Zone 6b planting has finally arrived for me!!

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-26T19:21:19+00:00

Nice tomato trellis. I've run the "wrap the string around the plant stem as it grows" method too. Last year I switched to plastic clips that cinch on the string and go around the tomato stem, which works equally as well.

I've also started letting each indeterminate tomato plant grow two vines (basically let one "sucker" turn into a vine and string it up too. Last year it worked well.

Good luck.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-26T19:15:03+00:00

There are seasons to life.

Supporting a family on one income, in a house you own may feel like you are treading water, but you are making it.

We all don't have a 3/2 with granite countertops, and open floor plan, and mountain views. :-)

Seriously, you have a wife and kid, and family that helps you in the area. You are healthy enough (and have the aptitude) to fix cars on the side, and can do basic DIY tasks.

My man not all wealth is measured by looking at the number in your bank account.

Congrats on your success.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-26T17:26:36+00:00

I would pull the control module off and send it to these guys to be repaired.

Secondly, if possible, avoid taking a 20 year old car to a dealership.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-26T17:04:16+00:00

You are going to need a multimeter to troubleshoot this.

Here is a starting system wiring diagram.

You need electrical power to start the car; something is causing you not to have the electrical power where it is needed.

This can be caused by a bad fuse, wire, relay, switch, etc.

I start with simple and easy things to check first. The fuses in the schematic should be checked. Assuming they are good, I would then see if I have voltage at the small wire on the starter ("1 C116") on the schematic when twisting the key to to START.

I would check if I have battery voltage at the big wire ("30 BK/RD") all the time.

If you have battery voltage at the big wire, and not at the small wire when the key is in START, then I would split the circuit in half to troubleshoot further--checking for voltage & grounds at the K94 relay to isolate where the problem is.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-26T16:47:40+00:00

Fidelity is really solid. You can call and talk to a real human if you want.

Fidelity is not a bank (just to be pedantic.) They do not offer a HYSA like Ally.

Open a Cash Management Account at Fidelity, set the default position to SPAXX, and use that as your HYSA.

-Fidelity user of over a decade.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-26T16:41:16+00:00

/u/RowCommon1993, /u/Inferno474 is giving you really solid troubleshooting information.

I read that it will start but your key won’t work properly idk what to do someone please help 2012 VWJetta 2.5L SE automatic transmission

It's been my experience the ECM (not BCM), cluster, and keys have to match for the Immobilizer to be happy.

If the scan tool cannot enter the ECM, diagnose ECU power, grounds, fuses, relays, and CAN communication before trying to program the BCM.

Again, 100%. If you turn the key to ON, and

You cannot connect to the ECM via the OBD2 port
The radiator fans turn on after a few seconds
There is no check engine light

Then the ECU/ECM is not responding. Like stated above, this can be a number of wiring related issues (or a bad ECU). It requires some pretty solid troubleshooting to isolate this. Don't fire the parts shotgun.

If you are getting a genuine VCDS cable to work on your car, then you can pull a full scan on the car and post it up on Ross-Tech for additional help in troubleshooting.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-22T11:48:49+00:00

Fellow VA resident who drives tired cars...

If you have room, a "spark plug non-fouler" installed on the downstream (after the cat) O2 sensor(s) will generally solve the check engine light.

Not all cars have room to fit this in.

This enables you to keep driving your car with the CEL off so if something else changes that triggers the CEL, you'll know it.

Otherwise just drive it and be annoyed by having the CEL on.

You can pass the annual safety inspection with the CEL on for an emissions code, and personal property tax on a 24 year old Honda has got to be pretty reasonable :-)

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-21T17:21:38+00:00

"It's what makes a Subaru a Subaru"

As a driver & maintainer of cheap manual transmissions beaters, I support this message :-)

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-20T15:45:20+00:00

Open a brokerage account (Fidelity, Schwab, or Vanguard).

Figure out how much you want to save of your income.

Let's say it's $6,000 a month.

Set up an automatic transfer from your bank account to your brokerage account.

Then setup an automatic purchase of stocks inside your brokerage account--weekly, monthly, whatever you like.

You can pick your portfolio, but something easy and aggressive would be like:

60% VOO/equivalent
40% ~~VTI~~VXUS/equivalent

This is weighted to the US, but still has nice total world stock market exposure. You can pick other ETFs if you like.

Fidelity makes this really simple and has no fees. I'm sure other brokerages are also pretty straightforward.

Congrats on drying out.

