Dangerous Mods on this '03 G55 AMG G-Wagon! CAR WIZARD shocked at the level of stupidity

There are times when you have to deviate from the usual way a car is repaired, but there is also a line that a 'repair' becomes just insane. This 2003 G55 AMG G-Wagon has come to the CAR WIZARD's 🧙‍♂️ shop with a couple of repairs that are just hack repairs and makes it dangerous to drive.
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[@Billy97ify]

When I modify wiring, I leave a note in a bag explaining the mod with possible diagrams and terminal numbers. You can forget a year later what you did and someone else will know what they are looking at if needs be.

[@Jester123ish]

This is a highly underrated tip.

[@jamesofallthings3684]

Ya good idea, but I doubt the cartel members using this could read them.

[@mr2_mike]

I leave a mental note : "That's future guy's problem." Almost always, future guy is me.

[@chaoslord8918]

I did something similar to this for my car. I put a sticky note on the wiring diagram page of my Haynes book, and drew the wiring changes on the sticky note, lined up with the diagram on the page. It also doubles as a bookmark.

[@johncunningham4820]

@@jamesofallthings3684 . Yeah , I thought the same concerning the Previous Owner .

[@michalselep1755]

This is probably the best Wizard episode yet!!! Skills, creative thinking and a will to go the extra mile to make it work. That’s what you call an artisan!

[@Iraqi47]

I love how honest you are it will bring you a long way mr wizard

[@shan6021]

Does bypassing the rear module set off diagnostic code, saying rear blinker light faulty?

[@MKRN98]

@@shan6021 I don't think so but I might be wrong

[@mediosinformativosdelsuryn6134]

así que,,,,, no enbArre

[@airthrowDBT]

I bet less than 1% of American auto mechanics would have the skills and knowhow to fix the wheel like that, well done!!

[@larrywade9041]

Correct & I might add the word desire. Thank God we have a few good people left that put pride before the almighty dollar bill. That's becoming less & less nowadays. So my hat's off to you Mr. Wizard!! I wish you were closer to me so we could do business. Have a beautiful day!! Illinois, USA

[@jeffreysmall8902]

I went to two different places they could not figure out my engine was bad in my Silverado . I traded it on a Honda

[@jopoveromo1054]

I would have, it’s pretty standard to run the car on the lift.

[@Aaron48219]

I've got my own Car Wizard here in Detroit. Mechanics like this are a rare breed. Shout out to Alex at H&A Complete.

[@overthehilldill3626]

@larrywade9041 Thank God he is close to me. When i need work done, im only going to the Wizard.

[@MeesterSteefy]

You're not only a Car Wizard, you're a heck of a human being.

[@ptlpszt1]

Best comment!

[@ront7795]

Trudat!

[@hoopty.]

The Grand wizard!!

[@tamanpara2682]

talk is cheap, car wizard is not.

[@Techgod7848]

Multiply that by 8 billion people on earth

[@JPR3D]

To me this exemplifies the Professional Mechanic. You don't just replace parts, you fix cars.

[@marcsaiber6684]

Mr &Mrs Wizard , The instruction and confidence that is brought forth via your words and video's are most incredible. Always have enjoyed them cause they are real world real time. Continued blessings and more Lake time your way. Sincerely Marc F Saiber

[@jheetman]

That was one of my problems with working at a dealership, they rarely let you do things like that. It was either, order parts straight from the mfgr or GTFO.

[@engine16dfd]

I wish you were in Colorado

[@johnthreefifteen]

Wizard is a mechanic and he can not fix stupid, but he can fix what stupid did.

[@raven4k998]

true so true👍

[@mrfixit603]

Just a thought!!! I think the resistance or load has been greatly decreased by led lighting. Had the same problem with a trailer with led lighting. The rear sam did not detect enough load(factory trailer hitch install), i had to add some resistance to get it to work. The trailer outlet was programmed for incandescent lights and they had a greater load., than the leds. My Benz is a 2009.

[@IdealGrain]

My first thought as well. Ebay LEDs not putting enough resistance on the system.

[@johanankarback6821]

I thought of that too. Newer cars usually works like that. You need to wire a resistor in to make it work.

[@EvzenEmanuel]

Would be funny if Car Wizard replaced rear Sam just to find out it did not fixed the issue because of the resistance.

[@el_micha]

@@EvzenEmanuel I mean, he left the rear SAM unit as it was, so his repair is completely reversible.

