Shift Happens Gonzo 2010
Jo was a new customer referred by an old-time regular. Her little KIA had a transmission problem that seemed to be getting the best of the transmission shop. The story goes that the SUV was constantly in limp mode, and would never shift properly… ever. As it always seems to be the case when a simple problem can’t be solved simply, somebody started the diagnostics off in the wrong direction. Little did I know this was a simple problem…. But, as I see it, each and every type of diagnostic work that you do requires a certain step by step procedure that you must follow. Miss a step, or completely overlook a step, usually means you’re going to miss that simple problem all together. This was no exception.
From what information I could gather the person who diagnosed it at the transmission shop wasn’t the same person who installed it. So after the tech put the last bolt in the transmission, he set the car out front, and told the front office, “Got the transmission in that KIA.” The front office considered it done, and the call went out for Jo to pick it up. She didn’t make it around the block before she was back at the front counter in a “not-so” pleasant mood. You can just imagine the situation at the counter… not pleasant I’m sure. After some deliberation, and very little diagnostics the transmission shop came up with the conclusion that it must be a bad transmission. Luckily, Jo’s ride that had brought her there was still in the parking lot, so she left the KIA for them to re-do the whole job again.
A week later, it was supposedly done. This time a different tech had installed the second transmission. Unfortunately, he made the same mistake as the first tech. When Jo came to pick up her car the shop owner took her for a ride to be sure that the repairs were made to her satisfaction. It was a short drive… This time, the owner said he was going to pay for the transmission, and would even purchase one from the dealership just to be sure it wasn’t their mistake in rebuilding it. But even the dealer transmission failed to shift properly. The tranny shop was at a loss, they decided to make a few calls for some help, and that’s when my phone rang.
Now, I’m not one to diagnose anything over the phone. I just don’t think it’s a smart way of taking care of such problems, because you never quite know what you’re getting into. But the tranny shop owner sounded desperate, and now the repair costs were coming out of his pocket. From his frantic explanations of no codes, no shift, and no idea of the problem, he kind of put me on the spot … so … I suggested a computer. Heck, why not… ya’ changed the tranny 3 times for Pete’s sake, obviously that ain’t’ it. I probably shouldn’t have done that, but I think he wanted to try and save as much money as possible without resorting to taking it to another shop.
Well, a new TCM didn’t work either…. Now, the car is finally coming my way. Jo was a little unsure whether or not there was anyone out there who could find the problem, but her friend told her that it couldn’t hurt to let me see what I could do for her. I’ll give it a try.
When the car showed up at the shop I took it around the block once to verify the condition, and then put it up on the lift. While it was on the lift I decided to drop it into gear and check it against the scanner. To my surprise, it shifted perfectly. I’m not kidding… absolutely perfect. I dropped it back on the ground, and went for a ride again. I didn’t even make it around the first corner… stuck in limp mode just as it was before, this dang thing can’t pull itself out of a pot hole.
Back up on the lift, and wouldn’t ya know it, shifts perfectly… AGAIN! What’s the deal here? I did it several times, just so I could be sure of the results I was getting. After a few trips I checked the wiring to the transmission while it was on the ground. Oh, oh, the main ground to the TCM wasn’t there. How in the world was it there when it was in the air? AH HA! It’s moving the wire! Yes, it was moving the wire alright, and a few more than just the TCM ground lead. The locator page showed the TCM ground wire was bundled with several other ground leads that were all attached to the main chassis ground… which wasn’t attached to a thing, but was dangling by the battery box.
Turns out the whole problem started when she had her battery changed at a department store repair shop, and they didn’t have the right size to fit the car. They disconnected the chassis ground wire, so the taller battery would fit.
When I told Jo what I found, the two of us pieced together the how and why it happened. Her only comment was, “Well, shift happens”.
All said and done with, the transmission shop paid for the entire repair, and gave her back what she spent with them. Everyone involved was glad to have the problem solved, and the car back on the road as good as new. I like this gal, she’s become a regular at the shop these days. What a card! Always has some sarcastic comment for me, but at the same time a very understanding nature and takes life in stride. I’d love to have a couple of dozen customers just like her.
As she always tells me… “If you can’t live on the bright side of life… start polishing the dull one.”
