How to Make a Good Car Better Again

… Check, check, yo, I know something you don't know
And I've got something to tell ya
You won't believe how many people straight doubted the flow
Most said that I was a failure…

(Nelly)

Not necessarily everybody doesn't know what i'm about to say but i'm convinced it'a a majority.

Have you ever noticed an oil smell when turning the heat on? That is from oily dust from engine compartment that made its way past the hood's seal and into the ventilation system and on the heater core.

Even on a new car. One single drop of oil left from an oil change on a rough surface composite material of a valve cover will spread due to fast and unpredictable flow of air under the hood everywhere.

Which means. Attracting dust. Oily dust will settle and glue on any surface, incoulding connectors. Tiny amount of oil will get inside the connectors. Engine oil has very harsh detergents that will corrode the surface of the contacts. If contacts are gold coated like most are they may be covered with a non-conductive layer that in time will cook and harden.

Battery connectors which take hundreds of amps when charging or starting, are secured with bolts and nuts on the terminals. But if oil gets on those, that will allow loosening of the nuts. Though it will charge and start, the battery won't be able to fulfill other functions, like smoothening of the rectified voltage from alternator. Voltage going to the sensors and actuators will fluctuate unpredictably. Together with problems at the connectors of the sensors and actuators themselves, the car computers will get erroneous readings and the actuators will actuate unpredictably.

All these problems won't be signalled by the car's computers because the software is not smart enough yet and probably will never be until the full advent of electric to detect small, abnormal fluctuations coming from sensors.

The good news are tomorrow we all will start driving electric all these problems can be fixed by any person that is not a mechanic.

First make sure you have towing on your insurance so you can tow your car to your mechanic if you screw anything. Just kidding.

First you should inspect all the painted surfaces under the hood. If you see dust, then it's time to perform the following procedures:

Wipe clean any oil residue left from last oil change around the oil cap or dipstick.

Use a large soft brush and dislodge dust from any visible surface. The dust will fly away at the first drive. Finish with a wet cloth. Do not forget the hood itself, under.

Disconnect both battery connectors starting with negative. If the connector's screws are parallel with battery's terminals, use a tool to hold the connector in place to prevent rotating and twisting the terminal which may damage the battery inside.

Disconnect all connectors that you may see. Start with easiest. Most have a small pad that when pressed with a finger will "unclick" or unlock the connector. Use caution and be gentle.

Use some contact cleaner spray that is plastic and rubber safe, ideally with a straw which will allow "focusing" the flow of the cleaner on the desired area. In a ventilated area (ideally outside far from other people) use a rag under as you spray cleaner outside and inside the connector a few seconds or until no more dirty cleaner comes out, including on any piece of wire that come out of a harness. Shake if possible and let dry. Some have soft rubber seals that may expand because of the solvents in the cleaner. Be patient and let those dry to get back to their original shape or you won't be able to plug the connectors back. If cleaner is too harsh and melts the plastic or rubber, it means you have the wrong cleaner. Test first. Don't forget most important, battery's connectors and terminals. If terminals have been damaged by acid, or have been on a shelf for a long time clean first with a wire brush or sand paper. Wipe clean with a paper towel wet with contact cleaner all contact surfaces.

Plug the connectors back one by one. Finish with battery connectors. If you can't use a torque wrench use the following rule: Tight the nut first by hand and then by wrench to the point of resistance, and then while holding the connector with another tool, like an adjustable, to prevent from rotating and twisting the terminal, in one move gently tight until it stops firm, usually less  than one more quart of a turn.

If you didn't damage anything (which could only happened by gross negligence or possible by bad mechanic's work done previously), the car will then start and run as new again, without vibrations, full power and mpg.

Use a 15 dollars LED voltage indicator that doubles as a phone charger plugged in the cigarettes lighter plug. It will tell you in real time many interesting things about battery and car's electrical system.

Invest in a torque wrench from NAPA, Autozone, etc.. Every once in while torque the nuts on the wheels to specs or right under 90. Loosen and torque them one by one (not more than one at the time with the car on wheels) to make sure they weren't overtorqued previously, using a by two sequence or "star pattern" Do not torque the nuts one after another cause this may warp the wheel or rotor.

