I went to Ranken Tech in St. Louis, MO. During the drivability/electronic part of the course, I was instructed by a former Marine. He stood about 6'5" and went about 285lbs. Walking up to him and saying "I think......" was akin to a death sentence. He demanded to know what measurements you'd made, what they told you, and your diagnosis based on FACTS. That training has stuck with me all of these years.... Glad to see that you're carrying on the tradition. Kudos!

I've found that if you leave the battery connected while messing with a starter or alternator, you can take a boring dull job like that and turn it into a fun game of "OPERATION"

@SouthMainAuto

6 жыл бұрын

Lol no comment haha

@garywanamaker2602

6 жыл бұрын

Then you warranty the wrench. And I have never inadvertently left a pair of pliers on top of my battery and shut the hood, making connection between B+ and sheetmetal. Nope, wasn't me. That paint was like that...

@diymisfit_Mechanic_UDX404

6 жыл бұрын

ykmalachi I used to love that game even though I sucked at it. That would be a great vijao

@deepsquat600

6 жыл бұрын

yeah..one time I was sold the wrong starter for a celica.. the post rubbed against the block ..can you sat arc welding :)

@RandallFlaggNY

6 жыл бұрын

Sure Gary. We believe you, especially Eric.

Once again, the test light receives the SMA employee of the month award. :)

Your good not only did you take the time to test but you saved the customer some money we need more people like you

Outstanding thumbs up video. What is remarkable is that if this customer went to another shop they would have been worse off. The customer probably would have ended up with a questionable re man starter and a higher repair bill.

4:07 that was REAL fun, lovely family indeed. One of the few old dinasours who truly love each other unconditionally.

As a retired mechanic myself I can appreciate the correct effort you made to test and repair a connection ,sadly that effort and the lower charges are seldom recognized or acknowledged except in your own mind. So here is an atta boy for doing it real

Ah what a guy you still took time out to give Mrs O a life lifting experience, a ride in a car up a lift, hope she's grateful.

Your videos often make me wonder how many times I've been unnecessarily parts-changed. That's why I'm doing my own work again. Eric, your videos are the best. I think I've made this same type of comment every time I've posted on SMA videos, but I'm just darn grateful!!

Awesome, how many shops would throw a starter at it 'just cause'. Nothing like a good honest shop, a rare treat indeed, sadly.

@InsideOfMyOwnMind

6 жыл бұрын

Living Larger Yes, Joe Garage would have changed the starter and it would have fixed the problem. I think the dealer would have changed it even knowing what the problem was due to the very concern Eric pointed out at the end. His way works for me.

I owned a shop in CT (also rust belt) for over 20 years and I know how hectic things can get. It amazes me how much time and effort you take to make and edit these videos and still go fishing and camping with the family. I also appreciate it very much. I have since moved to GA and am a diag tech at my Church's Car Care Ministry. I think this is were honest mechanics go when they make it to Heaven... No rust, no complaining customers, no bills, 5 lifts, no hard schedule...you get the idea. We do lack diag equipment as our OTC scanner broke but it was good for a few years. I am now relegated back to the Snapon Brick & DVOM LOL. It's all good though. Merry Christmas O family. TYVM 🔩

I think if these principles were applied to all service industries we could all benefit. Sometimes we need to be reminded to not brush off the simple things. Thanks for sharing.

Another honest repair, great family business. Stay warm.

Took a live mechanics test once that had this very fault bugged into the car to see if it could be found. Since my electrical instructor pounded V drop testing into our heads I found it right away. But it sure did sound like a bad starter. Great job on the vid Eric. The basics are always our friend.

Thanks Eric the simple things can easily get over looked.Good reminder not to jump straight at parts.

My students and I spent much of last week learning about the importance of looking for voltage drops that appear on a loaded circuit, specifically starting and charging systems. This video is a perfect example of why LOADED voltage drop testing is so easy and important. I shared it with the students this morning. Thanks Eric O!

