Solve the Mystery of a Check Engine Light

Perhaps the most mysterious warning light on your car's dashboard is the "check engine" light, which can illuminate seemingly for no reason whatsoever and lead to an unexpected bill just for diagnosing the cause. However, it is possible to diagnose, and sometimes even fix, the cause of this warning light without paying a mechanic.

Your car's check engine light is linked to its on-board diagnostic system, which measures functions such as engine speed, ignition timing, fuel mixture and sometimes, the timing of gear shifts. It then uses that information to identify problems in those functions that could affect emissions and performance. There is a wide range of problems that will cause the light to illuminate, ranging from minor to major, so it's important to determine the cause promptly.

Before you find yourself in a situation with the check engine light illuminated, read your owner's manual to understand why it may illuminate and if it has different warnings to help you understand whether the problem is minor or more serious. In many cars, a check engine light that flashes rhythmically -- not just flickers on and off -- indicates a severe problem that needs immediate attention, while a steadily illuminated light indicates a less serious problem.

Once you thoroughly understand how your check engine light operates, here are three strategies you can try before paying your mechanic for a diagnosis.

Remove and reinstall your gas cap, and make sure it's tight. Because the check engine light is associated with your car's emissions system, it will recognize if there are fuel vapors leaking from around your gas cap and set off the warning light. A loose or improperly installed gas cap is the most common reason for the light to illuminate. If the light does not go out after checking the gas cap and the car seems to be running fine, don't assume that was not the problem. It can sometimes take a few trips for the system to reset.

Get the engine's diagnostic code from an automotive pro for free. If you own a General Motors vehicle with OnStar, contact an OnStar adviser who will read the code from your car remotely. Many auto parts stores and franchise oil change and transmission-service shops will read the code for free, though they may pressure you to do the repair with them. If you get a code read by one of these shops, ask for the code itself -- usually a single letter, followed by numbers -- and then use the shop for the repair if you are confident of the work.

Get the code yourself. For $50 to $100, you can buy a diagnostic-system code reader at your local auto parts store or online. Some newer system scanners can connect right to your smartphone, such as the GoPoint GL1.

Many cars have some method of displaying the trouble code, usually using the key and either rotating it between the accessory position (the position where you can power the radio and other accessories without the car running) and the "on" position (without starting the car) a specific number of times. With some, you keep the key in the accessory position, and push and hold the trip odometer and reset buttons. To find instructions, do an Internet search on the year, make and model of your car plus the words "check engine code" and "manually."

Once you know the code, you can research what it is associated with on websites such as OBD-Codes.com (for on-board diagnostics codes) or ALLDATAdiy.com.
In some cases, you can get instructions on how to repair the car yourself on those websites.

Keep in mind that, if there is a problem beyond a loose gas cap, the trouble code produced by the diagnostic equipment is usually associated with more than one problem. Ultimately, it's good to work with a trusted mechanic who can deduce the cause of the problem in your car.

by Tara Baukus Mello
 
SOURCE: Yahoo Finance

Beneath My Heart Giveaway

I hope I win the $50.00 coupon to Dayspring!!  
The giveaway there is a cool one. 

Check it out for yourself!  
http://www.beneathmyheart.net

The blog is a good resource for "decorating on a dime" and generating new creative ideas. 


<~~ Here is one of my favorites -- a tutu punch bowl!

And what about some adorable baby booties made with a Styrofoam cup, tulle, a staple and a ribbon dabbed with glue?  How simple is that?!

And wait until you see the result!

SOURCE:  http://www.beneathmyheart.net/2010/04/cute-baby-shower-idea-and-some/

February's Budding Moon

Tonight is February's Full Budding Moon!

For centuries, full moons have been given specific names by various cultures and civilizations from around the world. These special moon names helped people keep track of the seasons and were often inspired by nature and agriculture.

Since the heaviest snow usually falls during the month of February, Native American tribes of the north and east most often called this month’s full moon the Full Snow Moon.
Some tribes also referred to it as the Full Hunger Moon or Little Famine Moon, since harsh weather conditions in their areas made hunting very difficult.
Forced to gnaw on bones and sip bone marrow soup for sustenance, the Cherokee named it the Full Bony Moon.
Around the globe, the Celts called February’s moon the Moon of Ice, while the Chinese named it the Budding Moon in anticipation of spring. I like that name the best!

SOURCE:

Farmers' Almanac 

Read more about Full Moon names

Pictionary + Whisper Down the Lane = Fun!

PARTY GAMES  have upsides and downsides. On the upside, they add structure to a party, helping break the ice and turning strangers into new friends. On the downside, most people HATE party games (or at least think they do). That’s because they haven’t played this goofy game.

This little drawing game is equal parts Pictionary and Whisper Down the Lane and will keep any group of five or more entertained for at least half an hour. It’s great for parties of all kinds because it is easy to learn, fun to play, and non-competitive; the game is all about the experience and reviewing the oft-ridiculous results.

I learned about this game from a fellow blogger who read about it in a newspaper column by Orson Scott Card (a great author of speculative fiction). Here's what you do:

1) Get supplies. Grab some paper and your writing/drawing implements of choice. Half-sheets of notebook or copy paper are sufficient; every person will need as many sheets of paper as there are players (5 players = 25 sheets total, 6 players = 36 sheets total, etc.) . I keep a fistful of pens and a notepad around for just these occasions.

2) Circle up the players and label your first sheet. Sit in a rough circle and assign each player a letter, starting with “A.” Everyone must write their letter and a “1″ on their first page. This is the only time these people will write this letter; don’t label all of your papers!

3) Write a caption and pass it on. Each player must write a sentence on his or her paper. Any sentence at all will do, but it does help if it’s something ridiculous and yet possible to draw. All players pass their paper to the left.

