Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 04, 2023, 10:59:49 AMI have/have used a magnetic antenna, but it messed up the finish on my car. Has anyone else had an issue with them doing that?

I kinda left it on until I figured out it was messing up the paint. [meaning I wasn't putting it up just when i was using it and taking it off again when done.]

Could just be the Florida sun.

Yes, I have some scratches on the roof of my car from a brief period when I had a magnetic antenna up there. 

Quote from: superduder on October 04, 2023, 09:53:29 AMBroke out some old... I mean Ooold (you needed a FCC licensing to use CB) comms gear.
This one's  (Robyn SX-101) 23 channel installed in RedFord
my Cobra 29LTD (Both Peaked/Tuned Tweaked backinnaday) is going in the Mom-Mobile,
Just as soon as I can figure out how to mount a decent antenna to the minivan,
The roof panel is non magnetic, and the "bumpers" are 90% styrofoam and 10% plastic... glass mount? maybe?
Not long range comms, but work good enough for a scout vehicle and a transport to communicate.

I had a glass mount on my last Cherokee, it worked across a large parking lot, but never got any real distance out of it.  

Got it inspected and new tires and wipers.  

It's that time of year again - had snow tires put on.

Last week I ordered a BlueDriver OBDII code reader (Bluetooth style that uses an app on my phone) and pull the codes on my truck.  There were a few random codes that I didn't care about, but the check engine code is a P015B, which is for the left, upstream O2 sensor (delayed response - lean to rich condition).  I'm slightly tempted to try it myself, except that in doing some research I've found that this is sometimes a code that can mean multiple things, not just the sensor.  Since I've got a rough idle, there could be more going on here and I might be better off letting the mechanic figure it all out (apparently this code can also indicate issues with the catalytic converter, wiring issues, or even throttle body).

I'd also had an issue last month where the car had such low voltage (the battery is old and I don't drive the car enough to keep it fully charged) that everything started freaking out on it.  Well, it happened again today at lunch.  First I went to top off the car (less than 6gals was enough to fill it up - and my log said that the last fill-up was in mid-August!), but when I restarted it to go to the restaurant for my food, the car started acting up again.  

I parked at the restaurant and when I turned the car off, nothing worked (no power locks, wouldn't restart, etc.).  Figuring that I'd give it a minute, I went inside to get my food, but the car was still dead when I came back out.  So I got out the jump pack.  Sure enough, the car started right up with the jump pack, but everything had been reset, just like when you pull the battery.  The whole time I also knew that if the car had a real issue, that it would be easy enough to get it in for repairs, as the restaurant is across the street from my mechanic!  

When the flex pipe arrives and I take it back in for the exhaust repair, I'm going to have the mechanic check the battery cables, to make sure that there isn't an issue with them (e.g. corrosion, loose/bad ground, broken wire, etc.).  The battery wasn't dead, but the car had completely lost the connection to it, despite the cables being tight.  That makes me wonder if there's some other issue beyond the low charge in the battery.

Have you noticed a decrease in your MPG?
You should always track your MPG because a change in MPG, even a just a few MPG, can indicate an issue if you constantly run a check engine light like I do. So you'd know something is going on before even hooking up to a scanner.

If you had a decrease in mileage change it out.  That's a definitive symptom.

Does your car have a left/right upstream and L/R downstream? That sucks for expense.

I don't think that's bad gas after two months.

Almost sounds like a short, for you to lose your radio and probably oil life %. There's an inexpensive doodad that you can buy and hook up to your OBD port to save all your setting etc when changing out a battery. Keeps your system powered.

Get a trickle/float charger and keep it hooked up. I have one on my Explorer that I rarely use anymore. <$20
https://www.amazon.com/Mroinge-Automatic-Maintainer-Automotive-Motorcycle/dp/B0716HN1Y4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3GUFPVYGU686H&keywords=Mroinge%2BMBC015&qid=1697562258&s=electronics&sprefix=mroinge%2Bmbc015%2Celectronics%2C103&sr=1-1&th=1

Let us know how that app works.

