1 heh that's pretty funny

2 It is only fitting that Sears adopts a zombie stance. They have been dead since they went into bankruptcy a few years ago.

The only reason I used to go there was their appliances and now those have turned to shit. Their cloths have been shit for decades now and their local store at the mall here literally stinks.

I haven't been in their store for years.

3 Wow a Deathlands reference! My older brother has almost every book he could get on audio, they are formulaic but very entertaining. I am wondering how much gas, bullets and horse meat Sears would take in trade for a new craftsman tool set?

4 Apparently Sears is attempting to appeal directly to Obama voters.

5 The only reason I used to go there was their appliances and now those have turned to shit. Their cloths have been shit for decades now and their local store at the mall here literally stinks.

Funny you mention that - I'm kinda thinking the same thing, but my parents are apparently very loyal Sears customers.  This was my conversation with them last night:

Mom: We need new tires for the car, but we don't have a lot of money
Me: Oh so you're going to shop around for a good deal?
Mom: No, we'll just go to Sears

D'oh!

6 How appropriate that a Chicago-based outfit should adopt a zombie theme right before election day...

7 O/T -- Unless Californians are deaf (as well as toked up) ^{not you, Rum,} Boxer is TOAST.

8  How appropriate that a Chicago-based outfit should adopt a zombie theme right before election day...

Posted by: Clint Billman at October 31, 2010 08:40 AM (k4bdL)

Well played, sir.  Well played.

9 Mom: We need new tires for the car, but we don't have a lot of money
Me: Oh so you're going to shop around for a good deal?
Mom: No, we'll just go to Sears

D'oh!

Posted by: chemjeff at October 31, 2010 08:40 AM (gx/7q)

LOL, we have a lot of discount tire places around here where I can get name brand tires much cheaper than Sears. Since the internet has come about it pays to check around and see what the cheapest prices are for the tires you need and then armed with that go dicker with the local merchants.

10 Posted by: RushBabe at October 31, 2010 08:44 AM (a3Z62)

I saw that article this morning and wondered why at a minimum she hasn't been hauled before the "ethics" committee. In reality she should be in jail.

But we better investigate Joe Wilson for spending $12.00 of per diem travel money on Iraq War soldiers for tokens.

11 yeah my parents haven't really got the knack of the whole 'shopping around' concept - oh well

12 Who wants a 16v Hitachi cordless drill?! Best Buy----$169.00 Amazon-----$169.00 Home Depot---$169.00 Sears-------ON SALE FOR $179.00 !!!!!!!! That's about all you need to know about Sears.

13 Aaaaaaiiieeeeee....Corpse-men...they're everywhere!!!!

14 On a different topic we had our first freeze last night. It got down to 32°F here for the first time this new Winter.

Its supposed to get up to 78°F and I am thinking about a porch rocker day since this is the last day in the 70s they have predicted here for the next 10 days.

15 Really O/T -- any shade tree mechanics have a guess as to this problem:  2001 Mercury Grand Marquis starts fine, but unless you keep your foot on the gas, it dies out.  Fuel pump?  The car is in beautiful shape and has 35,000 miles on it.

16 I am reminded of my father trying to get brake pads for an older car from Sears, the only ones they had cost $70. You don't need expensive breaks on an old piece of shit car, no matter how top of the line the sales man tries to tell you they are.

17 Fuel pump?  The car is in beautiful shape and has 35,000 miles on it.

Posted by: RushBabe at October 31, 2010 09:14 AM (a3Z62)

Have you allowed the gas tank to run dry? If so, could be the pump. BTW for that car the pump is located in the gas tank submerged. Very expensive to work on or replace. There is also a switch in the trunk that cuts off the pump in the event of a rear end accident. That switch may be going intermittent.

Also could be clogged fuel filter (cheap) or clogged jets (expensive). Usually with clogged jets though one will clog up before the others and you will get one cylinder falling off first. 

Clogged filters and jets come from getting gas from a place that is not careful about maintaining the cleanliness of their tanks. Have you got gas from a different vendor lately?

