We all knew this day was coming -- the day I watch my Saab drive off into the sunset with the kind assistance of a tow truck.
Little did I know it would be just 4 days after posting For The Love of Saab: A New Addition To The TDS Garage, an homage to my success in purchasing a 1993 Saab 900 Turbo Convertible for the approximate cost of a used bicycle.
Either way, living in North Carolina has some benefits -- one of which is the lovely weather. That all went to hell when temperatures dropped to near zero -- leaving the Saab whimpering in my driveway as it sat for nearly a week because my office (for my real job) remained closed due to "potentially hazardous roads."
Well after 3 days, far too much Netflix binge-ing, and enough snow to fill a shot glass -- I made my first journey back to work.
My commute begins with a ritual: start the car 10 minutes prior to departure, crank the heat to the "Retina burning" setting, and make a cup of coffee whilst waiting.
So, I hopped in the car and my first clue to a problem was the heat: there was none. Either way, I continued -- shivering and spilling coffee all over myself. It was about 1.5 miles into the trip when I started to smell something ever so sweet, like a candy factory just opened up in my foot wells.
Unfortunately, Willy Wonka wasn't scouting for new real estate in the Saab -- instead, it was the sweet smell of leaking coolant.
Gears started turning in my mind when I realized the only thing left to confirm the oh shit! feeling building in my bowels is for the temperature gauge to read: HOT!
Sure enough, at mile 2 the temp gauge triggered, and I immediately pulled over.
As I called my wife, then my mechanic, I immediately jumped to the worst case scenario: I blew the head gasket and now I need to figure out which kidney I want to part with -- left or right.
Luckily, I was able to meet the tow truck and head down to Patterson Performance to determine what the culprit could be.
More good news arrived when the head was determined to be in good nick and the only issue was a sticking temperature gauge -- a cheap fix. So, for less than $150 I'm back on the road with a new temp gauge, coolant flush, oil & filter change.
I'll call this one a win.
1 comment:
Phew ! Close call. Glad it worked out for you.
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