Nissan Dealer Quoted Over $2000 For A New Harness!!

[@johnjonz2472]

I have about 1percent of this man's knowledge, and probably 2 percent of his tools , yet people call me all the time to try and fix their cars before they take them to the dealership. Because I'm honest. That's why I love this channel. This guy is a top tier, honest, family loving mechanic. I really enjoy the videos bud, don't ever stop.

[@fixitallpaul4847]

That's why they call me too

[@BrainEnwrong]

100%. As a mechanic, I look to SMA and Eric O for content learning and tool ideas. As well, as inspiration to not be disappointed by the world….

[@Terrestrial..1]

Same here. 🙂 Even tho I could swap over my Chrysler Valiant engines in the day I'll only replace parts on modern computer cars, I know my limits.

[@andresbonifacio7760]

is south main llc Rainman ??

[@fixitallpaul4847]

@@andresbonifacio7760 no

[@mattyb4015]

I've had a very similar experience with a 2005 Mazda RX8. On (fairly frequent) occasion it would boil the battery. No problem - put a voltmeter on the battery and logged the voltage as I drove. Voltage rose over 17 volts when under heavy load (in this case, like the Maxima, when cranking on the electronic power steering while stopped or low speed). Checked all powers and grounds like Eric did, all good. So I replaced the alternator and it still happened.... Turns out the alternator fitted to these Mazda's (and a lot of newer cars) does not have an inbuilt voltage regulator; rather the PCM has the regulator integrated into it. The logic behind this is the PCM can 'look ahead' for electrical load demand (i.e. it can see the steering angle sensor change minutely before you significantly steer) and then crank up the alternator to compensate. This is especially relevant for vehicles electric power steering as it puts a massive load on the system. I backprobed the PWM output from the PCM to the the alternator and found it would get stuck at 100%, causing the alternator to go full field. Note that the scan tool didn't pick up on this as the data you receive is the 'desired PWM' not the actual... One junkyard PCM later and it works fine. This may not be exactly what Eric is seeing on the Maxima (i.e. no idea if it uses the PCM as a voltage regulator) but figured I would share this story. Don't automatically blame the alternator itself for a high/low voltage fault!

[@michaelslee4336]

You deserve a damn “good work champ” award for that one for absolutely bloody sure.

[@kenabi]

mk4 jetta/golfs have iffy (once old) wires from the alt to the batt, after x years they corrode internally and introduce too much resistance, leading to all sorts of hot melty goodness, and sometimes ends in it killing the alternator's regulator circuity too. good times, good times.

[@jtee9548]

Well done Matty B

[@tjroelsma]

You should expect a Nisssan dealer to know this and to be able to solve this problem easily. But they either lack the knowledge or they want to make as much money as they can from the customer. I honestly don't know which one is worse, because the behavior of the dealers is what partly sells the brand to customers. People quickly lose their trust in a brand when the dealers can't or won't solve problems efficiently.

[@LuckyBaldwin777]

Rock Auto doesn't list a separate voltage regulator, so I bet you're right. If you are right, I think Eric owes you an ice cream when the stand opens up.

[@majorpayne4098]

I hope your customers know how much you are saving them . You are an honest mechanic wish I was your customer :)

[@gregarmstrong552]

Wish I was a customer too! Live too dang far away though. 😔

[@gsxellence]

I sure they will after this video release 🤠. So hard to find honest mechanics these days.

[@AmandaHugenkiss2915]

Problem with dealers is they only install entire parts, they don't or are not allowed to fix things. The dealer told my mom she needed an entire fuel system because it was rusted and leaking at the tank. The local guy fixed it for a couple hundred. Rusted brake lines cost her $1500 she could have had it fixed for $200. Her car is worth maybe $500 at most.

[@christophervanzetta]

@@AmandaHugenkiss2915 Because a “fix” is usually a bandaid… sure the old beater’s could be jerry rigged but it won’t always last, and that’s usually wasted money

[@adambell2068]

@@gsxellence I’m not sure it’s usually an honesty issue, but more so an incompetence and inability to troubleshoot. They just start throwing darts at the wall because they don’t know what else to do.

[@jackgaites1299]

This lady deserves an apology and refund in full, for the lack of professionalism with Nissan. Reasons of this nature is why I left the dealerships in my past. The inconsistency in diagnosis, and the lack of understanding of peoples financial situations, such as their fixed income households, can put disabled people without a means of transportation. This leads to losing that customer forever. The shop manager needs to be made aware of such situations, and how to work with those customers, for a better future for both the customers and the dealership. I'm at full heart about these type of situations.

[@jaywhy2016]

Have the same problem with some of the dealers up here. When they can't figure it out, they estimate on something really expensive in the hopes that the customer will decline the repair, but they'll charge them for diagnostic time.

[@dot7107]

That is typical way to deal "difficult" diagnoses. Official dealer gives so high estimation that customer doesn't want to repair that car (or they hope that customer doesn't want to repair, because diagnose was only guess). That way they can charge what they want from the "diagnose" and they are not reponsible about was it right or wrong diagnose when the customer tows car away from the dealer...

[@nikolaip4947]

When I worked at BMW I was 1 of 2 speciality diagnostic techs. When there would be issues like this the service advisors would always stop us from diagnosing at a certain point then make up some BS high dollar repair for the customer so we can get to other cars they promised to other customers that would be done that day. There was times I was only 25-30 minutes into a car then they pull that. For most service writers it's about that bonus and good review, and also same thing with this car they work with a salesman saying it might be worth it to get a new car then the advisor gets a kickback there also. It's shady

[@nikolaip4947]

I rambled I apologize for the grammar I know it's horrible but I'm guessing I got my point across

[@spelunkerd]

I understand the criticism of a shop quoting a high number, but there is another angle worth considering. If the shop underestimates how much it will cost to fix, the client will be furious, he'll tell all his friends, and the shop's name will be dragged through the dirt. Do that a few times and you'll struggle as a company. On the other hand, if you overestimate the cost, you're a hero if it comes in under the quote, which will be the usual case. If it doesn't, they warned you. By definition, diagnostic effort is plunging into the unknown, and some of those costs are hard to guess before you get your hands dirty.

