Eric, There are damn few mechanics that would take the time to track that problem down. This is why you have us as viewers. We like what you do. Plain simple truth! Thank you
@@COBRO98I dunno in my experience a bunch of hacks in the industry. Haven’t found anyone that has done quality work in my area yet which is unfortunate
"I'm not a big electronics guy" he says. Meanwhile he's legit one of the most talented technicians I ever seen. Not to mention how many other shops send Mr O. Cars they can't fix.
You are confusing "electrician" (electrical) with "electronics". They are not the same thing. An electrician is NOT an electronic technician but most electronic technicians can be or are electricians. ;)
I wish people would stop confusing skill for talent. Eric is Skilled in this shit. Not talented. He may be talented at taking things apart and putting them back together again, but what we saw here and in other circuit diag videos, is 100% skill from a decades long career in first fixing trucks, now cars. Calling it talent, imo, diminishes what it's taken to get to this point. A talent you just have. You don't have to build up from the ground in order to be good. You're just good. A skill takes many many years to cultivate and perfect. I doubt Eric was this good 25 years ago. I'm not saying you're not complimenting his ability, because you are. But it's absolutely skill and not talent. Well, unless he could do this shit when he was a child that is.
If I asked my family members to do this while standing in front of a car, there's a very good chance my kneecaps would get broken. My mother-in-law once got forward and reverse mixed up and drove through my garage door. My daughter drove home from getting her driver's license and ran into my trailer parked in my driveway. I'm guessing it's genetic.
Better than relying on the parking brake. Trying to find a fuel pressure issue with my 6.8L 02 F250 the parking brake cable snapped at 3/4 throttle in gear. Lucky for me it was on a sheet of ice.
Thanks to Eric I fixed my dad’s bmw 335xi e92. Cooling fan wasn’t coming on. Had a code. Used the skills I learned from the dear Eric O, checked power, ground and signal. Had no power. I traced it down to a 3 ft area of the harness that had no power. Long story short found the relay was sitting loosely. Pressed it in and bam fan came on. My dad is so impressed by the skills I’ve learned over the last 5 years. So cool seeing your dad shockingly impressed. I get to REALLY help friends and family now. Thanks Eric.
The most frustrating part of this job is the difficulty in teaching this level of 'logical thinking'. Eric was flustered being in the moment, and many of us have been there. The real reward is that lightbulb moment when he realized that movement made a change. All the noise dissappeared and his mind became calm, he knew where to look. No scan tool will ever replace his experience.
I think thats a major problem with a lot of shops and stealerships these days . If the computer doesnt tell you what the problem is or how to fix it, they cant do it. 😂
@@CraigOverend Absolutely essential in high speed applications. Of all the faults, "which was the first that took us out" was the common theme of our power plant troubleshooting whenever we lost a unit. We had time based trends for every tag (instrument) in our DCS control system that we could study and compare.
I just spent an hour watching every second of this play out and it was better than watching a movie. Thank you for sharing all of the bad with the good.
Not sure who could criticize billing the customer for the wiring rubdown diag. The car ran for 15000 miles and 4 months since the PCM was replaced. That’s well outside most warrantees for electronic parts and this situation sure drives home why that is. Your persistence, logical approach and diag equipment were the only things that prevented this customer from buying another set of parts. Possibly over and over again. Great job once again.
A true mechanic admits fault, and criticizes theirself as a result which is what Eric did. During my career of evaluating failures on mechanical components for nearly 2 decades, and the root cause of those failures, I have found that mechanics are often too proud to admit when they make a mistake, but not Eric, and it's a great attribute. In my opinion, he did a good diagnosis in the OG video. The problem came after many more miles. Did the first computer go bad as a result of the short, possibly, but it may have just quit. The bare wire may have developed in the last 10,000+ miles, nobody knows. Eric is a stand up guy, and I learn a lot every time I watch his videos. Keep up the good work brother!
Agreed. The others shops could not find it. That's why it went to Eric. And those that think they would have found it much sooner than Eric are in dreamland. Retired mechanic in Land Down Under.
I agree, no one else would’ve found it. She would have had to trade it in or drive it without a sticker, I don’t think there are many Eric O’s out there. I know there aren’t any in my neck of the woods. If it was my car, I probably would’ve been quoted a wire harness and a brand new ECM with labor and wouldn’t have been worth it to fix it at that point
I would have found it. I was yelling at the screen (as soon as he said in the beginning when he put it in gear that it set the code), "Look at it on the scope when you drop it into gear!" This is the kind of stuff I do often. Turn on the heater with the scanner (engine off), reach down to suspected areas and manipulate the harness while monitoring the scope. The problem will show up quick. We don't have all the corrosion down ere that those guys get. That would suck, but then again we have a lot more older cars.
Great job Eric! You almost had to change your closing comment to " If I can't do it, you sure as Heck can't do it either!" I had a similar diagnosis back in 1994. Chevy Lumina "dustbuster" van (don't know if you remember those as your too young). The tech next to me at the chevy dealer asked for my help with an intermittent issue. I suggested we look in the Service Manual for the schematic (another thing you may not have had the pleasure of using-actual book Service Manuals). I saw the suspect circuit had a Solder Splice dead center in the dashboard area and made an educated guess that the solder joint from the factory had one of the sharp pointy tangs sticking out through the factory tape right next to a metallic (grounded) object. When he and I had the dash removed, sure enough that is exactly what we found. He was amazed at my diagnosis. I was amazed that the harness passed GM QC before being installed on the assembly line! Just knowing that sometimes a solder connection is made with the pointy tangs gave me the idea to check even though it was a task to get to it, I was pretty confident it was there. Similarly, when working for the Fleet I am still working for now, when we had the 1996,97,98 Taurus/Sables in our fleet, the harness in the left front wheel-well was notorious for having oddball wires developing high resistance to open-circuit issues. The problem was traced back to when the assembly line workers dragged the harness through the body openings it passed spikey spot weld areas that lacerated wires in the harness that eventually corroded and broke apart. Like you Eric, I pride myself in being able to find these issues and repairing them without using a "parts-cannon" as you say, but man, I wish the car makers would do their due-diligence in making these issues super rare to non-existent by better design and execution. Our job is difficult enough without their help! Once again, great job my brother (or my son I should say!). God Bless you and yours Eric. Stay safe and keep up the excellent education for our successors!
