Dismayed, Delayed, and Donuts

It seems that more often than not, a bug-a-boo creeps in right before we get ready to commence an Adventure and this time is no exception.

          But…. there may be a Silver Lining.

          Or, at least a Rainbow one.

          The Backstory:

          Whilst preparing the motorhome for travel by making sure that everything was topped off, I drove around town filling the propane and DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) because these two items are harder to find when on the road.

          On my way back to Home Base, the Check Engine light came on with two different warnings, one said DEF Low Level and the other , DEF Low Quality.

          A word about DEF is appropriate here. DEF (for better or worse) is the reason that we no longer see those big black clouds of exhaust coming out of the busses and trucks when they accelerate. It is a very simple product that is mostly de-ionized water with a percentage of urea mixed in. This is then injected into the exhaust of a diesel motor which then gets “burned off” in a process that kind of scrubs that heavy soot causing particulates to be trapped and burned in a high heat process that is far better for the air quality.

          Or something like that.

          The downside is what I was experiencing with the Check Engine light and accompanying warnings.

          Since this DEF fluid and its application system is somewhat complex (lots of sensors and computer chips) and is not really making the motor more efficient, it has a negative effect on mileage and cost.

          So, the Government put “Safeguards“ into the hardware.

          If the system goes bad and you ignore it (because it costs a lot to fix) the motor automatically “de-rates” itself to the point where you can eventually end up traveling  at only 5 mph.

          Ouch!

          The problem is that most of the time the system is just fine.

          It’s the sensors and “chips” that go bad, not the hardware.

          Enter a global shortage of silicon computer chips exacerbated by the “Big C” (Covid) and we have a situation where trucks and motorhomes have found themselves stranded for periods of time while the search for the appropriate part is located.

          But not us!

          Back when we heard of this possible issue and knowing that if it weren’t for bad luck we’d have no luck at all, we purchased the most offending part and stored it away, hoping never to have to use it.

          It looks like something that would go I your gas barbecue, the burner part, except it has wires on it and costs $950.00. It’s called a DEF Header.

          When I started to experience these issues, I called my local Truck Center that does my service here in Texas. I learned that they were over-booked until sometime next week.

          We were slated to depart in less than 24 hours.

          Another ‘Ouch’!

          Needing to try something, I decided to drain the DEF tank which for some reason only an engineer and design person can explain, has NO drain plug! Mind you, DEF fluid is completely harmless and non-polluting. So why not have a drain on this tank?

           A small pump and hose quickly dispatched the offending fluid and yielded an empty tank which was re-filled with brand new DEF fluid.

          Now I knew that not only was it full, (which it was before anyway) but there was no “pumped” DEF , only the high-quality stuff in a bought container.

          I started her up and still the lights stayed on the dash. In my conversation with Larry at the Truck Center, we determined that the lights may or may not reverse themselves when the new DEF was detected.

          Unless…..

          You guessed it!

           If the sensors or chips were “Bad”, then no amount of new stuff would right this wrong. The part was probably on the fritz. We decided that maybe the Service Center was needed to turn off the check engine light by clearing the codes in the computer.

          It took Sam the Technician 45 minutes to clear just one of the codes. The other one, Low-DEF Fluid, was not clearing.

          That confirmed it. The sensors were rotten.

          This is a job that I am not even remotely experienced enough to do.

          But there is a many-day back log of work at the Truck Center.

          But I always drop a Twenty into the hand of the guy who works on the rig and Larry, the Service Manager.

          Larry told me to be back at 8 am in the morning and he’d get us right in.  😊

          So where is this Silver Lining or Rainbow one at least?

          Another backstory:

          Madison started playing Herd-Ball or, as most people know it, Soccer.

          But when 5-year-olds play it, it’s Herd-Ball. The Herd just runs and follows the ball everywhere. There are no positions to be played even if they tried.

          Their games are on Thursday nights (tonight), and as such, we will probably miss this one as we should be in New Mexico by then.

          Madison’s team is named the Wildcats.

          So far they’ve played the Posies and the Sirens.

          Next up is the one that everyone is waiting for….

          The Rainbow Donuts.

          If the repairs do not go as planned and there is a further delay, we will be able to attend tonight’s game.

          Sorry Madison, There is no way that I cannot root for a team that is named the Rainbow Donuts.