I rip myself off again. x431 pro3s+ x-automotive technician. roadside rescue, mobile mechanic setup

[@2002MX5]

You should carry a compressor and a Jaws Of Life. I bet you could gain access somehow.😂

[@lowellstout9722]

You can move the vacuumed storage canister away from the fire wall and bring it up through there. I have done several.

[@georgef1176]

I was just about to say the same thing

[@cliffordgallagher4531]

I remember seeing a buddy doing 1 of These! Had the airhammer removing the axle Whole steering assembly out of the way for a Alt!

[@lovetolearn5253]

Dont let anyone hate. If a company is asking you to review a tool jump on it. I see alot of comments people hating. The only thing I would have to say is if they have you review a tool and its trash then I would state it in a professional way. Other then that REVIEW THEM ALL. I love tools and free tools even more.

[@RoadsideRescue]

Definitely. I think honesty is key and actually haven’t even considered accepting a tool I think is bad quality. I research them well before I consider saying yes in the first place.

[@claytoncoolidge992]

I had a experience doing mobile mechanic work when I was doing it myself. Engine on a 2003 gmc envoy. Customer told me how much he was quoted by the stealership to r and r engine and I scouffed and told him my normal rate for r and r on an engine (one of the few jobs that I had a flat fee for) and I hadn't heard anything about them being special and needing to remove the body from frame to do the work. I did find that I was able to do it without removing the body fortunately it wasn't a 4x4 or I wouldn't have been able to do it without removing the body. I wasn't going to back out on the job nor did I charge the customer much extra for the job and fortunately the customer had a few other issues with that vehicle and a couple other vehicles he had so I was able to find a way to make it work and not lose my a$$ on it. Chalked it up to experience and made sure that I was checking out service data for all future jobs and never just going off the top of my head when quoting.

[@Drew-cz7hw]

Those alternators are a pain. I helped my buddy thinking it would be quick. Took the majority of the day and a lot of choice words.

[@nakamahaki650]

I know that when I worked at Firestone it was policy to torque lug nuts with a torque wrench they have to sign off if that helps

[@RoadsideRescue]

It does! Except our Firestone closed last year. The city did em dirty…. They put construction on their street for about a year until they went under. Then bought the property and are building a huge convention center…..

[@nakamahaki650]

@@RoadsideRescue explain to customer that 3 uga duggas is safe lol

[@firstlast---]

@@RoadsideRescue That can't be legal.

[@matth7621]

Have you ever talked about how you became a mechanic in any of your videos? Dad teach you? Self-taught? Go to school? How you decided to do mobile mechanic? I wish there were a lot more people like you out there.

[@M-HWeldingAndMechanical]

I have the same scan tool, absolutely loving the versatility it has

[@RoadsideRescue]

Me too. It’s fast too!

[@leestewart8923]

This reminds me of telling my nephew that it won't take long to change the starter on his 2004 Tundra and they don't put starters on top of the engine.

[@jimmyg5636]

You should consider buying some roadside cones for safety reasons and to delineate where the work area will be ✌🏻

[@dealerauctionnightmare4689]

Those are a PITA to change. In 2008 Ford put the alternator toward the front of the vehicle making it easier.

[@tobyblackmore2954]

I almost fell into the same situation....guy wanted his power steering pump changed steering got hard luckily I did research to find out it's an electric power steering

[@Pfirtzer]

Never trust what a client tells you you listen, but do research for yourself, listening and asking what the car does doesn't do and when a certain situation occurs gives you lead. But trust your own experience so true.

[@JDLarge]

Try not to look at it like you ripped yourself off. Maybe think of it like you gained a lot of knowledge and that’s important to your growth! Ya can’t win em all brother! One of my toughest lessons as a 21 year old was to always plan for assistance in advance on any bigger jobs! I laid on hot top on a tablecloth with a turbo 350 trans on my chest and had a couple friends pull the end tied off with a rope sliding me under my Nova to do the bench press of a lifetime placing that up, on and into the engine for bolting. (1983) We still joke about it today but it DID get done! Some knowledge and life lessons just cost a little more, be grateful this one only cost you a little sweat and some time😉

[@blainejacob1]

I always check the torque on my lugnuts. Discount Tire has been good most.od the time, but I have found some big misses. I recently went to a new shop and had an alignment, tire balance and rotation. Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers in Pleasant Grove was spot on on every lug! 💯👐

[@RoadsideRescue]

Oooh. Thanks! I’ll check em out. It’s a little far but maybe worth it!

[@surf6009]

You got some of the different ads. Hey, you want to be an engineer? You want to travel ti Florida? Cool beans.

