I had an old feller tell me, it's not about knowing all the answers, but knowing where to find em. No shame in using every available avenue to find the answer.

@freetolook3727

Жыл бұрын

That old feller was me! 😂

@John-do9ei

Жыл бұрын

As a college instructor, that's basically my advice to students. You're not there to memorize this stuff. You go to school to learn how to understand the technical language so you can go look stuff up when you need it.

@MarkK01

Жыл бұрын

Not only that but look at the money Eric saved his customer.

@Really658

10 ай бұрын

Henry Ford said that in court in defense of being called an idiot.

I'm an IT guy for the last 20-odd years - and while I can understand the sentiment of figuring it out on your own (and thus, have holistic knowledge), I always come back to the fact that almost all troubleshooting is born out of a collaborative hivemind. We don't do our jobs in a vacuum. I learned that a win is a win, no matter how I eventually got there. Thank god for the internet and helpful people, sharing knowledge alike! You gotta know you're our very own Silver Bullet, too - I've learned a loooottttt about my Silverado because of your videos.

@josephcitizen4195

Жыл бұрын

I'm 100% on board with you. You absolutely have to go back and post your solution though. The "Oh, I figured it out" without an explanation is grounds for divorce.

@SirHeadly84

Жыл бұрын

I've been doing IT for just about as long if not longer. With Google being what it is, troubleshooting an issue like it's only ever happened to you/the customer is a waste of time. But as someone else said, we have to share our results. Not ask for help and then dont come back. Although I usually assume if they don't come back, the last thing they did probably helped. Lol. The difference between just tossing parts at it looking at silver bullets and looking at it AFTER you have already done testing is knowing what NOT to throw at it. And that's what makes you different, Mr. O.

@vicpetrishak7705

11 ай бұрын

That is how I feel when a Garbage Freight tool in my hands , cheap and dirty !

@DougHinVA

11 ай бұрын

'collaborative hivemind' means what ? A 20-year IT guy cannot even use basic English to spell 'God' with a capital letter? Skip it.

@NikMitchell

11 ай бұрын

@@DougHinVA I'm not a Christian; no need or reason for me to capitalize the g, my dude. Not everyone believes like you do, but at least read the post correctly - I've been doing IT for 20 years, not existing.

These battery draw videos from Eric are my favorites.

@John-do9ei

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, I'm not a mechanic. I went into academics, but my dad was a welder, mechanic, competent at everything, so I learned a lot of this stuff as a kid, you know, back when cars were cars and men were closeted. These vids are like my finishing school on how to deal with modern cars where there aren't actual switches, where everything sends a signal to a computer to tell the thing to turn on or off. And to be honest, these things are so much easier to diagnose.

@Ragnar8504

11 ай бұрын

If I wasn't on the other side of the pond I'd have a nice head-scratcher for him. 2009 VW Golf drains the battery but only if it's parked outside during longer heavy rains (two days plus), ideally with high winds. Nothing out of the ordinary as soon as it dries up. Happened maybe five times during current ownership (since 2017). The 2014 battery that was in there died last year and has been replaced. A few weeks ago the thing happened again but this time there was still enough charge in the battery to start the car, either because the draw was dicovered more quickly or because of the new battery or any combination.

@robertl2227

6 ай бұрын

That sounds right up Eric and Ivan's alley. Maybe you can get them to do a video chat

DC current clamps are one of those things you need to get a feel for. With low current settings the position and orientation can result in rogue readings due to magnetic fields in the vicinity. I usually hold it in position near the cable, zero it and then clip it on without changing the orientation. Still worth their weight in gold.

@SouthMainAuto

Жыл бұрын

Ahhh ok. Also if you can "loop" the wire through the jaws to make a multiplier, it can help with the accuracy too on low amp draw situations.

@jimschiltz5343

Жыл бұрын

Big Clive!

A wise tech never re-invents the wheel if he can avoid it. Well done Eric!!

Great video. Being resourceful is not cheating but a sign of intelligence.

@wallyg.2409

Жыл бұрын

Right ?

