Well.....My anger has subsided enough to post my trip from hell. My wife went to Seattle last week to bring her mother back home. She has alzheimer's, and has lived with us for the last 6 years. On her way home the wife's truck (96 F-250) stalled on the freeway (I-84) at MP 62 (Hood River). She sat there for six and a half hours before someone would stop. She got hold of me at 6:30PM finally, so I fired up my tow truck and went to pick her up. Got to where she was about 9 PM and hooked up the tow truck to her pickup. Started for home and made it to MP 98 and BOTH duels came off the drivers side of my tow truck! Luck was with me, and I managed to get it to the shoulder of the freeway. There we sat from 10:30 till 8:00 the next morning...........Nobody would stop!!!! #^%^*&%!!!

Finally hitched a ride to Biggs Junction and called a tow truck. Cost me $400 to get both rigs back home. $400 for a 65 mile trip!

What the hell has happened to people! Everybody just went screaming by with not a care in the world. I'll bet I've stopped hundered's of times to help out people, so why would'nt anyone help us out????

End of rant.............Just had to get it off my chest................

 

I wouldn't have happened in Grant county, people stop and help. Big city people are afraid to stop and help worried about getting jacked or robbed and killed. I love living in our area I stopped and helped a lady that was coming from Dayville going to Bend. I was the first of many that pulled up. I guess it's because most people on Hwy 26 know how isolated they are and wouldn't want it happening to them. It's a crying shame that on a major highway that people have lost the ability to care for others. I am amazed that an ODOT truck or the Highway patrol didn't come by, or did they and keep on going?

 

The State Patrol stops patroling I-84 from 10:00PM until 8:00 AM, and ODOT was nowhere to be found. I live just outside of Condon, and everyone will stop around here. I guess I'm just "old school" I almost always stop and see if people need help................

 

Stopped patroling at 10:00pm, that makes no sense at all, don't they catch most drunk drivers during those times. I thought most bars will close at 2am the best time to get DUII's. I guess the state figured ah no one will break down during those late hours.

 

The State Patrol only has 165 patrol officers for THE WHOLE STATE! Most of those are on the west side. There is a State Patrol branch in Arlington, but they are understaffed, and just don't have the manpower to patrol 24/7.....................

 

Can't say that all city foke will not stop when someone is in need of help, last Friday drove my red SHO over to Portland for a race weekend, the car stoped running at Gov camp along the road, no one stopped. I did get it going and made it to Beaverton and it quit again and 4 peiple , one of them was a woman stopped to help. Then on Sunday, on the way home, I had to take my Bronco and race trailer home to Prineville, I blew a tire on the trailer just east of Gov. camp, almost got run over by the tail gaiter and almost every car that drove by so fast they blew over the road markers that I put up. Then when we got down to the flat area, I pull over to check the air pressures in the trailer tires, the Bronco vapor locked on me, and I was show how much displeased the man and woman that was coming up the hiway with me for stalling out in front of them, I think I'm number one in there book. So with the problems that I had, the only help that was offered was in the city. Just my ranting to go along with ya, Don. If I had come down 84 I would of stopped for ya.

 

No cell phone or CB, Don?..............Put a gals voice on the CB asking for help, and trucks appear from nowhere. Really amazed no one stopped for you............What was wrong with the wifes truck?

 

None of us use cell phones. No coverage where we live and work. removed the CB years ago because we don't use it for hire anymore, just for our own use. Still haven't figured out the problem with the wife's pickup. No spark or trigger pulse's to the injectors. Replaced the ign module today and still nothing. If I remove the "spout" connector I get spark but no fuel........I hate these newer engines. I run mostly "bumpside" trucks with points etc. Very easy to fix. Guess I'll have to try the 96 forum and see if anybody can help!

 

ECM failure by my feeling............You can J-yard one cheap, make sure it from a 95-97 with mass-air.

 

I didn't want to hear ECM failure...............Nearest junk yard is 175 mile round trip. Any ideas on where to find diagnostic info on this system?

 

The 87-96 forum should have someone who knows, try Conanski!..........He WILL have the info..............If it is ECM, let me know the trucks specs, maybe I can scare you one up on this side, lots of J-yards, very close.

 

Unfortunatly I think the ECM is gone...................Let me know if there is one near you Dave.

Specs: 1996 F-150, 4x4, 5.0, 5 speed.

 

OK, Don...........I have to go to the J-yard with a buddy today, will check on availability and price, and PM you.

 

Thanks Dave. I checked with NAPA this morning, and they want $189 for one.....................I sure hate to spend another 200 bucks and not cure the problem. I sure like my bumpsides, NO DAMN ELECTRONICS!!!!

 

Ah yes, makes you remember the good ol days of points, carburetors and tight lug nutz. I shouldn't talk tho, I now have 6 vehicles in pieces and only one running and I use it to make money to spend on the ones that don't run. I am surprised no one stopped to help your wife and mother -in-law. maybe we should cut back on the big screen LCDS's for the prisons and hire more State Police??