Bye for now

POSTED BY: SIGNYM
UPDATED: Friday, February 23, 2018 22:29
VIEWED: 6870
PAGE 1 of 1

SIGNYM

Friday, January 26, 2018 6:49 PM

I have to leave the board - and the computer- temporarily. I know that I'm in the middle of discussions with some of you, but I have a couple of pinched nerves that have gone critical, and sitting at a PC makes them extremely painful, so I'm going to give it a rest. BRENDA, SIX and KIKI- take care.

THGRRI

Friday, January 26, 2018 6:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
I have to leave the board - and the computer- temporarily. I know that I'm in the middle of discussions with some of you, but I have a couple of pinched nerves that have gone critical, and sitting at a PC makes them extremely painful, so I'm going to give it a rest. BRENDA, SIX and KIKI- take care.

So, what sockpuppet are we going to see?

T

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Friday, January 26, 2018 8:11 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
I have to leave the board - and the computer- temporarily. I know that I'm in the middle of discussions with some of you, but I have a couple of pinched nerves that have gone critical, and sitting at a PC makes them extremely painful, so I'm going to give it a rest. BRENDA, SIX and KIKI- take care.

Get better.

JO753

Saturday, January 27, 2018 12:37 AM

Lets see... duz this correlate with any Russian holidayz?

----------------------------
DUZ XaT SEM RiT TQ YQ? - Jubal Early

http://www.7532020.com

THGRRI

Saturday, January 27, 2018 1:02 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by JO753:
Lets see... duz this correlate with any Russian holidayz?

To funny

T

WISHIMAY

Saturday, January 27, 2018 1:50 AM

Not that the world wouldn't be better off if she shut up...but I have dozens of solutions for pinched nerves and subluxations.

For a mildly messed up neck...take a couple alieve, wait 20 minutes...then have a hot! hot! shower. As you get out n dry off...roll up the towel longways and put the middle behind your neck. Take a deep breath and use the towel as leverage to stretch your neck.

For a worse neck...do step 1...then find the heaviest thing you can easily lift. I have a 5 gal. bucket of mower oil in the garage. Relax neck and arm and have someone hand you the bucket on the side OPPOSITE that is messed up. Hold onto it for a couple minutes then slowly drop it. Stretch. Then repeat on the other side. If that doesn't work, go inside and have a shot of booze, take heating blanket or nuked towel and lay FLAT, preferably on a floor with hot item under messed up area for at least an HOUR...DO NOT MOVE.
Stretch slowly, every muscle group you can.

Sometimes laying face down on the end of the bed with your head hanging off for about 20 minutes will help.

DO not leave things pinched and expect them to work themselves out because they can cause nerve damage. I've done it. There are a million sites on the web with other solutions. The best thing I got out of that massage class I did was a dozen tips to pop myself back in place, and I use them every day.

6IXSTRINGJACK

Saturday, January 27, 2018 3:23 AM

Get better Sigs.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

WHOZIT

Saturday, January 27, 2018 4:03 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
I have to leave the board - and the computer- temporarily. I know that I'm in the middle of discussions with some of you, but I have a couple of pinched nerves that have gone critical, and sitting at a PC makes them extremely painful, so I'm going to give it a rest. BRENDA, SIX and KIKI- take care.

Get well soon. Do what I do, drink heavy until the pain goes away

6IXSTRINGJACK

Saturday, January 27, 2018 4:13 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by whozit:

Get well soon. Do what I do, drink heavy until the pain goes away

I advise against this.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Saturday, January 27, 2018 5:00 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:
Originally posted by whozit:
Get well soon. Do what I do, drink heavy until the pain goes away

I advise against this.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

Your icon seems to be an interesting optical illusion. Did you do that?

6IXSTRINGJACK

Saturday, January 27, 2018 5:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
Your icon seems to be an interesting optical illusion. Did you do that?

Yeah, It's a picture I must have taken of myself in the mirror during one of my heavy drinking periods. I don't remember ever taking it, but I found it on one of my old cameras and really liked it. I didn't like myself for a very long time and something about this image really spoke to me.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

SHINYGOODGUY

Saturday, January 27, 2018 9:44 AM

What? Reassignment?

Get well soon.

What! I'm not a complete monster!

SGG

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
I have to leave the board - and the computer- temporarily. I know that I'm in the middle of discussions with some of you, but I have a couple of pinched nerves that have gone critical, and sitting at a PC makes them extremely painful, so I'm going to give it a rest. BRENDA, SIX and KIKI- take care.

SIGNYM

Wednesday, January 31, 2018 5:07 PM

Hi all, thanks for the well-wishes. WISHY thanks for the advice. I'm back only briefly ... and that's because I've been living on aspirin and brandy since I last posted. I have to say - not reading news on the PC every day has definitely lifted my mood! News... so depressing!

I'm surprise nobody has created a thread called State of the Union 2018, so I'll remedy that. I listened to both it and the rebuttal ... the only thing cheesier than the SOTU was the Kennedy rebuttal, which was cringeworthy. Dragging some poor Kennedy look-alike up to the podium so he could give a shoutout to smalltown MA was like listening to a high school reunion speech.

TTUL

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

America is an oligarchy
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

6IXSTRINGJACK

Wednesday, January 31, 2018 5:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
I have to say - not reading news on the PC every day has definitely lifted my mood! News... so depressing!

