Free fixes that make me a “HACK Mechanic!” GM 3.5l V6 Needs Some TLC. Lots of it! Saturn Aura

Part 1 Diagnosing the no crank condition! • Free fixes that make m... WATCHING NOW!
Part 2 Upper & Lower intake removal! • Saving it's life! Surp...
Part 3 Upper & Lower intake Installation! • It’s Going to Live | S...
Bonus Trip to Junk Yard! • Seeking Redemption! Fi...
Check out my Merchandise Store Below the video for Men's and Women's Apparel, MUGS and Stickers! rainmanraysrepairs.myspreadsh...
Support the channel on Patreon check out the bio: / rainmanraysrepairs
Must have for any toolbox!
Bahco "Frustrated" Pliers AWESOME tool! amzn.to/3IfDeOa
Brake Caliper Compressor: amzn.to/32BPitV
GearWrench Hose Clamp Pliers: amzn.to/3EGOuRn
Helping Hands Soldering Assistant: amzn.to/3GqnG9U
My Camera Gear:
Gopro Hero 8 amzn.to/3mPnpFA
Gopro Hero 9 amzn.to/3EKDcM1
Hero 8 Dual Charger amzn.to/3EId84c
Flexible Camera Mount amzn.to/3Jywrk5
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. #commissionsearned.
Also, I personally use or have used the products featured in my links and only recommended them if I feel they are of good quality.
“All the videos, songs, images, and graphics used in the video belong to their respective owners and I or this channel does not claim any right over them.
Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.”

[@RainmanRaysRepairs]

The saga continues! kzbin.info/www/bejne/enKbkKl6ftt4m6M

[@ericmacdonald840]

you might want to learn the difference between current and voltage. it very well could have been the connector's.

[@jasoninpersonam3664]

@@ericmacdonald840 definitely agree I mean first thing I ever do when I turn a key with power to the accessories first thing I do if the starter doesn't produce any noises is wiggle test first throw it into neutral and wiggle it around to see if the neutral safety switch is sketchy and catches and gets me down the road also wiggle test terminal connectors on both ends many times wiggle tests have gotten me down the road. Oil fouling will stop current while showing voltage. If wiggle test Works try spraying brakleen and manipulating the connection to be tighter and oftentimes is the direct remedy. If that doesn't work then go to the relay swap and fuse check digging around and s*** with a damn voltmeter. He already should know not to bother checking the main hot cable to the starter if the solenoid was not even clicking in the first place😶

[@SHSPVR]

LoL that me to with battery today goof ball battery terminals

[@flower9073]

I like your videos

[@82JettaDiesel]

Nice diagnostics. You do seem to get wrapped up in your personal wars with the free fixes. Why not just tell the service advisor it needs new terminals or the shop won't warranty the work? I realize economics comes into play but in the scope of that job new terminals is small potatoes unless those are really expensive.

[@ron1584]

From an old school retired mechanic, it's nice to see Ray does diagnostics to find the problem instead of just throwing parts at it and hope for the best.

[@lukehot9690]

Just because he had battery voltage at starter, doesn't eliminate voltage drop because of loose connections at battery, when you turn key to start vehicle. He should have fixed connection at battery terminals, Don't you think? Could have easily applied 12 volts to starter once he had it out of car, to verify it didn't work ..

[@ron1584]

The terminals on the battery would have had enough contact to activate the solenoid, it might not have had enough to get the starter to turn the engine over. When the new battery was installed the terminals would have been on the loose side, probably pushed on and then turned till they were snug the engine started at that time. By having loose terminals it will cause the contacts in the solinoid to arc that close the circuit to activate the starter. You are right in saying there will be a voltage drop which you can have from a corroded wire as well, Ray checked everything to eliminate these possibilities. At that time the solenoid on the starter wasn't engaging or clicking to say it was working. By having loose connections at the battery ads stress to all the circuits that the battery powers, it also creates resistance so the altinator ( regulator ) is tricked into thinking the battery is full. That's probably why the battery was down in voltage, it still would have had enough voltage to activate the solenoid on the starter. The winding in the starter solinoid were probably week and couldn't make enough magnetic force to work anymore, Ray could have bench tested the starter but he already determined the solenoid was bad. The starter itself may have operated but you don't know the condition of the brushes, so if you add up the shop rate to disassemble the starter check everything and replace the solenoid it is cheaper to install a replacement. If you were doing the job at home you could take the time to test the starter, check the Bendix and replace the solenoid but you still run into the problem of not having a growler to check for shorts. When the new starter was installed and the terminals installed the car started I commend Ray for not leaving the terminals in that condition and repairing them, I'm sure Ray checked the voltage output from the altinator at the battery to make sure it was charging before the car left the shop.

[@MrMarkbad]

Parts Cannon!!

[@1Paddlepoplion]

@@lukehot9690 the low battery voltage was the first indictor that the terminals were loose and or were dirty. Battery should have been charged and the terminals fixed before the starter was replaced. Then only than I would have proceeded to the starter motor.

[@bigsparky8888]

WE ARE IN AGREEMENT BROTHER...Let me ask...do you have little knots on finger bones at the tip of your index fingers...I do from nuts and bolts...screws...etc etc...hammers nah...before power tools...I finally got an 9.6v Skill Cordless...my luck ran out when the transformer to recharge the cordless had a recall from melting...dang...and .MURFEYS LAW GOT ME...IT DIDNT FAIL UNTIL I FOUND OUT THE RECALL WAS IN EFFECT...THEN IT MELTED...OK...CONSPIRACY BY REMOTE MELTING WIRELESS CHIP...HAHAHAHAHA...HILLARY DID IT...UH HUH!!! LET'S GO BRANDON!!!!

