Yesterday, our 1990 Mitsubishi Pajero completely died on us, and the old piece of junk...I mean the fantastic car... refused to move. We knew it was coming, since before this it took numerous tries to get it started, but this was terrible. We couldn't do anything for the rest of the day, and had to get a USAID mechanic to sort out the problem. My dad and I went to get some motor oil at a local gas station, and the mechanic showed my mom how to manually start the diesel car/truck(get moving, pop the clutch, and vroom, usually), who was very happy when she got it right. We found that we simply need a bigger battery to start up the huge mass, but it took a while to figure out. Until we find a bigger battery, we are parking the car on the downhill (facing out).
Sunday, November 18, 2007
How to...Manually Start a diesel car in Africa
Yesterday, our 1990 Mitsubishi Pajero completely died on us, and the old piece of junk...I mean the fantastic car... refused to move. We knew it was coming, since before this it took numerous tries to get it started, but this was terrible. We couldn't do anything for the rest of the day, and had to get a USAID mechanic to sort out the problem. My dad and I went to get some motor oil at a local gas station, and the mechanic showed my mom how to manually start the diesel car/truck(get moving, pop the clutch, and vroom, usually), who was very happy when she got it right. We found that we simply need a bigger battery to start up the huge mass, but it took a while to figure out. Until we find a bigger battery, we are parking the car on the downhill (facing out).
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9 comments:
CLICK ON THE TITLE TO FOLLOW A LINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
u guys still have to check out the hilarious video on Monkey Attak!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think that is how Uncle Tim starts his van-home-restroom also.
Guys. Keep on documenting your experiences. Maybe someday you can write a book or have a TV program about living in Africa. Your right about the monkey attack. The first time I didn't have the sound on. Much funnier with the audio.
Have a great Thanksgiving. We were wondring how you stuff an elephant.
G'PoPs
Love reading about all your experiences in Uganda, monkey attacks and all. Do you live in a complex of homes with other visiting doctors? Is the school located there also. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, even though I am sure it was quite different than home.
Love, Aunt Eileen in California
Awesome blog, guys! Love the monkey attacks, small batteries, and links to African proverbs and jokes ;-)
Jakub
Sure, you can kick start any car with a manual transmission by popping its gears into first after it starts to roll. So the trick would be to get it rolling. The way we figure it, you big guys can all get behind the car and push. So you will not be dependent on a slope. JT and Jack can stay in the car, keep their hands on the steering wheel and pop it in gear.
Too heavy you say? We may have a solution for your heavy slow starter of a car! When in Africa do as the Africans do, at least the West Africans in Guinea. Jay reported that the cars/SUVs/vans in Guinea were stripped down to the bare bones - no top or bottom padding, no cushiony seats. They would put an extra bench in the back so they can seat more people. While he was in Guinea, he saw some magbannas (sp?) carried twenty som people around - a scaled up model of the boda boda :-) you saw earlier in your adventure.
A lighter car with an extra bench seat have so many advantages - easier to kick start, no more advnaced planning to park the car facing downhill, more seating for friends to go on outings, less gas consumption. What do you think?
Of course, if you ate as much as we did at the Thanksgiving table this week, you would have negated the weight advantage, diminished, at least.
Were there many American expats to mark the American Thanksgiving Day?
Wendy & Bruce
Stephen and Jay
ya
itd be cool to have tv show/book
next post will be on this first african thanksgiving
HOW WAS WOODLOCH THANKSGIVING??????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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