That's literally my advice to anyone.

Some people like T will use it against you when he's calling you stupid for the hundredth time, but I'm sure a lot happier and a hell of a lot more productive. There's too many things to do in our own lives to be plagued by all of this drama that's well above our paygrades.

When somebody wants to pay me what Maddow or O'Rielly are getting paid then I'll consider it. In the mean time, the only news I ever really get is from here. I had a great 2017. Things are looking up for 2018 so far as well.

Don't drink too much. :)

Do Right, Be Right. :)

SECOND

Wednesday, January 31, 2018 7:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:

I have to say - not reading news on the PC every day has definitely lifted my mood! News... so depressing!

Trump steamrolled the Republican establishment to win the White House only to meekly submit to their agenda once in office.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

CAPTAINCRUNCH

Wednesday, January 31, 2018 8:09 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Hi all, thanks for the well-wishes. WISHY thanks for the advice. I'm back only briefly ... and that's because I've been living on aspirin and brandy since I last posted. I have to say - not reading news on the PC every day has definitely lifted my mood! News... so depressing!

I'm surprise nobody has created a thread called State of the Union 2018, so I'll remedy that. I listened to both it and the rebuttal ... the only thing cheesier than the SOTU was the Kennedy rebuttal, which was cringeworthy. Dragging some poor Kennedy look-alike up to the podium so he could give a shoutout to smalltown MA was like listening to a high school reunion speech.

TTUL

Just remember, no matter how good you feel you can still be a royal pain.

Funny - we agree on a lot in this post - maybe missing "the news" is the key? I had plans to make a night of SOTU to muffle the pain (beer, Soros brand snacks, roaring fire) but it was so low brow I fell asleep and even deleted all the talk that came after. There was nothing there there. "Coal" and applause for keeping Gitmo open were the only "huh?" moments.

The Kennedy rebuttal was indeed cringeworthy. I feel sorry for the poor slob - he is going to be courted by so many of the wrong people for all the wrong reasons. Kamala Harris trying to put a shine on her faux outrage and not able to find the words - on live tv - was also cringeworthy, "it's... uh... just... wrong."

Better things to do.

SECOND

Wednesday, January 31, 2018 8:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by captaincrunch:

Better things to do.

“For the last year we have sought to restore the bonds of trust between our citizens and their government,” Trump said. But his speech was a reminder of how true that isn’t. He promised a populist revolution, but he has governed as a cut-rate Paul Ryan, in large part because the hard work of governing does not interest him.

More troublesome than anything he did say Tuesday night is what he didn’t offer — a remotely plausible solution for any of the major problems facing the country.

Trump’s big ideas about national problems are mostly to ignore them. He gave Ivanka’s call for affordable care one line, with no actual path to achieving it. He made no mention of falling life expectancies and health outcomes in America, compared to other developed nations.

On prescription drugs prices, he simply reiterated promises he’s spent the past year failing to make good on. There’s still no infrastructure plan, no Afghanistan strategy, and no actual policies to back up vague exhortations about the value of job training and vocational schools.

To the extent that there are any ideas here at all, it’s to blame immigrants.

CAPTAINCRUNCH

Wednesday, January 31, 2018 10:19 PM

Guess he had better things to do as well.

BRENDA

Wednesday, January 31, 2018 10:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Hi all, thanks for the well-wishes. WISHY thanks for the advice. I'm back only briefly ... and that's because I've been living on aspirin and brandy since I last posted. I have to say - not reading news on the PC every day has definitely lifted my mood! News... so depressing!

I'm surprise nobody has created a thread called State of the Union 2018, so I'll remedy that. I listened to both it and the rebuttal ... the only thing cheesier than the SOTU was the Kennedy rebuttal, which was cringeworthy. Dragging some poor Kennedy look-alike up to the podium so he could give a shoutout to smalltown MA was like listening to a high school reunion speech.

TTUL

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

America is an oligarchy
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

Glad to see you back if only temporary. I've been avoiding listening to Trump.

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Thursday, February 1, 2018 12:59 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
Your icon seems to be an interesting optical illusion. Did you do that?
Yeah, It's a picture I must have taken of myself in the mirror during one of my heavy drinking periods. I don't remember ever taking it, but I found it on one of my old cameras and really liked it. I didn't like myself for a very long time and something about this image really spoke to me.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

Are you saying that is not an optical illusion?
Looks like your right arm, right hand pointing at or touching a mirror. With index finger extended, knuckles on top, thumb down from the finger.
But the person in the mirror is extending their left arm to point at you. That arm should be holding the camera or something, and the other arm should be extended toward you.

Or am I missing something?

Oh, never mind. I was able to expand the image and see the mirror image does have the left arm where I expected it to be. Just clever alignment on a small image.

6IXSTRINGJACK

Thursday, February 1, 2018 10:08 AM

Yeah, there was no photoshop or anything on the image. And my brother is the big photography guy. All I know how to do is turn the thing on and point and click.

Glad you thought it was cool though. So did I when I stumbled on it. You ever see that episode of The Family Guy when Peter was a pro at the piano when he was drunk? Maybe I've got some latent Ansel Adams in me that only shows up when I'm blackout drunk. Maybe taking pictures would have been a better way of spending that drunk time instead of posting a bunch of terrible shit all over the internet?

