1 Day 2 Good Samaritans

[Boz330]

I was on the way to western Ky yesterday to tear down deer camp and bring the camper home. I was only 50 mile from home when my truck just stopped in the middle of nowhere. It appeared to be an electrical issue so I piddled with the batteries and fuzes but had no luck.
I also had my dog with me which compounded the problem. Anyway I finally decide I would have go for help. Forgot my cell phone as well. Anyway about a mile from the truck a guy stopped and picked me up and took me back to the last exit where we thought there was a tow truck. There wasn't but they told me where there was a tow service in the nearest town. The guy then took me there. He wouldn't take any money or let me buy him some gas.
The garage that he dropped me at had a tow truck but it was broken down and we had to use a trailer to haul the truck (F-250 Crew Cab). Originally I was going to take it back to the nearest Ford dealer but he offered to take it and me and the dog back to the dealer in my home town. After loading the truck we had to go 4 or 5 miles in the wrong direction to turn around and head back. Any way we get to the Ford dealer and the service manager tries to start the truck and says that he thinks it is only the batteries. I tell him they were just replaced last year so he says he can take it in but they couldn't get to it till next week and it is going to cost and that he was pretty sure it was just the batteries. So we take it to Walmart and they check the batteries and decide to replace them. The tow guy asks if I want him to stay till they get finished and the truck starts to which I say yes please. Anyway the truck does start. I ask the guy if he will follow me home which isn't out of his way so I can pay him. He charged me for 53 miles which was straight line mileage, it was much more with the extra 10 miles to turn around and then the trip from the dealer to Walmart. I gave the guy $220 which was about 30 more than he asked for and then he didn't want to accept it. I insisted though, the guy went above and beyond as did the first guy who picked me up.
BTW the tow guy was just a good old country boy trying to scratch out a living in a small town doing towing and working as a mechanic.

Thank you gentlemen it is now my turn to pay it forward, What goes around comes around.:drinks:

Bob

[Alvarez Kelly]

There really are a lot of nice folks out there. We just don't hear about them much. Thanks for posting this.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Yup. There are still a "few" country boys around that`ll do that, including the not wanting any payment for doing the kindness for a person in trouble.Robert

[DIRT Farmer]

Boz that is what I like about living away from the city lights. They may roll up the sidewalks at sunset but will leave supper to help a stranger.

[starmac]

Where my place is on I 40 in new Mexico is rural, you can break down on the interstate and wait all day, but if you jump the fence and walk a couple hundred feet, and get on old rt 66, the first local that drives by will,give you a ride.

[Bad Water Bill]

While coming back from the range this summer I lost the tire and brake drum on a gravel road. Called a friend (the range master ) and he arrived shortly with a tow truck following. The truck dropped my pickup in front of Dustys garage door 20 miles from where it had the problem. When I tried to pay the driver he said "That is my good deed for the day thank you"

His mom lives 2 houses from Dusty and Dusty has been removing snow from moms drive for years and Dusty always told her the same thing.

Sure gotta love those country folks.

Yes I will be wiring. insulating, drywalling and painting Dustys new gun building next month.

That will be my good deed.:drinks:

[markshere2]

Nice story!

Now I suggest take a voltmeter out to the truck and make sure the alternator is putting out around 14 Volts when revved up.

If not, the issue is the charging system, and your new batteries will be leaving you stranded elsewhere again.

[Boz330]

Nice story!

Now I suggest take a voltmeter out to the truck and make sure the alternator is putting out around 14 Volts when revved up.

If not, the issue is the charging system, and your new batteries will be leaving you stranded elsewhere again.

According to the volt meter on the dash (which doesn't have numbers) it looks to be charging and I never got an idiot light. Where do you check it at, the battery posts?

Bob

[Ford SD]

What year ford truck?

Check the voltage at the battery
with the truck off
and with the truck running
and running with the head lights on interier heater fan running on high

if the voltage drops with the headlight on the copper rings for the armature are prob worn and need to be replaced (shop rebuild)or replace

With all the extra electrial stuff on the new trucks lights etc they do not last long

When the alternator went on my truck (the idiot light would flash) but only if i was driving up the long hill near my house so I did the voltage check with it running with the head lights and voltage started dropping (flickering):groner:

[Ford SD]

ps the starter went in my truck 3 miles from my home last week
8:30 at night and i had it towed home $86 bucks (extra charge for dolly 4X4)

or risk it getting vandelized or a ticked or towed because it was parked where it should not have been over night

and i slept better knowing it was it the drive way and could shop around for a new starter

[schutzen]

Hey Boz, where is West Kentucky to you? Your hunting camp may be in my neck of the woods if you are west of the rivers.

