Housekeeping

kbd512 · 2020-08-22 14:24:47

SpaceNut,

Maybe I'm not understanding what you're trying to tell us, but it sounds like that diode is bad and needs to be replaced.

SpaceNut · 2020-08-22 18:15:22

I know it can be confusing without a diagram to follow.
The diode is good and there is another next to it in the fuse power box and its was swapped to help to isolate that the cars computer module is not proving the ground to the diode for the currents to be controlled for the solenoid relay to turn on.
Thanks for the help.

I live 2 miles to a grocery store, 2 miles to a garage mechanic, 5 miles to nearest part store to buy items, just under 2 miles to 2 salvage junk yards, 4 miles to a near by Walmart. With the only issue is that I am at the top of a 600 ft. hill Have used a bicycle to get daily needs last night and tonight as well. Fell on the way home just 500 ft. from home crushing a plain chip bag with only minor strain to muscles no cuts or scrapes from hanging bags from handle bar ends... Made a basket alteration and it was much better..

SpaceNut · 2020-08-22 19:20:46

Found this for the system
https://itstillruns.com/troubleshoot-fo … 28734.html

Remove other smart keys and electronic devices (such as those used to quickly purchase gasoline) from your key ring. These can interfere with the ignition key's signal and cause the SecuriLock system to engage.

Thats a terrible system that it can not discriminate the correct key from others .

http://www.c-suvs.com/securilock_passiv … m-231.html

This page has programming with known good keys...

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussio … 3_ds702815

This page gives a reset as a function of disconnecting the battery so that when you turn the key when its disconnected and it learns a key is in the ignition when you reconnect the battery.

Will give it a try as well as to remove others from the key chain as well.

Update:
Have tried all of the above with no change to vehicles operation. The anti theft is really flawed in that to solve it requires a ford dealership to manufacture new keys and to replacing defectives modules.

GW Johnson · 2020-08-23 12:00:46

Broadly speaking, anything large built after about 2000 will have an engine compartment so tightly packed and buried back under a cowl firewall undercavity so deep, that you cannot work effectively on them. What was a simple 1-2 hour job to replace an alternator is now 1-2 days. Plus, they have computerized needlessly way too many things, which is where Spacenut's needless erroneous-antitheft issue is coming from. I actually prefer the all-analog things from half a century ago. Far easier to diagnose (even with no scanner), and a whale of a lot more room to work.

The small vehicles with transverse 4-cylinder engines are not too bad in terms of space, but in recent years suffer from the same over-computerization glitches. However, after about 2010, they started stuffing V-6's into the same engine compartments where the 4-bangers barely fit. You virtually have to take the front of the car off to work on them.

What makes this even worse is that components like alternators, radiators, A/C compressors, evaporators, and heater cores used to last the life of the car. Now they don't, and by far. None of those are easy to replace, given the tight packing and the over-computerization (wire harness legs with 100-200 wires inside).

I like the new spark plugs that run about 100,000 miles before being worn out. I don't like that these get installed without anti-seize, especially in aluminum heads, on the production line, just to save 1-2 cents per car. I like that critical bolts are installed with some threadlocker. I don't like that they always use too strong a threadlocker on too small a bolt, just because they don't want to pay to stock the weaker threadlocker.

These things are every bit as hard to work on as airplanes now, if not harder. It is ridiculous (so are the airplanes).

GW

kbd512 · 2020-08-23 19:10:54

GW,

You know good and well that the components used in cars of the 1950s and 1960s were no better than what we have today, never mind 1990s era junk, and they certainly didn't "last the life of the car", unless the life of the car was supposed to be 20,000 miles or less. Everything you named off lasts considerably longer today than it did in the past. Sure, it may have been easier to get to the components in the top end of an engine of the 1970s or earlier, but that was because you'd be replacing or adjusting that stuff far more often. The aerospace lubricants, sealants, and coatings of the 1970s were a joke compared to what we have today. The metallurgy was most definitely not as good as what's available today. The electronics were also junk compared to what we have now, which aptly explains why nobody uses that stuff anymore.

