Aux in Aux off

Our Honda vehicle is great. Fuel efficient, reliable, a great traveling car. Except one thing. No aux input for your MP3 player.

We've used an FM transmitter to couple with our iPod/iPhone and Zen to play through our stereo. It's not great. But it did the job. But it was a pain finding a free station, clear enough to use.

I just installed a P.I.E auxillary input for our Honda. It was relatively easy, if you find a useful YouTube how-to remove the stereo unit video. And have the right tools.


This is what you need. Aside from the YouTube video which is essential and the AUX unit, which if you search for "PIE Hon98 AUX" you'll find it online for about $50.00 USD (sometimes free shipping in the lower 48 states).
Pry bar (nylon), 8mm hex nut socket, and panel door opener.

With this you can do the job quickly and easily.


First remove the panel under the stereo.
Right at the top of the panel there is a catch. Put a pry bar in there and use the panel door removal tool to push the catch down and the panel will come off easy.
There are two 8mm hex bolts you will need to remove so you can get the head unit out.
Next pry off the upper panel with the stereo and A/C controls.

Once you have that upper panel out, look on the back of the unit for the CD changer harness input. Plug in your P.I.E. unit into there. Make sure it's in. Otherwise hitting the CD button won't switch to the iPod unit.
Run your 6ft RCA cable to 3.5mm male jack behind and under the dash and under the center console and have it come out just where the hand brake is.

A 5 or 6ft cable is long enough to reach wherever you want to place your iPod unit.
There is a ground cable. Attach that to one of the mounting bolts on the bottom of the bracket that holds the stereo and A/C controls, that you have to remove in order to access the back of the unit.



When you plug your iPod in. Press the CD/TAPE button. And it'll detect the P.I.E Hon98-AUX unit and you'll see on the display CDC for CD Changer.

Now you're iPod is playing through your stereo. No more static from using that FM transmitter module.

It was way easier than I thought.

I do ALL this stuff. Not so much for me, or to show how handy I am. That's all unimportant.
One reason I post it, is to log what I did and when. Useful for reference when I need it. But my main reason is to learn and one day when Kieran is older and interested in doing this stuff too. I'll be able to do it with him and guide him and show him that he can do anything he sets his mind to.
We as parents are our kids, first and longest running teachers. We are there for the rest of our lives. Through birth, first steps, first words, elementary, grade school, high school, post-secondary and through early adult hood.
Show them that learning is an every day thing. That learning by doing is a way of life. That learning can be fun, can give you confidence, through understanding and accomplishment. Lead by example.

The easy road is to take it to someone who knows how to do it.
The better road is to understand how to do it, learn in the process, create new pathways in your brain and you've just gained a bit more confidence. Good on ya.

And besides we can play the fun songs from Chicken Little clearer now.

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Jersey Shore

It was beach day! G.T.L!

The weather was perfect. It wasn't too hot, or too cold or too windy.

We got lucky and got a parking spot right on the beach road.


We even witnessed a baywatch rescue. Well I was the only one that actually saw it. First one lifeguard took off into the ocean. Then another and then 2 more.

People were going too far out and the riptide was preventing them from being able to get back in, and sending them farther and farther out into the Atlantic.

But the little ones were too busy looking for sea shells.

After the excitement we were back in the surf having fun safely!

On the news this morning, they were saying that the strong riptides were caused by hurricane Earl that is hitting Puerto Rico at the moment, and it's effects were being felt all along the east coast.

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Taste Test

It's Coke vs Coke.

The recycled can on the left is a ironically from Canada. And the non-recycled bottle on the right is from the Good Ol' USA, where they want everything from non-renewable resources.

Believe it or not the recipe between the two coca-colas is different.

The Canuck version uses real sugar.
The American one doesn't.

The Canadian has a slightly different taste and smell. You can smell the caramel.
The American one has a slightly flat taste. Probably due to the lack sugar in it's recipe.

Try it yourself.

Going on 8

We are going on 8 years now, and getting better with every year.

The tough part is figuring out what we'd all like to do together. Where in the world we'd like to go next. Or where our next adventure will be.

But every year we spend it with family and friends. Because that's what it's all about.




