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Cool video, but TBH I liked the way you handled the intro to the car on Barbra’s van, where we never saw her, just “this is barbra’s van”
Something about this newest video (maybe because i deal with customers all the time) when Jeff was talking really annoyed me, I skipped the whole thing and went straight to where you started talking to the camera instead of him.Can’t really put my finger on why I like how the first FIF videos started more than this one, but I thought I might tell you none the less.
[quote=”DaCoder” post=148128]Cool video, but TBH I liked the way you handled the intro to the car on Barbra’s van, where we never saw her, just “this is barbra’s van”
Something about this newest video (maybe because i deal with customers all the time) when Jeff was talking really annoyed me, I skipped the whole thing and went straight to where you started talking to the camera instead of him.Can’t really put my finger on why I like how the first FIF videos started more than this one, but I thought I might tell you none the less.[/quote]
Funny. It’s always been the plan to start a new vehicle in the FiF series this way. That way the audience gets invested in the owner as well as the vehicle and the payoff at the end is even better because you got to hear what issues the vehicle had straight from the ‘customer’ at the onset. I never got the opportunity to do that with Barbara’s van because when she first brought it to me it was not intended as an FiF project.
Thanks for your input.
Personally I liked the interview with the customer and why they’re involved in the FiF. Food for thought…I do a little FiF myself mostly for disable Veterans and for the most part they just don’t want to share their story. So if you get someone that just doesn’t want to be interviewed…understand….some people just want to keep bad times private.
I really liked the quick no-start procedure and the use of the Power Probe….I hated working on those Ford Duratec’s….no room.
Very good video!
Eric if I’m not mistaken you can access the fuel pump assembly underneath the back seat. Convinient but makes the inside of your car smell like fuel for a little while until it airs out. I had a 98 contour as well but mine was the 5 spd 4 cyl. Did a fuel pump change inside of about 25 minutes or so
This FiF video was a lot of fun to watch and that’s for a few reasons. #1. — The series as a whole really shows what good mechanics can do. Namely doing good things for good people. It’s a fuzzy feel good series which shows that you can put more money into a car than it is worth (As with Barb’s van) and it can still be a good vehicle after you get it out of the shop for good. #2. — The way you systematically went through and diagnosed everything and kept it simple is a great boon to this video. Simple as not having any fuel? Love it. Dump some gas in it and that’s about it. As we know, cars that sit tend to rust and the brake line here is no surprise. #3. — Eric, you did a nice job of not making fun of the owner for forgetting to put gas in his tank. I saw a lot of people on YouTube dumping all over Jeff for not putting gas in it. A lot of people forget that they have made really dumb mistakes in the past. We all mess up.
Overall, great video.
Nick from Pittsburgh
[quote=”Hockeyclark” post=148265]This FiF video was a lot of fun to watch and that’s for a few reasons. #1. — The series as a whole really shows what good mechanics can do. Namely doing good things for good people. It’s a fuzzy feel good series which shows that you can put more money into a car than it is worth (As with Barb’s van) and it can still be a good vehicle after you get it out of the shop for good. #2. — The way you systematically went through and diagnosed everything and kept it simple is a great boon to this video. Simple as not having any fuel? Love it. Dump some gas in it and that’s about it. As we know, cars that sit tend to rust and the brake line here is no surprise. #3. — Eric, you did a nice job of not making fun of the owner for forgetting to put gas in his tank. I saw a lot of people on YouTube dumping all over Jeff for not putting gas in it. A lot of people forget that they have made really dumb mistakes in the past. We all mess up.
Overall, great video.
Nick from Pittsburgh[/quote]
Thanks for your kind words Nick. You hit on all points that I was trying to achieve with the series. I guess I’m doing my job well.
Here’s a little inside story. Likely the car wasn’t out of gas when he was trying to start it. In a future video you’ll see that when they installed the fuel pump they didn’t place the gasket properly causing a fuel vapor leak. In other words, after as long as that car sat, the fuel probably evaporated. Second, there is an issue starting the car ONLY when the HVAC is turned on. When you turn it off it starts fine. In other words, I’m getting to the bottom of the real issue in future episodes.
Thanks again for your comments.
[quote=”EricTheCarGuy” post=148348]…there is an issue starting the car ONLY when the HVAC is turned on. When you turn it off it starts fine.[/quote]
Isn’t the entire HVAC system bypassed/de-energized when the key is in the Start position?
[quote=”Evil-i” post=148381][quote=”EricTheCarGuy” post=148348]…there is an issue starting the car ONLY when the HVAC is turned on. When you turn it off it starts fine.[/quote]
Isn’t the entire HVAC system bypassed/de-energized when the key is in the Start position?[/quote]
Yea, it’s weird. The only place I find the 2 circuits connected is inside the ECU. Hoping to diagnose it tomorrow. Of course I’ll be making a video.
I liked seeing this video as it was informative even if I’ve never owned a Contour. I guess you’re finding Jeff’s Contour easier than Barbara’s Town & Country.
Just a critique, I think Jeff’s Contour is a lot more in the worth fixing category than cars like Barbara’s T&C. I don’t mean he’s more deserving, I just mean I doubt his car is going to require comebacks.
[quote=”Kazuo” post=148541]I liked seeing this video as it was informative even if I’ve never owned a Contour. I guess you’re finding Jeff’s Contour easier than Barbara’s Town & Country.
Just a critique, I think Jeff’s Contour is a lot more in the worth fixing category than cars like Barbara’s T&C. I don’t mean he’s more deserving, I just mean I doubt his car is going to require comebacks.[/quote]
It has been easier on me than the T&C.