Do Right, Be Right. :)

SIGNYM

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 12:41 AM

Bye again for the while. Duty calls.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

America is an oligarchy
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

THGRRI

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 1:05 AM

Russian trolls are being exposed and indicted. Word is they are running for the hills. Disappearing, leaving, shutting down shop. Once big supporters of Trump who's purpose today was to deflect away from the Russian investigation, are reading the tea leaves. Like rats leaving a sinking ship they are taking to the exits.

Do you know any rats who are running away, hiding. ??? I do....

T

SIGNYM

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 1:21 AM

Boy, will YOU be disappointed when I come back after taking care of a bunch of real-life things! (Yanno: child, hubby, house, garden, car!)

But hey, keep piling on that bad karma. (Also, that liability!)

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

America is an oligarchy
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

THGRRI

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 1:36 AM

T

BRENDA

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 2:12 AM

Take care Sig and don't over do it.

SIGNYM

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 2:21 AM

Thanks! First thing: figure out why my car battery suddenly ran down. It's either the battery, which is 5 years old, or the car, which is 18 years old!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

America is an oligarchy
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 5:27 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Thanks! First thing: figure out why my car battery suddenly ran down. It's either the battery, which is 5 years old, or the car, which is 18 years old!

Auto parts and repair shops will tell you the battery, even if they "check" it. What is the easiest, highest profit part for them to sell? Battery.

It almost never is really the battery. But buying a battery can disguise the real problem.

Belt tension on whichever belt drives the alternator/generator. Or missing belt.
Or slipping/squealing belt. simplest fix: when engine not running, rub gritty soap like Lava, Fast Orange, on belt with contact surfaces, then run engine to let belt auto-clean both belt surface and mating surface of pulleys.
Alternator/generator.
Crud/corrosion on mounting clamp from Cable to battery terminal. Replacing battery usually cleans this off, so the real problem goes away for a while, costing the price of a battery instead of elbow grease, battery post brush, metal bristle brush.
Or poor contact, loose contact, loose clamp on battery - also resolved when replacing battery.

so, maybe replace battery with another for a few days, see if problem moved to vehicle with suspect battery, or stayed with original vehicle.

Note: most auto repair specialists will disagree with almost all of those.

WISHIMAY

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 6:36 AM

My money is on sparky plugs. Our car was hesitating a couple months before the accident, had the sparky plugs changed, was 90% better.

Or you could have Kiki send you one of her gold bricks and you could buy a newer car. That's what communism is about, right? Not expecting anyone to pay for their own crap??

6IXSTRINGJACK

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 7:01 AM

A five year old battery could just be bad. Especially if you didn't spring for a decent one. But yeah... it could be a lot of things causing it on an 18 year old car.

I feel for ya Sigs. My car is nothing but problems. I've got a massive oil leak now and I've been quoted anywhere from $550 to $700 to fix the problem. Since I've started working I've had to dump a quart of oil in every two trips to work.

Good 'ole YouTube though... I found a video showing a massive leak in action on my car from right around the same year, and another one on how to fix it. I put some cardboard under the car and sure enough the leak is happeneing on that exact spot.

It's either the oil pump seal, or the pump itself. That's either an 8 dollar fix or an 80 dollar fix. I just need it to warm up a bit and I'm going to tear the car apart to get to it when I have a stretch of days off of work. Fortunately I found out that you can use 10w40 oil in my car, so it's been pretty cheap since I figured that out. It was costing me almost 40 bucks for 12 quarts, but now I can get them for under 20.

There's so many other things wrong with my car now too, but until I get this fixed I'm not dumping any money into it. I'm hoping I can fix it and get another few years out of it.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

SIGNYM

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 7:11 AM

Oh, I took it in bc it was losing mileage, and asked the mechanic (while they were changing the oil) to dx it for any reason why it might be losing mileage, altho it still seemed to be running well. Maybe some weird air pollution control like the EGR or something. They came back with ... it's leaking oil here, it's leaking oil there, and someplace else and I though HUH??? It's not leaving oil spots on the driveway. And they said ... (I kid you not) That's why the mileage is bad, because the engine has to push air through all the leaks and I thought ... Now wait a minute! I'm not THAT stupid!

But sure enough, AFTER I took it in it seems to be leaking oil ... and leaving oil spots on the driveway. Hmm.... I wonder if they just oiled up some areas just so it would drip.

Anyway, back to car troubleshooting!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

America is an oligarchy
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

OONJERAH

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 7:57 AM

Signym: "I have to leave the board - and the computer- temporarily. I know that I'm in the middle of discussions with some of you, but I have a couple of pinched nerves that have gone critical ..."

For those with time & self-discipline, Yoga works wonders.

Chiropractors?: the mileage definitely varies.

Just my experience.
... oooOO}{OOooo ...

JO753

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 1:02 PM

"Generator", JSF? Siggy sed its 18, not 78!

But, then agen, I dont know anything about Lada.

----------------------------
DUZ XaT SEM RiT TQ YQ? - Jubal Early

http://www.7532020.com

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 1:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Wishimay:
My money is on sparky plugs. Our car was hesitating a couple months before the accident, had the sparky plugs changed, was 90% better.

