Auto insurance rates are skyrocketing in part because repair costs are surging, because there aren’t enough mechanics

Collision mitigation sensors on all sides, keyless entry transmitters that are difficult to manage…

Some forum members of the past believe modern vehicles are over-loaded with features or “gimmicks”, the reason some people prefer older cars. Those people were criticized for their outdated views.

Rear quarter panel replacement in a Rivian R1T was quoted to an owner at $41,000 with all the labor. For a dent. PDR specialist agreed to try and appears to have fixed it. Then you have $3,000 radar sensors on the friar of Hondas that get stolen ir damaged in minor accidents.

That’s a more-complicated car, with a more-sophisticated problem. I have a simple car that had a simple problem: one circuit drew more current than its fuse, even with everything off. Being a cheapie who has nothing better to do I tested every wire, which required cutting each one because it was a 15-amp fuse on a 12-volt system, and I didn’t have an ohmmeter that would read that low accurately. The extra burner is that it was the last one I tested. What would a professional have done?

NJM is a mutual company? I didn’t know that.

Yes, it is a mutual insurance company. In addition to very competitive rates and excellent customer service, I get a dividend (rebate) from them most years, for 10% of the annual premium.

I’ve been with them for ~20 years, and I have no complaints whatsoever. I use them to insure my home, as well as my vehicle, and I also have an Umbrella Liability policy with them.

At one time, they only wrote policies in NJ, but now anyone with a good driving record in NJ/PA/CT/MD/OH can be insured by them. As you may know, even with their limited footprint, they are consistently rated as one of the top 3 car insurance companies in the entire US.

I’m no professional mechanic but do have an electrical engineering background and do my own work like this. I had a similar problem and although I could have brought home an expensive differential ohmmeter, I chose to tackle it with simpler means. First, I installed a resettable .circuit breaker in place of the fuse. They sell them in the same form factor as the fuses but they are wider so I just tacked it onto the back of a normal fuse and inserted it. This allows repeated faults to happen without wasting a dozen fuses.

Then I used a clamp on ammeter with my DVM to measure current without cutting wires. Then it’s just a matter of following the branches to find the fault.

Isn’t that almost always the way it goes? but this reminded me of the exchange; where did you find your keys? They were in the last place I looked. Naturally, you wouldn’t keep looking once you found them :wink:

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When I misplace my keys, I always start my search in the room with the best lighting… :joy::rofl::grin:

I tried going to the last place first but the universe decided to mess with those plans. Maybe I’ll try your approach next time!

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That’s better than getting to the last one and not finding anything wrong.

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You can also plug in a sealed beam in place of the fuse that keeps popping

If it’s bright, your short is still there

When you start unplugging stuff and the sealed beam extinguisher, you’ve found the problem . . Or at least got very close

LoudThunder:

When I misplace something, particularly small items like keys, phone, etc, I usually find it in one of my pockets..!

I rarely loose or misplace anything but one morning i had a meeting out of town and parked in the ramp. When done I reached for my bill fold to pay the ramp but my pocket was empty. No cash, debit cards, or nothing. Luckily I scraped up $10 from my pocket so I didn’t have to go beg for a loan. When I got home I was relieved to find it still on the dresser. Glad I had a full tank of gas for the 60 miles.

I am the KING of misplacing stuff…!

Wallet, keys, TV remotes, anything small-ish especially.

Been that way as far back as I can remember.

Issues . . .