What are you working on today?

[Hermann]

Finally have received some rain on the NE side of the Metro for a week or so. The lawn and weeds were ready for a full mow, it been 6 weeks. The lawn has greened up pretty good. Exercised the rider and the Chonda. It took 8 pulls to start. Thought I had the choke on but the cable was wrinkly and didn't engage the choke. 2 pulls after the cable issue was taken care of. Did a full weed eat. Realized this week that my WorksGT weed wacker is 10 years young, both batteries still going strong. Only expense has been $8 for 6 spools of line. Sprayed some weed killer w/crabgrass control. Might get a good rain Wednesday if the weather guessers get it right. If I see the rain coming fer sure, I might put down some fertilizer right before it rains.

Now I can hibernate from the heat for a week or so.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Today at work was hectic. If they would stop taking walk ins we wouldn’t have that problem they get on to us about appointments not being done but at the same time they are wanting the walk ins done immediately. They aren’t supposed to take any walk ins at all. I’m so tired of them sending them back at 4:55 too it’s ridiculous. We had one customer today they wanted high mileage oil and also brake pads and rotors replaced as well. No problem there until they specify they want the brake parts to be Napa Silent Stop (I think that’s the name) pads and Napa rotors too ok that’s fine I can have parts order that and the special oil requested which was High Mileage 5W-30 either Mobil 1 or Toyota they specified well Toyota doesn’t make a high mileage oil so I had parts get the Mobil 1. We don’t stock high mileage anymore anyway for any brand. Got everything apart waiting on the brake parts and oil. Napa is only 10 minutes away well no one ever called or anything to tell us the oil is out of stock. Two hours go by and the parts guy finally calls and they are like oh yeah we have to get that out of the warehouse in Greensboro NC so it will be arriving at your dealership as soon as you open at 7:30 and we are like why didn’t you tell us we have a waiting customer here. They acted clueless at Napa and acted like they were surprised that we have waiting customers. And of course the customer was asking where the car was. We ended up putting them in a rental car overnight and are going to eat the oil change. I kept checking with parts the whole time till he decided to call. They were originally going to buy the Toyota pads till they heard the hardware kit was almost $50 and we didn’t have it in stock for their car anyway. Now I now why my parts guys have a nickname for Napa lol. I don’t like tearing anything down before having parts but that’s what the boss wants us to do to “save time”. I don’t agree with it but have to do what they say as does every other tech. At least I was able to get other work done while waiting.

I plan on getting high mileage oil and the same Napa pads tomorrow for a different car lol. Along with a bunch of others parts. Hopefully there won’t be this much non sense with my order. I don’t care where they get the oil from but I’m getting the same pads because we have had excellent luck with them at work and I don’t have to pay $25 my price for the hardware kit. Toyota is the only brand I’ve ever seen not include a hardware kit with their brake pads. There is no reason to use OEM brake parts anyway in my opinion.

 

[clinebarger]

I don’t like tearing anything down before having parts but that’s what the boss wants us to do to “save time”. I don’t agree with it but have to do what they say as does every other tech. At least I was able to get other work done while waiting.

It's not to save time, Keeps customers from backing out of repairs after the sale. It sounds bad so few want to say what it actually is.

 

[The Critic]

I don’t have to pay $25 my price for the hardware kit. Toyota is the only brand I’ve ever seen not include a hardware kit with their brake pads. There is no reason to use OEM brake parts anyway in my opinion.

Honda and Nissan do not include hardware. If by hardware, you're referring to the caliper bracket clips.
Honda includes the shims though.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

I did this:

Here is how that level looks this morning:

And here's that level topped off to where it is supposed to be (with distilled water) before the car starts doing whatever it has to for today.

This car is also well north of 12k on an OCI and climbing.. who thinks I should get that UOA? And from where?

 

[53' Stude]

Front brakes on a hand control equipped 2019 Chevy Tahoe.

 

[Pablo]

Run off water collection and dispersing system.

 

[paulo57509]

Last Friday was hectic but I managed to get out to Stockton to pick up a Catchy Can.

Today, I started raking the leaves in the back yard. The Catchy Can works as advertised. I just wished that the compost bin the city provides was larger. I collected the leaves on only half of one portion of lawn before the compost was full, even after tamping down the contents.

Now I have to wait until after Thursday for the bin to get emptied. I'll most likely have to chase leaves again; I know the wind is going kick up. We're supposed to be allowed to just dump the leaves next to the curb for pickup but with the kind of wind we get here the leaves just end up in your neighbor's yards. This might not be allowed anymore with the CA law requiring composting.

