On Sat, 12 May 2001, Peter Ogilvie wrote:
:If if it wasn't for this discussion of the British and Japanese propensity
:for driving on the wrong side of the road, this would be the deadest day for
:the list, ever. Guess I'm going to have to go out and break something so we
:can get a lively discussion going. Too bad sex and politics are not
:customary topics in wardroom conversation.
:
I did that for you. I left my keys to the rover at a friend's place a
couple weeks ago, and just got them back today. Went out to start the
thing, and the battery is flat. the battery is a POS that a buddy gave me
when the previous one wouldn't hold a charge, so I wasn't too shocked.
Whipped out the starting handle, and gave it a spin. Remembered the carb
leaks down, so I ppumped the fuel pump lever a couple times. Fought with
the crank for a bit -- Kickback on that handle is really impressive!
Got it started, checked the output of the alternator, 14.3 VDC, looks good.
Hopped in drove for a little bit, pulled into a parking space and it just
stopped running. Opened the hood to look at things, it starts pouring.
Close the hood, go inside, get coffee. Wait for the rain to stop, clean and
tighten all the things I can get to from the top, and the dash lights work,
if rather dimly. Starter won't turn of course, so I wait for a jump. The
starter still won't turn, so I hand crank it for a bit. It just won't fire
up, so we push start it, which works first try -- in reverse, even.
Get it home, and the battery is dead, dead, dead. 4 V or so.
So, it looks like I'm gonna be spending money on a battery, the horror.
What do people like these days? I'm not a big fan of gel cells, for reasons
I don't feel I need to explain.
David, glad it got me home.
-- dscheidt@tumbolia.com Bipedalism is only a fad.
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