This visualization of a home automation shows a mesh network of smart switches, smart plugs, and sensors.
The rectangle object in the diagram identifies a Zigbee Coordinator (radio adapter) which is the go-between for the automation hub. Sensor end devices (circular object) that are within close proximity can signal back to the Coordinator directly. Data is transmitted using a low power RF so signal strength is a factor. Happily, since this is a mesh network, the more distant end devices can chain relay through smart devices (oblong object) which relay amplify to the Coordinator like a router.
In sympathy with peoples abroad who might be chilling these next few months and in consideration of rising energy costs closer to home I am implementing a new routine with hopes for conserving.
The first step is to adopt a “time of use” billing strategy that utility companies offer. The utility solicits a pricing incentive for customers to refrain from and reduce consumption during the part of day that is historically prime time for energy usage. My humble abode is equipped with a heat pump and that is a big consumer so I give you the following strategy:
On-peak is from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday excluding holidays, so I don’t intend to use the heat pump(s) or worse — system AUX heating, a big draw item. So to comply, the thermostat will be turned down for this time slot. To mitigate rise and shine shivering or breakfast hour discomfort the living space will be pre-heated using the Off-peak ($0.067) rate before it cuts off. On-peak is a penalizing $0.39 per kilowatt hour and to be avoided.
thermostat – settings
0500-0600 74 degrees (pre-heating)
0600-0900 65 degrees (On-peak)
0900-1600 68 degrees
1600-2145 72 degrees
2145-0500 65 degrees
A Smart Thermostat simplifies the task of micromanaging the setting adjustments.
extra credit
Ensuring that the water heater, also electric, will never draw current during the On-peak is a bit more involved but easily controlled. A relay to open/close the 240v contactors for the heating element can be actuated by a 120v smart plug. An [smart-hub] automation routine then will pause the appliance like a timer.
future plan
There is a Super Off-peak between the odd hours of 10 at night and 5 in the morning. At a mere $0.043 cents per kWh this will be an opportune time period to charge the EV.
maybe…
At some point go off grid? Solar array? Powerwall? In any event, please stay warm.
I’d released the counter springs on the hinges decades ago and so the hood would no longer hold itself up; not without a prop rod. The springs were tensioned to their weakest setting and I knew not how to increase it. Tools on hand at the time were a pair of vice grips with bailing wire; good enough to release a spring but clumsy. Coil springs have stored energy and can cause injury when mishandled. Uncertain about how to [properly] go about it and a bit apprehensive the job was put off. Fast Forward today to the Internet Age; a Youtube hit gave inspiration.
If the springs could be extended and placed in the hinge’s more extreme setting slot then the increased force under tension would correctly balance the open hood. Unfortunately, the size of each individual spring (one per hinge) was such that mere muscle power would not overcome the difficult flexing required to get that job done. Leverage was needed.
rope line loop used to coax the spring
A couple of Ratchet Tie-Down Trailer Straps provided the persuasion. An concrete post in the garage floor lent an immovable anchor point. A second strap maintained a proper pull angle since the post was off center.
ratchets serve as a Come Along
The ratchet acting as a winch provided the grunt and the ear of the spring was positioned adjacent to its proper location. With care and finesse the spring could then be hooked over the tang and into the correct slot on the hinge mount.
I have to give thumbs-up acknowledgement to the Youtuber DIY; he sure made it look easy. Well, it’s never easy but a least now finally — no more prop rod! A bucket list project perceived as insurmountable all these years gets resolved.
Old cars had running boards. A vestige from this bygone era, the modern car door sill is nothing more than a decorative piece to prevent one’s shoes from scuffing the body painted entry threshold. This plate is likely to be of plastic assembly with the make or logo embossed. On the exterior side is the tarmac and the other side is the carpet. When shut the door covers the sill plate.
The door sill/scuff plate on ‘Ponton‘ era Mercedes-Benz were not that far removed from the old running boards. They could be described as internal running boards as they were enveloped by body when the closed door overlapped them. They are really not wide enough to stand upon nor were they so intended but there they are welcoming gateway to driver and passenger. From the illustration below observe that the vertical chrome trim plate and an aluminium surround piece serves to offer scuff protection. The flat sill spans between them.
perished mat
The original rubber sill (above) is aged and brittle. It has seen better days. The refurbishment project was initiated some years back (pre-internet) where it stalled due to non-availability of replacement parts. Recently, I began the search anew. The problem is that there is no longer much demand for this style ribbed rubber material. What I could find was in black only or some egregious industrial offering. The pursuit picked up when I found “grey mat for Mercedes”. ‘Imported’ from the limited description sounded promising but the bulk size and color were not and were likely for some later model.
new mat in place
Finally, success! An outfit in Germany called Niemöller Ersatzteile für Mercedes-Benz Veteranen seemed to have what I sought. I ordered their self-described hellbeige ribbed rubber with high expectations and was not let down. The material was rolled in bulk so a paper template had to be drawn and the mat trimmed. The new piece was cemented down after the fasteners removed and the shiny bits cleared for access.
