The Troubled Economy

Replaced my Brake Rotors

2011-03-31T00:50:00.004-04:00

For about a year, I have been noticing my Honda Odyssey's steering wheel to shake a little bit every time I would step on the brake. I thought that it was the wheels so I had them balanced but the shaking didn't go away.

I brought it at the dealership for its regular maintenance hoping that Honda would spot the issue during their road test but instead they suggested to do a wheel alignment in which I agreed because I can't remember the last time it was done. The shaking didn't go away as well.

I talked to my mechanic friend and asked him to test drive my Odyssey. He said that the problem is with the rotors, it may be warped and needs resurfacing or replacement in the future. Since the shaking was not that bad when he tested it, he suggested replacing the rotors at the same time as the brake pads. Well, that was about 6 months ago.

The shaking went from tolerable to annoying. I remember that I just replaced my brake pads in December 2009 (see this post) and I really can't stand it anymore. I looked online on YouTube on how do to it and found it easy enough that I can do it, so I went to Autozone and bought the rotors. I took some pictures on how I did it and hopefully you can learn from my experience.

The 1st thing you need to do is to loosen the lug nuts a little (don't completely remove the lug nuts). Next is to jack up your car. Once you've raised your car, remove all the lug nuts and remove the tire.

This is what you'll probably see. On the right is the brake caliper.

At the back of the caliper, there are 4 bolts (2 on the brake caliper and 2 on the bracket). On the picture below, the bottom 2 bolts are for the caliper while the top 2 bolts are for the bracket). Remove the bolts of the caliper first.

Put the caliper somewhere you will not just leave it hanging. What I did is I rested the caliper on top of the control arm (I think that's what it's called but I'm not 100% sure).

Remove the brake pads next and then remove the bracket bolts. You should have something like this.

Here's a picture of the bracket.

The next thing to do is to remove the 2 screws that's holding the rotor. Screws are shown below at about the 1 o'clock and 7 o'clock areas.

I have seen several ways to loosen the screws on YouTube but I opted for the Impact Screwdriver as pictured below.

After several taps of the hammer on the impact screwdriver, I was able to remove the screws.

Sometimes, the rotors will not just slide out immediately. An option that will help in removing the rotors is to use bolts and tighten them alternately on the rotor. In my case, I used size 8 bolts (see below).

Tadaaa!!! I got the rotor removed.

Side by side view of the old and new rotors.

Top side-by-side view.

The installation of the rotors is the reverse of the removal. I applied an anti-seize compound on the screw threads before putting them in so I won't have a hard time removing them the next time I do this again.

I re-attached the caliper bracket and similar to the screws, I also used anti-seize on the bolt threads.

I used this tool to push back the brake piston on the caliper

Here's how you can do it. I placed one of the brake pads and then used the tool to push the pad and the piston.

Installed the brake caliper.

After doing the removal steps I mentioned above, here's a picture of the other side without the rotor.

New rotor and re-installed the brake caliper.

After replacing both rotors, I went out for a test drive and sure enough the shaking while braking went away. Since it was my 1st time doing the rotor replacement, I spent about an hour and a half replacing both rotors. I spent about $110 for the rotors but would probably have spent more if I brought it to a shop. I saved some money by doing the labor myself and learned something new.

That same day, I decided to go to BJ's tire center and had my tires rotated and balanced thinking that the thread wear may not be even due to the shaking.

After a couple of days, I then helped my dad replace the rotors on his Honda Civic. The procedure is pretty much the same so I didn't take any more pictures.

Check Engine Light - It was my spark plug coil

2010-10-05T18:07:00.000-04:00

I was on my way to work one morning and I dropped by a Royal Farms store to get coffee. I was all set to work and I started my car and pulled out of the parking space. I've noticed that the car is running rough and the Check Engine Light came on.

I remembered that there is an Advanced Auto Parts store nearby, probably about a mile and drove there slowly. I asked if they can check the code for my CEL and they did it for free. The code was P0305 and the associate said that it was a misfire on one of the cylinders. I called up my mechanic buddy and asked for an advice on what to do. My buddy said that it's either the spark plug or the coil. He told me to try replacing the spark plug first and if that doesn't work, try switching the coils and check if the code changes. I don't have any tools with me so I also asked if I can drive my car back to the house and he said yes as long as I don't drive fast.

I bought an NGK Iridium spark plug from Advanced before leaving. I just replaced the spark plugs less than a year ago so I still remember the brand. My home is about 10 miles away from Advanced Auto Parts and was able to get back safely.

I changed the spark plug on cylinder 5 and reinstalled the coil. I have an OBD-II reader so I was able to clear the code before starting the car. I then started the car but it was still running rough. A few minutes later, the CEL lit up again. I read the code and it's still P0305.

I then moved on to the next step of swapping the coils. I swapped the coil on the 5th cylinder with the one on the 2nd cylinder, cleared the code and restarted the car. The engine was still running rough and when I checked the code, I got a new one P0302. This indicates that the problem might be with the coil.

Looking to buy a replacement coil, I first went to NAPA Auto parts. They told me that they don't have anything in stock and said that they can have it by tomorrow. The price that they quoted me was $110 and I said that I'll think about it. In my mind, I knew that there was an AutoZone nearby and was planning to go there next.

At AutoZone, the associate was very helpful (his name is Jerry). He said that he doesn't have any in stock but he can also have it available by tomorrow. The price was also cheaper at AutoZone - $95. Jerry then said that he can check other AutoZone stores if they have it. He found one at a nearby store and he even called up the other store and told them that I will be picking it up. The store is about 15 miles away and Jerry told me to tell them that Jerry sent me there to pickup the part. I thanked Jerry for his help.

