Wish we could fix this! Propylene Glycol in Dog Treats?! --- Canine Carry Outs (caninecarryouts.com ) and the Major health risk to our dogs

  

Canine Carry Outs
 (caninecarryouts.com ) and the Major health risk to our dogs 

Be well aware -- Smuckers, the owner o f Canine Carry Outs -- does NOT care about the health of our animals and is putting a chemical known as 'Propylene Glycol' the cousin of Ethylene Glycol (found in antifreeze) in these dog treats.  I knew when I first purchased them they put off an AWFUL chemical smell and now I refuse to purchase these or ever feed them to my dogs.   Our dogs health is THE most important thing, and for a company like Smuckers to just copy and paste a response is disgraceful. 

Please write to this company and tell them you want this chemical removed.   Here is Smucker's response to my concerns:

Dear ---- ,

Thank you for contacting The J.M. Smucker Co. regarding Canine Carry Outs®. We are a Company of pet lovers, and the quality and safety of our products has been of paramount importance to us for 120 years.

Propylene Glycol is commonly used to maintain moisture and flavor quality and is safe for consumption; approved for use in both human and dog food by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and has been used in a variety of products for more than 50 years, such as ice creams, margarine, frosting, salad dressings, and some candies. We care about the wellness and safety of all pets, including our own, and would never offer a product that wasn’t deemed safe by the FDA for pets to consume.

Dogs and cats have very different digestive systems and nutritional needs. Not all foods that are appropriate for dogs are suitable for cats. Propylene Glycol may cause adverse effects in cats.

As always, we remain committed to producing the high quality and safe products you have come to expect. If you should have further questions or need additional information, please visit us at caninecarryouts.com or give us a call at 1-800-252-7022.

Kind Regards,

Ty
Consumer Relations Representative

my response:

Wow, what a scripted copy and paste response to a serious concern brought forth by one of your customers.  I am not the only customer whom will not purchase your product again because of Propylene Glycol, and the FDA is so distant from being a trusted gov institution.

Although the FDA “generally recognizes” propylene glycol as safe, the EU had no hesitation to place a ban on the chemical because of the harmful side effects , such as the case of this man who experienced central nervous system depression after ingesting too much whiskey that contained propylene glycol.

This is largely due to the U.S.’s proclivity towards manufacturers and industry over environmental and public health, according to a statement made by Connecticut state senator Alex Bergstein to The Guardian.

“Generally, the EU has got it right. In the US we have a strong favoritism towards companies and manufacturers, to the extent that public health and the environment is being harmed. The pendulum has swung in an extreme way and it’s really going to take a general awakening by the public,” according to Bergstein.

Another reason why people think that propylene glycol is banned in Europe is because research shows that it may cause prolonged illness to people with kidney and liver problems. This is because people with kidney and liver problems are not able to clear propylene glycol from their bloodstream as effectively as possible.   Obviously, the same problem can be applied to our pets.   If a dog has a kidney or liver problem, is your company warning pet owners not to use this product?? I doubt that.  So Smuckers does not care about the chemicals it feeds our animals, and clings to the notion that this chemical is safe ; when in europe it is considered the opposite. 

I cant wait to post your copy / paste response to this all over the internet.  Consumers should be aware what they are putting in their animals when buying your garbage dog treats. 

LG Washing Machine - LE Error - Hall Sensor Repair ( drum speed sensor )

 I really like my direct drive LG washing machine, but it recently gave me an LE Error.  I thought, well maybe it's the drum or something stopping the motor.  The drum would jerk, make about a half a revolution then stop and make the jerking motion again.   

After much research, and disassembling the motor 3 times ; I figured I would give the hall sensor a test on my bench.  This involved removing the black rubber from the top of circuit board , carefully as to not damage the SMD components on the PCB.   

After testing, I found that the two center resistors (681), or 680ohm were not giving me any reading on my meter.  So, I simply soldered a couple onto the board in line with the old ones; and it worked.  Because this sensor is waterproofed, I decided to purchase a replacement anyway ; and used my fixed sensor whilst I waited for the replacement part.     

