The "Other Shop" Told This Lady She Needed A New Instrument Cluster...

[@kenklak]

Finding this issue isn't the miracle, the miracle is finding a smart, honest mechanic that doesn't take the parts cannon to every repair.

[@repro7780]

This. Finding a mechanic that will take the time to find this problem, rather than throw parts at it, or just decline the job is the issue. You may not be the smartest guy around (as you say), but you take the time to find the problem, focusing on quality, not quantity, plus actually caring. Thats the difference with SMA.

[@throttlebottle5906]

sadly, the industry pushes them to be that way, either having to meet/beat book time or are so overwhelmed busy with repairs, they just parts slap to get many jobs done in a day and hardly stay caught up. the more honest ones will end up with it on the back burner and never find the time to get to it. ( car sits at shop for weeks/months)

[@iFixJunk]

AMEN

[@amateurtouring]

100% agree. The miracle is finding a competent mechanic.

[@robertfitzgerald3432]

Ditto that !

[@MikeBrown-ii3pt]

I was waiting for Luna to snatch up a mouse and say "Here's your problem lady!

[@TimDyb]

I was worried Luna was down inside the engine bay when Eric cranked up!

[@riblets1968]

YES! You stole my thunder on this one, but I was rooting for her too! 🤣😂😅

[@ronallen6578]

​@@TimDybHe knows the penalty for ANY injury to Mrs. "O's" cat. Life would be hell. 😈😈

[@campervanmark3410]

MOUSE ON DA RUN....MOUSE ON DA RUN...GET IT KITTY !!

[@franklaumen77]

😂😂😂

[@brucemckelvy9920]

Sorry Eric, but you are absoluttely correct that other shops would not be able to diagnose it. Thus why it came to you in the first place with the "diagnosis" that the instrument cluster was bad. They are simply parts replacers, not diagnosticians. Love to watch you work. Thanks for all the hard work you do.

[@Intabih]

7:08 Luna giving it the cat scan. OMG.

[@davidtoups4684]

The way she came running, She KNOWS there's been mice in there somewhere.

[@jimandnena4]

First garage ever with a CATSCAN facility! Eric already has X-ray vision for green crusties.

[@volvo09]

​@@davidtoups4684 looking for a toy to run out!

[@OcRefrig]

i know that was Funny as Heck ! " Cat scan " i'm going to have to steal that one.

[@burtbacarach5034]

Wasn't the joke cat for a cat scan and a lab (dog) for the lab tests?It's been a while.

[@JagerEinheit]

Eric, WHY on earth do you have to be over 14 hours away from me... I swear everyone needs an "Eric/ SMA" local to them. Great work as usual.

[@TurdJesus]

Better than being across the country 😂

[@1marcelfilms]

road trip

[@MrMebigfatguy]

@@1marcelfilms I was randomly driving thru Avoca NY, and all of a sudden these dozen codes popped up. First time it happened. Honest, No i swear i'm not from you tube.... Just randomly in Avoca for, for, for.... the ice cream.

[@OcRefrig]

He's 3 -4 Days drive for Me ! Class yourself Lucky guy !

[@grandsea2]

We are out here...the problem is...we get enough word of mouth that we no longer need to advertise! So ask around!

[@electricannulus8854]

One of the few KZbin videos that actually show a true technician at work. I hope many viewers watch and appreciate why you pay for a "True" technician to diagnose and repair their vehicles. Thanks for taking the time to create this highly educational and interesting video.

[@CharlesCastillo-gm1vp]

Eric reminds me of the engineer hired to repair a Sea shipping vessel where all others failed. He examined the huge Diesel engines and it's propellers, he then took out a small ball pin hammer and tapped the engine in one spot and got it working again, he then presented them with a $30,000 invoice. The Captain then said that's a lot to pay for a single tap with a hammer, so the engineer broke it down for him this way. $10 dollars for the hammer the rest was for the forty years of experience and knowing where to tap the engine 😅

[@thomask4836]

Dear Eric, I'm retired at age 68. Back in 73, I worked in a machine shop. A year later, I got an electrical apprenticeship in a factory that manufactured mining equipment including locomotives. As a side job, I worked in a local auto garage/body shop. When I became a journeyman, I moved on to working on locomotives in the railroad industry as an electrician and a technician. Years later, I became an instructor to teach people how to fix locomotives. As time went on, I was promoted a few times until I managed a railroad training department until I retired. I trained people for the last 30 years of my career. If your ears were ringing the other day, a retired co-worker and I were praising you. He was my best railroad apprentice who became a close friend and retired as an electrical technician. We both have nothing but praise for you. I'm inspired, humbled and grateful that I can follow your adventures! You ARE a GREAT TEACHER! By the way, Einstein also once said, "why should I clutter my mind with something I can look up?" Best Wishes Always, Tom K

[@mikemuzzell5167]

There is a generation out there now that could really lean on Eric. Eric when your done with your shop go teach some more. You already are. Best teacher I ever had. Thanks Eric.

[@thomask4836]

@@mikemuzzell5167 - Mike, Thank You Sir! If Eric was a locomotive mechanic looking for an instructor's job before I retired as manager, I would have hired him in a heartbeat!

[@timmytim1954]

Once again don't sell yourself short. I've seen techs in dealerships who test then simply replace the part because repairs take time. Only the customers suffers. Great job Sir.

