Dodgy Fuel?

Been out all day to try to deliver another equipment depot, but ALL the doos malfunctioned so we had to turn round. Probably something to do with the new petrol we bought off the airport. The depot was at Kap Hoegh, but we had to stop short on the east side of Liverpool Land.

Calling base on the Sat phone to say we have turned round due to engine problems.

We had to leave the new 'doo behind and go back to collect it. Doo 1 had to stop every 2 kms to recover before it would go again.

Route through Kalkdal to Kap Hoegh. We had to turn around when the 'doos malfunctioned.

Polar Bear prints in Kalkdal

Next day it was –14 C and sunny with a biting breeze. The day has consisted of pouring all the fuel from the 20lt jerry cans back into the 200lt fuel drum because we are sure the fuel we bought from the airport is making all the Doo engines malfunction.

 Testing fuel for ethanol content and water contamination

 Pumping all the fuel out of the 'doos

 We only have good fuel for about one short journey and about 60 lts more, is burried in a container which took about 2 days of digging to get into. Even that is not enough and Paul is trying to get someone to bring more up from the village. Until then we are stranded and we have a film crew who wants to go places tomorrow, a depot to deliver about 70 kms away and 6 people up in North Liverpool Land who need collecting in a week's time.

 Running the 'doos with original fuel to see if we can make them go.

 

Putting the engines on the 'BUDS" diagnostic software to see if we can find any faults.

 Starting the tunnel into the container door to look for spare fuel.

Chainsawing blocks to get to the container 2m under the snow.

However, Paul has now made contact with a guy from the village who says he will bring fuel up on Monday and we've at last got into the buried container. A lot of chainsawing for me as the snow was too hard to dig. But we've found another 60 lts of fuel so the wolf is slightly further away from the door!

 Getting close to opening the container door.

With the original fuel now in them, if the 'doos recover, we will know it was the fuel.