doesn't come back (which usually doesn't work). The '60's and '70's vehicles I drove for a long time, I understood very well.
Somehow I find it a challenge. I'm retired and don't have a lot to do except fish and mow grass. I love learning these new systems. I have a great shop to do it. But I need some expensive diagnostic tools to keep learning more.
Im an old school carb guy and am intimated by anything with a computer (beyond checking my email and surfing the web). I finally broke down and got an LS for my 55’ Chevy truck build… Its way more simple and straightforward than I thought. I kind of built it up in my head that it was going to be a terrifying, hair-pulling-out ordeal.
Anything newer than 2003 is probably not going to be fun to maintain
OMG WOW, etc. etc. I've watched many vids on cars with problems, BUT having watched yours, I must say this has to be the best all-around presentation from start to finish! I'm 80 years young, and back in the mid 60's I had a garage when things were relatively simple ... yeah less complicated but frequent service demands. The only piece of equipment I had was a tach/dwell meter LOL.
I'd have to remortgage my home to get back into the business. Thanks again and best wishes to you and your VERY pretty wife ... Don, Saugus MA (just North of Boston)
Nice of GM to make the PCM bracket with a quick release. It's like they knew it was going to fail.
Right!
Believe or not: gm is getting hmmm smarter but not the way its going to help their customers, even if their trucks could pass a crash test
I'm sure they only care about quick assembly times at the factory. It's an unintentional bonus for the next guy that touches that part.
I enjoy watching you work. Thank you for taking the time to film, edit, and post!
Seems like you have a pretty good flasher unit. I work on material handling machines (forklifts, pallet jacks ect) and I was once cursed with having to re flash over 35 electric forklifts on 2 modules per truck and some had 3. Took total of at least 45 minute per truck. This was done in the field and you never know what the working environment was going to be. Would have been simple if you just connected and hit go but NOOOOOOO. Had to go in and tell which module what nodule to re flash and then chose which software to install. And like you said, mess up and you got an expensive brick. At over 3 grand a module, you will read the sent instruction at least a dozen times per unit, do a couple dry runs and then sweat bullets hoping you do not lose power from laptop or vehicle power. Spent 2 weeks doing this and had a lot less hair when finished and what was left became a nice color gray. Still have to do this from time to time with other lift producers and have yet to trash one. TY for sharing this video and look forward to futures vids also.
I feel your pain!
@@WatchWesWork Who was the victim you did the root canal on??
So even electric forklifts and pallet jacks are computer controlled now? I understand the benefits of computer controlling a gasoline engine for emissions and fuel economy, but I'm a bit mystified as to what benefit (other than as a cash cow for parts and repair departments) there would be for an electric forklift. The damn things used to work very well on just a few switches and contacters.
@@russlehman2070 Most modern electric jacks and lifts are ridiculous. These thing have ramp up control, lift speed control, regen braking, Darwin proofed, and run 3 phase motors. A real pan in the arse to diagnose at times. Welcome to the world of micro management!
Job well done, I agree with you on the square bale comment. If we weren't throwing square bales around during the 95 degree heat my Oldman had our asses sawing wood for winter. He hated doing it in the snow. That sucked just as bad
Hahaha. Mine too. As mad as I was then, I'm a better man for it now. Thank you dad!!
Hi Wes and Mrs Wes Towing Service, many thanks for a very informative and amusing video. From Nr Liverpool UK
Hi! 😎🦡
I have the same issue with the same code. To get mine started after it shuts down i have to pull the key, open and close the door and wait 20 to 30 seconds. It'll drive for a little while before it happens again and again and again. I'm just waiting for my mechanic to take it in next week. Pain in the arse. Glad I found this video.
Congratulations on reentry to the Will. Great study in what has to be left to the expert with the proper tools !Good video Wes.
I love my 2011 Silverado. I’ve been a mechanic for 27 years so I need something that can hold up to being the last on the list for maintenance and work because, don’t most of us mechanics at least that’s been doing it awhile. Don’t want to work on our own stuff ? My truck 5.3 Z71 has just over 208 thousand trouble free miles except I got a knock sensor code recently and we all know that’s not a big deal and is part of my planned tuneup at 300 thousand miles 😎
thanks for early upload of video and to witness the promotion of staff, from brake bleeder to vehicle off loader technician. Standby towing operative already included. really nice to watch you both coming together to fix in-law truck at competitive rates.
