Good morning!!!!

[CajunRider]

Good morning to all.
Sunny and warm today down south. That actually is going to be a problem because my AC is out and I can't get to it until this weekend. The old system is shot (bad compressor and leaky condenser) and needs to be replaced.
Started cleaning my shop this morning before going to work. This is going to take a long long time.

 

[Looking4new]

Zero F and going to a high of 23 Wind NW 7 mph. I gotta go out today and get some parts and groceries. That will be the highlight of my day.

 

[daugen]

RS, good medical news and good luck with quitting.
your fish are gorgeous. Now if only they would live for twenty years...

VW used a printed film wiring harness inside the instruments if the film cracked without exterior stress, that was sure a bad engineering solution.
Is this normal for modern instruments or someone's better idea?

Buppies, be good and take it slow.

 

[ronjhall]

VW used a printed film wiring harness inside the instruments if the film cracked without exterior stress, that was sure a bad engineering solution.
Is this normal for modern instruments or someone's better idea?

Very common to use printed circuit board for gauge clusters. Been around since the 80s. Maybe sooner. Biggest problems with ones I have worked with are component failure. Newer ones use stepper motors. They fail. Some have bulbs that are soldered in. Dealers will sell a whole new cluster to repair. When all that is needed is a $.30 bulb and 10 minute soldered job. Of course either repair requires removal of dash to get at cluster.

 

[toppop52]

Very common to use printed circuit board for gauge clusters. Been around since the 80s. Maybe sooner. Biggest problems with ones I have worked with are component failure. Newer ones use stepper motors. They fail. Some have bulbs that are soldered in. Dealers will sell a whole new cluster to repair. When all that is needed is a $.30 bulb and 10 minute soldered job. Of course either repair requires removal of dash to get at cluster.

You can buy stepper motors on eBay for about $10-$15 a dozen, same motor runs every gauge from speedo to fuel, so you don't have to worry about getting the right one. We use to change them out a lot.

 

[toppop52]

I just realized, it was 44 years ago Sunday that I stopped smoking. I'd smoked for about 6 years and was up to over a pack a day already. I went to the doctor with a cough, he got some X-rays and told me to keep smoking and die young. I threw half a pack of Marlboros in his trash can and never lit another. However, like any addiction, you're always hooked and have to avoid it forever.
Another couple of cold days, 22° tonight, then hopefully spring arrives.

 

[Thomas]

.......................................................
You hit nail on the head all winter w/weather calling not going to start doubting you now,but far as our local tv weather station.

Don't go being/getting stubborn rest the up some more.

 

[PJSprog]

32°F and clear skies this morning, going up to 52° today. Supposed to be 75° again by Friday, but the iThingie Weather Widget also indicates a wet weekend is coming. Not good, as I need to do some finish grading around the new sunroom.

 

[hawkeye08]

40s here this morning, grass is really greening up last few days.. reminds me how far behind I am...

 

[PJSprog]

Guy about a mile down the road from us was mowing his lawn when I drove by yesterday evening on the way home form work, hawkeye08. Gave me one of those "Holy Cow!" moments.

 

[sodamo]

67°F and .01 inches rain since midnight

Wife's birthday today. I'll make her breakfast, take her out later.

Tenants moving into the Cottage today for 3 months. Relocating from FL.

Got news we may lose our internet. Could be interesting next few days.

Be safe
Have a great day.

 

[bakerg]

Wife's birthday today. I'll make her breakfast, take her out later.

Be safe
Have a great day.

Happy Birthday to your wife.

 

[CajunRider]

67°F and .01 inches rain since midnight

Wife's birthday today. I'll make her breakfast, take her out later.

Tenants moving into the Cottage today for 3 months. Relocating from FL.

Got news we may lose our internet. Could be interesting next few days.

Be safe
Have a great day.

Happy BD to your lady.

 

[hawkeye08]

Guy about a mile down the road from us was mowing his lawn when I drove by yesterday evening on the way home form work, hawkeye08. Gave me one of those "Holy Cow!" moments.

I need to finish servicing my mower among all the other projects.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

VW used a printed film wiring harness inside the instruments if the film cracked without exterior stress, that was sure a bad engineering solution.
Is this normal for modern instruments or someone's better idea?

I can provide only a few data points. The lamps in both '93 and '95 BMW air cooled motorcycle instrument housings use the same kind of blue film ribbons for the circuits as the '87 van. And the '85 k-bike has it, too. All of them are brittle with age, and the k-bike has several jumpers made from insulated copper wire to fix cracks in the traces on the circuit ribbon.

The repair kit I found moves all the discrete components (diodes, resistors, voltage regulator) to hard circuit boards that attach to pins on the instrument housing. Insulated wires in the form of mini wiring harnesses replace the ribbon circuits, and the wires terminate either in a header that slips over pins on the circuit board or with an eyelet terminal that slips over a threaded stud on the instrument housings. Looks pretty bullet proof.

I hate to think what's going on under the dash of a modern vehicle. All of them are designed to be cheap to produce without any regard for maintenance or longevity, and rely heavily on components unique to particular models and years. Since computers are involved, and computers evolve in generations lasting only a few months, it seems unlikely that repair components will be available in ten years, let alone 30. And few of them will have the cult status necessary to support the cottage industries that keep the older vehicles on the highway and make using one as a daily driver possible.:2cents:

 

[PJSprog]

Flexible circuits have gotten better in recent years, but they're still not very reliable over time. Those materials simply do not stand up well to the ravages of time/temp/humidity/movement. Nice that you found a solid solution, RNG.

 

[TitanSkidsteer]

Thanks Billy.

It's doing just fine, stored over in the barn presently ... but I do need to do some work on the tractor side QA adapter. It appears that the material Titan supplies is a little on the thin side. Ended up tearing.

Hey RS, Little curious as to what part tore on the adapter? Were you using the grapple? Will make sure to let our qc department know. We like to document these instances to make improvements on our products when we can.

 

[PJSprog]

Apparently, in Clinton County IL, if there is damage over $1500, a report is required. There was no property damage other than his car. Having seen pictures of the car, it will definitely be over $1500 ... on a car we got for $1200.

Well, we got the quote for the repairs to junior's car, and using used parts it's just under $1K. While I'm still not happy about that, I suspect it will be instrumental in the dismissal of a couple of over-zealous charges.

 

[rswyan]

Got ears lowered.

Also managed to go get an eye exam scheduled and done and order new glasses.

It's been a little over seven years since I've had the eyes looked at and possibly ten or more since new specs.

Mixed report on the eyes ... either the near or far vision had improved slightly, and the other one (near or far) had gotten slightly worse. Left eye was worse than the right. Evidently no other problems.

Will be nice to have a pair of glasses that aren't all pitted up from grinding dust and have no cracks in the lenses ... :laughing:

 

[toppop52]

Happy birthday David's wife.