Factory labor intensive, I counted 15 individual screws for each door entry (for which holes also had to be drilled). I don’t suppose that they had bots or even electric screwdrivers to speed that process. A contrast in manufacturing technique, today’s sill plate application must take the assembly line person mere seconds to snap in to place.
Full disclosure: The Before picture was taken indoors whereas the After is using natural light, thus the paint color variation.
Opaque / Clear
The Zuffenhausen factory specified a tough clear UV protective coating which has performed well for the past 13 years of exposure. However it’s a tough environment and these lense covers are only plastic afterall.
A polishing kit from 3M was purchased to rejuvenate the current cloudy finish. Using my low speed electric drill, the supplied buffer wheel attachment and abrasive media, pits and scratches were incrementally removed. I deviated from the prescribed and used some 320 grit to begin with. This made quick work of the original factory coating, totally removing it. Naked uncoated, stages of number 500, 800, 3000 (wet) progressed. Finally the kit included a liquid rubbing compound that completed the goal of clarity. The surface is now quite smooth.
Routine application of a formulated polish with water resistant polymers such as PlastX or toothpaste (!) should offer protection from this point onward.
Ordinarily the N2, O2, H2O, CO2, CO, NOx… and other gases exit the tailpipe but driver complaints indicated that exhaust smells were entering the interior.
It was somewhat of a mystery because noxious odors would only manifest after the engine had been operating for awhile (warmed-up) and only when the vehicle was stationary (idling at a stop sign). Common deduction was that the emissions were drawn in through the fresh air ventilation system; so possibly emanating from under-hood? DIY Forum searches revealed no symptomatic similarities unfortunately, but it was revealed that not all exhaust is directed to the tailpipe at least not immediately.
Inner workings to help achieve automobile emissions standards include things like exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) which is exactly as it sounds. A portion of spent gas is returned to the combustion chamber to act as absorbents of combustion heat. Another subsystem is called secondary air injection wherein fresh air is injected into the exhaust stream to allow for a fuller combustion of exhaust gases.
This is a good detective starting place because of their attendant plumbing and routing all of which is located under-hood making them suspect. The aforementioned DIY search revealed the secondary air injection as a typical trouble spot and prone to early fan blade failure so the investigation invited focus.
An electric air pump (2) that operates only after an engine cold start and ceases at warm-up (fitting the driver complaint scenario) draws under-hood air from behind its finned cover and pushes it under pressure through rubber hose (8) where it meets one-way valve (10). From there it directly enters an exhaust manifold depicted in the diagram by grey outline silhouette. Bolt (12) attaches the one-way valve to this manifold. The purpose of the valve is dual purpose: to allow air to pass into the exhaust manifold to mix with the exhaust therein but also to prevent the exhaust gas to reverse flow when the air pump is switched off. Hence one-way.
Remove the finned cover revealed a ‘smoking gun’ find. Underside was heavy moisture (a by-product of combustion), black soot, and grime — a dead giveaway. Further inspection with removal of the check valve revealed that it was possible to blow air through the valve in either direction without impediment and was therefore faulty.
Forensic Display: The valve body housing has been destructively separated to make visible the valve head which should ordinarily be in the closed position for this state. It nearly is, but observe the small piece of plastic debris (a single fan blade) wedged between the valve and the valve seat. This is the culprit. It is holding the valve head off of the sealing body in a stuck open position.
A new assembly has been sourced and ordered. This fix will restore operation and prevent the toxic stink.
Why was this only noticeable when the vehicle was motionless? The answer is that, thanks to aerodynamics, there is high air pressure at the base of the windshield. This is also the location of the cabin fresh air intake. When moving at speed it was enough to eject the underhood fumes harmlessly beneath the car. When pulling to a stop warm air rising and depending on prevailing breeze, brought the odor topside and directly into the vent. PU
Every item on my shelf of items has a story. This is an oil pressure transducer. Its design goal is to alert the operator, via red light and aural warning when there is no pressure. It is a 7 psi switch that taps into an engine’s oil gallery. Its default is closed meaning that when oil pressure is non existent it allows 12 volt current to complete a circuit and provide warning. If there is pressure the switch is open and therefore, no circuit. Everything is quiet and the machine in operation is assumed to be a-okay.
