First of all I should tell you about my first days. As my longer plan was to go to Slovenia to work as a volunteer http://parkistra.com/en/ I had the idea to visit my dear friends in Switzerland recently married. I asked to come on Friday (which I did) and luckily Simon was going to climbing on Saturday and was taking me with him. We had a few bears on Friday and discovered that we can still resist hangovers :P
The best weather to climb should be in autumn they say because you can have sunny days with 20 °C and it’s not boiling hot. We could climb with T-shirts most of the time.
Every change every life change starts with a small thought develops into something bigger and in the end, beginning or on the way to there, Jan is getting his hear cut :D
I think many of my friends got into the situation to use an electric clipper on my head….some even more than once, haha so well change is happening…
But that’s not the story the title claims to tell you. It all starts driving off from Switzerland back to German border (still in Switzerland) when this light came one:
Yes you need glasses :D or I need to practice to focus. Everyone knows that red light with the explanation mark in it when you forget to put down your handbreak.
First thought: Lovely red colour the colour of love, god wants to tell me something very important about love…. Well no, that was not my first thought.
Me stopping at the next parking stop thinking: can this please not be in the most expensive country in the world….can I somehow get SOMEHOW out of there and get it fixed not in Switzerland !?
Right, pulled off to the parking stop, blocked 2 slots and getting out the car manual from 1990. Good old stuff! ‘Red light, red light, red light….here’: “If the red light comes up there is some problem with the breaking system. It can be the hand break, the breaking pads or the breaking fluid.” Ok that doesn’t sound too complicated, the car says it can’t break (or you fu*king fool forgot the hand break) but the car breaks normally and I didn’t forget the hand break so well maybe it’s just low on breaking liquid or has no breaking pads any more. I thought last where changed recently so I was learning my first lesson…Where to find the breaking fluid and how to check it…haha and I’m not gonna tell you.
So breaks are fine fluid almost at MAX and hand break is down….hmmm…I guess that’s the point when those guys invented those round stickers so you can just put them on signal lamps like that to not scare the shit out of you. Ok I decided at this point to drive the hell out of the most expensive country in the world and not getting my car fixed there.
Good idea, started the car….it didn’t start. O K … there is another problem now. An interesting clicking noise when I turn the key and not the familiar starting sound not even the “I’m a poor old battery and you have to replace me”-sound. I guess the sticker guy didn’t had this problem yet…..Something blocked then? Hmm I somehow managed to push big old 3000 kg heavy Jack without any gear so he rolls, jump in and hit in first gear. Car stops some click to hear and funnily that actually did the job. Soooo what the hell was that. At least I could start Jack and drove very quickly (80-90 km/h) out of Switzerland.
Back in Germany in Wangen, me very relaxed because I was not listening at every single new sound which came up the last …whatever kilometres talked to maybe 5 mechanics till someone could have a quick look. A nice guy from “Autohaus Wald” had this quick look…really nice guy, he also had a quick look at this thing a quick look at that thing a quick hear of this noise a quick hear of that noise ……all the things which suddenly appeared within the last …whatever kilometres … and he could calm me down. The loud knocking sound when I am in low gear and take of the gas has nothing to do with the axles or wheels or suspensions, the loud breathing noise comes maybe from the turbo charger which may not give 100% power, the high pitch sound in fifth gear probably comes from the gear box so everything is fine. The breaks are fine, the liquid enough and I can ignore the red signal, but he didn’t give me one of those stickers…
One thing I have to fix soon is to change the breaking fluid he said. It is on 4% (whatever that means) and normally you never let it go lower than 5% but he had no time to change it. He also gave me the advice to go to the guy who changed my gearbox in July because he is in responsibility for half a year so fix things in case like that. That has been in Ravensburg, so looked it up and, hey 20 minutes (so 45min) away. That’s very convenient so better drive to Ravensburg then. Called the guy, “no today is not possible, tomorrow…mmm noo but call me back tomorrow maybe I can squeeze u in the day afterwards. Ok opened the App park4night (very good App) and find a nice quiet place near Ravensburg a free place where u can top up water and dump your grey water, nice… That was the time I started to hate my navigation system. Driving with an big old slow fat camper(sorry Jack) on (yes 3,5 tons are allowed but…) super small super steep roads through fields where it’s kind of the motorway for bicycles just to drive the hill down again on the other side…iiiisss, an adventure, no more comment.
After 30 minutes (1 h) of driving, I reached the camp and hurray today is mums birthday I remember the 2.11. and hurray there is a sign at this very remote (super close to Ravensburg) camp and it’s written “COVID-19 restriction by law &/§$%&$...this place is prohibited to use from 2.11. on”…grrrrrrrr… ok drove to the parking next to it to stand behind parked cars…stopped the car (very bad idea) pulled out my phone and had another look. What did I learn, no more “official” camping places now because they are closed by law, so I have to find just a parking place or anything to stand where it’s not super obvious.
Ok but luckily there is another place (just a parking next to a football court) some 15 minutes (40 minutes, yes this time not just slow Jack changed the time but also Mr. Plan, who is supposed to have a plan) away.
Started the car to drive there….yes… tried to start the car, surprise surprise it didn’t start. Good old clicking noise is back and guess there is no way to push the car backwards since there just arrived another camper who decided to do the same thing unless he even parked there for the night. Me trying to push the car a little bit (I just need to get it out this blocked position) and smiled up to those two old couple who where watching my trying from their balcony next door. They didn’t smile back. After 5 Minutes of trying the woman shouted down “that place is not for camping, that’s a parking place you cannot stay there”…”I’m trying to leave but the car doesn’t start”…no response.