I hope you enjoy these stories, they're pre-released here before publication. If you have any comments leave a message on the blog or email.
Be looking for my stories in trade magazines all across the country. http://www.gonzostoolbox.com/
My latest book would make a great Christmas gift for anyone in the business or for that matter anyone that deals with the general public in their daily job. Pick up a copy at my website or at amazon.com -- also available at Borders, Barnes and Noble and several other book stores.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
How front drive differentials work
In this video demonstration Dave Rock explains how a front drive trans axle turns the wheels.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
What's On Second
A hillarious phone call at the repair shop....
What’s on Second Gonzo 2010
My office manager is also my oldest daughter Katie, a bright, pretty gal with a quick wit and long beautiful red hair. Naturally, Katie gets all the phone calls and front office issues. She does a great job, and makes everything feel like a day at the ball park. Sometimes I wonder if she shouldn’t be a comedian, or even have her own vaudeville act.
She cracks me up with some of her responses to those wacky phone calls we all tend to receive at the repair shop.
On one occasion I happened to be in the office, and listened in on a conversation she was having with a prospective customer. The way she handled it was remarkable. With the phone on speaker I couldn’t help but hear the entire conversation. By the end of the phone call I was laughing so hard that I nearly forgot I was only supposed to be listening and to keep quiet. I did, but managed to have a big smile on my face for the rest of the day. The phone call went something like this;
“Good morning, this is Katie, may I help you?”
“Yes, I had my car over at the transmission shop, and they recommended you guys,” the caller said.
“Ok, great, is it a shifting problem?” she asked.
“No, it’s an electrical problem.”
“We certainly do that kind of work. When would you like to bring it in and have it diagnosed?”
“No, I already had it diagnosed at the other shop.”
“They did, did they? Did they tell you what the problem was?”
“No, they didn’t know what was wrong with it. That’s why they sent me to you.”
About now Katie is getting the raised eyebrow look going, and her pen is scribbling some sort of gibberish on the note pad. Something is up. I can tell you know… I’ve answered phone calls like this myself. Let’s see how Katie handles this … I’ll listen in a little more.
“So did they give you any clues to what the problem was?” she asked curiously.
“They said they didn’t know.”
“Well that doesn’t help either one of us… let’s start this all over again. It sounds to me like the other shop checked it out, and determined that it was something they couldn’t handle and recommended us. Their best guess was that it was something electrical. Then they gave you our phone number, and told you we could take care of it. Am I pretty close to what’s going on sir?” Katie asked.
“Quite right”
“Ok, let’s see if we can knock one out of the old ball park. First off… the transmission shop sent you to … … … who?”
“To you…”
“Great we’ve made it to first base. Now then, let’s head to 2nd base… that’s where we figure out the “what’s wrong with it” part.”
He quickly interrupted her… “Nope, already did that.”
“Well, what’s wrong with it then?” Katie asked.
“I don’t know, and they couldn’t tell me either,” the caller said.
“Sir, somehow we have made it all the way to third base, and haven’t touched second at all,” she answers.
“I don’t understand what you’re getting at,” the bewildered caller said.
“Let’s try this again,” Katie goes on with, “We have established that the “who” part of this is to bring the car here. As of now we have a good foot hold on first base… the second thing is the “what” part, and that’s where we are having a problem… the “I don’t know” part can be answered once we have it diagnosed.
“I already had it diagnosed.”
“Ok, then “what’s” wrong with it?”
“I don’t know.” (Here we go again, passed 2nd and slid into 3rd)
“Naturally,” Katie answers him with that -I’m not going thru this again- look on her face, “They didn’t know… that’s why you’re talking to me.”
“I don’t think you understand,” he answers her.
“Oh, I understand perfectly well, sir. I don’t think you understand that I can’t repair it, unless I know what is wrong with it,” she answers back, “This is why I wanted to start you off with “who’s” on first… which is me.”
“But, I just told you… they diagnosed it already.”
“Who did?”
“Not you…………, they did.”
“What did they tell you was wrong with it?”
“I don’t know……………,” our caller answered while making another beeline for 3rd base.
“Sir, we will need to diagnose it all over again in order to find out “what” is wrong with it… and hopefully avoid that 3rd base.”