Quote from: EBuff75 on October 17, 2023, 11:48:56 AMI'm slightly tempted to try it myself, except that in doing some research I've found that this is sometimes a code that can mean multiple things, not just the sensor.  Since I've got a rough idle, there could be more going on here and I might be better off letting the mechanic figure it all out (apparently this code can also indicate issues with the catalytic converter, wiring issues, or even throttle body).

Agree OBDII codes can often mean an upstream problem that is causing a perfectly fine O2 sensor to throw the code.  In your research did you find an enthusiast forum for your truck?  Because these ambiguous codes rarely occur in isolation.  Dollars to donuts other owners of your vehicle have encountered the same combination of code and rough idle and may have posted what the actual issue was.  Vehicle-specific enthusiast forums are an amazing resource when it comes to quickly and accurately diagnosing a problem.

At the very least it could yield one more clue to what's actually going on.  That can either guide you or your mechanic in isolating the problem without a lot of unnecessary trial and error. 

I still write down every fuel fill up.

Date.
Mileage.
Gallons.
Cost.

Have done so since I first started driving and my mechanic father required it.

(I've done it for new vehicles, too. )

Quote from: Beowolf on October 17, 2023, 06:56:55 PMI still write down every fuel fill up.

Date.
Mileage.
Gallons.
Cost.

Have done so since I first started driving and my mechanic father required it.

(I've done it for new vehicles, too. )

I don't record it anywhere, but I do calculate my fuel economy at every fill up using the trip odometer and the amount of gas it takes to fill the tank.  I set the pump to dispense hands free and when it clicks off, that's it - every time.  I don't try to squeeze in another couple tenths of a gallon because that might introduce some inconsistency in my calculations.  

The car's trip computer displays what I'm supposedly getting mileage-wise, but I've found it overestimates my mpg by just under 2 miles to the gallon.  Actual mpg dips in the winter and - obviously - anytime there's something serious going on with the car.  

Last Saturday I took the touring bike to the dealer for a 5k check up and oil change. Things happened and the next thing I knew I had swapped my 10 year old KLR for a Pan American Special Military Enthusiast as my new apocalypse motorbike. 




The KLR for reasons only had 650 miles on it so they gave me a good bit for it. I never rode it because I had taken a break from riding for a few years and when I got back into riding I bought the touring bike and the KLR shortcomings became quite pronounced. It was difficult to keep up with other riders on the highway and tough to keep up with them off the road either. Gas mileage was not really that great. My touring bike with three times the engine actually gets better MPG because once it gets up to highway speeds it operates at very low revs. Off road performance was ok but is badly outclassed by just about everything off road these days.

The new to me (2022) bike had actually fewer miles on it than the KLR. Still I have managed to ride it more than I rode the KLR since I purchased it. The difference is night and day on and off road. It does everything you want it to and nothing you don't. Top speed is 140MPH.

The PAS came with a few extras like daylighter side lights, radiator shield, spoke wheels and the Automatic Adjustable Ride Height, in addition to the nifty WWII color scheme.

As part of the deal they threw in some racks and panniers which I had to install myself. Those are on now, although I have decided to store the aluminum side case and put them on as needed. I've also installed a wider stand base so I don't need to use a puck, Sliders on the guards and a headlight guard. There is some more armor on the way for the coil, muffler and rear brake fluid reservoir.

All in all I am quite pleased. It only weighs 130lbs more than the KLR but performance is hugely improved, cargo capacity and MPG are higher too. In the event of some kind of evacuation it will go on the trailer as a stage II vehicle or I'll just take it to go around traffic.

Quote from: Beowolf on October 17, 2023, 06:56:55 PMI still write down every fuel fill up.

Date.
Mileage.
Gallons.
Cost.

Have done so since I first started driving and my mechanic father required it.

(I've done it for new vehicles, too. )

Yep, I've got one of those in each vehicle!  Mine goes Date, Mileage, Cost, Gallons, MPG.  That way I can use it for more than just fuel fill-ups by putting a description under the Gallons & MPG columns (since there's always a date, miles, and cost).  So it's also a record of every service / repair that I've ever had.  The one for my Mazda has been going now for 16 years and I'm running out of pages!