[@jgamer2228]

"I'm not a bettin' man unless I know I've already won." Words to live by, thank you Ray.

[@jeffer9499]

Id just like to say its nice to see your well thought out linear diagnostics approach . Especially on electrical work. I am a service/warranty rep for a Large Zero turn mower company. It amazes me how bad the thought process of most of the techs when they do diagnostic work especially electrical. It wont start. So they immediately go replace the starter. When there is multiple safety circuits on a mower which prevent it from starting. So thanks for sharing your skills and renewing my faith that there are mechanics out there that do it right.

[@peted5217]

Your Techs obviously need more training. More incentive might also be helpful.

[@rickylafleur5823]

even idiot's working on cars know how to jump starters, as a tech i love most electrical jobs, i say most because some shit goes through way to many unnecessary modules that are stashed in the dash and the boss or customer don't wanna fix it if it isn't a few minute fix. although i did have one guy ok a evap temp sensor to fix his A/C. 10 hours of labor for a 10$ pos ford plastic part that will fail again in a few years.

[@waynethomas1726]

I hear ya, and it's not just lawnmower mechanics. A lot of guys will just change a part that they can claim needed to be replaced anyway AFTER they find it was actually a loose ground. The other thing is that they are "just" lawnmower mechanics. If they were qualified auto technicians they'd be working with this guy. I suspect they don't make anywhere near the kind of money an auto tech makes-sometimes for the same exact process. If you pay them well enough you might be able to get an an auto tech to climb aboard with his experience and training. But I'm sure that'll never happen so you'll always get guys that really don't care because they're not making enough to care. Where I see that in the worst degree, parts counter help. If you don't have a directly line to the commercial sales guy you're going to have to teach the person how to do the job while you're trying to get your parts. Even the commercial guys are getting ripped off so they just take the attitude of "that's above my paygrade". I called one day and the dork that answered told me I'd have to drive in and check to see if they had a 20" long 3/16 brake line! I'm a commercial customer that spends a crapload of money with this store and that's the service I get? I told his boss, I told his boss to fire the lazy a hole. He said he couldn't, that "a lazy a hole is way better than nobody at all!" I told him flat out, "you don't pay these people enough to give a shit". He agreed. He's not the owner. I guess we're all screwed.

[@871jamie]

He’s not a “mechanic” he is a “technician”, there is a difference. Mechanics guess and throw parts at stuff, we technicians actually figure out the problem then fix it!

[@michaelf.2449]

@@871jamie no no no technicians throw a computer on it and throw parts, but Mechanics actually understand how the car works and why

[@incinerate4505]

I love how you did an EXTREMELY thorough and professional job diagnosing and fixing the starter problem, and then proceeded to CAVEMAN the battery terminal problem. The hammering on top of the plastic washer fluid reservoir made me cringe so hard! Lol Thanks for all the great videos! This is my favorite automotive channel, and I've learned so much from you! (sometimes what NOT to do also haha)

[@dianea3324]

Ray has a personal war with bad battery terminal connectors. You are a champ Ray. Good job.

[@michaelvangundy226]

Obsetion, by Ray. The new cologne for psychotic mechanics.

[@amzarnacht6710]

I'm no mechanic but if I opened some client's hood to jump start their car I'd be like: WTF nut job jury rigged this shit together?? Copper wire is your friend in this instance. I just a coil of 12g solid copper and the only way I was not able to remedy the loose terminal is if the collar was corroded through entirely.

[@tomtke7351]

did you say Ray was a clamp champ?

[@matta3888]

I had to fix some corded battery terminals. It took longer to get tools out, than do the repair.

[@Thestargazer56]

Well, 90% of the time 80% of electrical problems come from bad battery connections.

[@kendude8133]

I've used copper tubing as bushings to shim a battery clamp a few times. Cut to fit terminal height and make a cut from top to bottom on one side. Then you can make it fit either or both terminals. Cheap hack in a pinch.

[@Thestargazer56]

I have even used a sheet metal screw tightened in the terminal connector temporarily in an emergency.

[@charlesgould8436]

I employ the screw method:)

[@kaoe145]

I’ve done this before

[@insomniareflection8569]

I have to give that a try

[@smiller3967]

I used a nail on my old maxima. worked great.

[@eaglerider1826]

I enjoy how Ray goes the extra mile for his customers . I made a comment on another channel about why the mechanic should take a few minutes to blow off pine needles covering the engine before changing the valve cover gaskets . I got negative feedback because people believed that the mechanic shouldn't be wasting his time cleaning it .

[@CrimeVid]

Absolutely correct ! if the customer turns up with a compost heap because he/she does not care about the motor and is indifferent to the mechanic, they deserve a load of crap inside their engine !

[@lylecoglianese1645]

@Eagle Rider, there are some mechanics that don't mind working in a pig stay of an engine compartment. They are the ones that have repairs come back because some debris has gotten into the wrong places. Ray prefers to work in more tidy areas. He is the better mechanic!

[@RainmanRaysRepairs]

I don’t have to clean things, but I chose to.

[@chickerd4928]

LOVE waking up to a 30 minute video from Ray. The longer, the better. My favorite mechanic on KZbin!

