The "I can't believe this part broke" thread

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

license plate lamp bracket <-------part looked like it came off the Titanic yet everything else door related still looks like new. Have since replaced with OEM bracket that I heavily coated with rustoleum red primer; rustoleum flat black high temp paint; black rubberized undercoating. Also replaced bulb assemblies.

A couple of years ago had to replace rear-end pinion seal to fix leak...bought new pinion bearing but couldn't detect any play at all with original one so didn't change it out since I blamed yanking out a stuck Dodge Ram pickup buried up to the axle in mud as the likely reason for pinion seal failure as I noticed leak days later.

Rear-end Differential or "pumpkin" as some of us rednecks like to call it actually rotted through on the driver side left upper radius near top where vent hose is<-------never have seen a rear diff do this as they are normally made of cast iron and very thick.....apparently the VX has steel differential housings and this was a weak spot on mine. I actually called Merlin thinking I needed a seal between the 3rd member & differential housing (there is no seal...they RTV it at the factory) as it was leaking rear-end lube and half the diff housing was wet; only to find it had rotted through. Had a buddy of mine who is one heck of a welder & steel fabricator weld up a steel patch over the affected area and he did a bang-up job clean/prep & primer & paint & (extenze anti-rust) & undercoat plus peen over patch to blend in and you virtually cannot tell it has been repaired...rest of differential seems strong.

Rocker panel area where I mounted my Rocksliders is all rotted out...gonna have same friend of mine who repaired above affliction fabricate new steel rocker panel panels of much thicker content and install in next few weeks. Rest of underneath of VX looks good just this area.

Heat shields on engine manifolds were just hanging there rattling...yanked them out by hand & threw in garbage as they had rusted out.

Might have him weld rocksliders as I made him aware of the attitude toward welding on a VX frame and his many years of MIG..TIG..ARGON..ETC..welding made him look at me like I'm crazy. He says he could do it with no ill-effects but I'll probably chicken-out and just have them re-bolted on.

[MSHardeman]

Mark,

The check arm swings freely in some open space behind, and above the jack storage area. I know this because I have Tone's door popper installed and I ran the wires for the solenoid up through that area and through the rubber boot to the back door. One day the popper stopped working and I finally found the problem was that the wire to the solenoid had gotten pinched and cut. The rear door check arm had pinched the wire against a metal "bulk head" back above the jack. Had to re-run the solenoid wire so it didn't go through that area again.

I have to say, that IS a very strange part to break.

[Ldub]

I broke the end of my ignition key off in the steering column...
This didn't completely surprise me, since I've been using my back door with a broken off key stub for a couple of years.

However, I couldn't get the ignition to work by employing the same method.

After trying for about a half hour, I finally bit the bullet & called a locksmith.
He messed with it for at least forty five minutes before calling in backup. The second guy diddled with it for another twenty minutes, & niether of them could get the broken off part out of the key hole.

Hmmmmmm...decision time, either have a flat bed come & haul Suzy to the nearest place that MIGHT be able to fix it (nearest Isuzu dealer, about 200 mi away)

OR, have the locksmith feller drill out the guts of the lock, so that I can use a screwdriver as a key...

You already know which choice I made right?

So anyway, the screwdriver technique quit working the other day...
Dink'd around with it for a couple of evenings after work, trying WD-40 etc...no bueno...
So last night I got a little more seriouser...
First i took the switch assembly off the back side of the lock...hmmmm, looks promising...
Put a screwdriver in & rotated one click, get accessories to come on, good!
Rotate it another click, get dash lights...OK.
Another quarter turn & the engine rolls over & fires up...SWEET!

UNFORTUNATELY...

When I try to put it in gear, the shifter won't move...stupid safety/anti theft stuff...

OK, fine, take the center console apart & jimmy the shifter lock until I can get it out of park & into some usable gears...

Better go for a little test drive. At this point I'm having visions of driving Suzy to work for the first time since last Friday...found a work around for every problem the dirty little girl threw at me...
Click her into drive, turn the wheel slightly to pull out of my parking space & CLICK...the steering wheel locks...@#$%^&*&^%$#@!#$%^ and a few other curse words that I don't know how to spell...

Back into my parking space, go into my abode, that's enough for tonight.

Called Merlin today, a hunnert-n-twenny something later, & I should have a new Ign module & a couple of keys by tomorrow, Fr @ the latest...
It was nice talkin' to him & according to his parts network computer, I got the last one in the country...SOMETHING had to go right eventually.

Tell y'all one thing, from now on, I'm having a new key made on my birthday, & destroying the old one every year...cheap insurance that...

