Mechanic Parts Cannon FAIL Cost Customer A LOT! Let's Try This Again
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- čas přidán 31. 01. 2023
- Mechanic Parts Cannon is a term referring to mechanics who keep replacing parts without logical diagnosis hoping something will eventually fix the problem.
And that's exactly what we have with this 2010 Toyota Camry with the 2AR-FE Engine. This car has just been to another shop and they replaced some parts and could not fix the problem. A week later they arrived at another completely different diagnosis and want to charge the customer more.
But what about the initial repairs that didn't' really fix anything? this is the biggest grey area with the automotive repair world!
In this video we'll walk you through the diagnosis process that should've happened from the beginning to this customer wouldn't waste money trying to fix their car which is not right.
TCCN Automotive Inc.
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Car Care Nut is quickly becoming the best car repair channel on CZcams. I can't get enough
Already is.😄👍
Always has been
You know it!
I only wish that he would be closer then 1000 miles away
He’s not becoming The Best He Is The Best A men
Has anyone else noticed the Care Care Nut's channel DOES NOT have commercials that continually pop-up while his show is playing versus some of the other Auto Mechanics channels whose name(s) I will not identify? It's really refreshing he doesn't run commercials on his channel. Thank YOU Care-Care_Nut
As a DIYer I’ve always been frustrated that engine codes never have a straightforward explanation online. This video made it clear to me why. Thank you!
You are restoring my faith that good mechanics are still out there. Keep it up and God bless!
You are an outstanding mechanic, and we need far more people like you in the repair industry.
He's THOROUGH. That's all it needs, not 'quickly jumping to (false) conclusions'. It needs thinking stuff through, not a knee-jerk reaction.
I suspect we don't because there's not enough money in it. It requires a huge amount of very detailed information, but I doubt the pay reflects that.
@@normcook9335 That is not my suspicion. The average labor rate for mechanic work is $110/hr roughly. Obviously the cost of running the shop absorbs a good amount of that, but even if mechanics get half of that, that is a good wage these days. More likely the case is that we have lazy boys and young men who, instead of pursuing trades, sit in mom and dad's house until they are 30 and live on government hand outs and minimum wage jobs. The labor participation rate among young men is lower than perhaps ever in American history, and for every 5 men who retire from the trades in general, only 1 or 2 replace them. The trades pay very well these days. Apprentices usually start around 55k, and I know that established contractors are easily pulling down 150-200k a year if they have a good work ethic and organization. I see no reason why a good mechanic like AMD cannot achieve similar levels of success.
@@elcidcampeador9629 I'm an electrician working under one of the big unions IBEW local 46 and you are right about about trade work, $47 to $70 per hour for a job that doesn't require a college degree is very good pay but there are a few major drawbacks to working in the trades. 1) Commute, I get sent to construction sites all over the county and my commute is often really long. The company makes 0 effort to place people at construction sites near home in fact if you are good they are more likely to send you to the further away to the problem sites. I've been living in a Van during the workweek and comming back to my condo on the weekend because I got tired of 1.5 to 2 hour commutes. 2) despite the high wage we don't get much vacation or sick pay so during COVID many of us came to work sick and one point more than half the crew was out with COVID. I can take 2-3 weeks off per year because I'm single and good about saving money but some of my co workers with big family bills can never afford to take a vacation. 3) The work is not steady you tend to be either doing alot of overtime or be sitting at home wondering if you can pay next months rent. When times are good you are working most of the time but during recessions there may be no work for several months. When you factor in the lack of vacation pay, lack of sick pay, downtime, the cost of a long commute and sometimes having to pay expensive city parking out of pocket its not as good a wage as it first seems. I'm not saying that trade work is bad it still pays better than alot of jobs but I think one needs to think about if they can handle the dirty/physical labor, bad commutes and stretches of heavy overtime before they get into the trades. I've given up on having a family because I don't think I'd have the energy to be a good father/husband after a overtime day and a long commute and I see too many of my co workers having to move back in with Mom and Dad when they get divorced because after paying alimony/child support they can't afford the cheapest apartment. Working for a shop doesn't pay quite as good but is probably steadier but it has to be the right shop because I've heard horror stories about shops that are super stressful and rush you to the point where you can't do a good job. I think the bad shop is more common than the good shop unfortunately.
You belong to a tech institute!!! We need more techs like you.
Do you mean? HIS OWN TECHNICAL INSTITUTE
( THE CAR CARE NUT INSTITUTE)
,👍👍
@raptorgamer oooooh, love that.
His teaching abilities are excellent !!
Lots of tech institute are scams though..
I’m a Mobile Mechanic for over 10yrs, and I’m learning a lot from you. Particularly attention to details.
My main weakness is always diagnosing electrical problems.
You just solve my it by simplifying the diagnosis process.
