car death...

[JawzX]

oh, ranty rant....

My car died today

I'm more than a bit of a shade-tree mechanic, I've even worked at a friend's garage, so I take pride in my ability to both keep my own car running and fix it when it doesn't run. Here In Vermont, where public transit is still largely a novelty thats a darn fine skill to have.

Today my '98 Volvo V70 AWD threw me a curve ball. It's got 213k miles on it, but it's in great shape, no rust, no dents, very clean, and runs (er ran...) great.

I was driving down the road on my way to work (in the afternoon, as I work 2nd shift) and it started running rough, and then the check engine light started flashing and then it lost power and died...

I've had a hinky crank-angle sensor for about 6 months now, and I have been putting off replacing it because I'm an optimist so my first thought is "oh, there goes the crank angle sensor finally..." it won't restart, so while I'm waiting for the AAA tow-truck I check out the basics... spark plugs and wires: good, coolant level: fine, no oil there... oil... uh oh... it's low... off the dip-stick low. With great trepidation I look under the car... oil all over the place. Oh expletive deleted. It had started to rain hard by then and the shop I had it towed to was closed so I don't know for sure what's up, but you never like to see oil all over the bottom of your engine. It didn't sound or feel like I threw a rod or anything, but I'm a little pessimistic at the moment. It doesn't help that I'm still catching up on bills from the 8 months I was unemployed last year. ugh.

well, at least Ms. Prissy Beak was happy to see me home for dinner and scritches.

Poo. and stronger words too, which I will not use on this forum

 

[bogo1]

Oh my...this doesn't sound good.My husband does this two ....The entire family all drive cars he has bought used and rehabbed. But the danger is what I call the catastrophic collapse when something literally becomes Unglued . And yeah ...oil everywhere is an ulgy indicator. Good luck.

 

[wildheart]

Ag no that is horrible! It finally died, I hope reviving will not cost TOO much. I have to say thou, I LOVE how you tell a story, you should be writer!

We battled with a Land Rover for 5 years that broke EVERY time that we went away, spoiled ALL our holidays. The parts are SO EXPENSIVE and at the end of the 5 years the repairing was already OVER R100 000! Being an optimist ourselves we kept on believing it will be the LAST time that it breaks, we've already done the engine over, did the gearbox, the prop-shaft etc. etc. it will be stupid to sell it, but, we were wrong. We could not imagine how we would be able to trade it in and that we will get next to nothing for it, but we finally got a break. We traded it in for the H1 and I had my iguana in the car so nobody wanted to take it for a test drive. They gave us a VERY good price for it by just looking at the condition outside. Thanks Forest.

 

[SharonC]

I hope it's something fairly minor...although I have to say, it doesn't sound like it! Then again, I know nothing about car "insides"...

 

[Pheonix Rising]

Good luck mate
my partners a mechanic so I know by now dying car follwed by oily mess not good

Miss prissy will enjoy the bike ride to work with you though lol
see there's always an upside

And totally agree about the writing
you could be the next Marley and me guy