While service data is always “wrong”, and the fact that the scan tool “lies”, which is all true, it’s a complete miracle that any of us working on these types of concerns, ever discovers the truth about the fault. I admire your perseverance.
These kinds of sneaky wiring failures have to be among the most frustrating for a tech to diagnose. This was *so* specific it would be almost impossible to foresee and the downside of it was that it toasted a PCM (well, two) on the way. Now, in all honesty, if I put on my customer hat, I could see how having to pay for a second PCM would probably be frustrating. But there's also no reasonable expectation that the actual fault would have ordinarily been discovered more readily by anyone else. It's not ideal for either party. But I also realize you can't repair things for free, either, or you have no shop. Great detective work as always, Eric. This one was a needle in a haystack.
@@SouthMainAutoI think you were more than fair! After seeing that the customer had evidently reset the codes at least once, they have to accept part of the fault. (Would not think the PCM would have gone out the first time it pulled down). Great job and thanks for the video, I try to learn from them all!
@@SouthMainAuto Figured you would have done something like that without seeing this comment yet. As an avid DIYer who has chased down my fair share of electrical issues, if you would have showed me that I'd have not complained. Janet from accounting or Jim the intern though might just see a mechanic not backing up their work. I don't think the customer should have waited like 20K miles I think it was you said since they brought their car last in though. Could have fixed it sooner and maybe not require any parts or awkward situations on both sides. Not that you are in an awkward situation, just an opinion from a avid fan and who has learned a lot watching your channel over the years. I also find myself saying "ohhhh boy" when I see something jacked up. lol.
@@smc9764 Signage on the side of the van indicates that it's likely used commercially as an escort vehicle for trucks with oversized loads. Explains the 20K miles in such a short period of time and why the customer didn't take it back to Eric when the MIL first lit up.
Your "car show" comments always make me chuckle. I sell auto parts online for a living and the amount of people that say "This item has a nick in it and I'm 2 days away from a car show, I want a full refund." never ceases to amaze me.
That was a fun one! Thanks for sharing, the build of anticipation for "There's your problem lady!" was almost as bad as waiting for that buck to walk the final 5 yds for a shot!
As the saying goes; “Youngsters get paid for what they do, wise ole farts get paid for what they know”… Paraphrasing there a bit. 😂 Good form, good form. Elementary dear Watson… 🕵🏻♂️🔍
Jeez, Eric. Kudos and respects, man. I'm a good troubleshooter with decades of experience under my belt (consumer electronics, boats, and cars), but watching you in the first part gave the (very rare) sinking feeling that this one would have stumped me - and 99%+ of other troubleshooters as well. Without you, that car would have gone to the junkyard. You are friggin' *amazing,* and worth every penny you charge.
What a beast!! Most shops in my area would have an entire OEM cat system installed and spark plugs. After the $3K bill they would tell you your "pads" are worn out and your 2,000 mile oil change is way overdue.....you ARE a rarity in this field and that's why all those shops send their "junk" your way. I love the win on this one....
I cannot imagine having a camera on me while troubleshooting. So many checks and tries only show what is not the problem. I think of how many times the chicken syndrome has lead me astray. It is amazing that you actually caught the problem with the engine rocking. All problems are more simple after you know the solution. Logic is everything, You are logic. Thank you for a well documented mystery.
Even though you don't show it in the video I can definitely can see you are frustrated with this repair! You made the right call I wouldn't second guess it, sometimes we fix a symptom to track the main cause later you did great and kudos for sharing the up's and down's with us on the channel!
What a ride! The frustration with the mystery fault, the excitement when you got a clue, then the elation when you found the wiring issue. Patience and perseverance paid off. Another great video and brilliant troubleshooting!
I am a fleet mechanic in the rust belt north of the border. I have seen this kind of wiring issue recently. It was a pita to find! I do not know everything, but I do know you are "THE MAN", mad respect for your skills.
i'm actually proud of myself, right when you said as soon as it is put in gear, code pops, I knew immediately it was because of the engine torqueing and moving some wires somewhere
Same here. I once fixed a 2007 Chevy Impala with a wheel speed sensor code that only set when the car went into gear. After someone else replaced a wheel bearing with a sensor I tracked it to the harness on the front of the engine block. As soon as he said the code popped when he put it in gear my money was on a rubbing wire somewhere.
Wow, some jobs are easy (like a cylinder misfire caused by a bad coil), and some jobs are not easy. At around 25:00, I was thinking "There's your problem, lady". What a relief that we got to hear the beloved catchphrase at 38:26.
Your description is understated, Eric. This has to be one of the hardest wiring issues I've ever seen on TH-cam. That's one crazy diagnosis. Without seeing live data while taking the car for a drive, knowing the criteria, understanding that the data being pulled to ground would be a circuit high, and only when the engine is flexing, I'm not sure how someone would be able to diagnose this; especially since the bad wire was buried in so much insulation. I think many would have stumbled upon finding the bad wire, but narrowing it down like that...I really can't think of many that would be able to. Not even the big TH-cam repair guys. ... I mean, the scope showed zero issues at idle and even when revving up. Slow clap standing ovation to Eric O from a cold 5AM warehouse someplace in Utah.
Eric....you have done the job well beyond boundaries of other mechanics. You, in our viewers' heads, are an ELITE mechanic. We do learned something from you.
I'm a 40yr retired med/heavy truck mechanic. I enjoy your channel. You have skills not many mechanics have. Most would have given up by now. The only other youtubers i can think of that could help, Scanner Danner and your friend in, is it long Island or Road island?
