There are just some days I wish I didn't turn wrenches

[OR VietVet]

Well, as of last night, she has made her 4th decision about this Jeep Crapokee. The Terrain switch/transfer case switch I replaced was done because it was intermittent when it came to lighting up. That problem is now fixed. If the Jeep PTU/transfer case still has an internal problem and continues to turn on the Service 4wd light at the dash, and intermittently the CEL, she is resigned to the fact that the transfer case will need replaced. The dealer quoted $3400 for this I found a reputable shop in town that quoted $2600-$2700 for that PTU replacement. These are a very well known problem with the Jeeps. If light(s)do turn on, then she says she is gonna get rid of it. She has said this 3 other times and sent me on a used vehicle search. She always wants more vehicle than she can afford. I have told her repeatedly that getting another used vehicle may have other problems that neither one of us would be aware of when purchasing. This Jeep is paid for. By the way, replacing the PTU switch was never a guarantee fix for the Service 4wd light or CEL.

If she does not replace the PTU and wants another vehicle, then I have to go thru the steps with RA for the pads and rotors return. If she has a tire problem before getting rid of Jeep, then that opens up a whole other can of worms. Plus, to try and sell a 2017 Jeep Crapokee with Service 4wd and CEL on and noisy front brakes and lug bolt problems or try to trade it in, opens up a whole other set of problems. The actual worth of the Jeep is around $8k and then deduct $3000 to $3400 for the PTU and brakes and lug bolts....well she is in for a big hurt.

I am doing my best to help because she lives right down the street and has sent me business and her mother is my next door neighbor and she is in hospice. Plus, her daughter just moved away to Wa. for a job and now she is in an empty household.

The hits just keep on coming. I did ask her if the Jeep meets her needs when it works properly and she said yes. Plus, the Jeep is completely drivable with the Service 4wd and CEL on.

 

[homesick]

Well, as of last night, she has made her 4th decision about this Jeep Crapokee. The Terrain switch/transfer case switch I replaced was done because it was intermittent when it came to lighting up. That problem is now fixed. If the Jeep PTU/transfer case still has an internal problem and continues to turn on the Service 4wd light at the dash, and intermittently the CEL, she is resigned to the fact that the transfer case will need replaced. The dealer quoted $3400 for this I found a reputable shop in town that quoted $2600-$2700 for that PTU replacement. These are a very well known problem with the Jeeps. If light(s)do turn on, then she says she is gonna get rid of it. She has said this 3 other times and sent me on a used vehicle search. She always wants more vehicle than she can afford. I have told her repeatedly that getting another used vehicle may have other problems that neither one of us would be aware of when purchasing. This Jeep is paid for. By the way, replacing the PTU switch was never a guarantee fix for the Service 4wd light or CEL.

If she does not replace the PTU and wants another vehicle, then I have to go thru the steps with RA for the pads and rotors return. If she has a tire problem before getting rid of Jeep, then that opens up a whole other can of worms. Plus, to try and sell a 2017 Jeep Crapokee with Service 4wd and CEL on and noisy front brakes and lug bolt problems or try to trade it in, opens up a whole other set of problems. The actual worth of the Jeep is around $8k and then deduct $3000 to $3400 for the PTU and brakes and lug bolts....well she is in for a big hurt.

I am doing my best to help because she lives right down the street and has sent me business and her mother is my next door neighbor and she is in hospice. Plus, her daughter just moved away to Wa. for a job and now she is in an empty household.

The hits just keep on coming. I did ask her if the Jeep meets her needs when it works properly and she said yes. Plus, the Jeep is completely drivable with the Service 4wd and CEL on.

You're doing good.

joe

 

[Tahoe14]

You really have to feel for her at this point. For those of us who try to help others in time of need it becomes difficult sometimes because we can only do so much. You are really trying to help her but in a difficult spot with her vehicle needing work and not a whole lot of equity. Hopefully she will take your advice and just keep driving it with the brakes replaced.

 

[OR VietVet]

You really have to feel for her at this point. For those of us who try to help others in time of need it becomes difficult sometimes because we can only do so much. You are really trying to help her but in a difficult spot with her vehicle needing work and not a whole lot of equity. Hopefully she will take your advice and just keep driving it with the brakes replaced.

