I’ve learned after many years as a mechanic that people usually think the problem has to be the hardest or most expensive instead of starting with the easiest and cheapest first

Retired now. Spent 42 years in the industry, 32 of those owning my own shop with employees. Anytime replacing a larger failed electrical component , fuel pumps,starter,alternators,pcms etc. I would always include a new relay for the component my estimate. Often an electrical component will draw more amperage than it should through the relay before it fails. Then, later, on down the road, the already tired relay gives up and dies. Then the customer questions the first repair. I found it was cheap insurance. 😊😊

Good video Kenny! I was always taught with everything in life you start with the simple, basic, sometimes silly stuff first. A friend of mine worked in a BMW dealership. They had a car in with a weird issue with the rear differential and drivetrain that had all the ‘expert’ techs scratching their heads. They were going to charge the customer for a whole new rear end setup ($ Ouch) until a mechanic with 30 years experience took a look at it, sighed, opened the fuse box and replace a fuse and a relay. Problem fixed. Back to basics is the first and golden rule!

It appears that if you work on a vehicle once, you've married it for life!

Yea, generally no communication would lead to a fuse or relay, electrical problems are tough. You got it Ken 👍

We as technicians learn so much from our failures.

Experience pays...Great job Kenny!!

Great job diagnosing once again Kenny, that has got to be a happy customer. The other shop would have gotten them for the PCM and the relay, if they figured it out.

It's great you pass along those lessons learned! Experience is a tough teacher.

We get this in electronics. Customer saying "it won't switch on so must be the switch". I say, what about the other 10,000 components it could be 🙄

We've all been down the rabbit hole, misdiagnosis always can get you down but it happens to anyone who's twirled a wrench a time or two Always love a lucky relay, everytime I've been burned by something the next time another comes in it pays to have been burned once 😁

Computers are generally the last thing I would blame for an issue, they're very reliable. I don't know how many people I know that have replaced some computer in their vehicle and the problem didn't go away. It's not that they never go bad it's just that they're very. very reliable. Keep the good stuff coming Kenny.

Good afternoon Mr Kenny hope y'all have a wonderful day

Your style of trouble shooting is so logical.

My brother Kenny, this was such a good video. Bless you for making your video a tutorial to include the use of the test light and checking fuses and relays.

You're good!

Nice work Kenny, thank You for sharing another great course in The Kenny University. Much Love and Hugs

Good call. All the best from Tassie Australia..

I just clicked on each and every Amazon link....and watched all the commercials without skipping! Keep wrenching...

Sometimes you have to just rely on your gut instinct, other you need to really dig into the problem, but in the end more often than not it's a back to basics. Power, Fuel or Air, as my dad taught me when I was just getting into the industry.

I’ve had a couple relays stick on on my can am . Lights on and light switch off

Good find good fix. Thank you

There's no replacement for experience. That's why I love software that offers the most common solutions for common problems of every specific vehicle. No reason to spend any more time than is necessary diagnosing. After enough time the same problems tend to repeat themselves on each individual vehicle. Amazing just how many shops misdiagnose or just plain suck at fixing vehicles. That's why everyone should research their own cars so you can DIY at least the diag portion of any repair. Nice job. Keep em' coming!

Excellent diagnostics 👍straight to the point.

Great find Kenny always learn something from your videos.

Experience is the best teacher. It makes sure you never forget the lesson.

I liked the video. Learned to not go crazy and check first before loading the parts cannon.

Good diagnosis.

Enjoy your videos. I'm Not New to your channel but I'll remember to keep you posted.tks again.

Good troubleshooting

Nice job. Very efficient diagnosis.

That was interesting a lot of people always go straight to the last repair as they do not kmow any better & try to blame a part you previously had changed alluding to you using cheap parts.

Hey Kenny thanks for another great video very educational I had a neighbor with a 2005 Infiniti Q45 he took it to a shop they threw $900 worth of parts at it and it still wouldn't run they don't have a scanner he should have called me first I went over there yep out of gas that's all I was wrong with it it was out of fuel that's an expensive lesson have a great day thanks

Great video thank you

Very nice!

You should always check the basic things first.

When you said Ford...that explained the problem lol.

No crap-Had a guy the other day phone in on the tech line I work. Ambient air temp DTC on a F150 (we see this a lot on these) . Hi option Ford's have the AAT in the right outer mirror rather than the grill area. Customer tells the tech/shop owner that ever since he worked on his vehicle a few months ago his AC isn't working properly. Tech does some inspection and finds the mirrors have been replaced and like we see often, the wrong mirrors that doesn't have the AAT sensor in them have been installed. So this means the customer is lying. Tech/shop owner, understandably is pissed, and tells the customer he needs a mirror and that will be $400 diag time and don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you on your way out. I can empathize as the customer was trying to pull a fast one. If the customer had been nice and upfront, many techs are scabbing a AAT sensor that is used in the grill into the mirror circuit and letting it hang under the door panel with no problem and proper functionality but this customer was a a hole so eff him and he can buy a mirror. Experience, as this shop owner had plenty of, indicates that some customers are better to just show them the door and let them go on their merry way.

