Ukraine Refugee Assistance

Monday monday... (ba daaaa, ba da daaa da)

Alrighty, not much to report as it's the middle of the month and not much happens.  The more eagle eyed among you ay notice that our stuffie count has gone down by one.  You may have also noticed that in one of the bags we were packing over the weekend, there was a stuffed cat plush toy in one of the bags.  As we were packing, we were putting a lot of age-appropriate school supplies in a lot of different bags.  One bag was assigned to a singular 2-year-old girl.  And while we did pack it with art supplies, coloring books, and drawing paper, it didn't seem as full or complete as the other bags.  So we added a kitty.

Other than that, I should be receiving the medical supplies this week and I'm preparing for the big run!  Route planning, hotel stays, back up plans, packing... the whole works!  Fingers crossed it's a good one.

I know she hasn't been on here in a while, but I'm still in contact with Vikkidp, and she is alive and doing well over there in Dnipro.  The poor girl has been an absolute saint answering my 1000 questions

Good times.

Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) said:

84FSP said:

In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :

Can you imagine how expensive that truck must have been to buy and own in Switzerland?

Oof.  You know, I wonder sometimes.  That there's why I don't get too too aggervated when I see bodge jobs like the fuel pump.  No one out here has anywhere near the resources we do, and the correct parts are, more often than not, not available at all.  It really says a lot about the build quality with how much bodge this thing has lived through

As if on cue...

Late last week, my windows quit rolling down.  This is a problem as not only is that something I need to do daily, but it is something that I 100% have to do through the border crossing into Ukraine (not to mention that without AC, rolling the windows down is the only cabin cooling I get).  Enter the previous owner...  AGAIN!

Why do I need a degree in Electrical Engineering every time I have to fix something simple with this dang thing!?!?!  It's not hard. 

1) Properly installed mechanical splices > crappy solder wrapped in cheap electrical tape.

2) Wires that are the same color get connected BACK to each other when you cut them apart!!!!

Ok, so backing up because first we need to identify the fault:  Windows wont roll down.  Rear window works no prob.  Both switches on drivers side inop, and the singular switch on the passenger side is inop.

Good.  So thinking it the most likely candidate, I checked all my fuses.  When I found none to be blown, I immediately thought it was my "window lock" switch as I thought it looked like it was sitting higher up than it usually does.  I tried depressing it to make it click and stay, but it's broken so it just popped back up.  Thinking I'd just jumper the thing out of the circuit, I went behind the door card to get access:

I put the multi-meter through its paces and the switch read good for continuity through it, so I put everything back together electrically and tried it again.

no dice

I took the switch unit apart and found 12v waiting everywhere it needed to be, but any time I through the switch to roll the windows down it'd just drop to zero and nothing would happen.  That was a bit of a head scratcher.

Luckily, I have the wire diagrams with me:

Aha!  The "door control relay"!  Switch gets thrown, juice should go through the relay's coil, voltage would drop.  Ok, that's my next most likely candidate.  As a bonus, it looks like there are TWO relays side-by-side.  One for the rear window, and one for the front windows.  This is good as it looks like I can swap them side to side to troubleshoot.

Except it's not.  It's just one unit

And for reasons that will remain unknown to the entire rest of the world, the previous owner has been in there soldering random colored wires inline with the truck's wire harness:

In that picture you can JUST make out that the wire I'm holding turns from Blue to brown/yellow...

This is nightmare fuel for me...  I already had a busy week and sorting out more bodged wiring wasn't supposed to be on it. 

Furthermore, opening up the relay board:

I'm pretty sure those relays and solder blobs were not factory installed...

Fun stuff.

In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :

Ugh. DSPOs are the worst.  On the positive side, they gave you some very obvious places to start. Maybe you'll get lucky, and everything will work as it should after you correct the ugly splices and re-solder the relays.

That unit is discontinued, by the way. Used ones on the auction site are not Challenge priced. Repair may be your best option. Maybe this will help:

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f199/rad4runners-1986-4runner-dlx-build-up-252300/index40.html#post52355907

In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :

you could always just stub some wires out of where the relay goes and hook that to a standard automotive relay. 
 

also when you go to remove those, it can be easier to take some small snips and eat away at the relay to get it out of the way, then you have easy access to the solder pads. 