[@jeffreyhughes7107]

Hey Tom, thought you might appreciate this tale. In 1993, I left the film industry to go work on the railroad. I worked for a very small railroad in Wilmington, NC that operated the state ports and a couple customers outside the port. CSX would drop and pick up from us and we'd do the final or beginning stages. The railroad was owned by a company in Florida that owned several short lines across the country. There were only four of us that worked there - so we did everything. Operate, track work, paperwork, and all the repairs. We had two locomotives (EMD 1200) one of which had been flooded during a flood. When we were not busy with railroading, I would get in the pit and entangle myself in the traction motors with cans of contact cleaner (great for your nervous system) and clean... and clean. The scale of everything is astounding.. adding 5 gallons of oil is like adding a quart. We eventually, or rather I finally got all that swamp mud off the motors and the locomotive went back to service just in time for me to go back to the film industry. Watching CSX ride through the yard with the train brakes on, pulling all the switches out of alignment, with no apologies after asking them to use the locomotive brakes only and they're making 4x what I was making was just too much for me. Track work SUCKS. Hunting and cutting for a car in a yard SUCKED and I don't have to tell you about cleaning traction motors.

[@thomask4836]

@@jeffreyhughes7107 - Hi Jeff! Yes, traction motors were the worst! Now everything is all AC traction motors and the DC is slowly going to the wayside. Have to agree totally with you on engineers! The crews used to write-up defects and we'd pull our hair out trying to find the problems. Best thing in the world was event recorders because we could download the recorder and we often found that the root cause of problems was in the operator's seat.

[@techdude2000]

I’ve been an electronic tech since 1983 and you are by far one of the best troubleshooters around. You should not sell yourself short, there’s a lot of “mechanics” that would never find those broken wires and would just give up after the cannon was empty. Keep up the good work, it’s so refreshing to to see an honest mechanic that knows what he’s doing!

[@attilahooper]

@@randybeard6040 Piling on, A&P, degreed engineer and backyard mechanic. SUBSCRIBED.

[@CACressida]

South main and pine hollow are 2 of the best.

[@lvlndco]

To think that the other shop would have had her pay for a new console and still have a problem then charge her more and still likely not actually troubleshoot the problem.

[@egadgetguy]

I came to the comments section to say this. My journey started a little earlier, about 10 years, but it's true that many ppl just shotgun the problem. Why use a mallet if a scalpel will work?

[@stephanericard5004]

Éric man your the best I have been watching your video for year

[@williamsanders6092]

Eric, you may not be a genius, but you definitely have a knack for diagnosing a problem and explaining it clearly so that almost anyone can understand it. You should be a teacher. You're great at it, you just don't realize it.

[@danlemke6407]

Don't sell yourself short. I would say most of us are not working mechanics and only run across this stuff once in a blue moon and the way you break it down and your uncanny ability to sniff out broken wires is nothin short of autistic savant stuff. Didn't mean to sing your praises, but I haven't seen a better teacher in field applications on this stuff yet. Classroom diagnostics or any classroom teaching falls way short of what you find in the field, and I am mostly referring to the HVAC trade, but is the same for most fields. Your skill is being able to teach practical field applications that is then easy enough understand. I think part of it is that you take the time to move the camera so we see it all and give us a proper explanation. Dammit, I did it again, more praising. OK. You piss me off when you make it look so easy. I struggle. Cars are much different than AC stuff. Anyways, take it for what it's worth, or don't. You have the gift. Thx Eric.

[@SouthMainAuto]

Great, now you pissed me off 😂 If it makes you feel better I struggle with A/C

[@troysmith9453]

He completely discects it 😮

[@danlemke6407]

@@SouthMainAuto Loads.

[@noworriesmate5903]

Well another mechanic who does work constantly said she needed a new cluster. Mr. O is way above a normal mechanic.

[@chrisclark6044]

I was the best parts cannon/parts hanger in Denver lol. Until I really started watching Sir, since I have started learning from him. I have since graduated from mechanic to Novice technician. All thanks to Sir!

[@smitty2307]

Rare qualities in a mechanic: Honesty Integrity Fairness Your years of experience Willingness to go the extra mile. There is an old saying, easy for the person that knows. These qualities are in YOU not everyone. That’s why you are praised. May be easy to you, but the world needs more people like you. Oh, and your sense of humor and humility…. On point my guy 😂

[@92Pony]

Hear! Hear!

[@kidwave1]

When my elderly mothers radio reception failed entirely in her Equinox, the Chevy dealer quoted her $455 and told her they would have to tear apart the interior to replace the antenna. She asked me to look at it. The antenna itself had simply snapped off, (she probably didnt wait for the garage door to open fully before backing out). I grabbed needle nose pliers and simply backed out the nugget of threaded part that stayed screwed into the hole, ordered a new antenna from amazon for $16 bucks and 2 days later when it arrived, simply screwed it in. It was LITERALLY a $16 part, that took 30 seconds to replace, (both removing the piece broke off inside & twisting the new antenna in)! I wanted to strangle the dealership, for lying to my mom, and trying to rip her off. I'm sure they had the antenna in stock, and could have had her in and out in 5 minutes. Even if they had charged her $50, I would have said "Thats a bit excessive, but ok, i get it". But the fact they lied thru their teeth to try to charge her $455 is despicable!

[@bloothedog4443]

Qualities seldom seen in the “Excelsior” gov't.

[@somap8380]

👊🏼👍👏🏼✅ Great Job.

[@chucklanholm5680]

I am liking your Albert Einstein quote: "Never memorize something that you can look up". Thank you for sharing your logic of how to tackle this type of issue.

[@ChrisVargasrpht2000chris]

Mr.O, don't sell yourself short as this is a miracle as shown by the shop trying to sell the customer an instrument cluster. No one wants to diagnose anymore, and all they want to do is shoot the parts cannon. You are one of the old-school talents that still does diagnostic troubleshooting. You, Ivan, and Scanner Danner are just a few who look at the problem and take the time to find the root cause as best you can. This is why so many viewers seek you out for your expertise. Please don't be mad at your viewers for wishing we had a talent like you in our area. The alternative is to be overcharged, pay the parts cannon shop, and still have the problem after letting go of hundreds if not thousands of dollars and the shop saying we don't have an answer for you now pay me.

