My ELECTRIC Geo Metro Has More PROBLEMS Than I Thought *Solectria Force*

[@AndyZ325is]

This EV is still better then the Tesla J.R. owned....It moves under it's own power...

[@WatchJRGo]

So true… although the new motor is in my old Tesla and it’s probably going to move soon 😳

[@AndyZ325is]

@@WatchJRGo I would be interested to see how much money it took to get the Tesla moving. It was a sharp car but good move punting that one.

[@houseofno]

@Andy Zolman Did you see JRs ride along with Jake?

[@AndyZ325is]

@@houseofno I did. Moving under its own power is a broad statement

[@ronniehaines2155]

I had one of these cars but I had a 4cl

[@evilpcprogrammer]

Try lubing the slide points on the brake pads. A common problem on EVs is that the brakes rust in place and don't move. Even if the booster is working properly, the frozen brake pads will prevent a smooth brake pedal. It is the big downside to regenerative braking that they don't get used enough, so don't heat up and evaporate the moisture off the pads, so they rust.

[@davidyaroch6622]

That's where I was heading too. Start with a fluid flush and full inspection. Probably roasted pads and crap rotors.

[@RealRickCox]

You put more videos out than any other creator in the automotive community. Always love seeing how you approach problems on the most random vehicles.

[@rik999]

There is vacuum on both sides of the booster diaphragm when the brake pedal is released. Pressing the brake pedal vents the vacuum on one side helping to push the pedal rod into the master cylinder. Releasing the brake pedal opens a valve that redistributes vacuum to both sides of the diaphragm. The volume of the booster serves as the main vacuum reservoir. If a gas engine stalls you get at least 2 brake applications with boost before having to press really hard on the brakes. I'm guessing that the auxiliary reservoir is for reducing cycling of the vacuum pump in stop and go.

[@carlashton9331]

Weirdly, I love this little contraption. Would love to see it brought back to its former glory.

[@allertschallenberg1857]

'glory' 😁

[@scottbaker9066]

low Q design

[@thomasknight9457]

I had a 91 metro where the brakes had partially seized from where it sat for years. Made the pedal hard as a rock. Did a full brake job and ended up with a nice smooth pedal. Ended up with seized wheel cylinders in the rear and partially seized caliper slides.

[@boredom.victim]

it's nice to see Jake working on what will be his new car

[@JohnDoe-zr6bk]

If he swaps his Insights Lithium Battery this might be quite a good car... 😂

[@boredom.victim]

true, but the insight was/is a hybrid, which makes it more reliable 🤔 😉

[@randomvideosn0where]

@@boredom.victim In the case of the Honda, the hybrid nature does mean you are less likely to end up on the side of the road due to either propulsion system being able to move the vehicle, but it probably breaks way more frequently. Whereas a Prius is less reliable because either of the motors or the electric engine breaking will stop the vehicle due to the Synergy drive design.

[@InsaneBimmer]

What? A garbage EV?

[@jimcabezola3051]

I learn more about electric cars on your channel than I do from all the channels about new electric cars. All the engineering problems are “solved” on new cars…but how did they get there? YOUR channel can show us what the engineers did to solve development and repair issues! Excellent! This is the most interesting car you’ve had in a long time. Mahalo!

[@MrMattDat]

Nice watching your diagnostic skills at work! The GREAT news is that your electric motor is working and very straightforward to rebuild (your Dad is likely a pro!). A good cleaning, new bearings and brushes and you could be done for very short money!

[@randomvideosn0where]

It sounded like brushes to me as well. May just be rust from disuse?

[@TheBibliofilus]

Time for Ross SR. to get involved in fixing the AC electric motors bearings, it seems right up his alley. Also vacuum pumps like that don\t last very long and would shorten the available mileage significantly I expect..

[@34Kuro]

I used to have one of these sedans but in its 1.3L Suzuki version. That thing just refused to die, had some issues one of which was a faulty brake booster, a brake technician also had verified that it is a common problem with that model.

[@shirecain2129]

The power brake vacuum tank is needed to store volume for when the booster needs it. Without the tank the booster only has the small amount of vacuum stored in the line. Also this is why they've used such a small pump.

[@dave3657]

I was thinking the same thing. I had a big cam in a car and had to add a canister and it made a big difference.

[@nelsoncortez8729]

So glad you got Jake there, I feel really bad for his unfortunate car wreck on his EV, good to have friends like you, so blessed 👍

[@cigarjefe]

Would love to see a complete restoration on one of these rigs. Not just a spruce up, but a full restoration, including paint, wheels, etc.