This may increase driveability at high speed. Also check periodically tire inflation, again with important effects on driveability at high speed and mpg. Tire pressure varies with temperature so it should be done on a cloudy day with a temperature that is average for the season, after the car and tires have cooled from the most recent drive. Sun on one side of the car will heat the tires and will give you false (higher) reading on that side.

Did you know they have serious jump starters at Amazon, under 40 dollars which is way less than a jump start by towing and buying one is way less embarrassing than searching for a jump start at 2 AM at the casino parking lot? Got one that when fully charged (on a phone charger) could start the car several times, even with battery completely drained or old or even damaged (like it was in my case).

Another walk at the Refuge

Exide

It doesn't have anything to do with X from Xenu and his eternal battery. It's simply because it has a lifetime of 5 years instead of 4. And a shelf life of 6. Talking about the Exide brand, the one i have in the truck.

Today Angela reported difficult starts. A while ago i fixed the battery's positive connector which clamp's ends where bumping into each other not allowing a real good tightening. So i filed a bit one of those ends and voila! Fixed it, wasn't moving around anymore after tightening. The negative seemed solid, i gave it a good tightening together with all the numerous nuts around the connector. Man this car has lots of nuts around battery's connectors. She said that miles are high (60k since) and many starts and she is ready for a battery replacement.

Last time i searched, to my surprise, the cheapest decent battery i found for 2013 Elantra was around 150 dollars, Exide for 155.  Today i did one more search on an idea, "where can i find exide batteries" and again to my surprise i found, (where?) at the nearest Home Depot, for 107. Decent price, i said to myself but Angela was going to sleep (she did "boxes" today, the toughest job at work, which involves lifting hundreds of boxes, all day, 16-25 pounds each). So i tried to do some searches while she was sleeping, the guy upstairs didn't let me, every time i started to search he started to squeak, at first waking Angela, then after i complained (not after she hit the wall several times) he let her sleep and came on the other side on top of my head so i stopped and slept myself.

Slightly bigger capacity, from 60 to 65. So after 8 i ran to Home Depot to get it. First, i forgot the mask in the car, (when are they going to stop with the stupid masks) and tried to take a mask from a stack at the entrance and they where clumped together and the others fell but i caught them in mid air and put them back, after touching a few, and then could not find the battery, "nobody in the store knew they sold batteries", "we used to sell them" said the man after i showed him the picture from their site saying "one available at Tigard store", then after i told him how i did the search he remembered "They keep moving them around" though i'm sure battery was in the same place for  years because if was full of dust, (just checked, shelf life is 6 years), i hope it's been for less, maybe since they opened the automotive department. Hence the price.

More adventures. At the checkstand big screen said they were charging 121, no explanation. Difference is the core price, got to take the old one back tomorrow. Usual drill in parking lot, guys popping out of nowhere in front of my car, stuff like that.

But on the road. Got at the intersection with exit/ramp street (forgot the name, nevermind, Carman LOL)  while waiting on red a guy on a Harley, more than 6 ft tall, blue eyes, stopped at my right (two lanes turning left) moving his bike's horns left right several time, finally took off, for some reason, i didn't feel safe driving next to him so i let him do the corner before i left, then he turned his head left, probably towards where i was supposed to be, and i thought i recognized a familiar face from the news of course. Then he took first right, i guess there's a motel and a gas station there.

Got back home, popped both the trunk where the battery was and the hood and looked for some tools in the pocket of the door (man this car hides stuff in that pocket because of its shape), could not find what i was looking for but when i got out i saw a guy on a bicycle getting away from my opened trunk.

Then i went inside, searched for tools, more stuff happened but when i went outside the first time a guy on a motorcycle started in that second to make a terrible noise in the parking lot. I guess it was after 9, then i saw him riding his bike around the block with a martyr figure on his face. He then stopped the bike and did it all again about 3 times in total, every time when i was getting back outside. Finally got all my tools together (most difficult part of any job done on moonlight in the parking lot). Replacing battery itself took about 2 minutes. Could loosen negative by hand only. So that was the problem. However, when i did a test drive towards Wilsonville and back, got 40 mpg (on dashboard, round trip), like never before. Car has a different attitude. Feels like after i first got it and replaced the 5 years old battery. One or two steps on driveability on a 1-10 scale. Most likely because of the EPS (Electric Power Steering) which of course is depending on batteries connectors.