Fantastic repair on that harness. There is nothing in this event indicating you missed the replaced module check. Modules WILL go bad for no apparent reason. The fact you found this problem will save several modules going forward. I agree totally with your reasoning and if this were my car, I'd be happy you nailed the problem as done.
i wish i could work at a shop such as yours....ive had a million issues with wiring such as this and never gotten paid for my efforts... most customers would just assume the light is going to be on, or just put a piece of tape over it. generally id be lucky to get a full hour for replacing a computer. ive never been paid to drive cycle a car to confirm a repair EVER... it was equally hard to get 10 bucks to "drop everything go out to the parking lot and scan this ladys car".... ive since quit the shops now i just restore classic cars... who would pay you for this amazing repair noone else can fix? good job btw!
Most of this kind of work I do is for myself, so I get paid indirectly, by not having to pay someone to do it for me. Maybe you should try to find work at a shop that does auto electric only.
@@johntrauger68 if only such a shop exists.... most places are one stop shops that do alignment, tires, oil changes, A/C, repairs, diesel, everything shops that pick and choose gravy jobs and only address the engine light if the car runs bad. I actually had a Ford once the AC was inoperative, it misfired on 2 cylinders I got yelled at for fixing the misfires (thus allowing the A/C to work again) as I didn't have approval to do so... I still enjoy learning and watching your content... keep making videos!
Wow -- that was a hell of a hidden problem. Insane! Well done on the detective work -- most other shops would've just continued replacing the O2 sensors and PCM over and over and over.
Got to charge them Eric! We have a 2023 KW truck - needed the body control module reflashed -dealership charged us 12 hours labor @ 195.00/hour - NO Warranty - said they had to check all of the wiring harnesses. They call the reflash - Overlayed the wiring harness - BS! Keep up the great work - Thanks for the videos!!!
First class again Sherlock. That was a cracking investigation and final result. You have every right to charge them, especially after 14000 miles from the previous repair. Finding Technicians like you are like searching for rocking horse poop.
Not a mechanic, I’m a telecom technician (and automotive DIYer), I love your videos because you’re an excellent troubleshooter. And brother; do I HATE being wrong. I feel your pain.
If this was easy, everyone could do it. Its not. The history of this vehicle, from the previous videos and these two, convince me you deserve not only your wage for a job well done, but a nice bonus too. Step up Lady and fork it over. I'm going back to watch these two videos over again! Very Nice Eric. I love the tenacity. The absolute refusal to quit is just one of the reasons I love your channel.
Hi Eric and Mrs. O., this is why we all watch this channel! Like a dog goin after bone, you are the man Mr.E O.Nice Job! Btw as soon as you said when you put it in it screw up, ya baby, thanks Eric this was a fun one to watch! Now go in the house pound a couple cold ones!
Brilliant diagnostics, as always. You definitely did check wiring integrity in the first video. Problem is, the intermittent problem was concealed. It's another lesson for all of us to wonder why a driver would fail the next time we see this. Even in retrospect this would be a difficult call without the clue while forward power braking. I also completely agree with charging for your time, it's the only way shops like yours stay open.
I always like a challenge...except when it is intermittent and caused by multiple failures. Still, it keeps you on your toes. Absolutely great video and story! Bill the customer but perhaps try to explain why it took two trips into repair (well, maybe not. ) You have certainly fixed/repaired your fair share of problems that others could not. Your experience is worth money.
Absolute legend of diagnostics, I wish I was half asleep good as you..... there's nothing more satisfying than fixing something that others can't 👍 Send the invoice, your are definitely not a charity!
You have my utmost admiration in finding that one - great diagnostic skills and persistence. One point here, this has clearly been worked on before, and my impression is that if the harness had been restrained properly after that work, then this problem wouldn't have happened. Lesson for everyone out there - take the extra 2 minutes to do the job properly. On the other hand, it does give Eric some good content.....
Great deductive reasoning Mr O, didn't do it in reverse but did it in drive! I know that these types of issues can be absolutely frustrating but they make great content, like a little automotive murder mystery!
Awesome find, as usual. I once took a car to a shop that specialized in electrical troubleshooting and repair. And when I did, I was told up front that I couldn't be given an estimate. Watching you work on this, and other cars, makes me much more understanding of the "no estimate", estimate. I think you've forgotten more than most mechanics will ever know, esp. with electrical. Kudos. Great video. Thanks. Cheers.
Any mechanic would have scratched their head and struggled to find the problem and given up. Eric you save the day! It was a pleasure to watch this video.
Mrs O was a great addition in the process of troubleshooting. Her measured pressure on the gas made the engine tilting the exact angle to where Mr O was looking. That was excellent. By the way if Eric would have not charged the client for his time, Mrs O would have charged the customer for hers. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, it does bring confidence for the DIY people and the Pro’s
Very valuable video. Got to watch an expert track down a truly difficult issue. Watching you wrestle with next steps and then logically assess what needed to be done to find the issue is more valuable and interesting to experience than you probably realize.
You are just about the only technician on TH-cam who will go that extra mile to get to the bottom of the problem! All others that I have watched try and take shortcuts to get to the bottom of the problem and usually end up with BIG problems! They don't take the time to explain, like you, what they are doing and why! I don't like throwing parts at a car without properly diagnosing the problem, FIRST! Common sense is necessary also! Even I learn something new by watching your channel! Thanks for all the useful information!
Most shops charge for TRYING to fix a car. Swapping parts...guessing. At least when you charge them, it's actually fixed. No one can fault you for having trouble finding an intermittent problem. It's tough to find what ain't broke! (till it is.) Just keep doing what you do. Don't worry about the haters. Mrs O is the only one needs to love ya!
I feel for you Mr. O. Those problems are a bugger to chase down. Way back in the 1980s I was a system engineer sent to fix an intermittent problem on a military airplane. After 3 or 4 days only occasionally getting the fault to repeat we isolated it down to a specific twisted triple shielded wire run, put a 1000 volts AC on it and finally got a hard short between the wire and the shield. Moved the wire just a bit and the short went away. Replaced the wire run and problem never came back.
