Jim Warman

Grande Prairie is ... well, it's Grande Prairie. Real men move to Slave Lake.

If you have a significant ( as in readable ) voltage drop across a fuse, I think you'll find you have a cause for concern. A voltage drop indicates a resistance. Besides, I'm already using my DMMs ampmeter feature to indicate my parasitic draw severity. We would use a voltmeter more to find why a load ISN'T functioning... rather than why it IS. (Warning.... the preceding statement needs to be taken in context and treated with some respect). Electrical testing is simple and easy... for some strange reason, the human psyche finds (and fulfills) some obscure need to complicate matters.

Hven't done a 6.0 yet but I've done a couple of 6.4s.... You can pull the bed plate and find the "sweet spot" - this willl allow you to undo only two or three rod caps and lift the back end of the crank high enough to slip the cam gear past the rear crank hub. Personally, I wouldn't mess with those bolts.... I'm not sure if the engineers are right about the outcome - but I already have enough hobbies.

Sounds like you have an aftermarket modified head... I think BTS is one outfit that would groove your heads for fire rings and supply special head gaskets. Only ever seen 'em on two trucks - the owners had some pretty deep pockets.

Isn't it funny.... I go to the speed test page and it's all about ZIP and ZOOM.... When I go to any other page it's all about "ho-hum... today would be nice....". My ISP says "we don't throttle your connection".... and I say "rrrriiiigggghhhhtttt".

Extra straw on the camels back.... Is that like the difference between being a "little bit pregnant" and a "whole lot pregnant"? Reminds me of the day I had my remote starter button in hand, the leads tucked into my coveralls... I ran into the front crying "Allah ackbhar" I will not die a martyr.. I will not enter paradise and collect 72 virgins (just as well, they are probably Justin Bieber clones). I am and always will be an infidel dog.... Alhamdulillah (ooooh, my bad). FWIW... and I am almost sorry for changing the subject.... there are so many things that desperately need to be taken "in context". "Dying on the job" is a euphamism for cumming your lump (which, I suppose, is a euphamism for having an orgasm) depending on where you live. In the late 60s, I lived in Montreal.... To the Quebecois I was a "coin chauffe"... a "steaming corner" - a bloke - a squarehead - I wasn't Frenchinese.... Curiosity at it's best... to the French (I am an Englishman by nationality) I am a squarehead. As an Englishman, I see squareheads as being German Ahhhh, the magic of words....

On edit... I suddenly realized that this is Kosher beer.... God might like me but I'm a little worried about Allah.... Does posting a picture of Kosher beer make me an infidel dog???? I heard that there might be a fatwa on the guys from SouthPark....

Well... I tried hard to find a pic so I could ask if it looks like <THIS>. The pics in the WSM are less than crappy....making them uber- crappy. So... Tech A says "WTF is this goofy looking part?" - well, if you guys ordered it, you should have some idea of.... well - you can see where that's going. If you didn't order it... somebody at your PDC needs his pee-pee whacked.... Tech B says "Whoa.... she's a tad spendy"... along with a generalized parts description. Tech C says "Hmmmm, the part is relatively unrecognizable for Tech A... and the price is nearly jaw dropping for Tech B.... must have sumpin' to do wif a CNG fuel system.... Can I have my gold star now, please?

Yes, it is a valid test (anyone got an AVR with a "Diode Test" function?). We are looking for excessive alternator ripple - hoping for that "clean" power that modern modules have a thirst for FWIW, alternator ripple has only become a concern with the growing use of electronic modules. The ideal test would be to use an oscilliscope - In the past, depending on the scope, you might be measuring VOLTAGE ripple or CURRENT ripple - and this might be a cause for some confusion. If you go to "Service Tips" in the online manuals, there is what has to be one of the best write ups on current ripple testing that I've seen. In the end, if you suspect alternator ripple as being a cause for concern, you are going to disconnect the alternator and retest, anyway. Using a voltmeter to test a block heater.... not sure I would venture there... If we are hoping to measure volt drop across the heater, the DMM will read the same whether the circuit is open or "good". I like to use an old incandescent trouble light and a female plug rewired so that the trouble light bulb is going to be in series with the block heater. If the bulb glows at about half brilliance, we can see that (a) we have continuity through the wire and element and ( we have a better than even chance that there aren't any "unintended resistances" in the circuit. Important consideration.... the customer 'may' express a concern that the block heater "blows the breaker" even though he really means "it trips the GFCI" -

I can only suggest that you take the little slip from Advance Auto and send it to the "round file". They couldn't fix it (or so it seems) so their info isn't much use to you... They have given you the number 24.66... but what does this represent? You cannot do a parasitic draw test accurately if you are supplying current flow fron "another" source. In this case, it sounds like it may be the second battery. I just went through a similar situation with an apprentice. He failed to isolate the second battery (along with an alarming proclivity of removing postive cables first)... A word to apprentices everywhere.... if you pretend to know what you are doing, I will pretend to think that you know what you are doing..... In dual battery installations, the ground is "generally" a common circuit. We do need to ensure that our parasitic draw testing includes the positive taps from BOTH batteries. Electrical testing is, by far, the most misunderstood things we do. Sadly, once we grasp the basic ideas, it becomes close to the simplest of things we do.