[@JohnCap523]

Which wouldn’t have fixed anything so the customer likely wouldn’t have paid for any of that anyway.

[@garyboughton2386]

Cat immediately identified Mouse Damage. Smart Kitty!

[@harrywalker968]

cat refused to hunt mouse,,smart cat..clean cat, fragrent cat..

[@seasalt92]

I will have to admit that this is one of the best troubleshooting I've seen. If I could find any shop near here that was half a competent or willing to put the effort in I would let a shop do the work on the car. I understand you closing comments about receiving praise. there is nothing preventing other shops from doing things like what you are doing. its technical but not impossible. The difference is character- willing to put in the work to do it right and with integrity. Last time I trusted a local shop I knew there was a leak in the turbo coolant tube- not a fun driveway repair. so I asked them to do it. they wouldn't until they used their pressure tester and magically came up with a coolant tank leak that wasn't there. I figured this was just the price they were punishing me for doing the analysis myself so 375 dollars later they tried giving it back without doing the fix I asked to be done. then having their lead tech look at it again they found the original problem in the exact location I found it, and fixed it - another $1000 and week sitting in the shop, then a few days after getting it back, started having issue with acceleration and found they had lost the connector for the throttle cable and had simply left the end hanging on the knob waiting to fall of in some bump on the highway hours from home. And this is one of the more trustworthy shops in the area. At least I know they are scamming and just have to put up with it to get them to do things I don't have the proper tools to complete well. I feel for the people who don't even know and don't have someone like you who is trustworthy in their area. Thank you for doing the job right and caring to be one of the rare honest ones.

[@Ro32da72]

Ok, so from a 'technically-minded viewer' perspective Eric, you showed us the 'problem, lady', shared your thought process, held our hands while you diagnosed it, explained *how* you diagnosed it, and demonstrated a real-world repair that was very suitable for this age and mileage of vehicle. Then, right at the end, when we're out here whoopin' an' hollerin' that it works, you gave us an encouraging outro that will inspire others to believe that they can also do it the right way. Your business and your YT channel are successful because you genuinely give a shit, and we've all suffered at the hands of shops that don't. None of that is blowing smoke anywhere fella, 'tis just what I see. You are a great communicator, and your knowledge and skills are clear to see. Not everyone has the ability to think through a system, and imagine defects in their heads so they can get to a fix quickly and effectively. Yes, we all need the manuals and diagrams, but they are useless unless we have the knowledge to interpret them. I love being able to demonstrate the cause of a defect to a customer, not because it strokes my ego, but because it a) helps them understand what's wrong with their plane and b) gives them (and me!) confidence that I know what I'm doing, and that I can fix it, and get them going again.

[@gregskibinski9937]

When you said “Cat Scan” and then I seen your kitty I about peed myself! You are the best! Thank You I needed that!

[@OcRefrig]

Yea, That was Hilarious when i heard that ! 😂

[@ianriggs]

Ya that was pretty funny lol

[@DraftySatyr]

Heaven knows how you would have reacted if he'd also brought in a Labrador for the follow-up lab-report. Soiled underwear, I guess.

[@TROY-p9v]

You are very good at troubleshooting and repairing electrical problems . You have a divide circuits in half approach which speeds up the process . I can tell and appreciate the process . I’m now retired but did troubleshoot and repair for over 30 years in the Banking Industry Security and ATM system. It takes a lot of experience combined with technical understanding to accomplish what you do . Your humble and professional skills and knowledge shine through the videos you produce . Thanks for sharing . I enjoy watching and learn from your experiences. I also do a lot of my own vehicle repairs too .

[@charlesdignam780]

It’s good to see Mrs. O in your video. Every video is better with Mrs. O.

[@peters9929]

Yep totally agree

[@smadge1]

Mrs O in the thumbnail too, I was wondering why she may want a new cluster.

[@patrickinottawa27]

@@smadge1 Same here, I looked at the thumbnail and realized it wasn't her van.

[@patrickinottawa27]

I miss the old videos, Eric would be working on a vehicle and Mrs. O would be in the bay for almost half the video, and they'd be telling stories back and forth.

[@slojohnson]

Every time she says what she's cooking, I regret that I'm 2000 miles away.

[@JamesDvorak]

Eric, I appreciate your humility, I really do. It's quite refreshing. But seriously... you opened the hood, smelled a mouse and pretty much knew that a gnawed wire was going to be the problem and that no new cluster was needed. That much was your experience informing you. Then you busted out your PRO diagnostic skills (and tools) and BOOM! found it and fixed it. That was your skill at work. Again, I totally appreciate your humble attitude, but you are definitely not ignorant! Besides, we all know that if you get too big for your britches, Mrs. O. has ways to keep you humble. 🙂

[@oldcynic6964]

Yes James - the exact same thought struck me too. I can't decide whether the mech at the other shop was as dumb as dog**** or he was a shrewd guy who knew his limitations, knew he wouldn't be able to find the gnawed wire, and just quoted some large price to dissuade the lady from doing anything about it.

[@LesReeves]

The other shop being local knows that SMA is well versed in that type of work & if he was being real sent it there to save the owner money.Small area word gets around.

[@shenanigans8apeach]

Been watching you for years. You have no idea how much you taught me. What you do is truly appreciated ✌

[@paulb4496]

Eric, I was an Appliance repairman for 27 years. A technician who loves his job and cares about the customer is who I was....and it is who you are! Just that makes you Special! I love watching your videos! Treat Mrs. O like a Queen...after all she loves you!