I got to the other AutoZone store and told them that I am picking up a spark plug coil and Jerry sent me. The manager got the part and showed it to me. I looked at it and it was the part I'm looking for and said that I'm taking it. At the cash register, the part came up as $95 and I already swiped my card. The manager said, wait a minute. Since Jerry sent me and Jerry is a nice guy, she will give me a discount. She took of 10% and the cost went down to $85.50. Whoa! I started from $110 at NAPA to $85.50... I'll take the $25 savings. Never had a day like this and I'm thankful for talking to Jerry at AutoZone.

I took some pictures of the spark plug coil replacement:

The faulty spark plug coil on the 2nd cylinder

Duralast coil from AutoZone

The new (shiny) spark plug coil

Removed the faulty one on the 2nd cylinder

Side by side (faulty and new)

New spark plug coil installed on the 2nd cylinder

I then cleared the code and restarted the car. The engine was running smoothly now. I drove the car around the block and the CEL didn't light up. I fixed the issue and it's good to have a mechanic friend who can always give you an advice on how to fix your car problems. Also, it's nice to meet people like Jerry who are always helpful to customers like me who are in need of help.

Air Filter follow-up

2010-09-06T21:26:00.000-04:00

I got a reply from my friend Jet about the air filter that I replaced. He pointed out that I've replaced the air intake filter and not the cabin filter and the air cabin filter is a different story. He's right about it.

In my experience, the cabin filter is a bit tricky to replace as you have to remove a lot of things. I replaced my cabin filter on my Odyssey several times now and I found the steps on how to do it in an Odyssey forum. Here's the link on how to replace it on 2nd generation Odysseys.

I remember that I had to do it because the dealer was charging me $130 back in May 2006. I was able to buy the cabin filter at a cheaper price and didn't had an issue replacing it the first time. Since then, I always decline this filter replacement when the dealer says that I have to. (The last time I was offered was back in March 2010 and the replacement price is a bit lower now - $75.00).

I'm buying my replacement filters online. You can get it from Amazon or eBay or maybe from a local Auto parts store.

Here's the cabin filter that I just replaced recently

The filter is under the glove box.

If you have a 2nd generation Odyssey and is looking to have the cabin filter replaced, just follow the instructions on the link I posted above. If you do it on your own (and correctly), you'll surely save a few $$$.

Replaced my Air Filter

2010-08-27T18:55:00.021-04:00

On my earlier post, it mentioned something about Air Filter as a regular maintenance. I just remembered that I did this on one of my cars a couple of months back. Air Filter replacement is actually one of the easiest thing to do on your car.

It was time to replace my air filter and I took a picture of the old (left) and the new (right). The old filter is very filthy and I guess it did its job well. These filters are the same brand - FRAM and you can see the difference.

These are the back of the filters. New one on the left while the old filter is on the right. I had to mention that as I didn't notice the change in location. Looks like the old filter is filthier (don't know if that's a word) at the bottom. I'm glad that I decided to change it.

Save $31,000

2010-08-27T18:21:00.080-04:00

I've been saving this article for about six months now because it's about car maintenance. The title of the article is "Drive Your Car to Death, You'll Save $31,000." I got the article from The Women's Journal magazine/paper while I was waiting for my turn at the doctor's office. The actual article can be viewed online using this link.

As I read through, this savings estimate came from Consumer Reports Magazine. It says that if you keep your car for 15 years, or about 225,000 miles of driving, you could save yourself nearly $31,000. This figure was compared to the cost of buying an identical model car every 5 years.

The article also points out that the key to keep your car running well beyond 100,000 miles is regular scheduled maintenance. The following should be followed:

Change engine oil and oil filter every 3,000 miles (stop-and-go driving) or 5,000 miles (mostly highway driving)
Flush the transmission and drive train fluids every 30,000 miles
Flush the cooling system every 30,000 miles
Change the fuel filter every 30,000 miles
Change the air filter every 12-15,000 miles
Replace oxygen sensors every 90,000 miles
Replace spark plugs and plug wires when recommended by manufacturer
Replace timing belt every 60,000 miles

I think you will be saving more if you keep your car instead of buying a new one because you don't have to worry about car payments anymore after paying off your car.

I'm planning to drive both my cars to death. One is nearing 130,000 miles (12 years) while the other is at 90,000 miles (8 years). Both of my cars are still running fine and I just hope both will reach 225,000 miles.

ESPN NBA Fantasy - Final Standing

2010-04-20T21:44:00.007-04:00

My NBA fantasy season ended with my team finishing 2nd place. The season ended on April 14 and currently the NBA is having it's playoffs.

I didn't know that there's no playoffs in the fantasy league that I joined. I'll probably switch to a different fantasy format next year.

All in all, I'm satisfied. I've learned how to play on an NBA fantasy league.

ESPN NBA Fantasy - 02/27/2010

2010-02-27T08:36:00.000-05:00

A quick check on my NBA fantasy game. I'm still at 2nd place and still tied for the same position. We're down by 2 points for the 1st place (5 points previously).

I didn't have much changes on my lineup. I did drop Marcus Thornton and picked up John Salmons but picked up Marcus again the next day after he scored 37 points. John is doing well though with his new team (Milwaukee Bucks).

I'm currently monitoring Andrei Kirilenko's injury. If he don't play much, I will be picking up John Salmons again as a replacement.

As for the stats, my team need to work on their Free Throw percentage. I'm actually at the bottom with 75.04%. The next team above me has 75.69%. The other stat that I have the chance to take over is the rebounds. I have 4,116 while the other team has 4,134. I need 19 rebounds to take over. I have to analyze my stats as I may have to give up one player to get someone who has a better stat at rebounding.

Replaced my battery - Other car

2010-02-11T20:54:00.003-05:00

I had to do another battery replacement on my other car last December after bringing it to the dealer for an oil change. They mentioned that I had to change the battery and is asking for $118 again. It's the same charge they were asking back in October.

My dad bought me another battery from Walmart and final price after returning the old battery is $67.50 just like the last time.

