Engine racing/hunting problem solved

My '99 Suburban had a similar feature - you needed to "switch charts" above 5'000 ft, and you did so by switching off and restarting.

And the 200X Ford diesels had an issue that involved re-evaluating "conditions" at startup. If it wasn't happy it wouldn't let you engage Drive.

it wasn't happy it wouldn't let you engage Drive..
Did you try buying it flowers?
Del

No - Bad Truck, NO flowers!

One of the reasons I stick with my old mechanical everything truck (well nearly)

Fortunately I didn't own one - and it was stranger than I let on

Only happens above 8,000 feet

Only happens on start-up

Accepts moving the handle to Drive on automatic transmission, but won't engage.

~Only happens to 20% of the trucks identically equipped - but absolutely consistent for those it effects.~

~is used as shorthand for oooeee spooky noise - this is a software function and should not be doing this - ergo ~

Same sort of thing - but it needed a complete power-down (as in battery disconnect) before re-boot.

Sometimes long for the days when enjins wus enjins - none of this EMS crap. (Honestly - what is it doing in an 1100 go-kart?). Everything was there - take it to bits, clean it all up, put it all back (with all the correct clearances etc) and it was fixed.

Time was I rode bikes - the only semiconductor in sight was a dam' great zener (the 'Regulator') bolted to a big chunk of the frame (aka heatsink). .

Thanks for bringing us a solution for a change!

Does this mean that we need a Good Question, GQ category to go with the GA?

Never mind DQ, SQ, DaQ,Sf...Q, also come to mind.

You can give it some stars, if you want .

Sometimes long for the days when enjins wus enjins - none of this EMS crap. (Honestly - what is it doing in an 1100 go-kart?). Everything was there - take it to bits, clean it all up, put it all back (with all the correct clearances etc) and it was fixed.

I used to have an old [early 80's] toyota, had points & electronic ignition, mechanical advance. a good compromise. Worked good, easy to deal with, long service interval...

On the other hand had a 56 BSA single, you were never quite sure if it was going to start [spark] or if there would be lights. The service interval of the electrical system seemed to be about 10 minutes LOL. Being a single it shook pretty good probably needed a good rewire.

How about some stories of the best & worst

Had a Renault I used to borrow from my father's wife occasionally, used to cut out on bumps.

Finally opened the hood to find that of the four bolts intended to hold down the single barrel carb, two were missing, one was a twist of coat hangar, and one had walked out.

So one would merrily fly along, hit a bump, the carb would dislodge, somewhere in the horrible shaking the engine did choking to death the carb would find it's way back into place, and one ran merrily along again!

I put in four bolts, Loctite, and a gasket and my step-mother was thrilled.

Dad was not mechanical - makes me wonder where I got the "gene"?

Same toyota

paid $400, drove it 30'000 miles, sold it for the same. Only did the very minimum of maintainance. it burned about a quart of oil every 500 miles, I just changed the filter every couple of thousand miles.

1 day I took a corner too fast & the battery [which didn't have a tie down] fell against the exaust manifold & melted until the plates shorted out & the car stopped dead. I popped the hood & kicked the battery back into place, The car restarted & ran fine... I didn't replace the battery until winter came & the car just wouldn't start anymore.

I had a BSA C15 of about the same vintage - and confess it had pretty crappy electrics. The day I was booked to take my test, it wouldn't start - I had to borrow my mates Tiger Cub (which I'd never ridden before) to get to (and pass) the test.

I then had a present (from a rich grandparent) of a new '69 B25 Starfire. Never had any problems with the electrics - or anything else (except when the engine siezed while passing a police car on a hill - probably my fault for overrevving it ). After rebuilding it, best mod I did was to fit Maserati air horns.

best mod I did was to fit Maserati air horns.

Gotta love airhorns!

Smaller the bike - the bigger horns you need

The day I was booked to take my test, it wouldn't start .

Reminds me of my test...
I'd bunked off school to take it...my Lambretta kept cutting out, fortunately out of sight of the examiner, so I had to bump start it, then zoom around to make up lost time.
Got back to school, had to report to the form master who was an ex military chap...
'Sorry I'm late Sir, I was taking my driving test'
'Did you pass?'
'Yes Sir'
'Well that's alright then' ...

Whew...
Del

I had a daughter ( 12 then )that was learning to play drums, a van was needed to move them. I traded $100 labor for a ten year old Dodge van with 165,000 miles on it.

I painted it, put new plugs and wires on it, and it started to run pretty good. I rebuilt the carb and replaced the rotor and cap, and just kept driving it.

When it made it to 360,000 miles, my daughter, (now old enough to drive) had the yoke fall off the pinion gear of the rear end. Towed it back home. The nut was still caught between the yoke and the rear U joint. One new seal, and a pint of gear oil and back on the road it went.

Shortly after that an older gentleman ran over a parking stop and pushed the fender into the door. He gladly gave us $500 to have it fixed. I sold the van a short time later for $600.

With over 360,000 miles it never had the heads or oil pan off, and never had the transmission repaired. It would smoke when first started in the AM, but it never fouled the platinum plugs. The previous owner had done a timing chain before he sold it to me.When i pulled it apart at 185,000-+ I found a still good solid steel top gear.

That was the most faithful vehicle I ever owned.