In a good solid electronically controlled engine of today, everything lasts at least 100,000 miles with routine oil changes. The modern diesels can go 1,000,000 miles between overhauls and those are also electronically controlled. The emissions system are still not up to par yet, but those are also improving. Gale Banks has proven that you can take a diesel with all emissions equipment installed, tweak it so it's making 50% more power than it was, and still have it go a million miles in military use before overhaul with minimal maintenance. I'd laugh my rear end off watching someone try to make a 1970s era engine do that without constant adjustment or parts replacement. If you want that stuff to last even longer, then be prepared to pay aircraft engine prices or live with other tangible performance reductions on account of increased weight or decreased fuel economy. There are no free lunches to be had here and you know that far better than most.

tahanson43206 · 2020-08-23 19:52:27

At the risk of getting into the middle of a discussion here, I'd like to point out the interesting parallel discussion going on in another topic, where good design principles are the focus.

GW Johnson has given a number of reasons why (some) modern vehicles are designed so they are almost impossible to maintain, except at a full scale manufacturer quality service facility.

It seems to me as this group (and others) think about the conditions that will prevail on Mars for a considerable period, planning ahead to make all equipment maintainable by average people wearing Mars suits would make sense.

In another topic (probably the 3D printer topic of Louis) I've tried to make the case for all systems sent to Mars being manufactured out of 3D printed parts. That appears to be practical from reports in this forum and elsewhere about success in finding materials suitable for severe service after 3D printing. There are examples from modern rocket manufacturers.

I see no need for anything to be sent to Mars that cannot be reproduced there, using modern 3D printing techniques.

In any case, getting back to the discussion about design of vehicles on Earth ... I see no reason to design unmaintainable equipment for the Mars customer, unless that customer is a NASA astronaut on a brief research and run mission.

(th)

kbd512 · 2020-08-23 20:25:32

tahanson43206,

We can always make things simpler to maintain by removing electronic controls. In general, that means making the pre-electronic control device less performant in meaningful ways. US EPA / NHTSA / CAFE demanded more performance from motor vehicles as time progressed, so computer controls were added, engine bays were made smaller, light alloys / composites / plastics were added. The resultant solution was lighter, had better fuel economy, had more power, faster to produce, and required less maintenance within an expected service life interval. When you start pushing designs beyond their capabilities, the problems start cropping up. Since people demanded solutions, the engineers devised practical solutions to the problems handed to them. However, working on them became far more complicated as a result. That's a human knowledge problem, not an engineering problem. It's not the engineer's fault that the mechanics working on them don't know what they're doing half the time. Take a modern automotive engineering course if you want to learn. SAE certification exists for a reason.

Can an engine be both sophisticated and relatively easy to maintain? Sure, but you're going to sacrifice something somewhere along the way to get what you want. If you make the engine bay larger, then you make the vehicle heavier. Period. It doesn't matter what material the engine bay is made from, either. You make an engine less reliant on computer control, then emissions and performance won't be as good. No mechanical system devised has the precision of a computer chip operating at the speed of light.

I have a better question, though. Is it feasible to devise a mechanical fuel delivery and ignition system that can approximate an electronic system so closely as to make electronic control irrelevant? I honestly don't know. I've never seen such an animal. I know you can get reasonably close using sophisticated mechanical systems that don't require electronics, but you'll spend a lot more time cleaning and adjusting them. Pick your poison.

As computer sophistication increases, you'll need more and more knowledge of the software and hardware to diagnose and resolve problems. Therefore, specialization will increase rather than decrease. I do know that much, since I write software for a living. I can write code in certain languages all day long, but it'd take months to learn new languages. I still learn new languages, but the cost of doing that in terms of time and money is considerable. All that said, I'm not opposed in the least to using simpler solutions if the result is maintainable by people who don't have highly specialized knowledge and years of experience with highly computerized control systems.