[@ryanfoulk3250]

Thankyou for making these videos, they are very helpful for DIY-ers and professional technicians alike. I am an “ASE master certified technician” but as you know, that doesn’t mean I can fix every vehicle that comes in to my bays. There are extremely difficult intermittent issues that come through our doors sometimes and those are the ones that are worth learning from, but like you said- you NEED that service info and without it, MASTER TECH or NOT you won’t find a solution if you don’t know what or where to look at. I believe the “diagnostic” mindset is sort of something we either have or don’t BUT there are techniques that people can apply to improve their strategies for diagnostics aswell. Please keep up your awesome videos MR.O. You are greatly appreciated and for good reason 👍

[@KJParadise]

I've learned that the go-to diagnosis is "broken wire". But you are incredibly fast and efficient in finding exactly what wire is broken.

[@MrWolfSnack]

There's probably about a mile of wiring inside a car, knowing what wire is broken is crucial, and then comes the fun of tracking that wire through the entire car to find where that wire is broke. Flood cars are fun to do that on because you can have mud jamming up a connector hidden behind a roof pillar or in a trunk seam.

[@glenherbert7606]

What makes you a Great Mechanic is: You take the time to Diagnose. You also take the time to show/explain/teach.

[@MajorGamersUk]

Good job very well done.. That job would have taken me a long time to find... Most folk would have given up.. you did it and now she's got her car back and working... Well done Chap!

[@davidszydlo9673]

Hello Eric, A few weeks ago I worked on a 2015 Rav4 that the emergency flashers were on all the time and the customer had to disconnect the battery. I also saw signs of mice intrusion inside the car. scanned the car and no codes of course since the battery was disconnected before driven over to my garage. disconnected the hazard switch and 4 ways still flashing. Checked all data wiring diagrams and the signal lights are controlled by the combination meter. Removed the combination meter and found a large mouse nest made out of the insulation material Toyota uses to insulate the HVAC ducts. no visual damage to the wiring. checked the hazard switch wiring at the plug that connects to the back of the combination meter and the switch, functioned ok which led me to the combination meter. took the meter assembly apart and found signs of mouse urine that made its way to the circuit board. pulled all the gauge needles off and LDC display out and removed the board from the housing. tried to clean the board with deoxit and a nylon brush. ended up using some WD-40 and it cleaned the board of all the mouse juice. I cleaned all the plastic parts with soap and warm water. reassembled and installed back in vehicle and problem solved. Thought I was going to see you find a nest behind the cluster on yours today. Also did you see Sherwood at Royalty Auto service was all excited about finding the "Green Crusties" on an Audi under the fuse/relay box under the hood? He gave you a shout out. Thanks again for your posts and all your time, see you again on the next "What's up Wednesday" Arkwright Dave '

[@SouthMainAuto]

Wow that was a good one! Yeah, he's a good dude. I was talking with him on the phone the other day for about an hour and he mentioned he was all excited when he found the green!

[@burtbacarach5034]

@@SouthMainAuto Scott @Vehcor mentioned the GREEN CRUSTIES today.You've coined a term Sir.

[@garyalford9394]

Maybe Toyota needs mouse proof insulation and wiring !!!

[@gregbellinger5765]

One rationalization a day. I like it. You discovered the problem, saved the customer a ton of money, and came up with a "perfect" solution for an imperfect real problem, and found some humor in the situation. Your wife added a wonderful touch. Devine comedy. Thanks, GB.

[@rajseenath7164]

Dear Eric O. Good day to you, and to all your viewers. My name is Raj, located in the Caribbean, I look at your videos all the time. It's always a never ending learning experience on your channel and videos. You are very good at what you do, and your explanation on your videos are very clear, and easy to understand. You make your type of job, look very easy, in which most of us who does the same, know its not, by our experience. You do help a lot of people around the world by making these videos, and I would like to thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us. Your determination in figuring out the wiring diagram is truly amazing, you really are relentless, giving up isn't your type of language, and that looks very good on you. Thank you again very much. I just have one thing else I would like to say, I hope it don't get you angry, it's just an advice?. In the future if you ever come across a vehicle that was rats infested, and its clear to see, PLEASE!. Let the customer get the vehicle steam clean!, before attempting to diagnose or repair anything. Due to the world wide health issues we all when through in the pass years, we all should take our health more seriously, For ourself and our families. Rat droppings and rat urine is to be taken very seriously, wherever there is dropping there's urine!. A friend of mine who's a good mechanic like yourself, he did the same for his friends wife vehicle, not taking the rat droppings seriously, and repaired her car. We all told him about it, and he said its all in the work, but he promise never to do it again, a promise he kept on till the very end?. After repairing the car a few days later, he took his work uniform home to wash, his wife's job, something she always does laundry. A few days after, she and her son got sick, went to the doctor got medication and came home, the next day things got worse. The both of them had to go to a medical clinic emergency room, they were having problems breathing, and walking. The doctors did some tests and said it's Rat poisoning, they were all shock, were did they got that from. The doctor ask if you were doing renovation at home, moving, cleaning or if anyone was in contact with any rodents within the past couple of weeks?. It took him a few minutes, and he realize it was his work uniform, and all the laundry she did that day at home. He got angry with himself, and took blame for all of it, we told him your family needs you more now than ever, so keep it together, we'll get through this. His wife is one of the kindest person you could ever meet. His son started showing improvement in about four days, but his wife got more worse, and she were now fighting for her life. I believe God, heard all our prayers and save her life, after about three weeks of medication she started to improve. She and her son made a full recovery, with a life changing experience, that we all will never forget. So to Eric O, and to all those viewers that took the time to read this comment, Thank you. Always remember NOJob! is worth the risk of your health and your family's, because you never know when your luck could run-out!. Please take Rat droppings very seriously in the future!, It can kill you. Be safe and take care to all of you. Bye, cool, Raj. Thanks again.

[@robpeabo509]

You might not be a miracle worker in your opinion, however you are a very proficient and very ethical worker who provides not only affordable repairs, but also the necessary repairs without the "fluff" and without the "on-selling" of unnecessary parts and services. You have customers interest at heart, and us as your viewers.