[@mikezerker6925]

You prove once again why you’re the car Wizard! You’re able to think outside the box to help your customers. Amazing work!!

[@raven4k998]

yeah he digs as deep as he has to in order to find out what's going on what's really going on with a vehicle and causing problems

[@richardstone5241]

Who does that to a car? DRUG SMUGGLERS!!!

[@theowlknows]

As someone who made automotive repair and restoration my business and my hobby since 1967, I very much appreciate your work ethic and using your brain and skills to save yourself and others money wherever possible. HOWEVER, I totally understand why many shops nowadays will only replace parts and not get creative with solutions. They are deathly afraid of lawsuits, because if their homegrown repair fails, there is no one for the customer to sue except the shop that got creative. They cannot go after the mfgr., the parts dist. or anyone else. So many businesses are barely existing today and are also running scared of lawsuits. It is not MY style (or the Wizard's) but I do understand it. Thankfully, I just work on my own stuff these days.

[@jimbrown3720]

That’s exactly why you are correct

[@jimmyaber5920]

I second this. I am retired from a car manufacturer after decades there and pior years at a dealer too. I do lots of repairs by soldering broken internal connections and have overlayed transistors for failed ICE chip power stage but I restrict it much more as I was burned by someone for doing those kind of repairs when an unrelated failure occurred 2 years later. The lighting on many domestics is done just like this G-Wagen now and many will not keep failure indicator or codes cleared when a bypass is done. The source module may include a circuit integrity check when the light is not operated and can detect the tagged on load of the bypass lamp. They don't have workaround repair tolerance as an engineering criteria.

[@erebostd]

Shops outside the us don’t do this repairs any more, too. Lawsuits aren’t a problem here, but it’s easier to replace something then to come up with a solution. Additionally, you don’t need educated personell like th3 wizard, replacing a wheel bearing is something a mediocre mechanic can do… sadly it’s just replacing today, no longer repairing…

[@theowlknows]

@@erebostd I stopped working at new car dealerships way back in the mid-70s, and even then they were getting more and more into parts replacement. At each dealership I was the only mechanic who tried to diagnose instead of just throw parts at a car. The dealers always had a "warranty room" where they kept bad parts off of newer cars, so they could pay my diagnosis and repair labor through phony warranty claims using those parts. That was the ONLY way I was going to get paid. Went into business for myself after the 70s.

[@Cheepchipsable]

@@erebostd It's generally a cost issue to not repair but replace things, combine that with any possible warranty issues it's safer to just replace and then you can blame the manufacturer for a failure. Some shops can do that repair, but they tend to be older guys with mechanical engineering experience. Many just aren't equipped but might pass jobs on to an engineering specialist. Again this falls to the overall cost of repair vs replace. Do a repair which fails and most people think you don't know what you are doing. Very few people have the experience to appreciate the difficulties of repairing things in the first place. Even second hand parts shopping can be time intensive. I was watching Vecor, and he bought a toyota that was written off - not because of the damage to the car, but because parts were scarce and the expected time frame to repair the vehicle exceeded the cost of the insurers rental outlay to their customer. Many years ago I went to a radiator shop to see about having a motorcycle radiator which was damaged in an accident repaired. Very lightweight aluminium and the shop owner looked at it and explained the difficulty of the job and ultimately rejected it - from his perspective there was a high chance of failure which meant overall it could be more problems than it was worth. Radiator was worth $500 or more at the time IIRC. As I was leaving one of his employees grabbed my attention and looked at it. For $50 he would have a go, no guarantees. Worked out well and radiator lasted for years until I sold the bike, but I don't fault the owner of the business for turning it down.

[@randomchannel5386]

FYI the switch in the taillights is sometimes used to have solid or dynamic indicators (or blinkers). My car has the same kind of switch.

[@philipparana9225]

I bet that's it's gonna burn out the front module now. I would just add an optical relay for 20 bucks so it doesn't affect the circuit.

[@redbaron6805]

@@philipparana9225 That claims make absolutely no sense at all. The lights are all 12V, adding a LED turn signal into an existing circuit that is putting out 12V will obviously not harm anything, especially since the load from the LED is very low. It is elementary electronics engineering...

