Mopar1973Man

Bluetooth range is extremely limited like 6-7 feet tops from the dongle. WiFi Range will be greater how much I'm not sure. USB cable length... High speed is limited to 5 meters or 16 feet 5 inches. Low Speed is limited 3 meters or 9 feet 10 inches. So I doubt your going to make it into the house and keep signal running good. You could buy a cheap Droid Tablet like I did. ($40 bucks for a Azpen A729) Then you got a device for your dongle. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9684027&CatId=11943

Your correct. Don't feel back insert the Android "Droid" jokes and Linux jokes for me.

Take your pick... http://www.obdlink.com/ What I've got is The OBDLink LX. I've considered getting the USB version for some in depth CANBus hacking. Then for the shop I thought of upgrading to the OBDLink MX so I can cover the newer Ford and Chevy protocols that the LX can't do. I never know what rolls into the shop these days. Still to this day the ScanGauge II is the best trip computer over all other products.

The only time I use the high idle feature more so is to break the ice or heavy frost off the windshield. Other than that I fire up select MPG and get moving. I rather invest the fuel towards movement than idling trying to create heat. Now the other exception is MoparMom if she is going with me the truck has to be warmed up a bit. She really hates to sit in a cold truck for 8-10 miles waiting for heat. I can tolerate it but older folks don't do cold very well. So I'm willing to sacrifice MPG numbers for some comfort for her.

Remember using high idle to warm up is going to reduce the MPG. So I typically try and keep my high idle usage down if possible. I only use it long enough to gain some coolant temperature like 80-120*F and get rolling. If you wait till it kick off it could use quite a bit of fuel. As for MPG mode it will alter the timing map enough to act like summer conditions and reduce excessive rattle and should provide a mild increase to MPG's. Again is based on how much or little high idle time you use too. So for example if you start the truck in the OFF position allow the grid heaters to fire and then flip to MPG mode. Now just drive to work you'll see the best gains for MPG's vs. using either high idle mode and attempting to fully warm the truck up before leaving. So it would be optimal in your case to plug in and just use the MPG mode. The only time I use high idle modes the most is when there is no way to plug in, extremely cold days where it best to leave it high idle than to shutdown. Another is extremely hot days and needing to cool down the cab fast. Other than that it better to fire up and drive easy till the coolant temperature rise into the normal range.

Inside the head is possible. It would leak pressurized fuel out in the head and "may" draw in air as well. Check the back of the head for the return line to be leaking which might draw air in. Hard starting can be because of lack of rail pressure or air leak issues. So to see rail pressure you going to need a live data tool like OBDLink LX dongle or similar to read the rail pressure while cranking.

I'm going to shoot from the hip. I just got done working on a 2005 Cummins that was able to start easy but the truck would only travel a short distance and then rail pressure would fall out. That is a loose cross over tube. Now a bad injectors(s) that are leaking excessively would most likely cause hard starting. So for testing I would remove all the injector line and torque the cross over nuts to spec. Then test drive and see if it goes away. If not I would bench test all 6 injectors see where your at. If any are failing I would replace them as a set of 6. Too many time I see people cutting corners and replacing only the bad ones and end up doing it over and over till all 6 are replaced.

I'll keep that in mind. I'm going to see about finding a local source first with a good alternator. Still got one ace up the sleeve yet. Let play that in the morning as see what falls out.

As for replacing the alternator I stopped in NAPA and had mine tested. According to the test machine it PASSED with .7 AC volts. The new alternator PASSED with 1.3 AC Volts. So no sale occurred. I figured I'll take mine home and rebuild myself. Now that I tore it down and found the issue is the alternator case is damaged and the rear bearing is flopping around in the case. So basically the whole armature is dancing in a orbit. The brushes are shot one brush is nearly wore to the point of no contact. So now on the hunt for a good alternator.

As for my buckets of gear oil, ATF, etc. I peel the lids off put on the bucket pump and keep them stored in the shop. Then for fuel barrels I would remove the pump and recap the barrel.

