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I’ll be posting part 2 here as well when it’s released. For now, here’s Part 1 of the second installment of A Day At The Shop With EricTheCarGuy 2nd Installment. Both videos really stand on their own. This first one is more about the general work, the second part is actually a FiF with Barbara’s van. Yes, Barbara’s van, the bane of my existence. One day I’ll run out of things to fix on that thing.
FYI there’s a full version of this video available to Premium Members of the website: http://www.ericthecarguy.com/premium-content-web/13-premium-content-videos/1292-a-day-at-the-shop-with-ericthecarguy-2nd-installment-extended-full-version
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Although I admire Eric persistence in sticking with this pro bono project regardless of the personal cost, it’s a pity that he seems to have overlooked before starting it,that no good deed ever goes unpunished.
This series should serve as a public service announcement, reinforcing the message that buying a Chrysler product and expecting it to have a long , reliable, useful life isn’t realistic.
Chrysler has shown over the years that it can take an excellent idea and over time and the involvement of committees,, bastardize that concept enough to make it into a bad product that needs dealer complaints and redesign to make work. Now that it is a part of Fix It Again Tony, it has found an owner that is truly compatible with its product development philosophy, and marketing.
The next Chrysler slogan should be “Deported from Detroit”.
Back on topic, it’s a misconception that if a system holds a ‘vaccuum’ it will hold pressure. Stress forces at seals and points of failure are opposite under the two extremes. A simple example is placing a piece of flat rubber across the end of as vacuum cleaner hose.
The difference in stresses is why life critical systems like spacecraft arent tested by submersion in water. Spacecraft body structures try to expand when pressurized in a vacuum, and are desire to withstand tension.. Submarines aren’t tested by pumping in air to crush depth pressure, which would stretch them. They are designed to withstand compression.
I think this is another outstanding video; in fact (in my opinion) this video should be shown to every customer before they get their vehicle worked on to show them (the customer) what an automotive Technician is going through working on their vehicle.
One bright part of the Van job was it wasn’t as bad as the Chevy or Dodge truck engine.
Eric the car guy stated: When is this going to end.
After being an auto/truck dealer Tech. for 38 years…only when you die or if you can make retirement.
Eric the car guy stated: I’ve said this before; “A/C work should be sent to a professional ect”…
After doing A/C work in the Auto dealership atmosphere, I think you are very much a specialized A/C person. {Don’t take this the wrong way} I think what went wrong is you’re trying to help people save money by short cuts. When I opened an A/C system after a system performance operation on customer pay; a drier/accumulator, orifice/expansion valve ect. was replaced at the minimum. If a compressor was replaced for failure the system was flushed and I did all labor operations following that. Even after that you have no assurance that a piece of metal is still lodged in the condenser or the evaporator waiting to come loose for an comeback to ruin yet another lovely day being a auto Technician.
You did not design that A/C system, you did not leave the A/C system go when it needed maintained. What you have done is offered your valuable labor and professionalism to help people that really need help. In my opinion the rest is out of your control.
After you reassembled the A/C system the first time the A/C pressure looked ok to me at idle and at 1500 RPM’s it was a little low on the high side…but obviously I was wrong. The second time no doubt the system was not working to specs. My explanation to why the A/C system works ok with the rear system on (performing) is; if the Chrysler system is designed liked the Ford / GM one compressor system; when the rear A/C is functional the rear orifice / expansion valve will take the place of the front one.
You are a good person by doing the “Fixing it Forward”; but in my opinion the people in need of your service have to understand the cost when things don’t work out like they should.
Clanard stated: Basic physics. Remove heat and pressure drops in a closed system..
. It sounds like you’re and engineer…what do you think the fix could be?
Robcarstuff stated:I can tell your not in the “Flat rate rat race” anymore.I would be all over that job with a 3/8 impact and air rachhhet.
You forgot long pry bars….
Yoyo stated: bean counters are the ones designing these vehicles, and not the actual engineers.
Back when I was an auto Tech. I found a problem with a vehicle that got me a paid trip to Detroit. That trip included visits to GM / Ford and talking to engineers of those manufactures. To this day; it still is “breath taking” how smart they (Auto engineers) are and how they adapt to the changing times under an authoritarian schedule. In my opinion, I can only compare them to a Surgeon, Astronaut ect. Yes the bean counters are the ones designing these vehicles. The auto manufacturers are in the business to sell cars…as many as they can and as often they can… that’s how they make money…not to make them last.
Now I get to do my “fixing it forward” thing for a friend that owns a Hunyadi 3.5 DOHC put a timing belt/coolant pump in. The dealer wants $1500 to $2000 to do it and my friend can’t afford it at this time and asked me for assistance. I never worked on one of these engines before and the only thing I can guarantee is; if I can’t fix it you may have to get someone who can.
Back in the day when I was an auto Tech, if I said that, I would have been outside the dealership in 30 seconds.