Quote from: Uomo Senza Nome on October 17, 2023, 08:34:51 PMLast Saturday I took the touring bike to the dealer for a 5k check up and oil change. Things happened and the next thing I knew I had swapped my 10 year old KLR for a Pan American Special Military Enthusiast as my new apocalypse motorbike. 




The KLR for reasons only had 650 miles on it so they gave me a good bit for it. I never rode it because I had taken a break from riding for a few years and when I got back into riding I bought the touring bike and the KLR shortcomings became quite pronounced. It was difficult to keep up with other riders on the highway and tough to keep up with them off the road either. Gas mileage was not really that great. My touring bike with three times the engine actually gets better MPG because once it gets up to highway speeds it operates at very low revs. Off road performance was ok but is badly outclassed by just about everything off road these days.

The new to me (2022) bike had actually fewer miles on it than the KLR. Still I have managed to ride it more than I rode the KLR since I purchased it. The difference is night and day on and off road. It does everything you want it to and nothing you don't. Top speed is 140MPH.

The PAS came with a few extras like daylighter side lights, radiator shield, spoke wheels and the Automatic Adjustable Ride Height, in addition to the nifty WWII color scheme.

As part of the deal they threw in some racks and panniers which I had to install myself. Those are on now, although I have decided to store the aluminum side case and put them on as needed. I've also installed a wider stand base so I don't need to use a puck, Sliders on the guards and a headlight guard. There is some more armor on the way for the coil, muffler and rear brake fluid reservoir.

All in all I am quite pleased. It only weighs 130lbs more than the KLR but performance is hugely improved, cargo capacity and MPG are higher too. In the event of some kind of evacuation it will go on the trailer as a stage II vehicle or I'll just take it to go around traffic.

The Pan American was the first - and so far, only - Harley I've ever been interested in.  The engine, handling and ergos are supposedly amazing: all three very un-Harley like.  I had no idea there was a military-themed one.  Now, if you'll excuse me I need to find a napkin to wipe this drool off my chin ...

FYI: I too owned a KLR for several years.  Yes it has its shortcomings.  But what it lacked in sophistication, it gained back in mechanical simplicity and legendary reliability.  Neither are bad features in an apocalypse motorcycle.  But I too replaced it - with a Honda CB500X.

Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 17, 2023, 12:07:58 PMHave you noticed a decrease in your MPG?
You should always track your MPG because a change in MPG, even a just a few MPG, can indicate an issue if you constantly run a check engine light like I do. So you'd know something is going on before even hooking up to a scanner.

If you had a decrease in mileage change it out.  That's a definitive symptom.

I do track my mileage for both vehicles, but the truck gets used around town and on the highway, so my mileage is quite variable.  I haven't owned / driven it enough yet (less than 1000 miles out of the nearly 226,000 on it!) to really get a feel for my city vs highway mileage.  And the light has been on most of the time that I've been driving it, so I'm not sure how much (if any) impact the issue is having.  It's been in the 13-18 range for the most part and I think it's rated right around there by the EPA, so it might not be affecting it much.

Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 17, 2023, 12:07:58 PMDoes your car have a left/right upstream and L/R downstream? That sucks for expense.

The truck does.  It's a Chevy Suburban with the 5.3L small block V8.  The car is just an I4, so there's just one each upstream and downstream.  The car was throwing some O2 sensor codes a few years ago, but then it miraculously healed itself!  Those were occurring in conjunction with a transmission speed sensor code (the car would suddenly go into limp mode - 2nd gear only), so the $15 TSS that I replaced might've been the culprit for the O2 sensor codes as well.

One other possible clue is that there is a weird smell to the exhaust.  No, it doesn't smell like sulfur (which would indicate a bad catalytic converter), but more like ozone, which makes me think it's running lean (it's particularly evident on cold starts).  No temp issues though and no pinging either.  The shop probably has a sniffer that could be used to check the exhaust gasses, which is one more reason to have them do the work.

Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 17, 2023, 12:07:58 PMAlmost sounds like a short, for you to lose your radio and probably oil life %. There's an inexpensive doodad that you can buy and hook up to your OBD port to save all your setting etc when changing out a battery. Keeps your system powered.