[@I_Died_2_Weeks_Ago]

A job well avoided 👍

[@joehomanick]

The oil pressure switch is just above the ac compressor and is known to piss oil out of it looking like the pan gasket . As for the alternator, the axle come out ant you unhook the tie rod from the knuckle and the alternator comes out . Job does suck

[@joekoehler6759]

I have done a bunch of these alternators. Like you when I looked it up I was like no way. Take the axle out and loosen the sub frame and you can do it in about an hour. It's alot easier on a lift

[@jamesballard2335]

No lift here every thing I do is done on the ground with jacks and stands

[@saablazer]

That was a nice MR2 outside the Autozone.

[@RoadsideRescue]

Yeah. One of the guys who work there owns it.

[@808pokemoncardpulls7]

I did a job like this on a 2006 Ford Escape was able to sneak the alternator up between the firewall and back valve cover it looks tight but a certain angle that puppy came out

[@PeterMilster]

I may be old school but to scan test a charging system and your battery is 6.39 volts it does not work . A sitting good battery has 12.6 volts , to diagnose you need to charge battery first do a load test to see if battery is any good . Then start and do a charging test for volts and amps to determine if alternative is defective . Before wasting time replacing a new alternator that may be still under warranty too much drama changing parts is not diagnosing issue . May be BCM that is not sending a signal to alternator to charge there is a reason the new alternator is not working like the original one .

[@Themobilegearhead]

I ran in the same issue it was a painful learning experience but after a bunch of youtube videos later I got it done.

[@coreyb6252]

Just changed mine a few hours ago you can unplug a few harnesses move a few things and you can get it up and out by the fire wall wasn’t the easiest but also wasn’t to terrible took 2 hours maybe

[@RoadsideRescue]

Sweet. Thanks for that knowledge!

[@chrisknick]

I was going to tell Ernest this. That's how I had to replace mine.

[@jamesu]

I believe the 4cyl can come out the top ok but the v6 is more difficult

[@Alanthe918mobilemechanic]

U gotta remove the cv axles and possibly part of the exhaust u might be able to pull it upwards but that takes time too

[@maxxmich]

find a small printer u can use in the car so u can print invoices out on the spot

[@DjCBlaq]

That really sucks. But these cars aren't designed so customers can fix them.

[@joe1071]

A lot of great KZbin coming out of Utah

[@gregred78]

That is the exact same alternator that goes with my 2005 Ford Five Hundred I have had to replace 2 of them!!! It isn't an easy thing to replace!!!!! On my Five Hundred you have to unbolt the A frame to drop it about a half inch to get the clearance to remove the alternator. It's about a 4 hour job.

[@andrewvillanueva4222]

That Launch scanner are the best.

[@nordicpride9708]

In my opinion Xtool is far superior to launch. The 3 years or updates alone is worth its weight in gold.

[@joe1071]

Costco torques lug nuts, and they recommend you come back soon after so they can re-torque them to spec

[@SawmillerSmith]

Put it back together and tell the person it's a chart was right. It's a 7 hour job.

[@RoadsideRescue]

That’s what I did haha.

[@mikesharpe6826]

Always change what the book never short your self and stop using them cheap autozone parts

[@ppeterson9359]

Perhaps I missed it. Did you actually diagnose if it was a battery or alternator issue? Never saw battery voltage w/ the engine running.

[@rodrigocastillo9231]

If you have supply voltage on the field winding but not charging or voltage not reaching 13+ volts with engine running, your alternator for sure is bad,. Mostly I encounter bad diode. A good digital multimeter can diagnose it.

[@TechMay]

Do you ever tell people that it’s supposed to take “x” amount of hours, but if it doesn’t take me anywhere near that long I’ll only charge you for what it takes me.

[@RoadsideRescue]

Ever? Yeah very occasionally. I have on my quotes that time labor is estimated and price is final.

[@maxxmich]

that's about right...... is become new cars has crap in the engine u have to move and get to...

[@garyjohnson801]

The very first thing any smart person would have done is check voltage and if you had looked up in the right corner of the Launch it shows you what the voltage is. I noticed it as I was watching it.

[@ronaldsmith4365]

2005 Ford focus wagon flabbergasted! 7 hour book time did it in five had to pull upper motor mount lower transmission mount slide the engine forward then remove the ducted shield off the alternator crazy mess.. !!😜

[@RoadsideRescue]

Yeah that’s ridiculous! Good for you for doing that!

[@HUBBABUBBADOOPYDOOP]

Thanks for another great video, Ernest!