[@martinburns342]

Hey Ray. You can use the min/max button on your Fluke meter to record reading if you can't see your meter. Very handy feature when fault finding. I use mine regularly as an industrial electrician. Have a good day from Australia 🇦🇺

[@gregoryking9348]

Definitely one of the least used but super helpful features.

[@josephhodges718]

Learned about this when checking the battery voltage drop during crank. Was dropping to 4.8V LOL! Replaced it and now it only drops to mid 11s. :D

[@justinvzu01]

Yeah, people definitely don't know how to get the most out of their multimeters. I started studying electrical engineering recently, and finding out all the buttons and their uses was a revelation, to put it lightly. Good meters can do so much more.

[@whirledpeaz5758]

Wow 4 Porn bots on this comment. Reported them all, I did.

[@whirledpeaz5758]

And yet revisiting this video's comment section the Porn bot posts are still here. Reported them again. YT DOES NOT CARE.

[@vernonbruce3722]

Good job Ray on engineering a temporary free repair of the battery terminals. Given the current condition of the engine, it is highly improbable the owner would authorize a proper repair.

[@yeahitskimmel]

Pretty sure on the next vid you're right

[@michaelbujaki2462]

How much work is it to replace the terminal connectors?

[@VestigialHead]

How was that a free repair? He had to put another battery connector on anyway. Might as well have cut the old one off and crimped the cable to the new one.

[@fitybux4664]

They had to sell that new starter somehow. 😆

[@Edmocci]

That oily starter wasn’t long for this life. I had a female customer she was an engineer however that intuitively realized “it all starts at the battery”. Good job, Ray.

[@AbandonTheWest]

I was at the pub after work one day, when the waitress and I started talking. She said that when she took corners, left or right, the whole vehicle would shudder, conk out, and come back to life. After I sucked back half my glass, I asked her for her keys, as it was obviously something electric. The new battery she got not long ago, was too small for the leads to grab on to. (WTF right?) So a simple "in the parking lot fix" I came up with, was to cut some copper grounding cable I had with me into 2" chunks, and install it in the gaps of the battery and leads in points, and re-tighten the connections. The next few days she bought me a beer "on the house" because she no longer needed her appointment where they'd charge her an arm and a leg for something simple. I suspect they took advantage of her for being minimally aware of how her engine works, and or being a woman. Put a stop to that real fast.

[@likearockcm]

And now she's your wife.😉

[@jad43701]

And that is the reason my daughter spent time under the mechanics learning tree !

[@peted5217]

You are the Knight in Shining Armour

[@rdownmakeITbetter]

Don't mock the 'screw in the gap' solution. I've used that successfully on a nasty little Ford to keep the terminals doing what they should.

[@AbandonTheWest]

@@rdownmakeITbetter OH for sure, wasn't mocking anything. Just sharing a solution from past experience.

[@GatheringSticks]

How about run that cutter disc between the two mating parts of the battery terminal clamp. After removing some material it will clamp together tighter.

[@motordown7664]

Exactly what I was thinking.

[@jimharper6073]

That is what I did on mine...😁

[@petequinones3454]

Much simpler solution, rather than adding more variables to fail later. Even a simple file would get results.

[@edfrawley4356]

Yup. Done that, it works.

[@topc5826]

I was shouting the exact same thing, then saw the cutting wheel and shouted that's it! It's perfect thickness to widen the gap on the two surfaces that touch before the clamp tightens up.

[@dracallis]

Hey Ray! A tip with the lead shims. Break them in half, they work just as well and you get double the shims. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to work on someone's car battery and there was a full shim used, and sometimes it ended up being the problem because the terminal tightened to the shim and not the battery post then came loose. For anyone that needs to use them, position the shim half at the point the terminal closes/squeezes. That is where it needs the extra "bite" to tighten properly.

[@spencemiller5836]

Politics aside KZbin has allowed me to seek, find and watch people that make this planet a better place. Ray is one such person. His work ethic and real love of his craft can be seen in all of his videos. I am guessing though his boss doesn't watch the videos cause Ray helps a lot of people save money by not doing the "standard" labor on all of his jobs and just like in this video he saves the customer some money by putting on a new / used / manufactured set of battery terminals just because he knows it is the right thing to do for the customer!!! Cheers to you Ray!!!

[@sniperlif3]

I absolutely love these diagnosis videos. Super helpful to understand the way things work.

[@greendryerlint]

Nice that you have that baby catalytic converter there right next to it too, to bake in all that oily goodness to perfection.

[@dannyboystudios6604]

A good mechanic stands beside their work. It’s harder to get run over there. 😜

[@christophercook3567]

I never understood what my wife enjoyed about watching cooking videos. Now I get it. I could watch this for hours.

[@usedcarsokinawa]

I can’t believe I’m sitting here watching while eating lunch. Of all the videos on KZbin I’m watching this on normal speed. Your videos are awesome!

[@karlhounslow8503]

I am a big fan of the self lubricating chassis models you point out to us! Love you videos such good humour and still very interesting 👍🏻 keep up the awesome vids Ray!!

[@tony-ps4qw]

Such a simple thing to maintain-good battery connections are critical especially on these newer (i am old) computer controlled autos- good job Ray!

