Learned'd VIII: Less Bewbs, Same Nonsense

[Hijacker]

A common work-around for PATS when installing push-button start is to just remove the ignition key receiver antenna ring and hide it somewhere in the dash with a key inside. It completely bypasses the ignition lockout function of PATS, so you'll need some other system to prevent just anyone from being able to press the button and drive away with your car, but it allows you to keep the stock PATS setup happy while adding new features.

As for the turbo IS...
Anyone expecting me to seriously consider spending $38k on a car with a f**king four cylinder is out of their gorram mind. I don't give a s*** how much power it makes, you can feel the effing thing clunking away through the smegging firewall. Who the Hell wants to buy a smooth, quiet, refined luxury car with a jackhammer under the hood? The 2.5 V6 made infinitely more sense. A turbo 2.0 or 2.5 V6 would make even more sense than either, with none of the drawbacks.

Looking at the service manual, I'm pretty confident that having properly programmed keyless fobs would work over hiding the key ring receiver. The center antenna takes place of the keyring receiver. I might have to do some more parts digging to see if the PATS is the same between keyless start and keyless entry. If they're the same, then they should have the physical wiring provisions already set up for an either or installation.

The only way I could see it not working properly is if the BCM requires a software flag be set from factory to include the PB start. Much like how you can't install NAV easily in a car without a PCM from a factory Nav equipped car. When adding Nav to a car, the PCM doesn't report anything to the BCM about VIN numbers. It just contains a status flag inside it while also keeping a record of the VIN. So there is a VIN mismatch with the software, but it seems to be a non-issue from what I've read. But, if the PB start requires a VIN status, that can get into a heap of mess if the BCM has to be changed to one with PB start. I don't know which computers communicate VINs for linkup (it seems unnecessary to me, but who knows what manufacturers are doing these days to lockout modifications).

Bare minimum, I know I'd need the push button, the center antenna, the dash pad, and probably the wiring harness. If computers get entered into the mix, then I can live with using a key till I trade in this vehicle. LOL

[numbnuts240]

well, the exploder finally exploded. i mean, not really, but i'm not repairing it any more. we were able to drill out the threaded sleeve of the broken spark plug, re-thread it, and install the heli-coil. but i don't think we got every last bit of metal out of the cylinder. upon start-up, there was a violent idle, and a fairly loud rhythmic ticking that accelerated with an increase in rpm's. we were able to isolate the poor idle being caused by the absence of a functioning and intact high pressure sensor for the a/c system (it broke when the ratchet went wild after the spark plug broke). odd thing to affect idle, imo, but whatevs.

compression test was showing about 160. the other 2 cylinders on that side were reading 170-175. leak down test confirmed compression leak at the intake valve. a rogue piece of that plug must have lodged itself in the valve seat while it was open and kinked the valve. new suspension, new tires, and now it's dead. 210k miles on the clock, rear caliper slowly leaking, transmission cooler leaking, passenger valve cover gasket leaking (again), where's my shotgun?

priced out a set of 17" wheels and winter tires for the st. looking somewhere in the 13-1400 range. on a whim, i decided to cruise craigslist. i paid for this yesterday






99 exploder with the 4.0l pushrod v6. 177k on the clock, 5-speed manual, 4wd, factory cassette deck ( ). they didn't show pictures of the passenger side because the skirt is missing and the rockers are rusting (which i really don't care about). i paid 1300 out the door. they were asking 1200, but we agreed on 1000, plus taxes, and doc fees (it was at a used car lot). they installed a new p/s pump, but it's still got that awesomely loud ford power steering whine. i'm sure they just didn't get all the air out, so i'll do some slalom runs after i transfer the tags and insurance. clutch grabs on the high side. i've only driven a manual explorer once about 8-9 years ago, and iirc that's pretty normal. sometimes a bit sticky going into gear at a stop, i'm hoping some fresh gear oil will alleviate that issue. other than that, she runs and drives smooth, and everything operates as it should. oh yeah, possible abs sensor required, the pedal pulses and starts to sink at the cusp of a complete stop. the 01 was doing it and it was fixed with a new sensor.

i should be able to pick it up tonight and my buddy and i are going to go through both exploders and decide what i will be scavenging off the dead one before i get rid of it. definitely wheels and tires, possibly shocks (if they'll fit), maybe plugs and wires, my aftermarket radio, and whatever else we can think of that will carry over without any headache.