😎
I admire anyone who messes with auto electrickery, and you do it with such patience.
Wes, I had to laugh, I was bailing small squares 7/14 and was still picking up and moving bales until 10PM to stay ahead of rain.
Your sense of humor had me rolling......done lots of work on cars back in the 80s......good thing there are guys like you around. I am a software architect and I wouldn't even begin to touch something like this (before the video of course).
I like how the old Ford is towing the new GM.
The forward march of progress will trample us all into the dirt of planned obsolescence
All you need now is a old Chevrolet towing the 90s ford 😏😏.
@@brandonbell3089 what 90's Fords? i've have never seen that,best trucks on the planet are Fords i'm a dumb dumb who purchased a chevy colorado that has issues with only 3400 miles,the worst used used truck i ever owned was a dakota,i've own used Fords that never left me stranded.
@@stangman1268 fords are the most recalled trucks on the planet 😂😂. I actually have a 93 f150 300I6 5 speed/ 97 F250 351 E4OD setting in the yard both broken. Aswell as a 86 f150 and a 72 F350 360FE
@@stangman1268 hell look up the recalls on the 2022 ford VS Chevrolet and get back at me 😂😂
Wes, you are helping me a lot with my own small equipment repairs, and your humor hits me just right. Thank you!
I always love a Wes video on break!!!!
Enjoy your Break
If you are a certified mechanic with all of the advanced tools and testing equipment of a professional shop then this video is helpful. If you are a quasi back yard mechanic like me this video is as useful as a screen door on a submarine.
I’ve seen this exact issues when a gmc was struck by lightning. I also seen this issue when I told the person to stop driving their truck when the alternator was fried and they didn’t listen. If it comes back and the transmission doesn’t shift it’s the alternator output is to high.
As a software developer I can tell you these tools are in the seventh layer of business to business software hell. It's amazing how the user experience is the last consideration when stuff like this is created.
They do the minimum to satisfy the government mandate.
"User experience"is the least of software woes. The major, usual problem is that the stuff doesn't work.
Interesting analysis and repair. Good job Wes
Ha Delphi (Milwaukee) made 8000 per day back in 2007 till the plant was shut down. I think we charged GM $71 per unit. We also made ECMs for Toyota and that kept us open the last 3 years. Plant was sold and torn down after 45 years.
Wes, you put out the best content and do such an amazing job of working through the steps of how you arrived at the solutions. Thank you for sharing you issues, frustrations and successes with the machines of the of the world.
Man that “tow” truck makes me miss my ‘89. Towed and hauled a lot of stuff with that truck for 23 years until the body finally gave in to the New England weather
This video was great. Funny and I love even the scope gets busted out Thank you!👍
Thanks for the good videos Wes, after watching you do this stuff I’ve been sorting my own car recently!
I did my first oil change and filter change, and belt change all in one day. Wouldn’t be possible without your videos of you swearing at bolts and seized breaks.
My next task is to replace the leaking AC evaporator… many hours of work to remove the dash for a single component
The engineers need to have their asses in the shop,tearing these vehicles apart,to replace an evaporator..retarded what has to be done,when something like that could be plumbed to be accessable
@@listenupfools731 yeah it is really dumb it should just be a slot at the back of the dash which pops out and you can just unbolt from firewall side it makes too much sense
I drove a 3 on the tree 64 ford falcon for years. Had the electric rear window which was the fancy option😊 My oh my technology was sold as making life easier😂 Really enjoy your video's😊
My hat's off to you techs who do this work. It's beyond belief as to what you have to go through to come up with a fix. Beyond belief. And your test equipment must cost a fortune. I enjoyed your video, thanks.
Wow, thanks Wes. Very interesting video and learned I never want to go there with the PCM.
Always enjoy your repairs, thanks for sharing them with us.
Got rid of my new cars and found a grandpaws 87 F150 xlt 4X4.. Truck looks like new inside and out. 351 with a real carb that you can work on. Duraspark is as dependable as a brick outhouse. No computers or the other miles of wire like new cars have. Doesnt get anywhere near the gas mileage of a new car, but I will take dependability and ease of maintenance any day. The 87 f150 rides and drives nicer than my sisters 2014 F350.