[@MegaSuburbanite]

What a great guy u are Ray almost always lookin out for ur customers especially battery problems !😎

[@MRPUD1]

Great channel it’s good to see a professional at work . Been watching you for a while just realised I hadn’t subscribed.. I learnt a few skills while I was at school & the rest of my knowledge was from helping my dad fix his car numerous times . There’s too much electronics in cars nowhere days for me to do any maintenance. But watching you from the uk has given me a little nudge to start doing bits on my car Keep these videos coming there fantastic Ray

[@ttgk8506]

Rays battery terminal cleaning and repair skills are legendary

[@rayclark9643]

Ray I was surprised when you didn't clean off that entire starter area with a couple of cans of brake cleaner before working on it:)

[@adamlesandrini312]

He's right, though. I had a saturn ion and ford escape that a (not very) loose battery cables caused no start issues. That's why I don't trust mechanics to even do something as simple as install a battery. I only let certain mechanics work on my cars, and only if I can't do the repair.

[@scottr3484]

Ray stop with the very annoying CLCKS

[@mrschuyler]

@@scottr3484 I like them. Keep 'em going CLICK!

[@scottr3484]

@@mrschuyler CLICK = thumbs down. They are very annoying

[@chaddavis523]

@@scottr3484 Then watch another channel. I watch for the click, doodeedoos and gravity's. Theres plenty of youtube mechanics who don't say click.

[@mikejerrett7354]

Well done Ray, it's the little things like the battery cables that will give you return customers 👍

[@christopherl.roberts539]

I ran into your channel by chance and wasn't even looking for anything like this lol. I started watching and for some odd reason found myself zombified watching. Something about your skill, personality and work had me hooked. Well, that and the Saturn you worked on made me want to cry because I miss mine .. you're a bad ass bro ! Much love and subscription earned !

[@ScottGrammer]

Back in the day, every car had the same type of battery terminals, made of heavy lead, with steel bolts, nuts, and clamps to connect the wires to the terminal and the terminal to the battery. Care was taken to make sure that the steel did not carry the current, rather the connections were always lead-to-lead or lead-to-copper - this last was unavoidable. This was the case because white-shirted, crew-cut-and-pocket-protector-wearing engineers who knew what they were doing determined that this was the proper way to connect wires to a battery that had to occasionally pump hundreds of amps through its connections. Then came the bean counters.... These folks began second-guessing the engineers and decided, among other things, that some thin, flimsy tin connectors would be just fine. This was because these bean counters only knew how to count beans and knew nothing of resistance, current, voltage, or bimetal connections. and thus the problems began. My 20+ year-old Honda had such connectors, which gave no end of problems. After removing them and carefully placing them deep within the bowels of the appropriate trash receptacle, I replaced them with old-school lead connectors, and voila, problems solved.

[@TheGuccibane]

I feel it was also brewed out of necessity of the direction they innovated cars. All computer controlled and sensored. All these sensors need specific resistances; lengthen a wire or change a connector that happens to have different Ohms and it'll start giving issues.

[@andrewvoigt1133]

@@TheGuccibane hmm well I guess problems are on the way then because copper wire drops resistance as it ages. Crystal growth in the copper matrix is powered by electric current and copper crystal is more conductive than the structure of fresh copper wire.

[@stromundspiele670]

I only know this massive lead connectors, I drive a Skoda (same as VW just not so expensive), and work in a Mercedes service point, the only problem I have ever seen were lose terminals and so they melded, but only on not well serviced lorrys

[@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL]

I couldn't believe that was OEM. It looked disposable. The cheaper, older, S Saturns had decent, side terminals, at least. With the old, top terminals, the tightening nut and bolt could be replaced, but the lead terminal never broke, unless a gorilla worked on it. The weight/fuel saving trend is becoming impractical.

[@TimfromAlabama]

Where I'm from we call this, Mechanic work, instead of Parts replacer. Good job. Doesn't cost them $50 for new terminals and works just perfectly

[@rayshutsa6690]

I like the way you fixed the battery terminal. You are good at thinking of ways to make things work.

[@gordonpeden6234]

I Love the way you spend time on the "Little things" (Cleaning up battery posts, and re jigging the connections.) ACE !! My man ACE!

[@holmes2210]

Always love being able to fix small things for free for my customers, makes their day and helps ensure I have a repeat customer. Made up a custom door handle bracket for a mercedes on my lunch break that would have been about 200-500 bucks depending on where I got it because it was moulded into the door card. Gave me something to tinker with over lunch and made their door work again. It wasn't pretty but it worked and they were thrilled.

[@Hollywoodhouse74]

U copy and paste this comment everywhere

[@holmes2210]

@@Hollywoodhouse74 huh?

[@Hollywoodhouse74]

@@holmes2210 you can't read? Simple question... statement; you copy and paste this comment everywhere?? !! Tell me you got enough brain cells to comprehend this.... hmmmmmm

[@holmes2210]

@@Hollywoodhouse74 what makes you think I copy pasted it

[@Hollywoodhouse74]

@@holmes2210 you're not the sharpest tool in the shed... Hence the phrase, "copy and paste" figure it out

[@gastagamer22]

The clearance of that tool cart and the car was mint

[@RuralTowner]

Only thing missing was the JAWS theme that goes away when its clear that all is clear...

[@scottminer7702]

Well done. The ability to assess and improvise is very handy in a variety of professions.

[@plexnoid]

I enjoy watching how you think when solving problems ~

[@timsilva1944]

My thought was to remove pinch bolt and grind material in between pinch area to provide additional clamping force. If it doesn't bottom out, you can tighten sufficiently.

[@topc5826]

had the same suggestion I was shouting out at the screen and when I saw the cutting wheel i shouted out, "That's perfect thickness, stop! don't cutoff, grind the parting surfaces so you can squeeze them closer together"!!!

