Mechanics have a lot of money invested in their tools. This might be their reaction if you ask to borrow them. And never get into their toolbox without permission. I once witnessed a a mechanic break the hand of another mechanic who did just that.
(image by Grok, love Grok)
Happy National Pepperoni Pizza Day! This one brings back some really good memories for me. I used to love going to the old Pizza Hut restaurants and sitting in those cozy booths with the iconic Tiffany-style hanging lamps. There was just something about the whole experience that made going out for pizza feel like an event.
I remember going with my friends back in the 1980s, sitting around the table, eating pizza and laughing together. Then the 1990s came along, and I got to experience those same Pizza Hut memories with my kids. They absolutely loved it! It’s funny how something as simple as going out for pizza can become one of those little memories that stays with you for years.
Looking back, I think I miss the experience almost as much as the pizza. The booths, the lamps, the smell of pizza, the conversations and, most of all, the people I was sharing it with. Those were such fun times, and today’s National Pepperoni Pizza Day definitely has me feeling a little nostalgic.
A little about TPMS (Tire pressure monitoring system)
TPMS sensors eventually became standard on all USA 2008 and newer vehicles thanks to the federal TREAD Act.
The TPMS light can look like either a cutaway icon of a tire with an exclamation point or an overhead view of a car with the affected tire highlighted. The warning light's meaning depends on which type of TPMS the vehicle is equipped with. Currently there are two different type systems used on vehicles to alert drivers of a potentially low tire. They are called "Direct" and "Indirect"
Direct TPMS (most common) uses pressure monitoring sensors within each tire that monitor specific pressure levels and sometimes tire temperature. The direct tire pressure monitoring system sends all of this data to a control module where it’s analyzed and, if tire pressure is lower than it should be, transmitted directly to your dashboard where the indicator light illuminates. Each sensor has a unique serial number. This is how the system not only distinguishes between itself and systems on other vehicles, but also among pressure readings for each individual tire.
However many manufacturers use proprietary technology for these systems, so replacing a TPMS in will often require a specialized TPMS tool, of which all tire shops would have.
Please beware of some shops trying to sell you a sensor rebuild kit as they cannot be technically rebuilt. While the valve stem on them can be replaced the battery cannot. Most sensors have a battery life of around 10 years. (some more, some less).
Advantages of direct TGPMS include:
Deliver actual tire pressure readings and they are not prone to inaccuracies because of tire rotations or tire replacements.
Note: If the light flashes for 60 to 90 seconds and then stays solid, this generally indicates a system malfunction rather than a pressure issue—such as a dead sensor battery or a communication error between the sensors and the vehicle's computer.
Indirect TPMS does not uses sensors in each tire,
but relies on wheel speed sensors that the anti-lock brake system already uses. These sensors measure the rate of revolution each wheel is making and can be used by on-board computer systems to compare with each other and to other vehicle operation data such as speed.· When a wheel starts spinning faster than expected, the computer calculates that the tire is underinflated and alert the driver. But this system cannot indicate what pressure is in the tire.
Advantage with this system is there are no sensors in a tire that can get damaged during tire replacements and no sensor battery to go bad.
Disadvantages are:
Will become inaccurate if you purchase a bigger or smaller tire.
Cannot indicate how much the tire pressure is.
Unreliable when tires are unevenly worn,
Lots of false low tire warnings do to slippery road surfaces.
Typically there is a button in the car that resets the sensors so the TPMS light can turn off in an indirect system.
Phew. hope that helps!
Here’s another little update on the work at our house! The sod has already been laid by the landscaping company, and I have to say, I’m really impressed with how good it looks. I honestly expected them to put down grass seed and cover it with hay, so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that they brought in beautiful, fresh sod instead.
After all the weeks of watching the storm-drain project unfold, it’s exciting to finally see everything coming together. The yard already looks so much better, and it really makes the whole project feel like it’s almost finished.
Now there’s just one last step—the concrete for the driveway. I can’t believe we’re finally at the end of this project! It’s definitely been an experience, and I’ve learned a lot about storm drainage along the way. I’m just looking forward to seeing everything completely finished and getting our house and yard back to normal.
The biggest difference between 1981 and today is that nobody photographed everything. Most of the greatest moments of our childhood exist only in our memories, and somehow that makes them feel even more special.