Last Friday (Aug. 16), Mike and I set off in our VW-GTI, our town car, to run errands, and as we pulled into our first stop, we noticed an odor.
“What’s that smell?” I asked. “Oh no! It’s us,” I screeched as smoke began drifting from under the hood.
Mike endeavored to locate the problem as I thumbed through the owner’s manual. He completed the errand at this stop, and we drove to a gas station where he added water to the radiator. While the system indicated a warning, the car wasn’t overheating.
“Should we go home,” I asked.
“No,
we’ll go on,” Mike said. “It’s all downhill from here.”
So, we rolled down Thain to Big 5. Once again, smoke rolled out from under the hood. I ran into the store and selected a new pair of shoes as quickly as I could (I really needed new shoes!) while Mike sat with the car and determined next steps. From Big 5, we coasted on down the hill to PDQ (mechanics specializing in imported vehicles), where they quickly found the problem. A little connector had failed and antifreeze was slowly dripping onto the manifold, which caused the smelly smoke. The part was ordered, and we were safe to drive home, though the GTI must sit patiently in the garage until next week when it has an appointment for the fix. KW
A relief that it wasn't a costly repair. Car troubles are one of my least favorite things.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Hallie. Hope it doesn't take too long to get the part.
ReplyDeleteThe appointment for repair is Monday. I'm grateful that this happened while we were together, i.e., I'm grateful I wasn't driving by myself or when Mike was unavailable. Meanwhile, we received a recall notice on the GTI, and we will have to go to Post Falls to take care of that.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you need to go so far to get a recall notice taken care of?
ReplyDeleteThe recall work must be done by a dealer, and there isn't one here. We bought the car in Post Falls, so we'll go there. We have another errand in that direction, so we'll take care of both on the same day.
ReplyDeleteYikes! The smoke would have had me out of the car in a flash! You were brave to keep going in it!
ReplyDeleteIf I had been alone, I would have had to wait for help. But Mike knew the car wasn't overheating. Like I said, we just rolled down Thain / 21st to 16th Ave where the shop is located.
ReplyDelete