Hi All!! New Member Here

Come here to introduce yourself, who you are, what you do, and tell us your
experience with our automotive products.
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trustinalllaw
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Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2016 1:44 am

Hi All!! New Member Here

Post by trustinalllaw »

Hi my name is Dennis Edward, im located on the east coast of America, Eastern Pennsylvania. I recently purchased my first scope and i'm anxious to start using it and learning more about it's functions and capabilities. I currently work at a shop that deals exclusively with water damaged vehicles from all around the country, in most cases we only purchase fresh water flood automobiles. I'm very interested in expanding my knowledge about engine diagnostics and performance while i'm surrounded by so many high end vehicles daily. If anyone has some suggestions for a beginner, links to videos or tips on how not to hurt myself with this tool, i appreciate your comments. Thanks in advance!!

Steve Smith
Pico Staff Member
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Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 7:22 am

Re: Hi All!! New Member Here

Post by Steve Smith »

Hello Denis and thank you or the post, welcome to the forum.

There are loads of topics on here to get your teeth into but perhaps the best place to start is at the beginning here:

https://www.picoauto.com/library/training

The Pico Auto website is full of information under the "Library" tab on the home page:

https://www.picoauto.com/library

It would be interesting to hear how you clean and seal these water damaged vehicles when it comes to connections and corroded terminals.

Thinking of long term repairs, does this often mean replacement wiring harnesses or connector replacement?

Take care.......Steve

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STC
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Re: Hi All!! New Member Here

Post by STC »

Hi Dennis

Nice to make the acquaintance :D

To quote Steve
It would be interesting to hear how you clean and seal these water damaged vehicles when it comes to connections and corroded terminals.
Thinking of long term repairs, does this often mean replacement wiring harnesses or connector replacement?
I too wonder the same. I too have looked into "Flood Damaged" vehicles with a view to repair and sale.

A Win Win Win - Get to work on cars, diagnose complex faults and not an Irate (Iritatng) customer in sight. No phone ringing asking when will it be done? How much will it cost? I don't have the money right now .......... Paradise

I swiftly discovered that it was possible to "properly" repair these vehicles by replacing wiring harnesses and control units to fix the electrical issues, Engines if hydrolocked, Carpets Upholstery Fabrics Belts etc. Strip and sanitise Ventilation Channels, Flaps, Water Drains ..... to eliminate the risk of germs, algae, bacteria etc. slowly manifesting just to be sure the next proud owners child wont be contracting Asthma, Chest infections ..... (Im not a doctor).
Economically I could not make it work or just break even using second hand parts let alone Dealer Sourced.

In the UK I found it not possible to turn a fair profit without cutting corners,

PS. Here we cannot get a cheap chinese water damaged mobile phone repaired because they cannot guarantee the repair.
Last edited by STC on Wed Jul 20, 2016 7:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

trustinalllaw
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Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2016 1:44 am

Re: Hi All!! New Member Here

Post by trustinalllaw »

Hi again and thanks for the links.

As far as harnesses and connectors are concerned, we have dealt with some extreme situations where replacing pins, connectors and even wires was necessary but the majority of vehicles we see are able to be cleaned with a product called corrosionX. We also use wheel acid concentrate in some cases, but it must be neutralized and coated with corrosionX after, to prevent rust in the future because it does strip the protective coating off of the pins. We replace a large amount of components, depending on how high the water was in the vehicle. Surprisingly, many cars we get, the water didn't even reach as high as the seats. Airbag modules always get replaced and every carpet must be removed, cleaned thoroughly and dried for a few days.

So, in the states they have online auction sites where the insurance companies sell these vehicles and that's how the owners buy them, they've been in business for 20 years now and i haven't found anywhere else that specialized in just water damaged vehicles. I believe that this company has built a strong reputation in the area that keeps them in business and many return customers over the years.

A link to the website is here: http://www.executiveautogallery.com

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