I just picked up a BlueDriver OBDII plug-in scanner, but I haven't run it against the car yet (only had it a few days).  When I took my car into the mechanic a few weeks ago for some other items, I asked him to check for codes and he didn't find anything.  There's no warning lights on in the car, other than some of them flashing on/off when it acts up like this. 

The radio has non-volatile memory, as does the nav system for saved locations and such.  What reset were the basic settings on the nav (like having the map always indicate north, rather than having it follow the direction the car is pointed, the zoom, settings, etc.).  I don't really care about having to reset those kind of things after a battery swap, as I usually end up having to do it after the car is serviced too (since they generally disconnect the battery while they're working on it).  And it did feel like the computer might've gone into relearn mode too, as the shifts were slightly different (better) than normal after jumping the car! (I have a long-standing beef with the quality of the shifts that goes back to when I bought the car 16.5 years ago!)

Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 17, 2023, 12:07:58 PMGet a trickle/float charger and keep it hooked up. I have one on my Explorer that I rarely use anymore.

I've got a NOCO Genius II charger for the Mazda (and an old Stanley trickle charger for the Suburban), I just haven't been good about putting it on in between trips.  It's sort of annoying to do, because you have to remove the battery cover / cooling duct to get at the battery to put the clamps on.  The battery is something like 4.5 yrs old, so it needs to be replaced anyway, but I'm still suspicious that there's something else in the wiring.  The battery wasn't dead (I was able to start the car without any problem both at home and at the gas station), but once I stopped at the restaurant it was completely dead.  No lights, locks, ignition, nothing at all.  And nothing the first time I turned the key with the jump box on it either.  But on the second try it started like normal. 

Incidentally, both times that the car acted up, it ran normally at first, then started to have problems after I made a right turn.  That might be a coincidence, or it could be related.  Who knows.

Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 17, 2023, 12:07:58 PMLet us know how that app works.

The BlueDriver app seems to be okay so far.  I haven't used it all that much, just long enough to pull the codes on the truck (which I also saved as a memory point).  You can leave it plugged in to gather data while driving too, with a bunch of different parameters that you can have it collect.  Since I'm feeling a stumble during idle (but don't notice anything while driving), I may see if there is a monitor which might give me some info on which cylinder(s) are acting up by comparing them against each other while it idles.  It's not stumbling badly enough to register as a misfire though, as the only real code is the one for the O2 sensor.

The biggest worry on the truck would be if I have a compression issue related to the lifters.  This is one of the GM engines with cylinder deactivation and those lifters are prone to having problems. 

QuoteThe Pan American was the first - and so far, only - Harley I've ever been interested in.  The engine, handling and ergos are supposedly amazing: all three very un-Harley like. 

Harley has come a long way in performance since 2016. Their big problem is their stubbornness with sticking with the V-Twin. Add a few cylinders and they won't need 135CUI's to get performance. 

The Pan Am is nothing like anything else in the lineup. They are making a good faith effort to compete with the BMW 1200 GS. It is strong first offering in Adventure Sport.

QuoteI had no idea there was a military-themed one.

It was a one off for 2022 only 1K were made. I looked at them last year and thought they were a bit over priced. DMU was around $2K and they were running about $30K out the door with bags. By waiting I saved a bundle.

Quote from: EBuff75 on October 17, 2023, 09:17:51 PM

QuoteGet a trickle/float charger and keep it hooked up. I have one on my Explorer that I rarely use anymore.

I've got a NOCO Genius II charger for the Mazda (and an old Stanley trickle charger for the Suburban), I just haven't been good about putting it on in between trips.  It's sort of annoying to do, because you have to remove the battery cover / cooling duct to get at the battery to put the clamps on.  The battery is something like 4.5 yrs old, so it needs to be replaced anyway, but I'm still suspicious that there's something else in the wiring.  The battery wasn't dead (I was able to start the car without any problem both at home and at the gas station), but once I stopped at the restaurant it was completely dead.  No lights, locks, ignition, nothing at all.  And nothing the first time I turned the key with the jump box on it either.  But on the second try it started like normal. 