[@dot7107]

@@spelunkerd that is another topic. I worked 15 y with various vw dealers, hundreds of times I have seen that "diagnose" is fault code reading, then maybe (nowadays) check from Elsa TPI's and if not any check from google or various forums with obd code. Diagnose cost about 200-300€, repair not included. If lottery was not correct (same problem still occurs after repair), well there is two separate faults with the same exact symptom... And another diagnose fee and repair estimation!

[@Troy_Built]

A few years ago my brother had some weird intermittent electrical problem on his 2011 Durango. Two dealers and several weeks in the shop and still the same. They changed the ECM, 2 alternators and the battery. He got frustrated but wouldn't let me touch it because he wanted them on the hook for whatever they did. We drove it around for the day and it went from intermittent to almost constant when it got good and hot in traffic. We ran it back up to the dealership and he was able to get the guy that worked on it to come out immediately. I told him to look for a bad connection because it gets a lot worse when it gets hot. He found the problem in the alternator harness. He said the dealer would only give him 15 minutes with it and that wasn't long enough to get it warm enough to act up.

[@flagmichael]

I have been amazed that you, working on probably a thousand more cars than I (as a DIYer) ever have, are not encountering bad engine grounds. When I see an electrical system that screwy I start the engine, turn on the lights and blower, and measure voltage from engine to chassis. My 300ZX was measuring over a volt between them... stupid second wire from the battery connector to chassis was corroded in two. My brother was installing audio systems in high end cars for a while. He had put one in a Ferrari, demonstrated it for the customer, and waved goodbye. A moment later it came back - no audio system life at all. Turned out the system only worked when the parking brake was on, because the tension in the parking brake cable grounded the engine when it was applied.

[@tyree9055]

Gotta love that kind of stuff! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@imnotimportant]

Willing to guess he deals with bad grounds weekly, but that wouldnt make for a very good video so we don't see it.

[@robertquast9684]

He has made a lot of videos on bad engine grounds

[@charlesn898]

@@imnotimportant Eric is in New York; bad grounds/ corrosion issues are a frequent issue with vehicles there due to the de-icing chemicals that are used on the roads from the fall through the spring.

[@tuberNunya]

@@charlesn898 They have to give NYers more service than they need because they tax them half to death. This is what you get from democrats.

[@shawn_530]

Oh baby! A cliffhanger! Can’t wait to see the solution! Perfect timing posting this too - gave me something to watch during the NASCAR weather delay!

[@rustynail9793]

This was kinda a nascar special. Vehicle acted up during left turns

[@Jpilgrim30]

😂 same here. Now I’m watching both

[@anthonykendrick1418]

@@rustynail9793 🤣🤣🤣🤣👍👍

[@rogerhislip5269]

I have so much respect for this man. I am lucky to have three repair shops run by friends that are similiar to this. A recent issue with my Toyota cruise control was repaired by one in 10 minutes and under $50. The Toyota dealer quoted me over $700!

[@thesawdustfactory]

Thanks Eric ... "To Be Continued ... " indeed! Neighbor kid came by the other day with his (not legal in NY) noisy exhaust ... and I immediately shouted "CHEVY THUNDER". You sir, are a good influence on all of us. Keep it up!

[@awaara24]

it's "Chivy" Thunder ;)

[@steveo6631]

Yeah.... I find myself saying "son of a hooskie" quite a bit.... And the ever popular - " C'mon babyyyy...."

[@swagsononthabeat7950]

I had this exact same problem with my 2009 Nissan Maxima. It would stall in the middle of the road I would put the pedal to the floor, engine speed did not change. I replaced the alternator and it has been working perfectly ever since.

[@_zigzak]

I have a 2012 with 220k on it, still on the original alternator and I’ve been expecting it to fail anytime now. Now I’m really expecting it to fail soon lol.

[@jmullentech]

FWIW sometimes issues like that can be caused by a faulty oil pressure switch too. Might be something worth testing

[@aninnymoose720]

bad voltage regulator? hm

[@aninnymoose720]

fyi the regulator is internal to the alternator. pcm doesn't control it. but it can monitor the voltage

[@_zigzak]

@@aninnymoose720 there’s also a battery current sensor located on the battery power cable I believe. That might also be the culprit.

[@davidfoulk3078]

2K repair bill?? sounds so much like a Simmons and Rockwell quick fix?? Only you take the time to figure shit out you rock!!

[@alexb1528]

thank you for making videos Eric. As a dealer tech, i know how you feel when you say you're getting a little burned out being in the business. always look forward to seeing new vids.

[@dchawk81]

I think it's the repetition. I get burned out in trucking after I've done the same route over and over. Sure it's predictable but lordy it's boring. The brain starts to atrophy because there's no challenge anymore.

[@myshots101]

A friend once told me he knew everything because he was very smart and got bored quick. I told him that anything he did would get boring at times, because that's just work. I guess a light came on after that and his attitude changed since then. He now has three kids that keep him busy and he's happy as a clam. I algo got burned in IT after a couple of years but now I'm looking for work again. That's just life I guess.

[@LynxStarAuto]

@@myshots101 How happy is a clam really? 🤔

[@spungejonny]

5years ago, My old boss had an issue where the car wouldn’t start… Ford looked at it, $1200 later still not fixed.. they wanted $2000 for a new ecu…. I gave my boss my uncles phone number… $250 and 2hours later, keys recoded.. the car is still working fine today…. I learnt a long time ago most dealer mechanics are no more than parts fitters these days, if the computer don’t tell them what part to change they screwed.