The problem is, she has mood swings about the Jeep. I told her the hit she will take with the Jeep, on a sale or trade in, is more than the cost to fix. Plus, she can drive with the Service 4wd light on and save toward a repair/replacement of the transfer case. We already have the brake parts. She just needs to allow for the extra expense of the better lug studs and the tire shop labor for that replacement.

 

[OR VietVet]

Coming up on the 9th.....2018 Suburban 4x4 5.3....oil change, transmission fluid and filter service, new plugs and wires, remove & replace throttle body for cleaning, replace air filter and cabin air filter, both radiator fan motors and fan shroud. He will be gone to Hawaii/Maui for 10 days.

Will also be doing the oil change on his sister's 2018 Camry XLE Hybrid.

The son and daughter are up to date as well as their girlfriend's and boyfriend's vehicles and the landlord's wife's car.

 

[OR VietVet]

Coming up on the 9th.....2018 Suburban 4x4 5.3....oil change, transmission fluid and filter service, new plugs and wires, remove & replace throttle body for cleaning, replace air filter and cabin air filter, both radiator fan motors and fan shroud. He will be gone to Hawaii/Maui for 10 days.

Will also be doing the oil change on his sister's 2018 Camry XLE Hybrid.

The son and daughter are up to date as well as their girlfriend's and boyfriend's vehicles and the landlord's wife's car.

It's a "wash, rinse, repeat" thing. I have at least a half dozen families, on my block, that I take care of the families vehicles.

Plus, their word of mouth friends.

 

[OR VietVet]

Vibes at idle in steering wheel, when turning sitting still, in gear​

As I did feel what my girl was concerned about, I knew the vibes had been there all along. She just got new tires and was paying close attention to ANYTHING!

It had been a while since a throttle bore clean, so I tore it down. Teardown, remove throttle body, clean both sides and plate edges and reinstall and reassemble, 30 minutes.

You can see the slight build up in the pics and the new throttle body seal and her idle in gear when sitting still went up by maybe 500 rpm. Sitting still and turning in gear, the vibes are almost non existent and when the idle does drop slightly, the computer and sensors take over and the idle climbs back, the same amount it dropped. I also know that the load is ever so slightly increased because of the new rubber traction/friction, when turning and not moving.

She is happy and so am I.

To answer a question that is bound to come up, I use either a pick or a small diameter bolt to hold the throttle plate open, while I am doing the cleaning. If I try to hold open, there is a constant slight open and close movement of the plate and I feel it is better to hold with a set amount of opening. Never had a problem doing it this way. The constant pressure of the plate trying to close, holds the prop in place.

I also use a very thin film of assembly blue grease to hold seal in place and to allow for movement when the throttle body is being reinstalled.

 

[Tahoe14]

Looking good and clean as a whistle.

 

[S33k3r]

Coming up on the 9th.....2018 Suburban 4x4 5.3....oil change, transmission fluid and filter service, new plugs and wires, remove & replace throttle body for cleaning, replace air filter and cabin air filter, both radiator fan motors and fan shroud. He will be gone to Hawaii/Maui for 10 days.

Will also be doing the oil change on his sister's 2018 Camry XLE Hybrid.

The son and daughter are up to date as well as their girlfriend's and boyfriend's vehicles and the landlord's wife's car.

Will you please adopt me?

 

[OR VietVet]

Will you please adopt me?

Depends on the money you bring.

I would do anything I could to get out of Dallas, too.

 

[OR VietVet]

2008 4Runner with a 4.0. Owned by a local bar manager where I go eat tacos on Tuesday and Thursday. Recently, 4 months ago, she got a new battery and they did not say a word about the corrosion built up at the cables. Was able to clean and salvage the negative but the positive cable end and the attaching cable were trashed. main cable is 2 gauge and the smaller is 4 gauge. Had to cut about 1" off each and the smaller cable had plenty of extra but not the positive main cable. Had to reposition a stand off bracket to allow more slack for the set up to work. Cleaned it all up. All good.

 

[homesick]

2008 4Runner with a 4.0. Owned by a local bar manager where I go eat tacos on Tuesday and Thursday. Recently, 4 months ago, she got a new battery and they did not say a word about the corrosion built up at the cables. Was able to clean and salvage the negative but the positive cable end and the attaching cable were trashed. main cable is 2 gauge and the smaller is 4 gauge. Had to cut about 1" off each and the smaller cable had plenty of extra but not the positive main cable. Had to reposition a stand off bracket to allow more slack for the set up to work. Cleaned it all up. All good.