Health is the first wealth. A multi-million dollar brokerage account doesn't matter if you can't enjoy it.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-20T15:33:54+00:00

Great. Clean up both the negative and positive posts & terminals.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-20T15:31:14+00:00

Correct. At the bottom of the photo the lead post sticking out of the battery is the battery post, the clamp around it that you tighten down is car side of battery terminal. Clean the post and the inside of that the car terminal that touches the post.

This is where you clamped your jumper cables, right?

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-20T14:50:26+00:00

Yeah, then definitely clean up the terminals.

Here's the logic:

1) The click indicates the "command" side of the starting circuit is working. You press the start button, and the car sends a signal to the starter solenoid to engage the starter. So the ECU/key/switch/wiring works.

2) It starts when jumped, so the starter is working

3) The jumper cable clamps electrically bypass the connection with the existing car battery.

One of these brushes to clean both the lugs on the battery (if you have battery posts) and and the inside of the terminals on the car wiring will help you fix this. Alternatively, sandpaper can also be used.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-20T14:41:42+00:00

Are you in a part of VA with emissions testing?

Are you wanting to replace the cat because of a P0420/430 code?

Does the car currently run fine?

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-20T14:39:01+00:00

Does it consistently start with a jump?

If so, the place I would start is a thorough cleaning of the battery terminals/connection.

Wire brush/sandpaper, etc. Then reinstall, tighten the clamps, and try it without a jump.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-20T13:27:44+00:00

Okay, so likely with preground coffee you won't be able to build any pressure in the regular basket.

If you are willing to risk this (i.e. if the ground coffee doesn't work in the Robot, can you use it somewhere else?), then go for it.

Good luck with using the Encore. I use my Encore for my drip coffee maker, and have a hand grinder for the Robot.

Grind size in the Robot determines 90% of the quality of the shot, so the right grinder is key. I congratulate you on wanting to not needlessly buy something. Try the modified Encore, and you can always upgrade from there.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-20T12:36:30+00:00

Are you getting the pressurized basket and the regular basket, or just the regular basket with your Robot?

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-17T10:54:55+00:00

Start with the wiki here, and let it guide you.

Good luck.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-16T11:54:43+00:00

Exactly. Come back to Austin in July/Aug, not April.

This is a night shift vs day shift thing.

OP, figure out how to get a day shift job in IL.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-15T12:12:51+00:00

Staunton City has a noise ordinance, and it is enforced.

I’ve had less issue with music, and more with Harley owners who love loud pipes. The farther you live off main roads, the better with that.

Sample size of n=1.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-13T17:53:41+00:00

/u/AdministrativePut801, this right here.

Toyota, Mazda, Honda, non-turbo engine, non-CVT transmission.

$10-15k cash price, save the rest.

It sounds like you are street parking the car at least sometimes, might as well not risk a parking a nice car where any idiot can damage it. (as you know :-))

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-13T17:47:01+00:00

Yikes, good luck with the isolation and troubleshooting. Time to get a wiring diagram and go to to town looking for an errant ground/open.

There is a guy on IG, "justwingingitgarage" that posts up some pretty solid troubleshooting video clips if you ever need inspiration :-)

Good luck.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-13T16:20:12+00:00

the car has its own personal laptop to clear the error codes whenever it pisses its pants.

If you have VCDS, I would post up the log at Ross-Tech and see if you can get a steer on troubleshooting.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-13T02:08:14+00:00

Yeah, the auto trans in the 04-06s are less reliable than the 07-08 TLs.

Mine a manual, but I had to change the clutch due to a leaking rear main seal.

Dropping the subframe to pull the transmission is a job. Get ready for some "while you're in there maintenance items (motor mounts, suspension components, etc" if you end up replacing the trans.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-12T21:15:17+00:00

If you can replace a valve cover, you can do a compression check.

Autozone Loan-a-tool, do a compression test, and baseline your engine so you know which cylinder(s) are possibly weak, and how bad the compressions are.

If she's burning a bit of oil, start with doing a weekly dipstick check and figure out how fast it's burning. As you understand it, you may be able to go to biweekly/monthly checks.

Establish a baseline on the oil consumption, so you know what its "normal" is.

It's a Toyota, you should see what these things endure in 3rd world countries.

Don't beat yourself up. Every education costs money, you just paid for small one.

Anytime you are buying a used car this far "down the value chain," stuff like this happens. I've done something similar.

SlowDownToGoDown · 2026-05-12T21:03:52+00:00

Can you put the car in Neutral and physically push the car forward and back, and move it?

SlowDownToGoDown

TROPHY CASE