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RE: Ripped Off??????
Do not see any problem. The owner's manual should describe what each check engine light indicates (both of ours do). He should completely read the manual to understand his vehicle because it's his responsibility. He should have taken the vehicle to the dealer where warranty work would be done if the light indicated a problem.
"each check engine light":? A CEL is just that, a single light, however this one light can be On for multiple reasons from a loose gas cap to a faulty 02 sensor to a clogged EGR valve and many more. All the owners manual is going to do is tell you to take it to the dealer for diagnostics and repair.
I think you are confusing all the indicators on the instrument panel such as the brake trouble light, the ABS light, the SRS light, the high coolant temp light... as the Check Engine Light. There's a difference.
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Retired_nuke_ET
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11/10/08 11:30am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Ripped Off??????
When the CEL came on in the van I took it to our regular shop. Turned out it was a weak radiator cap. Cost $13 for the new cap, $15 for the labor to replace the cap, $54 for the scan to find out it was the cap.
Took me by surprise as I was expecting more like ~$25 for the scan. But I had no problem paying it. I do most of my own routine maintenance but major things like replacing a water pump or leaking power steering unit I leave to them. They've always done me good like when I had them do the 105K maint on the van (replace serpentine belt, plugs, most fluids, adj. valve lash...) they recommended replacing the water pump also as they will be in the area and have the belt off anyway, much cheaper to do it now then by itself later when the pump with +100k miles starts to leak. I trust them to be fair and honest and realize they have to make a living too.
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Retired_nuke_ET
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11/10/08 11:07am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Offering a little advise......
Obviously they never watched the Mythbuster's Water Heater Rocket
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Retired_nuke_ET
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11/01/08 01:23am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Diesel vs gas......................
We get it 8.1, that with that gas hog of yours you need to stop all the time and fill up so you are always looking to find the cheapest gas and mapping it out to make sure there are enough stations along the way so you don't run out. That you have to scrimp and save every penny in order to afford all of that gas so you are very grateful for your new Shell card because with the large amount of gas that you have to buy to feed that beast, Shell gives you back money for keeping up the national demand for oil.
(I thought you never paid for gas, you had all these passengers who paid for the gas for you?)
I bet the folks on dial-up or who have a metered pay-per-byte internet access appreciate the little images you keep posting.
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Retired_nuke_ET
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10/30/08 11:35pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Diesel Gas Milage
Also takes a while longer to warm up all that heavy iron. It starts out colder so it has more of a temperature range to cover and it's doing so surrounded by colder air. Thus you may run below normal operating temperature for a longer time overall. I have a 16 mile one way daily drive and sometimes I'm halfway home before she reaches normal operating temperature. If you let it idle to warm up you're getting 0 mpg that whole time which can put a good sized dent in your overall MPG.
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Retired_nuke_ET
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10/30/08 10:45pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: winterizing grey & black tanks
This place is great. I had the exact question, decided to come inside and check the forum and poof there's the answer I was looking for.
One thing I've learned so far, open a hot water tap to relieve pressure before removing the hot water tank drain plug unless you like a quick shower. You might also want to turn off the breaker to the water heater just in case somebody turns it On before you get a chance refill it. (my rig sits behind my house and while I'm sure it's unlikely for someone to turn the heater On, it will have power all winter and with the DW and kids having access... why take the chance, that and my brains might fall out by next spring and I'll be the one forgetting)
Yesterday Wally World had a big end of aisle display of the Prestone RV Anti-freeze for $5 somethin' almost $6 a gallon. But over in the RV section is the Peak RV Anti-freeze for $3.57ish a gallon :D
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Retired_nuke_ET
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10/26/08 10:20am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Is it legal to leave the drawbar/ball in when not towing?
Not every neighborhood has street lights situated everywhere illuminating an obstacle that someone decides to stick out at head banging height across the sidewalk off their p.u or suv.