Here are the step by step procedures on how I replaced my car's battery:

1. Open the hood and get the appropriate wrench to be able to remove the terminals and the brackets.
Side note: My old battery's brand is DieHard and it really died hard. I believe it's on my car for more than 5 years.

2. Be sure to have a new battery. Just common sense, you cannot replace your battery without a replacement. :)
3. Remove the Negative Terminal connection first.
4. Remove the Positive Terminal connection next.
5. Loosen the bolts on the bracket to be able to remove the old battery.
6. Battery removed.
7. Place the new battery.
8. Re-assemble the brackets but do not tighten the bolts. Remove the red and black plastic covers on the terminals.
9. Install the Positive Terminal connection first and tighten the bolt. Make sure the cable will not move.
10. Install the negative terminal connection next and tighten the bolt. Make sure the cable will not move as well.
11. Tighten up the bolts on the bracket to make sure the battery will not move.
12. Start the car to test the battery

There you go. Hope these steps help you should you tackle the battery replacement yourself.

ESPN NBA Fantasy - 02/10/2010

2010-02-10T21:27:00.002-05:00

Update on my status on my NBA Fantasy game. I've fallen to 2nd place after about 2 months. My rank sometimes fall into 3rd place and go back to 2nd. Looking at the standings, I'm actually tied with someone else. We're 5 points behind the 1st place team.
I made several changes on my lineup (see below):

Drops
1. Michael Redd - out of the season due to injury
2. Thaddeus Young - regressed in stats when I dropped him
3. John Salmons - starting to regress in stats

Adds
1. Andre Kirilenko - getting hot since he was put back in Utah's starting lineup. Replacement for Michael Redd
2. Darren Collison - Since Chris Paul is injured he's one of the guys picking up the slack for New Orleans. Replacement for John Salmons
3. Marcus Thornton - Also picking up the slack for New Orleans due to Chris Paul's absence. Replacement for Thaddeus Young.
Some things that affected my ranking.
1. Carmelo Anthony - the league leader in scoring. He missed 8 games due to an ankle injury but he was back in the Nuggets lineup yesterday.
2. Marcus Thornton - missed 4 games due to a back injury
3. Brandon Jennings - on a shooting slump. His points average fell to 17.1 from 21.3.

Busted Door Bell light

2010-02-05T18:58:00.004-05:00

I have noticed that my door bell light is busted again. I found out about it when somebody knocked on my door hard. I wondered why he knocked when he could have just pressed the door bell button. I'm guessing he didn't notice the button was there.

Door bell without light

This will be the 2nd time I will be replacing it. I was lucky to save the old button on the original replacement case (Style selections #158623). If memory serves me right, I bought this product from Lowes. I kept the item in the car this morning and was planning to drop by Lowes to get a replacement.
While on my way home, I decided not to go to Lowes since we will be hammered with a snow storm tonight and tomorrow. Weather forecasts are calling snow for about 6 to 18 inches.

I started looking at the old button and thinking that I don't have any use for it anymore, maybe I should open it and see what type of bulb it has. I didn't care if I break the product since I know I'll be buying a new one anyway.

Closer look at the button (apologies for a blurry picture).

Back of the button

I was able to separate the back part and found an LED type bulb. Looking at the button case, it says that the button can be installed to wired chimes, bells and buzzers that are from 8 to 24 volts.

Removed the bulb (busted one)

I remembered that I used a similar bulb on my car when I replaced the backlight of the clock. I know that the bulb is 12 volts. I bought the bulb from Radio Shack for $1.79 (part #272-1092) and it has 2 bulbs. At that time I used it, I only needed one so I had a spare.
I compared the Radio Shack bulb with the busted bulb and they both look the same.
I was able to re-assemble the button back with the new bulb. I then removed the button with the busted bulb and replaced it with the newly fixed button. After connecting the 2nd wire (see below), it worked!
Now my door bell has a light again. I'm keeping the other button so the next time I get a busted bulb, I'll just head to Radio Shack instead of Lowes. I can't remember how much I paid for the button but at least I saved a few $$$.

NFL Fantasy - Week 15 - Playoffs Results

2009-12-22T19:58:00.003-05:00

I came in the playoffs as the top seed with an 11-3 win-loss record. I played the 4th seeded team and guess what??? I lost!!!! And I lost big time. The 4th seeded team beat my team by 49 points. All of his players had double digit fantasy points. I never had a chance.

Oh well... I believe I had an excellent rookie NFL fantasy season. I never knew that I would finish on top when this is just my first time playing an NFL fantasy game.

I'll surely play again next year. I can now focus on my NBA fantasy team. Thanks for following my NFL fantasy season!

Replaced my Brake Pads - At last!

2009-12-18T20:25:00.005-05:00

At last, I was able to replace my brake pads. It took me about an hour replacing the pads on the front axles. As for how I did it, I just went to youtube and searched for brake pad replacement and followed the instructions. Below are some pictures...

Removed the wheel after jacking up the vehicle.
Axle is shown below.

Here's the Brake Fluid level before replacing the pads. I read on one of my maintenance records that a low brake fluid level is usually an indicator for thinning brake pads.

The old and new pads on the passenger side.

Close up of the old and the new pads. There's a big difference on the thickness.

This is the brake piston. It has to be pushed back to be able to put back the caliper with the new pads. Pushing up the piston also pushes the brake fluid back in the line(hose).

The old and new pads on the driver side.

Closer look on the driver side pads.

After replacing both pads, I checked my brake fluid level and found out that it overflowed. You can see fluid around the container.

That's it. If you want to know the step-by-step instructions, you can search for videos on youtube just like this:

NFL Fantasy - Week 14 - Results

2009-12-15T20:18:00.002-05:00

I got another win this week. The win propelled my team as the top seed for the playoffs next week. My win-loss record at the end of the regular fantasy season is 11-3.