[@RobFromRI]

By far my most favorite car on your cannel. hope the content does really well so you pump out a bunch of videos on it. I am really enjoying them.

[@Dabodizafa]

Almost all of the motors that are used in automatic sliding doors and swing doors are DC voltage. That motor in particular looks a lot like a Nabco/Gyro Tech Whisper Slide motor. Possibly a Horton 2001 motor. I buy all my door parts at Addison Automatics out of Illinois. May be easier to find than you think. 🤞

[@sleepyhollow783]

Hope this series has great channel numbers. It is fascinating engineering on an often underappreciatedŷhated car.

[@RMonkey]

Back in the olden days we changed the diaphragm in the booster, it was a cutlass with the same problem. it worked.

[@WatchJRGo]

They sure don’t sell replacement diaphragms these days! 😳

[@nlemonj]

@@WatchJRGo yeah, now they seal them shut and send them on their way and sell you a whole booster.

[@MichaelB-cs6ke]

This is a wild car. Never thought this was real lol. I can hardly believe it 😂

[@n84434]

Within reason......I hope you really give this thing a new lease on life...👌👍

[@brycekelly8611]

Don't replace the motor, just buy new bearings for it! Just look up the numbers on the bearings, you should be able to clean it and rebuild it pretty easily.

[@devengudinas1649]

I’d take a look at the pads and rotors. Probably needs bled also. That car is heavy.

[@Avi8tor857]

There should be a check valve at the booster. The vacuum builds up in the booster. On one side the vacuum builds up, when you press the brake the pressure differential. With that set up there should also be a check valve on the vacuum ball. But with GM boosters when you get that sucking sound it is likely a bad booster. Though if the vacuum line was missing you may have fixed it by hooking it up once you drive it. The vacuum ball is the same on a thirdgen fbody (1989 firebird for example) For the electric motor I am sure there is someone around you that rebuilds starters and electric motors. Or if you want to home brew it look at those cheap gokart electric motors on the jungle website.

[@Avi8tor857]

also a AC vacuum pump or a venture vacuum generator (like what the fluid extractors use) will generate a lot of vacuum and can be used for testing.

[@SJT.IN.KC85]

Can't wait for you to get this thing perfect!

[@adamholmes91]

You should look into a brushless motor for the ac pump. It will be quieter than a new brushed motor, and also drain less battery.

[@albertsmith678]

Make sure your brake hoses are good. It takes extra effort to push through a bad hose

[@larrybe2900]

I would flush and service the brakes lubing where appropriate.

[@DynamicNewAdventures]

Yo this car is so awesome.

[@WatchJRGo]

I love it too 💯

[@31dknight]

Another great video from JR. Keep it going

[@couchtomato1946]

You already mentioned tie rod ends, but It probably needs new control arm bushings and shocks and ball joints and...

[@outlok1]

My guess is the regen mode selection is for road conditions. Full regen on "dry" roads. Having full regenerative brakes on "slippery" roads w/o some sort of ABS would lead to loss of control.

[@witchp1]

I was just catching up on the last few vids and I can't wait to see what happens next, and this one drops!

[@dmccull6773]

Would LOVE to know if you could increase the mileage distance of this vehicle by adding larger battery pack from a Nissan electric vehicle or Chevy Bolt battery pack?

[@voodoonights1671]

The giant Red and Black plug under the hood , like a Tamiya RC car 😊

[@bmh67wa]

Those angle mounted antennas having bends is a design feature I think. The one on my Mazda is so tweaked it won't even go down all the way anymore. For some reason in the 1990's people thought they were cool.

[@nlemonj]

Like me earlier today with a 1997 Mercury Sable wagon just being fascinated by the antenna running up and down when you turn the radio on and off. Somehow the sound system is still pretty much perfect on that car.

[@TheBibliofilus]

Car washes without pushing it in_

[@dillonryan9330]

Awww bud I'm beginning to really love your "worse than I thought!" Isn't it just always lol

[@WatchJRGo]

They all are! 😂

[@alexandrecouture2462]

My old boss from 10 years ago had an automatic Geo Metro for the employees and I had to use it frequently. I think the brakes are all fine, but just extremely weak, as they were on h one I had to drive. Still, they will be much better since they are connected to the vac reservoir.

[@daddynichol52]

The repair secrets that lie deep within the little beast are the source of much entertainment!

[@Flyinghook]

so, funny story. I've driven a metro. Once. It was to help a coworker pick up his car from the port and drive it a few hours back. We got to the port and it had similar damage to this car, with a tweaked rear tire. though he also had a damaged shock, and blown tire. That car would not drive straight to save its life, and wiggled all over the road. I would guess fixing your suspension (there's probably more wrong with it) will probably fix the handling.