[@caddyguy5369]

Kind of curious about that. Your theory makes since, especially being aftermarket tail lights. I was thinking insurance fraud / brake checks would make more sense than kill switch for brake lights, but your idea makes more sense. Seems like a "set it during install and forget" kind of thing. It would be silly to put the switch there for insurance fraud as you can't pop your tail lights off and flip the switch with other people watching before the cops get there. Very unlikely anyway. On that note a crim isn't just going to want to turn off brake lights. They are going to want to turn off brake, tail, turn, parking, license plate, maybe even dome to prevent accidental turn on. Pretty much everything but headlights and maybe dash lights. If they just wanted brakes I would think it would make more sense to go after the switch on the brake pedal. Then the switch would be accessible for the driver too. That said is seems like jumpers or something that can be heatshrunk would be a better option for the manufacture of the tail lights, if that is what it is. A switch like that getting exposed to moisture will lead to failure.

[@philipparana9225]

@redbaron6805 just because they share the same voltage does not mean they have the same draw. Hence , the led lights have hyper flash when put on a relay for incandescent. Voltage is simply pressure, rapid cycling relays (turn indicators), especially mechanical ones like in this 20 year old design are really sensitive to prolonged over or undercurrent. In this case, he is tapping the output of the front, which is gonna rob power for the front light to run the led. He may get away with it since led uses so little current. A optical switch would only be looking for the current to use as a signal to open and close its own power supply for the light. I'd use optical because it won't fail in a blinker cycle time and are really not expensive at all and would keep the non oem light 100 percent isolated from the car provided it was fused.

[@redbaron6805]

@@philipparana9225 I understand that point, I'm an EE myself. The reason you get Hyper flash is because the blinking mechanism in most cars uses a Bi-metallic strip, which makes contact, heats up and expands, and then releases when it is hot, cools down, and then repeats the process. It is not a traditional relay in the traditional sense where a contact is activated with a separate voltage input. This process relies on current flow. And the current flow is designed around the total current draw of the flasher bulbs on the front and rear of the car. Hence, the hyper flash is actually a feature to let you know one of your turn signal bulbs is out. Hence, when you change either lamp to a LED, or both, the current flow is lowed, and the flasher design means you get the hyperflash as a result. There are usually two solutions to this. Either replace the flasher module with a LED replacement module, or add a load resistor on the turn signal line to simulate a incandescent bulb. So, the only "sensitivity" is the flashing speed is designed for a specific current draw. The LED flasher replacement replaces this current sensing design with a traditional timer relay circuit, which turns on and off using an IC timer, ignoring current draw. In the case of the G-Wagon, since it has two turn signal modules, they are most likely IC timer or CANBUS based, and will flag turn signal failures using a computer signal vs hyper flashing. Many European cars use CANBUS bulbs instead of this load circuit design which is mostly used on American and Japanese cars. CANBUS bulbs have specific resistors where the computer monitors the current flow and flags bulb failures when the current flow is too high or too low for the circuit. So, you could be partially correct in that sense, that the computer system could flag the current draw if they use a CANBUS system, OR the lamps would hyper flash, if they are using the Bimetallic strip system, but not both. You could use a relay circuit in this case if this modification was causing an issue. But, in this case, it is obviously not causing an issue. There is neither hyper flashing going on, nor is there an error being set in the CANBUS system. Hence, as it works fine as it is. There is very little need to do anything except just put an inline fuse for the power line to rear lights, in case they short out in the future, as the rear module fuse is probably being bypassed in this case.

[@danf4616]

Nice that you were able to fix the wheel/hub issue, but aren't you opening yourself up to being sued if anything happens that causes a crash from these non-approved mods? Welding and lathing on those hubs is fine for yourself, but you are putting your shop at risk by doing this for a customer. Not commenting on your skill at all, just that you really can't be too careful these days. The proper fix was to replace the hubs and wheels with factory units. Yeah, would have cost the customer thousands, but your liability is low.

[@willmtaylor]

Before watching, you know this thing is a joke (or was driven by one) with that damage multiplier across the front grille.

[@willmtaylor]

@Jimmy Two Times False. It is ABSOLUTELY a damage multiplier. The only thing those do is turn a $3,000 insurance claim into a $10,000 insurance claim.

[@JasonWW2000]

​@@willmtaylor It's a damage REDUCER for the Mercedes. Lol

[@stephenbrown571]

I’d be willing too bet you. The previous owners wore their pants. Down around their thighs.

[@josephnasiri]

Finally, A video that explains why you are called a car wizard, Please do more of this type of videos.

[@TXAG81]

I am so fortunate in my area to have a shop like Omega. Been using them for about 30 years now and although the owner has grown his business considerably (7 techs in the shop), the owner is still turning wrenches. Honest as the day is long!