The subtle Eric O comedy ......Ref SMA mini roll of Tesa tutorial "Spin it around at least 9 times...." 🤣 Awesome skills and find on this one Eric ! Damn good mechanic.
You never cease to impress me! nuff said! persistence and pride are rare in todays new world. You give me hope friend! You teach waaay more than how to fix vehicles. Thank You.
After watching a couple of his videos, I said to myself I have to see how far his shop is from my home. Sure enough he was about 40 miles away and now Eric is my new mechanic. Eric is just as nice, just as smart and just as honest as he and Mrs. O display themselves on their channel. Eric is the BEST MECHANIC I have ever met!
Awesome video once again! Fun tape trick: at the edge of the tape where you pull from: fold about a quarter inch of the tape back onto itself: sticky side to sticky side, you now have an easy to find pull tab. Or just put a piece of twist tie near the edge of the tape and held in place by the tape.
I am NOT claiming to know a lot....BUT when you said 'as soon as I dropped it in gear..the light came on'... I sort of suspected a possible wire rub or harness being pulled due to engine torquing. After watching this channel for years I wasn't surprised you found the problem.
Although I'm sure this type of repair isn't your favorite to do i think they make the best videos. You are one hell of a detective and your trouble shooting skills are mind blowing! Thanks for another awesome video and keep them coming.
You know I like the fact that Eric is a honest guy if it was a fault of his he would fix it and make it right.. in this case I don't fault him for this perhaps if other mechanics break a zip tie well fix it.. this probably could have been avoided
Darn tooting there is a charge for this. You are absolutely right that modules fail because they are an electronic component in a moving vehicle subject to all kinds of stresses. When it came in for the same issue then you have to look for what is causing this failure. This was not an obvious problem or it would have been fixed already. Anybody else would have slapped another pcm and called it a day, all the while blaming it on defective parts. You were the one that made the connection between the problem coming in when it was in drive and fixed the wire. You are the man of the hour.
Once again the "wire whisperer" remains undefeated---And the crowd goes wild !!!!!!
lmao
OMG i love that, the wire whisperer. 🤣 So true!
This is the closest I've ever seen him to defeat!
Seriously, an underrated genius.
"Wire Whisperer" : )
Wow. Few in the world are this logical and thorough.
Eric, There are damn few mechanics that would take the time to track that problem down. This is why you have us as viewers. We like what you do. Plain simple truth! Thank you
Or have the knowledge these days.
For real. I'd LOVE to have a mechanic in my area that was even half as knowledgable and thorough as Eric O. I'd pay whatever he asked.
NAILED IT!!! You took the thought right out of my head... or maybe thumbs lol.
Don't blame the mechanics, folks. The shop *and customer* has to be willing to allow the mechanic to track down your problem. Time is money.
@@COBRO98I dunno in my experience a bunch of hacks in the industry. Haven’t found anyone that has done quality work in my area yet which is unfortunate
"I'm not a big electronics guy" he says. Meanwhile he's legit one of the most talented technicians I ever seen. Not to mention how many other shops send Mr O. Cars they can't fix.
He has lots of cool tech gadgets too
Amen!
Just to maneuver the data to get to an answer of where it starts to make sense, that in itself boggles my mind
You are confusing "electrician" (electrical) with "electronics". They are not the same thing. An electrician is NOT an electronic technician but most electronic technicians can be or are electricians. ;)
I wish people would stop confusing skill for talent. Eric is Skilled in this shit. Not talented. He may be talented at taking things apart and putting them back together again, but what we saw here and in other circuit diag videos, is 100% skill from a decades long career in first fixing trucks, now cars. Calling it talent, imo, diminishes what it's taken to get to this point. A talent you just have. You don't have to build up from the ground in order to be good. You're just good. A skill takes many many years to cultivate and perfect. I doubt Eric was this good 25 years ago. I'm not saying you're not complimenting his ability, because you are. But it's absolutely skill and not talent. Well, unless he could do this shit when he was a child that is.
If the world was full of Eric O.’s I wouldn’t have to be a DIY guy.
EXACTLY, I'm tired of being a diy
I wouldn't want to be a DIY guy
Exactly, so Eric always stays with the problem and gets it done. I'd pay happily the charge.
I just wish I lived closer.
@ I’d rather not be a crazy TH-camr 😂😂 jk I know what you mesn
Mrs. O gets the credit for doing the correct power brake.
If I asked my family members to do this while standing in front of a car, there's a very good chance my kneecaps would get broken. My mother-in-law once got forward and reverse mixed up and drove through my garage door. My daughter drove home from getting her driver's license and ran into my trailer parked in my driveway. I'm guessing it's genetic.
At least she kept her foot hard on the brake. LMAO There are not any females I would trust to do that , especially my ex girlfriends.
He's brave soul or he knows his wife.
Without a good power breaker, you’re just twisting in the wind!😂
standing in front of the car while mrs o is powerbreaking???? you're one brave feller!!!!
Don't worry, we know Mrs O has a really heavy braking foot. LOL.
ahh,, it's trust and love..🥰
No kidding! My life insurance is worth enough that I would not put myself in that position with my wife... she'd be the first one to agree 😂
My wife would have tun me over
Better than relying on the parking brake. Trying to find a fuel pressure issue with my 6.8L 02 F250 the parking brake cable snapped at 3/4 throttle in gear. Lucky for me it was on a sheet of ice.
Thanks to Eric I fixed my dad’s bmw 335xi e92. Cooling fan wasn’t coming on. Had a code. Used the skills I learned from the dear Eric O, checked power, ground and signal. Had no power. I traced it down to a 3 ft area of the harness that had no power. Long story short found the relay was sitting loosely. Pressed it in and bam fan came on. My dad is so impressed by the skills I’ve learned over the last 5 years. So cool seeing your dad shockingly impressed. I get to REALLY help friends and family now. Thanks Eric.
