diesel lover
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2013
- Messages
- 643
- Location
- whites town indiana
- Tractor
- Ferg. To 20, 1956 Massey F. MF 25 diesel, Ferg. 40, 1944 John D. A, 1965 cockshutt 40,
Hey guys, hope everyone is at home safe! I have had a tough month but pretty soon I will get paid from my new job at a family owned truck shop (not my family, local business/ small trucking company).
My new I phone broke from at&t and they would not warranty it. I found out my girlfriends step mother had a phone she was willing to give to me. I drove out there and got there by 11pm to pick up the phone. on my way back it was pitch dark, and I saw a minivan in the road dead with no lights. I always try to stop to help if there is no one else on the scene, if the opportunity is there and if I think it is safe although I try to carry my legal handgun in the truck as much as I can.
I made a fast U turn and got behind her with my flashers on and waited in my truck for her to step out of her car not to alarm her. It was a mother and 3 children. She had just paid someone to install an alternator (typical that many car mechanics that charge a lot don't check their work such as seeing if the alternator fixed the problem or checking ALL wiring for issues!). I checked the voltage with my fluke and read 5 volts she had really ran it dead! I put on the jumper cables for maybe 15 minutes in hope to start the van and move it off the road and onto a driveway to a business, but the van would not stay running. The battery was much too discharged and the ecm seeing the low voltage was killing the engine. Working on the van was dangerous on a highway with speeds of 45 mph. The street was not lite up well at all. I finally got fed up with the stupid drivers not slowing down I lite a flare with a lighter and placed it behind the car! WOW! it really worked! Cars now slowed down to 10 mph and or changed lanes. I felt the children and their mother were safer already. I had agreed to use my hooked tow strap to pull her van off the road and into the business driveway I had described earlier. With the 15 minute flare out it was now my perfect opportunity as there was no traffic coming and red lights. I spun my F150 around and hooked up, the lady in the van steered too hard and put my tow strap in a bind, she was not lined up straight with my truck anymore. I continued to pull her as I had no choice. My half ton truck pulled the van with such ease! Didn't even work it compared to other task I have done.
The end of my tow strap at the hook got torn up. I was glad I didn't use my looped tow strap. WHen she steered too hard she had cut the strap but I didn't say a thing as she was having a rough night and its just a tow strap after all. No damage was done to either vehicle. once off the road I again placed my jumper cables on the vehicle to charge the battery (20 foot 4 gauge parrot jaw). I told her I could look deeper into the issue as the van was off the road way. I removed a bracket to get to the alternator and it was NEVER plugged in at all! I pushed on the plug and it clicked. At this point it still was not charging. Bummer. I left it charging off the jumper cables while I talked to her about the issue and how to resolve it. Her friend had showed up and I came up with a plan! SHe worked at Meijer and was comfortable leaving the van there. It was only a few miles away. I agreed to follow her there and jump start as needed but I was confident it could make it now that I could tell it was charging and holding a charge with my fluke.
Her children rode in her friends car as that was much safer, and her van made it to Meijer no problem!! I felt good about what I did. It would have been wrong to not at least make sure someone was coming to help her. I sorta believe in Karma. A 4wd vehicle towed me up a glazed ice hill this winter and im thankful every time I think about that. They were happy to help me as traffic was not moving fast enough for me just to hit the hill with some speed.
So I told the female in the van she needed to get AAA towing coverage or towing with her auto insurance. After all with progressive it only cost me $7 a month for up to 10 miles per day (I believe.) Also I have all state motor club and at 15$ a month they paid for $400 of a $420 tow bill just amazing. She was shocked towing coverage was so cheap for what you get out of it, but honestly I meet a lot of people that don't know how cheap it is for a passenger vehicle.
SO flares and flares!! WOW im buying more of these. I think a person should carry three of these with them as I myself do.