@joevignolor4u949

5 жыл бұрын

Voltage drops are why they went from 6 volts up to 12 volts back in the 1920's and 1930's. With 6 volts you need twice the current for the same amount of power transfer. This makes small resistances at the connections more significant because they will cause higher voltage drops. Older 6 volt cars always had a lot of problems with dim headlights. I heard recently that some auto manufacturers are considering going up to 36 volts. This will reduce the required gauge thickness for all the wires and reduce the significance of connection resistances.

Hey, love the videos. I'm a retired heavy equip. mechanic, and I still enjoy these kind of vids, guess it's in my blood. Keep up the good work, keep testin.

Mrs O doin another great job at SMA she's a great boss you should give her a raise Eric.... lol

Long time viewer, first time commenter. One of my favorite videos of yours, with a great title too! Keep up the good work, Eric. Test, don't guess!

This is one of those cases where replacing the starter would have probably fixed it too, but a little diagnosis saved you from having to change out 5 starters at warranty labor rates to get a good one.

@mrsemifixit

6 жыл бұрын

FrugalPrepper Was thinking the same, change the starter and clean the contacts during installation. Would have spent money on a new starter for no reason

That was awesome, just a bad connection, I would have unnecessarily replace the entire cable. Eric O. you never fail to educate. thank you sir.

Never a criticism for you Eric... only gratitude for the sharing of your time and thanks to Mrs. O... for overcoming her fear of heights/and or airbag deployment.. have a Merry Christmas O family and SMA family !!

Thanks for taking the time in your busy day to shoot a video like this. You really have been cranking out the videos lately.

Thats what seperates the good mechanics from the bad ones. Awesome video, keep it up!

I'm just a DIYer but I came across a similar situation a couple of years ago on my friend's 2008 Corvette. In this case his starter was toast but it was because the nut on the starter for the hot lead was loose. The high resistance caused the post to overheat and melted the plastic around it until the plastic crumbled and the post/nut fell off when I touched it. It either worked loose or it wasn't tightened properly at the factory.

Great video Eric. Showing the basics that so many seem to miss.

Found and replaced 2 leaking coolant elbow on a 2000 Buick. Learned a lot from you, Thanks Mr. O

Great video as always. I found your channel and can't stop watching. I've learned a ton!

An excellent and simple diagnostic video Eric! This just goes to show that just because the problem may seem obvious, you should still test just to be 100% sure.

Another incredible image from the SMA garage. The sizzling solenoid! Awesome lesson Dr. O and thanks!

I've seen this happen quite often on older chevy and dodge starters, but the bad connection happens on the inside of the solenoid, between the post and copper contact ring. Those solenoids you could take apart and clean the contacts, polish the copper ring, and be back in business. Also, a bad starter will also mimic a bad battery but you can do an amperage draw test on a starter and see if it's out of specification before replacing it.

Really don't know the percentage of guys that would tell the customer it need a starter, but I lay a bet it's really high. Wish there was more honesty. Eric you are a rare breed. So greedy out there.

Great to know that there are still a few honest mechanics out there. Someone else would have gotten away with a starter replacement. I seen it personally. I work at a shop that customers where get ripped off, so I quit and moved on to better things.

You are an honest mechanic!! Some would have put on on anyway!!!! I commend you Sir!!!!

Good job, nice to see an honest mechanic.

The crappy thing about this situation is someone who just assumed they needed a starter and tore it apart and put a new starter in it would have probably fixed the bad connection in the process of installing a new one and they would have thought their parts cannon worked perfectly. Althoygh the customer would have had to buy a new starter in the process and paid for the labor of changing it. The costomer would have had no clue they got ripped off cause the problem would have been gone after replacing the part. Even though they only realy had to clean up the connection. Anyways that dodnt happen with eric o and thats why i love watching him and learing from him. Thanks for everything u do eric. Great vid

Great fix job Doc O, & thanks for the asistance Eric, lol. You're both great!