A Dad loves to see that.
Signed, a Dad
The most frustrating part of this job is the difficulty in teaching this level of 'logical thinking'. Eric was flustered being in the moment, and many of us have been there. The real reward is that lightbulb moment when he realized that movement made a change. All the noise dissappeared and his mind became calm, he knew where to look. No scan tool will ever replace his experience.
I think thats a major problem with a lot of shops and stealerships these days . If the computer doesnt tell you what the problem is or how to fix it, they cant do it. 😂
The lightbulb moment was his scan tool histogram showing him the way, halleluyah. This is why datalogging is so important to diagnosis.
Well said, better than I could have done. He thought outside of the box and you could see that light in his head turn on!
@@CraigOverend
Absolutely essential in high speed applications. Of all the faults, "which was the first that took us out" was the common theme of our power plant troubleshooting whenever we lost a unit. We had time based trends for every tag (instrument) in our DCS control system that we could study and compare.
Experience is an awesome wingman.
I just spent an hour watching every second of this play out and it was better than watching a movie. Thank you for sharing all of the bad with the good.
You've got to play it at a faster (1.5x, 1.75x) speed. You do get used to it and then you can't go back to normal lol.
Same.
Not sure who could criticize billing the customer for the wiring rubdown diag. The car ran for 15000 miles and 4 months since the PCM was replaced. That’s well outside most warrantees for electronic parts and this situation sure drives home why that is. Your persistence, logical approach and diag equipment were the only things that prevented this customer from buying another set of parts. Possibly over and over again. Great job once again.
I couldn't agree more. The mileage and time that passed is well outside the warranty period that anyone would give. Get paid mister!!
@@shoelesstrucker4414 especially on a used part!
Wow 15000 miles in just 4 months...that's 45000 in a year...
@ The van is used for transport of some sort so high mileage is to be expected I guess
warranties. There are guarantees and a warranty. There are no warrantees.
A true mechanic admits fault, and criticizes theirself as a result which is what Eric did. During my career of evaluating failures on mechanical components for nearly 2 decades, and the root cause of those failures, I have found that mechanics are often too proud to admit when they make a mistake, but not Eric, and it's a great attribute. In my opinion, he did a good diagnosis in the OG video. The problem came after many more miles. Did the first computer go bad as a result of the short, possibly, but it may have just quit. The bare wire may have developed in the last 10,000+ miles, nobody knows. Eric is a stand up guy, and I learn a lot every time I watch his videos. Keep up the good work brother!
The best thing about a repair like this is the feeling you get when you finally fix it and you just KNOW no one else would have found it.
Agreed. The others shops could not find it. That's why it went to Eric. And those that think they would have found it much sooner than Eric are in dreamland. Retired mechanic in Land Down Under.
I agree, no one else would’ve found it. She would have had to trade it in or drive it without a sticker, I don’t think there are many Eric O’s out there. I know there aren’t any in my neck of the woods. If it was my car, I probably would’ve been quoted a wire harness and a brand new ECM with labor and wouldn’t have been worth it to fix it at that point
I would have found it. I was yelling at the screen (as soon as he said in the beginning when he put it in gear that it set the code), "Look at it on the scope when you drop it into gear!"
This is the kind of stuff I do often. Turn on the heater with the scanner (engine off), reach down to suspected areas and manipulate the harness while monitoring the scope. The problem will show up quick.
We don't have all the corrosion down ere that those guys get. That would suck, but then again we have a lot more older cars.
@@robertrocket-photos4963 So you would have found it at the first attempt. Well done you. Go and see Eric and give him some pointers.
And its locked in the memory bank for future recall.
Great job Eric! You almost had to change your closing comment to " If I can't do it, you sure as Heck can't do it either!" I had a similar diagnosis back in 1994. Chevy Lumina "dustbuster" van (don't know if you remember those as your too young). The tech next to me at the chevy dealer asked for my help with an intermittent issue. I suggested we look in the Service Manual for the schematic (another thing you may not have had the pleasure of using-actual book Service Manuals). I saw the suspect circuit had a Solder Splice dead center in the dashboard area and made an educated guess that the solder joint from the factory had one of the sharp pointy tangs sticking out through the factory tape right next to a metallic (grounded) object. When he and I had the dash removed, sure enough that is exactly what we found. He was amazed at my diagnosis. I was amazed that the harness passed GM QC before being installed on the assembly line! Just knowing that sometimes a solder connection is made with the pointy tangs gave me the idea to check even though it was a task to get to it, I was pretty confident it was there.
Similarly, when working for the Fleet I am still working for now, when we had the 1996,97,98 Taurus/Sables in our fleet, the harness in the left front wheel-well was notorious for having oddball wires developing high resistance to open-circuit issues. The problem was traced back to when the assembly line workers dragged the harness through the body openings it passed spikey spot weld areas that lacerated wires in the harness that eventually corroded and broke apart.
Like you Eric, I pride myself in being able to find these issues and repairing them without using a "parts-cannon" as you say, but man, I wish the car makers would do their due-diligence in making these issues super rare to non-existent by better design and execution. Our job is difficult enough without their help!
Once again, great job my brother (or my son I should say!). God Bless you and yours Eric. Stay safe and keep up the excellent education for our successors!
“If I can do it… you can do it”. Bull Sh.t
Eric you are amazing!
While service data is always “wrong”, and the fact that the scan tool “lies”, which is all true, it’s a complete miracle that any of us working on these types of concerns, ever discovers the truth about the fault.
I admire your perseverance.
These kinds of sneaky wiring failures have to be among the most frustrating for a tech to diagnose. This was *so* specific it would be almost impossible to foresee and the downside of it was that it toasted a PCM (well, two) on the way. Now, in all honesty, if I put on my customer hat, I could see how having to pay for a second PCM would probably be frustrating. But there's also no reasonable expectation that the actual fault would have ordinarily been discovered more readily by anyone else. It's not ideal for either party. But I also realize you can't repair things for free, either, or you have no shop. Great detective work as always, Eric. This one was a needle in a haystack.