[@stuartburgess2409]

Cmon JR get that motor over to your Dad's place for a bearing change & an update on that bike he was restoring, always cool working with your pop!

[@kcbeerslinger]

I commented yesterday about changing over to Lithium battery's and a gal sent me a comment saying that she was at an electric car show in So. Cal. and talked to the owner of one of these and said he changed to lithium and doubled the range.

[@zxggwrt]

Yeah you can drop in those Dakota or other brand lithium batteries that are made for trolling motors. They are expensive drop-ins for lead.

[@Omalleypike]

I'd be inclined to flush and bleed the brakes, and also look into the model number of that brake booster - may just have gone bad.

[@johnwarr7552]

You only need a little hose to evacuate the reservoir . All it needs to do is pull down until the vacuum switch triggers. You could use aquarium line.

[@chrisspegal5081]

Make sure there's a functional check valve in line with the booster. the booster needs to hold vacuum on its own. If it has a functioning check valve, then it will likelt need a booster.

[@wadetyler5056]

Yep, the bent antenna has probably been caught in a car wash brush or two. For some reason they aren’t as flexible as regular car antennas.

[@JavierPerez-gs3gm]

i think for the a/c motor you can use a 1hp treadmill motor. they are the same and they came in different voltages! They are cheap and if it is used, more!

[@alain99v6]

maybe even free , we see on a regular basis threadmill beeing on the curb of the streets

[@bryandinardi2519]

What brand is that vintage 80s-90s bmx bike in the background? I use to collect the dyno gts growing up.

[@unstablebobgable]

If I could help Watch JR Goes and 100%Jakes work on the electric Geo I would drink the shot of whiskey with them and roll up the Number with them and get all schmoked up.

[@renoflames]

I like this project. Very interesting.

[@troypeacock5754]

If you replace all the broke stuff with Toyota Corolla parts will they last forever?

[@tombittikoffer412]

I'm having a hard time understanding the pre-post pump vacuum either. I thought you could isolate the reservoir or booster.

[@davidbrandt329]

Any good electric motor place can replace brushes and bearings on the motor used to run the AC. Back in 2001 when I bought my first EV (a converted 1986 escort), we had to do that for the drive motor! It'll be cheap.

[@SandyG3TX]

Always enjoy the content!

[@michaelbowen463]

The bent trailing arm explains the crooked steering wheel and pulling. Straighten it out and you'll be gold.

[@OldCarAlley]

What an interesting car..... never knew they existed. I bet they weren't cheap compared to the gas version when new!

[@MapOfEurasia]

Fun fact: The Geo Metro was sold in Europe as "Suzuki Swift" (and "Subaru Justy" for the 5drs variant).

[@KeithZim]

From wiki "In 2004, a rebadged Suzuki Ignis carried the G3X Justy nameplate in Europe, this model is available with a Suzuki M13A or M15A engine, and also equipped as standard with AWD."

[@KeithZim]

And they also rebadged Toyotas and Daihatsu's under the Justy name plate.

[@JohnDoe-zr6bk]

Not true. The Swift and Justy never appeared as a limousine here in Germany, only as a hatchback. The back was totally different.

[@zxggwrt]

They definitely sold the Suzuki Swift in the USA. My bro had one and it was great. Had a 16 valve four cylinder and a great shifter.

[@philtowle4683]

@@JohnDoe-zr6bk We got the swift saloon in the uk

[@justfixit9726]

You can without a doubt replace the bearings in that motor for cheap

[@ThriftMachine]

A Harbor Freight generator hybrid would be interesting on that.

[@relocyo55]

Hey what CERAMIC COATING does JR use? I can't remember. And if theres a discount code what is it? Thanks guys!

[@WatchJRGo]

Avalonking and the promo code is watchjrgo!

[@relocyo55]

@@WatchJRGo thanks JR!

[@AdamBoehme]

I love how an electric Geo Metro took a McLaren's spot in the garage.

[@skmetal7]

That d.c. motor is an odd voltage, good luck finding one. I'd just replace the bearings and maybe turn the commutator on a lathe to freshen it up.

[@docink6175]

did you pull the tires and look at the brakes? thats as basic as the vac gauge, if they used stock brake parts and the car is a 3rd heavier the brakes could be toast

[@yodasbff3395]

That is a very interesting ev, enjoying the content. 👍

[@evancortes2156]

Hope you’re feeling better.