[@rdownmakeITbetter]

Won't work that way with those clamps. You'd also have to modify the clamping mechanism to get more movement out of it. They're junk connectors. End of.

[@timsilva1944]

@@rdownmakeITbetter I see. Yeah I just replaced a 23 year old Subaru terminal that was cracked and nearly separated. Stamped metal. Not like the old lead terminals.

[@SierraOne]

Sad to see vehicles that receive no love whatsoever. Thanks for a great and entertaining video!

[@alexcarr8503]

Some of us have a vehicle to get from point A to B. When it will not provide this service, we bring it to Ray or someone like him. Then we go to point B.

[@WebbandMooreVideos]

Great work! Found myself saying safety squints while at work this week! Love your content and your hustle of the platform!

[@macayver3012]

Hey Rainman Ray, I appreciate your videos immensely. I have to commend your superior camera work. Always getting us in the tight spots with illumination, simply amazing. Your narration is straightforward and simple enough for the layman. Your editing is a nice balance of keeping us engaged but not glossing over important aspects of the repair. And lastly your little idiosyncrasies are entertaining. "CLICK"

[@juansaid3100]

Before waisting time in diagnostic...you have to tighten the battery connetors

[@aurgasmic6739]

Finding out that they're loose is technically diagnostics.

[@richardhessert7862]

For me to question you would be like a asking a woman about pain during child birth. You tested and got it right. Arm chair warriors are fantastic. Great job in saving the customer money. Honest is rare once your car is in the garage

[@caddyrack]

@Kadita Jupe you don't belong here, go troll someone else

[@michaelredwine5074]

Thank you for going through the entire starter motor diagnostic process. Had to learn the hard way about twenty years ago that some starters have an inline fuse between it and the battery. Luckily I have never bought a starter in place of a bad relay.

[@brodyspencer4761]

Fixes an electrical connection issue with a piece of wood and a hammer... my type of mechanic, great video!!

[@donw3912]

I would have thought they would have replaced the valve cover gaskets given the oil leak is what most likely wiped out the starter. I'm glad you rounded that corner off on the modified cable...it bugged me as soon as I saw it...sharp edges can end up being injury spots down the road.

[@100SteveB]

Whilst I think you were spot on with your diagnoses, keep in mind you can get caught out by just using a meter to test a circuit. With no load you may see battery voltage, but with a bad connection that voltage could well drop to zero the second you apply a load to the circuit. Very easy to get caught out like that. I use a bulb to add some load to the circuit, saved me a few times in the past - meter on it's own said battery voltage, but the second i loaded the circuit up with a bulb the battery voltage I was seeing dropped away to nothing, a bad connection simply could not carry any current. Even an old fashioned test light is better than nothing, the old type with an incandescent bulb in, but certainly not one of the cheap ones that uses a LED instead of the bulb, the LED in those ones draw virtually no current compared to the older style with a proper bulb.

[@dansutton4082]

A good idea would be to use a low impedance meter. Every maintenance electrician has one in their tool box. The meter puts a load on the circuit for the same reason as you've said. Most people poo poo these $40 meters 'cause they're not an expensive Fluke. First time you chase your tail for an hour you'll wish you had one.

[@jordantalbot8820]

Always make sure the circuit can carry a load!

[@bigragu6828]

He mentioned Eric O in a video before, so he does watch SMA. Eric is ALWAYS saying to test a circuit loaded. Diagnose Dan even showed the difference with a test light, a meter, a digital test light and a bulb, when finding a bad ground.

[@ivorbj7741]

Love your diagnosis routine - forces all those electrical bits answer for their failure to do what they were installed for - well done Mr Patience!!

[@TribbleBot]

This was me nearly verbatim last July with replacing the starter on the 3.9 in the wife's Uplander, from testing the relay and wiring to telling the starter to 'stay'. I didn't click click though, and I just outright replaced the positive cable terminal.

[@donaldthornton3531]

Hello Ray, Big fan of the channel. I'm a retired industrial electrician. One thing to note, It still could have been the battery connection. As an example, you can have one strand of wire left on a broken wire and it will read voltage all day but it will not do any work like engage a solenoid...Just a thought great job....

[@spelunkerd]

You're right. One of the things I admire about Eric O on the SouthMainAuto channel is the way he integrates voltage drop testing into an active shop, amazingly without wasting time. Practicalities, like a vehicle you can't even get into the shop, and time constraints, make this harder than we might think! On the start side you don't need much, a headlight bulb works fine and a bright glow is your friend. On the B+ side it is more tricky because of the huge spike (>150A) in current needed. If the starter motor is drawing current the best option is to use it for the load, while watching a voltmeter on the connected B+ post on the motor, looking for a drop of less than 1/2 volt. If the starter won't draw current it's not an adequate test, as you say. Failing that you can use a headlight bulb and measure voltage on the input side of the bulb, looking again for

[@whuzzzup]

And don't you think this one strand of wire would not instantly burn when the starter is supposed to run, making it an immediate 0V afterwards? ...

[@spelunkerd]

@@whuzzzup Of courses there are extreme cases, but if you are saying that resistance in a line is not a practical consideration, you're just wrong. The point is, you can't judge the integrity of a line (or a battery, for that matter) without getting electrons moving.

[@donaldthornton3531]

@@whuzzzup Yes sir with enough current. I learned that the hard way. You will too if you do enough troubleshooting...I was trying to explain the problem so anyone could grasp it...