[@johncrunk8038]

Nice to see someone that has a real technical approach to troubleshooting. I worked on computers for 50 years and you did everything right.

[@jmleewong]

Did you ever think? You started off as an auto mechanic and now your an electrician! Love your videos! I've learned alot!

[@JOHNSUE28]

I learn from you every episode, Eric. And I have been fixing Vehicles since 1977. Thank you, You're a Great Teacher! ASE CMAT L1 and GM Master Certified. Now semi retired.

[@charleswhalen7290]

This SMA video had it all! The dad jokes, the pestering Mrs O. The well thought out diagnostic process and the ability to sniff out broken wires. I know you say this is simple stuff any anyone can do it, but the fact is, they won’t.

[@timhamrick9498]

Check out scanner Danner an Mario diagnostics are also good trouble shooting channels , but yea Eric is good at figuring out these wiring problems.

[@tobyg9879]

A lot of Mechanics seem to not give a shit about Their Customers, you do and I love Your channel.

[@Todd66]

Wait I thought this was SMA not Humble Mechanic?! LOL I’m almost 60 and have always had used cars with issues on issues. The hackery that takes place in shops is sketchy at it’s best and is a full on shit show on average, so to actually be able to watch a mechanic who takes diagnostics serious and can convey the logic and application of that logic is GOLD my friend. If you stack those diag skills with the sense of humor, the top of the line segways and the quality camera and editing…your gonna get praise on top of praise my guy. The whole humble thing just cherries the whole shabang. We appreciate you young man, on many levels. 🙏 Luv me sum SMA video❤

[@mikemchaney1003]

A real mechanic doing the actual diagnosing. Love it.

[@saydmarschany8321]

Very well done, strong in diagnostics. Gave a good example on how a mechanic should trouble shoot irregularities.

[@kriswingert1662]

So... the car got a cat scan and found the broken wires. You are a good tech for actually finding the root of the issue. You are like me, a rare breed who will actually fix it correctly.

[@wadecornwell8896]

No, you are not a miracle. But you are an amazing professional mechanic -- knowledge + experience + great temperament + tenacity + honesty + a bunch more.

[@StevenWeber-g4k]

I absolutely love this channel. Good diagnostics are getting harder to find. and despite what you think Eric you are a great teacher. just by showing what you do...as a mechanic for 25 years now turned mobile mechanic, you always teach me something. I am in Canada and didn't realize all that diagnostic info was available to us! Super helpful! Thanks again for being you 😀

[@trotva]

I agree with everyone. Don't sell yourself short Mr. O. The ability to know what to do, and what not to do is vital. Anyone can be a parts changer, but knowing what and what not to do shows a true mechanic.

[@hawkdsl]

Your electrical vids are my favorite. Mind you, I have the face of a Labrador retriever trying to understand someone reading Shakespeare most of the time. But each one of these peels back the mystery and magic of automotive electrical wiring. Thanks!

[@VBshredder]

Been watching for years - learned from this channel to always find and know the problem before going and swapping stuff out. Thank you sir. My IT background tells me that sealed computing devices pretty much never fail, so it blows my mind when i see cars coming into your shop with professional repair shops swapping these things out without actually knowing the real issue. I'm an amateur hack (working on the latter) and even i know better, and have helped a few people avoid those pitfalls over the years by learning from similarly minded people such as yourself. Well done as usual, keep 'em coming - still educational and entertaining after all these years.

[@ATSNorthernMI]

I love soaking in knowledge and you do a great job at picking a plan of attack with the most affordable way possible. I could spend 20k on the equipment to analyze the CAN bus, but a simple meter for 60 dollars can help me pinpoint an open circuit in the network. I've been in computers, networking, and automation for years and this just feels like home to me. I enjoy learning every day from youtuber's like yourself because it will help me build my business and help me succeed in life. Going from being laid off, broke, poor, loosing the love of my live over it, working at a dead end job at a walmart to having hope of being someone and doing something that I love doing and making a living out of it helps me greatly. Thanks again for all you guys do.

[@tonyshirley5674]

40 years ago I was taught to check for signal at the end of circuit, if signal not there, check in middle, then check halfway back until you found the signal. This helps locate the issue. Which is exactly what you did, Great Job!

[@Graham_Wideman]

"Creating binary partitions of the problem space!"

[@davidszydlo9673]

Yes, the old divide and conquer, the way they taught us in the electronics classes in college in the 70's

[@abdul-kabiralegbe5660]

That's my preferred approach but sometimes based on ease of access to the component (load) or fuse. Sometimes one can get lucky, the side you start from may be the fault.

[@Graham_Wideman]

@@abdul-kabiralegbe5660 "binary artitions... weighted by effort"

[@douglash3129]

You are too modest Sir! You are one of the ones that have a Diagnostic gift! LIVE WITH IT!!

[@richardhoskins9348]

I am a retired mechanic, and you are one sharp thinker and and it was great to watch a real troubleshooter,especially in what could have been a very difficult electrical problem to solve. I was amazed in you and your knowledge and cool disposition.

[@doggonedk]

I know exactly what you're talking about. I was a field engineer for general electric medical systems 35 years. And you're right I don't know what it is but whatever reason I didn't seem to have a problem troubleshooting that equipment. And then I watch you and what you do and it's exactly the same thing. Like you I didn't consider myself anywhere near as smart or educated as some of the guys I worked with. But when it came to troubleshooting like you it just seemed to flow for me. Enough blabbering as usual great video.

[@jsblusmokebbq4343]

Don't care how humble you are...true genius.

[@defiled33]

I was an auto mechanic from 1972-1978. When I saw where auto repair was going I did the best thing for my life I could think of. I quit automotives and went industrial maintenance and repair. Man, that took me all the way into retirement. I got perks, all kinds of incentives and good pay. Plus I built a house, raised a family and am enjoying life. I do enjoy your diags and commentary. Good work.