Coming back from Wilsonville for the first time i accelerated to 75 on the 65 area, got this habit from the recent long drives, and of course i ran into a State Police Dodge parked on the right side. He did not follow me but a guy with white bright lights had a turn signal that was contrasting with those white bluish lights in such a way for a second it gave me the impression of Police car flashing. On the last half mile while descending (about 100 ft altitude diference) towards my home exit a guy slowed down unexpectedly without brake lights coming on while i was doing a "long freeway pass" and had to steer instantly to avoid him and these are only the important scenes i had to go through tonight to replace a car's battery.

Miron Mitrea, Marilyn Monroe, Mona Muscă, Ion Iliescu, toți nebunii

Nu știu exact cine face chestia asta. Masonii, ninja, și unii și alții dar știu sigur că sunt unguri. Din moment ce toți actorii sunt ai lor. Să fie ungurii la mai multe nivele deasupra tuturor gradele masonice, cel puțin din SUA. Spunea Vadim Tudor că masonii unguri "sunt cei mai periculoși", dar am arătat ân altă ocazie, căutați numele pe blog, că și el era unul de-a lor.

Citeam deunăzi că biserica e supărată pe masoni pentru ritualurile lor din temple. Nu spuneau nimic de legenda hiramică, unde Solomon l-a înviat pe unul cu o strângere de mână și o șoaptă la ureche: Mahabone. Chestia e că ei nu se limitează cu ritualurile în temple. Ies pe stradă, în locuri publice, pentru a duce mâna la nas, la ochelari, la inimă, la insignă (badge), (se) pozează cu mâna pe sub haină la pancreas și mai fac echerul și compasul, adică se apleacă în față la 90 de grade (echerul), sub un motiv oarecare cu picioarele depărtate (compasul) și cu spatele spre tine, de obicei cel mai simplu e se fac că apucă ceva din mașină. Pași de Chaplin. Etc..

De ce fac ei toate astea. În funcție de starea în care ești, îți declanșează anumite procese psiho-fiziologice, care îți pot crea probleme începând cu disconfort, pentru influențare (uitare a treburilor tale pentru câteva ore) dar pot merge mai departe, în funcție de starea ta de sănătate. Corecții cred că le numesc ei. Pentru că ei cred că în lumea asta, la care au contribuit (sau influențat) enorm, numai calea lor este cea bună. Cu alte cuvinte, acționează din convingere (religioasă, sau ce-a fi) (și convingerea e o emoție).

Deși se poate vedea destul de clar că au dat-o în bară, avem stagnare de cel puțin 50 de ani și poluare cât se putea de mult. Locuințe care te omoară cu încetinitorul.

Aici în SUA ungurii (se) joacă ca la ei acasă și fac chestii probabil necunoscute masonilor americani sau de fapt mai mult ca la ei acasă fiindcă acolo probabil nu vor să devină toxici pentru ai lor. Sau poate au ajuns la asemenea nivele de competiție în țara lor încât nu-i mai pasă nimănui. Nu știu cum e de fapt la ei acolo în țara aceea, poate știu ardelenii care au mai fost prin Ungaria.

Una din armele în războiul masonilor cu restul lumii în media este distrugerea oricărei idei din fașă.

Am fost odată la un miting PNL (probabil primul, un soi de congres) în primăvara lui 90 la București și venise (probabil el era organizatorul) Dan (Amedeo) Lăzărescu (așa zis tatăl vitreg al lui Tăriceanu, toate familiile politicienilor, celebrităților sunt de fapt alegorii,  ca și tot comportamentul lor, în realitate nici nu sunt căsătoriți, urmașii lor sunt alți actori care normal sunt aleși să semene) cu un tip din Germania, Marcel nu știu cum, care de fapt dacă mă gândesc acum semăna tot cu Miron Mitrea dar era mai vârstă, tot așa cu mustață și o față serioasă și ce am reținut de acolo a fost că "intelectualii" probabil Lăzărescu ar fi spus masonii, "au memorie bună și știu să manipuleze ideile".

