Simple things you hate doing?

[Dirtman]

Chasing electrical issues is pretty much the main thing I do at work. The nice part is that we have 10 or way more of each truck. Once I find an issue on 1 truck, I call each of its sisters in one at a time and check them all out. I usually find that 75% of them are already starting to fail the same way... (usually a chaffed wire that started turning green from the salt... damn plow trucks.)

I smoke wires on purpose. When there’s a green wire (see above for explanation) and you don’t feel like cutting the whole harness open to find it... disconnect both ends, ground one end, send power to the other. It burns the bad connection out then you trace the harness with the power probe short finder. Quickest way to find the problem.

I have a way quicker method. Curse at it, blame Obama, take a nap.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I smoke wires on purpose. When there’s a green wire (see above for explanation) and you don’t feel like cutting the whole harness open to find it... disconnect both ends, ground one end, send power to the other. It burns the bad connection out then you trace the harness with the power probe short finder. Quickest way to find the problem.

I had a 94 E150 conversion that kept blowin fuses and id lose my radio and IIRC interior lights.

I figured it was behind the dash so i pulled it apart couldnt find anything....but the fuse kept randomly blowing.

IIRC it was a 15amp circuit, i said F it and shoved a 25 amp in it. The door started smoking and i found the problem. Why ford put the power mirrors on that circuit ill never know...but it was a bad mirror switch

 

[Snoranger]

I had a 94 E150 conversion that kept blowin fuses and id lose my radio and IIRC interior lights.

I figured it was behind the dash so i pulled it apart couldnt find anything....but the fuse kept randomly blowing.

IIRC it was a 15amp circuit, i said F it and shoved a 25 amp in it. The door started smoking and i found the problem. Why ford put the power mirrors on that circuit ill never know...but it was a bad mirror switch

See... you let the smoke out, found where it escaped, repaired it, refilled it with fresh smoke, and went on your merry way.

 

[sgtsandman]

I hate projects that snowball into more time & money, case in point- last year I put on new steering linkage, front rotors, wheel bearings and brake pads, calipers were working fine, drove it over a year, no problems. A week ago I did the “washer lift mod” and as part of it , I removed the calipers from the knuckles so the axle could drop farther and I would be able to add washers between the I-beam . Well the washer mod went well, but now the truck pulls hard to the right, you could almost go around a corner by stepping on the brakes alone. Took a drive yesterday and when I got home checked temperatures at each wheel, left front wasn’t nearly as warm as the right one. And I know the flex lines are original so in addition to new calipers (yep, may as well do both), new flex lines, I will most likely end up making new hard lines for the whole front end , from master cyl to the flex lines. So I’ll need more line nuts too, I think I have enough hard line, but I’ll need to unroll it and be sure. All this cause I wanted to try to lift the front end a little. And Im still considering 2” lift coils, that 3/4” washer stack helped, but it could use some more help.

Many of my projects wind up like that. I kind of figure it's part of the "you play you pay program". Hell, I started renovating and beefing up my utility trailer about 4 or 5 years ago and the project is still going. It has been a very invasive renovation and I haven't even gotten to the suspension yet. I can see why off road trailers half the size of mine are so damn expensive now.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Honestly I'd rather chase electrical gremlins sometimes than oil leaks... pretty much everything I have leaks oil except the '97 Ranger for most likely the reason that everything else has 100k more miles on it...

 

[1990RangerinSK]

My wife wanted a ecosport because they are cheap and she thought they were cute. We sat in one and I told her if we ever got in a wreck they wouldn’t need the jaws of life to get me out, I would just go hulk hogan on it and rip that cardboard thing off like a t-shirt.

I'm not sure I'd agree that they're cute, but I do think the look would grow on me. I like them because they're practical, and small(ish).

 

[1990RangerinSK]

I guess me and you look for different things in a DD.

Yep. I look at practicality, reliability, fuel economy, ride comfort, and handling. It just so happens that the Ecosport (or an Escape) gives me all five.

 

[1990RangerinSK]

I don’t know about the rest of you, but the average property taxes in my area is just shy of $10k a year.

Here, in the town I live in, average property tax is in around $1500 to $2000. In the city, it's around $2500. That's per year, in case you were wondering. No, it's not per month.

 

[Snoranger]

Here, in the town I live in, average property tax is in around $1500 to $2000. In the city, it's around $2500.

I wish.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Yep. I look at practicality, reliability, fuel economy, ride comfort, and handling. It just so happens that the Ecosport (or an Escape) gives me all five.

I like simple durabilty, cheapness, and enjoyment factor. Im guessing youve never been down a michigan dirt road in march....if you had you'd understand why i stick to I beam fords.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Yep. I look at practicality, reliability, fuel economy, ride comfort, and handling. It just so happens that the Ecosport (or an Escape) gives me all five.

Same... that is why we passed.

I am not that much taller than "average" but I just didn't fit in one.

For what it is worth with the seat all the way back in my wife's Edge (which she had before we met) my right knee is constantly resting on the dash. That drives me nuts too.

I like simple durabilty, cheapness, and enjoyment factor. Im guessing youve never been down a michigan dirt road in march....if you had you'd understand why i stick to I beam fords.

My wife's Edge drags its belly thru the ruts daily when the frost goes out in the spring, it is still doing ok approaching 250k miles.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Same... that is why we passed.

I am not that much taller than "average" but I just didn't fit in one.

For what it is worth with the seat all the way back in my wife's Edge (which she had before we met) my right knee is constantly resting on the dash. That drives me nuts too.



My wife's Edge drags its belly thru the ruts daily when the frost goes out in the spring, it is still doing ok approaching 250k miles.

The way i drive i cant keep anything else in alingnment.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The way i drive i cant keep anything else in alingnment.

I rebuilt the front of my F-150 and had the alignment checked before I put new tires on it the last time. Hasn't been aligned since I have had it, after 15 years and 185k miles of me driving it the toe was half a degree out of spec.

Most boring $120 expenditure ever.

 

[Jazzer]

I dislike auto electrical work as well, specifically the design of wire connectors. Each one seems to have a different interlock design. The worse being the type you have to hold one side in each hand, then use your third hand to release a binding loop of plastic.

Especially when you're on your back, both hands awkwardly crammed into a tight space, with limited or no visibility.

Why can't they use a single, universal, "grab one end, push button, pull other end" type of connector?

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I rebuilt the front of my F-150 and had the alignment checked before I put new tires on it the last time. Hasn't been aligned since I have had it, after 15 years and 185k miles of me driving it the toe was half a degree out of spec.

Most boring $120 expenditure ever.

I had 2 expeditions and neither would stay in align. Lol