[@papakrampus3062]

I chased this same issue around for weeks, replacing many modules and chasing OBD codes. All of the input errors to the PCM ended up being the result of a bad alternator, the diode pack was wonky. Nissan has a screwed up logic system that doesn't single out the alternator as being the culprit. I've experienced 3 Nissan vehicles that started killing and/or appeared to be in limp mode and then start throwing errant Cam and crank position sensor codes and even O2 sensor and ABS codes. A battery disconnect to draw down system voltage was a very temporary reprieve. On all 3 vehicles, a defective alternator was the culprit. The bottom line is that Nissan is NOT what Datsun started off as and used to be. IMHO, the corporate fools, lawyers and executives have run the company into the ground for the sake of high salaries and to satisfy stockholder insatiable thirst for dividends, the engineers and assemblers left with orders to cut costs and corners wherever possible even if doing so defies logic and best practices-I heard this from a retired Nissan North America Warranty Division Engineer. Nissan = POS and will not be rebounding, they're on life support only as a result of foolish buyers falling for marketing incentives and financing trickery. Caveat emptor!

[@garrettstevensen2467]

Nissan quality went to crap after the merging of the French car company Renault. I know because my dad's Nissan caught on fire after he sold it. We started researching that after merging with Renault, their quality took a nosedive.

[@AmandaHugenkiss2915]

Yeah they also have to be able to ship their CEO in a suitcase.

[@MXSLICK]

Those CVTs

[@TheDigitaldoug]

When the executive class is composed of greedy paper pushing bean counters and lawyers devoid of any engineering knowledge, Nissan is what happens. Regrettably GM, Chrysler, and Boeing are in the same boat. This is why Henry Ford kept the bean counters in basically an outhouse at the river Rouge plant. Henry despised what he and Adam Smith called the parasitic class. Current executives remind me of the horse drawn buggy chauffer who was given a tip for a good ride when in reality it was the horse who did all the work. The marketing, accounting, and legal types never create or build, they just lead their companies to a slow death. Note that GM and Chrysler needed bailouts but not Ford.

[@zoidberg444]

Yeah - Nissan used to have a clever business model - make your cars relatively basic with some slightly dated technology and then produce that car for a long run so the guys on the production line are able to throw them together so quickly they turn more of a profit on them as the model nears the end of its run. I remember the Micra in the 90's. It was popular in the UK. It was very basic but it was a very good work horse and many of them were able to run around on the roads for 20 years. You still see them sometimes knocking about. The Quashqai is a very popular vehicle in the UK these days. Made at the Nissan plant in Sunderland and while there are some positives about it as a vehicle the build quality on them is incredibly poor and they are rot boxes.

[@gotohetch]

One of the project managers at my job had his entire body harness go out on his brand new Nissan Nismo after a couple months. If I remember properly, they quoted him $5,000, and the dealer didn't want to warranty it! Luckily Nissan corporate warrantied it, and he got his car back after about two weeks at the dealership. They found that the harness was missing some sheathing from the factory, which caused it to short out on the body.

[@RadDadisRad]

Nissan quality

[@billsimpson604]

Often the wiring harnesses are built in low labor cost countries like Mexico because they have to be assembled by hand which is a labor intensive process.

[@Graham_Wideman]

I guess that Nissan nis mo sheathing!

[@stephendunn446]

My girlfriend hates when I go into "limp-mode".

[@mikeyt1754]

Right after I read this comment, KZbin ad came on for the 5g secret. Some kind of male enhancement supplement. Too weird

[@12wingwfetech]

I would imagine she would

[@chrisholmes6311]

Looking forward to seeing the solution Eric

[@Name-vu1kn]

I get the feeling that the dealership wasn’t being honest. That they knew the problem and saw an opportunity to sell her a new car and score a decent used car for resale. The auction market for used cars is abysmal. I wouldn’t put this past a shady dealership.

[@jameswoods7276]

Your right! I see vehicles going here for thousands above what they would go for 2 years ago. 2005 caravans for 5k... Yeah no thanks

[@fullraph]

Or they simply had nothing "in the book" about such issue and fired the parts canon. Dealership mechanics are clueless now a day. They're lost if there isn't a bulletin or something they can reference when trying to find an issue.

[@panzerveps]

​@@fullraph Unfortunately that's pretty accurate. The manufacturers wants us to diagnose with their own scan tools that more or less just tell us what part to change. That said, most parts changers at independent shops are just as bad. Had a car in for diagnosis that an independent shop had given up on. According to them, the ECU needed a software update or replacement because the CEL was on. The only fault code was the cam pos sensor. Checked the timing, checked the wiring harness, checked the live data and confirmed a bad cam pos sensor.

[@MarkJacksonGaming]

Bought a perfect clean Tahoe 2004, for 3 thousand dollars. Now, let's face it, under this administration, I've had people offer me 20-30k for it. Long story short, I agree 100 with you.

[@Leon-qc7fe]

Yep, dealers??? I wanted a new car. None available so looked at cars a couple of years old and decided on one. The dealer would not sell it to me without tacking on a $3000 warranty. They refused to sell me the car unless I bought the warranty too. Hard times made worse by greed. Thank you current govt. administration for what you are NOT doing.

[@kirbyyasha]

I have a Buick Roadmaster where it was doing all sorts of crazy stuff. Driving it, it'd throw codes all over the place, including a code for bad PCM code (94, so pre-OBD-II). It was very intermittent though, it'd run fine, then start acting weird. I did the obvious stuff at first, as power/grounds were all dirty from age, still no change. Using a digital multimeter, I noticed way too much fluctuation on the voltage when running, I decided to remove the alternator trigger wire, took it for a shake, and it drove just fine. Ended up rebuilding the alternator, and it's been a dream since.

[@raula.flores1185]

There is no way the dealer would invest that much time and dedication to diagnose a car. Good job.

[@thomasfx3190]

And that is a crime. There are no more mechanics only technicians who cant do anything without an ODBII scan tool in their hand.

