Solving the Dreaded P071 Code on a VW Jetta

P071 is the generic OBDII code for Bank 1 Lean. This means that the cars computer is adjusting for a lean condition in the car's combustion. The adjustments has gone out of range for what is considered normal by for proper emissions and fuel economy, and an OBDII fault code has been registered with the cars computer. The root cause is usually a few things:

1. A leak in the car's intake system or breather systems usually caused by a broken hose or poor connection and this results in too much air and the ECU (computer) is making adjustments to maintain stoichiometric mixture of air and gas ( 14.7:1).
2.  Not enough fuel being delivered resulting in too much air to gas mixture. This could be caused by a clog fuel filter, malfunction fuel pump or failing fuel injectors.
3. Leak in the exhaust system allows extra air into the exhaust causing the post catalytic oxygen sensor to think the engine's combustion is lean (i.e. has too much air).
4. A bad Mass Air Flow sensor is not providing the correct inputs for the ECU to set the air/fuel mix.

Disclaimer: I am not a professional mechanic. This above material is provided for educational purposes for myself and others. Your comments and feedback are welcome.

Getting Stock Price Data with Python

There many ways to fetch stock prices with python, but easiest way I've found so far is to use the ystockquote module by Corey Goldberg. It works with python 2 and 3.

If you have pip installed:

pip install ystockquote

To use:

Building a Compost Bin

Building a compost bin is very easy to do and  is a great way to get started in woodworking. The meassurements and cuts do not have to be overly precise, and it's very easy to hide a few blemishes.Most compost bin sold at home improvement stores are made out of plastic. While relatively inexpensive, I don't really care for the look.

When building a your own wooden compost bin, be sure to use a rot resistant material like cedar. It's expensive but it will look great and last for many years. To save money, avoid higher priced 'clear' cedar. The boards with few knots.

Find a design that fits your needs and size. I made this one with 2 sides. One for material that is ready or just about ready for the garden, and the other with new yard and food leftovers. I also put doors on the front for easy access and mixing.

Steps:

1. Make a drawing of what you want to build. Estimate how much wood you'll need. I used cedar 2x4's for the frame and 1x4's for the siding. You'll want to use either galvanized nails or suitable outdoor grade decking screws.
 
2. Assemble the frame.

3. Make doors. I glued them up, and then added strips of wood to the underside for extra strength.

4. Attach siding and doors. For the back side, I used chicken wire to reduce the cost, and to allow for extra ventilation.  If desired, apply a finish to the exterior.

Hot Keys for Geomagic Design ( Formerly Alibre Design )

Note to self:

Geomagic Design Hotkeys:

Shortcut Keys

Workspace – General (Part, Assembly and Drawing Modes)
Copy	CTRL+C
Cut	CTRL+X
Delete	DEL
Help	F1
New Workspace	CTRL+N
Open	CTRL+O
Paste	CTRL+V
Redo	CTRL+Y
Save	CTRL+S
Save As	CTRL+SHIFT+S
Select All	CTRL+A
Toggle Talk in Collaboration	F12
Undo	CTRL+Z

 

Workspace - Part Mode
Design Properties	ALT+RETURN
Equation Editor Dialog	CTRL+E
Hide Selection	CTRL+H
Join Session	F9
Layers	CTRL+L
Lead Session	F10
Measurement Tool Dialog	CTRL+M
Next View	F4
Options	CTRL+SHIFT+O
Orientation Dialog	CTRL+U
Previous View	F3
Regenerate	F5
Rotation Points Dialog	CTRL+R
Sketch Mode	CTRL+K
Toggle Planes	CTRL+SHIFT+P
Toggle Sketches	CTRL+SHIFT+K
Toggle Wireframe/Shaded	CTRL+SHIFT+W
Toggle Workspace	CTRL+TAB
Zoom to Fit	HOME

 

Workspace - Assembly Mode
Assembly Properties	ALT+RETURN
Equation Editor Dialog	CTRL+E
Hide Selection	CTRL+H
Insert New Part	CTRL+SHIFT+N
Insert Part/Subassembly	CTRL+SHIFT+I
Join Session	F9
Layers	CTRL+L
Lead Session	F10
Measurement Tool Dialog	CTRL+M
Next View	F4
Options	CTRL+SHIFT+O
Orientation Dialog	CTRL+U
Previous View	F3
Rotation Points Dialog	CTRL+R
Toggle Planes	CTRL+SHIFT+P
Toggle Sketches	CTRL+SHIFT+K
Toggle Wireframe/Shaded	CTRL+SHIFT+W
Toggle Workspace	CTRL+TAB
Zoom To Fit	HOME

 

Workspace - Drawing Mode
Bill of Materials	CTRL+B
Drawing Properties	ALT+RETURN
Insert Custom Symbol	CTRL+I
Join Session	F9
Lead Session	F10
Options	CTRL+SHIFT+O
Print	CTRL+P
Sketch Mode	CTRL+K
Toggle Workspace	CTRL+TAB
Zoom to Fit	HOME

 

