Bridges wrote:
Most of us know our cell phones, smartwatches, and GPS devices are computers, but they show up in places we don't think about either! Recently my Keurig Coffee maker quit making coffee. It would turn on and off but pushing the buttons did no good. The lights would come on but it would not run through the sequence needed to heat and release the hot water through the Keurig cup. I finally unplugged it (just as you need to do to a computer or printer from time to time), and after letting it sit for a couple of minutes, plugged it back in and it worked perfectly. The computer inside the maker just needed to be rebooted!
Most of us know our cell phones, smartwatches, and... (
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When in doubt about any device, shut it down, turn it off, unplug it or remove the batteries, wait a little bit, reconnect power source, and restart. It doesn't fix everything, but it's the first thing I try. Sure, you may lose the clock setting, or some menu settings, but who cares if it starts up and works again?
When a family member whines about something acting up, I ask, "Did you shut it down, turn it off, remove the power source, and reboot?"
The next things to check are always:
> Cables — Are they in good condition? Wires often get pinched and broken, or pulled away from delicate connectors.
> Connectors — Are they fully seated? Are they in good condition? Are they clean and bright, or pitted and corroded, or loose?
> Switches, controls, and push buttons — Are they tight, clean, and in good condition?
> Batteries — Are they fresh or freshly charged? Are rechargeables relatively new and still capable of holding a charge? If removable, are the terminals on the battery and the battery compartment terminals clean and free of corrosion, battery chemical leakage, oxidation...??? If not, use a small amount of white vinegar on a foam swab to remove alkaline battery crud, a small amount of distilled water on another foam swab to remove the vinegar, and a spritz of DeOxIt contact cleaner and lubricant to keep terminals from oxidizing. Do not use abrasives such as pen erasers on battery compartment conductors. They will remove the conductive metal plating and allow the underlying metal to rust or oxidize worse than it already is.
> The smell test — Does a non-operational device smell burnt? If so, it's probably hosed! Consider repair or replacement.
We recently had to replace our 5-year old over-the-stove microwave oven. It tripped the circuit breaker when I hit "cook." I reset the breaker, and the clock worked, the light and fan worked, but the next time I hit "cook," it blew its own internal fuse AND the breaker. I'm pretty sure the Magnetron tube blew, or the transformer that powered it melted its windings. It smelled like an electrical fire. Oh well...
Yesterday I stress tested the 14-year-old high voltage traction battery in my relatively low mileage Prius. The Dr. Prius App that connects my iPhone to an OBD2 reader says the thing has 18% of its life left. Hmmm... decision time. Repair the old battery and play whack-a-mole with bad cells? Replace the entire bank of cells with a reconditioned battery? Replace the entire bank of cells with new Nexcell Lithium modules? Replace the entire bank of cells with a new Toyota battery? Sell the car and get a newer model? I hate unexpected break-downs. I hate repairs. I hate spending money. Hmmm…