This Is Why We Test Instead Of Guess!
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Date: 2025-04-20
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Comments and reviews: 20
SurferJoe46
Zip-Tie is not the legally-official name for those nylon straps. The originator was PANDUIT and there's a special tool (got your attention yet) from the Panduit Company that pulls the bitter end and once it gets to the correct tension, snaps the end off so it doesn't stick out.
Originally devoted to the aerospace industries, NASA spec'd they had to use this tool to get certifiable tension on the staps.
I've owned the correct tool (eat your heart out) for years and I use it every time I can - especially in front of customers and general onlookers who wander into my shop. They 'gasp' and go: Ooooh! and Ahhh! and blink the tears of happiness out of their eyes because --- they know --- they have just seen the most profound and marvelous tool in the world.
Panduit is the name of the tool, the straps - the whole enchilada.
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Zip-Tie is not the legally-official name for those nylon straps. The originator was PANDUIT and there's a special tool (got your attention yet) from the Panduit Company that pulls the bitter end and once it gets to the correct tension, snaps the end off so it doesn't stick out.
Originally devoted to the aerospace industries, NASA spec'd they had to use this tool to get certifiable tension on the staps.
I've owned the correct tool (eat your heart out) for years and I use it every time I can - especially in front of customers and general onlookers who wander into my shop. They 'gasp' and go: Ooooh! and Ahhh! and blink the tears of happiness out of their eyes because --- they know --- they have just seen the most profound and marvelous tool in the world.
Panduit is the name of the tool, the straps - the whole enchilada.
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stephenaslinger818
Been operating a repair shop for many years we never used to see wiring issues in a run most typically at a connector mainly because the wiring had more 8 strands of copper in them and better insulation this newer cars are not engineered well at all I understand why did they went cheap on everything but price my mother bought a 1999 Camry 4 cyl single over head cam non interference 32 mpg I admit double overhead cams vvt and has more torque and power are we racing or driving a to b we really made gains now you had to actually know how to drive because it wouldn’t stop for you wait till somebody depending on it and doesn’t work very scary
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Been operating a repair shop for many years we never used to see wiring issues in a run most typically at a connector mainly because the wiring had more 8 strands of copper in them and better insulation this newer cars are not engineered well at all I understand why did they went cheap on everything but price my mother bought a 1999 Camry 4 cyl single over head cam non interference 32 mpg I admit double overhead cams vvt and has more torque and power are we racing or driving a to b we really made gains now you had to actually know how to drive because it wouldn’t stop for you wait till somebody depending on it and doesn’t work very scary
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patarmitage2250
I was a mechanic last in the late 90s back then we didn’t have to look at many wiring diagrams.
I recently had the PTU explode on my Explorer. The driveshaft broke off and took out the power steering assist wiring. After replacing the PTU and repairing all the wiring, I still had no power steering.
Thankfully I watch SMA and have been paying attention. I signed up for an AllData membership and found the problem on the first diagram I looked at.
It was a 125amp fuse( weirdest fuse if ever seen)
Ford only had 1 in all of Western Canada and it cost me 175bucks.
Works like a charm now.
Thank you Eric!
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I was a mechanic last in the late 90s back then we didn’t have to look at many wiring diagrams.
I recently had the PTU explode on my Explorer. The driveshaft broke off and took out the power steering assist wiring. After replacing the PTU and repairing all the wiring, I still had no power steering.
Thankfully I watch SMA and have been paying attention. I signed up for an AllData membership and found the problem on the first diagram I looked at.
It was a 125amp fuse( weirdest fuse if ever seen)
Ford only had 1 in all of Western Canada and it cost me 175bucks.
Works like a charm now.
Thank you Eric!
