In this video I look at a customers 2008 Buick Lucerne with the big 3.8. He brought it in because the money light was on. Come to find out it has a P0412 indicating a problem with the AIR solenoid switching valve circuit. Ends up being a rather interesting problem.
-Enjoy!
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South Main Auto Repair
47 S. Main St
PO Box 471
Avoca, NY 14809
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-Enjoy!
If an SMA Video has helped you out please consider giving using "Patreon" to help support us. The videos take real time to create and pull us away from real work that pays our bills. CLICK HERE: https://www.patreon.com/southmainauto
CHECK OUT OUR "SMA SWAG" STORE! Go on Teespring and get your very own SMA merch!
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Thank you for all the continuing support!
--Eric & Vanessa O.
Feel like sending some swag to SMA because you love the videos but don't know where to send it?
Just ship it here:
South Main Auto Repair
47 S. Main St
PO Box 471
Avoca, NY 14809
Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. South Main Auto Repair assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. South Main Auto Repair 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 South Main Auto Repair, 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.
And only here folks. Uh 08 Buick it's a Lucerne It's got the big three eight there's money lights on I Put a power maintainer on our battery maintainer and we got the old Pell firing up here. We're gonna give her a quick little scan with or without air pump. It says let's find our mission stag manic way up under the hood here I think look at my eyes to focus.
this one is with air. uh automatic HVAC We're just going to scan the engine controller. we gotta waiter. he's a waiter so we got to kind of hurry through this one.
uh I guess he threw some parts at it and uh, light remains on. So we're going to PCM and I Didn't even ask what kind of parts looks like a new air pump on it for some reason. Let's see. maybe it has air injection codes.
see what it says here? Try to get you guys out of the glare. Yeah. Foreign secondary or p412 I'm not familiar with that one. secondary air injection system switching valve circuit code so that's interesting.
That's a new one for me. Um I've seen these secondary air valves back in the day I Don't see 2008 anymore. Oh, seeing these things go bad, so that's right back here. That's this little guy.
They usually contain. uh, not just the electronic valve that opens and closes, but they typically contain a pressure sensor. Also, in that tall can determine uh, system performance. So let's uh, let's do this.
Let's hop into active test here. Let's make sure the pump and stuff works, see what, see if we can figure out what works and what doesn't. All right? So let's see. We got the air injection pump.
So this should turn on just the pump. I'll turn that on. It should sound like a vacuum cleaner. Okay, and it does.
And then we can see the pressure sensor, which is right there. It's reading atmospheric pressure right now. that's in that diverter valve in the back and we can see that little guy works. Okay, so we know the pump works.
We know that pressure sensor works. Um, let's see here. This is for the secondary air injection solenoid relay Pump Relay Solenoid. Really? So I'm assuming the solenoid relay is what they're referring to as that and typically you'll hear a change in the air pump.
uh, motor. Because right now it's kind of deadheaded. Usually, if that valve's opening, you'll hear it. You know, quiet down.
So let me just do that again. Plus, you'll see the pressure differential. It's not still jumping up to about 17. PSI So being that's a solenoid circuit, I'm assuming switch Valve A circuit.
I'm going to look that code up just to be sure. I Assumed it is the circuit that controls the solenoid. back here. probably full-time power ground side switch.
Something like that, We're going to look it up. We'll see how many wires we have here. We have three on the top, two on the bottom. I Assume the three are probably for the pressure sensor and I assume the other two are for opening this out.
I Could be wrong. Let's get a diagram. Look this up real quick. I Don't think this is going to be too difficult here folks. All right. First couple lucky guesses. So looking at the diagram here, get this where hopefully we don't see it. Let's see right here.
So there is our uh, solenoid on the back. So the three wires are for the pressure sensor and two of those wires are for the solenoid. Just like we thought, uh, full-time ground and then power side switch. We can follow that, maybe all the way up to a relay which has a 15 amp fuse.
Okay, uh, so not too bad. a circuit to test. We can start right out just by getting after it here. Um, we've got a flashlight and so what are the possibilities? Uh, it's a circuit code.
It's not a specific circuit code as far as short or open could be either one. we're going to go I'd say I think it was pink, that pink, black, black, white right here. Oops, let me grab a different to grab my own test light so we're going to jump right in here. We're going to just probe those two wires, the the two controls here just very gingerly.
front program all right. and then we're gonna use a scan tool to kick the solenoid on and just see if our test light lights up. If it does, then we'll just check for an open in that valve. Oops, Hit the wrong button here again.
