Learn something new every day or you're never too old to learn

Well yesterday was the day, we had to move the youngest daughter into her new apartment on the seacoast area of NH. As the roads are clear, I took the RMW out of hibernation and rented 5x8 Uhaul trailer. I have one of those wiring harnesses that you plug in to the harness for the tail lights. Picked up the trailer the night before, lights worked as planned.

Got her stuff all loaded up and headed down, about 125 miles away. Made it, unloaded, probably there for a couple hours. I noticed the tail lights were on, hmm. I started the car up, no problem, let it run for a few minutes. Not wanting to deal with a dead battery, I just disconnected the wiring harness either side, lights out. Figured when I'm ready to go, I'll plug everything back in.

So, I'm ready to go, start the car..........click, click. Luckily there's a guy there and I get a jump, starts right up, but it's not running right. Barely running, and then stalls and won't start. Having had a fuel pump go before, I knew that's what's going on. I have a short 2x4 and do what other guys have said works, bang the gas tank. No luck. Get out my AAA card, I guess I'll get flat bedded home. I call, am on hold. Then the light bulb went one. PLUG THE HARNESS BACK TOGETHER, STUPID! I did, started right up. Headed to Captain Newick's for a liquid lunch. I needed it.

Learned something yesterday, those harnesses by the tail lights, also control the fuel pump.


Tom

good to know. thanks Tom

dick

Awesome that you remembered that before the tow truck showed up!Going to have to put this into my memory after I delete some of the dumb crap I have stored in my old brain.Wait,what were we talking about?

Tom:

You had, what is referred to in polite circles as an "elder moment". I myself have been experiencing way too many of them.

Was helping out a friend with his 6.0 Silverado yesterday, doing the throttle body cleaning, and noticed that the intake was coated with a scim of black oil. Obviously a bad PCV, so proceded to remove something that appeared to be an electronic PCV???? Applied air and suction to the valve and no go whatsoever. This had to be the issue.

Not being very current with the LS engines, figured this is what I needed, but couldn't find the part anywhere. Turns out I should have been looking for the "canister purge valve". No relationship to the PCV whatsoever.

Discovered that these engines do not have a PCV valve but rather a restricted orifice and that the oily scim is normal. Trying to find problems where none existed. Went to bed feeling rather sheepish. Should have removed all the plastic covers. It would have been obvious.

You're right. You learn something new everyday.

Bill

Good to know and glad it was something simple!

-Mike

convert2diesel wrote:

Tom: You had, what is referred to in polite circles as an "elder moment".

Bill

You are correct Bill, it definitely was a senior moment; luckily I snapped out of it before it got expensive. But, I did not know the tail light harness is related to the fuel pump.

Tom

FWIW, some guys on the ISSF recently talked about just swapping over to an LS-style PCV valve with the small orifice that completely eliminates the spring and seat, thereby eliminating the need to ever replace it again.

i found that out one yr at wf cut taillights out of derby wagon then it would not run

Hmmmm. Does that apply to sedans as well? Your derby comment brought to mind that Gas Monkey Garage TV episode where they prepped a Roadmaster sedan for a derby and after they stripped it, it wouldn't start. Ran great before they messed with it.

sherlock9c1 wrote:

FWIW, some guys on the ISSF recently talked about just swapping over to an LS-style PCV valve with the small orifice that completely eliminates the spring and seat, thereby eliminating the need to ever replace it again.

Actually makes sense, as long as you're pulling the vent air downstream of the MAF. Does tend to gum up the intake though. Some of the guys on the truck forums have installed an oil separator in the system just before the intake so it would seem to be a universal problem.

Checked it today with the engine running and the system actually pulls a slight vacuum in the crankcase. Make sure your oil cap and dipstick have good seals.

Bill

There is nothing in the original design PCV that would prevent the oil vapor problem either. That's why there's throttle body cleaner.