Boredom is a helluva drug. Replaced some rotten trim around my house. Upgraded my standby generator transfer switch. Need a project car!
Craigslist is getting stupid so I'm also watching Facebook Marketplace. Aha! A new, fertile ground of beaters, brought to us by vain social media consumers.
Went up there, checked the car out, I got there 5 min early and the seller and her boyfriend are trying to jump-start this car with four flat tires sitting in a gravel field. They are not having much luck. Give it a little more time and she fires off but dies seconds after the jumper cables are removed. Ad mentions nothing of alternator trouble. I lowball them, they counter, we don't make a deal. I wait. I crack first.
Say what you will, but it's not rusted out.
Go back there with my piggy bank, truck, and tow dolly and buy the darn thing on its four flat tires. As I air them up the PO casually mentions that the left rear tire's locked up from sitting. I pull stunts like dragging it forwards and backwards, up on and off the pavement, but she won't budge. Defeated, I head home, and pack additional tools and hammers for the next day.
Next day, or as I call it, today, I achieve success. The old parking brake shoes were half-delaminated and a general pile of dusty junk. Removed all the pieces and slapped the rotor, caliper, and wheel back on for towing.
On to the alternator situation: We all thought the alternator had gone kablooey but it turns out it was just its 100 amp fuse. Maybe the kids popped it during the jump starting or maybe this is what parked the thing. I noticed upon initial inspection that the tach didn't work nor did the power seats, windows, or pretty much anything. Considered this "good news" because it should be one stupid thing way upstream, and I was not wrong.
Did some shenanigans backfeeding the "power seats" fuse which I know to be hot only in "run", not "start". Figured that the ignition switch was set up for "essential services" on one start/run circuit and for non-essentials on another. Toyota schematics confirm this. BTW, the car acts pretty weird when this power is given and taken away while it's already running. Heck, I made a video!
Craigslist is getting stupid so I'm also watching Facebook Marketplace. Aha! A new, fertile ground of beaters, brought to us by vain social media consumers.
Went up there, checked the car out, I got there 5 min early and the seller and her boyfriend are trying to jump-start this car with four flat tires sitting in a gravel field. They are not having much luck. Give it a little more time and she fires off but dies seconds after the jumper cables are removed. Ad mentions nothing of alternator trouble. I lowball them, they counter, we don't make a deal. I wait. I crack first.
Go back there with my piggy bank, truck, and tow dolly and buy the darn thing on its four flat tires. As I air them up the PO casually mentions that the left rear tire's locked up from sitting. I pull stunts like dragging it forwards and backwards, up on and off the pavement, but she won't budge. Defeated, I head home, and pack additional tools and hammers for the next day.
Next day, or as I call it, today, I achieve success. The old parking brake shoes were half-delaminated and a general pile of dusty junk. Removed all the pieces and slapped the rotor, caliper, and wheel back on for towing.
On to the alternator situation: We all thought the alternator had gone kablooey but it turns out it was just its 100 amp fuse. Maybe the kids popped it during the jump starting or maybe this is what parked the thing. I noticed upon initial inspection that the tach didn't work nor did the power seats, windows, or pretty much anything. Considered this "good news" because it should be one stupid thing way upstream, and I was not wrong.
Did some shenanigans backfeeding the "power seats" fuse which I know to be hot only in "run", not "start". Figured that the ignition switch was set up for "essential services" on one start/run circuit and for non-essentials on another. Toyota schematics confirm this. BTW, the car acts pretty weird when this power is given and taken away while it's already running. Heck, I made a video!
