Misdiagnosed and sold a $1200 ECM! Three alternators later…it still dies

47 thoughts on “Misdiagnosed and sold a $1200 ECM! Three alternators later…it still dies”

1. Hello, three alternators and three times the nut is loose?

2. Cause, effect, confirm, repair, good job Ray!!

3. The power of visual inspections!

4. The dealer diagnostic tree is horrific to say the least. As a former tech, for warranty misfire work, you would change ONE sparkplug. For customer pay jobs, first line of business is selling an ECM, then work backwards. Fucking restarted.

5. Is it what they call a smart alternator? One that the ECM controls telling it when to charge and when not to, and how much output to provide? I’m a Technician from the UK 🇬🇧 and worked for Citroen and they had smart alternators that are ECM controlled that regulated output on demand

6. Ray… twas incredibly precious when you said you hope that "Wife Unit" wasn't leaving because you like it when she is at the shop… that is pure love and unfortunately that is not universal in all marriages… SUPER DUPER CONGRATS on doing it right-er er er er than some!!! So presh and searved as motivation to go out and find a "Wife Unit" of my own!!! THANKS BRO!!! YOU GUYS ARE THE BOMB DOT COM!!!

7. Guy, Dudé ??

   Eie thort thatt was a Teenage Girls Vee-Hikull ¡¡¡ 😲 🫨

8. WTH Woz he doing werking on thatt Diect Connected High Amperage Cablé with the enginé running undtt the battery stihl ConnećtêĐ ¿¿¿¿

9. What a comeback Ray!!!! We are human never forget❤

10. Is your meter correct and can you confirm that the meter is right?

11. Diagnostic test was wrong but was done with logic and using a troubleshooting chart, can happen to the best technician. But your intuition was telling you something was missing in the equation and you followed up on it. Excellent work in my book.

12. Using a LoadPro on your multimeter would've helped you find that in 30 minutes lol

13. And that ladies and gentlemen is why diagnostic cost so much. it takes so much time to do it right.

14. I'd still would clean the connections.

15. Ray you are honest

16. Was it the fusible link

17. Run a jumper from the alternator to the battery pos terminal and check for the voltage when you disconnect the ECM wire.

18. Hi ray. I'm doing a catch up on your videos. Since that area where your new 4 poster lift is being placed is only 3/4 inch thick wouldn't be fair to say that where your 2 posters are the concrete thicknesses is the same? And the risk of the concrete of cracking or sinking be the same under heavy weight ? As you do actually lift up pickup trucks on them

19. Good one, Ray. Well done

20. Thanks!

21. I would have disconnected the battery pulled all those cables off starter clean them put them back on tight, then sprayed them with battery protector .

22. AJ enjoyed you delivering God's word today may it bless all that heard it.

23. Starter electrical connections live in a hostile environment. After looking at the diagram, a voltage drop test from the starter to the positive battery connection would have found it in a heartbeat. Just saying from a retired after 43 years as a heavy duty truck mechanic emphasis on electrical. Voltage drop test s are very simple yet very misunderstood. Start looking for the simple stuff first.

24. Eric O on South Main Auto has some good video on voltage drop on battery cables that caused weak battery starting problems. Corrosion and loose nuts can cause big problems. I guess that chart where it says to check connections was right after all.

25. Some good camera work

26. Are we going to gloss right past those stylish rims?

27. Well I guess I spoke too soon I skipped through part of the video I guess I missed the fact that you hadn't already checked for loose wires or loose connectors that and concern to a faulty ground can also create issues

28. Hi enjoy your videos learn some good information glad that you have your own shop and I hope that you are successful another technician that I follow is the car Wizard and he has a service that he can input information into with diagnostic issues and it gives him information as to what other mechanics in this system have found based on the information I don't remember what the service is but I think that would be very useful in your diagnostic because it directs you exactly what other technicians found right to the source but I believe on this vehicle you're on the right track with a malfunctioning ECM based on what I have seen so far in the video for example if you have a car that's misfiring so bad that it won't even hardly accelerate and you hook the OBD reader up and it tells you that the fuel compartment has an error and doesn't mention anything anything about a misfire most likely you have a malfunctioning ECM and especially if the said car only starts occasionally and other times it acts like it's completely dead with no spark to the ignition and will crank but no start again bad ECM hopefully your scan tool will allow you to install an ECM and then reprogram the key another video that I watch is Ford Tech and South Main Auto and I believe that they're all tell Will reprogram the security for the key

29. Good job Ray

30. This is basic stuff when you have ongoing same fault cheers.

31. Good find Ray! Wiring issues are rarely easy to diag…

32. Noice!

33. Check you ground on the alternator and into the block

34. The battery

35. How many Stealerships would charge for the ECM? Too Many. Need more honest mechanics like you!

36. Good work! I don't have sophisticated tools so I have to solve my problems the "old school" way. I'm thinking maybe you younger guys could save some time by starting with the basics too.

37. Now pull the ground off the battery, crawl back under and clean the positive lead to the starter.

38. Guy? With that steering wheel?! ;D

39. Like another comment said, this wasn’t a misdiag. You followed a publish diag tree, decided that you felt it was wrong, and diagnosed on your own terms and fixed the problem.

40. Did the service bulletin say check connections and cables? Basic step in diag, clearly you did not

41. 1200$ for a chevy cobalt ECM where, they cost 50-60$ on ebay max

    Might even be closer to 20-30$, its crazy the insane numbers people pay for parts without doing any research

42. Wish the last HVAC tech I dealt with was as honest as you.

43. Great video Ray. I love watching your repair videos especially when it's a simple fix.

44. Not always the ECM, some times its the PDM. Different manufactures use different control strategies. For example BMW use LIN interface, Nissan use PWM

45. Nice job Ray. Yes flow charts suck wrong often Often lead ya wrong direction.

46. The nader responded to voice commands lol.

47. I would have immediately suspected the steering wheel cover as a potential problem.

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