4) Draw a picture based on the caption, but only pass on the picture. Everyone should write the letter they received and a “2″ on a new sheet of paper (be careful, because someone usually messes up the lettering or numbering in every game). On this page, each player should draw a picture to represent the sentence received. Think of the sentence as a caption for the picture. When finished, everyone will pass their latest paper to the left; keep the first paper face-down.

5) Write a caption for the picture you received. Label a new page with the same letter you just received, and write a “3″ because this is the third round. Now, try to decipher the drawing and write down a caption for it on your new page. Pass this paper to the left. Keep the drawing you received face-down.

6) Continue until the circle is complete. Continue the caption-to-drawing-to-caption routine until you run out of pages. If you passed out the right number of pages, the number on your final piece of paper will be the same as the number of players.

7) Match up the pages by letter. Return the lettered pages to the people who wrote the original captions. For example, the person who started with “A” should collect all of the “A” pages.

8) Laugh at the results. Have each person share their results with the entire group. Revel in how each sentence was distorted and altered throughout the game. With at least five players, it is very rare for many statements to survive the process intact.

Laugh with each other. Start again if desired.
Sometimes, it results in very straightforward verbal and visual translations. Usually, it devolves into madness. The more people, the better. Here are a few examples picked from actual games:

B1-B5 (above): The basic theme of a throbbing heart survived to the end of the game. Everything else changed.


 C1-C5 (above): Notice that the drawings are quite similar even though the caption changed completely.



E1-E5 (above): The original statement about the goat and the wallet was clearly intended to produce ridiculous drawings. Not surprisingly, the final message at the end might as well be “purple monkey dishwasher.”

Even if you don’t like most games, don’t knock this one until you try it.  The game usually results in fits of laughter both during the drawing/writing process and during the final reviews. If there’s a winner, it’s whoever got the most laughs. What’s not to like about that?

PS)  A suggestion for managing the numbering process: use larger sheets of paper and fold over the previous statement / drawing before passing the paper. That helps to simplify things and keeps a consistent record for each phrase / drawing chain. This method may enable cheating, but since this game has no winner, cheating would be pretty sad. The biggest disadvantage is that your drawing space is significantly reduced. For some reason bigger paper is more fun!

SOURCES:
Drew's Directions
Uncle Orson Reviews Everything
Party Games

Another DRAWING GAME! 

That's My New Philosophy (#1)

Space is invisible mind dust and stars are for wishing.

Name the source and . . . . it will shock me!  Here is more.

Space Star Ordering . . . .

Visualize the thing you want. Draw a picture of the thing you want - on a piece of paper. Then stand, with your back to space, throw the paper over your shoulder and wish really hard.

How exactly did you stand with your back to space?

I waited 'til night time.

I Should've Ordered Glutinous Rice Chicken!

Can we all say, "Lost in translation?"

This is a list of actual English subtitles from real Hong Kong Kung Fu Movies. 

These are the results of the original Chinese dialogue being rendered — or rather, beaten out of recognizable shape — into English:

1. "I am damn unsatisfied to be killed in this way."

2. "Fatty, you with your thick face have hurt my instep."

3. "Gun wounds again?"

4. "Same old rules: no eyes, no groin."

5. "A normal person wouldn't steal pituitaries."

6. "I'll burn you into a barbecue chicken!"

7. "Who gave you the nerve to get killed here?"

8. "Quiet or I'll blow your throat up."

9. "You always use violence. I should've ordered glutinous rice chicken!"

10. "I'll fire aimlessly if you don't come out!"

11. "You daring lousy guy!"

12. "I got knife scars more than the number of your leg's hair!"

13. "Beware! Your bones are going to be disconnected."

14. "How can you use my intestines as a gift?"

15. "The bullets inside are very hot. Why do I feel so cold?"

16. "Beat him out of recognizable shape."

H/T: Patrick Madrid

Want Love That Goes the Distance?

1. Physical appearance
While physical appearance and attraction draw two people together at first, these aspects will affect the rest of their lives. If working out and staying fit is important to you, will it bum you out if your mate doesn’t share your quest for rock-hard abs?

2. Emotional maturity
Is this person emotionally mature and centered or still lugging around some trunk-sized baggage? How does your sweetheart relate to family and friends? Is he or she emotionally supportive or have control issues? Is your mate aware of his or her own issues and interested in addressing them?

3. Lifestyle choices
This includes career and social lives, common interests, leisure time activities and energy levels. Would she rather join the bowling league or the metropolitan symphony? Does he have lots of energy for activities with friends while she’d rather rest and chill out at home?

4. Financial compatibility
This is a hot bed for most couples. It includes income levels, savings goals and views on handling money. How do you each want to spend, save and invest? Is one person a spender while the other saves? Is one person financially responsible while the other plays catch-up with child support and bills?

5. Value structure
This area is often overlooked but has a tremendous impact on your life. It includes the big values: honesty, integrity, loyalty, views on family and children, religion and spirituality, life goals and the treatment and care for others. Does your mate follow through on promises made? Would you say this person is trustworthy? Will you always be there for each other in a pinch?


6. Marriage and intimacy
Everyone does not share the same idea of marriage. The big questions to address are: What do you and your mate expect from marriage? Is he or she looking for a soul mate? Do you both want close intimacy beyond the physical aspect, including with your friendships and in private communications with each other?

7. Intelligence
Having similar education levels increases your chances of sharing matching school and social experiences, intellectual interests and career goals. What topics do you and your honey like to talk about? Conversation limited to sports or shopping may get boring to someone who likes to ponder philosophy and bluster about business.

While you don’t have to match exactly in each area, look at the big picture and make sure you match closely enough in the important areas of your life to up your chances of finding a love that will go the distance.

author Dee Anne Merriman is a freelance writer who often covers relationship issues.