No matter how crazy or eccentric they may be.
Family is family. And we love them no matter what, because blood is thicker than water.
Also, they know where you live, so they'll find you eventually, wherever you may be hiding.


There will always be work. Work is work. That's why they call it 'work' and not 'fun'. The Jones' will always be the Jones'.

So when you see that brass ring the odd time. Go out of your comfort zone and go for it.


Because the past is history.
Tomorrow is not yet.
And today is a gift.
That is why they call it the present.

That is probably my favourite quote.


And to enable 'Big Deh Deh, Big Keely Keely, and Big Diaper'
to become better adults than we are. Then we have to be better adults than we are, today.
They will mimic our actions, and being a philosopher serves no purpose.

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Rubberized

At 192,970 kms. My old Kumho ECTSA Supra (original set were Bridgestone Potenza RE92) were needing to be replaced. Although the tread was probably about 1/2 way worn. The sidewall was cracking and the road noise was very loud.

These are 2 signs that the rubber in tire has dried out significantly and will need to be replaced soon. I got set of Hankook Ventus HRII/HR405 tires. I dunno why there's two model numbers.

I checked on TireRack.com for reviews and wanted something reasonable and fitting for my aging Subaru. I don't drive like an Asian with spikey blonde hair, but I do like a little spirited driving style.

They're H rated. Meaning, they're not meant for 200km/hr speeds. But fast enough for when I've got to get to that triathlon race out in the boonies. And I'm running behind schedule.

My Kumhos were W rated. Which is higher than the H and cost a bit more, up front and when you get those yellow tickets from the guy with the flashing lights.

I haven't gotten a speeding ticket in years. I just don't drive that way any more. It's not worth it.

So here's the new caliper that I installed on Monday. Beats the rusty look of the old ones.

So back to the tires. I sourced out a couple of places in Buffalo and compared the prices to here in Toronto. There was some manufacturers promotion going on and the price was further discounted about $100.00 more for the Hankooks. I got the set of 4 here for $570.00 tax included, installed and balanced (by an Asian in 30 mins or the won tons are free) at no extra cost.

Man, it's so quiet now. What difference.
And the turnaround was so fast at Tires23 that I was even able to get Kieran to Fabian's for a hair cut. Man he needed it. He was looking like an island boy.

You definitely will pay more for the highly advertised brands. Hey, someone has to pay for the Michelin Man's dinner. Why not the folks who'll only vote Liberal because that's who they always voted for in the past, no matter what the platform and will complain about the guy in office later. And these brand names may not be any better. But they come with an icon. Your choice.




I choose value, and keep a bit more money in my wallet. The Michelin Man needs to go on a diet anyways.

Dust in Wheel

I noticed after replacing my rear rotors and pads that my Subaru wasn't rolling as well as it should on inclines in neutral. Then I looked at my wheels and noticed that my passenger side front wheel had more brake dust than the drivers side front.

Clearly an indicator of brake pad rubbing against the rotor. Either the piston on the caliper was seized or something was keeping the brake pads against the rotor.

So a day after a rear brake job, I was doing another brake job on the front. Last year I had replaced the drivers side caliper. The piston on that caliper was seized. And was by far worse than what I was experiencing on the other side. Wheel was really hot and spray water on it and you'll hear the hiss of steam.

Of course after I got the new rebuilt one for the passenger side front caliper, the car was rolling fine. It was almost 7pm and I had the wheel off and began disassembling the brakes. And Sam came over to help me out. Glad he's retired.

Pistons on the caliper were fine. This is the guide pin that goes into the banjo. The lower part of the brake assy. The caliper mounts on this and the pin slides easily and smoothly in and out of the banjo. But the lower guide pin was stuck. The lower one wasn't even rotating. The grease was all dried and it was seized. I got it out. With pliers. The grease wasn't grease any more it was bits of hard stuff. Dirt and stuff was getting into the boot and it wasn't moving. I remember that one guide pin was like that when replacing the brake pads last year.

This is the upper guide pin. It's working perfectly. Grease is still grease. However you can't just get a new guide pin. Had to get a whole new brake assembly.

Whatever you do, when scoping out for parts. Ask where they are made or rebuilt. Some of the cheap ones are rebuilt overseas and the quality of the boot is crap. You'll end up replacing it in 1 or 2 years. A cheap rebuilt caliper is $50.00. This one cost $120 but it was both the caliper and banjo, and semi-loaded. Meaning it's greased up and ready to mount.

