- Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:02 pm
#239589
Monday - Call from my wife "I just pulled into work and smoke is pouring out from the engine bay and the car feels like its surging and running rough" I paniced and came as fast as I could. coolant line going into the intake blew and one of the spark plug wires had come off the distributer. with no tools in the car I ran between riteaid and walgreens (no autoparts stores within a few miles and I was on foot. got some ghetto pliers and a razor blade, trimmed the hose and rehooked it up. glad I had a bottle I premixed antifreeze in in the trunk for emergencies.
Wednesday - wife went to drive me to the bus since we both woke up late and car didn't start. after trying to charge the battery and tinkering for a little while I leaned on the car and bumped the negitive terminal and it moved. checked it and aparently it was just loose enough to where it couldn't get enough power to the starter.
Thursday - my wife told me that the car and the steering wheel have been "wabbling" for a few days and it got bad at higher speeds (up to this point I had only been in the car locally so never got above 20mph) so I test drove and realized there must be an issue with the front tire. it was originally a full size spare because prev owner switched it because the prev tire had threads showing on the inside. aparently the car again chewed the inside of the spare that was on there probably faster then normal because from what I could tell it looked oldish and it could have been the original spare. ran it up to pepboys (it was 8pm and the only place open) and got a new tire. aparently soon I will be taking it up somewhere for an alignment (it doesn't pull and the steering wheel is straight but looks like its wearing the inside of both tires and it caught me a little off guard because I'm used to seeing that in lowered cars but its still at stock height)
Friday - wife, daughter, sisterinlaw, and her son went to go pick up stuff for supper. I get a phone call when they went to leave and the car didn't start again. I'm thinking it was the negitive terminal or possibly a bad starter since the engine bay had been soaked with antifreeze on monday. after walking a few miles since she's driving my car and I've been taking public transportation until she gets her income tax refund in I managed to tinker around and right as I was about to give up I had pushed the wires trying to get a better look at the starter and noticed the damn main positive cable to the starter was loose. tightened and boom started right up. needless to say I will be under the hood this weekend checking connections, wiring up an extra 12v connection in the car (we manage to always need to charge both cell's at the same time and possibly hooking up a dc/ac converter and making it flush so you only see the outlet for when we have the laptop in the car on trips)
that has been my week so far. on an up note the relationship between me and my wife was great this week and I'm getting extra love for being her hero all week because I stoped whatever I was doing and came to her rescue.
there is my silver lining! now if I could just get the car to stay happy with me that would be a bonus
Wednesday - wife went to drive me to the bus since we both woke up late and car didn't start. after trying to charge the battery and tinkering for a little while I leaned on the car and bumped the negitive terminal and it moved. checked it and aparently it was just loose enough to where it couldn't get enough power to the starter.
Thursday - my wife told me that the car and the steering wheel have been "wabbling" for a few days and it got bad at higher speeds (up to this point I had only been in the car locally so never got above 20mph) so I test drove and realized there must be an issue with the front tire. it was originally a full size spare because prev owner switched it because the prev tire had threads showing on the inside. aparently the car again chewed the inside of the spare that was on there probably faster then normal because from what I could tell it looked oldish and it could have been the original spare. ran it up to pepboys (it was 8pm and the only place open) and got a new tire. aparently soon I will be taking it up somewhere for an alignment (it doesn't pull and the steering wheel is straight but looks like its wearing the inside of both tires and it caught me a little off guard because I'm used to seeing that in lowered cars but its still at stock height)
Friday - wife, daughter, sisterinlaw, and her son went to go pick up stuff for supper. I get a phone call when they went to leave and the car didn't start again. I'm thinking it was the negitive terminal or possibly a bad starter since the engine bay had been soaked with antifreeze on monday. after walking a few miles since she's driving my car and I've been taking public transportation until she gets her income tax refund in I managed to tinker around and right as I was about to give up I had pushed the wires trying to get a better look at the starter and noticed the damn main positive cable to the starter was loose. tightened and boom started right up. needless to say I will be under the hood this weekend checking connections, wiring up an extra 12v connection in the car (we manage to always need to charge both cell's at the same time and possibly hooking up a dc/ac converter and making it flush so you only see the outlet for when we have the laptop in the car on trips)
that has been my week so far. on an up note the relationship between me and my wife was great this week and I'm getting extra love for being her hero all week because I stoped whatever I was doing and came to her rescue.
there is my silver lining! now if I could just get the car to stay happy with me that would be a bonus
RIP 1993 Honda Civic 4 door Sedan - Stock (Sold for parts)