[VX KAT]

I broke the end of my ignition key off in the steering column...
This didn't completely surprise me, since I've been using my back door with a broken off key stub for a couple of years.


Called Merlin today, a hunnert-n-twenny something later, & I should have a new Ign module & a couple of keys by tomorrow, Fr @ the latest...
It was nice talkin' to him & according to his parts network computer, I got the last one in the country...SOMETHING had to go right eventually.

Tell y'all one thing, from now on, I'm having a new key made on my birthday, & destroying the old one every year...cheap insurance that...

that's a frickin' nightmare Dub!

Would this help out?
OEM Vehicross lock cylinder with keys? $27.80.
Seller has "more than 10" ...anybody else want one?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ignit...6#ht_853wt_845

[Ldub]

So last night I got a little more seriouser...
First i took the switch assembly off the back side of the lock...hmmmm, looks promising...
Put a screwdriver in & rotated one click, get accessories to come on, good!
Rotate it another click, get dash lights...OK.
Another quarter turn & the engine rolls over & fires up...SWEET!

UNFORTUNATELY...

When I try to put it in gear, the shifter won't move...stupid safety/anti theft stuff...

OK, fine, take the center console apart & jimmy the shifter lock until I can get it out of park & into some usable gears...

Better go for a little test drive. At this point I'm having visions of driving Suzy to work for the first time since last Friday...found a work around for every problem the dirty little girl threw at me...
Click her into drive, turn the wheel slightly to pull out of my parking space & CLICK...the steering wheel locks...@#$%^&*&^%$#@!#$%^ and a few other curse words that I don't know how to spell...

Back into my parking space, go into my abode, that's enough for tonight.

Called Merlin today, a hunnert-n-twenny something later, & I should have a new Ign module & a couple of keys by tomorrow, Fr @ the latest...
It was nice talkin' to him & according to his parts network computer, I got the last one in the country...SOMETHING had to go right eventually.

Thought I'd update this, in case anyone is interested...

Today, I promised myself that there would be no black Fr shopping until I could drive Suzy to get there.
Spent the morning relaxing with Hunny Girl & downloading/printing pertinent sections from the VX shop manual in the downloads section, (THANK YOU VXinfo, that reminds me, a donation is in order...) then had a little lunch. (a known Nawthurn thing)
After it turned into a bright sunny day & the mercury nudged up above 10 deg, I decided to put on my woolies & go out to do battle with the beast.

As it was written in the manual of shop, & passed down to the Isuzuites...

Thou shalt remove all SRS fuses in the fuse panel on the drivers side end of the dash module. (drivers & passenger, covered by a yellow retainer, top right area of the fuse panel)

Upon the passing of at least 15 seconds, (I used the time to sweep the accumulation of about a foot of snow off the hood & windshield) remove the two star drive fasteners from the back side of the steering wheel, which will allow you to remove the padded center portion of the steering wheel. (which contains the air bag...duh)

Carefully pull the airbag assembly out far enough to access the wiring connections, then break the nearly 12 year old retaining tabs off of the wiring connector... I'm pretty sure temp played a part in this.
CAREFULLY disconnect the airbag connection.
Step back & give thanx to whatever Isuzu deity you choose to believe in, for not blowing your face off with an exploding airbag. (ignishnu is my current fave)
Disco the horn wire & carefully carry the airbag unit to the garage, store it in a place that will not be damaged, just in case...
Get back in the drivers seat & put reference marks on the steering wheel & steering column...more on this later.
After removing the retaining nut, realize that you should have bought a steering wheel puller. Press a small, two jaw puller into service...after whacking it with the breaker bar & having it slip off, go get a hammer, reconnect the puller, gripping the two opposing areas that haven't been marred by failure, tighten to what you think might be just below the breaking point of whatever Mexican alloy (seriously, there's a "made in Mexico" sticker on it) the center of the steering wheel is made of, give it a few whacks with the hammer &... BINGO!!!

Steering wheel off.

Started to remove the clockspring assy, then realized it would come off with the wiper/turn signal module, so went with that option.

OK, got all the peripheral crap outta the way, gots nothin' but the ign module & a nekkid steering column staring me in the face...

Thinking I had the worst of it behind me, I got this big dumb overconfident grin of my face...

Guess what?...can't get the ign module out...
There's a little button type thingy that clicks into a hole in the casting that won't move, & can't be depressed without the ing module turning...like with a key or screwdriver...hmmmmmmmm

(figured this out by examining how the new one works)

Having nothing to lose but my sanity, I got out my screwdriver, & asked Ignishnu for a little assistance...hey, it couldn't hurt.
Believe it or don't, the tumblers moved just enough for the little button thingy to retract & BAM, the ign module pulls straight out...SWEET!

