Daily Archives: March 21, 2016

March 21, 2016   Uncategorized

Less is More . . .

At least, Less Wind is More Better.

Jan and I did our mile walk again this morning, but this time with almost no wind. Much nicer. As was sitting outside afterwards with our coffee.

I brought Karma outside on her leash for a while, but she’s still not very comfortable. Then when I put her back inside and leave the door open, she cries at the screen door and wants back out.

So then I bought her out and just held her in my arms for a while and she seemed pretty happy with that and didn’t struggle or try to get away.

While we were outside a lady came by on her walk, and seeing Karma, stopped to talk about traveling with cats, as she has one too. Unfortunately we didn’t get her name, so maybe she’ll stop back by.

After I worked on web stuff for a while, I spent the rest of the morning slogging through the truck electrical schematics, trying to make sense of them. The problem is that the schematics call parts one thing, but the text and the imprints on the panel covers call them by another name. But I finally got things straight in my head (well, as straight as things ever get in my head).

Dodge Dakota Schematic_thumb[1]

So later in the afternoon, I went back outside to follow up on what I’d learned. The first thing I did was pull out the relay labeled A/C Relay (which was labeled A/C Compressor Clutch relay elsewhere, which is what it is),

Truck AC Compressor Coil_thumb[2]

Since the schematic showed the contact was always hot, I used a jumper lead to bridge between the two marked contacts.

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And heard the ‘Clunk’ of the compressor clutch coil as it pulled in. Things were looking up.

Removing the jumper, I started the truck, turned the AC on, and then replaced the jumper. In a few minutes my infrared thermometer showed I was getting 45 degree air out the vent. So now I know that part works, and I can make the AC work manually if I need to.

The next  thing I did was pull out the the relay labeled Radiator Fan (which was labeled Condenser Fan relay elsewhere, which is what it is),

Truck AC Condenser Fan_thumb[5]

I now used a jumper lead to bridge between the two marked contacts here, expecting to hear something from the condenser fan, but I got nothing. Of course that could mean that the fan is dead, but I wanted to check further.

Since I was supposed to have 12v on the right hand contract I checked there with the voltmeter, and found 0 volts. So why?

Looking at the schematic it showed it should always be hot. The only thing between the 12v power bus and the relay is a 50 amp fuse that I had already checked a couple of days ago. But since that fuse was the only thing between the 12v and the relay contacts, I checked it again.

This fuse is one of those newer type cartridge fuses that I’ve run into before.

Cartridge Fuse_thumb[2]

But when I pulled the fuse out, I noticed something else.The manual showed this fuse as a 50amp version, but the one I pulled out was a 40amp one. Now I know that I’ve never replaced this fuse, so I assume the first owner, which was T-Mobile, did it somewhere along the line. Or maybe it just came that way.

And when I checked it this time, the fuse was bad. So why was it good the last time I checked it?

As I picked the fuse back up I noticed it rattled, so this time I shook it slowly as I checked it, and every now and then it would read good. So I now know why I don’t have 12v at the relay.

But I still wanted to check the fan, so I used a longer jumper wire to bridge directly from the battery to the relay contact.

Truck AC Fan Bypass_thumb[1] 
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And when I did, the condenser fan rumbled to life, emphasis on ‘rumbled’. It sounded like it was grinding walnuts, which explains the noise I was hearing earlier.

So now that I know where all the problems are, my next chore is to see if I can change out the condenser fan without removing the radiator.

Here’s hoping.

As I hoped, Al Hesselbart, RV Historian Extraordinaire stopped by the blog to add and correct my info on the Silver Streak Sterling in yesterday’s blog.

Greg,
You did not go quite far enough in your evolution story. In 1967, the motorized division of Streamline was sold to LK Newell and rebadged as Newell Coach who made the first diesel pushers including my 1978 Newell Coach Home.

Also Byam’s time with Curtis Wright was not pre Airstream it was mid Airstream since Airstream was started in 32 and shut down by material shortages during the war and he worked with Wright for about 14 months before restarting airstream.

It’s nice to be needed.

Hopefully we’ll get to see Al again later this year.

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Thought for the Day:

“We do not live by rule of law, because no one can possibly go a day without breaking one or another of the goofy laws that have been imposed on us over the years. No one even KNOWS all the laws that apply to almost anything we do now. We live in a time of selective enforcement of law.” — Dr. J. E. Pournelle

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