Category: DIY Home Owner

Posted on

Leaky Washing Machine? Check the Pump! Replacing Maytag 35-6780 Drain Pump.

Washing machines are just like any other durable good we buy for our home, eventually they will wear out and break down. Once this occurs we have three choices. 1. Replace the Washing Machine with new, 2. Call the repair man or 3. Just fix it yourself. According to an article I read in Consumer Reports once the machine hits 5 years you may consider tossing it for new, and at 10 years its a dead man walking.  Mine had a leaky pump.

I currently have a Maytag MAV4755AWW that is around 15 years old, during a recent load of laundry water began leaking from the bottom of the machine. Was this the beginning of the end for my reliable Maytag washer? After a quick inspection it appeared that the leak was coming from the washer pump.

The big question is it worth while to replace the pump or simply replace the washing machine. In this case the pump is under $50 so well worth the time it takes to do this DIY repair!

Continue reading “Leaky Washing Machine? Check the Pump! Replacing Maytag 35-6780 Drain Pump.”

Posted on

Choosing A Battery Tender For Your Classic Car

If you have read my blog in the past you would know that I picked up my first classic car about six months ago. A 1985 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS! So far it has been a blast to drive and I have been enjoying it every chance I get. However through the month of November I was away for a couple weekends and the weather was poor for the rest so my SS went unused for about 6 weeks. Finally in mid December I had an opportunity to  take the car out only to find the battery was drained and not enough juice left to turn her over. After talking to a few friends that also own classics they recommended I keep the battery topped off with a Battery Tender!

What is a battery tender and why do I need one?

There are a number of devices that can assist you with tending to your battery and starting your car. Continue reading “Choosing A Battery Tender For Your Classic Car”

Posted on

2014 – Dodge Charger – How To Fix P0128 Error Code

My 2014 Dodge Charger threw a check engine light last week while my wife was driving home from work. After a brief read from my scan tool it was revealed that the error code is was P0128. Most likely culprit, the thermostat!

What is a P0128 error code?

The official meaning for the P0128 error code is “Coolant Temperature Below Thermostat Regulating Temperature” In plain English the car is basically saying that after a predetermined amount of time the coolant temperature has not come up to normal operating temperature. In other words the car is to cold! Modern fuel injected engines like to run at their specified operating temperature, and in the short term this is mainly a nuisance check-engine light, in the long run it could damage you engine and should be addressed. Continue reading “2014 – Dodge Charger – How To Fix P0128 Error Code”

Posted on

82 – 87 Monte Carlo Blower Motor Speed Control Repair – Part 2 Blower Motor Relay.

Blower Relay

In my previous post I went though the procedure to change out my Monte Carlo SS blower motor resistor Unfortunately that did not fix the issue and I moved on to the next component in the circuit. The blower motor relay. Again this is an inexpensive part and is worth the investment to repair my classic car.

PARTS

I have to say that I now believe that Amazon carries everything or at least put you in contact with a vendor that has what you need.

Blower Relay
1985 Monte Carlo Blower Relay

Here is a link to the RY20 relay from Standard Motor Products that is an exact replacement to the existing relay. Under $14.00 at Amazon!

Continue reading “82 – 87 Monte Carlo Blower Motor Speed Control Repair – Part 2 Blower Motor Relay.”

Posted on

82 – 87 Monte Carlo Blower Motor Speed Control Repair – Part 1 Blower Motor Resistor

As you know I enjoy writing about my projects and things I work on in the hopes this will help someone else in the world. Recently I purchased a 1985 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS and though its in great condition as with any 35 year old automobile there are lots of maintenance items that need looking after. While out for a cruise I noticed some issues with blower motor speed control and decided to give a go at repairing it.

Blower Motor Works, but only on high!

The blower motor works well, however it only runs on the highest setting. Any other speed other than high will cause the motor to shutoff.  I had this same issue on a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix GT and had determined the blower motor resistor to be the issue, so I figured I would replace the same in my 85 SS

Blower motor resistor replacement
Blower Motor Speed Resistor
Blower Motor Speed Control Resistor

 

The blower motor resistor is a $12 part that can be ordered on Amazon (CLICK HERE) and can be installed in about 15 minutes in any GM G-Body car from 82-87. This would include your Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Pontiac Grand Prix, Brick Regal and Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. The example above even includes the wiring harness if yours is damaged. Continue reading “82 – 87 Monte Carlo Blower Motor Speed Control Repair – Part 1 Blower Motor Resistor”

Posted on

1982-1987 Monte Carlo Vent Repair For Under $1.00

It’s midlife crisis time and I picked up a 1985 Monte Carlo SS. It’s in great condition for a car that’s 35 years old and runs like new. However with any car this old there are always little things that break and will need repair. I will be posting articles on items I repair maybe to help others in their quest. In this article I will be explaining how to easily repair a loose vent in your old Chevy.

