Update Time!

Been awhile since I had anything to say so I thought I would update a few things. First is the Buick, which is still sitting in the garage waiting on parts. I did get some of the stuff I needed, a sending unit for the hot and cold temperature lights as the old one was bad. Got that in and it works as it should now.

I was also able to fix a problem that had been bugging me since I got the car. The dash lights which should be green, the turn indicators and COLD light, had faded over the years and were now white. I suppose the filters used to make them glow green were not as good as those used on the red ones for GEN, OIL and HOT lights, as those were still fine. I found replacement type colored LED bulbs, but they were kind of expensive.

So I was ordering something else on Ebay from a supplier in China when I thought perhaps that might be a good source to check for cheaper LED bulbs. Sure enough I found a deal there for 5 LED bulbs for less than the price of one of the more expensive ones, so I ordered and have received those. As you can see from the before and after pictures, makes all the difference in the world!

I have since replaced both of the turn indicator lights with the green LED bulbs and those work also, but for some reason, the right one is not as bright as the left one. I will have to investigate that at another time. At least they all work and are the correct color now.

While working with these lights, it quickly became apparent that the small plastic sockets which those lights fit into do not hold up well over time as one of the tabs have broken off on several of them. I did buy a couple of replacements, but now I need a couple more. Of the joys of working on an old car!

On to the floor pan problem. I did have a chance to really get into that with the wire brush and quickly found out the floor is in far worse shape than first expected. I can get away with replacing just half of the pan, but my original plan to just uses patches will no longer work. The entire right side of the pan is pretty much gone, so I'm back to my original idea of ordering one of these replacement pans to repair the area.

I also made a slight mistake when working in this area as I left the right side front door open for over a week not realizing that the dome light came on while that door was open. Of course it ran the battery down to a point where it would no longer turn the car over, but a night on the trickle charger fixed that problem.

It also made me wonder why the light doesn't come on if the left door is opened, so more investigation followed. I discovered the door jamb switch for the dome light was hidden behind an access panel which hides the inner fender from view. Removing that allowed me to remove the bad switch in hopes of finding a replacement.

After scouring the internet, I did find one (actually a pair), but subsequent discussions with the seller revealed that he wanted $85 plus shipping for them. I understand making an extra profit b/c the part you have is kind of rare, but no $2 part is ever worth that kind of markup. I plan to post a picture or two with a description of the switch in the parts wanted section of the V8 Buick forum in hopes of finding a much cheaper alternative.

As for other items, I went out to get a bite to eat the other evening and didn't get far. Seems the battery on my Monte Carlo decided to go dead. I had just taken a trip to Vevay the week before to visit my mother and it seemed fine then. But as I very well know from years and years of messing with these infernal automobiles, they like to surprise you. Lucky it happened here and not out on the road.

Took awhile, but I finally managed to get it out. Time was you could just unhook the cables and pull out the battery for the most part, but not on this one, I first had to remove a body brace, then the windshield washer pump and bottle, and finally a bar which supports the windshield washer bottle and also holds the battery down. Then I barely had room to remove the cables and wedge the battery out!

I found the side terminals and cables to be clean and free of corrosion, so no problem with a bad connection, but the sides of the battery were bulging so I think it is time for a new one. It was in there when I bought the car, several years ago, so no telling how old it is.

I went online to look at some prices and was very shocked to see how much batteries have gone up since the last one I bought for my mail car a few years back. Okay, maybe it was 5 or 6 years back, but I still couldn't believe that a car battery now costs a cool C-note. I did discover that Advance Auto parts was having a sale, but it ended that day and I was not able to take advantage of that. Would have saved me almost $20, but it was not to be. Hopefully I will be able to find a cheaper alternative at WalMart.

Guess that is enough for this update, will catch everyone up again at a later time...