The Plot Thickens

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch) 06/19/2015 at 11:37 • Filed to: None

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Got a call from my mom again this morning after !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

I guess its more interesting that it first appears, turns out the person who jumped her dead battery yesterday did it reverse polarity (seriously). and so she could start the car but it wouldn’t move at all. Did a little online sleuthing and found the potential culprit fuse (luckily it was just a fuse, could have done a LOT more damage). Replaced the ETCS (Electronic Throttle Control Circuit) fuse via a helpful bystander at camp and they are disconnecting the negative terminal for a few minutes to clear the code and try again.

How do people, in 2015, not know that red wire goes to red wire?! My mom knows that...she neglected to tell me this yesterday...but she did mention that it “looked wrong” and “sparked a lot”. Man alive people, red and black. Learn the bloody difference!

UPDATE: Success. The codes are clear, the car drives and she is on her way. Thanks google box, you’ve further solidified my role as her personal tech support...but seriously, im glad it worked.

Wacko > HammerheadFistpunch 06/19/2015 at 11:41

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Your title should be Average Toyota drivers, not Mothers!

HammerheadFistpunch > Wacko 06/19/2015 at 11:42

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Or average people.

Tekamul > HammerheadFistpunch 06/19/2015 at 11:43

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The world will not be safe until they make differently shaped positive and negative terminals that can only be contacted with the corresponding clamps.

Not that this will ever happen, as the number of people that are even willing to jump a car without calling AAA is dwindling.

Instead, they should have jump packs in parking lots that work like the new AEDs. Hook it up, and the computer assesses they situation and tacks the right action. No polarity concerns.

Wacko > HammerheadFistpunch 06/19/2015 at 11:45

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same difference

HammerheadFistpunch > Tekamul 06/19/2015 at 11:45

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sad story? I just bought one of these

and I was going to send her with it but I forgot. It has reverse polarity protection.

HammerheadFistpunch > Wacko 06/19/2015 at 11:46

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Either a Toyota or a GM I guess.

Tekamul > HammerheadFistpunch 06/19/2015 at 11:49

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Wow, I didn’t even know that was a thing. They’ve already idiot proofed them!

HammerheadFistpunch > Tekamul 06/19/2015 at 11:54

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I love this thing. Charges an ipad and phone several times over, comes with tons of 12v adapters so I can plug it into anything with a round 12v port and it fires up my land cruiser like it was no thing.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > HammerheadFistpunch 06/19/2015 at 12:02

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I think that would be a pretty easy mistake to make if you weren’t a car person. When do something using multiple batteries, you hook them up positive to negative. At first glance, then, the logical thing to do seems to be hook red to black. I’ve caught myself doing that, actually. Think a little farther and you get the right answer. Unfortunately most people don’t go beyond that first impression...

HammerheadFistpunch > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 06/19/2015 at 12:04

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I guess I see your point, but at the same time I would like to think an intelligent person would look at color coded cables, color coded terminals, color coded jumpers and think: hmmm, I think they are trying to tell me something. That having been said, I did this by mistake many MANY years ago just being careless, so I can see how it happens.

Textured Soy Protein > HammerheadFistpunch 06/19/2015 at 12:28

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Well now you know what to get her for her birthday.

HammerheadFistpunch > Textured Soy Protein 06/19/2015 at 12:31

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nuts to that, I’ll get her an Xp-1

I love my XP-10, and use it all the time.

Textured Soy Protein > HammerheadFistpunch 06/19/2015 at 12:41

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I just grabbed a random jump start box from google image search, not saying you need that one in particular.

I think a typical mom’s reaction to that kit would be along the lines of,

“What am I supposed to do with all these wires and thingamabobs?”

HammerheadFistpunch > Textured Soy Protein 06/19/2015 at 12:43

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its true, so true.