I did only charge cost on the parts which I thought was fair. I try to play customer as well.
@@SouthMainAutoI think you were more than fair! After seeing that the customer had evidently reset the codes at least once, they have to accept part of the fault. (Would not think the PCM would have gone out the first time it pulled down). Great job and thanks for the video, I try to learn from them all!
@@SouthMainAuto Figured you would have done something like that without seeing this comment yet. As an avid DIYer who has chased down my fair share of electrical issues, if you would have showed me that I'd have not complained. Janet from accounting or Jim the intern though might just see a mechanic not backing up their work. I don't think the customer should have waited like 20K miles I think it was you said since they brought their car last in though. Could have fixed it sooner and maybe not require any parts or awkward situations on both sides. Not that you are in an awkward situation, just an opinion from a avid fan and who has learned a lot watching your channel over the years. I also find myself saying "ohhhh boy" when I see something jacked up. lol.
Some times you just have to chsulk it up to experience
@@smc9764 Signage on the side of the van indicates that it's likely used commercially as an escort vehicle for trucks with oversized loads. Explains the 20K miles in such a short period of time and why the customer didn't take it back to Eric when the MIL first lit up.
You charge for your work. I see nothing wrong with the way you diagnosed that problem. Great video, don't let anyone tell you differently.
Some of the best troubleshooting I've ever seen! WOW!
Yup!
Your "car show" comments always make me chuckle. I sell auto parts online for a living and the amount of people that say "This item has a nick in it and I'm 2 days away from a car show, I want a full refund." never ceases to amaze me.
That was a fun one! Thanks for sharing, the build of anticipation for "There's your problem lady!" was almost as bad as waiting for that buck to walk the final 5 yds for a shot!
The last five yards that takes over an hour 😲
@@SouthMainAuto hahahaha!! For sure
Eric you are one hell of mechanic I try to watch all your videos I have learned lots keep up the good work
As the saying goes; “Youngsters get paid for what they do, wise ole farts get paid for what they know”… Paraphrasing there a bit. 😂
Good form, good form.
Elementary dear Watson… 🕵🏻♂️🔍
Love that saying, I might have to steal it to use myself! 👌🏻👍🏻🛠️🤔
✊🏻🇺🇲🦅🇺🇲✊🏻
Jeez, Eric. Kudos and respects, man. I'm a good troubleshooter with decades of experience under my belt (consumer electronics, boats, and cars), but watching you in the first part gave the (very rare) sinking feeling that this one would have stumped me - and 99%+ of other troubleshooters as well. Without you, that car would have gone to the junkyard. You are friggin' *amazing,* and worth every penny you charge.
There is no need to explain yourself. Shit happens you found it fixed it. Good job. My favorite mechanic that allows us his presence on TH-cam
The two most valuable tools in the SMA toolbox: Integrity and Persistence
Those are never an easy repair/ Diagnosis… but the Customer was smart enough to take it to SMA to get it corrected.
Well done Sir!!👏🏻
customer could have saved some $$ had SMA been the FIRST stop!
What a beast!! Most shops in my area would have an entire OEM cat system installed and spark plugs. After the $3K bill they would tell you your "pads" are worn out and your 2,000 mile oil change is way overdue.....you ARE a rarity in this field and that's why all those shops send their "junk" your way. I love the win on this one....
Wow! Eric is a genius. I doubt one in a hundred mechanics would have figured out that issue.
I cannot imagine having a camera on me while troubleshooting. So many checks and tries only show what is not the problem. I think of how many times the chicken syndrome has lead me astray. It is amazing that you actually caught the problem with the engine rocking. All problems are more simple after you know the solution. Logic is everything, You are logic. Thank you for a well documented mystery.
Even though you don't show it in the video I can definitely can see you are frustrated with this repair! You made the right call I wouldn't second guess it, sometimes we fix a symptom to track the main cause later you did great and kudos for sharing the up's and down's with us on the channel!
What a ride! The frustration with the mystery fault, the excitement when you got a clue, then the elation when you found the wiring issue. Patience and perseverance paid off. Another great video and brilliant troubleshooting!
I am a fleet mechanic in the rust belt north of the border. I have seen this kind of wiring issue recently. It was a pita to find! I do not know everything, but I do know you are "THE MAN", mad respect for your skills.
i'm actually proud of myself, right when you said as soon as it is put in gear, code pops, I knew immediately it was because of the engine torqueing and moving some wires somewhere
Same here. I once fixed a 2007 Chevy Impala with a wheel speed sensor code that only set when the car went into gear. After someone else replaced a wheel bearing with a sensor I tracked it to the harness on the front of the engine block. As soon as he said the code popped when he put it in gear my money was on a rubbing wire somewhere.
I would lay hard earned money down that you are one of the best mechanics on the planet! You dont have to explain shit to me. Screw the haters!
"I am a repair shop, not a charity." Your damn right, you performed a miracle. That was a great find!🍻👏👏👏
Not many mechanics would have found that... You sir are elite! Cheers to you for your awesome diagnostic and repair skills! GOOD JOB!
That electrical tape trick is a life saver for all my years I thought theres gotta be a way to do this I'll never forget the mini roll 😂 thanks!
I can tell how humble you are after finding that bear wire. You are the man Eric, with Mrs, "O's" help
Wow, some jobs are easy (like a cylinder misfire caused by a bad coil), and some jobs are not easy. At around 25:00, I was thinking "There's your problem, lady". What a relief that we got to hear the beloved catchphrase at 38:26.
I'm not a mechanic, but this is still one of my favorite channels on TH-cam!
i'm no longer,, but i sure do appreciate talent when i see it.
