Very cool 😎

So now he cut the book time down by 10h and screwed all the mechanics lol

@@KillaSupra actually the techs hated doing this job because it actually took that long. They would rather a job they can do quicker than book and make more money

@@nathan40307 Are we talking about book time or actual time to do the job? Didn't you say your dad did it in two hours? By rewriting the book, it does screw over the techs that can do the job faster. That's how that works. We learn shortcuts and hopefully don't snitch to the manufacturer so not to screw over the other techs that know the shortcut. This is a very common practice. You're saying your dad is one in a few techs that could figure out this shortcut? How do you know that?

@@johnbrown1381 The dealership noticed that he was doing these jobs so quickly. Somehow Mercedes got involved because they didn't believe he could do these properly in that short of time. So they came to investigate. They brought a brand new car in that didn't even need the work and asked him to show them how he did it. This is not as uncommon as it sounds. After they rewrote the process it made it so the techs could do the job faster and move on to other jobs and make more money. Nobody lost.

I'm 100% with you on that!

I found one...went to him for 30 years..but he is now retired. The person who bought the business was trained and working in that shop for 20 years. He now gets my business...just as trustworthy and competent. He, in turn, is training up another mechanic...

I've been driving since the late 60's and since then I've found two but only in the last decade. A father and son shop. And now that the son has opened his own shop, that's the second.

Unfortunately, I’m turning into my dad. He - and my mom - did their own routine maintenance well into their 70’s If anything, the situation is getting worse

I am assuming you must be the son of former Hollywood heartthrob and film star Lash LaRue. It's kind of funny, but the last honest mechanic I ever heard of in the once Golden State of California was coincidentally Lash LaRue's own personal mechanic when he made 'Return of the Lash' with Buster Slaven in 1947. So. maybe you are selling yourself short in your life's experience and you have something you could tell us all about your legendary Dad and his big car collection in a future comment, Lash Jr. We will all be standing by.

The shop I go to I’ve been going to ever since I bought my first Volkswagen. I know the owner personally and they’ve treated me so incredibly well. Zero advertising. This is the exact reason why you find a mom and pop shop.

Nice video, Mr Wizard! I went through an HVAC problem with my VW Passat. Luckily, that particular flap was accessible without pulling the dash. That said, I’m a fan of the old-fashioned cable actuated vents of the old days. Never had any problems with those.

After many years I found a small mom and pop shop that does excellent work. My only worry is what I will do when he retires as he is around 70 years old.

@@ebutuoy6055 ask him if he any Daniel sons or magic Mikes under his wing

Most quality shops don't need to advertise because they always have more work than they can handle. A couple of good shops I know can be two to three weeks out to schedule an oil change or other maintenance jobs, but will get you in right away if your vehicle is broken down.

More money for us in trades.

Society and companies have only themselves to blame. Society because they looked down at those who used tools and companies because for the longest, and still today, only will talk to you if you have gazillion years of experience, unless you are a useless dolt who is related to someone in the HR or are the foreman's nephew.

That's not a surprise. There are just too many people out the doing work and undermining the pay rate and job security in the trades. Those that say there's a huge demand for skilled trades just haven't been in a trade for years. The unions loosing power has also contributed to the mess.

@@recyclespinning9839 You do understand the comment you're replying to makes the exact opposite point about everything you said, correct? When more people leave than enter, that means fewer people in the trade but more money and job security for those that remain.

@@recyclespinning9839 I hope you aren't in a trade that requires careful reading.

try that on a 2002 dodge ram. entire dash has to come out.

I've heard that too. Many a diesel tuner said to keep the 5.9 over getting a 6.7, "they don't make them like that anymore". Being in the UK, spares are a pain but obtainable. Everything on a 5.9 is easy to work on!

I love my 2020 6.7 H.O., BUT my '03 5.9 is my heart. Bought it new and yes it endured some of the 4th-gen issues(including this flap door issue), BUT the powertrain is a beast, especially after heavy modification to double the power. And oh...pre-emissions is ALWAYS gonna win out!