[@kurtjammer9568]

You think thats a problem..try fixing a maserati or ferrari lol...I sweat.evertime I go into those dealers

[@brianrobertson1211]

If this is a condition that occurs during left turns, the dealer would charge the customer to advise them to make only right turns.

[@NV..V]

YAFI

[@timtimtimmay4654]

I just started work on my nephew's truck that two separate shops either could not diagnose or diagnosed as an "engine with internal damage, need new engine". What did I find thanks to your previous videos and a few other KZbinrs' videos? Plugged passenger catalytic convertor. Removed O2 sensor, started truck and engine immediately started running much better with the extra ventilation. Just pulled the exhaust and will hopefully have it back up and running next week.

[@THRASHMETALFUNRIFFS]

Straight headers is betters!!

[@davidzelkowski9948]

I find that you even have a clue on where to start is amazing! Can't wait to see where this goes.

[@chrisfreemesser5707]

Oooh, we have ourselves a good one here. Can't wait to see how this one turns out!

[@randomschmo5778]

Pass the popcorn. :)

[@zacharystewart1064]

I’m surprised the dealer went chasing all that. As a Nissan tech myself these symptoms usually point to either a bad alternator if it’s oem and untampered with or some goomba wired the pigtail for the new alt wrong. I’ve seen a rare case when I was an apprentice that there was a diode in the meter assembly that controlled the charging system went haywire but every problem is different lol waiting on part 2 😂

[@bigsparky8888]

ZACH...YEAH BUDDY...ELECTRICAL MAKES ME NUTZ...I AM AN OLD RETIRED WHACKO NOW...I FOUND A FRESH OUTTA RIVERSIDE COMM COLLEGE AUTO SHOP...HE WAS GREAT...FIXED MY RIDE AND GOT ME EXTRA PARTS FROM PIK UR FART...I PAID HIM WELL...7 YEARS LATER...STILL FIXED...BY GOLLY...YOU ARE NEW AGE DIAGNOSTICIANS...TY...!!!

[@Davido50]

Fact: most Nissan dealers suck hence why the brand is dying .

[@friedpickle9828]

@@Davido50 I can attest to the shitty Nissan dealers. I've worked at a couple, never again lol.

[@davidfence6939]

@@Davido50 That's part of it. However, Nissan is called the Japanese Chrysler for a reason. Their engines the past 15-20 years are questionable at best. And if you're looking into Japanese manufactured vehicles that are going to last a decade or longer you're going with Toyota or Honda. Not Nissan.

[@dimmn82]

I was a Nissan tech also. I wouldn't have chased all that because I'd only get paid for 1 hour diagnose. The technician can say they don't know what wrong. It's the service writers that talk to the customer because thats their job. They don't like it if you can't figure something out. That's just the nature of the game though. Sometimes you just can't figure something out. I miss working for that particular family who owned the dealership, but not actually working for Nissan. The way flat rate works, it's makes it almost impossible to not rush things.

[@steveharleyfan]

This is really intriguing, thanks for bringing us along with you. I can't wait for Part 2 !!!

[@gsxellence]

Shame dealers scam so many people. And the repair cost is outrageous especially when they're not even using manufactured replacement parts but instead using aftermarket. I'm glad they're good people like yourself who can really help out a lot of consumers thank you.

[@Tennyson_W05]

Sad thing is most of the time it’s females getting scammed at mechanics

[@denverbasshead]

@@Tennyson_W05 should've been married instead of a single mom

[@herpnderpn2484]

Scam would imply that they know what they are doing. If this SMA's videos are anything to go by, the dealers have a lot of mechanics with no idea.

[@tbix1963]

Interesting video, looking forward to seeing the sequel. I once had a similar problem on a 93 Passat GLX. VW basically thought I was crazy and returned it to me. I took it across the road to an empty parking lot and basically started driving in very tight circles, clockwise everything was fine, counter clockwise the AC shut down and Wouldn’t run. Kept on it until it permanently failed and took it back. Was amazed at how fast I could get up to with the wheel hard over, felt it in my head. Long story short they found a plug in the wiring harness that was loose probably from the factory and would pull away or make connection based on the direction I was leaning the car. I’m not nearly that aggressive in my driving any more but your problem brought back the old memories. Thanks for sharing your videos, wishing you and your family the best.

[@Textemple]

Thank you for this comment!!!!

[@dadmezz4024]

Thanks Eric, part 2 will be a cliffhanger I'm not a service tech but have worked on my own 70s cars for the family to keep them running from the back yarn. Lumina's had a bad issue that caused all kinds of issues like this. Found by tracing That a control board would crack at ground on the board. Was hard to find because it was erratic. A few bangs here and there by hand found the problem area. Boards would get old and brittle. and had to be replaced. The kids drove a lot of Luminas because I would find them cheap because they all had this issue. Those days are gone.

[@benjaminkline4855]

Computer board?

[@Folsomdsf2]

early 2000's f150/250/350 all have this issue currently if you're from a temperate climate. It'll heat and cool over and over and break some of the solder joints in the instruments taht are housed in the above windshield display. CAuses a bunch of error codes and bullshit as it connects/disconnects over and over.

[@stevenlatham4397]

At least the customer left you enough gas to diagnose it. I’ve noticed watching several automotive channels that the gas light is on in most of them lol.

[@99andrianmonk]

This is why your channel is the best. Real life situations being diagnosed in real time and practically. Combination of instincts, experience and just the right amount of data. Can't get any better than this. Hope lunch was good but looking forward to Part 2.

[@chadvalliere8697]

Ivan just had one (Ford Escape) that had a bad voltage regulator causing it charge to almost 30v. That caused a cascade of fuckery. The Speedo would drop out and everything.