Tow strap, I have the 15 foot hooked tow strap that's now torn at the loop that runs through the hook. Bummer. I carry a 15 foot tow strap and a 20 foot looped recovery strap. Im thinking about carrying a 5/16 chain as well due to the fact of how easily she damaged my strap lol
My new I phone broke from at&t and they would not warranty it. I found out my girlfriends step mother had a phone she was willing to give to me. I drove out there and got there by 11pm to pick up the phone. on my way back it was pitch dark, and I saw a minivan in the road dead with no lights. I always try to stop to help if there is no one else on the scene, if the opportunity is there and if I think it is safe although I try to carry my legal handgun in the truck as much as I can.
I made a fast U turn and got behind her with my flashers on and waited in my truck for her to step out of her car not to alarm her. It was a mother and 3 children. She had just paid someone to install an alternator (typical that many car mechanics that charge a lot don't check their work such as seeing if the alternator fixed the problem or checking ALL wiring for issues!). I checked the voltage with my fluke and read 5 volts she had really ran it dead! I put on the jumper cables for maybe 15 minutes in hope to start the van and move it off the road and onto a driveway to a business, but the van would not stay running. The battery was much too discharged and the ecm seeing the low voltage was killing the engine. Working on the van was dangerous on a highway with speeds of 45 mph. The street was not lite up well at all. I finally got fed up with the stupid drivers not slowing down I lite a flare with a lighter and placed it behind the car! WOW! it really worked! Cars now slowed down to 10 mph and or changed lanes. I felt the children and their mother were safer already. I had agreed to use my hooked tow strap to pull her van off the road and into the business driveway I had described earlier. With the 15 minute flare out it was now my perfect opportunity as there was no traffic coming and red lights. I spun my F150 around and hooked up, the lady in the van steered too hard and put my tow strap in a bind, she was not lined up straight with my truck anymore. I continued to pull her as I had no choice. My half ton truck pulled the van with such ease! Didn't even work it compared to other task I have done.
The end of my tow strap at the hook got torn up. I was glad I didn't use my looped tow strap. WHen she steered too hard she had cut the strap but I didn't say a thing as she was having a rough night and its just a tow strap after all. No damage was done to either vehicle. once off the road I again placed my jumper cables on the vehicle to charge the battery (20 foot 4 gauge parrot jaw). I told her I could look deeper into the issue as the van was off the road way. I removed a bracket to get to the alternator and it was NEVER plugged in at all! I pushed on the plug and it clicked. At this point it still was not charging. Bummer. I left it charging off the jumper cables while I talked to her about the issue and how to resolve it. Her friend had showed up and I came up with a plan! SHe worked at Meijer and was comfortable leaving the van there. It was only a few miles away. I agreed to follow her there and jump start as needed but I was confident it could make it now that I could tell it was charging and holding a charge with my fluke.
Her children rode in her friends car as that was much safer, and her van made it to Meijer no problem!! I felt good about what I did. It would have been wrong to not at least make sure someone was coming to help her. I sorta believe in Karma. A 4wd vehicle towed me up a glazed ice hill this winter and im thankful every time I think about that. They were happy to help me as traffic was not moving fast enough for me just to hit the hill with some speed.
So I told the female in the van she needed to get AAA towing coverage or towing with her auto insurance. After all with progressive it only cost me $7 a month for up to 10 miles per day (I believe.) Also I have all state motor club and at 15$ a month they paid for $400 of a $420 tow bill just amazing. She was shocked towing coverage was so cheap for what you get out of it, but honestly I meet a lot of people that don't know how cheap it is for a passenger vehicle.
SO flares and flares!! WOW im buying more of these. I think a person should carry three of these with them as I myself do.
Tow strap, I have the 15 foot hooked tow strap that's now torn at the loop that runs through the hook. Bummer. I carry a 15 foot tow strap and a 20 foot looped recovery strap. Im thinking about carrying a 5/16 chain as well due to the fact of how easily she damaged my strap lol
