She froze up, folks
The Sprinter. She's been with us since April. Having no truly inclimate weather until last week, the high performace #1 diesel has suited her just fine.
Until yesterday.
As it is what I do before piling my children into the rig, I went out about 15 minutes before lift off. I open the driver side door, lean over the seat, and insert key in ignition. I turn it only to see my illuminated dash indicate all systems go. When the coil heating light shuts off, I know I can start the engine. The complexity of diesels, I tell you.
I faithfully repeated this process several times before defeat set in. With each passing attempt, I reminded myself this couldn't be the battery because the radio worked and all lights came on a-ok. When I announced the Sprinter Status to Jon, he immediately reported, "the fuel has gelled."
Although I was disappointed and thoughts of weekly responsibilities requiring the rig flooded my incessantly multitasking brain, I did not overreact or curse a soul. This apparently surprised Jon who graciously thanked me for not getting all BOS, as we say. Cool as a cucumber, I reminded him of my need for a reliable vehicle, no matter the weather. I do not resent my Sprinter. No way. This isn't about her. This isn't about the dynamics of a diesel engine. More importantly, it's about commitments my children and I have during the week and our need for reliable transport...and my tiny contribution during the selection process for our new family ride: R E L I A B I L I T Y.
Which the Sprinter is until it gets below 10 degrees, with a windchill at negative 20 degrees, Fahrenheit. Unless you have the proper fuel and additives injected into her system.
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3 comments:
it's f-in cold, isn't it? we spend the evenings huddled in the one bedroom, with the little space heater on, watching movies or playing on the computer. or i sit and sew, with my industrial iron heating the room. :)
Was your gas tank full? Peter always makes sure that our tank is full on super cold days because condensation can collect in the gas tank and then freeze. Maybe that's what Jon meant by "the fuel has gelled". Anyway, that's my advice. Make sure you fill 'er up. See you FRIDAY!!!
Our trusty Subaru "gelled" on Friday morning. I had to have it towed across the street to the mechanic's! Then they charged us $120 to put "heet" or something in it. Shame on mother nature for making this winter so inconvenient!
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