Ooops...

[Chuck]

Had the Cruiser in for it's 100K service at Peter Kittle Toyota, Parafield SA on Tuesday.

Very impressed with their setup, staff knowledge & handling. Arrived at 0900 & parked at the entrance to the service area, first impression there was a reminder of military memories - a place for everything & everything in it's place - spotless, & nothing seemed to be out of place or left lying around. Very nice.

Then, just as I was getting out of the car a staff member - with his clipboard - met me, saying "Good morning Mr C... 100K service?" I concurred, gave him the remote key & was inside having a cappuccino within 2 minutes of arriving!! Car was up on the hoist within 5 minutes & I could watch it through a window in the waiting area.

Didn't mention the slight leak from the water pump area, wanted to see if they picked it up - which they did.

Three hours later it was completed - including a wash - & when presented with the service report there was a mention of a leak at the water pump along with a recommendation to have it rectified sooner rather than later. It was booked in for this morning as an all day job with a quote of $1038.00.

Yesterday, whilst messing around getting something out of the back of the car I was reminded that, when we arrived here at Bolivar SA, the 12 pin trailer plug felt quite warm, even a bit hot, when I disconnected it. Got down on creaking bent knees to have a look & noticed the bottom left of the large pins was totally black!!! Oops. Then checked the van plug - same result so removed the cover off the van plug to ascertain the colour & any damage to the wire. Large red wire on #8 pin... opened the bonnet & 2 large red wires coming from the rhs battery - one enters a small black box with what appears to be a 'wiggly tail' on it (?) possibly a fuse type (?) whilst the other travels about 100mm where it appears to be joined to a similar size/coloured wire to travel towards the firewall near the REDARC van brake thingy.

The area inside the van plug around the #8 pin appeared to have some melted (hard) black plastic but it didn't seem to have come from the wire - perhaps from the inners of the plug case itself.

Obviously some serious heat has emanated from around this area - but where & why?

Will have to get it to an auto sparky this arvo - if possible or tomorrow morning at the latest... heading to Dots on Monday!!!

[Swisslulu]

We had the same water pump issue when we were in Tamworth for a service on our way north west after our sojourn south for Easter last year, Chuck. Apparently they have a history of failing around the 90k mark.

[generdawg]

...a staff member - with his clipboard - met me, saying "Good morning Mr C...

Mr C, Mr C! and all this time you have your forum friends? grovelling calling you Chuck or even worse - Chuckie.

dawg (well I nevah )

[Dot]

Thought you spoke caravanlingo fluently Should of got Alex to do the service not shouldn't you?

[Chuck]

OK. From the top:

Lesley, yep had heard similar stories, although the bloke that booked me in indicated that they might get away with a new seal... maybe. They didn't. Put a new unit in $495 +/- ... also told them that after the service the brakes pedal was nice & firm/high but on the morning of the pump job it was nearly down to the floor... needed pumping! He said he'll get them to bleed the front brakes again (did them during the service???). When I picked it up at 5pm yesterday got a pleasant surprise... walked into the service office area, 2 blokes being served & 3 others waiting. Door hadn't even closed when the service manager - who met me on arrival that morning - was in the office, stood up & called out "Mr C, Mr C... over here please... almost running out of the office with the paperwork in his hand.

Other blokes just looked - yeah, just like that - as Mr Service took me aside & started to explain what they had done. Initially was very apologetic & explained the various aspects of the report then indicated that he felt that the initial quote of $1038 or there abouts was a bit high so had reduced the cost to $895 & hadn't charged for the bleeding of the brakes & had the car washed. It had also been washed on Tuesday after the service job!

Brad, Yeah, I guess some people just know class when they see it. Obviously they tend to get it wrong occasionally as well!

Dot, Did consider getting Alex to do both the service & the water pump but this was only just up the road - not quite as close as Alex's - & there was always the possibility of Toyota doing the right thing cost wise. Yes, Alex may well have been cheaper. Next time.

BobK our long time mate, ex RAAFie & electrician type person kindly had a look at our 12 pin plug... yep, the big red one was the gremlin. But not knowing why the autosparkie did the wiring the way he did, it's difficult to understand why it over heated.

So, the decision was made to cut the wire from #8 pin - it had melted part of the plug plastic (internal) & the casing on the red wire - then split the wire into 2 spare pins next to it, to share the load & reduce the power/wattage or whatever it's called going through it. Bob thinks this may rectify the problem but if it doesn't then a visit to someone with a bit more smarts (his words may be required.

Will see how it performs on the way down to Dot's.

[T1 Terry]

BobK our long time mate, ex RAAFie & electrician type person kindly had a look at our 12 pin plug... yep, the big red one was the gremlin. But not knowing why the autosparkie did the wiring the way he did, it's difficult to understand why it over heated.

Brass electrical screw retainer connections onto copper wire are notorious for developing hot joints if there is any oxide build up at all in the socket hole where the wire goes in. I had 2 x 8 gauge cable melt at the brass link block, looked just like a dead short type wire melting, but it was just a dirty contact, cleaned them out with a drill bit, expossed a bit more wire and reconnected, problem gone.
Here is a photo of the melted cable from my solar busbar, the whole brass block got so hot it melted the screw out of the plastic mounting block

House solar.JPG