If you can see the vehicle to avoid it, you can see the kayak. Did I not say it's BIG and BLAZE ORANGE? Under ambiant light it probably shows up much better than his dark green jeep does.
Here's some advice for ya'll:
Avoid walking near trees, some are down right onery and will put their branches right at noggin thumpin' height. Plus they tend to have a rough hard surface that will leave a nice little mark.
Avoid walking around motorcycles as they have handle bars and foot pegs. (maybe we should make it illegal for a motorcycles handle bar or foot peg to stick out unless you're riding it)
Avoid walking in front of any utility trailer as they have these hitch things that stick out in front.
Avoid the backyard of some houses as there may be a clothes line strung across it. (unless we make it illegal to have a clothes line strung up unless you are using it)
Avoid utility poles as some have guy wires coming down at an angle to be anchored into the ground.
Don't even think of taking a walk in an RV park with any 5th wheel trailers in it.
You know if ya'll would just wear helmets and shim pads when you went for your walks, all our insurance costs would go down.
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Retired_nuke_ET
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09/18/08 11:15am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Is it legal to leave the drawbar/ball in when not towing?
I leave mine in because it's locked and thus locks my White Night back up light to the receiver. I also like it because the ball is lower than the too high bumper and thus adds a nice extra step for getting up into the bed.
Some comments remind me of the safety folk at work who wanted a co-worker to remove his kayak because it stuck out about a foot from the back of his Cherokee and was at head level. It's a blaze orange kayak! You would have to be walking right next to his Jeep and paying absolutely no attention to where you were going to walk into it.
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Retired_nuke_ET
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09/17/08 02:24pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Another dumb truck question
Who likes short shorts?
Gotta be a certain age..... to get the reference!
I Nair(ly) remember that.:)
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Retired_nuke_ET
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09/05/08 10:29am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Where did all the analog VOMs go?
Well going to Radio Shack.com they have two analog models a 22-109 and a 22-223 (don't know if the links will actually work) Plugging in your Zip Code shows a place right in your town that has them in stock:
Computer King
34 LAKE HAVASU AVE N
LAKE HAVASU, AZ 86403
928-855-5757
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Retired_nuke_ET
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08/29/08 05:23pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Grease Fitting Dilema: Dodge 4X4
Capt Skup, you claim that your front drive shaft doesn't rotate constantly while driving. It's my understanding that it does rotate all the time, regardless of whether you're in 4WD or not. Please elucidate.....Ed
His profile shows a Ford and he may have locking hubs, unlike the
Dodge with the whole drive train engaged up to the transfer case.
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Retired_nuke_ET
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08/29/08 05:07pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Diesel vs gas......................
Me thinks p(h)onie missed an H when he was registering the name.
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Retired_nuke_ET
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08/29/08 09:53am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Mounting LCD TV in an RV using a wall mount
Thanks for the pics Chief, I didn't think of mounting to the side of the cabinet with a swivel mount, hummmm... then I can push it way back into the cabinet to get it out of the way. I take it these mounts are pretty universal or am I going to have to get a Vizio mount in order to fit the bolt pattern of my Vizio TV?
I feared the wall material was going to be too flimsy to hold anything.
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Retired_nuke_ET
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08/25/08 11:07am |
Technology Corner
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Mounting LCD TV in an RV using a wall mount
DW and I never understood why RV makers put the TV on a front or rear wall where it's 90° from the sofa forcing you to sit/view it from a somewhat sideways angle. Our Crossroads Cruiser CF31QB puts the TV in a cabinet over the kitchen sink right across from the sofa. Unfortunately the 26" Vizio we bought which fits perfectly in the cabinet has a narrow vertical viewing angle and when you sit down in the sofa you lose a lot of contrast and brightness. We tried to correct this by sticking a book under the back edge of the stand to tilt it forward which helps but to get a to normal image the tilting starts to look rather precarious so I've back off to a thinner book.
