2005 Chevrolet Impala, Rear Turn Signal Erratic, Not Working

This 2005 Chevrolet Impala came in withe the complaint that the right rear turn signal was working some of the time. The customer had already replaced the bulb and stated that it seemed to work okay for a few days. The tail light assembly is attached to the vehicle by four plastic nuts with brass inserts. The two upper one in the picture below.

After the interior cover is folded down the other two can be seen. With all four nuts removed the light assembly will pull out of the rear of the vehicle. There is one harness connector that has to be disconnected and it can be accessed once the assembly is loose from the vehicle.

I had checked and there was the tell tale rough surface on one of the bulb leads that indicates a poor connection between the bulb and the socket terminals. I call the local Chevrolet dealership and found that the tail light sub harness would have to be ordered and that my cost was over seventy dollars. Time to come up with a better solution. I located a socket assembly with the correct number of terminals, the correct focal length and the correct indexing tabs to fit the light assembly.

The new socket assembly comes prewired with three wires. The old socket assembly had five wires going into it. Being familiar with GM designs, I knew that the old socket was also being used as a junction or splicing location in the harness assembly. No big deal. I cut both black wires and spliced them into the wire that attaches to the “G” position in the new socket assembly.

The yellow wire connects to the “A” wire position. The two brown wires attach to the “B” wire position.

After all wires were spliced together properly, I taped the wires together to make a neat harness. I curved the harness around the curve of the light as shown below.  I also installed another brand new bulb. Even a relatively new bulb that has minor damage can take out a new socket in a short amount of time. Anytime I go to the trouble of replacing a socket assembly, it gets a brand new bulb.

The socket assembly seems to be a better fit than the original since there is a locking tab that lines up with the locking arm on the socket assembly. If you need one of these sockets please click here.

Again, I made sure to keep the harness contoured to the curve of the assembly.

With harness reconnected to the light assembly I watched to make sure the longer wires cleared all obstructions.

Another one fixed.

1992 GMC Pickup, Changing The Blower Motor

This 1992 GMC C1500 pickup came in with the complaint that the blower motor was squeaking and the noise was getting worse. The blower motor is located under the passenger side of the dash and has this rubber and foam sound deadening cover over it.

I know it seems strange but the first step in removing the blower motor assembly is to remove the glove box liner. Remove the two plastic pins that hold the door straps to the dash as shown below; one on each side.

Then remove the four 7 mm headed screws that hold the liner to the dash; two on each side.

Pull the upper edge of the glove box liner out and lift it up to clear the hole. It may take a little wiggling.

The silver box is the PCM and underneath it is the foam and rubber cover that has to be removed.  There will generally be a fair amount of dust on everything in this corner of the dash. This one also has a good bit of hair from a dog. I used my shop vac to remove the worst of the hair and dust.

In theory the PCM should just slide towards the center of the dash but I have never had much success with that approach. Instead I use a large common screwdriver to lift the PCM up and off of the two securing clips. It does not take mush effort except for remembering the grab the clip before it fall and you have to go looking for it.

With the clips removed the PCM can be positioned to make it easier to remove the harness connectors. Although the PCM is fairly rugged it is best to treat it as delicate as possible. Make sure you depress the latches and pull the harness connectors straight out. Once the harnesses are disconnected, the PCM can be removed from the glove box opening.

There are four 7 mm headed screws that hold the PCM bracket to the blower case. The two on the top have to be fully removed.

The two on the front edge only have to be loosened to remove the bracket.

A better view of where the two top screws are located.

At this point the wires can be disconnected from the blower motor. The ground wire has a latch that has to be depressed. You can also remove the two front screws that held the PCM bracket in place. It makes it slightly easier to remove the cover.

There is one more screw on the top of the cover that has to be removed.

Now the top edge can be lifted up and off of the hooks.

Then wiggle the cover down from the dash. Be careful to not damage the cover.

Now remove the screws form the sill plate (sorry no picture) and then remove the right kick panel cover.

Remove the lower dash securing bolt with a 13 mm head.

Use a pry bar to free the bracket form the pivot pin.

Then pull the corner of the dash away from the blower motor area. The bracket will now be in front of the pivot pin.

Go around the outer edge of the blower motor and remove the mounting screws. Do not remove the grounding tab screw at this point. You will also need to remove the small rubber hose that connects between the side of the blower motor and the tube on the blower case. This hose is very important to the life of the blower motor. Do Not Lose it and DO Remember to install it on the new motor. It uses some of the air from the blower case and directs it into the blower windings to keep the blower motor cool.

