The CAR WIZARD gets a 2002 Pontiac Firebird Firehawk with a Speed Problem?!?

[@ShoelessJP]

Your presentation skills have been improving a lot lately, Wizard. I came over from Hoovie's channel and the differences between when you started the channel and now are night and day. You're an extremely smart guy and I love your content, keep up the great work!

[@sfmc98]

I noticed that too! I think by nature, he is so analytical and intelligent, some people who don't know better read that as cold, or even angry or complaining. He doesn't try to entertain you with his on-camera personality, although I do believe him to be a warm and humorous guy.

[@wrxpilot]

I’m also from Hoovie’s channel and completely agree! Wizard’s content is getting better and better as he finds his stride.

[@diamondbella8091]

He seems a bit awkward in front of the camera.. but with all the exposure hes gotten that just shows what a good person he is. It hasnt went to his head at all.. super cool guy

[@docpaulmd]

@@sfmc98 I think he said his brother is a neurosurgeon, good genes run in this family

[@ShyGuyOnTheWifi]

Agreed. He's getting more comfortable in front of the camera. His work was already great, but now his presentation is getting better, too.

[@markiangooley]

“The problem is in the cluster!” Ah, it’s a clusterf--

[@LMacNeill]

LOL! You beat me to it! Ha!

[@hacatan24]

Maybe they changed it to KPH and forgot to switch it back to mph lol 😂

[@gauravsrao8887]

@@hacatan24 55mph is not 70km/h

[@Zwank36]

here u missed this: -uck

[@siimojasoo5771]

@@Zwank36 I believe he may be missing -ailure ...

[@kurtbest6504]

18 years later, and still one of the baddest looking cars on the road

[@daniellaubach7544]

Sad Pontiac is"nt built anymore. The Performance division of GM!

[@joelbosso1331]

@@daniellaubach7544 or the 4th gen F-bodies in general...an 01 Camaro SS was the first new car I purchased. I have a lot of nostalgia for that car.

[@BlackLS1Pontiac]

Yessir! Bought my WS6 back in 2010 and still have it! Love it so much

[@ourtime-downhere6931]

I was a lot boy for GM in 1997, they were doing a dealer trade and I had to drive up a Mercedes 500sl in trade for a new ws6 package. On the trip back I hit 150mph, I though I was the kind of the road. I've driven much faster and higher speed cars since but that one has always held a special place.

[@RamblinGarage]

I have a 2000 WS6, almost to 11,500 miles on it. Excellent cars with rising values. They're a hell of a lot of fun to drive for a stock car, too.

[@thebigpicture2032]

The smoothness in ride was designed in by GM engineers. The 4th Gen is a great road car with decent gas mileage. It’s ludicrous that they stopped making them in 2002.

[@garrisonnichols807]

They didn't sell very well. Competition from Japanese sports cars and the massive sales of SUVs at the time killed these cars. I think for every 4th gen F body Ford sold 10 mustangs.

[@Mmvarto]

@@garrisonnichols807 crazy that Mustang (i own one from that era) had so much less horsepower and sold more

[@judgeman6970]

Love my 4th gens 👍

[@thebigpicture2032]

@@garrisonnichols807 They sold well enough and were profitable. They made zero money on 2003 F bodies

[@NovaCaine2489]

apparently the gas milage is about the same as a 3.0 ford ranger, which is funky to think about

[@michaelhawkins5530]

There is a great place in Pontiac, MI called Scott Speedometer Service that I'm sure can repair that speedo. Ship the speedo there and it will be taken care of.

[@joeviking61]

Nice, Bro...

[@Tripp426]

Of course it's in Pontiac, MI. Makes perfect sense. :)

[@horseplop9]

I know of the Place well.. Nicely done sir..

[@dragonbrownies517]

Bump for the Wizard to see.

[@markharris5861]

@@dragonbrownies517 maybe hes checking the rims on mrs wizard

[@LegitStreetCars]

Ok it's time to take my WS6 out of storage.

[@yungtooli]

haha my man

[@Ghoststalker777]

Check out Dennis Collins latest video. He just purchased a WS6 with 2691 miles in mint condition, and it still smells brand new.

[@kciffolillo]

i’m 23 years old and these cars are so nostalgic to me. just remember being a young kid hearing these cars drive by sounded so menacing and the look of them is just so perfect to me down to the honeycomb tail lights. i’m going to need to get myself one some day they’re just so hard to come by around where i live and when you find them they are going for a premium

[@roriemorris6477]

Man U put in in words did u ever get one ?