Here we're gonna go to active test and then solenoid relay. So we're either missing power or ground because it did not light up. So let's just take our regular test light here. We'll hook this onto a power foreign power supply on here.
We'll just verify that we have a ground. well it should be I Guess we can touch either one of them on the side. Okay let's see here, this is our ground and it appears that we have a ground because it lights up our our light albeit low current lights are up. So what's that Tell us that tells us that we have either blowing fuse or a broken wire.
If I can hold this far enough away from my face we can see it says air Solenoid Fuse 5 under hood junction box right hand engine compartment 15 amps so that must be over here. Let's see if I take that off, stick that back on there, turn power supply back on and that said fuse number five but you can see the legend in there. So top right I Don't know if you see it with the glare or not, but over here in the top right is number five. Put that guy there.
we've got some players actually. before we yank it out just in case we're dealing with a bunch of corrosion junk, let's take in the let's just check it. Last thing you want to do is touch it and then find out it starts working. So here it is.
number five. Wait a minute. That's only going to have power. probably when the relay is on.
Is it? Nope. Hot at all times? Supposed to be hot at all times? Okay, that's interesting. I'm sure our test light works. The fuse has no power on either side, although the ones next to it do. Let's pull it out because I do see some green crusties here on the box. The fuse is good. It's pretty interesting, huh? Let me grab a t-pin here. Let's see.
I'm gonna go in that box a little bit deeper. We'll power on that leg. That's interesting. Okay, okie Dokie.
Well let me show you something. I Think we're gonna find the problem in the bottom of this fuse box because I'll show you I'll show you what I'm thinking I wonder what this fuse is this? number 10 or the number four here AC Clutch 10 amp. That one doesn't light up either. the other three in this row do.
But number four and number Five views did not light up number five. Let me just make sure they're grease here. Yeah, Air's still only like 15 amp and I know the power supply feeding that fuse is good and I'll tell you why. So here's why.
let me get a plain apparatus. see if look at my grubby finger. So this fuse right here doesn't have any power on it. but this fuse does okay.
This is the 50 ampere that runs the air pump motor itself. We know that fuse has power because the motor turns on. so we're missing power on this leg here in the fuse box if that makes sense because we have no power on this fuse at all. So somewhere is under the fuse box or built into the fuse box that is missing power.
That's not good. Um I wonder I Think the best thing to do is to take this fuse box out which I Think we can? uh, let me go talk to my customer first and then second of all. I Think we can prove our hypothesis that we have by doing something. Let's do something and grab a jump wire here.
jump at the power I've Got The Power There we go. There's that. Let me move you guys so we can all see here. If this works, we're gonna want this.
You might get that fuse. A little bit of juice is okay. All right. our fuse is powered.
That test light up here. Oops. If we point her back in, it should light up providing nothing else is wrong. Let's see.
Oh, why are you lighting up right now? We've got a big minute. Why is that lighting up right now? Does that mean the relay is latched? Why is that lighting up? Where's my wiring diagram? You shouldn't be lighting up right now. Let's just wire that Graham's wrong or that relay is stuck. This should Not be lighting up right now.
Feeds power to the relay. that should be an open circuit. right now that air solenoid should be open. That should not light up the test light.
Currently because the relay should be opened. Um, and yeah, because it shouldn't latch out relay until we turn that little guy on. Okay, we need to find the relay. Let's get a little more.
a little more interesting. huh? Let's see. it's called the Air Solenoid relay. This guy really needs glasses.
35 . So let's find relay. Number 35. Is this.
It's a relay. It's not there. Dude. there's more of this story. Look at this folks. Let me show you here. I Will just go live. Click you there I Know it's kind of noisy.
Usually Number 35 Top right hand corner. Guess what? It's missing? What's this? One is gone. There's there's more of this story than what we're being told. Um, because the relay is gone.
That's number 34. that's 37. I'm sorry 37. No, this is 29, 37, 29, 34 and 35 is missing.
We also have no power on this fuse and there must be a bunch of corrosion under here because that's the only way that this could be last. That makes sense to you guys. so we should have power coming in and this: this solenoid should not light up a test light like we have it. that should not light up until we command this relay on.
However, that relay is. M.I.A it's gone all right. I Better go get the whole story here. Um, it's looking like we need a fuse box.
