Another "smart" Road Trip!

[turbomar 13]

The high prices are only in remote areas. Fuel price in Baie Comeau is regular price, at least the last time I was there!

[dieselkiki 7]

Well, we finaly found a ferry to cross the St-Lawrence. We drove up to the Escoumins where we stopped at a fish market to buy some whelks and smoked salmons. That was awsome. The best I ever eat. After we took the ferry (Escoumins / Trois-Pistoles). That was cold on the ferry. That was around 9°c. It's not that hot when we know that we are still in august. Trois-Pistole is on the south shore and by the 132 we reached Rimouski where we sleeped last night. Today we took our famous "tailgate breakfast" then we took a walk beside the Rimouski river to hoped to see a salmon but unfortunatly, we didn't see any of them. But we alk as far as we arrived to an other hydro power plant. But this one is not own and operate by Hydro-Québec. It's Boralex who's own and operate it.

After our walk, we did some roller blade on the boardwalk along the St-Lawrence. The salt air from offshore wind was realy nice!! Back to the car, we took the road to visit some land because me and Marianne wish to move in the Rimouski area soon but unfortunatly, nothing met our needs.

We go to super at "union pacifique" in Rimouski. That was a pretty good meal! Some mussel and french fries and some macaroons as dessert. Our first hot super since we left Baie-Saint-Paul. We enjoyed it!

After our super, we went to visit our friend David (David 18) a member here. He showed us his new T-REX. For the peoples who don't know what is a T-Rex, it's in the middle of a racine car and a racer bike and it got 3 wheels:

http://www.campagnamotors.com/products/t-r...the-experience/

I hope he will give me a ride next time!

So, we are now to Matane in Gaspésie and I believe that we will sleep here. Tomorrow we will drive until Saint-Anne-des-monts to climb the Mt. Albert. It will be good to stretch a little. It's not only the car to up the hills! It's our turn!

Some pictures of our last 2 days:

On the way back to get Les Escoumins, we say the Manic-1 Hydro power plant beside the 138 road!

Few time after, it started to be cloudy

Our stop to Les Escoumins. Pretty village and awsome sea food!

To get the ferry, we had to cross an indian reserve. Take a look at this stop pannel!

Arrived to the ferry...

We arrived few hours before the departure so... we watched a movie inside the camper in the line up! Il turned the igntion key to "ON", plugged the inveter in the lighter plug and we watched that movie in comfort.

Take the gateway to the ferry

On the ferry...

Sunset on the St.Lawrence

Arrived to Trois-Pistole

This morning in Rimouski

Rimouski river!

The Boralex power plant and their shuffle to bring the salmon upside the river.

Marianne who was picking up some strawberries...

Skating on the broadwalk along the St.Lawrence in Rimouski.

There's no problems to park anywhere with our setup!

Marianne is looking at the wheather for the next days to choose where we go and what we will be better to do.

Our famous meal at Union Pacifique in Rimouski!

See you soon Rimouski!!

Good night guys!

Dom & Marianne!

Edited August 31, 2013 by dieselkiki

[yyzboyz 0]

Great pics Dom!

[Graham 0]

I am so envious.Young, full of life and on a road trip with a pretty girl in a beautiful country!In my view, the best thread ever on CSC!Have fun dk!

[David_18 13]

Content de d'avoir vu !

[dieselkiki 7]

Hi folks!

The last 2 days was not boring for sure. Just after we left Rimouski, we sleeped along the 132 in Les méchins rest area... just in the middle of a hill. That wasn't a good place because alot of heavy truck goes down the hill on theirs jacobs brake and that it make alot of loud compression noise. Marianne had some difficulties to sleep.

Next morning, after another tailgate breakfast, we took back the east road in direction of Sainte-Anne-des-monts to get the Mt. Albert that we would climb. Of course we cross the village of Cap-Chat. In Cap-Chat, there is alot of wind turbines which one is unic because it's vertical axle mount. Unfortunately, due to a worn bearing who's too expessive to replace, she's in shutdown condition. But it's very impressive to see!

Arrived in Sainte-Anne-Des-Mont, we reach the Mt. Albert. That was an hard day for Marianne legs muscles and my knee. But on the top of the mountain, the view was just awsome. On the top of Mt. Albert, the landscape is simply lunar! Unfortunately for us, we didn't see any mooses or caribous. We saw some hoofs prints but no beasts.

