Charlyn’s Web

You didn’t know that you could start a car with a hair dryer? I didn’t either, until we tried it.

We’ve been having a TERRIBLE time getting the ’83 Mercedes Diesel started here lately. Brett took it to work last week but couldn’t get it started to go home. We had to go get him in the Suburban. He hooked up the jumper cables to give the car battery a boost and tried a “million” times to get it started. That was the number Kirsten came up with, it must have seemed that way to her but in actuality it was only 3-4 times. Even Mr. Stubborn had to give up and leave it there. The rest of the week was spent diagnosing the problem and finally on Friday got it started. One of the glow plugs had gone out on a cylinder with good compression (not all of the cylinders can say that).

On Sunday, it wouldn’t start again so we took the Suburban to church.

Monday the glow plug light on the dash wasn’t coming on which caused Brett to think that something was wrong with the glow plug thingy (I know that is a complicated word to understand but it’s the best I can do).

Tuesday he stayed home and we tested the glow plugs. They were really working which means just the light is out in the dash. He plugged in the block heater for awhile but it still didn’t want to start so then he started up the shop heater, pointing it straight at the car. Eventually, it decided it was warm enough to start. Brett thinks (hopes) the problem is the fuel so we went driving around to use up the tank. We still have half a tank to go.

Are you wondering where the hair dryer comes in? Wednesday, last night, I wanted to go to a Prayer Meeting at church and was going to take the car. Brett has been driving the Suburban because he is afraid the car will not start after work. I plugged the car in about 2, planning on leaving about 5:30. I couldn’t get it started. I got Brett, who couldn’t get it started. (Ha!  It wasn’t just a “girl”thing!) The motor block felt warm to the touch but it just wouldn’t start. Someone had told Brett that pointing a hair dryer into the air intake would help so we treked back into the house and got my trusty, old hair dryer. We pointed the hair dryer into the intake and Brett turned the key. Wa-la! The car started. I was a little concerned after the meeting that it wouldn’t start but it did after a moments hesitation.

This morning, I wanted to take the kids to a Homeschool Science Fair. I didn’t get the car plugged in until about an hour before we wanted to go. I took the hair dryer and hooked it all up. But it didn’t start and the hair dryer got too warm and stopped because I just had it resting on the engine and it was pointing crooked. I called Brett and he suggested Hans go out to hold the hair dryer. So out we went again but to no avail. Sigh. It must be a combination of warm engine block and warm air in the intake.

We came in and played Alphabet Go Fish and Math Rummy then made popcorn and watched TV. I was pretty disappointed.

Kirsten just said “We missed it!”

What did we miss?

“The Home School kids!”

Umm, yeah we missed that a long time ago.

“I wish the car had started!”

Yeah, me too.