22:00 This is 100% true, my dad and grandpa would ALWAYS wait till it was 95-100F with 75-80 dew points then spend all afternoon with the truck in the granny gear throwing square hay bales up on the trailer on a Saturday but your friends are out at the pool having fun :/
Sounds like nothing is wrong it's all part of that genuine gm feeling
Gotta love it, thanks for the ride along, glad to hear the tow service is back in the will!😉😆
This was truly educational, I have never seen this done before. Thanks for posting this video and your resolution.
DO NOT SCRATCH that red truck. We all know it's worth probably 4 of those Silverados
Only if the Silverados' fuel tanks were all full.
I know it was you listening to talk to you about fixing it. The man , myth and legend
The whole "coding the module" process is borderline abusive. It should be darned well free from the manufacturers, but they have all done an end-run round the regulators.
After watching this video, it makes me want to go out and give my 76 chevy a hug.
The truck cutting out reminds me of the '99 I had.Right in the middle of busy road with my 3yr old with me (crying of course because he didn't understand why Daddy was upset) .With help, got it pushed to a parking lot.Literally shut down over what turned out to be a fuel pump-crazy thing the truck was only a few months old (NEW).I remember the little DIC display on instrument panel went from yellow to red then blank-the computer might as well said "that's all".
"I'm done"
@@WatchWesWork Can you reprogram a used ECM into another truck? My 21 ram 3500 needs a new ECM and they are not available from anywhere, i found one from a wrecked truck. Its the same exact ECM number and matches the one i need. Can you program a used one like a new unprogrammed one into another truck?
@@warrenmichael918 you can, at least with Toyota and Subarus. I have used many junkyard modules and not had problems. But I'm in Singapore, so might be different. And I actually enjoy electronic problems. Most you should have to do is change the vin to match your receiving truck.
@@suzi_mai yes a vin swap or program is needed. I would like to know if a dealer or any mechanic can wipe or unprogram a used ECU to be programmed for another truck. These newer trucks are just so computer and electrical these days. This is a 2021 and is different than the older ones.
@@warrenmichael918 I would think that a dealer would have the ability to do the reprogramming.
NOTHING any better than seeing a bow tie being towed by a blue oval. I towed a 96 suburban from Dawsonville Ga. to the mountains of S.W. Va. My 300 IL 6 banger pulled like a champ the whole way home!!!!! That suburban was one heavy thing to pull on a trailer, but it still pulled 45mph all the way up Fancy Gap mountain on I-77 northbound.
Impossible for us mere mortals to repair...:-) Great video... 🙂
Without question, newer vehicles are a pleasure to have and drive. My first car had a 250 with points and a carburator. It was easy to maintain, but the maintenance was a constant series of plug, point, and oil replacement. But when things go wrong now, you quickly discover the insanity of an electronics system which is designed for one purpose. To ensure you take it to a dealer where the techs don't even know what's going on.
There's no good reason, none whatsoever, that anything should have to be programmed. It doesn't prevent theft, nor does it contribute to ease of operation. For in spite of all the codes and readers, we still have nothing that says, "hey, your crank sensor needs replacement." The damn car knows how to throw an ambiguous code, but it always points to like five different things that "might" be the problem.
Currently have a P0420 on a Cobalt. I've replaced the cat, exhaust gasket, cleaned and tested the injectors, and the only thing left is the 02 sensors, which are like sixty bucks each now. But if that doesn't work, then I'll have to resort to drilling out a spark plug extender for the post cat sensor like everyone else seems to be doing. This is a stupid problem to have...
love watching your videos! Thank you for taking the time to make them for us!
I know this is an old post, but I would like to share my experience with this code. I worked on one of these with the same outcome, but I needed to know the root cause of it. Well... if you noticed, the ECU tends to get quite toasty in its current location. I pulled it out of there, allowing the engine to run to its running temperature for a long time, no failure. Placed it back on its original location, ran the engine once more, and shut off within 10 minutes. So, my findings are... time and heat. These ECU's are placed in the wrong location, and heat will make them fail over time.
Wonderful diagnostics and work. It would be nice if you had mentioned your dollar cost investment for those computers. People need to become aware the hardware cost and the subscription cost for PCM reprograming. I would guess you have over $6,000 invested in hardware alone then there are subscription costs and lost billable hours waiting on a phone call back from technical support when downloading and then installing software. "Open it you Own it". I really like how that PCM snaps into place.