[@donaldthornton3531]

@@spelunkerd Yep. I do almost all of my automotive troubleshooting with an incandescent auto bulb that I turned into a test lamp. Works great...

[@edwarddemedeiros3607]

Back in my day--about 100 years ago--we used to put a penny as a spacer at the battery terminal and clamp around it. It filled the gap, made a tight connection and actually lasted. Not professional, but for a DIY pinch, it worked great.

[@GummyBearWA]

I did just that for my neighbor. It took us some time raiding all the kids piggy banks to find a Copper penny.

[@chrischevalier6107]

Put a copper penny between the terminal and the top of the battery. It will corrode first and leave the terminals clean.

[@johnhpalmer6098]

Another trick for the older style posts on battries is to wedge in a small screw, and screw it in between the clamp and post. Worked a treat on my old '68 Chrysler Newport in the early 80's. :-)

[@eaglerider1826]

@@GummyBearWA true , it has to be older than 1982 because of what was added to them after that .

[@whirledpeaz5758]

@@eaglerider1826 Anything after 1982 is a copper clad zinc slug. Zinc is used as sacrificial anode in marine applications. Would cause a crazy 3 metal galvanic cell problem here.

[@MicheIIePucca]

Love watching you troubleshoot, love the humour... love the music in the background too :)

[@DavidJones-lk7tg]

Glad you ground that corner off. It was bothering me too. Great Vid as always

[@Ed31003]

you make it appear to be easy but that's the magic of youtube but when i was a younger man (a very long time ago) i know auto maintenance can take a toll but i was never a professional but a parts changer so i watch and remember the old days :) have a great day Ray

[@iteratortv]

I would cut the connector ring a bit and added some solder on the inside (it would flow really easily on the copper) some roughing after and the connection would be super tight.

[@gooburrum]

As a do it yourselfer, I paid close attention to your fault finding process. You explained it well too. Thanks for a great video.

[@adamallred58]

Ive been binge watching Ray's videos for a few days now. Great content. Now i just have the shop ringer stuck in my head.

[@NiobeBaptist]

MacGyver says to use a paper clip on those loose battery clamps. Tightens them right up!

[@truckerdaddy-akajohninqueb4793]

Pornography spam reported. I lost count. 15-20. Got your back 👍❤️🇨🇦 love from Canadirt 😂😍🇨🇦

[@45AMT]

Wow at Exxon Valdez oil leak! A starter and a ray's legendary battery post repair in one video! A Great way to start my morning!

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Good Repairs and work @Rainman Ray's Repairs

[@loubakker5000]

Ray after swapping relays " it should crank now ". Hilarious. :- ) Flinstone repairs are the best. Enjoyed watching.

[@billhanson4921]

standard old school method was just to short out the starter solenoid with a screwdriver a lot quicker lol

[@tcolec540]

I'm confident that there are times where his experience has already diagnosed an issue. Possibly even off camera, the steps are for our benefit and to silence the trolls preemptively

[@ehole593]

@@tcolec540 facts

[@michaelvangundy226]

Hand me that old slot driver with the burned up tip please.

[@ianmacdonald9345]

Thanks for all the vids mate they are clear concise very easy to understand and remember how to fix things

[@jannickueltzhofer8155]

Love all the safety measures in place and the phrases you use safety squints was my favorite lol

[@CHR0NOMASTER]

I was slightly disappointed when Ray didn't wire brush/wheel the modified terminal connector to clean off the oxidation before bolting it on to the new terminal connector.

[@numberyellow]

i'm fucking traumatized from that.... i'll not be able to sleep for days.

[@jasoninpersonam3664]

You think it's satisfying to wire wheel brush battery terminals and connectors? That's what too many so-called mechanics feel about misapplying tools to an endless array of misapplications. The only tool that actually applies a true service to corroded battery terminals is actually a coffee pot with piping hot clean water run through the coffee maker and no matter what amount and what type of corrosion is on the battery terminals connections will melt away down to clean fresh metal when you remove the connectors and triple the hot water slowly ever so slowly overall corrosion and if you patiently trickle the water you instantly Witness all corrosion Melt Away down to clean fresh bare metal then you apply your battery sealers. Or not. Why sealer if you can just occasionally trickle hot coffee pot water over your terminals every now and again? Who gives a s*** about sealer at that point? It's incredibly satisfying to watch the corrosion Melt Away to clean metal! And that pouring soda pop over the terminals is b******* compared to this!

[@joepanico6480]

For years 10mm and the odd sizes from 13 to 19 were it. Now the even sizes get their opportunity. That causes all of us to nervously rifle through the tool box concerned that we do, in fact, have a 1/2" drive, deep 18mm impact otherwise this job will never get done. Enjoy watching. PS: In the 1990's while in Pennsylvania an older gentleman told me his father ran a shop and they sprayed used motor oil over the chassis to prevent rust on cars. So self-rustproofing comments aren't too far off. Not great for environment though.

[@johnaclark1]

@@lomaii2847 Sort of. Japanese/Asian cars have historically used even sized fasteners up to 14mm, then 17, 19 and 21mm and up. US domestic and Euro cars historically have used 10mm and then odd sizes going up. In the last 10 years or so 16, 18 and sometimes 20mm have become more prevalent on all makes.

[@John-do9ei]

@@johnaclark1 Yeah, those 18mm brake caliper bracket bolts on the GM trucks have been a thing for 23 years.