[@BrandanM94]

That Firehawk takes me back! My folks had a 2001 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6 with every performance addition from factory. My folks loved that car it was the king in the day. Good video Wizard thanks for taking me down memory lane today. I am a fan of the channel all time thanks for keeping us sane in these rough times. Keep it up 👍🏻

[@pizzamon795]

Every performance addition? Was an automatic or manual?

[@BrandanM94]

pizzamon 79 considering I was 6/7 years old in that day I don’t remember the trans. But my Dad talked so fondly about the car and all the fun he had. I’ll ask my old man though.

[@pizzamon795]

@@BrandanM94 they are very nice cars I was a huge fan of them back when they came out the WS6 and the Firehawk and they had near Corvette like performance. I was a subscriber to Motor Trend at the time and I had all the specs memorized

[@robertroberts9782]

I knew a guy had one brand new top of the line 2001 .he always had the hottest girls riding with him ...😉😉😉

[@RGW88]

@@pizzamon795 there was none from the factory. I think you know that.

[@z512345]

My son owns a 2002 Trans Am WS6 stick, red with tan leather in interior . 36000 miles. He has had the car for years.

[@gtoger]

I like Firehawks. My Firehawk is 10 years older than this one. And a lot more red. And third-gen. But it only has around 6k miles on it. So it's not as experienced as this one.

[@christianpankow941]

That's a pretty rare Poncho you have, congrats!

[@gtoger]

@@christianpankow941 Yeah, not a lot like it.

[@TheRealJLucas]

@@gtoger Picture please?

[@derekkindell9154]

A 3rd gen firehawk?! I’m so jealous!

[@devillockj]

6000 miles in 30 years????? I hope your woman gets more attention than that!hahahhahshahahahhs

[@packersfan8884]

There is another youtuber auto mechanic, Eric from the South Main Auto channel, he sends defective gauge clusters to a company called United Radio in Syracuse, NY and has had good success with them fixing bad clusters. Might be worth looking in to if you haven't already. Cheers!

[@elektrosmokes1911]

Man, this takes me back. I had a 2002 WS6 wayyyyy back in the day. I never should have let that car go.

[@trickbear]

My very first real job was working at a car dealership. The sales people got brand new demos and a tank of gas a week is part of our pay. The caveat was we were only allowed to put 3000 miles on our demo, if we went over the mileage we had to park the car until it was sold. The older car salesman never sweated the mileage. They just had the car put on a rack and had one of their buddies unhook the speedometer from the transmission. This was 1988. When they got back from their vacation 1,500 miles added they just had the speedometer hooked back up and sold it to the next unsuspecting consumer. So the first thing that popped in my head when we had a car with this low mileage and it's only problem is the speedometer I had to be a little suspicious if the odometer had been tampered with. I really love your videos. Keep up the great work.

[@StevesMachines]

I bet the customer wouldn't have complained if it was recording less mileage 😜 Beautiful car.

[@gedd6750]

Odometer and speedometer are different Odometer records distance travelled of a wheeled vehicle, the speedometer well that kinda does what it says .

[@StevesMachines]

@@gedd6750 Depends if they are clocked using the same process or not. If they are fully independent then no issues, if it's off the same reading then miles go up accordingly. Either way looking at how lovely that car is the owner would have done the right thing.

[@medfadhelgriguiche5226]

It's actually recording more if they're synched as instead of 55 it said 70

[@muskokamike127]

@@medfadhelgriguiche5226 exactly, if they're synched or interdependent it's actually recording faster than actual also further than actual.

[@roberthunter5059]

My 2000 Frontier had the same error in the speedometer and odometer. It read about 4% low in speed and in mileage. Speed was checked with GPS, mileage with mile markers.

[@korndogz69]

I had a 2001 Firebird Formula, and I loved it. One really stupid thing though is they used nylon worm gears in the pop-up headlights, and they make an awful noise when they go out. I replaced mine with metal worm gears.

[@Seegalgalguntijak]

The Firebird is always the thing that reminds me of my favorite childhood tv series Knight Rider. The car was such an amazing thing in it, unsurpassed by many movie cars. Maybe except Herbie the bug, but I'm not certain about that.

[@Kyle-zz4mr]

I had one of these!! Almost zero complaints! Ran 12s

[@iSlandeRon]

Car wizard loves this car, takes out for a drive to “check” speedometer. 120 mph and 500 miles later, needs more “testing” lol.

[@nellyfarnsworth7381]

Remember the speedometer is OFF. SO WHEN THE CAR SPEEDOMETER IS @ 120 MPH. TRUE SPEED 80 MPH

[@ricky-sanchez]

@@nellyfarnsworth7381 Australian kph speedo. I think the customer has an Australian cluster. He must have replaced it before with aftermarket parts....