Just after 9pm ET, I was done, and thank god Sam was around to help me. The new caliper where the brake line mounts, the thread had a slight ding and wasn't going in. But Sam helped me with that.

Car rolls nice again.

I look at this as education for the day I can own a Porsche (like Martin) and be able to do all the maintenance myself rather than going to a dealer or Porsche shop. Just because a car costs over $100G's only means you must have cash to burn just to maintain it.

The wheels stop here

I finally got around to doing my rear brakes.
They are O-riginal to the car. And I was afraid of tackling it on my own because of the tough time my brother Mel and I had with my front rotors. The fronts were original too and had been machined once. And we replaced those plus the caliper last year or two ago. That's when I discovered how badly dealerships gouge consumers. But don't go for dirt cheap parts. Do some research. Read forums. People will tell you that places that sell "white box" parts, you should stay away from. Or at least stick with the brand names. The stuff made in china. Well. I think they are designed to be disposable.

I had purchased a new set of rear rotors and pads. Brand name stuff. My rotors weren't thin, but they were old and rusting and the pads were probably halfway worn out. I had inspected them for wear every year and since the rear brakes only take on 20% of the load. So they don't need to be replaced often. But take them apart to lubricate and you'll have no issues.
Don't maintain it. And you'll be buying a new car every so often.

Surprisingly my old rotors were made in Canada. This Subaru was assembled in Indiana. My new rotors were made in the USA. That's what the stamp says. Not in China. But you never know. What's stopping the Chinese from stamping "Made in USA"?

For the most part, the rotor came off really easily. Compared to the fronts. It took some work but I didn't need a puller to get it off. I only had one issue, that my neighbour Sam helped me with. A stubborn, rounded mounting bolt on the drivers side rear brake caliper.
He got it out, and ground the bolt down so I could put a smaller sized socket on it. Man, I have awesome neighbours.

So I had everything off the brake assembly and ready to put back on when my brother Mel arrived. So we finished the job really quick.

Might need to replace the parking/emergency brake shoes, but that never gets used, so it should be good for while. I'll have to see how thick new ones are for comparison.

Might need a new set of tires. Time for a Buffalo run.

Living in a vacuum

I've been busy. Lots of stuff going on around the house. But things are getting done.
The stairway and hallway are done.
The grass has been cut.
The tires rotated.
Now the vacuum cleaner has been fixed.
Our trusty old vacuum cleaner is, I think about 15 years old.

But it's a good one. Everything still works great. The motor is as powerful as ever. Except that the body was cracked. A 30lb kid was jumping on it and pushed in the swivel wheel and we were losing suction. I taped it up with some tuck tape, and it was working fine for probably a year now. We didn't know if you could get parts still. When things are this old, usually the answer is 'no'.

But a visit to our friend Andy who can fix anything, pointed me in the right direction. It was a little tricky to disassemble, but I got it done and didn't break anything in the process. Not sure how much Sears parts and repair would charge for labour, but it took me about 2 hrs to get it all apart and back together. I cleaned the inside too before putting it all back together. And made sure it worked before snapping all the pieces in.

Lower wand $39.99
Lower body $62.99
Total w/tax $116.37
Satisfaction of not getting ripped off in service and saving something from going to landfill...Priceless.

A new vacuum equal or better to what we currently have, will run min. $500.00 plus tax.

DIY and FIY (Fix It Yourself) isn't about being cheap. Some things aren't worth fixing. But much of the new stuff today, doesn't last as long as the stuff from years past. And they are designed to be replaced by the new and improved model. It's business.

Big Corporations need you to buy new stuff so that their CEO's can get million dollar bonuses so they can buy a new Land Rover, or bigger yacht or that island in the the south pacific. They can't live in a 10,000 sqft home you know, it's just too small to hold their egos. They can't fly economy...it's just wrong to mingle with the common people.

DIY and FIY is about learning to do things for yourself. Take as much responsibility and ownership as possible. Reduce, reuse and recycle....and repair. It just means one less vacuum cleaner in the land fill.



Now I can go get my hair cut.
And Kieran's too, when they come back from the cottage.

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