Alternator Failure: Some kind of warning device?

Per David Johnson:

I've driven on-and-off in Germany occasionally for the past 30-some years. Haven't been over there in the last 10 - and maybe it's all changed because of the European Union....and I don't speak German to boot.

Having said that, what I perceive from experience is that there seem to be only a few rules:

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1) Always yield the hammer lane to closing traffic. If they have to slow down, you didn't yield soon enough - and you'll definitely know when that happens. 2) Always, under all circumstances, without any exceptions use your turn signal when crossing any sort of white line. If a truck is parked partially on the traffic lane going through a town, you'll see car after car put on their left turn signal as they straddle the center line to pass it. Turning it on as you cross the line isn't good enough. It has to be blinking before you initiate your move. 3) Never, ever, under any circumstances pass on the right. This greatly facilitates adherence to #1. 4) When coming off an onramp, look for an opening, downshift, and come off pedal-to-the-metal. (that's almost verbatim from the English translation of my 80-some-year-old father-in-law's admonition...)

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One of my other relatives confirms the claim of fewer accidents (lower death rate by his version) on the German autobahns than USA's limited-access roads.

I find this even more impressive when I realize that not only are people routinely exceeding 100 mph - with the crazies doing 150+ in Porsches - but many of them are driving *very* small (i.e. not particularly crashworthy) vehicles AND all that is going on in the context of triple tractor trailers pulling out to pass at 35-45 mph.

As far as attention to driving goes... I've watched a 25-year-old nephew literally sweat while driving. I suspect that drunk driving there is not much of an issue because anybody who drove drunk would have an exceedingly short life expectancy.

Reply to
(PeteCresswell)
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I check mine at stop lights/signs in stop an go traffic or when no ones very close at speed every 20-30 mins.Not at speed with people close by when I should be paying attention to traffic and side mirrors.

Reply to
Dafey

My 85 s15 Jimmy made it 148500 on its first,my 91 s10 blazer is at 12099 on its 1st.

Reply to
Dafey

You write down every time you get gas ?That seems excessive...

Reply to
Dafey

Per Dafey:

Of course it is....-)

But I'm an excessive/compulsive kind of guy...

I suspect it's also a carryover from when I used the vehicle for business - tax reporting and all that.

Reply to
(PeteCresswell)

I used to do it that way, now I keep it all in a backedup comptuer recod for all vehicle I have including tractor and mowers, I usually do not put in the cost though.

Well the old 350 is a sound motor and can do 250K easy, the problem is the rest of the truck. I think you have a chance at it is you change the axle lubes, tranny and Tcase lubes every 30K or so and if you have not done so yet, start now. Also change engine oil a nbit more often as miles rack up as that can help a lot as oil gets dirtier sooner as engine wears and changing it more often minimizes the effects from this. Also, watch engine temps and coolant condition as it ages because when a older engine start to run hot it can shorten its life so find cause and deal with it. I use 60/40 or better as it protects engine better as the age als the less water that is present the less galvantic reaction there is to surpress. Some would debate this but my

89 cooling system is clean a new runing 70/30. Lived out in Montana for a spell in 90's and 50/50 would not cut it at all and 60/40 was marginal at time where I was so I settle on 70/30 and still use it today. Mater a fact my coolant has not been changed in the vehcile for 9 years now and it still is as clean as day one and it never even thinks of overheating either still. The 4L60 tranny you have is a good one basically but it has had some issues with valve body as you well know. It is basically a electronically controlled version of the 700R4 I have (different valve body) which has proven to be a very reliable tranny for some. (87 and later models where the best of theses)

----------------- The SnoMan

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Reply to
SnoMan

El Fri, 30 Jun 2006 01:16:11 +0000, SnoMan escribió:

I'm going to give your 7 PSI cap idea a try. With a new 14 PSI cap per the owner's manual, as soon as the shop patches one leak in my ancient but newly flushed radiator, another leak appears. But what advantage does a

70/30 mix give you over the normal 50/50? I thought that increasing the ratio of ethylene glycol to water beyond 50/50 will lower rather than raise the boiling temperature of the liquid.

Warren Post Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras

Reply to
Warren Post

I do the same, miles and engine hours now that I have it. Then it goes in a spreadsheet which calculates the miles per gallon, average miles gallon and now even average miles per hour as well as operating cost. An unexpected drop in miles per gallon could be an early warning to something wrong so it may pay off someday. Just write the info on the receipt from the gas station and fill it in sometime later when I get home.

Reply to
Eugene Nine

Same thing here. I scan the mirrors and dash every 5-7 minutes regardless of what I'm driving. Just being a good driver. If your to lazy to check the vehicles operation while your behind the wheel, WALK. Way to many lazy, distracted and just plain piss poor drivers on the road. One of the things I hate about a lot of the states now is the way they are extending the renewals on drivers licenses. I would agree with it IF they did real testing every time instead of just looking at an eye chart and sign your name. I'd rather see a written test and a driving skills test every 6 years for EVERYONE who want to drive.

Reply to
Steve W.

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