A 12 or 24 valve Cummins pre current garbage emissions crap is a good choice do an upgrade to the weak transmission and you'll have a near bulletproof drivetrain but good luck finding or affording diesel due to the presidents disastrous energy policies. the only way to really afford diesel is to get a car and if post emission to the around the 06-08 mark delete it if available and your state doesn't have testing also a hidden tank for off-road diesel or making biodiesel. note you would breaking the laws of the dictators of the EPA by deleting and the other dictators that over tax for diesel at a state and federal level for using off-road diesel depending on location.

As long as front end gets an upgrade

Yup!

What year

Do you remember how many hours you had in it? Just curious. I know it's a hell of an involved job.

@@joshuagibson2520 I wasn't setting any land speed records, but maybe 10-12 hrs or so over 2 days.

@@johnk6206 not bad. I was actually going to guess 18-20 hours.

I wish any of them (including Dodge) would not use cheap plastic parts in locations where it is difficult to get to.

I own one of those and already have those exact replacement doors waiting for me to install and I don't see anything easy waiting for me :o)

@@rpsmith Agreed, I don't see anything easy here.

My first gen ram was even easier than this one to replace heater core and AC evaporator. I only had to loosen the passenger side of the dash and lift it about two inches to get enough clearance to remove the HVAC box. That was five years ago and it was worth it. Still has excellent working heat and AC.

@@heiner71 Compared to the Chev it is relatively easy or perhaps straightforward is a better term. half the battle of working on dash boards is imagining how they were put in at the factory. Often they are installed as a complete unit rather than built up in stages. You just have to work out which applies to your vehicle.

If there was a car wizard west TX edition, I would definitely go there

As with most franchises, gauranteeing that each individual shop manager will uphold the same integrity is difficult and can lead to damaging your reputation even if it's not your own fault.

Might have to pull a page from the mcdonalds playbook. Keep everything consistent no matter where the shop is at

@@StarHunter28 if there was a car wizard south texas edition, I would go to him. He’d also probably have various tattoos and piercings

a man can dream 😢

Hopefully you'll charge me for 9 hours of labor.

@@AkioWasRight for you…it’ll be 8.5hours😀

What's "early"?

@@georgewetzel4380 early to mid 2000s trucks

Good for you

Do you remember this piece of garbage like I do? kzfaq.info/get/bejne/p9F6eaWjreCWeKc.html

I actually enjoy the electrical puzzles people royally screw up. few good stories I bought a police Durango that had been sitting for a few years. The Dept brought it to the Dodge dealer due to 02 sensor codes. The Dodge dealer put a new pcm into it, but was unable to program keys and get the truck ever running again. The department bricked it and sold it as a non runner. I bought it from them. Repair was, the skim module had no power going to it. The fuse was blown some how. Replaced the fuse and programmed the keys. Started right up. The 02 sensor codes, had 2 bad 02 sensors and a broken wire on the 3rd. 😂 Second one, friend runs a landscape business. He does work for another company, and wrenches on their trucks. F250 he was not able to get to was looked at by another shop for a no crank. They gave the owner a $1500 bill for diagnosis and said "we are no further along than when we started". Would you like us to continue. Declined and they picked it up and brought it to my buddies shop. I looked at it, no communication. Checked power and grounds to the scan tool. The truck was missing a fuse 🙃and the pcm power relay wires were rotted off it. I repaired all that and left it with him in running condition. Turns out it was an intermittent no start. The shifter was so sloppy it was allowing it to move the mlps enough to indicate not in park, but the indicator still showed park.

KZfaq mechanics are not always the best source for info also. Especially one who call them wizards or magic. Lol

Wow, that’s a bargain. I don’t imagine the whole dash was taken apart like Omega did.

