Restoring The Wheego to Its Former Glory

[@ViennaSausagecan]

Its sort of like a 3 legged puppy with fleas, yeah there are better choices but you can't help but want to help and see him be happy. That is the Wheego.

[@RingingResonance]

"I can make it on my own."

[@cratecruncher6687]

Cost isn't important. You have a important responsibility as a caretaker of this treasured gift to posterity. Never forget that. LOL.

[@parkermonette5397]

Late, but this guy is the Wheego technician trying to sell you more parts

[@HubNut]

This video makes me warm and fuzzy inside too. I do adore seeing love for the unloved.

[@RichieRouge206]

HubNut ooooo ello! Familiar face 👍🏼

[@aaronchamberssaabfan7397]

Hubnut is also a fan of aging wheels

[@HubNut]

Aaron Chambers SAAB FAN Only discovered Aging Wheels very recently. Loving it.

[@aaronchamberssaabfan7397]

HubNut good man he needs an invacar

[@nethalus]

Fancy bumping in to you Mr Invacar! Can't go nowhere LOL

[@91C4NVA]

I figured out why I like your videos so much. You complain about how bad the car is, you say you don't want to put money into it blah blah, but we all know you love that little car. It's kinda like an old married couple that argues all the time yet stay together forever.

[@agingwheels]

I love it because it's so bad. It's like owning, driving, and working on physical comic relief. How could I not like that?

[@RWBHere]

Aging Wheels, the Trabbi in your intro is what caught my attention. The last one I saw in England was surrounded by a group of interested passers-by, taking selfies. This Wheego has a similar allure; it's that bad that it's interesting and endearing.

[@sorensatterstrom1822]

@@agingwheels ok å p p 9 8 8 0, lopp.. Omläggning i

[@ms_enj]

16:55 - The proper term for that method of fastening is heat staking. The ends of the plastic stakes are heated with hot air to soften them and then pressed into place with an unheated die to set them into shape... Except these look like they were just stabbed with a big soldering iron by some guy in a factory in Shanghai.

[@lilshawn2]

>Except these look like they were just stabbed with a big soldering iron by some guy in a factory in Shanghai. LOL you are probably 100% right

[@lilshawn2]

I'm actually excited to see things working! 24:32 - those type of potentiometers are only designed to be "cycled" (IE: moved) about 2000 to 5000 times before they drift out of specification. a higher reliability pot would operate 500k times before drifting. the spec of that pot is printed on the body (B5K)... this means it's a "linear taper 5 kilo ohm potentiometer." should you decide to replace it with a more robust part.

[@brainndamage]

Judging by how much the value changes in only a very small rotation, it's either worn out or a logarythmic taper pot where a linear should be.

[@James02876]

Wouldn't hurt to give it a shot of electrical contact cleaner as a first attempt. I've recovered a couple window switches that way.

[@reedstemen]

The built in diagnostics mode is legitimately the coolest part of the car. It would be awesome if more cars had this built in.

[@crazychris960]

I wonder if it has the diagnostic mode because the company knew they wouldn't have dedicated dealerships or the infrastructure to properly support the car from the get go, and they were just being merciful to the people trying to support these nearly prototype frankensteins.

[@ZeroBlackfire]

*W H E E G O N O W H E R E*

[@therealxunil2]

wheego ... na break down every chance wheeget

[@luigimaster111]

Where do wheego now? Where do wheego?

[@raven4k998]

@@luigimaster111 to mc donalds!!!!

[@raven4k998]

@@therealxunil2 lol wait till he fixes the wheegos battery pack and then wheego back to being a terrible car again yay

[@EstorilE36M345]

I'm envious of how you're able to do all these fussy projects without swearing, yelling, or even grimacing.

[@Halfpipesaur]

Cool, you get a personal technician just for your car. That basically makes Wheego a super-car brand

[@michaelschultz342]

Halfpipesaur DAMN... Nail, meet HAMMER!!! Except without the Six(That's 6) Figure Price Tag. Nice Call.

[@fredmachine]

@@michaelschultz342 Well, it's probably six figures in some other currency... So, yeah, totally an exclusive super car.

[@LeglessWonder]

@@fredmachine 5,000 USD comes to about 540,000 yen. So yep, can say it's a 6 figure car.

[@TheOtherBill]

@@LeglessWonder Use won, it puts him in the million club!