Now the blower motor can be rotated around and wiggled from the dash. You may need to hold out on the lower corner of the dash with one hand while removing the motor with the other.

Be sure to clear the blower case and the evaporator fins of all debris before reassembling. I used my shop vac with a small hose attachment.

Note the position of the grounding tab on the old blower motor.

Remove the paint from the area where the grounding tab will be mounted on the new motor.

Install the grounding tab in the same position it was in on the old motor. This is important so that the cover will lay properly in place and so that the ground wire can be reattached easily.

Note the vent hole on the old blower motor.

The new motor may have more than one vent hole. You will need to remove the plug from the hole so that the tube may be installed into it. Make sure that if there are any other vent holes in the motor housing that they are plugged.

Reassemble the blower motor into the dash and install all removed parts. The top two screws that are in recesses in the PCM mounting plate cane be difficult to start. I sue a little trim adhesive on the screw head to hold the screw into a socket. This makes it easier to install. Also remember to install the two screws in the front edge of the bracket, back onto the blower case, before the bracket is installed. That way all you have to do is tighten them up. Much easier than trying to install them with everything back in place.

While you are there make sure there is no sign of discoloration on the large red wires in the inline harness connectors. This one is for the blower power supply.

This one is a major power supply for the ignition switch, if I remember correctly.

Inspect both sides of the connectors. There is no need to disconnect them. Just look for discoloration of the red insulation. If it is discolored, cut the wire on both sides of the connector and splice the two wires back together with the appropriate terminal.

Make sure you take the time to properly install all of the removed parts. Now the blower motor will work with minimal noise. 

2008 Volvo XC90, Headlight Does Not Work

This 2008 Volvo XC90 came in with the complaint that the driver’s side low beam headlight does not work most of the time. Every now and then it will work after hitting a bump in the road.

Since it is likely to be a faulty bulb or connection at the bulb, the first thing to do is a visual inspection. After opening the hood the headlight retaining bars have to be removed.

They lift up without too much effort.

There are two retaining bars.

Rather than disconnecting all of the wiring and fully removing the headlight assembly, I simply installed a fender cover over the bumper and turned the light assembly over on it.

There is a large disc cover that has to be removed to get to the bulb. There is a spot for a retaining screw but this assembly does not have one. Most do not.

It turns counter clockwise to remove it. That is to the left for you of the digital age.

Once it is turned fully counter clockwise the cap will lift off.

There is some discoloration on the green part of the bulb base.

The insulation on the black wire is melted.

The bulb and matching harness terminals are burnt.

Neither the new or the old connector had seals  where the wires enter the connector housing. The reason is heat retention. The bulb and connector are within a sealed environment inside the headlight assembly. If the connection was outside of a sealed in area, the wire entry point would have to be sealed as well.

I spliced in the new harness connector and staggered the splice connection points. To purchase the harness connector, please click here.

Placed the heat shrink tubing in place and heated with a small torch.

I then installed the connector into the new bulb.

I made sure that the blue silicone seal was fully seated.

Then installed the assembly into the headlight.

The only thing to do now is to replace the cover and install the headlight assembly.

The headlight is now working again. Keep in mind that if there is heat damage to a component, the component and the harness connector have to be replaced at the same time or the condition will return quickly.

Sparky, Where Have You Been?

In case any of you were wondering why it has been so long since I published a repair article, the answer is simple. I have been working hard on a new menu or indexing system for this site.

A few years ago I knew that I was outgrowing the standard labeling system supplied with this platform. I had been struggling with finding a reasonably simple solution to the problem. In the end it took four years of asking questions and reading everything I could about the matter, before I finally asked the right questions, to the right people, at the right time. Once all of the pieces of the puzzle started coming together, progress has been quite fast.

The menu is now functional and I think all of the quirks are worked out as of earlier today. The only thing that you really need to be aware of is that you will need to allow pop ups from this site. www.sparkys-answers.com

You will need to locate the “Sparky’s Repair Article Menu” tab near the top of the page. Then scroll down to locate the menu. The image below is just that, non functional. Click here to go to the correct page with functional menu. 

1997 Ford Explorer, The Interior Lights Stay On

This 1997 Ford Explorer came in with the complaint that the dome lights would stay on with all of the doors closed.  I tried using one of my scan tools to look at data for the door ajar switches but was only able to see the information for the driver’s  door and the passenger front door.

