I've watched quite a few of your videos as an engineer and technician I'm very impressed. You do a great job of keeping the audience up-to-date with your troubleshooting and how you arrive at each decision. Your troubleshooting is methodical (you don't easter egg) and takes into account access to troubleshooting points. Your code reader rocks (and yes it did set you back a pretty penny). I'm a DIY kinda of guy, but I also understand that I can't have every tool and believe that having the right tools for the job and break or make the deal when it comes to fixing and repairing. I value good workmanship, but also acknowledge that sometimes an intermittent fault can be very difficult to diagnose and fix. Sometimes replacing a component doesn't fix the problem and you have to go back and have it looked at again - and we shouldn't necessarily blame the technician. I find myself learning something from every video you make, so it is not wasted time. Thank you for the great work! Keep it up! BTW - I need to start selling you brake cleaner....you use a lot....but it's clear you go the extra mile and in my book that means a great deal. If I lived closer you would be my mechanic of choice.
You read my mind about those spark plug gaps. I really have to compliment you on your filming ability. It's always easy to see what you are doing even in difficult situations. I wonder if you were to include the model of vehicle and the repair in the description that you might get more clicks from people wanting to do the repair on their own. I know I have personally used youtube videos to help with repairs I do and yours are way better than most.
I've bought brand new spark plugs and found they were gapped incorrectly. I don't know if it's a manufacturing issue or perhaps it's from them knocking about during transit. It could also be because they were cheapos. (Although they were Bosch)
@@jublywubly if you look at the description online of the ones you bought say on the auto zone website it’ll tell you the gap and if you look at your owners manual there should be a part number for the correct ones. i recently bought spark plugs for my buick that were .45 and the part number was off by 1 digit of what my owners manual said so i exchanged them for the correct ones and those were gapped at .35. almost screwed myself lol
@@briannablakeman Thanks for that! :-) I'm in Australia, but we have similar stores. Since I did my post, one of them has a great new feature where we can type our vehicle's car registration and they'll list all the compatible parts. Unfortunately, that's the same company that only sells the crappy spark plugs that have a needle-point in the anode(? centre of the spark plug), that burns away in a couple of months. On the plus side, I've now upgraded my vehicle to one that uses much more hard wearing iridium spark plugs. :-) My last car needed a lot of work, including a new engine. It wasn't worth spending AU$12,000+ on a car that would still be worth AU$1000 at the end of it.
Thanks again Ray for the video. As a 73 year old ex oval builder and racer I am still learning tricks of the trade In vehicle repairs although must admit i no longer do as much as i used to, but, enjoy watching and diagnosing or at least thinking about whats wrong as you go through the check list then resolve the faults. It keeps my tired old brain ALIVE.. lol - STILL a petrol head (Ok also a diesel head) here In the UK..
Ps. I love how on just about every job you do something just a little extra to ensure good maintenance even if it’s on something it’s not there for. So hard to find a mechanic that goes even that extra 10 seconds. I’m a big DIY guy and sometimes I just don’t have the time or knowledge to do something and it’s so hard for me to take it somewhere. But I’d definitely trust you with my car in a heartbeat
when i was a kid one of my grandfathers taught me to use a long-shafted screwdriver as a stethoscope. it was amazing what i could, and sometimes didn't, hear. a great diagnostic tool. totally analogue. no moving parts. THANKS, GRANDPA!!!
Perhaps your very best video. Highly precise and accurate. No falling fastners, no failures. Just good, efficient repairs. Well done, and most educational. Thanks.
@@jaykoerner They do that for the clowns at the factory putting these cars together in 30 seconds as the vehicle is moving and they can't make too many mistakes.
@@SurferJoe46 that doesn't make it hard to remember where stuff goes, also I would assume cost saving more then making the job easier, 1 extra inch of hose is a penny wasted
@@fyrbyrd71 do yourself a huge favor, rip out the quadrajunk and factory intake, grab a good dual plane intake and aftermarket carb and save yourself the headache.
Did a 1/2 brake job on my car this weekend. Just got rotors turned due to rust from lack of use and when I tightened the bolts for the brake hardware I said without thinking..."CLICK".
That being a Chrysler. Switch the ignition key on and off 3 times. The 3rd time landing in the run position. Don't start the engine. The codes will appear on the digital mileage indicator.
The rodents know when a car is not driven everyday. This person had disabled placard. It's a expensive problem when they eat the soybased wiring. Great Job Ray!👍👍👍👍
Had a Dodge pickup lose power and run like crap due to rodents chewing on the injector wires, mechanic said he sees it fairly frequently. My vehicle was driver every day, so i guess it was a hit-and-run job for the mouse/rat/squirrel/whatever.
I wish there was more mechanics like you I don't trust mechanics because they scan people And you are very honest I've been watching your videos for a very long time I wish there was more mechanics like you unfortunately there's not
It had to be a relief that none of the wires were chewed up. Just mechanical issues, not rodent related. You always make the jobs look easy. I guess doing this job every day would make it just a walk in the park. Occasional backyard mechanics (like myself) would cringe at the idea of tearing into something that someone else diagnosed. How could I trust their diagnosis? Experience is the key! Good video! Thanks for sharing the information!
The intakes are usually molded Pa**GF. Its actually really strong stuff, flows particularly well and as long as there is no steam in contact with it, it will last for a really long time. Guys complain about the plastic end tanks on radiators and in the cooling system in general but as long as its not overheating perpetually they actually do really well at relative low cost. I have seen some teardowns of the pentastar v6 and almost everything is plastic. The foam sound deadening is everywhere.
Honestly, plastic is one of the best things that has happened to vehicles when applied properly and quality plastics are used. They are cheaper than metal, often last longer (due to not being susceptible to corrosion), reduce vehicle weight, and seal better. I'd take a late 90's to mid-00's vehicle over an older vehicle or newer vehicle any day. Just the right balance of quality metal and quality plastic parts. Easier to work on than any vehicle produced today, less points of failure, less electrical issues.