[@Thorbyr]

@@ricky-sanchez It says MPH right there in the middle of the speedometer.

[@instasingingvids3529]

iSlandeRon haha 😆 I was going to comment this. Of course he enjoyed the car 🤣

[@issabendeck1135]

And he once say that f bodys are sportcar wanna be bla bla bla hard to work on ans shit and now he says there is space to work on i dont undesrand him, yes they are a pita some times to work on depending on what you are doing but are lovely cars and no way can be beatten speed fun vs money not a way

[@hmackprotection1]

A Good Mechanic is worth his weight in Gold. This video just made me subscribe. Imo the 98-02 T/A WS6 is by far the best F-Body ever produced.

[@chancegregory67]

This little birdie just wants to fly, thanks for helping to keep it on the road!

[@taunuslunatic404]

Why don't you put an external oil cooler on the XLR? This way you can install a "cheap" radiator.

[@chrisvig123]

Taunuslunatic My thought also 😀

[@darkiee69]

Had the same idea.

[@mazdaman1286]

Yes my call as well

[@simongchadwick]

My first thought too. This one shows as a direct fit: shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/imperial-ultra-cool-engine-oil-cooler-kit-240457/10267261-P?vehicleIdSearch=358499&isAllVehicle=false#

[@jrfish007]

Depends if a “cheap” would bolt up, if not by the time he fabs up brackets for the radiator and oil cooler it would probably be the same cost as a new one.

[@goodvibes739]

Thanks for keeping us entertained in quarantine wizard.

[@shaneraymer5147]

I like seeing how professional you are with this car.

[@SupaFlyJedi]

This car was awesome when it came out and when I first saw it, I was immediately hooked, 4th gen (and 3rd gen for that matter) f-bodies are getting harder to come by that haven't been hacked to death or beat to pieces unfortunately. Absolutely beautiful car, wish I owned one.

[@danielbennett3064]

One of my favorite things about you (car wizard) is that you let us look under the cars and describe everything,thank you again and again!

[@roberthogue6797]

United Radio would be my first choice for the cluster repair.

[@mc2whls]

Robert Hogue, definitely United Radio.

[@MorphsRUs]

I love Wizard videos he breaks it down from A TO Z simple and to the point.

[@brianhilligoss]

Make sure the car hasn’t been tuned. Hptunners has a speedometer calibration. That adjust the signal the ecu sends to the cluster not what’s reported to obd2.

[@russellhltn1396]

I was going to ask, on this car, if you were to change the tires, where would you program it to show the right speed? I'd verify that was programmed directly. Part of that is based on what would go wrong to cause a speedo to read high? That strikes me as an odd failure mode.

[@moviehosers6836]

Had a 2005 pontiac with failing cluster. Temp and fuel acting up. Bought all new motors for the dials. Replaced all of them myself. Not sure if this helps but you can buy the motors new as a kit and replace them. Easy to do as long as you know exactly where the gauges need to go. Lots of resource online to help. It fixed my issue.

[@joe6096]

Car Wizard - question for you...... have you looked on GM Parts Direct? Unless there's something wrong on their website, according to the diagram if you scroll down to reference number 1, a new radiator from GM Parts Direct, for a 2006 XLR, is $274.40. And it appears to have all the fittings for oil and transmission cooling lines. www.gmpartsdirect.com/auto-parts/2006/cadillac/xlr/base-trim/4-6l-v8-gas-engine/cooling-system-cat/radiator-and-components-scat

[@1mlb704]

GM Parts Direct is great. They have diagrams, the parts are all OEM, and the prices are significantly lower than at the dealer. I've ordered probably a dozen parts from them over the years for a few different vehicles and they've all been perfect. Only gripe I have is they take a long time to ship.

[@DrDodge24]

The same AcDelco radiator is on RockAuto and it also has the oil cooler fittings. Not sure what the Wizard is on about with this one... www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=533504&cc=1432043&jsn=411

[@LeagueofBzar]

@daniel bean he did a video on an xlr that needed a radiator

[@joe6096]

@daniel bean Someone's not paying attention

[@Wheelhouseprojects]

Agree on the GMPartsdirect.com - check out the deals and close outs. Been buying parts since 2003 back when they had SLP SS Camaro and Forehawk leftover parts.

[@chuckcts-v3460]

Had a 2000 Trans Am, Ram Air, WS6, it would get 18 mpg around town and 22 mpg @ 90 mph. Great car, rode good, fast, had that high spoiler very attractive ride. Never had to replace anything in 120,000 miles except tires, battery and brakes.

