I've come here to complain!

[PhotonFanatic]

Argh!! My repairs have failed! I just got the truck all fixed up, after it basically sat for 2 years without me touching it. Did a round of repairs to get everything back in working order, and some of the repairs died:

1. Fixed the driver's side power window - Next day it's dead again
2. Removed the dash to fix the water temp gauge and then reinstalled the dash - Next day no gauges work
3. Fixed multiple headlight problems by rewiring them. All was good, but now when you turn on the headlights the door chime stays on.
4. Installed a new radio, and it worked great for 2 weeks. Now it flashes "Amp error" and has no sound! (here's no external amp)

Well anyway, I guess I'll stop complaining now and go fix it all again. But it's nice to have a group of people to yell my complaints at.

 

[rusted nuts]

Argh!! My repairs have failed! I just got the truck all fixed up, after it basically sat for 2 years without me touching it. Did a round of repairs to get everything back in working order, and some of the repairs died:

1. Fixed the driver's side power window - Next day it's dead again
2. Removed the dash to fix the water temp gauge and then reinstalled the dash - Next day no gauges work
3. Fixed multiple headlight problems by rewiring them. All was good, but now when you turn on the headlights the door chime stays on.
4. Installed a new radio, and it worked great for 2 weeks. Now it flashes "Amp error" and has no sound! (here's no external amp)

Well anyway, I guess I'll stop complaining now and go fix it all again. But it's nice to have a group of people to yell my complaints at.

Bad grounds.

 

[oldretiredafguy]

Might be what you're paying the mechanic. Mine gets $1.37 an hour. No lunch hour either.

 

[AKguy]

Argh!! My repairs have failed! I just got the truck all fixed up, after it basically sat for 2 years without me touching it. Did a round of repairs to get everything back in working order, and some of the repairs died:

1. Fixed the driver's side power window - Next day it's dead again
2. Removed the dash to fix the water temp gauge and then reinstalled the dash - Next day no gauges work
3. Fixed multiple headlight problems by rewiring them. All was good, but now when you turn on the headlights the door chime stays on.
4. Installed a new radio, and it worked great for 2 weeks. Now it flashes "Amp error" and has no sound! (here's no external amp)

Well anyway, I guess I'll stop complaining now and go fix it all again. But it's nice to have a group of people to yell my complaints at.

You, my friend, could have a bright future in the Federal Government!

 

[Elliot W]

Argh!! My repairs have failed! I just got the truck all fixed up, after it basically sat for 2 years without me touching it. Did a round of repairs to get everything back in working order, and some of the repairs died:

1. Fixed the driver's side power window - Next day it's dead again
2. Removed the dash to fix the water temp gauge and then reinstalled the dash - Next day no gauges work
3. Fixed multiple headlight problems by rewiring them. All was good, but now when you turn on the headlights the door chime stays on.
4. Installed a new radio, and it worked great for 2 weeks. Now it flashes "Amp error" and has no sound! (here's no external amp)

Well anyway, I guess I'll stop complaining now and go fix it all again. But it's nice to have a group of people to yell my complaints at.

Brutal. Hang in there bud. As frustrating as this is, your complaints give me confidence knowing I'm not the only one this happens to. And yes, this place is great for complaints since most the time I'm too embarrassed to tell my wife I can't make a decent repair or all the time I spend working on it results in a big 0.

 

[Randy and Easton]

@PhotonFanatic what a great thread! So needed. We have all been there and I’m sure later this week as it warms back up and we start tackling E’s punch list and have to’s lists I’ll be right there with you.
Funny, last night as he was behind me driving home from parking his truck out of the hailstorm, I was feeling pretty proud of all the lights working correctly and the truck running strong. Guess that means something ugly is fixin to happen!

Thanks for sharing

Randy and Easton

 

[Shorty81]

@PhotonFanatic what a great thread! So needed. We have all been there and I’m sure later this week as it warms back up and we start tackling E’s punch list and have to’s lists I’ll be right there with you.
Funny, last night as he was behind me driving home from parking his truck out of the hailstorm, I was feeling pretty proud of all the lights working correctly and the truck running strong. Guess that means something ugly is fixin to happen!

Thanks for sharing

Randy and Easton

That truck is looking good!!

 

[Ken B]

2 steps forward and a dozen steps backwards it seems at times.

 

[85K304SPD]

I usually have to do everything at least twice. The first time to figure it out, the second time to do it right. In some cases, 10 times... It gets easier after the first time, Hang in there.

 

[Snoots]

There is a ground block on the drivers' kick panel. It's near the top behind the parking brake pedal. Take it off, do the cleaning, dab some copper auntee-seeze on it and try again.

We've ALL been there before.

 

[rusted nuts]

Might be what you're paying the mechanic. Mine gets $1.37 an hour. No lunch hour either.

Not bad Money.. But I like My cat food warmed up with a can of PBR.

 

[PhotonFanatic]

You, my friend, could have a bright future in the Federal Government!

For that to be the case, all those things would have to be working to begin with. Then I'd have come along, broke everything, and considered it a job well done. At least the government you describe would start with something that needs to be fixed. So a big improvement over what we have now.

But grounds you say... what are the odds I'd get that lucky? I'll check it all out soon as I repaint these corroding toyota mirrors.

I may have angered the car gods with all the pride I was taking in my work. I started watching all those car shows like Horsepower TV on youtube. Then I went out there and started knocking out all these repairs and laughing about how easy it was, just like on TV! And thinking about how good I'd gotten automotive work, after doing it for so many years. That was enough for divine retribution against my foolish pride.

 

[justhorns]

This is how a mechanic learns how.

 

[Craig Nedrow]

Some of the same stuff happened to me. I just kept driving it, and some of them fixed themselves.

 

[PhotonFanatic]

Some of the same stuff happened to me. I just kept driving it, and some of them fixed themselves.

Haha yeah I've noticed that about these old trucks. Sometimes they'll fix themselves. Maybe it happens on a lot of vehicles but usually I'm not that lucky.

I did fix the radio today though. Apparently it was a blown fuse. Now just fix the door chime, gauges, and power window and I'll be back on top!

The door chime one is a weird one though. Any idea why the door chime would stay on, if the headlights are on? I guess I'll comb through it tomorrow when I pull the dash, the door panel, and the gauge bezel.