I know, I know, you probably hear this all the time: don't drive drowsy. It's not just about being responsible and safe, driving drowsy is expensive! It kills your car miles per gallon.
Did you say, oh by the way, it's not Olive Garden...? That's one of my 2 experiences where I ended up with frozen food in a restaurant. The other was a pizza which they "rushed" because I was there a little after my friends. No thank you for rushed food! It's like some cooks may be teaching servers with an earful from their customers. I had to argue both times. Like you I kept it a lot cooler than I felt. And when my eyes showed the truth of how I really felt the servers would back off and say something noncommittal and nice.
Really? Next I'm thinking about cops being called because I walked out on my bill and my date so I wouldn't really do something stupid (the cops for unpaid for frozen food, not me hitting anyone).
Wisely, you checked your food in the center. I did not. I felt so completely gross with uncooked food in my mouth! No amount of whining and dining on their dime was going to change how I felt on a very early date into getting to know Bridgette at the time. (whining left as a whine not wine on purpose, it's more fitting for the server's inability to use customer service!)
She was like. It's fine. Don't make a scene.
Her chair pushed back a bit. Apparently I had a temporary super power of scaring people because my mouth felt like it had been smothered in hair (the texture of frozen Fetucini Al Fredo). Then she got the "are you kidding me" eyes! I responded, "I'm being completely reasonable. There's a reason fine dining establishments have you pay second. It's a way of them saying, 'I can prove to you it's worth the bill at the end.'"
She asked, "Oh is that why? I always thought it was so that if you didn't pay attention you could run up your bill and have to deal with it afterwards." Okay, now I'm putting words in her mouth. This girl could make any restaurant experience cost 3 times the cost if I went there alone. And I explained restaurants paying at the end as a way of explaining how it was designed for dates like her to run up the bill!
Did I tell a yarn? Was it fully real, or did I tell it the best I can remember it with a little artistic license? You decide.
These codes were stored on a 2014 Chevy Impala 2.5L Echotech engine. The TSB's referenced were specific to P0011 and P0014, but they still are very educational for testing the system, especially if the wires are at fault and not the exhaust cam shaft solenoid itself.
What are the step by step testing suggestions?
1. Check with your *scan tool that the exhaust cam shaft actuator does not change position when commanded up to 15%.
2. Checking the actuator and solenoid status will help you do wire wiggle tests. Example: when I wiggled the wire the solenoids status would go from okay to malfunctioning and back again, but when I twisted on the solenoids body without touching the wires, it was also go in and out of okay and malfunctioning.
3. Verify the PCM is attempting control of the solenoid. Back probing got me a varying voltage from 7 to 12 volts. On an oscilloscope it would be a square wave pattern. If there's any issue follow for the wire tests or if you need understanding on the system: #PIP5096C or #PIP5162: P0011 P0014
4. Replace solenoid if faulty. If replacing the solenoid, dip the actuator end in clean oil first.
5. One TSB suggested removing the old one, using a rag and air pressure to blow out the oil channel. Ensure clean oil, change if necessary, check to see if codes reset.
What fixed it?
Replaced Exhaust Cam Shaft Solenoid and verified PCM's both control over the actuator and the solenoid's status.
Possible fixes: damaged wiring, cleaning the oil passages behind the Exhaust Cam Shaft Solenoid.
*Note: a dealer level scan tool will likely be required to go this deep in testing. It'll require a scantool with bi-directional control and be fully compatible with Chevy's PCM.
P0449 Vent Control Circuit/Vent Control
P0446 Evaporative Emission Control System Vent Valve/Solenoid Circuit
I forget about possibly a 3rd code which was on this 2004 s10 V6 4.3L little truck. It had to do with Vent control high and/or low input. This typically means that the PCM is no longer seeing a value out of a sensor that it expects, or it can mean that there is a wiring issue.