To assist you in the future, the misfire counter is under System Tests, then Which Cylinder is Misfiring. Another great diagnostic adventure. Thanks sir! 👍👍
Hey Ray! Big fan! I didn't know there were more people in the world that are as goofy as me, especially mocking the phone ringing lol. With that being said, you're attention to detail never ceases to impress! Doing the right thing every time seems to be getting lost in some trades. If I can offer one thing, when you're tired of "doing", please teach. You have a natural talent for it and you could influence so many new mechanics with your awesome work ethics!
Ray, love your channel and your vids, man! I'm not a mechanic, I'm a DIY'er and rarely take my car to the shop unless I have no other choice. I've learned alot about tools, techniques, and patience watching your videos. I also learned that I need to "up" my tool game a little. Ordering a few things off Amazon including better clamp pliers and the caliper spreader, as well as a good electric ratchet. I usually use and air ratchet, but the electric seems much more flexible, especially in tight places. Thanks for all you do, and for sharing your work. It makes a difference to shade tree mechanics like me!
That's a good point about the risk of a vacuum leak from a port fuel injector seal, I never understood that. Of course. Fuel won't necessarily leak out, if the seal between the injector and intake manifold is sucking air in. Manufacturers made diagnostics so much more difficult when they decided to hide injectors underneath the intake.
I have a 14 charger with the same engine, have always been a pro taking off both intakes but was always scared to mess with the fuel rail but now i know its so simple thanks!!
I would liked to have seen a continuity test of the old Injector and verification of power and driver availability at the injector connector. Prior to Shotgunning a part.
@@paisleyprince5280 Yup, first thing you do is test. Injectors are the easiest to test. DMM or scan tool with bi directional Lost some respect for Ray on this one.
@@tomashton1781 You have alotta money to waste then. No need to change parts that show no sign of wear. That's the benefit of having a computer on board. It will tell you if your injectors are bad. On a 6 cyl engine you're talking 600 bucks if you can find them under 100 bucks apiece. If you do OEM you could be talking about 1200+. All to avoid doing what he just did?
Based on the look of the bottom of that injector, I personally would be tempted to replace them all, or the rings at least. Nice video, it's always the back row, isn't it?!
Yes it is. I've a 2004 Taurus that has 180,000 miles, 62,000 miles of which have been with me. I've had to replace 3 rear bank ignition coils due to failure, while the front coils are original. The only thing I can figure is that with the intake covering the rear coils and them being at the back of the engine, there's just a lot more heat which causes them to fail.
We have problems with Pine Martens here in Greece 🇬🇷. Eaten main wireing loom in my Isuzu . My wife had the entire bonnet insulation eaten plus half of the fire wall insulation in her car. Dryed pine marten crap and a haft eaten rat nice. You have a good day 👍
I'v done a lot of work on the Pentastar v6, but I noticed when the fuel injector is bad there is a black liquid substance that drips from them. The only thing I can think of is poor fuel care or the plastic fuel rail is breaking down within the system not sure. Great job man!
I’m extremely impressed by your work ethic! Your videos are well done, informative and entertaining! I just wish I was in your area. Keep up the content! I’m hooked!
Love your videos. I was an auto technician years ago and I can appreciate your level of skill (very high). One thought though. I don't know if it's prevalent in your area, but you won't get rabies from rodent droppings. However, you can get Hanta virus. It's rare, but can be fatal in some cases. Many patients were infected from cleaning up mouse or rat droppings. I'd hate to see anything happen to you. Good techs are hard to find.
Wow...that was a lot of unwanted crap. i would have sprayed the areas down with brakleen or similar...that stuff would surely kill any unwanted disease left by the critters. A great video as always Ray!!
Always check the oil filter housing and cooler unit under the lower intake manifold for oil leakage into the engine valley on the penta stars! FCA has made updated units as well as better seals for newer engines with the latest housing design that still leak. I just had to do a 2017 caravan! Only put seals and so far so good...something to look for anytime the intake manifold has to come off. Nice work and video!
I had a minivan once and went out to go to work and the engine had a terrible misfire. I opened the hood and a squirrel was sitting in the engine compartment and flew out. I saw small bits of plastic wire insulation all over the place and found that he had chewed through 3 of my 6 fuel injector wires. I had to get my soldering iron out and repair them. I still made it to work on time but barely.
Great repair I was surprised they didn't eat the injector wires also so they used that engine as a next Not a food source which was nice jt was just a faulty injector @Rainman Ray's Repairs
Tech tip......always check for injector AND coil codes.....because on that engine, if the coil is out of range, the ecu will shut off the injector for that hole
One day I went out to find my 94 ZJ Jeep running incredibly rough. Looked under hood and found rodents chewed up a bunch of hoses, wires, and the MAF sensor pigtail [from engine wire harness] right down to the plug. All together they affected at least 5 systems in my engine. For less than $30 I was able to buy new vacuum hoses, connectors, and plug end for the injector coil, but I couldn't buy just the pigtail for MAF sensor and new one didn't come with new pigtail. Until I could get to a junk yard, I had to figure out how to take plug end apart and re-solder wires directly onto the pins inside the plug. Totally did it, all the while it was below freezing outside. After I got everything reconnected engine worked perfectly!
Talking about working outside freezing, in heavy ice and snow a few years ago here In the UK my daughter car (A UK Ford econocar) little 1300 CC engine, started great, ran at low revs great but refused to run right as soon as you tried to rev the engine, day after day i tried many things, new "cheap" coil, new plugs, older set of plugs, new wires checked the injection pump, almost gave up but a friend said - Buy a genuine coil and try that, so I did, INSTANTLY cured the problem, as the original coil and new cheap Chinese coil were both faulty, with its wasted spark system, a new Ford coil made It run like new, better than it ever had been.. I ended up being with "Man Flu" after though..lol Ian - UK.