Thank you,
Problem is too many cars have too many modules and it's getting worse.
and expensive. cars getting not simpler but more complicated.
Show us how to fix the computer. I knew a guy who bought cars cheap
with bad computers and fixed them for a good profit.
Electrical is my weakness as well. I'm leaving from him every episode. Love this channel
@@gus892 You need some specialized training and "know-how" to successfully repair an ECU.
I agree- he gives a great overview then the specifics
I love your channel. Most technicians use the parts cannon because they are paid flat rate to change parts, not to diagnose. The reason they had it for a week was it was a come back, they worked on the gravy jobs first. I apprenticed and went to school 2 years. The techs gave me the cars their parts cannon didn't fix because I worked for 5 bucks an hour and could take my time. The owner of the dealership had me work on a car his neighbor bought because one more time and it would be returned under lemon law, and he was embarrassed. He told me take as long as I need, but fix it right. It had fuel trim code, they had changed fuel regulator, fuel pump, etc. I connected scan tool and took it for a drive to see what fuel trim would do (newly hired, barely knew anything about EFI as I grew up with old cars with carburetors). As soon as I left the noisy shop, I could hear the vacuum booster hiss when braking and fuel trim changed under same conditions. I pulled back into the shop and asked parts man to order me a booster. He thought I was crazy, called the service manager, said it's a fuel problem on the order and I wanted brake parts. I explained to service manager how vacuum leak was throwing off fuel trim. He told parts man to order it. Service manager loved me after that, Car never came back. After becoming certified, I was put on flat rate. The techs with seniority got the easy jobs. I might get hard ones or none at all, book 20 hours in a 45 hour week. Get paid $14 when customer got charged $95 (20 years ago). I went back to my desk job. Around that time, my friend took his Volvo to dealer, bad catalytic converter, $1800. He brought it to me. I had no scanner so I changed his downstream O2 sensor, threw an upstream on too in case cat was bad from running rich, left cat alone, code never came back. Saved him $1600 even without a scan tool using my parts cannon! Another friend had hard starting after car sat over night, I pulled out the parts cannon and shot a $50 fuel regulator at it, cheaper than $130 diagnostic quote. Sometimes the parts cannon saves money, but I recently bought a sophisticated scanner with bidirectional capability. Now I'm relearning after being out of it for 20 years. Your channel is great!
@Paul you are so correct! Sometimes they don't know any better, sometimes they want the scrap $$$ that oem ones bring. Factory Cats rarely go bad, unless something is causing the engine to run rich and they keep driving it that way. I just changed the cat on my 2003 Corolla with only 99,000 miles on it. No codes set but there was a hole rusted through the case! The whole car is rusted out from road salt, a shame. Runs great. Probably 80% of catalyst inefficiency codes I see are bad downstream O2 sensors. Not a bad idea for folk to get a 2nd opinion on costly repairs.
The way AMD goes about diagnosing the car’s problem systematically using Y/N algorithm, reminds me of how an experienced Internal Medicine practitioner goes about diagnosing a patient’s medical problems. He is like a medical doctor volunteering his time and talent in the community by educating us so we will not be taken advantage of. Thank you AMD for your community service.
Of course he is like a doctor, look how clean his operating room is.
I think it's easier to be a doctor! People are all basically the same, every car is different. A modern automobile technician is more like being a zoo Veterinarian as far as complexity goes.
@@iam1smiley1 I think you have a point. For one, cars can’t talk and say what’s wrong with them. People do. Uhm. 🤔
Please do not compare a Doctor to a lowley auto mechanic. I had a car accident years ago and went to a head doctor who sent me to another head doctor because of memory loss. She gave me a bunch of memory test and when I could not pass them I was told to just guess. She asked my wife to come in and asked her a lots of questions, never once did she ask my wife if she kept up with what I did day to day before the accident, if she had, my wife would have told her, that she had long ago stopped trying to know what I did day to day because it was not something she could understand when I talked about it. In the end she asked me to leave her office after I told her I could see she had not delt with my type of case before because of the info she just kept not wanting to take note of. I told her I needed a doctor with knowage of head injuries. I told her I was not calling her a bad doctor but like good gas and diesel mechanics gas and diesel both might not be their strong thing. She got real mad when I used a mechanic as a example and listed all her college degrees and time she spent there, never once did she say she had treated people with car head injuries that I can remember. But she was real quick to perscribe pills and send me on my way.
@@mr3klax I used to think cars didn't talk but I often have my morning cup of tea, while having a scan tool conversation with whatever vehicle pulled into my yard. I'm surprised how much they'd like to tell me these days. Maybe those nutty old ladies who said their car had a personality weren't that far off 🤔
Well done. Unfortunately happens way too often. Essentially those shops that don’t have the skills/ethics have a license to steal.
Yes, and so many of them victimize the customers who can least afford it. It maddening as hell.
