[These videos are a recommended review..... a never saw many first round....... and those I had seen, some was forgotten material!]

Putting all the videos in one category....awesome

[Just Cars 2011 Las Vegas, Key Tool unlocking GM Prox, Keylees ignition turn on, Kia-Hyundai Security light by Cliff Steiner]

Much of this post is not relative to 2011, much is far more recent, such as the GM Prox. Gotta view it all or ya will miss good content!

[Just Cars 2013 Las Vegas Stacy draws a crowd]

 

Oh, crap, is that me at 00:19?  I thought I am way studlier than that!

Ahhh, the "MESSY TABLE", my absolute FAVORITE part of JC....... shout out a car, Stacy reaches around grabs a module..... and imparts a ton of info..... Vrooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom....... then on to another module, another question, despite the noise, I picked up plenty. Unrehearsed, as the questions fly....... better than many seminars... not that I do not like well planned presentations...... Stacy handles random IMPROV well.

OK, so who kept paying for rides around the track ?

A bit disruptive, but it was fun. If my memory serves, that JC may have been the the last time I thing I ever saw Berj from ITL, back when he was cordial to me. I think that was the year he had a sort-of-working WAY OVERLY complicated prototype of a sidewinder machine that I guess never got produced.

Vrooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom......   

Learned a lot there!

I am impressed you could edit a full minute, without a car zooming by!

 

[Broken lock plates on newer GM vehicles]

On 5/15/2022 at 6:26 AM, Jim Hetchler said:

Most of the newer GM's.

Jim, given our respective ages, what we consider "newer" and what a 24 yo locksmith considers as such, might be decades apart!    

[Broken lock plates on newer GM vehicles]

Excellent Video(s)

 Do you have the model/year list this column design covers, in addition to the 2015 Sierra ?

[2013 Volkswagen Passat Cluster Change]

I got a guy who would repair the old cluster, if I had one like that. All he does is German diagnostics and board level repairs.

[2009 Canadian Spec F-150 Instrument Cluster]

47 minutes ago, Keyhole - Eugene said:

Autel successfully programmed.

 

Vehicle was at the dealer - first they told him it was the Ilco aftermarket keys why they could not program it. Then they sold him keys, didn't work and they told him it was because it was Canadian Spec.

 

Autel cloned the dash cluster in about 20 seconds. Threw immob codes for no keys programmed after replacement.

Programmed 2 keys, as it said parameter reset was NOT required. Took the keys but still did not start. Performed a parameter reset anyways - vehicle fired right up.

James, can you detail a bit, this is interesting. Autel, which tool?  Cloned cluster from another cluster?  I am sometimes slow, so need all the in-between stuff others just "know"

[What do you look for or avoid in a good soldering station ?]

On ‎5‎/‎31‎/‎2017 at 4:16 PM, chassis said:

There are many soldering stations that can produce heat to perform soldering or de-soldering tasks, but very few of them are ESD safe. Brand  names such as Hakko or Pace are higher in price due to the quality control that is designed into the equipment so that the technician is successful in component removal and replacement with out damage which can be caused by faulty cheap soldering equipment. If I had any concern that should not be overlooked while purchasing any soldering equipment it would be to make sure that it is ESD SAFE.

But is the price commensurate with what goes into the device, or is the price artificially high ?  The only way to find out is go up against PACE with equal equipment, for 1K. so, for whomever would like to test this theorem, I officially tender my Purchase Order right now!  

The stuff costs what it does, because the market bears it. A competitor has not identified the market as yet. Does a Toyota Prox really need to cost 325.00 retail? Heck, no.

What I believe you are saying, is not so much that Pace and to a lesser degree Hakko are worth the price they sell for; as they have applied some know-how to what really is a rudimentary technology, and did not cheese on overall quality. They have been LUCKY to enjoy most of the market.

I can see firms like Eeyore coming up with some higher end equipment, if they believe there is a market. Just like early Japanese cars that sucked, now they are world class.

With all the electronics work being done that parallels our industry, I would comfortably estimate there is a potential world market for 100,000 units. We are not the only industry having to screw with devices. We are one of hundreds.

[What do you look for or avoid in a good soldering station ?]

Price no object, PACE soldering is the porn of the industry. They supply military with equ and training... The square thing at end of heat source is not an air concentrator... it contacts the device legs, so the solder melts on all legs simultaneously, without undue heat to device nor board and surrounding devices.

Anyone want to get me a neato birthday gift this coming NOV, this would definitely not be treated like all those sweaters I have gotten over the years

[What do you look for or avoid in a good soldering station ?]

1 hour ago, petersouthern said:

always try and go for individual units. When you buy these combined units then normally the solder iron is junk.

I have a private branded one, and the threaded collar on iron split... it is cheap on build quality. Distributor rushed me two collars.