[@thecompanioncube4211]

well as he said, wheego is rarer than many of the supercars

[@rollingtroll]

You are quickly turning into one of my favourite car related KZbinrs. There need to be more channels on unloved cars. Massive props!

[@juanmoreno1922]

That's the power of social media, bad reputation electric car in the first video and now like magic the car has a bunch of good stuff. Amazing!😃

[@cousinlarry99w]

A half hour video on the Wheego? What more could I ask for!

[@TheDeadfast]

A half hour video on the Trabant!

[@NorthernChev]

Excellent instructional repair video for all us Wheego owners out there...

[@richardscathouse]

NorthernChev All eight of them

[@harrylonsdale3142]

richardscathouse lmao

[@Noah_E]

Friendly FYI - Don't drill toward yourself like at 24:54 unless you enjoy trips to the ER. I broke a 1/8" bit off in my thigh drilling a rivet out of a lift support mount for my Subaru SVX a couple years ago.

[@benbauer1257]

Jeez, how'd you react when that happened?

[@earthling_parth]

@@benbauer1257 In words of Captain Holt - "Pain.... That's it" 🤣😆

[@kruleworld]

From what i remember from my father (an Electrician), Potentiometers have a habit of getting carbon deposits building up on their contacts as they age. this is mostly noted in electronics as noise (electrical spikes) and the build up changes the resistance. He used to fix it with WD-40 and a lot of vigorous turning. You may need to do that if it ever starts jumping the temperature around randomly.

[@RWBHere]

WD 40 works for a short while, but the problem is that silicone lubricants are actually insulators, and they also react to electricity by converting into corundum (Silicon Carbide), which is not only an insulator, but is also very hard and abrasive. The lubricant also migrates up to 6 to 9 inches away from the point of application, over a period of 6 to 12 months. This will cause electrical contact failures all around that potentiometer. I've seen the damage it can cause far too often not to warn people against using silicones around electricity. About 20 years ago, office cleaners around the U.K. were instructed not to clean anywhere near computers and telephones, because of the high rates of keyboard and phone failures which were directly attributable to silicones in sprays and polishes.

[@xxheartbrokexx100]

Use contact cleaner never use wd-40!

[@Nicholas2011ist]

The problem with the linearity of the potentiometer boils down to it being a logarithmic pot rather than a linear one. (i.e: doubling the angle of turn on the pot handle makes a ten-fold change in the resistance.) If you want to fix this, change the potentiometer for a linear one and bingo.

[@TacComControl]

"My wheego is now 100% perfect!" Three years later, that just gets funnier and funnier.

[@MrFastFox666]

I recommend you scuff up the new sidemarkers with 1500 grit sandpaper or something and spray a 2k clear coat on them. That way they won't perish in 6 months

[@BurlapAutomaton]

I really appreciate your view on car ownership! You aren’t just an owner, you’re a caretaker. I feel the same way, that warmed my heart.

[@michaelschultz342]

You have Impressed Me. Not an Easy Feat. You overall Mechanical Aptitude is Excellent, Your Understanding of the VARIOUS Systems is Broad, and Your Patience is Legendary. Outstanding. Subbed!!!

[@wilmotown]

I saw one of these puttering around town in Norwalk, CT just a few days after I started watching these videos. I was shocked to see, well, the other one! Great video!

[@kevinschrage9447]

Please tell me you drove the Yugo to the Wheego Warehouse.

[@Karmy.]

Yugo to the Wheego

[@theevilone]

How? Wheego in the Yugo.

[@charlesbaker7703]

This exchange is starting to sound like a Dr Seuss story!

[@Mordrayso]

It might be wise to purchase a few of those cables and ask that tech for a bootleg copy of his diagnostic software for your own laptop and keep him on speed dial lol. I just discovered your channel 2 days ago and I'm really really enjoying it. Thanks so much for sharing and be safe.

[@kitaryakysubae3156]

I like to repair my bumpers with a 1/8th inches drill bit and zipties. Black ones. Because corset stitching cracked bumpers with black zipties just pleases me. And it works pretty good too as far as structural strength goes, since they're 20 lb rated nylon zips in a corset pattern. Like I use like 16 or something zips to fix a 6 inch crack. And I epoxy any gaps and fill the holes.