Or you could have Kiki send you one of her gold bricks and you could buy a newer car. That's what communism is about, right? Not expecting anyone to pay for their own crap??

Spark plugs caused your battery to drain?
Really?
How could you know it wasn't your muffler bearing, blinker fluid, steering belt, headlight bushing, suspension filter, tire gasket, or transmission diode?

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 1:30 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
A five year old battery could just be bad. Especially if you didn't spring for a decent one. But yeah... it could be a lot of things causing it on an 18 year old car.

I feel for ya Sigs. My car is nothing but problems. I've got a massive oil leak now and I've been quoted anywhere from $550 to $700 to fix the problem. Since I've started working I've had to dump a quart of oil in every two trips to work.

Good 'ole YouTube though... I found a video showing a massive leak in action on my car from right around the same year, and another one on how to fix it. I put some cardboard under the car and sure enough the leak is happeneing on that exact spot.

It's either the oil pump seal, or the pump itself. That's either an 8 dollar fix or an 80 dollar fix. I just need it to warm up a bit and I'm going to tear the car apart to get to it when I have a stretch of days off of work. Fortunately I found out that you can use 10w40 oil in my car, so it's been pretty cheap since I figured that out. It was costing me almost 40 bucks for 12 quarts, but now I can get them for under 20.

There's so many other things wrong with my car now too, but until I get this fixed I'm not dumping any money into it. I'm hoping I can fix it and get another few years out of it.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

Have you tried STP?

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 1:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Oh, I took it in bc it was losing mileage, and asked the mechanic (while they were changing the oil) to dx it for any reason why it might be losing mileage, altho it still seemed to be running well. Maybe some weird air pollution control like the EGR or something. They came back with ... it's leaking oil here, it's leaking oil there, and someplace else and I though HUH??? It's not leaving oil spots on the driveway. And they said ... (I kid you not) That's why the mileage is bad, because the engine has to push air through all the leaks and I thought ... Now wait a minute! I'm not THAT stupid!

But sure enough, AFTER I took it in it seems to be leaking oil ... and leaving oil spots on the driveway. Hmm.... I wonder if they just oiled up some areas just so it would drip.

Anyway, back to car troubleshooting!

If they didn't tighten the oil filter, it will leak. If so, that needs to be tightened quick.
Their explanation, assuming you relayed it faithfully, is BS.
Have you tried Seafoam? The least expensive place I reliably find for it is Home Depot, by lawnmowers.

A slow sneaking up problem sounds a lot like a loose or slippery belt.

WISHIMAY

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 2:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:

Spark plugs caused your battery to drain?

Missed the word "battery", read it as the car was not running right.

Was half asleep...

6IXSTRINGJACK

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 6:41 PM

Quote:
Have you tried STP?

I'm afraid a bottle of magic liquid isn't going to fix this problem. As far as I know I'm not actually burning anything, but there's oil all over my garage floor and the cardboard just keeps sucking it up. That's only a fraction of what I'm sure I'm leaking all over the roads though. I figure at this rate I'm leaking about a quart every 55-65 miles or so. It's leaking from right about the center of the hood, to the right of where the passenger sits. From the video I watched, that's exactly where the oil pump would be and I guess this is a pretty common problem for my car between the mid 90's to early 2000's.

It shouldn't be a big deal to fix. I'm not really worried about it. I've just never done anything like this before. The most I've ever done on a car was change the tires/oil/spark plugs. I'm pretty handy. I'll figure it out. YouTube is a blessing. What wonderful times we live in.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

6IXSTRINGJACK

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 6:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Oh, I took it in bc it was losing mileage, and asked the mechanic (while they were changing the oil) to dx it for any reason why it might be losing mileage, altho it still seemed to be running well. Maybe some weird air pollution control like the EGR or something. They came back with ... it's leaking oil here, it's leaking oil there, and someplace else and I though HUH??? It's not leaving oil spots on the driveway. And they said ... (I kid you not) That's why the mileage is bad, because the engine has to push air through all the leaks and I thought ... Now wait a minute! I'm not THAT stupid!

But sure enough, AFTER I took it in it seems to be leaking oil ... and leaving oil spots on the driveway. Hmm.... I wonder if they just oiled up some areas just so it would drip.

Anyway, back to car troubleshooting!

I agree with JSF that you should check the filter. I'm assuming that it wasn't done on purpose though if that's the problem, if you just took it to an oil change place. Or did you take it to a place that does a lot of repairs and also changes oil? That could be a different story.

Seems rather suspicious that you're leaking oil now only after they told you that.

Lost mileage might actually be the spark plugs. Have you ever changed them yourself or know somebody who can do it for you? It's actually really easy to do, so I wouldn't pay somebody to do it unless it was really cheap. I'd also check that your tire pressure is where it should be. If you're running low it's actually good for traction during the bad weather, but you're killing your gas mileage with low tires. The air filter could also be the culprit, but I doubt it. Any place I've gone to get my oil changed always tries to push a brand new air filter on me.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

SIGNYM

Thursday, February 22, 2018 6:56 AM

It was the battery, not the alternator. The car is at least working now.

I can change and gap (if necessary, but not usually) spark plugs myself.

