Bug up the ass again, John Ritter & Johnny Cash

The bug bit me again. I bought a keyless entry kit for my mom’s RAV4 and decided to install it last night. My mom was nervous about me ripping into it, especially after the fiery fate my Buick met. I reassured her that it would be fine, and it was for the most part. The car has(had) an aftermarket alarm in it that was disconnected because it used to go off inadvertently all the time. As a result there was a big mess behind the dash already from the installation of the alarm. Even so I was able to disassemble and figure out a game plan rather quickly. I had to pull the car into the garage because it was getting dark. When I went to put in in DRIVE the shifter was locked in park. Odd I thought, I hit the interlock bypass and figured I just knocked something loose, no big deal, I’m sure I can fix that easily. I was able to make the connections and had the locks working in about an hour. GREAT. Now all I have to do is figure out that shift interlock problem. I check all the connections, no dice, I double check them, I push them all in, I triple verify everything is in, no dice. I’m getting frustrated at this point. I am sweaty, the mosquitos are attacking me since I have the garage open and the light is attracting them like bees to honey and I’m tired. I decide that all the old alarm wiring has to go. I rip it all out. I had to cut a wire or two to remove it but they didn’t look like they did anything. 🙂 After it’s all gone I try the interlock, nothin. Still doesn’t work! Damn it!!!!! Dejected, I put the stuff back together and pull out the RAV4 and park it. I look on the internet for interlock information, I think about how I am going to have to take it to an electrical shop to have them figure it out. For some reason I go back out, wondering if the brake lights work. I step on them, no light. Hmmmmmmm. I check the fuse box, the fuse is popped to the brake lights! I borrow one from my truck, and POW it works, evidently a popped brake light fuse also disables the brake interlock! I’m not going mad! But wait, why do all of the door locks work except the driver door one??? NO!!!!!! I am so close to completion I have to figure out what happened, it’s 11pm. So I am out in the driveway with a flashlight looking at the wires. The one wire I cut looks suspicious. I touch it to what looks like a logical connection, the lock works! I splice it in and it all works!! Time of completion, approximately 11:45 pm. Another bug up the ass successfully removed.

This morning I saw Johnny Cash died, not very surprising, he was in bad shape. I never really followed his music much but I did see that recent song and video he did, HURT. Man that stuff goes through me. Getting old scares the hell out of me. Then I read that John Ritter DIED. That is really shocking. I was a Three’s Company junkie and to see him drop dead is really sad. As Rich mentioned to me, it’s really disturbing to have people dying that were our age 20 years ago. I guess in some ways it’s better to go as John Ritter did. No prolonged suffering, loss of memory, motor skills or bladder control, just boom you check out. Still shakes me up.