DarkMonohue said:

In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :

Ugh. DSPOs are the worst.  On the positive side, they gave you some very obvious places to start. Maybe you'll get lucky, and everything will work as it should after you correct the ugly splices and re-solder the relays.

That unit is discontinued, by the way. Used ones on the auction site are not Challenege priced. Repair may be your best option. Maybe this will help:

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f199/rad4runners-1986-4runner-dlx-build-up-252300/index40.html#post52355907

That was helpful because it showed me I was sniffin out the wrong relay (I know.  I'm cringing right now too.  Is the real relay going to be just as bad?  I'm not sure if I can take that hit right now...)

The one in my above post is for the back window.  I was correct in my original statement that there are 2-relay boxes.  After reading that thread I ended up finding the ower window relay behind the ECU:

It looks untouched, but it doesn't click when I throw the switch.  Unfortunately the two differ physically and electrically so I can't swap between them:

Still looking at the messed up one, I got to thinking "how could the tailgate relay set screw with the door relay set".

and then I think I found what I was looking for in the wire diagram.  I'm focusing on the white-red wire that ties the two units together:

I checked at the door window relay, and there was no voltage.  That's going to be my starting point.

Unfortunately I'm not in a spot where I can be messing with this tonight.  It's late, and I'd probably do more harm than good.  I'm going to pull it into the yard for the night and see if I can't carve out a little time later in the week to mess with it some more.  If I can't get them workin, the first-gen 4-Runner has a secret weapon that I've been dying to use.  Now might be the perfect time to break it out.

good times.

TJL (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :

you could always just stub some wires out of where the relay goes and hook that to a standard automotive relay. 
 

also when you go to remove those, it can be easier to take some small snips and eat away at the relay to get it out of the way, then you have easy access to the solder pads. 

 

I was 100% thinking the same thing.  If this goes beyond that rats nest of a wire berk, then I'm 100% not above hanging some generic (and currently available) automotive relays in there to do the job.

Look at that.  Someone already invented the wheel for us.  Posting just in case:

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116/1st-gen-4runner-rear-window-re-wire-293422/

If this is a relay or something we can just track down and mail for you we just need part numbers.  It took ~3weeks standard USPS but we could do something air freight much faster.  Just let us know.  Your aid delivery beast needs to be functional.

84FSP said:

If this is a relay or something we can just track down and mail for you we just need part numbers.  It took ~3weeks standard USPS but we could do something air freight much faster.  Just let us know.  Your aid delivery beast needs to be functional.

I'm gonna hit this thing with a hammer the best I can to stay on schedule for the delivery.  If anything is found to be broken/needed, I'll try to kick the can far enough down the road that we can fix it when we get back.  I still have some generic Italian relays from my Alfa project laying around I think.  More than just a small handful.  They'll get us through in a pinch.

I'll keep you posted though.

Ok.  So this happened 

I mean,is it because I have the ECU unbolted from the wall and maybe I lost a chassis ground through the housing or something?

Or did window voo-doo infect my ignition switch too?  

I swear.  If I take the column apart and find electrical tape...

Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) said:

I mean,is it because I have the ECU unbolted from the wall and maybe I lost a chassis ground through the housing or something?

Possibly. Grounds are funny. My preferred first step in diagnosis is always to fix the problems I know I have. In this case, that means bolt the ECU back up to the truck and see if it shuts off normally.

DarkMonohue said:

Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) said:

I mean,is it because I have the ECU unbolted from the wall and maybe I lost a chassis ground through the housing or something?

Possibly. Grounds are funny. My preferred first step in diagnosis is always to fix the problems I know I have. In this case, that means bolt the ECU back up to the truck and see if it shuts off normally.

They say "great minds think alike".  I stabbed a bolt back in the ECU mount and the truck shuts off like she's supposed to.

With that done and out of the way, I went after that harness.  I'm not going to say this was the most cramped place I've performed wire repair (the driver's seat doesn't adjust at all) but it was definitely up there:

These next two are my favorites. 