Is there no legal recourse, small claims court, lawsuit?
Vehicle owners need to get used to paying for the diagnostic, and get a guarantee that the business stands behind it. Sure, in some cases it'll need to be made clear that there may be other issues that can only be revealed and diagnosed after the first problem is fixed, but that is rare.
@@yarisygatos Not really. You could take the shop to small claims court. the mechanic will tell the judge that even though the replacement parts didn't fix the problem, the parts were bad and needed to be replaced. You not being a-licensed mechanic would not qualified to dispute that, so the judge will side with the shop.
35 yr Industrial Maintenance Mechanic here , love the KISS rule, love the way you keep your hands in your pockets when you walk up to a "problem",never assume anything, 9/10 times it's experience that helps. hey kids , I had a shop teacher like him! pay attention in class boys and girls!
I’m grateful for the effort you make. It is priceless information for a mechanic like me that doesn’t work on as many vehicles as I used to due to changing careers. However I still need to work on my own and kids cars. Proud to be part of the Car Care Nut family ❤
I heard a similar story a few years ago. The customer was told they needed a new engine when the problem turned out to be a bad coil!
That’s called a parts nuke!
Sister in laws car was running rough after having just been worked on several weeks prior. Took it back and the mechanics came out and diagnosed she needed a new engine by "listening" to it. After hearing that story I took her car to my trusted mechanic who found they had not secured the distributor and also some uninstalled fasteners laying loose. I don't know if they were running a scam or just incompetent.
@@wolfeadventures More like, "Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do!"
For even a master technician, there’s always a lesson to be learned. AMD shares his knowledge so other can also learn. Hopefully, this customer can return to the previous shop, explain their situation and obtain a refund and their old cam sensors.
Definitely, at least get his old original cam sensors back.
@Jean Cassel my bet is the mechanic placed them in the new boxes from the replaced sensor and returned them to whatever part store they got it saying the part is defective
Good luck on that. As for the old sensors, they got paid for the new ones, they likely went into the trash. Never know though, some techs will throw parts they know are good in their tool box...
@Mouse Toad boy you have never been behind the counter of the commercial department at autozone I have had and seen shops buy O2 sensor ac blower resistors and days later send back the old part saying the part is defective if we say no to return the shop will complain to the boss of the commercial department boss or say they won't buy from this location anymore
That shop probably trashed the old cam sensors and its at the trash site.
Aside from an excellent technician, I commend this man for saying "May the Lord bless you and keep you" at the end of every video.
May God bless him and everything in his life
I agree. He has wisdom, which is a gift from God.
Amen.
Its a shame we can't clone you and put you in all garages around the world! lol. You are like the vehicle detective, you have a very methodical and logical way of working, its a shame not all technicians are as intelligent as you!
Sometimes it doesn't have to do with intelligence but rather lack of motivation or desire to actually diagnose and fix the issue. I've seen my fair share of competent techs just throwing part at a problem until either the issue or the client goes away out of laziness and\or because they hate electronic diagnosis in general. It's pretty unfortunate :(
A great ending to this would have been to talk to customer see if they will agree to getting a new ECU. Then change it and show us all is well!
Excellent video.
This guy is a genius would love to work for him his knowledge is outstanding
He really shouldn't be repairing cars he should have worked for nasa
This is what we call Competent Technician on the job, woth strong/high knowledge and skill.
Very interesting video. I was an electrical maintenance technician and you're absolutely correct! The correct diagnosis is the key to the correct repair and not being a parts changer.
I used to be a process technician and a few years later become an Electrical and Instrument Technician for 25 years, but not in automotive. AMD is very knowedgeable and skillful in his field job, and right kind of approach, thinking process and skills to resolve the issue at hand.
These were the kind of Technicians I enjoyed to work with after I was promoted as Plant/Facility manager til I retired 5 years ago.
God bless AMD as he works and manage his own workshop at the same time sharing to the community.
@@metzmatu8409 👍
The leaves in the cowling drive me nuts. I guarantee the cabin filter has never been changed cause those leaves clog them
In my GM ASEP class we learned the strategy based diagnosis and it was very good if you followed the steps. Complacency is the absolute worst thing when it comes to troubleshooting. The thing that fixes the issue the last time might be different this time. Also just put people on mute when they are telling you all this stuff they checked, start from scratch and assume nothing. Remember, they couldn't fix it.
Another great video, BUT I am not 100% convinced that the computer was really faulty. There is still a chance that it could have only needed a simple reboot or re-install software.
I once had a TCC PWM lockup problem on a 4L60E that ended up being due to faulty computer. I think this may be more common than people realize as most people seem to by default just simply eliminate PWM TCC lockup, not realizing that it could be computer related (also while not realizing that PWM lockup converters should not be used without PWM lockup due to different clutch material).
