Minimor
Well-Known Member
do you stop to see if it really is YOU that is smoking???
Or do you assume (and HOPE!) that it's someone else, and there is no reason for you to stop??
I tend to take the latter approach, assuming of course that I don't see any smoke coming from my vehicle & no one is making frantic arm motions at me...I guess that is wrong of me.
Tonight after work I went to the grocery store, bought my groceries & packed them all into the cab with me, and headed home. A mile down the road, just on the edge of town I smelled something burning. Truck is running fine, there's lots of other traffic, so I assume it's not me. Headed out on the highway. All is good. I'm driving along, then 3 miles down the road...I smell that same burning smell. This time there's no other vehicles around to blame it on. Any smoke in the city wouldn't be noticeable 3 miles away. I look at my gauges. Oil is good. Temperature is good. uh oh. Alternator is showing the battery has no charge. That is NOT normal. SHOOT, I figure my alternator has seized up & the burning smell is from that. As I get out to check I call my mechanic...open the hood and yep, the alternator is smoking, and there's a glow in the back. I go back, shut off the motor & go to look again. Once the motor is off the flames are shooting out the side of the alternator. I don't carry a fire extinguisher unless I'm towing the trailer....and my so helpful mechanic tells me to just stand back and watch it burn. Maybe I should have?
I cut him off & started scooping up gravel & sand off the shoulder of the road & throw it on the alternator. Doesn't work. I had to get back in the truck to unlock the passenger door then started carrying my groceries down the ditch...steep ditch...the last few bags I just threw down. I forgot my parking pass and the posts I had in the back...went back, the fire wasn't quite so big so I threw another handful of gravel on it & the flames went out. Lots of smoke though, and now things look very black & melted in there...oh joy. I'm 8 miles from home, all my groceries are down in the ditch...at least the rain has quit by then... and then I am wishing that I had never minded the gravel & just got all my stuff out & well away from the truck...anyone got a blowtorch to restart that fire???
I called my mom to come & pick me up. It's amazing how many people DON'T stop to offer assistance... Two different ladies did finally stop to ask if I needed help or a ride, then just before my mom arrived a neighbor pulled up behind me. He'd come from town a different way but saw my truck from the intersection up ahead of me, and he came back to check. He helped reload my groceries and moved my posts to the other truck. I called my mechanic back & I think he was surprised the fire was out--he said the fuel line is right there & an alternator fire usually ignites the gas line. Oh, nice, I could have went POOF.
The tow truck should have my truck out here very soon now...then I'll find out what the damage is. May still need that blowtorch...
Now I can tell you I'm going to be paranoid...
And how was your day???
I tend to take the latter approach, assuming of course that I don't see any smoke coming from my vehicle & no one is making frantic arm motions at me...I guess that is wrong of me.
Tonight after work I went to the grocery store, bought my groceries & packed them all into the cab with me, and headed home. A mile down the road, just on the edge of town I smelled something burning. Truck is running fine, there's lots of other traffic, so I assume it's not me. Headed out on the highway. All is good. I'm driving along, then 3 miles down the road...I smell that same burning smell. This time there's no other vehicles around to blame it on. Any smoke in the city wouldn't be noticeable 3 miles away. I look at my gauges. Oil is good. Temperature is good. uh oh. Alternator is showing the battery has no charge. That is NOT normal. SHOOT, I figure my alternator has seized up & the burning smell is from that. As I get out to check I call my mechanic...open the hood and yep, the alternator is smoking, and there's a glow in the back. I go back, shut off the motor & go to look again. Once the motor is off the flames are shooting out the side of the alternator. I don't carry a fire extinguisher unless I'm towing the trailer....and my so helpful mechanic tells me to just stand back and watch it burn. Maybe I should have?
I cut him off & started scooping up gravel & sand off the shoulder of the road & throw it on the alternator. Doesn't work. I had to get back in the truck to unlock the passenger door then started carrying my groceries down the ditch...steep ditch...the last few bags I just threw down. I forgot my parking pass and the posts I had in the back...went back, the fire wasn't quite so big so I threw another handful of gravel on it & the flames went out. Lots of smoke though, and now things look very black & melted in there...oh joy. I'm 8 miles from home, all my groceries are down in the ditch...at least the rain has quit by then... and then I am wishing that I had never minded the gravel & just got all my stuff out & well away from the truck...anyone got a blowtorch to restart that fire???
I called my mom to come & pick me up. It's amazing how many people DON'T stop to offer assistance... Two different ladies did finally stop to ask if I needed help or a ride, then just before my mom arrived a neighbor pulled up behind me. He'd come from town a different way but saw my truck from the intersection up ahead of me, and he came back to check. He helped reload my groceries and moved my posts to the other truck. I called my mechanic back & I think he was surprised the fire was out--he said the fuel line is right there & an alternator fire usually ignites the gas line. Oh, nice, I could have went POOF.
The tow truck should have my truck out here very soon now...then I'll find out what the damage is. May still need that blowtorch...
Now I can tell you I'm going to be paranoid...
And how was your day???