*A must play song if you own one of these vans:* kzread.info/dash/bejne/hHqizaWCp6rdmaQ.html Power Probe IV w/Case & Acc: amzn.to/2Uj6v4h Alligator Clips Test Leads : amzn.to/3bodNcO

@randy2812

4 жыл бұрын

Hey were's the jeep hat.

@williegillie5712

4 жыл бұрын

South Main Auto Repair LLC good song I remember it well

@dennisreelie1720

4 жыл бұрын

I'm very grateful for your impressive dedication to making the right call, through diagnosis. I've learned more electrical advice from you than my journeymaan.

@andrewcairnes2491

4 жыл бұрын

That makes it run better when you here this song. Lol

@Goultek

4 жыл бұрын

Eric, what site do you use to find all those fancy wiring diagrams?

You seem to be a combination of a Genius Mechanic and a regular back yard mechanic. " banged on it with a chunk of pavement". You were born to do this. Im not sure if thats lucky or not.

Flashlight falls, ERIC: "Whoa!! Man down!" just cracks me up evertyime. Or Eric's classic: "What the thunder!" - Always a good day with SMA!

@adventureoflinkmk2

4 жыл бұрын

Or.. whoa fella! There's yer problem lady! Brakleen ! Napper, advanced auto, etc -- not a sponsor

@Br4c3F4c3

4 жыл бұрын

My personal favorite is "Enhance"

@johnhpalmer6098

4 жыл бұрын

@@Br4c3F4c3 or, un-enhance. :-)

You need a “ there’s your problem lady” shirt!

@wesoblander3648

4 жыл бұрын

Those words sound good only from Eric. None of the others trying to use it sound right.

Ever get the feeling that other local shops are saying "go see Eric at SMA, he is an expert on rust nightmares"

@rjb6327

4 жыл бұрын

If you look him up on Google maps, I think he's the only shop in town.

@charlesmiller5078

4 жыл бұрын

@@rjb6327 Seems like he said at one time that there were a couple in town.

@lepetitnabot

4 жыл бұрын

It's western/upstate NY. Every shop works on rust nightmares on a daily basis :-P

@mungox1

4 жыл бұрын

@@rjb6327 yelp shows 5 in the area

@JW...-oj5iw

4 жыл бұрын

@@rjb6327 ... Several of his videos feature cars sent to SMA from other local shops that couldn't quite get the job done by throwing parts in them. Diagnosis is sometimes an arcane art.

That ground cable just doubled the value of that rust bucket...

@danfarrell8958

4 жыл бұрын

Makes me glad I don't live in up state New York.

@angwhat1

4 жыл бұрын

Your right. That ground cable is the best thing on that van

@sorefoot6329

4 жыл бұрын

Filling the tank full of gas doubles the value.

@grizzlycountry1030

2 жыл бұрын

Never underestimate the value of a work van that still runs.

@gunners4129

2 жыл бұрын

Well technically it probably did more than that, turned it from a non running van to a running driving one

Best thing about this quarantine is I can binge watch SMA!

@NY411Info

4 жыл бұрын

Hmm. good idea I haven't watched all of his vintage footage.

@boboften9952

4 жыл бұрын

** check your supply of Coffee. Beer. Internet Connection.

@jacobmergens2622

4 жыл бұрын

And tp

@elynio1711

4 жыл бұрын

Don't worry, we will be able to go out come Easter

@stevewhite3424

3 жыл бұрын

@@elynio1711 damn sure isn't your fault but that sure as hell did not age well did it. ☹️

SMA. Shiny Metal Action. One positive attribute at SMA..the lead mechanic is well grounded.😎👍

@adventureoflinkmk2

4 жыл бұрын

Bite my Shiny Metal Ass!!! 😂😂😂😂😂

@MattBruzdziak

4 жыл бұрын

@@adventureoflinkmk2 good Futurama reference

You can never have "too many" grounds, especially in a state that uses a lot of road salt! We use a quite a bit of road salt here in Wisconsin, and I always check the grounds first.

I finally figured out why I find your videos so relaxing. You’re the automotive equivalent of Bob Ross.

The no crank/no start diags are definitely my favorite. Thank you for another one!

pretty sure youre just finding cars at the bottom of the ocean at this point

@harveysmith100

4 жыл бұрын

Comment of the week

@fascistpedant758

4 жыл бұрын

They keep better at the bottom of the ocean.

@deanbarrett7180

4 жыл бұрын

GM actually stores them in the Gulf of Mexico (not near, in.) before selling them in the northern markets. If we saw new shiny undercarriages, we'd probably riot.

