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#4429180 - 07/06/18 08:00 PM The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news"  
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Force10 Offline
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Californians will get this...my wife's engine light came on today...the day after she got it smogged! A lot of us have had to deal with engine lights on during the smog process...it can get pricey! wink


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#4429193 - 07/06/18 08:42 PM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Force10]  
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I have seen that the gas cap being LOOSE will throw the check engine light....


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#4429195 - 07/06/18 08:56 PM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Force10]  
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Yes, that happened on my Ford Escape SUV. Disconnecting the battery, pressing the horn to get rid of any residual electricity, then reconnecting the battery fixes that.


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#4429196 - 07/06/18 09:11 PM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Force10]  
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The thing with California is...that doesn't work. If your engine light comes on before a smog check and you disconnect the battery, clear the light with a scanner...or similar...the station knows there's been a reset and the car hasn't accumulated enough mileage to be smogged. Takes about 100 miles. We went through this with my truck. Station thought it was the gas cap...replaced the cap with a "proper" sealing one, then drive it for a hundred miles and see if the light comes on. It came back on. Now it's replacing hoses...seemingly at random...on the 12 smog hoses one at a time...drive for hundred miles...light comes on. Rinse and repeat several times, all on my dime.

In CA, having your engine light come on when your registration is due and you need to smog it, sends shivers down most Californians spines. $$$


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#4429201 - 07/06/18 09:53 PM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Force10]  
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Screw that, tell me the codes and I give it a go myself first!
Faaar too many cars get the stupid old “EGR” and exhaust BS codes. Every shop wants to replace your EGR when that isn’t usually required.
We got rid of our ridiculous “inspection stickers” and I’m glad of it. There wasn’t even real testing done.


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#4429205 - 07/06/18 10:45 PM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Force10]  
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Don't live in California. Problem solved!

#4429213 - 07/06/18 11:53 PM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Force10]  
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Originally Posted by Force10
Californians will get this...my wife's engine light came on today...the day after she got it smogged! A lot of us have had to deal with engine lights on during the smog process...it can get pricey! wink


Uh, I'd be going straight BACK to the place that smogged it and saying WTF!!! (Well, maybe after handling business at the DMV first!)

#4429214 - 07/07/18 12:04 AM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Zamzow]  
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Originally Posted by Zamzow
Originally Posted by Force10
Californians will get this...my wife's engine light came on today...the day after she got it smogged! A lot of us have had to deal with engine lights on during the smog process...it can get pricey! wink


Uh, I'd be going straight BACK to the place that smogged it and saying WTF!!! (Well, maybe after handling business at the DMV first!)


Yeah...I have a code reader but I haven't checked the code yet. If it says something like "Evaporative Emissions System Large Leak Detected" not good...but we have 2 years to fix it before the next smog. Those type errors are for emissions only and have zero affect on how the car runs.


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#4429234 - 07/07/18 01:59 AM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Force10]  
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What I meant is I'd be mildly suspicious that whoever smogged it "did something".

As in "There was no problem until YOU touched it"......

At the very least (assuming no foul play) you might glean some free diagnosis while they "defend" themselves....

#4429248 - 07/07/18 04:51 AM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Zamzow]  
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Brit44 'Aldo' Offline
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Quote
At the very least (assuming no foul play) you might glean some free diagnosis while they "defend" themselves....


What a leach. Accuse someone of wrong doing so that you can swindle what you need.
I hope you never find a true mechanic and are stuck with modern day part changers.

Quote
Now it's replacing hoses...seemingly at random...on the 12 smog hoses one at a time...drive for hundred miles...light comes on. Rinse and repeat several times, all on my dime.


There is a tool that pressurizes the emissions system with smoke, so you can find this type of leak. It sounds like you have a parts changer and not a mechanic.

Last edited by Brit44 'Aldo'; 07/07/18 04:56 AM.

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#4429272 - 07/07/18 01:48 PM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Raw Kryptonite]  
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Originally Posted by Raw Kryptonite
Screw that, tell me the codes and I give it a go myself first!
Faaar too many cars get the stupid old “EGR” and exhaust BS codes. Every shop wants to replace your EGR when that isn’t usually required.
We got rid of our ridiculous “inspection stickers” and I’m glad of it. There wasn’t even real testing done.


I’m a fan of vehicle inspections mainly because of some of the junk I’ve seen on the roads, especially in places that didn’t have them. I think they should be for mechanical systems only, though, and that the MIL being on shouldn’t fail you.