“What 3rd base?”
“What is the 2nd base, I don’t know is 3rd,” Katie answered him.
“So, we need to stay on what?” asks the caller.
“Yes, second base.”
“Who’s on 1st?”
“Naturally, I’m on first base. I thought we already got past that point. We need to move onto 2nd base.”
“Second base, will that fix my car?”
“I don’t know”, said Katie.
“So are we on 2nd or 3rd now?” the caller asked.
“Sir, I’m still on 1st base where we started. Now let’s try 2nd again. I still need to get it diagnosed… that’s second base,” Katie answered.
“I already had it diagnosed,” stated the caller.
“And what did they find out?”
“I don’t know… … … 3rd base,” they both answered in unison without missing a beat.
The phone call went on for some time. I’m about to fall off the barstool laughing so hard. We all know what the problem is. It’s not the what, who, or I don’t know… it’s because he has already paid someone to check his car out, and they failed to find the problem. So “naturally”, the customer assumes that there is no need in paying for the same thing a second time, if nothing came about it the first time around. (Try that when you go to a second doctor for another opinion)
I understand their plight. I just wish when he got up to bat at the first shop they would have done a better job of explaining to him about the necessary procedures to make these repairs. Then again the charges the customer was given might have been for other work, and not for any diagnostics at all…..but that never made it into the conversation.
The call ended with, “I can’t bring it today, but I can bring it in tomorrow.”
What a relief, “Because”- (he’s in the outfield)… today is the day to catch wacky phone calls, and I’ve caught all the foul balls I can stand for one day. I just hope “Tomorrow” doesn’t end up throwing me any wild pitches.
So no matter how you handle things in the office or in the shop… sometimes you just want to make it around the bases without getting tagged. And there’s one more thing I’m sure of -- I don’t want to end up with the customer only making a “short stop” in my shop, because we haven’t seen eye to eye on how the problem needs to be resolved…
Cause, we all know that short stop’s name……
Thanx for reading my stories, these stories are posted before editing for publication.
Visit my website for even more car info, photos, and stories. www.gonzostoolbox.com
see ya there... don't forget to get a copy of my best selling book too.
What’s on Second Gonzo 2010
My office manager is also my oldest daughter Katie, a bright, pretty gal with a quick wit and long beautiful red hair. Naturally, Katie gets all the phone calls and front office issues. She does a great job, and makes everything feel like a day at the ball park. Sometimes I wonder if she shouldn’t be a comedian, or even have her own vaudeville act.
She cracks me up with some of her responses to those wacky phone calls we all tend to receive at the repair shop.
On one occasion I happened to be in the office, and listened in on a conversation she was having with a prospective customer. The way she handled it was remarkable. With the phone on speaker I couldn’t help but hear the entire conversation. By the end of the phone call I was laughing so hard that I nearly forgot I was only supposed to be listening and to keep quiet. I did, but managed to have a big smile on my face for the rest of the day. The phone call went something like this;
“Good morning, this is Katie, may I help you?”
“Yes, I had my car over at the transmission shop, and they recommended you guys,” the caller said.
“Ok, great, is it a shifting problem?” she asked.
“No, it’s an electrical problem.”
“We certainly do that kind of work. When would you like to bring it in and have it diagnosed?”
“No, I already had it diagnosed at the other shop.”
“They did, did they? Did they tell you what the problem was?”
“No, they didn’t know what was wrong with it. That’s why they sent me to you.”
About now Katie is getting the raised eyebrow look going, and her pen is scribbling some sort of gibberish on the note pad. Something is up. I can tell you know… I’ve answered phone calls like this myself. Let’s see how Katie handles this … I’ll listen in a little more.
“So did they give you any clues to what the problem was?” she asked curiously.
“They said they didn’t know.”
“Well that doesn’t help either one of us… let’s start this all over again. It sounds to me like the other shop checked it out, and determined that it was something they couldn’t handle and recommended us. Their best guess was that it was something electrical. Then they gave you our phone number, and told you we could take care of it. Am I pretty close to what’s going on sir?” Katie asked.
“Quite right”
“Ok, let’s see if we can knock one out of the old ball park. First off… the transmission shop sent you to … … … who?”