@FinalMix64

Жыл бұрын

Imagine being well informed.

This is one KZread channel that I always like the video before I watch it. They are always great.

Your metaphors are classic dude. Never ever change.

You are so blessed to have Mrs. O by your side. You all are a great team!

@garybulwinkle82

Жыл бұрын

With that full kitchen, you should have The South Main Cafe where people can dine while they wait for their minor auto services!

@bushmaster2936

Жыл бұрын

@@garybulwinkle82 Like Mrs.O isn't busy enough already !!

Buddy you earn you're keep every day! You deserve an easy one now and again. Good show and good explanation of voltage drop across fuses.

I see nothing wrong with a silver bullet. Happens at my work sometimes where the symptoms and other items match exactly what someone saw before. Often worth trying before spending hours confirming if this duck is a duck.

@Cheepchipsable

Жыл бұрын

For a channel that promotes sharing knowledge, why not reciprocate? Payback would be adding a useful repair to help other shops diagnose.

@ehsnils

Жыл бұрын

As long as you check that the issue is actually what the fault code or fault analysis chart says then you are good. In this case there was a suspected offending device that was easy to disconnect and the fault went away, so therefore the problem was isolated easily. It's tougher when you need to check the CAN and/or LIN bus traffic, sometimes you need an analyzer to see what's happening. If a button don't change the traffic changes where it should then there might be a culprit, so those analyzers aren't totally useless. Even better if you have a "known good" reference.

You are a man of integrity and honor Mr. O. You don't own a parts cannon. Keep on keeping on!

@aliasfred

Жыл бұрын

Rainman Ray doesn't own a parts cannon either.

You didn’t cheat. You used the knowledge available to you. Then you verified. Good work. Thank you.

That battery looks like it got the special, "I got a guy who can do it cheaper."

I don’t see a problem, you’re in business to fix cars and as many as you can a day. Use whatever tool you have at your disposal. Great video.

Eric O Is A Silver Bullet Cheating Machine who deserves a Gold Medal - conveying this much data and in such detail is a selfless act of kindness rarely seen. Thank you Sir.

Your proper use of the silver bullet saved the customer money = satisfied customer, so well done, sir. And I had to smile at your slick transition at the end - "Don't you be a tool". Good one!

@richardbambenek2601

Жыл бұрын

Eric has a quick mind which is why he's a good tech.

I "listen" to the experiences of others but always confirm their idea before acting on it. Well done.

Non-automotive comment: Nice to see the *VitaMix* blender and *BigBerkey* water filter in your kitchen (just like mine). My BB is a couple years old and I had to make my own sight glass to keep from overfilling it when I go to bed since it would leak all over. They sure goofed up on THAT design. Shoulda asked you first. You would have told them that the lower tank needs to completely enclose the upper one. Common sense is becoming a rare thing these days...

“ I feel so dirty”, had you broken out a can of brake cleaner I would had died from laughing!!! Great job, I too love the electrical diagnostic videos you do… keep it up.

Identifix is super useful. I wish my current shop had it.

Eric, again you are the man ! Using your trouble shooting skills to make a diagnosis, I was a heavy equipment mechanic for 44 years, 30 of which were in a supervising/support role for 40 + mechanics, I have seen many types of skill sets from apprentice to journeyman and foreman, none of which had the skills or patience you have for trouble shooting problems and making the repair. I wish we had you and you tube in my working years to help guide mechanics and teach what you share in every video. Thank You for sharing ! I am a believer that "If I can do it so can you" if people would only take the time to do their home work and learn before doing . Do it right and you only have to do it once.

This all goes back to the age old saying, "an error code only tells you where the problem is, not what needs to be replaced or repaired". Like you said, it is a valuable tool when used correctly. When i was watching one of the snapon diagnostics training videos, even the host said test, dont guess because the error code isnt meant to tell you what to replace or repair.

