Your recent repair? 2013 - 2020

[finnski1]

doneat54,


please don't take this the wrong way but thanks for the great laugh this morning
I only laughed because this sounds just like something I would do and have done in the name of stubborn, hard core DIY pursuits.
I hope it all turns out well for you in the end.
I could probably write several episodes like this myself!

 

[doneat54]

Oh, I forgot to mention something. Shortly after I took that pic of the knuckle with the new hub and ball joint installed, I turned the hub by hand... and heard a "clunk....clunk... clunk...clunk.....

It's defective.


Called around local stores and found one for $22 more than the mail order one (I know, lesson learned) went out and got THAT, re-installed. That all before the big $3 washer chase in the evening....!!!

 

[Telly]

Oh boy! I "feel your pain" after working on my/our vehicles for over 50 years! There are a lot of poor quality made in China auto parts these days. Many auto parts ARE made in China, but some of the American manufacturers (ex-manufacturers?) do a better job of selecting who, and designing the parts themselves, then monitoring the manufacturing over there. But even some of those also have "value" or "economy" lines, which I avoid!

The hardest press job I ever had was pressing out U-joint bearings from late 1960s-1970 vintage big block driveshafts that were almost 5" in diameter, that had an assembled CV joint up front that was created with dual U-joints with an H-yoke. They were nylon locked, liquid nylon was injected under pressure to a hole in the yoke at each cap, which traveled around each cap via a groove in both cap and yoke. I had the whole very heavy shaft up on boxes and saw horses. It took incredible force to break the nylon. I stood off to the side in-line with my hydraulic presses side rails, in case something blew. Still was a bit scary. When the cap would let go, there was a heck of a bang, and the whole heavy long driveshaft jumped up in the air! No rust locking, as these were Southern.

When we moved south decades ago, the two cars we brought with us were the last rust vehicles I had to work on. So so much nicer without the rust! And without salt to create the galvanic battery, dissimilar metals isn't that big of a deal either.

 

[Time2]

Bolding by me. Don't do that!!!

Disconnecting the battery while the engine is running to check on the health of the alternator and overall charging system was a 1960s-era trick. The advent of expensive electronics in vehicles, and the increasing content of it over the years, makes that trick a very bad idea. The alternator puts out full-wave rectified 3-phase AC. All the electronics in the vehicle expect that the extremely low AC impedance of the battery will be there to integrate out the high AC ripple. Also, the battery absorbs transients. Disconnecting the battery on a running vehicle allows bad high peak AC ripple to hit all the electronics. The absorption of transients disappears also. Damage of semiconductors does not always result in failure immediately. Every factory-authorized shop manual will warn against doing it. Don't do it. This topic may appear on the Semester Final Exam, study up!

\
The truck seemed fine for about 8 days then I noticed the voltmeter was reading low. I could make it read high, low or just right, by turning on the lights or reving the engine. I changed the alternator and the voltmeter reads normal but a little higher.
Seems OK for now.

 

[Sunset]

\
The truck seemed fine for about 8 days then I noticed the voltmeter was reading low. I could make it read high, low or just right, by turning on the lights or reving the engine. I changed the alternator and the voltmeter reads normal but a little higher.
Seems OK for now.

Maybe it was the alternator all along, and the old battery was fine.

 

[JoeWras]

Fixed the squeak in the vinyl floor!

Fixed the squeak in the vinyl floor! 16 year old vinyl floor developed a bad squeak right in front of the fridge. It is either the subfloor against the underlayment, OR the luan the guys put down over the last vinyl.

In any case, I went for it and decided to use the snap off screws. Put them right through the vinyl face, trying to pick a speckle on the pattern. Even though the vinyl isn't "soft", it mostly relaxed back over the hole and you can't see that I just put a screw right through it.

Cool product! https://www.squeakyfloor.com/counter-snap-floor-repair-kit/

 

[ls99]

A quickie to correct sloppy oil furnace service.

Got home yesterday from camp, OAT around 36F, house around 60F. Not looking at thermostat, nudged it a bit higher. Half hour later still not warmer.
Pushed thermostat to 75, heard oil burner kick on, check on floor vent five or sominutes later, no airflow. Dang!
Head to basement, hear oil burner, then it shut down, still no fan. Open blower cabinet, say a few "our father and hail marys with some added expletives" see two wires hanging. Turns out they were the wires going to the motor start capacitor. Look at start capacitor, see bare terminals, nothing connected.

Turn off main switch, push two connectors onto capacitor's terminals, turn on main switch, voila, blower starts. Back upstairs reset thermostat to 70F.

The cleaning, nozzle change and other fall service includes checking the value of the blower motor's starting capacitior, they hope charge $80.- for a $10.- item if it is below value. I don't let them change it, easy enough if sufficiently out of tolerance.

