sugerblack and i had a great visit from santa this year. We did the sparkplugs (platinum) the wires (ipd) and distributor (cap & rotator) i had the pcv done at a local mechanic (labor was 272) and saved myself a lot of money compared to the quotes i was getting from everyone else. I cleaned the engine & polished the manifold. Car drove so well after the work (except for some vibrating at about 80 - which i suspected was a transmission mount).
all was well - parked the car in long term parking and headed to atlanta. Yesterday we met a friend of my wife who showed up for brunch in an Audi r8 - a real supercar. then to a kids birthday party at dave & busters where i spent all my time driving super car simulators. so after a 3 hour delay i picked up the car, no wife & no baby and hit the bqe on a sunday night - i was living the dream baby - hauling. as i hit my exit, the first one on the prospect expressway with widespread panic blaring on the stereo i felt the car downshift (normal) and heard the engine revving (not normal). green light and a right onto 20th street - and no forward momentum, just rev when i pressed on throttle. Worried it was the timing belt (which i have been worrying about lately) i shut the car off and popped the hood - fluid everywhere. i noticed that there was a hose loose from the radiator on the diver's side near the battery but couldn't quite figure out why that would effect the transmission. I know now that the radiator services the transmission coolant & engine coolant.
Anyways - i was only 2 blocks from home but not somewhere i could leave the car so i called triple A - it was 10:35pm & 21 degrees. I was too afraid to run the engine for heat so i sat, and sat and sat. I called them again @ 11:30, they said the wrecker would be there @ 12:15. Called again at 1 am. @ 1:40 a wrecker came to tow me the 4 blocks to the service station by my house. 3 hours in 21 degree (6 with the windchill) i was violently shivering - even with the extra pair of socks i pulled out of my luggage.
This morning i went down to deal with it and jacked it to discover that in fact the transmission mount is blown. It could be that the vibrations caused the hose clamp to fail - could be that the guys at pepboys didn't install it properly when they did my radiator. In any event - it took more than 5 quarts of fluid to get it to engage again. I need to throw the airbox back on and put a worm clamp on the hose to secure it and look through the sites to see what i am going to do about repairs. not sure if i am should take it to the dealer for a real service but am leaning that way - or should do the guy in jersey or what. but boy - just when you are living the dream - cold cold reality brings you back. poor sugerblack
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hope it wasn't my driving!
ReplyDelete