Way too many Chefs' before me there were!!

Many automotive technicians have a type of vehicle we dread repairing. It's the one that has already been diagnosed by the owner. This is evident by the numerous amounts of new parts sprinkled in the engine bay. You know it is going to be fun when you see all those new parts. But for grins add that another shops been there before you. They performed their diagnostics with assistance and input from the vehicles owner.

And now it's your turn at what appears to be a fairly simple fix. All hope fades away when you're told about what has been done by another shop and by the owner too. As more and more information is remembered by the owner, you stand there rubbing your head wondering what you've gotten yourself into. This vehicle is well-known for a myriad of problems. It came to you stinking of soot, gas and all the money someone dumped into it in hopes they could get just a few more miles. Man, I mean really!

Using diagnostic tools; one of which is experience, I proceed. I should've said no after discovering that the owner thought someone had stolen one of their tires. This being due to its color difference; should have been a red flag. Actually the rim and tire by the tailpipe had been cleaned. This vehicle ran so poorly 40% of the fuel it was supposed to burn was coming out the tailpipe instead. Oh, what other surprises lay ahead. I include a photo of the first or second KOER string of codes.

Another flag was the fact that the catalytic converters, all four of them, had been gutted.

(There are Federal Laws that prohibit this from being done....)

The engine oil was so chock-full of carbon I was surprised it hadn't seized! The front heated 02 sensors were completely covered with carbon or soot. We can be sure that the pre-cat sensors do not function just by their appearance. I really need to know how to put a time frame; an estimate; a price on diagnostic time after seeing and hearing just the above?

Let us not forget the fact I have connected a breakout box to monitor, test and diagnose PID data. And the holiday season is quickly approaching. Enough for now.

“…and the 4runner waits patiently for snow to fall, and winter to begin again.”

Okay, I know these pictures are six-months old, but everything is winterized for the 2011-2012 season. The truck w/o snowplow was in two car shows this year. Photos of the ice/slush covered 4runner from last seasons dusting of snow and are here too. Temperatures have dropped to freezing at night for the past week, who can say when IT WILL snow next? The 4runner gets the plow attached again this weekend and takes its position backed into the carport.

It’s a Landcruiser kind of day

This Landcruiser, a 1987 FJ60 is getting the best quality lift components available. 4 inch suspension with a lot of articulation travel. Old Man EMU kits rock, no doubt! A shackle reverse kit is being installed as well. And since the SR kit involves removing the stock bumper, time for a one-off fabrication. Pictures and more on the these ToYs a little later.

Lets have a look as we start and finish a 4" suspension lift on this 87 FJ60 •

Need Music? Turn up the radio...

(Produced in 16:9 widescreen)

I hate to be a multi tasked person

As usual, I have three projects going on at once. Although each of them is a Toyota they’re all here for different reasons.

The first of these three is here to draw upon my memory of practical electrical circuitry. It arrived as a combination of “really cool” and “I don’t know what that is for so..” all thrown into a 79 Pick-up. 

Customer supplied Information comes in slowly or if I bug them it is suddenly remembered. I find that I must engineer and create parts from scratch that are safe and can hopefully withstand all the abuse each area will be given.

Each time I finish enabling a component and area, I find another problem that stops me from driving it out the door. I just need to remember it is only nuts and bolts, yet at times is seems so much a task. It’s as if the vehicle were possessed, or nearly alive. almost as though it wants to throw yet another challenge at my abilities. I could threaten the truck with fire, and maybe it will fall into line and all things screwy would work.

Are YOU really cutting car care costs????

Are you still reading? There may still be hope for YOU the CAR or TRUCK...!!!

1. Open the glove box to locate a small booklet. You've seen it. Yes, it's the owners manual!
2. Read it and look for some of the keywords I use in my posts. 3. Call, email, or if you are brave respond (comment) about the content of this post.

These are some photos of components that were overdue to be replaced and the resulting damage.

ARE YOU AMAZED?

1. You can not accelerate over 25mph, even on a flat surface, with a strong tail-wind, and going downhill too! Is there a problem? Well it does seem a bit sluggish, (yes, an understatement) yet you can still get from point A to point B, you just leave much much earlier, thats all.

MY AUTO CARE MY TRUCK CARE

I opened John's Auto Repair in June 1984 , and John's Lake Joy ToY in October 2003. One thing is a constant; parts have life spans. When you read this you should learn this mantra by repeating;

CHANGING SPARK PLUGS WILL SAVE MONEY GAS GAUGES HAVE A PURPOSE MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DOESN'T MEAN CHECK THE ENGINE WHAT IDIOT WHAT LIGHT (repeat again).

Repeat constantly to yourself when you pay a HUGE car repair bill.

Hey, it's no secret many automotive engineers like to ride bicycles. It helps to keep them in shape! They do spend so much time in front of a computer screen SITTING, THINKING and SITTING. I even bet that these same automotive engineers DON'T drive a car like yours. Didn't mean to crush that secure feeling you had about those automotive engineers.

Now that I shared, let's open our minds and have a look at our owners manual, more often. Such a wonderful book, and so packed full of knowledge. Think of it in this way; you pay tens of thousands of dollars for this book, this manual and they include a car to go with it!

Once again I'm a bit mystified by the interpretation/acceptance of the CEL OR SERVICE ENGINE SOON light. If it's staying on, you can rest assured there is a problem. I'm seeing more failed catalytic convertors because there wasn't any periodic or routine maintenance performed.

There may still be hope for YOUR CAR or TRUCK...!!!

Lack of Routine Maintenance :: THIS IS NOT a good thing
 Is public transportation in your future; really might be your way to get around. Yes, you will loose the independence, freedom and privilege that "car-ownership" affords. You will be putting those gas dollars into a Xmas account. For every dime you think you're saving on real maintenance, you're actually spending a dollar in its place.

Save your money and let others drive for you. STOP!!

Are you still reading? There may still be hope for YOUR CAR or TRUCK...!!!
Open the glove box to locate a small booklet. You've seen it. Yes, it's the owners manual!
Read it and look for some of the keywords I used at the beginning of this post.
Call, email, or if you are brave respond (comment) about the content of this post.