[@sumduma55]

I had a Chevrolet malibu. The alternator did weird crap too. It kicked every traction control light on, killed the power steering, would turn lights on and off, and would intermittently cut off the engine just to re-enable it just before completely stalling. I thought I was going to die trying to get off the freeway. Luckily there was a big box parts store at the end of the ramp that I was able to pull into. Had to wait 2 hours for it to open but I used that time to look up the symptoms and found out it was common when the alternator went bad. I guess it was a bad neighborhood so I had half a dozen cops swing by wanting to know why I was in the parking lot before business hours. I didn't know if i was going to get robbed and killed according to the cops or go to jail for not being able to start the car and leave. Fun times.

[@bushmaster2936]

"a cascade of fuckery" LMAO...love the term : )

[@chadvalliere8697]

@@lar6418 I’m a collision tech and I have told a few insurance adjusters that were trying to cut my repair times in half that.

[@randomschmo5778]

Lol….I’m stealing that one. :)

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

Yup ... engine quit, heater went nuts, radio issues, odd burnt dust smell. Got the alt swapped out for new Motorcraft (got a core refund!) and no more troubles. Well, radio display doesn't like freezing weather, but that's it.

[@dpeagles]

Dealer's new business plan: Take so long NOT fixing a car the customer buys a new one.

[@JimmyMakingitwork]

When I worked at the dealer they would complain when I sold big repairs and fixed out of warranty vehicles. They definitely prefer to sell you a new car rather than repair them. 100%!

[@dchawk81]

I hope she didn't buy another Nissan. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

[@flagmichael]

@@dchawk81 At least the transmission is still working when this Nissan was in its death throes. (Actually, I would bet heavily Eric will get it going affordably.)

[@MegaBIGJOE64]

@@JimmyMakingitwork ... and trade in the unrepaired one for half it's value !

[@skutchBlobaum]

@@dchawk81 It showed 185,000 miles so what's your problem ?

[@aussiefirestorm]

Eric you tease!!! A cliffhanger ending , can hardly wait for part 2. But seriously love the toot round town and your diagnostic work is second to none.

[@tim6991]

The amount of integration in the vehicles today is astounding! Interesting content Mr. O.

[@ACommenterOnYouTube]

every light, every sensor is now monitored by the computer so when faults happen, the computer tells you where the problem is. That problem is either a direct sensor OR the wiring to the sensor.

[@mrdfoutz]

You are truly a scientist. If only we could be certain that at least 50% of auto repair was done with your intelligence and integrity, we'd have far less stress in times of need. Oh, BTW, Mr. Kilmer still says we're stupid! 🤣

[@LynxStarAuto]

Lol Scotty 🥴

[@HoodRichSWERVE]

Man ain’t that the truth!!!

[@SibRevs]

Man. I've learned so much from this channel. Thanks Eric for all you do.

[@cycleguy666]

Air bag controllers are always throwing codes for voltage low or spikes. Years ago I use to check air bag units to see if there were voltage spikes or weirdness happening!! And when it occurred if I could get the info!! Good voltage indicator! Corrosion does weird things to electronics!! Dirty grounds through the harness to the block ....... engine grounds to frame too!! Sometimes I use to add additional ground straps!! Can't wait to see how this turns out!! Alternator is a good culprit or alt harness!!

[@blackdragonx1186]

vq's often have issues with grounds. I own one, and while I never had an issue myself, many people on the forums talked about similar issues. the belt noise is probably from an out of adjustment tensioner, as they are manually adjusted. I would stick a couple decent ground wires to the block for testing and see how that goes.

[@Alanthe918mobilemechanic]

If your in the Tulsa Oklahoma area I resolve issues like this daily and I use the same approach as this awesome gentleman I’m half his age so I’m not claiming to be as knowledgeable as him but I seem to be very good at figuring out electrical problems and drivability issues. Thank u south main for sharing your experience and knowledge over the years much respected and appreciated from Alan the 918 mobile mechanic in Tulsa Oklahoma

[@deansapp4635]

Back in the 90s working at a Chevy dealer, Had a Caviler that would stall randomly. Another dealer couldn t figure it out. Driving with the scanner i notice battery voltage would spike to18 volts and the engine would shut off. Found out the engine ECM would shut down if voltage exceeded 17.1 volts to protect the ECM. Replaced the alternator and all was good

[@jdeltoro518]

You always have a very systematic approach to a probi. Which is the correct way,never make assumption. That will lead you down a path to nowhere. I always enjoy watching. That's the way I was trained in the army signal corp.

[@DIYDaveOK]

Saturday with an SMA cliffhanger!! Who could ask for anything more? Thanks as always, Eric!!

[@waynecasper5346]

Eric you need to go to that Nissan dealer and rip all those tech certified patches off the shirts 👕 hahahaha

[@Davido50]

Nissan sucks an is dying.

[@johnengland8619]

Most dealerships will not fix a broken wire. They replace the harness, same with Honda or Harley. They change parts. If the wire harness is on back order people need to go to an independent shop

[@redbeardsgarage3748]

That lady is lucky to have a feller like Eric O on her side.

[@jsims2985]

Best channel for us gear heads. It's not hard to be an honest tech, folks. Diag is all about the journey: you either embrace it or throw parts at a car costing the customer dearly. I love taking the journey on this channel!

[@DirectCurrent4u]

Looking forward to the update on this project thanks for sharing and keep up the great work.👍

[@dtandfam8100]

Interesting diag. Can't wait for part 2! Curious if it's a sig/command wire to the alternator. Possibly grounding out on something? We'll see! Thanks for taking us along!

[@dealerauctionnightmare4689]

I worked on an '05 Pathfinder and it would start limping around the 3k rpm mark. Would run great below 3k rpm...LOL I was told no one could figure it out, I watched the scan tool and the highest voltage I caught was 17.06 volts at about 3k rpm. A new alternator later and it was running fine.

[@dealerauctionnightmare4689]

@Rick O'Sidhe I'm surprised that Pathfinder didn't start blowing stuff up.

