The Chariots of DOOM

[cranefly]

The car warning for "tighten gas cap" came on for The Queen. She did and the light went off. While driving this morning, the warning came on again. When I stopped at the gas station to fill,  I noticed the gas cap was really loose and would not tighten. Time for new gas cap. Still can't do smog.

Wow.  I guess even a broken clock is right occasionally.

Loose gas caps actually exist in the wild...

[Greg]

My car continues to be haunted by the Ghost in the Machine. As I was coming back from the dog walk sans dogs, I went by the car and all the interior lights were on. I was able to turn them off by performing the car shut down. Fortunately they weren't on long enough to drain the batteries.

[Drunk Monk]

Sorry to hear of your car woes. Sounds horribly frustrating. 

The Funk mobile perpetually thinks the driver door is open. For a while, it kept the door light on all the time, but I figured out how to disconnect that wire so it didn't drain the battery anymore. The door warning beep still goes on whenever you start the car, and it keeps beeping for several minutes before it realizes it's being ignored and shuts up. The oil light just went on but we'll oil it.

Comes a time when I don't have to create new content. I can just recycle the old stuff. Your cabin light issue reminded me of the Funk mobile's door light issue, and I started to repeat myself, until I realized just copying it was a better way. Hope you can sort that soon.

[Greg]

As noted on CF's post, i was back at the mechanics today. I was also there on Monday. Yes, the check engine light still tasks me. No, I still don't have my new tags. No, I still haven't been able to get the car smog-checked.

I was thinking it was the loose gas cap fail. Hoping it was the loose gap cap fail. The new gas felt loose and I hoped they would give me the secret to make it tight. (There is no secret. New caps feel loose. The clicking is what is important)

They checked my car again. They did not find the huge vapor leak the error codes indicated. After their tests they can report there is no vapor leak. Tight as a drum. But they did find a sensor that was broken. And the codes won't go away with that broken sensor. I'll be back at the mechanics on Monday while they replace the sensor for another chunk of change.

I also have a headlight out now.

[Drunk Monk]

The Funkmobile died. Stacy took it to the dog park a few days ago, and it died there. Fortunately, that dog park is only a short walk so she walked home with Yuki (who thought it was very amusing). Stacy just took Yuki for another walk to visit the car and see if it might start. Nope. It turns over and groans, but doesn't fully fire. So there it stays, on the street near the dog park. 

Next step, activate AAA and figure out where to tow it...

[cranefly]

I've been trying to find more detailed info on the Check Engine Light and whether, after they go out, there's a history of them that can be found.  I stumbled across the following thread, where the question and the answers are all very well written.

The quick answer is, It depends.  Who knew it had all grown so complicated!

I'm placing this here in case it's of use to any of us at a later time.

https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/ques...ry-of-dtcs

[Greg]

Fuck the Check Engine Light.

Just drove a hundred miles to see if my sensors had reset. They have not. The pouring rain for the entire drive was just a bonus. I will be doing the circuit again tomorrow.

[Greg]

Just drove another hundred miles. Monitors still did not reset. Although i was ready to throw down when a guy blocked me in as I was trying to leave and he told me to relax.

[Drunk Monk]

He was right tho... You really should relax.

Stacy went to check on the Funkmobile. She called AAA and they said like 3 hours. She checked the car and it started right up. That was after several previous attempts. So it's home now, or at least in eyesight of the bungalow (we have one tiny driveway that 6 vehicles always jockey for).

[thatguy]

My round trip commute to the office is 150 miles and now that they want us in the office every week, I need to keep the chariot going. Front brakes & rotors + oil change today. 

> $500, but it's been driven so little, it's due. 


Question: Is a motorcycle a chariot? It has two wheels...

Sunday, we planned on taking Phoebe (the Phormer Yeti Bike) out to Pacific Grove. She's been on the trickle charger for months (last time we took her out, mid-summer, she hadn't been and the battery was flat). Turned the key, the console lit up, pressed the ignition switch and all electrical died. No clicking or anything. Plugged in the portable battery booster and got the same behavior: the console lit up once, and then dead, dead, dead. 

I checked fuses and the ones I could find seemed OK. I didn't have time to troubleshoot further. Probably will have to wait until next weekend.

--tg

[King Bob]

Egyptian, Greek and Roman chariots all had two wheels, so you're good.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Phoebe must be a jealous bike. I’ll bet new battery.

[Greg]

I drove another 100 miles today.
Failure was my reward.

[Drunk Monk]

So let me get this straight, Greg...

You've now driven 300+ miles just to make a light go off? 

tg - our Civic is named Phoebe too. Tara named her after the Friends character when she had used her for college. We bought her a new car as a graduation present so Phoebe came back to us. That car is freakin tough. It's ancient, stick shift with no radio or AC, and it still runs well. I'm thinking my next car should be another Civic...

[cranefly]

So let me get this straight, Greg...

You've now driven 300+ miles just to make a light go off? 

tg - our Civic is named Phoebe too. Tara named her after the Friends character when she had used her for college. We bought her a new car as a graduation present so Phoebe came back to us. That car is freakin tough. It's ancient, stick shift with no radio or AC, and it still runs well. I'm thinking my next car should be another Civic...

Alas, the 300+ miles is believable.  There should be an allowance for CELs.  As it is, it gives anti-smog test folks a valid complaint.

Yeah, Civics are one of the highest rated dependable cars.

Tomorrow LCF takes the Prius in for a battery replacement, hopefully.  Not to a Toyota place, but to an independent business not associated with Toyota but that will install a genuine Toyota battery at reduced cost (Prius Battery of San Jose at Lawrence/El Camino).  Other problems with the Prius, but maybe I can fix them.  But this is all unexplored territory.