Date:         Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:30:58 -0800
Reply-To:     MICHAEL H <vwdash80@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         MICHAEL H <vwdash80@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: (F) The importance of a good ground (LVC)
In-Reply-To:  <1325279191.73023.YahooMailRC@web180306.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
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... Foreign Car 101 goes home for the holidays and somehow we survive ourselves ...           =(:D)                   mike

 

________________________________
 From: Evan Mac Donald <evanm@ATT.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM 
Sent: Friday, December 30, 2011 4:06 PM
Subject: (F) The importance of a good ground (LVC)
 
Earlier this winter, my home's furnace started acting up. I live in Michigan, so 
that is a big deal at this time of year. I took my trusty mutlimeter down to the 
unco-operative unit, and could not figure out what was wrong. The pieces all 
tested out good, but would not work as an assembly. Thinking it was beyond my 
knowledge base, we called in an expert. He came down, looked, poked, prodded, 
and generally reccommended that we look at replacing it. The repairs would be at 
least $400, and possibly as much as $900.

Hmm. Time to think. I tried some simple fixes, but it really didn't seem to make 
much difference. Same symptoms.

Then, one time I was down at the furnace, and held the brain out, tight against 
its mount screws. Perfect function! I pulled the brain off, and removed the 
cover, and found the mounting screws had vibrated thier way through the solder 
that provided the ground to the frame of the furnace. Even with the screws fully 
tightened, the ground was inconsistant.

I added an internal star washer, to take up some of the space, and cut into the 
remaining solder. No issues since.

Two morals here - 

Don't always trust a shop

It's the ground, stupid!

I should have seen that from the start....

 Evan Mac Donald 


"...in the absence of facts, myth rushes in, the kudzu of history."
-Stacy Schiff