GAWD! Sometimes things break faster than you can fix them! On to the (demand) hot water-heater glitch, which turned up JUST this AM when I wanted to take a shower!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

America is an oligarchy
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

6IXSTRINGJACK

Thursday, February 22, 2018 7:05 AM

It's running. That's the important thing.

I'd still monitor the mpg and maybe look into the common problems for that and change your spark plugs.

You might want to look into a battery charger/maintainer or a straight jump box as well, just in case your battery dying was a symptom of something else. A 2 hour charger that plugs into your cigarette lighter could cost as little as $20 bucks and a jump box could run around $70-$80 bucks.

The 2 hour charger is nice if you're at home or your car gets stuck somewhere close to a wall outlet. A jump box is a life saver in any other bad situation though.

At the very least, don't leave the house without a pair of jumper cables in your car.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

SIGNYM

Thursday, February 22, 2018 7:12 AM

Quote:
[At the very least, don't leave the house without a pair of jumper cables in your car.

Permanently in the trunk for the last 4 years!! But thanx for the tip!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

America is an oligarchy
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Thursday, February 22, 2018 9:27 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:
Have you tried STP?
I'm afraid a bottle of magic liquid isn't going to fix this problem. As far as I know I'm not actually burning anything, but there's oil all over my garage floor and the cardboard just keeps sucking it up. That's only a fraction of what I'm sure I'm leaking all over the roads though. I figure at this rate I'm leaking about a quart every 55-65 miles or so. It's leaking from right about the center of the hood, to the right of where the passenger sits. From the video I watched, that's exactly where the oil pump would be and I guess this is a pretty common problem for my car between the mid 90's to early 2000's.

It shouldn't be a big deal to fix. I'm not really worried about it. I've just never done anything like this before. The most I've ever done on a car was change the tires/oil/spark plugs. I'm pretty handy. I'll figure it out. YouTube is a blessing. What wonderful times we live in.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

Not magic liquid. Targeted viscosity. Slows or stops leaks.

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Thursday, February 22, 2018 9:31 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Oh, I took it in bc it was losing mileage, and asked the mechanic (while they were changing the oil) to dx it for any reason why it might be losing mileage, altho it still seemed to be running well. Maybe some weird air pollution control like the EGR or something. They came back with ... it's leaking oil here, it's leaking oil there, and someplace else and I though HUH??? It's not leaving oil spots on the driveway. And they said ... (I kid you not) That's why the mileage is bad, because the engine has to push air through all the leaks and I thought ... Now wait a minute! I'm not THAT stupid!

But sure enough, AFTER I took it in it seems to be leaking oil ... and leaving oil spots on the driveway. Hmm.... I wonder if they just oiled up some areas just so it would drip.

Anyway, back to car troubleshooting!

I agree with JSF that you should check the filter. I'm assuming that it wasn't done on purpose though if that's the problem, if you just took it to an oil change place. Or did you take it to a place that does a lot of repairs and also changes oil? That could be a different story.

Seems rather suspicious that you're leaking oil now only after they told you that.

Lost mileage might actually be the spark plugs. Have you ever changed them yourself or know somebody who can do it for you? It's actually really easy to do, so I wouldn't pay somebody to do it unless it was really cheap. I'd also check that your tire pressure is where it should be. If you're running low it's actually good for traction during the bad weather, but you're killing your gas mileage with low tires. The air filter could also be the culprit, but I doubt it. Any place I've gone to get my oil changed always tries to push a brand new air filter on me.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

I heard Ford Titan engines cost $1,500 for spark plug replacement.

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Thursday, February 22, 2018 9:33 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
It was the battery, not the alternator. The car is at least working now.

I can change and gap (if necessary, but not usually) spark plugs myself.

GAWD! Sometimes things break faster than you can fix them! On to the (demand) hot water-heater glitch, which turned up JUST this AM when I wanted to take a shower!

I hear nothing but problems with tankless water heaters.

WISHIMAY

Thursday, February 22, 2018 9:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
I hear nothing but problems with tankless water heaters.

Yep, fry a motherboard and you have a really expensive piece of wall art.

These don't have ANY sparky plugs..

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-technology/news/a32301/mazda
-gasoline-engine-compression-ignition-skyactiv/

If you want a car that's enjoyable to drive, you owe it to yourself to swing by the Mazda dealership. Every vehicle the company builds gets an added dose of sporty driving character. But Mazda has also quietly turned itself into an MPG leader over the past several years with its thrifty SkyActiv family of engines. Now, the automaker is doing something particularly revolutionary to boost the economy of its gasoline engines: Removing the spark plugs entirely.

According to a report from the Nikkei Asian Review, next-generation SkyActiv engines won't use spark plugs at all. Instead, they'll borrow a page out of the diesel engine's book and use compression ignition.

Called Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition, it's a technology that promises diesel-like fuel economy out of gasoline engines. HCCI isn't a new concept—numerous major automakers have built experimental concepts powered by HCCI engines—though Mazda stands to be the first automaker to use it in production vehicles. Reportedly, it will improve gas mileage by 30 percent, while also reducing emissions.

The 2018 Mazda3 is the first car expected to use the new engine design, with the rest of the lineup getting it over the next few years.

Don't think I'll ever get another Mazda, though. We had constant overpriced problems getting parts for our Tribute (thought I loved the design).