All is well, except for the a$$ chewing I dished out to the furnace cleaning company's boss first thing this morning. Hope it made his day

 

[Time2]

Yesterday between the start and end of a post I managed to spill a cup of coffee on my key board. After disassembly and cleaning/drying my a,z,q,1,` didn't work and possibly F1, F2 etc. I'm not sure. I disassembled the keyboard again and started looking at the traces, I found two that had a little deterioration, one of those measured open. I didn't have any conductive liquid to paint across the open trace. so I cut a fine uninsulated wire and taped it a cross the open trace.

Works fine, I'll get a new one soon, because I suspect that second trace is not far behind the first. But for now I'm up and typing!

btw, In recent months on my about 8 occasions I had a problem where (a) would stick and and continue repeating until I unplugged the keyboard. It wasn't the key, I suspect where there's deterioration of those two lines there was some conductive material that caused that. Although I can't explain why it would stop when unplugged and plugged the keyboard back in.


Pictures below.

 

[sengsational]

hope charge $80.- for a $10.- item if it is below value. I don't let them change it, easy enough if sufficiently out of tolerance.

All is well, except for the a$$ chewing I dished out to the furnace cleaning company's boss first thing this morning. Hope it made his day

Maybe they were looking for another $ervice call; if doing something wrong then charging extra to fix it is good enough for hospitals, it's got to be good enough for HVAC contractors, lol!

Unquoted, but talking about driving screws into the floor... I just installed some radiant heat panels. Not a 'fix', per se, but a fix for my cold feet while sitting in the breakfast room. The stuff is called "QuietWarmth" and it's a roll of plastic that's stapled between joists. The plastic has a conductive compound printed on it. Pulling down the insulation, stapling the film in place, and replacing the insulation was the easy part. Adding a 20 amp circuit, running the 12-2 to under the breakfast room was a bit of a pain. And you need to run two thick 12-2 sized up the wall to the control (thermostat and heavy duty relay), so wrestling those 12's are so much more of a pain than the 14's. Then all the panels go into a local junction box, no problem there. The big pump that's called "Eta" is making the floor 75 degrees without turning on the new heat, but I did test it briefly, and it looks like it's going to work. It's only 300 or 400 watts, so won't cost too much to run, and the control has a setback capability, so doesn't have to run all the time. And of course shuts off when it's up to set point.

This was one of those "what should I do today" things and 20 minutes later, I had an order into the Wayfair (the big box stores didn't have stock). Then when it arrived, I did the install. Almost too easy.

 

[mountainsoft]

The last couple of days we started noticing water in the bottom of our refrigerator and ice building up on the floor of the freezer. So my wife and I spent the afternoon pulling the freezer apart and thawing out the ice buildup that was blocking the freezer drain tube. It took about three hours pouring hot water and heating things with a blow dryer before the drain tube was clear again.

Everything is back together and seems to be working now, but we will be keeping an eye on it the next few days.

 

[homestead]

The last couple of days we started noticing water in the bottom of our refrigerator and ice building up on the floor of the freezer. So my wife and I spent the afternoon pulling the freezer apart and thawing out the ice buildup that was blocking the freezer drain tube. It took about three hours pouring hot water and heating things with a blow dryer before the drain tube was clear again.

Everything is back together and seems to be working now, but we will be keeping an eye on it the next few days.

My refrigerator has this problem too but takes several years to show up. I think the problem is the freezer goes into defrost mode and and the coils ice melts off and instead of all the water going down the drain tube some of it freezes until eventually the drain is frozen over. I think there is a repair kit available to make a permanent fix. Or you can wrap a piece of copper wire around the coil and the other end going part way down the drain tube. That way when the coils heat up the copper wire heats too and keeps the drain open. Next time mine leaks I will try the wire trick.

 

[Souschef]

The last couple of days we started noticing water in the bottom of our refrigerator and ice building up on the floor of the freezer. So my wife and I spent the afternoon pulling the freezer apart and thawing out the ice buildup that was blocking the freezer drain tube. It took about three hours pouring hot water and heating things with a blow dryer before the drain tube was clear again.

Everything is back together and seems to be working now, but we will be keeping an eye on it the next few days.

We have an Amana with the same problem. There was a problem with the drain tube design and it had to be replaced. I had a service technician do it.

 

[mountainsoft]

My refrigerator has this problem too but takes several years to show up. I think the problem is the freezer goes into defrost mode and and the coils ice melts off and instead of all the water going down the drain tube some of it freezes until eventually the drain is frozen over. I think there is a repair kit available to make a permanent fix.

Our Whirlpool ET1CHMXKB03 fridge doesn't seem to have that defective drain. Ours is a straight tube from the freezer to the drain pain.