[@MissionaryForMexico]

You are blessed! I would like to visit the Omega shop! I have an extensive background in the Machinist trade, auto, aircraft mechanic, carpenter, painter, tile setter, and Sheetrock hanging/ finishing!

[@TheUberdude14]

seeing that front end makes me think that the frame is either tweaked or the bullbar bent

[@megachonk9440]

Yeah, no kidding, the Wizard was going on about how beautiful it was, and I was wondering if he was looking at the same car as me, because the front end of that G55 is as straight as RuPaul's Drag Race. The fact that the owner of a used car dealership bought this as their own personal ride without realizing how absolutely sketchy it is tells me I wouldn't take a car from their lot for free, much less buy one. This G55 might as well have "drug dealer" in LED lights on it, because I'm pretty sure that's who owned this.

[@A-FrameWedge]

@@megachonk9440 I have worked around used car dealers and wholesalers, these guys will not take a nice car that they bought cheap for their personal car, they just look at as they are wasting profit. They rather have as their personal car one they bought cheap and maybe has a salvage title or one that cosmetically looks good put has expensive problems, so they spend as little as they can to make it useable and don’t care about putting miles on it cause usually they are high mileage cars.

[@carlwest859]

Definitely looks like a wrecked car. Is the front axle a replacement from a different model and that is why the wheels wouldn't fit?

[@rickb6694]

yeah that's all I could see lol

[@JasonWW2000]

​@@carlwest859 It was likely just some surface corrosion that prevented the wheel from sliding on. Worst case the hub center might have been slightly ovaled due to a heavy impact, but is extremely rare. It may also be that those aftermarket rims were not machined to proper tolerances.

[@lyfandeth]

I'm guessing the PO installed one secret "all rear blackout" switch, in some hidden place, to black out all the rear lights including the license plate light. (Have you checked that one?)

[@flurpoid]

Classic crim car mod, shame these buckets get mangled by miscreants like this.

[@thelastmemphian]

This is the worst car ever to commit crime with. How many silver G wagens are in Kansas? Lol

[@theundergroundlairofthesqu9261]

@@thelastmemphian This one!

[@EvzenEmanuel]

No shit Sherlock. Car Wizard says exactly that in the video.

[@A-FrameWedge]

@@thelastmemphian It ended up in Kansas but that does not mean that is where they used it, might of dumped it off there, or the cops got them as they were just driving through Kansas.

[@jayyambrovich3740]

I LOVE this style of video Dave. THIS is why I subscribed to The Car Wizard to begin with and have been missing it quite a bit. Thanks for taking us back to your Car Wizard roots

[@rhrdskns]

Yes agree!

[@johnelliott7375]

This is why I am a subscription holder. Your the one of the few great, honest and straight forward master mechanic.

[@chrislinn4486]

It's a wonder the studs didn't shear off from the stress of trying to hold a rim center 😳

[@samholdsworth420]

Probably only survived because its built like a truck 😂

[@adotintheshark4848]

those studs can handle the load whether the wheel is off-center or not. The section that was cut out only centers the wheel.

[@accordinglyryan]

@@adotintheshark4848 Thank you. I keep seeing this myth everywhere. The hub ring does not support the weight of the wheel when torqued down properly. I went years without using hub rings and had no issues.

[@lrharner]

had wondered how the wheel lug taperes looked cause if it was moving that much i woudl think the holes would be wallowed out at least a bit. sure it costs more but im in the replace the hubs (120K likely need them soon anyhow) if the new hubs and wheels didnt fit turn the shoulder to the rim spec. new rims only if the holes are looking bad

[@JasonWW2000]

​@@adotintheshark4848 Thats very incorrect information. The hub is supporting the weight of the vehicle and transfering bumps, etc... into the hub. The wheel studs are only designed the pull the rim against the hub. They are not designed for sheer forces. I've seen numerous vehicles bust wheel studs, some even have the wheel fly off while driving, due to using wrong rims or adapters that don't use the hub centers.

[@richied-richiesautomotived4843]

Again your honesty and your skill set is impeccable! I run my shop with the same traits, i show my customers videos of the repairs and they just love it, as a result they always come back and i have customers for life. Excellent video thanks for showing!!!

[@md2k8]

These G-Wagon's from Mercedes-Benz are expensive to repair and to maintain.

[@GhostV8]

Air is air.

[@ProdicalMan]

Water is wet

[@ahmadaamer6]

It’s a Mercedes. Did you expect anything less?

[@martinmicheal4595]

Hot is hot😊

[@formatique_arschloch]

Expensive cars are expensive to maintain. Common sense.