Lol. I have a 2011 Pilot EX very similar to the one in this video (bought it used in 2014). Never knew the little rear hatch glass switch was back there. I mainly use the hatch, not the glass. You learn something new every day from SMA! 😏

This was perfect. Bought a 2013 Elantra a couple years ago and soon discovered battery would go dead if left more than 1 day without starting, found a draw of 340 mA and got an AGM battery so we could get 2 days without starting and not strand my son when he used it. I later traced to one circuit and on that circuit found an old remote starter that I had no FOBs for. I did pay my local Hyundai dealer to get it cleaned up but as a car owner I saved hundreds of dollars of trouble shooting time. I suspect that’s why it got traded, but I got a good deal on a car that had low miles and came from the south with no rust,

The truly smart man builds on the knowledge of predecessors. Nice work.👍

Another important point from the discussion at the end of the video, abuse of identifix would've lead you to a door switch as the first bullet in the cannon (most "common" fix on that identifix thread). You would've whiffed and got it on the second try. I''m happy you made this video Dr. O. No need to feel dirty, it was a GREAT demonstration on how to use the tool appropriately.

If I was going to Tech School for Automotive, your classes would be my pick. I watch others, but you are most informative. With so many cars and problems, all classes are needed, but your channel is my choice.

You run a business...don't apologize! You still taught us to not use the silver bullet as permission for the parts Canon. Your trouble shooting videos are my favorite!

No cheating there, Eric O! Based on the customer's choice to not replace simple (and likely inexpensive) components, it's likely they'd have chosen the silver bullet route anyway given the choice. Yet another great SMA video--parasitic draw videos never get old and we can never learn enough from you.

man the days of turning the key off and shuts everything off is gone

While you might think you've waisted 10 minutes with the silver bullet this is a component that would have needed to be checked eventually, so in reality starting with the 'more likely spot' from a tip really isn't a waste of time. Nice job Eric, have a great weekend.😊

Thank goodness someone uses this technique. I teach this to my autos electrical class and while I would not use it for a definitive amp reading it certainly puts you in the ball park for exactly this kind of diagnosis. Well done Eric O, well done.

Thanks Eric O..I’ve been baffled by auto electrics all my life now I have a start point for understanding the diag process..all the best from UK..

As a DIY type of guy, I am not familiar with the whole identifix system. I have managed to use it twice to date, mostly to get wiring diagrams. In one circumstance, I had a code from the ABS module/ignition on circuit. Based on the diagrams, I was able to determine that I had a broken wire after the fuse, and before the ABS module. On my second use it was due to a "Can Bus B open circuit". I again used the diagrams and was able to find (with some KZread video pointers) , a broken Can Bus B ) wire in the hinge area between the drivers door and the vehicle interior. I was not even familiar with the ability to look for the "quick fix/silver bullet . but for the $40 that it cost me to diagnose and solve my problem, it was worth it to me.

Some of us do this as a living. Silver bullet for the win and the pocket book. Not above using them. The reason I watch your videos is to sharpen my diagnostic ability and load silver bullets.😁

You have a source of information that helped you solve a problem much faster. This is not cheating, this is using your information wisely.

My Highlander battery went 10.5 years. I felt cheated when the replacement only went 5.

The company I work for (a mobile diagnostics company) keeps a technician group chat specifically for weird/difficult problems. There are also three dedicated researchers in said chat. Oftentimes, we only have 20 minutes (or less) to get a car through pre-scan, diag and post-scan. We're constantly bouncing knowlege and experience off each other; I call it "consulting the hive-mind." :D A huge part of being a successful tech is researching and being able to understand what you're researching. What you've shown in this video is real-world: Foundation, research, repair. Awesome stuff!

I just want to say thank you. Been watching/listening to your work (and a few good others around the you tubes) I spent about a decade as a service writer/management/jack of all and would help some of my mechanics research some of the work they were doing. Those programs are great for narrowing involved systems or getting the proper diagrams or testing procedures. You do an amazing job showing and explaining the when how and why you use them and walking people through your brain process. I enjoy the diagnostic procedures of these new cars and you are a good teacher. Thank you

Different field here, but similar experience. Sometimes it just helps to get the proper resource to help cut time troubleshooting. It’s usually a 50/50 shot, but when someone else’s findings help, it can feel like cheating! But you get over it quick especially if it’s a known common fault for a particular brand/model. Nice work regardless!