Many people say I shouldn’t have fixed Barbara’s van, but the truth is, I was able to kick off the Fixing it Forward project with it. Without that van, there might not be an FiF project right now. From that perspective, I think fixing Barbara’s van was the right thing to do.
Also, I wouldn’t have this Ford to fix if not for Barbara and her van. In fact, she drives Jeff and his wife around in it. So yes, fixing her van was the right thing to do.
Oh, I wasn’t saying she wasn’t deserving to have the van fixed. I just mean that ideally, and I stress that, it would have been better for her to not purchase that. I’m not faulting her for doing so, but I hope that when she finally commits the van to a junkyard that she doesn’t make the same honest mistake of choosing a vehicle that is so difficult to keep running. I myself have been guilty of buying a basket case car and dumping tons of money into it, more than the value of the car, to keep it operational because I didn’t have any other options. In hindsight, I would have *not* purchased the car in the first place. That’s why help people I know pick out cars that are going to last them a long time, hopefully.
Keep on doing good Eric, and I’ll keep on watching. If I’m in a better financial position in the future, maybe I can contribute to the project. I look forward to the next video on Jeff’s van.
[quote=”Kazuo” post=148647]Oh, I wasn’t saying she wasn’t deserving to have the van fixed. I just mean that ideally, and I stress that, it would have been better for her to not purchase that. I’m not faulting her for doing so, but I hope that when she finally commits the van to a junkyard that she doesn’t make the same honest mistake of choosing a vehicle that is so difficult to keep running. I myself have been guilty of buying a basket case car and dumping tons of money into it, more than the value of the car, to keep it operational because I didn’t have any other options. In hindsight, I would have *not* purchased the car in the first place. That’s why help people I know pick out cars that are going to last them a long time, hopefully.
Keep on doing good Eric, and I’ll keep on watching. If I’m in a better financial position in the future, maybe I can contribute to the project. I look forward to the next video on Jeff’s van.[/quote]
Honestly, there’s no way to predict how a vehicle will go, or life for that matter. One of the issues with this van is that it sat for some time before I worked on it. I talk about how damaging that can be here.
My point is that insight is 20/20. You can second guess things all day long, but it won’t change the outcome.
I stand by my decision to take on the van and Barbara’s decision to buy it in the first place. I knew what I was getting into and don’t regret it one bit. It helped launch my Fixing it Forward project which I had been wanting to do for the past 3 years.
Definitely concur with how cars can sit can result in problems cropping up with them. I don’t claim to be an expert when it comes to the life of a car, a lot of it is purely up to chance. All the same I think its undeniable that I take greater risk buying something like a Yugo vs, say a Tercel or Civic if I’m looking for a daily beater. The quality of the car has a lot to do with it, and I think a lot of people would agree that the 1990s Chrysler cars had a tendency to break easily and be more maintenance intensive. As a friend of mine who watched the FiF series on Barbara’s van said, “There’s a saying when it comes to those vans: All problems have their roots in the transmission.” Of course he’s joking somewhat, but something can be said for the fact I don’t see many 1990s Chryslers on the road anymore here in Virginia, and a lot of them in junkyards. My local Pick ‘n Pull has more than five of them on the lot, for instance. And its primarily because we have terrible roads, terrible drivers and yearly safety inspections, which tend to weed out the clunkers. Not saying they can’t last.
I respect your decision to fix Barbara’s van. She seems to be very deserving and I hope that it lasts as long as she needs it to. I certainly don’t have anywhere near the skill or financial ability to be able to offer repairs for those who need, but can’t afford it.
Here’s hoping that Jeff’s car doesn’t have too many hidden issues. For all the flak I give Ford, they’re not bad at all.
[quote=”Kazuo” post=148666]Definitely concur with how cars can sit can result in problems cropping up with them. I don’t claim to be an expert when it comes to the life of a car, a lot of it is purely up to chance. All the same I think its undeniable that I take greater risk buying something like a Yugo vs, say a Tercel or Civic if I’m looking for a daily beater. The quality of the car has a lot to do with it, and I think a lot of people would agree that the 1990s Chrysler cars had a tendency to break easily and be more maintenance intensive. As a friend of mine who watched the FiF series on Barbara’s van said, “There’s a saying when it comes to those vans: All problems have their roots in the transmission.” Of course he’s joking somewhat, but something can be said for the fact I don’t see many 1990s Chryslers on the road anymore here in Virginia, and a lot of them in junkyards. My local Pick ‘n Pull has more than five of them on the lot, for instance. And its primarily because we have terrible roads, terrible drivers and yearly safety inspections, which tend to weed out the clunkers. Not saying they can’t last.
I respect your decision to fix Barbara’s van. She seems to be very deserving and I hope that it lasts as long as she needs it to. I certainly don’t have anywhere near the skill or financial ability to be able to offer repairs for those who need, but can’t afford it.
Here’s hoping that Jeff’s car doesn’t have too many hidden issues. For all the flak I give Ford, they’re not bad at all.[/quote]
I’ll just add one last thing. FiF is not about the vehicles. It’s about helping people that need it. EVERY car company has had bad models and issues. There is no one car company that’s better than any other. It really depends on the day of the week and what you’re working on. At the end of the day, they ALL end up in the scrap yard. It’s just a matter of time.
In fact, I’m giving the Ford back to Jeff today. There will be about 6 videos in the series with this car. It wasn’t that bad to work on if I’m honest. Not as bad as Barbara’s van anyway. Now it’s onto the Nissan.
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