Thursday, October 01, 2015

THE BIG EEE PASSED IT’S PRE-TRIP INSPECTION & FINALLY AN ANSWER ABOUT WHY THE ENGINE CUT OUT IN THE MOUNTAINS LAST WINTER

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CAUGHT IN THE GOLDEN GLOW OF ANOTHER EVENING SUNSET ROLLING LAKE HURON WAVES BREAK PLACIDLY OVER WATER WORN ROCKS ALONGSIDE BAYFIELD’S SOUTH PIER

Just a bunch of puttering this morning & not a whole lot to write about again.  We took the Big EEE into the BAYFIELD GARAGE first thing for it's pre-trip inspection & oil change.  Coolant check, tires, belts, transmission fluid, air filter, etc. etc.  Pheebs & I also took a utility trailer load of yard waste to our Park's recycle area while Kelly headed off to Goderich on a bunch of errands.  I installed 4 window rain visors on our Jeep Liberty as well.  After a short Siesta early this afternoon I figured I’d add some water to the rig’s fresh water tank so it was on with my hat, shoes, coat & out the door I went.  I was about half way to the rig when I glanced up & the Motorhome was gone.  What!!!!  It’s at the Bayfield Garage dummy……………………….. 

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THE BAYFIELD GARAGE

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SURE LOOKS EMPTY WITHOUT THE BIG EEE SITTING IN IT’S SPOT 

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RAIN VISORS OVER THE WINDOWS ARE ESPECIALLY HELPFUL WITH PETS IN A VEHICLE ON RAINY DAYS WHEN WINDOWS CAN BE OPENED A COUPLE INCHES FOR AIR

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Nice sunny day but our Autumn temps have dropped into the mid to upper 50’s with brisk winds making for cool days.  After posting Wednesday night's post Pheebs & I headed on down to the Bayfield harbor & beach area to take a few sunset photos.  With the sun setting earlier each evening we can do that & still be home early.  A drive later along Bayfield’s quaint & quiet Heritage Main street is always an extra pleasure in off-season.  Sure is a nice area we live in & I am reminded of that every time I step out the door.  We were so fortunate 13 years ago to have found a nice affordable place in an area I had always loved & had been coming to off & on for many decades. 

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A year ago today we were making our way westward over top Lake Superior fighting wind, rain, & fog along the way.  A few days later we were into snow & ice & our rig’s furnace began acting up.  Then we accidentally overfilled our fresh water tank in Wawa & thought we had damaged it.  Little did we know our troubles were just beginning…………:((DSC_0001-006

OCTOBER 2ND 2014……A FOGGY OVERNIGHTER IN TERRACE BAY ONTARIO

Picked up our Motorhome late this afternoon & everything checked out well including our 02 Sensors.  And finally we have an explanation for our rig running rough in some of the higher mountain altitudes.  Red, a well respected & knowledgeable mechanic at the Bayfield Garage explained to me how the computer’s high altitude sensor works, about the gas mixture running lean etc.  I can’t re-explain what he all told me but it made sense, even about re-flashing the rig’s computer which he didn’t recommend because of the expense & the fact we won’t be driving in the mountains all the time.  He said when the engine cuts out like it did in the mountains a few times this past winter to just pull over & shut the engine off.  Wait about 30 seconds for the computer to re-set itself then carry on.  And that is exactly what happened to us 3 times & the restart did work every time with the rig running fine again.  He said we will get a ‘red engine light code’ but not to worry about that.  As long as it is not flashing.  Don the owner suggested a higher octane gas in the mountains as well.  We are relieved to finally have a logical answer to the problem with the rig.  We sure were stressed out about that last winter.  Aside from that computer glitch the rig normally has & still does run like a fine tuned clock.  We will upgrade our gas before reaching the mountains & if we determine it’s a particularly steep high altitude grade ahead we will also un-hook the Jeep & drive it through the difficult area separately.

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A LONE FIGURE BUNDLES UP AGAINST A COLD AUTUMN WIND COMING IN OFF THE LAKE

Not only a cold rainy week-end predicted but we have company coming as well so guess Pheebs & I had better get out first thing in the morning & get ourselves well stocked up on a Jeep load of sunshine & fresh country air.  Besides, gotta check out those Jeep window visors to make sure they don’t blow off at speeds of over 5 mph.  Remember, I’m the guy who installed them so it could happen, right………………….10-4:)) 

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AND A SHOUT-OUT TO JIM & BEV WAY OUT THERE IN THAT IDAHO PLACE…..HOPE YOUS GUYS IS DOING FINE:))

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GROANER’S CORNER:(( Safety is a major concern at the manufacturing company where I work. So I'm constantly preaching caution to the workers I supervise.
"Does anyone know," I asked a few guys, "what the speed limit is in our parking lot?"
The long silence that followed was interrupted when one of them piped up. "That depends. Do you mean coming to work or leaving?"

5 comments:

  1. Very good to get answers about trouble with your EEE....Sounds like you three on on the threshold of "gettin' on the road again"....

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  2. Nice to get the Big EEE al straightened and can hit the road with hopefully no problems. We will also disconnect the car when climbing mountains, not a big deal as we try to avoid them as much as possible.
    yep its getting much cooler now, fall is really in the air now.

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  3. That first photo is incredible! Glad the mystery is solved at last and that all systems are go for travels south. Hope that nasty storm doesn't interfere with your plans.

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  4. Al, when we crossed the Rocky Mountains this summer, hubby filled up the car with a higher octane gasoline and it did just fine! We never had any issues before, but I believe it gave hubby some peace of mind! Now he does it every time we travel up mountains! :-)
    Cheryl Ann

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  5. "Don the owner suggested a higher octane gas in the mountains as well."

    The thing about octane and elevation is counter-intuitive.

    Octane is the ability of a fuel to resist knock, and high-compression engines tend to knock more. The obverse of that is that lower-compression engines can run on lower-octane gas. Air is thinner the higher above sea level you go. Less air going into the cylinders means less pressure at top dead center when things go bang. It's a lot like lowering the compression ratio in the engine, reducing the need for high octane. Cars will run just fine on lower-octane fuel when they're well above sea level.

    "He said when the engine cuts out like it did in the mountains a few times this past winter to just pull over & shut the engine off. Wait about 30 seconds for the computer to re-set itself then carry on."

    I think you can avoid the engine cut out by NOT keeping the "peddle to the metal" for the entire long climb. Take your foot off the gas for a couple of seconds and give the computer and sensor a chance to set up for the elevation. That is what is happening when you stop, shut down and re-start but it does not take 30 sec.

    I have never had any problems using 85 octane at high elevations and never had the engine cut out that you have described. Your Milage May Vary!

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