Since it wasn't getting any warmer, I wasted no time in attempting to install the new ign module. OK, insert the new key, give it just enough turn to retract the little button thingy, (an industry term) & slide that sucker home...but - it - won't - go - in...

AaGGGGGGhhhh...@#$%(*&^%$#@#$&*(*&^%@%^&(/...!!!..

Using a flashlight & a mirror which fogged up every time I remembered to breathe, I examined everything I couldn't readily see from the drivers seat...nothing.
I then remembered that i had the switch module on the other side of the steering column removed, so I gave that a look & discovered that the transitional mechanism between the key module & the actual switch was rotated 90 deg from where it needed to be...once again, BINGO!!!

The rest went like buttah...

I got to drive my truck today...

In retrospect, this could'v been done without removing the steering wheel, if I knew then what I know now, & if I could have got the tumblers to move with a screwdriver.

And remember those reference marks? Due to the fact that there was "ample" oil on most everything inside the steering wheel, they totally disappeared. I figured out where the steering wheel should be by driving around with no retaining nut & repositioning the wheel on straight sections of road.

Hindsight = 20-20

Sorry for the "war & peace"

[vt_maverick]

Dub that is INSANE! Good idea on preventative key maintenance lol, I think I have at least 4 keys floating around the house, I'll have to start rotating them.

Glad to hear you'll have Suzy back on the road soon!

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

You had my complete sympathy until I got to the part where your steering locked...then I laughed out loud...lol. <sorry>

Glad to hear you can see light @ the end of the tunnel!

[Ldub]

that's a frickin' nightmare Dub!

Would this help out?
OEM Vehicross lock cylinder with keys? $27.80.
Seller has "more than 10" ...anybody else want one?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ignit...6#ht_853wt_845

Good talkin' to ya tonight Sister Suzee...
I think I'm-a-gonna order up one of those as a spare...

Dub that is INSANE! Good idea on preventative key maintenance lol, I think I have at least 4 keys floating around the house, I'll have to start rotating them.

Glad to hear you'll have Suzy back on the road soon!

I hear ya Bro, I'm seriously thinking that mine had a weak spot in it, due to the grind of the original lockset. Otherwise, what are the chances that I'd break one off in the rear door & the ignition...

You had my complete sympathy until I got to the part where your steering locked...then I laughed out loud...lol. <sorry>

Glad to hear you can see light @ the end of the tunnel!

I'm just glad some were able to git a laff outta this, in hindsight, I shoulda seen the writing on the wall when I broke the one off in the back door...

I can hardly wait until the airbag deploys in my face & breaks my neck, leaving me paralyzed from the neck down while I'm diddlin' around trying to get the new Ign module in...

I have no illusions regarding the possibility of that "light'" being a train...

[RickOKC]

I shoulda seen the writing on the wall when I broke the one off in the back door...

Say whaaaaaat? Wow, you must really work out if you can break a key off that way.

Seriously though, it reminds me I should probably to do some more adjustment on my cargo door - it just doesn't pop open very strongly. After turning the key, should it pop and stay open or should I always have to pull it open with the handle as keep the key turned?

Sorry to hear about your troubles - sounds like my luck: The Luck of the iRick.

[Ldub]

Seriously though, it reminds me I should probably to do some more adjustment on my cargo door - it just doesn't pop open very strongly. After turning the key, should it pop and stay open or should I always have to pull it open with the handle as keep the key turned?

That sounds just like mine, for whatever that's worth.

Sometimes when I want it to be closed, but not latched, it'll easily lock...possibly causing foul language, combined with key breaking episodes of torque application...

[vt_maverick]

Say whaaaaaat? Wow, you must really work out if you can break a key off that way.

Seriously though, it reminds me I should probably to do some more adjustment on my cargo door - it just doesn't pop open very strongly. After turning the key, should it pop and stay open or should I always have to pull it open with the handle as keep the key turned?

Sorry to hear about your troubles - sounds like my luck: The Luck of the iRick.

Mine pops when I turn the key, but only slightly - I still have to pull the door the rest of the way open (obviously). But I'm ashamed to say I often pull the door the first inch or so by the key. Doh!

[yellowgizmo99]

did that with mine till I found the handle in the tag area. DOH

[tom4bren]

I've got a 33x12.50R15 door handle!!!

[VX KAT]

I've got a 33x12.50R15 door handle!!!

Yes, Tom, but we all know you're "special", so you have a special door handle....and you drive a rather short yellow truck....bus

[Marlin]

I've got a 33x12.50R15 door handle!!!

Damn, your door handle is bigger than mine

But not quite as big as my tires...