The first is a wire that was soldered in as a splice of somesort, and then lost its insulation right there in the middle.  Bonus points because it's a 12v power wire.

That second one is a runner up, if for nothing else but the sheer number of wire colors they managed to attach to those two.  I've identified the two blue wires as the keyed window down switch (operated from the tailgate), but I've been in there before and I know that the switch back there has long since departed the truck.  For the sake of moving things along for the short term, I'm going to cut them, but otherwise leave those alone.

I'm callin' that "good enough for government work (and yeah, I'm fine with leaving the wires uncapped.  They go to a switch that doesnt exist)

Ok with that done, I did an op check and still none of the windows worked.  I have 12v everywhere I should, I have a ground at all the non-switched points...  but still.

Ok.  I needed a "proof of concept".  If for nothing else but to just prove to me that I'm not crazy (and can still follow a wire diagram). 

I took a 12v pull straight off the battery and stabbed it in the connector, applied the ground as if I were the "down" switch (by using a jumper through the connector)

and...

Ok!  We have proof of concept.  IF the 12v is standing by, and IF the switch ports it to ground, THEN the window works.

I was able to verify correct operation of the switch with my multimeter, but when I tried to do the same thing with jumpers (bypassing the switch completely)...

Nothin.

(also, kids?  dont do that.  DC sucks if it grounds through you)

I go back and check my 12v feed to the switching unit and it's dropped to 10v.  No idea why (battery is still 12v).  I decide that one of the boxes is mucked up and head to the mom and pop electronic shop in town.  I decide I'm going to "hail Mary" the heck out of this and I purchase 6ea relays.  I spend the rest of my garage time at the solder station (it's been a while)

I hooked up the meter to the relays after they were removed.  All meter the same.  k-ohms across the coil, and 0.2-ish across the leg when the coil isn't energized.  I didn't have a quick and easy 12v source near me to actuate them though, so we'll see how things go.  One way or another though, the truck is being put back together tomorrow morning (I need the day after so I can focus on nothing but packing).  With my hot wire jumper I think I can get what I need from things.  I'll simply strategically place the connectors in "not visible" but easily accessible locations.  When windows need to go up or down, I'll stop before hand, hook up my 12v, do the deed, and then proceed as if things are normal.

(Mrs. Hungary jokes that I've had it too easy for too long.  All the answers on the internet have made me soft.  She says that the truck is doing stuff like this so I can remember how to properly bodge when the time comes).

Good times 

Hi, everyone  long time no see  but you all were in my mind all this time 

also we were in touch with Bill all this time 

Bill's third trip to Ukraine was successful  we met with hin in Dnipro and all packages have delivered 

Bill and his family done GREAT work - i can't imagine how big it was 

Thank you and it was nice to met you in real 

Now Bill is somewhere on his way home

I'm waiting for you exciting story about this trip and now i understood what happened with Toyota's windows 

I went to read all posts what i've missed 

VikkiDp said:

Thank you and it was nice to met you in real 

Now Bill is somewhere on his way home

I'm waiting for you exciting story about this trip and now i understood what happened with Toyota's windows 

It was a great meet.  And I was going to explain, but you were such a good sport about it   

(It was raining, and Vikki never once complained)

Home sweet home now.  Lots of stories to follow.  (LOTS of stories)

Wonderful to hear from you Vikki!

Bill, I am having trouble parsing it out from the above, but I think it fair to ask for donations to repair the rig, after all it's required for these trips. Let us know what you still need.

You're both still in our prayers daily.

Vikki, your countrymen are making a good show of stopping the Russian menace cold in their tracks. While I cannot imagine how difficult like in Ukraine is right now, I appreciate the fighting spirit, standing up the the big neighborhood bully. When the war first broke out, my wife and I went from store to store looking for a Ukrainian flag to put in our yard, We wanted to order one, but we were not sure there would be a Ukraine by the time it arrived, given what happened to Georgia and Crimea. Six months later, it's still in our yard!

tuna55 said:

Wonderful to hear from you Vikki!

 

Bill, I am having trouble parsing it out from the above, but I think it fair to ask for donations to repair the rig, after all it's required for these trips. Let us know what you still need.

