Bail-Dog's Blog: Fort Nelson – Home of the $100 Oil Change

Another long haul brought us to the community of Fort Nelson, nestled amongst the serene wilderness of northern British Columbia. As we rolled to a stop in the campground parking lot the van's oil pressure light came on. A glowing red ball of death square in the middle of the instrument panel, this is every traveler's worst fear.

"Turn it off" Jacob told me, with just a slice of urgency in his voice. I killed the engine praying old Jerry would fire back up when the time came. Jacob went inside to secure a campsite for the night and a bucket of fried chicken for dinner and I headed to the bar. Two bottles of Labatt Blue, one shot of Jack Daniel's and 8 minutes later we were settled down and ready to tackle a crucial mechanical dilemma – the stereo.

Our sound system was sadly lacking in performance and the serious nature of the oil light was just too much to deal with right away. So we pulled the head unit from the dash and found some faulty wiring going to the rear speakers that was shorting the system. We had decent sound after that and it was getting late so we figured we'd better quiet down. We got the campfire burning nicely and jumped on the campground WiFi to research the oil light issue.

What makes the oil pressure light come on? First off, it is NOT an indication of low oil level and there was plenty in the pan to prove that. Bad oil pump – about the worst case scenario. Low idle – possible best case. How many miles since the last oil change? Over 5,000 miles – BINGO! Thank you Dad for keeping such extensive maintenance records. Jerry needs fresh oil and a new oil filter, in a very bad way. This was kind of a face/palm moment for me and Jacob. Hopefully it was the solution to our problem.

The next morning we were grateful to discover that the local Napa Auto Parts had just what the doctor ordered. It came as no surprise that the type of oil we needed was $12.99 a quart. Five of those bad boys, a good quality filter, a drain pan, a funnel and some shop rags totaled out at $95.22 all said and done. Ouch!

We got out of town, found a nice spot off the road, and took care of business. It wasn't long before we were barreling down the highway without even a tiny glimmer from that nasty little red bulb. Jerry's transfusion had healed his aches and pains and with the pristine lifeblood pursing through his system he was purring like a kitten. Hallelujah!