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Thursday, February 22, 2018 9:41 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
You might want to look into a battery charger/maintainer or a straight jump box as well, just in case your battery dying was a symptom of something else. A 2 hour charger that plugs into your cigarette lighter could cost as little as $20 bucks and a jump box could run around $70-$80 bucks.

The 2 hour charger is nice if you're at home or your car gets stuck somewhere close to a wall outlet. A jump box is a life saver in any other bad situation though.

At the very least, don't leave the house without a pair of jumper cables in your car.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

I get the jump box when on sale for $15-25. One place, Harbor Freight Tools can be your friend.
But a jump box should be plugged in once a month.

BRENDA

Thursday, February 22, 2018 9:59 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Oonjerah:
Signym: "I have to leave the board - and the computer- temporarily. I know that I'm in the middle of discussions with some of you, but I have a couple of pinched nerves that have gone critical ..."

For those with time & self-discipline, Yoga works wonders.

Chiropractors?: the mileage definitely varies.

Just my experience.
... oooOO}{OOooo ...

I happen to get treated by a very good chiropractor. Been going to him for over 20years. To paraphrase Kaylee, "I love my chiropractor".

WISHIMAY

Thursday, February 22, 2018 10:25 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Oonjerah

Chiropractors?: the mileage definitely varies.

I was just thinking how lucky she must be to say that. Those of us with REAL joint issues would NEVER think about looking bad at a Chiro.

6IXSTRINGJACK

Thursday, February 22, 2018 5:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:
[At the very least, don't leave the house without a pair of jumper cables in your car.
Permanently in the trunk for the last 4 years!! But thanx for the tip!

Glad to hear it. I'm amazed how many people don't have one in their trunk, so I always freely give that advice out. :)

Do Right, Be Right. :)

6IXSTRINGJACK

Thursday, February 22, 2018 5:40 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
Not magic liquid. Targeted viscosity. Slows or stops leaks.

It would have to be magic to stop this leak. I'm assuming mine is as bad as the video I saw since I'm leaking so much. You can actually see it coming out of the seal and steadily dripping as soon as you turn the car on. I won't know until I remove everything to get to it. I've gone through 33 quarts since I started working in the middle of November.

Quote:
I heard Ford Titan engines cost $1,500 for spark plug replacement.

Jeez. Why the hell would that be? I changed mine for 8 or 9 bucks in parts a month or two ago.

Quote:
I get the jump box when on sale for $15-25. One place, Harbor Freight Tools can be your friend.
But a jump box should be plugged in once a month.

I hope that one works for you when you actually need it. I only buy harbor freight stuff for disposable extra tools like wrenches and hammers and screwdrivers and stuff. I wouldn't want to be stuck with a dead battery and a Harbor Freight jump box.

I think I paid 80 bucks for my Black and Decker and that thing still works 10 years later. You could probably get it for $60 bucks on sale if you waited for it. Maybe even less for some crazy Black Friday deal or something.

I just saw a Stanley one at WalMart for $70, but it was only half the size of my B&D one, and didn't have the A/C plug outlets and air pump that mine has.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

SIGNYM

Thursday, February 22, 2018 8:25 PM

Oh, well ... it was the battery BECAUSE .... there is ANOTHER electrical fault in the car! THIS one keeps the rear brake lights on. (One fault fried the wires to the right rear window - so I pulled the fuse- and the other one disabled the trip A/B functions to the odometer, so I managed to shift it over to total mileage and I KEEP it there!) I didn't see that in the bright daytime, but hubby noticed the lights when he pulled in the driveway. I had to disconnect the battery.

And the demand hot water heated fixed itself (after I reset it a couple of times). I like it when problems fix themselves, but I kinda don't like it either, because I still don't know what happened. But I'm going to get a couple of replacement filters, because those consumables need to be changed regularly anyway.

After that - ON TO health insurance!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

America is an oligarchy
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

6IXSTRINGJACK

Thursday, February 22, 2018 11:17 PM

Hoo boy. Nice catch.

You sure that you've successfully gone around the issue? I probably wouldn't plan any long road trips until you've test driven it a while, and might I suggest keeping a fire extinguisher or two in your car for a little while as well.

I know what you mean about problems fixing themselves. That drives me mad. My own water heater was tripping out a few times in a month or two's time about 2 years ago and then all of the sudden it just stopped and there hasn't been a problem since. At this point I'm not really worried about it and don't think about it much, but it was on my mind for probably 6 months after the last time I reset it.

Hope it all works out well for ya!

Do Right, Be Right. :)

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Friday, February 23, 2018 12:00 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Oh, well ... it was the battery BECAUSE .... there is ANOTHER electrical fault in the car! THIS one keeps the rear brake lights on. (One fault fried the wires to the right rear window - so I pulled the fuse- and the other one disabled the trip A/B functions to the odometer, so I managed to shift it over to total mileage and I KEEP it there!) I didn't see that in the bright daytime, but hubby noticed the lights when he pulled in the driveway. I had to disconnect the battery.