 

You're both still in our prayers daily.

Thanks man, but don't let the previous owner fool ya.  She'll hold together.  

Ok Pre-Trip update.  T-minus-X days.

Sorry guys, I went radio silent in a slight effort to keep up some idea of Opsec.  At the time, I decided on a total social media blackout.  But if we use the wayback machine, I can now give you the updates from before I left.

Going back in time, I can remember that this particular day I found out my co-worker had to go home with COVID.  The weekend immediately prior, my kid was sick and throwing up.  That night I couldn’t sleep.  I remember worrying about how easily I could be blocked from even starting any of this if I caught the C-word. 

The next day I was up at 3:30am after being up until midnight the night before.  Lots going through my head and all of it blue and yellow.  This being the furthest I’ve driven, the first time I haven’t been able to fix the issues with the truck before I left, and the first time I accepted donations outside of friends and family (referring to the go fund me here), the first time I didn’t have orders in and inventoried a week before our scheduled delivery, and you can imagine that it was the perfect storm for a sleepless night.  No other way about it.  It was out to the garage I go.

When it came to the windows not rolling down, I hooked everything I had spent the previous day attempting to repair back up and still had no dice.  Not a single window was working.

I checked the circuit breakers (CBs) (installed by Toyota on these circuits) with my multimeter and they tested good for continuity.

I got the rear window to actuate with a jumper on the tailgate key portion of the connector, but the switch in the center console still wouldn’t work.  (note:  I can hear the relays click when I jumper like I’m using the tailgate key, but not when I use the center console switch.  This might mean my issue is with the power source that energizes the relay).

I hear no clicks when I use the door switches for the front windows.  I never tried to play “jumper” with it (just the straight from the battery shot you already saw).

I check all my fuses after this and find a 10-amp fuse blown.  It’s not the right amp rating and it’s in the position for the “dome light” but with all the electrical bodge this thing has been through, you never know.  I replace the fuse and utter a “please please please” before I hit the switch.  No dice.

Whelp, no way around it now.  Time to enact plan b.  I exposed a few wires in a discrete location and will use the jumper from whichever wire I need to ground.  That'll actuate the back window whenever I need it.

(That is the first time that window has been rolled up in nearly a WEEK!)

All in all, I was done by 6am.  The eldest woke up at 5:30.

In between errands, naps (more than one.  I was tired), and work schedule, I was able to get the truck cleaned back up and in configuration for the run.  Definitely not “final draft” material, but I good starting point for tomorrow.  I’ve got tools, spares, consumables, and the manual all on board.  I am ready.

And speaking of “ready”, I got a call from the medical supply store as I was leaving for work:  “The rest of your order has arrived, can you stop by to pick it up?”

Your dang right I can.

And that reminds me of those muffins I made yesterday.  They must have REALLY done the trick!  Just in case you find yourself in need, here’s the recipe:

Bill's Magic Medical Supply Producing Banana Muffins
 

Start with the bananas and slice them down the middle and then slice them REALLY thin.  The secret to good banana bread anything is to not have chunks of gooey bananas in it.  You want these things as easy to smash as possible.  Here goes:
 

2-3 bananas.  The riper the better.  See note above.  If you've got a mixer, cool.  If not, get a fork and start smashing these puppies.

1-cup sugar.  No matter how well you did that last step, you need to smash these things some more.  Use the added grit from the sugar to help you along.

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

2 cups flour.

Mix all those together until smooth.  Then add 2tsp baking powder.

Now, go get a paper towel and swipe a good finger scoop of butter on it.  Use the paper towel to coat the surface areas of your muffin pan with butter.  This'll keep 'em from stickin' when they bake.

Bake @ 350deg f for 20-25 minutes.  They're done when you can stick a toothpick in 'em and it comes out clean.

enjoy!

Other than that, there was the minor issue of fuel leaking out through my charcoal canister in the engine bay.  The fuel tank seems to do this when too much positive pressure builds up back there, but simply cracking the gas cap relives it and it stops. 