[@robpeabo509]

The modern motor vehicle is more complex than all the lunar landers and the rockets they used to get them there, and they had a whole building full of techs & diagnostics! You & Ivan get some very challenging issues to diagnose & repair Eric. I can't wait for part 2.

[@dalejernberg3550]

Was thinking the previous dealer tech(s) would have cleaned up the battery terminals as a 1st step in diagnosis rather than you having to do it after they couldn't fix the problem.

[@misterhat5823]

You never know... I had an intermittent drop out at high rpm. Stealership diagnosed bad gas and charged nearly $300 to pump the tank. Problem came right back. I ended up tracing it to the hall effect sensor in the distributor.

[@daleburrell6273]

...always start with the OBVIOUS stuff(?)

[@Billybobaggins9]

We’re taught to have clean connections and a good battery at Nissan tech training. Obviously these techs do not take any price in their work, much less the dealerships.

[@pmkstudios]

Watching this after Ivan's BMW motorcycle video where he THOROUGHLY explained alternators and regulators. You guys are making us smarter every day!!

[@davidclough3951]

Watched a video where the vehicle owner bought and swapped out an indehood fuse box cause the dealer waned to charge 4 hours labor to do it. It took him like t minutes or less. Dealer shops just seem to be ripoffs.

[@JT-lq4yd]

I am a diy but had an 06 Chevy Malibu (with close to 190K miles) where it would stall whenever you turned the steering wheel quickly, every single module in the car would lose communication with either; ECM, BCM, ABS, EPS, etc. The alternator tested fine according to my multimeter and local parts store. However, replacing the alternator fixed the issue as the old one did not produce the amps required by the EPS at low RPMs.

[@ajsrolls-roycegarage4714]

I seriously bust out laughing every time he says “ giving it full beans! “ hahaha

[@samholdsworth420]

What's it got STUNTMAAAAN?!?! Shit wrong channel

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

Makes me think of Sara and her "Beans score".

[@cosmicallyderived]

love the beans!

[@angrydingus5256]

Man. I SO wish you lived closer. I've had my 07 Jetta in a local shop for 3 months waiting for a motor swap. They have had the motor for over 2 months, but their excuse is that they can't finish the projects they've started because of parts being hard to get. Which I know is a real thing, lots of parts are on back order... but I'm like... well..... You have my car, and my replacement engine. Why not work on it while you're waiting? Ugh. Going to the cheapest shop in town was not my best decision.

[@mikeberry304]

Main dealer techs , not many are used to working on vehicles with electrical faults , your the man Eric expertise and experience count so much in our job 👍

[@HoLeeFuk317]

Your alternator might intermittently have high ripple as well as overcharging. Usually screws with any pulse generated type sensor and the bus. Sucks it's not acting up for you more, then you could drive it with alternator disconnected and see if the issues go away.

[@tomn8tr]

I'm probably wrong, but that is what I thought too. You can see the spikes on the scope when Eric was doing the voltage drop test to the alternator, those could mess with the CAN data being read by the modules.

[@daddybravo12]

Good work there! When will you post part 2?

[@EpicATrain]

I forgot about this channel. I'm glad I came back.

[@1paultv22]

Well, now I know why they're called "$tealerships."Just replace the wrong parts, then give you an outrageous estimate to fix another wrong problem, expecting you to buy a new vehicle.

[@daleburrell6273]

...is it even POSSIBLE to buy a new vehicle?!

[@dannylinc6247]

Dealer diagnostic labor is often unpaid. This affects every aspect. They seem to think they create an incentive not to go overboard with testing, use of equipment, and extensive road testing, by not paying for the labor in hours. A tech can invest time and testing, later to be told that the time is being taken off his hours. They want answers, they want magic tricks, they want a magic wand. Why? A large portion of suits and wealthy customers are resigned to that attitude. Merely my observations over a very long time. Hope this helps. Since they can cite multiple examples of hindsight, it looks to them they should stay that way. If they find out what fixes something sometimes, they just write it up, replace blah. Oh, see how I save customers money? The more they do this, the less they think they need their talented workers and the more of them leave to go find greener pastures. Are they "stealerships" or are they not following state guidelines for effective auto repair? The more you know, the more you can see why the guidelines are made. They are supposed to help all parties involved. The shop, the customer, and the worker, and the parts department. But it's fashionable to save a few hundred , but sometimes an expensive component gets blamed in futility. There have been some? Or, it's found during an exploratory to access that component.

[@tbelding]

@@dannylinc6247 - I'm willing to pay people for the time they spend on diagnosis. Why? Because a lot of the actual _work_ I can do myself. In the end, I save a lot more money, and they get paid for their time and knowledge.

[@dannylinc6247]

@@tbelding yes I think most states have a starting guideline of an hour. If it's worth fixing right, it can often be the required time for a diag and an accurate estimate. If you go do your own? Their time and equipment was covered. If they offer free answers, it can mean the actual tests have been replaced by an educated guess.

[@tbelding]

@@dannylinc6247 - That's why I'm willing to pay for it. Much of the time, I'll have them fix it if I hadn't been able to diagnose it myself, but sometimes it's a "That's all?" and I'll dedicate two to five hours to fixing it, and done. Slower than them, but my parts, done my way :)

[@glenndickson7627]

Great analysis. I had two electrical issues with a 2004 JEEP Grand Cherokee. First one was multiple check engine lights for O2 sensors, trans, and a few other codes. Dealer said computer needed to be changed. That was done and problem persisted. Did my own research and poking under the hood and found out the inline 6 engine had a stud at the back of the valve cover that could sometimes wear into the wiring harness. That was the issue and got a refund on the computer. Now in 2021 and at 300,000 salty miles, all gauges would go out while driving and no restart. New battery and alt is good. A different dealer says computer is at fault and changes it. Problem persists. I started poking away at it and noticed severe corrosion under the rubber insulation where it ground cable joined the cable end that goes on the battery. Cut the factory end off and soldered on a new end after thoroughly cleaning copper strands with baking soda ad water. Problem solved for under $10 and another computer refund! I have found most dealerships and mechanics are parts changers and not true diagnostic technicians. I think a lot of this is due to the pressure of get them in and out the door and always believe the computer! I am not a professional mechanic but certainly have spent a lot of time under hoods.