Thanks for sharing God bless 🙏

Thanks

That was a good lesson for sure, you can chase your tail on something and turns out to be a simple relay .😊

Seeing more and more about bad relays, makes you want to have one laying around the shop. Good job.

Years ago before I started watching youtube auto repair videos, I had a crank no start condition in my vehicle. A mobile mechanic did the hammer on the fuel tank trick and "fixed" it - I had him do the fuel pump. That afternoon when he was finished and the truck was all better, I went to leave from work and had another crank no start. I called him, he came over and swapped the fuel pump relay with the ac replay and voila! Imagine that.

Some mechanics would have diagnosed a bad engine snd chanrged the customer to replace engine. Sad

Yea I hate when people do that crap as well. Customers half the time arent honest either. Detective work.

Yep I've ran into relay problems with GM's too. Most of the time the contacts were dirty, and dusty (Calif Desert) pull em out, and re-insert em, problem fixed. After of course verifying the female spade terminals inside were not scorched or burnt etc lol....... Ford's a/c systems have weak low pressure switches too. I worked for a Nissan Forklift Dealer a couple years, as a (now Certified Nissan) field tech. Servicing and repairing every model lift out there besides Nissans. Take a break from car wrenching. Well, my service van was an E-350 diesel, had been abused by other techs. So, my a/c goes out, blowing hot. I go right for the low pressure switch, bypass it, and yes, I need a new 1. So, I tell my supervisor I need a new switch from Ford. He's was an asshat, & says "Oh it's not that, probably needs to go to the shop, and you will lose the freon changing the switch"......Which I replied, "Bro, I worked for a Ford Dealer, over 6 years, I think I know what I'm talking about, NO freon will be lost either jeeeze" lol Pissed off, he tells me to go get 1 from a local Ford dealer. Which I do, swap out the switch, VIOLA , A/C blows popsickles once again !

Got the same scanner. Its just sitting in a drawer in my box now cause the shop just got a badass launch. I keep it hooked up to a tv in my box to show customers whats going on realtime. 4 band scope! And its 100 percent wireless. I just plug it up to a car and stand in front of my box from any bay in the shop.

Your channel is doing well!

A Fjord, I"m dying here, LOL.

Experience is everything my friend.

The bad PCM a few years ago, probably put a beating on the relay, and it finally went bad? Usually the high current starter relays go bad more often than those, but they do go bad? Great fix, Kenny.

best thing to do is turn the key on while outside the then move the automatic seat back then get in because you do not know if custmor is a short person and they need a closer view

I had that problem on my 2002 F150 and it was intermittent. I checked the codes when the relay was working and got a P1000 which is thrown if the battery is disconnected, the codes have been erased or the PCM lost power. I knew the first two had not happened so that gave me a clue to change the relay and fixed the problem.

Yeah I've been here before. Wise cracks at the auctions would pull stater relays so the cars wouldn't start at auction time so they could get them cheaper. I got stuck with more than a few of those but at least it was just a relay.

I had the system relay on my Harley go bad where it wouldn't start. I got lucky that my local parts house had one

The amount of "sinch you worked on it" BS us mechanics deal with is insane sometimes...the stories I could tell of my 20 or so years in the industry would make anyone wonder if certain people had brains!

You need to get some of this stuff Hosa D5S-6 CAIG DeoxIT 5% Spray Contact Cleaner, 5 oz also follow pine hollow auto diagnostics he is amazing when it comes to electrical issues

Finally this customer should come around that you don't run a dodgy shop.

👍

Old school mechanic with tech savvy can't go wrong

The second generation Ford truck series & expeditions fuel pump relays are problematic, and you have to replace the whole distribution box, or resolder one on the board.

Remember in the early 90s when the Ford engineers thought it was a good idea to put the ignition module on the distributor? Or another place that produces heat from the engine, the shop I worked for kept tons of them in stock because it was the #1 reason newer Ford's/Lincoln and Mercury's were towed in for dying on the road! One I remember very well was a Brand New Lincoln (top to the line) died a few hundred yards from the Dealership he just purchased it at! When I towed him back to the dealership I told him what it probably was and sure enough it was that module! (He stopped at our garage to thank us for getting to him fast AAA can be slow when Busy) He wasn't happy at all!! I know they fixed this mistake a while ago but still who in their right mind would bolt a module that needs to be cooled to the distributor? Ford made us tons of $$$$ on that Brain Fart! Except when it was still under warranty.

Some of those Ford relays are redesigned that are that size

The Ford vehicles saw the commercial and are now questioning whether they want to keep pushing on.

It’s good you showed this. Those relays do go bad sometimes. Better to replace the relay than a $1000 part and then still doesn’t work. Dah. Am I missing something here or does this guy kind of know what he’s talking about?