What ever gets the job done is not cheating it's clever use of the information available . Good job Mr O Cheers.

If used correctly as shown, identifix is a great tool. Find common broken wire locations, may let you know common industry tests may not work on a certain system, and may mention common failures and proper ways to diagnose.

Eric. In most dealerships checking tech talk and tsb's is one of the 1st steps after verification. I know you dont want to "cheat" but it is really a means to and end. You diag everything more thoroughly than most on YT. Keep up the good work

I have to say Mr. Eric you are the best Auto Technician, That I have seen on the eastern sea seaboard.

I see that AAA battery, and.... these days I'm afraid to let ANYBODY touch my vehicle -- it's either me or Eric O, and he's not likely to show up at my door here in OKC.😂 Thanks as always, Eric!

@ekop1778

Жыл бұрын

I DONT LIKE THEM CHEAP TIE SCREW DOWN TERMINALS HAD THEM ON MY OLD 97 DODGE KEPT ON REPLACEING THEM USE THE SOLDER ONES MY 2018 SUBIE ALREADY ON MY 3RD BATTERY 21K ON IT

@heinrichshultz

Жыл бұрын

That Triple A deal is nothing but a lack of pride in their work. Fix it once and fix it right.

@splatterize

Жыл бұрын

I say the same thing although I took this a step further and kinda mapped out who I believe to be respectable mechanics across the country just in case. Closest I can see near you would be Omega Auto in Newton Kansas. Good ole Car Wizard. lol

@tedwilliams8766

Жыл бұрын

a few years ago out of curiosity, i called a local shop to see what they'd charge for 2012 ford escape 3.0 valve cover gasket job. $800!!!!! at that time i was pretty well off with tools but since then, ive invested quite a bit into the specialty tools in the cases, pullers, autel mx808, testers, basically everything a mechanic has except for a lift. bought a 2004 dodge 2500 with a shot power steering pump. the shop the seller called wanted $1100 to change it!!! no thank you. now adays, its more economical keep the vehicle you have and fix it yourself. theres a wealth of knowledge online to do pretty much any and everything on your vehicle yourself. youll can save yourself, friends and family alot of cash better used somewhere else. thank you, eric!!! a little tip: hit your local pawn shops for tools. they usually have a wide variety of brand name tools there for alot less than retail. if youre a haggler, you can sometimes get it for even less than the price theyre asking. prices at pawnshops arent set in stone. especially if you become a regular.

Another great video Eric. In one of the companies I worked, I was taught to “leverage the synergy” (use all the combined knowledge available to you) to find a timely resolution to the task/problem you are working on. That is exactly what you did, thanks for taking all of us along for the ride.

The tool that actually has been a game changer is the inspection camera recommended by Eric O. I just used it today to diagnose intake valve carbon deposits on a VW.

@jstample

11 ай бұрын

The Depstech? I wasn’t aware of that video but I’ve been shopping for one so I’ll find it

Your not cheating, your planning! Nice to see Mrs. O. Even without the silver bullet, you had a plan, all-be-it a longer diagnostic version, but never-the-less a plan. Good one Mr. O! Nice quick find.

On my wifes vehicle the rear wiper wasn't returning all the way due to sticking causing a parasitic draw amazing what a little draw will do to your battery over time!

Kudos to you, Eric, for being so proficient in using all your electronic tools! Very impressive!

Trying to run a Garage and Mrs is making More Noise than the SHOP!!😂

That thought process is unheard of and frankly inspiring. Not many mechanics would used that approach. Kudos to you!! Denny

@tszailer

Жыл бұрын

The solution is one google search away. Try it.

@dchawk81

Жыл бұрын

Which is ironic considering DIYers go straight to the forums.

@chrismounts846

Жыл бұрын

I know someone else that has your name 😂

I like to see what others have done to fix their issues saves me time

I cringe every time I see those replacement battery cable terminals. Nothing but trouble. Thanks for walking us through your process!