I think this is worth mentioning because these hall sensors fail a high percentage of the time with the LG LE Error ;  and it's literally a couple of bad resistors (most are the end two, not the ones in the middle of the circuit) ... so if you run into this problem with your LG , try testing the resistors and maybe replace them for immediate continued operation.  I thought of sealing the old PCB up and using it, but really this was a part failure investigation.

Fixing Sharp LCD TV Stuck on the SHARP Logo & Firmware Update via USB

 

 SHARP LCD TV STUCK ON SHARP LOGO

 

 Recently having problems with my 65" Sharp LCD TV ; after a power outage - i found out this problem is commonly related to firmware problems on either the EEPROM chip, or the NAND Memory module on the Main Board (one that runs the TVs software)  

 Apparently, this is very common and has affected many Models of Sharp LCD televisions. 

One of the problems I ran into, is that for my model : Sharp LC65LE654U   the firmware is no longer available off of the Sharp website. Below is the link to the file which Sharp emailed to me so you dont have to go through that.  

Step one, one a 8gb or smaller USB - format it to FAT32]

Unzip the firmware file with WinRar, or Winzip - you can find those in google. 

Move the firmware file to the thumbdrive, not inside of a folder 

rename the firmware file to " install.img " , removing the additional file name characters

 

Now unplug the TV, insert your USB Thumb Drive, and plug it back in and wait. 

 Eventually (sometimes can take as long as 15 minutes) you should see a blue screen with the firmware update progress bar.  If not, something else went wrong probably the EEPROM or a previous flash problem corrupted something.  Mine still had a problem, so in my case I need my mainboard repaired with probably an eeprom replacement. 

Here is who I am going to use:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/333658408842?hash=item4daf97478a:g:qU8AAOSw2h5g6eyn

LC65LE654U   FIRMWARE:

 

Thank you for contacting the SHARP Customer Support Center.

I understand that you are seeking the firmware update for your SHARP LC65LE654U TV that does the classic SHARP logo and reset problem. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, and I will be more than happy to assist. The firmware was not designed to fix a lockup issue. However, please see below the latest firmware that we have available along with the instructions on how to manually update the TV. 

Dont use this first link, see my notes below.

http://www.sharphomeusa.com/Downloads/Firmware/tel_soft_LE654U_v369.ZIP

 BUT, the file link above that Sharp sent me seems corrupt?  ... so this is another link to firmware which seems a bit larger in file size,  I am currently emailing Sharp to make them aware of this issue.

The main firmware directory for sharp televisions is here:

http://www.sharphomeusa.com/Downloads/Firmware/

v364 firmware download for l3653u, and 654u

http://www.sharphomeusa.com/Downloads/Firmware/tel_soft_LE653U-LE654U_v364.zip

 v369 firmware download for le653u and le654u

http://www.sharphomeusa.com/Downloads/Firmware/tel_soft_LE653U_LE654U_v369.ZIP

 

( other sources )

This file link below appears to be valid, but didn't work for me in terms of throwing my TV into firmware update mode.  Others have reported success with the file below.

https://rebyte.me/en/sharp/155164/file-1509664/

 

 Firmware procedure for v 3.6.9:  http://www.sharphomeusa.com/Downloads/Firmware/docs/v3.6.9__software_update_procedure.pdf

 

 v3.6.4 / v3.6.9   -  USB Firmware Update Procedure 

1. Copy the file (*.img) to root directory of a USB flash drive (preferably FAT32 format) Note: File is compressed and must be unzipped. 

2. Install USB drive in the USB Port of TV, unplug AC power

3. Plug in AC power, TV will turn on and the FW update will appear in progress. ****DO NOT POWER OFF TV WHILE UPDATE IS IN PROGRESS **** 

4. Once “Install Complete” appears on screen, the TV will power off and on 5. Confirm new version by pressing Menu-->Information-->Identification

 USB Manual Update

1.  Download the firmware using Internet explorer. Once the file has been downloaded, you then extract/unzip that file to your computer.