Squirrels climbed on top of my gas tank of my ford Ranger(240k miles). They chewed the wires but the only failure was the gas gauge. I just kept track of my mileage since last fill up and never ran out of gas.
Thanks for making another great, informative video. The gear stick next to the steering wheel is such a weird place. It'd be annoying. I'm sure many people have accidentally whacked it when they go to indicate or change something on the stereo. I hope you warned the vehicle owner about potential damage from leaving their OBD 2 reader in the OBD 2 port, or it could be a lesson of letting people learn from their own mistakes.
Ray I always check for injector pulse on these guys, before doing a injector replacement. I have see more than one with a blown driver in the computer from a shorted injector. I have also see the coil packs short and blow the driver in the computer.
I hope you get over your respiratory ailment, Ray. When that happens to me, I usually end up with full blown bronchitis. Take care of your body, because you're going to need it a very long time.
There was a company owned simi truck that required a major engine overhaul. From that day forward, that truck suffered overheating. The shop tried everything. Water pump-thermostats-radiator all no luck. with 50K on the new engine this truck suffered a collision which totaled the truck . The engine was salvaged & was again tore down for a rebuild. Inside the engine oil cooler was found a red shop rag. !
Pulled all 4 plugs in the used car my son bought. 2 were factory original. 2 were much shorter and for the 6cyl engine. Still ran fine with 2 wrong plugs, but gas mileage greatly increased with 4 new plugs.
Textbook troubleshooting with the scan tool. Well done. Iridium spark plug gap?...measure and make a note. Otherwise, leave them alone. But all the shade tree mechanics say 'gap them', wrong. This is 2021 not 1993. Those are the same people that say ignore the engine oil spec, just use what's handy, close enough...
Great video. I did notice that one of the clips that stabilizes the radiator hose against the intake was missing (you attached the other one). Only assume it was missing before the repair.
Awsome videos Ray I came across your channel one day and I can't stop watching very informative. Your knowledge is impressive can't stop watching. I would bring my car to you any day unfortunately I live in Massachusetts where you get all 4 seasons in a week lol
It is important to note that dielectric grease will melt silicone rubber over time, and thus should not be used on connectors, such as o-rings, that are made of this rubber. That was from Permatex directly just a heads up...
A power probe or a ohm meter across the injector coil and a quick check with a noid light. Easy stuff to do BEFORE you condemn a part. I realise that these engine have issues with fuel injectors. I replaced all of them on a jeep wrangler a few months back. I still measured the resistance on the injector, or lack thereof in that case. It's always a good idea to verify what the ECM thinks is going on is what is going on. I would consider this a lucky guess, at best.
Nice job, good diag. Nice that people agree and want the work done. You get handed out decent work to make money on. Never forget how important that is. Some places are like a dry well because of wrong attitude. You get that feeling of having done the car some good and helped your customer. Blessings to you.
To be fair, if you know how to use them, those bluetooth scanners aren't too bad. They can perform a lot of the functions of a more expensive traditional scan tool. But you do have to know what you're doing and what to look for.
I was thinking in the trash also, but being customer property....I know you can't do that....lolol.... have seen those actually cause problems as well, such as erroneous "communication problems"....
I have got taking that intake off down to a art because all the oil filter housing that leak on that motor. And ofc Walmart oil change places beaking parts in the housing.
They'll be back. I've replaced all the rocker arms on two pentastar engines this month. In a van like this and a jeep grand cherokee. Quite a bit of work required to do. But necessary
Just curious, why not test it with a noid light? Especially since there wasn't any visible damage. I would be worried about them getting deeper into the harness.
I would agree, considering the location, and the apparent rodent infestation, it would have been wise to take an extra 5 to 10 minutes to verify that the wiring to the injector was indeed good.
I have to cut a lot of things out for the sake of time. I didn’t noid light this one though. Used deductive reasoning. PCM says injector circuit was faulty (and it was intermittent, I could tell because the misfire came and went) Didn’t find a problem with the wiring, therefore I concluded that the injector had a fault.
Unfortunately testing it with a noid light requires turning it over with the intake off. I usually use a buzz box to test injectors before replacing them. GM has this in their diagnostics, Chrysler/Fiat usually don’t
Good work fella! I've watched a good bit of your videos lately. You always learn something new even being a car person. Greetings from the land of vikings :-) BTW have a speedy recovery
Hey man just want to say great vids but also wanted to let you know that you still can get misfire counters ..well I have a verus Pro not sure about all snap-on scanners but in dodge Chrysler and jeep .. if u go in the active test function I believe u should see a " which cylinder is misfiring" data
I had a 2016 Chevy Colorado with the 2.8L Duramax get a rat infestation. Insurance covered the repairs I only had to pay insurance deductible. over 2,000 in damaged wires and insulation, most of the cost was labor hours.
@@SurferJoe46 I see that you can damage the plated surface of the electrodes if there is a gap issue...BUT you can check the gap with plastic feeler gage and that will not hurt the plating. When rainman used that taper gage,he actually was wrong. It is critical not to damage the spark surfaces according to the recommendations on the Internet. See you can teach an old dog new tricks.....lol thanks
had the same problem with rats and palm nuts on my wife's 2006 Commodore Omega (GMH) here in Queensland Australia (same climate as Florida) , fortunately they hadnt chewed the wiring ......just made a hell of a mess using the space under beauty covers as a food storage bin , nasty little bastards lol
Last week I had to remove decomposed fuel from a tank and then clean it. For several days my throat felt like I got the bug, but luckily were only the toxic chemicals!.
You vacuuming all that debris reminded me of the movie Tommy Boy. David Spade vacuuming up the moths in the hotel room. "Can we get any more moths in here?"