@boboften9952

4 жыл бұрын

LoL. "" Next time Mr Eric O works on the Titanic.""

@aussiebloke609

4 жыл бұрын

@Fascist Pedant Oddly enough, you're dead right. While the saltwater will accelerate rusting, the lack of oxygen at the bottom actually slows the process down significantly.

It's magic to me how you diagnose these issues. It's like solving a mystery or a puzzle. The diagnosis videos are my favorites, as I try to figure it out before you do (However, I've never done it yet.) Keep up the great work.

Gary Player says, "The more I practice, the luckier I get." Like many things in life, Ya got to be well grounded!. Thanks, Eric. Another great video. My meemaw taught me to tin the wire first, makes it easier to crimp. Then finish it up with heat and a little more solder, Cheers!

Classic rust bucket, I remember jacking up my 68 Caddy convertible from the front bumper and listening to the coil springs break and seeing the doors binding from the car folding in half. 😯

@markh.6687

4 жыл бұрын

OUCH!!

Good thing you were paying attention Eric. The owner definitely gave ya a good clue to where the problem was. Didn’t take ya long to track it down and put a nice repair in place. There’s not much left down there to connect to. Can only hope the guy realizes how bad the rust is getting

I'm glad to see you coat the new connection. We spray plastidip as we manufacturer many firetrucks that end up in your neck of the woods. Love it and keep 'em comin!

This video saved me a ton of time and frustration. I had just finished cutting off my running boards and my van stopped running. Sure enough, the running board was completing the ground from the body to the frame. The ground strap rotted in two. I was searching around for tips on dropping the tank to replace the fuel pump when I found this video. Thank you Eric!

Eric a little trick with heavy gauge wires is to bend it where you want to strip like a good u-bend, take a sharp razor and run it a lot the top of the bend and it will cut super easy and as long as your not a gorilla with the blade you won’t cut the strands. .

SHEVROLEY!!!! Man, make more videos, I'm in quarantine and your channel is one of the few that cranks me up and teaches me something with a laugh. Kudos to you!

Eric, an easy way to crimp a ring connector to battery cable is to first form the ears that crimp onto the copper strands around a 5/16" steel rod, then remove the rod, insert the cable wires, and perform a final crimp-down on the copper strand before soldering. Always worked for me. Also, always let the molten solder solidify completely before moving it (taking it out of the vise, in this case). When the shiney(liquid) solder turns dull, it's cooled (solidified) enough to move. I am a SMA junkie.

Eric I’ve been binge watching your videos for the past few days. Not working right at the moment so your channel has helped tremendously with boredom!!!

It’s nice to see a mechanic deal with rust. Good video as always

I love watching your videos Mr O. I appreciate you making one during this crisis, thanks. You inspire me to do my own work. I'm not a professional like you or many of your viewers, so I have a lot to learn and you set a good standard to work by. Good health to you and your family. Best wishes from here in the UK.

Your vids are giving people hope in these times of uncertainty. Good for you man

Everytime I see the bottom of the cars you work on I just shake my head. No way I can deal with that much corrosion and Rust. My hat off to you man.

Thanks for keeping the content flowing. Here in France we’re confined so need plenty of content! I’ve got a 2005 Passat on the drive and keep hearing “if I can do it you can do it”....

I have been watching your videos for awhile now Eric . They are not only entertaining I find them very educational. You are very good mechanic and teacher. I greatly what you and people like Scanner Danner are doing for us . I realize that you are costing yourself time that translates into money. When this pandemic is over I plan on contributing thru PayPal. I think you folks are worth supporting for what your sharing with us . Please stay safe during this crisis Mr. O

Was just gonna go out and work on my trailer but seen a SMA video come up. Thanks Eric O for keeping me quarantined in the house for 17 minutes and 23 seconds. Love your videos! Stay safe out there.

I love that you do some of the things that us shadetree mechanics do, like beating on the gas tank. The basics still are the basics, even with all the electronic doodads we have today.

@TheObersalzburg

4 жыл бұрын

Yep, always go for the easy and cheap things first. The knocking on a starter trick got me home one time, and I was surely grateful for that.

@dans_Learning_Curve

4 жыл бұрын

'95 Ford Windstar. I could hit the tank, fuel pump would run. Hit it again, pump would stop. New pump time.

