Thanks... I'll get thru the weekend and ponder my options. I suppose I could do without a working fuel gage but that'll require some discipline heretofore unobserved in my current regimen.
So. Out of gas. I may be stupid but at least I didn't spend money to find that out!
I may still have problems, since my back-of-the-envelope math said I should have plenty of gas but y'know, the instrument cluster was in Alabammy so I didn't know for sure. I got the cluster back yesterday, hooked it up and the gauge said E. So anyway the needle always used to go way below that tick mark but the cluster was just rebuilt so maybe it reads different now. So tonite I got the lawn mower's gas can and put in as much as I could, maybe half a gallon (awkward angles etc) and turned the key and it fired right up! Oh, man. Drove to the nearest gas station and put in 25.3 gallons. I didn't know it could hold that much!
So I still think it may be leaking or burning way more gas than normal, so we'll see. But anyway, I guess false alarm on the fuel pump thing.
Few indeed are the repairs that have gone quicker than expected. I've learned from experience not to underestimate how long things might take. Better lay in a case or two of beer.
Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking. It would be an easy repair if the weather was nice, cherry-picker available to lift the bed off (I've heard that too), etc. But the weather was my first thought: what would be a reasonable afternoon of beer-drinking and wrench-turning, would be a FSM-forsaken production in bad weather.
If it's not a repair or removal that you've attempted before, you may find it takes longer than expected. Organic and man-made setbacks await the optimistic, in my opinion
Man-made: On my recent repair, I was making great progress in reinstalling the right side spring/damper unit, right up until I noticed that the brake hose brackets didn't really match those on the damper housing. Yours truly had installed the left side damper on the right! Out the whole assembly had to come, coil spring had to be recompressed, and incorrect damper removed. On the plus side, I figured out a much quicker and more reliable way to align the upper spring plate and the damper body brackets properly so that the damper yoke that connects to the lower control arm would be properly aligned, so the reinstall went much quicker. But I basically went from anticipating the entire front end repair might be completed that same day, to having to save the left side for the following day.
Organic setback: Having removed the catalytic converter/B pipe assembly as a unit, I set about removing the extremely rusted nuts from the three extremely rusted bolts welded to a flange on the converter housing so that I could reuse the (still functioning properly) converter. First two came off OK, but the third nut was so frozen that the stud sheared off. I decided drilling out the old studs was not going to be a piece of cake, so I went with a new aftermarket catalytic converter (for about $160). More time lost to unanticipated delay waiting for the new converter to arrive.
Few indeed are the repairs that have gone quicker than expected. I've learned from experience not to underestimate how long things might take. Better lay in a case or two of beer.
Maybe. It looks like the sender is part of the pump, so it may be easier to replace them both if you want that function back. But in principle all you need is the pressure as long as the rest of the electronics are good. It should be fuel injected, so you'll need something in the 50-60 PSI range (check this and match it to your stock unit). This may be complicated by access to the fuel lines - if they are all metal, or inaccessible this won't be any easier, but if it's rubber line and in a spot where you could mount the pump easily it would be a fairly easy work around you could do with gloves on. You could always do that as a temporary fix and leave it as a backup too.
Thanks... I'll get thru the weekend and ponder my options. I suppose I could do without a working fuel gage but that'll require some discipline heretofore unobserved in my current regimen.
Maybe. It looks like the sender is part of the pump, so it may be easier to replace them both if you want that function back. But in principle all you need is the pressure as long as the rest of the electronics are good. It should be fuel injected, so you'll need something in the 50-60 PSI range (check this and match it to your stock unit). This may be complicated by access to the fuel lines - if they are all metal, or inaccessible this won't be any easier, but if it's rubber line and in a spot where you could mount the pump easily it would be a fairly easy work around you could do with gloves on. You could always do that as a temporary fix and leave it as a backup too.
The battery was just at the end of its useful life... it died this morning because the engine quit, but I had the defroster fan blowing.
I really do not want to do this repair. Maybe in the summer (as noted below) it would be something worth tackling. About 50% of the how-to tips online indicate it's easier to remove the box and leave the tank bolted in place. Hmm. I really don't mind taking on projects, and truth be told I don't need this truck very much right now since I ride to work with my sister and she wants to take her car (her dog is ill-behaved (makes Chester look like Lassie) and can't be made to stay in the back seat of the truck but is caged in the rear of her RAV4). So I could do the repair over the next several days except that I don't have a garage to do it in and there's a foot of snow on the ground. Oy.
