Jeep Broken.....Darn It!!!!

[BigFish]

Headed to MSBA e-board meeting tonight and the only thing I have not replaced on my Jeep other than the engine and springs and shocks dies on me.....the alternator!!! I put my Christmas wreath on the front of my Jeep today, on the rod holder on my bumper, and strung the lights on as I do every year and wouldn't you know it.....I am driving to my meeting tonight and the lights started to dim and the directionals were very sluggish....I knew it was the alternator as I have had it happen a few times before and you never forget that feeling! You know the one???? On top of that, I just got finished telling a buddy of mine the other day that I wanted to replace the alternator because it was the only electrical component I had not replaced yet and I was afraid it would die on me when it got cold! Of course, I did not do it and look what happens....should have gone with my gut instinct....now I gotta go do it tomorrow in the &*%$# cold! Oh well....no big deal....30 minutes I will be done but darn it, what a pain in the butt!

[macojoe]

Don't feel bad. I was getting starter sickness a month ago and it seem to go away till yesterday!! I was under my Blazer at 24* changing the thing!!
The thing about it is that this is the 2rd starter in 2 years?? The first one went 18 months and this one is only 8 months old!
I asked the guy at the auto store why they keep going?? he said that my fly wheel is no good! Nope i just rebuilt the tranny and transfer case this spring and it is fine.
Well then he said it must be all the oil leaking in it I said you see any oil on this starter?? He says Nope. thats cause there is not one oil leak anywhere on my truck.
I said it couldn't be the fact that you have crapy rebuilders is it?? He said he has no Idea.
Well at least it is a life time warr. and i can change my starter with out jacking the truck in about 15 min.

[Slingah]

That s-cks...Hi Larry

[BigBo]

Musta been them silly Christmas lites that put a drain on it.
Sorry, couldn't resist.

[fishweewee]

Yup, same thing happened to my sand sled this time last year and it was very coooooold. I was on a highway, my lights start to flicker and the engine starts sputtering. I had just enough time to pull over safely to the breakdown lane and call for a tow, which took an hour to get to me.

You wouldn't believe how much I had to pay to replace the freakin' thing, which died at 60,000 miles. I hate imports

[BigFish]

Hey!!!! Don't make fun of my Christmas lights ya scrooge! Hey Slingah...where ya been? Boy MacoJoe...nobody has more mechanical breakdowns than you...sorry you had that problem...quick fix though just like mine! I will let you know how much fun it was! My Christmas lights look great by the way!!!

[Mr. Sandman]

BigFish...Better stop bidding on that plugbag of goddies and save your cash for a new truck.

[Newboater]

My 97 Jeep Cherokee Laredo in excellent condition except for mileage was going to be put up for sale. This is a CHERRY SUV.

Wife takes it out to drive sister in law to airport in first snow of the year and gets rammed at a stop sign by some dude in a Ford F250 who thinks 35 mph down a frigging frozen ramp is ok because he has 4x4. DUH !

Now I got a crushed bumper and bent tailgate bottom. The CHERRY has been busted.

It is fate....When you least expect it - whammo !!!!

The Ole Sarge

[Van]

Just finished repairing and getting the wifes car detailed after a high school girl shot out of the school parking lot and scrapped the left side a last month.
Car looked brand new just last weekend..

Monday,
She parks in the quincy MBTA lot and when she gets back that night after the commute from hell, finds someone hit and scrapped the right side right down to the metal and pushed it in slightly.

Hmmm, they did not leave their name either, go figure !!!!!
freakin Arse bole...

[Mr. Sandman]

If you have women or kids driving...it is impossible to keep a vehicle in cherry condition.

Tip...that HD trailer hitch I have is a great bumber saver...twice I have had a-holes try and park too close only to have a 2 5/16 steel ball on a 2" square steel shaft driven into their grill. I drive away untouched and they look quite depressed. This summer I swear Ted Kennedy hit my hitch while I was parked in Edgartown, I was in the truck and he did not know it. He got out and was surveying the damage to the nose of his benz and then was surprised to see me open my door and get out. He said " That is quite a weapon you have their hanging off your bumber" I said it works quite well for keeping people that attempt to get to close to me....if you back up and let me out I will give you the space...great!!! and we parted ways. I est it would take 500 bucks to fix the damage to his grill.

[Mr. Sandman]

One thing about women, kids and esp kids who are women...they really don't seem to be that upset about a gouge in the door. I go wild asking..HOW THE HELL DID THIS GET THERE.... A typical response is "I honestly don't know" WTF?

My business partner's daughter responded to his question " What in Gods name put these deep scratches in the side of the car? Her response: "A large bear must of done it" and then walked away.

IMO the only way you can make kids (and women) feel some responsibility towards taking some pride in a vehicle is for them to have buy it themselves, and pay for every last dime of upkeep themselves. If they can't afford it then they cant afford to drive.

[Van]

Sandman,
I've had that happen many times.

So now for the winter I take off my regular draw bar and put on my "Winter drawbar". ( AKA battering ram).

I welded a piece on the heavy flat bar ahead of the drop so the whole thing had a C shape, then I welded and reinforced a 1" bar between the two. Its about 12" tall from where the ball would be to the top and sticks out a good 10". Plus being on the back of an F-150 it is a formidable enemy of car grill and bumpers..

Go ahead and hit that in your freakin BMW..!!!!!

[Mr. Sandman]

Van, that sounds like a beautiful anti collision system. I think there might be a commerical market for something like that. I put a reciver on the front of my truck as well...I need one at both ends!

[macojoe]

My hitch works just the same!! I have had at least 4 times that I no of and one that i did. They get to close and Bam!! right in the kisser. I love it when I get out and the grill or the hood in one case is now junk.
I one time backed into one idiot that parked side ways behind me! I said O well now he needs a new door! I just left

[redlite]

"A bear must have done it"........

[BigFish]

Jeep all fixed $60.00 and about 40 minutes.....not too bad! Doing it myself sure beats the heck out of paying someone for an hours labor for two bolts and three electrical connections! Saved myself $60.00 just in labor plus what they would have tacked on for parts! Jeep is running strong and I am happy! Don't make fun of my Christmas lights and my Jeep....ya can't beat driving the beach with the top down! <- this should be a Jeep!

[macojoe]

I like this It looks just like my blazer except my top is black!! And i love the roof off in the summer!!

Let see the only things I fixed on my blazer this year was Starter in march and a starter yesterday, Fuel pump, and rebuilt my Trany, and Transfer case.

Thats it not to bad!! It only cost me $2200.00

[BigFish]

MacoJoe... Blazers look great with the top off, but nobody bothers to remove them! Whats up with that?

[macojoe]

Have no Idea?? But from June thr Aug i have mine off all the time!!

[macojoe]

how do you get them XMas lights to work any way?? Are they special 12 Volts??

[BigFish]

Schweeet ride MJ...yeah, I bought them at an Ace Hardware! They come with an adapter attached to plug into the cigarette lighter...used em last year, changed the clear lights to color and added a blinker bulb so they flash! Looks awesome at night!