[Hijacker]

I'm also considering blacking out the Fusion. Plastidip all the chrome trim and swap the grills from some of Stillen's T-Rex line

[MinisterofDOOM]

Got me a Surface Pro 4 today. i5, 256GB SSD. So far, I'm liking it a lot. Win10 does a fantastic job of bridging the usability gap between tablet and PC.

[frapjap]

Keep us updated on that Surface!
We're considering asking for one as a joint xmas present.
What did it run you? Did you haggle?

[MinisterofDOOM]

I paid full price (1299 plus 150 for the type cover with fingerprint scanner)...nobody's willing to discount them right now. I imagine Black Friday might change that, but I'm not interesting in going through that rigamarole.

It's working great, even reasonably decent for gaming as long as you turn the resolution down to ~1440x900. Native resolution is quite high for its size (2736x1824) so it looks nice but some programs don't scale for "retina" DPIs very well so it makes for tiny GUI elements on rare occasions.

I have encountered some weird glitches, but I expect them to be fixed with software updates soon.
The display has weird flickering issues in certain areas at times. Touching, clicking, or otherwise interacting in the flickering area stops it.
Wifi behaves weirdly. It is sometimes crazy fast, and sometimes almost uselessly slow. Not sure if it's the Surface itself or the ISP-provided routers I've used it with.
Three times now, the touch function of the screen has stopped working and required a reboot. I also lost the touchpad on the Type Cover those same times, and had to use the keyboard to reboot.


Aside from those problems, it has been working fine.

I am very impressed with the display for an LCD. Color depth is excellent and the black levels are as good as I've seen outside an LED. Even though the DPI of 267 is nowhere near the insane 493 DPI of my Nexus 6, it's still well within the "too small to see individual pixels without sticking your face on the thing" realm.

I like the Type Cover quite a lot. The new version has a much better key layout...taller, deeper keys with more separation between them and longer action which all means a lot more tactile feedback and thus a much better touch-typing experience. I couldn't blind type very speedily on the Surface 3 Type Cover, but this one's just as good as any other non-mechanical keyboard I've used. It's no Das Keyboard with MX Blues, but it certainly does the trick. I manage ~80wpm with little effort.

The kickstand is really well-designed. It has a sort of sliding piston friction design that allows a huge range (up to 150 degrees, I believe) of angles. Interestingly, the hinges are visibly greased, so I worry it might become a particulate magnet.

I'm looking forward to seeing how it stands up to a few days at the office (a big part of the reason I sprung for it). Annoyingly, I can't find chargers in stock anywhere, and it does use a proprietary design (irritating, but sort of worth it due to the low profile magnetic connector it uses), so I'll have to drag the charger between work and home until I find another.

[frapjap]

Wow man, thanks for all the words. I especially appreciate the explanation of the keyboard. Something super simple to get right, but hard to explain to another person. Weird that its doing that fuzzy screen things in places, but hey- if it goes away, whatever.

When the computer freezes up, is it doing a good job of saving your work progress- open tabs on the browser, spread sheets, etc? Lindsey likes to drag her computer along with a bajillion tabs and open documents. Drives me batty.
We really want one of those things. Hell, I haven't even set up my desktop since moving a month ago...

[MinisterofDOOM]

A firmware update went out today which included a screen flicker fix. So far, it seems to have worked for me. No more flicker.

As for freezing--I've never had the actual OS lock up, just input devices. I've never lost ALL input devices at once, either, which means I was still able to shut down properly, resulting in no lost work.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Scratch that. Screen flicker is WAY, WAY worse after the update. I think I might actually have a bad LCD, though, and not the same issue as others, based on some troubleshooting of my own as well as with MS Support.

