Jim Warman

Tomorrow morning I go "live" with my new IDSs... we are using the ToughBooks.... My techs range from very good to "what are you doing here?".... What will my first problems be???

Damn... and here I thought you were talking about me!!!!!

Not always Gerry.... not always....

Keith... the DP likes it when the local rag says "Ford dealer employees" in the news item but he stands way in the back and makes sure that everyone knows it was "his people" that did the deed.

Every year our store gets involved in a "community corporate challenge".... It's open to anyone/company that holds a town business licence. The event lasts a week (Mon - Fri) and, each evening, teams compete in various events. One of my paricular faves is "the amazing race" - teams of 8 are given a clue that hints at where a task is located and what the task may be (one hint was "build on your experience where the lost and lonely howl at night".... This was building a birdhouse (from precut boards) at the dog pound. Other events include a canoe race, dodge-ball, oil painting (this year was a two member team - the one holding the brush was blindfolded)... and other "fun" type events. Throughout the rest of the year, we are encouraged to participate in any number of events. June 2, we all purchased 2/3rds of a Tshirt to support an area childrens hospital (DP kicked in the balance) and everyone in the store displayed their shirt (and their support) on the designated day. This sort of stuff serves two purposes.... it helps all of our departments function (and bond) as a team and it shows our stores community spirit.... With all the negatie stuff I see on some of these forums, I think it important that we find positive stuff to add balance...

So THAT'S what the zoodad mod is.... And they make such a big deal out of it...... Give it a fancy name and all of a sudden it becomes "smart".... like the "CCV mod" and the "10K mod" and (one of my favourites) "harpooning". We have a couple of customers with trucks that are not their daily drivers.... they have the money to do things and they do it right. But to try this crap with a truck you desparately need to depend on day in and day out flies in the face of sensibility. We're in the middle of building a 500 inch stroker RB Mopar. Car will be street driven. If te other car is any indication, this one will see maybe 30 or 40 hours a year.

Our lot isn't real big but we are right on main street - you can spit out your truck window and hit one our new units. DP is a progressive thinker and believes in changes.... likes to move things around, do stuff to catch the eye.... No cases of lot rot, yet...

OK.. ToughBooks came in on this mornings courier... External CD drives are being shipped separately and will arrive in 4 to 8 weeks. WTF is anyone thinking of? Thankfully, I can mooch a USB drive from my association with the fire department and we can get these up and running in the next day or two...

Rich... that's a question you shouldn't have asked /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif A 9 bubble Master gets $35 per flat rate hour. Make 100 hours in a period (about half a month) and get $2 per hour bonus for every hour flagged. I'm booked about 2 weeks in advance and the rest of the guys are in the same ballpark. Seven new bays are coming this summer... one will be designated "wash bay", another "equipment bay" and the rest working bays. DP is a firm believer in training and good tools... Anyone interested can drop a resume at http://www.slford.com Yes, this a blatant ad for employment. Through all of this, the WDS has been there for me... well, after I rebooted it...

I'm told that there now enough ToughBooks in Canada for them to start shipping. We have two VCMs and one VMM gathering dust in the meantime (as well as the needed VDR cable). WDSs are giving grief again, so this wont be before time... That will be two PDSs, two WDSs and two IDSs in a shop that currently has only 7 warm bodies in it... I think that calls for a "NEENER - NEENER - NEENER"... /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cheers.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/king.gif

I hope you guys have good luck with the program.... Canada ia the "redheaded stepchild" and we don't get programs like these.

Just a heads up.... I'm told that there is a special cable required if you have a VDR and are planning on using it with your IDS. We bought the cable but I can't tell you if it is really needed. We have our two VCMs and our VMM - and now the toughbooks are on BO.

Forgot to add.... I expect to see one apprentice back at work late next week (depending on his emotional state... he should be physically able by then). The RAP student is in ICU at an Edmonton hospital. Both bones (tibia and fibula??) in his left leg are broken, left ankle is not as bad as first thought, broken collar bone, lacerated spleen and the tire chuck was removed from his groin without any damage to major blood vessels. I'm in Edmonton today and tomorrow and will try to visit with him. He was a budding young hockey player and all of us are praying that this will not affect his abilities in the years to come.