“To you…”
“Great we’ve made it to first base. Now then, let’s head to 2nd base… that’s where we figure out the “what’s wrong with it” part.”
He quickly interrupted her… “Nope, already did that.”
“Well, what’s wrong with it then?” Katie asked.
“I don’t know, and they couldn’t tell me either,” the caller said.
“Sir, somehow we have made it all the way to third base, and haven’t touched second at all,” she answers.
“I don’t understand what you’re getting at,” the bewildered caller said.
“Let’s try this again,” Katie goes on with, “We have established that the “who” part of this is to bring the car here. As of now we have a good foot hold on first base… the second thing is the “what” part, and that’s where we are having a problem… the “I don’t know” part can be answered once we have it diagnosed.
“I already had it diagnosed.”
“Ok, then “what’s” wrong with it?”
“I don’t know.” (Here we go again, passed 2nd and slid into 3rd)
“Naturally,” Katie answers him with that -I’m not going thru this again- look on her face, “They didn’t know… that’s why you’re talking to me.”
“I don’t think you understand,” he answers her.
“Oh, I understand perfectly well, sir. I don’t think you understand that I can’t repair it, unless I know what is wrong with it,” she answers back, “This is why I wanted to start you off with “who’s” on first… which is me.”
“But, I just told you… they diagnosed it already.”
“Who did?”
“Not you…………, they did.”
“What did they tell you was wrong with it?”
“I don’t know……………,” our caller answered while making another beeline for 3rd base.
“Sir, we will need to diagnose it all over again in order to find out “what” is wrong with it… and hopefully avoid that 3rd base.”
“What 3rd base?”
“What is the 2nd base, I don’t know is 3rd,” Katie answered him.
“So, we need to stay on what?” asks the caller.
“Yes, second base.”
“Who’s on 1st?”
“Naturally, I’m on first base. I thought we already got past that point. We need to move onto 2nd base.”
“Second base, will that fix my car?”
“I don’t know”, said Katie.
“So are we on 2nd or 3rd now?” the caller asked.
“Sir, I’m still on 1st base where we started. Now let’s try 2nd again. I still need to get it diagnosed… that’s second base,” Katie answered.
“I already had it diagnosed,” stated the caller.
“And what did they find out?”
“I don’t know… … … 3rd base,” they both answered in unison without missing a beat.
The phone call went on for some time. I’m about to fall off the barstool laughing so hard. We all know what the problem is. It’s not the what, who, or I don’t know… it’s because he has already paid someone to check his car out, and they failed to find the problem. So “naturally”, the customer assumes that there is no need in paying for the same thing a second time, if nothing came about it the first time around. (Try that when you go to a second doctor for another opinion)
I understand their plight. I just wish when he got up to bat at the first shop they would have done a better job of explaining to him about the necessary procedures to make these repairs. Then again the charges the customer was given might have been for other work, and not for any diagnostics at all…..but that never made it into the conversation.
The call ended with, “I can’t bring it today, but I can bring it in tomorrow.”
What a relief, “Because”- (he’s in the outfield)… today is the day to catch wacky phone calls, and I’ve caught all the foul balls I can stand for one day. I just hope “Tomorrow” doesn’t end up throwing me any wild pitches.
So no matter how you handle things in the office or in the shop… sometimes you just want to make it around the bases without getting tagged. And there’s one more thing I’m sure of -- I don’t want to end up with the customer only making a “short stop” in my shop, because we haven’t seen eye to eye on how the problem needs to be resolved…
Cause, we all know that short stop’s name……
Thanx for reading my stories, these stories are posted before editing for publication.
Visit my website for even more car info, photos, and stories. www.gonzostoolbox.com
see ya there... don't forget to get a copy of my best selling book too.
Friday, November 19, 2010
What should you do if unattended acceleration occurs
This week we have Pat Goss & John davis talking about what to do if unattended acceleration occurs while you are driving. The fact is most people do not. What are the procedures? Listen to the clip as all of this is explained.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Diagnostic Tech: The Dodge That Wouldn't Talk (Or Start)
2000 Dodge Ram 1500, 4x4, 5.9 Gas, AT
Engine replaced with used. No start after engine replacement. Customer suspects bad computer.
