DAILY CHRONICLE #8 VOL 13

HOWARD’S DAILY CHRONICLE

NUMBER 8 VOL 13

AUGUST 8^TH 2008

WEATHER; HOT, HIGH HUMIDITY, 73/101 DEGREES

 

WE VE GOT A PROBLEM WITH THE ACCLAIM AND I’M NOT SURE WHAT IT IS! THE MPG WENT FROM 22-23 TO 14.6 BETWEEN THE LAST TWO TANK FULLS!

I WENT OUT THIS MONING AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD FOR POSSIBLE FUEL RETURN LINE KINKED OR LEAKING ALTHOUGH IF MOM HEARS OR SMELLS ANYTHING UNUSUAL SHE TELLS ME AND SHE HASN’T SMELLED RAW GAS SO IT’S NOT A LEAK! I CHECKED THE AIR FILTER AND IT’S CLEAN, I WAS SURE I JUST REPLACED IT ABOUT A MONTH AGO! I CAN’T GET UNDER THE CAR TO CHECK THE FUEL LINES TO AND FROM THE FUEL FILTER AND THE FUEL PUMP BUT THE CAR RUNS TO GOOD TO HAVE A PROBLEM THERE!  I TOOK MY VACUMM GAGE OUT AND HOOKED IT UP TO A FITTING ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD THEN STARTED THE ENGINE. IT IDLES WITH 21 INCHES OF VACUMM, AFTER RUNNING THE ENGINE UP TO ABOUT 2500 RPM AND LETTING IT SLOW DOWN IT WENT RIGHT BACK TO 21 INCHES AND THERE IS NO NEEDLE FLUTTER SO ALL THE VALVES ARE WORKING PERFECTLY!

WE THOUGHT MAYBE THE TRIP METER WASN’T WORKING PROPERLY SO ON THIS TANK FULL WE’RE USEING THE MAIN ODOMETER READING! I CHECKED TODAY AND THE TRIP METER SHOWS 10.2 MILES SINCE WE FILLED UP AND THE ODOMETER SHOWED AN ADDITIONAL 10+ MILES SINCE FILL UP THE MAIN ODOMETER DOESN’T HAVE A TENTH OF A MILE NUMBER!

I CHECKEDTHE TIRE PRESSURE AND ALL 4 HAVE 35 PSI WHICH IS WHAT I CARRY IN THEM!

THE TAIL PIPE DOESN’T SHOW SIGNS OF FLOODING WHICH IT WOULD IF THAT MUCH GAS WAS GOING THROUGH THE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS! MOM BOUGHT A SET OF THE BOSCH-4s FOR IT TODAY AND I’LL SEE IF I CAN GET KELLY TO CHANGE THEM OUT THIS WEEKEND! THE WIRES WERE NEW ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND DON’T SHOW ANY BREAK DOWN! I WAS RUNNING MY HANDS OVER AND AROUND THEM TODAY WHILE THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AND I DIDN’T GET EVEN A TICKLE! IF I GOT HIT WITH THE 50,000 VOLTS THE IGNITION COIL PUTS OUT IT WOULD HAVE STOPPED MY PACEMAKR!

TOMORROW MOM AND I ARE GOING TO HOOK THE DRB II INTO THE SYSTEM AND SEE IF SHE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO READ THE THINGS IT TELLS YOU! I READ THE KEY CODES TODAY AND GOT A 12, 51, 52, AND 55! THE 51 AND 52 SAY THE 02 SENSORS ARE READING ONE HI AND THE OTHER ONE LOW! THE DRB II WILL TELL IF THAT’S TRUE OR NOT!

IF IT IS WE HAVE THE SAME THING IN THE INTREPID AND BOUGHT TWO NEW SENSORS FOR IT!

I’M GOING TO BE INTERESTED IN SEEING THE TIPS OF THE SPARK PLUGS WHEN KELLY PULLS THEM OUT! IN THE PAST WHEN WE’VE CHANGED THE PLUGS IN THE ACCLAIM I WAS TEMPTED TO REGAP THEM AND PUT THEM BACK IN THEY WERE SO CLEAN BUT THEY HAD OVER 50,000 MILES ON THEM! I COULD PUT A GLASS OF WATER ON THE PLENEM WHILE RUNNING THE ENGINE AND THERE WOULDN’T EVEN BE A RIPPLE IT IDLES SO SMOOTH AND THERE’S 303,781 MILES ON THE ENGINE!

AS FAR AS I CAN SEE THE IGNITION TIMING IS RIGHT ON 12 BEFORE TDC!

 

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT COULD BE BECAUSE WE’RE RUNNING THE A/C! ON OUR TRIP WE RAN THE A/C 99% OF THE TIME AND GOT NEAR 28 MPG WITH AN AVERAGE OF 24 RUNNING 75 MPH! WE AVERAGED 58 MPH OVER THE WHOLE TRIP!

 

THIS HAS GOT ME BAFFLED, ALL THE THINGS THAT SHOULD SHOW A REASON FOR THE MPG TO DROP LIKE THIS ARE RIGHT ON THE MONEY! MAYBE THE DRB II WILL GIVE US THE ANSWER?

 

I’LL TELL YOU SOMEMORE ABOUT BILL SHARKEY MY SHOTGUN USEING BUDDY AND ME IN THE NEXT ISSUE!

 

THAT’S “30” FOR THIS ISSUE.

 

HOWARD