2. You will require a USB memory device between 2-8 GB that will need to format to FAT32 format before copying the extracted firmware file to it. Ensure the extracted file is not placed in a folder on the USB device and no other file is on it.

3. Insert the USB device into the USB port and turn on your TV. Your TV will then access the file on your USB device and then you follow the instructions on screen so update can begin or go to settings.

 

 

Costco Gift Card SCAM WARNING - wildernessflex.net - You have won costco free reward emails

 SCAM 'COSTCO HOLIDAY GIFT' EMAILS

 

Yamaha DTXpress Drum Pad Fix - PCY60 - Yamaha DTX fix

Yamaha DTXpress Drum Pad Fix

Recently, one of my Yamaha drum triggers / pads got screwed up and it took me a little while to figure it out.  Apparently, just plugging and unplugging these or having a snag in one of the mono cables will cause this problem with the mono jack solder joints and cause all kinds of weird problems.  In my case, the pad would (barely) be triggered with a soft drum stick hit.  

When I touched the little mono cable box underneath it, it just went nuts like it was being triggered repeatedly without any input and in a very fast sequence.  I checked the other pads and none of them exhibited the same problem.  

 

The jack itself is inside of this rubber "housing" which has two phillips screws, and a place to inserta small phillips screwdriver for sensitivity adjustment. 

 This is what the PCB looks like with the housing off. Below the PCB is a very simple (and cheap) Piezo electric pickup.  What we are focused on here is the jack itself...

Observe the underside of the PCB, and make sure the jack has not worked its way loose

from the PCB, paying attention to the four large solder joins.  On mine, the first two

solder joints closest to the jack tip were totally loose and needed to be re-soldered

A close up of the two connections that needed attention on my unit:

I believe this problem is attributed to the design of the box, and the amount of pressure that is put on the jack itself with the right angle mono jacks.  The outside housing should have been designed not to be rubber / or flexible around the jack tip area, which allows the jack to move inside of the housing in a downward direction over time, causing it to break loose from it's PCB solder joints. 

Fix Jaguar XJ8 / x350 Air suspension " pressure relief valve " o-rings oring o-ring

These O-Rings on the brass pressure relief valve can, and will fail over time. My leak was not very obvious, but it was leaking from below the valve, very slowly causing the car to throw the amber "air suspension" warning light and the car would slowly sink down over the course of several days.

It took me QUITE some time to figure this out, as I kept ordering new air shocks, and using the same pressure relief valve when installing the new shock on the drivers' side.

 Eventually, I figured it out and traced the problem to the O-Ring on the valve with soapy dish fluid water in a sprayer. But it was not immediately evident, and the leak must have been very slow.   Only a visual inspection confirmed the o-ring had failed. 

To test your air connections for leaks, just spray all of your connections, and the valve block in the trunk and tank connections and look for bubbles from the soap solution on the connections.   Also remember to spray the shock rubber air bags themselves, from inside the wheel well if you think a specific shock itself is leaking , or you hear air escaping from that side of the car.  If air is leaking from a fitting, you'll see it generate bubbles fairly quickly -- or not, like in my aforementioned case.

The valve block, and air tank under the spare tire in the trunk / boot

The valve block is mounted in the trunk beneath the spare wheel and a sound-deadening foam cover. It shares the same mounting bracket as the air reservoir. The valve block contains five individual solenoid valves, one for each of the four air springs and one for the reservoir. A pressure sensor (made by Denso) is mounted to the valve block manifold. The sensor monitors system pressure and communicates this information to the ASM. Six air hoses or pipes are mounted to the valve block manifold, one for each of the four air springs, one for the reservoir, and one for the air compressor. The air hoses for the front air springs are 6mm and the hoses for the rear air springs are 4mm.

The air hoses are color-coded as follows:

Left Rear air spring: Blue
Left Front air spring: Brown
Right Rear air spring: Red
Right Front air spring: Yellow


Under the control of the ASM, the solenoid valves in the valve block perform the following operations:

• Increase or decrease the pressure in the front air springs as a pair (or individually on early cars with 4 height sensors)

• Increase or decrease the pressure in each individual rear air spring

• Direct air from the compressor to repressurize the reservoir

• Allow air from one or more air spring(s) to be released through the compressor exhaust vent solenoid valve

Jaguar XJ8 / x350 - Replacement O-Ring Information 

Here are the proper sizes for the air shock connection o-ring sizes with photos.