In any event you should have an "engine trouble" light for these problems.

18

14 Who wants a 16v Hitachi cordless drill?!
Best Buy----$169.00
Amazon-----$169.00
Home Depot---$169.00

Sears-------ON SALE FOR $179.00 !!!!!!!!

That's about all you need to know about Sears.
Posted by: Shoppy at October 31, 2010 09:03 AM (edg8q)

 

You want deals you should check eBay...digital multimeter for a dollar

19 i always buy my outfits picturing myself rotting, bloody and slumped over.......

20 i hated sears as a kid because my mom would drag us there to buy tough skins for my brothers....i thought those were the ugliest pants ever.....

21 RushBabe, we shade tree mechanics were put out of work in the engine area when computers were put on cars.  I had a 1989 Dodge Caravan that had a nasty habit of dying at stop signs and traffic lights. The repair book and a whole section devoted to logic diagrams.

The engine has a throttle position sensor, exhaust oxygen sensor, inlet air temperature sensor, just to name three.  Take the car to Auto Zone or some other retailer and they can plug into the car's computer and get a diagnosis.  It may be a faulty sensor. 

22 Damn sock, not Holger, Pelayo

23 I'll second what Holger says. I had a car with a similar problem and it turned out to be a fairly inexpensive sensor. Luckily the mechanic had seen the problem before and knew what to look for first.

24 Thanks, Vic, low and Holger.  Will Auto Zone do a loaner on the diagnostic clip-on if you leave a credit card?  We can't even get the damn thing out of the garage!

25

Okay...they got me.  I thought that was pretty funny. I'm going to reward their creativity with a purchase of Dearfoam slippers for my MIL for Christmas.

Not really sure why the hate for Sears...I understand, correct me if I'm wrong, that they have an admirable policy regarding the armed forces and job retention and do a lot for the troops.

26 Sears has great bedding supplies.  I especially like their sheets.

27 21 i always buy my outfits picturing myself rotting, bloody and slumped over.......   That's hot.

28

My mum and dad got a kenmore dishwasher over a year ago to replace the one they bought 20 years ago...the quality of the new one was dramatically improved and it's whisper quiet.  I'd buy one of those.

29 The thing that always turned me off about Sears was their contractors.  I sell to contractors and the stories I would here of them winning bids from little gray haired ladies that a Sears had tried to screw over with a quote 3x a fair price were numerous.

Once we got a quote to shingle the roof once and the Sears guy came out, walked around the house and tapped a pole to each corner of the house in what was an amazing theatrical performance.  When we got the quote I did a double-take and broke out laughing as the interest on his quote was higher than the entire bid we finally accepted.

This was probably revenge for pushing the red stop button on their escalator in Hamden CT when I was four.

30

Since the internet has come about it pays to check around and see what the cheapest prices are for the tires you need and then armed with that go dicker with the local merchants.

Sam's Club is where we ended up at least once. We have an online subscription for Consumer Reports and read there first.

31 Our candidates don't have braaaaaiiiiinnnnnsssss!

32

Not really sure why the hate for Sears...I understand, correct me if I'm wrong, that they have an admirable policy regarding the armed forces and job retention and do a lot for the troops.

Posted by: Gem at October 31, 2010 09:36 AM

I like Sears for several reasons.  Yes Sears does go above and beyond for their Reservist and National Guard employees.  They guarantee full pay and hospitalization up to 5 years. Sears also supports lots of military family programs such as the Army Spouse Employment Program, Youth for Success and has given the largest donation to the National Military Family Association of any company.  

And since I am a more or less automotive dysfunctional person I like the fact their roadside assistance and warranties are actually worth the paper they're printed on(unlike a couple of other companies where I bought tires and had repairs done.)  Also, Craftsman tools, they still replace any old junk you bring in. 

33

My mum and dad got a kenmore dishwasher over a year ago to replace the one they bought 20 years ago...the quality of the new one was dramatically improved and it's whisper quiet.  I'd buy one of those.