[@EslayerTM]

these gen TAs are my dream car

[@opieg7333]

I believe the speedometer is run by the Body Control Module. I think the BCM uses a formula to set the voltage for the step motor (which includes the rear axle ratio where the VSS is because there were two ratios available). You seem to be off by a constant 125% and it may be that the BCM glitched out, not the speedo in the cluster. You can flash an adjusted value to the BCM to get the right speed indication if it is indeed a true 125% off the entire range. While clusters in these do go bad, BCM issues seem more common in my experience. The linear scaling is the tell. Flash the fix rear ratio value and see if the speedo holds true for a while. You are correct, they will be collectable and an example like that should avoid the parts yard for pieces. But I am biased as a 2002 WS6 owner, luckily its not special and I can butch it up to fix the GM issues.

[@Chris-pz4mb]

Seems like the best option for the XLR would be to use the cheaper radiator and buy an aftermarket oil cooler.

[@mikecronis]

I owned two of these SLP Firehawks, a '99 and a '02. Here's the deal: A lot of guys will use a Hypertech or Diablo tuner into the ECU and calibrate the speedo for different tire sizes or differentials. I suspect this had been done at some point. Get a Hypertech, Diablo, or some other plug-in tuner and calibrate the speedo that way. Easy. I've done it on both mine.

[@JokerisWild4]

This was my dream car. Now they're skyrocketing in value. They're double to quintuple the value they were only 6 years ago. A WS6 with 3000 km is being sold for $48,000. The market is exploding for Trans Ams and Firehawks.

[@charlieanddadreviewsandcha2243]

CL Anthony 48,000 never. Nah!

[@ricky-sanchez]

@@charlieanddadreviewsandcha2243 Bend over pontiac fans, The market has a deal for you!!!!!

[@Kuhladestkyicky]

Nope.

[@Sutliff01]

Idk what you’re talking about my man I’ve seen good condition ws6s for low to mid 20s

[@JokerisWild4]

@@charlieanddadreviewsandcha2243 it had 3k km on Autotrader, basically brand new. That's how much this car cost brand new in Canada.

[@dcarts5616]

I owned two 2006 Jettas. One was a TDI with DSG, the other a 2.5L with 5 speed manual. Both speedometers were off 4/5 MPH at all times. I never attempted to find the issue as we all know that every repair on a VW is $1000. I just adjusted my driving. Went 220,000 miles that way in the 2.5L and 185,000 miles like that in the TDI. Fun stuff.

[@elitedelta9001]

I like how the wizard didnt beat on the firehawk. Always a worry when you give someone your car

[@tombob671]

The wizard is a man of integrity, he would never abuse a customers car.

[@666cemetaryslut]

Not on camera anyway.

[@rolandm9750]

Look at the other cars he's got in there--Lambos, Ferraris, Bentleys, list goes on. If he (or anyone else at his shop) was doing that in customer cars, wouldn't be in business too long. Lots of people with those kind of cars have cameras, GPS trackers, etc. so not difficult to find out. Mind you some repairs may require the cars to be "opened up" a little afterwards, to make sure it's running properly--for example you're not gonna be able to fix a complaint of high-rpm, open-throttle, miss, without being able to replicate the complaint situation.

[@cheese.n.crackers]

The ride may have be a left over of how Herb Adams used to design the suspensions. Softer sprung but with massive sway bars! Nice video. Great car. Love seeing one all original in such nice shape!

[@2revoemag]

OBD-2 speedo? Something like ScanGauge 2. I had this in my car for a while. Then you don't have to worry about GPS signal and you know the computer reads right. Also doubles to read scan codes, fuel mileage and more

[@luisvilla799]

Those scan gauge sometimes need updating depending on the car and can be a pain in the ass, bought one for my Chevy sonic

[@2revoemag]

@@luisvilla799 I used the scan gauge 2 on my 96 subaru legacy, 07 yaris, 12 impreza, 16 crosstrek. Seems good to me. I guess those are all Japanese? But it was always plug and play for me. Also, it was an example there must be a dozen or more 'tools' that show speed direct from the computer.

[@2revoemag]

@daniel bean It's pretty easy to break down what that actually says. We can just do the math. If it is truly going 55 when it displays 70 we can assume that it's displaying approx 21.6% more. Just add that to the odometer. So let's say 12,200 miles. Still. Really good for that year. This assumes it had this issue from day one. Which I highly doubt it was probably a recent development, the owner doesn't seem the type to let something that egregious linger. Also I think that car had a digital odometer and we know the computer is working well, really depends on how and where the info is coming from.