I watch to learn how to troubleshoot all things so wanted to thank you and your family for helping regular guys like me understand the new age ways the car company has complicated autos in general cuz I'm stuck in the 1960s when cars were simple I see people give up and throw away cars all the time ,no one gets the Hi-Tech computer or lingo used in all cars today the videos are first class and so are your skills are first rate top notch and a class act mechanic and you don't cus or throw a fit , and that takes years to explain so your dad must be a good personality to learn from for many years so thank him to for all of us out here learning to catch up in so many ways,good job KZread and south main auto

Thanks so much for being a great teacher, I think I've got it drilled into my head now how you can't rely on ohms resistance measurements to test for a good ground. I just have to rewatch some of your other videos on maybe using a test light and maybe break out the instructions on my power probe to really learn the proper way to test electrical connections. I know some of your other videos just checking for proper voltage at a connection didn't necessarily mean there was sufficient current flow there as well. I think I see a common theme here, when using a volt-ohm meter, you can't assume you have sufficient current flow to the component you're testing. This is tough stuff to wrap my head around, I really appreciate this video to help me get where I need to be. Thanks!

@dans_Learning_Curve

4 жыл бұрын

Yep, me too! Thanks @southmainauto!

I think the ol' girl has a date with the crusher when the next sticker comes due!

@UHOH3300

4 жыл бұрын

Body on frame vehicles can't fail NYS inspection for holes in the body. As long as the frame is solid it's a pass.

@rjb6327

4 жыл бұрын

If it runs, it's good to go.

@boboften9952

4 жыл бұрын

A Bit of a sand blast, a bit of Film Spray. Then it will be better than Macgyvers swiss army knife.

@Starcrunch72

4 жыл бұрын

yar--that's just sheet metal--patcheroo and keep on truckin'

@brad8665

4 жыл бұрын

max p you sure on that? In Vermont holes in the body is a no no.

I remember that day when one of these chevys kicked my butt due to this ground wire. That was the day when I decided to become good at automotive electrical troubleshooting. Regards everyone. Stay safe.

Take care with everything that's going on in New York just now Eric🤘🤘

Sad to see such rust on any vehicle. In any northern state you have to make lots of money to replace the vehicle you need to work. I am still driving my 94 ford with only minor rust at the fenders. Thanks for sharing and be safe Eric and family.

Another great video, Eric. You're a magician at keeping the dearly should-be departed, going.

you are an extremely skilled diagnostician . pleasure as always. How in the world could anyone ever give any one of your videos a thumbs down ? They must have DYSLEXIA ! GREAT JOB !

SURFING KZread I FOUND THIS VIDEO REALLY NEEDED SOMETHING GOOD AT A TIME LIKE THIS THANKS FOR YOUR TIME !

Great use of the Power Probe. Great job SMA. Stay Safe. Stay Healthy

had an old chevy that the throttle cable turned into a fuse link. made it home on shoe strings instant learning experience

Just a piece of advice to others from a guy with plenty of soldering experience. You are quite right. You MUST solder the wire to the terminal because they will otherwise corrode in that environment, being dissimilar metals.

This was one of the first SMA video's I watched that got me interested in the whole diag process. Easily one of my favorites!

The Best Mechanic Ever

@MIKEKELLEY12000

3 жыл бұрын

He is fussy about the new ground wire on an old rust-bucket van. That is dedication to quality work.

Great video Eric, great diagnosing skills as usual , I keep ready made earth cables in stock , different lengths, from a decent source , most car repair garages are closing around my area in the UK , our government have today given cars and vans an extra 6 months on the yearly vehicle inspection after 1st April , most main agents closed , not many parts suppliers open , stay safe boys

Thanks for the great lesson. You are a real problem solving Mechanic who uses technology, theory & solutions.

I sure enjoy your videos just common sense and no arrogance it’s Great in down to Earth

Enjoyed Eric,thanks,and to us all stay safe,make sure the older peoples have access to the basics,just be safe,we all love Theo family,hopefully we can all be safe with common sense,I’m ranting sorry people,be safe ,thank you for the short video,enjoyed.

Man, I just love this guy. You're just to good buddy.

I have lived in Michigan all my life and I always thought our winters/salted roads were hard on vehicles, watching your videos and I will admit New York win hands down when it comes to winter salt damage. Great videos keep up the great work.

@rocman9137

8 ай бұрын

yes we have it the worst in upstate NY, its aweful

Your video's remind of why I stay in Alabama and not having to do that anymore.

and this is why you bring it to South Main Auto. Nice job Eric as usual

Having the same problem with a 97’ Jeep Grand Cherokee... running fine, parked it, now if just spins and won’t start... bit of ether and she fires right up for a tic.. Thank you for this video, heading out right now to check out grounds.

Love watching you work!

Again great videos, keep em coming. A friends Motor Home electrical system was a night mere, some stuff worked, then at time they didn't work. After installing the ground wires to the eng block, starter, alternator, frame, firewall, and other areas, it all worked as advertised! The RV manufacturer didn't install ground wire one. Ground wires are good.