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yambo59
The crappy quality wiring in todays cars with biodegradeable insulation is such junk -- im 65 and I dont remember wiring back in the late 60's - 70's being so fragile or aging so fast it turns into a pile of brittle spaghetti in less than ten years. Worse yet its tied into computers now that rely on a dependable signal etc etc. -- we build such junk now. Same with the brake lines on my '03 S10, the exhaust system is stainless steel so it lasts longer - BUT NOT THE BRAKE LINES - theyre crap steel that rots out in no time even though Chevy knows many cars have to survive snow ice and road salt in the rust belt
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The crappy quality wiring in todays cars with biodegradeable insulation is such junk -- im 65 and I dont remember wiring back in the late 60's - 70's being so fragile or aging so fast it turns into a pile of brittle spaghetti in less than ten years. Worse yet its tied into computers now that rely on a dependable signal etc etc. -- we build such junk now. Same with the brake lines on my '03 S10, the exhaust system is stainless steel so it lasts longer - BUT NOT THE BRAKE LINES - theyre crap steel that rots out in no time even though Chevy knows many cars have to survive snow ice and road salt in the rust belt
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CedroCron
You should wear your glasses all the time. You look distinguished. I mean you are distinguished as a great mechanic, but the glasses help you show that. Also those wires look pretty skinny, what if they are getting warm over time and slowly degrading the insulation enough from being warm and then it corrodes because the insulation on the wire becomes porous from being warm all the time handling too much current from being a little too small. Seems that way given how thin the wire is. Cheers! Another great video thanks Mr. O
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You should wear your glasses all the time. You look distinguished. I mean you are distinguished as a great mechanic, but the glasses help you show that. Also those wires look pretty skinny, what if they are getting warm over time and slowly degrading the insulation enough from being warm and then it corrodes because the insulation on the wire becomes porous from being warm all the time handling too much current from being a little too small. Seems that way given how thin the wire is. Cheers! Another great video thanks Mr. O
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francoistombe
Regarding the hard to get to issue. I had to work on two GM products where removal of the gas tank was impractical, due to rust in one case and local logistics in the other. Both were about 20 years old. One had a tank pressure wire failure and the othe needed a fuel pump replacement. Both owners consented to having an access hole cut in the tin under the rear seat. Turned out to be quite easy. The biggest frig was fabricating a cover for the hole after. Anyway it saved a ton of time and hassle so all were happy.
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Regarding the hard to get to issue. I had to work on two GM products where removal of the gas tank was impractical, due to rust in one case and local logistics in the other. Both were about 20 years old. One had a tank pressure wire failure and the othe needed a fuel pump replacement. Both owners consented to having an access hole cut in the tin under the rear seat. Turned out to be quite easy. The biggest frig was fabricating a cover for the hole after. Anyway it saved a ton of time and hassle so all were happy.
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The_Redkween
I don’t think Eric will get the amount of recognition he deserves for this repair. Other shops might have made it to back-probing the tank-side of the connector, but after that passed, they would have called valve and quoted a tank-pull. Takes a great diagnostician to get past their brain telling them that the likelihood of anything being wrong with the short run of wiring from the connector, was near zero.
Most guys would just assume the worst. Way to go Eric! 30: 33
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I don’t think Eric will get the amount of recognition he deserves for this repair. Other shops might have made it to back-probing the tank-side of the connector, but after that passed, they would have called valve and quoted a tank-pull. Takes a great diagnostician to get past their brain telling them that the likelihood of anything being wrong with the short run of wiring from the connector, was near zero.
Most guys would just assume the worst. Way to go Eric! 30: 33
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LeoNidas-301
Great video Eric,
Insider info (I’m in the industry. Wire corrosion is always, always always a defect in the insulation. When the insulation is injection molded onto the wires if the temperatures, feed rate and most important cooling cycle are not correct then the insulation can become brittle and porous. Moisture enters through the insulation and. greenies. There are good, better best. PVC, TPE and PUR materials. Automotive goes with cheapest PVC made in China.
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Great video Eric,
Insider info (I’m in the industry. Wire corrosion is always, always always a defect in the insulation. When the insulation is injection molded onto the wires if the temperatures, feed rate and most important cooling cycle are not correct then the insulation can become brittle and porous. Moisture enters through the insulation and. greenies. There are good, better best. PVC, TPE and PUR materials. Automotive goes with cheapest PVC made in China.