This happened to my new company vehicle, a 2017 Ford Explorer. My wires were damaged by squirrels. Here’s what I learned: “The hood was opened, and there, at the bottom, was a squirrel looking up at me in [its] nest,” Horowitz told Car and Driver. “Apparently the squirrel chewed through the wires as well as the Vehicle Stability Assist wire programming.” Horowitz said he was shocked when the repair bill came to a staggering $3600. At the time, the car was only five months old and showed 3100 miles on the odometer. Luckily for him, Horowitz was able to get Honda to pay for “99 percent” of the needed repairs. But the question remains, why did squirrels choose to make his brand-new vehicle home, instead of the two older Honda vehicles sitting in his driveway? Some believe the culprit could be modern car wiring or, more specifically, the soy-based insulation used to wrap it. This insulation can be an irresistible treat for rats, mice, squirrels, and even rabbits. The issue has become so widespread that several class-action lawsuits have been levied at automakers, with some of the highest-profile cases involving Honda and Toyota. Until roughly a decade ago, most car companies used wiring insulation that was petroleum based. The introduction of soy-based wire insulation was meant to have a twofold benefit: It was less expensive for automakers and, because it used soy instead of oil, it was better for the environment. But some unhappy car owners now counter that the greener wiring is now luring the environment, particularly the animal kingdom, under the hoods of their vehicles.
Just one question Ray, I have never heard your back story. Where did you cut your teeth? Was it as a general mechanic/technician or at a dealership? What age did you start? How long do you have to apprentice and there are probably many more questions but I have been watching for 6 months or so and was just pondering this. Appreciate any reply or if anyone else knows. Thanks. Chris - Not a mechanic and never will be. I just love watching you, Eric O and Ivan figure stuff out. Thanks again.
I had a customer with a no crank no start. A rodent chewed thru the main harness. It took me 8 hours to solder 42 connections. Oh and they were parked under a tree in a field.😂 We originally planned to just replace the harness but there was none that was available.
the intermittents are the worse to chase,...for me anyway as i just dont have enough experiece reading the scope etc, even though i know some things about it...Thank you for the videos
Nice job bro..Great skill's and a great attitude.. I just like to watch you work. My days of wrking on much are over..Wish you were in my burg I'd have you wrking on ALL my Junk !! Lol ! Keep up the good work ! I give all yer vids the thumbs up !
No resistance check?? There was so much animal chewing activity under the hood I’m surprised there was no damaged injector wires. Taking that into consideration, a resistance check would help eliminate wiring problems and 100% confirm bad injector (for high resistance, remember the injector circuit fault). Also resistance comparison between all injectors may further represent the overall ‘health’ of the others. I’ve seen quite a few injector issues with Chrysler vehicles. Last one was a late 2000 minivan with a misfire after a hotsoak, no stored circuit codes. Found bad injector with high resistance and another reading significantly higher than the others but not as high as the bad one. Resistance tests aren’t a sure thing, but in my case I knew to replace both injectors. Good job on this one, keep up the great work!!
My 04 Camry had an engine misfire, and it was shaking like a cold man without a jacket. I had to replace the coil pack, valve cover gasket, and spark plugs to fix it.
I've watched quite a few of your videos as an engineer and technician I'm very impressed. You do a great job of keeping the audience up-to-date with your troubleshooting and how you arrive at each decision. Your troubleshooting is methodical (you don't easter egg) and takes into account access to troubleshooting points. Your code reader rocks (and yes it did set you back a pretty penny). I'm a DIY kinda of guy, but I also understand that I can't have every tool and believe that having the right tools for the job and break or make the deal when it comes to fixing and repairing. I value good workmanship, but also acknowledge that sometimes an intermittent fault can be very difficult to diagnose and fix. Sometimes replacing a component doesn't fix the problem and you have to go back and have it looked at again - and we shouldn't necessarily blame the technician. I find myself learning something from every video you make, so it is not wasted time. Thank you for the great work! Keep it up! BTW - I need to start selling you brake cleaner....you use a lot....but it's clear you go the extra mile and in my book that means a great deal. If I lived closer you would be my mechanic of choice.
You read my mind about those spark plug gaps. I really have to compliment you on your filming ability. It's always easy to see what you are doing even in difficult situations. I wonder if you were to include the model of vehicle and the repair in the description that you might get more clicks from people wanting to do the repair on their own. I know I have personally used youtube videos to help with repairs I do and yours are way better than most.
I've bought brand new spark plugs and found they were gapped incorrectly. I don't know if it's a manufacturing issue or perhaps it's from them knocking about during transit. It could also be because they were cheapos. (Although they were Bosch)
@@jublywubly if you look at the description online of the ones you bought say on the auto zone website it’ll tell you the gap and if you look at your owners manual there should be a part number for the correct ones. i recently bought spark plugs for my buick that were .45 and the part number was off by 1 digit of what my owners manual said so i exchanged them for the correct ones and those were gapped at .35. almost screwed myself lol
@@briannablakeman
Thanks for that! :-)
I'm in Australia, but we have similar stores. Since I did my post, one of them has a great new feature where we can type our vehicle's car registration and they'll list all the compatible parts. Unfortunately, that's the same company that only sells the crappy spark plugs that have a needle-point in the anode(? centre of the spark plug), that burns away in a couple of months.
On the plus side, I've now upgraded my vehicle to one that uses much more hard wearing iridium spark plugs. :-)
My last car needed a lot of work, including a new engine. It wasn't worth spending AU$12,000+ on a car that would still be worth AU$1000 at the end of it.
That's an excellent point, I have done so in the past as well. More clickage!
Thanks again Ray for the video. As a 73 year old ex oval builder and racer I am still learning tricks of the trade In vehicle repairs although must admit i no longer do as much as i used to, but, enjoy watching and diagnosing or at least thinking about whats wrong as you go through the check list then resolve the faults. It keeps my tired old brain ALIVE.. lol - STILL a petrol head (Ok also a diesel head) here In the UK..
Ps. I love how on just about every job you do something just a little extra to ensure good maintenance even if it’s on something it’s not there for. So hard to find a mechanic that goes even that extra 10 seconds. I’m a big DIY guy and sometimes I just don’t have the time or knowledge to do something and it’s so hard for me to take it somewhere. But I’d definitely trust you with my car in a heartbeat
when i was a kid one of my grandfathers taught me to use a long-shafted screwdriver as a stethoscope.
it was amazing what i could, and sometimes didn't, hear. a great diagnostic tool. totally analogue. no moving parts.
