Well. Stranded!!
So, we went for a drive today. We ended up at the side of the road between Fordwich and Clifford Ontario. Lots of steam!! Temp guage pegged almost......
Middle of somewhere.
Like I said, STEAM! And here it's mostly dissipated.
No, i'm not waving hello!!
So. What to do? Phoned mechanic, got number for tow truck. I decide to try to limp it to Clifford. I wait for it to cool a bit, then drive it a bit and when needle climbs too high for comfort shut the engine off and coast in neutral, preferable on the downhills. Sometimes I was able to risk starting it to get back up but then had to pull over and wait. The do it all again.
So we limp it into Clifford and I call my local tow guy but 1. it's a bit far for him to come and 2. he doesn't have the equipment to tow our van.
Small sidenote: small town living: When I describe the van he replies "Yeah, I know that van."
And so he gives me the number of the guys in Mount Forest. We park the van at the car wash in Clifford and decide to look for a coffee. I discover the local garage is still in business there! YAY! Tow guy calls back, looks like the tow would be almost $400. Ouch. So I decide maybe the van isn't TOO bad (Hoping NOT a head gasket or that I blew the head gasket limping it in.) Originally I was thinking heater core since steam came through interior vents but rething since it was just once and I decide maybe it just went through the cowl vents and in so decide maybe lower rad hose. Fingers crossed.
We walk into town (We know it a bit as we once lived there.) to get cash from cash machine for coffee. Then I get the van and get the local guy to look at it. I'm think here that even if it IS the core, it'd be less than the tow!
And so, the verdict. Heater hose split at the block under the doghouse. 1/2 hour fix. YAY!!
So we go for coffee, MiLady has pie. And we get van back at a cost of $133. luckily we had that on us. He left the air filter out as the coolant basically destroyed it so took it way coming home. When I'd slow for a water puddle, my wife would look at me and say "This is just KILLING you, isn't it!!??!!" Haha, becaause I tend to FLOOR it through puddle, the deeper the better. Yes, it almost killed me!
So in the end. Inconvenient but life goes on. I got to have lunch with my wife and then later go for coffee with her. Got to go for a walk through Clifford with her as she took pics of places we lived there. Overall not a bad day other than the obvious.
So, just got home, phoned my mechanic, arranged for van to go in Thursday morning and he'll order upper and lower rad hoses (pre-maintenance) and new air filter for then. I am also having him check the work done and making sure the doghouse is properly secured as I'm pretty sure from the sound coming through it's slightly not sealed right. he has to take it off for the air filter abnyways so no big deal. I'm just fussy.
Oh and I must add. I was impressed at how many people stopped and offered assistance, one even backing up from the other direction. We didn't require it but still, it's nice to see there are still people out there that care.