Phil

“The biggest problem people have is they don’t think they’re supposed to have problems.” - Hayes Barnard
#4429275 - 07/07/18 02:41 PM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Force10]  
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Minnesota use to have vehicle inspections in the late 80`s and early 90`s. Turned out to be the worst money waster the state has ever endorsed. To many lawsuits and cost
over runs lead to their being removed. Living in a rural area made it tough for those who can`t afford new cars and maintenance fees. Those were were the areas that complained
the most.


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#4429310 - 07/07/18 08:16 PM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Brit44 'Aldo']  
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Originally Posted by Brit44 'Aldo'
[quote] At the very least (assuming no foul play) you might glean some free diagnosis while they "defend" themselves....


What a leach. Accuse someone of wrong doing so that you can swindle what you need.
I hope you never find a true mechanic and are stuck with modern day part changers.
/quote]

I could have worded that better. I just meant even if there was no foul play it might still not be a waste of time.

As for "accusations", well you BET if I see a problem with something RIGHT after it was in someone elses hands I'm going to explore the possibility that they were responsible for said problem......

#4429525 - 07/09/18 06:18 AM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Force10]  
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Quote
As for "accusations", well you BET if I see a problem with something RIGHT after it was in someone elses hands I'm going to explore the possibility that they were responsible for said problem......


Sounds like you have trust issues and need to find a mechanic you trust.

Reminds me of a call I have had too often in 35+ years.
Customer: I just had you get my bike running. You remember, the one that had been sitting in a barn/garage for xx years. Now it will not start.
Shop: How many miles (hours) have you put on it?
Customer: None, I have been too busy to ride it.
Shop: Refresh my memory. When did I do this repair?
Customer: It's been a few months, but I have not used it.
Shop: Did you drain the carb or put fuel stabilizer in it before you let it sit again.
Customer: Why should I do that, I just payed you to get it running again.

A good mechanic is always willing to recheck there work. It helps if they are willing to educate you about the work done, the mechanical systems, and how they work.
smile the best customers are the ones who know how to fix it, but do not have the time.

Last edited by Brit44 'Aldo'; 07/09/18 06:29 AM.

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#4429527 - 07/09/18 07:03 AM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Brit44 'Aldo']  
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Originally Posted by Brit44 'Aldo'
Quote
As for "accusations", well you BET if I see a problem with something RIGHT after it was in someone elses hands I'm going to explore the possibility that they were responsible for said problem......


Sounds like you have trust issues and need to find a mechanic you trust.



A good mechanic is always willing to recheck there work. It helps if they are willing to educate you about the work done, the mechanical systems, and how they work.
smile the best customers are the ones who know how to fix it, but do not have the time.


Lol, I actually AM that type of customer! I have some minor carburetion issues with my bike right now - and I know how to pull them, clean the float bowls and jets, etc, but it's not a lack of time, it's lack of a garage (my apartments will evict quickly over vehicle work in the parking lot, zero tolerance policy). I'm also not 100% positive I'd have all the tools needed at this point in life, pretty sure, but not 100%...

And that issue in no way hinders the driveability of the bike, it's just a minor annoyance. But if I decide to do something about it it will most likely happen in a shop rather than by my own hands...

As for "trust issues" - nah, I just had a shop do an OIL CHANGE for me, because I needed a new rear tire installed (which also I've done myself in the past but I do not have the tools to do it myself right now), so "while it's in the shop may as well"...

But I HAVE been burned once before, and that was a lesson learned and not forgotten. There are bad people in this world.....

So of course I DID check to make sure that work was also done!

Trusting blindly is foolish. Blindly mistrusting is also foolish. I don't think I'm at either extreme...

I'm pretty sure I'd trust YOU to work on my bike!

#4429545 - 07/09/18 11:39 AM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Force10]  
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I love threads like these because they remind me yet AGAIN why I will never live in California.


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#4429553 - 07/09/18 12:18 PM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Zamzow]  
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Originally Posted by Zamzow

As for "accusations", well you BET if I see a problem with something RIGHT after it was in someone elses hands I'm going to explore the possibility that they were responsible for said problem......


The problem with this is that today’s vehicles are such technological nightmares that there’s a good chance of some sensor or module going bad just from being powered up or down. That’s the main reason I stopped doing side work, once you repair someone’s car you’re married to it! “Remember that time you put the new alternator in a year ago? Well, the check engine light is on.” It’s worse than feeding a stray cat.