[@GTCGreg]

My guess (and that's all it is) is that there is a bad ground somewhere that is causing the PCM to get confused and it is cranking up the alternator. Looking forward to part two.

[@porkchop4604]

Man this is a great investigative video Eric. You are 2nd to none when it comes to trouble shooting effort

[@BangerFleet]

You know it’s not a very good cliffhanger when we know you’re going to fix it…

[@bojanfredotovic3549]

Just the fact that you connect power supply when u read codes, that u use scope is impressive. U know your sh!!!! Amazing videos !!!! Thanks for all the contribution to dyi!!!!

[@956Sparkys]

Bottom line, it’s only spiking when the steering wheel is turning full to the left. Meaning that it could be pulling a cable that causes the alternator to spike up on voltage due to a missing connection, it could be also related to the steering wheel where it could be pulling a cable , maybe some work done before where the cables were not routed correctly causing the wire connector to come loose and the alternator spiking

[@bigbobk1963]

Be waitin for your fix.....I have 100% faith in you Eric!!!!!

[@eddiereichel9354]

Had a lady iny shop few weeks ago with a Nissan frontier her ex had hacked a ford battery in it. Terminals on wrong ends so he extended and added battery cables. Other local shop towed it to me. They had charged her 69.99 for "battery diagnostic machine" I wondered what that machine told them. Someone who calls himself a mechanic should have been able to count a dozen problems with just the battery with a visual inspection

[@billpotmesil]

Oh yah! A cliffhanger! Eric O., you have me on the edge of my seat!

[@PeteT622]

Tell the lady to make 3 rights to avoid left turns...."problem solved lady" (in Eric's voice). 😉

[@dlewis9760]

Doesn't UPS give the drivers delivery routes consisting of mostly right turns because they are faster?

[@chevychase3103]

@@dlewis9760 they're safer!

[@muppetgump8522]

Can't wait to see the results, my 05 GMC canyon lost all dash tonight so going to check it out tomorrow. Battery was very weak had to start it with a jumper box to move it into garage.

[@markcollins457]

With all the used vehicles out there that get a grenade at the dealer(time for a new car lady) your expertise is much needed. Thanks for keeping another from the crusher. I know any harness is a $premium but it's just one more way to slip people into a new ride.

[@davidmayes6960]

This is why i watch the Tube!!!!!!!! Finding strange problems that people would trash the car over or get charged severe amounts of money to fix a simple problem!!

[@georgevargas2858]

Talk about a cliff-hanger. Can't wait for part 2. I say it's the flux capacitor doesn't have enough banana peals .

[@BXARCIA1]

I wish we had this diagnosis system,back in the early 2000's at Jag dealer , never the less you , have the noodles, for troubleshooting, without , the GUI😮 A pleasure to see.😊

[@KindCreature1]

When the dealership is stupefied, bring your car to the Ace Mechanic, Eric O!

[@2-old-Forthischet]

I had a 1989 Pathfinder that would literally overcharge and blow out the headlights! Yes, the dealer said I needed a new engine compartment harness right off the bat. Money was tight then so declined the repair. I took it to a private auto electric shop and they fixed it for $20 (yes, it was that long ago). The accessory connection on the positive battery post was defective.

[@andrewconroy1266]

Sunday morning and a new SMA video,sweet

[@edwardmyers1746]

Sunday morning? I'm looking at Saturday evening 🤣

[@tomtheplummer7322]

What time and calendar are you on 🤨🧐

[@keltecshooter]

Still Saturday but I'm not complaining

[@pl5624]

What country?

[@andrewconroy1266]

East coast Australia !

[@SkaBob]

Many dealers and even shops don't actually fix anything, they just replace it. I remember a Taurus we got, it would instantly die in reverse, transmission issue ? Started moving the harness around and sure enough, when bent one direction the motor shut off, the same direction it would move when the motor shifted slightly when put in R. Pulled the protective covering off the harness, went though the bundle 1 by 1 moving each wire, found the single wire that would make the car die when touched. Cut that wire open and the strands were broken inside, cut out a few inches of wire, soldered in a new section, heat shrunk tubing over the connections and back in the harness wrapping. No more motor dying no matter how much I moved the harness and car ran perfect. Never heard of any issue with that car after that. How much was a harness, didn't check but likely a few hundred dollars at least, plus hours of pulling things apart to get it changed. Total cost to fix it, near nothing, maybe $3 and under an hour.

[@rheidtech]

Alternator overload i believe will cause belt squeal.. you never mentioned if the voltage dipped before going high... cpu compensating for the instantanious drop in voltage giving the alt. full beans. Cable rubbing on steering componant?

[@BloodSweatandGears]

I used to work for FLN/FLM for 15 years, left in 2006. (ALso got tired of the snow so I am in VA Beach now), We used to walk over to Twin Kiss nearly every day from the youth center... I know what you mean when you say, I can't wait for it to open!

[@frugalprepper]

I could have fixed that for $1995! That's just what I need for my new WiTech Micropod!

[@fernando13e]

"Welcome to spring in NY" 😂 that comment made my day... It's very weird, here in Mexico, specially in Cancun weather starting April is supposed to be blazing hot but its actually kinda breezy

[@AwakeDude911]

it causes the earth is 2 degree off its axes ....wont hear that on the news ....

