So we get the second 80 and I decide to drive it a couple weeks before ordering whatever it's going to need from Cdan. Needs this, needs that and I'm going to put new starter contacts in it so I don't have to worry about it. No symptoms whatsoever for 1000 miles or so.
I'm expecting the shipment any day now and this morning I go to an emergency school board meeting early. Start the truck to leave that meeting and a couple dash idiot lights stay on after it's running. Hmmm. Don't hear anything strange. Open the door to listen and just hear a faint whining that I'm unsure is different from the normal sound. So I shut the engine off to see if the computer will reset itself.
Whoa! The starter keeps turning the engine over even with the key in my hand! I popped the hood, banged on the starter with a handy parking lot sign post and finally resort to grabbing the Cruiser tool kit and using the pliers to disconnect the battery. I elected to turn the key back on while I did this, so the starter and engine are running together vs the starter turning the engine alone on the instant theory that it would develop less heat in the starter that way. Then I dashed into the school kitchen and grabbed a bag of ice to toss on the starter in hopes it would cool down quicker and release the plunger. No dice. Pounded some more using the jack as a hammer and the assembled jack handle as a rod. Still no result, so I wait for the ice to cool it.
Then I called Cdan to find out when the parts would arrive and this is when things got interesting. He seemed unsurprised when I called - ya know what I mean? Kinda like you call a friend to share some news and it seems like they somehow heard about it already and you wonder....
So Cdan confirms that I have two full sets of contacts and plungers coming my way and it's arriving Wednesday as expected. But he also offers to overnight ANOTHER set to me. In the silence while I debate if I can be without one car for two days, I hear some drumbeats in the back ground over the phone. And some kinda clinky klunky sounds. It comes to me - the guy's using VOODOO! That clunking sound - it's chicken bones and human knuckles and the like as I've seen in the movies. So I scream "You're cursing my truck - you're using voodoo to make it fail so you can buy more Kibbles 'n Bits for your dog!!! How could you, man??" At the other end of the phone, I hear something like knitting needles hitting the floor and I get a visual that he's got a little model of all of our 80s and he's poking them with needles.
He denies it. Of course. But I just wanted you guys to know that I've uncovered how and why it is that all our trucks have the same symptoms. And why it is that if someone posts that their interior door switches quit working, it happens to 3 or 4 of us within a week. It's voodoo!!!!
After 10 minutes of icing, the starter cooled down and a couple taps rewarded me with a nice click as the plunger retracted. I hopped in and made tracks to a shaman who put a good curse on the vehicle that will block future efforts against it. And I suggest you all do the same.
So, my wife's driving a friend's new Suburban as they're out of town until the UPS man arrives Wednesday. She hates it - wallows, etc.
Anyhow, if you guys have this happen, remember that you can pull the starter positive terminal using the tool kit pliers in about 60 seconds to prevent a fire, or damage to the starter.
DougM
I'm expecting the shipment any day now and this morning I go to an emergency school board meeting early. Start the truck to leave that meeting and a couple dash idiot lights stay on after it's running. Hmmm. Don't hear anything strange. Open the door to listen and just hear a faint whining that I'm unsure is different from the normal sound. So I shut the engine off to see if the computer will reset itself.
Whoa! The starter keeps turning the engine over even with the key in my hand! I popped the hood, banged on the starter with a handy parking lot sign post and finally resort to grabbing the Cruiser tool kit and using the pliers to disconnect the battery. I elected to turn the key back on while I did this, so the starter and engine are running together vs the starter turning the engine alone on the instant theory that it would develop less heat in the starter that way. Then I dashed into the school kitchen and grabbed a bag of ice to toss on the starter in hopes it would cool down quicker and release the plunger. No dice. Pounded some more using the jack as a hammer and the assembled jack handle as a rod. Still no result, so I wait for the ice to cool it.
Then I called Cdan to find out when the parts would arrive and this is when things got interesting. He seemed unsurprised when I called - ya know what I mean? Kinda like you call a friend to share some news and it seems like they somehow heard about it already and you wonder....
So Cdan confirms that I have two full sets of contacts and plungers coming my way and it's arriving Wednesday as expected. But he also offers to overnight ANOTHER set to me. In the silence while I debate if I can be without one car for two days, I hear some drumbeats in the back ground over the phone. And some kinda clinky klunky sounds. It comes to me - the guy's using VOODOO! That clunking sound - it's chicken bones and human knuckles and the like as I've seen in the movies. So I scream "You're cursing my truck - you're using voodoo to make it fail so you can buy more Kibbles 'n Bits for your dog!!! How could you, man??" At the other end of the phone, I hear something like knitting needles hitting the floor and I get a visual that he's got a little model of all of our 80s and he's poking them with needles.
He denies it. Of course. But I just wanted you guys to know that I've uncovered how and why it is that all our trucks have the same symptoms. And why it is that if someone posts that their interior door switches quit working, it happens to 3 or 4 of us within a week. It's voodoo!!!!
After 10 minutes of icing, the starter cooled down and a couple taps rewarded me with a nice click as the plunger retracted. I hopped in and made tracks to a shaman who put a good curse on the vehicle that will block future efforts against it. And I suggest you all do the same.
So, my wife's driving a friend's new Suburban as they're out of town until the UPS man arrives Wednesday. She hates it - wallows, etc.
Anyhow, if you guys have this happen, remember that you can pull the starter positive terminal using the tool kit pliers in about 60 seconds to prevent a fire, or damage to the starter.
DougM
I shold probably atone by feeding the Dan's dogs