I planted the sapling back in 2003. The tree is green all year round but it constantly drops leaves. When pruned, the sap smells like apples.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searsia_lancea

 

[Kennedy01]

2010 Nissan Sentra
Replaced serpentine belt and tensioner

2001 Ford F-150 extended cab
Replaced latch and cable assemblies in the rear doors

 

[D60]

2001 Ford F-150 extended cab
Replaced latch and cable assemblies in the rear doors

I did that on an '03 a few years back. I was working for free so just zip tied the cable housing in each door to keep it located. Seemed to work great

 

[AutoMechanic]

Work was half slow and half busy. Busy before lunch, slow and drug on afterwards. We were short a service advisor after lunch. She got into it with a customer over his baseball hat from the former team the Cleveland Indians so she got half a day off. Won’t go into detail here as you can probably guess what the altercation was about based on the team name. So that put us down to one service advisor after lunch. I talked to the customer for a good half hour or so before he left. We talked about baseball the entire time. I always try to make good with the customers anyway regardless but especially when they have a baseball hat or shirt on. I showed him a picture of my hat I have the same one. She was mad she had to leave but you can’t go around worrying about someone’s hat when you have a job to do. We had just slowed down at that point and every mechanic was standing at a distance watching. I done several brake jobs today. Diagnosed and replaced bad leaking rear shocks on a Highlander as well as up sold a battery on it. Done a wheel bearing on a Tundra. Hopefully the cheap bearing the parts guy got won’t go bad. It’s a Driveworks from AAP. Customer would not wait on OEM parts they were a waiter and wanted the truck fixed today. I haven’t had any luck with Driveworks parts. Maybe this one will be good. I hate having to do jobs over.

 

[Elkins45]

Replaced the serpentine belt on my 09 Scion xB. Whoever decided to put the belt tensioner directly under the engine mount needs a whipping.

 

[RAR]

Got in a 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis this weekend, and I was going over the failed air conditioning. Seller said he’d “recharge it and it would last several months” then it would be dead again, like when I picked it up. It was a warm but smooth drive back… too warm for my liking.

I figured it was either a leaky condenser or the receiver drier, since these later Panther cars have the receiver mounted down near the engine now.

Yeah, it was the receiver…. Yow! It was like a deep sea relic! Nasty, and probably a slow leaker. Took extraordinary efforts to release the hoses. Spring lock connectors were rusted solid. Off they go to the scrap pile and I got two new hoses.

I got a local replacement receiver drier, cleaned the mud rust from the plastic housing/bracket assembly and connected it all back up. Placed a tracer dye in it with the PAG oil, because I suspect that there’s still a leak from either another connection or the condenser is also leaking slowly.

Vacuumed it down but it didn’t stay. My vacuum pump is likely going out since this is the third time it’s done it. It’s old so I’m getting a new one today. But in the meantime, my niece needed out of her VW Beetle since it’s too small for her and her 5 month old son (he’s going to be a big dude when he’s grown) and her boyfriend, so she made a deal to trade plus cash for it.

Pics of the deep sea relic receiver drier from the Mercury…

 

[Kennedy01]

I did that on an '03 a few years back. I was working for free so just zip tied the cable housing in each door to keep it located. Seemed to work great

These had the clips to hold the cables in place. Never was the greatest design but at least they are relatively easy to change.

 

[wings&wheels]

Recaulking gunnels. First owner only had the boat for 2 years and I'm guessing they had young Grandchildren as the gunnel caulking was picked and pried up in a few places next to the seats. Odd, but I cannot think of any other explanation for the damage considering the rest of the boat was perfect. Either way, a nice but challenging project for a few hours in the sun. Used 3M 4000 UV sealant, good stuff, but did start to skin a bit too fast on the sunny side. Lesson learned. The sealant is sandable, so I will touch up the rough spots when fully cured.

 

[SHOZ]

Put a new carb on the old John Deere and it seems to be having grounding issues for the fuel shut off solenoid. I was using it the other day and it kept acting like it was running out of gas. I had to use a jumper wire with a large clamp to temporarily ground it to finish.

Also going to take the large rubber discharge chute off the new mower. I use the mulching all the time.

 

[jeepman3071]

It's not to save time, Keeps customers from backing out of repairs after the sale. It sounds bad so few want to say what it actually is.

Yep exactly, but that bites them in the you know what when the customer freaks out and declines all repairs, then you end up having to put the thing all back together.

 

[JustN89]

Oil change, ATF change, brake fluid flush, and new front brakes. Spark plugs will be done when those arrive. Probably still a couple weeks out, unfortunately.

 

[supton]

Windy day, so less bugs. Good time to stack some twigs for the firepit.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

Got the Subaru/SRM5 prop rod back in. The "stay" was reversed when the new radiator went in and the engine that still runs OK when there isn't any coolant in it.. flaw was discovered.

It's almost time. As soon as they get it in the bay.........