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It was a little after 1.30 in the morning, warm but foggy. I’d just had a hot drink and bite to eat while reflecting on the 138 miles covered and 1,200 yet to cover. The Capo was running fine but my eyes were already beginning to sting from riding with the visor up because of the fog – hopefully that would clear by the time I hit Switzerland.

So I saddled up and hit the starter ……. In an instant the early morning optimism bubble burst. The starter rolled over, then stalled. The dashboard went dark and as I turned the ignition key off I realised the starter was still trying to turn the motor over. Suddenly it began spinning the motor rapidly, so I turned the ignition back on and the motor fired up and the dashboard lit up like normal. but the battery charging was only showing 12.2V because the solenoid was stuck and still powering the starter motor. As quick as possible it was off with the seats (handy having the spare key in my jacket!) then whack the starter solenoid with a 1/2″ ratchet – and the voltage jumped back up to 14V as the solenoid released.

Now the dilemma …… carry on, turn around and head home or wave the plastic card of defeat and get recovered. In for a penny in for a pound as they say …. soldier on! Today I’m typing this up in warm and pleasant Oxford reflecting on the choice I made. As it turned out a good call, the Capo never missed a beat or hesitated once when starting for the rest of the journey. Fixed? Of course not, maybe that was a warning of things to come, so today a 150A starter solenoid has been ordered along with a replacement YTX14-HBS battery.

My thought is that the stuck solenoid was a symptom not the cause …… the question is, why did the battery voltage fall through the floor as soon as a load was placed on it. Thinking it through, if it were a short at the starter then a huge amount of power would have been grounded and yes the solenoid contacts could weld, however I’d expect the battery to get hot and that didn’t happen. So that leaves the possibility of an internal problem with the battery …. maybe a year of bouncing over a dirt and stone road has caused a crack to develop between plates. All I know is I don’t have confidence in it or the solenoid anymore so out they go!

As well as these two new parts I’ve also bit the bullet and ordered a new set of power/ground cables from John Walker in the UK and figure the old girl could well do with a spruce up of the wiring.

Meanwhile on with the show! 😀 

Firstly, a new page has been added to the menu for the HAAS (Renault V6) coil and the Tech-Auto (Amrish) coil page has been updated to bring that to an end.

Secondly, I have also added another widget in the sidebar – a PayPal donate button. Simply because for the past six years I’ve been self funding this website and won’t use advertising to clutter it up. Over that time costs have increased and it’s time to ask the Capo lovers among you to consider helping to keep the site running if you feel it is, was or will be of use to you. As they say, every little helps! 😀 

Central Italy has been struck by yet another earthquake, this time a magnitude of 6.6. I’d just sat down at the computer with the first cup of tea of the day, when at 07:40 the house began to shake.

Unlike the two earthquakes last week (26/10/2016 – magnitude 5.5 & 6.1) that struck in the evening, this one set objects rocking, pictures and mirrors moving on the walls and all manner of strange noises emanating from the structure. I bolted for the door! It was most surreal to see trees, fences and power/phone lines and poles swaying and the car rocking on its suspension. Likewise, Jan had made it to the upstairs door at the same time having been rudely awoken!

As I write the injuries are few and thankfully no fatalities. Many of the villages at the epicenter were already mostly evacuated from last weeks events. Unfortunately, structural damage has devastated some villages such that they’ve almost been wiped off the map. In Norcia the basilica of San Benedetto has been destroyed. Damage has also been reported in Teramo, l’Aquila, Chieti and as close to us as Brittoli and Civitella Casanova – only a few kilometers away.

I was alone at home and wide awake when the first vibrations were felt. Deep down inside, a weird sensation more than an actual feeling but in that moment all your senses are wide awake. I’d felt it before in 2009 and now here it was back again. As fast as you’re trying to articulate the word, the event happens. We take the very air we breath and the ground we stand on as absolute, like the sun coming up in the morning ….. when that ground begins to shake and heave beneath you, your entire frame of reference is momentarily lost – you freeze.

I am fine and our home has no structural damage, 45 miles away however it was a different story. Amatrice, Arquata, Accumoli and many other small villages were near the epicenter of the 6.1 earthquake. Today the death toll stands at 284 with a further 388 injured. Today, like yesterday, the rescue teams will be working tirelessly to find others.

Our hearts go out to the victims and families for their loss. Our praise and admiration goes to those emergency services both Italian and International who continue to work tirelessly day by day. In a world made ugly by some, it is wonderful to see what can be accomplished when people truly pull together.