I didn't troubleshoot but I do need to figure out why this is happening though (more to follow).  The PO was in the fuel tank so maybe he crossed the streams, or maybe there's a fault within the charcoal canister.  Either way, for now cracking the cap so it can vent positive pressure alleviates the problem so I'm gonna run with it.

Good times
 

Kind of a tough way to do things, but I do have a weekly update for you all.  Here goes:

So we're a day out from our normal Kisgorbo transfer but we're a little light so I may postpone until the weekend.  Not sure yet.

I've deleted a few of the rows in our tracker, as things are settling down from our Dnipro run and we were able to consolidate a bit.  Right now we are supporting Kisgorbo, Ira's art therapy, stuffie delivery, and soccer ball delivery.  Ira's funds may be light, but we do have supplies left over from our trip to Dnipro that we can donate and as of her last report, she is good to go with regards to what she needs.

The eagle eyed among you will notice a significant reduction in inventory with regards to soccer balls and stuffies.  All will be explained in the Dnipro trip log, so I don't want to give away any spoilers here but we do have stories and photos to go with that.

Regarding the Dnipro trip log, I am currently in work on the next update.  It's still a "pre-trip" (truck work/packing) entry but I think these parts of the story are important as they add to the overall scope of all we are doing.

Cheers everyone, and hopefully I'll have that next update posted here shortly!

-Bill

Ok message received!!!  I will keep the paypal open over the weekend and submit the transfer on monday

+150,000 overnight brining our balance to 383,927Huf.

Thank you guys!

T-minus-X days (update #2)

When I start the day, I think I’m doing good because I now have two playlists downloaded on my phone from Tidal.  The first is “Texas” and it consists of Robert Earle Keen, and Steve Earle, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and the like. 

The second is titled “Butt Rock” and is time era appropriate for IROC Camaros, first-gen 4-Runners, and mullets (I apologize for nothing!).  With the window’s thoroughly rigged to wind up with my electrical jumpers, and since the truck made it home from work last night without further issue, I figured we’d be starting the day today in a much better position than yesterday.

Speaking of “starting the day”, I think a quick “by the numbers” is due before we go too much further:

In total we collected nearly $4000 from our GoFundMe drive.

We collected over 200,000 Hungarian Forint, and two boxes of school supplies from friends and coworkers locally.

We purchased a portable EKG machine with funds that were donated by a family member, and it was made possible by our good (and local) friend Susanne.

In all we’ve spent about 1.2 million Hungarian Forint on 9 additional boxes of medical supplies.  Additional to that, we purchased approximately 200,000 Hungarian Forint worth of school supplies for 21 families which include 31 children.  Each was packed based off of the age and number of children in each family.  Nothing was bought from the bargain bin, and no one will be able to tell that these were “obviously donated”.

We had 100,000 Hungarian forint that was surplus from the Grassroots Motorsports’ internet Forum’s monthly donation of 500,000 Hungarian Forint, which was spent on plush toys for the hospitalized children.  We currently have 49 stuffed animals to hand out with our delivery.

After all of the above, we STILL had 200,000 Hungarian Forint left over from our Medical Supply orders which was used to purchase 3 “moving box sized” boxes of baby food and 17 packages of diapers (both ordered size and age specific) as we were informed that there were refugee children in the area and with the hospitals that needed neither school nor medical supplies.

So here goes:

Today I slept in.  I guess all this work is getting the better of me because I didn’t wake up until 6:45 am and even then I couldn’t even muster the energy to struggle to get out of bed.  When I did I immediately felt guilty because the kids were already up.  No time to waste, gotta pack pack pack.

See, buying stuff, running around town, and accepting the deliveries isn’t the end.  Quite the opposite actually, as now it needs to be organized, boxed, and Tetris’d into the truck.  I also decide it really does need to be completely inventoried and that involves me going through and writing everything down by hand.  All those medical supplies are rough to go through, and it shouldn’t be on me to pass that responsibility to the hospital.

And so the day goes:  Try to sit down for morning cartoons with cereal for breakfast in an attempt to have a moment with the boys?  Nope, gotta pack pack pack

Overshoot our schedule by an hour (now 9am)?  Pack pack pack!