Official story.... the driver (18 years old) had partaken in the consumption of some yet to be named illicit substances and had, apparently, had a "reaction" to them. No effort was made to apply the brakes at any time. There was a passenger, but his actions and condition only make the story longer... especially the part where he tried to run away. Our insurance company is picking up the tab on everything AFAIK (adjuster was around on Friday). Their next step will be to sue the drivers insurance carrier as well as the driver and anyone else they can find that may have contributed to the incident. During my active days with the fire department, I have been involved in a lot of traumatic experiences in my term with the fire department and have developed a "unique" response to an incident like this.... but we are likely going to call in someone well versed in critical incident stress management for the rest of our staff, though. I have a shop full of techs that jump at every loud sound. I'm posting a pic or two of what happened one year and days earlier.....

Spent my morning putting out little "fires"... spent my afternoon with a big one... tonight, I try to catch up from this afternoon... early in in the morning to do something our (two days missing from action - self-inflicted variety)RV tech was supposed to do. And I'm sure most of the guys in the shop will be checking the back of their coveralls for accident magnets and bullseyes. I never realized that being shop foreman could be this much fun...

One year ago last Friday, a motorist had a siezure and drove through the front of our parts department. No one in the building was hurt and the driver miraculously suffered few minor injuries in the incident. Today, an Escape came flying through the front wall of our shop, destroying two toolboxes, knocking a SuperDuty off a single post inground hoist and into a near new H3 Hummer. A youngster (about 17) working in the shop through our local high schools RAP program was air lifted to Edmonton with serious but non-life threatening injuries and another apprentice suffered a twisted ankle jumping out of the way. It appears that police suspect illegal substances played a role in the incident. I am not, by any means, looking forward to our 3rd annual "run for your life" event.

The odd broken rocker arm.... a couple with siezed exhaust valves.... nowhere near what we used to see with the 7.3.

Check broadcast messages... In the last few days there's been one regarding IDS level 43 software. I have out VCMs and our VMM kit (including the special cable for the VDR) in my hot little hands... ToughBooks are still on backorder. Did I mention that the VMM comes crammed into a really pretty plastic box?

The PDS wont but if you have the VMM, you can do it with your IDS...

I forget which tech I was talking to on Hotline the other day on a very, very intermittent. I was told that he has heard of the shielding wire in the harness working through the insulation of the wires in the harness... Haven't seen one myself, but this could account for some of the oddball concerns we see.

I never did think to ask when else the thing buzzed.... I do know you could hear it in park at around 2000 rpm (I think).

When you guys south of the 49th go to school, how big are the classes? Ours are 12 students and we break into groups of three for the practical exercises. This seems to be an ideal size and allows for lots of interaction between the instructor and us grunts.... far be it from me to offer any disruptions. The only thing I can offer in addition to Keiths suggestions is if you still have the old FMTs hanging around. I have GCMS on my home computer and, occassionally, I'll bring home an FMT disc and play with it. This is especially handy for those things I rarely get to work on (read that as anything with spark plugs).

gasgasman, I heven't seen many that can sustain fuel pressure that high..... Changing pumps and quills never seems to solve any of the borderline ones. Paul... I recall a troublesome no start with a repeating P2614.... IIRC, this code includes FICM and related wiring concerns (I think mine was a 04ish truck). The PC/ED wasn't as much help as it could have been and I resorted to the Gold coloured "bible" for guidance. I felt that the concern was likely a chaffe concern... Our then shop foreman took over the duties but couldn't find any concerns with the harness.... tried a new FICM and the truck started... Put the old FICM back in and the truck started..... The concern hasn't resurfaced.... Gawd, I love this job...

I'm a lot lazier than Bruce... I use active command mode to turn on the pump...

In response to some of the debate on other forums, I called HotLine regarding the use of MercV in the 4R100. I was told that there will be a message coming down the pipe telling us that MercV is OK for the 4R100. Part of it looke like waiting for most of the 4R100 population to vanish from warranty coverage.. part of it looks like a part number reduction that looks like it is going to happen whether it is good or not... part of it looks like corporate backpedalling... One of my worries... We've been telling folks that MercV is no good for a 4R100.... and now we are going to say something entirely different?