[@elgato460]

That alternator comes out from the top you just have to remove computer and lay wiring harness to the side and maybe removing exhaust manifold but that a lot easier than struggle with axle and then end up with alignment problems or damage axle from hammer beating when working on a vehicle underneath I always prefer two inflated wheels to set car on rather than taking chances on a flemsy jack stand Nice job dodging Ivan I mean ernest

[@maxxmich]

to save money next time only get adapters for the common cars u work on......

[@andysmith2155]

You can get the alternator off by removing the alternator then lay it back and take alternator bracket off block and it will come out. Its a knuckle buster to do but once you're done one its not that bad.

[@MiguelMartinez-hm1hg]

Man I remember my first escape alternator when I give the prize this guy was let's do it quick 😒😒😒few hours later I wish I was a bad guy and say let get more tools and never come back 😅🤣🤣🤣😂 but I stay till I finish my job and for the next one I know how much labor it takes and charge more 😉😉😉

[@neilramseyer5348]

My wife's mercury mariner was same. Was able to get it out and replace just by pulling axle out of transmission. It was not fun

[@bartscave]

With that much labor time I think you should sell him a diagnosis. Especially since you noticed the existing alternator looked new.

[@maxxmich]

use the battery jump bot when u run that on dead battery's...

[@luismartines3772]

I use all data and I look for KZbin videos if it says so many hours. But usually we go with the hours listed on all data

[@ViperSRTnACR]

For those quick to blame the engineers for a lousy design that's hard to work on, just remember that the engineers report to corporate and ultimately it's the car companies themselves that dictate how to build the vehicle based on serviceability and profit margins. That said, I really wish American auto makers would step it up and start making quality, reliable vehicles that aren't crazy insane to work on. Maybe then people will start buying American more over foreign makes that last longer and aren't as difficult to work on. (Usually)

[@steveharris947]

"There's no way they would of designed it that hard to get to" exactly how I felt about Toyota putting the starter under the intake manifold, or when Chevy Silverado's had to remove the front grill to replace a bulb in the headlight. Never under estimate engineer's ability to complicate things.

[@joe1071]

Had a Chevy Impala that you had to unbolt the engine mounts and roll the whole thing forward to access the rear spark plugs. So dumb

[@joe1071]

Also a Mazda CX-9 engineers boxed the transfer case between the transmission and exhaust so it sits there and bakes. Under any larger than normal load the heat is too much and it fails. They extended warranty on them and suggest changing fluid in it often. Of course it's a nearly non serviceable fluid that you need a pump for a blind hole. Unbelievable

[@kingdude2089]

Hey ernest the ocean is on fire. Can you check it out for me? Think it's just some spark plugs.

[@timzauto]

Those studs are for a plastic cover that goes over the Alternator,most people leave them out,,that's why you didn't see it,the alternator comes out from the top,not to bad,I can do one in 2 hours off and on 😎

[@zrafferty]

I have the x431 v4 and love it even though I'm still learning her. Has mixed features if it will do certain things like some older cars you can rewrite vins other no options even show. Connectors are obd1 ad well as BMW proprietary connectors

[@zrafferty]

I was originally looking at foxwell nt530 but no physical reviews on what someone would want to see only standard stuff shown which any tool can

[@idgaffub]

I got the blue Daytona jack wish I had grabbed the green one

[@iamher6422]

I bought one on Amazon, as well, but turns out it’s a global version and not an actual Launch tech USA model. I called Launch tech last yr. about an issue I was having and when asked for my serial #, the operator apologized and told me that it wasn’t registered with Launch tech (USA). “Launch Tech does not sell on Amazon nor on eBay,” she went on to say.. They sell they’re products through vendors such as NAPA, Advance auto and the like. She told me I had a global Launch unit. Does the same thing, however, I just can’t call within the U.S. for any type of support. I would have to email China and hope I get a hold of someone🤦🏼‍♀️😬

[@kingbolen_official]

Nice diagnostic video

[@Alanthe918mobilemechanic]

Can you program keys and reprogram immobilizers in like Hondas ?

[@emii4233]

The alternator isnt too horrible on these drop sub frame on that side support it take out alternator bolts probably about 2 hrs..good video

[@richardmckenna9702]

I would quote on the service data and let the customer know if you can do it quicker then you will adjust quote

[@carmac1652]

That's Crazy location . for Ford 🇨🇦

[@tonyb1968]

That's not an Expedition 🤣 2006 Escape v6 4wd. You're working too hard Ernest. Take care of yourself

[@RoadsideRescue]

The heat got me haha. You’re right!

[@KenSch2020]

Those extra connectors are for OBD1 computers I looked up the info on Amazon and it list it in the description of the device.

