P026A code

[Grumpy8811]

If I wasn't doing what I'm doing now, I'd love to be a mechanic/diesel mechanic.

I turn wrenches for myself, and for a select few I work on friend's vehicles and they ask me why am I not a mechanic. Apparently I do good work turning wrenches.

it soon loses it's luster when you get paid to do it.. customers want it for free and yesterday.. like they say, there are 3 types of jobs available(good, quick, cheap) , but you can only get 2.
you can get a good job quick, but it wont be cheap.
you can get a cheap job quick but it wont be good
or you can get a cheap good job but it wont be quick.

funny thing is they gave me free oil changes when I bought my Ram 3500
I never once bothered with that, its more effort than it is worth.
there are also five open recalls on my truck
Water Pump
transmission shift interlock
drag link
a couple other things.
heck if I will take it in to see them..
truck has 160k on it now, and its never been anywhere for service but my garage

 

[Diesel85]

it soon loses it's luster when you get paid to do it.. customers want it for free and yesterday.. like they say, there are 3 types of jobs available(good, quick, cheap) , but you can only get 2.
you can get a good job quick, but it wont be cheap.
you can get a cheap job quick but it wont be good
or you can get a cheap good job but it wont be quick.

funny thing is they gave me free oil changes when I bought my Ram 3500
I never once bothered with that, its more effort than it is worth.
there are also five open recalls on my truck
Water Pump
transmission shift interlock
drag link
a couple other things.
heck if I will take it in to see them..
truck has 160k on it now, and its never been anywhere for service but my garage

So far the only thing that my current truck has been done was a MAF sensor, only because I got another faulty sensor. Drove me nuts.

Otherwise I bought it used at 51k, and I changed all of the fluids, put a new belt on, new tires, brakes w/new fluid, etc. Fluids alone I saved well over $1,500 if not more doing it myself. Essentially got a brand new truck. Only other thing I'm going to do before winter is check and clean the DEF injector for any build up.

But yep, as far as doing work for other "customers", I'd only want to work at my pace to be accurate. Problem is, that ain't gonna fly at most service centers. When you are on the clock, time=money.

 

[endoscott]

OTOH, you can't outsource such things to China. My friend who is an outstanding painter is getting $125/ hour now. He is meticulous and I am happy to pay him to do what I no longer like to do. (Well, I never liked painting, would rather hang drywall or do framing, cabinetry etc, anything but paint). I was talking to a guy not long ago who has 2 kids, one who got a computer science degree from UCLA and is now back at home and cant find a job, while his other kid may go into the family construction business or if not some kind of engineering. Neighbors kid is a diesel mechanic at Port of Seattle and making bank with his overtime. But he is not a snowflake either....

 

[Diesel85]

OTOH, you can't outsource such things to China. My friend who is an outstanding painter is getting $125/ hour now. He is meticulous and I am happy to pay him to do what I no longer like to do. (Well, I never liked painting, would rather hang drywall or do framing, cabinetry etc, anything but paint). I was talking to a guy not long ago who has 2 kids, one who got a computer science degree from UCLA and is now back at home and cant find a job, while his other kid may go into the family construction business or if not some kind of engineering. Neighbors kid is a diesel mechanic at Port of Seattle and making bank with his overtime. But he is not a snowflake either....

While I admire professions such as the computer industry, I give more credit/tip my hat to construction workers, mechanics, etc. The folks that are turning wrenches, operating machinery, digging holes, getting rained on, etc. Those are the folks that make the world turn and make our lives easier.

It's nice to have computers/Internet, it's still a luxury in my books. I prefer reading magazines (TDR is one of them), books, and talking to people face to face. I love writing checks to pay bills and sending snail mail cards and letters. Paying in cash I also like doing too (to a point). Yesterday I went out on a Sunday drive and just used my ability of road signs and a conventional AAA road map and my logical thinking to get from point A to point B. I refused to use technology -- even turned my phone off and threw it in the back of the truck!! It's refreshing to know that one doesn't need Google Maps to get from point A to point B.

Since being a full time diesel owner and work for a company where I get to drive a nice diesel truck, I meet many great people at the diesel pump. Even if it's a quick -- nice truck to a full fledged conversation. Don't get that at the gas pump usually. And I'm rather introverted sort of speak, so folks generally spark up the conversation first with me.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

This "inspection" is one reason to change the oil filter through the top now and then.

I have been waiting for this comment since I posted that, but I did think it was going to come from someone else! You are correct tho. I knew of the known issue, it’s just so easy for me to change the filter thru the wheel well.