[@mrjim1973]

Does that car have a BCS? I had one messing up the charging voltage on an F-150. Unplugged it and the alternator charged at the default 14.4 Volts. The Battery current sensor on the F-150 is on the negative battery cable. The PCM also uses the outside temp sensor to adjust alternator output. I would also be very curious to see how corroded the grounds are?

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

Was working on a 1995 Dodge Spirit 3.0. Owner was having issues with the turn signals fuse randomly blowing. During my observations, KOEO I was trying to get the fuse to blow, I heard the fuel pump do a second prime with the right turn signal! But this would only happen once per key on. Owner decided not to put any more money into it, so I'll probably never know what the issue was. Thanks for the video!

[@philmerrifield1163]

Great diag Mr O. Keep it up what I would do is test it for ac ripple like you did but find a different +v wire as far away from the alternator as possible and repeat the full left lock and see the result

[@Discretesignals]

Actually when checking for alternator ripple you want to be right on the alternator output lug referenced to bat neg.

[@philmerrifield1163]

@@Discretesignals you can do it on the alternator AS WELL AS my suggestion. It works well for me and never had an issue. Especially since modern vehicles have many inductive loads.

[@philmerrifield1163]

@@Discretesignals I have been doing this work for a very long time and my method work, never had any comebacks so and edit for comment above: you can test it across the alternator and use my method grounding on bat -. So I'm sorry if you misunderstood my original comment 😁

[@Graham_Wideman]

What do you expect the capacitor to do for (a) your AC ripple measurement and (b) the case that Eric is working on?

[@philmerrifield1163]

@@Graham_Wideman it's a case by case issue mate sometime if you smooth that ripple it will stop causing issues and b. If you have a dodgy rectifyer inside the alternator then that can cause the issues that vehicle is facing.

[@sparkyobrian6417]

thats one heck of a limp mode, I think its gone into crawl and drag a lame foot mode. cool video as always !

[@HashiriyaSquadron]

Just a VQ doing VQ things. On mine when the alternator went it was every part inside that went. The regulator, slip rings....everything.

[@samholdsworth420]

Yeah these era Nissan's are extremely temperamental aren't they lol

[@_zigzak]

Did you replace the alternator yourself?

[@HashiriyaSquadron]

@@_zigzak Yeah. Wasn't too bad on mine. Only used 2 swear words.

[@hooptierescue2540]

I'm into this at about 16:40 and at this point my strategy would be to put a test light between negative battery post and the other test points (engine block, body, ABS module ground pin, etc...) and take it for a drive and see if it ever lights up, and then do the same for the positive battery post and the various positive test points.

[@jamesbruno5896]

Nice find, hopefully it's just the alternator Eric!

[@ShukenFlash]

Interesting, very interesting. I agree with the EPS being very suspicious. The fact that it's only left makes me wonder if something in that system that perhaps senses left or movement might be the cause, since you'd expect both ways to do it if it was just at high load or something. Definitely sus. Can't wait to see what you figure out.

[@Joserocha-wm9de]

Can't wait for part II Dr O ! 👌

[@RoboGeeeeeek]

Maxima owner here: classic alternator failure symptoms (battery and brake lights). And that squeak...

[@4dscdriver]

Yes, and on some cars, you'll get the tcs and abs lights too.

[@daniellma]

I'm curious if the wheel sensors that are reporting all have a common ground. Also, turning left could be creating a short between between wires, or a wire to ground...but, what'd I know. I've seen similar problems in machinery where a module briefly shorted and the voltage dropped low enough to lose communication. This is a good one 🙂

[@CTSCAPER]

Doh! You left us hanging!!! Looking forward to part two and I like the direction this is headed.

[@knobrush]

on a small side note... around 11:58 at first glance at the engine, are there supposed to be two latches near the front corners of the airbox? To me it looks like the right one is missing and the top of the airbox is just a little crooked.

[@300DBenz]

Good eye, the clip is missing.

[@squirrelcovers6340]

😂😂irrelevant

[@daleburrell6273]

@@squirrelcovers6340 ...HOW DO YOU KNOW?!!

[@Graham_Wideman]

@@daleburrell6273 Yeah, it's going to turn out that the missing clip is lodged next to the alternator feedback connector, and on left turns it leans over and shorts out a couple of contacts...

[@daleburrell6273]

@@Graham_Wideman ...YOU MUST BE PSYCHIC-(!)

[@joeythedime1838]

Eric, thanks for providing some great content for Saturday night!

[@_zigzak]

I have the same car and around a month ago it threw a code for “battery current sensor.” When you would try to start it the gauges would go crazy and it wouldn’t even crank, as if there was no battery power. Then a minute later it would start and drive no problem. This only happened one day and never happened again after I changed the battery. I wonder if this has a similar issue.

[@abechavez1876]

Your symptom sounds like a dead or shorted cell(s) inside the battery itself

[@_zigzak]

Maybe but the battery always had full power, it never struggled to crank.

[@MiracleMitch]

A majority of dealers sell cars and replace parts. They'll gladly replace $5000 worth of parts on a $4000 car to "fix" it. I am glad the owner, although buying a new car, had the sense to realise it this one still had life left in it and therefore a value against her new car cost. So many would have simply given it up for scrap or someone else's gain. Real automotive shops find the problem and fix it, nearly always far cheaper than a dealership. It is also really interesting content for you to provide for us Eric, and part 2 can't come too soon. Thank you.

[@davidcollins7667]

Why would the voltage only go high on left lock? Possible wiring harness hitting steering components or pulling at a plug ? Loose connection on alternator ? Given it appears repeatable based on moving the steering to the left, my bet is that it's a wiring connection issue that's being aggravated by steering linkages at left lock which is affecting alternator operation or disrupting a ground wire. Looking forward to the next instalment to see how close I was!

[@samholdsworth420]

It's just a temperamental Nissan VQ engine lol. My buddy has a Pathfinder and had similar issues as this I forgot what it was that corrected it tho....

[@bluegrallis]

Or a problem with the "Electric Power Steering".