Posted on 09/05/2013 10:24:15 AM PDT by Victoria Bingham
https://www.facebook.com/victoria.bingham.14?hc_location=timeline
There’s a good chance you may never see the problem again....
LOL!
This particular vehicle cannot be started UNLESS the gear is in Neutral and the clutch is all the way to the floor. No other combination will work, period.
Normally, it starts right up, first time, with no excess of effort. It almost starts TOO easily, if that makes sense. It is a great little vehicle, and I feel totally blessed to have it. I don’t mind quirks, and I understand that as old as it is, there are things in it that are wearing out.
There are some people who will fix something for me (change oil, rotate tires, etc) for the cost of the parts only, but that’s assuming that everything else is going OK.
I will call the mechanic on Monday, and if need be, take it in to him. Though I don’t know how I can replicate the events of yesterday. It HAS happened before, but it is not a consistent thing. Sporadic.
Which means I can’t provide exact symptoms under specific circumstances, which isn’t going to help him...
Since Busdaddy has seen it happen more than once, he will no doubt go with me on Monday to tell the mechanic what he has observed.
Both men are race car drivers, and they know how to communicate. I get stressed and I stutter and end up not making any sense whatsoever, so I’m always happy to have some “back-up!”
He’ll know where to look, never fear. Especially if you have Busdaddy to vouch for your relative sanity! Gotta be one of the things mentioned upthread, electrical. The “no click/idiot lights stay on” symptom is actually very important, and will lead him to either the solenoid (which might be part of the starter), the safety switches I mentioned, or the ignition switch.
We need to get you a Haynes manual. You might have some fun finding one. Amazon has them....
("Tranny?" Um, we are talking about a "car" here and not a "Feature of Castro Street Pride" right?)
*kof-kof*
I called transmissions “trannies” LONG before the definition was changed! In fact, I think Kristine Keeler was in the news at the time, and the world gasped at his boldness.
Still, it’s funny how things get “re-defined!”
OK...
Here's my take. Of course the electrical stuff (ign switch, battery, connections, wires, and all that should be verified as functioning. But.. I'm willing to bet starter. Here's why. As the starter is used over its lifetime and the brushes wear, several things happen. Depending on the design of the starter and it's orientation, the carbon shed by the brushes as they wear builds up in the vicinity of the brush holder (no relation to Eric) and even sometimes, if there is an oil leakage issue as from a rear seal, collects oil.
Either way you end up with a mass of carbon or carbon-oil gook that eventually causes the brush to lose contact with the commutator. When this happens no current will flow.
Since in most cases, the 'ground' side of the solenoid coil is actually the 'hot' brush on the starter (trust me on this), the operation of the solenoid is also dependent on the brushes making contact. One of the signs of pending starter failure is intermittent starting, typically but not always heat related.
If you are spry enough and the starter is in a location that you can try this, carry a hammer - not a 10 pound sledge, just something massive enough to jar things you hit with it (even a big screwdriver handle will do). If and when the beast decides to balk, take the flogging device and bang on the frame of the starter. If it is the brush scenario, this will typically jar the brushes enough to allow the starter to operate (and it will work for quite a few times giving you a chance to arrange for a replacement.)
Of course, as the condition continues, instances of failure will begin to occur more frequently until even flogging it with that 10 pound sledge won't work..
But - if it quits and you bang it with the flogging device and it starts, you're definitely looking at replacing the starter..
Wellnow.
My first impulse was “starter,” without really knowing why or how I came to this “hunch.”
Because of the fact that the intermittent starting takes place in the heat (usually a warm day, with 25 minutes of driving the speed limit on the freeway) and I know that some race cars will not start after a run because of the proximity of the headers to the starter, Busdaddy and I both thought the starter is the culprit.
I have seen people hit the starter (not with a 10# sledge!) and were able to then start the vehicle. However, I would prefer not to resort to this method as it is only temporary.
Not having a manual on hand for the engine/etc specs, I’m not sure where the starter is located, but I’m sure if I went out there with some determination and a few prayers, I could find it.
Whatever the problem is, it is becoming more frequent, which again, as you suggested, could mean the starter. So I will price the little wuzzers and try to get the vehicle up and running again without too much angst.
In cooler weather, there seems to be no problem.
But if it is the starter it soon will be.
If the vehicle has appreciable mileage on it and you have no idea if the starter has ever been changed, and with these symptoms, it's probably a good bet. As I said, if it happens and flogging it gets it to start again, you're in the close to 95% starter category .. ;-)
You have mail.
I’m thinking, since the problem has been a little more frequent in recent history, it is not going to improve without some mechanical assistance.
The mileage is about 100,000, but not too much more than that, I’m sure. And the way I look at it, if I’m replacing original equipment at this stage in the vehicle’s life, it is a reliable vehicle.
I have paperwork on the major repairs, thanks to the previous owner, and I saw nothing about a starter, so I will not be surprised if that is a necessity in the near future.
I have no clue where this came from, but I’m keeping it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lul-Y8vSr0I
OK
We carried in the washer and dryer
washer was dented in the move down here but it works fine apparently
then the dryer... has the wrong plug
it has a strange looking 3 prong plug but the plug-in has 4 prongs.... oh brother.
There has to be an adapter right? Please don’t say we need to call Pinky & Brain back to install a new plug??
Uncle Margarito already has to make a cord for the water heater... he’s too cheap to buy one... lol
Just think: If you are writing all of this down, it will be something to drag out and laugh at five years from now!
Life is, truly, an adventure!
Lots of converters from 4 to 3 plugs on their websites, not the other way. How annoying.
Well, dang. Try Sears. Or the manufacturer of the appliance.
I know what I’d do, but that’s me.
I’d get a replacement wall jack to match the plug-in on the appliance. Turn off the power to the circuit; make sure it’s off and that no one can turn it on again; and replace the outlet.
But that’s me. Alternatively, you could have the power cord replaced. (Of course, I’d do that myself.) — (I do everything myself.)
You are so good to have around, Bob!
I have no idea what I would do without you in my life.
Oh. Wait. This should have been in FReepmail.
*whispers*
(I have no idea what I would do without you in my life.)
I checked with Bookman’s (Tucson, Phoenix, etc) and so far, there is no sign of a Haynes Manual for Mr. Bill.
I have put the manual in my cart at Amazon, but will wait a bit to get it.
Oh, by the way, I concur with the advice given you about the starter. It seems to be heat-related, and the description given you tells why.
You can find the starter in the engine compartment by tracing the hot lead of your battery. Chances are it leads right to the starter.
I once drove my old truck to the grocery store with the wrong key. I don’t know how that could happen, but when I came out of the grocery store I couldn’t start the truck; I had the wrong key.
Weird, right?
Rather than wait for someone to bring me the right key, I connected a wire from the battery to the coil, took the shifter out of gear, and started the truck with a spoon.
(Yeah, a spoon. I needed something metal to short between the above-mentioned battery cable end and the solenoid connection. And yeah, it really worked. I can show you the spoon if you want me to.)
What does he do if the old jack has a different number of wires attached?
I’d go for the power cord replacement. But dryers have a standard receptacle configuration, which is three prong, IIRC. Sounds almost like it was wired for a range or something.
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