Taking the plunge. My journey as an O/O.

I don't think it's fuel quality. The fuel economy has lasted through 3 or 4 fuelings.

 

Well, now that I am on a decently long run, I shut down with enough time to fart around on the computer for a couple hours before bed.

Then I tried to check my email on the laptop.(My personal account. I have a business account I access from my phone.)

No-go. Accessing my Hotmail account with Outlook 2013 on Windows 10 after recent security updates by Microsoft was a seriously forked-up mess.

None of Microsofts diagnostic or repair tools did a #### thing.

I ended up doing some serious Google-## and expressing myself in the sleeper in a way that would make any mechanic or sailor proud.

Four hours later, figured it out.

Had to delete and recreate a new email account AND a new access account. Yes, they are two separate things. You use settings from the access account to connect to the email account.

This is the sort of crap that competent software engineers resolve before they push updates to millions of users.

At least I got it handled tonight. Will be driving a full day tomorrow, then taking a 34 before rolling into CA to final.

 

Update.

Diet continues. Down to 275 fully clothed with work boots. Figure that's 265 or so.

Update 2. I was a tard today and set my tandems wrong in CA. Had them set at 40 foot to center of the tandem group rather than 40 foot to rear tandem axle.

I know better. Brain Fart. Fortunately, the scale officer only gave me a warning note, since I was able to make adjustments to be fully legal in weight and kingpin separation.

Still, it ate up about 30 minutes at the scalehouse.

 

Do what you want, but rings are separate issue from valve train. I’d wait till it hits at least 70k, unless newer engines require it sooner, I don’t know. As far as rings go, run it hard, lug it down some on hills, make it work hard. Rings may have a bit more sealing to do. Better mpg, and longevity in the long run. After 70k, you can baby it all you want, reap the fuel economy rewards. That’s how I understand it anyways. Maybe I’m wrong.

 

Probably a good idea not to rush it. I can replace the steps with a step/storage box next home time, and do the valve adjustment the home time after that.

 

Amen to only using QUALITY parts .

 

Agreed. I have only used an off-brand part one time on the truck, when the AC compressor went out, I had them install an aftermarket compressor rather than an OEM compressor.

 

Well, at 0400 this morning, my opti-idle failed to start the truck.

Checked the oil, then tried to manually start my truck. No go.

Battery seemed to have plenty of power, the starter seems to only try for about a second to start, then stops turning. No fluids under the truck. Oil and coolant levels good.

So, I have a tow on the way. If they can't get me rolling, will need to be towed to a nearby Freightliner dealer. Fortunately, there is one only a couple miles away.

Problem is that the tow company has no heavy tow driver available until 0730.

The light tow truck is basically only going to be able to try to jump me off, and since I am a manual transmission, and bobtail, I might get him to try to pull start me.

Of course this happens at the END of my 34, two hours before I was planning on rolling.

If I had a reefer attached, I would already be trying to jump the truck from the reefer, but that's a no-go without a reefer unit.

Today is shaping up to be 'interesting.'

 

Get a screwdriver and try jumping the terminals on the starter.

 

No need at this point. The truck jumped off successfully.

Drove myself to the Freightliner dealership.

Going to have them look at fault codes and see if they can determine a reason that makes sense.

The way that I-70 between PA and IL was beating the hell out of my truck recently, I might have a bad cell or two. Either that, or the computer waited too long to try and restart the truck with opti-idle, for whatever reason.

Those are two of the potential easy-find solutions.

Hopefully it isn't anything terribly interesting.