Fuel for Thought

Ouch. Wow!

There I was…Wednesday evening, turning off the interstate exit when I was hit by a heavy cloud of diesel fumes. It was as much a mist as it was fumes. I thought maybe the truck in front of me was leaking something or there was a chemical plant in the neighborhood. The van didn’t give me any indications it was having problems.  I rolled around the corner into my destination which was a truck stop outside of Jackson, Tennessee. The fumes were choking strong. I got out of the van to see if the outside air was more clear than in the van. The front, driver side wheel was covered in fuel, and diesel steam was drifting out from the grill. Fuel was dripping off the edges of the hood. Under the hood, everything on the driver’s side was dripping fuel. My brain said fuel under pressure. The fuel filter under the air cleaner was dry which eliminated one source of the leak, but with all the fuel everywhere else I knew I wasn’t going to find something that I could fix, so I called dispatch to let them know there was no way I could make my morning pick up in Jackson. Through Blackberry Messenger my Master Sprinter Van Adviser, Piper 1, told me to turn on the ignition key without starting the motor and check the fuel pump for leaks. Nothing. At this point the van wouldn’t start either. I gathered my thoughts, hunkered down and went into recovery mode.

In the past I would do an internet search to find my shop options between Dodge, Freightliner and Mercedes. Then I would call my insurance provider for their roadside assistance program and arrange a tow. Progressive’s plan only covers the first few miles, but I’ve found that the additional miles are at a reasonable rate. This time I had trouble navigating the Mercedes site, so I called their trouble line. Their choice of shops was back near Memphis where I had started my day. They mentioned that they could arrange a tow. For some reason, I just told them to arrange it. I cancelled the load with dispatch at 1800 and by 2200 I was rolling off the back of a tow truck 80 miles away at Mercedes-Benz of Collierville. And the “wow” part of the story, the tow truck driver didn’t know anything about billing and didn’t care; he was already paid. The service manager at the dealership—I don’t know anything about towing, I came in this morning, and you were already here. I checked my bank account and no withdrawals for towing. I went back to where I started with Mercedes roadside assistance, and they explained—use Mercedes roadside assistance to arrange a tow to an authorized Mercedes repair shop, and there is no charge for towing.

As for what put me in the shop. The tech started in the same place Piper 1 told me to check. The fuel pump sprayed fuel all over them. They are replacing the pump, associated fuel lines and belts. Fuel lines just because they are old, and I’ve been looking for any excuse to replace old rubber. Belts because fuel will degrade the rubber.

Here I am…Friday afternoon, waiting in the lobby of the Days Inn where I spent the night. Hoping the shop calls to say they are finished, so I don’t have to check back into the motel.

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