| Author | Message | ||
     Jan Forrest Frequent User Username: got_one Post Number: 95 Registered: 1-2008 |
Ingoldmells. Long version: Yesterday I drove The Old Girl to the East Coast (and back, of course) to fetch the SIL & her hubby back from a week's holiday. The 200+ mile trip was accomplished in about 7 hours as it involved mostly country lanes which carry trucks, caravans and farm machinery thus slowing traffic for mile after mile  Other than that the outward part was pretty unremarkable and she performed very well for her first decent blast since her enforced 14 month layup  The return leg however was not as uneventful! First we covered about 15 miles before the BIL realised he'd forgotten something and we had to go back for it. What a prat - I'd told him to check, check and check again before we set off! Then after a total of 220 miles since filling the LPG tank (plus an added 20 litres to make a total of 100 used over that mileage) I was forced to switch from gas back to the UAE's finest liquid diamonds, following which things got a little more ... interesting She just didn't want to pull and even exhibited signs of fuel starvation. I persevered and she soldiered on for another 30 odd miles before I arrived at a local filling station to refill the LPG tank. Then she wouldn't restart! The shorter part of the air intake hose had partially collapsed and split wide open so all the air intake was bypassing the air filter which I think made the mixture horrendously weak. Fortunately I had just enough broad vynil tape in the boot and bodged it up to get me home. However, with her parked up chez moi, there was steam wafting from the Corinthian grill and traces of coolant around the front of the engine compartment. After standing overnight (I was too shattered to consider doing much yesterday) she only took about 1.5 litres of water to ensure the system was well over full so the water loss can't have been too bad. There's more. After checking everything in sight I finally got around to dipping the ATF. OK, I should have done this regularly, but ... you know ... the level was almost off the bottom of the dipstick  A quick trip to a local motor factors followed by a full litre of Dexron ATF soon brought the level to just over 'full' and now she runs sweet as a nut! My theory is that several conditions have caused extra heat to be pumped into the engine coolant: 1) Weak mixture 2) Low ATF caused the 'box to deploy all the brake bands (drag) 3) Less ATF + more heat = Hotter fluid 4) All the above = engine working harder for the same horsepower output. Moral of my sorry tale: Do a *"WOLFBAT"* check before every 'trip' and at least weekly otherwise! *Water Oil Lights Fuel Battery ATF Tyres* (My apologies to Spitfire pilots who called this WOFLTB) | ||
| Omar M. Shams Experienced User Username: omar Post Number: 49 Registered: 4-2009 |
Jan, If you want any more of that UAE liquid gold/diamonds............. we have loads of it here in Dubai!! One question you need to ask yourself is......... where did that litre and a half of transmission oil go??? I worry about losing tranny oil..especially if the heat exchanger in the radiator has a hole in it and the exchange of fluid goes the wrong way into the gearbox......... what a mess!!! Have a good look at the levels for the next few weeks to see where fluids are going. Good luck Omar | ||
| Jan Forrest Frequent User Username: got_one Post Number: 96 Registered: 1-2008 |
Omar: As I wrote ... the 'box took only a litre of Dexron ATF and this took the level to somewhat over the 'full' mark even after a couple of miles run and going through all the ratios. I'm ashamed to admit that I cannot recall when I dipped the 'box last so I doubt that the leak is all that bad - especially as there are no signs of staining on the tarmac where I regularly park her. Obviously I'll keep a better check on the level(s) in future and hope to be doing a full service soon as the Estima should be roadworthy early next month *touch wood*. After I've had a holiday anyway, as I've only had one 'long weekend' away (an American Car Club Meet when I owned a Jeep Grand Cherokee) since I took the late SWMBO to Florida in March '02. | ||
| Omar M. Shams Experienced User Username: omar Post Number: 50 Registered: 4-2009 |
SWMBO Jan? | ||
| Nigel Johnson Experienced User Username: nigel_johnson Post Number: 20 Registered: 12-2008 |
Omar. She Who Must Be Obeyed.(The wife). Regards, Nigel. | ||
| Omar M. Shams Frequent User Username: omar Post Number: 51 Registered: 4-2009 |
hee hee hee.....  | ||
| Jan Forrest Frequent User Username: got_one Post Number: 97 Registered: 1-2008 |
The phrase "She Who Must Be Obeyed" originally came from the novels "She" and "Ayesha" by H. Rider Haggard: Later made into one film starring Ursula Andress in the eponymous role of an immortal woman searching for her lost soul-mate. Many years later it was used by the character Rumpole in the TV series "Rumpole of the Bailey" (a criminal barrister who often defended clients at the Central Criminal Court - popularly known as The Old Bailey) to describe his wife. In classic web-prose it has been shortened to SWMBO! |