I saw the spare parts in the back of the truck. Looks like there was some difference in engines and the intake manifold was swapped out as well. You can get into trouble swapping year model engines on a Dodge if you don't keep the original flywheel with the engine that is installed. The crank sensor is triggered by the flywheel and they are not all the same. I even had one in with a miss after an engine swap that turned out to have the 3.9 v-6 flywheel behind a v-8. But since the flywheel was gone from this old engine I assumed it was the one installed.
The engine cranked well but no start. No hit, no backfire. Just spun over. Usually at this point I would check for spark and fuel but I was more than a bit curious why the customer blamed the computer. I decided to use a scan tool first and see what sort of information I could find. The scan tool could not establish communication with the pcm. At the diagnostic connector, where the scan tool connects to the vehicle, you need to have a ground on pin 4 and power on pin 16
or you will have no communication with the scan tool. Some scan tools will power up automatically once plugged into a data link connector if the ground and power are good on those two pins. If you are using one of the scan tools that does that and you connect but don't see it power up then you have a pretty safe bet you are missing a ground or power. In this case I was using a scan tool that does not power up automatically. But if the fault was with the data link connector I would have no communication with any of the modules. I had no communication with engine or transmission which are both functions of the pcm. I also tried OBDII communication. Sometimes you will find a pcm or ecm that will not communicate from the OEM side but still work when queried as OBDII. Not this one though.
I did get communication with ABS, Body and Airbag modules. The ABS had stored a code for mismatched vin. I usually see that after someone has tried a used pcm. The ABS module noticed the vin from the borrowed pcm didn't match the vin stored in memory and sets the code. No other codes but a "no bus" message on the instrument panels mileage display. You'll see "no bus" when there is a module communication problem. With a mental note of the message and the ABS code, I decided to check power to the pcm. The pcm gets fused battery power at pin 22 of the C1 connector. I like to remove the cover from a connector and be able to see the wires actually at the point they enter. I can verify the pin 22 wire is actually the red/white that my wiring information says and I can see if there is corrosion or damage in that area. I just feel better when all the bases are covered during a test so that I can have confidence in the results.
I found no problems with the connector, wire or pins and verified battery power present. I used a standard test light because in a case like this I want a load on the circuit during the check. The next step, to me, was to check that I had 5 volt reference from the pcm. If there is no reference voltage then there is no communication. The violet/white wire on that same connector, at pin 17 supplies 5 volts to several key sensors. The easiest place to test for the 5 volts is at the throttle position sensor connector. No test light this time but a digital meter. No voltage on the violet/white wire with key on and sensor connected. A sensor can short internally and kill the 5 volt supply so I tested again with the tps disconnected. Still no voltage.
I had already disconnected the throttle position sensor and it wasn't that. It wasn't the cam position sensor. I disconnected the crank position sensor and BINGO! Five volt supply returned. The harness for that sensor runs right along the top of the bell housing. A likely spot to get a wire pinched between the engine and transmission.
I couldn't see in that area very well. I did get my hand in there and could pull no slack in the sensor harness. I snaked a borescope lead down there and it did appear to be damaged.
Engine replaced with used. No start after engine replacement. Customer suspects bad computer.
I saw the spare parts in the back of the truck. Looks like there was some difference in engines and the intake manifold was swapped out as well. You can get into trouble swapping year model engines on a Dodge if you don't keep the original flywheel with the engine that is installed. The crank sensor is triggered by the flywheel and they are not all the same. I even had one in with a miss after an engine swap that turned out to have the 3.9 v-6 flywheel behind a v-8. But since the flywheel was gone from this old engine I assumed it was the one installed.
The engine cranked well but no start. No hit, no backfire. Just spun over. Usually at this point I would check for spark and fuel but I was more than a bit curious why the customer blamed the computer. I decided to use a scan tool first and see what sort of information I could find. The scan tool could not establish communication with the pcm. At the diagnostic connector, where the scan tool connects to the vehicle, you need to have a ground on pin 4 and power on pin 16
or you will have no communication with the scan tool. Some scan tools will power up automatically once plugged into a data link connector if the ground and power are good on those two pins. If you are using one of the scan tools that does that and you connect but don't see it power up then you have a pretty safe bet you are missing a ground or power. In this case I was using a scan tool that does not power up automatically. But if the fault was with the data link connector I would have no communication with any of the modules. I had no communication with engine or transmission which are both functions of the pcm. I also tried OBDII communication. Sometimes you will find a pcm or ecm that will not communicate from the OEM side but still work when queried as OBDII. Not this one though.