Oh and so I was going to come in to work early because I have a lot to do and got here and a pipe had burst way in the back and flooded the entire building to a depth of about 1" so there went the morning. Rains/pours.
Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking. It would be an easy repair if the weather was nice, cherry-picker available to lift the bed off (I've heard that too), etc. But the weather was my first thought: what would be a reasonable afternoon of beer-drinking and wrench-turning, would be a FSM-forsaken production in bad weather.
The battery was just at the end of its useful life... it died this morning because the engine quit, but I had the defroster fan blowing.
I really do not want to do this repair. Maybe in the summer (as noted below) it would be something worth tackling. About 50% of the how-to tips online indicate it's easier to remove the box and leave the tank bolted in place. Hmm. I really don't mind taking on projects, and truth be told I don't need this truck very much right now since I ride to work with my sister and she wants to take her car (her dog is ill-behaved (makes Chester look like Lassie) and can't be made to stay in the back seat of the truck but is caged in the rear of her RAV4). So I could do the repair over the next several days except that I don't have a garage to do it in and there's a foot of snow on the ground. Oy.
Oh and so I was going to come in to work early because I have a lot to do and got here and a pipe had burst way in the back and flooded the entire building to a depth of about 1" so there went the morning. Rains/pours.
What kind of truck? can you just put a generic in-line fuel pump on it?
Worst thing about fuel pumps is dropping the tank, the rest is easy.
Not sure why the battery would be dead, but you clearly got your money's worth. I would suspect the fuel pump or sender before I'd suspect the gas gauge. You can check the pump once you get the tank down, just put 12V on the terminals and see if it pumps gas. Or it could be the little hose that connects the pump to the fitting: I was having similar problems, and discovered the hose had disintegrated!
The battery was just at the end of its useful life... it died this morning because the engine quit, but I had the defroster fan blowing.
I really do not want to do this repair. Maybe in the summer (as noted below) it would be something worth tackling. About 50% of the how-to tips online indicate it's easier to remove the box and leave the tank bolted in place. Hmm. I really don't mind taking on projects, and truth be told I don't need this truck very much right now since I ride to work with my sister and she wants to take her car (her dog is ill-behaved (makes Chester look like Lassie) and can't be made to stay in the back seat of the truck but is caged in the rear of her RAV4). So I could do the repair over the next several days except that I don't have a garage to do it in and there's a foot of snow on the ground. Oy.
Oh and so I was going to come in to work early because I have a lot to do and got here and a pipe had burst way in the back and flooded the entire building to a depth of about 1" so there went the morning. Rains/pours.
Got up at 6 to come in to work early. Started pickup, went back indoors to make coffee etc. Came outside sometime later, motor dead, battery dead. I'd had occasion to have the battery tested a couple of weeks ago* and knew it was on its last crank, so I took out the old (original 2006!) battery and at 7 the NAPA opened and I went and got a new one. Dropped it in, cranks like a champ, but... no lo starto. Had run out of fuel a couple of weeks ago* despite the gauge showing 1/4 tank... so I pulled the instrument cluster (the speedo had been sticking for a couple of years) to have it rebuilt. The garage agreed that it could have been just out of gas and a bad gauge..."or else it's the fuel pump." Well, I suppose it's the fuel pump, now. :sigh:
I'm getting some OT this week so hey, easy come easy go. It was car repairs or a root canal :hmm:
*Yes
I'm trying to decide which one's more painful.
Worst thing about fuel pumps is dropping the tank, the rest is easy.
Not sure why the battery would be dead, but you clearly got your money's worth. I would suspect the fuel pump or sender before I'd suspect the gas gauge. You can check the pump once you get the tank down, just put 12V on the terminals and see if it pumps gas. Or it could be the little hose that connects the pump to the fitting: I was having similar problems, and discovered the hose had disintegrated!
Car repairs in the winter suck. I did catalytic converter and B pipe replacement, plus front damper (shock) and upper control arm replacement on my Honda last month.
That's what I get for doing the yearly safety inspection in January. I'll have to renew it in September so if they find something else in need of replacement I won't have to do it in cold weather.
