Problem Explanation, White Sands Missile Range and National Monument.

Our Location today is at the Alamogordo/White Sands K.O.A. NM.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge.

Even after enjoying a warm relaxing shower just before going to bed it seemed we both had a restless night. I was still up and sitting at my Computer before 7:00 trying to get caught up on Blogs that I had fallen behind on reading as well as the Comments on yesterday’s Blog.

Just to clear things up on the Age of the Truck it is only a 2009 with only 155,500 Km (95,000 Miles) on a 6.4 Liter Diesel Engine. The problem we are having now is due to designs. The designs that I am referring to are Electrical and the ones put in place to protect the Environment. When I was in High-School it was mandatory to take an Automotive Class and the Teacher stressed back then that 80% of the problems with vehicles would be Electrical. Now today there are Computers built into our vehicles to make them run better. Since Computers are more delicate that increases the problems.

As for the Environmental Components many Mechanics will agree that lots of those are what cause other problems we have with the way the Engine runs. They may stop One problem but most cause a larger issue which means more Pollution Control and More Problems.

On our Truck, air from the Turbo is sent back into the Engine to help burn the Fuel. The Air coming from the Turbo is Too Hot to go directly in the Manifold so it goes through the E.G.R. Cooler to bring the Temperature down. The E.G.R. Cooler is a coil of fine tubing that uses the same coolant that the Engine does to bring the Temperature down. It is that Cooler that started to leak internally causing our coolant to be burnt up in the Engine. I put Barr’s Leak to stop the loss of Coolant. It works great on Gas Engines but I now know it is not good for Diesels.

Remember vehicles now have Computers. Our Truck has Seven just to make the Engine work. One of those Computers sensed something other then Diesel (coolant) was being burnt up in the Engine and started emitting Error Codes causing the Computer to try and adjust the way the Engine is running. If you think you are Lucky look at any Newer Vehicle on the lots today, they are all just waiting to cause those same problems, it’s just that most of you will never write about it.

Mechanical Problems are caused by normal wear and tear but will vary by the type of terrain they are used in. Pulling a heavy Fifth Wheel Trailer long distances makes thing wear out faster.

At 8:00 my Cell Phone rang so I scrambled to answer it before it woke Kathy. It was my friend Jim from Windsor Gas and Diesel. He apologized for not calling sooner as he was overwhelmed with jobs and forgot to get back to me on Monday. I mentioned the problems and he went into a more detailed description of the components and it was the same as what Richard at Vision Ford told us yesterday. We reminisced the Problem from this past March and the Suspicious way the Service Manager Kieth at Broadway Ford in St. Louis had tried to get us to do work we couldn’t see. He refused to send a picture of the problem.

After Kathy and I had breakfast we returned to the Computers but not for long. Yesterday when we found out we’d be here a while I tried to pay for another week but they couldn’t take it because someone had reserved this site for Thursday and Friday. Even though we couldn’t move our Trailer, they thought the other person should have first dibs on it. I went to the Office this morning to find the person who had reserved our site had agreed to take another. Like I said yesterday he only wants it for Two Days and we want it for a Week.

Next was going through Verizon Tech Support to be able to make my payment. Because we don’t have a Permanent US Address we can’t do it On-Line. Because our Cell Phones are through TracFone their Computer recognizes that they are not from Verizon and tells us to call our own carrier (who uses the Verizon Towers) before hanging up. Every new Verizon Contact Phone Number we’ve gotten in the last Two Years will work for only a few Months before their Computer starts blocking us.

White Sands National Monument.

We then packed another Picnic Lunch and were out the door by 11:30 headed for the White Sands Missile Range. When we arrived we had to present our Passports, be run through a Security Check and be Photographed before being given a Security Pass.

We then had the chance to visit the Museum which detailed much of the Military presence in New Mexico dating back to the time of the Civil War. We also got to see more behind the scene things that took place during the Manhattan Project and the Trinity Site. The only President to ever visit the Missile Range was John F. Kennedy only months before his assassination.

This Six Foot wall of Gypsum was plowed next to the road.

Moving to the second building was a Life Sized reconditioned V-2 Rocket that was first being developed in Germany during WWII but was completed in the White Sands Missile Range.

Families having fun.

Outside we continued looking at different missiles that were developed here at White Sands Missile Range. Many that we both remembered seeing used in Film Clips on the News and in Movies.

It was past 3:00 before we sat in the Rental Truck in the parking lot to have a very late lunch. I forgot to mention that there was no entrance fee for this self guided tour, it was Free.

On the Weekend when we visited White Sands National Monument we didn’t get a chance to visit the entire thing due to our concerns with our Truck. Since we had to drive right by it on our way back to Home today we returned to see more. Even without our National Parks Pass today was a Free Day to all visitors.

Ranger Led Group Tour.

We just headed back to the Monument Entrance and had the chance to drive the entire loop. We didn’t even get out of the Truck. Being the day before Thanksgiving there were lots of Families enjoying the near Winter-like settings minus the Cold. Even with the bright Sunshine and 61 F (16 C) temperature it felt cool.

We arrived Home just as the Sun was setting. We had Chicken Noodle Soup for supper around 7:00 and tomorrow we have things to do.

To all our American Readers and Friends we wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for following along and feel free to leave a comment.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Words of Inspiration

A person without a sense of humour is like a wagon without springs. It is jolted by every pebble on the road.

Henry Ward Beecher, American Clergyman