It's not often with EVAP systems that there is a driveability issue or performance issue. Most often, it's just a pesky system which needs diagnosing so that you can pass emissions. The goal of the EVAP system is to capture fuel vapors and prevent them from going into the atmosphere. Hydrocarbons are actually very bad for air quality and this with other systems have managed air quality to be much better than what I remember them to be when I was a child in the 80's.
While driveability concerns or engine performance aren't typical with these when the purge valve opens without vent control, it could make an engine run rough - it did when I commanded at a lowest percent of 10 percent by a bi-directional tool for the purge valve to open. This allows the vapors to be burned in the engine. Typically, the purge valve has to be commanded at 30% or higher to effect idle, not just 10%.
What are the step by step testing suggestions?
Remember, the same EVAP codes can head in many directions. I included typical directions from other techs, but it wasn't the case here.
P0446 Can be the vent being commanded open, but being stopped up or failing to open. 1. Be sure to check for the vent solenoid for opening and closing when commanded by a scan tool. This confirms that the truck's PCM has control over the solenoid. I usually use a large hose which fits over the vent solenoid while I breath into it. You should easily be able to breath out into it until it's commanded and successfully turns on. 2. Check the canister for flow restriction. (I skipped testing the canister for flow restrictions as I already saw the PCM had no control of the vent solenoid) In this case, the vent worked fine directly controlled with power and ground, but there was no ground and no control from the PCM.
In this case the Vent and Fuel Tank Pressure (FTP) sensor both were missing ground. To see this, the gas tank had to be removed. The FTP was showing in live data at 13.5 mm/Hg whether it was plugged in or not. 3. When unplugged sensors read the same this is a hint wiring is bad. Inspect the wiring harness up the frame. Found damage and repaired. If not so obvious use a wire sounding tool to test your way up the harness to find the break. Generally, Chevy wiring harnesses are too thick for my sounding tool to accurately hunt for the real breaks in the wire. With many wires in the harness it blocks the "sound" and your tool indicates the wire is broken where it is not. Maybe PowerProbe's wire sounding which came from the Power Probe 3, while expensive isn't the best for the job. Otherwise known as the ECT2000.
It is possible the PCM is not providing ground as both of these circuits are directly grounded by the PCM. The vent solenoid is ground side switched.
To put this article in context, I was watching one of my friends videos over on YouTube His channel is called Ferintosh Farms Photography. Lanny Ross's video with Remi's question is available if you take this embedded video with a button on the bottom right during playback to actually watch it on YouTube, or you can simply stay here, watch the video, and get great detail for how my dealings with Rumble have begun. Rumble is my copyright manager for my content on YouTube and it's a way of dealing with monetization when currently my channel doesn't have the 1k required subs. Recently they up'd the 10k views to 4k hours of watch time a year. Gratefully, I've been blessed with some viral content and the watch-time is not a problem, but the subs are.
Hi Remi. I'm only a few weeks into having videos on Rumble and getting paid, or having $1.20 towards my first $50 feels a lot like starting over on YouTube. At least YouTube's minimum of $100 is beat by 50% by Rumble for when they'll pay out. Remember, I would be getting nothing right now. So this money is in despite of YouTube and their new requirements. I was excited at first at half that money in my Rumble account, but in the next week or so when there was no new money, I was starting to get depressed about it all.
Suddenly today it jumped up 50 cents to the money I told you. The reason? Rumble's stats on YouTube are slower. That was two weeks of catch up. Now realize, I've only had about 1k new views since Rumble has copyrighted some of my stuff and YouTube is slow to recognize the copyright, and then they may be (intentionally as it feels) slow on putting ads up because maybe they don't want it easy to work around their rules.