There are plenty of items that 3D printing is not best suited for. If you need a drive shaft for a truck, pretty much nobody would suggest making that using a 3D printer. I also completely agree that when you're tens of millions of miles from home, the solution needs to be user-serviceable. If it can't be fixed by replacing components or using simple hand tools, then it's probably not the optimal solution. So, how do you make a completely mechanical system that monitors and corrects for potentially toxic trace gases in the atmosphere of the Mars base or rover or interplanetary transport? Is that even feasible? If not, then maybe some electronics are required. Unlike virtually all Hollyweird movies, there are no electronic controls for the air locks. It's a simple inward opening latching mechanism. There's no way in hell a human could open the airlock if it was pressurized, so it prevents accidents by being impossible to use without depressurization. Assuming rapid decompression is bad, that's a useful feature and a way in which analog beats digital. There's lots of stuff like that, but also lots of electronic stuff like the ECLSS keeping the atmosphere breathable.

Edit:
Perhaps a better engineering axiom for Mars would be, "Don't make this any more complicated than it needs to be to get the job done reasonably well."

Last edited by kbd512 (2020-08-23 20:31:39)

SpaceNut · 2020-08-23 21:55:40

Still googling for how to disable or do a relearn key for the anti theft.
https://itstillruns.com/reset-securiloc … 81387.html
The instruction seems to get into the function as the door locks cycle after getting the 8th turn of the key cycle but seems to fail...

https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/ho … ason-unrau
“Valet” keys are often distinguished by a “V” on the key shaft or a different-colored key head. The key you are using may not have the chip required to start your car.

Can not truly read what is etched in to the key but it had been work up until I got stuck with a glancing blow to the back axel...

Page has more steps to try...

https://www.ehow.co.uk/how_7800035_disa … -ford.html
Locate the override button on the alarm box, beneath the driver's side of the dashboard. Press the button and hold it in until the alarm beeps one time. The LED light for the alarm should stop blinking, indicating the antitheft system is disabled.

Trouble is there is no box to reset from what I can see...

https://www.autoblog.com/2016/06/03/how … -your-car/

https://www.snapon.com/Diagnostics/US/K … amming.htm

tahanson43206 · 2020-08-24 05:52:26

For kbd512 re #232

Thanks for taking the time to think through the trades for performance vs complexity, and specifically the advantages of computer control of mechanical systems.

However, it seems to me, as I weigh the observations by GW Johnson and yours, that the two of you are talking about two different things. I don't think GW Johnson was objecting to the use of computer control modules. I think he was objecting to design that makes it difficult to perform maintenance.

Engineers will (normally) do what the project managers request. If the priorities of the project managers do not include ease of maintenance, then you'll get a product that shows whatever higher priority is dominant.

I recommend that a designer planning for equipment to be deployed on Mars try to keep ease of maintenance relatively high on the hierarchy of priorities.

I don't see a need for artistic shape of the body of the vehicle as a high priority for Mars. On Earth that is at the top (or in the top rank) due to competitive pressures in the marketplace.

***
Your observation about the present capabilities of 3D Printing is interesting, and I take it as an appropriate challenge for future development.

I so ** no ** reason in physics why a 3D printed axle should not be as good as one that has been poured and cured. It is even possible that such an axle can be superior in performance to one that is created in traditional ways. 3D printing is only a few decades old. Traditional metal working has been evolving and improving over centuries and in a few cases millennia.

In any case, traditional techniques require a population in the range of millions, and (My Hacienda is just one example) a population of under 10,000 is going to need a ** lot ** of help from tools of various kinds to set up and sustain a first tier level of civilization on Mars.

3D Printing should evolve over time until it performs at the level of the Replicators in Star Trek, and the needs of Mars residents will demand accelerated development of those capabilities.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2020-08-24 08:23:33

For SpaceNut re NewMars forum membership growth ...

I (vaguely) recall you set up a topic for recruiting members, but I couldn't find it when I went looking today.

I wanted to post this reminder:

Registration in the forum is open to anyone. Failures of the registration system do occur from time to time, but it appears that spammers have no difficulty in creating fake accounts, so even if the first ID you try doesn't work, just keep trying until NewMars accepts the request. Then you can communicate with SpaceNut, and ask for help setting up the ID you want to use.

Another suggestion is to try a different email service ... occasionally a particular email provider is blocked for some reason. There are numerous providers of free email service, so if the Registration Confirmation Email does not arrive from NewMars forum after you have applied, try another email provider.

