The Never Ending Story
Tuesday morning, I take my now reliable truck to work to pick up my toilet. The guys on the shipping dock are happy to use the fork lift and put it into the back of the truck for me. Thanks guys! After work I climb in the truck and head for home. On the way, I think I might as well stop by the shop where the tow truck guy took me and drop off that extra tip I promised myself I would give him if the shop he recommended treated me right.
The owner of the shop is a little surprised to see me, and even more surprised when I hand him some cash, but I didn’t hang around for a big gushing reunion.
Back to the truck I go, and you guessed it, click.
I must be the luckiest unlucky guy around to break down in front of the truck repair shop. Of course this is the 3rd bad starter the truck has seen in less than a week, so I am not that lucky.
I walk back into the shop and the guy is stunned. He grabs his test cables and off we go to check it out. Sure enough, it’s another bad starter. He gives me a ride home, THANKS!, and on the way we talk about what could be going on.
It’s a two relay system, voltage goes through the ignition switch, through the transmission lock out switch, and activates a small relay on top of the starter. It’s the one that’s clicking. That in turn activates a bigger relay that pulls the drive gear into the flywheel gear and enables the current to the starter motor. It’s inside the starter where he doesn’t want to touch it because it will void the warranty. That’s the one that isn’t working. Despite the evidence to the contrary, it can’t really be anything but the starter.
He gets another starter on Wednesday and fixes it again, no charge. I’m on my 4th starter in less than a week. That must be some kind of a record. After work my buddies help me get the truck home. I must have started that truck 50 times when we got to the shop. I started it a bunch more times after we got home, just because I am now paranoid. It has started every single time, so far…
To be Continued…
|