VW From TEXAS!! (Cluster Problems)

Customer drove his 1997 VW Jetta TDI all the way from TEXAS to visit PHAD for a problem with the instrument cluster that he has been dealing with for more than a year.
Many swaps, shops, and even a cluster rebuild did not help.
Armed with a couple TEST LIGHTS and a wiring diagram, we pinpoint the root cause of the complaint, and fix another unrelated headlight issue along the way.
TS 100 SOLDERING IRON:
www.amazon.com/dp/B07SQDZ9SV?...
Enjoy!
Ivan

[@litz13]

How you tell this was an involved, lengthy, difficult diagnosis : Ivan's shirt comes off. It's his equivalent of flexing his muscles ... ;-)

[@jblo6822]

Not sure, but I think his pants were off too. Good way to keep your clothes clean.

[@2aminitials]

I imagine Ivan rips his shirt off Hulk Hogan style and says out loud, "shirt just got real" in those situations.

[@8290Wgu]

😄

[@justinhayward5027]

From watching you over the years. I know when it’s getting serious when the shirt comes off lol

[@VolvoGonzo]

I was thinking the same thing

[@keltecshooter]

Ive been in this field 30 years , that was screaming at the top of its lungs BAD GROUND !! Problem is techs today don't learn basic testing process. I get funny looks from the young kids when i pull out my home made test light rig , Outstanding Job as always

[@Garth2011]

Kind of the same thing when a seasoned plumber pulls out a Rigid pipe wrench vs. a modern cordless item.

[@throttlebottle5906]

yep, first thoughts bad ground/s to cluster and probably shorted headlight bulb.

[@Garth2011]

Believe it or not, I see a lot of dim lit headlamps on the road, often.

[@billsmith2212]

That VW " specialist " should be demoted to LUBE TECH ! I realize that the " average " tech is probably weak in reading wiring diagrams . But if ANY dealer network can't call in someone at your level , that says a lot about the entire industry . On a side note , if you experience an ODD electrical issue , wouldn't you go over the grounds at the block , chassis and body as a STARTING point and LOAD them ? Isn't a visual inspection at the top of the list ? And the vehicle originally was from up north - could be the snow belt . BASICS FIRST - ALWAYS ! The pinched harness would require a more intense inspection or at least something to clue you in that area . Great diagnosis with high tech equipment = test lights to load the power and ground sides .

[@soundman6241]

I agree, when a customer makes the tough choice to go to the dealership, they should be getting premium service for the premium price

[@user-ee1ki5lz5e]

@@soundman6241 tough choice to go to the dealership?

[@zoidberg444]

What do you want to bet they weren't really interested and just wanted to sell the guy a new one?

[@throttlebottle5906]

they are specialists, at swapping parts and nothing else it seems. lol

[@davidparker9676]

@@user-ee1ki5lz5e The dealership should not be the first choice, especially for an older car. My sister had one of these Jettas back in 2009, she had an o-ring that went bad on the oil cooler. Simple fix. The dealer refused to diagnose or repair the leak. They said the only work they would perform on it was an oil change. Keep in mind the car was about 12 years old at the time. Dealerships are not interested in performing diagnostic work, especially on older cars. They would rather perform simple maintenance on new vehicles. If this car was taken to a dealer and if the dealer agreed to diagnose it, they would have quoted for a new harness, new cluster etc. They would not have cleaned any connections and would definitely not replace the ring connector or repair the section of pinched wires. If the harness was still available, the repair cost would be astronomical. The dealer sucks at actual troubleshooting and will only replace parts, not repair them.

[@nickv4073]

So it takes time, patience, and logical thinking. Who knew? Certainly not the mechanics in Texas.

[@boilertech44]

Great diagnostics Ivan. The customer had travel a long way to find a great Mechanic! Thanks for the Video!

[@TOM2RN]

Ivan, you should do a video on how to construct your test lights. Parts required (bad analogy), amperage, and how and when to use. Make a complete tutorial. I bet it would be your most popular yet.

[@AutoDiag_]

+1

[@paulstaf]

He just uses bulbs and their sockets that came out of a junk car. A side marker light on a car might draw a couple amps. Go to a junk yard, find a car with a side marker lamp, pull it out and cut the wire going to the light/socket. Put alligator clips on the ends of the wire and you have a 2amp test light. Do the same with a brake light that has a higher current bulb if you want more amperage.

