skip to main content

was a grease monkey today?!?

13 years ago

Car has been doing this TOTALL random and infrequent sputter for... a long time. Brother suggested changing air filter before taking it in anywhere... he's NOT a mechanic, but new filter was only about $15. Car parts place said, just undo clips, pull out old filter, put new one in and reclip. Went out around 10 this morning and already HOT/HUMID here in NJ. Turned key just far enough to put all the windows down before popping hood. Rear wipe started running intermittent on its own... car was NOT on?? Wrestled old filter out... have no clue if it was dirty or FILTHY?? Pretty clean on top but pretty gray/black on bottom. Back wiper still going... oh, that happened 2 times before but stopped after about 5 minutes after leaviing to come home from school. Could only wrestle 2 of 4 clips back on to air filter. Wanted to pull fuse on rear wiper, but didn't have that little gizmo to pull fuse. Of course, hadda just about stand on head under steering wheel and fuse was WAY up in one corner... need adult strength and hands/fingers of a 3-4 yo. Drove to car parts place to throw myself on their mercy to fasten those 2 clips... which the guy did gratiously! The rear wipers mysteriously STOPPED less than 100 yards from store?? They actually opened up a fuse puller to "try"... car apparently has what they call "mini-fuses" and doo-dad wouldn't grip anything. They used really small eedle-nose vise grips and pulled fuse. Surprised car did this while NOT running? Maybe a "relay"... whatever that is. Just gonna leave fuse OUT... thinking if car goes all "Christine" on me in the middle of the night... dead battery? Ever experienced anything like this?

Sort by:Oldest

Comment (1)

jemdandy
13 years ago
This is an interesting set of circumstances, but how can anyone make a reasonable guess if they do not know what they are dealing with? For example, is this a car old enough o be a collector's item or is just a 12 yr old car with gremlins in its electrical system? So what make, model, engine and year?

Likely, your rear wipers are operated by a circuit board that contains a "pulse wipe"/ delay function. That could be misbehaving. But you'd think the wiper should shut down if its control switch (on the dash or steering column) was turned off. This is a concern if this thing is taking off on its own. If the control switch is on a stalk on the steering column, the driver may inadvertently activate it.

An engine with fuel injectors may occassionally sputter if there is a load of old fuel in the gas tank. If the car has sat for 2 to 3 months with a load of fuel with 10% alcohol, the alcohol attract moisture and may have absorbed enough water to degrade the fuel. A fresh tank of gasoline can alleviate this problem. However, if the trouble is electrical, then other measures must be employed.