Au băgat deci sinuciderea tipului ăsta care seamănă cu Mitrea. Probabil tot unul de-al lor pe care și l-au retras pentru a acoperi fața lui Mitrea în memoria dvs.. I-au mai pus și niște vorbe de sfârșit în gură. Normal, ultimul lucru pe care și-l doresc românii, încă cineva care să fie o povară la cei câteva mii care există deja în România și milioanele din Ungaria unde se duc banii din bugetul nostru.

Tot așa, majoritatea știrilor care de fapt sunt (de) nimic, dar au totuși impact emoțional, de exemplu cascada aia care a căzut din senin, cum poate să cadă o cas_cadă, poate doar o stâncă) și să acopere ceva. Idea de casă, de masoni, a căzut cas-cada, îngroziți-vă și uitați. Nu știu dacă mai este cineva care nu știe despre expresia "fii calm, ești mason", ei ne consideră pe toți ceilalți fraeri fiindcă cedăm emoțiilor. Pe fondul imaginile puse de mine de la ocean.

Apropo de cas-cadă, îmi amintesc de un alt joc de cuvinte, geo(ene)rgie, care l-am văzut pe o camionetă care ieri m-a depășit pe când mergeam la ocean. Geoenergy, probabil de la vreo firmă de geologie, ce dreac căuta aia duminică seara în drumul spre ocean. Cutremurul de sâmbătă seara de pe vulcanul Mt.Hood pe unde am trecut la doar câțiva km, de două ori (dus-întors la Indian Head). Și faza cu 300.000 de euro pierduți de nebunul fiu al Vioricăi din Clujani. Ieri Angela a pierdut într-adevăr și a trebuit să scoată de pe un card 300 de dolari ca să pună înapoi în contul curent unde era deja trimis cec pentru chirie.

Una din obsesiile lor e că vor să mă scoată gay. O metodă ușoară de a diminua influența cuiva, din moment ce toată lumea se teme de gay. Merg și eu la toaletă la fiecare câteva ore. Dacă sunt la cazino (ce caut acolo, și asta e o întrebare interesantă), îmi pun de exemplu ăia la muzicuță o melodie ceva, ca de exemplu ieri când au pus La Bouche (pentru că am vorbit puțin în franceză acum câteva zile în mașină) melodia, e de fapt în engleză, Wanna be Your Lover. De câte ori merg la toaletă, altă melodie. Îmi amintesc că o dată au pus "Love Stinks". În parcare unde am parcat era o mașină cu numărul MEQ (Mon mec a moi) dar cu Q de la queer. MEQ.

Sunt mulți. În SUA sunt peste tot. Cum deschid ușa, dau de ei, îmi arată fundul, își pun mâinile la nas, îmi taie calea cu pași de-ai lor, etc., pun copii să țipe în anumite feluri, zboară avioane. Chiar acum a trecut unul, cineva fuma lângă clădire din direcția vântului, a vibrat ușa de sticlă din spate și a intrat fum, trăgându-mi un sictir. Pardon, o corecție.

Da e adevărat tot ce scriu e sub influența emoțiilor, azi aveam alte treburi, am deschis știrile, m-am enervat, am scris postarea asta, scrie în biblie, nu păcătuiți la mânie, ceea ce implică totuși că e ok să fii din când în când  mânios. Un vers foarte important care pe undeva definește relația masonilor cei calmi cu lumea nebună. Dar oare nu e nebunie la ce s-a ajuns, când avem toți politicienii actori iar statele sunt de fapt o piesă de teatru iar doctorii niște ciocli care numără moții ca în piesa aia de Caragiale?