[@tygercat9122]

@daniel bean Note, the Wizard has verified that the vehicle speed sensor is, in fact, working properly. Therefore, the odometer is working properly as it does not rely on the analog speedometer needle to display the correct mileage.

[@shawnbaker3245]

That's why you're the best Car Wizard! You think of everything, not just putting in any old part!!!!

[@iabarrera]

Instantly hit the like button as soon as I saw the thumbnail! Trans Am was my first car, and I'm going to get another one hopefully soon!!

[@flyingmako]

Such a brilliant car. I had a 2000 Firehawk with longtubes and a Borla. That car was scary fast. Sold it like a chump...Also, worth noting that there were only 1334 Hawks made in 2002 and was the only year for a whale-tail spoiler.

[@Cautionary_Tale_Harris]

Trans Am Depot in Tallahassee had a specimen like this. Beautiful.

[@storarperur26]

My dream car! I actally sat in the back of one of those, was just a teenager but i was around 6'6 ft tall at the time. Friggin awesome cars.

[@IWantToBelieve1]

Im 6’6 and had a Camaro of that era, no way in hell I was ever sitting in the back 😂

[@CajunShrek]

A rare moment when u can actually see a GM car with a dash not separating lol

[@judgeman6970]

lol, but they do crack, along with the door panels. 😁

[@MitchDrysdale]

I've seen similar issues in instrument clusters in my workshop and always been able to get instrument repairers to fix them. Probably the best option with this great car!

[@shekharmoona544]

I've seen four in my life, two with flush headlights. I don't even know where the flush lights come from. Awesome car. I love this one and the WS6 package.

[@iamnobody3793]

Where are you from to only see 4? I have owned 8 firebirds and still have 3, 2 of which are this body style. I am no where near rich, I has just been that one car I love. They are fairly priced and reliable as long as you keep it stock or build it right.

[@charlieanddadreviewsandcha2243]

Yeah mustn’t be in this country. I’ll bet when you see them everyone’s head turns.

[@shekharmoona544]

@@charlieanddadreviewsandcha2243 right here in the US Firehawks are rare.

[@charlieanddadreviewsandcha2243]

Shekhar Moona Well more rare. But I used to see them around. Not as much anymore. But they are out there. Mostly summertime cars.

[@elbros5325]

I think SLP is the one that made those flush exposed headlights. Their concept had them and they made them available for a while. Probably bloody expensive nowadays!

[@pursang833]

The more I see that Lotus in the background the more I want one. I don't know a Car Wizard so I'll hold off for now. Like the Firebird Firehawk too so thanks for shooting this vid.

[@SparkZ1420]

Pontiac Trans Am Firehawk!! 🤤🤤🤤

[@winning77th]

looks like a super rare formula firehawk

[@4wofury]

It’s a Trans Am Firehawk with an Iroc wing.

[@seankeys5384]

@@4wofury Right, he called it a firebird it's a trans am firehawk.

[@alphatrion100]

@@seankeys5384 dude its the same car with some different parts and engine. The rest is marketing bull. Like a type r is still a civic.

[@seankeys5384]

@@alphatrion100 why do you think I don't know that,you should always call a car exactly what it is you don't call a t type a grandnational do you?spite the fact that there pretty much the same.

[@hellkitty1014]

Those old Firehawks or WS6s were some incredible performance buys of it's day. Still love them after all these years!

[@EALeathers]

I wanted one of these so bad right when I was turning 16!

[@InsidiousDr9]

@5:30 I'm voting resistor drift - just from the relative age. There is some kind of compartor circuit that turns the signal into an analog signal for the needle on the gauge.

[@DonScorchio]

Those f body cars have been going up in price. I want one

[@jbatic8094]

save up and hurry up lol

[@brandon18054]

C5 Corvettes are going down in value. They’re a hell of a bargain right now

[@CB12345]

If I were you I would try to get one now as soon as you can before they go up even more.

[@pcproz3215]

Thanks for the ride-along. I miss my Firebird.

[@connor040606]

Always loved those cars, would'n't mind getting one someday.

[@skswig1]

I think they are a great bargain for the performance you get.

[@HipsterDoofus100]

I had a new 01 trans am. Bright red. I sold it after about two years. Still to this day I wish I had it

[@badopinionsrighthere]

It's definitely a holy grail type car for me

[@Flies2FLL]

Batmobile.

[@M3ls1ss]

I've had a couple ram airs, they are great cars and I could get amazing hwy mpgs out them (6speed).