I did get communication with ABS, Body and Airbag modules. The ABS had stored a code for mismatched vin. I usually see that after someone has tried a used pcm. The ABS module noticed the vin from the borrowed pcm didn't match the vin stored in memory and sets the code. No other codes but a "no bus" message on the instrument panels mileage display. You'll see "no bus" when there is a module communication problem. With a mental note of the message and the ABS code, I decided to check power to the pcm. The pcm gets fused battery power at pin 22 of the C1 connector. I like to remove the cover from a connector and be able to see the wires actually at the point they enter. I can verify the pin 22 wire is actually the red/white that my wiring information says and I can see if there is corrosion or damage in that area. I just feel better when all the bases are covered during a test so that I can have confidence in the results.
I found no problems with the connector, wire or pins and verified battery power present. I used a standard test light because in a case like this I want a load on the circuit during the check. The next step, to me, was to check that I had 5 volt reference from the pcm. If there is no reference voltage then there is no communication. The violet/white wire on that same connector, at pin 17 supplies 5 volts to several key sensors. The easiest place to test for the 5 volts is at the throttle position sensor connector. No test light this time but a digital meter. No voltage on the violet/white wire with key on and sensor connected. A sensor can short internally and kill the 5 volt supply so I tested again with the tps disconnected. Still no voltage.
I had already disconnected the throttle position sensor and it wasn't that. It wasn't the cam position sensor. I disconnected the crank position sensor and BINGO! Five volt supply returned. The harness for that sensor runs right along the top of the bell housing. A likely spot to get a wire pinched between the engine and transmission.
I couldn't see in that area very well. I did get my hand in there and could pull no slack in the sensor harness. I snaked a borescope lead down there and it did appear to be damaged.
You see how those wires go under the bracket and disappear? A little more effort and I got an angle on the point they re-appear from between the engine and bell housing. Very definitely those wires were caught in a bad spot and shorted to ground.
I removed the torque converter, starter and bell housing bolts. Removed the old sensor.
With everything bolted back up and a new crank position sensor installed everything was fine.
Kenneth Hayes
aka Deranger
Friday, November 12, 2010
Dale Donovan on radiators
This week a short clip from Dale Donovan on some simple checks you can make on your radiator.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Old Sarge - A tribute to a fellow Marine
A perfect story for Veterans Day. Gonzo 2010
Old Sarge
I met this great man through his son, who happened to be the driver of that Chevy van from the furniture store that was my very first customer. Sarge isn’t his real name, but that’s what I called him. He was a retired Marine Corps cook. I met him one day when he came in with a sick Cadillac.
The old Cadillac hardly had any power at all; just as slow and lazy as a snail. I was only in business for a few months, and didn’t know anybody. I didn’t have any work to speak of, so even though it wasn’t an electrical problem (as he originally thought), I jumped right in and found the problem. It was a clogged catalytic converter. Unbelievably, it wasn’t even welded in place. I could take off the clamps, and remove it without much hassle.
Back then I didn’t have a lift to put the car in the air, so I had to do the whole job on the ground. Well, old Sarge just sat there and watched me do the whole thing. I think he was a little suspicious of this skinny little white kid who was hacking away at his car, but he patiently waited, being the good man he was. We got to talking about things, and it wasn’t long before he found out that I was also in Marine Corps. Now we had some common ground. We were buds for life, always cutting up with each other.
One hot August afternoon Sarge brought in one of his other cars to get some work done. I had the back door to the shop open, and Sarge steps outside for a little fresh air. I thought I could hear the guy crying or mumbling something, couldn’t tell which it was. I stuck my head around the corner, “Sarge, ah …. you ok, buddy?” I asked.
