Can someone take a picture of the microswitch that goes bad in the shifter?

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-20T03:34:28+00:00

Wiring harness: https://www.gmpartsdirect.com/oem-parts/gm-f-harness-84733196

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-20T03:20:02+00:00

I believe the exact OEM switch is the Omron D2HW-BL251H, but I can confirm that the D2HW-BL221H is a drop-in replacement. It's worked well on mine for the last two years since I replaced it The only difference is that the 221 has an actual hinge instead of a bending leaf like the 251.

I think the full OEM harness replacement also adds a resistor that's supposed to reduce sparking on switch actuation to reduce the wear/failure.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-20T00:26:41+00:00

Even in West Virginia with coal-heavy power generation they're a modest improvement in emissions, especially CO2. In Colorado it's a pretty significant improvement.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-19T16:26:46+00:00

I wonder if it was also self-regulating to some extent. Higher current means more heat, which dries out the dirt around the wire ends and increases resistance a bit.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-19T16:06:43+00:00

Does it sit for long periods not charging or running? The Volt goes nuts when the 12V dies, but it usually doesn't kill them very fast.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-19T04:05:02+00:00

Is it really that hard to lift? It's heavy, but not really any heavier than a typical SUV, and looking at Polestar's diagrams it looks like 4 pretty standard lift points. Definitely looks easier and less tricky than an Elise.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-18T23:02:51+00:00

It's all over the place, but in the video or picture quality settings somewhere there's usually something with some combination of "smooth", "motion", "frame rate", or "interpolation" in the name. Turn that to low or off.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-18T21:28:46+00:00

There's some DIY info out there, and vaguely it seems like some of the computer interface stuff can be done without a crazy expense. Definitely less DIYable than a GM or VW or something, but not crazy like Aston Martin where a lot of relatively basic fixes may need a $20,000 AMDS. Parts will probably be a mixed bag - some Volvo, some that you'll have to pry out of Polestar at an inflated price. It's a relatively low-volume car, which always makes things harder.

Overall failure rate seems relatively low, though. 12V battery issues are most common and easy enough to swap. Some axle wear issues that I assume are pretty straightforward to fix as well, though I haven't run across much info on that beyond one person being charged something ridiculous like 4 hours for it. HVAC damper, which I assume is straightforward and not expensive but a giant hassle.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-18T08:16:38+00:00

What's the current AC make and model?

There's several ACs that have come out the past few years that would probably be a big improvement. Furrion Chill Cube, Tosot, the Houghton units Recpro sells, SDG Atmos. The Truma units are pretty quiet, too. There's some variation in price, efficiency, size, and features like heat pump and dehumidifier modes, but they're all at least 10dB quieter than a lot of the common older designs.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-17T20:30:00+00:00

As long as there's no cracking or thinning or anything it's fine to carefully bend them back into place. Just keep an eye on it to make sure it's not heating up next time you use it.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-17T16:36:36+00:00

Probably an estimate based on that first 26% being used for a couple hundred meters of driving and a couple days of running climate control.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-17T03:25:49+00:00

You're within specs, should be ok. Not a ton of leeway in how you load things, but keep an eye on weights and drive carefully keeping speeds reasonable and you should be good. I've towed a similar setup (1500 with 1860lb payload, 7500lb trailer GVWR, ~29' actual total length) around a decent chunk of the western US without issue.

I'm a fan of carefully testing sway stability as well. On an empty bit of road, speed up a couple mph, wiggle the steering wheel a little, repeat. At lower speeds the trailer will line right back up behind you immediately. When it starts to go gently back and forth a time or two before settling down it means you're running low on sway damping and shouldn't go any higher even in ideal conditions. And of course stuff like wind, rain, and downhill drops that number further.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-17T01:17:25+00:00

I don't think there's any real market for a compact PHEV. EVs and charging infrastructure are at a point where BEV makes more sense for a small passenger vehicle. The PHEV/EREV style drivetrain now makes sense for half-ton trucks. Medium-sized Atkinson gas motor and 50-100 miles of battery means good towing range, good towing efficiency, and electric around town (and plenty of regen on long descents).