Unfortunately, the reason why the old one was so noisy was because it had a cockholsteringly awesome motor that acutally cleaned something, not whisper-quiet re-vetted electric Vespa motor that weakly spits moistened Cascade at crusted eggs and spaghetti sauce.  This I know.  I wish I had my ancient KitchenAid back.

34 What in hell is it with this seemingly perpetual fascination with zombies? Our kids and their friends can't drop the "zombie apocalypse" bullshit and speculate on and on as to whom they'd band together with and why, and what their survival strategy - if that's the correct word to apply to spouting abject nonsense - would be.
In the meantime, they helped to elect an inarticulate, inexperienced and willfully destructive president who is doing everything in his power to dismantle this country and the institutions that made it a beacon of hope for over 230 years. Hey, dum-dums, your "zombie apocalypse" is here and YOU are the brain-dead zombies. Starting Tuesday, the adults take back control and you need to enroll in a crash course of growing up.

35

Goodyear stores have patched a tire for me free or cheap a couple times. Really saved us on a trip last year. Not sure if they fixed it for free because another Goodyear shop had done the repair that hadn't held or what, but yeh Goodyear!

36

Unfortunately, the reason why the old one was so noisy was because it had a cockholsteringly awesome motor that acutally cleaned something, not whisper-quiet re-vetted electric Vespa motor that weakly spits moistened Cascade at crusted eggs and spaghetti sauce.

Appliance are now so hit and miss. You just have to find reviews and get lucky to get a good model. I think they only thing you can do is get a model that's a couple years old and see what problems people have already had with it. But for any model, you will find people who have had problems because the quality of manufacturing ain't what it used to be.

37 Heh.  CBS Affiliate Caught Conspiring Against Joe Miller.  "Get the names of his people, there have to be some child molesters.  Also, "Just like they did to Rand Paul."

38 I posted that link days ago..

Posted by: Gerry at October 31, 2010 10:09 AM (G9ONX)

That's part of life at the HQ.  It's like the old Charlie Brown poster:  Doing a good job around here is like wetting your pants while wearing a dark suit.  If gives you a warm feeling, but no one else notices.

39 51 Heh.  CBS Affiliate Caught Conspiring Against Joe Miller.  "Get the names of his people, there have to be some child molesters.  Also, "Just like they did to Rand Paul."       Nontroversy!

40 Oil quantity checks out just fine.  No issues the rest of the day.  The oil was changed about 2 months ago and 2500 miles later.  Any thoughts?

Posted by: CDR M at October 31, 2010 10:02 AM (5I8G0)

I had a problem similar to that on my last F-150 ('97). It was the oil pressure sensor. It is located near the oil filter and is very easy to replace. Just be ready to catch the oil when you take the old one off and screw the new one on. 

BTW, the replacements don't last as long as the original so be prepared to start swapping these things out on a regular basis.

41 Posted by: CDR M at October 31, 2010 10:02 AM

From what you say, my first guess would be the sensor...if you're lucky. Otherwise, worn bearings or a worn oil pump.

Does the pressure drop again after you've run the car for a while? Then it's the bearings/pump.

If you can find them, I'd suggest popping off one of the valve covers and looking to see if the rockers are nice and oily. If stuff looks dry, don't drive it and get a pro to check it out. Don't do that when the engine's running, natch.

Had a problem like this with my father's car years ago. Had the engine rebuilt by a "pro" and still had the problem. Dumb shit never even looked at the oil pump.

42 Unfortunately, the reason why the old one was so noisy was because it had a cockholsteringly awesome motor that acutally cleaned something, not whisper-quiet re-vetted electric Vespa motor that weakly spits moistened Cascade at crusted eggs and spaghetti sauce.

That's not always true - there was a semi-famous case where a company sold the same dishwasher in quieter and super-loud versions (different levels of insulation, same working parts).  They tested out as cleaning exactly the same, but consumers 100% of the time claimed the quieter version didn't get the job done.

43 BTW CDR M; if your oil pressure was actually low such that oil wasn't making it to the rocker arms it would sound like a threshing machine with all the knocking. 

