Oh What A Beautiful Day...

[rpm]

Decided to head to work a bit early today to pick up a few things for the store at the dollar store along the way. I was running about 1/2 hour ahead of schedule.

I get to the dollar store and they don't have the right size trash cans I was looking for. Meh, no biggie. I get back in the Explorer and it's dead as a doorknob...nothing, nada, zilch. Was running perfect when I pulled in the parking lot.

I figured it must be a poor battery connection, so I pop the hood and sure enough I can barely twist the terminals and the hood lamp is very, very dim. Easy fix...

I open the rear door and discover that the tool set I always keep in the back is gone. I forgot to put it back in after working on the tractor last week. I go buy a $2 set of pliers (the only tool they had at the store) and get the terminals off, clean them and the post then put them back on. Still nothing. (Did I mention it's 95F?)

2 people try to jumpstart me and no go. They both had small cars so I assumed they didn't have big enough alternators to jump me. I'm now 45 minutes late.I break down and call my boss to come jump me so I can get to work. He shows up and after a couple minutes charging my Explorer cranks, but is running like crap. I limp it into work.

I had to work until 10pm so no chance of stopping by a parts store on the way home. I get another jump after work but the car is still running like crap (very rich mixture), the lights and gauges are going berserk and if I take my foot off the gas it wants to die. I'm clearly running off the alternator only.

Still the optimist, I planned to use my tractor to jumpstart the car in the morning to limp to the parts store and buy a new battery and cables. When I get to the house I check, lo and behold, the tractor has a dead battery. It's 5 miles to town and I get to walk to the parts store in the morning. Did I mention I had surgery a couple weeks ago?

[Vudak]

Sorry to hear about that Sir, but maybe you'll find a hundred dollar bill on the walk or something?  As long as your sticking with the optimism...

[Meatwad]

there a short somewhere? Sounds like something may be shorted, like a major positive to the negative. too thick to start a fire, maybe a terminal to the metal frame/bolt in the engine.

also check your battery, if it feels really hot, may indeed be shorted

[Hangtime]

a 5 mile walk with a vehicle battery?

you need another option. maybe you can call the parts house for delivery? they do garage delivery at jobber/wholesale, why not you for normal selling price?

[rpm]

I'm about 95% sure there is a burned or corroded spot in the ground cable. The way it went out leads me to think so. When I hit the key it went dead. I think the heavy load from the starter burned thru the bad spot in the cable.

I live on a ranch out in the country so there's no taxi but I hadn't thought about parts delivery. I'll probably just try and bum a ride if I can't get the parts store to bring it. I went to school with the owner so I may be in luck.

[SOB]

This is god's way of getting you back for not being a good Amurrikan Republican.

[whistlin]

I feel your frustration rpm. My truck was leaking anti-freeze every time I turned around. It had been in and out of shop a few times. Finally I had my mechanic (friend of my Dad) keep it until it was right. He had it for almost a year, but still was not perfect, just drivable. Once I got it back I decided to take it to work to see how it ran. On the way there, no problems. On the way back; it started losing power so I pulled off and fluids were coming out of everywhere. I finally just had the engine pulled and replaced with another one. Did I mention that I had just had the old engine rebuild once it started acting up the first time! Needless to say we had to engine replaced by a different mechanic lol.

[FiLtH]

Most likely its nothing obvious at all but instead the computer thats fried.  For something to suddenly wig out like that with no prior symptoms, Id wager its a computer problem.

  Take it into the shop...you can ruin stuff by driving it around running like that.

[Jackal1]

"Well life on the farm is kinda laid back
Ain’t much an old country boy like me can’t hack
It’s early to rise, early in the sack
Thank God I’m a country boy

Well a simple kinda life never did me no harm
A raisin’ me a family and workin’ on a farm
My days are all filled with an easy country charm
Thank God I’m a country boy"


Been there done that bud. Sometimes a guy needs to take a little quality  time to get smashed.

[Skydancer]

Or

"Oi cant read and Oi cant roit
But it downt realy matter
Cos Oi ......Sheep and
Oi......Cows
And Oi can droive a tractor!"

[lazs2]

I have had AAA road service for years and it is the best thing ever... like $50 a year even if you don't have their insurance.

they would have come out and jumped your car and tested the battery... if the battery was bad they would have sold you one and installed it on the spot if you liked...  thye would have used a jumper battery to keep all your computer settings too so your car wouldn't be all screwed up now running rich and all (it will straighten out as you run it).

they will bring you gas if you run out and change a flat for you... if all else fails they will tow you.   They do this anywhere in the country including your house.

I believe that they are republicans tho.

lazs

[rpm]

Originally posted by SOB
This is god's way of getting you back for not being a good Amurrikan Republican.

OK, that one made me laugh.

Think I've got the problem solved. Blackmailed my sister into bringing me her pickup so I can drive it today. I'll grab the parts on the way to work. I'm off the next two days so I can wrench on it then.

Originally posted by FiLtH
For something to suddenly wig out like that with no prior symptoms, Id wager its a computer problem.

A pox upon your family.