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dustcommander100
Sometimes something like poly loom that is supposed to protect wiring is actually doing the opposite, because it holds water and salt around the wire. If there is any porosity or some other flaw, the water being held there allows it to attack the wire full-time. Just like them Sentinels in the Matrix attacking them ships. So the split in the poly loom needs to point downwards and not be taped in the low spots. You know, the sort of thing the car show judges look for.
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Sometimes something like poly loom that is supposed to protect wiring is actually doing the opposite, because it holds water and salt around the wire. If there is any porosity or some other flaw, the water being held there allows it to attack the wire full-time. Just like them Sentinels in the Matrix attacking them ships. So the split in the poly loom needs to point downwards and not be taped in the low spots. You know, the sort of thing the car show judges look for.
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danwilliams5867
I run into same problem on HD 05-13 models with wiring. Mainly fuel injector pigtails. Because they secure them with no slack as HD faithful don't want to see wiring because of motion of engine it strains the wires and causes internal breaks. You end up with codes of p1356 and then home DIY throws the parts cannon at them, plugs, wires, coil, crank position sensor etc. I would get them and spend one hour diagnostic, then $40 in parts poof done
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I run into same problem on HD 05-13 models with wiring. Mainly fuel injector pigtails. Because they secure them with no slack as HD faithful don't want to see wiring because of motion of engine it strains the wires and causes internal breaks. You end up with codes of p1356 and then home DIY throws the parts cannon at them, plugs, wires, coil, crank position sensor etc. I would get them and spend one hour diagnostic, then $40 in parts poof done
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firesurfer
The tight radius around the body automatically tells me that wire harness is subject to excessive pulling. That's a purty bad thing. You can see the color change in the wire meaning it's stretched. It wouldn't hurt to check the rest of that particular harness for tight spots. Putting in zip ties only makes it worse.
edit: 30: 00 I've always liked Continental tires. The first time I had them I was impressed by their quality.
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The tight radius around the body automatically tells me that wire harness is subject to excessive pulling. That's a purty bad thing. You can see the color change in the wire meaning it's stretched. It wouldn't hurt to check the rest of that particular harness for tight spots. Putting in zip ties only makes it worse.
edit: 30: 00 I've always liked Continental tires. The first time I had them I was impressed by their quality.
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Gleone58
Hard plastic wire loom will eventually eat through any coating or wrap around a wire set and will begin to eat the wire insulation and expose the wire to even the slightest oxygen. Especially a power wire is first to go just like a positive cable on a battery. The wire loom digs in harder the older it gets and will create a neat comb pattern on wire insulation one by one or sometimes half the wire harness especially in a curve.
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Hard plastic wire loom will eventually eat through any coating or wrap around a wire set and will begin to eat the wire insulation and expose the wire to even the slightest oxygen. Especially a power wire is first to go just like a positive cable on a battery. The wire loom digs in harder the older it gets and will create a neat comb pattern on wire insulation one by one or sometimes half the wire harness especially in a curve.
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Uticagreens
Nice work! Several decades ago, before shrink tubing and plastic straws were still legal in the People’s Republic of NY, on construction vehicles (backhoes and payloaders) we would slip a plastic straw over wire over soldered wire repairs. Then use silicone caulking to seal the wires within the straw. It would work on vehicles that were perpetually in mud, slush and snow most of their lives.
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Nice work! Several decades ago, before shrink tubing and plastic straws were still legal in the People’s Republic of NY, on construction vehicles (backhoes and payloaders) we would slip a plastic straw over wire over soldered wire repairs. Then use silicone caulking to seal the wires within the straw. It would work on vehicles that were perpetually in mud, slush and snow most of their lives.
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beauhatman4395
. you can just stick another zip tie through that zip tie's hole. It WILL take you to another dimension. . if you have a skin tag, and don't wanna go the doctors. assuming they're non-vascular and you got enough booze to get the courage to have your wife do it for ya. SMA Gold on a Sunday morning with a hot cuppa joe. Life is good! As always, MANY thanks to SMA for all you do!