Everyone, including transmission experts claimed the vehicle needed a new transmission. But I kept testing the transmission and TCC thoroughly and it all tested fine, including continuity. Finally I started throwing a few parts in my despair, still not success.
Only when I switched ECM, the problem 'miraculously' disappeared and hasn't appeared since.
What do all these acronyms mean?
The combination of presentation and professionalism is just mind blowing! Better entertainment AND tutoring than you'd get anywhere.
I’m a delivery driver for a living ! I’ve learned over the years to not trust any of the mechanics in the auto repair shops in my community because I’ve been burned in the past! This led me to learn how to properly diagnose and maintain my own vehicles saving me a ton of money and headaches. Just to prove to some of my colleagues in the delivery business how much dishonesty corruption untrustworthiness and lack of knowledge of the mechanics in my area has brought my car to three repair shops. I already knew exactly what the issue was what needed to be done to correct it. My car was at each one no less than three days and when I finally got a call back they were asking permission to do work and replace parts that were completely unnecessary to the issue I brought it in for!
The Toyota dealership in Loves Park, IL told me I needed an ecm in my Scion IQ without even looking at it. I have intermittent abs/Trac control light on. Service advisor said "it's always the ECM" and refused any other possible reason, seeing as I was there for a cvt fluid change and had the car back to me in less than 30 minutes. I think I'll make an appointment on your website for the spring, I want real answers from someone I trust.
I work on cars in Rockford Illinois.
I can easily figure it out for you jake. Im electrically savy. Money back if we dont fix it… but, I always figure it out, so good luck with that.
It also helps to learn to keep the area under the hood clean.
" The Engine doesn't like it, shouldn't do that " while shaking his head ... This guy cares with respectful Workmanship in his work 🎉
This is a wonderfully done video with some great information in it. Car Care Nut certainly knows his stuff! There is one more thing I would suggest just to be 100% sure and that is this. When checking the wires for shorts or continuity tests, wiggle the wires from the sensor connector to the computer. This is just in case you have an interment problem with a wire shorting or opening.
I wish there were more mechanics like you. I had a jdm swapped engine from a local shop, the labor and engine included was just too cheap to go through the hassle of swapping it myself along with a 90 day warranty. Well a month after the swap, they did a good job with getting everything in there but the vehicle ran rich and I diagnosed it myself down to only leaving bad fuel injectors. I get there and they just tell me change this, change that without even looking at fuel trims.. I show them fuel trims and the mechanic doesn't seem to even understand what they were. I argued for a bit but finally got them to get some different fuel injectors and it solved the issue right away. If I wasn't mechanically included, I would probably be screwed in the same situation.
This is awesome!
What you said at 23:00 about what the computer is saying about a code is what I have been preaching for years. Read the book on why the criteria is required to SET the code. Never throw parts to fix a problem. Diagnose it! Thanks AMD! I fell down that rabbit hole once. Both banks rich on. L29 454, couldn’t figure it out and finally gave in and replaced the o2 sensors. Gut said no, rich bank 1&2 could not be BOTH o2, parts don’t fail in pairs hardly ever. Guess what, wasn’t it. Used aftermarket sensors and that caused another issue that wasn’t apparent. Ultimately it was a leaking fuel press regulator and then I found my non AC Delco sensors didn’t have the shell to sensor grounded as required by the shop manual for them to work. Wasted a lot of time.
Thanks AMD!
Good points that I share. I very much like this channel, but was unfulfilled that we did not see an update AFTER the fix. Also I am still not 100% sure the computer is really faulty. It could have needed a simple reboot or re-install software.
It's not "common sense". It's the analysis of a master mechanic that makes it look easy. It took decades of experience to diagnose a problem in 15 minutes
If only the Car Care Nut's skill and knowledge could be bottled and sold at every repair shop.
I ALWAYS give this guy a thumbs up as soon as the video starts.....and he's NEVER let me down!
Glad you took the time to teach the viewer how to do a proper diagnostic before the parts cannon gets activated. Now, the option for this customer is to get a used ECU and have re-VIN to this vehicle and call the day. The only roadblock will be having the scanner and the interface in hand to write the new VIN on the ECU. Something that I hope The Car Care Nut has in the shop.
I'm very fortunate that I live close to him and he services my 2 Lexus's. He's just a great stand up guy!
AMD, Whether they did not know what they were doing or engaging in a deliberate ripoff, the effect is the same. This is a sobering lesson for all of us.🤨
I think in this instance with a budget which might be tight. It might be a good idea to start looking into salvage yards, find the same make/model/year of car and hopefully one without damage to the engine area. Someone could most likely find a computer for a fraction of the cost of a new one. At the very least, if the car is a write-off otherwise, there's not much to loose.
