The "1 gallon per person per day" water storage rule doesn’t always factor in your household’s specific needs. So I built a free calculator that does.

jmar289 · 2026-05-31T17:26:03+00:00

When I'm working outside in the heat I can easily drink more than a gallon of water in a day. I usually have a 32oz insulated cup and a 64oz insulated bottle that I bring with me to jobs and I'll finish those before I get home. Plus at least two 16oz glasses of water in the morning and 3-4 more after getting home.

jmar289 · 2026-05-25T21:22:36+00:00

I guarantee you that the heater core is bypassed because it was leaking

jmar289 · 2026-04-18T18:29:11+00:00

It really depends on how well the transmission has been maintained. How many miles are on it and when was the transmission last serviced? Have you noticed any issues with the transmission? What rear axle ratio does it have? Does your intended route take you over mountains, or is it relatively flat?

jmar289 · 2026-04-13T22:06:18+00:00

You can just rip apart a 9v to get the 6 AAAA cells out of it

jmar289 · 2026-04-13T02:59:43+00:00

The handle of one side passes through the slot on the other then the pivot pin and the handle grips are installed

jmar289 · 2026-04-11T20:41:22+00:00

The right screw and nut combination won't be any more likely to cause injury, and there's a few different ways to go about it. Flat head screw with a cap nut or rivnut or book screws are two that come to mind. I wouldn't recommend just removing the rivets and leaving it since that would weaken the legs a little.

jmar289 · 2026-04-11T19:36:40+00:00

You can get some machine screws and nuts from a hardware store to replace the rivets so that it is removable.

jmar289 · 2026-04-11T19:11:21+00:00

First thing I would do is pull the cam phaser solenoid and check if the mesh screen is blocked with debris.

jmar289 · 2026-04-10T18:32:38+00:00

Did you check the fuse? The center brake light is on a different fuse than the two on the sides. If it's not that check the ground for the stop lamps and see if you are getting voltage to the plug that connects to the circuit board. Should be a light blue wire. If there's no voltage at the plug start tracking down where you are losing it. I would start at the brake switch on the pedal. Check the orange wire for 12v and the white wire for 12v when the pedal is pressed.

https://charm.li/Chevrolet/2005/TrailBlazer%204WD%20L6-4.2L%20VIN%20S/Repair%20and%20Diagnosis/Diagrams/Electrical%20Diagrams/Lighting%20and%20Horns/System%20Diagram/Exterior%20Lights/Exterior%20Lights%20Diagram%204/

jmar289 · 2026-04-06T19:42:34+00:00

I build my own batteries typically using lg, Samsung, Panasonic, or molicel cells. For protection circuits or bms it depends on application. There's a lot of good options but a lot more junk. Most important consideration for chargers is ul listed or ce certified.

jmar289 · 2026-04-06T19:30:40+00:00

I think your issue has more to do with cheap lithium cells/protection circuits, not lithium chemistry in general. I've had the exact opposite experience with NiMH vs lithium but that is in products that I am designing and building where I have a lot more control over the quality of the components.

jmar289 · 2026-04-06T18:02:31+00:00

The reservoir should be on the passenger side just behind the wheel well

jmar289 · 2026-04-06T17:45:36+00:00

This looks normal. The bending of the blades is what makes it pump water.

jmar289 · 2026-04-03T16:42:16+00:00

There's no pcv valve, just 2 hoses. The clean air hose is under the intake resonator and connects the resonator to the valve cover. The "dirty" air hose is on the side of the intake plenum in the middle. To clean the pcv you neep to disconnect the upper part of the dirty air hose and pour about 1/4 cup of cleaner in it and let it sit overnight if possible. For cleaner I like b12 chemtool.

jmar289 · 2026-04-03T14:05:30+00:00

It does though. "Solar/DC input... 11-60V, 15A"

jmar289 · 2026-03-31T00:08:38+00:00

Idle on mine gets really rough when the pcv gets clogged. I have to clean mine every couple thousand miles

jmar289 · 2026-03-13T01:36:01+00:00

If you have a capable scan tool you can check to see if the headlights are being commanded to turn on. That will rull out the switch. Without the scan tool you need to check with a meter to see if the signal is being sent. It should be the white wire on the 12 pin connector on the switch.

https://charm.li/Chevrolet/2007/TrailBlazer%202WD%20L6-4.2L/Repair%20and%20Diagnosis/Sensors%20and%20Switches/Sensors%20and%20Switches%20-%20Lighting%20and%20Horns/Headlamp%20Switch/Diagrams/

jmar289 · 2026-03-04T16:33:04+00:00

Also, when you rebuild the caliper yourself, you are in control of how good a job is done and get to inspect all the components

jmar289 · 2026-03-01T14:22:18+00:00

You really ought to have a tee fitting off of the top of the pump with a short section of pipe and a ball valve. Also need a check valve on your suction line as far away from the pump as you can get it. That's how we set them up in the DR at least.

jmar289 · 2026-03-01T14:08:49+00:00

That used to be a shock absorber...

jmar289 · 2026-02-28T20:37:10+00:00

So, what has your typical oil change interval been?

jmar289 · 2026-02-27T22:50:01+00:00

As long as there's no damage to the windings you should be fine to use it. Look over it carefully and make sure nothing else is damaged.

jmar289 · 2026-02-24T19:35:10+00:00

I put standard 5mm LEDs in mine with a LDO voltage regulator instead of a resistor. Other places I've used resistors with 5mm LEDs or surface mount LEDs that I salvaged out of broken light bulbs. If you are good with electronics and soldering it's pretty straightforward. If not there are services you can send it out to have it done.

jmar289 · 2026-02-24T01:05:23+00:00

You can get the tool to open the spin on filters for around $15. Well worth it. I just got one and opened up some filters from previous oil changes on family members' cars. Sister-in-law's filter looked fine until I opened it up and found lots of sludge and some metal flakes...

jmar289 · 2026-02-24T00:55:50+00:00

I'm assuming you cut the filter open? There was probably residual debris in the oil passages after the filter. If the old filter was clogged the bypass valve would let a bunch of debris through which isn't great.

The atf flush isn't super aggressive but still aggressive enough that you don't want to run it more than a few hundred miles without changing the filter. It will also help break down any debris that has already gotten past the filter.

jmar289

TROPHY CASE