That was an awesome visual. Okay, now that was a good idea for the test light. I think I'll be making one for myself. Great stuff Eric and Vanessa.

Good video. A lot of guys would have put a starter in anyway just to pad the bill and I'm sure most heat shields would have stayed on the shop floor ensuring the customer would return for another starter in six months. Huge difference between you Eric and the people in the industry that cause most customers to think they are getting robbed whenever they get too close to a repair shop.

Another awesome video from SMA. I know these may seem simple to you, but it helps me a lot knowing that there are other people out there that take the time to check before replacing parts. Thanks.

You are a very honest man.

That is a awesome video Eric. Wishing your family a very Merry Christmas and All the best in the coming New Year... Love this channel!!!!!!!!!

Made myself a test light like yours today. What great idea!

Your the best. Eric Merry Christmas to SMA and your wonderful family.

Excellent advice! Always test the circuit under load! I've been stung by this twice. First time, wheel loader: electric fuel priming pump not working, pump had power, replaced the pump, didn't fix it. dug further and found the voltage dropped to 2V when you flicked the switch. Turned out to be a broken pin in the connector in the back of the cab. Second time. Wood chipper: Intermittent engine shutdown, No com error codes for engine ECM. Unplugged ecm plug and tested for power grounds and data link continuity, all good so made the call on the ECM. Didn't fix it. Dug a bit further, Supply voltage at the ECM was dropping to 6V when under load. Turned out to be a poor connection at the emergency stop switch which had been wired directly into the ECM power feed.

Nice to get lucky now and again, you and the customer. Good job Eric

You ain't dead. 😂😂😂 Good one Mrs. O

A simple test like this will save you a lot of money for a DIY'er. Thank you for the information.

Great video- again. Mrs. O makes it better. Love her wise cracking you.

Great info. Thanks Eric

Good Morning from Philadelphia Pa here.....Great to see Mrs. O in the driver's seat of this vid..Thanks Mr. O..like always you make our day here with your helpful vid. of your day...

Eric O. Another good fix eric .It's good to know there a mechanic out there that test before throwing parts on cars or trucks .thanks for video's

HIIII, the Lovely Mrs. O! Seeing you is like a breath of fresh air.

Don’t say sorry,good man always confirms his gut,that’s y allways check,enjoyed the video mr o.

I love your work. this was nice. I never trust connections without seeing the condition for arcs or corrosion and tightening

like the Vise Grip ground clamp! Going to so equip one of (but not all of) my lights. Saw a similar starter issue on a brand new Dodge once c. early 70's... the battery cable nut on the firewall mounted starter relay was only finger tight. Came that way from the factory...

Not silly at all! Testing will save lots of headache & $$. Thanks for your vids!

Reinforces the lesson Eric taught on the diag of the riding lawn mower. Good lesson to know.

good to check for sure great job showing the problem and repair

Great job diagnosing the problem and saving the lady a ton of money on a new starter.

Great vid Eric! Love starting my day off with SMA! Really like the attention to detail you have and taking the time to always verify your initial diagnosis. I’m sure most shops wouldn’t do that. Throw a starter at it and clean up the bolt and wire connection and send the lady on her way. That’s why i don’t take my car to shops anymore. Can’t trust them. But with your videos I’m becoming a better and better weekend warrior! Your an inspiration Dr. O.! aka “The Car Whisperer” lol

I like your three thumbs up final test on this video. You got to love your 100% approach!

This is an awesome video. Never seen a starter arc like that

@scottfirman

6 жыл бұрын

Ancient Pangolin Lots of times. If you live in a rust and corrosion free area,you wouldnt see much of this. I have lost count on how many of these I have experienced.

P.S. Love the scope on a rope modification. Bees knees, will be MaGyvering one myself...

Not silly at all! Great content and presentation. Thanks for sharing.