@@stuartstuart866 actually it was, and refrigerant replaced. This is the only way to get to the doors. However, he just used replacement plastic stock ones. 🙁

True story. If they weren't covered with a dash mat or in a garage their whole life the dash is so brittle you just look at it funny and it falls out. My buddies 2003 3500 diesel, He went over a railroad crossing a little fast and most of the dash ended up on both of our feet.

@@AtomicReverend 😂😂😂 I believe it all

@@masterjerry5442 my 05 half ton only half the vents are working. I assume that I got bad mixing doors since apparently that's a common problem but I will be damned if I take that dashboard out to fix it I probably have the only dash on the planet that doesn't have a crack in it and the truck has been out in the sun it's entire life and up until a couple of months ago it never had a dash mat (the dash mat was bought because my experience with my buddies truck lol). Anyways I would imagine just taking the dash out probably turn it into crumbly bits so I will live with lack luster heating.

@John Oates They fixed the brittle plastic interior issues in around 2004. I have a 2005 and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the dash. The upper trim part of it has been removed countless times and nothing has ever snapped. 2nd gen dashboards are a different story, they're the ones guys make videos of shattering to bits like glass when touched.

@@ixionn563 Pretty much just the late second gens, 98(?)- 02. The earlier ones are more robust in my experience, my 02 is in great shape somehow though, not too much sun around here.

No, you just have to have some patience and ambition. Having a factory service manual isn't a bad idea either. Or even a Chilton or Hanes manual.

Me too! Though I cheated and just went in through the glove box.

I used the same company from Michigan when I did my HVAC. They were awesome to work with !!! They walked me through a few things that I didn't understand at the time. It's been almost 4 years since and everything is still working perfectly!!!!

2 months🤣. Hopefully it was parts wait time.

I had an oil change done at a shop I recently trusted and when I got home my car was leaking oil. The didnt remove the old oil filter gasket when removing the old filter. I was pissed.

bad customer reviews

Not going back and letting others looking for a referral to stay away from that shop. Treat employees with courtesy and treat them as if you would want to be treated. We have all been there with a bad and good bosses. Bosses that bear down and badmouth the employee in person or to other employees. Other times the boss may tell everyone a day ahead that he will have pizza, or burgers or a BBQ for lunch the next day. Finding out what they would like and you as the team leader or Boss will abide to their wants. They are the team of horses pulling the stagecoach. Treat them well. They will remember that for years to come. Well fed team or horses will always to better.

No. The problem is that American design and manufacturing have become abhorrent and sub-par.

@@mmarciniak same thing said different. End result is the same.

@@mmarciniak They are designed to be easier to be put in during production. here in Australia the Ford Territory complete dash assembly was assembled by Continental in a factory next to the Ford assembly plant and the completed unit basically went through a door in to the assembly plant and got installed in to car. It just need the connectors and HVAC pipes connected. and screwed in place. I am sure other factories do the same.

Yep, 100% that’s not an 05 model Ram. I was wondering if I was going to be the only one that knew that was not an 05 model Ram. Lol Likely an 06 but that front clip was used 06-08 on the 1500s .

@@jdfleetguy28 The '06 is the only year with those headlights with the amber strip at the bottom. The '07 and '08 are all clear.

@@JDR1971 Ah , cool I didn’t know that. I just knew I really hated the bug eyed looks of the 06-08 lights, I always preferred the 02-05 headlights.

There's a lot more of them out there then you think. But you're right. Finding them is the problem. Your best bet is to get to know the people in your dealers service department. Start with your service writer, then come up with a reason to meet the tech that's working on your car. You want to be the customer that everyone likes and wants to help. Then, keep requesting the same tech to work on your car. It makes the tech feel really good that you want him working on your car, and it makes him more valuable to the dealership. Anyway, that's your best chance to build a good relationship. You're probably wondering why I recommend your dealer. And the answer is simple. Knowledge and training. Vehicles are changing so much each year, its very difficult to keep up. Someone like the Car Wizard is an exception. Very few aftermarket shops have dealership level tools and education. We get factory training every few months. Every day we get cars towed in from shops that have no idea how to fix them. Sometimes the tow truck drivers can't even get them off the truck without our help. That said, if you do find someone like the Wizard, use them. Providing they do the job right, you can save some money.