You know why? I bet you know what happened. it relay stuck on and uh, somebody yanked it out I Don't know what What symptom would they have noticed? was it burning up the air tubes? I don't know. They all look original. They also got the clamps on them.
It's pretty dang interesting. Yeah, so it's curious is inside this relay? I'm just checking there's there's four pins in that really two of them are hot and technically there should only be one hot. Um, with this fuse being dead, that is. Now if this fuse was good, um, there would be, you know, two hot legs.
But right now, two legs on this relay. if this relay right here, that one is hot and this one is hot. So we have two pins here in the relay that are hot, that should not be one of them should be. And obviously when we provide Power you know to our fuse, you know the circuit completes up through here.
so there has to be a a bunch of corrosion in the bottom of this box or somebody's been in there fiddling Netherland would think they'll not be meddling I Don't want to take a few spots out because if it is rightful of the green pus. um, you know I need this car to be able to drive out of my bag it drove in. So I would say I believe that you take these three bolts out and unhooks the connectors under the fuse box. unlike that Ford we did the other day.
so prior to doing anything I Want to have a new slash used fuse box in my hand? I'm gonna go talk to the customer about it. let him decide what he wants to do. This is a printed circuit board Style Fuse box I Can see the green board in there so we definitely have something shorted in the board that's creating this connection here. Let me go talk with him I'll be right back folks.
Well I have a moment folks, we're not gonna pick this one. Um, so you just find it diagnosed so you want to do it himself so we're not going to be able to show you guys the repair he did say uh, you know I Told him you know beyond this I Don't know if anything else is wrong, but we could have a bad diverter valve also. But first we need to, you know, get the correct powers and stuff working here so we can figure everything else out. Granted, we could have you know checked the divertic valve for an open, but I guess we'll leave it to that so hopefully when he fixes that, then that's the end of it but could have some more I suppose can't fix my folks I Can't believe the guy he just wanted to diagnose. He does some of his own, you know, purchase, changing and stuff. so he's gonna go junkyard, get his own fuse box, put it in and he said if he has any problems beyond that, he'll bring it back to us. Uh, he was well aware of the fact that you know I did not check the diverter valve itself to make sure it could open and close and that it may be you know, stuck shut. However, we need to get good control going to it first and it's more than obvious there's you know, a short in the Uh fuse box.
plus and open, there's an open to the fuse and then there's a shorten that relay circuit which I have no idea where that's getting its power from so that could be you know, shorted to another circuit in there so it could be a big old mess. He did appreciate us not taking the fuse box out and rendering the car useless. So uh, that's it. Hope you guys didn't find this video useless and head in that comment section.
Give me questions or comments by the time to answer the Facebook Just my viewers I can do it. You can do it. Thanks for watching.
That was a good call. Quick 👍
Excellent transition!
Excellent teaching!
Trust was restored!
No need to unsubscribe TODAY !😅
ERIC IVE BEEN A FLUID FILM GUY CAUSE OF YOU BUT PB BLASTER SURFACE SHIELD JUST MAYBE AWAY BETTER PRODUCT, WATCH TEST VIDEOS
WATCH REPAIR GEEKS VIDEO
And its half the price
Thanks again
I think you dodged a bullet there Eric
Don't ya just love these "I can fix it cuz I know how to replace parts just tell me what needs replacing" type of customers. Thank God for them cuz they make our paychecks. Ya gotta love em. Just wish they wouldn't wait till they're asshole deep in alligators to bring the car back so ya can straighten out their mess.
Holden stopped fitting that 3.8 litre Buick L36 V6 engine back in 2004 in Australia yet it was still available in some cars in the U.S. up.until 2008,it wasn't fitted with an air injection pump in Australia.
It was replaced with Holdens own 3.6 litre LY7 Alloytec V6 engine back in late 2004 ,it was actually a global GM engine which was used in many different cars !
Good job, Mr.O!
Here's something you will not be able to troubleshoot satisfactorily. Why did GM decide to move on from this engine?
Good practice to communicate with the customer before any further repairs, thank you for letting us know
Read your follow up below. Good to see all turned out ok for the customer. To bad he didn't give you the old fuse box so you could have disected it to see where the problem was located in the box. Oh well. It's fixed. On to the next one.