Most of my players did well this week and I had a 79 points lead over my opponent. I hope my players perform well next week since it's the start of the fantasy playoffs.

ESPN NBA Fantasy - 12/08/2009

2009-12-08T23:21:00.002-05:00

I'm on 1st place now on my ESPN NBA Fantasy league. Moved up a couple of places in a couple of weeks. I'm getting a hang of it now. I have to look at different statistics to be able to maintain a high standing.
One change on my lineup though. I dropped Will Bynum and picked up Carl Landry. He has a better statistics (FG%, FT%, Rebounds, Blocks and Points). I'm hoping this is a good pick up.
My players have a little increase/decrease on points so I guess that's fine. I still have to track other stats on the 2010 Season Stats table. Most of it with the exception of Minutes count toward the ranking. The minutes is a good indicator though if the player will have good stats. The more minutes, the more opportunity the player has to produce.

The NBA has a long season compared to the NFL. I'll try to pick up good players and track my stat needs.

NFL Fantasy - Week 13 - Results

2009-12-08T00:15:00.002-05:00

WOOO-HOOOO!!! A come from behind victory. I finished the game leading by 12 points. Thanks to the outstanding performance of my Tight End, Jermichael Finley. They were calling him Mr. Monday Night for having 2 touchdowns and also I believe he also played well the last time Green Bay played on Monday Night.

My other 3 players during the game had a so-so performance. Greg Jennings had 7 points, my franchise running back, Ray Rice, only contributed 4 points while Derrick Mason had 1 point.

Like I said earlier, this win will bring me back to the top of the standings.... We're #1!

NFL Fantasy - Week 13 - Game Check

2009-12-07T21:43:00.002-05:00

Before the Monday Night Football started, I'm down by 19 points against my opponent. I need 20 to win the game and I have 4 players playing tonight (Ravens - Rice and Mason; Packers - Jennings and Finley).

It's already the 2nd half and I'm still down by 19. I hope my players get some points... A win will bring me back on top of the standings... 2 more quarters and about 8 mins left on the 2nd.

NFL Fantasy - Week 12 - Results

2009-12-01T20:34:00.001-05:00

I got smacked down this week. I lost by 93 points. My opponent got 154 points total. Most of my players didn't show up this week. Only two players have double digit points (McCoy and Mason).

My win-loss record is now 9-3 and now 2nd in my division. My team is still #1 on the Power Rankings.

Next week is another tough week for my team. I'm down by 23 points on the Fantasy Preview. I'm scared....

ESPN NBA Fantasy - 11/24/2009

2009-11-24T19:25:00.002-05:00

Checking my NBA fantasy team now on ESPN. Looks like I'm getting a hang of this. I'm now in 3rd place in the standings.

I also picked up a new player, Will Bynum, and dropped Leandro Barboza. I'm hoping to stay up in the rankings and hope to get breakout players as the NBA season goes.

NFL Fantasy - Week 11 - Results

2009-11-24T18:42:00.001-05:00

Oh man! I thought I won this one but I lost by 3 points (93-90). I watched the game last night and was counting the points for Chris Johnson and Rob Bironas.

As I mentioned on my earlier post, I was up by 24 points. Chris had 151 rushing yards and no touchdowns so that's 15 points. I was cheering Vince Young to take the ball and run so Chris won't do the rushing... :)

Rob had 2 field goals and 2 extra points. I thought his total points is 8. Rob even missed a field goal which meant that I saved 3 points.

Adding Rob's (8) and Chris' (15) points, it's only 23 points. I was very happy this morning thinking that I won by 1 point.

When I checked this afternoon, I saw that I lost by 3 points. Rob's total points is 12. His 2 field goals got extra 2 points each since both were from 50+ yards. If I only knew, I should not have finished the game.... but the game was an exciting one. Houston tried to tie the game to go to overtime. Unfortunately, the Texans kicker missed the tying field goal.

So my win-loss record is now 9-2. I'm still on top of the standings though. Looking at the upcoming game, it looks like I'm the underdog. I'm down by 20 points. I hope Tom will have a good outing against the Saints... crossing my fingers again.... the Saints defense has been good this year.

NFL Fantasy - Week 11 - Game Check

2009-11-23T18:52:00.002-05:00

With about an hour an a half before the Monday Night game, I'm ahead by 24 points against my opponent (90-66). But, I'm a little bit nervous because my opponent have 2 players yet to play and I don't have any players left.

Why am I nervous? Well, my opponent still has Chris Johnson, the Titans running back. He's one of the best fantasy RB out there. On his last 3 games, he produced 35, 27 and 35 points. I'm hoping he gets shut down this week.

The other player yet to play for my opponent is Titans kicker, Rob Bironas. His last 3 games, he produced double digit scores (12, 10 and 13). If Rob gets 10 points, Chris Johnson only needs a touchdown and 80 yards of rushing to tie. I'm really hoping Chris will be controlled by the Houston defensive team. Goooooo Texans!!!

I made mistake of benching Greg Jennings who got 18 fantasy points and replaced him with Steve Breaston who gave me no points. If only I didn't do that, I would still have a chance. Right now, the odds are in favor for my opponent. I'm crossing my fingers though.

NFL Fantasy - Week 10

2009-11-17T19:21:00.001-05:00

I have a 9-1 win-loss record..... YEEEEE-HAAAAAA!!!

I watched the Sunday Night Football between the Colts and the Patriots and it's one classic game. My starting quarterback (Tom Brady) is playing so I didn't want to miss the game. I'm sorry Tom, I was rooting for Indy to win but nevertheless, you had a very good performance that night. Thanks for the 31 fantasy points.

I made a mistake of putting Joseph Addai on the bench. He was also on the Sunday night game and saw his two touchdowns. Big mistake on putting him on the bench.

My other running back, Ray Rice, played on Monday Night Football and I also saw his rushing touchdown. He gave me 15 fantasy points. Thanks Ray!