Same 😊
Your description is understated, Eric. This has to be one of the hardest wiring issues I've ever seen on TH-cam. That's one crazy diagnosis. Without seeing live data while taking the car for a drive, knowing the criteria, understanding that the data being pulled to ground would be a circuit high, and only when the engine is flexing, I'm not sure how someone would be able to diagnose this; especially since the bad wire was buried in so much insulation. I think many would have stumbled upon finding the bad wire, but narrowing it down like that...I really can't think of many that would be able to. Not even the big TH-cam repair guys. ... I mean, the scope showed zero issues at idle and even when revving up. Slow clap standing ovation to Eric O from a cold 5AM warehouse someplace in Utah.
Eric....you have done the job well beyond boundaries of other mechanics. You, in our viewers' heads, are an ELITE mechanic. We do learned something from you.
I'm a 40yr retired med/heavy truck mechanic. I enjoy your channel. You have skills not many mechanics have. Most would have given up by now. The only other youtubers i can think of that could help, Scanner Danner and your friend in, is it long Island or Road island?
Great job Eric , your honesty and transparency is worth every penny!
Fantastic repair on that harness. There is nothing in this event indicating you missed the replaced module check. Modules WILL go bad for no apparent reason. The fact you found this problem will save several modules going forward. I agree totally with your reasoning and if this were my car, I'd be happy you nailed the problem as done.
It’s good that Eric is loving and caring to Mrs. O because this could have been a good time for a “work accident.” 😂
Yeah I was thinking about her passing up that insurance check.
You are a very patient diagnostician. I always enjoy watching and learning.
eric you are the one of the most dedicated technicans i have ever seen. incredible work ethic!
i wish i could work at a shop such as yours....ive had a million issues with wiring such as this and never gotten paid for my efforts... most customers would just assume the light is going to be on, or just put a piece of tape over it. generally id be lucky to get a full hour for replacing a computer. ive never been paid to drive cycle a car to confirm a repair EVER... it was equally hard to get 10 bucks to "drop everything go out to the parking lot and scan this ladys car".... ive since quit the shops now i just restore classic cars... who would pay you for this amazing repair noone else can fix? good job btw!
Most of this kind of work I do is for myself, so I get paid indirectly, by not having to pay someone to do it for me. Maybe you should try to find work at a shop that does auto electric only.
@@johntrauger68 if only such a shop exists.... most places are one stop shops that do alignment, tires, oil changes, A/C, repairs, diesel, everything shops that pick and choose gravy jobs and only address the engine light if the car runs bad. I actually had a Ford once the AC was inoperative, it misfired on 2 cylinders I got yelled at for fixing the misfires (thus allowing the A/C to work again) as I didn't have approval to do so... I still enjoy learning and watching your content... keep making videos!
Wow -- that was a hell of a hidden problem. Insane! Well done on the detective work -- most other shops would've just continued replacing the O2 sensors and PCM over and over and over.
Exactly 5000$ later your problem
I’m just glad that you bring us viewers along so we can diagnose this together. We as a family appreciate you sir. Thank you for all your time.
Got to charge them Eric! We have a 2023 KW truck - needed the body control module reflashed -dealership charged us 12 hours labor @ 195.00/hour - NO Warranty - said they had to check all of the wiring harnesses. They call the reflash - Overlayed the wiring harness - BS!
Keep up the great work - Thanks for the videos!!!
First class again Sherlock. That was a cracking investigation and final result. You have every right to charge them, especially after 14000 miles from the previous repair. Finding Technicians like you are like searching for rocking horse poop.
Szacun za poświęcony czas i nie spuszczenie tego kibla... prawdziwy detektyw. Pierwsza klasa robota
Not a mechanic, I’m a telecom technician (and automotive DIYer), I love your videos because you’re an excellent troubleshooter. And brother; do I HATE being wrong. I feel your pain.
I've learned so much from Ivan and Dr. O
I'm glad they share the information.
Thank you so much guys. ❤
I second that. Thank you guys.
Just more proof that Mr. O is one of the best diagnosticians in the auto repair industry
Really enjoyed this one, thanks for taking us along.
You're the man tasked with finding the needle in the haystack and it's your expertise and skill that found it. I'd pay for that every day of the week
I wanna live long enough to see this great guy great guy and channel go over one million. It will be well deserved. 😊
That is actually pretty amazing. Another great example of patience and logic finding the solution.
The fact you were able to duplicate the concern is lucky at best! Good work Eric
What you accomplished was once again priceless! Another great diagnostic catch, due to refined instincts from EXPERIENCE.
If this was easy, everyone could do it. Its not. The history of this vehicle, from the previous videos and these two, convince me you deserve not only your wage for a job well done, but a nice bonus too. Step up Lady and fork it over. I'm going back to watch these two videos over again! Very Nice Eric. I love the tenacity. The absolute refusal to quit is just one of the reasons I love your channel.
I understood about 2% of what you were saying but I still couldn’t stop watching. You sir are a genius!
Hi Eric and Mrs. O., this is why we all watch this channel! Like a dog goin after bone, you are the man Mr.E O.Nice Job! Btw as soon as you said when you put it in it screw up, ya baby, thanks Eric this was a fun one to watch! Now go in the house pound a couple cold ones!
Thanks for bringing your talent to the world through TH-cam and making your clients happy!!
Brilliant diagnostics, as always. You definitely did check wiring integrity in the first video. Problem is, the intermittent problem was concealed. It's another lesson for all of us to wonder why a driver would fail the next time we see this. Even in retrospect this would be a difficult call without the clue while forward power braking. I also completely agree with charging for your time, it's the only way shops like yours stay open.
Skilled labor isn't cheap and cheap labor isn't skilled 🤷🏼♂️
Ooo Eric said the quiet part outloud! I told y'all when the braces come off all bets are off.. WE'RE BACK BABY
Your time is priceless to figure these tough trouble shooting cases, a big head nod to you
I always like a challenge...except when it is intermittent and caused by multiple failures. Still, it keeps you on your toes. Absolutely great video and story! Bill the customer but perhaps try to explain why it took two trips into repair (well, maybe not. ) You have certainly fixed/repaired your fair share of problems that others could not. Your experience is worth money.
