Billy Laptop And The Green International #175 Tractor

Dear Mike and Ike,

Here, per your request (Mike), is a list of items I took note of that need attention and repairs.

One. After observing several motorcycles spinning out of control behind me as I pulled away from traffic lights, I found that the engine was leaking oil. The location of the leak is unknown but does appear to be coming from the front cover area and is being spread all over the place and onto the ground by the radiator fan.

Two. The fuel pedal hinge has broken and the pedal itself is now being held in place by a wire tie. I performed that repair pursuant to the company's emergency field repairs manual. I know duct tape and chewing gum was the preferred method but I had used it all up previously on an exhaust leak.

Three. The ABS brake light is on. However there were no discernible negative braking characteristics noted as a result. So perhaps the ABS sensor itself is full of crap.

Four. The TRAC CNTL dash light is on despite toggling the switch that operates same on and off, it being located on the lower left instrument panel. No unusual effects were observed with traction deficits. Therefore, causality is presently unknown.

Five. The engine warning light is always on due to a known harmless code being sent by the ECM (engine control module). The company mechanic had checked it out with the laptop computer and said that this particular code was present on half the fleet and the tool to fix it was not in the company's possession. Said warning light being on all the time may mask another serious or fatal code that the ECM may not have a shut down warning for but is trying to communicate the condition in vain just the same. Due to the light being on and mistakenly thought to be representing a harmless code, a masked negative code can lead to a possible catastrophic breakdown if not made known to the driver or mechanics. A similar situation to this existed in the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey” when the HAL 9000 computer had a conflict trying to express two imperatives at the same time and could not decide which one should be dominant and therefore opted to “off” the crew of the spaceship as a result. It would be indeed unfortunate if the ECM in 175 had the same problem and decided to “off” the driver.

Six. The engine shuts down unexpectedly after 3 or more minutes of idling and or of having the RPM set high and it needs to be constantly restarted. It will not long term idle. This is a bad situation when operating a dump or walking floor trailer when power needs to be applied reliably for extended periods of time. Loss of power at a critical moment can, according to Murphy's Law, lead to damage and or an accident with the trailer and power unit, possibly leading to personal injury and other property damage as well. Also, because there is not an auxiliary power unit to warm the tractor interior, a driver may find him or herself freezing to death this coming winter season because a constant source of heat cannot be reliably applied to the sleeping area. At the least a significant morbidity can be expected due to hypothermia.

Seven. The steering axle has a very bad vibration after 50 mph and faster. The entire cab vibrates violently. When following banking turns on the interstate at high speed, it feels like the tractor wants to hippity hop onto the left or right shoulder depending upon the direction of the radius of the curve. Everything shudders inside the cab. In fact I believe item #2 from above resulted from the constant vibrations. Personally, I find the vibrations so intense at times that I am developing a “ state of arousal ” from the stimulation to my lower body. As a result of this situation I am finding it difficult to stay under 50 mph.

Eight. The steering wheel spokes are off kilter when driving in a straight line and blocks the view of the speedometer. Needless to say, speed control is a necessary safety action a driver needs to be in control of legally. The wheel needs to be rotated about 20 degrees clockwise in order to restore the proper viewing angle.

Nine. The drivers side seat is worn out. It communicates every shock to the cab from the roadway and all the vibrations generated in the cab to one small area in the region of the coccyx bone. At the end of the day I feel exhausted and the pain to my backside must almost be like that to the backside of a new fish on cell block B.

Ten. The drive shaft U joints appear to be naked of any lubrication. I see nice shiny grease fittings looking at me but no grease is visible.

Well, Mike and Ike, that is pretty much it for this report. I hope you find it helpful in dealing with this particular power unit. If you need any further explanations, please do not hesitate to ask.

Your obsequient servant

BillyLapTop