So far, and analytics are tough because I've had 100k views according to rumble in March, when really, the stats are confused as Rumble got the rights to an older and more successful video. See, when someone successfully claims your content they can see the analytics from YouTube on it and copyright owners have the right to just watch a channel and see if they grow and then tell the ads to turn on if they wish. I believe some of them are thinking, it's not worth telling YouTube to turn on the ads as it'll detract from their content being seen more if it's small change. If your channel and their content takes off, they'll most likely turn the ads on and YouTube may be a lot more quick to cash in and help Rumble with the video as well. Now if my guesses are right about only having 1 to 2 k new views since Rumble's copyright's, then this is similar pay to YouTube, 50kish views being worth about $35 in my experience says that 1-2 k views for $1.20 is either poorer pay, or about the same with all the issues of communication and speed between Rumble and YouTube to actually get those ads running again. Now IF, a big if, Rumble had all my content. Too much work for too little gain, plus Rumble and YouTube worked out having the ads on, then I'd really know for sure what it's worth to me for Rumble to have my content copyrighted for me. Plus, holding back half my income through YouTube is probably worth it. Sure, it just paid small bills, but I don't want to risk it all in rumble yet 1, and 2, unpopular videos are just as much work to copyright with Rumble as popular ones. (Even very sparingly viewed videos or at least the videos not in my top 15 are possibly worth 1/3 to 1/2 my YouTube income.)
I'm holding back a video I expect to go viral until I have 1k subs so I can manually go through and turn ads back on for everything. At that point, I'll really see what Rumble is worth. I think how it'll work is when YouTube sees the copyright and I make sure ads are on, the Rumble income will go up. Rumble or YouTube is slow to both recognize the copyright and turn ads on...if they weren't my mil value could be higher than a dollar, but it may be only 50 cents....gain, tough to understand the analytics with years of views being mixed in for the last month. Forgive my long response to your questions, but now I think it will be an article instead. Sorry Lanny, I don't want to be in your spam box, but I'll have to link this article to your video and ask you do the same back. It'll grow us both and give us more traction with search engines.
If you're interested in Rumble, be sure to use my referral Rumble link as Rumble will throw me 5% on top of whatever you make. You get 100% this way and I'd get another 5% out of Rumble's take after that. Good luck and happy video making!
Remember, you can't just pour the
coolant in and expect to be good to go. You also need to bleed the
air out of the system. I didn't show that in this video, but I
promise it's the same as when I recently got in and out of my Nissan
Frontier's coolant system. I show the technique of bleeding the air
bubbles out of the coolant during my changing of the belts. I had
needed to change the belts for a while, but when I spotted a light
coolant leak out of the thermostat housing, that's when I finally got
around to taking care of it all at once!
I'll also show what transmission fluids
belong in these cars. Be sure to watch until the end to catch it!
While I was at it, I also changed the valve cover gasket. I really
didn't show much on how to do it, but it's an incredibly easy job, on
this car, you only need the gasket, with no sealant, and you should
tighten it on to about 20 ft/lbs. Forgive me for not looking that up,
but most valve cover gaskets are like 22 ft/lbs. Be sure to follow a
nice x pattern starting from the center and working your way out. If
you need to see the diagram for the bolts, these often come with the
gasket, and if they don't, it's often available as a printout from
your local store who sales you the gasket. I'm sure I'll show it on
my Chevy Prizm in the future.
From 1998-2002 it was the 8th
generation of Toyota Corolla's, and this video will also work for
Chevy Prizm owners as these are the only years they were "Chevy's"
instead before the Chevy side was discontinued. Prior to this it was
the Geo Prizm. My brother has one. Great car. It's one of the reasons
I bought a little newer one.
I allude to a few other jobs in this
video. I didn't record a transmission fluid change, I just implied
it, but you do need to add transmission fluid when you change a
radiator, unless of course the transmission was a bit over full. I
dropped the transmission pan, changed the filter, without recording,
but these other jobs, I recorded and I'll leave the link to them
below.
The transmission fluid, which you
should add to these vehicles is Dexron IV or Dexron VI. I've studied
some about the differences, and I think that if they had Dextron VI
back in the day, they would have never used Dexron IV. Dextron VI
seems superior and is backwards compatible. It's deservedly a bit
more expensive.