My questions are:
How would one go about mounting a wall mount to the wall? What type of anchor devices would you use? Though that wall is an outside wall and feels fairly solid, would you back it up, stiffen it up, with a piece of plywood or leuon? How thick generally is an RV wall (it would really suck to pop out the outside surface with a screw tip)
I've also thought of building a three sided square (box) to fit inside the cabinet (back wall and two sides) and mounting it to that instead of the wall of the RV. Since the TV spans the width of the opening you really can't see inside of the cabinet when the TV is in there.
I've never used one of these wall mounts before, are they easy to get the TV on and off? We currently take the TV down and stash it under the bed for travel. It would be a pain if using a wall mount involves screwing and unscrewing the TV from it each time we get underway, or are they generally sturdy enough to support the dynamic loads of a TV in motion?
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Retired_nuke_ET
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08/24/08 01:19pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: Hole in Battery
I heard that's one way to silence an annoying neighbors auto alarm. :E
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Retired_nuke_ET
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08/15/08 11:13am |
Tech Issues
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RE: 12 volts or 6 volts?
RC = The amount of minutes a battery can be discharged to 10.5 volts by 25-amp discharge at 800F.
Not to get off the "Tastes Great, Less Filling" debate but I saw that definition too at the Interstate Battery website and thought they had to have slipped in an extra zero 'cause 800°F can't be right.
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Retired_nuke_ET
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08/15/08 11:10am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Diesel vs gas......................
BP down the street from our house went to $4.05 on Tuesday. It was at $4.90 for a while, then dropped $0.32 to $4.58, then dropped $0.23 to $4.35 and now dropped $0.30 to $4.05! The other stations on my route are also dropping though not as fast, they were still at $4.36 and $4.49 this morning. Guess where I'm buying my deisel? :)
PS: None of them are a Safeway or offering any cash vs credit or any other kind of discount I can see.
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Retired_nuke_ET
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08/15/08 10:45am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: I guess I need a better charger.
WFCO is a very good converter.
I guess the name just sounds like a bad Engrish translation to me and I doubted it's quality.
This morning the small battery charger indicated it was done charging and in float mode. The voltage was sitting at 13.30v (on the charger) and the specific gravity was up to 1.200 So it got charged a bit more overnight. I guess these portable chargers of mine just don't have the umph to finish charging a larger battery.
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Retired_nuke_ET
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08/14/08 07:58am |
Tech Issues
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RE: I guess I need a better charger.
State the make and model # of your converter charger, and the experts here can tell you what you are up against as far as charging is concerned.
It's made by World Friendship Company (WFCO) Model WF-8955AN-P so it should put out 55 amps max but it's output voltage is set at 13.6 so it probably ain't gonna pump that much into a battery unless it's really low.
After sitting on the auto charger all day the specific gravity was still ~1.175. The charger was doing it's cycling, going for ~2 seconds On to a little over a minute Off. So with short wimpy little pulses for charges no wonder nothing happened all day.
I took it off the auto charger and put it on a small motorcycle battery charger/maintainer I use on the generator. It only has a small current output but it's steady compared to the auto charger so we'll see how that brings it up overnight.
We're not going out until Sunday, both parks we're going to are full hookups and we're there all week so I'm not too worried. But I would like to get the specific gravities up out of the "Recharge" range before we leave just to be sure there's nothing funky going on with this battery. I did measure the specific gravity of the generator's battery just to be sure the hydrometer was working right and it read 1.275+ so I'm sure that's working.
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Retired_nuke_ET
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08/13/08 07:30pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: What does YOUR tow vehicle ACTUALLY weigh?
'06 Dodge 3500 DRW LB QC 4x4 less than a week from the dealer, full tank and my 195#s
7742#
4400 and change on the front axle
3300 and change on the rear axle
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Retired_nuke_ET
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08/13/08 09:29am |
Tow Vehicles
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