Ok. This morning I decided to do more testing again. Unplugged the alternator and did some more test driving again. I will say the ABS is not tripping the lights but still behaving rather odd. I think the ABS unit has taken damage from the alternator. While the alternator was unplugged (field lead). I did notice one thing that was strange is once the voltage of the system fell to 12.00 VDC the volt gauge drops all the way to 8 Volts and trips the check gauge light. That's rather crappy designed gauge to do that. So while it was running I was measuring the AC output at the BATT post and the voltage was nearly ZERO bumping 0.01 barely. Plug in the field lead and the AC jumps hard spike of course of the initial hook up. But starts high at 0.07 and works it way back down to 0.05 with on loads. Alternator is junk in my eyes. Now the question remains if the ABS computer is damaged... Time to hunt for ABS test tool I can barrow or get some to verify this unit.

Yeah... But I didn't have any at the time. I'm out of the good stuff all I got is the old standard crimp on stuff.

I've worked with two local shops. Both I could do the jobs but when you dealing with everything from domestic to import, then gasoline ricer to diesel truck it can drive a person nuts. Myself I enjoy being a specialist in Dodge Cummins trucks. So I've move back home and continue to work from home. I love it!

No stabilizer used. Drum are air tight and the fuel will not change unless its venting to the outside world then the fuel will alter. Stored fuels like this for YEARS no issues. The key is AIR TIGHT containers and non-venting.

Exactly. That's the problem I've got with my two barrels of fuel they are stored outside and cover with a tarp. Eventually the moisture with take its toll.

As long as the bungs are screwed in tight then there is no issues.

Won't happen. Remember the ABS is the starting line for the speedometer signal so if there is no ABS computer then there is no speedometer. I highly suggest you test the alternator for excessive noise issues.

My problem with steel cans in the rust issues. Fuel out here tend to get water it from time to time and steel cans will rust out. That's what happen to my last two 55 gallon drums was the gasoline barrel rotten from the inside out. The diesel one was more rusted on the outside. So I just replaced them both pretty cheap. I only use the plastic cans for transporting the fuel from the station to the barrel or from the barrel to the vehicle (trucks, ATV, lawn mower etc.)

Goes back on this problem. Since the ABS braking system works on the very same speed sensors as needed for the speedometer it very possible for the alternator noise to screw up the performance.

Wire tap or stealth plate?

I can get the valve stems at my local Chevron Station for cheap.

Let me say yesterday I got a good scare. Travelled up to McCall, ID to do my usual shopping. I normally take the back road around McCall to the store. When I started to approach the light I was easing into the brakes and all of a sudden the ABS is back pumping me not allowing to even stop. I was saying my prayers before I rear ended the car ahead of me. Then at the last 5 MPH of coasting the ABS tripped the light and brakes hit NOW. Missed the car ahead of me by inches. Now let me say I've replace all 3 speed sensors and been seeing the random light now and then. I've even tried with no shims in the front and now back to 1 and 1 in the front and the lights stay out for the most part. Now if you just lay on the brake hard like a panic stop now I get a wild jerk to the right. Quite spooky driving. Some times you can stab the brake and get the rear axle to lock one side or the other and not trip the ABS light. Really strange behavior... So I better go check my AC noise. Guess what the alternator is at .07 AC volts. The alternator is done. So my weird random issues was a alternator problem. Now lets hope It's not fried the ABS computer. I guess Friday I'll be getting another alternator.

After doing the conversion work on Randy's Tractor Farm and Family I started looking around to see what was there. I got to say there is a killer way to fix gas can to work. Check this out! http://forum.tractorfarmandfamily.com/topic/2888-how-to-fix-a-new-gas-can/

Not exactly. Like here in Idaho there is little to no biodiesel sold. No like Oregon is mandated for 5% Bio, Minnesota again is another state mandated for bio diesel usage. So depends on the state your in if you'll have bio-diesel or not. As for the loss... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_gallon_equivalent Petroleum diesel will always have more BTU's vs Biodiesel. Just like Clear Gasoline will always have more BTU's than ethanol. As for cetane.. (Quoted from ASTM testing Labs) The ASTM Standard Specification for Diesel Fuel Oils (D-975) states, "The cetane number requirements depend on engine design, size, nature of speed and load variations, and on starting and atmospheric conditions. Increase in cetane number over values actually required does not materially improve engine performance. Accordingly, the cetane number specified should be as low as possible to insure maximum fuel availability."

Hopefully its not a dry bird...