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| Loaves for lunch |
.... and my dh utters the fateful words, "I think we might have to think about replacing the car."
Well, Pepe the Pajero's feelings were obviously hurt because a very short time later, she spat the dummy... or, in this case, her catalytic converter! Spectacularly! Out through the exhaust in an explosion of sparks and smoke.
Hearts thumping, we pulled over and switched off the engine. Then called the RACV. "Help!" Got to love that service!
Cars and trucks zoomed past, buffetting us as we waited in the narrow lane at the side of the freeway.
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| "Help wanted!" |
The emergency-assistance mechanic turned up a little while later and listened to our tale of woe. He inspected Pepe's exhaust pipe which was coated in ghostly white powder... and asked if we'd mind if he took a photo.
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| That ghostly white exhaust pipe! |
He got Glenn to start the engine and give it a small rev - Pepe coughed out a couple more hot lumps.
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| The largest hot lump - part of the catalytic converter? |
"I think you've blown the catalytic converter," he said and listed a couple of other spin off problems that might have happened from the back pressure. It's not sounding great.
A couple of tow truck trips later and Pepe is tucked up at the mechanics waiting for him to have a good look at her innards. We're still awaiting the verdict with some trepidation.
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| Hitching a ride... |
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| Arriving home in "style" |
Needless to say, we didn't get to our lovely Sunday lunch!
Looking on the bright side, Pepe's serious mechanical health crisis didn't happen while we were travelling in remote parts of Australia! Now that would have been a MAJOR reshuffle of plans!
Got any tales of mechanical woe to share?
Oh no, poor Pepe! Fingers crossed for you, Sharon.
ReplyDeleteMy first car was a Datsun 120Y. It was, uh...rather temperamental. I broke down once in the midst of a rugby crowd on their way home. I was seriously blocking the traffic and six burly guys picked my car up (with me in it) and moved it up onto the footpath.
P.S. I bet that pumpkin bread was mixed -- it looks delish!
Thanks, Michelle! All crossed fingers very much appreciated!
DeleteOooo, I feel for you in your temperamental Datsun! What awful timing for it to have a hissy fit! Great visual of you and the car and the six burly Sir Galahads though!
Pumpkin bread is my latest fave ... though I made some stout bread over the weekend and I think I might have a new fave!
Gah! Missed. I bet the pumpkin bread was MISSED.
DeleteLOL, Michelle! I suspected that's what you meant - though it had been "mixed" too! ;)
DeleteMy husband owned a mini when I fist met him, Sharon. Bought it for a few hundred dollars, stripped it all down incluidng the engine and lovingly rebuilt it. It was a very beautiful car - there was even carpet on the ceiling!
ReplyDeleteOf course it hardly ever went....but still gorgeous to look at! :-/
Amy, aren't those little Minis awesome! You practically feel as though you're sitting on the ground and everything else on the road is soooo enormous! I imagine your dh was incredibly proud of his little car and all his hard work! Even if it did hardly every go!
Delete:)
Going to a romance luncheon with ARRA members the car was making a screeching noise. After we dropped the others off at home after lunch the wheel broke off. Luckily on a quiet road and not a motorway. New car was needed.
ReplyDeleteElaine! A wheel broke off your car! Now that's scary! It's sounds like you were very very lucky with where and when the disaster finally happened! I shudder for you at the possibilities for a worse scenario!
DeletePoor Pepe!
ReplyDeleteMy husband has had terrible luck with cars. He owned an early 80's Ford Telstar when we started dating (I think it may have been older than we were) and then upgraded it to a newer Telstar. Both were complete lemons. The engine exploded on the second one.
Luckily they stopped making those cars so he couldn't continue the run.
LOL Stefanie! There must have been something about the look of those Telstars for your hubby want to buy a second one after the bad experience with the first. How very lucky indeed that they stopped making that model! ;)
DeleteI hear your pain, Sharon. My husband's car was off the road for 10 weeks! 10 weeks over the Xmas holidays!!!!! As he was the one who worked 45 mins away, he got my car. I did a lot of walking during those weeks. There was a fair bit of whinging from the kids.
ReplyDeleteOMG! Jen, I feel YOUR pain! TEN weeks! And over the holidays! UGH! The bright side of this is that all the walking would have positive health benefits... but... well, I'm not seeing a "bright side" to the whinging from the kids! LOL
DeleteVehicles always have the worst timing don't they? My car has been off the road since Christmas. The bracket that supports the part of the drive shaft that goes from the gearbox to the engine has detached from the underbody of the car. As it's a manual transmission that's left too much slack in the drive line and so it's really difficult to get into gears. Should be getting repaired in the next couple of weeks though.
ReplyDeleteYikes, Lyn, detaching bits of car sounds very very serious! Fingers crossed for you that your mechanic gets everything put together for you soon! We're very reliant on our vehicles, aren't we - takes quite a bit of juggling to manage without them.
DeleteLOL Sharon. And that doesn't mean I'm sympathetic. When cars go wrong it is so hard to deal with. My first car, a Morris Minor, always started, but that was about all the good news. The brakes were random, the gears erratic, and well, it was an MM, there wasn't much else. Lots of fond memories though.
ReplyDeleteLOL back Sue! I could tell right away that you were laughing WITH me! ;)
DeleteI have fond memories of an MM too - when I first started work, I used to get a lift with a guy who had one. It was very temperamental and actually the driver was a bit flakey too! It was a toss up whether we'd break-down or run out of petrol!