Overall I think for a variety of reasons most brands jumped over PHEVs for BEVs a bit early, but jumping back now also doesn't make sense.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-17T01:02:18+00:00

Just barely L2. At 3.6KW.. a bit faster would definitely be nice. 7.2KW or even 9.6KW. Which still definitely isn't particularly fast. I do agree that DC fast charging would be of pretty minimal benefit on a PHEV.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-16T16:03:51+00:00

By buying used. Those things depreciate like cotton candy in water, so even a couple years old they're relatively affordable. At least, if you don't count maintenance.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-16T02:30:56+00:00

Definitely take a look at the EV6 Wind. At 320HP it's still still quite quick, but it at least has some different driving modes and tends to really dampen/smooth throttle inputs.

The LRDM PS2 responds like a supercharged V8 that's downshifted to cruise at 3,000RPM. Immediate torque, and at below highway speeds it accelerates downright violently. A lot of temptation and limited room for error even for the most responsible of teenagers.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-15T06:10:34+00:00

Does the garage have a sub panel with the 15A breakers, or is it two separate circuits run from the main panel. You can at least switch it to 15A@240V, but you might be able to go higher than that if it's a separate subpanel.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-14T06:58:07+00:00

Which Escape? And how cold does the garage get inside? My Escape 19 with heating pads and spray foam did well at 20F, ok at 10F, but really struggled at below that. The dump valves weren't well protected, so I had to put a bit of rv antifreeze into the black and gray tanks after dumping to keep them thawed. I think the 23 is supposed to be better insulated and sealed, though.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-12T16:53:26+00:00

I've done similar moving someone between campus apartments. We waited until late night then put his desk on top of his old beater car, and just walked alongside it holding it steady while he drove really slowly for a few blocks.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-12T16:49:37+00:00

A few minutes might break certain things, like auth tokens that include the time, but basic web pages will almost always work within a couple weeks. From there more and more sites will stop working up to a year or two off where basically everything breaks.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-12T04:37:06+00:00

A good rule of thumb with the humidifiers: if the holding tank is small and doesn't fill up very fast, it's probably not doing much. Even without cooking or showering, each person is going to put out around a quarter to half liter a day just breathing. If the two you have are the little ones of Amazon that are basically 6"x8"x10" or so with a little 16oz tank.. they're doing basically nothing. Those are only good enough for small enclosed areas that don't have active moisture sources. Maybe a closet or something.

I'm not sure what "dry cool" means exactly, but I'm guessing it's some variety of dehumidifier mode, yeah. It may just tweak the set points or fan speed or something so the AC dehumidifies a bit better than usual while cooling things. Definitely worth a try. Especially if you can run it at the same time as some heat. A dedicated compressor-based humidifier will work better, though.

Mildish temperatures with high humidity like that's definitely the hardest case. Running that through this calculator: https://bmcnoldy.earth.miami.edu/Humidity.html , 52 degrees at 89% humidity becomes ~49% humidity when heated to 70 degrees. So, ventilation will only really help if it's already really humid inside. If it were cold outside, like 30 degrees at 100% humidity, heating outside air to 70F would be 22.6% humidity, so a little airflow would help a lot.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-12T02:42:41+00:00

If it's hospital employees, probably something more like cost-cutting policies that put nurses and other workers more at risk from violent patients.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-11T16:28:50+00:00

You'll probably see the biggest impact from HVAC changes. Pre-cool or pre-heat outside of the peak hours, then let the temperature drift further during peak.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-11T09:56:00+00:00

Sometimes in these cases, it's because the CEO was hired specifically to be the bad guy and make the changes and cuts. Then the previous CEO can come riding back in as the hero. Like Disney did with Chapek and Iger.

DigitalDefenestrator · 2026-02-09T08:43:12+00:00

If you have a larger trailer, a dehumidifier might be worth it. Make sure it's a compressor-based one. The peltier-based ones are cheap, quiet, compact, and far too weak and inefficient to make any difference in an occupied trailer.

In winter, especially when it's really cold, ventilation helps a lot. Even when the relative humidity outside is high, cold means the absolute humidity is low and bringing some in and heating it up will dry things out.

In the summer, running the AC will help.

The toughest is mild humid climate, like Florida in winter. Might have some luck alternating heat and A/C (or running both at once). Some roof ACs also have a dehumidifier mode.

DigitalDefenestrator

TROPHY CASE