[@15KHPCLUB]

It's a common problem for older GM vehicles to experience gauge cluster issues. It happened to my '04 Tahoe, my buddy's '05 Hummer H2, and my neighbor's '03 Yukon Denali. There's a company I know of that repairs gauge clusters and they do excellent work. Model Electronics in Ramsey, NJ. If you're local, you can drop off the part and they'll repair it for you and warranty the work, or you can send it out to them. I'm sure there's other independent services that perform this type of repair, but that's one place I know of that specializes in OEM auto electronics.

[@larryanderson8067]

That's actually a built in feature to keep you from getting speeding tickets! :-)

[@jamergamer0076]

Trans Ams, especially of the 93 -02 4th gen years, are my favorite car of all time.

[@nellyfarnsworth7381]

On the Cadillac, just use a aftermarket oil cooler. A stand alone oil cooler.

[@brendanmccreanor1191]

Nelly Farnsworth good idea. I don’t know why the wiz didn’t suggest that.👌separate cooler world be a good upgrade too.

[@wurly164]

Nelly Farnsworth the customer may want to keep it original

[@nellyfarnsworth7381]

@@wurly164 Yes. But I would rather have $1,200. In my pocket.

[@K0E0M0O]

YESSSS, I Saw The FireHawk in The Background of Hoovies Turbo Beetle Video And I Was Waiting For You To Mention it , What an Amazing Beast And in Mint Condition as Well, Thanks Wizard & Mrs Wizard .

[@tomaszkiryk556]

I bet Wizard hopped into a clean dress after he saw the mileage.

[@eyeseewho77]

Tomasz Kiryk this guys voice is creepy af

[@tl1024]

You would be lucky to find a mechanic that could speak to you that way, not the split tongue of the "service writer". Been there, worked there (not his particular shop). I suppose every customer would prefer to speak directly to the mechanic, not the "front desk". But, how much work could the mechanic get done if it worked that way? Not much... I try hard to help every one I can, but it does slow down my actual "wrenching time". (The time that gets your job done faster & your vehicle back sooner).

[@anthonyariola9884]

I wish that I lived near Wizard.....very smart mechanic....he would be my trusted mechanic....perfect name 👍

[@anthonyariola9884]

He doesn’t have to look for customers....customers look for him..

[@brysonshires9742]

@@eyeseewho77 i agree its monotone and almost medicated sounding

[@Consolethumbs]

Love these cars my cousin still has his 95 Firehawk SLP with a built auto as his daily driver even in Chicago winters throw some snow tires on and it shreds

[@Heathertheheathenkitty]

My favorite car... I've been hunting one for years. One of these days I'll find one and actually be in a position to buy it.

[@fredwilliams7893]

Beware! Low mileage ones are bringing a hefty price tag.

[@legalizitt]

The XLR doesn't need the oil cooler. Plug it off and get rid of it. It was a rare option only needed if driven under extreme conditions, mostly for a V-Series. If the customer really wants an oil cooler, install an auxiliary or aftermarket one. At least if the radiator needs replacing again, he'll just need the common available one. I was the factory SoCal Cadillac District Service Mgr for GM at the time the XLR was in production.

[@JoseMedina-hs9st]

I'm actually interested in buying one of those

[@KarlandKristy]

I can rebuild those clusters all day long. I worked in a Chevy dealer for years and you can buy those little servo motors that work the gauges for about $1 a piece off of eBay. They are so easy to solder on there and then you have to recalibrate them. I used to do them in Chevy trucks all the time. They literally only have two pins to solder onto the board. Check them out on eBay. Then watch a video on KZbin about how to fix it and I guarantee you you can do it yourself

[@tuomasholo]

The car actually has less mileage than what’s on the odometer. The speedometer shows it’s traveling faster than actual speed. I would conservatively say the actual mileage is in the 9,xxx miles.

[@marc113085]

Tu Ho The vss drives the odometer. The stepper motor is not connected to the odometer.

[@6996brandyl]

You have that backwards if he's going 70 mph & its showing 55 mph in 1 hour the milage will only be 55 miles so the car will have more mileage than showing

[@colinl2908]

@@6996brandyl wouldn't it just mean the mileage is accurate then, if separate to to the speedo?

[@6996brandyl]

@@colinl2908 I don't know if the 2 are separate ,I'm more replying on Tu Ho math say that the mileage would be less

[@quinnjones1221]

This is what you call an "undocumented feature" to get the feeling you are going fast, but you are actually going the speed limit. Saves you a lot in traffic tickets and points on your license.

