Part III - Wrap - up
Below: International Party at the Norwegian campsite. The atmosphere was friendly until . . .
. . our Dutch friends talked Hilde into demonstrating her skills on this unorthodox trumpet . .
We left Vinadio on Thursday around noon. After only half an hour, I got the crew's attention by heavy coughing and general unwillingness. Shortly after entering the Autostrada for the first time, power disappeared completely and I urged a stop at the road shoulder. The Driver removed my air filter thinking I was out of breath. He pulled away again only to find out that he had not found the actual cause for my dismay. In the middle of a tunnel.
He talked me into pulling them through the tunnel but then I had no more power left in me. What is wrong? Panic was emerging. Overheating? After all, it was about 35C. After a few minutes, an Autostrada Assistance vehicle pulled over with two friendly italians on board. What was the problem? My driver - still in a state of panic - looked rather unhappy and explained that power had disappeared. The italians explained that in their view this vehicle was not designed to have any power in the first hand. Veeery funny.
After a briefing that I had no functional fuel gauge, it was agreed that it may be agood idea to make sure that I had some gasoline in my tummy. Away my driver went with the two italians to a nearby gasoline station. 5 l gasoline later, I still did not show a sign of starting.
Fuel pump? By means of some duck (!) t tape, they made a funnel and primed the pump. Upon cranking the engine, I immidiealtely coughed the gasoline out again. Pump OK. At this time, I understood that communucation between the italians and my owner was based on signs and expression rather tan oral sounds. My owner took his hands around his neck and made strange signs of suffocation. Is he suicidal? The italians seemed to like the thought of him just disappearing and smiled while walking around me. One bent over my brand new filler cap and asked my owner. New? My owner, still red in the face from his suicide maneuver nodded. The italian removed the cap. Crank the engine please -
I immidiately came to life.
Post failure review: The new filler cap had no vent hole. Air / vapor emerged in the fuel line and the pump no longer could supply gasoline. People owned by Ducks know that it takes the bird a while to bring the gasoline back after priming. It was probably just a coincidence that my engine started immidiately after removing the filling cap.
Updated by Duckbert 01/06/04