[@300DBenz]

A switch on the brake lights is an old moonshine runners trick. Does the interior smell like Hoovies Maserati suv?

[@Aaron48219]

A man that can run a manual lathe and Bridgeport is God. Keep the trade alive Wiz! Had a friend that had a front wheel banging and wobble. Took it to three mechanics and nobody could replicate it. Turns out there was water in the tire that was freezing. Once it got warmed up, it went away because it became liquid and flowed out evenly. Sometimes the most boggling things, are some of the simplest.

[@juki6377]

yeah that would be hard to anticipate, well depending on where you live i suppose. how did they manage water getting in there in the first place :D

[@grad0n]

@@juki6377 air compressor that has never been drained.

[@juki6377]

@@grad0n seems risky

[@Chill23134]

Just found a 2009 going for 48K…… I’m gonna do it guys, wish me luck

[@fahadm7354]

Intro gave me a good chuckle 🤣 “Like a G... 55”

[@ericwilson2585]

Agreed. I was a backyard mechanic, then a drywall hanger, then a mechanic, then a machinist in a hydraulics shop, then an amplifier and guitar tech, and now I'm a mechanic again. I've come full circle I guess you could say. Lol.

[@ke0kie]

All symptoms of thug life, obviously

[@damirzanne]

idiots do all kinds of stuff like that to their cars , and then they’ll say “Mercedes is unreliable “ … you did great job saving that nice Benz , it was on its way out

[@ETr4d3]

I ordered new offroad tires, went to collect them in heavy rain and got them to a shop to install them. One of the tires was full with water, over 70-80kmph car would shake like crazy. Took me and my dad about 3 weeks to figure it out.

[@bryduhbikeguy]

The person who put the tire on the rim must've been new,because anyone knows to check each tire for damage before install.Even new ones can have shipping,or manufacturer damage.

[@weskellystewart1384]

Watching the Video, and looking at what had been done with the light mod, I bet the centric wheel hub was cut down to make aftermarket wheels fit. When the G-wagon was traded/Sold, the stock wheels were put back on it. I bet it wasn't a fitment issue of the original G-wagon wheels, but was a fitment issue on the aftermarket ones they were trying to put on

[@AJGreen-cn8kk]

Watched the light fix and a bulb lite up over my head (no pun intended). My grandson's Ford lost the right front turn signal. It's the "smart fuse box". Dealer wants $800 for the part plus installation. Over a thousand bucks for one turn signal! I'm going to try running a wire from the rear turn signal that works fine up to the front. Thanks Wizard!

[@leonardodavinci303]

Use a heavier gauge wire because a long run has a larger voltage drop. Or, figure out where it comes from in the front!

[@AJGreen-cn8kk]

@@leonardodavinci303 Thanks for the wire tip, I will do that.

[@ikocheratcr]

Before you run the wire, check if the module is happy running both light bulbs in parallel, cause it might trigger over current and not light at all.

[@randolfo1265]

And he will say 'Gee Gramps, you're a real wizard with the cars!' Winning!

[@AJGreen-cn8kk]

@@ikocheratcr Good thought. Maybe I should switch at least one bulb to LED?

[@cmitch5493]

That front grille guard is so damned crooked and it drives me crazy! It's hiked up on the passenger side.

[@Daemonarch2k6]

This is true wizardry on dr. strange levels. Absolutely flawless.

[@GeorgeMcNally]

I'm guessing you bill out at around 100-125 bucks an hour......work like this is worth twice that :-)

[@michaelbaka4777]

My two guesses were= lights needed an inline diode to work properly and cheap, aftermarket wheels were out of round or not drilled properly. Oh well, Wizard weens!!! This car shows why I won't buy a car newer than '11. Even then, my '11 Chevy Traverse is a bit too new; i.e. computer-controlled wipers and headlights???? Huh?? Thanks and say Hi to Mrs. Wizard!!!

[@shannons1886]

Torque to 200nm AND then back off 1/4 turn. If you don’t, those bearings will die in a few K. (Also in manual)

[@kfrench201]

What’s crazy is I literally just had a 2006 g55 in my shop with the same issue on front hub🤯! They cut the freaking flange off! I don’t have a lathe so I just bought a new hub.

[@dirtfarmer7472]

Maybe you might become friends with a machine shop to get the work done. We used to have a machine shop that if they couldn’t fix it, you made a mistake, a big mistake, in buying it.