Eventually I set the boys down for some video game time while I quite literally FLY out of the house to run errands:

Gotta wash this mud off the truck

Gotta get fuel for this truck

Gotta pick up one more (moving size) box of bandages that was forgotten.

Gotta buy diapers.

Gotta buy baby food.

Gotta get back to see the kids a little before I leave for 4 days...

And then an idea hits me:  “hey guys, I got a deal to make with ya.  You give me one hour to pack this truck and take a couple pictures, and I’ll make you guys waffles for lunch (last night I had promised waffles for breakfast, but that oversleep killed those plans)”

"Deal!", they both say.

So it goes.  Unfortunately it is absolutely COOKING outside and the kids are done-for before we’re half way through.  They did good though, and we finish everything just 15-minutes passed 12-noon.  We also managed to snag a few pics to attach here, and then it’s back inside for waffles.

We put on a movie and I really do try to sit down with them, but I have 100 things on my mind.  Drinks, snacks, did I pack socks?

Shoot, where is my passport???  What bank cards have money on them?  I gotta remember to let the bank know I’m traveling!  One more thing!  One more thing!!  Oh crap, I forgot!!! 

By the time I get to work, I’ve sent myself about a dozen reminders.  Poor kids, I think I sat a total of 15 minutes with them.

Work is frantic of course, but I’m getting by.  My office is close to home so I have the idea to head back to eat dinner with the family.  Except the construction workers building the house we’re renovating called:  They’ve finished and need 1.5 million Hungarian forint by tomorrow…

So that’s my dinner break.  Calling our bank back in the states to find out why we can’t pull 1.5 million out all at once (daily ATM limits that they swear don't exist...).  Trying the ATM again to only be told (again) that our daily limit has been exceeded.

I did get home in time for a quick hug from the kiddos though, and then it was back to the work grind.

After work it was time to finalize the inventory.  I tell you what, I’m already physically and emotionally drained by this week.  All the time needed to get this run going, and all that time I’d usually spend with the kids.  I really need to make it up with them next week.  It’s killing me watching them be so patient with me while I again ask for “just one more thing, and then I’ll have time…”

And just when I think I’m doing a good job of holding myself together, I type “Resuscitation bag, with child mask.  10ea” into the inventory.

Jesus Christ.  Am I really ready to do this?

The list goes on.

Once done, the bags are packed and set by the front door.  The banks came through and I was able to finally get the money to Sarah for the workers around midnight.  The truck is loaded to the brim, and by now I really need to get some rest. 

I’ll get 4-hours of sleep tonight if I can fall asleep right away.  Once the coffee maker finishes in the morning, my 4-day run will get started.  By the time my kids pour their cereal, I'll already be 2-hours east-bound with my foot down and pointed towards the rising sun.

 

Here goes nothin.

Of the 1.6 million Hungarian forint collected from GFM, all the donations collected from GRM, and the locals, here's what was left over after our last purchase was made:

Ladies and gentlemen,  less than 7 hours after my last Kisgorbo post we now have the full 500,000huf. 

GRM's monthly transfer is on it's way.

Thank you all for the incredible support.

In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :

To your Texas playlist, you might also add some Hayes Carll and some Todd Snider.  If you're ready for it - and I think if anybody here is ready for it, it's you - throw in Dale Watson's Truckin' Sessions trilogy. And I got more and weirder recommendations if those work out for you.

Thank you, Bill. Thank you for giving us a way to contribute, thank you for showing us what we are working toward, thank you for letting us ride along on your adventures. 

Not everything feels good. This feels good.

DarkMonohue said:

In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :

To your Texas playlist, you might also add some Hayes Carll and some Todd Snider.  If you're ready for it - and I think if anybody here is ready for it, it's you - throw in Dale Watson's Truckin' Sessions trilogy. And I got more and weirder recommendations if those work out for you.

Thank you, Bill. Thank you for giving us a way to contribute, thank you for showing us what we are working toward, thank you for letting us ride along on your adventures. 

Not everything feels good. This feels good.

Got em both!  "Drunken Poets Dream", "Bad Liver and a Broken Heart", and of course "Beer-Run" is my favorite to sing along with 

I'll check out Dale Watson!  

Thanks, man.