I told you so.
The battery you had would recharge. That is the purpose and function of a battery. The new battery covered up the real problem for a few days. Anybody worth a spit who checked the car for Electrical faults would have found it. But the important thing is that you needlessly helped the auto parts store bloat their profits, you didn't have any essential need for that money anyhow. There was nothing wrong with the battery you threw away.
Not that you'll listen now, but I'd recommend you NOT disconnect your battery every night. That will make you need another battery soon, if you don't have a battery explosion - which will blind you if you are not wearing safety glasses when working the battery. You should instead find locations of 2 things. The fuse for the lights which stay on, and the relay for that circuit - likely in a relay box or cluster. Fuses are meant to be pulled out and reinserted, unlike battery connections. But your fuse location may be inconvenient. The relay could be very conveniently located, depending upon make/model. After pulling correct relay, put it back in and out a few times, and it will be LESS stubborn.
No point explaining what your fault is or how to find it.

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Friday, February 23, 2018 12:34 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
Not magic liquid. Targeted viscosity. Slows or stops leaks.
It would have to be magic to stop this leak. I'm assuming mine is as bad as the video I saw since I'm leaking so much. You can actually see it coming out of the seal and steadily dripping as soon as you turn the car on. I won't know until I remove everything to get to it. I've gone through 33 quarts since I started working in the middle of November.
Quote:
I heard Ford Titan engines cost $1,500 for spark plug replacement.
Jeez. Why the hell would that be? I changed mine for 8 or 9 bucks in parts a month or two ago.
Quote:
I get the jump box when on sale for $15-25. One place, Harbor Freight Tools can be your friend.
But a jump box should be plugged in once a month.
I hope that one works for you when you actually need it. I only buy harbor freight stuff for disposable extra tools like wrenches and hammers and screwdrivers and stuff. I wouldn't want to be stuck with a dead battery and a Harbor Freight jump box.

I think I paid 80 bucks for my Black and Decker and that thing still works 10 years later. You could probably get it for $60 bucks on sale if you waited for it. Maybe even less for some crazy Black Friday deal or something.

I just saw a Stanley one at WalMart for $70, but it was only half the size of my B&D one, and didn't have the A/C plug outlets and air pump that mine has.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

Obviously you know it all. My Jump boxes work fine, on every vehicle that has needed it. Even when I forget to charge it. A co-worker had one that didn't work, after using it for 3 or 4 days in a row without recharging it.

6IXSTRINGJACK

Friday, February 23, 2018 2:12 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
Obviously you know it all. My Jump boxes work fine, on every vehicle that has needed it. Even when I forget to charge it. A co-worker had one that didn't work, after using it for 3 or 4 days in a row without recharging it.

Why'd you go back an hour later and add the "Obviously you know it all" part. That wasn't there before.

Harbor Freight sells crap. That doesn't mean that it doesn't work all of the time. It's actually a great place to buy a lot of low end tools for backups. I move around my house and garage a lot when I'm working on stuff and sometimes even though I have 3 or 4 hammers and tape measurers I can't find one in my house because they all made it out to my garage. In those situations it's nice having some cheapo backups that I got from a place like Harbor Freight. Good on you for buying several of them at that price.

I'm thinking that you never have driven around a car in the condition of mine for any extended period of time, and without any cell phone to boot. If my car breaks down on the way to work on the expressway at 10PM when it's snowing and 20 degrees outside, I'm walking to the gas station... and then I'm waking up a family member who lives out of state to come and pick me up.

Sorry man, but I can't afford to put my well being in that situation in the hands of some off brand Chineseium piece of shit that may or may not work just to save 40 bucks.

I'm one of the cheapest people in the world, probably. There are some things that I pay top dollar for though. This happens to be one of them.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Friday, February 23, 2018 3:06 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
Obviously you know it all. My Jump boxes work fine, on every vehicle that has needed it. Even when I forget to charge it. A co-worker had one that didn't work, after using it for 3 or 4 days in a row without recharging it.
Harbor Freight sells crap. That doesn't mean that it doesn't work all of the time. It's actually a great place to buy a lot of low end tools for backups. I move around my house and garage a lot when I'm working on stuff and sometimes even though I have 3 or 4 hammers and tape measurers I can't find one in my house because they all made it out to my garage. In those situations it's nice having some cheapo backups that I got from a place like Harbor Freight. Good on you for buying several of them at that price.

I'm thinking that you never have driven around a car in the condition of mine for any extended period of time, and without any cell phone to boot. If my car breaks down on the way to work on the expressway at 10PM when it's snowing and 20 degrees outside, I'm walking to the gas station... and then I'm waking up a family member who lives out of state to come and pick me up.

Sorry man, but I can't afford to put my well being in that situation in the hands of some off brand Chineseium piece of shit that may or may not work just to save 40 bucks.

Some of the best tools I have I got at Harbor Freight. Must have bought dozens of my favorite tire gauges there. Met people from 2 1/2 hours away who knew exactly where to get them, too. I've also seen and bought crap tools from other places. Didn't buy more than one Jump box at a time, and maybe only one at HFT.
I have driven cars probably worse than yours. That's why I know about STP. How I've seen visible oil leaks go away with STP. Don't currently own a vehicle newer than 16 years old.
Can't imagine how Jump box would help when driving on the highway.
Had many times when my vehicle was the only one in the whole parking lot that started, and I prefer to keep it that way. Had to go around to every other car and truck to get them started.