Next morning, that was realy necessary to wash some cloths so we found a laundry. Unfortunatly, there was alot of people at the laundry and it took half of a sunny day to wash our cloths. But we meet another couple who drove from Calgaray with an old dodge caravan. The guy was impressed by our smart and camper but it was realy hard to understand him until I learned that they was both originating from New Zeland! They have an "England accent" that I was not used to heard. That was interesting as meet even if it was hard to speak together. I think that I want to see the New Zeland someday...

After our laundry, we took the road to gaspé. Still alot of hills and curves but an awsome landscape. We took a lunch in Gaspé and after we drove up to Percé where we expected to sleep. Arrived to Percé, I would like to impressed Marianne so I choose to climbed a BIG hill to sleep on the top of a mountain to have a good view next morning but, we had some BIG problems. The road to reach the top of the mountain is one taken by the 4X4 truck of the crew who maintain the antenna on the top of the mountain. There are 4 years ago, when I made the same trip alone, I took this road to sleeped on the top of the mountain and that was the kind you climb in first gear with the trottle pedale to the floor. But unfortunately for us this time, with the trailer, that was just impossible to climb on the top with my smart. At halfway, the ESP light started to blink and the clutch actuator start to engaged and desengaged the clutch so the car started to slip the cliff. I tryed to forward again but nothing! At the moment where the clutch is released, the engine stall and a smell of burned clutch occurs. I tryed to rewind but I had no steer because the front end was not heavy enough! The front wheels didn't touch the road!! At the time I releasing slowly the brake pedale, the front end slipped to a side or an other and the trailer seemed to jack knife!! We were terriffied!! I just didn't know what to do at this time. At our left it's a deep ditch and on the right, a 300' cliff...

So, after one hour of laborers, we finaly managed to back down. By using the hand brakes, I could a maximum of steer on the front end and directing the trailer where I wanted. THAT was another BAD experience with the smart.

Today, we passed all day long to Percé. This village is called as is because of it holed rock. Pretty village! We took the boat cruise around the rock and the Bonnaventure isalnd. This island is the world biggest gannet sanctuary. That was a great experience!!

Some pictures of our last 2 days:

Our sleeping place along the 132 with truck jake brakes noise!

Yeap, with it hair straightener, Marianne blowed the cigar lighter fuse...

On the road to Cap-Chat!

The wind turbine of Cap-Chat!

On the road to Sainte-Anne-des-Monts.

Mont-Albert!

Laundry time!

On the road to Gaspé!

Arrived to Gaspé for lunch time!

Some pictures of our bad experience on hill climbing... we were pretty luccky.

After some colds sweats... it was time to sleep even if it wasn't on the top of the mountain.

This morning breakfast.

The view this morning. Not that bad even if we wasn't on the top.

Edited September 3, 2013 by dieselkiki

[dieselkiki 7]

The road we stucked on yesterday night... yeap, maybe it was ambitious to hope to climb it with a trailer.

Arrived in Percé!

These 3 hills are called: "The 3 sisters".

Both of us in front of the rock

Bonaventure Island

Our little expedition on the island

The gannets!

Back on the cruise to Percé!

This expedition on the island as made us thirsty!

Our super: scallops, salmon/cod fillet, shrimps, puck of cods, lobster etc.... Our best meal since we left home!

See you next time Percé!

Tomorrow we still don't know what we will do but if it look to rain for some days, I believe that we will take the road to back home. So, we hope a couple of sunny day for this week please!!!

Good night all!

Dom & Marianne

Edited September 3, 2013 by dieselkiki

[dieselkiki 7]

Today, we had to make a décision. Continue or go back home? We finaly opt to go back home. Last night it was raining realy strongly and when we parked to sleep for the night, our mattress was soaked with water. I think the water came inside by the sides doors windows seals. It's kind of anoying!! We have tryed to sponged with our towel but that was still uncomfortable to sleep inside. We even chose to sleep in the middle of the mattress who was less soaked but 2 minutes after we lying down, there was some drops of water who fell on us by the vent trap on roof. Marianne tryed to patch it but that was not succuessful. So, after a short night of sleeping in this conditions and with a plastic container between us to catch the water drops, we chose to go back home now even if we were at more than 900km from home.

