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2018/04/07

Hike In Akron on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail

A couple days ago, I noticed that the oil level in my Chevy HHR was critically low.  So, I filled it up with all 5 quarts of 5W30.  In doing it, I didn't use a funnel and got some motor oil on the engine block.  I thought that I had it all wiped down?

Today when I turned it on, there was thick smoke coming out of the the sides of the car and the exhaust.  I immediately shut it off!  I checked the oil level and now the dipstick reads as if it has 10 quarts in it.  And I don't think that the anti-freeze level changed?  From what I hear, what I saw should have been the result of a blown head gasket, or cracked block?  I may try to put it on ramps and follow up with it tomorrow?  When I tried to back it up, there wasn't a noticeable reduction in power.

But I had an engagement in Akron today as part of a Buckeye Trail Association contingent to a hike with Ohio State Representative Emilia Sykes.  So, I took the motorhome there and that's it's second 120 trip.  This morning before I left, I turned the engine on and the RPM's were still fluctuating, but it did it less this time and the trip on the freeway to Akron was no problem.  I messaged the chairman of the Crooked River Chapter of the BTA who covers that area and I told him that I was coming down, but there was a big question as to whether I was going to be able to park the motorhome in Downtown Akron???

She and a gentleman from the Ohio & Erie Canalway Association took a group and myself for a 2 mile round trip and tour of the towpath in the city.  This takes place on the Buckeye Trail's "Akron Section" and I passed through this area years ago before it was on the current route.  It use to be routed next to the Akron Zoo when I was hiking there.  The rule on Buckeye is after you've passed through an area, if it reroutes, you do not have to go back and claim the new one.  After today's event, a smaller group of us went to an Italian restaurant in Downtown Akron.

After I got done with that group, I drove to the nearest Speedway gas station.  The fuel gauge on the motorhome's dashboard doesn't work.  So, I use an app on my tablet.  It tracks the mileage in motion and moves the needle based on the motorhome's fuel range.  I calculate that by writing down the odometer mileage, getting its difference and dividing that by how many gallons it takes to fill it up?  Today, the MPG's were a little worse.

Possibly tomorrow, I'm going to look for a loose connection or hose.  Either on the spark plug wires, or on a hose somewhere?  I'm willing to bet that something came loose?  But I vaguely thought that my mechanic might have told me to disconnect the negative from one of my dual batteries before jumping the motorhome?  Everything online says that it should be fine with both connected as long as I idled my smaller Chevy HHR for 15 minutes or more with the clamps on (which was done) so that it wasn't as stressful on it's alternator.

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