The next two pictures are more to provide a temporary means of disabling the lights so that the battery will not go dead. The first fuse is #27 and the second one above it, is fuse #23. Removing both fuses will prevent the battery from going dead. Although both fuses are powered, the power comes from the battery saver relay in the under dash fuse relay box. If all of the doors are genuinely closed the body computer will turn off the control circuit for the battery saver relay and there will be no power on either fuse. It can take up to one hour for the relay to be turned off.

The battery saver relay is the second one, up from the bottom, on the right hand side.

If the relay center has never been into, there will be securing tape that holds the cover in place during vehicle assembly. It has to be cut/torn before the cover can be removed.

Since my scan tool was of little help I had to go old school on this one. The best place to test the door ajar switches is at the Central Timer Module (CTM). It is sometimes referred to as a Generic Electronic Module (GEM). It is located behind and to the left of the radio. The tools I am holding below are needed to remove the radio.

They insert into the four holes in the radio face. Once they are fully seated, they have to be flexed outward towards the doors and then grasped and pulled towards the seat. The radio should release and pull out. It can take a couple of tries and you may have to do some wiggling. After removing the radio disconnect the harness connectors from the radio.

There are two screws with 7 mm heads that have to be removed. One on each side, above the a/c controls. If for some reason you do not have the above tools, the radio will come out with the panel. It takes a little bit more effort and care doing it that way though. The weight of the radio has to be properly supported or the panel/dash can be damaged/scratched. Also it is a little more awkward to disconnect all of the wiring harnesses.

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Then grasp one edge of the trim panel and pull it loose from the dash. You will need to disconnect the lighter wiring and any other wiring on that side.

Then the panel can be left hanging on the right side of the dash. If you do not want to disconnect the rest of the wiring. The CTM or GEM is located to the left of the opening.

The center duct work needs to be removed to gain access to the CTM. There are two 7 mm headed screws that have to be removed.

Then the duct work can be pulled from the opening.

The CTM and connectors. The connector that I needed was the very top one.

I pushed in the thumb latch and pulled the connector from the CTM. It took a little bit of wiggling to free it. Then I had to manipulate it around to get it freed from the rest of the wiring.

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There are several wires that need to be checked to test all of the door ajar switches. The white/purple wire that I have my pick inserted into is for the rear hatch and the rear tailgate switches. All five wires listed below are in order going up the connector. With the doors closed there should be no circuit to ground. With the doors open there should be a circuit (continuity) to ground.

White/purple = rear hatch switch and two tailgate switches
Light Green/yellow = left rear door switch
Pink/light blue = right rear door switch
Gray/red  = right front door switch
Yellow/black = left front door switch

I have to note that the order for the pink/light blue and the light green/yellow may be reversed. In the wiring diagram that I looked at, they have the terms reversed at either end of the same wire.

With one lead connected to my test probe.

The other connected to a good ground. In this case the ground wire for the lighter.

The meter set to read ohms and there is a resistance of .19 ohms. With the tailgate closed it should have read infinity. On my meter that is displayed a OL. So I either had a faulty switch or the wire was shorted to ground. I removed the interior panel on the tailgate and unplugged each switch. One at a time. Until I had an open circuit. Then I re connected the switches one at a time until the short to ground returned. Of course I had to close the tailgate or the hatch in between each switch re connection.

The right side tailgate door ajar switch would not switch to the open position.  I found a couple of things wrong at the tail gate. First of all the latch assembly was very dirty and I could not make it latch by hand. I tried to order a new one, but they have been discontinued by Ford. The picture below is of the left tailgate latch assembly because I forgot to take a picture of the right side latch before I cleaned it.

I removed by removing the three attaching screws. I also had to remove the tail gate interior panel and disconnect the electrical connector and the linkage rod that attaches to the handle assembly. Sorry no pictures. Then, I soaked and scrubbed it in my cleaning tank. After drying it, I coated the surfaces with a lubricant that leaves a film, that is supposed to not attract dirt. Then I worked it back and forth until it freed up.

I also had to remove the striker bolt and install a new plastic bushing as the old one was broken. I suspect that there were pieces of the broken bushing in the latch assembly.

1999 Ford F150, Replacing Broken Blend Air Door, Part Three

This is the last part of this repair article.