THANKS, GRANDPA!!!
Perhaps your very best video. Highly precise and accurate. No falling fastners, no failures. Just good, efficient repairs.
Well done, and most educational. Thanks.
I was familiar with the earlier engines (50s-60-70s) and you going thru the engines the way you do is very enlightening for me. Thank you.
i'm always impressed on how you remember where all these hoses get hooked back up to....
Most of the time it's easy since they are only long enough to go one place and /or the sizes don't match other hookups
@@jaykoerner They do that for the clowns at the factory putting these cars together in 30 seconds as the vehicle is moving and they can't make too many mistakes.
@@SurferJoe46 that doesn't make it hard to remember where stuff goes, also I would assume cost saving more then making the job easier, 1 extra inch of hose is a penny wasted
Try the "as it lays" method when doing an '85 Cutlass v8 carb or intake gasket or engine R+R.
One's gonna be looking for a diagram!
@@fyrbyrd71 do yourself a huge favor, rip out the quadrajunk and factory intake, grab a good dual plane intake and aftermarket carb and save yourself the headache.
Missfire counters are under Functional Tests on the Snap On tool for Mopars.
You breezed through that engine tear down and reassembly. I'm super impressed.
Did a 1/2 brake job on my car this weekend. Just got rotors turned due to rust from lack of use and when I tightened the bolts for the brake hardware I said without thinking..."CLICK".
LOL its catching Is`nt It.
I hope you didn't forget to have a great day.
I say Click all the time now. #thanksyoutube
@@patrickmitchell6968 it's still early, can go both ways
That being a Chrysler. Switch the ignition key on and off 3 times. The 3rd time landing in the run position. Don't start the engine. The codes will appear on the digital mileage indicator.
The rodents know when a car is not driven everyday. This person had disabled placard. It's a expensive problem when they eat the soybased wiring. Great Job Ray!👍👍👍👍
It's the ones that can read that you've got to worry about.
So a little spray with WD-40. Most animal hate it. Or winter wiper fluid with bittering agent.
Had a Dodge pickup lose power and run like crap due to rodents chewing on the injector wires, mechanic said he sees it fairly frequently. My vehicle was driver every day, so i guess it was a hit-and-run job for the mouse/rat/squirrel/whatever.
Yes, rodents are smart. They can read a disabled placard when they see it, and when they do they also know it's dinner time!
Why is soy showing up every-fricking-where?
I wish there was more mechanics like you I don't trust mechanics because they scan people And you are very honest I've been watching your videos for a very long time I wish there was more mechanics like you unfortunately there's not
It had to be a relief that none of the wires were chewed up. Just mechanical issues, not rodent related. You always make the jobs look easy. I guess doing this job every day would make it just a walk in the park. Occasional backyard mechanics (like myself) would cringe at the idea of tearing into something that someone else diagnosed. How could I trust their diagnosis? Experience is the key! Good video! Thanks for sharing the information!
My morning cup of coffee and Rainman Ray, makes for a good day.
Thanks. I always appreciate knowing the mileage of the vehicles you're working on.
Literally this guy is the only guy I would let fix my veichle if I went to a shop I’m a mechanic also and he is like me detail oriented
Except for not paying attention when blowing out he debris. I saw some crap fly in there.
It's amazing, how much plastic is used in engines now! 😮
The intakes are usually molded Pa**GF. Its actually really strong stuff, flows particularly well and as long as there is no steam in contact with it, it will last for a really long time. Guys complain about the plastic end tanks on radiators and in the cooling system in general but as long as its not overheating perpetually they actually do really well at relative low cost.
I have seen some teardowns of the pentastar v6 and almost everything is plastic. The foam sound deadening is everywhere.
Honestly, plastic is one of the best things that has happened to vehicles when applied properly and quality plastics are used. They are cheaper than metal, often last longer (due to not being susceptible to corrosion), reduce vehicle weight, and seal better. I'd take a late 90's to mid-00's vehicle over an older vehicle or newer vehicle any day. Just the right balance of quality metal and quality plastic parts. Easier to work on than any vehicle produced today, less points of failure, less electrical issues.
I've watched your videos for several weeks now, and I've finally plucked up the courage to fill up my wife's washer bottle. 👍👍😂
good tip for when you have open runners like this, cut some cardboard to shape to stick over the holes. its saved my ass before now
Duct tape fixes everything.
@@michaelvangundy226 duct tape has many uses
@20:18. whenever I remove the fuel rail and do not know the age of the o rings, I change all of them. they can be deformed over the years from heat
To assist you in the future, the misfire counter is under System Tests, then Which Cylinder is Misfiring. Another great diagnostic adventure. Thanks sir! 👍👍
Hey Ray! Big fan! I didn't know there were more people in the world that are as goofy as me, especially mocking the phone ringing lol. With that being said, you're attention to detail never ceases to impress! Doing the right thing every time seems to be getting lost in some trades. If I can offer one thing, when you're tired of "doing", please teach. You have a natural talent for it and you could influence so many new mechanics with your awesome work ethics!
Ray, love your channel and your vids, man! I'm not a mechanic, I'm a DIY'er and rarely take my car to the shop unless I have no other choice. I've learned alot about tools, techniques, and patience watching your videos. I also learned that I need to "up" my tool game a little. Ordering a few things off Amazon including better clamp pliers and the caliper spreader, as well as a good electric ratchet. I usually use and air ratchet, but the electric seems much more flexible, especially in tight places. Thanks for all you do, and for sharing your work. It makes a difference to shade tree mechanics like me!
Adam Gates Very well said I can concur with everything you stated !