[@drfalcon4102]

as far as the AC motor goes, see if you have a Electric Motor Rebuilder in your town,, im sure it can be rebuilt

[@stikfiter]

Fix the accelerator too. Maybe swap in a different modern Tesla or Toyota accelerator assembly. Confer with Rich Rebuilds.

[@carlgruver695]

I know G.M. was testing electric brakes on cars in the 90's I remember driving a 96 Chevy Caprice wagon that had electric brakes and a couple of big trucks as well

[@stewkeene]

I love your show JR. It’s fun to see what you get in to once in a while. But, this is boring as hell 😂 Have a great New Year!

[@n9wox]

Not only s $3K option, but in 1996 dollars.

[@jritechnology]

@5:16 Dude, a trip to O'Reilly's just as a matter of recourse isn't a bad thing....

[@WatchJRGo]

Just gotta stop by to check in on the boys 😂

[@drwisniewski]

Looks like some oil flung in a straight line on the inside of the hood - maybe from the A/C compressor.

[@Bodie2020]

I’d own this over any of the newer evs. Simple to work on and upgrades are cheap and easy.

[@m7machines738]

A race against a gas metro would be dope

[@pops55650]

Could you make your own diaphragm ? For the vacuum booster I mean?

[@pops55650]

That’s if it disassembles. Mine were always crimped together

[@nlemonj]

I'm hoping he's lucky and it shares the same one as a regular Geo Metro, and he can just get a new booster for one of those.

[@nlemonj]

@@pops55650 yeah, the one on my '94 F-150 is sealed shut too. Had to get the whole thing. Fortunately they made a LOT of those trucks and you can get boosters anywhere.

[@zxggwrt]

You do not want to deal with the spring in there as it is under enormous pressure. Like a strut. It would be dangerous.

[@ryanmiller2506]

Just wondering why Jake didn't bring his smoke machine over?

[@dogsandcars202]

JR is one of the biggest nerds I’ve ever seen

[@claysmell]

you can pull that bearing on the motor - or send it over to Fuzzy Dice Projects, he is a glutton for rebuilding just about everything!!

[@TheOldMachines]

Needs a new booster and that electric motor can be rebuilt relatively easily! Any starter or alternator shop should be able to go through it

[@tonybrewster4734]

I instantly thought "He just needs to see if his Dad can rebuild that motor for the AC" before he even said it.

[@cb-gz1vl]

Try using your vacuum pump you use to suck out the moister from your AC to get vacuum for your brakes.

[@QALibrary]

have they undersized the brake booster due to the regen built into the design?

[@JAMM_productions]

Use a shop vac for brake test

[@fazeitout810]

You could also hook the cars vacuum pump to a different vehicle and see if it works that way.

[@MrLurchsThings]

Any plans on sourcing some non-US headlights?

[@Autofaze]

Awesome, not in that bad a shape!

[@69Dartman]

Start with the power steering and lets see what else you find, the AC is fine 😉 Watching now 👍

[@WatchJRGo]

There is no power steering lol… I wish! 😂

[@69Dartman]

I probably meant the brakes, silly me. My old Dart has fast ratio 16 to 1 manual steering and manual 10 inch drum brakes so I know your pain. It actually stops well enough for what it is and the time it was built. I used to one hand the steering wheel but it was so much easier when it was moving.

[@davidpedder9048]

😂 ( O'rylies should have it in stock ) he says. Took me a second to realize he was joking.

[@ste-bow]

That vacuum pump almost makes it sound like the Jetson’s car.

[@geraldbennett7035]

Is Jake also coaching the Miami Dolphins? wow

[@larrybe2900]

Short of keeping the repair in the family someone who rebuilds alternators or starters might work but cost what a replacement might.

[@javieritomac]

Did that came in the hatchback also?

[@javieritomac]

I think it needs a air pump upgrades

[@mixmasta]

Electric motor repair shops still exist.

[@kerrylewis2581]

I'm looking forward to the teardown of the electric motor and beating the Geo to straighten the left rear arm.

[@aussmash]

Change the brake fluid and see how it feels after that.

[@Sabrinahuskydog]

Why don't you try connecting a household vaccum cleaner to it to make some real suction and test it that way?

[@davidlilly9698]

Happy new year

[@ste8798]

Any news on a new shop ?

[@LujinCustom]

Why does that black plastic ball look like a GM cruise control component from the 90s?

[@AlpacaMyBowl]

Take the a/c compressor motor to a starter / alternator repair shop and see if they can help you.

[@smanbman5732]

What is the date code on the batteries on that Geo new batteries might be 100% more power more range

[@edcochran714]

Do you need a dolphin Hughes electric motor and inverter.

[@samkessler1111]

Where’s Aging Wheels when you need him?