The only aggravating part of this repair is the antenna cable. In order to pull the passenger side of the dash out far enough the cable has to be disconnected from the dash at two locations. It is held to the dash with push pin retainers and it is a bit of a pain to disconnect. I used the pliers on the floor board to dislodge them.

A better view of the disconnected radio antenna. Again it only has to have the two clips disconnected.

With the dash pulled back it is reasonably easy to remove the screws that hold the top cover in place. I found out in retrospect that it is easier to remove the cover if you first remove a couple of other things. Removing this one screw.

Will allow this piece of duct work to be removed.

Then the two 5.5 mm headed screws that hold this relay box in place can be removed. The box can be lifted out of the way.

There are 16 screws in all that have to be removed from the heater- a/c upper case cover. All have 8 mm heads. The ones nearer the firewall are a little bit difficult to get to but not really a big deal. The one thing to be careful of is to not lean against the dash. because it is not sitting properly during this operation, I think it could be easily damaged with too much pressure.  There is one vacuum hose that runs across the top of the cover. The right side will disconnect and then the hose fitting will lift up and off of the case cover. Be sure to reconnect this hose before the dash is put back in place. If not the vacuum controlled mode doors will not work. Sorry no pictures of this. 

Now that the cover is removed you can see the broken door sitting there on an angle. There is a clip at the top right corner that has to be released before the door and door frame can be lifted up. If the actuator is still mounted it may take a little bit of wiggling to free he door frame.

Now with the door and frame out of the way you can see the heater core. It is the smaller core assembly to the left in the next picture. The larger core assembly on the right is the evaporator core. If you had to change either one of these components the same procedures would apply to those repairs as well.

The new door installed in the old door frame.

I tried to install the assembly with the metal sleeve installed and was having difficulty. I took the sleeve off and tried to install it into the lower case and found that it would not fit. Initially I thought I was going to have to remove the actuator to install the new door but testing the fit of the sleeve told me that it must be for an optional application. I also used a set of calipers to measure the old and new shaft outside diameters and they were the same with the sleeve removed.

The new door and frame assembly as I am installing it into the heater- a/c case.

The door frame assembly fully seated into position. Notice that the frame slides down far enough that the upper tank of the heater core is exposed.

A couple of the screws near the fire wall side of the cover are difficult to start by hand. I use a little dab of weather strip adhesive to hold the screw into my socket.

It is not pretty but it is quite effective.

With the cover back in place and all sixteen screws back where they belong, all I have to do is re install the removed parts back into their proper places.

1999 Ford F150, Replacing Broken Blend Door, Part Two

This is the second part of this repair to see the first part please click here.

Moving to the driver’s side of the vehicle the finish panel that covers the sides and top edge of the steering column opening needs to be removed. It will pull loose by grabbing the lower edges and pulling it away from the dash. Then you can work your way up the sides to release the remaining clips. Then switch the ignition on and pull the shifter to the lowest gear. Also tilt the column fully down. Remove the panel.

There is one screw on the right hand side of the steering column.

One screw in the lower right recess.

Remove the fuse box door by pulling out on the handle. Notice that the driver’s kick panel is missing. I removed it and the driver’s side “A” pillar trim panel at the same time I removing the passenger side.

Remove the screws that hold the hood and brake cables to the dash. The screws that attach above the pull handles are easy enough to see and remove.

You will need to look or feel around for the others.

The upper retaining screw located in the recess.

The lower screw is located just below the point that the left fuse box door clip snaps into.

Up til this point all of the screws have had 7 mm heads. The two screws in this panel have 8 mm heads.

This harness needs to be disconnected from the metal bracket.

Now the four 13 mm nuts that secure the knee bolster bracket to the dash need to be removed.

The shift indicator cable needs to be removed from the steering column. The loop on the end of the cable needs to be removed from the hook. Then the screw that holds the cable assembly to the bracket needs to be removed. Be gentle with this cable and it can easily be broken. The white attaching bracket is already broken on this one.

There are several connectors on the left  and right side of the steering column that need to be disconnected.

All of the connectors on the right side of the steering column have to be disconnected.

There are several on the left side of the steering column.including the one for the ignition switch, the shift interlock solenoid, the overdrive cancel switch and a multi-pin connector at the left of the opening. Now the next four 13 mm nuts can be removed so that the steering column can be dropped down.

The column has to be wiggled around slightly to allow the shifter cable and bracket to clear the dash frame.  Look closely at the top of the next picture. Note that two of the four screws along the upper edge of the picture have been removed. Also note that there is a screw in the dead center of the dash just below the shadow cast by the tan plastic. All three of these screws have to be removed that hold the dash carrier to the dash body frame.