[@paulstaf]

You can also just go to your auto parts store and buy a bulb and solder wires to the terminals on its base.

[@eduardotejeda]

This 👆🏿.

[@aldrinalmario1513]

Awesome diagnosis again Ivan! Just test lights, powers and grounds checking without the multimeter. You know its getting fixed once the shirt comes off.. hahaha

[@charlesmiller7861]

Called Toyota to see how much it would cost to change my clutch, in my 95 Tacoma, was told 2200.00 dollars,said they had to pull engine. I replaced clutch disk, pressure plate, throw out bearing, and pilot bearing, also Clutch master cylinder, and slave cylinder, and also rear crank oil seal. Took me around 7 hours with a friend. Cost......450.00. So many people just take their car to dealership and just say fix it. So if you don't want to pay over the top prices. Take a Hike Bud, were to busy counting our money.

[@thejoneseys]

The test light approach is just pure gold in finding these problems. Even took your shirt off to isolate that 😂 It's frightening that even the dealer's can't fault find to this level. I guess all the cash goes on the designer furniture and coffee machines 😔

[@davidparker9676]

The dealer probably doesn't have a tech qualified to properly troubleshoot these sorts of problems. I personally know some of the Toyota and Mercedes dealer shop foremen and they are not qualified to assemble an IKEA bookshelf, let alone do any electrical diagnostics. They rely on the scanner and other machines to tell them what parts to replace. The customer often pays for unnecessary repairs due to incompetent techs. There is a growing lack of talent in the auto industry, I can see a future of the disposable car with no parts or service available.

[@dwoodog]

I gotta do this. Go to the wrecking yard, get a few headlight socket wires and make a test light. Beauty is you can make them any amperage you want.

[@weshawkins7165]

Great diagnosis Ivan. Love these who done it videos. Having worked in dealerships I have an opinion why things don’t get fixed. Everyone in under the clock. Every mechanics time on a job is tracked by a computer that is programmed, usually by someone who knows nothing about auto repair, for specific times. Diagnosis like this one should not have a specific set time for diagnosis but they do. Techs end up worrying about their job instead of fixing the car. These types of diagnosis takes the time they take and service managers and GM’s don’t understand that. Plus these types of problems take a knowledge of electrical circuits but most of it is from learning through experience which doesn’t take place being under the clock.

[@ThisIS_Insane]

Concur.

[@billziegmond4943]

Eric O would love this one. Scope on a rope for the win.

[@NewLevelAuto]

Tug tests and test lights with a diagram.. all a fella needs . Great job brother 👏

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

I knew you would enjoy the beauty of a pure test light diag, Keith 😁😎

[@elcheapo5302]

I'll be damned...a dinger that's actually more annoying that a modern Ford's.

[@187WCB]

It sounds like one of those awful European emergency sirens

[@HabemusQuattro]

La cucaracha. These VWs were hecho en Mexico.

[@AKJeeper]

@@HabemusQuattro The dinger in my 2010 Ford F150 just sounds like an Americanized version of the VW La Cucaracha one. LOL!

[@brads9353]

Excellent work! My favorite channel on KZbin. You should have WAY more subscribers. Keep’em coming!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Thanks Brad, Glad that you find these electrical mysteries entertaining 😁👍

[@turboimport95]

Crazy the owner spent more in clusters and towing/diag then that pos is worth... Cant believe there are no mech shops near Texas that can fix that thing. I knew it was a power or ground issue right away, those jittering stepper motors gave it away. Goes to show you that they are no diag wiring guys anymore, only parts changers..

[@hightttech]

Scotty Kilmer left Texas. Guess that was it 😉.

[@milantrcka121]

@K.B. ANDERSEN. "specialist" ! No wonder.

It is strange they did not find it because almost all VW electric gremlins are from ground problems

[@automotivated5934]

What a “Cluster$##&” haha. Thanks for another great Diag. my friend!

[@automotivated5934]

Have a customer with a leaking coolant pump on a 2017 VW BEETLE 1.8L turbo!! Check that job out... what a mess!! Thanks a lot Volkswagen engineers!!

[@JimmyMakingitwork]

Glad i’m not the only one who uses notes at the computer and brings them to the work in the shop to ease the process. Ivan is on it!