Wes-alway make sure that the hood is at least on the first latch when test driving, wires etc trailing out of engine bay. I did something similar on an old chevy pickup without making sure. About 80 feet down the road as I picked up a little speed, suddenly there was a loud startling bang. The hood wasn’t latched at all and the hood caught the wind and slammed into the windshield, cracking it. Never made that mistake again-lol!!!
I had a Dodge Diplomat with the exact same symptoms. It would just suddenly stop for no apparent reason. I checked all the electrical connections I could find and found nothing. On a whim, I decided to look at the ecm. I unplugged the cable to the ecm but did not find any corrosion or broken wires. The connector block was getting quite hot. After I plugged the connector back in, the problem ended.
As soon as you said "program" I instantly said "ah hell no. Take it to the shop"... Then I remembered You ARE the shop.
But, it didn't look that like bad of a job. Probably easier said, considering I'm here watching you work, sipping a beer.
Great diagnostic job for sure. Thanks for showing us some of the ins and outs of this programming one of these computers. I suppose once you get good at it things might not be as scary or difficult. Still not a fan of computers on cars. Thanks for the videos.
I kind of have a love-hate relationship with computer controls. When they work right, they do a much better job of controlling fuel mixture, timing, etc. than the old mechanical controls, but when they go wrong, they can be a nightmare. Cars used to be fairly simple machines. Not any more.
I miss the auto shop days but when scanners & electronics took over I got left behind to hard for me learn multimeters amps ohmns PCM signals I just don't have that mind set. Love the vids Wes 👊
What a compelling lesson to avoid this technology.
I can remember similar occurrences in my 77 Beauville 350”van.Found it to be the HEI coil in the distributor cap would shut down on overheat.Cooled it down and go down the road a few more miles till I got to a parts store.On this,I’m not sure what direct connection the cranking circuit would have with the fuel or ignition controls.These new ones are a mess,old ones so simple to fix on the side of the road with parts and a few wrenches.Great job on this one.
Remember when a car did that it was either a dead battery, a bad starter, or a bad ignition switch?
with those things if it was running it didn't die on the road.
You’re a very good technician. What I see is that your not a parts feeder. Good job and good luck. From a retired mechanic after 33 years.
Great job Wes! I've bricked a few devices (never cars, however) over the years attempting to re-flash the firmware... It is so annoying that the major companies like JD, GM, and Ford, charge so much for a license to even program these systems! But at least they let you do it, unlike apple, and others! I'm an Electronics technologist, I'd love to see a teardown of the ECM, maybe you may find some corrosion or damage inside that might be repairable... I think I remember you opening these things up before and not finding anything visible wrong, but you never know!
Nice to see the Hufflepuff towing service under contract again! :)
dan b said, " I've bricked a few devices (never cars, however) over the years attempting to re-flash the firmware...."
This is especially egregious when it is SO easy AND RELATIVELY CHEAP to build-in an _unalterable_ recovery ROM that contains basic code and selective hardware-defined boot algorithms to allow what would otherwise be "bricked" devices' NVRAM to be re-flashed as often as needed until the re-flash works right.
Example: my computer motherboard has such a ROM chip, and it is ALWAYS an option to boot using that unalterable ROM source to bring the motherboard back to a minimum operable state from which the alterable NVRAM can be reflashed as many times (within limits of like 10,000-50,000 times) until a working copy of the new firmware "takes". So, the act of flashing can never result in an accidental unrecoverable "bricking" of the device.
This "UNbrickable" flashing feature is one of the specifics I look for when shopping for a new electronic device. It's not always available, but I do prefer it where possible.
I have a 2017 Chevy 3500 passenger van the extended one. Took the seats out for granny to take to hospital visits. I feel in love with it runs great. Sad how Chevy has fallen.
It's the entire auto industry. Ford now uses junk rubber belts to spin the engine oil pump in newer F-150's. 2022 and newer Toyota Tundras are having total engine failures left and right. Honda Ridgelines have been having major issues with torque converter clutch failures. Everywhere you look the whole industry is putting out junk.
All this software needs to be opensource and available to anyone, and the programming should be stupid easy. keeps 5000lbs out of the landfill.
But where would the manufacturers make massive profits selling 1-use specific systems?
Not that software, big bucks went into developing that. You should code your own software or pay/gather volunteer programmers to develop for you and make it an open source alternative to OEM software.
You were right about only bailing hay when the temperature and humidity are both at 100. That's the way we did it in southwest Louisiana. The real fun part came when stacking it in the barn. Don't know how I did it.