KillaCycle has been around for a little over 10 years. Best run to date has been something like 169 mph @7.8something seconds. This 2008 video let's you hear the unique sound of this bike during the burn out and the run....

Being as this trade is what it is, there is an element of danger - cuts, scrapes and the odd semi-mashed finger are par for the course... Lost time accidents, however, are what we should all be avoiding. Chris... one on my hobbies is woodworking. Occasionally I might lend a chisel to one of a select few friends. My wood chisels are sharp enough to shave with. When I do lend one, I always remind them "If you drop it... let it fall to the floor - never, EVER try to catch it". A long time ago, I got a hot piece of cutting slag down my shirt.... I shook it and danced around long enough for the slag to become lodged in the crotch of my underwear pants. Today, if a piece of slag drops into my shirt... I crush it to my chest - no exceptions.

I have a Radio Shack (now 'The Source' in Canada) meter and it, too, reads in mA and Amps. IIRC the mA scale is up to 100 mA with a 500 mA fuse. Thge 10 amp scale is 10 amps with a 10 amp fuse. FWIW, I use "slow blow" fuses. Interestingly... I purchased two different sets of leads for my DMM. Each set alone cost more than the meter. It isn't "the tool" that matters... it is how you use it and interpret the readings that will decide the repair. Performing a parasitic draw test isn't rocket science - but you do need your wits about you. I'm sorry if this sounds brutal but (as Kieth points out) - a 24 amp reading isn't going to happen on most DMMs and it really isn't going to happen on an mA scale. To compound the concern, offering bogus info when seeking help is going to make matters worse.... we despartely need to be on the same page if we are to offer/ask for help. Back when I was on the fire department, I would encourage members to "play with their toys". I do that with our techs as well. With the shit you have in your junk drawer, you should be able to build a simple circuit... Use that simple circuit to gain the familiarity you need with your DMM. In the online WSM for 1996, there is a crude outline for parasitic draw testing in section 14-00. FWIW, I see this test as being done wrong more than done right. Word to the wise... before embarking on this test, be absolutely sure that the batteries and charging system are not the cause for concern. Now that we are nearing the middle of winter, it is important to ensure that the block heater is working - our guys check to see if it blows a regular breaker but not to see if it blows a GFCI breaker...

+1. Important to pay close attention to the "shoulders" of the VVT trace...

The heart of the matter is... did your repair fix the truck?. This is the overwhelming need in spite of what some desk princess decrees. Sadly, there are times when the story needs to fit the repair - not vice versa.

While we're on about transport mode.... The powers that be have us taking them out of transport when the trucks are PDI'd. Of course, the salesweasels don't get around to starting them near often enough all too often... I'm reasonably sure that having the message centre nag you about transport mode is just a weency bit less embarassing than having a new fucking truck that has a dead battery right in front of God and a customer with money.... Just sayin'.....

It was also in a broadcast message a lloonngg time ago. raise your hand if you read BCMs.... The rest of this post is deleted because I am a dick...

Alton Brown is one of my heroes.... even if he is the man that turns recipes into science experiments. Even at my age, I cannot go a year spending less than $100 on tools.... I try to avoid tool trucks and tool aisles in stores.... "ooooo - a pretty... come home with Daddy..."

O M G !!!! You are starting to sound almost familiar... WWWWAAAAYYYYY back when.... there used to be a time when a reman or reconditioned part was NOT part of a warranty repair... It wasn't deemed "proper". And, to some extent, rightfully so. Today, most of us pray for a cost cap so we can replace an engine assembly.. without thinking that a new engine doesn't have +0.030 or - 0.020 associated to cylinder bore numbers or crank numbers. The customer bought a truck with a motor that could take at least one cylinder overbore.... and we hand him back a truck that can't.... Independent shops? Today I received this help request from iATN.... <Ygor from Connecticut writes: hey i'm posting here just to make sure about what this truck is doing,came on the hook with no forward and the owner complaint that the check engine light came on while he's trying to make the truck move.scanned and found codes p0720 and p0722 for the output speed sensor.i don't think that gonna make the truck stop going forward,i tried a new sensor just in case but same thing.if anybody had that experience before any help would be appreciated!!!i want to recommend the transmission but i want to make sure first.thanks everybody in advance...> This guy is allowed to vote and have children...

Have you considered a blind hole puller and a slide hammer?