[@kandkob]

Haha, I can fill a job card with notes, others are like '' What are you doing!''

[@jdmeaux]

Ivan, you need to post a video showing how you made those test light setups so others can have fun. Moe

[@cullenmiller8170]

Nice video. You should draw a diagram one day of all the different test lights and leads you are using. It's kind of hard to picture it since it looks like a plate of noodles. You have to take a page from Eric and go to the white board.

[@jyao5409]

Would love a white board moment for the test light diag. Time permits of course on Ivan's side.

[@zoidberg444]

Ivan needs his own whiteboard of knowledge just like Matt @ Schrodingers Box. 👌

[@paulmonk7820]

@@zoidberg444 He's knowledgeable, but also arrogant and condescending. I quit watching him long ago.

[@williamkelley7654]

I've worked for garages where we had an expert level tech who would do all the electrical troubleshooting for the big name dealerships, people like Ivan don't grow on trees, not every dealer can find one or pay one to stay.

[@mrjsv4935]

Interesting problems and cool fixes :) My dad had once a 1995 VW Golf Variant and the odometer numbers partially disappeared, when the car was about 5-10 years old. When the temperature in winter was about -20Celsius or colder, the numbers showed up fully :D Dad replaced the instrument cluster and that fixed the problem. Thinking about it now, perhaps somewhere was just bad solder joint or bad connection inside the cluster, might've been even a no parts required fix :)

[@5tr41ghtGuy]

I picked up 2 great tips in this video: 1) Use a test light instead of a multimeter to place a representative current load on the wire & connections. 2) Puncture probes are great for isolating a fault along a wire's path.

[@jonka1]

Good one Ivan. I've seen this many times. The more high-tech diagnostic equipment a repairer has the more parts of their brain are turned off. Your test system is an indication of how much of your brain is turned on.

[@farmerfb]

Man watching Ivan using the tool is the best education I'll ever get since I bought one.

[@petermartinez5573]

Another fine bit of electrical diagnosis by Ivan the invincible. You never fail to amaze me sir. Bravo, another job well done.

[@jmaxim80]

I like Ivan the Invincible but Ivan the Incredible sounds better, what do you think? Either way he needs a great nickname like one of these

[@B0xlife1]

I knew the problem as soon as the video started when you said 1997 Volkswagen that did it for me I knew exactly what the problem was lol did all Volkswagens from those years make that noise when you turned the key to ignition on??? Atleast it’s a diesel,otherwise we know it would be in the scrap yard lol we all know those vw diesels run for so many miles just everything else starts failing first,but it’ll always start and run!

[@ecaparts]

I forgot how annoying the buzzers and dingers were from the 90s. I hope you threw it in the trash! Great job Ivan.

[@dream431ca]

This is how a proper diagnosis is performed. Start with the most basic stuff like powers and grounds. It only took me a few hundred times to learn that. lol.

[@andrewrobinson2869]

Amazing job. When you think even the dealer couldnt fix. You found it with just the basics test light & lead. You are amazing. I am learning so much from you. Thankyou. Andy Australia

[@hightttech]

Test lights 👍. Not only do they act as ballast resistors, they act as analog power meters that we can observe from all around the DUT. When a tech advances from testing "Ohms" to testing "voltage drops", it's epiphany time.

[@themalewhale59]

Ivan, you are one cool and thorough dude! Brilliant diagnosis of what was actually a simple problem. Here is a saying for all those people leaping to the most improbable cause of a problem first. "If hearing hoofbeats behind you while walking down the road, expect to see horses when you turn and not zebras". Doesn't work so well if you are in the serengeti I suppose but you get the idea!

[@frankvoynar6427]

Some one should mandate..mandate vw dealer shops to view this instructional video. Learn something!! Excellent video Ivan.

[@hameshbhirgoo3808]

From Hamesh Bhirgoo,MAURITIUS island,love watching how you fix cars with methodological approach,keep it up!

[@Ianf1x]

I have given my way of fault finding and testing with bulbs to youtubers. When I fixed electrics there wasn't any fancy tools. I would use 55watt bulb to find central locking wires buy shorting to ground or to positive through bulb . IE positive trigger or negative trigger as I was adding remote control to existing central locking .with old ways and new ways make easier fault finding .Great job as usual

[@mkilptrick]

I really enjoy the diagnostic journey. Thanks Ivan.