My other fantasy players didn't fare well except for one of my wide receivers, Steve Breaston, who gave me 13 points.

I'll take the win anytime... a few more games and it's playoffs time!!!

ESPN NBA Fantasy - 11/16/2009

2009-11-16T19:07:00.004-05:00

Here's some news on my NBA Fantasy team.

I think I have a good set of players. I was able to grab Brandon Jennings (rookie) from free agency a few days ago and it was an excellent pickup. Brandon is having a breakout rookie season and even scored 55 points the other night. 55 points for an NBA rookie? Wow!!!

My other players are also good - Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Michael Redd and Jason Kidd. My other players have nice stats, too. Here's my lineup.
I'm still trying to figure this out. I'm currently in 8th place (out of 10) so I'm at the bottom of the standings. One time, I saw my team at 5th place. I need to figure this out soon enough so I won't stay at the bottom of the list.

NFL Fantasy - Week 9

2009-11-11T20:46:00.002-05:00

HOO-HAH! Another win this week!!!! 8-1 win-loss record and there are only 5 games left for this fantasy season. A playoff berth is looking bright for me....

My starting quarterback is back!!! Tom Brady had an ok performance giving me 19 points. My running back tandem (Addai and Rice) did well again this week giving me 22 and 18 points respectively.

My receiving corps (WR and TE) were a no show this week. Nobody had more than 6 points. My defense (GO EAGLES!) had a weak performance. They should have pounded the Cowboys. The penalties hurt the team though.

I really need a good replacement for my tight end, Owen Daniels, since he's already out for the season. As you can see, I have 3 TE on my lineup. I'm dropping one this week and I'll pick up a wide receiver or running back who's on top of the Free Agent list.

Oh well... I'm hoping for another good outing next week. HEY, HOOF HEARTED!!!

NFL Fantasy - Week 8

2009-11-03T18:29:00.002-05:00

My franchise quarterback, Tom Brady, was on a bye this week and I didn't have a lot of advantage. I was only up by only 14 points on the analysis. Also my backup QB, Joe Flacco, is going against one of the best QB in the league, Peyton Manning. Luckily, Joe was able to match Peyton's fantasy points (13) for this week.

I got the win this week giving me a 7-1 win-loss record. WOOO-HOOO!!

I had great performances from my 2 running backs - Addai and Rice. My 2 wide receivers (Jennings and Mason) did good and gave me double digit fantasy points.

I hope I also get a win next week. This fantasy season is more than the half-way mark so I hope to get a few more wins so I can go to the playoffs.

NFL Fantasy - Week 7

2009-10-27T19:29:00.003-04:00

Won another week and I knew that I won already before the Monday Night Football game. I was 5 points ahead of my opponent 78-73 on Sunday night and I still have one player yet to play on Monday.

Another great week from my quarterback, Tom Brady and my tight end, Owen Daniels. My starting running back this week is Joseph Addai and got 12 fantasy points from him. All my wide receivers had a so so week.... I'm hoping they all show up next week since I have a tougher matchup.

My Defense/Special Teams (Eagles) did well yesterday and gave me 24 fantasy points. The Eagles have a tough schedule the next few weeks... I just hope they keep up the pace of making sacks and getting interceptions (hopefully with touchdowns).

Next week I have to sit down my franchise quarterback (Brady) due to a bye week and use my backup QB, Joe Flacco. The Ravens are playing the unbeaten Broncos. I hope Flacco perform as good as he did during the Vikings game. I'm also putting back my marquee running back Ray Rice and wide receiver Derrick Mason on my lineup. Both players are also from the Ravens. So, this week.... Go RAVENS!!!!

NFL Fantasy - Week 6

2009-10-21T19:15:00.001-04:00

I got another win with my highest total Fantasy points so far. I have a 5-1 record now and still on top of the Overall and Power rankings. I got a big boost from my quarterback, Tom Brady. He scored 6 touchdowns and 51 fantasy points. My running back, Ray Rice, also had a breakout game with 30 fantasy points.

I made a mistake of sitting down my Tight End, Owen Daniels. He also had a breakout this week with 19 points. I won't sit him down next week for sure. His replacement TE, J. Finley, only gave me 5 points. Bummer...

I also have good performances from my two wide receivers, Derrick Mason and Mario Manningham. Each got a TD and have 11 and 15 fantasy points respectively.

I'll scout who's going to be my next opponent and make some lineup changes because I have a lot of players going on their bye week.

NFL Fantasy - Week 5

2009-10-14T18:56:00.001-04:00

Grabbed another win this week! My points total came from good performances of most of my players. Tom Brady stepped up this week, again, outscoring my backup quarterback. My running back, Ray Rice, had his best performance so far and he has steadily increased his points performance for the past several weeks.

I also brought back my Eagles defense after their bye week and they performed great as well. I'm still looking for a good reserve wide receiver. I'll continue to scout the Free Agents and hopefully I'll find/get what I'm looking for.

By the way, with this win, I am on top of the Overall and Power Standings. Not bad for a rookie in NFL fantasy. I also hope I can keep my winning streak and be able to play in the playoffs.

NFL Fantasy - Week 4

2009-10-07T18:59:00.002-04:00

I got the win for this week with a lead of 25 points. I was ahead by around 50 points before the Monday Night Footbal game. I knew that I'll surely win this game. My opponent's last player was playing on MNF and it's a QB. The QB has to score more than 50 points and in order to do that he should have a combination of 6 TDs and 300+ yards or 7 TDs and 200+yards. There are more combination that can be done but I'm pretty sure that those numbers are hard to get in the NFL. It can happen but it's rare.

Last week, I picked up Nate Burleson... choosing experience over a rookie. Guess what, Nate was a no-show this week giving me only 3 points. Oh, btw, my QB Tom Brady scored better that my backup QB. Hooray!!! It's only 1 point though but he might soon find his touch again and score a lot of TDs.