[@VeraTheTabbynx]

Seeing horrible hunks of crap being cared for is so wonderful for whatever reason. Your Trabant and Wheego are in very good hands indeed.

[@alexanderalexandrou]

Lying with a cold at home, witnessing you wheego Odyssey video after video, it just makes me love the cancerous rusty sucker a bit.

[@drdremd]

That’s what you get for going to a gas station in an electric car.

[@brandonmartin-moore5302]

It's allergic to fossil fuels.

[@baccarah7010]

I really like you for loving these obscure cars that nobody cares about and fixing them to the best of your ability

[@BalooUriza]

28:15: Always set the parking brake when you don't want the car to move. Failing to do so is literally how Anton Yelchin died.

[@stanleyxu5891]

First time seeing this cheeky little car in US! From my hometown almost all of these were sent to scrap yard. You can rarely see a good one on road!

[@mymomsaysimcool9650]

I did the same thing to my 2008 Silverado door cable. Frayed cable, shortened the cable maybe 1/2 inch, tested it with door opened, satisfied it works, closed the door, and that was it. Fortunately, it was passenger side so it wasn’t impossible fixing it. Just lots of cuts into my hands and swearing. Ponied up the $14 for cable from Amazon and 2 days for delivery. Lesson learned.

[@peterbond3628]

Just to help you. The tiny electric motor that you replaced can be repaired. They normally fail at the brushes. Clean them and if they are still ok, apply a speck of petroleum jelly. If they are not, then new ones can made from ordinary copper wire. Streach the wire about 5% to give it spring. These motors never wear out.

[@dustcommander100]

Another enchanting video! I liked your statement "it sounds incredibly difficult; let's get started". This is the story of my life..... You are a nice man. A patient man. A smart man. And a brilliant presenter!

[@45035]

Outstanding shipmate. you remind me of my Dad. He spent 72 years rebuilding two 1932 Indain motorcycles.

[@endersquid1132]

I bet that one weego support guy gets so happy when he actually gets to do something....

[@Mr-Trox]

It's the only human interaction he gets. His good buddy Aging Wheels calling to ask why his car won't work.

[@starfront22]

If you made more videos about fixing old/broken/dumb cars I would watch them all

[@aliabdallah102]

That's like, the whole channel man!

[@Mooncalf2012]

24:18 Potentiometers don't have a "life of their own", but they do accumulate dirt over time, or get oxidation on the contacts. Get some DeOxit D5 spray, and squirt some into the back of the'pots', (all three while your at it) , and wipe off any excess. This will also lubricate the contacts to prevent wear, and keep good electrical contact.

[@Happyman-od7zp]

I am so happy I came across your channel. You're absolutely entertaining and informative!

[@megaangelic]

The second press of the lock button on cars that have a second press, is normally to deadlock the doors (prevent them being opened from the inside), and in some cases activate the alarm. Not just to honk for 'confirmation'.

[@mriguy3202]

the thermostat potentiometer is a pretty standard item and would be easy to replace so that you had proper temperature control. They are available at large electronics suppliers like DigiKey and Newark. Look at the original part and it may say what the resistance values are, or else measure what the resistance is between two of the terminals when its at the coldest setting. That's the end resistance that you need for the new potentiometer (i don't know if its the highest or the lowest). Then set the knob to a reasonable high temperature setting, and measure the resistance again. That's the other extreme resistance that you need. Also measure the shaft diameter and length. You can buy a too-long shaft and cut it shorter.

[@slow.elantra427]

this video makes me feel weirdly nice, like its a crappy little economy car with barely any examples left, but its getting more love than a car like this would and i really appreciate this for that.

[@cinilaknedalm]

"Fill in all the love that leaked out over the years" you legend xD

[@andrewbailey7999]

These restoration series of yours are great! I've been hooked since watching the Trabant engine rebuild. Glad I've found the channel

[@BumpintheNightTV]

Now look what you have done... got me looking around to buy a wheego , thanks!

[@McRocket]

Congratulations on a semi-perfectly, working Wheego.

[@HarpSong]

i don't know why i am watching this. its somehow comforting on this rainy night. reminds me a little bit of my love for my only new car, a 1991 geo metro. i drove that car until it literally died in an intersection in 2009. but the mileage... 46 mpg. i love the unloved. when it wouldn't pass inspection, i traded it in for a 600 discount on a used Pontiac Vibe. keep that little thing running. I kinda wish i had one.