From a different tech with extensive experience in independent shops... Warranty repairs is your customer setting your price. Warranty repairs is your customer insisting on quality Ford reman fuel injectors and other "FQR"s. Warranty will make you take pictures and wait for an adjuster (what was that about second opinion?) or even refuse to pay you for a repair if they feel you didn't cross one T or dot one i. Warranty is waiting for some desk jockey to give permission to replace a part. I don't want to be the devils advocate here (yeah... rrriiigghhhttt ) but some techs will be better off trying to be everyman in an independent setting (notice I said "try") and others will be better off trying to be specialists. I spent far too many years thinking "Jeez, I wish I knew how that worked" to deny the utility of WSMs. The first time I ever came across ESOF on a Super Duty I was left to scratch my head. There is no intuitive way to grasp the function of PVH hubs and an unfamiliar tech without decent documentation WILL misdiagnose the system. What working at a dealership DOES give you... Access to those special tools that usually make a task easier or less likely to damage parts. Access to documents (notice I didn't say 'easy' access) that help you diagnose and repair brand new, technologically advanced vehicles. Access to one of the best brand specific scan tools available. Talk about hi-jacking your own thread.....

Wow.... gather 'round, young 'uns... Techs are a lot like crows.... Crows love shiny things.. they will steal them where they can and cart them away to adorn some nest or altar or.... Techs love toys... shiney red boxes (well... they used to be red) full of shiney toys.... It doesn't matter if a tool is useful or not (God knows I have some real nifty toys I bought 30ish years ago that I only ever tried to use once - or even nonce and now I can only hope someone offers me money for them). The tool truck. This insidious device is used by people that used to be you. They know a sucker when they see one... All you can think about is getting back to work, not about what you are buying (Ooooo - that looks sexy). Have you ever wondered why the second thing the toolmonger says is "let's go out to the truck"?

I'm no longer surprised by the shit we see customers try. It still (so far) rarely escalates to a GM kinda thing but I'm sure it sometimes bounces off the edge of his radar.... It's gonna get worse - honest. Scanned a dudes fleet truck for DTCs yesterday - I always turn off the HVAC and the radio. I told the man it wont be a simple fix (not a driveway fix, at least) and he will have to book it. Bear in mind that he WATCHED ME TURN OFF THE ACCESSORIES - two minutes later, I get called to the counter again - "now his heater doesn't work". I push the button - the heater goes <brrrrrrrrrrrrr> - "I tried that....".... ayup... and the Pope is Jewish and there's a UFO in the mall parking lot, right? Another one is about to have (I can feel it in my bones) a CUDl opened on it. On his last truck (a 6.0), he agonized over the ESOF. This truck (a 6.4), he faithfully checks his oil (something he had never done before) and is convinced it is always overfull... This man and I have a 'history' dating back to about 1982 so I am used to it - I am sure he hates me but he refuses to leave. Bottom line... these trucks are complex and there is no denying that one problem can mask several others. Customers will eventually get used to that concept but we will look like idiots and thieves until they do... We should be good at looking like idiots and thieves... we've been doing it since before I got in the trade. Slopey shoulders.... the shit runs off them. An asset for todays tech.

We see a lot of burned out hi-mount brakelight bulbs, but rarely burned out cargo light bulbs. They wouldn't be from the factory (MicroCat calls for 906s as I'd mentioned) so one can only assume that they were changed "for some reason". What I don't understand is that you could still turn on the cargo lamps using the panel dimmer switch. As far as I can see, door switch input and panel dimmer switch input both tell the SJB that you want interior and cargo lights to illuminate. Could there be, for some unexplained reason, different logic based on the source of the input?

Recently, one of our less experienced techs was having a fit with the cargo lights on an 08 SooperDoodee. The lights would always work with the thumbwheel but would occasionally (but usually not) work with the doors. And here is where some of it gets interesting. First.. some all important background.... the SJB had a code - sorry I can't remember the exact designation but it was a code indicating the affected circuit(s) were seen to have a short to ground. The truck is an early 08 so there weren't many branches to the cargo lamp circuit. Since the lights actually worked sometimes, we could verify that wiring and lamps must be OK... Yet, after clearing, the code would return like clockwork.... Looking at the wiring diagrams, it is apparent that this circuit is controlled by a MOS-FET... MOS-FET circuits are current sensitive. A clue.... With no obvious wiring concerns.. and the truck is low mileage, you are left to scratch your head.... Think sideways.... The spec bulb for cargo lights on an 08 SD is a 906. This bulb is a 9 watt bulb... you can do the current draw computation - it will be good practice. As a rule, we install 912 bulbs... being as our main partsmonger is a cheap c*nt and any time he can reduce his part number count is something he will celebrate. 912s are a 13 watt bulb and appear to have the ability to fly under the SJBs radar.... However, somewhere along the line, some enterprising soul managed to install 921 bulbs in the cargo lamps... (21s are an 18 watt bulb. All three of these bulbs share the same physical dimensions yet one of them causes grief. The notion that the wrong bulbs might be installed was an absolute shot in the dark... The important thing to remember... the shape of the modern automobile is changing... We need to change with it... Sidebar.... the second car I ever owned was a 1961 Ford Falcon.... In the early 60s, the park lights would extinguish when the headlights were turned on (tail light bulbs were an 1157 while front park lights were a 1034). One of the simple things we would do to "pimp our rides" "back in the day" was to jumper the tail lights to the park lights at the headlight switch. Voila (or, for you Yanks 'walla') we modernized our cars. Back then, we had one fuse box with maybe eight fuses in it....