Well, it had to happen sooner or later. I have been plagued by 12 volt problems from day one and, even though I thought my 'mad scientist friend' had solved the mystery, no such luck.
I was on the freeway and headed south towards New Mexico at 60 MPH when every light on my dashboard came on and an alarm began to loudly reverberate around my ears.
I was on the freeway and headed south towards New Mexico at 60 MPH when every light on my dashboard came on and an alarm began to loudly reverberate around my ears.
I was right next to an off-ramp so I veered sharply off the freeway, down the ramp and coasted into a Carl's Jr parking lot--where the engine died--dead! Really, Really Dead! My rear end was barely off the street and I was half blocking Carl's entry to the 'drive thru'--but, thankfully, I wasn't on the freeway.
It was a really nice young man who responded to my 'Road-side Assistance' call...
And hauled me away to a mechanics shop...
Where I spent two days and a night. I must say, I have had better parking spots. But the outcome is still somewhat unsettled....
*The alternator is okay
*The computer is okay
*The batteries are okay
*The fuse has blown again
*And the isolator is fried.
It seems that a large surge of voltage (excuse my garbled analysis--car mechanics are not something I understand even a little bit) has been bombarding various parts of the motor's innards and no one seems to know where it is coming from. After disconnecting and bypassing the isolator the three very friendly mechanics sent me on my way with the admonition to not run my battery down because nothing was protecting my car battery and I could get stranded--again. Hmm. So I went out and bought a solar panel should I need to revive a dead battery.
*The alternator is okay
*The computer is okay
*The batteries are okay
*The fuse has blown again
*And the isolator is fried.
It seems that a large surge of voltage (excuse my garbled analysis--car mechanics are not something I understand even a little bit) has been bombarding various parts of the motor's innards and no one seems to know where it is coming from. After disconnecting and bypassing the isolator the three very friendly mechanics sent me on my way with the admonition to not run my battery down because nothing was protecting my car battery and I could get stranded--again. Hmm. So I went out and bought a solar panel should I need to revive a dead battery.
It is out by the airport...
The waitresses and hostess were in uniform.
"Walk this way."
I had a window overlooking the wing--somehow on every plane ride I am always overlooking the wing.
The waitress/stewardess invited the customers to explore the cockpit.
So, Jamie, this is for you.
PS..The RV is running great and the batteries are fully charged even after running the overhead fan and the lights for hours at night. My fingers are crossed that good luck continues. But it is still raining.
Toni,
ReplyDeleteWow! Quite an adventure. I hope the RV continues to work. I know even less than most about what is under the hood of a car, and that series of events sounds scary to me. But I absolutely loved the restaurant in an airplane. What a neat idea. Maybe the Air Force here in Tucson should start marketing the thousands of old planes they have stored here to people who want to start unusual restaurants. Hmm -- might even be able to use them for other commercial purposes -- motel units, shops, etc. Even condos.
All the best,
Lynda
I love that idea. Spending the night in an airplane would be fun. And kids would love it. I'm not too sure about a condo, though.
DeleteGlad to hear the RV is working again. Our 12V system went up in smoke (literally) a couple of years ago. It was the most aggravating and frightening thing we've ever had. It was not helped by the fact that we had little faith in the people who were fixing it. Random electrical weirdness is just the pits.
ReplyDeleteIt would help if I knew a little more than I do. But I compensate by having a son that understands much more. Every time I have one of these problems I get on the phone and give him the chance to solve my problem. I call that 'Good Mothering'. I am not sure what he calls it.
ReplyDeleteI think we saw that restaurant on a special on TV. Looks like a fun place to go. So sad see the van on a wrecker. Glad it is working now, not sure I understand what happened to it. Just winterized our RV and put it away for the winter. Jerry said it made him sad. He loved our travels with you.
ReplyDelete