6IXSTRINGJACK

Friday, February 23, 2018 6:21 AM

Do Right, Be Right. :)

SIGNYM

Friday, February 23, 2018 8:52 PM

Just to weigh in on Harbor Freight ... some of the stuff they sell is quite good, a lot of it not so much. Hubby, being a former motorcycle mechanic/racer and talented woodworker hobbyist, knows a thing or two about tools. When it comes to testing tools ... flatness, rockwell hardness, etc ... Harbor Freight doesn't test well. Screwdrivers bend, wrenches round nuts, planes have dished/ uneven surfaces etc. Possibly power tools are better because they're mass-produced for a wider market. So buyer beware; you could get a real deal or ... not.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

America is an oligarchy
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

THGRRI

Friday, February 23, 2018 8:57 PM

You started this thread and said goodbye a month ago, January 26th. Shit, you even lied about that. Well, not a surprise really. Anything for attention right sig? Poor sig her neck hurts. Poor sig she has car problems, but you never left did you?

You were getting pounded here about Russia and needed some sympathy. Needed to change the topic to something that favors you. It's a tactic we've seen used by you before. Usually you start an over the top thread. Something about babies, puppies, gardens or something. This time you used yourself. Apparently you created a fake injury. Then it shifted to your car. What's next???

T

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Friday, February 23, 2018 9:20 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Just to weigh in on Harbor Freight ... some of the stuff they sell is quite good, a lot of it not so much. Hubby, being a former motorcycle mechanic/racer and talented woodworker hobbyist, knows a thing or two about tools. When it comes to testing tools ... flatness, rockwell hardness, etc ... Harbor Freight doesn't test well. Screwdrivers bend, wrenches round nuts, planes have dished/ uneven surfaces etc. Possibly power tools are better because they're mass-produced for a wider market. So buyer beware; you could get a real deal or ... not.

True, HFT is not Snap-On or Craftsman. But they dont cost a fortune either. When my crowbars and tire irons don't break, I don't need to spend multiples more elsewhere for junk that just twists. Some tools are simple, and better than a fingernail or spoon, dime. I also buy tools at Dollar Tree, and they haven't broken for what I use them for, either.
And sometimes the only tool that does work is at HFT.

SIGNYM

Friday, February 23, 2018 10:09 PM

Why, thank you THUGR! I feel better now!

Of course, I'm still a mess. That neck/shoulder pain was just a specially painful place where my arthritis flared up, but really, it flared up EVERYWHERE. Every joint hurt to one degree or another, even my thumbs, and I had "pinching pains" running thru my body ... some weird cytokine "body ache" response. Then on top of that, I have completely lost my sense of smell since Thanksgiving. And I mean completely: vanilla extract or garlic juice, I couldn't tell you which was which. There could be a big smoldering fire in the house or electrical insulation burning in the car - food could be spoiled - I could stink like a dead rat - and I wouldn't know. And since I'm the family cook, we have had some not-very-good meals lately. Apparently, I have had a chronic sinus infection that prolly accounts for the anosmia. And then on top of that, my hearing is going, my allergies are flaring, and I sleep like shit because of nasal congestion/ tongue swelling/ snoring and general pain.

So I eliminated gluten and lived on aspirin for a while, which really REALLY seemed to help with the joint/ cytokine pain. Am currently on steroids and antibiotics. (Steroids sure make you feel great! They nailed all the remaining pain and I'm sorry to be weaning off of them.) Got a mouth-positioner to reduce snoring - it really works! Little by little, I'm working my way to feeling better.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

America is an oligarchy
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

THGRRI

Friday, February 23, 2018 10:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Why, thank you THUGR! I feel better now!

Of course, I'm still a mess. That neck/shoulder pain was just a specially painful place where my arthritis flared up, but really, it flared up EVERYWHERE. Every joint hurt to one degree or another, even my thumbs, and I had "pinching pains" running thru my body ... some weird cytokine "body ache" response. Then on top of that, I have completely lost my sense of smell since Thanksgiving. And I mean completely: vanilla extract or garlic juice, I couldn't tell you which was which. There could be a big smoldering fire in the house or electrical insulation burning in the car - food could be spoiled - I could stink like a dead rat - and I wouldn't know. And since I'm the family cook, we have had some not-very-good meals lately. Apparently, I have had a chronic sinus infection that prolly accounts for the anosmia. And then on top of that, my hearing is going, my allergies are flaring, and I sleep like shit because of nasal congestion/ tongue swelling/ snoring and general pain.

So I eliminated gluten and lived on aspirin for a while, which really REALLY seemed to help with the joint/ cytokine pain. Am currently on steroids and antibiotics. (Steroids sure make you feel great! They nailed all the remaining pain and I'm sorry to be weaning off of them.) Got a mouth-positioner to reduce snoring - it really works! Little by little, I'm working my way to feeling better.

You're welcome. I can't begin to tell you how reading all the has made my day.

T

SIGNYM

Friday, February 23, 2018 10:29 PM

I think, like the rest of the people here, we just keep on keeping on. I don't know anyone who isn't burdened one one way or another ... or multiple ways. We just do the best that we can do, right?

Still, given all that's going on (and there's a lot more going on than just my health) I'll be on and off the board at random. Don't make too much of the timing: It has nothing to do with what's going on here and everything to do with what's going on IRL.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

America is an oligarchy
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876