UPDATE 1.22.20 :  The O-Ring size : 6mm ID x 8mm OD x 1.5 mm W .    I ordered 1mm width and it's just not wide enough.  You'll need 1.5 to probably 2mm in width so that the o-ring comes up to the last thread.   The 1mm width o-rings are not correct and in the Jaguar forums someone mentioned  #6 O-Rings (7/16" O.D x 5/16" I.D X 1/16") but those are not right either for the air valve o-rings.  You (may) be able to make Danco #47 o-rings work for you ; those are 11/32" OD x 7/32 I.D. x 1/16".

I found that the 6mm ID 9mm OD x 1.5 mm / 2.0mm o-rings from Ace Hardware worked for me.  So it's 1mm larger than the 8mm OD, but it still worked fine. 

Fixing a Jaguar XJ8 - 2004 2005 2006 - x350 - LOW COOLANT LIGHT

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The best Jag I've ever owned, hands down.  No I don't miss British Racing Green

Every once in a while, I would get a "low coolant" warning light on my X350 jag, and inspected everything but could not find a leak, nor did it seem like I was loosing any -- but the faint sweet smell of coolant was present.  What the heck!

I drove the car for another 1,000 miles without thinking much about it as the light was intermittent, but then it became more frequent.

After a pressure test, I discovered my coolant reservoir was the problem ; a clear plastic tank that sits right up top on the radiator support .

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Jaguar XJ8 Coolant Reservoir / Overflow Tank / Expansion Tank

** ALWAYS LET THE ENGINE COOL BEFORE DOING ANYTHING ; BE SAFE AND CLEAN UP EXCESS RADIATOR FLUID, IT IS POISONOUS **

 The first thing you want to do, is make sure you have not been using water to re-fill this tank, or anything other than the recommended Dexcool coolant.  The sensor is very sensitive to other coolant types ; so make sure you are using the proper coolant ; and not water .  The sensor hates the stuff. 

Ok, so the problem with this coolant expansion tank ; is that it loves to develop small cracks in the plastic upper hose connection ; thus dropping pressure in the tank and throwing the low coolant light.  It's really a poorly engineered design, because the hose isn't supported by anything and is constantly putting pressure on that fitting.    

Sometimes you cannot see anything wrong / I could not see any residual fluid, or signs of a leak.  But I could faintly smell coolant when the car had been running for a while. 

Order a replacement tank, and make sure it comes with the "bleed screw" as mine did not and I had to request one.  You can find an aftermarket tank on ebay for about $30-40, not $200 from a parts supply store such as Autozone.    Your new tank should also come with a new cap. I saved my old cap as a spare ; but honestly hope it's a part I'll never need in the future :) 

Tank removal is pretty straight forward, I used a lighted mechanics mirror to disconnect the lower sensor connector on the left underside of the tank. You'll have the top hose, and an electrical connector at the bottom of the tank, then you have a clip to pull for the hose connection which easily comes off once you pull that clip out.  

All and all, a pretty easy job for most non-mechanically inclined.   I did not re-order a new sensor, I used my old one which is released from the bottom of the old unit.   Remember to make sure your bleed screw is tight, and has it's rubber "o" ring attached. 

After the job is wrapped up ; fill the tank with fluid and run the car up to operating temp ; then let it cool off and top off the tank again to replace any fluid that may have been lost during the process. 

My annoying coolant level low light has stayed off now for months, and I can now recommend this as your best bet for a fix.   Remember to use Jaguar approved radiator fluid , and double check all of your connections to assure they will not come off under pressure. 



Also remember to inspect for leaks behind the block, and under the intake manifold (there is hose under the intake manifold that loves to leak in the valley of the engine) if this does not immediately fix your problem, and of course if you can still smell coolant. 

However, this problem seems much rarer than the aforementioned fix for "ghost leaks" on the XJ8.