You are the best 👌
Good for you Eric O.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
This is a win for you even though the customer his on swap out
I know a lot of mechanics that get all butt hurt when a customer denies the fix and just wants to know the diagnosis but some people enjoy doing the parts changes themselves some have financial reasons whatever the reason as long as they pay you for your time I don’t see a problem with it and I respect Eric for not letting it bother him and respecting the customers request 👍
WHO DRIVES A 08 BUICK
Great troubleshooting video as usual. Most DIYers hate wiring diagrams. Changing a part is usually easier than troubleshooting a electrical fault. You showed us how to locate & verify the defect. Without the wiring diagram it's just a guess.
"Hey folks, you know if I can do it YOU can do it" – well I guess this guy has been watching (and listening) for a while! BTW – that statement is totally wishful thinking in most cases. YOU can do a hell of a lot more than most 'trained' mechanics out there. The more so the further south you go in my experience..🏍🏎🚜🚛🚚🛻🚙🚘🚗🚖🚕🚔🚓🚒🚑🚐🚌
Smart dude!!!
That sucks. I was looking forward to what you where going to find,since my ex sister in law had the same car and I replaced the fuse box because the ac clutch fuse lost power
What’s up with that black single cab GM over your shoulder ? Are we going to see it? Lol
That's how my 08 Avalanche is. It has no fuel pump relay or fuse yet it still runs. I never did figure it out but somebody has been there before.
Help please. I Just got a hub tamer. Does anyone know the exact size aftermarket bearing Eric O adds to his kit when he’s using it? Thank you so much for the help.
Eric,
Get new glasses that do double duty, i. e., prescription safety glasses
You have stated before, Eric that you do have customers that do some of their own work; they are just wanting a "diag." I have seen your videos where you go to the junkyard after a fuse box and replace it. So, I guess this is really an instance where "If I can do it, you can do it." Great video.
very nice troubleshooting!
I don't know about any of your other viewers, but I'd be interested to see the old fuse box now your man has changed it, just to satisfy the curiosity – just how bad was it?
So the guy gave up the parts cannon route to find a professional sorta
Steak, tail and South Main Auto videos….. three of my favourite things!!!
"Someone's been meddling with things they ought not be meddling with."
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
Sometimes you win sometimes lose
This is one of the best channels on the site for diag. You and Dan the Scan Man and a handful of others.
Eric, your troubleshooting skills are second to none. Thank you for sharing your skills with us.
I have learned so much in diagnosing issues by following Eric and am grateful. It really helps with fixing stuff around the house as well as on power equipment.
Lucerne is french for crap
I hope you got a couple hundred bucks for that pinpoint diagnosis.
Unless it's family then charge 300.😅
I found the problem. OK thanks. Don't fix it. I have the parts cannon loaded.
Very nice!
Great video! Smart money says he already knew where he stuck his solder!lol!
Not bad just diagnose let him do the dirty work!! Lol
Nice of you to Confirm for this customer EO, And he did get it fixed straight away👍🏼😎… Your Trouble shooting is Stellar "E". Good learning experience.
I’m amazed at what all you can do. It takes a lot of experience and training and also be able to have access to the info that you need to properly do your job. Great Job.
🍻
I enjoyed following your diagnostic approach to determining that the fuse box is the primary determining factor in solving this issue. I find solving these types of issues very rewarding. Too bad the owner elected to halt your repair. I would have liked to see the carnage at the bottom of the fuse box. Congrats on getting to a definitive start point. I hope the owner comes back with a status after his actions.
This video highlights how much experience is worth. A lot of what Eric is doing here has more to do with familiarity due to experience. He makes a lot of assumptions that end up being correct. But that's because a lot of circuits are engineered the same way. And that experience allows for a faster diagnoses. He still dies verify through the wiring diagrams. But nevertheless experience along with being technically sound is the key. If this were someone who was technically sound but not experienced they'd have run through understanding theory and operation first just to understand where to look for faults.
My 89 F150 300ci 4.9 liter had old school air injection on it with a belt driven air pump. The air pump seized up on it.
Great job, but do you get paid for diagnosing?
A mechanic who knows electrical, knows how to troubleshoot, and knows the difference between a "short" and an "open". From the bottom of what's left of this cynical Sparky's heart, thank you: you make me grind my teeth, a little less.
Any idea how to fix a 2011 equinox it burns oil bad no leaks anywhere yet have to put two quarts of oil in every week it's very annoying
😮Another day in the life of a mechanic. Guess if you can do it he can fix it with your guidance.