Agreed
go to a Pick-a-Pull with an empty tool box...$2 entry fee, case closed
I'm shocked you could concentrate on the work with all the leafs there :)
It would be so satisfying to get a shop vac and just suck them right up!
This is a very good tutorial, I mean not on the detail. But just the analysis is so important. If you feed a Search engine the wrong question, you will get the wrong answer. Great example of the Tablet/Smartphone generation. They need to be told what to do. The old style 80's/90's generation is before the Tablet/Smartphone era, so they take the next mile to find out and how to isolate the problem. That's why this man, will not only function as Senior mechanic for cars, but actually he can work in every field where problems are and knows well how to get the root cause. No correct root cause, no fix!
As engineer, I can tell you have a mindset of an engineer “looking for root cause” versus just replacing parts and that is the best way to resolve problems.
When the motor on my window stopped goes up and down, I disassembled the window to got to the motor. I opened the motor up and fixed the bushing inside the motor as I refused buying an entire new assembly as dealers don’t sell just a motor.
I think you should also check the wires to ground and 12V with the computer connector connected (check them from the VCT end). If the possible short is to a wire that is coming out of the computer, where most of the wires in that bundle come from, then with the connector disconnected you may not see the fault. The faulty wire at the VVT end should be open the other may show ground or some voltage.
You just did a Awesome job on telling everyone how to find the problem that’s why your a Master Mechanic and not not a parts changer it’s So Awesome to have a Trueful Mechanic and so Honest to he’s Customers I no in my heart you’ll always do what’s right for your customers and keep them Rolling Down the road with no worries 👍
A bit of respect. Master TECHNICIAN, not Master Mechanic 😅😀😃😄
He's a perfect example of "You're paying for quality, you're getting quality work". 👌
You are absolutely dead on. Toyota of Mt. Pleasant TX said the P0420 diagnosis on my '08 Tacoma was 'a really bad catalytic convert, basically non-functioning' direct quote. They spent < 5 minutes diagnosing it. My objection was being asked to spend $3K on a new cat with such little time spent on the problem. I had them replace my spark plugs. Why fight against a parts cannon, I felt. I felt it best to use the diagnosis fee to get a part I actually needed. After the new plugs and a bottle of cataclean (and a good 75MPH, 2 hr interstate trip), the code/MIL light is gone and has been gone for well over 1000 miles. You gotta protect yourself from parts cannon folk -- conversely though, if I did every come across an honest mechanic, I am not sure if I'd ever trust the mechanic enough to let them do their job just because of all the bad experiences. Shame on Toyota of Mt. Pleasant. They contacted me after I reported them to Corperate, but only to argue. It's a cultural thing there, not just the techs. Toyota themselves wouldn't help stating that it's the dealerships responsibility to ensure a positive experience. But hey, in the end I got what I paid for, new plugs @ dealer prices and a free AutoZone style code readout disguised as a serious catalytic converter problem w/ all the high pressure sales tactics you could imagine. Would have been far worse if I hadn't protected myself w/ a pre-thought out plan in the event they f'ed me. Specifically my plan was: if they say it's the cat without reason, have them replace the plugs.
Owned a 3 bay shop with employees for 31 years, retired now. I can’t count how many times a new customer would show up with a part in their hand that they wanted installed. When asked if they had it diagnosed their answer would be yes the parts House pulled the trouble code for me. At that point customer training would begin. First class, explaining that the trouble code only tells you the area of the failure itself not the actual failure. Second class, a proper repair involves diagnostics using knowledge and equipment, which will have to be paid for. Just like your doctors office. Final class, when the proper and complete repair is done, we will stand behind our work. If they understand and agree to all this, then you have a good customer. If they still wanted us to install the part, then they would have to sign a disclaimer understanding that we would take no responsibility for the repair.
The reason why I learned how to repair my own cars was due to my mother being ripped off by a dishonest mechanic. She paid almost $2,500 in repairs and they never fixed it.
That poor Camry. I have a soft spot for Camry's. I owned a used 86 & 97 Camry. With all those leaves in the cowl, I thought for SURE mice ate the wires. Now, can u pick up a used computer from a junk yard? I hope they read this, get some Mother's Aluminum polish to clean cataracts from headlights.😉 Good luck with your repair! 🖖👍🇺🇸
After polishing, do you coat the len with something?
Agree, depending how long they want to keep the car, a junk yard part can be an option.
@@dans_Learning_Curve O believe it IS a polish. Jst when they dull down, repeat again, its a cheap fix.
@Rice Burner me too, I own a 1986 blue 2 tone Camry liftback 5 speed manual. Manual everything except steering. Just bought it 3 weeks ago from the original family. The interior & exterior are in amazing condition, only 187,000 kilometres on the car, which is definitely super low for being almost 37 years old. The interior is an absolutely gorgeous blue. Currently replacing the CV axles & struts on it myself. Using quality parts. Even though I’m only 15 I’m wise and keeping it stock and original.