By AutoBravado
Due to factors beyond the control of DE
Nichols/AutoBravado it cannot guarantee against unauthorized
modifications of this information, or improper use of this
information. DE Nichols/AutoBravado assumes no liability for property
damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information
contained in this video. DE Nichols/AutoBravado recommends safe
practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting
tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments,
chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or
implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of DE
Nichols/AutoBravado, no information contained in this video shall
create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular
result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use
of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video
is the sole responsibility of the user and not DE
Nichols/AutoBravado.
I've seen
this question a lot? What oil should I use?
Easy answer? Use the oil the engineer
recommended.
But if you want a harder answer behind
the concepts of viscosity and motor oil, then you have some studying
to do.
Should I go with a 0w-20?
I don't think that's wise if the
engine was designed for 30 weight once it's warmed up. You can get a
tiny percent better miles per gallon ignoring the engineering that went
into an engine with a thinner weight, but the catch is, this wears an
engine down faster. Engine wear contributes to permanent reductions
in miles per gallon. So, for example taxi's, having some of the hardest
use for their miles? Thinner oil is not a good way to be saving
money. Sure, if you didn't care about the next guy or gal when you're
done with a car, you could go thinner because it'll save you money,
but only a tiny bit, because you can pass the more used engine to the
next guy - this assumes you buy new...furthermore, while under
warranty, if they discovered your thinner use of oils, then you could
lose your warranty. In the case of a heavily used engine like a taxi,
even at the number of miles that isn't a big deal for a normal
consumer, you'll have already achieved a great deal more wear.
Now,
if the engine was designed for that second number to be thinner like
the 20 in 5w-20 or 5w-30, then there is no issue, most likely. Some
companies went to the slightly thinner oils to get better miles per gallon numbers, not because there was a matching redesign of the engine.
Again, bad idea to go thinner if the engine wasn't legitimately
redesigned, versus it just being an “environmental decision”.
You
see, oil takes more punishment to keep metal parts off each other
when it's thicker. You can't replace that protection...but some new
valve trains do require it or the THICKER oil of 30, once heated up,
is actually damaging those components.
Using a thicker oil is far more quickly
damaging.
Unlike the subject above, I have more
research to do about the viscosity that's indicated with the w, as in
winter. So a 5w-20 and a 5w-30 on a cold engine actually behaves the
same. I am referring to an engine that's not warmed up, not just one
that's freezing cold.
The portion that I need to do more
research in, is if going with a lower w or winter weight for extreme
cold...is it only protecting better at startup because it can flow?
Is it causing more damage as the oil heats up because vehicles that
are in the middle of warming up don't have the right viscosity?
Whether it's harmful after initial startup but fine after a complete
warm up or not, then the gain first thing in the morning would only
be balanced as a help to drivers who keep their engine warmed up for
longer – if however going thinner on the w or winter side of the
house, has the oil behaving well into a warm up, the it'll greatly
benefit those who are frequently short tripping in their car, just
like me.
- by AutoBravado
On a related subject, here's an oil additive by Lucas. It's called Lucas Pure Synthetic Oil Stabilizer:
Many of these questions that came up, came up on this video, which better illustrates the colds effect on different engine oils. So take a look at a fellow YouTuber's video called "Cold Engine Noise = OIL WEIGHT".
YouTube Success tip 1 by Steve Rob, don't go by videos that "teach" you how to be successful:
Great advice Steve. If I were to rewrite your foremost tip, I'd say, "Don't do it "their" way. Do it your way." Steve said there is no magical formula for what works. Hey, I have a couple ultra successful videos. They get watched and watched and watched. I call it luck and a bit of skill. I realized people wanted those videos. Usually, the videos I think people "want" (because you can't really know) are videos that are harder to do, but then my water decarbonization video. I was nervous, it was my 3rd video, and it's still going viral relative to my channels size. It's something I knew a lot about and I felt it was a good video.
YouTube Success tip 2 by DE Nichols (aka myself/AutoBravado):
Thumbs up versus thumbs down. Hey. If people bother to watch enough to give you a thumbs down then it's still success. I've noticed that when videos first come out, that's when most of the thumbs up happens. The longer a video is popular the more haters come out. Don't take it personal. The people who most appreciate you are usually the first people to watch. Focus on them.
