TURBOTAX - A Review! How Much will Your Tax Refund Be?

Here's My Personal Information Guide for Using TurboTax in 2023 to File Your 2022 tax Return...

TURBOTAX - A Review! How Much will Your Tax Refund Be?

IS YOUR AUTOMOTIVE BATTERY KID TESTED?

KID TESTED BATTERY

Good or Bad?

I have two grand kids. My wife and I took them to the movies and a night out at their favorite restaurant. They grab their video game and cell phone and sat in the back seat as we traveled. They had a great time at the movies and thanked us for the food and spending time together.

The next morning on my way to the grocery store, I discovered that the engine cranked slowly and stumbled to a start. No big deal, I thought. The engine started and I went shopping. 

Rule #1 A fully charged battery should deliver 12.6 volts. Each battery cell should produce 2.1 volts. There are 6 cells in a lead-acid automotive battery. A quick battery test to determine if your battery is FULLY CHARGED - blow the horn. Yes! Try it! 

Strong Horn = Battery is GOOD. Weak horn = Battery is WEAK. No Horn or Faint Horn = Battery is DEAD. Easy!

On my way back to the car, I found the dome light ON when placing groceries in the car. "Maybe the kid sitting on the right side forgot to turn OFF the overhead light switch," I thought to myself. I quickly forgot about it and said nothing to the kids - and enjoyed our two-week stay at their home.

Rule #2 Every battery has an ampere-hour rating – which indicates how long a typical battery can maintain – say for example 50 amps at a discharge rate of 1 amps per hour or 50 ampere-hours (Ah). A 2 amp discharge rate can be maintained for 25 hours. If you divide the 25 hours by 1/2, which represents 50% percent discharge or the point where the battery is no longer able to crank the engine – that leaves you 12.5 hours. - mechanics.stackexchange.com 

A GOOD battery should be able to start the engine during an 8-10 hour current draw of 2 amps. After 10 hours, the battery becomes WEAK and you may experience starting problems! After 12.5 hours or more, your battery is DEAD or too weak to turn on the lights.

When I returned home from the visit, my son called me in a panic because his car would not start after stopping by the restaurant on his way home. I advised him to called roadside assistance for a jump-start and then head over to the auto parts store and have the battery tested. He decided to purchase a new battery after the old one tested 400 Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) out of the rated 550.

Rule #3 Most battery manufacturers now use CCA ratings for batteries and not ampere-hours. The CCA rating for automotive batteries ranges from 315-550 CCA or 60-80 RC (reserve capacity). That’s 46.2 – 58.8 Ah. Reserve Capacity identifies how long a battery can deliver 25 amps at 80°F without falling below 1.75 volts per battery cell.  - autobatteries.com

In other words, if a 550 CCA battery falls below 80% capacity – it will cause starting problems. When the battery was tested at the auto parts store, it showed 400 CCA out of 550  which indicates a battery replacement. 440 CCA is 80% of 550 – which is the limit for battery replacement.

When my son got home from the auto parts store, he discovered the dome light on the right-side rear burning hot. 

Guess who left the light on, again!

Wait a minute! 

“This is not a battery problem - this is a kid problem," I thought to myself! 

"If you turn the light ON, then you must turn it OFF." 

“But calm down and let's look at this situation...” I told my son.

Rule #4 To determine if your vehicle is pulling too many amps when the ignition is turned OFF. Follow this rule: A normal parasitic draw is about 50mA or 0.05 amps, but the range can be anywhere from about 0.03 to 0.085 amps (30-85mA). See homebatterybank.com

This is the original battery that is almost 7 years old. The average lifespan of a lead-acid battery is 4-5 years. In new or good condition, a battery should be able to withstand a 2 amp current draw for 8-10 hours or more and still be able to start a vehicle.

Was the battery already weak or shorted?  Maybe!

Could this situation reveal hidden battery problems? I think so!

Should this kid be chewed or spanked (oops... I meant thanked)? Well, here's what we decided...

Use this opportunity as a teachable moment to help kids become responsible and learn the importance of turning lights OFF when they exit a vehicle. Besides, this will be an easy lesson at the next family outing, when the kids are hungry - all you have to say is:  

"Will you remember to turn all lights OFF when you leave the vehicle?"

Rule #5 A current draw test can be done with a multimeter. This test will help you determine if electrical components inside the vehicle is discharging the battery when the ignition switch is turned OFF. Watch a YouTube video by Flashback502 that explains how to conduct an amp draw test...    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQxknvD59GA

All of our car batteries are now kid tested and all is well!

My son has a new battery and the grand kids are more aware of turning lights ON and OFF when they exit a vehicle.

Grand kids – you’ve got to love them all! 