Going back to Nate, I dropped him and got another Nate, Nate Washington from the Tennessee Titans. Even though the Titans lost all their games (4), I believe they are a pretty decent team and they do have a good quarterback. I just hope this Nate shows up on Sunday Night and give me some points. He will be on the spotlight because the game is on Primetime.

NBA Fantasy Game on ESPN

2009-10-03T00:09:00.003-04:00

I'm joining another fantasy game and this time it's basketball. I'm joining the game on ESPN and it's also free just like the NFL one. I've left the Autopick on so I can just leave the drafting on it's own when it starts on October 6.

I'm hoping I'll get some good players on my team. If not, I'll try to manage my team well. If you're looking to try it out, visit the ESPN NBA fantasy site.

Replaced the Battery

2009-10-02T23:54:00.002-04:00

I replaced the battery this afternoon. My dad bought the battery this morning at Walmart and got it for $76.50 after his employee discount. The total price has a core price of $9. This means that when I return the old battery, I'll get the $9 back. The final price of the battery is $67.50.

I had a little difficulty removing the old battery because it doesn't have a lift handle. The battery is also heavy and tried to remove it a few times before I was able to do it. The new battery has a 3 year warranty on it and had a handle so the installation was easy. It took me around 30 minutes for the job. It would have been faster if the old battery had a handle.

The dealer was asking for $118 for the new battery. Doing it myself, I saved 50 bucks and btw, I already returned the old one.

NFL Fantasy - Week 3

2009-10-01T22:12:00.000-04:00

WOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!! I got a win this week!!!!

My players produced the needed numbers and I won by 41 points. I replaced Ted Ginn, Jr. at the last minute with Derrick Mason. I made an excellent decision since Ted didn't produce any points this week.

I'm a bit disappointed though. For the last 3 weeks, my backup quarterback, Joe Flacco, has scored more than my starting quarterback, Tom Brady. Their teams will be facing each other this week and I don't know if I have to sit Brady and start Flacco. Maybe another last minute decision.

I said last week that I'm keeping Ted Ginn, Jr. Actually, I dropped him the other day. Boo-hoo! I needed a wide receiver who can produce points. On the Free Agent market, I had to pick between a rookie, Johnny Knox, and a veteran, Nate Burleson. It was a tough decision since Johnny might have a breakout rookie season but I opted for experience and got Nate. I'm hoping I made the right choice.

As for my defense, I'm starting the Broncos this week because my Eagles team has a bye.

82,500 Car Maintenance

2009-10-01T21:10:00.003-04:00

I brought my other car yesterday morning for its regular maintenance to the dealer. I always try to keep the regular maintenance schedule on my vehicles. So while at the dealership, I asked them to do the 82,500 maintenance where they will change the oil and check a lot of things. I can probably do it myself but I don't want going under the vehicle to change the oil. Also, I cannot check the other things since I don't have the tools to do it.

The dealer said that my total for the day is $99.95. I believe that's about right and that's the amount I have been paying them for years for this type of service. The good thing about this dealer is that they have a free breakfast (bagel or pretzel and coffee) while waiting at the lounge. They also offer a free ride to your office or home if you don't want to wait and they will also pick you up. I opted to get the free breakfast since I was a bit early for the shuttle schedule. I also asked them to bring me home and pick me up by noon once my car is done.

About an hour later, I got a call from the dealership. They said they noticed a few of things on my vehicle (1) Mounted Brake light is out, (2) Battery replacement since it failed the test and (3) the Front Brake pads need replacement. I asked them how much each job would cost me and the gave me the following:
1. Brake light - $22.00
2. Battery - $118.00
3. Brake pads - $249.95

I was shocked by the prices.... I was only expecting to pay $99.95.... and now my bill would be almost 500 bucks!!! I declined all of it and told them that I'll just reschedule it but I was already thinking of doing all of it myself.

After a few minutes, I got a call back and they said my car is done and they can pick me up. In about half an hour, the shuttle is at the front of my house and we headed back to the dealership. I went back home and was still thinking about the prices given to me.... 22 bucks to replace a bulb??? what a rip-off!

Later in the afternoon, I went to a local Autozone store. I picked up a couple of bulbs for my brake light for $3.99 and the brake pads for $39.99. I already saved about $230... I'll just replace the brake pads over the weekend. I also checked the battery prices and found $80 for a 2 year warranty and $90 for a 3 year warranty.

I headed back home and replaced my brake light. It didn't take me that long to do it and now I have an extra one.... Again, I thought... 22 bucks to replace a bulb??? what a rip-off!

I've asked my dad to check the battery prices at Walmart. He said he can buy it for me since he has an employee discount. That's another savings for me.... I'll let you know once I installed the brake pads.... I still can't forget though.... 22 bucks to replace a bulb??? You know it, right?

NFL Fantasy - Week 2

2009-09-22T23:54:00.004-04:00

Oh man! I lost by only 2 points for Week 2. It's a good thing that I changed my defensive team this week. I knew that the Eagles defense won't fare well against the high-powered offense of the New Orleans Saints.

I do have several if's though during this week.
- If Tom Brady got a touchdown (TD), I could have won.
It was very uncharacteristic of Brady for not scoring any touchdown. The NY Jets defense was able to limit Brady's production because he had one less receiver to throw the ball to. Wes Welker was out but still Tom should have thrown a touchdown so I could have won. :)

- If Greg Jennings caught a few passes for 30 yards, I could have won.
I'll not blame him that much. He had an injured wrist but he still played. I just hope he plays well next week...

The last if is this:
Going into Monday Night Football, I was 21 points behind my opponent. I thought I would never had a chance to win the game but with 2 players (Ted Ginn, Jr. and Adam Vinatieri) who haven't completed their games, there's a little chance.