Got up at 6 to come in to work early. Started pickup, went back indoors to make coffee etc. Came outside sometime later, motor dead, battery dead. I'd had occasion to have the battery tested a couple of weeks ago* and knew it was on its last crank, so I took out the old (original 2006!) battery and at 7 the NAPA opened and I went and got a new one. Dropped it in, cranks like a champ, but... no lo starto. Had run out of fuel a couple of weeks ago* despite the gauge showing 1/4 tank... so I pulled the instrument cluster (the speedo had been sticking for a couple of years) to have it rebuilt. The garage agreed that it could have been just out of gas and a bad gauge..."or else it's the fuel pump." Well, I suppose it's the fuel pump, now. :sigh:
I'm getting some OT this week so hey, easy come easy go. It was car repairs or a root canal :hmm:
*Yes
Yes, is seems quite frequently that karma or wtf ever has a way of relieving us of any extra cash.
Got up at 6 to come in to work early. Started pickup, went back indoors to make coffee etc. Came outside sometime later, motor dead, battery dead. I'd had occasion to have the battery tested a couple of weeks ago* and knew it was on its last crank, so I took out the old (original 2006!) battery and at 7 the NAPA opened and I went and got a new one. Dropped it in, cranks like a champ, but... no lo starto. Had run out of fuel a couple of weeks ago* despite the gauge showing 1/4 tank... so I pulled the instrument cluster (the speedo had been sticking for a couple of years) to have it rebuilt. The garage agreed that it could have been just out of gas and a bad gauge..."or else it's the fuel pump." Well, I suppose it's the fuel pump, now. :sigh:
I'm getting some OT this week so hey, easy come easy go. It was car repairs or a root canal :hmm:
Please help with smog question. Mag brought her 97 Pathfinder for a special kind of smog check called a "star certified" . Every thing passed nicely except for OBD system check because at lease 3 of the monitors needed to be re-set. He the said the way the re-set them was twas to drive the car at least 100 - 150 miles and making sure the fuel level is kept between 25% and 75% full. Then let the engine cool off completely before returning.
Thanks!
MB
I guess so. Not sure about the 100+ miles thing, this seems more thorough:
If My Vehicle Failed for ‘Readiness’, What should I do next?
Normally, a week of combined highway and city driving, known as drive cycles, will reset the OBD monitors thereby allowing an OBD test to be completed. Following are some suggestions that should allow the OBD system to become Ready:
- Drive the vehicle at least three separate times in which it is turned on and off - One drive cycle should be local in-town driving - One drive cycle should be highway driving - One drive cycle should be after the vehicle was unused for a period (overnight etc.) - The gas tank should be ¼ to ¾ full. - Drive the vehicle smoothly and avoid rapid acceleration
==============
Note: Make sure the gas cap is fitting properly and is snug. Our new used van had issues along those lines but after filling the tank and driving a few times, the light went off and stayed off.
Location: On the edge of tomorrow looking back at yesterday. Gender:
Posted:
Jan 7, 2014 - 8:58pm
Manbird wrote:
Please help with smog question. Mag brought her 97 Pathfinder for a special kind of smog check called a "star certified" . Every thing passed nicely except for OBD system check because at lease 3 of the monitors needed to be re-set. He the said the way the re-set them was twas to drive the car at least 100 - 150 miles and making sure the fuel level is kept between 25% and 75% full. Then let the engine cool off completely before returning.
Thanks!
MB
That sounds plausible Rob. Those damn computer have all kind of stupid reset. I'm having an emissions problem that needed me to do 50 miles so the OBD will give a pending code after a reset.
So I had a 60 day rejection sticker on the car back on Nov 2, 2013. Do you think it's time for me to go back to find the problem with my car?
Please help with smog question. Mag brought her 97 Pathfinder for a special kind of smog check called a "star certified" . Every thing passed nicely except for OBD system check because at lease 3 of the monitors needed to be re-set. He the said the way the re-set them was twas to drive the car at least 100 - 150 miles and making sure the fuel level is kept between 25% and 75% full. Then let the engine cool off completely before returning.
Doing both. Need the garage built first for the correct space. My son and I built a car when he was in high school. We needed A LOT more room. You might have seen his car. It was in the Lincoln LS commercial about 3 years ago. It was the sub-lime green Dodge Dart that slid up to the LS with the guy saying "Doughnut!" to the lady driver in the LS.
So anyway the needle always used to go way below that tick mark but the cluster was just rebuilt so maybe it reads different now. So tonite I got the lawn mower's gas can and put in as much as I could, maybe half a gallon (awkward angles etc) and turned the key and it fired right up! Oh, man. Drove to the nearest gas station and put in 25.3 gallons. I didn't know it could hold that much! 