@@AT-wl9yq so true, the onus is on the owner to go out to sites like the BBB, AAA, Consumer Reports and the like to research that "One" in your area.

If you listened, you should know Chevy and Ford are worse.

Yeah those k cars were junk!

@@loveydovey4u lol. I just sold my 84 mark cross lebaron drop top. Still purs like a runt kitten. Id have to say thats due to the Mitsubishi engine though. Lol

The older I get, the more time goes by, the list of manufacturers developing garbage has been growing. What a shame, the industry is having a race to the bottom regarding longevity and dependability.

@@thatgreencrx7677 i have a 91 crx SI. W ZC vtec swap. What have you done w yours?

Every dealership is service department buddy… they all make junk.

Welcome to 2022 economics.

I can literally manufacture my own for cheaper than that.

U r correct. I worked in a chain transmission shop. Chrysler Dodge ram was our number one customer. Yes, cummins is wonderful. They make the truck cheap as hell to afford to buy the cummins and sell it cheaper than ford and Chevy. The minivans were the worst ever. Omg. I felt so sorry for the poor people coming in that door. I had to get out of that job. My heart couldn’t take it.

@@technicalitems731 I work for a transmission Shop and all we see for full rebuilds is GM. The 62te in the new dodge vans don’t give much trouble and it’s a 604 with overdrive essentially. Gm 6 speeds and 4l60e’s are what bring home my paycheck.

It has the original trans. It was regularly serviced at the local dodge dealer until 2016. My father in law passed away and I inherited it at 51,000 miles. It has been a very reliable vehicle now with 95,000 miles.

@@tomcombs69 thats not a 2005 is it. Looks 06 to 08. Ive actually never had any tranny problems on any of the 3rd gens i had and that was at least 5 trucks. 2nd gens tho...

And I'm sure GM's 8L45/95 are paying for his mortgage, and Fords E40D paid for his dad's retirement.

Not if you get the 4.7 and by 08 Chevy screwed up the silverado so bad These rams are cake work compared to a Gm with AFM

@@waterloo123100 I take it you haven't thrown a rocker yet......

@@reginaldbowls7180 I change my oil and i’ve never had any issues besides a TPS sensor in the last 10 years of ownership.

Not true at all.

@@ChevyCamaroIsBetter 200k on my Taco and NO issues buddy...

Every car is gonna need service even Hondas and Toyotas

@@loveydovey4u Toyota frames last about 3 years in the rust belt. There’s a reason you see everyone driving crappy old American trucks here

@@waterloo123100 surface sheild sweet cheeks

This is why Honda is the best.

@@waterloo123100 my dad bought his first Honda in 1996, and from then on that's all he bought because he loved them so much.

@@nickm2558 I personally love my dodges. But after working at the Honda dealership i can say they still make very simple and quality cars.

Nickm2558 I’ll bet u can do it in 1 minute next time. Great idea. I’m going to do this on mine. I was so annoyed I decided to skip it, every other time since it was still so clean after 30,000 miles.

davek ~I know it’s been one year since you posted but I just had to say I have (2008 was the last model year that had ‘leaf springs’ because the 2009 had ‘coil springs’. Bought brand new by my dad. For general maintenance it cost over $500 to change the 16 spark plugs. Now using synthetic oil) a 2008 Ram 1500 5.7 4x4 I think it has the factory trailer towing package with a plug-in. (I am in Canada) with about 120,000 kilometers ‘or’ 72,000 miles on it. It was parked in the garage for long periods of time and it was not driven. I just put Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac tires on it lately. I was thinking it is getting too old, I better sell it and get a new truck. But with such a low odometer reading it probably has a lot more kilometers or miles left on it to go yet.

I am In that area. I need a good mechanic