Random non start condition. 86 dippy

[kkritsilas]

if your nephew's Tahoe has the same bolt pattern as the Suburban, just move the tires and rims from the Suburban to his Tahoe. He will get the low tire pressure warning, but he can just ignore that. He just has to check his tire pressures once a week with a tire pressure gauge (the way things used to be done prior to tire pressure monitoring systems came into being). When the Suburban tires wear out, he can replace the old Tahoe tires with new ones, and get the tire pressure monitoring system working again. No need to pay for all the mounting and dismounting of tires. but he will need to get a decent tire pressure gauge, and take the time to check tire pressures. Up here in Calgary, people do that for winter tires; people buy a set of plain steel rims and mount the winter tires on them, then just change the wheels over for winter. Come spring, they put the summer tires back on (with the tire pressure sensors) back on. It isn't just the cost of the tire pressure sensors for the winter tire rims, it is also the $150-$200 for the dealer to re-cailbrate the tire pressure sensors twice a year, as the tire pressure monitoring system can only accomodate one set of tire pressure sensors, so if you had tire pressure sensors in the winter wheels, when you changed over, you would need a re-cailbration. Then, come sprin time, and you put your summer wheels back on, you would need to re-cailbrate again. It used to be that you could re-cailbrate the tire pressure system on your own, but that got changed a few years back, and that can only be done at a tire shop or dealer, and most tire shops won't make the investment to re-calibrate the tire pressure monitoring system.

 

[Sub03]

On the '09 Tahoe I had you could get the car to recognize the tire pressure sensors by going through a routine described in the owners manual. It was something like press lock/unlock together. The turn lamp on one corner light up and then you release air pressure until the horn chirped. Are you saying that this isn't possible on the newer Tahoe/Suburbans? If that's the case it is just too stupid...

On my Charger it's just slap on the winter tires and drive a few miles.

 

[Justwondering]

That's exactly what my dad would do.
When I got the chevy from him, he had two pieces of black electrical tape over the brake idiot lights.
lol.
JW

 

[Justwondering]

I'm thinking a decent tire gauge would be an amazing xmas gift for him this year (in addition to the tire donation).



JW

 

[7T8 Custom]

I thought I was going to have to pay for the recalibration for the sensors on the new wheels but Dodge did something right on the Charger and all you have to do is drive the car for 20 minutes and the system auto-calibrates to the new sensors. New sensors from the dealer are also stupid priced. I was not paying $160.00 each for them so I did some searching and got a set of 4 for $60.00 that were the right frequency for the system on the car. All is now good. Tires are on the car on the new rims and the tire pressure sensor system is happy. The wife is also happy because the studded snow tires are on just in case it snows.

 

[kkritsilas]

On the '09 Tahoe I had you could get the car to recognize the tire pressure sensors by going through a routine described in the owners manual. It was something like press lock/unlock together. The turn lamp on one corner light up and then you release air pressure until the horn chirped. Are you saying that this isn't possible on the newer Tahoe/Suburbans? If that's the case it is just too stupid...

On my Charger it's just slap on the winter tires and drive a few miles.

On my 2006 Monte Carlo SS it was a menu item, find the right option, then start with the front driver's side, and go clockwise. Later, GM removed the option on some/most cars and trucks. I don't know if they put it back, as it created quite a backlash up here, but there was a period when cars could only be re-calibrated at the dealer. Dealers loved it, customers didn't. as you might imagine. I think that some of the imported cars also required going back to the dealer.

Like I said, tires were properly inflated without the tire pressure monitoring systems in the past, and whether it is or isn't operative now, a tire pressure gauge is always the final arbiter. More complexity often leads to reduced reliability, just because the number of failure points increases so much more.

P.S. If you are getting a new tire pressure gauge, get a digital one. The old style pencil type tire pressure gauges, while very cool, cannot be calibrated. Most of the dial type can be calibrated, but only the very expensive ones actually are. Most digital gauges are calibrated, as long as the cost more than about $CAN20. Look on the back of the package the gauge comes in; if it has a specification like "Tire pressure accurate to +/- 1 PSI" (or whatever number you are comfortable with) then you are good to go. If it doesn't have a specification like that, choose a different gauge.

 

[Cordoba1]

Like others have said, Starter or Neutral Safety Switch. If it happens randomly, I'd say the switch. Wiggle the shifter, try again. The starter will reveal itself as going going bad when hot. If it starts first thing, then nothing after the car is warm .. Starter. If funds are tight, just short out the safety switch. All this means is that the starter will engage in any transmission setting, so just beware of that.

 

[Aspen500]

IF an '86 Dip has the same wire colors as a '79 Aspen, to bypass the neutral switch, ground the brown/yellow wire from the switch. This can be done in the engine compartment. Should be a 3 wire harness from the trans to a connector near the right valve cover area.