[@philgts_merc.7602]

Good job Wizard I have a G 55 as well they are great trucks. I would love for you to do more videos on them. Also just to let you know that front guard looks crooked. It’s higher on the left side than the right.

[@Santor-]

Truck?

[@chrisathomas1]

Maybe you can straighten the grill guard on that wagon

[@scottimusgarrett15]

"What?! A German car that's complicated?" If the Germans had invented the hammer, it would have three moving parts! Very nice Sherlock work on the wheel problem; you're a perfect example of the difference between a mechanic and a "technician"! Good work, dude! Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Wizard! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦

[@jamesofallthings3684]

Maybe so, but it would look better, feel better and work better until it broke.

[@The_Touring_Jedi]

That's why Russian engineering made a proper sledgehammer...

[@bigmountain7561]

That poor G Wagon, Meth and Mechanics doesn’t work. The tooth grinder who did that to the wheels and lights is a MORON!!! Good Job Wizard on problem solving. Great Videos Thank You!!!!

[@phil955i]

It's not just powering those LEDs, there are load resistors on the back of that aftermarket rear light to stop any fault messages showing on the dash for a blown bulb, so the load will still be the same as a conventional bulb. Great thinking outside the box though!

[@MM-fq9gi]

Instead of adding the signal light load to the front signal module, you could have added a relay for the back light using the rear module power, the relay load imposed on the front module would have been minimal, especially with the new solid state relays.

[@addicted2bass87]

Yup. Trigger the relay with the signal from the front module and power the relay from the rear module, or really any power source of your choosing. 15 years installing car audio taught me lots of unique ways to utilize relays.

[@theundergroundlairofthesqu9261]

OTOH, if this car came with incandescent bulbs originally, won't these LED's be well under the design load?

[@addicted2bass87]

@@theundergroundlairofthesqu9261 that is very likely. Often times adding LED bulbs without adding resistors inline can make the vehicle think the bulb is burned out or missing. In most cases the bulbs will still work, but the vehicle will do the "fast flash" of the turn signals, as if a bulb was burned out, However due to the complicated lighting system in this truck it's possible they just wouldn't work at all. However, that doesn't explain why the fronts are working, as I assume the are LED as well.

[@DriverDude100]

One has to wonder if the aftermarket LED tail lights on this vehicle ever worked. I would be curious to see if load resistors would have made them work with the rear SAM.

[@ReactorFour]

@@DriverDude100My money is on this…. Original lights would fire right up Id bet.

[@kdailey4315]

Love the subtle humble flex of The Wizard! This episode should be titled: "This is Why I'm the Wizard. Let's Take a Look."

[@ursinegrubby916]

Just bypass the silly rear SAM. It's what I'd do. But it's still a hatchet job and affects the provenance of the vehicle and added another layer of weirdness. Next owner is going to say WTF? too.

[@Nickword1]

Wizard is the man!!!!!!!!! can't wait to see Hoovies new S600 appear on your channel.

[@queensapphire7717]

I guarantee the LED is the problem, cars that normally use incandescent bulbs do not recognize the low wattage of LED bulbs, and think the bulb is dead. I guarantee the rear Sam would work if you had an incandescent bulb on the rear light. The reason it works connected to the front SAM is because the front SAM has the front bulb on it already using wattage. I had this problem with my Jeep with LED bulbs used on turn signal bulbs.

[@Chthonian121]

Ah, an early NA G with Sam issues, a classic. Major indication of water damage at some point (probably through the moon roof). There are countless times I heard early G Wagons having shorted SAMs. It's not like a W220 Sam either where you can get one from the junkyard for $30, it's like $800 at the dealer.

[@davidkrumwiede446]

Never buy a used G-Wagen. They all have weird issues from previous ownership. It’s just the kind of clientele they attract. If you want one, new is the only way to go.

[@johnbackos5192]

My dad was a master tool and die maker at a Grumman subcontractor and he taught me all kinds of cool hacks. I worked at that shop part time while in Architecture school and it helped me immensely. Shout out to all machinists out there.

[@alexhodson8831]

Mercedes is smart enough to understand when Chinese aftermarket tail lights connected, it maybe not a problem with rear SAM, just because of LED tail lights, mercedes can't feel resistance in the circuit and cuts power to it.

[@starkyslp16]

Nice work. These outside the box fixes are perfect for a car of this age and condition, plus huge savings for the customer and keeps them coming back

[@cambridgemart2075]

I note that you didn't mention check ingif the CANBus signals were reaching the rear SAM; if you did, and it was OK, I would have thrown a trailer signalling module in there as a better solution than paralleling the front and rear lamps.