That's a good point about the risk of a vacuum leak from a port fuel injector seal, I never understood that. Of course. Fuel won't necessarily leak out, if the seal between the injector and intake manifold is sucking air in. Manufacturers made diagnostics so much more difficult when they decided to hide injectors underneath the intake.
I have a 14 charger with the same engine, have always been a pro taking off both intakes but was always scared to mess with the fuel rail but now i know its so simple thanks!!
Where is this guy located, he needs to be my go to mechanic, learning a lot from him as well. Keep It up brutha!!
He's in Florida
Sarasota. Across from Tobacco Depot.
florida,south afganistan. 3 miles from kanakistan..
I would liked to have seen a continuity test of the old Injector and verification of power and driver availability at the injector connector. Prior to Shotgunning a part.
I was surprised there was no testing after the visual inspection yielded no rodent damage.
@@paisleyprince5280 Yup, first thing you do is test. Injectors are the easiest to test. DMM or scan tool with bi directional
Lost some respect for Ray on this one.
test the injector, for whats its worth ,when you go that far, if it my car I would have swapped all the injectors
@@tomashton1781 You have alotta money to waste then. No need to change parts that show no sign of wear. That's the benefit of having a computer on board. It will tell you if your injectors are bad. On a 6 cyl engine you're talking 600 bucks if you can find them under 100 bucks apiece. If you do OEM you could be talking about 1200+. All to avoid doing what he just did?
Yeah I agree.
Always impressed by people who know their stuff.
Have to agree with others comments thou. While apart, replace all o rings, saves a job later.
i love your content because its methodical and shows the whole process. too many mechanical videos make shit look like it takes 10 minutes lol
Based on the look of the bottom of that injector, I personally would be tempted to replace them all, or the rings at least. Nice video, it's always the back row, isn't it?!
Yes it is. I've a 2004 Taurus that has 180,000 miles, 62,000 miles of which have been with me. I've had to replace 3 rear bank ignition coils due to failure, while the front coils are original. The only thing I can figure is that with the intake covering the rear coils and them being at the back of the engine, there's just a lot more heat which causes them to fail.
@@channell11 well....it's a Taurus.......very few vehicles are worse or designed worse than that.
@@williameldridge9382 another great ford
We have problems with Pine Martens here in Greece 🇬🇷. Eaten main wireing loom in my Isuzu . My wife had the entire bonnet insulation eaten plus half of the fire wall insulation in her car. Dryed pine marten crap and a haft eaten rat nice. You have a good day 👍
I'v done a lot of work on the Pentastar v6, but I noticed when the fuel injector is bad there is a black liquid substance that drips from them. The only thing I can think of is poor fuel care or the plastic fuel rail is breaking down within the system not sure. Great job man!
I’m extremely impressed by your work ethic! Your videos are well done, informative and entertaining! I just wish I was in your area. Keep up the content! I’m hooked!
Love your videos. I was an auto technician years ago and I can appreciate your level of skill (very high). One thought though. I don't know if it's prevalent in your area, but you won't get rabies from rodent droppings. However, you can get Hanta virus. It's rare, but can be fatal in some cases. Many patients were infected from cleaning up mouse or rat droppings. I'd hate to see anything happen to you. Good techs are hard to find.
I was happy to see a car owner do the right thing and have the work done. It kills me to see you diagnose and the owner decline the work.
Wow...that was a lot of unwanted crap. i would have sprayed the areas down with brakleen or similar...that stuff would surely kill any unwanted disease left by the critters. A great video as always Ray!!
ANOTHER OUTSTANDING REPAIR! Roger in Pierre South Dakota
Always check the oil filter housing and cooler unit under the lower intake manifold for oil leakage into the engine valley on the penta stars! FCA has made updated units as well as better seals for newer engines with the latest housing design that still leak. I just had to do a 2017 caravan! Only put seals and so far so good...something to look for anytime the intake manifold has to come off. Nice work and video!
Rainman Ray's Repair...chrysler misfire data should be found under functions in ur scanner ...just helpful advice. Love the channel
That one is faster than ours 🧐
On another note, hopefully you feel better 🙂
I had a minivan once and went out to go to work and the engine had a terrible misfire. I opened the hood and a squirrel was sitting in the engine compartment and flew out. I saw small bits of plastic wire insulation all over the place and found that he had chewed through 3 of my 6 fuel injector wires. I had to get my soldering iron out and repair them. I still made it to work on time but barely.
Great repair I was surprised they didn't eat the injector wires also so they used that engine as a next Not a food source which was nice jt was just a faulty injector @Rainman Ray's Repairs
Tech tip......always check for injector AND coil codes.....because on that engine, if the coil is out of range, the ecu will shut off the injector for that hole
One day I went out to find my 94 ZJ Jeep running incredibly rough. Looked under hood and found rodents chewed up a bunch of hoses, wires, and the MAF sensor pigtail [from engine wire harness] right down to the plug. All together they affected at least 5 systems in my engine. For less than $30 I was able to buy new vacuum hoses, connectors, and plug end for the injector coil, but I couldn't buy just the pigtail for MAF sensor and new one didn't come with new pigtail.
Until I could get to a junk yard, I had to figure out how to take plug end apart and re-solder wires directly onto the pins inside the plug. Totally did it, all the while it was below freezing outside. After I got everything reconnected engine worked perfectly!
Talking about working outside freezing, in heavy ice and snow a few years ago here In the UK my daughter car (A UK Ford econocar) little 1300 CC engine, started great, ran at low revs great but refused to run right as soon as you tried to rev the engine, day after day i tried many things, new "cheap" coil, new plugs, older set of plugs, new wires checked the injection pump, almost gave up but a friend said - Buy a genuine coil and try that, so I did, INSTANTLY cured the problem, as the original coil and new cheap Chinese coil were both faulty, with its wasted spark system, a new Ford coil made It run like new, better than it ever had been.. I ended up being with "Man Flu" after though..lol Ian - UK.
Freezing in California is a bit different to freezing in Alaska or Minnesota, so what was the temp?