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Those people would never see another dime of mine.

joe

 

[OR VietVet]

Those people would never see another dime of mine.

joe

I told her that, before she pays me to do something, she should go see the shop and show them what they "overlooked". She waited 3 months, after I told her to let them see it and the owner came in the bar for tacos the other day and he had sold the shop. She then contacted me and I did the repair. If you look it up at Toyota OE Parts, you will see that the positive and negative cable assemblies are over $2000 for the pair. Each assembly runs all over the engine bay and thru the firewall and all over the dash and to the back. It is strictly a patch as you go unless you buy the assemblies. I will be checking the positive crimped on cable lug and if I see any cable "back out" movement, I will install a new crimp on lug and then get a short 2 gauge cable with an eyelet at each end and bolt on at the cable end and then bolt together at the two eyelets and insulate it all.

 

[homesick]

I told her that, before she pays me to do something, she should go see the shop and show them what they "overlooked". She waited 3 months, after I told her to let them see it and the owner came in the bar for tacos the other day and he had sold the shop. She then contacted me and I did the repair. If you look it up at Toyota OE Parts, you will see that the positive and negative cable assemblies are over $2000 for the pair. Each assembly runs all over the engine bay and thru the firewall and all over the dash and to the back. It is strictly a patch as you go unless you buy the assemblies. I will be checking the positive crimped on cable lug and if I see any cable "back out" movement, I will install a new crimp on lug and then get a short 2 gauge cable with an eyelet at each end and bolt on at the cable end and then bolt together at the two eyelets and insulate it all.

My guy says my Pos cable is like that, but only costs hundreds.

joe

 

[OR VietVet]

Today's task: PCV Valve replacement on neighbor's 2020 Toyota Corolla 1.8. Requires intake removal for access. Toyota recommended replacement interval and car has 36k on it. I removed the throttle body and cleaned and then removed brackets and harnesses and hoses and attaching bolts and removed intake. Swapped out PCV valve and replaced intake seal and throttle body seal. Cleaned intake mount area at ports and cleaned ports. Restart and road test went as should with smooth idle and strong accel.

Next is the 2018 Suburban for previous listed work.

 

[89Suburban]

I like to watch you work on this stuff freind.

 

[OR VietVet]

I like to watch you work on this stuff freind.

The 2018 Suburban, coming up, will get a large write up and lots of pics. Each day that I do this, it makes me wish I had opened up a small shop when I first came to Oregon, in 1995. I am glad I am not working at my friend's shop as a part time service writer. He turned out to be very moody. Not having fun at work. Then he broke away from his partner and that added drama and then at same time, he was separating from his wife and that added drama and he was stiffing me $230 for some promises made when we did a large job on a 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser. I do better at home, $ wise, and I control what I do and have more time to spend with my girl Linda.

 

[Tahoe14]

Good move on your part. I remember when you were talking about working there. I think you are doing good without all the headaches and you are your own boss. I’m doing handyman jobs and like you I pick and choose and I am my own boss. Nothing like it. I can’t sit around doing nothing and growing old. Active mind, active body and good health is your wealth.

 

[OR VietVet]

I went and picked up the 2018 Suburban at the airport while landlord and wife are in Hawaii. Watching football but did get a chance to do the engine air filter and the cabin air filter. The CAF was loaded. Will start out with radiator fans tomorrow.

By the way, kind of a PITA to get to the CAF on this 2018 Suburban. There is a wire harness at the right of the CAF cover plate, that I had to force tuck out of the way and the 6 screws for the panel removal, at back of glove box.

 

[OR VietVet]

Today I just removed the radiator fan shroud and the throttle body for cleaning. The fan shroud was a bit of a PITA to shimmy past upper radiator hose and the cooling lines but is very doable. The throttle body is dirty, especially the back side. I did notice the throttle body plate is slightly open, without me touching it. I have never seen this before, with all the throttle bodies I have taken off. May be the filth build up or will just reset closed when plugged back in, before starting. Shall see. ANY THOUGHTS on this?