I can think of problems with an old fashioned distributor with points, but I am betting your car does not have such.
Related Discussions
Burned on grease in my new Monogram oven!
Q
Comments (5)
So, weissman, that's my conspiracy theory. Manufacturers constantly look for ways to get their products to surreptitiously die faster so they can be replaced more often. A blue interior shows dirt more easily and will get people to run the self clean more often. That WILL reduce the life of the appliance, which is a mathematical fact. A very well known gun barrel maker said he could sell 10% more barrels per year simply by including a slip of paper that "recommended" the new barrels be broken in with lots of earnest scrubbing. He admitted all it did was wear them out faster. Just my thoughts! -Stooxie
...See More
convection roast / flying grease!
Q
Comments (6)
I may be the wrong person to be commenting because I don't have a, Bluestar,Viking, Wolf or anything like that. When I redid my kitchen I was thinking about a real pro range like these but then realized that I don't do 'REAL PRO COOKING' so what's the point of the range? Yeah things get cooked but do I need 22K BTU burners....no? Am I making batches of cookies, cakes and breads every week?...no. I thought about resale value and decided that the next person in the house can put in what THEY want. Anyway I have a Bosch dual fuel convection range. Black with SS top which matches the scheme of everything else in Kitchen. Like I said..I am no pro --this pro style range works very well for me. Convection is very fast in it. crispy on the outside..nice on the inside(as long as I am paying attention to what I am doing!).
...See More
Monkey Bread - I have another question
Q
Comments (4)
I tried doubling a bread recipe once, and doubled the yeast amount, and it was a mistake. The bread was way too yeasty, and didn't behave well. I don't remember exactly what happened, but I did, too late, look up how to double a bread recipe and found out you don't double the yeast. According to the same King Arthur Baker's Companion that the above recipe came from, "You can increase the size of most bread recipes simply by doubling, or tripling all the ingredients. The exception is the yeast; if you increase the amount of yeast at the same rate you increase everything else, you may find yourself with a lot of dough on your hands and not enough time to deal with it. For example, by the time you've shaped the eighth loaf, the first may be well on its way to doubled in size. Most home bread bakers prefer to stick with 1 tablespoon of yeast for up to eight loaves, and giving the bread a longer, slower rise. Not only does this improve the flavor, it slows down the rising dough so that you can work with the dough more effectively." Hope this helps. I'm glad you are enjoying the recipe. I need to make it again - it's been a long time. Sally
...See More
Do you or don't you? Greasing sides of cake pan
Q
Comments (14)
Rob, have you tried the pan release goo most of us decorators use? There's no recipe, really. It's basically, equal parts flour, shortening, and just a squirt of a neutral oil to make the mixture easier to brush onto a pan. Btw, for me, greasing a pan, depends on the type of cake I'm baking. It's not a one-size-fits-all. Pans for angel food, chiffon, and sponge-type cakes, should never be greased, or the batter will not have anything to 'hold on to,' and cakes will not rise to their full volume. However, most other cakes get the lube treatment (If Jessica were reading this, she'd go blind). And when I do grease a pan, I only grease the bottoms, lightly. Then, I line the bottom with a round of parchment, leaving the sides alone. Once the cake is out of the oven, I run a thin, metal spatula around the sides of the pan to loosen, and let the cake cool in its pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, I put a piece of parchment on top of cake to cover, flip the pan over onto a cooling rack, remove pan and allow cake to cool completely. The parchment on the wire rack is there to keep cake from sticking to it, plus it makes it easier to transfer to your serving platter later. Some bakeries use food-grade plastic wrap (instead of parchment) for this purpose, wrapping the cakes (while still hot) to retain moisture. Assuming I'm going to store a cake for more than a few days, I'll wait until cake has completely cooled, before wrapping it in plastic wrap. Then, I'll add a layer of foil, before storing it in the fridge or freezer. If you're planning on icing the cake the same day it was baked, ignore the previous rant. Sol
...See More

Related Stories

MOST POPULAR Houzz Tour: Elbow Grease and Steel Create a Modern Texas Farmhouse

By Mitchell Parker

Talk about DIY. This couple acted as architect, interior designer and general contractor to build a one-of-a-kind home on a budget

REMODELING GUIDES 5 Remodeling Monkey Wrenches and How to Prevent Them

By Ventana Construction LLC

Avoid delays and cost overruns by planning certain parts of a home remodel extra carefully. We show you which ones and how

SALVAGE Salvage Style: Reinvent Shipping Pallets

Beds, rolling tables, shoe racks and more — ingenuity and elbow grease give discarded wood new life

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Making 'Normal' Beautiful for Less

By Becky Harris

Ingenuity, elbow grease and bargain hunting result in a light and lovely beach cottage style

HOME OFFICES Architects, Show Us: What's on Your Desk Right Now?

By Sheila Schmitz

We'd love a peek at where your design ideas are brewing today

DECORATING GUIDES 7 Tips to Sell Your Home Faster to a Younger Buyer

By Kristie Barnett, The Decorologist

Draw today's home buyers by appealing to their tastes, with these guidelines from an expert decorator

REMODELING GUIDES Home Styles: Why Postmodernism Still Matters

Playful mix of history and irony helped pave the way for today's headline-making buildings

INSIDE HOUZZ Inside Houzz: Get the Better, Brighter Houzz Android App

We’ve updated our Android app with new features and a lighter look. See for yourself and download it today

5 Stunning Modern Range Hoods

Today's kitchen range hoods can look like sleek sculptures. Here's what to look for when you go shopping for one

Guest Picks: Delightful Dinosaur Decor for Modern-Day Kids

By Rita Templeton

Look to the Stone Age for artwork, bedding, storage and accessories that make a roaring design statement today

Sponsored

AIS Renovations

15 Reviews

Custom Craftsmanship & Construction Solutions in Franklin County, Ohio