Absolute legend of diagnostics, I wish I was half asleep good as you..... there's nothing more satisfying than fixing something that others can't 👍
Send the invoice, your are definitely not a charity!
Nice job! Just finding a used PCM that works is a miracle in itself. Finding a new one that works is impossible!
You have my utmost admiration in finding that one - great diagnostic skills and persistence. One point here, this has clearly been worked on before, and my impression is that if the harness had been restrained properly after that work, then this problem wouldn't have happened. Lesson for everyone out there - take the extra 2 minutes to do the job properly. On the other hand, it does give Eric some good content.....
Great deductive reasoning Mr O, didn't do it in reverse but did it in drive! I know that these types of issues can be absolutely frustrating but they make great content, like a little automotive murder mystery!
Awesome find, as usual. I once took a car to a shop that specialized in electrical troubleshooting and repair. And when I did, I was told up front that I couldn't be given an estimate. Watching you work on this, and other cars, makes me much more understanding of the "no estimate", estimate. I think you've forgotten more than most mechanics will ever know, esp. with electrical. Kudos. Great video. Thanks. Cheers.
Good job brother! She might be a little cranky now but in a few months when it's still running good she will be happy again 😊
Any mechanic would have scratched their head and struggled to find the problem and given up. Eric you save the day! It was a pleasure to watch this video.
Mrs O was a great addition in the process of troubleshooting. Her measured pressure on the gas made the engine tilting the exact angle to where Mr O was looking. That was excellent. By the way if Eric would have not charged the client for his time, Mrs O would have charged the customer for hers.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, it does bring confidence for the DIY people and the Pro’s
Amazing that you stuck with it. Very thorough. I couldn't have done what you did. No patience but you rock Eric O!!
Very valuable video. Got to watch an expert track down a truly difficult issue. Watching you wrestle with next steps and then logically assess what needed to be done to find the issue is more valuable and interesting to experience than you probably realize.
You are just about the only technician on TH-cam who will go that extra mile to get to the bottom of the problem! All others that I have watched try and take shortcuts to get to the bottom of the problem and usually end up with BIG problems! They don't take the time to explain, like you, what they are doing and why! I don't like throwing parts at a car without properly diagnosing the problem, FIRST! Common sense is necessary also! Even I learn something new by watching your channel! Thanks for all the useful information!
So, the dealer would have been right on this one. “It needs a whole new wiring harness!” 😂
Most shops charge for TRYING to fix a car. Swapping parts...guessing. At least when you charge them, it's actually fixed. No one can fault you for having trouble finding an intermittent problem. It's tough to find what ain't broke! (till it is.) Just keep doing what you do. Don't worry about the haters. Mrs O is the only one needs to love ya!
I feel for you Mr. O. Those problems are a bugger to chase down. Way back in the 1980s I was a system engineer sent to fix an intermittent problem on a military airplane. After 3 or 4 days only occasionally getting the fault to repeat we isolated it down to a specific twisted triple shielded wire run, put a 1000 volts AC on it and finally got a hard short between the wire and the shield. Moved the wire just a bit and the short went away. Replaced the wire run and problem never came back.
The subtle Eric O comedy ......Ref SMA mini roll of Tesa tutorial "Spin it around at least 9 times...." 🤣
Awesome skills and find on this one Eric ! Damn good mechanic.
Great job Eric. Very interesting diagnostic.
You never cease to impress me! nuff said! persistence and pride are rare in todays new world. You give me hope friend! You teach waaay more than how to fix vehicles. Thank You.
Epic find Eric, not many would have spent the time.
The people that bring you their cars are really lucky folks, wish you were my mechanic.
After watching a couple of his videos, I said to myself I have to see how far his shop is from my home. Sure enough he was about 40 miles away and now Eric is my new mechanic. Eric is just as nice, just as smart and just as honest as he and Mrs. O display themselves on their channel. Eric is the BEST MECHANIC I have ever met!
@@jamesduddleston-f5x you have chosen wisely...you lucky son of a gun.😁
Awesome video once again! Fun tape trick: at the edge of the tape where you pull from: fold about a quarter inch of the tape back onto itself: sticky side to sticky side, you now have an easy to find pull tab. Or just put a piece of twist tie near the edge of the tape and held in place by the tape.
Great job Eric….and totally agree charging for your time and all components. The other shops would have walked away from this one.
Honesty….. your integrity shines through….. Been watching you since the beginning and still watching. This is what makes it so good.
I am NOT claiming to know a lot....BUT when you said 'as soon as I dropped it in gear..the light came on'... I sort of suspected a possible wire rub or harness being pulled due to engine torquing.
After watching this channel for years I wasn't surprised you found the problem.
What a catch. Perseverance and knowledge - a winning combination. Wish we had a SMA here in Newfoundland, Canada
Eric has a lot of trust in Mrs O!!!!!
:)
Yeah I never would have survived giving my x-wife the chance to make my death look like a accident.
I second that. No way I would do that with my wife behind the wheel lol. She can’t even feather the gas to get it on a set of ramps. 😂
Although I'm sure this type of repair isn't your favorite to do i think they make the best videos. You are one hell of a detective and your trouble shooting skills are mind blowing! Thanks for another awesome video and keep them coming.
You know I like the fact that Eric is a honest guy if it was a fault of his he would fix it and make it right.. in this case I don't fault him for this perhaps if other mechanics break a zip tie well fix it.. this probably could have been avoided
Darn tooting there is a charge for this. You are absolutely right that modules fail because they are an electronic component in a moving vehicle subject to all kinds of stresses. When it came in for the same issue then you have to look for what is causing this failure. This was not an obvious problem or it would have been fixed already. Anybody else would have slapped another pcm and called it a day, all the while blaming it on defective parts. You were the one that made the connection between the problem coming in when it was in drive and fixed the wire. You are the man of the hour.
Thank you for sharing this with us!!!!
Ah yes, the 'ol electrical gremlins. Had them in PC repair too. Excellent work, Eric I respect your process and work.