@@JohnHill-qo3hb it was years ago January in Pennsylvania. So actually below freezing, mid 20s.
Squirrels climbed on top of my gas tank of my ford Ranger(240k miles). They chewed the wires but the only failure was the gas gauge. I just kept track of my mileage since last fill up and never ran out of gas.
Spent so much time under the hood of my Jeep, I immediately recognized that 3.6 pentastar.
Thanks for making another great, informative video. The gear stick next to the steering wheel is such a weird place. It'd be annoying. I'm sure many people have accidentally whacked it when they go to indicate or change something on the stereo.
I hope you warned the vehicle owner about potential damage from leaving their OBD 2 reader in the OBD 2 port, or it could be a lesson of letting people learn from their own mistakes.
Ray I always check for injector pulse on these guys, before doing a injector replacement. I have see more than one with a blown driver in the computer from a shorted injector. I have also see the coil packs short and blow the driver in the computer.
Another good job. Yes I would have guessed rats or what ever had ate wires. Enjoyed
I always start the threads by hand I don’t wanna cross threads anything. It a good advice too
I hope you get over your respiratory ailment, Ray. When that happens to me, I usually end up with full blown bronchitis. Take care of your body, because you're going to need it a very long time.
This helped me lots, I have a 2012 dodge journey rt with the same engine and with multiple misfires (1, 3, 5, more prevalent on first cylinder)
There was a company owned simi truck that required a major engine overhaul.
From that day forward, that truck suffered overheating. The shop tried everything.
Water pump-thermostats-radiator all no luck. with 50K on the new engine this
truck suffered a collision which totaled the truck . The engine was salvaged &
was again tore down for a rebuild. Inside the engine oil cooler was found a red
shop rag.
!
Working on boats we would get boats in for "Summerizing" and usually had a boat or two that had mice in them over the winter. What a mess.
Pulled all 4 plugs in the used car my son bought. 2 were factory original. 2 were much shorter and for the 6cyl engine. Still ran fine with 2 wrong plugs, but gas mileage greatly increased with 4 new plugs.
Hope you feel better Ray. God bless
The click and tippy tap tap sounds are universal language.
Textbook troubleshooting with the scan tool. Well done. Iridium spark plug gap?...measure and make a note. Otherwise, leave them alone. But all the shade tree mechanics say 'gap them', wrong. This is 2021 not 1993. Those are the same people that say ignore the engine oil spec, just use what's handy, close enough...
Great video. I did notice that one of the clips that stabilizes the radiator hose against the intake was missing (you attached the other one). Only assume it was missing before the repair.
Awsome videos Ray I came across your channel one day and I can't stop watching very informative. Your knowledge is impressive can't stop watching. I would bring my car to you any day unfortunately I live in Massachusetts where you get all 4 seasons in a week lol
It is important to note that dielectric grease will melt silicone rubber over time, and thus should not be used on connectors, such as o-rings, that are made of this rubber. That was from Permatex directly just a heads up...
I'm sorry you're not feeling well, I hope things clear up soon!
Thanks!
Too bad you don't live near me. We need honest guys like you to repair cars around here in Alabama.
Thanks, this helped me on my 3.6L Jeep Wrangler!
A power probe or a ohm meter across the injector coil and a quick check with a noid light. Easy stuff to do BEFORE you condemn a part.
I realise that these engine have issues with fuel injectors. I replaced all of them on a jeep wrangler a few months back. I still measured the resistance on the injector, or lack thereof in that case. It's always a good idea to verify what the ECM thinks is going on is what is going on. I would consider this a lucky guess, at best.
Another good one Ray to enjoy with my morning coffee. Feel better.👍👌
Good to get the plugs changed as well
Nice job, good diag.
Nice that people agree and want the work done. You get handed out decent work to make money on. Never forget how important that is. Some places are like a dry well because of wrong attitude.
You get that feeling of having done the car some good and helped your customer.
Blessings to you.
"Put this where it belongs"
Me: In the trash..
Ray: *sets in center console*
To be fair, if you know how to use them, those bluetooth scanners aren't too bad. They can perform a lot of the functions of a more expensive traditional scan tool. But you do have to know what you're doing and what to look for.
I was thinking in the trash also, but being customer property....I know you can't do that....lolol.... have seen those actually cause problems as well, such as erroneous "communication problems"....
I have got taking that intake off down to a art because all the oil filter housing that leak on that motor. And ofc Walmart oil change places beaking parts in the housing.
They'll be back. I've replaced all the rocker arms on two pentastar engines this month. In a van like this and a jeep grand cherokee. Quite a bit of work required to do. But necessary
Just curious, why not test it with a noid light? Especially since there wasn't any visible damage. I would be worried about them getting deeper into the harness.
I would agree, considering the location, and the apparent rodent infestation, it would have been wise to take an extra 5 to 10 minutes to verify that the wiring to the injector was indeed good.
He shorts his diagnosis quite often in his videos. He either gets lucky a lot or doesn't show the recheck. I like the videos for the most part though.
I have to cut a lot of things out for the sake of time. I didn’t noid light this one though. Used deductive reasoning. PCM says injector circuit was faulty (and it was intermittent, I could tell because the misfire came and went) Didn’t find a problem with the wiring, therefore I concluded that the injector had a fault.
@@RainmanRaysRepairs What brand is your electric ratchet? Great videos.....
Unfortunately testing it with a noid light requires turning it over with the intake off. I usually use a buzz box to test injectors before replacing them. GM has this in their diagnostics, Chrysler/Fiat usually don’t
Good work fella!
I've watched a good bit of your videos lately.
You always learn something new even being a car person.
Greetings from the land of vikings :-)
BTW have a speedy recovery
Either Norway or Minnesota .. greetings from a blood relative of Ingamara Johansson 🇧🇻👊
@@larsbambi1575 Norseman is correct sir 😊😊
Great video Ray. You are very good at diag and thorough. You could work on my car any day. This job was easy but I have seen you tackle much worse.
