The transaxle in the minivan decided to not up-shift after Mass today. I drove home at 3000RPM (35mph). We were not at our usual church, so it was a longer drive than it would have been otherwise.
I stayed off of the freeway which added to the number of turns.
The great, misinformation super-highway suggests that the best I can hope for is low-fluid, although the sudden onset makes that a low possibility (I think). Another possibility is a filter clogged with fibers and crud. A fried engine sensor (MAP or throttle-position) is an outside possibility.
Chrysler, in their infinite wisdom, eliminated the trans dip-stick so I am not able to check the fluid.
Mrs ERJ is to call the local mechanic for him to pull codes and check the fluid level. If he punts (+50% chance) then we will probably bite the bullet and have a dealership look at it. The worst-case scenario is that we buy a reman trans and have it installed.
Just a quick note about the church. The building seats about 160. A couple of the parishioners took the 4-through-8 year-olds out of the sanctuary for the readings and the homily. They were given an age-appropriate version of the readings and a project. I counted 10 kids gathered at the front before they marched out of the sanctuary, and I saw a couple more shy ones slip from the pews.
I am impressed with a 160 seat church that can tally-up twelve, 4-through-8 year olds at a Sunday service. That is not a dying church.
More brush to drag
I was going to burn some of it in-place, but dragging out of the orchard is faster. So, guess which method wins.
Grafting
I might be throwing a few grafts onto some trees tomorrow. In absolute numbers, I don't have a huge number of trees to graft but they will be "field grafts" and some of them will be 6" from the ground which is stoop-work. It will be worth it if most of them take. Hope springs eternal.
I try to stay positive, but when did "masking tape" star-burst from a single, commodity product to a swarm of boutique products? I use masking tape when grafting and I am used to spending $1.25 (give or take). Now it comes in all different colors and is price-pointed at $4.50 per roll.
I also have a few raspberry plants to stick in the ground and some horse radish roots.
Thanks to all who commented
A big thank-you to everybody who commented on the post about alternatives to aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen.
My niece has a Hyundai & it wouldn't go past 1st gear even manual shifting, so I go take a look, fluid, linkage looks good. It has an overdrive button on the stick, switched it off & fixed. Just doesn't have overdrive now. I don't think it's long for this world though.
ReplyDeleteMay be a conductor plate/valve body issue.
ReplyDeleteSome of the masking tape today has different levels of adhesion and edge 'creep' of paint. The low adhesion type is all I will buy now for the stated purpose. Even then, pull it quick or it too will remove dried but not fully cured fresh paint.
ReplyDeleteOh, I feel for you ERJ. We had a Dodge Grand Caravan whose transmission failed at 100,000 miles and was starting to fail at 200,000 when we sold it. I have been done at least with Dodge/Chevy/Chrysler products since then and have not regretted it.
ReplyDeleteI believe we had either five or six in that age range at our church in Glennallen Alaska out of something like thirty five congregants. They all stayed for the long Palm Sunday readings with no problem! We had a communion service preached by a deacon because we only get a priest once a month. We will have an extra one for Easter as we usually have a Dominican priest on the first Sunday of the month.
ReplyDeleteRegarding auto dealerships, my personal opinion is to NEVER go to one, for anything. They seriously DO NOT know how to fix cars.
ReplyDeleteWe had similar experiences with one dealership, not too far from us, which had a large service and parts department. I had a ‘lifetime yearly alignment’ contract with them. They did the first one, and each time afterward they wanted to charge me for parts to do the alignment. They said the old parts were broken, or too rusted; once they said they said did not have the parts needed, and refused to do the alignment. This vehicle was less than 10 yrs old and they don’t have parts?
DeleteWe stopped going there and used locals instead.
Southern NH
I fixed a couple of dodge/chrysler transmissions they said were junk with seafoam. Apparently the Chrysler fluid breaks down and jams the valves.
ReplyDeleteWe went through 3 dodge caravans with their balsa wood transmissions until I cried No Mas!.
ReplyDeleteLoved them except for the trannies.
Read that however you like..