[@justinregister795]

I can attest, finding mechanics like the Wizard is getting REALLY difficult. Most “mechanics” now are parts changers at best. Hat tip on thinking outside the box to save your customers money!

[@jimmyaber5920]

I'm thinking several of Hoivie's cars could be used as drug sniffing dog training vehicles. Maybe cadaver dog training too.

[@peppestyling]

They probably used another set of wheels that had a smaller centerbore before. Nice fix!

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

Exactly.

[@akshonclip]

Had you put the original tail lamps back in they would have worked. The SAM goes into protection mode when the circuit resistance is out of spec.

[@haroldneely9253]

I agree one of the best episodes yet. The LED light fix , yeah they don’t draw much, and when your finished there are no wires dangling then right on. The issue with the wheel no doubt had people scratching their heads, and like you said would have been expensive. Around here the only machine shop in town shut down and so there wouldn’t have been much choice but to replace the hub.

[@danielsteward5090]

The rear S A M probably does not want to operate the LED lights because of the resistance in the bulbs compared to led lamps.(flasher relays do that sometimes, the solid state ones fix that problem.)

[@LifestyleShortz]

One of your best and most insightful videos. In today's crazy world, we need pillars of society like yourself 💪💪

[@jamesfrench7299]

Your can clearly tell he's passionate about ethics in the industry.

[@einfelder8262]

I'm tipping the aftermarket wheels were an unmatched pair of pairs - the rears had the right ring size for the G, the fronts were smaller leading to the insane act.

[@darrylschmidt704]

Hi Wizard. Great video. Is the grille guard bent or installed wrong?

[@Br1anuk]

Wow Wizard you've got nearly a Million Subscribers. Hopefully this year you'll crack it.

[@CreamyItalian]

Awesome work! My first thought for the turn signal was exactly what you did. If the fronts work just feed that to the back lights. The switch was stupid though. No inside (easy use) switch. I love your motto on customer service. Be honest and upfront and customers will keep coming back.

[@pilothouseking]

Who butchered up that GL55 you ask….a Jamaician wheel shop in Miami is my guess.

[@dwclse]

I think your describing the "death wobble" phenomena on 4x4 vehicles. The Death wobble is used to describe a series of sudden, often violent front suspension vibrations exhibited by solid front axle suspensions, and more infrequently, independent front suspensions. When death wobble occurs, you will feel a shaking in the steering wheel, which will increase or decrease with speed, and depending on severity, shaking throughout the cab. It may also cause involuntary wetting of the occupants of the vehicle due to the severity of the wobble.

[@veritas6466]

File this one under, "How to tell us you a Jeep owner, without telling us you're a Jeep owner."

[@herculesrockefeller8969]

That’s German engineering in a nutshell: use a $3k computer when a 10 cent piece of wire will do.

[@therockwellhour3401]

That’s right Wizard I see you represent with the lyrics!

[@EdmondYee]

The switch in the back of the brake light is not to turn off the brake lights. It is toggle between a sequential turn signal or a solid turn signal. The taillights are also missing the gasket to seal them against the body, so moisture absolutely got behind them

[@lutomson3496]

looks like Tylers Hoovies one only he had 220k on it

[@MrMCDiggles]

Methcedes? The return of shady rides?

[@user-ne3ze4zz7r]

Great work! Being able to engineer your own solution is truly the mark of a master technician!

[@greenleafsolutions9004]

I have the exact same taillights on my G. That switch is to change the turn signal from a solid flash or sequential. You have it set to sequential.

[@DogFaceMaker]

My father in law was a mechanic like the car wizard, as honest as the day is long. He had so much work in his shop it was crazy. He charged a fair price for his labor and sold parts at his cost. People would wait weeks for Tom to work on their car because they knew it would be done right and fair. It is so much more work to be a crook, just be honest and people will flock to your door.

[@danawilson7291]

Did the low draw of the led make the rear light controller think the bulb was bad? Would a resistor like used to make leds flash have helped?

[@miketeeveedub5779]

The G-Wagon in military trim is an incredible platform! There's a military depot near me and I always crank my neck to look at them as I drive by. That said; these street versions are repulsive. Every time I see one I think the owner is a douchnozzle. They go against the spirit and design of the OG G-Wagon. Yuck!

[@AA-vr8ez]

Sounds like your either jealous or otherwise too judgmental. Either way, it’s not healthy behavior.