Hey man just want to say great vids but also wanted to let you know that you still can get misfire counters ..well I have a verus Pro not sure about all snap-on scanners but in dodge Chrysler and jeep .. if u go in the active test function I believe u should see a " which cylinder is misfiring" data
I hear you about breathing the aerosols. I get the same thing from fumes which then turns into a sinus infection.
You ate a good mechanic I like watching 😊thanks
I had a 2016 Chevy Colorado with the 2.8L Duramax get a rat infestation. Insurance covered the repairs I only had to pay insurance deductible. over 2,000 in damaged wires and insulation, most of the cost was labor hours.
I would always check each spark plug for gap. I takes one minute to confirm the gap.
You do NOT gap or test the Iridium plugs - forget that you ever wanted to! You'll ruin the tip.
@@SurferJoe46 I see that you can damage the plated surface of the electrodes if there is a gap issue...BUT you can check the gap with plastic feeler gage and that will not hurt the plating. When rainman used that taper gage,he actually was wrong. It is critical not to damage the spark surfaces according to the recommendations on the Internet. See you can teach an old dog new tricks.....lol thanks
Love the calibrated arm mine sounds a little different but works the same
had the same problem with rats and palm nuts on my wife's 2006 Commodore Omega (GMH) here in Queensland Australia (same climate as Florida) , fortunately they hadnt chewed the wiring ......just made a hell of a mess using the space under beauty covers as a food storage bin , nasty little bastards lol
You are a first class mechanic. well done. I did my tune ups on my 68 Fury when I was a kid. A whole lot easier.
Not really. Few home mechanics in those days had a dwell meter and as a result few V-8 point sets were accurately adjusted.
@@wssides Correct. I did not have a strobe to check timing. Is that even done today. Looking for how many degrees off TDC an engine is.
@@MrArtVandelay Timing could be surprisingly accurate with a cigarette paper between the points.
Last week I had to remove decomposed fuel from a tank and then clean it. For several days my throat felt like I got the bug, but luckily were only the toxic chemicals!.
You vacuuming all that debris reminded me of the movie Tommy Boy. David Spade vacuuming up the moths in the hotel room. "Can we get any more moths in here?"
This one always reminds me of the cockroaches we used to find in old VHS and other home stereo/home theater equipment.
This happened to my new company vehicle, a 2017 Ford Explorer. My wires were damaged by squirrels.
Here’s what I learned: “The hood was opened, and there, at the bottom, was a squirrel looking up at me in [its] nest,” Horowitz told Car and Driver. “Apparently the squirrel chewed through the wires as well as the Vehicle Stability Assist wire programming.” Horowitz said he was shocked when the repair bill came to a staggering $3600. At the time, the car was only five months old and showed 3100 miles on the odometer.
Luckily for him, Horowitz was able to get Honda to pay for “99 percent” of the needed repairs. But the question remains, why did squirrels choose to make his brand-new vehicle home, instead of the two older Honda vehicles sitting in his driveway?
Some believe the culprit could be modern car wiring or, more specifically, the soy-based insulation used to wrap it. This insulation can be an irresistible treat for rats, mice, squirrels, and even rabbits. The issue has become so widespread that several class-action lawsuits have been levied at automakers, with some of the highest-profile cases involving Honda and Toyota.
Until roughly a decade ago, most car companies used wiring insulation that was petroleum based. The introduction of soy-based wire insulation was meant to have a twofold benefit: It was less expensive for automakers and, because it used soy instead of oil, it was better for the environment. But some unhappy car owners now counter that the greener wiring is now luring the environment, particularly the animal kingdom, under the hoods of their vehicles.
FYSA Ray. USE MASKING TAPE to cover the intake ports. Works so much better and stays in place until you are done.
Just one question Ray, I have never heard your back story. Where did you cut your teeth? Was it as a general mechanic/technician or at a dealership? What age did you start? How long do you have to apprentice and there are probably many more questions but I have been watching for 6 months or so and was just pondering this. Appreciate any reply or if anyone else knows. Thanks. Chris - Not a mechanic and never will be. I just love watching you, Eric O and Ivan figure stuff out. Thanks again.
I had a customer with a no crank no start. A rodent chewed thru the main harness. It took me 8 hours to solder 42 connections. Oh and they were parked under a tree in a field.😂 We originally planned to just replace the harness but there was none that was available.
the intermittents are the worse to chase,...for me anyway as i just dont have enough experiece reading the scope etc, even though i know some things about it...Thank you for the videos
Have a better day Ray Ray
Awesome work ray..thanks for sharing..watching from queensland Australia
I've learned a lot about repairs. Thanks!
Nice job bro..Great skill's and a great attitude.. I just like to watch you work. My days of wrking on much are over..Wish you were in my burg I'd have you wrking on ALL my Junk !! Lol ! Keep up the good work ! I give all yer vids the thumbs up !
No resistance check?? There was so much animal chewing activity under the hood I’m surprised there was no damaged injector wires. Taking that into consideration, a resistance check would help eliminate wiring problems and 100% confirm bad injector (for high resistance, remember the injector circuit fault). Also resistance comparison between all injectors may further represent the overall ‘health’ of the others. I’ve seen quite a few injector issues with Chrysler vehicles. Last one was a late 2000 minivan with a misfire after a hotsoak, no stored circuit codes. Found bad injector with high resistance and another reading significantly higher than the others but not as high as the bad one. Resistance tests aren’t a sure thing, but in my case I knew to replace both injectors. Good job on this one, keep up the great work!!
Always check the engine oil level, you never know it could be low..
Some cars don't have dipsticks any more.
You have to trust your electronic sensor... or guess.
My 04 Camry had an engine misfire, and it was shaking like a cold man without a jacket. I had to replace the coil pack, valve cover gasket, and spark plugs to fix it.
It may have been corrosion on the injector's connector. Either way, the fix is a new injector. Good job dude.
Ahh, fun times. I had to take that off to replace a broken oil filter housing on a charger before