The weather during the first week of our stay was dry and sunny (we had some rain on our drive in Belgium). The nights however are cool and moist. That's tricky for an old Trentatre, just revived from a long stay in a garage. The contacts of several joints of electrical lines have corroded and during the restoration I've cleaned and derusted them more often. Before us leaving the wet country, everything worked fine, the weather even rainy. The trips we did to the towns and places in the vicinity all went good. Today we had foreseen a trip to Deauville and Le Havre. Just before the peage over the Pont de Normandy, the engine started overheating,, steam coming from under the bonnet. A lady passing us by gesticulated that we were losing water, in buckets it did. In the line before the peage control ports every stop would've turned the French in a state of revolution against their fellow traffic user from the Netherlands with a red light for water temperature. So I decided to gamble and pull through, as good as possible. The lady in the control port box sniffed a little in the upcoming steam, but after payment we could pull the blue one aside and let it cool down.
Not a good sight for an engine driver with an overheated motor.
Steam coming from the water reservoir.
I was glad I put on a new water pipe before taking the hike to France.
Wife and kids were happy Daddy could fix the problem.
Waiting and filling a good 4 litres of water made us mobile for the next 30 kms to Trouville. The congestion there did heat up the water again, but since we were driving into a valley I could drive down without the engine running, cooling the water a little bit. When we finally found a parking spot on the shores of the Touques river, I had my thoughts about the heating problem. After two checks (the fan contact and the tempreature gauge) I found the problem, being the corroded contact of the water temperature gauge. Sanding it off a little and connecting it again, the engine fan started running immediately. I figure the problem was solved.
On our way back there was no heating problem at all, even no trafic jams.
By the way, the French are as known very chauvinistic about their choices of car. I never saw this many Citroëns (Picasso's), Renaults and Peugeot MPV's as this time in France. These cars are so big, the small parking lot before our apartement is crowded in a sec. What wonders me is that these natives are so careless about their cars. I see dents and scratches on every car, I still park my car on a safe less crowded place. And they are so polite these days. I remember from our early journeys to France in the eighties, they were shouting and using the horn every hundred meters. But then again, we were driving a Citroën 2CV back then.
Alfa Romeo's are rarely seen here. Some new GT's, a single GTV (906) and some 147's. Mito's and mostly Giulietta's. Only saw one 156 Berlina, not even being a Sportwagon as aspected since the French longing for space.
Endless French country roads made us call three ours later on our destination.
Blue King meets his peers
All going well just over the Franch border near Douai
Hills are coming up, just a quick check and a sanitary stop
For the structural maintenance I have to check the right hand head gasket of the boxer engine. Some oil is coming out. The engine sounds not fresh (it isn't, it has run over 200.000 km) and it rambles. The adjustment of the carburettors is not smooth enough, the engine is holding back around 2500 rpm.
Annoying is that the tachometer still isn't OK; after a stay over night it runs like hell again, after a good 10 km it runs smoothly. The ride is rather bumpy, possibly the shock absorbers are too hard, too sporty.
Amazingly it turns really light and drives good.
2 comments:
Ha Thei & Family,
I'm very pleased to see that you've took the big step -perhaps a bit nervous?- to take King Blue for a holiday spin; I can't imaging a better way of celebrating it's been on the road again.
I'll bet, the car is a bit nervous to... a lot has changed on the road, since the last time the King stretched his legs... Everything got bigger&faster.
Looking at the heat issue; a little bit of heat is good for the relationship between car and his owner(s) it's keeps the fire of passion going haha but I'm glad you've been able to fix it (damn corroded connectors!)
I wish you a wonderful & fantastic holiday with lot's of save kilometers of pleasure, with non, or just minor, issues... :-D
BMWRoellie
Heij Roellie,
Thanks for your loyal comments. And yes, considering the cars from the 2010's, this 33 is a tiny car, as your 318 will be too. They weren't quite when they were launched.
Nervous was no one. At least I didn't notice any nervousness by any passenger or dog. The car was anxious, greedy to get on the road again. Towards France... hmmm. I figure next time we'll adress more southern destinations.
Thanks for commenting Roellie, always a pleasure reading.
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