[@DoRC]

Looks good. I suggest 303 aerospace protectant for the plastics dash etc. It looks like it's already starting to crack. 303 is in a league of its own when it comes to keeping plastics in good shape.

[@thomasthompson2899]

When you were at the Wheego headquarters, did you ask if your Wheego videos increased public interest in the car? Have people come by or contacted him more often than before your videos came out?

[@agingwheels]

I spent most of my time there hoping he wouldn't recognize me or know who I was in any way. Luckily, no one knows who I am.

[@rollingtroll]

Yet.

[@TheDeadfast]

Ah, that explains a lot. I was just about to say that they're being surprisingly helpful given how badly you talk about their car!

[@OVER-bENGINEERED]

Aging Wheels could you share Brian’s contact info?

[@frac]

That was a blast to watch. I love your presentation style. Keep it up, please!

[@warhawk638]

That tech support guy was probably overjoyed to actually have someone to actively work with. Probably made his week.

[@sonnylatchstring]

You are the mix of a great stand up comedian and a real mechanic

[@earthling_parth]

Find someone who would love you as much as Aging wheels loves his Wheego ♥️

[@philipdubuque9596]

Not sure why I'm fascinated by your KZbin videos. Even my therapist is no help here. Whatever it is, just keep doin' what you're doin'. You have another newly acquired fan!

[@sjhart14]

I just noticed that the steering wheel is pretty much an exact clone of the BMW E46 sport package steering wheel. It even has blank covers where the controls go. Loving your channel by the way!

[@xxrs2009]

I love the faded crayon lights, looks like candy. Makes it look even more cute.

[@ianhaynes5898]

Very commendable. I am pretty sure I would not have had the stomach for those fixes.

[@dlittlester]

I really enjoy your videos. You've got way more patience than I have.

[@asdffasdf809]

Quality video, my dude. That was massively entertaining and informative. Can't wait for the next video. Maybe a garage update?

[@uzaiyaro]

Why don’t you have more subscribers? You’re amazing at describing things. And you’re genuinely funny, I can’t remember how many times I’ve laughed during your videos. Keep up the good work, and you’ll never see my comments ever again once you hit 100k subscribers.

[@littlejohnny47]

This is one of the most fun channels on KZbin! Thanks for making my day - no week! Nothing as great as someone trying to make a crap car at least marginally better...or maybe just workable...or something....

[@jimmybobhere]

Welcome back! Glad the new shop is coming along!

[@autotalon]

I had the door handle problem on my Eclipse, on those the door handles are weak and break all the time. OEM handles are $100 a piece or something, so most people just go for the $15 aftermarket handles. The only issue is that they dont have the proper pivot for some reason (I've bought 3 different brands of them that all had this issue) so you put a small screw/bolt through the fork so it pushes down on the pin more the handle will work again. But if the bolt is too big, it puts pretension on the lock assembly so it will not return to "neutral" and thus not lock/unlock properly from the outside. Unlike this though usually the inside handle will once it is unlocked because it's a separate part of the latch. The trick is to use something smaller than a 6mm bolt.

[@andrewvernon4664]

That's such a fun looking car. It's a shame that so many things have gone wrong with it. I have mad respect for people who can disassemble things like cars, audio equipment, ect. and remember how to put them back together again properly.

[@Lcsg94]

I love that channel. The work on shitty cars give us a soothing sensation that I can't explain.

[@kevinsong712]

Aging Wheels I could help you order parts from china you know, for that smart-copy-Shuanghuan car and it should fit onto your Wheego

[@arianascott3272]

When you go viral please don’t change your ways I love you the way you are

[@kennethsee6262]

Best restore video great work showing realistic efforts watched 3 times

[@bugnutz43847683]

Hey I started watching this video yesterday, then it stopped and I couldnt find it again. Now I can finally watch the ending.

[@ragingbull5883]

With how the electric car market is on the rise, this is a future classic, people will probably want to throw Tesla motors in these. Or just collect them as a classic.

[@aliabdallah102]

Nah. The shell is too shitty to be worth it. Maybe the OG smart. But not this.

[@RWBHere]

The rust maggots are already feasting on that one. When the separate groups meet up and have a party, there'll be nothing left to weld replacement parts onto. If there are any of that model left intact in another 20 years, it will be amazing.