Phil

“The biggest problem people have is they don’t think they’re supposed to have problems.” - Hayes Barnard
#4429554 - 07/09/18 12:38 PM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Force10]  
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“Trust, but verify.”
A good mechanic will tell you what’s wrong, show you, explain it and then present options.
There are fewer and fewer good and trustworthy mechanics out there. The auto industry hoards info and dealerships nudge the independents out. Dealerships seperate you from the mechanic, so often you don’t get the service you should. Too many times I’ve had to tell them what was wrong with my car that needed to be fixed, because I felt the “service rep” was ripping me off, just to magically have them later come to the same conclusion. Ridiculous.

The thing about finding someone you trust is that you first have to give them a chance to even find that out. They might charge you $500 to tell you that code was because you needed a new gas cap. That being inspections and an $80 cap. That was the last time I let my wife take her car in. That’s basic crap, it didn’t require more than a minute of checking codes and trying common fixes. Not to mention $80 for a $12 cap is a ripoff.
I had a guy I trusted, but unfortunately he moved his business and I haven’t found anyone nearly as good since.


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#4429686 - 07/10/18 05:53 AM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: Force10]  
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Brit44 'Aldo' Offline
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Sorry if I ramble
Quote
I had a guy I trusted, but unfortunately he moved his business and I haven’t found anyone nearly as good since.

That is why I tell my customers they they need to learn how there machine works. "what will you do when I am dead." smash

Quote
“Trust, but verify.”
A good mechanic will tell you what’s wrong, show you, explain it and then present options.

Well said

Quote
There are fewer and fewer good and trustworthy mechanics out there.
The problem with this is that today’s vehicles are such technological nightmares that there’s a good chance of some sensor or module going bad just from being powered up or down.

Exactly, they are training the kids to rely on the sensors. They are training them to be part changers. Electronics and ohms can lie smash . You have to eliminate any mechanical faults, then explain to the customer that you are now relying upon experience and educated guesses. In Michigan, we have very strict laws for repair "estimates".

Quote
Not to mention $80 for a $12 cap is a ripoff.

That may not be the mechanic / shop. I am replacing a torn intake boot for a Yamaha 600 Grizzly. Yamaha wants $108 for this piece of molded rubber. After some searching, I found a Cali company was having them made in Taiwan and selling them on ebay for $17. It refers back to your comment that a good 'Mechanic' will give you options. My customer OKed the factory part as he is a heavy equipment mechanic. I then then told him I found an alternative. He was happy that I took the time to find a part that had no profit for me, but was not such a stupid price. Now if the postal service would just get it here. The part sat in Cali post office for 5 days because of 4th of July.

Quote
once you repair someone’s car you’re married to it!

There is only one Polaris RZR that I will work on. It was my first RZR and my last. wink the dealer was gouging him for the repair he needed, even after I told them that the head was warped and combustion was entering the cooling system. :P My Fiero was easier to work on then a RZR.

Quote
I have some minor carburetion issues with my bike right now

The least understood part of carburetion is 1/4 throttle. This is where the slide cutaway angle and the diameter of the slide needle are the predominate tuning component. You MUST rejet from Idle to WOT. If it starts and idles fine, then the problem is not with the pilot jetting. If it runs fine from half throttle and above, then the problem is not in the main jet.

Anyone tuning a carb should lean how to do an "idle drop" adjustment to the low speed mixture screws.

The thinking that a pilot jet does not affect WOT is not true.

1/4 throttle is considered the cruise range of fuel economy. This is where the EPA forced the leanest emissions. If you enriched the pilot, or mixture screw, to compensate, you increase emissions and lower fuel economy.

The drilling of the slide lift hole on a CV carb should only be done as a last resort. It shows that your "jet kit" manufacture has no clue about 1/4 throttle

Sorry if I offended you Zamzow, but "mechanics are thieves" threads offend me.
Al

Last edited by Brit44 'Aldo'; 07/10/18 06:18 AM. Reason: Most understood :(

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#4429690 - 07/10/18 06:30 AM Re: The only time your engine light comes on and it's "good news" [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Brit44 'Aldo' Offline
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Originally Posted by PanzerMeyer
I love threads like these because they remind me yet AGAIN why I will never live in California.

wink everyone should live through it once.

To be fair, I like the geography and people of central Ca.


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