SteveS

I haven't noticed it today, here in the Pacific Northwest we might be a little bit behind the hurricane panic. Gotta love that, raise the prices just in case something goes wrong!

That third picture is a very convincing "playing possum"!

"Do as I say, not as I do" syndrom?

Here in the Puget Sound Region there are a couple main players that drive the economy, probably the largest is Boeing. When they are getting orders for airplanes and hiring people are happy, when they are laying off then money gets tight everywhere. There are many small companies that supply pieces to Boeing, so when the plane orders are decreasing it is more than Boeing employees that loose their jobs. So when the employees choose to strike (and I am not saying they are right or wrong, I do not have the numbers that they are basing their decisions on) there is a considerable ripple effect. As many strikes go there is a lot of emotion and the feeling of soladarity with other blue collar workers. I think that is fine, but it rings hollow to me when your "I'm on strike, Let's stick together, One for all/all for one" giant sign is on the back of a Korean car. Not even a foreign company with domestic plants. Is it just me?

At least you're not letting it get you down! Don't hold your feelings in or sugar-coat it; you are among friends...

Too wierd! Thanks for sharing the story!

WOW, what an A$$-Kicker! So, to sumerize: The CAC tube and turbo failures were probably related to the poor EBP signal (combination of the vibration and restricted up-pipe)? Or coincidental to the EBP issues? Does this mean that the truck has not had the Inferred EBP reflash? Is anyone using an ultrasonic stethoscope for wierd problems similar to this?

/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbup.gif

The Club Wagon doesn't have a left side sliding door? The Renault powered Winnebage didn't get very far, but that was a different time in fuel prices.

The trouble is that its my turn to fill those shoes and I don't have all those tricks yet. I don't let on to the younger guys, I just let them think that I know what I'm doing. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif When I was growing up in Pennsylvania we had skunk piss (I think that Liquid Wrench was the product that referred to). I don't know where we would have found weasel piss, especially in the days before the internet. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

Now I remember why I haven't been at that site for a couple years!

I went to the Bio Blend site and then located a dealer near us and emailed them to see if they would sell one can for a trial. Still haven't heard from them, I might have to do it the old fashioned way and use the phone... We have been using PB Blaster for the rusty stuff, but alway open to new ideas.

You could see that the carbon buildup was probably clogging the nozzles. The fuel hoses between the lift pump and filter canister were dissolved to mush. She knows that it is increasing the maintenance that her truck needs but is still committed to saving the planet. No one involved will be surprised when they clog again.

That sucks! You are helping me decide that it is (way past) time to have an external hard drive for backup. I have been waiting for the prices to keep dropping but they are already fairly cheap, especially considering the cost and inconvenience of recovery.

We have a customer that calls her '96 F250 "a vegan" because she runs B100 in it (the truck seemed to running progressively worse at every visit, we just replaced the injectors and it is back to normal). The last visit the clutch pedal was squeeking and binding. I told her that I felt bad that I used petro based lube to free it up; she laughed. But if I'd had this I could have been a real hero! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

How right you are! Scary on so many levels: First, we are sharing the roads with people that don't see the importance of looking at their equipment, and don't comprehend the consequences to everyone around them. Next, that for us to perform our jobs we are counting on the driver to be observant about the vehicle. And finially, as you point out, they are probably applying the same irresponsible lack of logic to everything they do. A parallel story on the news this morning: click me for Transit bus on fire . I believe that they were suspecting a failed tire as the original cause of the fire. It will be interesting, though to see if that turns out to be the real cause; they said that it is a "new" hybrid bus that will cost $500,000 to replace. I hope they are insured for that! I'm also glad that they were running a monster articulated bus for 24 passengers....

Oh sure, like there would be enough material available for a separate forum! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif Just kidding, of course. I simply haven't had the time to browse the public stuff and would appreciate seeing some of the more entertaining threads.

Ouch! I'm guessing that the tech was disappointed that he won't be getting paid for that little adventure?

OK, I tried, but I can't help asking: Was the shirt worn by a man or woman?

My $0.02, FWIW: I love the IDS. It is the best "scan tool" I've used, and I wish that it had the same capabilities on other brands. My wife dropped her Dell notebook at least twice (that I witnessed), then blamed Dell for the dead spots on the hard drive. ("It should last longer than 2 years..."). And then just bought another Dell. This (and many more similar "blond moments") is why I drink... There is strong evidence that Toshiba sold silent submarine technology to the Soviets at a time when we (on the NW hemisphere) did not want them to have it. I still won't buy Toshiba products. Added in Edit: The Dell that my wife just bought has Vista and they would not allow her to option XP. When I looked at the websites for Dell and Lenovo I found only Vista (and Linux) for operating systems. Tough Book is still showing XP as an option, but for how long? (I just looked at Toshiba and they are still offering XP as well) I thought that Microsoft was going to require Vista on new machines after a certain date; maybe that is certain manfacturers? So then what? Buy a machine with Vista and then pay extra to buy an earlier copy of XP when you know from the start that you will need XP?

These are classics! They have the requisite slightly painful connection to reality quality that makes them irrestiably funny. Oh, and BTW, Jim, that isn't a singer but a comedian (maybe the finer points of US Redneck humor doesn't reach that far north?). You could probably Utube Bill Engval and find a handful of "Here's ......" skits.

I believe that was based on a Will Rogers quote. How about: "I make up my opinions from facts and reasoning, and not to suit any body but myself. If people don't like my opinions, it makes little difference as I don't solicit their opinions or votes." William Tecumseh Sherman For Jim: "You are remembered for the rules you break." Douglas MacArthur And I leave you with: "I rant, therefore I am." Dennis Miller Maybe this one is better for Jim?

AMEN! Fair enough! It is unfair to group all technicians (choose the subject of the topic: Dealership or Independant) as crooks. I like the DLC chastity belt, too! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

OK, I thought about what I posted over a cup of coffee and realized that it may sound like I am criticizing Aaron's response. I'm not. I didn't see anything in what he told the guy that was not a dose of reality. I am just attempting to see the situation from a customer's view. They judge us, the technicians, by how the SA handles their transaction, and how the factory supports the warranty. Their perspective might be influenced by previous bad experience with a tech that didn't care about them. Auto repair horror stories certainly have a larger audience now with the internet than they had when simply discussed among friends. But they also need to be able to communicate with respect and consideration, especially when they might be at fault! I do have some experience as a warranty customer (automotive and otherwise) and I try to interact with the service personel as I would want a customer to approach me. On the occasions when I received a survey if I felt like I was treated well I returned it with a 100% grade. If I was dissatisfied then I wouldn't return it; I'm willing to see that a job might go bad and (as a tech) I wouldn't want to get whacked because of something that was out of my control. Although in one situation my silence did have a bitter taste; at a dealership where I had several poor-result visits and I did not send in a (true) bad survey the store received the President's Award.

Jim, It sounds like you have been bounced off again? Are customers actually allowed in the forums where techs are trying to communicate? I have to agree with you; the more I learn the more that I realize how little I know. Oh, to be a teenager again when I knew everything !