[@RICHat22]

I went opposite by accident. I was an industrial electrician/troubleshooter. Went to college for board level repairs. Around 1990. Just a kid. I was the one called in when the plant guys couldn't figure it out. Went to an interview for a "drivability technician" just cuz it was a tech job. Showed up unknowingly at a dealership and immediately told the guy I had no automotive experience. Talked for a bit, left, he called a previous employer that was a friend of his (I didn't know), 15 minutes headed home he called me back. His friend said hire him regardless, get him to top pay, he'll figure it out. Went from tech to manager in 3 years, opened my own shop shortly after. Rest is history. Eric is good and reminds me of me. Older techs all around dropping like flies. Great mechanics, but couldn't keep up the 80's-90's tech coming. All while I tapped into the GM satellite on the roof and controlled the vehicle from my desk with the old Tech2 and a PC. LOL

[@chrisheuman9040]

Eric... I so appreciate your channel (and more importantly your demeanor and the way you talk through the process!) I've worked on my own vehicles for years, and for 25 years I've been a golf course superintendent who is required to be the equipment manager as well. It's my job to keep all our equipment running... your thought process has helped me tremendously! Start with the simple things first, test from the beginning and work your way back. Often times it's something you might not have originally thought. I've solved so many issues by isolating known working systems and finding what caused the issue, rather than just throwing parts that might not fix it at it. Thank-you for doing these videos, you have a great personality and are relatable to so many ("if I can fix it, you can too!") Much appreciate your approach and how you can work through the problem calmly and show us along the way that it really is most of the time something that may take time to find, but more easy to fix than you first thought. Thank-you so much! (and Thank-you to Mrs. O for brightening the room when she makes an appearance!) All the best brother!

[@elektro-peter1954]

About the coment at the end that you are not the best person to teach diagnostics: That's not true! You are very good at explaining this kind of stuff! Through watching videos on your channel I got the confidence to do some car electronics troubleshooting myself. You showed me that it's not that hard and you only have to follow the trail of the clues. And your sentence "if I can do it, you can do it" at the end always motivates me. Thank you very much for all the great content!

[@pw3111]

As a technical instructor, the diagnostic routine you followed was a great example of what to do with an excellent explanation of the process . Thanks.

[@DIYDaveOK]

Aside from the fact it's a rare Toyota in your shop, this is immediately one of my favorite videos, Eric. One of your best explanations on that wiring diagram (even I could understand it!). When I heard the "soLder" comment, I thought sure we'd hear a BigClive reference!! Thanks as always, Eric!

[@SouthMainAuto]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Graham_Wideman]

Eric has definitely been watching some UK channels, what with "bit of kit". I'm just waiting for him to bust out some imitations of various accents :-)

[@Diogenes-ty9yy]

Excellent electrical/electronic troubleshooting. I was a field engineer for a computer company and the diagrams you use bring back memories of me tracing signals with logic prints for discrete component processors 45-odd years ago. Well done!

[@pirtatejoe]

You seem like a good person to ask then.... so he essentially was checking the pins of the OBD port for the resistance value from service data, then traced the circuit that tested open?

[@Graham_Wideman]

@@pirtatejoe Yes. The crucial info is that the CAN bus has a pair of wires, which visit a bunch of modules in sequence. At each end of the chain are termination resistors, each 120 ohms. So if you measure the resistance between those wires, eg at the OBD connector, you should see 120 parallel with 120 = 60 ohms. If you see 120 instead, you know that one end of the chain is disconnected. So then you selectively unplug parts of the chain and measure in each direction at the disconnect to try to find which sections of the bus can your meter see a termination resistor, and which not... until you find the unwanted break.

[@pirtatejoe]

@@Graham_Wideman Thanks! That makes sense. Think I was thrown off by the oscilloscope data. And, by the time he got to that point, he was testing from the connector instead of the actual OBD port and I felt maybe I missed something. Started making a bit more sense when he showed the wiring diagram again and could see where he was tracing along the circuit. So, those termination resistors are in the CAN bus modules themselves and part of the circuit when everything is connected. When he found the leg of the circuit with the wrong resistance, knew that module wasn't connected so either had failed or had a break in the circuit. I feel like this was a super great video... really important to see how to see a problem and how to work your way from point A to B along the wiring diagram testing along the way to diagnose the issue.

[@zachbidlack7336]

I love the way you show everyone what you are doing! We need a mechanic in RI who cares as much as you do!

[@ChrisPadillaAZ]

I need one in Phoenix that does love work and doesn’t charge and arm and a leg.

[@WilliamJWalshIII]

Great diagnosis, but loved the CAT scan lol

[@coburn_karma]

I've been turning wrenches since the 80's and I still have so much to learn. You can only learn so much at the dealership under a time restraint and stress. Your videos help those who never delved into diagnostics to not be afraid of wiring diagrams and point of search. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and time.

[@MrWolfSnack]

Dealerships are taught for efficiency and not diagnosing. A dealership gets at least 100 cars an hour. They have zero time to spend over an hour diagnosing a mouse house car. They will tell you to buy a new cluster, install it, and then you will say its not fixed, then you come back the next day and let the insanity repeat. They use corporate bean counter computers to tell them what to do.

[@colinspencer2205]

I taught my mechanics and apprentices to approach problems one way: "How does it work? Why is it not working, and how do I fix it???" At the dealership where some of them came from, the process was: "This part is not working, fit a new one". They don't seem interested in the concept of checking what makes it work first.

[@Jshel2009]

You are an amazing mechanic because you save the customer money. So many mechanics are just parts chimps and don't actually solve the problem.

