GAC Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 Thought you all might enjoy this story... We made it about 70 miles and were along the 580/5 interchange when things got strange. We noticed the tachometer bouncing around a bit and also noticed my Autometer gauges were reading a little low. We drove on and suddenly the tach started bouncing pretty wildly and the car started losing power. Pulled over to the side of the road, the car died, and would not start. The battery was cached. I don't know how old it is, but it's held a charge well since I got the car. We checked the water, which was low, and filled it. We then jumped it off the jumper pack. It started, we left it on for a bit, but when we pulled it off it would pretty immediately die. We kept trying, but the same thing would happen. Unsure whether the battery was just SO dead (it couldn't even run tiny draw gauges after all), or whether it was a charging system issue, we debated what to do. Luckily, Patrick Lindsey was trailing us by about 30 minutes as it turns out. He saw us and stopped with his trailer. They opened the trailer, pulled the Optima Red Top out of their racecar, and gave it to us until we could return it to them. They figured it would last quite a while even if it was getting zero charge. We pulled one headlight, waited to turn on our lights until it was pitch black, and then ran with the illumination all the way down. Well it did last quite a while, almost 200 miles in fact, getting ZERO charge as far as we can tell. We got stranded again about 5 miles north of Lost Hills (how ironic). We of course could jump the car off the jumper, but now we knew the charging system wasn't working. We called for a tow truck, but nothing could come for 2 hours. Besides that fact, we didn't know quite where we were. We knew approximately, but it was pitch black and there were no mileage markers or signs of any sort that we could see. Our hazards were getting REALLY dim and I was worried that soon cars would not be able to see us. I put on my headlight and turned it on. We had passed Patrick and his trailer and they were kind enough to let us know when they finally saw us how far it was to the next exit. Turned about to be about 5 miles. Well, it was time for MacGuyver shit. We decided to wedge the jumper pack securely under the hood, but that left the hood halfway open or more. We also didn't know how long the battery would last. Brian took the headlight and hung his neck out (literally) the window and kept directing me so I wouldn't go off the shoulder, while at the same time watching for debris. I, meanwhile, pushed my left foot against the floorboard to sit up as high as possible. We held 1st gear and drove at 15-20 mph along the shoulder. There was one close call. Something was black and in the roadway, Brian yelled, and I stopped just a foot short of some huge bias-ply tractor trailer tires. A couple more miles to go, but we somehow exited safely, got to a crappy Days Inn, and called off the tow truck for now. Brian is in the Marines and had to get back to duty in the morning so Chris (guy with the Solo II SE-R that we sponsor), came and picked Brian up, getting him back to L.A and his car at 4 a.m. Brian then drove down to Oceanside from there. The story then ends there for Brian, but for me, well, I'm spending the night at the fine, fine Days Inn and figuring out what the hell I'm going to do. Our Roadside Assistance was saying they wouldn't tow me the 55 miles to Bakersfield. That's where the nearest anything is, but they'll only tow me to the closest repair shop. I got a few hours of sleep, crashing with the FSM in my lap, and called the Nissan dealer early in the morning. The parts guy was nice but didn't have an alternator. He did tell me that they were by quite a few auto parts stores though. I called Autozone, explained my situation to the manager (nice guy named Phil). He said he didn't have the part in stock, but went back to look at the morning shipment. Luckily he found one, and he told me it would be all right if I had the car towed to their shopping center parking lot for me to work on my car there. I called R/A, debated with them for a bit about the situation. I explained that if they towed me to the nearest repair facility that DIDN'T have the part, I still wouldn't be going home anytime soon. They finally agreed and sent out a flat bed to tow me the 55 miles. I let the Optima soak up the charge from the jumper pack while I waited for the truck so that if it was the alternator I could have a bit of a charge to work with. The truck came, got me to Autozone, and I got the car up on jackstands. I pulled the alternator off and they bench tested it. Within 5 seconds, it failed. What part, I'm unsure, as though it tests everything, it doesn't report back what specific part is bad. $125 and a bit of work later, I had the car started and running. The good guys at the Bakersfield Autozone were kind enough to charge up the Optima while I installed the alternator and belt. The car and its battery held solid for the 100 mile journey home. Anyhow, we'll be carrying a spare alt. from now on. lol Whew! That was long! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat L. Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 So now that the ordeal is over, we can all laugh about it... right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FocusTed Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 So now that the ordeal is over, we can all laugh about it... right? I already was when I read the part about "Brian took the headlight and hung his neck out (literally) the window and kept directing me so I wouldn't go off the shoulder" LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAC Posted August 10, 2005 Author Share Posted August 10, 2005 So now that the ordeal is over, we can all laugh about it... right? Yes, go on ahead. Laugh at our misery, at our prospect of dying in the desert after our beef jerkey and water ran out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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