At the end of the 1st half, I was 13 points behind (7 pts. from Vinatieri and 1 pt. from Ginn). I said to myself, I still can't win this thing because I would need 2 touchdowns and a field goal conversion to get 15 points.

2nd half started and on the 3rd quarter, I got 3 points from Ted. Aha! 10 points behind... I may a chance....

4th quarter starts and the Colts are behind (13-20). I knew that I could get some more points from Adam since Peyton won't let his team down. Around 5 minutes into the game, the Colts got a touchdown and an the extra point from Adam... 9 points left to tie.

With the Dolphins marching to the other side, Ted caught a couple of passes and I got 3 more points.... 6 points left to tie... I just need Ted to catch a touchdown pass but the Dolphins was forced to take a field goal on their possession.

On the next possession by the Colts, Peyton gave his team another touchdown and I got another point from Adam... 5 points left to tie but if Ted gets a touchdown, I will win.

Two minutes left in the game and a couple of passes were thrown to Ted. Those gave me 2 more points.... 3 points left to tie..... I'm sooooo excited.

With 35 seconds left, Chad Pennington threw a pass at the end zone to Ted. Ted jumped up.... the ball hit his hands but he didn't catch the ball. On the replays, it showed that the ball hit his fingers. While watching the replays, I wished he was Larry Fitzgerald... since Larry can do some acrobatic catches... but he wasn't. I see a potential for Ted though so I'm keeping him on my team.

22 seconds left and Ted got me another point... 2 points left to tie. I'm praying that Chad will pass it to Ted for a touchdown.

12 seconds remaining in the game, the ball was snapped. Chad was looking... looking and threw the ball. I was able to glance at the player jersey where the ball is going and it was not Ted... Oh man! I lost the game and the ball got intercepted... Oh well... maybe I'll win next week.

NFL Fantasy Game - Week 1

2009-09-17T20:09:00.002-04:00

I have been hearing a lot about the NFL fantasy game last year but did not try it. I decided to give it a try this year and realized that I missed the fun. It is just my first week and I'm already attached to it.

This game is addicting and an NFL fan playing it will surely enjoy. It is also FREE and if you want to save some money, try this one out instead of using your hard earned money buying expensive video games.

My first week on this fantasy game was great. I got a win by scoring 120 points total and ranked 2nd overall. I have Tom Brady as my starting Quarter Back (QB) getting 25 points although my reserve QB, Joe Flacco, got 29 points. My other best players are Greg Jennings (WR - Wide Receiver) with 18 points, Ben Watson (TE - Tight End) with 19 points but was on reserve last week so his points didn't count on my total. My defensive team, Philadelphia Eagles, had a monster week and gave me the best points with 43. Below is a screen-shot of my team's statistics.
I'm not sure if you can still join a fantasy league, you can visit NFL's website and check. For the current fantasy players, Good luck with your team! I'm sure you're enjoying it.

Updated my EntreCard drop list

2009-09-17T18:44:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I have checked all my EntreCard drop list for websites without the widget. I have updated the list and replaced those non-working sites with new ones. If you haven't seen my EC drop list, just click on the button below.

At long last... Car issue solved!

2009-08-12T19:04:00.001-04:00

I about cleaning my MAF sensor last April to clear out my Check Engine trouble on my Honda Passport. My truck has been continously showing the codes:
P0171 - System Too Lean (Bank 1)
P0174 - System Too Lean (Bank 2)

For months, I've been continuously searching the www.planetisuzoo.com forum for answers. I found several solutions like cleaning the EGR valve and IAC valve. I tried doing them and I thought that I fixed the problem but turned out false.

I noticed that the issue is getting worse. Previously, the Check Engine light will go away and will not come back after driving several miles. It changed to Check Engine light gone to Check Engine light back in a matter of minutes. I also noticed the truck idling has gone rougher than before. Other noticed symptoms: when the truck is started, it immediately dies.

I have been talking to one of my basketball buddies who is a mechanic about the issue. He said that he's doing a lot of stuff right now but once he's available, he can help me. No luck there!

I searched the forum again and there are a couple of things that I haven't done: change the fuel filter and check the intake manifold gasket if it's broken. I decided that I'll do the fuel filter first because it is cheaper and easier to do than the manifold gasket. I also don't have any experience in replacing gaskets.

I'm set to buy the fuel filter at one of the local auto parts shop but I didn't know what got into me. I started checking my previous maintenance records and lo and behold, I found the same error codes on one of the records. P0171 and P0174 had been an issue before on my truck. As I read though the notes, what the dealer did is they replaced the intake manifold gasket.

I paid around $350+ for the service 5 years ago. I'm not sure how much would it cost me now. I asked the local mechanic shop that I go to for an estimate and they mentioned that it would cost $150 just to diagnose the issue and they wouldn't be able to give me an estimate yet for the total job. I'm guessing it would be another $250+ to replace the gasket. I'm looking at a little less than $500 total for it.

I talked to my mechanic friend again and told him what I found. This time, he said that he's available to help. He told me to buy the intake manifold gasket set and once I get the parts, he can do the job.

Yesterday, he went to my house and started the job. He removed the upper and lower manifolds and guess what. We found that one of the lower manifold gaskets is broken. Also the tube that connects the EGR valve has a lot of carbon in it.

My dad assisted in the cleaning of the parts and my friend reassembled everything. He started the truck and let it idle. The rough idling was gone and the engine is running very smooth ~ just like new. We did a quick test drive and the truck runs great! I gave my friend $150 for the job, he was asking less than that but for me, he was a good help in fixing my truck. I was even thinking of availing the Cash for Clunkers program if the issue was not solved but right now, I can't afford the new car payments. I'm happy with my truck and I'm hoping to drive it for several more years.

All in all, the fix cost me about 200 bucks. This is better than paying around $500 at a local mechanic. Also, the local mechanic might only change the gasket. My friend totally cleaned out the carbon deposits from manifold.