You did not cheat u fix the problem they going to be happy.great Job

You are still the man on wiring. The web helped me fix a work van that a local shop couldn't. Erratic no start on a Dodge, who woulda thought. Bad engine ground if they would have looked. Easy fix. When the cable is green it's usually bad. Was kinda disappointed they didn't find it. I've learned a lot thanks to you.

@Blazer02LS

Жыл бұрын

A bad ground on a Chrysler product, surely you cannot mean it... LOL

The old days , the old guys used to go to the shelf , grab a 25 lb manual and start reading until he found the system he was working on . Then the trouble tree and detective work to source the problem. Often , if it was common enough , the tech could pretty much get right to the issue rather then the trouble tree method. Thats where I was finding identafix a useful tool. It got you to a known issue that many techs found already. I have seen guys play Russian roulette with the parts cannon. Makes for a lazy tech . I remember when interior light switches became part of the latch on Fords. After a few dead batteries, went there first

Every tool, Especially Silver Bullets are what experience is all about. Time to Fix Something Else! 😎 49 years as an Electrician for GM. Our Maintenance group did this type of documenting for Electrical, Mechanical, Pneumatic, and Hydraulic Machine Failures as part of our Repair strategy. This allowed Tradesmen who weren't familiar with a particular machine to have reference material as an aid.

The way you explain everything you are doing and what you are thinking is very helpful and appreciated.

You are fortunate to have Mrs. O there to answer the phone. Nothing worse than having your mind on something and get get interrupted by the phone

I have identifix at my shop,and depending on the repair I'll look at the confirmed fixes, but I won't replace any parts til I'm 100% confident in the repair. What makes me go the extra mile is I will eat the repair if I'm wrong, so I make sure I'm not wrong.

They do have a hood switch. Very common for causing issues with alarm randomly going off.

No dirt here. You correctly and quickly narrowed a broad field of common offenders, isolated the problem, Then confirmed it. No shame in using others experience as a guide. Smart imo. Proof before parts. Excellent

As a 23 year master tech... Identifix is one of the best tools in my toolbox..

That's helpful, and a little funny you feel guilty about taking the shortest pathway to a solution. I might have left a little note inside that door, explaining why the connector is not connected so the next tech doesn't hook it back up and then end up falling down a rabbit hole. You could even leave a link to your video, ha ha. I wonder if the disconnected wires might trigger a trouble code.

@SouthMainAuto

Жыл бұрын

I don't believe the MICU's set a code against it. They are kind of dumb modules so to speak.

You and Mrs. O are so wholesome, you make the Waltons look like Boyz n the Hood.

Still at your garage and still a sharp cookie when it comes to being spot on with your diags and those silver bullets can be a great source for seeking the answers when things have run amuck.

Nice job Eric, good shortcut to find the real problem!

You can do this without an amp clamp if you just sub your ammeter for the offending fuse. Watch out when subbing for a big fuse! Most ammeters only go for 10A... and if you look inside the meter the shunt is a 2" piece of coathanger wire that can get red hot, so be careful.

@georgescott6967

Жыл бұрын

A test light in series with the ammeter should help to protect it - it will also affect the accuracy of the reading but you likely don't care what the actual number is. Incandescent bulbs have a low resistance when they are not lit, and a relatively high resistance when they are. Put another way: their resistance increases as the current increases. This makes them useful as a protection device in this sort of application.

@AdamantineAxe

Жыл бұрын

On modern cars where removing and replacing a fuse can wake the modules and cause the vehicle to enter a 20 minute powered-on state it's much better to set the multi-meter to milliVOLTS scale and measure the voltage drop across the fuses. The resistance of the fusible element will cause a voltage drop of a couple millivolts with only 10 milliamps of current.

@joecraigslist9467

Жыл бұрын

Fuse buddy. It's a fuse holder with a wire for the clamp.