[@malachy1847]

You're correct not to go down that,"Rabbit Hole"

[@tomctutor]

Can't believe they would put the alternator, down back there? I bet this truck is a nightmare to change any part on the motor. Or anything anywhere on the vehicle. Yep best avoided.♨

[@miguelreyes4798]

As soon as I saw a Ford I knew you got pegged.

[@badranger2004]

That body style Ford Escape is a bitch to do anything engine related if it has the V6 in it, if it was the 4 cylinder engine it would be easy to change

[@joe1071]

2:32 person taking lawn mower for a walk 🤷

[@omarrodriguez8938]

Ford focus hatch back version is something similar

[@maxxmich]

move ur plate... it reflects to much in the window... also it's a flyi g objects if u get hit

[@dylanmilliron7478]

Auto liking of course, love The vids man

[@maxxmich]

those tote from AutoZone r great... how u get that one

[@thalegacy6]

Win some, lose some.

[@donaldhollums3278]

Automotive engineers should be required to do service and repair work practices on every vehicle they design. I would like to upgrade from my older Launch CRP123 Premium and the new Launch 431 looks nice especially for the features my scan tool doesn’t have. My automotive side repair work has been a mix of having the vehicles at my house (better convenience for my full time job and the ability to step out the side door to my driveway and get right to work) and driving to the vehicle owner’s house. I price the job by .50/mile from my address to the owner’s address using Google Maps and repairpal.com to find the labor rates for the job on the vehicle I’m working on in my area, then go by the middle between the lowest and highest price estimate and I try to persuade the owner to use NAPA for the auto parts, but since it’s their vehicle they can buy the parts they want to, right? If y’all have better suggestions let me know, I’m completely open to them. I’m unable to obtain any ASE certificates since I don’t work in a shop or at a dealership.

[@ProleDaddy]

Engineers don't make any design decisions. Managers make those decisions. Managers report to those above, who report to the CEO and board of investors. CEO and board of investors jobs to maximize profit out of the company. Under capitalism, logic and decency never enter the equation. Only the path to profit is considered, which is the exploitation of labor.

[@michaelyarmie4858]

Man i have a 1999 VW Passat 2.8l V6 5valve B5. Alternator is in the worst spot. You have to pull the front end off to get to it.. brutal..

[@skillfulzombie88]

Gotta use a ratchet and extensions near the y pipe is the easiest way other than pulling the whole motor trust me duratec engines are nice they last for ever but some of the stuff was stupid af

[@jamesh6229]

Well that stinks, but I understand what you were thinking. "Why the heck would it take 7 hours to replace an alternator?"

[@MJ0781]

It’s usually the European cars that make it a job x10 to replace components. Not American cars🥴 lol ..glad you avoiding that headache!!!!

[@daskamu]

This is nuts

[@90mustang135]

Pull the axle it comes right out

[@maxxmich]

that's Ford for u.... go replace a battery in a 2016+ Ford escape... u have to pull cowl to replace battery

[@HUBBABUBBADOOPYDOOP]

And that's a job *NOT* done👎🏼😁

[@RoadsideRescue]

Exactly! Haha.

[@thegreasemonkey9963]

If you want to charge less, that’s your choice. I always charge the full labor time. My view is that the flat rate pay system is a double-edged sword; it cuts both ways. Sometimes you take a hit and sometimes the customer takes a hit. A mechanic is only one broken bolt away from a 2 hour job turning potentially up to 8 hours or more. And even if I know of a shortcut that allows me to cut the labor time of a particular job from 7 hours down to 4, they’re going to pay for the full 7 hours because they are paying for the experience and knowledge I’ve accumulated over a decade and a half which allowed me to complete the job faster. I’m not taking a pay cut because I have more knowledge and experience… that’s just silly. For example, I know exactly what to look for on a C5 Corvette with a P0410 because I’ve had this problem at least 10 times now. The first time, it took me well over an hour to diagnose because I checked every single component of the secondary air injection system piece by piece. I found a broken vacuum like on the back of the intake manifold. Of course I started at the check valves on the exhaust and worked my way backwards through the system… so I literally tested every single piece. The second time also took me over an hour because I went through the whole system again and found the same broken vacuum line. The third time, I worked on the assumption that the vacuum line was bad and tested that first and diagnosed it in 10 minutes, but charged an hour. Same with the 4th, 5th, 6th, and so on. I took the hit the first two times. Now they take the hit because they’re paying for that experience and knowledge I have.

[@HUBBABUBBADOOPYDOOP]

Incredibly awkward, zero forethought put into future maintenance.😵

[@trophbrwntrouthunter]

Where in TN are you from, I live near Bristol(Washington county)

[@RoadsideRescue]

Nice. I have a good busy up there. I’m from the country. Closest to Murfreesboro.