Like Dinner and a movie, another kick but video from the master of rust! Thanks Eric!!!!

Just Saved Us from a massive headache, Thanks!

Great job!!! The people in your area have no idea how lucky they are to have such a talented, honest mechanic.. there are too many places that I personally know that would’ve hit that guy for a fuel pump, and a few other things, and make the customer pay for all types of unnecessary repairs... it’s very good to see another honest person in the trade.. this could have added up to well over 1k bucks at other places who have poor ethics.. some places I know would even make the proper repair and then charge for a fuel pump remove and replace, including the price for a pump and all other associated parts and labor.. even lie and tell them they saved the customer money on not having to replace the tank straps or completely remove the tank... I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of that go on too.. nothing is worth ruining your good name and the years of hard work invested to just make some short quick cash.. plus I wouldn’t want anyone doing that to anyone in my family or friends.. Job well done, and I truly admire your honesty and hard work👍

There's alot to be said about proof reading. My whole point of commenting was to show some appreciation. Wouldn't you know it that's the word I missed. I appreciate what folks like yourself and Scanner Danner are doing for us . Thank you.

Another excellent video on the importance of the ground side of a circuit. It is easy to focus just on the power side. Some may have been tempted to replace the fuel pump - that would hurt $$$!!!

Great video. A bad chassis or body ground can manifest in all sorts of weird issues. Random lights coming on when other accessories are powered on. turn signals flash when brake lights come on. fuel gauge drops from full to half tank when the head lights are turned on. Lots of crazy things happen when that circuit finds a ground through other circuits.

Ahhh, relaxing at home on a day like today...why, cause I’m watching SMA.

Gotta love voltage drop testing 😂 Great video Eric!

I think pretty soon that whole vehicle is gonna be grounded... grounded into chunks, and recycled.

Really like the videos man, shows how rusty metal wrecks havoc. Ground, abs sensors brakes and cv axles. Down in the south, rust is not and issue just plain old diag skills needed. Keep the vids flowing.

You are a well grounded mechanic....

Thank you again. Been watching you’re videos. You inspire me. Always keep it simple. Is what I’ve learned from all of them. Thanks

I worked on an S-10 with that much rust as well. Good thing to check the grounds. Wiring. Thumbs Up. Great Video

If you had no idea what your doing it would be a "lucky catch". But you sir, know what your doing and that is why you get "lucky"! Thanks for the content.

Nice repair. Cool song too. I remember listening to it when it came out.

thank you for the lesson Eric, I think this maybe the same problem I am having with my 95 Dodge, runs fine going down the interstate, goes into a limp mode, key off in neutral, fires right back up,

Thanks for sharing Eric👍 Stay safe with your Loved ones❤

Thanks for these videos, I am learning a lot from you.

Love occasionally stopping in and watching your vids. Great content. Great editing.

Great video. One suggestion is to "tin" the copper strands before you crimp them. After crimping, then do your formal soldering. You won't lose any strands.

Short and to the point!!! 👍🏽

Done about a dozen of those. The braid is part of the negative cable but are always on back order. I usually go from the starter bolt down to the rearward control arm frame bracket with a cable. Hog out the hole with a unibit and grind it clean. 5 minutes and on to the next rott box. Gotta love Western NY

Another freezing day at SMA with a yard of Rustly cars awaiting with bad grounds that may not even be the main problem you are fixing!! You have to be mentally tough to face this everyday! haha I dont envy you Eric!! Love your channel. Best car repair and personality on the WW Net...

Now that I've started watching AvE as well, I can finally understand the references!

Eric, thanks, good video on showing grounding problem with lots of rust!!

Thanks I just learned some good info. I like the way you think and diagnose and explain. Good fast work, you came up with a good result for the customer. I am now a subscriber. Thanks again

awesome repair, fuel issue connected to the ground issue, thks u and the family be well

Love your content wish I had someone here in Memphis Tennessee with your knowledge

She rusty! Almost as bad as my S10 plow truck ... but that's still running for now. 😁 I learned about voltage drop testing when I was at MMI 20 years ago, but for whatever reason, I never used it, and forgot about it over the years. Then I saw one of your vids 3-4 years ago on it. Months later I had a bad ground in the new fog lights and headlight assemblies I installed in our '93 940, and I remembered your vid. Whenever I put the high beams on, the engine would choke, lights would go orange, and it would die. I had a 10.78 volt drop on the ground wire up there! I just drilled a hole nearby in the core support, ground off the paint, and ran a ground wire to that - haven't had an issue since. 👍🍻