[Boz330]

Well it looks like the alternator, batteries read the same with engine running with everything on and not.

Schutzen, The Todd/Christian Co. line runs right through the middle of this farm 4 miles north of the TN border.

Bob

[P.K.]

Bob,

Glad to hear everything worked out. Check your P.M.'s. :-)

[Beau Cassidy]

If it is a Ford diesel you need to get the camshaft position sensor changed or else it will do it again. Those things are simple to replace and will make you pull your hair our when they start going bad. Your truck shouldn't have just stopped midstream if the batteries went dead.

[Boz330]

If it is a Ford diesel you need to get the camshaft position sensor changed or else it will do it again. Those things are simple to replace and will make you pull your hair our when they start going bad. Your truck shouldn't have just stopped midstream if the batteries went dead.
It has had 4 of those. The truck was in for the recall on those in Oct. as well as the cruise control recall.

Bob

[blackthorn]

F=Found
O=on
R=road
D=dead

I used to was a Chevy man----until that breed started to have as many problems as my buddies Ford(s)---now I is a Toyota fan (at least for now)!!!LOL!!!

[starmac]

When them batteries get low enough, that electric fuel pump quits and and it don't matter if it's a ford or a hugo, she no go.

[P.K.]

From what I have gathered it was the altinator. Bob will coment if he choses to.

[curiousgeorge]

Hey Boz,

Thanks for the story. I am a life-long Central Kentucky resident and proud to be so. Sounds about right for any of the small towns around here.

But in my experience in travelling from shore to shore and North to South, it doesn't matter if it is here in Kentucky or in rural Wyoming, Massachussetts, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, or pick any state you want, there are good people. Just look at the members here. We are from everywhere around this country.

Steve

[Boz330]

F=Found
O=on
R=road
D=dead

I used to was a Chevy man----until that breed started to have as many problems as my buddies Ford(s)---now I is a Toyota fan (at least for now)!!!LOL!!!

I have been a Ford guy all my life and have gotten Herculean duty from them. I drive a lot. But this diesel has absolutely been the most expensive truck I have ever owned. It costs 3 times as much to fix anything that goes wrong not to mention the added cost of fuel now. My last F-150 had 210,000 miles on it when I traded it on this F-250 almost 7 years ago and the only thing I ever did was replaced the plugs once and put an alternator on it. It is still running around here locally and has not had anything done to it. I have had similar results with my other Ford products. I sure can't say that about the Dodges and Chevy that I have owned.

It was the alternator, and fortunately a pretty easy install although the heavy duty alternator wasn't cheap even at Auto Zone. Looks like I'll be headed out to tear deer camp down tomorrow before it rains AGAIN. Which is where I was headed last Friday when this Odyssey started.

Bob

[Boz330]

Hey Boz,

Thanks for the story. I am a life-long Central Kentucky resident and proud to be so. Sounds about right for any of the small towns around here.

But in my experience in travelling from shore to shore and North to South, it doesn't matter if it is here in Kentucky or in rural Wyoming, Massachussetts, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, or pick any state you want, there are good people. Just look at the members here. We are from everywhere around this country.

Steve

That has been my experience as well even in other countries.

Bob

[Ickisrulz]

I suggest joining an auto club. That way you know you can get the help you need. Of course you need a cell phone with you. It's good peace of mind.

[markshere2]

Being a bottom feeder in the automotive buying fishpond, I typically buy a used vehicle and wring every last mile of life out of it that I can.

I've been a AAA member for a loooooong time and I upgraded to their plus and platinum family packages. Many tows have been free and the "bring a can of gas" service has pulled the kids bacon outta the fire a couple of times.

I do rent a car or truck for vacation driving, because I don't wanna waste vacation time/ $ on emergency repairs.

Haven't had a car payment or paid full insurance coverage for over 25 years!