[@dadsgarage.alwaysopen]

Thanks for taking the time to show us your troubleshooting steps! I’ve learned so much from just watching!❤

[@tarverr.mcknightjr4439]

Everyone loves u because you are a honest mechanic. We almost call that an oxymoron. If people could, they would bring their cars to you because you look into a problem.

[@roberthutson2023]

Eric your an amazing mechanic my friend. When I went through mechanic training for NYC Transit for the buses we were taught an entire class alone just on Multiplex, Dinex and all that. I have to say it’s great to see that this knowledge I got from here literally can be put to use on our cars too. It’s such an amazing thing to see how buses and cars are so alike when it comes to repairs even down to the electrical

[@anthonymakley1530]

I know Eric’s name is all across America as 1 of the best diagnostic in the country if he can’t fix it. It can’t be fixed. Thank You Eric for another awesome diagnostic video

[@dlewis9760]

Nah, he calls Ivan when he's stumped. Ivan needs a real garage and lift though.

[@x01e]

Ivan is definitely superior. Eric is awesome, but Ivan is at a higher level

[@LesReeves]

@@dlewis9760 I think that he tried to get a building permit to build a shed to do just that & was denied by local planning laws & he does not want to move.

[@thomasaudet972]

I admire the electrical troubleshooting. As a 20-year aircraft avionics technician, I sympathize with the chasing of wires to find hidden connectors and components. I didn’t know car mechanics had this skill. Locating these faults isn’t easy. Nice work as always.

[@PhillipBailey]

Excellent video and diagnstic approach! No parts required as Ivan would say!

[@tedpope517]

You’re right Eric, “anyone” could have fixed those wires. Only the “talented ones” knows which wires to repair. I was in automotive fixed operations for 44 years and know that a majority of techs don’t have your diagnostic skills. That’s why other shop tell the customer to take back to the dealer or your shop.

[@robhunter2435]

Anyone who is a mechanic should have been able to fix it if IF they have troubleshooting skills and can read schematic diagrams

[@MrWolfSnack]

@@robhunter2435 In this case if I smelled mouse I'd just trace everything behind the dashboard to do with the instrument cluster and how it gets power. Without any schematics, I'd just do visual tracing and look for debris. Mice leave a trail of destruction as they go along so they do not get lost back to their nest. Just follow the damage. It would likely take longer than an hour but likely come to the same conclusion.

[@andhisband]

This was my first visit to your channel, and while it might not have been amazing you did save the lady the hundreds/thousands of bucks that the other place told her she needed. Bravo, sir!

[@rbailey225]

The plural of mice is meeces. As in, "I hate you meeces to pieces." Just ask Mr. Jinks the cat.

[@tuberstitious]

As Obama would says just to be clear", the plural of mouse is mice and the plural of mice is meeses... is there a suitable plural for meeces?

[@emmettturner9452]

@@tuberstitiousmeecii

[@panchog2552]

George Clinton said that as well.

[@chaggz04]

@@tuberstitious Meeseeks

[@floorpizza8074]

Married for 30 years come July, and every spring my wife still puts on a spring dress for me, too. I hope she's still doing it another 30 years from now. That was a thoroughly educational and entertaining video, Mr. O., thank you for taking us along.

[@johnt.848]

Ever considered she might be dressing for herself, NOT you?

[@patrickinottawa27]

Maybe return the favor and come down for breakfast in one of her dresses and give her a good laugh. Congrats on 30 years !

[@floorpizza8074]

@@johnt.848 She spends hours getting all dolled up and then comes out and models for me. So you tell me? You obviously have women figured out a lot better than I do.

[@who-gives-a-toss_Bear]

@@floorpizza8074 If she has to try that hard, you are failing in your attentiveness.

[@floorpizza8074]

@@who-gives-a-toss_Bear It's just amazing how you can turn a sweet thing a wife does for a husband (and has for 30 years) into a "you're failing as a husband" scenario. I wish you the best of luck in your relationship.

[@MrStevenpalmer]

Liked the video because you used logic and not a cowboy approach to ripp-off the customer. Wish there were more people like you that you are honest and don't just assume things, like the other guy did.

[@Dennisopa]

I learn more from watching your videos than I do through courses through my dealer 😂 Thank you for sharing the knowledge you have. Greetings from Sweden.

[@terrydozier8484]

You're the best mechanic I ever seen work on a car

[@BucksRuckus]

I loved the way you tracked the issue down, a regular Sherlock Combs!

[@davish50]

I love how you talk. You are entertaining as well as informative.

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

Well done, good Sir. Thanks for the lesson. Greetings from Ohio. I've been escaped from NY for 43 years and counting.

[@jimbauer6822]

Nice to see a honest mechanic that finds the real problem and doesn't just throw parts at it

[@slojohnson]

Eric, I am not an automobile mechanic, but about 3 years ago I watched you diagnose an even more tenacious electrical issue. I wrote software for more than 40 years, went to university, but they didn't even touch on diagnostic practices. I learned it in the field over years. As I mentioned, I ran into one of your videos years ago, and forwarded to a coworker, and told him this guy diagnoses problems in much the same way we do. Isolate the issues by eliminating obvious non-failures. In software it is often binary - this half works, this half doesn't - rinse, repeat. I find it totally unacceptable that any qualified shop could not even notice a CAN bus failure in a modern car. That is one step above "Is the power on?" I've seen too many vids where "parts cannon" is the default response. Whole new dash cluster would have cost thousands and not fixed the problem. In fact, Luna did a better job than the "other" shop as to the nature of the issue. Some shops fire a parts cannon either out of ignorance (hopefully) or out of out-right malice trying to drain someone's wallet. From your comment, you are not a "miracle worker", you are simply very competent at your job. Perhaps you are right - automotive tech schools should teach diagnostic skills and electronics skills. Hell, I can set the points on a mid-1970s VW, but there is no way I could figure out the electronics of my 2020 Nissan Leaf.

