We all know how that saying ends. And, for this trip, it held true.
I guess I could have called it "MURPHY RIDES AGAIN". Either works.
(This is a bit belated and out of chronological order from the rest of the world...get over it)
About a week before the trip, we put Dudette's car in to have it checked over pre-trip. Along with the usual oil change, it needed belts, and we had them look at an oil leak to make sure it wouldn't be a problem. The oil leak wasn't a huge problem, but it would need fixed. So we told them to fix it. By not a huge problem, it only leaked about a 2 - 3 inch diameter puddle over the course of a week.
After it was fixed, the puddle size grew substantially. I'm talking dinner plate sized here. It was speculated to be the slew oil from the old leak and the work done. In other words, the junk already on the engine was draining off. And, because the AC was being used a lot lately (it's been HOT), it appeared the oil was floating on top of condensate water. That would help explain the larger area of coverage.
Wednesday night, CK and Chew came by to pick up the car for the trip since it was deemed "road-worthy" (we were taking the truck and it had been serviced that morning). At least, more worthy then the kid's vehicles. They packed everything up, vehicles got moved around, and very late, they said goodbye. Almost... (CK is working 3rd, so she planned on driving all night in order to be at the distant airport in time to pick up an arrival in the morning.) Turns out she needed to stop at work to finish some paperwork before leaving (being a nurse means the paperwork HAS to be done). And there was a thing about some dress clothes being forgotten...go figure, a long trip - forgotten something. Wouldn't have it any other way. So they would be a little later hitting the road then they planned. But not a problem.
Life was good. Till about 12:30.
The phone rang. It was CK. They were about 35 miles out and the car started smoking. Badly. We told them to turn around and come get the truck and we'd figure something out in the morning. OK.
They called back a little bit later and said they were on the side of the road about 15 miles out. The car was smoking badly enough they were afraid the engine was going to catch fire. Smart call. Dudette and I got up, got dressed, and headed out to where they were. Of course, I had to drive CK's car (it's a bit finicky but I can deal with it just fine), and Dudette was stuck stopping for gas because I hadn't planned on filling the truck until we were ready to hit the road in the morning.
Once we all converged, we trans-loaded the car to the truck and sent the kids off. Then I drove Dudette's car back. She followed in CK's car. We took Dudette's car to the shop and dropped it off with a short explanation and a note to call us first thing. We finally got to bed around 1:30...that's AM...morning. Our plans had been to be on the road between 7 and 9. Not any more. We would wait till we heard back from the shop before making any alternative travel plans.
The shop called (7:05). The sensor seal they replaced to stop the original leak had gotten twisted and pinched during installation. They were working on replacing it since they knew we were headed out of town. And, yeah, it left a BIG puddle of oil since we dropped it off just hours earlier. (back to bed)
CK called (8-ish). They made it to St. Louis alright. And, they picked up their passenger just fine. On the down side, they also picked up a rock to my windshield, and the hotel screwed up the rooms. (BACK to bed)
Shop called (8:30-ish). Seal is being delivered. New situation...they broke a bolt taking the sensor off. Now they were working on drilling and tapping out the old bolt. Would call when done. (BACK to bed)
Dudette and I decided that as long as they got the car done before closing, we would wait. We felt more comfortable in a car we knew on a long trip, than a borrowed one or a rental.
CK Called (11-ish). Hotel got its act together and rooms are all straightened out. (gave up on bed)
Now, we wait on the shop.
They called close to 4:30 to let us know the car was done. When we went to pick it up, our mechanic explained what had happened, in detail. He told us it was fixed and should be fine. However, since they thought they had it fixed last time, he asked if there was any way we could wait a few days before taking it on a long trip, just to be sure. We've known and done business with this guy for years now, and he takes EXCEPTIONAL care of us. So we knew he was being cautious about the whole thing. After all, his reputation was riding on his work.
We told him we'd be fine and not to worry about it. We DO trust him and his crew to do the best possible work. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first time we've had a problem due to workmanship. We felt very comfortable with taking the car on the road.
We went back home, loaded the car, and hit the road.
Murphy happens.
Must have finally been OK, but what a start to a trip! Looking forward to hearing (er, reading) more about the trip!!
Posted by: martie | September 14, 2008 at 10:42 PM
yeah me too.
Posted by: bod | September 16, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Martie & bod - That was the longest part of the trip!! But there are still 3 more days to cover so you may be in luck in hearing more about it.
Posted by: CK | September 17, 2008 at 07:50 AM