[@johnaclark1]

@@John-do9ei Has it been that long? Time flies...I remember when I didn't even own an 18mm socket. They were skipped, not even included in most sets.

[@lloydtucker]

The even sizes are generally His, Japanese metric. So normally found on Japanese cars, however I'm open to correction

[@Thestargazer56]

When I had a running 1991 Ford Ranger it used a combination of metric and SAE connectors. It was a combination of US, Japaneese, and German sourced components. I sometimes would think that I needed to buy a eleventeen/73rd-inch socket to work on some of the stuff.

[@joelkarch3538]

its nice to have the proper tools and place to do it!thanks man great video!!

[@jduda1127]

That self lubing system helps keep them bolts from seizing. I like it.

[@stephenrogers4537]

Good Thursday morning to you Raymond from Chicago🥶 hope this day finds you and your family👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 well! BROTHER 👍🧰👋👋

[@mikedee8876]

my guess is that if new battery terminals are too expensive for the customer, then a valve cover gasket job will break the bank...

[@bruceb4349]

It may not seem ethical to the customer to try to sell them a battery cable replacement, when the cable wasn't the problem, especially after they just spent hundreds replacing the starter. Many lower income folks can't afford all of the preventive maintenance issues with car ownership. They have to feed the children first. But many factory / fast food places won't hire you if you don't have a car. Or if they are working their way through college / tech, and have a job, and have kids, cars are a must have, even before the internet became a must have, no matter ones station in life. The usual Catch 22. As to the car, all they can do is fix it as it breaks. Like our grandparents had to when everyone was poor during the great depression. I'm sure the shop management know the customers situation and helps so they can, and therefore doesn't try to sell additional parts and services during a repair.

[@squarebodyseth5986]

@@bruceb4349 Im sure the time he spent doing it half assed wrong costed more then some $15 dollar marine terminals and $5-10 worth of lugs.

[@juergenbertram7312]

Excellent job done, especially with running commentary !

[@toshayonguard4253]

Good Work brings a lot of Memories back. 🤟🏻🇺🇸

[@lovetolearn5253]

Me personally I always load test the circuit especially a starter carrying a crazy amount of current. I actually got burt before on this exact topic. A couple years ago a 90s Lexus came in with a no start. I had a helper crank it while I checked power and control but they had to leave. So I took a .5 amp test light and checked ground. Everything was good. I installed the starter with no luck. The ground to the starter was bad. It didn't look good on me but I told the customer he doesn't need a starter. The car being 15 years old with original starter he decided to keep it installed. I'm not saying that your diag was wrong or questioning your approach. I was just giving a example on how I got burnt in a similar situation.

[@Roger-pw3zz]

I agree completely. The presence of battery voltage at the starter terminal means that there's most likely not a broken wire. It doesn't mean that the circuit can carry current, especially since the connections on the battery are known to be poor. A better approach would be to test the battery terminal on the starter to ground using a 4 amp bulb. I hate to say it but that starter may not be defective.

[@ahndeux]

Ray goes through the same thing over and over instead of changing out a $4 terminal clamp. Heck, even I have a hydraulic crimper to swage terminals for battery cables in my garage. Its faster and cheaper to swage a new terminal on the wires and use a new terminal clamp. Just charge it to the customer. If the customer has to remove the battery in the future, they would have a bad terminal on the positive terminal if they didn't know about the vice grip trick.

[@jej3451]

TIL the word "swage"

[@jamiewhite838]

Production getting better with every video. I think you are shaping your niche well. Good luck with your future in KZbin !

[@josephtober9417]

Pretty fancy fabri-cobbling! I like it much better than leaving it the way it was! Nicely done Ray!

[@brucebaxter6923]

Lol, I’m an electrician and first test would have been screwdriver across solenoid terminals.

[@fhuber7507]

That was THE definitive test for a 1959 Plymouth.

[@joshhobbs1442]

That works. But newer vehicles that have a delayed start function can be damaged but this test.

[@richardwarnock2789]

Just take a socket and hammer and hand anvil or something similar to bring flange back to gripping shape the hole is flanged curve inwards is objective!

[@jkonet1]

Most entertaining, good thorough diagnostics.

[@thomasmleahy6218]

** Not a hack mechanic, but a hacker, which means you're an engineer who figures out unique solutions for uncommon problems. Thank You for your videos, Ray. *

[@Mikelp73]

I’d like to see the battery voltage after a test drive.

[@colin4850]

Hi Ray, using a meter will tell you if you have 12 volts ,but would not show a high resistance connection without a load being applied. Sometimes using a high current test light/lights would give a more reliable test. Keep the videos coming

[@stevefromlondon9175]

This is what all car mechanics should be like a smart man love your humour great job Regards Steve UK London

[@calvinevans8305]

I like what you did. I had to do this with my Nissan Titan. Corrosion killed my positive connector so I grabbed a piece of 4 guage power cable and an aftermarket terminal from some stereo amplifier install kit.

[@agger838]

Im still guessing the starter wasnt getting a good connection to turn the starter over with those loose connections... just because the solenoid was getting power doesnt mean it had enough power to turn the starter, i think all u had to do with those battery terminals was pound them down all the way

[@currentliveoccupant]

He also never put positive directly to the solenoid terminal on the starter, it’s possible the oil swelled seal had pushed the wire out of contact. But bottom line customer drives away happy.

[@mariosaccoccio1688]

"There's your problem, lady!" Fram oil filter. Junk.

