Sometimes the answer is simpler than you think
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Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,060
Likes: 491
From: Bristol, TN.
Sometimes the answer is simpler than you think
Stopped by to see a friend this morning and happened to ask how his F350 was doing and he told me this story. He is not very mechanically inclined and he said his 7.3 was running rough when it was cold, belching and smoking so he took it into our local dealership. They put their magic machine on it and came up with it needing a new injector sensor or some such. He was not sure of the exact component but he was sure he didn't have the $598 plus tax to fix it, so he told em thanks, but no thanks. I'll just plug it in at night and that all agreed that would be a good idea and he was off.
So once he got home, he thought he would just pop the hood and take a peak and happened to notice one of his battery cables was loose. Taking wrench in hand he tightened it up and lo and behold the problem vanished.
Often posts ask for help for lots of things that sound complicated, but I guess the message in this case is don't forget to check the obvious before moving on to the mystical!
Steve
So once he got home, he thought he would just pop the hood and take a peak and happened to notice one of his battery cables was loose. Taking wrench in hand he tightened it up and lo and behold the problem vanished.
Often posts ask for help for lots of things that sound complicated, but I guess the message in this case is don't forget to check the obvious before moving on to the mystical!
Steve
Last edited by RV_Tech; Nov 13, 2013 at 07:30 PM. Reason: spell
Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,193
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From: D.C. but heart's in TEXAS
I bet the stealership would have tightened his cable and charged him for the injector and labor. Bleccch. Honest mechanics with true knowledge and expertise are so hard to find.
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Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
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From: Bristol, TN.
Steve
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2008
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is a BAAAD MAN
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,738
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From: Winston Salem NC
Kinda like today after our radio in our travel trailer hasn't picked up a station in a month and I went on the roof and cleaned the corrosion in the ball and socket on the antenna and now it works. Took 5 minutes.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,466
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From: Sedalia, CO
A couple of favorite quotes come to mind:
"When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras."
"Never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by incompetence."
Mark
"When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras."
"Never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by incompetence."
Mark
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Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2011
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From: Puget Sound
We catch those loose battery cables pretty quick here. I've read many posts where the gang would immediately point to the cables, and be dead-on.
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Trying to Gain Knowledge
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,571
Likes: 2
From: Ezzell, TX
About like working on your own truck and then twisting the negative back on the battery but not tightening it back down. That about drove me batty for about three days, before I popped the hood and went OOOOHHHH MMMYYYYYY GGGGGOOOOODDDNNEEESSS when I saw the negative cable missing a nut. New nut and tightening everything down and off we were.
Thread Starter
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Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,060
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From: Bristol, TN.
About like working on your own truck and then twisting the negative back on the battery but not tightening it back down. That about drove me batty for about three days, before I popped the hood and went OOOOHHHH MMMYYYYYY GGGGGOOOOODDDNNEEESSS when I saw the negative cable missing a nut. New nut and tightening everything down and off we were.
Steve
More Turbo
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 582
Likes: 2
From: Eads, TN
Not long ago when I was getting my transmission flushed ay a local shop, the tech came out to the waiting area and told me that my serpentine belt was cracked badly, was about to break, and needed to be replaced ASAP. I asked how much and he stated $150. I told him no thanks. After paying for the flush I drove home and looked at the belt.....I didn't see a single crack. 
Now that pissed me off. I almost called them back to give them a good cursing, but I didn't.....just chalked it up and promised that I would never go back to those idiots. No telling how many customers they ripped off before.
Now that pissed me off. I almost called them back to give them a good cursing, but I didn't.....just chalked it up and promised that I would never go back to those idiots. No telling how many customers they ripped off before.
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,951
Likes: 4
From: Gary,Indiana
I worked in the automotive industy and fleet mechanic for over 25 yrs (retired from automotive now) started sweeping the floor, mechanic, body & frame to manager. When I worked as a production manager I would find a guy replacing a part strickly based on a code pulled and I would ask did you check the grounds. Answer NO well sure enough after making him do something simple the code would sometimes just go away. Also at that time I seen many tech schools grads have a ASE Master but couldn't problem solve to save his butt. But I found my best techs were one's that didn't go to tech school but went to the school of hard knocks and could read a manual and use a DVM.
It makes me sick to my stomach knowing that is so true! And I blame that on greed or not properly trained mechanics. And in some cases both. Sad but true !
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