Tracing a route down the Savannah River on my way out to sea, I heard a chirping noise that turned out to be the alarm system just described. It wasn’t a full on signal just an indication that it was on the cusp of something. Imagine my concern. I reduced the throttle on my auxiliary diesel and the alarm came full on. Adding power and the alarm grew silent. It was unnerving, without an actual pressure gauge for verification, I couldn’t know whether, the engine was on its last legs or indication system anomaly.
I decided to error on the side of caution and discontinued engine usage, relying on the wind and sailpower to delivery me home. If the engine was to die it would perform a final task of delivering me the remaining few yards and into the waiting marina berth at end of journey.
The diesel ran fine when restarted for arrival and when shutdown safely back at home port. Further, the antagonizing low pressure warning from before never recurred. Phew! I had been under pressure. Now I need to confirm if in fact the transducer switch had perished or was it trying to tell the truth.
There are just a few causes of low oil pressure:
Oil level extremely low
Oil viscosity very weak due to contamination and thinning
Engine wear tolerances usually bearings or oil pump
The oil quantity was easily ruled out as I use the dipstick check as a matter of pre-flight. The quality of the oil itself was a bit harder. There wasn’t any coolant mixed in so that was quickly discounted. I couldn’t be sure that diesel fuel wasn’t leaking into the crankcase. A laboratory oil analysis would be handy because all I could witness was slimy black ooze squeezed between fingers. That leaves the third bullet – this engine – which definitely qualifies. It has been in use for over 30 years and while loving cared for, it has aged.
Process of elimination: I pulled the oil filter and poured its contents into a plastic cup. I could have sent it off to a lab but I presented it to an experienced type in the boatyard facility for a free opinion. The pronouncement was plain ol’ used diesel crankcase oil. No unusual appearance or telltale odor.
That leaves the ultimate showdown — engine vs indication. I sourced a generic pressure gauge that when fitted to the port where the [removed] transducer switch had lived, would solve the question once-and-for-all.
The TEST: Ran engine through various speed regimes. Starting cold and also running under load at normal operating temperature.
Initial observation is that the pressure transducer switch is suspect. All of the readings were well above the 7 PSI threshold of the switch. It will be replaced. The only troubling aspect were some of the erratic recordings. This may be because of the simple gauge utilized. I did see some spikes that couldn’t be accounted for. In any event, 45 psi seems to be the average norm and an acceptable result.
Not completely convinced. Follows is a diagram of the internal pressure regulating valve. Has the appearances of a complex engineering diagram but in reality it’s just a spherical ball held against a relief orifice by a simple spring.
This is such a basic design and would be a rare point of failure. It either works or it doesn’t but might be explanation for the slight variances or fluctuations. A quality gauge would have dampening built in as a feature to eliminate erratic needle movement.
The engine manual lists standard pressure range as 35.56 ~ 49.78 as spec. I feel more confident after this test but it’s still on watch. I will continue to monitor (under pressure) until full trust is restored.
You’d think that a brand new marine carburetor would bolt on and function perfectly out of the box but I’m finding out that you have to fuss with it. I’m focusing on the Idle circuit because turning the Idle Mixture Screws is having no effect on my less than smooth running engine.
I’ve learned a few things from Randy, a good ol’ boy sharing his sense of experience on a Youtube channel. Studying the intricacies of the casting; all facets to figure the fuel trail and how it gets from here to there, I now know that there are dual routes. See if you are able to follow:
Fuel arriving from the Primary Float Bowl is flow limited by the Idle Feed Restriction (solid yellow arrow). The fuel is drawn upwards through an internal passageway (solid turquoise line arrow) to the top of a parallel downleg (dashed turquoise line arrow) to be split off to the Idle Feed Port and to the Idle Transition Slot. Small air is also introduced via the Idle Air Bleed (solid yellow circle) to mix it up with the fuel traversing the downleg.
The dual pathway ports (dashed yellow arrow lines) deliver the the air/fuel emulsion to the Idle Feed Port and the Idle Transition Slot in the throttle body below. The throttle body contains large butterfly valves that allow significantly more big air to mix and swirl making a combustible mixture. This [ stoichiometric ] ratio is roughly 15:1
What’s happening with my application is that the throttle valves are exposing too much of the Idle Transition Slot (lower image detail). This has the undesired effect of creating an excessively fuel rich mixture. The Idle Feed Port is not in the game passing little or no air/fuel. The Idle Transition Slot is doing it all. Allowing the throttle to close down further will hide most of the slot (upper image detail) The Idle Feed Port (the small black dot) will resume its function with the Idle Transition Slot properly obscured. The Idle Mixture Screw can then be brought to bear allowing for precise tuning.