Love to hear you on Changing The Industry Podcast Eric. You have been a great inspiration and influence on my automotive career and I can’t thank you enough.
Another good job, shame we didn’t get to see the fix, I’d like to have seen the mess under there. 👍👍👍👍
Don’t have anything to add either but good job mr Eric O!!😊
Great video
I feel bad that people can't afford to let u fix stuff . Trump Go
Oh the tangled web of deception
Looking forward to videos on the black CHEVROLET
Great diagnostics Eric and a good outcome for the customer in the end after what you found.
If he can't diagnose it, he can't fix it… you know this ended VERY poorly.
And that’s why folks you charge a diagnostic fee time spent . I have a local mechanic that will do the same for me if I don’t have the time to find the problem but more than capable of changing the part great to see Eric will do the same also kudos!
I was already looking forward to the trip to the pick and pull. Darn.
Super. I'm glad that Mr. O doesn't hold it against customers who want to do some of the work themselves once he provides the diagnostic service.
Nice find – not the obvious.
I have run into ProDemand GM diagrams in the past that show the fuse on the wrong side of the relay, I believe it was a Buick fuel pump fuse in the fuse box under the rear seat.
Hi, Mr. O. The customer is sometimes right. Right? And this customer knew where he could get the info he needed. Good on him. Thanks for sharing!
A waiter eh? That's unusual but maybe he can enjoy a nice lunch made by Mrs. O while he's waiting.!!!
Great video, Thanks!
That oil filler neck coming off instead of the cap… classic
Here's one for the algorithms, baby!
👍
I've been dealing with an air pump issue on my 2012 Tocama for years now. I've had it into the dealer several times now and I've just decided it's easier to clear to codes every few days.
Seems to me Eric, that as a part of "I want this vehicle for the next ten years" a good "bought it in case" is a fuse box, or even two. Just put them in the back of the closet and know in time you will need to replace it and better to have a new one now and not an unobtanium in a few years.
I must make up a bulb for testing…so useful….good job again.
You got him where he needed to be. He might be back. Thank you
Relay good work there, sorting the chaff from the (Lucerne) hay.
Your the man Eric quick straight forward diagnostics. That's why I watch your videos .No messing around and I like the way joke around while you work got to be able to laugh .Take care.
Man, blue balls suck
have you dyed the hair "silverback".
Hiya Eric, when & where did u learn your Trade? Looking forwards to hearing your reply, please keep them coming GL&HF coming from Dulwich London England(✌peace✌)
I was watching this video and then my neighbor came and we watched it together. He said that this video changed his life and touched his heart.
I then went and rented a projector in a big field and my entire town watched it and it changed their lives too. We all are so grateful.
Thank You for this video….
None of your videos are useless…love em’ all brother!🇺🇸
Nice diagnostic
Would have been nice to see the underside of that fuse box. But your hands were tied.
This is what I like about watching Eric Is that he tackles stuff that other mechanics won't. Shops We'll look at their cars and say I can't fix it. But you can take it to Eric and he will fix it. Coodles to Eric.
You did all of the diagnostic work but not allowed to remedy the problem. I hate it when the customer won’t let you complete the job.
I’ve replaced quite a few of them in Oldsmobile, Chevy and Pontiac. Thanks!
That is a surprisingly “classic” vehicle for the PRNY.
Love these diag videos. Keep up the good work Eric! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
It's the journey that gets to the destination. So we all got something good from the video.
Thank you much for the video.
Man 25 years ago I might have done the same thing this guy did. But these days I couldn't see good enough to work on it or bend over long enough to work on it. So I count on my guy to keep me n the road. MAN getting old sure sucks.. So be happy it's just glasses for you right now.
Man that was anticlimactic.
Almost as impressed as the Honda sun visor fix. Thanks Eric
Well, if that ain't a shot in the shorts…
You never fell to amaze us.great video.
Man mister O you are the best mechanic! I love your videos.
You get some of the craziest stuff come in your shop, always appreciate you bringing us along!
Maybe this is a dumb question, but what is an AIR monitor and what's its purpose? Air suspension?, air conditioning? I'm so confused.
Good News! Customer stopped by my shop yesterday (Friday April 14) and informed me he did obtain a used fuse box. Apparently it was year specific. He installed it the AIR monitor ran and passed so he was able to get his sticker. Figured I would hold onto this video until I had heard back from him (so you folks could have some closure) and thankfully he fixed it right away. Thanks for watching!
-Eric O.