“All mechanics are not diagnosticians but ALL diagnosticians are mechanics” !!
This and Scotty Kilmer. My two fav car care channels.
One of my favourite series on car care nut eagerly waiting for next electrical episode 😍
From the DIY perspective, trouble codes are exactly what AMD said towards the end. It's a place to start looking, not a prognosis to start replacing. What's helped me tremendously in pinpointing problems is going through the voltages the part or sensor is expecting to see. My last issue started with a crank position code, which long story short, ended up being perfectly fine. I fell into the trap of replacing it initially, only to yank it back out, cleaned and put a lil dielectric grease on the old one, and voila, perfect function again. That was after doing 8 plugs and coils, then having another issue pop up where the MAF wasn't seeing the right values and started misfiring at startup but cleared once it got up to temperature. Cleaning it unfortunately didn't fix the problem but a new one from Toyota did. Case in point, I wasn't getting an MAF code, but checking all the systems data values to figure out what was really the problem got my truck working again. Had I taken it to a shop, who knows what the final bill would have been, but an educated guess would be north of $2000.
Where I really got mad was paying for an allegedly Denso product only to receive a generic POS that was more problems than it solved. I'm now Adamant that only Toyota parts are going on mission critical components! Even if aftermarket parts are cheaper, there's no guarantee they will produce the expected signal or have the correct value the ECU wants. At that point, having to deal with shipping delays and ripping the engine apart twice, it's just easier to go OEM and do the job right Once.
In the early 90s my 1984 cougar suddenly never went to low idle. Always on high idle. I went to the library, got a Chiltons book which said how to check the idle control solenoid (irc). If it didnt move, the solenoid was bad. If it did move, the engine computer was bad. Turned out to be the computer. I went to the salvage yard, found another car, ripped it out of the footwell, put it in mine and life was good. $50.
It wasn't long after that and salvage yards wised up. They pulled the computers themselves and kept them inside, sold for much more money. I don't even want to know how much a modern computer is. I think my car has like 7 computers I read somewhere. Everything goes through it, even the windows.
You make that diagnosis look easy. That's skill, experience and a fair bit of intellegence at work.
Another excellent and informative video by the Car Care Nut. Thank you!👍
Yes, you proved the wires can carry voltage, how about current? Eric O and others use a high current draw bulb to prove there isn't an issue say like in a splice somewhere in the harness. My sister scraped a car because the transmission would down shift at highway speeds! Shop couldn't figure it out. Without looking at the car, but a wiring diagram, I believe the issue was in a factory wire splice down low on the core support. I believe the TCM was loosing either power or ground and the transmission would go into limp mode which was probably 2nd gear!
This guy would give any expert Mechanic run for his money.Guy is 1st Class.
The world needs more techs like you.
The shop I go to always diagnose first and charges for the time. Actually saves you $. I do many repairs myself but when it’s beyond my level or tools like a hoist I know they fix it right the first time 😊
Yes, charge me for a diagnostic! I'll pay for someone to honestly work through to the root cause.
Great video love how you walked the viewers through the step by step diagnosis
One of the best things I admire about the car nut is his absolute zero ego level…I’ve learned so much from this 25 minute video and that’s invaluable because I can apply that to my own working within the motor vehicle repair industry, I myself can have that arrogance and attitude to say to any potential customer that I know what I’m doing so don’t cross my path with what you think about my diagnosis and repair professionalism..so kudos to the car nut he’s not only taught me to be a better mechanic/technician but also to be more humble and respectful towards the customer who’s paying for the repair and keeping me in Business, to sum it up if you have a vehicle that comes in take better time to concentrate on what the problem in hand might be, and not just doing a quick component change that might be unnecessary and be at greater cost to the customer and also give more headaches to the both of you because in the end and as seen the part/parts changed still cause the vehicle to display the engine trouble light and not to run correctly..
This quality of see is why TCCN is the only shop for my Highlander and ALL Future Toyotas and Lexus purchases.
Can't thank you enough for sharing your knowledge with the community. I'm just an avid DIY person and just by learning from your videos, I have done ton of works with my 2002 Sienna, 2011 Camry (2 of them), and 2015 Rav4. They're currently still on the road as of today. Once again, many thanks.
You remind me of my Dad. The was not a mere parts changer. He knew how to properly diagnose the root cause the trouble. He would apply the same logical thinking that you do. He was always in high demand.
Some people have a gift and never use it. He has the gift and puts it to the max on every vehicle he works on. His camera man does a great job also.
Same as Diagnose Dan.
we need people like you in the industry with special skills in automotive repair and maintenance, hope you will continue to educate us more with your work. Thanks a mil... cheers!