He proceeded to tell me how the house he grew up in was close by, before it became a shopping center. He talked about his dad and family, and how he hunted rabbits right where we were standing. It was during the Depression. Hard times, and things were scarce in those days. How his dad hid a pig in a pit, not too far from here. Where they kept the corn mash for making moon shine. I sat and listened to this hardened Marine tell me his life’s story that day, from his first car to how he ended up in the Corps. I didn’t answer the phone, or go up front to see if anyone came in. I just sat out there in that August heat, drenched in sweat, listening to this fella tell me his life story.
I’ll never forget that afternoon. I’ll also never forget how every time he came to my shop over the next 25 years he would sneak up on me, and yell in a drill instructor voice, “TEN HUT!” I would snap to attention just like a good Marine should. Sometimes, just to get a rise out of Sarge I would purposely hit my head on the hood of the car I was working on. He got a kick out of it every time.
Sarge passed away a couple years back. I still think about him now and then. I hope he’s up there hunting rabbits, or something. Maybe he’s guarding the gates like every Marine hopes to be doing when their time comes. Or, he could be just waiting there to try and surprise me with one more “TEN HUT” when I show up.
Sarge, I miss having you around the shop.
this is one of the many stories out of my best selling book
"Hey Look, I Found The Loose Nut"
purchase a copy either from amazon.com or my website www.gonzostoolbox.com
You'll love it... Gonzo
Old Sarge
I met this great man through his son, who happened to be the driver of that Chevy van from the furniture store that was my very first customer. Sarge isn’t his real name, but that’s what I called him. He was a retired Marine Corps cook. I met him one day when he came in with a sick Cadillac.
The old Cadillac hardly had any power at all; just as slow and lazy as a snail. I was only in business for a few months, and didn’t know anybody. I didn’t have any work to speak of, so even though it wasn’t an electrical problem (as he originally thought), I jumped right in and found the problem. It was a clogged catalytic converter. Unbelievably, it wasn’t even welded in place. I could take off the clamps, and remove it without much hassle.
Back then I didn’t have a lift to put the car in the air, so I had to do the whole job on the ground. Well, old Sarge just sat there and watched me do the whole thing. I think he was a little suspicious of this skinny little white kid who was hacking away at his car, but he patiently waited, being the good man he was. We got to talking about things, and it wasn’t long before he found out that I was also in Marine Corps. Now we had some common ground. We were buds for life, always cutting up with each other.
One hot August afternoon Sarge brought in one of his other cars to get some work done. I had the back door to the shop open, and Sarge steps outside for a little fresh air. I thought I could hear the guy crying or mumbling something, couldn’t tell which it was. I stuck my head around the corner, “Sarge, ah …. you ok, buddy?” I asked.
He proceeded to tell me how the house he grew up in was close by, before it became a shopping center. He talked about his dad and family, and how he hunted rabbits right where we were standing. It was during the Depression. Hard times, and things were scarce in those days. How his dad hid a pig in a pit, not too far from here. Where they kept the corn mash for making moon shine. I sat and listened to this hardened Marine tell me his life’s story that day, from his first car to how he ended up in the Corps. I didn’t answer the phone, or go up front to see if anyone came in. I just sat out there in that August heat, drenched in sweat, listening to this fella tell me his life story.
I’ll never forget that afternoon. I’ll also never forget how every time he came to my shop over the next 25 years he would sneak up on me, and yell in a drill instructor voice, “TEN HUT!” I would snap to attention just like a good Marine should. Sometimes, just to get a rise out of Sarge I would purposely hit my head on the hood of the car I was working on. He got a kick out of it every time.
Sarge passed away a couple years back. I still think about him now and then. I hope he’s up there hunting rabbits, or something. Maybe he’s guarding the gates like every Marine hopes to be doing when their time comes. Or, he could be just waiting there to try and surprise me with one more “TEN HUT” when I show up.
Sarge, I miss having you around the shop.
this is one of the many stories out of my best selling book
"Hey Look, I Found The Loose Nut"
purchase a copy either from amazon.com or my website www.gonzostoolbox.com
You'll love it... Gonzo
Friday, November 05, 2010
Do highway miles mean you can report lower mileage?
Highway miles driven on a car are a lot easier on the engine and drive train, but can you go so far to say it equals half the mileage on a vehicle? Tom Torbjornsen answers this in the audio clip below. It is nice to know your going to buy a higher mileage vehicle, with mostly road miles on it, but you just can't take off miles because of this!
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