Workspace - Navigation Acceleration
Zoom in	PgUp	Part/Assembly/Drawing
Zoom out	PgDn	Part/Assembly/Drawing
Pan left	LeftArrow	Part/Assembly/Drawing
Pan right	RightArrow	Part/Assembly/Drawing
Pan up	UpArrow	Part/Assembly/Drawing
Pan down	DownArrow	Part/Assembly/Drawing
Rotate left	Shift-LeftArrow	Part/Assembly Only
Rotate right	Shift-RightArrow	Part/Assembly Only
Rotate up	Shift-UpArrow	Part/Assembly Only
Rotate down	Shift-DownArrow	Part/Assembly Only
Move arrow left	Ctrl-LeftArrow	Part/Assembly/Drawing
Move arrow right	Ctrl-RightArrow	Part/Assembly/Drawing
Move arrow up	Ctrl-UpArrow	Part/Assembly/Drawing
Move arrow down	Ctrl-DownArrow	Part/Assembly/Drawing

 

Repository
Check In	Ctrl+U
Check Out	Ctrl+K
Create New Folder	REMOVE FROM MENU
Deposit	CTRL+D
Join Session	F9
New	CTRL+N
Open	CTRL+O
Open Read Only	CTRL+SHIFT+O
Properties	F7
Redo	CTRL+Y
Refresh	F5
Undo	CTRL+Z
Undo Check Out	Ctrl+Shift+K
Version History	F6
Withdraw	CTRL+W

 

Team Manager
New	CTRL+N
Join Session	F9

 

Message Center
Delete	DEL
Join Session	F9
New	CTRL+N
Reply	CTRL+R
Reply All	CTRL+SHIFT+R
Select All	CTRL+A

 

Unassigned Function Keys

F2

F5 - Unassigned in Drawing Mode only

F6

F7

F8

F11

Link:

http://download.novedge.com/Brands/Alibre/Documents/Alibre%20Design%20Help/introduction/Shortcut_Keys.htm

VW Jetta 2.0 Mark IV Engine Noise on Start Up

Having some issues with engine noise on my 2.0 Jetta. Seems like it's an exhaust valve or vacuum issue (secondary air pump), but not sure how to diagnose.

Vortex Engine Noise Thread:

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?2866451-Engine-Loud-on-Morning-Start-High-Idle-and-Noise

Secondary Air Pump:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l269Fj12qy4

GnuCash, Small Business and Depreciation

Keeping track of depreciation for a small business is a hassle but once you get it setup it doesn't look to hard to maintain and track.

Nice explanation of tracking depreciation using Gnucash here:

http://stuff.mit.edu/afs/sipb/project/gnucash/1.6.4/arch/sun4x_58/share/gnome/help/gnucash/de_DE/xacc-depreciation.html

and here:

http://gnucash.org/docs/v2.4/C/gnucash-guide/dep_accounts1.html

Probably easiest to use a tax program like TurboTax to compute your annual deprecation on your assets and then update Gnucash. That way you can generate accurate financial statements and it's all tracked in one program.

Manitowoc Ice Machine Repair - The Ice hits the Fan

I'm in the restaurant business and the other day my Manitowoc ( model #QY0214A ) was making a horrible screeching sound. In fact, it was so loud in the dining room that we had to shut it off and start rationing our ice supply.

Now the ice machine is only about 5-6 years old and I've taken very good care of this one. These things are not cheap. It's a simple hermetically sealed AC unit with very few moving parts. It had to be the evaporator fan that was making all that noise.

Sure enough, after removing the back panels, it was obvious where all that noise was coming from. This is an easy repair and anyone out there with a similar problem can save themselves about $250 by going DIY on this one. Here's what I did.

1. Go to partstown.com order a new fan. Here's the link: http://www.partstown.com/manitowoc_ice/man2413089

2. Remove the back panels, then loosen the bracket that holds the water connection  ( as shown ) so you can get the fan out .

3. Remove the fan. There are 3 small screws holding the fan motor to its mounting bracket. It's pretty hard to get those out without using a flexible screw driver.

4. After getting the fan loose open the front panel and find the two connectors for the fan power. Make a note of the color coding, so you remember to correctly hook the wires back up.

5. Install the new fan and tighten everything back up.

VW Jetta Engine Code P0322

If your VW won't star or randomly cuts out when you are driving, it could be the engine speed sensor ( sometimes called the crankshaft position sensor ). If the ECU doesn't get a signal from this sensor it will cut out the ignition. The engine code for this failure is P0322: Ign/Dist. Sped Inp Circ No Signal.

It's not a hard fix, but unfortunately this thing is tuck behind the oil filter and not so easy to get at. There is just one bolt ( 5 mm i think? ) holding it in. Some folks say you don't need to remove the oil filter to get at it, I was not able to do it that and wasted about 45 minutes trying to loosen it up. The part itself should cost between $80 and $100 dollars. You can save yourself about 200 bucks doing this one yourself.

Good Luck.