I guess I'll tell my "dumb kid story." I had a crank no start on my grandmother in law's 87 w150 dodge. I went over today to take a look and sure enough not getting fuel. Just like you, a snort of brake clean in the intake and it runs for a bit. I check all the fuses and all good, so I say needs a fuel pump, cause you know, shoot the parts cannon whenever possible. So of course I wrestle for hours on 33 year old bolts to get the tank down then run to the parts store. I tell the guy behind the counter I need a fuel pump for an 87 w150 with the 318. Now, I'm lucky I got an older guy cause he kind of scratched his head and asked, "the mechanical pump?" I said no in the tank. Of course he follows up with, "I hate to tell you son, but it dont exist. That truck has a carburetor". So now I get to go over in the morning and put the tank back in that I dropped for no reason. Haha At least i had a good laugh at myself today. Glad I'm not a real mechanic cause that would have been even more inexcusable than it already was.

@albertkroker5403

4 жыл бұрын

Good one!

@rodx5571

4 жыл бұрын

Hey it happens. Was working on an old throttle body injected S10. I am a certified master tech, over 20 years in trade.this happened 2 years ago, barely ran, hard start. Checked fuel pressure, about 10-12 PSI is good. I test it, 8 at idle, throttle up, it drops to 3PSI and stalls. oK bad fuel pump, hook the scope up, look at pump motor, pretty sure is has a dead pump segment by the pattern. Drop tank, change pump, on those you have to pull just the pump motor and reuse everything else. So i do my surgery and slap it all back together. Cycle key, i hear pump running, much faster than before. Crank it, and crank it, no start. Check fuel pressure........0. I am befuddled. So i go look at my parts on the bench, i see something missing from my parts. I grudginly pull the tank back out, pull the fuel assembly back out, take the new line off of the top of the new pump, yep, there it is......they send the pumps out with a cap on the line to keep dirt and moisture out . I missed it because they are usually red or yellow so you cant miss them. this one was CLEAR!! So i pull it off, put the tank unit back together, bench test it THATS YOUR PROBLEM LADY. Reassemble and it worked flawlessly. First one in the shop to say anything about it heard this "hey i have to fix all of your mistakes and misdiagnosis, i am entitled to 1 of my own". ha ha

@dans_Learning_Curve

4 жыл бұрын

Yep, wait for the diaphragm to fail a have gas pumped into the crankcase!

@fascistpedant758

4 жыл бұрын

Make sure the fuel line isn't obstructed or broken in the tank before you put it back up.

@markh.6687

4 жыл бұрын

I hate when that happens! Like looking for the blinker fluid reservoir in cars that didn't have one.

Another good teaching video. I’m not far from you, near Jamestown, NY. Unfortunately I deal with rust like you. I’m tired of it. I buy all my personal vehicles out of state. Fluid film is good stuff. I’m going to try woolswax. It’s thicker, so it’s supposed to hold up better in high splash areas. Stay healthy. Thanks, joe

Hands down. Best mechanic

Oh yeah I've seen many of those ground straps broken before. First one I found the pump wasnt cycling so I went to lift it on the 2 post and it shifted enough that it made a good ground and the pump would come on. I've had 3 or 4 of them since.

Those NY winters are really hard on vehicles. Looks like this one won't be structurally safe before too long. That "Chevy Van" song goes back to my days.

well your the man!!! I have a GMC work van and it did the same thing. I changed the fuel pump because I did not hear it coming on. she did not start so I changed the chrankshaft sensor no luck. BUT she's an old rusty girl!! YEP that grounding strap was pretty brittle. I tried it with some wire and gator clips first and it worked but I did mess with the other grounding strap a bit. so I just pulled it off the motor. Did the same thing you did and its working> Thank you!!!

That was great, Mr. O. I don't know how they sell new cars in places that don't have rust issues.

thanks for giving us something good to watch

HEY! spent the past 12 hours working on my chevy I randomly came across this video (been to channel before however) this ended up being my exact problem, I replaced the fuel pump which I sorta needed to anyway thinking that might of been it butit was the frayed ground wire to the frame it just disintegrated in my hand when i inspected it, went and got a new one and viola. Thanks!

Voltage drop testing, you’ve got to love it 😀

@rodx5571

4 жыл бұрын

Its a cool technique aint it?

Fixed a couple of those. Got to love salt. Was so happy I didn’t have to drop the fuel tank.

Crank no starts are the best! Nice diag Dr. O!

you are the best,Eric

Love crimping and soldering 💗

Great information, thank you and stay safe.

Always enjoy your videos very informative thanks Eric!