I have learned so much and saved SO much $$ by watching this channel and Scotty K. Thank you both for unselfishly giving people the knowledge to do the job on our own and/or not getting ripped off by unscrupulous mechanics.
ugh.. I blocked Scotty Kilmer's channels a long time ago. There's no comparison here. AMD/Car Care Nut is high quality stuff.
the car care nut is a far superior mechanic at attention to detail and explaining everything. scotty is overrated.
@CallMeehCaptain I disagree but, you're entitled to your opinion.
@@ColonelFusion blocked? That's pretty extreme. Was it political? I'm guessing you didn't like his criticism of Biden.
@@IndianMC-jf3cp NO. It's not political and I don't appreciate the ignorant assumption. Scotty is a highly opinionated mechanic and he's just sometimes flat out wrong. The reason is years ago he was going nuts with click bait headlines and thumbnails to get views and it was too much. I unsubscribed but kept getting recommendations to watch him. Blocking the channel stopped all that. Look back like 3-4 years at his stuff on his original channel and you'll see plenty of examples of the over the top click bait.
The most thorough and honest mechanic on CZcams!
When I see the honesty in people like you. It reminds me that there's still people with kind hearts in this world.
God has a good awarding place for you.
Did the aftermarket parts kill the I/O on the computer?
No. The hard code was stored in the memo of the ECU. After the soft codes were erased, the hard code remained.
Jury is 50/50 on that one.
The original part could have killed the engine computer. But its gone, so no way of testing it.
The fact that we are in the dead of winter and the cowl is still full of Fall leaves/acorns, tells me this owner is not exactly into car maintenance. Of course, I am assuming (dangerous…I know) this was filmed recently.
You just described 50% of toyota owners lol
Whilst I left the automotive industry a few years ago,
The 2 problems facing even a due diligence mechanic are:
1) Customers who are somewhat ok paying for the solution, but don't want to pay for the diagnostic work (as though mechanics are people who know everything, and so should instantly know what is wrong)
2) Dealerships who get paid less to do a warranty job (lower hourly rate), and so want their technicians making money from servicing more cars (so try a quick fix, so that you can move on to the "money making" cars).
That and the parts canon approach.
I remember working on a car which was under warranty many years ago, the scan tool pulled up error codes on the speed sensors in the auto,
So new ones were orders..... I pulled out the old ones and found them covered in magnetic debris..... showed the foreman... who told me to just put the new ones in.
There was no, clean them and see what happens..... "Parts canon to the rescue".....
The sad thing is not only mechanics and shops misdiagnosed basic things Doctors and hospitals and so many other businesses do the same mistake I been dealing with one simple health issue 35 years now and so much money spent and no fix. Also appliance technician don't really do there job correctly I had 3 tech come over to fix my microwave and after so much money and time and no luck. It's very hard to find people who know what they doing.
This is exactly the kind of video I like to see you doing. The most important thing i learned here today about toyota is that the engine operations are in the big connector and small has body functions. I also enjoyed the process you use for double checking.
I would do the same thing. Thanks please do more like this specially with the Camry :)
Your even teaching mechanics how to do their jobs.
Your awesome!
I always struggled with electrical diagnostics because I never took the time to fully formally learn about what each test is and means and how to do them.
I know some things.
But I was smart enough to know what I don't know and get someone else involved when needed.
I had a situation with a 94 Ford car that would not start. A local shop asked me what I thought the problem might be, and I said as it was running when I turned it off, and would not start afterwards. I thought the computer might be a problem. They replied "Oh, no, computers never fail. It cannot be the computer." A month and $1100.00 later, they changed the computer and the car worked again. Amazing. I can usually change parts. Unless you do not have the capability to replace an item, why do you need a shop? Unfortunately, many people are saddled with those situations.
In rust belt cars, one needs to check the grounds also. The PCM controls things by potential to ground. One bad intermittent ground and a technician can be chasing issues for a while.
i agree with your process of checking power on both legs of the sensor. However, when checking for shorts to ground you should have your meter on resistance to the negative battery post to check for a grounded wire. a grounded wire will not have any voltage on it.
that is why he had it connected to the POSITIVE battery post as well as negative. A grounded wire will show -12V there (red lead to test point, black to positive battery post), if he sees -12V, done, short to ground.
@@bronx-gr Thanks, I appreciate that perspective. Since the sensor is powered by the ECU if it was shorted to ground it would have caused a failure of the ECU and not necessarily blown a fuse. If it had been power fed from the fuse box then the fuse would or should have blown, but still checking that way would confirm a grounded leg of the cable harness to the sensor.
Another Brilliant video. OMG, your skill set is really something.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this man knows his stuff when it comes to Toyota! 👏👏👏
He is a dying breed of mechanics. Outstanding I wish I had mechanics in my area like him.
DIY car enthusiast here. I definitely did a parts canon with my mom's car when it didn't start. I replaced the starter, and turns out it was a simple blown fuse. Hard lesson learned. Now my mom has a new oem starter for years to come (i ended up eating the cost of the new part lol). Thank you for the video AMD!