[frapjap]

Crap. I'll pass that along.

[TurboSauce]

Hi, So.... this thread has moved 9 pages since april...
woah.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

WHAT A s*** FRIDAY NIGHT!!!!

[float_6969]

What happened?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Been a real s*** week/month.
Neal is on his way here right now though. Beers will be had.

[float_6969]

Sounds like a damn good solution to me!

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I'm still intoxicated. I think Neal only had like 3 beers.

[numbnuts240]

enjoyed a day of selling/shopping/people watching/grilling/and beer at the swap meet yesterday. heavy came out and joined us for a bit. i spent $40 on a pair of 2.5" flowmaster glasspacks for the exploder

current exploder progress report:
-water temp gauge barely rose above "c". a new thermostat took care of that.
-p/s whine still present. gonna flush the system and refill with the recommended atf as per ford instead of the regular p/s fluid they used after installing the new pump.
-i still want to do the hop shock and sway bar bushings and end links in hopes of reducing some body roll.
-fuel gauge is stuck over full. i've adopted a mantra of "top it off every 200ish miles". it's a minor issue that can wait until after winter to deal with. i'll tap the tank with a rubber mallet a few times in case the float is just stuck.
-the sticking going into gear is diminishing as i drive it more and more.
-the parking brake system needs inspection. it's not engaging. from what i can tell, it was driven by a high school student, so i'm sure the shoes are toast from the kid forgetting to release the brake before taking off.
oh, and i have to frankenstein one of those mufflers to the stock piping. i'm just going to dump it before the rear axle. good times.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

f*** yeah.
THere should be some kind of tension adjustment for that PKB. If not, ford just sucks.

[numbnuts240]

i never even bothered looking for the adjustment hole on the disc. i just leave it in gear and chock it in my sloped driveway for now.
i flushed all the ps fluid and refilled with atf last night. the whine is still present, although not as pronounced. it may very well be the same, but i'm convincing myself it's better. i also picked up a reducer for the exhaust. i just have to grab a couple band clamps and hangars. it's raining today, so i might have to just get wet.

[sx moneypit]

The parking brakes on the Exploders suck.It's a f*** up setup.

[numbnuts240]

i'll take a look at it this weekend. got some concrete work to take care of first.

pulled into the parking lot at work this morning and there was a raccoon sitting in one of the spots. i would have had to get within 10 feet of it to get inside the building so i tried to spook it off. he wasn't budging. it finally took a few steps, either this thing was raped by 10 rabid dogs and coons, or it went on a serious bender last night. every other step was a stumble to the ground. it finally made its way into a hole underneath the building next door. which was just in time, because i really had to poop. i'm waiting on animal control now.

[sx moneypit]

Only good raccoon is a dead one.Should have shot that SOB!

[numbnuts240]

i had a morning quickie so i would have only shot blanks.

[Dattebayo]

If you saw a wild raccoon out in the daytime and it was acting strange, you can be sure it has rabies.

I never condone animal cruelty, but it's safe to say this one is better off dead.

[numbnuts240]

oh i have no reservations that it wasn't rabid. i just had no way of dispatching it myself without making a mess. my only option beyond having animal control take care of it was to run it over with the exploder. which i don't necessarily mind running critters over if they're in my way, but then i'd have a bloody carcass to deal with.

[sx moneypit]

i had a morning quickie so i would have only shot blanks.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Posted up an in-depth review of the Surface Pro 4 over in the Computers forum for anyone interested:

surface-pro-4-windows-10-combo-review-t604899.html

[frapjap]

^ SWEET! Thanks!! I'll open a tab and leave that bad boy up to read later.

[numbnuts240]

you know what porsche reps at auto shows don't want you to do? like, not even think about doing? openly talking about, and proceeding to attempt to test whether or not you can fully fit into the frunk of a brand new cayman. my bad.

[sx moneypit]

you know what porsche reps at auto shows don't want you to do? like, not even think about doing? openly talking about, and proceeding to attempt to test whether or not you can fully fit into the frunk of a brand new cayman. my bad.

Details????