Sigh....

A few incidents today that make me go "Sigh..."

Incident number one. "My check engine light is on and flashing." I explain this is the ECU letting the driver know a severe misfire in one or more cylinders is detected. The customer explains it can't be because they had all the plugs and wires and coils changed previously. I then explained I never said it was that, but that you do have a misfire and if you would like I could look into the issue. "But the breathalyzer device is on, you can't start and stop the engine all the time."

Call me when it is off, I can't get those things to operate with my Asthma...Sigh...

A phone call and a girl upset that the tire she brought in last week for me to mount on a rim has a sidewall cut now. I explained to bring it down and I will see if she needs a new tire or rim since she drove on it flat....Sigh

A Silverado which has a check engine light on. The owner said "a parts place" checked the code and told him to replace the Oxygen Sensor. I asked "Which one, there is four." and he replied he didn't know. I visually inspected the truck after seeing four different codes for the Bank 1 Sensor 2 Oxygen sensor.











Fix some chewed up wiring and goodtogo.....Sigh.

The last, up to the point of posting this today, was a phone call from a local DIY'er.

"I have a brake hose burst, I replaced it but the bleeder won't come loose on the caliper. Can I bring it up right now?"

I explained my racks were full of cars that needed finishing. I could easily get it in the morning or on Thursday.

He replied. "But I'll pay you if I can have you do it today!"

Oh, of course, if you'll pay me I'll be right on it......Sigh...

More Vintage Bimmer Work

In a attempt to refocus my efforts on my automotive hobby I have made a deal with the devil. His name is Brock and he is my youngest son. IF he goes to bed on time and IF he gets up for school on time he will come to the shop every Thursday after school to work on the BMW. We will see how this works out. Negotiating with a 5 year old is like banging your head against a wall. Not worth the effort most times and people wonder why.

Anyways, he is really starting to catch the automotive bug and I can see my summer cruise nights will include him in the passenger seat.

Pictured above, he is scraping grease and padding of the engine bay in the '76 BMW 2002. Never a complaint from him either.

Cell Phone Messing With Me

I had always heard the warnings and read the instructions for resetting or initializing a TPMS sensor or system. All the warnings about keep other cars with TPMS away, or having electrical devices that could interfere turned off.

A '08 Envoy was in the shop for basic service. The TPMS light was on and going through the menu all four tires happen to be low. All at 27psi. After the LOF I set the air pressures up to 35psi since it was a little cold out so I knew they would creep back down some and turn on the warning light. After rechecking and seeing the light still on I went through the menu and noticed one still at 27psi. Great, what did I do, not count to four when I did the tires? Rechecked the right front and it was at 35psi on my gauge, went around all the rest and they were there too.

Great, this wasn't expected.

About that time I thought to myself "self, put the cell phone on the desk and back the truck out." Well what the heck, I backed the truck out, went through the menu and the tires all listed 35psi.

Backing it our or Cell phone? Weird....but not surprising in this industry.