(th)

Last edited by tahanson43206 (2020-08-24 08:25:30)

GW Johnson · 2020-08-24 12:27:02

Here is an example of simplicity conferring ease of maintenance and long life. It is my most extreme example, I do have others. This is a VW beetle with an aircooled engine, model year 1960. It has a quarter million miles on its chassis. It would have twice that, if I had not mothballed it a quarter century ago. I did pull it out once, briefly, and it ran fine.

I rebuilt the crankcase twice over that interval, and swapped out a worn out transmission once. It has only one engine accessory: the generator. I think I replaced it once during all those decades and all those miles. Bosch made good stuff, even then. It has an electromechanical voltage regulator, which I replaced once about 4 decades ago. I replaced the distributor, once. It used lots of spark plug sets, especially during the old leaded gasoline days, but they are easy to get to. I think I probably replaced the spark plug wires 3 or 4 times, during all that long life. I rebuilt the king pin front suspension once.

I did have problems with it burning cheap low-quality valves every Texas summer. That problem went away when I bought some high quality valves and put them in about 4 decades ago, at about half the miles it has today. Those are still in the car today. You have to adjust the valve clearance manually, with the correct procedure, but it is an easy thing to do, and they can be exposed and reached easily.

The ignition is breaker point/condenser. I have put in maybe half a dozen sets of points, and maybe 1 or 2 condensers, during all that long life. I think I replaced the ignition coil once or twice. I did frequently file points and set point gap with a feeler gauge. Unlike Chevy's and Dodges, the distributor is "right there in front of you", even easier to reach than a Ford. I rebuilt the fuel pump a couple of times during all that long life. It, too, is rather easy to reach.

The most frequently-replaced parts were the brake shoes, the master and wheel cylinder kits, and wheel bearings. The wheel and master cylinder kit problem became very infrequent after I converted the car to DOT-5 silicone brake fluid. That stuff does not absorb moisture and it does not oxidize and go acidic. The cylinder corrosion issues vanished entirely.

You must understand what I did with this car. I did not abuse it or rat-race it. But I did pull small trailers with it! You have to know what you are doing to do that with 36 BHP. But I added a vacuum gauge to assist me in not straying outside the right rpm and throttle settings for safe trailering. The biggest trailer I pulled was a U-Haul 4x6 enclosed box trailer. Loaded, it grossed about twice the car's weight. I had to custom fit a trailer hitch for that purpose, no stock units were available for a car that ancient and underpowered.

So I have to disagree somewhat with Kbd512's contention that modern stuff is better. I had an amazingly good service life out of that 1960 beetle, and also out of the 1973 beetle I bought for my wife, when we married (1 overhaul on its 60 BHP engine, still-original transmission, quarter million miles). I rebuilt its ball joint front suspension once. It also pulled trailers for me. I still have both beetles. They are in mothballs out here on the farm, in case I ever need them again. Those are real, working antiques, and very primitive by today's standards.

But, they are immune to EMP: no solid state electronics at all, except for the radios in the dashes. They served us well, and could still do that job today, if need be.

I also still have an old VW camper bus vintage 1969. It needs some service before going into mothballs again. It was my farm truck before I bought the F-150. At about 170,000, not as many miles on it as on the beetles, but I did do 1 overhaul that was also a displacement and power upgrade from 57 BHP to about 85 BHP. Rebuilt the front suspension once, and added heavier-duty sway bars to maintain the handling with the bigger engine and higher cruise speeds. Pulled trailers with this, too.

Nothing I have had since has come close to that record, excepting my 1995 F-150. It has nearly a quarter million miles, but had to have a front cover rebuild and a set of U-joints in the driveline, and the water pump has already started weeping again.

My wife's Prius hybrid might actually beat it: about 150,000 miles, and 10 years, and I have put nothing but brake pads, 1 set of plugs, and tires, on it. I did have all the fluids flushed and replaced at about 140,000 miles. It uses DOT-3 brake fluid, and the caliper pistons suffer less from corrosion issues than the older wheel cylinders did.