[@yamaha37776]

The test light diag is amazing!!! Awesome video!

[@mikeaho4143]

Thanks for the lesson Ivan, very interesting case study .

[@Silent-Lucidity]

Nice job! Ivan nails the diagnostic again!!

[@nicholaspaul2458]

Ivan this is a fascinating video using simple equipment and a scientific approach. I got a bit lost when you introduced the second test light. I would like to see a whiteboard video on this case study to understand the principles better. Thanks!

[@nitroruski7986]

That Pre obd2 (in the eu) vw USDM dinger makes me wanna do no no things to myself

[@rplayer9969]

I did not know you were a muscle man. Now I do. Great video as usual.

[@kellyd887]

It's your understanding of " the electrical circuit " that always impresses me the most. Knowing what to test, how to test it, & most of all how to interpret what the test is telling you. Wish I was half as good at it as you. I'd be a much better mechanic. Job well done yet again Ivan :)

[@sohailrabani]

Great work Mr.ivan as always cheers🤗

[@Max_Thunder]

Very well done sir! Impressive diagnostic abilities on display as always.

[@bigguy1526]

GREAT CONTENT , SUPER DETAILED EXPANATION OF YOUR JOB IN EVERY STEP OF THE WAY ! ! ! AMAZING IVAN you give us a little hope and direction to start handle our own diagnosis. Thank You

[@bombardier3qtrlbpsi]

Great job there Ivan!

[@bertbaca7863]

Excellent diagnosis. I will watch this a few times to learn and will follow your advice to the loaded circuit.

[@febbral]

Ivan, great diagnosing of problem, thanks for the video, you and Eric O are tops in troubleshooting car problems.

[@docfeelgood111]

Great job!, I enjoy watching your videos and seeing other technicians following proper diagnostic procedure and repairing properly the first time.! Thanks for all your videos you share!

[@poorboyman5565]

Great job IVAN!

[@matejanosvarga8877]

Ivan is the master of test lights. What an ingenious diagnostic process. Shame on the "specialists" having worked on the car previously. I am also having my doubts as to what the guy "rebuilding" the cluster actually did without conducting an in-car check on the cluster...

[@dalix1951]

Ivan great diagnostic and use of the test light, learn a lot today. By far You have become my favorite channel when it comes to engine performance and electrical diagnostics.keep it up.

[@charlescermak7386]

Great job! I really enjoy your shows and admire your work. Keep it up!

[@josecondemarin9586]

Very awesome skills Sir, we need more of you and Eric O out there. Much to learn just using test lights. Very nice video stay safe and healthy thanks 😊

[@mikechiodetti4482]

THAT is a GREAT diagnostic video ! ! ! A bad terminal and a damaged wiring harness! Great Work Ivan!

[@markbren8573]

Great diagnosis Ivan! I bet the customer is happy to finally have it fixed after a year of dealing with it.

[@jmaxim80]

great job Ivan, I really mean that, just magnificent

[@mag1vl]

Hello Ivan from Australia ;) Your the man and have done it again after nobody else could fix it and the owner is smiling finally after a year of headaches.

[@kastooMcFry]

Love the no part required videos, especially when the VW specialist didn't do anything. Thanks, Ivan!

[@alasdairmunro1953]

What an excellent fix! Going to make sure I have a test light in the toolbox!

[@superpflex]

You are the master of the test light.

[@johnminor2496]

Ivan, I live in Arkansas and I am retired. If you have a customer bringing his vehicle to you from Texas; I guess I can bring mine from Arkansas! You do superb work, and I always learn and enjoy your videos. Thank you.

[@larrystephens7437]

These this type of troubleshooting and repairs are the reason I subscribe to your channel. Outstanding work...

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Thanks for the kind words, Larry!

[@baxrok2.]

Incredible. Thanks Ivan!

[@NoName-yr1jv]

Nice diagnosis 👍

[@gillgetter3004]

I’ve done some test light diagnostics, your right take your time it does work

[@kc360awareness]

Awesome diag once again. No shirt required!

[@richardlfd135]

Nice to see good technical knowledge, a lost art. Great repair.

[@mmichaeldonavon]

Ivan. Enjoyed the diag. Thanks.

[@tracydiller9378]

You got to love the old test lights to hell with all that fancy stuff.Great video Ivan as always.

