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Topic: America & a Ciao Baby grande problemo (Read 3 times) previous topic - next topic
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America & a Ciao Baby grande problemo
Yahoo Message Number: 98190
My Dear LD Friends,

We're in AMERICA!  Could you hear me singing the Star Spangled Banner, God Bless America, and Yankee Doodle?  I didn't care that nearby drivers likely thought the woman belting out songs and almost crying with joy was crazy either!

So today we gleefully made it just 161.5 miles from home, almost to our State Park destination (with a steak restaurant nearby) when:
 Slip, slip, slip, SURGE!  The transmission seemed to go out!  We lost power but the lights on the dash, the odometer, and meters seemed fine.  The power dropped enough that I could put it in 2nd gear (3rd and 4th didn't seem to be effective) and we limped over to the gas station.
 We were down to almost 1/8 of a tank of gas.  We filled for the first time with Premium grade gas.  We drove around the parking lot in 2nd gear.  It seemed fine.

So we drive a few miles up the road with flashers on in regular overdrive up to Victoria, TX.  Seems fine even up to 45 mph, no trouble at all in regular Drive.  We didn't test it faster than that.  It was dark by then and we didn't want to be stranded.
 Flashback:  At Christmas Eve dinner, I talked to a few campers there (including smart Lazy Dazy guy, Bill) and told them that I had thought I'd had transmission slips, but I think it was a bad tank of gas.  They said that was very common and to change my fuel filter when I got home.
 We are at a lovely RV Park now:  Longhorn RV in Victoria where we are doing 4 laundry loads.  Right next door is a transmission shop, which likely is not open tomorrow.
 So it's been a long day and I could use some brilliant think help on this.

1.  Should we try to get the fuel filter, fuel pump, transmission  fluid, or transmission filter (do we have one of these) done tomorrow  
2.  What type of shop?  
3.  Or should I take it for a transmission test next door on Monday?  
4.  Does my '92 rig have a "check engine" light, because one did not  come on.

5.  I may have a spare fuel filter.  If so, is that something that we  can change ourselves?  (That would be a "Nedchanic" job, I think)  
6.  And finally, do you think that it is safe to drive it on the
 highway or we just asking for a tow?  We do have Good Sam's (they do not even show on their list where the shops are located in a town- for goodness sake, even Google Maps can do that!) so a tow would not be disastrous, just inconvenient.  Or should we rent a car to follow us down the road during this test drive.

Okay, those are my complete jumbled thoughts.  I would be appreciative of your excellent advice.

Lord willing, we'll make it home soon. In the meantime, we're thrilled to have potable water, honorable police officers, and English-speaking transactions.  That is not to say that we didn't adore the lovely countries we visited.  We just really appreciate our home country now.

Thank so much for your help,

Tessa, back in Texas (Yes!)
Re: America & a Ciao Baby grande problemo
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 98195
Teresa and Ned

I had just read your blog that you were headed back. Sorry for the change in plans but I suspect it was a wise choice.
 As far as your problems I have never had a transmission failure that sounded or acted like a fuel filter problem. Usually a transmission will fail by being noisy(broken gear type noise) or slipping. If it slips then the engine will rev up high but you won't move very fast.
But you should hear the engine speed up or if you have a tach then it would show the engine reving while speed very slow to increase.
 Now low fuel flow will show up as a lack of power and the engine won't speed up and it will almost feel as if you are trying to take off in third or a high gear. And once you reach speed it may seem to run ok but when you press down on the accelerator it will hesitate. And yes your 92 should have a check engine light but won't usually light up for transmission problems. Poor fuel flow should light the check light but I haven't always found that to be the case.
 If there is an auto parts place the filter isn't to hard to change and sounds like a job Ned should love. I think it's mounted on the chassis rail under the driver and held on by a hose clamp device. The fuel connectors are kinda special and a littke hard to see how work the first time. Many oof the diy auto parts places(advance auto and auto zone) can print out directions to help Ned out.
 If you can find a place to work on it changing the fuel filter should be a 40-100 dollar job.
You can get the filter for well under 20.00..

You will smell like gas you change it..
 As far as driving it, it would depend on the roads I would have to drive on...

Tow bills are expensive. I had my Class C towed home 4th of July..
700.00 for my part plus what Good Sam paid. Of course I knew that a repair job would be much more as some bolts twisted off and had to be drilled out...

Good Luck and Keep us informed..

Garry
Re: America & a Ciao Baby grande problemo
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 98204
Quote

1.  Should we try to get the fuel filter, fuel pump, transmission
 fluid, or transmission filter (do we have one of these) done tomorrow

Tessa, back in Texas (Yes!)
If it is the fuel filter, here's a link to Terry Tanner's Techsnoz article on how to change it: http://tinyurl.com/7yjuep

Chris
Formerly: 2002 30' IB
Re: America & a Ciao Baby grande problemo
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 98205
Quote


1.  Should we try to get the fuel filter, fuel pump, transmission
 fluid, or transmission filter (do we have one of these) done tomorrow Tessa, back in Texas (Yes!)