Incidentally, both times that the car acted up, it ran normally at first, then started to have problems after I made a right turn.  That might be a coincidence, or it could be related.  Who knows.

I permanently installed the loop connectors to the battery terminals, and then zip tied the 'plug end' to a convenient spot so all I have to do is plug it in. My unit's power supply is separate from the connectors and connected to them by a plug.

Quote from: EBuff75 on October 17, 2023, 09:17:51 PM

QuoteHave you noticed a decrease in your MPG?
You should always track your MPG because a change in MPG, even a just a few MPG, can indicate an issue if you constantly run a check engine light like I do. So you'd know something is going on before even hooking up to a scanner.

If you had a decrease in mileage change it out.  That's a definitive symptom.

I do track my mileage for both vehicles, but the truck gets used around town and on the highway, so my mileage is quite variable.  I haven't owned / driven it enough yet (less than 1000 miles out of the nearly 226,000 on it!) to really get a feel for my city vs highway mileage.  And the light has been on most of the time that I've been driving it, so I'm not sure how much (if any) impact the issue is having.  It's been in the 13-18 range for the most part and I think it's rated right around there by the EPA, so it might not be affecting it much.

If you drive the same vehicle the same routes, the same miles, you should be able to see any weird mileage variation. But you have to fill the exact same amount every time. For example I run my car down below 1/4 and then put 11.5 gallons exactly every fillup.  And I'm usually within 5 miles of 365 miles from the last fillup because I drive the exact same route to and from work. LOL, I even try to take the inside lanes on some of the large curves to cut down the distance and save gase.  But doing it that why you take out the variations to tank fill. I can look at my odometer and know exactly how much the car will take. and my variations are between 32 and 34 mpg. if its outside that range then I try to think if I was caught in a traffic jam or some other irregular errand.

I've made a few additions to the Pan America to make it more rugged and useful to me.



This is a light steel cover for the coil. It is intended to deflect minor blows and collisions. I also added one for the rear brake reservoir and a headlight guard.






I broadened the kickstand base to avoid having to use a puck to keep from sinking when off road.




Lastly I added sliders on the crash bars and highway pegs. I failed to get a photo of the highway pegs as I kept moving them around and am still not happy with their current location.

At a zoom factor of 100 I see a grain of sand next to the front break caliper. You should look into that.

Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 27, 2023, 06:30:10 AMAt a zoom factor of 100 I see a grain of sand next to the front break caliper. You should look into that.

If makes you feel any better it is pretty dirty right now. Fall days are even better than spring for riding. When the underbrush starts dying off the lure of the off road is too strong. But why would I post a picture of a dirty bike? It's too pretty for that.

These are a near exact fit for the panniers, so they are on the way.

https://www.amazon.com/Airlines-Personal-18x14x8-Foldable-Overnight/dp/B0BMPCRSN2/ref=sr_1_5?crid=16V6IUTV45W9S&keywords=14x18x8%2Bbag&qid=1698530774&sprefix=14x18x8%2Bbag%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-5&th=1

Also going to raise the bars up a bit.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B1MH7D4M/ref=ewc_pr_img_2?smid=A349D0V731GDZC&psc=1

I'm finding my size and an old arm injury are combining to cause extra stress on one elbow joint. Raising the bars should help alleviate it.

Spring riding has its advantages though... like not hitting a patch of wet leaves and getting a harsh lesson in physics.

This was supposed to be a post about me taking my Pan America in for the 1K mile new vehicle service yesterday. Sadly instead it is a post about paying attention at traffic lights as I was rear ended at a traffic light when the light turned green. Apparently I wasn't moving fast enough for the city gas truck behind me and he rear-ended me, breaking off the rear fender of my new ride. Tough to have nice things. Then for reasons unknown it would not start afterwards, so service came out and picked me up.

On the plus side, I feel pretty lucky the big truck didn't run me over and inflict terrible injuries on me. Other than the broken fender no other damage or injuries. But nobody likes having their ride messed up. The dealer has already done a quote on the damage and just waiting on the police to do the accident report and send it to the insurance company.