(OT or not) Worst time finding a problem

I'll start off by saying that this forum's archive can be a great technical resource -- most recently for me a crank sensor issue this past weekend....but the CJ5 misfire post reminded me of a doozie of a problem I had a few years back...

Now, we've all got stories about breaking parts, getting stuck, and "upgrades" that didn't go quite as planned, but -- given the fact that a lot of projects are handed around -- I'd like to hear about the most difficult time you had chasing down a problem, Jeep or not, and whether it's caused by the crazy cobbler factor or not.

Jon

Reply to
Jon
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Reply to
L.W. (Bill) Hughes III

That's IT, gas jockey?

THAT was difficult?

Well, it probably was the ultra high-tech Pinto that threw you off.

Well, at least you got to mention your oscilloscope again.....

Psychopath.

Reply to
Claude Horribly

Once spent about 2hrs in the mall parking lot trying to figure out why my 76 Dodge Aspen SE Coupe wouldn't start turn over. Had the 318/904/8.25 combo. After ripping the car apart. I decided it was time to pull the starter and walk a few miles to the auto parts store, but I needed a break first. I sat down and slammed the steering wheel in desperation. It was then that I noticed the shifter was in 'D'. Put it in 'P', fired the motor and away I went.

Carl

Reply to
Carl S

I hate to say it, but I did nearly the same thing as you did, only it was in my 1983 Camaro. I didn't get anything really pulled apart though other than superficial things(cap, wire, ect..).

Reply to
Raptor

We've all done something similar, you're a brave man to admit it!

I've done equally dumb things more than once but my favorite is a friend who bought a new bass boat, gathered up family and friends and trailered it to a nearby lake, launched it and found it wouldn't start. He tried everything he could think of, even took the battery out of his truck to try in the boat, no luck.

He finally took the boat out of the water, trailered it back home and begain trying to fix it when a friend came over, put the boat in neutral and it instantly started...... ;-)

Reply to
XS11E

It happens often enough to cause a habit of reaching over the wheel with my left hand to jiggle the column shift. God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O mailto: snipped-for-privacy@aol.com

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Reply to
L.W. (Bill) Hughes III

Did much the same thing with my `89 Cherokee, but found the bug before I pulled anything apart.

Reply to
Lee Ayrton

I'll bite:

Onwer of a late model foreign luxury sedan wants my help: car won't start. Didn't take long to figure the battery was dead dead dead, one cell was completely shorted out. Owner insisted on a genuine OEM battery from the dealer. (!!!!!!! twice the price!!!!!) but ok, not my car. Install the battery, hooked up the last cable, got a decent spark. Bad news, got a parsitic drain. Gotta find it or it will kill another battery.

I set up a digital ammeter in series with the battery cables, confirmed a solid 3.5 amp load, started pulling fuses one by one. All 42 of them. Nada. Then I started pulling the various relays.I didn't count but something like a 15 of those. Nada. 3 hours later it is getting cold and dark, gave up, reassembled, reccomended hauling to the dealer.

Nothing happened for a couple days due to a holiday weekend. Was comiserating the situation with my not very mechanically inclined brother in law. All he said was "If it wasn't that, it has to be something else" Well duh............ Then the light bulb came on, of course, there are TWO things not on the fuse block: starter and alternator. Something wrong with the starter will not give you 3 amp draw. Something wrong with an alternator will CERTAINLY give you a 3 amp darw. Pause, think, all it takes is a shorted diode and there you are. ARGH!!!!!!! Dummy of the week award.

Rest of the story pretty much standard: Dealer wanted $750 for a new alternator. (Yep, 3/4 of a grand). Called my favorite rebuilder, he thought he could get a new Bosch diode block and rebuild it for $150. Diode block was specific to the model I was working on, only could get a full new alternator for $225. At that point that was looking cheap. Guy mentioned that I was the first person who DIDN'T complain about the price.

And of course on that model the alternator, A/C compressor, and power steering pump are all bolted together in a stack on the side of the engine with the alternator on the bottom, a RPITA to get out. Goes with the turf I guess.

J> I'll start off by saying that this forum's archive can be a great

Reply to
RoyJ

Psychopath.

Liar.

Subhuman.

Reply to
Claude Horribly

Hehehee, I am so NOT used to an auto, I do that all the time in the work trucks. Although it now only takes me a minute or two to figure it out.

Worst scare - took the boss's work jeep to a meeting, an hour and a half away from the office. Came out of the meeting at 430pm, unlocked the rig, got in and it would not fire up. they key wouldnt turn at all. I freak out for a minute or two, take the keys out, check that this is really the correct jeep, yep, license plate matches the gas card. Get back in, it still wont start. Start to get out and panic...and realize that in my doubtful wisdom of not wanting to risk loosing the boss's keys, I put them on my key ring...where there is MY JEEP key too. Swap keys and the XJ fires right up and back to the office I go. DUH!

Worst problem to chase down... Wish I could say its the issue I have right now with my cavalier overheating, but no. It was the Jeep. Put a rebuilt motor in after I rolled it a few years ago, and it didnt run smooth. Checked the sensors, etc, and it still would cut out on me at times. Sometimes it was so faint I couldnt feel it, but we could see it on the shop's scanners - at one point I was driving it around with the head mechanic and 3 different types of scanners hooked up and collecting data while we drove. It took nearly 3 months of off and on work, and 3 different mechanics and one finally found a fix that has lasted. What he thinks it is is that either the crank or the cam are wrong for the engine. He clocked the distributor about a 1/4 inch and now it runs smooth as can be. No cutting out at all. Hasnt had the problem for several years now. Luckily for me, the guys at the shop are like bulldogs with this sort of problem. They dont give up! Some old post on the Chrylser mechanics forum, for an 88 pickup (I think, else it was the cherokee) gave him the idea to try. I was nearly ready to give up when he wanted to try this. It took more than 6 months to get the rig back on the road full time after that roll.

-jenn

Reply to
jbjeep

Mike Romain's c*ck.

Reply to
L.W. Bill Gay Cocksucker Hughes

I think not, O Bulbous One.

But don't let that stop you.

Reply to
Pink Freud

What drugs /are/ you on, Billie?

You are really having trouble with reading headers these days.

Reply to
Pink Freud

Then you really are a sad, pathetic little nobody.

But we all knew that already.

Reply to
Gaston Ryan Koake

Dude, you started this, obviously you don't know sarcasm when you read it.....

Claude Horribly wrote:

Reply to
RSMuddog via CarKB.com

It knows nothing about cars either, it drives an Intrepid. God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O mailto: snipped-for-privacy@aol.com

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Reply to
L.W. (Bill) Hughes III

And how in the hell would YOU know, Mr. Cheater Slicks? Mr. "I have been correct ONCE regarding automobiles in over 3 years."?

If you should ever decide to buy a /real/ car, and then learn something about them, then maybe we'll discuss it.

If I'm in the mood.

And if you become worthy.

Reply to
N. (Nancy) Huge IIIII

And how in the hell would YOU know, Mr. Cheater Slicks? Mr. "I have been correct ONCE regarding automobiles in over 3 years."?

If you should ever decide to buy a /real/ car, and then learn something about them, then maybe we'll discuss it.

If I'm in the mood.

And if you become worthy.

Reply to
N. (Nancy) Huge IIIII

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Reply to
L.W. (Bill) Hughes III

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