The other cars we have had did not do as well as those. They were usually junk by around 150,000 miles. The accessories on most of those engines were very hard to reach. Nothing like the VW's, or even the F-150.

So yes, my prime objection is that the modern stuff is too tightly packed to permit easy maintenance. And those accessories after about 2000 or so do not last the life of the car anymore. Stuff from the 80's and 90's did. You can get good parts, but you have to shop around. Most of the stuff available comes from China, and most of that is poor quality.

It's not that the Chinese cannot make good quality stuff, because they can, and they do IF you ride herd on them. Few outfits bother to enforce quality from the Chinese, though. Dealing with them is not like dealing with the Japanese, for whom quality is a way of life.

GW

Last edited by GW Johnson (2020-08-24 12:40:21)

SpaceNut · 2020-08-24 12:36:17

Best feature of all is the non existence of the anti theft key system....
Its not the computer its the fact that its poorly designed to force you to a dealer ship as it requires the PATS diagnostic computer interface tool to see what the computer thought it received from the chip on the key versus what it thinks its supposed to see.

I think I have owned cars from all American manufacturers at one time or another and just a few foreign made...

tahanson43206 · 2020-08-24 12:39:02

For SpaceNut re Recruiting topic ....

Thanks for bringing that topic forward again (and for creating it in the first place)

Just FYI ... before asking for your help, I asked FluxBB to show me topics in Meta New Mars with "recruit" in the title.

For reasons only it can know, it came up with zero hits, but (obviously) there should have been at least ONE!

I've added Search tags in my post #2.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2020-08-24 12:46:37

For GW Johnson re Maintenance, and specifically, Design for Maintainability

Thanks for those impressive reports, not only of excellent design, but of your (somewhat unusual around where I live) dedication to keeping those vehicles running!

It seems to me that self sufficiency in a Mars settlement at the My Hacienda level (after Toehold) would be an admirable objective, and design for maintainability would be helpful.

A while back there was discussion in the forum of using micro-electronics designs that are obsolete on Earth to provide digital services for residents so they can be maintained locally. I'd like to see someone join the forum with an interest in pursuing that concept, to see if it can be achieved. It might be possible to secure patents for Intel 486 chips (for example) and rights to the (ancient) software that ran on them.

Your report (and SpaceNut's example) of maintenance of the equipment one has on hand seems (to me for sure) like a model for how folks might be selected for a Mars settlement.

(th)

SpaceNut · 2020-08-24 12:51:32

Recruit is a partial word to which you were looking as the string needs the wild care at the end of it to be able to find recruiting.

Update:
for those that did not see the wild card under the entry box

Use wildcard character * for partial matches.

I see success...

tahanson43206 · 2020-08-24 14:57:15

Bingo! Thanks for the tip about improving my searches!

For SpaceNut re #240

Sticky: Recruiting expertise for NewMars Forum topics: by SpaceNut
Meta New Mars 8 Today 11:26:10 by SpaceNut

(th)

kbd512 · 2020-08-24 21:25:31

GW,

After listing all of the major components that you had to repair or replace on those old VWs, how do you not accept that your own experiences just illustrated my point?

Your older vehicles were objectively not more reliable by your own standards, especially if you had to rebuild the engine twice in 250K miles. It was undoubtedly simpler to work on and costs less because it's faster to take apart and put back together (and maybe you can do more of the work yourself or the parts are cheaper), but the emissions and performance of your 1960s vintage VW Bugs are not comparable to a Prius, which has a LOT more going on under the hood, yet has gone many more miles merely by replacing fluids and minor / inexpensive consumable parts like spark plugs, rather than rebuilding the engine. I have a colleague from Mexico who restores vintage Bugs in his spare time, but even he said they were nowhere near as reliable as modern cars. He proved his point when it took several tries to get the car started, despite having been driven earlier that day. He spent a good 5 minutes turning the key and tweaking the carb to get it started and had to break out a hand tool. Works? If you take good care of it, as anyone should, then sure it does, but a modern engine it's not.