That is why I think it is most likely the sensor/transmitter.

44 Posted by: Vic at October 31, 2010 10:33 AM

I've swapped these out a few times. Sensors are one thing I always buy from dealers...the aftermarket parts often don't last well, as you say.

Same goes for thermal switches. On most of my cars -- all from the pre-computer era -- I wired a switch on the dash to the cooling (fan) sensor, so I could turn on the fan when the water temp went up.

45

Unfortunately, the reason why the old one was so noisy was because it had a cockholsteringly awesome motor that acutally cleaned something, not whisper-quiet re-vetted electric Vespa motor that weakly spits moistened Cascade at crusted eggs and spaghetti sauce.  This I know.  I wish I had my ancient KitchenAid back.

Posted by: Gem at October 31, 2010 09:59 AM (zw+pb)

 

I dunno, the older noisy one didn't do as good a job as the newer quiet one...it just sounded a lot like it was working hard.  You couldn't have a conversation in the room when that old thing was going

46 I've swapped these out a few times. Sensors are one thing I always buy from dealers...the aftermarket parts often don't last well, as you say.

I never thought about buying one from the dealer. The dealers around here rip you off in a heart beat. I got the parts from NAPA, but like you said, they just don't last long. The saving grace was that they were only a few dollars then, it was just the aggravation of crawling under the truck and getting oil all over my hands changing it out about once a year.

So far haven't had any problems with my new F-150.

47 Hope that is not the threshing machine effect you are talking about.

Posted by: CDR M at October 31, 2010 10:44 AM (5I8G0)

Nah, I was talking about noise. Those rockers will make a LOT of noise if they are getting no oil.

48 One other thing, if there is no noise and the pressure does come up after a minute or so you can probably ignore it.

The problem is that eventually it will not come up at all and you basically lose you ability tell when a real problem occurs. One thing you might try the next time you change the oil is to remove the sensor and clean it in a solvent solution. Sometimes they just get clogged up with trash. But, as I said, back a few years ago they were pretty cheap if you replaced them yourself.

49 Posted by: CDR M at October 31, 2010 10:44 AM

Given the problems at start-up, I'd go with disconnecting the battery for a few minutes, then reconnecting it and trying another start. The damn modern computers get electronic bugs up their electronic asses and go into "limp-home" mode at weird times. Cutting the current makes the system reset.

@Vic -- My experience has led me to trust 99% of the parts from major stores. For some reason, can't make myself do that with sensors, as many are made to fit more than one engine. The originals are (or should be ) calibrated for specific applications.

50 Heh!  That's how I reset the computer after my wife leaves the gas cap loose!
Posted by: CDR M at October 31, 2010 10:56 AM

This reminds me: I think cars need three "check engine" lights on the dash: one (yellow) for "check engine -- no biggie," an orange one for "hey, you better check that engine out, 'cause there's bad shit ahead" and a third (red) for "hope you've got a fat wallet, 'cause you just bought an engine rebuild, sucker!"

My ex drove her Volvo for three days with the oil-pressure light shining in her face, then asked me why it was "running funny." I hate doing engine rebuilds in a driveway....

And yes, I installed an oil-pressure gauge after that.

51

Oh well hell, if you still have rocker arms...

Use a high-detergent engine cleaner additive, and a half-pint of Marvel Mystery Oil, for one day before your next oil change, and drain it hot. Oil supposedly doesn't turn to gunk anymore, but atmospherics and "combustion by-products" (ash) can still accumulate in the areas farthest from the pump, usually the rockers. Is there enough ZDDP in your oil? New-spec oils don't have it.

Back in yon olden days, we used to do a "Tennessee overhaul" that involved removing the heads, soaking all that crap out of the rocker shafts and lifter-holes (I know, they don't have those anymore either) with now-illegal spirits-of-petroleum, re-lapping the valves by hand with grinding compound, and Permatexing the gaskets. Net cost in materials was about a dollar; it took all day ('your labor is the cheapest item on the job site'), and it shut those tappets right up. The Y-Block "Edsel Special" was noted for needing this around 50K.