[@sambitar8448]

Hi, perfect repair and impressive. Direct diagnosis based on logic and wiring diagrams and not involved any expensive parts. You will have customer for life. Thank you for the posting. Have a good day.

[@senanfoutchedjev2401]

For sure, great diag and even better Entertainment. Especially when the problem is fix and two problems here and no one else found it. Thanks.

[@MrKinyodude]

Another display of systematic and logical troubleshooting. No wonder you can fix anything, Ivan! Wish you are my neighbor.

[@rodvan-zeller6360]

At 11:34 , when I get stupid comments about using those probes when I am diagnosing vehicle problems I explain how when I am done I can use either liquid tape or crazy glue . Usually it is the most ignorant shop owners that are angry and jealous that complain about the probes. Great job explaining a strategy to solve this type of problem, I have watched most of your videos you are very good at what you do.

[@samrugtiv3839]

Well done ivan, he must of had some of those Texas plow boys working on that job

[@marcswanson7066]

Stupendous repair. The headlight fix was a nice encore.

[@miguelaguilar3347]

Thank you for sharing your videos greetings Iván from Mexico City

[@RickyRisnandar]

hi ivan, been subscribed to your channel since long time ago... i just want to greet you from the south east of asia (indonesia), thanks for all the videos

[@Dee-hi5zj]

Dear Ivan: Have you EVER had an unsucessful diagnostic repair??? I'm amazed at your process, not to mention your knowledge of the equipment you use! A suggestion tho - you should work on your ambidextrous abilities... cuz man - if sumpin happens to that right appendage you are in deep guano, Batman!!!...

[@anthonysova7117]

Great job Ivan nothing like using a load (bulb) to find vd drops and short to ground surprised no FF CHEERS I’ve learned so much from YOU THANKS

[@KevinTMcGing]

PHAD Channel - come for this diagnostic analysis, stay for the entertainment. Simply a great channel. Thanks for publishing your work.

[@TheBT123456]

Engine block and chassis grounds I verify first after years of rabbit holes to get there. Especially, if the experts have already worked on it. Learned that lesson on Caddy accessories from the 60s and 70s.

[@stevefletcher7531]

VW clusters are renowned for electric problems, i had many problems with mine, i removed the cluster and re soldered as many connections as i could, not had a problem with it in the 4 years since i did it.

[@craiggoodwin9704]

Ivan, you are fearless. I''d be running from this one as fast as I could. But you jump in, methodically diagnose two problems, and send the customer down the road. Maybe next time I'll be lesws fearful after watching this video. It was great! Thanks for Sharing!

[@majestic1120]

learned a lot of valuable info from this guy, thank you..

[@zx8401ztv]

Smashing repair ivan :-D I love your use of test lights for line testing, such a nice/simple visual feedback :-D And short circuit safe :-D Grounding a cluster to an engine?, surely getting as close to battery neg as possible is the best place (odd manufacturers). Squished lighting harness lol.

[@ThisIS_Insane]

What I got that was strange, was the fact that it came from the factory like that. Wow.

[@11begood31]

Just good stuff start to finish gonna watch again a keeper

[@spaceinvadertoo]

Eric O. says you are the best at this kind of diagnostic technique. Now I see why.

[@Paul1958R]

Ivan Great video, diag, and fix - thank you! Paul (in MA)

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Thanks Paul!

[@kapazo13]

The ground test was amazing! In the next videos can you please explain it more in order to understand in depth how this trick works and to know when it might be useful?

[@robertaccorsini4663]

Another amazing no parts required fix!

[@nicolas8344]

Excellent job! 👍👍👍👍

[@davewm9589]

High impedance test equipment has its place, but load testing with a test lamp can save a lot of time. Nice work Ivan.

[@gregcowart8229]

Dude I wish u were in Houston, u do some amazing work

[@arnaldofettuccine5227]

Well done again! 👍👍😀

[@crappytire7390]

You know it's a serious diagnosis when the shirt comes off😜 Another great video Ivan👍

[@phisha1165]

Fantastic job

[@claytoncoolidge992]

Very nice to see. As someone who was trained that test lights are evil computer killing devices (ahh the early days of computer controlled vehicles and the learning curve that came from them) its great to know that my thoughts on that were correct and as long as properly used all would be fine