But this morning, after a 120km of driving, the "check engine light" goes "ON" and the limp mode occured!! I was worried about what it was happened because it could be anoying to drive the 800km left in limp mode with a trailer. I had difficulties to reach 80km/h. With the scangauge, I could read the DTC code "P0405". EGR valve issue. Fortunately for us, after the breakfast, I cleared the code and the limp mode disappeared. It never occur unil we get home. Kind of strange!

Some pictures of our drive to get home.

Since we left home last week, the CDI has working realy hard. Alot of hillings roads! The engine overheated and overlaped alot of time. The max coolant temp I reached was 118°c so the oil consumption was more than usual. In 9 days and 3000km of extrem conditions driving, the CDI drunk almost 1 liter of 0W40 mobile1 oil and now, the engine is started knocking under heavy load (hills climbing with the trailer). It's sound like a lifter noise or an injector knocking. It's the reason why I added a thicker oil grade for the rest of the trip. I know that it will not fix the engine wear but it will help to keep it alive until we get home. I'll do an oil change tomorrow because even if I did an oil change before the trip, the actual oil smell like burnt oil and is dark as coal. That's could happen when you tow a camper behind a remaped smart CDI and you keep it floored between each fill up.

So, we are now arrived. Thanks for your comments and I wich you some trips as ours.

See you next time for further smart trips!

Dom & Marianne!

Edited September 4, 2013 by dieselkiki

[smart142 605]

Fantastic trip and photos!Welcome home! Glad you had no major mechanical issues that would have marred the enjoyment!

[Tardis 3]

Thank you for posting your wonderful adventures! We have really enjoyed your trip. We have not been able to go anywhere this year so it has felt like we were gone with you. Hope your smart is up to another and your little trailer gets the leaks fixed.keep well glad you made it homeKaren and Jake

[turbomar 13]

Thanks for sharing your little adventure Dom and Marianne! Thanks to your "debrouillardise", you were able to make it home. Mario

[Leadwing 565]

Dom and Marianne,This is another wonderful pictorial of one of your trips. Marvelous! I enjoyed viewing all the pictures of the places you had been and stopped at. Good luck with fixing the leaks.Je suis impatient de lecture sur votre prochaine aventure.

[MikeT 744]

Nice trip with beautiful photos!It sounds like the poor car's engine suffered a lot. Let us know what is wrong with it.

[dieselkiki 7]

Yeap, I will let you know. I'll take a look at this but since I drove it in 5th gear yesterday, the coolant temp goes down to 93°c against 105°c on 6th gear and the knoking seems to be less too. So, I'll begin to oil change the engine first and take a look at the oil filter for metal flakes or other wear signs.

Edited September 5, 2013 by dieselkiki

[yellow bumble bee 3]

Thanks for all the fabulous pictures. What a beautiful part of the country!! Will be going your way next month only doing it a lot easier than you. Fly to Toronto, then take the train to Quebec City, then onto a cruise ship and sail down the river. In the end wind up in Ft Lauderdale.Just remember, we always have a spare bedroom for any smarties who are out our way.Again, thanks for the great adventure in your smart.Roy

Edited September 5, 2013 by yellow bumble bee

[dieselkiki 7]

You're welcome Roy! It's a good thing to know that you have a spare bedroom!! We have one too if you need it! ;)Have a great trip! :)Dom

[dieselkiki 7]

Well, about the CDI, I found nothing's wrong. No metal flake in oil or filter. No more knocking noise under load with new oil. Could it be possible that the oil was so hot that she was liquid such as water and it made oil no longer able to form an oil cushion between the moving parts of the engine? So, I'm just back from Montéal for super and the engine drive and run strong and it seems to be more powerful and more fuel efficient than before our trip. Even on 50% cooking oil. This engine is kind of tough. I gave him more shit than ever and It's still alive and more... it works better than before the trip!!! Nohing to understand!The old oil was so stinky as burnt oil and dark as coal... even if it was just 4800km old. I'm just so impress by this little engine. It's designed for urban driving but I exceed far more what this engine was built for. The EGR issue still never came back. So, now I can confirmed that my cylinder head and timing chain repacement of last summer was well done.

Edited September 6, 2013 by dieselkiki

[MikeT 744]

Excellent news! Perhaps the oil was boiling.

[dieselkiki 7]

Perhaps Mike. But I'm realy happy now. I tought that I have to open the engine for a second time... so, it will be for another time!