Round Two
The first week of 2010 did not treat me to kindly.
The second week does not seem to fare any better.
I had been informed at the end of the week, that I would be taking another spare truck this week. I assumed this was due to the fact that the Regen repairs could not be made in time, at least that is what they told. But with the way this week is turning out, it almost feels like a revenge tactic. You know, to get me to shut up about how crappy our trucks are.
The last words spoken in the ominous message were "You SHOULD be able to make it". BOY, that instills confidence!
Well, there is a very annoying screech that has been piercing my brain ever since I put this beast into gear..I have searched for the cause with no success. I have checked belts, pulleys and hoses. Almost sounds like a bearing, but not quite. It sounds like the intake is sucking air. It sounds like the Turbo is not working.It sounds like if I had to deal with this constantly, I would lose my mind.
Oh wait, I do! The good news is that the noise disappears entirely when I turn off the truck.
It actually increases in volume with the rpms, it also increases in volume with the engine brake engaged, it also increases in volume if you press on the throttle, the brake, or even if you are just idling. When does it not increase in volume?...when it is turned off.
I was not too overly concerned about it though. Worse case scenario is that I would end up in a hotel room. Well, that is not quite true. I never want to be deterred, but I try to handle it with a sufficient amount of grace.
I had made all of Mondays deliveries and was heading for Hartford, Connecticut when the motor started grumbling. The previously mentioned screeching was not affecting performance, but the sudden loss of power and angry mechanical stuttering I felt in New Rochelle was cause for alarm...Hmmm, crap!! I think I just lost an injector/cup or 3...
I made it to the Milford Pilot and after several successful attempts to engage the engine, I alerted my boss to the fact that while the truck is running, it will possibly not make it all the way back to Atlanta. I am concerned because two of my remaining deliveries are inside a building. Should the truck fail to start, I will be blocking the entire receiving lane and one of these lanes is literally a 10' wide aisle in a warehouse. The only aisle that is used for all motor and pedestrian traffic.Not exactly the predicament I want to be in.
Oh, in other good news...The inverter does not work in this truck. Very thankful I brought a few books to read, because waiting 15 hours to unload could get boring without the TV, computer, or phone to play with. Yeah, I cannot charge my phone either....
8 comments:
(Sighing)
What a way to start 2010, huh?
(On the lighter side of things, I accidently misread the fourth paragraph.
"Well, there is a very annoying screech that has been piercing my brain ever since I put this beast into gear.."
I thought it read, "...been piercing my BRA IN ever since.."
See, even I can't the common english language too good.)
LOL, with that irritating noise, I have not been thinking too clearly myself!!
Ya know, I have heard of this before! The piercing sound that increases with pitch under the conditions you stated. The turbo, yes, almost. I was told, when the tubro sucks in more air than is needed by the engine, that is where the noise comes from. Ya, ok, whatever, sounds good to me!
That's all i got to say bout that!
:)
Tanker Yanker, I got a video coming with the next post on this. You tell me if its the same noise...Along with the motor coming apart, it was NOT a good week!
Terry, you say there is a very annoying screech that has been piercing ur brain ever since you put that beast into ➔ "GEAR"?
From what you are describing, & considering this is a spare truck. I am assuming this spare trucks poor standard transmission is shifted & clutched differently by all the many different drivers that have driven it. With that being said, i think its safe to say that it is no secret that spare trucks driven by temporary drivers are also hammered on like rental cars. That tells me that the annoying screech sound your spare truck is making when you "put it in gear" has the highest probability of being clutch, throw-out bearing, & pilot bushing issues, & usually these 3 items all wear out together & are all changed as a set. Those 3 parts when worn can also be very noisy, yet the sound can travel thru all the casings that surround them, making it very difficult to pinpoint where the noise is actually coming from. I am guessing the noise changes for you while sitting still & pressing & releasing the clutch pedal?
Its not my best guess, but just the highest odds of what it could be, based on what you are describing & what i am interpreting. Best described as a Guesstimate =]
Eric..ummm, wow! You really read into that. Okay , so it is does not have anything to do with the clutch, plate, bearing. Maybe I should choose my words more carefully. I simply meant that when the engine is running, but I do have a video I posted to my alt YT account.I will add it here so you can see for yourself. It definitely explains all my hostility last week :-)
oops, sorry bout the long comment, the closet gear-head in me comes out when jacked up on caffeine, but yes, when you are describing something to your crew chief, errr,.. i mean mechanic....lol
Eric, I wont be describing anything to the mechanics, because it is no longer my problem. Yeah, I know, sounds like the typical company driver who doesnt care, but I did write in up in explicit detail. I have also found that if I try to tell the Stooges anything, they glaze over with the attitude of what does this dumb female think she knows. Therefore, I give them clues and let them figure it out themselve. AND, because it is not my truck, I do not linger to supervise LOL
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