 

 

TRACK LIVE AIR TRAFFIC OVER YOUR HOME

 Works All Over the U.S. and Canada - Even Worldwide

Track Flights Flying Over Your Home...

The Best NEW Features on Flightradar24 Beta!

Realtime flight tracking website and app with flight data from airports around the world...

View airport arrival & departures, current weather conditions, flight status, delays, and more...

Receives flight data from ADS-B receivers around the world...

Get aircraft details, routes, speed, altitude, and high-resolution photos of the aircraft

Track some charters and business airlines with 3-letter ICAO code and most airlines with 4-letter ICAO code...

Realtime air traffic that may exceed 20,000 flights in the air at any given time...

Find flights by their call sign, flight number, or registration...

https://www.flightradar24.com/

---

Flightradar24 app video - Aim Your
Smartphone to the Sky to Identify Flights

Download Flight Tracker App...
Flightradar24.com is rated best flight tracker app in over 150 countries. 

Available on iOS and Android. 

Just aim your Smartphone to the sky and let flightradar24
identify flights passing overhead. 

App Store - Download from the App Store
Google Play - Get It On Google Play
https://www.flightradar24.com/- Website

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR NEW TOP LOAD Whirlpool Washer Will Not Drain - Code F9E1 on Display Panel

HOW TO REPAIR A NEW WHIRLPOOL WASHER WITH CODE F9E1 - Washer Will Not Drain and Stuck in Washing Mode with No Response from the Keypad! Learn How to Put Your New Washer in Diagnostic Mode and Perform Component Tests! Easy Fixes - No Money Needed - https://freestuffinder.org/WhirlpoolWasher_NoDrain.htmlr_NoDrain.html

 

HOW TO FIX YOUR BROKEN WINDOW REGULATOR ON 1997-2007 JEEP LIBERTY! Emergency Trick Saves $200 in Repairs! No More Zip Ties, Duck Tape, Suction Cups or Window Props to Keep the Glass Up! No Money Needed - No Parts to Replace! Get Back on the Road Fast! https://freestuffinder.org/JeepWindow_Reg.html

ENJOY AMATEUR YOUTH SPORTS - BALLERTV

ENJOY AMATEUR YOUTH SPORTS - BALLERTV: BALLERTV: NEVER MISS ANOTHER GAME - Enjoy Live Action Sports, Replays and Highlights without Missing the Game.

MONEY SAVING AUTOMOTIVE HACKS - How to Pull $100's of Dollars Out of Thin Air! Unbelievable!

Refill flat AEROSOL Spray Cans like the WD-40 and others...  

High quality automotive lubricants are expensive. There is nothing worst than buying a can of WD-40 or PB Blaster - only to have the can run out of air with 25% to 50% of the product still in the can. 

Did you know that aerosol spray cans are refillable? It's all about knowing how to do it using stuff you have laying around your garage or shop. In  this video, all you need is a tire valve stem, compressed air source with a gauge or regulator - remember to never exceed 90 psi for safety, and an empty aerosol spray can. This hack is a great way to save money by preventing waste.

Make Your Drive Pulleys & Sealed Bearings LAST A LIFE TIME :)  

In this video you will learn how to make sealed bearings last the lifetime of your car or equipment. The publisher, Sweet Project Cars has loads of affordable tricks that everyday car owners can use to save money on repairs. He shows you what tools are needed, how to remove the bearing seals, and gives recommendations on the best bearing lubricants. Make your drive pulleys and sealed bearings last over 200,000 miles or more and save BIG! 

How to STOP BRAKE SQUEAKING in your car (No Squeaks Guaranteed)...  

Here's five hacks to stop brakes from squeaking or grinding. This video is approximately 10 minutes long, however I suggest you watch the entire video because provides a full range of possible causes and fixes for common brake noise. What is particularly useful is a brief lesson on how brakes work, with each part identified by functions and failures. 

Junky DIY Guy also explains different type of brakes pads, brake hardware, and service procedures needed to keep brakes lubricated and functioning quietly. He provides high quality content and is a great teacher. Don't be distracted by the accent - information is what's needed to fix cars. Thank you kindly!

How to Read Check Engine Light Codes Without a Scanner Jeep Wrangler Chrysler and Dodge...  

Surprise Jeep Wrangler Chrysler and Dodge owners! Here's a hack that will save you a service call to the dealership or local automotive service center. In this video, you'll learn how to retrieve and analyze check engine light codes on your vehicle without using a scanner. This works on all Jeep Wrangler Chrysler and Dodge vehicles  2001 and later with digital odometer readings.

Don't fret if your vehicle does not display OBD 2 codes on the dash. Just go to any local auto parts store (O'reilly, AutoZone, NAPA and others) and they will scan your vehicle for codes FREE of charge. All you'll have to do is look-up your code on the internet for possible causes. It's really that simple to save money! 

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