s e v e n i s a j o u r n e y

Or, more accurately, alternator history. As many of you know, back when we bought the farm I got a nice flat-deck Ute (pick-up truck) for hauling around farm-things. In the fine tradition of “frightening old cars that Stephen drives” I got an ’88 Nissan with 450,000 km on the odometer. The first few months I owned the thing I had trouble starting it, it would not go on rainy mornings, and if I accidentally left the lights on for even 10 minutes it would drain the battery. I took it into the shop, and among other things I got a new battery. And it worked fine. Until this Wednesday.

When I came out to start the Ute the battery was flat (dead). I tried to jump it off the Vitz, and while it came darn close it would not start. So I roll-started it down the driveway and drove into town. I went into town to pick up a piece of furniture Tam had bought. But when I stopped the Ute in the parking lot, it would not restart. We got a jump from a friendly passerby, but on the way to the furniture store it stalled on Wakefield street, in rush-hour traffic! Joy! AA arrived after 45 minutes, and ascertained that the alternator was dead (more than a jump, actual diagnosics on the road side. With tools and volt meters! Go AA!). It would run during daylight on what was left of the alternator, but the headlights chewed up too much power to keep the spark-plugs firing. Glad we have AA+ service, so the tow-home was free.

Then it was time for the Thursday morning adventure. I had managed to tap the Vitz battery enough that IT would not start, and we were counting on it to start the Ute! Roll-starting down the driveway failed. So we called AA and our neighbor John. John got there first (after he came in from moving the sheep and his wife gave him the message), and got us both started. Turned out I had flooded the Vitz engine trying to start it, and he showed me an un-flooding trick. Mechanically adept neighbors are very useful! A harrowing “can’t stop, can’t slow down, must stay at 2500-3000 RPM!” drive got me to the garage, and the alernator was replaced. So now I have a truck that works again! Woot! I am glad there are no stop lights between our place and the garage, only 2 traffic circles that I got lucky with and could cruise through in second gear.