If it is the fuel filter, here's a link to Terry Tanner's Techsnoz article on how to change it: http://tinyurl.com/7yjuep

Chris
Just remembering, Tessa, that you don't have the Triton V-10 but there might be some similarities in the fuel filter arrangement in your older Ford engine.

Chris
Formerly: 2002 30' IB
Re: America & a Ciao Baby grande problemo
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 98207
Thanks so much for all the help, Friends!  It does sound like it was a fuel problem and we're betting that all this terrific advice does the trick.  Will keep you posted, but really appreciate the help! Tessa in Victoria, TX
Re: America & a Ciao Baby grande problemo
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 98209
You may have pulled some water out of your fuel tank and partially clogged the fuel filter. When this happens, the engine generally doesn't get enough fuel and won't have any power
Re: America & a Ciao Baby grande problemo
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 98211
Thanks so much.  We're pulling out now.

I wanted to say that my email is not sending out, but thanks to the Leach's, Virginia, Marti, Terry & Karen, Anne J and all who emailed me directly.  I did get your recent notes and greatly appreciate the help.

Will keep you posted! Home or bust, Tessa
Re: America & a Ciao Baby grande problemo
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 98215
"Since water will accumulate on the surface of gas..."

I was pretty sure that gasoline, being one of the lighter petroleum fractions, floats on top of water rather than the other way around. Am I wrong about this?

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: America & a Ciao Baby grande problemo
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 98216
wrote: I was pretty sure that gasoline, being one of the lighter petroleum fractions, floats on top of water rather than the other way around. Am I wrong about this? --- AFAIK, water that separates from gasoline will sink to the bottom of the tank rather than floating on top of the gas.  This site contains some interesting data on 'water phase separation' in oxygenated gasolines:
 http://www.epa.gov/OMS/regs/fuels/rfg/waterphs.pdf 
Joan
2003 TK has a new home
Re: America & a Ciao Baby grande problemo
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 98217
On Sun, Dec 28, 2008 at 1:12 PM, Andy Baird  wrote:

Quote
"Since water will accumulate on the surface of gas..."

I was pretty sure that gasoline, being one of the lighter petroleum fractions, floats on top of water rather than the other way around. Am I wrong about this?

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Right you are Andy. However most gas in the states has enough Alcohol in it to mix with the water.
But water sure settles to the bottom. Any of you old enough remember the old clear gas bowels in the lines of the gravity fed farm tractors will remember the water in the bowels that you drained when the water level started climbing.

Garry
Re: America & a Ciao Baby grande problemo
Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 98221
Quote
"Any of you old enough remember the old clear gas bowels in the lines
of the gravity fed farm tractors will remember the water in the bowels that you drained [by way of a petcock] when the water level started climbing".

Quote
Garry
Garry
 Anyone old enough to remember that [as I am] would have to be older than dirt. ;>)

Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Jiggs (who is nowhere near old enough)
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!
Re: America & a Ciao Baby grande problemo
Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 98225
Quote
"Any of you old enough remember the old clear gas bowels in the lines of the gravity fed farm tractors will remember the water in the bowels that you drained [by way of a petcock] when the water level started climbing".

Garry

Garry
 Anyone old enough to remember that [as I am] would have to be older than dirt. ;>)

Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Jiggs (who is nowhere near old enough)
Steve I am just a young fellow that played with old tractors..   Yea thats my story and I am sticking to it!

Garry
 
America & Ciao Baby's Home!
Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 98227
Hallelujah we're home!  You smart folks were right- I followed your good advice on fuel and additives and Ciao cruised home like a charm.  Not one single slippage to worry over!  We will follow up on the fuel filter change (I did have a spare with me) and fixing other issues.

Ned is coming back from the airport now, where we dropped him in Houston, bringing the car back home.  They can't find his bag that was missing in Granada.  But you know, we can find that RV toilet paper, tank deoderizers, and powdered milk (real milk even!) right here in the Good Ole USA!  (But don't head south of the border without a full supply of everything RV that you could possibly need- I never saw a single RV supply anywhere).

I am always so impressed with our Lazy Dazes!  With over 125,000 miles, Ciao has been such a great rig.  I cannot imagine how she has survived with so much style.  No flat tires, no break downs on Part 1 or Part 2 of our adventures (okay, there was the alternator in S.
Texas, but other than that)!

Thanks again for all the wonderful help and kind offers.  You guys are the BEST!

Off to unload the rig,

Tessa, happy in Houston (Houston never looked so good!)