Just Traveling Down The Freeway

Yesterday, which was Thursday, did not turn out as we were expecting.  We had a great time birding at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge and enjoyed lunch in the Serenity.  Then later as we were blissfully motoring along on I-5 heading for the town of Winters and Lake Solano Park, I noticed our check engine light was on.  I pulled off at the next exit and lifted the hood and checked all the fluid levels, which were fine.  I checked the manual, and Jeanette searched for the closest Mercedes-Benz dealership, which was Mercedes-Benz of Sacramento.  I called and a very nice lady set us up with an appointment for Friday morning, as yes they would let us park at the dealership for the night. Next came a 70mph dash down the freeway and into the mass of congestion of Sacramento.  Thank goodness for Jeanette's skill with iPhone navigation we arrived at our destination before closing. A very helpful attendant found us space in the back lot and we were set.  This is our third night out on the road and we have not paid a camping fee yet!

back lot parking

 Before anyone starts to feel sorry for us, RV life is really pretty cushy.  We had a very comfortable evening, good TV reception and good cell service.  After breakfast and showers we drove around to the front of the dealership and joined in the line of cars for our morning appointment.  We spent our first hour in the customer lounge and then as the morning warmed we took a walk to Howe Community Park nearby for our daily morning bird walk.

We loved Howe Park and got in a short list and some photos.  Back at the dealership they were still working on our vehicle, but allowed us to wait inside the Serenity.  That worked good for us and I was able to work on the photos for the bird list which you can see here.  The technician replaced the oxygen sensor and then ran a series of tests and checks, the most interesting I thought was running our engine from his laptop.  He was able to set the engine speed and duration and then walk away.  We loved the dealership, they were so friendly, organized and professional.  After finishing up on the paper work, it was all covered by warranty, we were on our way by by noon.  Less than a half hour later as we were speeding down a congested freeway I noticed the check engine light was on again!  There was no point in trying to turn around on a congested freeway on a busy Friday afternoon, so we continued on to our objective, Lake Solano Campground.  I don't really fault the dealership, Mercedes has a problem with the exhaust emmission system.