VW Mark IV Ignition Coil

If you own a VW golf/jetta IV and have noticed a loss of performance and an occasional engine misfire ( especially if it has rained recently) you might need to replace your ignition coil. But don't sweat it, it's actually sounds much more complicated than it is. You just need to remove the secondary air pump that is in front of the ignition coil and have at it. You'll need a socket set and some hex wrenches. However, while you are at it, it is a good idea to replace the spark wires and spark plugs too. This will require some really long extensions for your socket driver and maybe one of those super long needle nose pliers.

A great parts resource is ECS Tuning.

DIY Attic Sheet Rock Jack

This thing looks like a piece of technology from medieval times, but it actually worked. I was able to sheet rock my attic ceiling without much help ( my wife help me carry the heavier sheets up the stairs and onto the jack ). I built a frame out of 2x4's and used an hydraulic jack to raise the sheet rock up and down.

Recycled Motor Oil

Recycled motor oil. I would have to say, this is a very good idea for sustainability. I even bought some today, it was on sale for 2.99 a quart. Why not?

Can Used Oil Be Recycled? | Scientific American

Link Roundup

Band Saw + Block of Wood = Deer | Make
Apple iPad: A Linux Administrators New Assistant | Linux Magazine
Arduino: The Documentary | Spark Fun
Two Million Sketchup Model Milestone | Popular Woodworking

Jetta Water Pump Nightmares

I have a 2001 Jetta IV with only 70k miles on it, but was unfortunate enough to have the heat go out on one of the coldest days of the year. It also was over-heating. After a little sleuthing on the car repair forums, I came to the conclusion the water pump was toast.

You see for reasons I don't think anyone can explain this car was shipped with a plastic (ppe plastic) impeller on the water pump. Perhaps it was to save a few pennies or maybe to lighten the car.. who knows? However, you can imagine the hostile environment the water pump has do endure with all the heating, cooling and constant forces. Actually, I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did.

It's not an easy job, but not impossible either for the adventurous DIY'er. The book time on this job is 4.5 hours and will cost between $1000 and $1400 dollars at a repair shop. You can save some serious money considering the parts cost less than $200.

The water pump is on the timing belt so naturally you'll replace the timing belt, main belt, water pump and timing belt tensioner (need special tool for this).

There's a really awesome post on VWVortex with detailed replacement instructions that has everything you need to know. Make sure you buy the right timing belt kit for your engine and get the special tool to adjust the tensioner.

Ultimate Timing Belt DIY | VWVortex
ECS Tuning Ultimate Timing Belt Kit | ECS Tuning
Timing Belt Tensioner Tool | ECS Tuning

Simple Tutorial on Compiling C programs with GCC

GCC is the GNU c compiler that can does a lot of heavy lifting in the programming worlds.

The basic format for compiling a Hello World program is:

gcc hello.c -o hello

In this statement 'hello.c' is the program, '-o' is an option and 'hello' will be the name of the executable program. The '-o' option just specifies that compiled version of your program will be saved to an another filed called 'hello'. If you exclude this option, the the compiler will save to a default 'a.out' file.

Breif Review of Harbor Freight 1/2 inch Air Impact Wrench

Having never bought anything from Harbor Freight (Fright), I decided to grab this ultra inexpensive air tool to make quick work of rotating tires. For less than $20 bucks, I thought I should give it a try. The bottom line was - it did work fine, but seemed to lack torque. I guess this shouldn't be a surprise, but I really wonder if it really has a max torque of 250 ft-lbs.

In the end, I did return the item without any problems, so no major complaints, but probably not the best tool for stubborn, rusted bolts. Considering higher end air impact wrenches are many times the price ( over $100 ) of this one, one can't be too critical.

Links:
Harbor Freight Tool Reviews | Tool Crib

Link Roundup

1. Saul Griffith and Heirloom Design | Pop!Tech Blog
2. Ikea Blue Shopping Bag into Messenger Bag | Ikea Hacker
3. yPod Mp3 Player | YourItronics
4. The Plywood and Pipe Desk | Lifehacker
5. The Art of Creating Strong Passwords | PC World

IC of the Day - LM386

The LM386 is a low-voltage operation amplifier in an 8 pin dual in-line package. It can output .5 watts using 9 volts. Notable features are: suitable for battery operation, wide supply voltage 4v - 12v or 5c - 18v, voltage gains from 20 to 200, low distortion. The gain is internally set at 20, but with the addition of an external resistor and capacitor it can be adjusted from 20 - 200.


Links:
Datasheet | National Semiconductor
Cracker Box iPod Amplifier | A Blue Star
Mousey the Junkbot | Makezine
Tiny Amplifier | Electronics Lab

Link Roundup #3

1. The difference between Netbooks and Notebooks | Romow Computer Blog
2. Is Your PC Bot-Infested? | PC World
3. Over-tightening Bolts | Online Auto Repair
4. Bicycle Tail Light | YourITronics
5. Setting Up Ubuntu | Ubuntu Community Documentation

Link Roundup #2

1. Lo-fi Arduino Guitar Pedal
2. Heal Your Hardware
3. Education at the Crossroads
4. Open Source Alternatives to Popular Windows Applications
5. Top Five Fall Home Renovation Projects

Link Roundup

1. Build your own universal remote
2. Homemade cast aluminum chop saw
3. DIY Home Power Monitoring System