YouTube Success tip 3:
I sometimes think some of my channel ideas that are the most successful may not be what my subscriber base wants the most. I don't really know, but I put out serious videos and then reviews on things here and there. The reviews, especial about easy chemicals, which keeps the lights on so to speak while the other often less popular videos are the guts and the glory of why I got into YouTube.
YouTube Success tip 3a:
What I mean is, reviews on easy to use chemicals? Automatically popular. Car repair videos, why I'm here, less popular, but if developed deeply enough, I could get a paid channel one day. That's where the money is at assuming you can do something that professionals of the automotive world will pay for, or even serious DIY (do it yourself) automotive enthusiasts.
YouTube Success tip 4 based on my favorite advice that Steve Rob repeats:
I find that money isn't much of a motivation, not that YouTube pays much without TONS of views, so yes, absolutely, do what you enjoy most. If you enjoy many things which can't be related together in one niche, or truly related content, you'll need to let go of them as a channel needs one focus or ultimately future subscribers will be confused as to what they should be getting. When they're confused, they don't subscribe.
YouTube Success tip 5:
I find that when people are generous and they give to you, give back. I can't count how much I've mentioned Steve Rob on my videos. I mention other subscribers too. When they influence my thinking on making a video, I think they really appreciate hearing it in a later video.
YouTube Success tip 6:
Get involved in the community of videos that you're in to make videos for. There are other YouTube creators out there with similar content. You should reach out and support each other. Be genuine about this and you'll get support from each other, that you may not find anywhere else until your channel has grown more.
Some YouTube creators make the best comments because they're quicker to communicate like you. Steve Rob mentions that he doesn't review channels that aren't involved with their audience. A YouTube creator like that may not ever notice you exist.
YouTube Success tip 7 (Directly by Steve Rob):
Focus on views and likes instead of how many subscribers you have. Some channels have many subscribers but hardly any views in comparison. Take my DE Nichols channel for example. Most of my videos have a hundred views plus or minus given enough time, but I also have videos with tens of thousands of views because I made something the people really want, that they're looking for.
YouTube Success tip 8:
Have a website. I already did. It's a lot harder to make money off of adsense on a website then it is on a YouTube channel because you can ignore ads on a website, while on YouTube they have to watch some commercials. I think I'd be a lot less successful without websites pointing at my YouTube channel (DE Nichols), but it's hard to judge seeing as how I've written websites for years.
YouTube Success tip 9:
If you aren't aware of it and you're thinking about getting started int YouTube. YouTube has raised the bar a lot. Without 4,000 hours of watch time in the last year and 1,000 subscribers, you aren't getting into the YouTube Partner Program and you aren't getting paid. Lanny Ross from Ferinitosh Farms Photography has made multiple videos about how to get going with Rumble. Rumble is a new video platform. I'm not sure how successful they are as a platform, but as a service who copyrights your content and makes YouTube turn the ads on, they are a way to get paid sooner than those requirements set forth by YouTube. I don't know yet if long-term this was a good idea yet, but I've dived in and sold them rights to a lot of my top content. Feel free to explore Lanny's videos to learn about how Rumble works, but since I sent you to him, I'd appreciate if you use my referral link if you chose to sign up. Register with Rumble and get started.
My highest successes by views. Initially they were very liked but as time went more people showed up with their thumbs down. Take another look at tip 2 as to why I think that is.
My two viral videos relative to my current level of success:
I think they're popular because they're what people want. That said, in the Cataclean works video, I shared tons of other real repairs I did first and when all the conditions were right and the dumb PCM still thought the brand new catalytic converter was no good, it was time for a little help. Hardly a rave review, but very honest. Yes, you have to fix your car, and if it's not quite there, this can help.
This Water Decarbonization video has been ultra successful because people are looking for a video like this all the time. It was only my third video and there were many months where it was half my traffic. Again, instead of just talking about how it works, I covered all things I've noticed that it causes problems with.