We have had our refrigerator about 16 years now and this is the first time we've experienced this problem. I did replace the ice maker about 10 years ago, and recently replaced a couple cracked door bins. Otherwise it has been problem free.

 

[homestead]

Our Whirlpool ET1CHMXKB03 fridge doesn't seem to have that defective drain. Ours is a straight tube from the freezer to the drain pain.

We have had our refrigerator about 16 years now and this is the first time we've experienced this problem. I did replace the ice maker about 10 years ago, and recently replaced a couple cracked door bins. Otherwise it has been problem free.

Ours is also a Whirlpool 18 years old with straight tube from freezer to the pan. It has frozen over about 2-3 times in 18 years.
I think some of the melting water is always freezing but it takes a long time for the ice to build up enough for the water to overflow into the fridge section.

 

[mountainsoft]

Ours is also a Whirlpool 18 years old with straight tube from freezer to the pan. It has frozen over about 2-3 times in 18 years.
I think some of the melting water is always freezing but it takes a long time for the ice to build up enough for the water to overflow into the fridge section.

I'm actually surprised the tube isn't always frozen over. Draining water in freezing temperatures. Hmm...

So far we haven't seen any new ice or water building up, but it still seems like the refrigerator is running a lot. Maybe we're just noticing it more since we're paying attention, or there may be other problems with the fridge. I guess we'll see...

 

[Ronstar]

Your recent repair?

Lawn sweeper stopped picking up leaves, so I replaced some gears that looked worn and now everything works fine

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

A brake line blew out on my 2005 Ford Ranger. While I was inspecting the damage, I noticed that one of the brake drums was quite greasy. An axle seal had failed, leaking smelly differential oil everywhere.

I spent the next 10 days crawling under the truck making repairs. This being Wisconsin, all the brake line fittings were seized up solid.

The axle seal was relatively easy. Drained fluid, unhitched and removed axle shaft, pried out old seal, installed new one, reassembly the reverse of removal.

The brake lines were a pain. After judicious application of heat (the fuel tank was right nearby) I got all the old lines out up to the intermediate line. Installed a new hose with distribution block and replaced the old rear lines with NiCopp piping. If you ever need to bend up a replacement brake line, this stuff is a godsend. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-220216-25?seid=srese1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkuP9BRCkARIsAKGLE8X6AKvUsgtyv9yKackAD0bafcu_s-zlCqnuUplXxfXwTqJ2D4TKuMkaAhu3EALw_wcB

 

[Montecfo]

On my 2003 BMW 530 I recently experienced the "trifecta" of dashboard lights: ABS, Traction Control, and brake warning lights all illuminated.

I thought I might be in for an expensive repair but after some research I found I could remove the ABS module (ok, needed a TORX screwdriver that I did not have) and send it off to be rebuilt. Apparently some of the connections fail at about my car's mileage due to heat.

Well I sent my ABS module off to be rebuilt, reinstalled and the lights cleared. Cost $179.

Good thing since it was time for safety inspection, which it passed.

 

[Telly]

A brake line blew out on my 2005 Ford Ranger. While I was inspecting the damage, I noticed that one of the brake drums was quite greasy. An axle seal had failed, leaking smelly differential oil everywhere.

I spent the next 10 days crawling under the truck making repairs. This being Wisconsin, all the brake line fittings were seized up solid.

The axle seal was relatively easy. Drained fluid, unhitched and removed axle shaft, pried out old seal, installed new one, reassembly the reverse of removal.

The brake lines were a pain. After judicious application of heat (the fuel tank was right nearby) I got all the old lines out up to the intermediate line. Installed a new hose with distribution block and replaced the old rear lines with NiCopp piping. If you ever need to bend up a replacement brake line, this stuff is a godsend. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...afcu_s-zlCqnuUplXxfXwTqJ2D4TKuMkaAhu3EALw_wcB

Good job! I don't envy you! I paid my dues working on rusty cars in an unheated detached garage, and outside before that. Moved to the land of no salt over 30 years ago, brought 2 cars with us. After I replaced those, no more salty cars for me! No more wondering if every bolt was going to snap, or its head rusted too badly. Or finding new holes in places they aren't supposed to be.

I worked with a guy about 1974, that on his way to work on 3 different days his old rusty 60s Pontiac dropped onto the pavement while driving, completely separating from the car: gas tank; side mirror; door! The window was down in the door, and survived. The door was roped back on, not to be opened again. The gas tank went back up again, a bit dented but still usable. The side mirror, glass broken, could not go on again, as there was no solid metal anywhere near where it used to attach. A couple years earlier, a girl was driving her boyfriend's 56 Chevy to work. Collector car? Ha! Except for the transmission tunnel, the front floor pan was gone, and two road signs were face-down with some sheet metal screws on the edges to hold them in place. We were a bit concerned for her about the remaining steel around the mounting points for the front bench seat...

