Feel like I’ve been hit by a bus.
Bound to happen, right?
So… today was the day I was gonna go pick up those cars that I bought on a bit of a whim. My mom was willing to help me pick them up (super nice of her).
There were two of them, so I wanted to haul one back on the trailer and drive the other back, so we’d only have to make one trip. Well, power steering and coolant leaks in the truck. Bad power steering leak, apparently. Filled up before the big storm, and the reservoir was empty a few days later without even driving it.
So… wasn’t smart to take that one. So we abandoned that idea and decided it would be two trips, and we’d take the Durango, so we’d have all the tools with us we needed, just in case.
Well… the fuel pump bit the dust in the Durango about a mile into the trip. I managed to get it started again and get the thing home. I threw some of the tools in the Civic, and we headed out.
We got a late start because Copart didn’t even open until noon. Headed to Walmart to get the money orders. Then it was on to Copart.
With things already having been quite trying today, they took a turn for the worse when I saw the two cars–much worse than hoped. The Versa has a blown catalytic converter and perhaps a blown motor, and a misfire, and the trunk hatch doesn’t open, and now it won’t start.
Lovely. Paid $1800 for that piece of… loveliness.
We drove that one to the McDonald’s in Farmginton and dropped it off there, so we could go back and pick up the Sentra.
The damage to the Sentra was much more severe than the pictures made it look. 😕 It’s gonna need quite a bit. So… I just added two headaches because I couldn’t just stick to my plans. I let myself get sucked in to what looked like super good deals.
I’ve got rules for myself. I just… didn’t follow them. And so I spend nearly $5K to give myself headaches. Hopefully, I’ll learn? I’m so slow to learn. I keep doing this. Rules. When I followed my rules buying and selling cars, I did great.
Anyway, so… it’s… a lot to do, and life was already busy, and I added more to it, and… I’m a genius.
Anyway, got the Sentra home after I bent the radiator support enough to close the bent hood. That one drove all the way home without incident. We went back to the Versa, which had started just fine. I tried to take out an o2 sensor, so the back pressure could be relieved and not cause the massive drivability issues it had, but I couldn’t get it off. I finally just disconnected the cat from the exhaust manifold altogether.
That was a nightmare.
And then what happened?
The car wouldn’t start.
Ugh.
By that time, I was just… so done. I finally broke down a bit, really frustrated, on my back under the Versa in the McDonald’s parking lot, and now it won’t start. I learned later that I might have damaged the o2 sensor wires, and on these Versas, apparently that can keep the car from starting. Go figure.
Anyway, I managed to get the car started by removing part of the intake, the coolant overflow, and jumping the starter. Then it drove home. It was a bit underpowered because of the exhaust all blowing out where the manifold meets the cat, but whatever. I got it home. Might have a rod knock (blown motor), but no way to tell now with the cat the way it is.
Rough day. Really rough day.
It’s 1:41 a.m. I’m supposed to work tomorrow. I’m not ready. The Durango is… not reliable right now. My truck is… not reliable right now. My little miracle civic is reliable, but it’s not practical. I can’t carry my tools in it… all the stuff I need.
Anyway… I’m… yeah… struggling a bit.
But…
#1. I’m clean, and I’m grateful. 20 days.
#2. I’m grateful that I was able to get the hood on the Sentra to close.
#3. I’m grateful the hood didn’t come flying up while running down the interstate, which would smash the windshield, part of the top of the car, leave me unable to see where I’m going while at freeway speeds, and… yeah. So I’m grateful that didn’t happen.
#4. I’m grateful I had enough tools with me to do what absolutely needed to be done.
#5. I’m grateful that I was able to get the Versa started.
#6. I’m grateful I was able to accurately diagnose at least the most notable drivability issue with the Versa (the cat issue) and mitigate it enough to get home without problems after that.
#7. I’m grateful for my mother for being super patient with me today.
It’s time for bed, folks.
Thought of the Day: “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things [can] fall together. ~ Marilyn Monroe
Loves and hugs.
Lift the World.
~ stephen
Lift the World 