[@AWildCarAppeared]

Would love it if this customer emailed doug demuro, such an interesting looking car

[@k0rndog93]

Doug DeMoron wouldn't give the car a review it deserves.

[@tl1024]

I really appreciate the "no nonsense" deal with your videos. Wont find "fluff & BS" here! Just like a true professional should be. Some customers dont dig the "forward approach", but I know no other way, some customers i guess I shouldn't interact with. I can't bring myself to straight lie, and also cant "hold everyone's hand" to brace them for real repair costs.

[@MrMarkusmulder]

Hey, you can play the harp on the radiator. ✌️ MCM Stay safe

[@jspyutube]

3:33... "in town" looks a lot like "out of town". I love rural areas. Great videos Car Wizard!

[@agustsigurdsson8592]

Hi. I love your vids. My 2 cents worth about the XLR; Have you considered the option to repair the radiator. If there is only one tiny crack it should be easily fixable by means of epoxy glue and proper surface preparation. Anyway I have a hunch that this specific radiator is only manufactured in small batches (maybe only one?) and there is a great risk that a brand new unit will have the same weaknesses as this bad guy.

[@BennyT_3434]

Love those Firehawks! Problem is once you drive a GTO it's tough to go back to an F-Body....the Firehawk might be the only one I'd switch back to a 4th gen F-Body for

[@sam2920]

"and now we'll get it up to 130 and see how far off it is"

[@ElliottAlvis]

I miss Pontiac as a brand so much. What a car.

[@CarWizard]

Elliott Alvis Makes me wanna go back to 1992. Such a better world then.

[@ElliottAlvis]

Car Wizard in more ways than one!

[@johnulrich5572]

It almost sounds like it's switched to kilometers inside the cluster, Wizard.

[@GIGABACHI]

I remember driving an HHR where this could be done at will by anyone. Don't know if it's same for 4th Gen F-Body. It seems as a possibility.

[@dragonbrownies517]

But its an analog gauge.

[@marc113085]

The cluster shows both km and mph

[@dancharron7098]

I saw online a KZbin that fixes them dash issues. It has to do with the needle controler he also does color changes and led light changes. He does more the chevy trucks but same issues as this. All you do is send him the unit and he opens it up with care and then testing each parts to the specs of the original diagrams then will change the faulty parts and test it on his table top testing equipment. Once fixed he ships it back.

[@BCNeil]

maybe that odometer is lying too. Looks like someone broke the speedo, while messing with the odometer.

[@meatrocket1]

Bingo👍know people that done it

[@topsecretmx5142]

I worked at a gm dealer in this era and the clusters got replaced on a regular basis they had multiple issues.

[@raiden6130]

Idk guys, this car seems to be in really good shape under the hood & underneath. Also, as Will & TOP mentioned, gauges on GM clusters from these years were known to stop working properly.

[@2dfx]

Yeah except the speedo is reading FASTER than the computer readout. Based on your theory it should have LESS reported mileage, not more.

[@AntsShop]

@@raiden6130 My 2001 WS6 is in a very similar condition, and it has 140k. Always kept in a garage and babied. I agree with you though, as my drivers side seat bolster does show some wear. Yes seats can be replaced and leather can be repaired, but sometimes a car really is just low mileage.

[@PeterBranco]

You don't need a radio in that car, the sound of that engine is music to the ears! Beautiful!

[@alesinnowitz1108]

With the speedometer showing a higher speed than it's actually driving is he putting more miles on the car. Is that really a 8k mile Firehawk??? Nice!

[@jz5937]

Ale Sinnowitz I believe the VSS vehicle speed sensors are independent of the cluster readout. So the odometer readout is correctly measuring.

[@andrewlarson8161]

I also believe that had a digital odometer which gets its info from the computer

[@briancenti5423]

all LS1's had 350HP. it is a well known fact, that GM underrated it's HP. since it put out approx. the same as the corvette. but they knew if we were aware of this, it would hinder sales of the vette when you could buy a firebird/camaro with about the same HP. i own a WS-6 LS1, so i would know. this particular year, and '01, lost the bigger cam, but gained the better intake manifold. your video's are excellent, and i just subscribed. this firehawk looks just like mine, same color. thanks for this. looking forward to many more.

[@kareemrichards8635]

My favorite car, in one of my favorite color. How was the ride?

[@ehoperobinson]

They’re rough as a sled, but ohhh so fast and wonderful. The most dangerous car I’ve ever driven in the rain.