In addition to the screw that I am removing in the next picture, there is one more on the lower right side of the opening. It holds the black dash carrier to the lower floor bracket. I believe it is in the shadowed area at the lower right corner of the next picture.

1999 Ford F150, Replacing Broken Blend Door, Part One

I had already determined that the blend air door was broken in this 1999 Ford F150. There are some hacked up ways of changing this door and if that is what you are looking for this article is not for you. Although there are a lot of steps involved in replacing the broken blend air door, it only takes two to three hours to complete. The same procedure can be used to replace the heater core and the evaporator core. I will be breaking this down into smaller sections so that it will not seem so daunting of a task. Both for you to do and for me to document.

This repair applies to:

1997   Ford F150 & F250 Pickups
1998   Ford Expedition, F150, F250 & Lincoln Navigator
1999   Ford Expedition, F150, F250 & Lincoln Navigator
2000   Ford Expedition, F150, F250 & Lincoln Navigator
2001   Ford Expedition, F150, F250 & Lincoln Navigator
2002   Ford Expedition, F150, F250, Lincoln Navigator & Blackwood
2003   Ford F150, F250 & Lincoln Blackwood Pickups
2004   Ford F150 & F250 Pickups

There will be differences in higher trim models. In particular models with a floor mounted center console.  I have done this repair on a Ford Expedition (with a center console) in the past and I do not remember having to remove the center console. In fact I think it was slightly easier because the console provided a good resting point for the dash assembly.

The passenger side pull handle has to be removed. There are two rubber covers that have to be removed. They will pry out easily with a pocket screw driver. Note that on the underside there are offset notches that allow them to only be installed in one direction.

The screw heads are 7 mm hexes.

There are two more covers that are made of a harder plastic that are closer to the windshield. I had to switch to a ratchet and socket combination to remove those two screws. Also keep these four screws separate from the rest as they have different head designs and threads.

With all four screws removed the handle will slide out of the mounting holes.

Now the “A” pillar trim panel can be removed. Grab it at the top edge and pull it away from the metal pillar.

Once the upper edges are loose it will pull up and off of the hook on the lower inside edge.

Now the rocker trim panel needs to be removed. It can be lifted from the front or the rear edge.

Now the kick panel trim cover can be removed by pulling it towards the rear of the vehicle.

All of the harness connectors have to be disconnected at the junction panel. The harness also needs to be pulled from the body panel as shown below.

One ground screw needs to be removed that holds the harness ground wires to the body.

Now the upper dash trim panel needs the insert removed.  It is held in place by multiple spring clips. I had to work the panel from both ends to get it free. This one had a sensor to the left of my hand that had to have the harness disconnected from it.

Now, the air bag mounting screws have to be removed. You really should follow the factory instructions for disabling the airbag or SRS system before removing the airbag

The glove box door has to be opened to access the lower airbag mounting screws. There is a latch at either side that has to be pushed over so that the glove box door will open fully.

The air bag is attached with three 8 mm headed bolts. One bolt on the lower left side.

One at the top center position.

I took this picture through the windshield to give a better perspective on it’s location.

The last bolt is on the lower right side of the airbag as shown below.

The airbag will slide out far enough to disconnect the wiring from the assembly. Again follow the manufacturer’s instructions for handling the airbag. The airbags are relatively safe to work around but you always need to keep the fact that they are an explosive device in the back of your mind. You can be hurt or killed if they are improperly handled.

In the process of determining that the door is broken you would have already taken this panel off. There are a total of three push pin retainers that have to be pulled out: Two on the driver’s side and one on the passenger side. The things to check in diagnosing this problem are: The coolant level is not low, Both heater hoses should warm up evenly from a cold start up to fully warmed and The actuator shaft should rotate in a 90 degree arc as the switch is turned from full cold to full hot. If all of these are okay the door is broken. Sometimes you can see that the door shaft is split where the actuator shaft enters it.

With the cover removed the right lower dash support bracket needs to be removed. One screw at the top.

One nut on the bottom. With both removed the bracket will lift up and off of the stud in the floor.

While you are here you might as well remove the nut for the left lower support bracket.