Final consideration: Closing down the throttle valves will by nature reduces the air volume. The engine will stall. In order to restore adequate airflow, a hole (~.080″) must be drilled into each butterfly. It will be trial test with hole size until the ideal diameter is reached. Starting small, I want to get the engine idle RPM into a ballpark range. Fine RPM adjustment can be made with the Idle Speed set screw at the throttle linkage.
That concludes the custom setup mentioned in this post intro. Idle Mixture screws will be controlling at slow idle. The Idle Transition Slot will become effective once the throttle is part open. Keyword is transition. A fuel main circuit gradually provides even more fuel as demand calls in a seamless progression from idle to full power. Keep it smooth.
The older style HVAC thermostat while programable was a P.I.T.A. requiring a learning curve with flashlight and small printed diagram each time. So, I bought a cloud connected unit that promised easy scheduling and operation along with simple DIY and compatibility. All very fine until installation time that required a fifth wire between wall mounted device in the hallway and furnace upstairs. While it was trivial to connect the existing coded 4 wires I was able to sleuth an explanation online for better understanding of the meaning of the codes and how the system operates. This would prove useful.
For Reference:
W – Heating (white wire)
R – Continuous 24 v ac Power (red wire)
G – Fan (green wire)
Y – Cooling (this wire is yellow in the diagram)
C – Common (this wire is blue in the diagram)
Closing R and W will initialize the heating cycle. The blower operates independently as determined by a separate furnace heat exchanger mounted temperature controller. In other words, once the heating chamber is properly warmed up the blower will come on. Similarly, when the thermostat shuts the gas valve, the blower continues to run until the furnace has cooled. Closing R and G will initialize the blower (FAN only) Closing R and Y will initialize the cooling cycle AND the blower. The schematic shows a diode (one-way) between Fan and Cooling function so that operating the Fan in manual mode doesn’t run the AC but running the AC will run the [blower] Fan.
That blue wire coded “C” in the diagram is the 5th wire mentioned for the installation. It is not used in my old tech thermostat but required to power the WiFi in the new one. Fortunately it was available as part of the existing cable bundle at the wall mounting point and quick to attach to the new thermostat.
Not so fast was connecting the other loose end of that wire in the furnace room. The example furnace in the instructional video was modern and straightforward with printed circuit board and nicely labeled terminals. Mine looked very different and I was faced with this:
I believe the term is Spaghetti. No worries. Just tracing the wire color back to the thermostat gave understanding of the terminal to which it was connected. Finding the “C” terminal was a process of elimination but to be certain I applied the probes of my pocket multimeter and looked for voltage and/or the absence thereof. I hit a roadblock when the meter showed excessively high readings (60v) and on every terminal?! I was sure I was looking at a defective transformer. I spent an embarrassing length of time Googling a replacement part in between back and forths for Voltage checks and rechecks. Something was amiss. It was a classic Red herring until I saw the error of my ways. The multimeter setting defaulted to DC and I erroneously believed that was the output I was looking for. The transformer drops the 115v AC to 24v but doesn’t convert it. i.e. the Current was still AC. 24v AC. I changed the function switch from DC to AC and suddenly everything was all good!
I completed the installation and buttoned things up. Works perfectly and I can program intuitive heating and cooling schedules to heart’s content – instruction manual not required.
My (everybody’s) first reaction is to replace the starter — the likely culprit. But that wasn’t the remedy for the symptom.
After a lengthy run from push-to-start button to engine starter the tired aged 12 gauge wire just didn’t have the umph to reliably close the internal starter solenoid relay any more. Voltage drop. The problem was getting to be worse and worse.
The correct remedy is the depicted solenoid to send full battery voltage directly to the starters internal solenoid. A solenoid for the solenoid. Added complexity and a possible failure point? Sure, but it’s doing the job properly during engine start attempts without the dreaded “click” sound instead of cranking action. The engine starter hits perfectly each time now.
It is simply mounted to existing bolt attachment points on the back of the Yanmar 3QM30 cylinder head. The starter button delivers, but less critically, to this lightweight solenoid that was sourced from an auto parts store. The wimpy current from the start button is enough to reliably make this one.
If need be, I can also run new larger gauge cabling to ignition switch and from starting button that will better cope with the distance that voltage has to travel. That in conjunction with this new setup would make for a truly robust system. Better than when new.
Bad hunch / wrong trail to begin with, but I’m glad to have the fresh starter as peace of mind. The original is still serviceable and can serve as spare.