[@johnrussell5245]

Was watching a video the other day where a so-called 'skilled mechanic' was just swapping parts for new in the hope of picking up in the fault (the 'parts cannon'). People in the comments were writing "wow, great diagnosis!". I despair.

[@tectoramia-sz1lu]

I doubt there's too many people around who can do this type of work. Well done.

[@Charlie_Crown]

All about the patience and the methodical approach, I suspect some shops wouldn't allow their mechanics the flexibility to troubleshoot

[@davidsaunders6800]

Buy a complete module, install it, program it and find that it doesn’t work! Charge the customer heaps! Further diagnostics then find the real cause. YOU did it the right way first time, just as well you are an honest person! Love your work! My ideas throughout life has always been if someone can make it, I can probably pull it to pieces and fix it. If I can’t fix it all I have lost is my time! Then I will buy the new part.

[@petebraven1522]

I just love the automatic mouse detector,.. every workshop should have one as efficient as yours!

[@nmopzzz]

Normal debug methods and problems with learning it. It took me 2-4 years out in the field getting the crap beat out of me and working with my boss over the phone until I learned how to think. The classes help, but eventually you need to pay the piper and spend the time and take the punches and get back up.

[@larrywilliams8010]

The miracle super-genius part is that you put 2 and 2 together where the other shop didn't. You worked to diagnose the real problem instead of just loading a cannon with superfluous parts. Good on you.

[@Chris-jy3dm]

Erik is a mechanic/tech that shows how complicated wiring is 👍👍👌

[@Black3ternity]

What I find real nice is the fact that everything on the network went to crap the can - but the SRS was still working and reporting. This is perfect security. Kudos for Eric to fix it how he did instead of billing the customer a whole harness, a plug and six gazillion hours to trace all that in order to install the new harness.

[@davide.s.9880]

At the end off video you talked about not memorizing things you can look up. That gave me a flash back to my auto shop teacher. During class work we had to hand write copy the notes he put up on the board LOTS of them. Then when we had tests he said we could use our hand written notes or the school book because when you're in the field your not going to depend on your memory you are going to look things up.

[@ronaldbrosius7488]

Excellent job!! I love these types of troubleshooting videos!! Keep up the amazing job 👏

[@SouthMainAuto]

Thanks! 👍

[@troysmith9453]

I'm an emissions inspector in northern va and they wouldn't care if you got a cat from Amazon but better not get caught selling a used one also our waiver amount is 1030 bucks.

[@bruceleealmighty]

Impressed that you actually trace the issue back to the open but minutely disappointed that wouldn't connect through to pins. Nice work none-the-less. "Don't fold it over too tight, because you'll kink off the electricity" 😜

[@bryanfuentez7640]

This channel alone has made me a step above the rest. I never knew how to diagnose electrical problems until I came across your channel in 2018. Thank you Eric O.

[@alwhitesell4023]

We would love another day at the shop like you've done in the past.

[@wellnessotr]

I want to tell you that I think it’s really awesome. The reason is that there are so many parts replacers out there in the world, and it’s easy to become a parts replacer. It’s more difficult to become a really good diagnoser. And that’s pretty much what the industry is lacking, really good people who know how to diagnose properly. Kudos to you.

[@trenttadsen3066]

I really enjoy your videos. I just like to see you work through the problem. Thanks! I'll keep watching.

[@earlytoorise]

The people who work on vehicles at the dealership watch your videos to learn how to be a Mechanic.

[@ChadLuciano]

Smart, intelligent, pragmatic, honest and humble man...this man deserves praise. Awesome video, big thanks!

[@spelunkerd]

The most common place rats find sunflower seeds is underneath bird feeders. Keep your bird feeders far away from any cars, especially cars that sit without moving for days at a time. Watch birds at a bird feeder and know that those seeds get scattered everywhere.

[@JamesDvorak]

Very true. Where we live, squirrels are also a problem. They, too, will chew wires (they seem to like spark plug wires).

[@johnt.848]

Rats have legs, they will still travel to where the food is from their nice warm homes.

[@russellhltn1396]

@@johnt.848 True, but they prefer to setup home near where the food is. Keep the car away from their food and they're less likely to set up home in your car.

[@throttlebottle5906]

funny, they never seem to hang around my dirty/greasy old GM products. everything else they quickly inhabit. lol

[@pharmmech]

Personally i hate squirrels more. One of those dang things chewed a harness almost in two. Had to repair 18 wires in an s1- blazer while laying on the engine reaching behind it to fix them. NO squirrels in my yard anymore!

[@volvo09]

I got rid of all my squirrels too, they are way worse than mice when they get into vehicles.

[@mikehopkins7384]

lol speaking about squirrels..I rescued a couple babies and while I was at work they managed to find some plastic water lines while they were loose in basement..came home to 10 inches of water down there while they hid in their hanging nest…they were released very soon after they could fend for themselves selves

[@timingridw.8547]

@@mikehopkins7384 Thanks for sharing. I often wonder, especially with PEX piping, if squirrels and/or mice would chew on it and cause these types of problems.

[@MrWolfSnack]

@@timingridw.8547 They will. They will find water or food sources, they can smell the water inside. If you have rodent problems in a high rodent area you would need to run the PEX through armored elec conduit and mark it with flow stickers. Code might not like it but it solves the problem. I have copper pipes, I'd never use PEX.

[@DosJof5118]

I am the proud owner of a 2013 Rav4, so this well-done troubleshooting video was of special interest. Good job. And if you think paperwork for cats in prny is bad you should fix airplanes for a living. The FAA is nuts about that. You may not be a linguist but you are a damn good technician.

[@MikeTerry1969]

Mrs. O in a sun dress as clickbait? All right, ya got me to watch.