Before he left, he noticed that I have a remote starter installed in my truck. I told him that it's another issue that I have to tackle. I haven't used my remote starter for years. I can't remember when was the last time I was able to use it. I believe it's about 4 years ago. He checked the fuses and they were all ok. He told me to bring it to the installer as it might be the unit that's broken. I said that I'm planning to do that in a couple of days.

My friend then noticed one wire that's not connected and placed it on the negative terminal of the battery. He asked me to try starting the car remotely.... guess what again? It worked!!! Another issue solved.

This surely made my day. Two issues solved in a day. It's like hitting two birds with one stone. I thanked my friend and asked him if he can change my timing belt next time. It's due for replacement in 6 months. I remember paying Honda about $700+ for it. I'm hoping my friend is available when that time comes.

The Pokemon Evolved

2009-07-02T21:51:00.000-04:00

My son asked for it so I created a new Pokemon card for him. I told him that let's make Pikachu evolve into Raichu. With this transformation, this is now his strongest Pokemon card ~ Raichu Level EX.

Raichu EX (front)

(back)

In order to preserve the card, we laminated the card with transparent book covering. This make make the card last longer.

Pokemon Cards

2009-06-04T22:31:00.003-04:00

My son has started collecting Pokemon trading cards and if you have kids, I'm sure you probably heard about Pokemons. I believe the most known Pokemon is Pikachu and it's trainer is Ash.

Going back to my son, he has a binder full of Pokemon cards that I bought from eBay. If you buy them from stores like Toys R' Us, Walmart, Game Stop, Target, etc., it will cost you a lot because the $$$ will add up. I went the eBay route because some kids outgrow them and parents would rather get something back from it instead of throwing them away.

He's also watching the shows on T.V. I think it's on Cartoon Network... but I'm not entirely sure about it. I also got a used Pokemon handbook for him (yup, also got it from eBay) and he started reading it as well. Ever since he got into this Pokemon mania, he's been telling me a lot about Pokemons. He tells stories about his classmates' Pokemon cards. He would tell me names of Pokemons, who created them, how strong they are, their attacks and which Pokemon can beat other Pokemons.

He's been asking me to buy the strong ones on eBay and he mentioned about the Pokemon EX cards and he said that these cards are the strongest. I did my research and he's right about the strongest thing but the cards tend to be pricey on eBay because of it.

Yesterday, when I picked him up from school, he was telling me a story about one of his classmate's Pokemon that can beat anybody. So I told him that I have the strongest Pokemon of all, Pikachu EX, and it can beat his classmate's strong Pokemon. He said that he wants to see it, so I told him that I'll show it to him once we get home.

Once home, I told him that the Pikachu EX card is "one-of-a-kind" and he will be the only one in the world who will have this card. It can beat anybody even the strongest of all Pokemons. He was so excited about it and I presented this card to him:

Pikachu EX (front)

(back)

When my son saw the card, he started laughing and he said that he loves it. He even mentioned that this is his 'best' Pokemon card ever and will even dare his classmates to beat it. He added some things in the front side (those ones that I missed) and placed the card in his Pokemon binder. Now that he has this card, he's asking me to help him make other cards as well.

I thought my son will be disappointed by my practical joke but it was so fun seeing him laugh and enjoyed what I created.

Homemade Bags

2009-05-08T16:56:00.005-04:00

I guess my mom is getting bored these days. She surprised us by making 2 bags as shown below. The bags dimensions are Length (16 inches), Height (8 inches) and Width (4 inches) and have a small pocket inside.

Cleaned my MAF sensor on my 99 Honda Passport

2009-04-27T21:19:00.001-04:00

My check engine light goes on and off almost every day and the error code is P0174 - System Too Lean (Bank 2). I already have the Oxygen sensors replaced (4 of them) a couple of months ago. The Check Engine light cleared for a few days but since then it decided to be a disco light for me (on and off).

Here's my first stab on cleaning my Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor.

This is the air filter area. The MAF sensor is located on the left of the filter box (silver-black-silver thing).

Loosen this screw so you can detach the air filter cover.

Here's another picture.

Unplug the MAF connector (as shown below)

The connector is located here.

Remove the 4 screws using the Torx screw/bit. I also removed the rubber connector to clean it. It may not be necessary to remove it though.

Top view of the torx bit (I believe this is what it's called -torx). Sorry, the picture is not that clear.

Here's a side view of the torx bit.

Here's the removed part. I sprayed some MAF sensor cleaner on it. I bought it from Pepboys for $7.99.

CAUTION: Do not touch the MAF sensors. I've read on the Planetisuzoo.com forum that these are very fragile and expensive to replace if you broke them. So again, please DO NOT TOUCH. Just spray the MAF cleaner on them.

I only pressed the MAF cleaner spray lightly as I am too afraid to break the sensors.

Another view of the MAF sensors.

I just took a couple more pictures to show the disassembled area.

Another view.

Let the MAF dry after spraying it with the cleaner. Re-assemble it back by following the reverse order of the pictures.

It's been two days and I haven't seen the CEL on. I'm hoping this will clear out my Check Engine light for good.

Entrecard Links

2009-04-08T06:42:00.159-04:00

Links Updated: September 6, 2010. Add requests before this date are now included.

Click on the image to open a collection of websites with Entrecard drop boxes on them. Drop your card to earn your Entrecard credit.

I'm still compiling my list of websites (currently at 250). My goal is to have about 300 sites on my drop list.

If you want your website to be added on this list, please add the button below on your site/blog and leave a comment. I'll include your website on my Drop list.

Each image opens several websites. Please be patient because it may take some time to load all of them.

Requests for Inclusion on the EC Drop list (each icon opens 10 sites)

Environment Friendly Websites (each icon opens 10 sites)

Filipino Bloggers (each icon opens 20 sites)

Health and Fitness (each icon opens 15 sites)