Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:36:34 -0400
Reply-To: Oliver Mueller-Heubach <groundhogging@MAC.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Oliver Mueller-Heubach <groundhogging@MAC.COM>
Subject: Chopstick's Adventure of the day
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Got up this morning and decided to drive the van out to the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal where I could sit in the shade and read for
grad school exams. First thing I noticed was the battery light was
on. Ok. I slid the seat and put t on the charger. Fully charged, I
drove out to the canal, read a couple articles into the mac/
"garageband" for playback on long trips (I can only stand so much of
the automatic mac voices- though mine isn't much better). Went for an
8 mile walk on the canal during which I read another article. Came
back to van, got it to head home. A mile later, he was coughing and
conveniently between a cliff and a guardrail with no pullover and
plenty of cars behind. I thought..ok, I know I don't have a gas
gauge, but 140 miles are all I get from a full 14 gallon tank?!? I
looked in back, nothing loose or unhooked. Tapped the fuel filter and
pump (both new, but tank needs work), got pack in and managed to go
another 100 feet- enough to pull off the road. I start walking the 4
miles to the next gas station. A couple miles on, I got a lift from
a guy who felt sympathy because he ran out of gas once on the next
hill in. So, got to Sheetz, got a gas can, a gallon of liquid gold,
and a frozen coke. Feeling pretty good- and I had reading so I was
getting work done. Walked back- got another lift about 1/8 mile to
the van- and spilled the last of the coke slush on the poor guy's
dashboard getting in.. sheesh. Feeling pretty bad- but he insisted no
worries- he was a dealer and that truck was to be detailed soon
anyway. Put the gas in the bus- and on the bus and on me because of
very weird and complicated little gas can with squeeze handle. Got in
van and drove uneventfully back to the Sheetz to fill up. Thinking,
maybe I'll treat it to nice gas for putting up with me (and to see if
I can make better than 25mph up the hill to our house). Pump clicks
off and I go in to order a sandwich. Look out the window and see a
shiny puddle under a petitely piddling Vanagon and try to ignore it.
Got my food, go out to start it. Nothing. Churning, no catching,
though. I clean terminals. I pull the aux. battery to fin it is dead
and my wife borrowed my jumpers. Luckily there was an Advance four
blocks away, so carried battery over there where it tested dead as a
doornail. Bought another battery, carried it back (thinking wish I
could remember all the battery group numbers I'd heard about). Put it
in the van and fires up- but battery light is on. I stop at another
Sheetz and threaten to tighten the alternator belt but find I'm
missing the one socket that will fit. Got back in and light is
off.... Well, that was my Vanagon day- all in all, not bad. This is
the sort of van trouble I can deal with.
Oliver Mueller-Heubach
groundhogging@mac.com
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