Yes I’m still in Germany and that lady reminded me.
Next morning at around 11am I called the mechanic guy and asked him if he can squeeze me in the next day I said I have still problems with the gearbox, the high pitch noise and still some oil leaking…he said the high pitch sound is not so bad but oil leaking is not good and yes at around 11am (he seems to like the two ones). I also asked him if he can change the starter at any chance. He said that’s no problem he should have some there. And also change the breaking fluid, he said yes…Nice!
Ok had a look for another park4night (never stay 2x at an not official place in Germany) and prepared the car to drive there. Started… and well you know it. Jack loves to dance and maybe Jack is actually a Jacky because he needs my lead. So I pushed and pulled Jack and his stuck whatever, jump in press the clutch hit the gear in and (after few attempts) get him going.
Red light….ah that’s fine, start to drive….a VERY LOUD “RRRrrrRRRR” noise appeared, shit hand break was actually up (it’s bad if you actively have to ignore the signal which indicates the hand brake u forgot), put it down, still this very loud noise.
Tadaaaaaa:
Seems like I danced a little too wild with old Jacky the other day. At this stage I was not even thinking of the sticker guy.
Ok tried to get this thing off… very bad and heavy in this position. What do I have, zip ties (well that’s plastic and will melt down in a second at the exhaust) “All I need I a peace of wire to attack it to Jack so I can lose it on the way to the mechanic how everyone does”. Ok called the ACV (like ADAC a car assistant service I’m in) asked them to send someone with a peace of wire to help me fix it. He said, no sorry we would only pull you to the next mechanic. I said, but I’m on the way to the mechanic just need that wire (felt like a junky… “just a little bit of wire”). But he stayed hard. Says if I need a lift I shall call again.
Right, me back under the car somehow forced that peace of sh*t out and put it on the roof.
Why was this peace of sh*t under the car anyway, it fits much better on top of it.
Called many mechanics again who all said you have to wait for at least 10 days because they are full. Ok poor guy who only wants to look at the gearbox has to help me here as well :D so I asked him to add this to the list:
Gearbox, Starter, breaking fluid, exhaust
Ok everyone said it will sound like a panzer now, but I guess Jack was a panzer before, because nothing really changed. Maybe sometimes but nothing to mention.
---I cut out the journey where Mr. Plan who is supposed to have a plan led me through forest tracks (not even roads) with at least 90% slope I had to back up all the way--- because it was not fun…for me.
Found a very beautiful place where I spend the day on a big walk in the forest with dears and wild boars, beautiful autumn colours and nice distraction to ‘why I am actually in Ravensburg again’.
Next day of course Jacky and I had a quick dance before we stared the trip and I was very VERY suspicious watching every action Mr. Plan wanted to sell to me. He tried to trick me few times.
Ok i was 15 minutes early at the mechanic and me thinking 'please Jack keep your clicking problem just once more so I can show him'. Parked the car behind the place and asked him on the phone where to drive in (the place has two entrances for cars). He pointed the right one out I smartly parked on a slope….hahaha…so I had not to dance with Jacky again although she had the clicking again I just rolled down a little hit the gear in AAANNND what was it again…right, the awful nasty “I’m a poor old battery and you have to replace me”-sound appeared now for the first time.
Ok where is the list:
broken_parts_list = [“gearbox”, “starter”, “breaking fluid”, “exhaust”]
broken_parts_list.append(“batterie”)
print(broken_parts_list)
[‘gearbox’, ‘starter’, ‘breaking fluid’, ‘exhaust’, ‘batterie’]
*haha why not to teach you guys some python programming on the way :P
OK back to business I stayed from 11am till 6.30pm in the camper and heard them doing all kind of things to Jack. Was not allowed to watch or at least be in the workshop outside the camper because of insurance. So if seen them trying 3 different starters all where shit, because they had no new one, changed the battery, welded the exhaust, fixed the leak of the gearbox and where working at another camper at the same time (the other had higher priority though). At the end I have an new(old) starter which is very very loud but doesn’t click. A brand new battery, a welded exhaust (didn’t had a new one either, just a question of time again I guess) and no time for the fluid. After I asked there was at least time to look at the turbo charger. And well he said it looks bad. Not not good, BAD. It will come soon and better to fix it otherwise it can destroy the motor. Cool the tree most expensive things to fix. Gearbox, turbo charger and motor, so to save the motor the charger will be next :( :( :(
Right:
broken_parts_list.remove(“batterie”)
broken_parts_list.remove(“gearbox”)
broken_parts_list.add(“turbo charger”)
print(broken_parts_list)
[‘starter’, ‘breaking fluid’, ‘exhaust’, ‘turbo charger’]
Drove to Rosenheim in the night. After a very long day exhausting drive lot of things in my mind and nothing in my belly (forget to eat) I was happy to find an ordinary place and ….soooo happy to bring some pasta and pesto. Never forget pasta and pesto for exactly this situations! Soooo happy !!!!!!
After a long conversation with my brother in law I decided to find someone no matter what to change the fluid before I keep on driving. If the turbo charger will break I will be very slow but if the breaking system fails, that can be deadly. So the mechanic no.3 in 3 days was very nice too and did the job.
broken_parts_list.remove(“breaking fluid”)
print(broken_parts_list)
[‘starter’, ‘exhaust’, ‘turbo charger’]
Off to Slovenia :)
…to be continued!
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