Ieri mi-a expirat luna de pre_pay la telefon (cartelă cum se spune în românește). Am sunat la serviciul clientului, am crezut că poate au o opțiune să plătesc cu ultimul card, mi-a răspuns în engleză și în spaniolă o voce înregistrată familiară. Un tip care răspunde de multe ori la serviciul clientului, la diferite firme. Mai recent, l-au adus aici într-un apartament și stă toată ziua cu geamul deschis și vorbește la telefon, tot felul de prostii, fraze care se schimbă în funcție de ce fac sau mai interesant, la ce mă gândesc. Dacă înjur în gând, sună o alarmă de mașină. Dacă fac o asemănătoare și sunt satisfăcut, înainte de postare, o sirenă de salvare. Am fost acum câteva zile într-un park mare cu pădure (Tryon, Traian) și auzeam în urmă aceeași voce familiară. Tipul a venit acolo după mine să mă tortureze cu prostii spuse în engleza lui aproape perfectă. Într-adevăr probabil unul din cei mai buni actori de voce al ungurilor. M-am oprit și am așteptat să mă ajungă din urmă să-i văd fața. Surpriză, era cu o tipă care semăna cu Monica Lewinski, teoretic de aici din Portland, în realitate o scriitoare pentru copii din Ungaria (căutați în blag). Exact așa cum mi l-am imaginat, un tip înalt și slab, dar avea un hanorac pe cap, mască și ochelari negri și mari și nu am putut vedea nimic din el. S-a oprit din trăncănit când a văzut că mă uit cu atenție la ei. Aici s-a făcut atât de mult fum de țigară că abia mai respir.

Mă duc la calculatorul celălalt să comand un microscop de pe Amazon. Nu pe bune îmi iau un microscop. Am găsit unul cu lentile de sticlă și cameră HD și tot tacâmul la reducere, 35 de dolari. Poate aflu ce fel de praf (normal de materiale de CONSTRUCȚIE respiră Angela la servici). Vineri seara mi s-a făcut rău după ce am folosit masca pe care a purtat-o ea în ziua aceea. Și ce fel de praf mai zboară și pe aici prin apartament. De lemn roșu, izolație, mucegai, etc.. Am să vin cu poze.

The Story of the People Without a (Functional) King.

You may have heard the phrase "The function makes the organ". I think i heard it in late grade school during a UTC (Uniunea Tineretului Comunist, Union of Communist Youth) meeting or philosophy class or whatever. Until today i thought the phrase belonged to Marx or Darwin, i just wanted to double check before i wrote this, luckily i did, it belongs to some other philosopher, however, it doesn't matter that much.

They were heavily using the phrase during early communist Romania, when after the disappearance of whole generations of legitimate elites, they needed people for different leadership positions in territory.

They would name some guy by example as mayor in a small city by criteria of "healthy origin" which usually meant peasants of workers sons and instructed them to learn whatever he needed to do his job.

Mostly what they learned was corruption, which then spreaded rampantly until it lead to collapse of communism itselfs.

I am under the impression that didn't change much during current political arrangements in my country, with people of uncertain origin and professionalism are occupying highest to lowest functions in state, after 30 years of eternal transition.

And now the story.

Once upon a time, or a long long time ago a people lost its king. And the people became very sad as nothing was going right for them in their country.

Until one day they saw a kid that looked like the lost king. Some said it was a miracle, some a curse, some started to show respect and even some small favors by their own capacity and level, favors he did not understood and some started to call him names and laying traps that again he did not understood.

The kid grew up in this mixed type of environment not having a clue, thinking it was normal. However he felt good when those who respected him showed they put some hopes in his hands, but still didn't have a clue.

They taught him all kinda tricks and casted him in all kinda live allegories.

Years have passed, the kid grew up, he became sort of influential, again not knowing anything. The bad guys put words in his mouth and led him towards big mostly alegoric errors that kinda completely took him out of the track of a normal life and he still didn't have a clue.

Many of then agreed. He was not "the sharpest tool in the shed". However, he was just confused and all the tricks they taught him sort of bumped into each other in his mind and they turned into a whole philosophy.

One day when he became old and ill and sort of exiled and he started to feel nostalgic for the days when some showed him respect and started to develop some sort of feeling of duty and regret for letting them down. He looked around and said. There are too many people and things going simultaneously against me, this can't be real. Then he discovered all the leaders of his people were foreign impostors from a neighboring country (the snakes) and tried to expose then. By doing so he discovered why some people many years ago showed signs of respect and hope towards him though they didn't have a clue. However, getting rid of all snakes at once seemed to him "Mission Impossible".

The snakes replied by unleashing a fake pandemia towards the people, through their own controlled state authority and media. Because that was not enough, they came with the wave 2, 3, etc.. waiting for the people to forget.

But what one person can do vs. a whole people can do when they put their minds into?