BTW, I've burned zero valves using modern LS series engines. Not one. Ever. You have to get into drag racing versions of that engine before you see stuff like that. Change the oil regularly, do the recommended flushes, and they're quarter million mile engines. A factory LS can and will do that. Liquid cooling and strict temperature control makes Aluminum / Magnesium / Plastic last a long time. Keep the temperature under control and it runs like a Singer sewing machine.

Anyway, I'll take modern engines any day of the week. If someone can make a battery with equivalent energy density to gasoline (2.5kWh/kg), then I'll happily take the even more reliable electric motor. I'm quite pleased with modern technology. If it has a computer and I have a manual, then I can figure out how to program it if I'm not.

Speaking of analog, I just finished doing some masonry repair work. I used my gardening shovel, an old Aluminum pan, and a novel squirt bag for the mortar mix. Concrete is awesome, in that regard. Just add water, mix thoroughly, and you're set. No messing with machinery required.

GW Johnson · 2020-08-25 11:39:28

Those ancient vehicles were infamous at the time for not lasting 80,000 miles. I learned how to do a valve job at 80 K, and a crankcase every other valve job at 160 K. Most people would not set the valve lash regularly, or change the oil often enough, which is why so many failed before 80 K. Oil wasn't very good either, back then.

Call them a nominal 100 K design, a very common expectation back at that time. Basically that ain't bad for a 1933 technology! Not bad at all! But lousy by today's standards.

The generators, alternators, voltage regulators, and fuel pumps all lasted longer than 100 K, most closer to 150 K. They thus lasted "the expected life of the car". Same for the brake cylinders (I just made that life even longer by going to the silicone). I upgraded the recommended maintenance procedures, and went to aviation oil (and back to automotive oil once SF grade was available, which is even better). THAT is how I more-than-doubled the time between overhauls (tripled if you reference to 80 K). And thus I saw those accessories wear out.

That's not to say I don't like the modern technologies, because I do. The performance from those is remarkable, both in terms of energy efficiency, and in terms of exhaust stream cleanliness.

What I DO NOT LIKE about most of the modern vehicle designs is how difficult the maintenance is, especially for things like alternators, which ought to last the expected life of the car, and which so very clearly do not any more (I see that every day, working in my friend's shop). One extreme example: having to pull the radiator to replace the A/C compressor! THAT was utterly ridiculous!

The "truly awesome" design would be the far-longer-lasting modern engine and transmission technologies, but put together in a way that makes routine maintenance and repair easy. NOBODY does that!

BTW, the bad valves I ran into were the only ones commonly available at the time. They turned out to be cheap sand castings full of inclusions, when I sawed one open! That is simply NOT the kind of thing that could ever work in an air-cooled engine! Eaton made a run of real, upset-forged steel valves, and I put a set of those in. Never burned another valve! Ever! The actual fault was less about the design of the engine, and a whole lot more about a greedy outfit making a profit selling cheap shit for parts.

That last ought to sound familiar, when you replace your Chinese-made alternator while it's still under warranty. I've done a bunch of those the last few months.

GW

Last edited by GW Johnson (2020-08-25 11:45:58)

GW Johnson · 2020-08-25 19:24:16

Kbd512:

I hope you are storm-ready. If the track is a bit more westward than predicted, you could get massive rainfall, with flooding. That's pretty common in the Houston area.

GW

SpaceNut · 2020-08-25 21:58:27

The issue for the electronics computer is that once they do not work properly they are not only more deadly to the engine but they are going to pollute at and even greater rate if you most doubtfully will continue to do since we do not believe the light on the dash which is indicating check engine now. This light cam get set for just about anything with in the car and it has nothing to do with the engines performance. Its sort of like having the flu and finding out you have corona instead as we do not test the light for what its trying to say.

As for the alternator when a $100 part replacement costs $1100 to do there is a problem with the designing of how and where its located.

As for the both of you I hope you will heed the warning and take shelter as needed.

SpaceNut · 2020-08-25 22:21:04

Todays goal was to start the swapping of parts from the 2005 to the 2001 to get a running inspect able vehicle out of the 2 Ford escapes.
Looking to minimize the cost of getting the 2001 vehicle ready is the objective and leaving a chance for resurrecting the 2005 later.

