October Rain

It's finally here. Today we've been greeted with a steady rain all day. Started about 6 this morning and as of 10:30pm it's still coming down.
The National news has been saying all day that California is being "hammered", but that must be in other areas. It's been good, but nothing that would suggest flooding or mudslides. I guess people go stupid when California gets a little water.
It will be a welcome relief to not have dust everywhere and see the grass finally green up for a change.
I've become aware that Wrangler Brand Shoes are a POS. I bought a set a few months ago (sorta like hiking boots) and they have already fallen apart enough to get my feet wet today during the storm. Made In China :-(
I like Wolverine Brand shoes but the local shop wants $200 for them. Maybe Ebay....

We'll the truck was tested by the dealership and it's the computer that is bad. I did change the ignition switch and I'm glad I did because there were some burn marks on two of the terminals. However without the Power Train CM talking to the BCM, FCM, and Gauge Computer nothing is going to happen. Once they end up communicating the truck runs fine, but it's the wait that kills you.
I need to order a PCM @ $275.00, but it can wait for now. I do have another Truck I've been using.
The Dealership was kind enough to let me borrow the Truck's Factory Shop Manual(FSM), but those books are not like the old ones. All of the troubleshooting methods point directly to using a special computer to communicate with the truck and diagnose the problem. It's not like the old days where the answers were there in the pages. So without a few thousand dollars to purchase a special computer, I had it tested at the dealership.
I have no problem with computer running cars, since they do a better job than a mechanic's "special tuning", but I think they should last alot longer than they do since there isn't any moving parts.
They do have a benefit in telling you some of the problems associated with your car.
For example my son's Neon had a Check engine light come on the same day my truck died. By using the Key On/Off method, the car actually told me that the Cam Sensor was bad. Simple cheap part that wasn't easy to reach, but not that difficult to change either. So within the hour and $24 later the car was back in business.
I guess computers do have a place. Won't be long before they verbally speak and tell you the problem.

Cool Man

Finally some good weather to report. Mornings are in the low 50s and afternoons in the low 80s. All we need now is some rain.
It's almost guaranteed to rain the first week of November and the risk of rain in October is about three times more likely than September.
My 02 Ram Truck doesn't like the cold mornings. It's having a starting problem now. Turns over fine, but there's no ignition or spark. I have to wait until the gauges register then it starts right up. I talked to my friend that owns a Mopar Dealership and they seemed to think it's the ignition switch. At about $30 I figure it can't hurt to try.
The problem is that I need to tear open the steering column. That's going to be fun.
So today I loaded the 1994 Ram (240K+ miles) with my material and off I went. My 94 has been a really good work buddy. Now I'm not saying my 02 hasn't been, It has just that over 80,000 miles and this is the first thing I've ever had to do to it. So a gremlin here and there is expected. Especially when you figure I start and stop this truck a hundred times a day.
Work is a little better this week, but that's not saying much. I showed up to a remodel yesterday and open the door to find a bunch of wires dangling from the ceilings. The owner just tore the walls down and unhook all of the circuits and left me to figure them all out.
I did of course, but it took me till 3:00 today to finish. I sorta like jobs like that where Time and Material is the word of the day.
Wish that would happen everyday.....