Most times you can't just blame the mechanic most times the customers are cheap and don't want to pay properly to get the work than right. But I hope the previous shop sees this video and should be ashamed of their work.
Before replacing the ECM, I would check the 2 wires that you did a continuity check on to see if the can carry current. A continuity check isn't always enough to rule those 2 wires out. I had very similar issue and it wasn't the computer, it was one of the wires. It passed a continuity check but when I hooked up a 40 Watt bulb to one end of those 2 wires, and battery power to the other end, the bulb wouldn't light. I used 2 known good wires to bypass the questionable wires and it fixed the problem. Just my 2 cents
This is the reason why I refrain myself from bringing my car to any local repair shop. Therefore, I resort to the internet and learn from honest experts. TCCN is the modern version of "Scotty Kilmer"...lol. AMD you are the BEST!
Your videos should be used as training for dealership technicians.
Great video. One question regarding the diagnosis. Shouldn't the wires be load tested in case they are slightly damaged where the meter would read no resistance but wouldn't be able to carry enough current under load?
Yes…in my opinion, you are correct. I have tested circuits before that passed continuity tests, but due to other physical damage (loose connections, corrosion, wires half chewed) they were unable to carry the required load (current). Granted, these OCV’s probably don’t require much current to activate…but a test worth doing before charging $800-900 for a new Toyota ECM. My opinion only.
I know of a repair shop who sold engine overhaul. Customer curiosity wanted to see damage when disassembled. The ignition coils were needed and the shop owner sold engine overhaul...Long story short....Shop owner asked technician to show vehicle owner what is wrong. Technician stated he has not discovered an engine overhaul needed failure. The shop owner knocks a hole in a piston with a hammer. Call vehicle owner back to see. This is still in our industry. WOW
A good honest mechanic will prosper far beyond just money. This man is a great example of how the industry should be. CCN is not only a great tech but also a decent, honest man.
as i was maturing in the auto industry I had to take many courses on diagnostics and electronics to keep up with the tech of modern cars , I even took some courses multiple times just because sometimes in a class environment you miss a detail or two or if you dont use what you learned often enough you tend to forget details. Problem today is that tech is moving so fast not even dealerships can keep up. I have repaired many cars that were botched by dealers cuz of the way they work and time limit put on techs . Its only going to get worse. NO new generation ( snowflakes) want to get their hands dirty and actually do work.
Being an actual good mechanic nowadays able to deal with modern car problems (not changing parts) requires engineer-like aptitude and intellect. But the problem is most such talented individuals would rather work in well paying high benefits STEM instead of toiling away on the most challenging issues for flat rate.
I have done electrical troubleshooting as part of my career for 30 years. This is the best example of electrical troubleshooting I've EVER seen on the Web. You are TRULY a master.
One thing for sure man, you got the cleanest auto shop without a doubt. That should be a good indicator that the customer came to right place to get his/her car diagnostics. Keep it honest out there man in making a diff to the auto service industry.
Nice explanation car nut. Electrical problems were the hardest for many people to understand when I briefly when to automotive classes. The people that understood electrical problems were at the top of the class.
WOW! Just WOW. An honest to goodness troubleshooter. Retired two years ago from the electronics industry (Biomedical Equipment) after 45 years in the field. The art of troubleshooting and diagnosing failures is something so important but so often ignored or overlooked. The parts cannon technique is everywhere, in every industry. Real troubleshooting is something that has to be learned and practiced.
I’ve seen this before, so many times, by senior technicians and engineers as well as junior. To effectively diagnose and resolve issues with malfunctioning systems, you must understand the properly functioning systems first.
Found your channel a few months ago when I was considering purchasing a Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. Your channel is just the best. And yes, I purchased the Rav4 Hybrid (2021 ESE with 5000 miles on it) just last week.
You should be teaching the teachers. Thanks so very much.
This man just showed up on my home page and I've been binge watching. It's so refreshing to see someone who's knowledgeable and kind at the same time.
i usually back probe the ocv connector and start the engine,use the scanner run the actuator test and make sure had power and ground signal to the connector before condemn the ocv or computer
How do you not love this guy!!! This guy is a true professional!!!
The difference between Car Care Nut and so many other shops? He cares. He has integrity. He studied, and he still learns...
You make de-mystifying gremlins at work look so easy! That literally took 10 minutes to fully diagnose an electrical issue. I wish all mechanics were as thorough and knowledgeable as you!
i like this guy..he actually said ripping someone off is taking food off the costomers table...10/10 fella
I’m not even a mechanic, but for some reason like watching his videos. It’s almost relaxing for some reason. This guy is an excellent teacher
This man has ninja fingers because those connectors do not come off one handed 😂