2007 Toyota Tacoma, Overhead Display Blank

This 2007 Toyota Tacoma came in with the complaint that the compass and thermometer in the overhead display was not working. The owner of the Tacoma told me that he knew what was wrong and just needed some help soldering a part back together. He also told me that a friend of his has a 2006 Tacoma with the same problem.

He already had it taken apart and showed me where he had taped the resistor back into position. He said that it actually worked for a while like that. He also said that when he originally took the display apart the resistor was missing and he had to look for it inside the assembly. Once he found it he taped it into position so he would not lose it. Notice that the tape is discolored by the heat build up of a poor connection.

The resistor initially appeared to be connected but a gentle prod with my pocket screw driver and it moved.

I maneuvered it  off of the circuit board and set about cleaning the tape residue from all connection points.

I then used a 25 watt pencil style soldering iron and some patience to reattach the resistor to the circuit board.

We reassembled the overhead console.

Connected the harnesses.

Slid the rear hooks up and into rear edge of the headliner.

I pushed the front of the assembly up to engage the spring clips. To remove the assembly you would need to grip it as I am in the next picture and pull down. Also note that the display is working.

The hole for the mounting screw.

He installed the screw while I took the picture.

The screw is of course located above the sun glass holder.

This one was done and at least for me the easiest repair of the day. The Tacoma owner had done all of the hard work in determining what was wrong. From a little bit of research I found that this is a common problem for 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 year model Toyota Tacomas.

Costly Mistakes

I was going through extra pictures that I have taken over the last year. There were several that I could not use in regular posts. Generally either because it was too involved of a repair or the customer could not afford to fix the problem. Anyways I decided to just publish these pictures of costly mistakes. Maybe some one reading this will realize that the small details are the ones that really matter.

The HID bulb cover as it should be installed on the headlight assembly for a 2008 Lexus IS350. This one happens to be the passenger side.

This piece of tar or rubberized paper is not what a manufacturer like Lexus would have used to seal and protect a thousand dollar headlight assembly.

Neither would multiple layers of duct tape.

A lot of green corrosion on the HID bulb harness. If you enlarge the picture you may be able to see the heavily rusted clamping ring on the cable also. It will cost over $1200 to replace this head light assembly with a new part.

This would be a good reason to keep all of the hoses and filters installed on your 1992 Ford Econoline Van

The customer wondered why the idle speed was so high? A little over $250 to replace the IAC solenoid, clean up the debris and properly install all components.

This an orifice tube that is mounted inside the a/c system on a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado. The system had been  worked on five times before it came to my shop. I told them the front of the truck had to be re installed before I would work on it. With no bumper, grill, spoiler or air dam inserts the air would bypass the condenser and slip under the truck. The condition was made worse by using improper flush solvents and techniques. The wrong weight of refrigerant oil was also used. Many mistakes on this a/c system. Over $2000 in parts, solvents, filters and labor tor correct this problem. That did not include the needed body work.

These wires were the cause of the tail light fuse blowing on a 2002 Lexus IS300. The car had been involved in a minor accident and the rear bumper caver had to be replaced. The body shop did not secure these wires at the factory locations. They eventually fell down and were damaged on the hot exhaust pipe. Less than five minutes of effort a couple of years ago and this could have been avoided. Over $200 to locate the damaged wires, seal and secure them.

On this same 2002 Lexus IS300 that had no tail lights. Little did this vehicle owner know but she had exterior lights. They were from the sparks off of the exposed steel belts. Accident waiting to happen. A few hundred to replace this set of tires and untold pain, suffering and money if they are not replaced in time. I wish I had the power to take vehicles off the road sometimes.

I remember having a similar discussion with my father years ago. He was transporting stuff in his station wagon and it was clearly overloaded. The rear bumper was six to eight inches off of the ground. Might be okay at 10 mph or less for a mile or so. Not 300 miles on the interstate going through the Appalachian mountains. I told him he should reduce the weight in the vehicle so that he could travel safely. He told me that he was grown man and could handle the load. If it got away from him and he died so be it. Keep in mind that he was a truly brilliant man. He could conceive of and build any kind of machinery that he wanted to. I told him he was correct but what about the young family that might cross his path, that he killed or maimed as well? He hung his head down and started unloading the car. We as independent people are often willing to risk our own safety and lives. We become so strong willed about such actions that it blinds us to the fact that there are other people in this world with us.

Almost anyone can change parts. However not many can do it without causing other problems. Over the years I have realized that 99% of all of the really strange problems that I have encountered were caused by a set of unqualified hands having been there before.