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. you can just stick another zip tie through that zip tie's hole. It WILL take you to another dimension. . if you have a skin tag, and don't wanna go the doctors. assuming they're non-vascular and you got enough booze to get the courage to have your wife do it for ya. SMA Gold on a Sunday morning with a hot cuppa joe. Life is good! As always, MANY thanks to SMA for all you do!
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playdg
Among other things, I was trying to fix a power port yesterday. Thought I was going down this road. Figured it was either the port or the wires near it. I finally thought to check the fuse. Broken. And putting a new one in didn't pop it immediately. That was easy. Still replaced it with a direct USB port.
Tools needed: test light. (and 75 various devices to open up the dash)
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Among other things, I was trying to fix a power port yesterday. Thought I was going down this road. Figured it was either the port or the wires near it. I finally thought to check the fuse. Broken. And putting a new one in didn't pop it immediately. That was easy. Still replaced it with a direct USB port.
Tools needed: test light. (and 75 various devices to open up the dash)
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kidkv
Though I was going to need to be on my back, to go after a fused link on the starter, but after Putting a new starter in and it wouldn't work after the 2nd test, I went back to the relay, to start with and had the starter kick in after jumping the terminals, I had to bend out a terminal, that I had bent and boom, van started. Starter was bad, to start with. Thanks SMA
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Though I was going to need to be on my back, to go after a fused link on the starter, but after Putting a new starter in and it wouldn't work after the 2nd test, I went back to the relay, to start with and had the starter kick in after jumping the terminals, I had to bend out a terminal, that I had bent and boom, van started. Starter was bad, to start with. Thanks SMA
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garyangelstad5212
I remember a video you did on a 2017 canyon that was off warranty by 3 days and gm wouldn't cover it. It was the connector to the rear speed sensor. Gm wanted $220 for the 2 wire connector with 18 leads. You commented that gm had all kinds of issues with wiring breaking down right in the loom with no apparent sign of damage, just falling apart inside
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I remember a video you did on a 2017 canyon that was off warranty by 3 days and gm wouldn't cover it. It was the connector to the rear speed sensor. Gm wanted $220 for the 2 wire connector with 18 leads. You commented that gm had all kinds of issues with wiring breaking down right in the loom with no apparent sign of damage, just falling apart inside
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BahBahTheSheep
at 10: 20ish when you jump with the test light, does it say ok because the electricity basically made a loop from one wire to the other AS IF it went through the solenoid valve thing the idea being if the valve was fine, the electricity will flow up one wire and down the other through the valve and say ok. the test light mimics this operation
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at 10: 20ish when you jump with the test light, does it say ok because the electricity basically made a loop from one wire to the other AS IF it went through the solenoid valve thing the idea being if the valve was fine, the electricity will flow up one wire and down the other through the valve and say ok. the test light mimics this operation
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philllsxga. 7737
I think you are on to something with the manufacturer of the wire harnesses.
Whatever grabs/ holds the wiring during the manufacturer process is damaging the wires.
They are made In Indonesia or Mexico so you know they are being made for pennies.
The auto manufacturers should use your videos for quality/ training purposes.
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I think you are on to something with the manufacturer of the wire harnesses.
Whatever grabs/ holds the wiring during the manufacturer process is damaging the wires.
They are made In Indonesia or Mexico so you know they are being made for pennies.
The auto manufacturers should use your videos for quality/ training purposes.
reply
bradnoyes7955
29: 05 So my understanding is that when they melt down the copper during wire manufacturing, they have to remove impurities/slag from the molten copper. If not all of the impurities are removed, the resulting wire may be manufactured with corrosion already inside it. From there, it's only a matter of time before the corrosion spreads.
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29: 05 So my understanding is that when they melt down the copper during wire manufacturing, they have to remove impurities/slag from the molten copper. If not all of the impurities are removed, the resulting wire may be manufactured with corrosion already inside it. From there, it's only a matter of time before the corrosion spreads.
reply
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