 

[mountainsoft]

it still seems like the refrigerator is running a lot.

Unfortunately, our fridge is STILL running. I replaced the defrost timer and defrost thermostat, which helped with defrosting, but it's still running all the time. I think I've tracked it down to a bad temperature control, and am expecting the new part on Monday. Hopefully that will fix it.

If that wasn't enough, the ice maker just quit working too, so I have a new one of those on order.

It's kind of a pain to fuss with all of this just before Thanksgiving, but at least it's still cooling. $150 worth of parts is still cheaper than a new $650 fridge.

A part of me still wonders if this a side effect of the power surge that took out my subwoofer, stereo receiver, and several GFCI outlets several months ago.

 

[Sunset]

Unfortunately, our fridge is STILL running. I replaced the defrost timer and defrost thermostat, which helped with defrosting, but it's still running all the time. I think I've tracked it down to a bad temperature control, and am expecting the new part on Monday. Hopefully that will fix it.

If that wasn't enough, the ice maker just quit working too, so I have a new one of those on order.

It's kind of a pain to fuss with all of this just before Thanksgiving, but at least it's still cooling. $150 worth of parts is still cheaper than a new $650 fridge.

A part of me still wonders if this a side effect of the power surge that took out my subwoofer, stereo receiver, and several GFCI outlets several months ago.

I've heard of power surges destroying appliances.

I hate repair situations like this, where it's one thing after another, and in the end you are left with an old thing and the repairs cost a big percentage of the price.

 

[mountainsoft]

I've heard of power surges destroying appliances.

I hate repair situations like this, where it's one thing after another, and in the end you are left with an old thing and the repairs cost a big percentage of the price.

Our power surge was actually last November 2019, when a wind storm blew a large tree onto the power lines and pulled over two poles. Several of our GFCI outlets were burned out, but I hadn't noticed any other problems. Then last month I noticed my subwoofer wasn't working. I replaced the fuse in that only to discover the subwoofer amp in my receiver had failed too. Now just a few weeks later the fridge starts acting up. It may just be coincidence, but it seems odd so many things are failing around the same time.

The fridge has been a bit of a head scratcher, but I think I'm slowly tracking down the problems. I'm not sure what happened with the ice maker, it was working fine until I pulled it out to clear the freezer drain. I took it apart but couldn't find anything wrong with it, but it stopped making ice. Everything tests successfully, but it just doesn't work right.

I was tempted to just get a new fridge, but it seems all the new models are a couple inches deeper than our current fridge. So that would mean redoing the plumbing valve behind the fridge to gain some extra room. Someday, but right now I have other priorities.

I prefer to fix old things whenever possible. I repaired our old washer and dryer numerous times over a 35+ year period until the drum finally rusted through. Same with my old 1976 Rabbit I had for 35+ years.

 

[NW-Bound]

I prefer to fix old things whenever possible. I repaired our old washer and dryer numerous times over a 35+ year period until the drum finally rusted through. Same with my old 1976 Rabbit I had for 35+ years.

I tend to do that. I hate to throw things away that still work. It's not just money, but the thought of landfills full of still useful stuff.

I kept the pool pump running for many years, and it got noisier and noisier all the time. Then one day, it was spinning without moving any water. The impeller was so worn out.

The new variable-speed pump I put in was so nice and quiet. And the power consumption was a lot less. The electricity that I paid with the old pump over the years may be higher than the price of the new pump, plus all that noise pollution. Oh man!

So, now I try better to see if something really needs to be saved.

 

[Time2]

I've heard of power surges destroying appliances.

I hate repair situations like this, where it's one thing after another, and in the end you are left with an old thing and the repairs cost a big percentage of the price.

After hurricane Michael, we lost power for 8 days. I had damage to three items, my computer HD was corrupted, the radio near the computer was damaged and the flourescent table lamp above my computer didn't work. I thought was odd that a flourescent light was damaged! Also on the same outlet was a TV, a modem, a router, two printers and a computer audio system that had no damage.

 

[Telly]

I've heard of power surges destroying appliances.

When we renovated our kitchen, I mounted a power strip with integral surge suppressor on the wall behind the new refrigerator. The old refrigerator was electromechanical. The new one had electronics. Did not want to take a chance. We have had lightning surges. I mounted the power strip so it took a long arm to reach it, in case any little grandkids tried to reach behind seeing a little red rocker switch. All desktop computer stuff and support equipment is on UPS with surge protection. Years ago, fixed a large built-in microwave that a lightning surge caused the MOV (Metal Oxide Varistor) to conduct, it's wired in parallel from hot to neutral. And replaced the fuse that it blows when the MOV conducts and sacrificially destroys itself. The fuse is ahead of it, protecting the guts of the appliance.