Ken, the depth of your knowledge, the sophistication of your diagnostic equipment and the complexity of the systems you fix is nothing short of miraculous. The car companies are doing people a huge disservice by engaging in such wizardry. The are digging their own graves. Electric Vehicles will simplify the transportation industry if they can just figure out how to get R-A-N-G-E. One of two things is bound to happen. Either: 1). The way we think of the power source is going to change, i.e. Instead of stop to charge a battery, we will pull into a service station and swap out the battery or the entire pwr system in seconds. or 2). The powerhead will be a fuel cell capable of using several kinds of fuels making electricity which will power the whole vehicle. I worked in advance engineering and saw Fuel Cells first hand, I believe that will be the future. NOT BATTERIES that blow up, catch fire pollute in mining, producing and discarding. I love gasoline engines, but I can see the future of EV. I just wish the current presidential administration would let the market dictate the time and terms instead of ramming it down our throats in everyway imaginable. ben/ michigan

Hey Kenny, you have a part number for that relay? I had to swap one for a fuel pump and nobody seems to recognize the number on the relay. Thanks

Yes I had something similar on my 1994 F350. It has the mechanical diesel but electronic transmission. I spent $500 on the 6" thick Ford power train control manual, ODB I code reader, didn't get anywhere with that. No codes nothing. Finally just decided to ditch the high tech tools and manuals and just use my Inspector Gadget common sense. That's what it was. A $5 relay. The official Ford diagnostic procedures don't get you anywhere with this stuff.

Would this be the same for a Ford Diesel 6.0l?

Hey Kenny quick question. I have a 2002 Chevy Suburban that the headlights don’t work properly on. So basically what it does is the Headlights only work when the truck is not running, or the key isn’t on the On Position. So basically they only work when the truck is off and on the Accessory position in the ignition. I have tried Headlight Relay Fuse. I don’t know what else it could be because the bulbs work when the truck isn’t running. They turn off after you turn it to the On position in the Ignition. Please help with any suggestions on what to look for. Thank you.

👍👍

Well Kenny do you have issues like Chevy Door light switches go bad door closed but not reading closed I have we had a tail gate on my dads Tahoe do that from factory almost a year or 2 after we bought it I had to start slaming the tail gate just to get it to say closed once it failed completely we had the door switch failed we replaced it at GM been working great ever after that contacts even from factory can go bad on relays or door switches tell me your story of door switches in cars please kenny in a video please

I am new to your channel and doing a little binge-watching as a Diagnostician myself, may I ask a favor to help your tech viewers who don't have as much experience as yourself. Earlier in the videos your scanner showed 13 modules, after the repair there were 15 modules which show that Snap On does not populate dead modules as some scanners do. May I pls ask that at the end of a video after a repair, can you do a post-scan to show how many modules in total are installed on the specific model and possibly scroll through the list of module names Sir. About 3 videos prior you had 10 modules and a scroll bar as not all 10 were viewable on the screen. As you can imagine if one of those strange non-popular modules were faulty, we may not know this model even has it depending on the scan tool used. The previous shop misdiagnosis sounds like a SCAM, first bit of diagnosis, PWR & GND to ECM, DEAD, not a bad ECM if it has no power, cheers. Looking to subscribe after watching some further videos, so far so good.

had a friend with a jeep crank no start. they told him bad pcm. 2 weeks and a new pcm now they told him key/security module. got it back with 4 new o2 sensors. wtf???

"You Learn by your Mistakes." It's nice when you can go to KZfaq or the internet to Learn from the Mistakes of Others. Kenny's mistakes may guide how you approach a specific job, but when you make the mistake yourself and it costs you your time and your money, it really sinks in.

Every penny counts

It's never the relay for me. It's always the $300 ac compressor! 🤦‍♂️😂

I had the same problem with a 2006 honda civic hybrid. Bad ecm.

Have you ever dissected bad relays to see what failed in them?

Great video! 2007 Honda CR-V that would overheat occasionally when at a stop idling. (Wife's car) I could never duplicate the issue. Was not fan relays. Finally happened when I was with her Turns out the a/c clutch relay was occasionally sticking on. Not even dealer had part. Had to order it in. That was over 3 years ago and never had problem since

Well that was a easy 500.$ ......

The problem might be its a ford

I was trying to help someone get there engine to crank....I think its the fuel pump....they said. I told them fuel is useless to a non-cranking engine.

Why did I know you would say the car was either a Ford or GM and not a Honda or a Toyota...

I've noticed you like to use KZfaq as your scratching post to discuss things you do not like that customers do. Otherwise you record very educational videos that I enjoy.

As for carrying a tool in your back your back pocket please don't. 😅When in automotive school back in the 80's I learned of a man with a long skinny screwdriver sticking up out of rear pocket, sat back in vehicle, punctured his kidney and bled to death before he could get help. Lesson never forgotten.

As soon as he said it was the same problem you just fixed, you should have asked him if he wanted you to throw another computer on it, as its the 'same' problem.

Maybe if you have worked on as much shit as I have had many corroded fuse box .