[@Zapdos6996]

@@AA-vr8ez Yeah, he should be a shining beacon of virtue like yourself. How dare he have an opinion that differs from yours! Even though you criticized him for being judgmental, and in the same exact response, you were critical and judgmental of him. Hypocrisy isn't very healthy.

[@deoxysx1657]

@@Zapdos6996 ikr I was about to say the same thing 🤣

[@supposedlycollectable4220]

I Think they are pretty cool in any trim and would be stoked to get one

[@Zapdos6996]

@@deoxysx1657 🤭😅

[@kanalnamn]

Leave a led pencil note in the rear SAM (is it "SAM" he' saying?) that it has been rewired to the front unit. Someone in the far future might be very happy about such a note.

[@noonehere1793]

Ah good ole german OVER ENGINEERING…if two screws will hold an item they put in 5 including 2 bolts in 2 different two different sizes and with one obscure torx head with an oddball 1/2 size.

[@jcollins1305]

😂😂😂

[@alvydasurbonas8913]

my first guess was that led lights are not compatible with rear sam electronics and rear sam just thinks that there is no light bulbs connected

[@unstablebobgable]

The Car Wizards has the coolest walk on KZbin! I'd love to see a continuous loop video of him just waddling around on his stubby little legs with Pantera's WALK as the background music!

[@victorbaird8220]

Scam

[@favorit601]

SAM: Seems this car is just too old by basic design of 1970s. I think the nowadays front SAM was originally a analogue switching box for all the lights and small enough by size to fit at the original place at the glovebox at that time. Today it simply doesn’t fit there any more, to much electric parts. Another nice information about the G-Wagon translated from German Wikipedia: „In 1972, Daimler-Benz and the Austrian manufacturer Steyr-Daimler-Puch (now Magna Steyr) agreed to jointly develop an off-road vehicle. This happened at the urging of the Iranian ruler Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who owned up to 18% of Daimler-Benz shares. The car was intended for border patrols in Iran and as a hunting car. At first it was hoped that the Bundeswehr would be an additional customer.“

[@xxxy9928]

nothing on US wiki ?

[@fw1421]

Just another reason to not buy a German car,especially a used one from a drug dealer,which are the only ones who can afford a G wagon,who buy them because it shows how rich and powerful they are.

[@miguelperdomo786]

What a hater you are lol

[@Keckegenkai]

watch the whistlindiesels videos about the G wagon. That thing can absolutely take a beating and still go strong.

[@christophers.4007]

or hasidic jews in Brooklyn NY. I see G wagens driven daily by middle aged jewish women.

[@JasonWW2000]

Sounds like someone is jealous.

[@kevinbarry71]

Two separate modules to control the lights; German engineering at its finest.

[@kgthegreatone943]

The wizard is a awesome mechanic and a awesome dude

[@darrylcavanaugh9465]

You Sir, are what makes me happy as a taxpayer that your military experience in vehicle knowledge has ‘created’ The Wizard. All the best to you and Mrs. Wizard, and I will continue to follow your channel. YOU ARE a MASTER TECH, even if the MB factory doesn’t thing so.

[@drooplug]

I needed the rear diff repaired on my truck. The dealership solution was to replace the entire rear end instead of the bad parts. Of course I took it to another shop and they fixed it properly for less cost.

[@TheopolisQSmith]

Gee Wizard, we used to call folks like you “Mechanics”

[@fabssgarage]

I kinda missed to see these kind of REPAIRS in your channel.

[@slicktopz3223]

That bash bar looks uneven

[@wpeezy10]

I’ll never understand the people that have G Wagon $$ and then buy a G Wagon

[@kerrylewis2581]

It looks like a nice rig, so why would the previous owner do such dumb things?

[@richardsmith2721]

Baller on a budget. Cut them rings, boy! Yeah bruh! I think this was another meth wagon like Hoovie's Maserati.

[@oscarp9336]

I hope who ever butchered the car is watching this and is embarrassed.

[@jongonegone1262]

i need to stay interested, pull the parents honda in for a look over !!!!!

[@31dknight]

Another great video from the wizard. Keep it up

[@TypeTuber]

That grill guard not being aligned drives me crazy

[@gplipp6489]

Old school thinking. This is a compliment. Great to see. 🎉

[@killerhertzmercedes]

Another great video. Can you leave the 'Omega' watermark on the bottom right of the screen, on screen at all times if you have to have one? It flashing on and off every 30 secs or whatever is distracting. 🙂