[@eaglerider1826]

I spent 30 years in the auto parts business and the only defective oil filter labor claim I had to pay was a Fram . I also had a customer return one because it was shipped out without having threads taped into it . The customer didn't notice until he had drained the oil and removed his old filter . He had to reinstall the old filter to be able to drive back to my store . I gave him my apology and 5 more quarts of oil .

[@mariosaccoccio1688]

@@eaglerider1826 I once worked for a "Doc" Rider in Denver. He & his sons built a group of Auto parts stores called "#1 Auto." Good people, good stores. We do see it all in the parts stores, don't we!

[@Danimal100]

hahaha SMA, fram crap

[@jimdavis9124]

Ray im a old timer and worked as a machinist and electronics tech with tickets in both. i very much enjoy your shows not to try and bitch about small details that you seem to always resolve professionally but the way you do have the in service to others in your heart. i too would do things in my repair jobs that would save the customer grief later and always made a working machine not a mess. i lived in the oil field parts duplication and repair business plus electronics prototype + board level repair end of it the approach is similar to cars. the catch is the pride you take in the things you do good customer or not thank you .

[@anthonyxuereb792]

The finishing touches are Very important, shows you care.

[@jkurl15]

Man those Porn Bots are working overtime today. Reported all that I found.

[@stevewhite3424]

Amazing how KZbin can sniff out a non politically correct posting in a matter of milliseconds but can't stop these porn bots

[@josephwash109]

Be careful when testing relay sockets with a jumper wire. That was a four-pin relay, and the load side terminals are located DIAGONALLY from each other. This allows the relay to be installed 180 degrees either way. This obviously isn't possible with five-pin relays. It just made me nervous seeing that jumper wire placed into the neighboring hole because a module could be damaged.

[@MrS22222]

He freaking welded a ball joint on last week, one of the worst things I've ever seen. I won't be surprised when he fries some electronics next. Click (as in turn the dude off).

[@squarebodyseth5986]

@@MrS22222 Glad im not the only one who dislikes his work. I wouldnt pay this guy to even change my windscreen wipers. He would get wipers with an improper clip and weld them on, ensuring a returning customer.

[@MrS22222]

@@squarebodyseth5986 he is going to get someone killed one day, probably the guy with the welded ball joint tbh. No torque wrench on load bearing bolts, I've seen him do it several times. I use his videos to explain the difference between a technician and a mechanic.

[@squarebodyseth5986]

@@MrS22222 I will wholeheartedly admit i am no certified mechanic or technician but i have worked on enough vehicles to know right from wrong. I fix my own 2 vehicles and family and friends vehicles for way cheaper and better then what a shop would do for the price. Sometimes ill see a $20-$30 loss but thats okay because i know the work i did is 100% safe and reliable and wont fail due to negligence or a customer that doesn't want to cough up the extra change. That $20-$30 means nothing when it comes to my reputation and keeping lives safe on public roadways.

[@squarebodyseth5986]

@@MrS22222 Whats the video called where he welded the balljoint? I must've missed it. I usually only click on the videos where i know hes going to go full hack mode just like any of his battery terminal videos.

[@billholmes6639]

This is awesome - my new fav channel!

[@martygonazga8545]

Ray you are awesome mechanic it's good the way you troubleshoot a lot of vehicles and finding the problems keep up the great work love it click

[@utidjian]

That was a totally legit repair Ray. The new battery terminal that you installed looked better than the stock when the stock one was new. The "non-hack legit" way torepair that would be to replace the entire ground cable which, even if it was available for a 15 year old car, would have been ridiculously expensive in time and parts cost. Kind of amazing that even these days it is near impossible to get really good replacement terminals. At one time way back in the 1980s I had a good source for some sorta military aircraft type terminals for standard post batteries. They were made out of some sort of dull silvery colored bronze. One could attach them by crimp and solder. Needed a bench vise or the big vise grips to crimp them and a propane torch to solder them. But once on they never came off. The didn't corrode. They had a quick release lever on the side. I could buy a pair for $2 and charged $20 to install them. In the 20 years I used them I never had a single issue or problem. Nowadays, with so much depending on the battery working, the manufacurers seem to have a whole raft of connections to the terminals.. especially the positive terminal. Makes it even more difficult to put on an aftermarket one. The amount of attention you give to terminals (clean and tight) is exactly what all mechanics and people who maintain their own cars should be doing. Again, that was good work you did there.

[@brucebaxter6923]

Cutting copper with a grinding wheel instead on tinsnips, different but effective.

[@loubakker5000]

You really think it is copper ?

[@orionfixr7713]

You aren't at wits end until you're cutting aluminum with a zip wheel . HAHAHA !!

[@brucebaxter6923]

@@loubakker5000 That’s why it’s a brownish orange colour where it’s cut.

[@RcbasherNcrasher13]

Love the ingenuity... I work with batterys tires n such everyday.. and sometimes you have to do what you have to do..

[@PJBonoVox]

Ray, between this and the welding video you have clearly mastered the algorithm. I doff my cap to you sir.

[@fhuber7507]

You probably did it... Should mention disconnecting the battery before messing with that + lead.

[@BixbyConsequence]

I can't understand why they don't make terminal clamps with a wider range of motion. It's a pet peeve of mine.

[@cup_and_cone]

Cost. Modern terminals are just formed copper sheet which has tight tolerances, as opposed to large lugs from yesteryear.

[@fredbeor2299]

New to your post. thanks. As an retired bolt turner I agree with your testing and diagnosis