[quote=”JTF” post=147520]I think this is another outstanding video; in fact (in my opinion) this video should be shown to every customer before they get their vehicle worked on to show them (the customer) what an automotive Technician is going through working on their vehicle.
One bright part of the Van job was it wasn’t as bad as the Chevy or Dodge truck engine.
Eric the car guy stated: When is this going to end.
After being an auto/truck dealer Tech. for 38 years…only when you die or if you can make retirement.
Eric the car guy stated: I’ve said this before; “A/C work should be sent to a professional ect”…
After doing A/C work in the Auto dealership atmosphere, I think you are very much a specialized A/C person. {Don’t take this the wrong way} I think what went wrong is you’re trying to help people save money by short cuts. When I opened an A/C system after a system performance operation on customer pay; a drier/accumulator, orifice/expansion valve ect. was replaced at the minimum. If a compressor was replaced for failure the system was flushed and I did all labor operations following that. Even after that you have no assurance that a piece of metal is still lodged in the condenser or the evaporator waiting to come loose for an comeback to ruin yet another lovely day being a auto Technician.
You did not design that A/C system, you did not leave the A/C system go when it needed maintained. What you have done is offered your valuable labor and professionalism to help people that really need help. In my opinion the rest is out of your control.
After you reassembled the A/C system the first time the A/C pressure looked ok to me at idle and at 1500 RPM’s it was a little low on the high side…but obviously I was wrong. The second time no doubt the system was not working to specs. My explanation to why the A/C system works ok with the rear system on (performing) is; if the Chrysler system is designed liked the Ford / GM one compressor system; when the rear A/C is functional the rear orifice / expansion valve will take the place of the front one.
You are a good person by doing the “Fixing it Forward”; but in my opinion the people in need of your service have to understand the cost when things don’t work out like they should.
Clanard stated: Basic physics. Remove heat and pressure drops in a closed system..
. It sounds like you’re and engineer…what do you think the fix could be?
Robcarstuff stated:I can tell your not in the “Flat rate rat race” anymore.I would be all over that job with a 3/8 impact and air rachhhet.
You forgot long pry bars….
Yoyo stated: bean counters are the ones designing these vehicles, and not the actual engineers.
Back when I was an auto Tech. I found a problem with a vehicle that got me a paid trip to Detroit. That trip included visits to GM / Ford and talking to engineers of those manufactures. To this day; it still is “breath taking” how smart they (Auto engineers) are and how they adapt to the changing times under an authoritarian schedule. In my opinion, I can only compare them to a Surgeon, Astronaut ect. Yes the bean counters are the ones designing these vehicles. The auto manufacturers are in the business to sell cars…as many as they can and as often they can… that’s how they make money…not to make them last.
Now I get to do my “fixing it forward” thing for a friend that owns a Hunyadi 3.5 DOHC put a timing belt/coolant pump in. The dealer wants $1500 to $2000 to do it and my friend can’t afford it at this time and asked me for assistance. I never worked on one of these engines before and the only thing I can guarantee is; if I can’t fix it you may have to get someone who can.
Back in the day when I was an auto Tech, if I said that, I would have been outside the dealership in 30 seconds.[/quote]
Thank you very much for that input. Defiantly food for thought.
Just an FYI, we had a Hyundai dealer attached to the Acrua dealer where I worked. If I’m not mistaken, they used to drop the engine and transmission out the bottom of those vehicles on the cradle to change the timing belt because there wasn’t enough clearance inside the vehicle to do it. This is likely why they want so much for the job.
Good luck and thanks again for your input.
[quote=”EricTheCarGuy” post=147572]
Just an FYI, we had a Hyundai dealer attached to the Acrua dealer where I worked. If I’m not mistaken, they used to drop the engine and transmission out the bottom of those vehicles on the cradle to change the timing belt because there wasn’t enough clearance inside the vehicle to do it. This is likely why they want so much for the job. [/quote]That almost sounds like when my buddy had the horror of pulling the harmonic balancer out of his nearly rusted to death 1994 Ford Tempo (with the ford pinto 4 banger).. he had to undo a couple motor mounts and tilt the engine to get fender clearance. What I don’t know is how much this would effect the timing belt though.
Talk about engineering shortsights… having been to engineering school (in the process of getting a job with my Electrical Engineering Technology degree), Stuff like that happens. You have chassis X and engine Y with transmissions Z and A that they want as a package… you gotta make it fit somehow, preferable without changing much on anything (changes means new tooling with means costs). Sometimes, well, things like this get put on the back burner. Sad, yes, but it’s the reality of real world engineering.
EricTheCarGuy wrote: If I’m not mistaken, they used to drop the engine and transmission out ……
Yep, I’m sure that’s the way they do it. As hard it would have been doing that on the ground it would have been easier than the way I did it. That car was one of the hardest car I have worked on; I had to call a friend to help me with the valve timing…I couldn’t get all four cam’s in time even with the proper belt cog holders. I got a lesson on how to time and hold the belt in place on a four cam engine from him that I’ll never forget.
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