[@chris.pbacon1811]

Awesome car. I love the 4th gens. I had a 97 with the lt1 that I got a good deal on because it needed the optispark replaced, like what you were saying. It really wasn't that hard to take the water pump off and change it. I owned it for several years before selling it and never had any issues with it. But ls1's are definitely an upgrade

[@ElectricBlakeGames]

What about installing an aftermarket oil cooler on the Caddy?!?? Edit: realized this is a repost, but hey the more the better so he sees it hopefully and answers us :D

[@LTJohn]

I'm a proud owner of a 1994 Firehawk which is #186 out of 500 built that year and honestly I think the LT1 engine's get a really unfair reputation but they're not as bad as what people think. There are companies that make conversion kit switch allow the LT1 engines to run on coilover ignition systems just like an LS1 without having to do an entire engine swap. My LT1 has a MSD style distributor which uses a vacuum hose that makes the optispark much more reliable and also I've gone with a better style water pump. Overall I'm very happy with the performance of it and of course mine is a 6-speed T56. I like the LS engines don't get me wrong, but I think the LT1s also have potential as well and you can get that potential without having to do an entire engine swap and spending thousands of dollars more. 😉🤣🦅

[@enzodnaesposito]

I swear officer, I was only doing 52mph

[@jamesmancuso3666]

Thus firehawk will be a collectors item for sure. Although the older firehawks will be worth way more. This body style had minor upgrades where the older one had massive changes. One of the biggest was the 6 speed sequential transmission along with road racing upgrades to fuel system, breaks, and suspension. The next gen firehawks had a better engineered base to work with requiring less major upgrades.

[@MrMarkusmulder]

It is in kilometers 🤣??

[@petarmiladinovic4126]

It shows both mph/kmph, you can see at 2:33

[@darkiee69]

10.000x1.608 = 16080.

[@kenevans8959]

@@darkiee69 10000×.62=6200

[@paulpalmtree9295]

Throughout this video I could not take my eyes of the 42 year old Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Coupe in the background, looks beautiful, a true classic.

[@jonathangatto]

Why would a car with that little miles have a bad cluster? Oh it is GM

[@williamcricket7931]

@Vend Master Get a Honda Acura Toyota or Lexus

[@_winter7745]

Eh, a small block lasts

[@hartfischer5509]

Wow, I had the 1995 Z28 with LT1 and Borg Warner 6 speed manual, with 206,000 miles on it. Fond memories:)

The Car Wizard: Does the car read the miles (10100) via the computer or the Cluster?

[@alexbrown1995]

Yeah, I was wondering that. If the odometer is reading high, like the speedo is, then that car has even fewer miles on it!

[@Nordic_Mechanic]

I think its around the time they switched to mileage stored both in computer and cluster. the computer sends the mileage to the odometer. So it can be accurate despite the bad speed reading

[@marc113085]

Odometer comes from the speed sensor

[@Nordic_Mechanic]

@@marc113085 speed sensor goes to ecu, ecu sends it to cluster. Speed is correct in the computer as the wizard demonstrated.

[@ricky-sanchez]

@@Nordic_Mechanic The cluster is wrong. The customer is not telling the truth. What the wizard is trying to say.

[@sucapizda]

It’s clear to me that the car is operating in a different dimension. It’s skirting the space time continuum that’s all. The fix is to send I back through the black hole the opposite way it came through before. Simple.

[@rossmartens]

Doug demero was talking about wanting to review one of these

[@desertaliend_b9840]

john ross martens he won’t go to Kansas.

[@alphatrion100]

Doug demuro doesnt know anything about cars.

[@TofuProductionCinema]

Wizard, awesome work as usual - there's not a single video that you've uploaded that isn't a wealth of information. Keeping good honest and hard work at its finest. Many people and shops included should emulate from your example. Stay safe.

[@JackRR15]

Is that a Canadian car? I see a Motomaster battery

[@Coltyyyyyyyy]

good eye!

[@alain99v6]

could be the original battery if not ? they were built in Blainville QC at the , now closed, GM plant and moved to SLP in Montreal for the transformation into a Firehawk and Camaro SS SLP

[@JackRR15]

@@alain99v6 Ah ok nice I didn't know we used to build cars here. Although that Motomaster logo seems like it's one of the newer recent ones compared to older one.

[@steve5x565]

Am I being dumb? If you have an oil cooler and radiator in one, would it not be cheaper, long term, to separate them with ‘aftermarket’ parts? Ok, you would have to change some hoses and fittings, and maybe fabricate a bracket or two, so initial cost to fix the problem might be higher, but then if cooler core blew out or got damaged, you just replace that one part rather than an over priced dealer part. So long term ownership wise, cost would be reduced?