The 2001 failed being inspect able when it was cold and when I did not have the time or the funds to invest in it since its value was near the cost to get the different 2005 vehicle at $2400. Of course when a car computer will cost reman'd at $1800 is not going to happen until I can come find a working unit in a junk yard and this still may not solve the problems that its showing with the anti theft going hard into fail.

tahanson43206 · 2020-08-26 09:06:26

For SpaceNut re automobile maintenance in general ...

The situation I'm about to describe does not apply to you, but I was curious to see what a used Tesla might run in New Hampshire.

Right at the top of the search was a vehicle with 51,000 miles for $32,600. With interest a five year loan would run $667 (or so) per month.

However, ** I ** am wondering what the chances are such a vehicle would run for five (or more) years without major maintenance charges.

In particular, since this is a 2013 model, I'm wondering how long the battery would last.

There are less expensive electric vehicles on the market. With any luck, other forum members may toss out a few examples for comparison.

Edit#1: musing aloud ... $700 per month is less than $5 per hour.

I have an acquaintance who (occasionally) picks up a gig house sitting the family dog while the family is on vacation.

In the modern age, that kind of service could be performed by telepresence. Even with the limited capabilities of existing telepresence equipment, a person could check in on a pet (or teenagers for that matter) using telepresence. All the remote device needs is a bit of mobility (matched to the location of course) and audio-video capability.

Edit#2: musing aloud again ... Since security cameras can be monitored remotely, I wondered if there are any job opportunities for work in that field.

Surveillance ProfessionalsSAVE
E
Eyewitness Surveillance
Anywhere
Apply on Laimoon.com
11 days agoWork from homeFull-time
Eyewitness Surveillance, the leader in interactive surveillance, is looking for individuals to join our Team of Remote Surveillance Professionals in the Tactical Operations Center here in Hanover MD. We are looking for positive, hard-working, professional teammates who are interested in joining an exciting company that is rapidly growing every day.
Eyewitness Surveillance specializes in remotely monitoring a wide variety of properties in many cities and states throughout the USA through the use of surveillance cameras. We provide our customers with a sense of security, keeping eyes on their properties and ensuring the security of their assets when they are unable to. This is primarily a night time position that operates seven days a week, 365 days a year.
DUTIES-Report directly to the Tactical Operations Center Supervisor in the Tactical Operation Center.-Remotely provide Asset Protection Services to businesses and residential properties using state of the art interactive...

Google came up with that item when I asked ... the search list showed that others have been looking along these lines before me. I just picked one of the previous search strings from the dropdown list.

(th)

Last edited by tahanson43206 (2020-08-26 09:33:28)

SpaceNut · 2020-08-26 10:29:40

https://www.digikey.com/en/resources/co … ttery-life

Not sure that data is even collected to gain a life expectancy from the variables that impact its life span.

A decade is sort of typical for a battery of this type.

http://speakerspeakermusic.com/tesla-car-battery-life/

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/11 … how-so-far

tahanson43206 · 2020-08-26 11:10:05

For SpaceNut re links in #248

I particularly appreciate the "greencarreports" web site, which brought me up to date on a detail of Tesla battery installations I'd missed ... As I understand the article, Tesla uses liquid cooling to help to extend the life of batteries.

I noticed (in other links) that the performance seems to be holding up fairly well for most of the vehicles in the Tesla line.

Still, if I were considering a Tesla (which I'm not due to a tight budget) I'd automatically build into the monthly payment a reserve to replace the battery. That reserve might never be needed, but it would be good insurance.

The rest of the Tesla vehicles appear to be holding up well, although I haven't studied the performance figures carefully. That's just an impression.

(th)

SpaceNut · 2020-08-26 19:34:42

The issue is that they can go into flaming melt down if the cooling fails and since its probably just a light on the dash you are less likely to notice it before its to late.

Its one of the reasons I prefer gauges to view as you get real time analog sensing.

Made some progress with getting parts to fix the 2001 remaining issues and some of what the mechanic had said was bad are not as the tierod ends are fine. What is being seen is steering rack wear.

Still need rear shocks changed but they could be ignored....

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