[@jaaj7381]

who else thinks Doug should review this car

[@ms_enj]

You know full well he'd find some way to give the Wheego a higher DougScore than the E46 M3.

[@killabilla3399]

noxxi knox really nigga

[@killabilla3399]

noxxi knox i appreciate you not saying nigga

[@killabilla3399]

noxxi knox you are the first person that said that to me

[@killabilla3399]

noxxi knox i hate when white people say it

[@Kbrusky15]

your videos are getting a lot better in production! keep it up!

[@_zzpza]

I don't have a Wheego. I will never own a Wheego, not least because they were never sold in the UK. I watch every one of your Wheego videos.

[@Mooncalf2012]

3:09 "Badges? We don't need no stinking badges!!"

[@RichieRouge206]

Great video - it’s like a depressing Smart copy but all the more appealing for it too lol. “Bloody works” - you’re turning English haha.

[@samb5327]

Wheego looks so happy to be getting a refresh

[@whette_fahrtz]

This channel is fantastic.

[@harshnemesis]

Omg I had this exact same issue with my golf mk4.. after replacing the lock module the latch was pulling on the indoor cable slightly which prevented the door from opening.. not unlocking, opening... of I didn't know that and I opened the door after many tries and frustration.. of course I took it apart many times, fixed/replaced the new lockmodule with old one, tested it and it worked until I put the panel back on and closed the door.. This time I actually had to rip off the door hatch as there is no way to get the door panel off if the door is closed.. finally the door would open every time. I figured out it's because the handle it's pulling on the cable slightly so I have cut the plastic clinder on the cable giving it more room.. It works fine.. except sometimes when car was sitting in the sun.. the material expansion causes the handle to pull slightly on the cable so then it takes several attempts to open the door. I am just leaving it for now, I have taken this door too many times, but if I have to do it again for something else, then I will cut off slightly more plastic off that cable while at it.

[@dfjelddalen]

That was a lot of information about door lock cables! But come to think of it, I will probably have more use for that info than all the bigblock V8 swaps that I’ve viewed but will never ever do.

[@31jeffburton]

A dealer in the city I live in has multiple brand new 2010 wheegos that haven’t been sold

[@keiffitz689]

The intro quote was beautiful

[@philpaxton2078]

I love this video so much. Please do more.

[@briansalmon1666]

your videos are just fantastic information, and very interesting....well done

[@robertgrubb4021]

I once turned a ten minute alternator change out into a 3 hour and a trip to the auto parts store ordeal. I feel your pain.

[@timothymclean]

Notch 1: 68 degrees Notch 2: 68.5 degrees Notch 3: 74 degrees What an elegant design.

[@briansalmon1666]

excellent work you have done..also a very interesting video

[@raven4k998]

I can't wait till he makes the newer version of this video where he replaces/rebuilds the wheego's battery pack and gets it back up and running so he once again has a terrible car to drive

[@andrewbailey7999]

Brian is a legend

[@auto_kevin9731]

I thoroughly like this video! Keep it up!

[@RWBHere]

A benign 20 degrees is perfect weather for working on a car. It's a cool Summer temperature in England. (jk) Nice to see that you've sorted the electrical issues - for now. The cheap rubber and plastics are more problematic, unless you can find similar Smart parts which will fit. There’s a video of a guy driving a four year old Chinese car which had had its radiator hoses replaced _twice_ because they had disintegrated. The rubber is hopeless. (Never buy Chinese contraceptives!)

[@PapiDoesIt]

I'm not sure why, but I really like this little car.

[@AndreiTupolev]

It's like they always say about classic cars: you're not its owners, you're just the one who's currently looking after it for future generations

[@melanyneitzelt1203]

your wheego is happy it looks like it smiling

[@MaximilianEnVT]

The only Wheego technician in the country? That is.. quite an exclusive club.

[@the_random9718]

You should email Doug DeMuro to review the Wheego

[@ibroketheserver]

Most patient guy ever..

[@runningwithscissors7715]

those door "solanoids " are the exact same as the ba falcons from australia ...great video

[@SamCyanide]

wow i cant believe wheego is still supporting that product! impressive

[@mwbgaming28]

Now that the AC and battery meter are working properly, you should do the range test again

[@mad8967]

CONGRATS ON 20K