Awesome! Great Video! It's surprising how many problems like that one come along. Diesels are notorious for bad electrical connections. I've seen some good ones. NICE repair job! Many thanks to Mrs. O for all her hard work to help bring this video to us. Does she get diagnostic tech pay for this job? Have a great one!

Great stuff Eric. Wonder if the "gypsy hack" down in North Carolina will recognize you saving a customer hundreds of dollars...lol. Like to see some of the Honda brake line repairs. Keep the great content rolling. Thanks to you and Mrs O for the extra effort you invest in your videos and your customers.

I always love how admiring Mrs. O. looks at Mr. O. And who can blame her. :-)

Three thumbs up for re verifying initial diagnosis, taking the time to test it.

Good advice. Very nice intro to all your videos.

Need a mechanic like you Eric in Georgia that you can really trust..

This is the reason I sub to your channel and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Good job Eric, customer must have been thrilled to save the dough.

Sweet! I was waiting for the testlight to ground the starter stud to the body an see some more sparks ;)

@SouthMainAuto

6 жыл бұрын

Oh you had to bring up the bad memories of my favorite test light :(

Another great video my friend keep up the great work. I thought the nut would fall off or be baked on. Glad it all worked out see you in the next video thanks again my friend

Most don't think to test before replacing, it is a wise thing to do and it saves money in the long run not only for the client but also for the business

It wasn’t silly Erik your right always check very good point 👍👍👍

"Well, you'e not dead!" Lol! Mrs O rocks! :)

Morning, nice job Eric.

Nice demonstration 👍

Great job Mr. O

Eric O., you are the first tech. that I've come to know in your videos, that try to save the customers mega bucks. Wish you lived closer to SW Ohio.

Eric you are HONEST .

Another good one thanks Eric O

This video is a nice addition to the last couple that SHOW AGAIN why testing a component before replacing one is why people trust Eric O to work on their cars. He did the right thing and the customer didnt have to pay for a new starter they didnt need. People dont want to waste their money on parts they dont need nor want because of a neglectful lazy mechanic who doesnt take the time to test the needed components. Great job Dr O, and keep doing what you do best, testing testing testing!

Wow, this video was a deja-vu moment for me. Last Friday I helped a friend diagnose a Camry no-start just like this. Turned out to be a similar high resistance issue in a power cable connection. He had guessed and pulled the battery but it tested OK. Lesson learned (again).

Well done Eric, happy holidays for you and your lovely family.

Silly ,what Silly? SILLY would be if you DIDN'T fix it! Another great diagnosis!

Great job Eric

Excessive Resistance Excellent Diagnosis Eric 😎👍🏼

Yup have encountered that many times especially on the Marine industry come across low voltage issues all the time with the green crusties.

I love my power probe. It does exactly what a test light does with the added functions of measuring voltage and giving the ability to supply + or - at will. Want to test the integrity of a ground? Touch the tip and give it power. If it trips the circuit breaker it can support at least 10 amps without issue. I love my power probe.

Love your videos I always learn something.

Kool video... It happened to me last week. 😁

G'day, Mr. O! "Test... Don't Guess!" Great job! Cheers! :-)🐶👍🏼👍🏼

Good test and repair

Nice find..

Had a similar problem on the 175 amp main fuse connection on my 2007 taurus. It was a intermittent connection at that fuse box by the radiator and if memory serves me right it kept showing up as a low battery. I thinking it was a old battery changed it only to have the problem reappear a week or so later. Used the meter that time and found the voltage drop then cleaned it up. Looked somewhat like your sample. I thought I was smarter than that but shortcut burned me for the price of an un needed battery. Thanks for another good video.

Will this get you off the list? Lol You just saved the customer tons of money and yet 11 people gave you a thumbs down..Good,honest, free information and you get that..Irks the crap out me... Thanks Eric and Miss O for the videos...always learning something new thru your channel