Hi Eric. Much appreciated step by step of your easy to follow diagnosis ⚒👍

Nothing wrong with using silver bullets. It can save a bunch of time as long as it doesn't steer you down a rabbit hole. Just don't take whatever you see or read as gospel. Thanks for taking the time to do this, Eric,

I have watched a good number of your videos now. They have no relevance to me at all, with living in the UK and being in the fortunate position of having a really good local repair shop. But I love the way you work out what's wrong and do the repairs, unless you pass it back to the customer to carry out the repairs. Having served my engineering apprenticeship 50 years ago and having worked my way up to Chief Engineer on a number of sites, I would say ALWAYS take the silver bullet. When you have the experience you have, your head is full of silver bullets, no shame at all in taking one from someone else. After all, your channel is providing lots of them for other people.

Helping with good info on fault makes the person feel good about sharing. I share my findings so you have a easier repair 😊

I enjoy watching you troubleshoot electrical problems Tks for the video

Hi Eric, Wow, what a fantastic website you guys have to support you guys with your diagnosis. Specially a dream is very labour intensive, what costs the costumer a big amount of money. As you said; identify your problem and keep the website with the silver bullits in the back of your mind. I think it is a very big help for these complex systems and their complex faults. Keep up the good work my man! Always love to see you videos and you did help me to improve my skills and level as a mechanic! Kind regards from Amsterdam

I appreciate a man that asks why.

Love these electronic diag videos Eric O. Thanks

I'm not the most mechanically inclined but electrical I'm alot more comfortable with and I always like these videos because I learn so much and your thought process has helped me diag a few electrical gremlins on my rig. Your videos never disappoints!!!!

Free tip Friday!! Make sure all (4) screws are in place that hold the rear license plate. Leave any out and the hatch will fill up with water. Then you must pry the rubber plugs to drain it. BTDT on my Pilot.

@SouthMainAuto

Жыл бұрын

Oh no kidding, good tip 👍

You are awesome! It’s not cheating Eric, it’s working smarter, not harder. Great job!

Good job Eric I don't care if you did use one of the tools available to you as you know how to use them, keep up the good work, I love watching you work on electrical problems that other people could not fix, keep them coming.

Keep in mind that a lot of people are watching your videos either to learn something or for clues to their own problem. That site that provides clues to what possibly could be wrong is just a tool and I suggest using all available tools that are helpful to your bottom line. Love your video's dude.

I consider any help regardless of the source as long as it’s been verified a win, especially if it saves time. Granted there’s a few that I would just track down and do the process with but on those vehicles where they’ve got a dozen or so things on a single circuit I’ll take a silver bullet anyday!

Several years ago when IF was new, I never found it to be helpful. After this video, I am rethinking that decision.

Good job Mr. O “work smarter not harder”. Have a great day.

Man identifix is such a amazing tool to have. Reference it a lot. Gives you a path to look in to.

It's always cool that you share electrical diagnostics.. very cool

The beauty of mass production makes using id fix a valuable tool, when used correctly.

Love the show Eric and Mrs O. 🎉

Utilizing shared information to fix a problem is not dirty, it is smart! Don't feel dirty, enjoy looking REALLY smart to your satisfied customer forever! Thank you Dr. O.

Great demonstration of using the info available and having good judgement.

Eric, Don't let them give you hell, I am a IT security engineer and i spend about 30% of my time doing google searches to see if anyone else is having the same problem. Only a fool diagnoses from scratch every time. In my case if I get a silver bullet i put that couple hours saved in my pocket for when the boss yells what have you been doing all day :)

Excellent methodical approach

Love your videos bro. Just wish I had all your cool tools. I'm just a dyi garage mechanic with no lift or scan tools besides a cheap Amazon code reader! Learned alot from you. Keep it up!

Ohhhhhhhh the shame of it all , LOL You still the man Mr.O

Nice job, good way to use the tool to help develop a strategy to solve the problem

I'm not sure I can do it, but I will keep watching your channel.

Such a humble man a good and humble man

this is a more common problem with ALL cars these days. Thanks for the video. Greetings from that Old Jarhead in WNC