In my Super Sport the  air conditioner vents roll either to the left or right as soon as the blower fan turns on. This is quite annoying especially while I’m out cruising on a hot Summer day.

Vent Repair for $1.00

Continue reading “1982-1987 Monte Carlo Vent Repair For Under $1.00”

Posted on

How To Paint Old Stock Honda Accord Rims – Cheap & Easy

My oldest son drives a 2007 Honda Accord Coupe and like any 12 year old car the exterior is weathered and showing its age. The car isn’t worth much however to a college student on a limited income its worth its weight in freedom.  Recently he began attempting to spruce up his ride and one area that needed attention was the wheels. The stock Honda rims were showing signs of corrosion and just looking bad.

He decided that paining the rims black would bring new life into them and at the same time make the ride more suitable for his age group. The goal here was NOT to make the rims perfect, but mainly to hide the corrosion and improve the look of the car on a college kids budget. (Under $100)

I would say they would have to pass the 10ft test. Do they look good from 10 feet away? Yes? Great you did a good job. Let’s get started.

TOOLS YOU NEED (Hopefully You have some of this)

 

 

 

A nice set of jack stands $26.00 at Amazon

 

 

 

A decent floor jack $140 at Amazon  Could be found cheaper at Harbor Freight Tools!

 

 

 

Wheel chock or something to put behind the wheels $17.00 at Amazon

 

Continue reading “How To Paint Old Stock Honda Accord Rims – Cheap & Easy”

Posted on

Incredible Shrinking Products – Pure Leaf Edition

I love iced tea as much as the next guy. Other than water I usually only drink iced-tea. The Pepsi Company makes a tasty tea called Pure Leaf. Compared to the other popular brands of tea I personally think Pure Leaf is one of the best tasting around. Flavor variations are diverse and pretty much all enjoyable.

Iced Teas are expensive and Pure Leaf is no exception

If you shop around on Amazon or your local supermarket for a while, you will notice that the various sellers of Iced tea have cranked up the prices of their teas. Its not the price of the tea that gets me angry Its the deception that I hate.

Pure Leaf – Same bottle two different sizes.

Continue reading “Incredible Shrinking Products – Pure Leaf Edition”

Posted on

Best Desktop PC Battery Backup

Depending on where you live in the world continuous power without disruption can be an issue. Here in the United States we are lucky to have a power grid that works great most of the time. However, on occasion equipment fails and your power can be disrupted. Do you need a Battery Backup to help keep things running in the event of a failure?

Battery backups have been around for many years and come in many different sizes and capacities. In this article I would like to focus on the backup you would use for your desktop PC.

TOP BATTERY BACKUP CHOICE:

Over the years I have found APC to be the superior choice in battery backup systems. They make very large units to cover the server room and small units to backup the desk top environment as well.

Think of a backup unit as an emergency spare tire that will allow you to safely pull over to the shoulder. When sizing a unit, it should give you sufficient time to save your work and shutdown gracefully.

APC Battery BackupI have found this particular unit – APC BE600M1 600VA to be perfect for desktop workstations. 5 outlets are battery backed, while 2 are surge protected only. This will give you plenty of room for your PC, multi monitors, router and wifi. In my testing 600VA can keep the average PC running for an additional 15min after the power has failed. Plus the unit is very affordable running for under $60 at Amazon. The best part is this unit features a USB port than can keep your phone or tablet topped off during the power failure!
 Continue reading “Best Desktop PC Battery Backup”

Posted on

Weekend Project – 2011-2014 Dodge Charger Backup Camera Replacement

Over the last few months the backup camera on my wife’s 2014 Dodge Charger has been intermittently failing to send picture to the console display. The radio / head unit is functioning normally for climate control functions and AM/FM/ and Satellite is working OK too, so I began to troubleshoot the wiring.

During the troubleshooting process, with the backup camera active I disconnected the unit from the cars wiring harness and then reconnected it. At that point the camera begins transmitting again. (think reboot) The next time the camera is activated it fails once again.

This leads me to believe the unit is bad and needs to be replaced. A call to the Dodge dealership quoted me a price of over $350 for parts and labor. I quickly sourced the part on Amazon for around $197

OEM – Mopar  2011-2014 Dodge Charger / Chrysler 300 Backup Camera – $197 at Amazon

 

Tools you can use:

Continue reading “Weekend Project – 2011-2014 Dodge Charger Backup Camera Replacement”

Proudly powered by WordPress