Or

DIY Queen: Mechanic-ing for the Non-Mechanic

I was on the phone the other day with the Dodge RAM dealership in Boise because I have an intermittent warning that (as the word, intermittent means) will flash on, then off, then on, then off, seemingly at random, which everyone knows is a mechanic’s favorite. The weird thing is that even with the warning lighting up my dashboard, the two local places with machines to read codes, aka vehicle diagnostic scanners, were not able to read this particular code. It wasn’t even showing up on the scanner!

So, as I was saying before I got lost in backstory, I was on the phone with the service guy at the dealership, which is at least a four hour drive away, and he says that I should plan on leaving the truck with them for several days to see if they can recreate the code. Then, if they could, depending on what the problem is, it could be a day or several weeks to get the part in. Supply chain issues and all, you know. Oh, and they don’t have any loaner cars available for over five weeks. After talking with him, I finally asked point blank, “So, rather than driving down there, dropping off my truck, and planning an indefinite stay at a nearby motel and renting a vehicle, should I just get on YouTube and see if I can fix this myself?”

As God is my witness, I promise he said, “Well, yeah. That’s kinda what you have to do if you are gonna live in the middle of nowhere.”

Okay, then.

Living in the middle of nowhere means a lot more than learning how to make your own Thai food or Tex-Mex. It means learning how to make sure that your vehicle is properly maintained and how to differentiate small problems from serious problems. My 2018 RAM 2500 4×4 is my lifeline.

This was filmed in May 2021. I just now got around to editing the various footage. Having it get dark at 4:30 in the afternoon seems to encourage less outdoor-living and more computer-ing. Yes, there is still snow on Mt. Idaho in May. Crazy, right?