[@romerolewis77]

Watch out for the Mazda MPV same exact alternator location.

[@kkovler1]

Job **not** well done, for a change!

[@ice44567]

Duratec alternators suck balls to do period lol

[@Onwaxwings]

When i was in the flat rate game othe mechanics use to give me shit but i would always check out how to do jobs on youtube after goin over alldata. ALWAYS! always google and youtube a job before u start

[@RoadsideRescue]

Yeah. Cuz some engineer at home figured out a way to do it in half the time! Haha.

[@Onwaxwings]

@@RoadsideRescue right!! Lol a engineer would climb a mountain of women to Fuck a mechanic

[@jolumacaraig2337]

Watching

[@thirtythree160]

Did you find any videos on youtube where they do the alternator change for that vehicle? Could you put a link to it?

[@RoadsideRescue]

I didn’t happen to see one? I just read through some forums to see what the average joe had to say about it. They are sometimes a lot more revealing than shop manuals.

[@winch1587]

If he could jumostart the car and it would run and drive, my guess would be the battery and not the alternator. Because the battery is too low to run the car, without an alternator. A bad battery would not charge also.

[@RoadsideRescue]

You’re right! However it didn’t run without the jumper cables from the other vehicle connected. I may not of made that clear.

[@winch1587]

@@RoadsideRescue Ok, now it's clear. However, it could still be a bad battery, besides the alternator. An alternator repair guy (yes, in our 3rd world country, we do repair them) told me that often times it's a bad battery causing the alternator to fail.

[@bw1841]

@@winch1587 hey what country is that?

[@RoadsideRescue]

@@winch1587 totally could be.

[@truckingwithj7202]

I would say to quote the hours of the job, or maybe knock off an hour to win the job. And throw in belt change at no extra charge. And if you get it done in less time, you can always lower the final bill if you feel bad about finishing quicker. Nothing makes a customer happier than a lower price.

[@nickmalone3143]

Like advertisements every three minutes ..wtf ?

[@johnnylee948]

Your not scared of the job are you?

[@RoadsideRescue]

Scared? No. I can’t say I’m scared of much on a car. Able? No. Excited if I had to? No. I would do it if it made sense. But it’s not worth missing classes over.

[@carmac1652]

So if he agreed to pay for 7 hours would you do the job ?

[@RoadsideRescue]

He was fine with that. I just mostly didn’t have til he time.

[@PatrickJago]

An engineering masterpiece!🤢🤮

[@walterwhite2270]

Dude...doing a quasi tool review you are not familiar with during a repair...Not Cool....do another video at home about the tool when you have gotten familiar with it....just a suggestion

[@RoadsideRescue]

its been in plenty of videos. Plus im doing a comparasion to all the scan tools I have coming out soon. If you want something ask nicely and you can probably have it.

[@jamesu]

Escape and PT Cruiser both horrible alternators to change

[@mattcat231]

pt cruiser starters ain't fun either, especially on the turbo engines. id rather replace a Toyota v8 or Northstar starter than that one

[@jamesu]

@@mattcat231 lots of poor designs that age poorly

[@jamesballard2335]

Damn what kind of mechanic are you? Hell I would have done it. 4 hours ain't shit. Try changing an alternator in a 2003 PT cruiser. You gotta take motor mounts off to get it out. Money is money. A good mechanic would have done it. Your too damn picky. A job is a job

[@themainguy5050]

That is definitely a stupid place to put an alternator, what next an alternator in the middle v of the engine got to disassemble the whole block to change it???

[@RoadsideRescue]

I’ve replaced a few underneath the intake manifold….

[@RoadsideRescue]

Oops. Sorry *starters*

[@claytoncoolidge992]

Lol ya starters on the olds aura ugh also if I remember correctly a few of the caddies were similar and in the engine. Detroit 8v71 alternator on the bus engines as well as some other applications gear driven and in middle of the engine have to remover both oil and fuel filters air line antifreeze unit and a few other odds and ends out of the way then manhandle approx 80lbs of alternator in and out of its home

[@mattcat231]

@@claytoncoolidge992 Olds Aurora engines are the Cadillac Northstar engines, just slightly smaller cubes, 4.0 vs 4.6. I own an 03 Aurora and an 04 Deville. Its truly not that bad of a job to replace a starter in one, just make sure to replace all the coolant tubes while you use under there. Id replace Northstar starters all day long over a 2.0 turbo PT Cruiser, them things are nightmares!!!

[@mattcat231]

Phoneguy13 Shut up before any car manufacturers read your comment and implement the idea, LMAO!!!!