52 Big deal, we've been targeting the undead for decades.

53 Posted by: comatus at October 31, 2010 11:11 AM

The easiest way to keep things clean in the engine is to change oil more often than recommended. I've always changed oil and filter at 2500-3000 miles, or more often with older high-performance engines. In our old Austin-Healey, my father and I changed oil every 1500 miles. The engine went 150,000-200,000 miles between rebuilds, unheard-of for Healeys.

The oil "looks" clean when you do this, and some might be tempted to leave it for a while. But unless your peepers are like little beady microscope lenses, you can't see all the crap suspended in oil, even after 1000 miles.

It's the cheapest form of protection.

54 On appliances, as most already know Sears appliances are made by other companies. Here's a chart to help find out who made your Sears appliance.
Also most major appliances are made by only four companies.  Here is some info on who makes who.

55 The silent but deadly expenses hurt the most.  We spent $2K on a repair (we lost 2nd gear) with no warning other than it being impossible to shift gears all of a sudden.  The labor costs were the killer for us. 

56 If I could find an old Sears store out in the boonies (no doubt staffed with zombies) that still had a leftover Allstate car (sold in '52 and '53) stashed in the back, I'd so be there!

http://bit.ly/a4mvxE

57 We spent $2K on a repair (we lost 2nd gear) with no warning other than it being impossible to shift gears all of a sudden.  The labor costs were the killer for us. 

Posted by: NotAMolly at October 31, 2010 11:31 AM (ADJFU)

Transmissions used to be the most reliable part of a car. Thanks again to the government mandated CAFE standards they have become plastic crap. Nobody really repairs them anymore. They replace them with a "factory" rebuilt transmission. So if you are handy with tools and can rent a transmission jack you can do that yourself.

It is still going to cost you a fortune though.

58 81 That is why DH was not too surprised at the cost and why he was ok spending the $$ to get the repair done (we actually saved $$: we had seen quotes of $2300 and saved a little bit). 

59 I, for one, welcome our new zombie overlords!

60

Unfortunately, the reason why the old one was so noisy was because it had a cockholsteringly awesome motor that acutally cleaned something, not whisper-quiet re-vetted electric Vespa motor that weakly spits moistened Cascade at crusted eggs and spaghetti sauce.

That's not always true - there was a semi-famous case where a company sold the same dishwasher in quieter and super-loud versions (different levels of insulation, same working parts).  They tested out as cleaning exactly the same, but consumers 100% of the time claimed the quieter version didn't get the job done.

Well, perhaps that's true, but with old KitchenAid I never had to pick through the "clean" dishes to find the ones with crud still on to rewash them, and I have to do that now on a regular basis. Silverware almost always has to go again. My current dishwasher is a Whirlpool, btw, which, as I have been informed by recall notice, might burst into flames at any moment due to faulty sealing around the rinsing agent dispenser.  Sigh.  Maybe the KitchenAid, albeit old, was a really great model, and this one is a cheap, super-shitty model.  I think it was about $600 dollars with tax (on sale) about 1 1/2  years ago. Seemed like a lot of money then, especially since husbie was unemployed at the time.

61 kunjungi gayuh di Asuhan Keperawatan, Laporan Pendahuluan, Mobil Keluarga Ideal Terbaik Indonesia ya.... salam ngekngok bung... sambil nyanyi yuk Song Lyricbadboybaik

62

Our company is specialized in manufacturing laser equipments, such aslaser cutting machines, laser engraving machines, laser dieboard cutter, laser metal cutter, CNC router, laser mark, etc. Since establishment, we have been devoting to researching, developing, producing and marketing of laser equipments.

63 With the development of technology, traditional cutting methods find many difficulties in satisfying users' needs. Smart competitors try to seek for new technology to change this situation. Luckily, laser cutting machines bring them hope and benefits. Compared with traditional cutting methods, laser cutters have many advantages. It is easy to operate, convenient to maintain, and has high precision, great efficiency, and high degree of automation.