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Ahh... well... despite the "lovely" beginning to the weekend, it was actually quite a nice couple of days... Only thing that wasn't so nice was that we didn't get home until nearly 10 last night, so we couldn't look at my car. Even if they DID look at it, no stores would be open if they found out what was wrong. *shrugs*

In any case, I got chauffeured around (dad drove me to work, mom picked me up) today. My uncle is coming over after work to look at my car... here's hoping he can pull off another miracle. *crosses fingers*

It doesn't seem to be the alternator, that spins freely. My uncle was discussing a possible fail-safe built into the car... it will shut off one pump if something else goes bad, which would prevent the car from starting. Not sure on that, most of the car talk goes over my basic knowledge.

My dad was actually able to start her up today, but (and I quote) "it sounded like there were marbles in there and then it quit after a few seconds". Doesn't sound terribly promising, but hey, she started... that means there's SOME hope, right?

Oh, and to answer the question, "she" is a 1994 Olds Cutlass Supreme. Her name is Hailey. I've had her for uh... hmm... about three years, I guess. Pay no attention to the odometer ... though it reads in the high 100's, the engine has less than 100k on it. We bought her with a blown motor and my uncle (the miracle man ) just happened to have the appropriate engine in his garage. He does that a lot... I swear his garage is like some magic Mary Poppins bag. He has random parts (like just *happening* to have one of the front engine mounts I needed to replace) and if he doesn't have it, he can generally get it for cheap.

Moondog - You have NO idea how glad I am to have not one, but two official mechanics (uncle and cousin who is in a work/study program), one mechanic-to-be (younger cousin) and one mechanically inclined dad in the family. I've never had to take my car to garage besides getting tires replaced... I don't even want to know how much I'd have to pay a garage to fix this mess I'm in, plus the towing fees to get it there.

I hopehopehope that they can fix this mess... I don't WANT a new car! I LIKE my car! I'm just in the midst of getting her all spiffy and she goes and does this to me. *glances chidingly at Hailey* Bad car!

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Well, while I'd love to do a cross-USA FP tour , somehow that doesn't work well. Job, money... that sort of thing.

With gas prices the way they are, I'm not planning on doing a whole lot of driving when my car IS running again... I just am heartily sick of relying on other people to get to and from work.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Oh kitten only 10 miles? That is fabulous You are so so so lucky I know you can't wait till it's all ready for it's next road tripso where will it be heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

The engine has - get this - *drum roll* a great, grand total of ten miles on it. Apparently a lady ordered the car, picked it up from the dealer and drove down the road... and the engine quit. I guess Oldsmobile then took out that engine and replaced it with a brand new one. It's been sitting since then, and had an apparent coolant leak during that time, so the rust on there is all yucky... they sent it out to the machine shop to get it all fixed up pretty.

Basically, there's half of my new engine sitting in the garage.

Lil bit more expensive to get the machining done, but hey, once we put it all together and drop it in... yay... pretty new engine to take my car down the road for a very long time, hopefully. /:'

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

and don't forget the relatively free labor of having a relative who's a mechanic sounds like a great deal. i know when my timing chain broke on my truck the cheapest engine i could find was about $1100 installed, so you're getting a very good deal.

---

"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

Well, you'll never believe, but apparently my uncle has worked yet another miracle!

And no, he didn't find an engine just laying around in his garage. Nope, he found the exact same engine that is in my car laying around in the garage of someone he works with (or used to work with, I'm a bit unclear on that part). In any case, I should soon have an engine for my car.

The crux of the matter being that the engine blew uh... heads or something like that. Don't ask me for tech terms. The good thing is that I can use the current engine for donor parts. And make a nice pretty, working engine out of two not-so-working engines. *happy dance*

And! Drum roll, please... I SHOULD be able to get her running for under 500 bucks... maybe... hopefully. *crosses fingers* Engine should be under 200, compared to 700+ for other engines we were looking at.

Happy dancing abounds.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

We've got a few lines out... found an engine or three that would work with minor modifications (they're from newer cars, but hey, I won't complain), and looks like they're in a range I can afford. Whew.

In any case, all the engines we're finding require either road tripping (which no one has time for) or having it shipped.

HOPEfully I can get this girl up and running shortly... I'm feeling a bit claustrophobic without the option to just get up and drive wherever I want to.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Moondog...

*looks forlornly at her license, suspiciously lacking in the motorcycling category* Drat it anyway, however much I'd love to take you up on that, I can't. *pouts*

*goes to pet her car* I miss my girl.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

i might have a motorcycle for sale soon if you need something to get you around

---

"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

Heh... I think you're right, moondog... his official, official diagnosis was something about blowing a rod... something of the sort. Ugh, I hate my memory. Of course, the term means nothing to me, so why I expect to remember it...

They're looking for a new engine for me. *sigh* Hopefully, with his connections, we could get one for 500-600 bucks or so. *crosses fingers* I really really hope it's not much more than that.

Drat it all anyway... nothing ever goes right... here I was sitting there thinking, gee, now that I've got some money, maybe I can fix her up a bit, you know... de-dent and de-scratch... finally get in those front speakers... ARGH. No use getting some good sound in there if I can't GO anywhere. *mutters*

Hopefully in a week or so, I'll have my car back, but I don't know... until then I'm begging rides off of people. *sigh*

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

well, if it "sounds like it has marbles inside" chances are you blew a rod or two (or more ). it's fixable, but you can get a new car for what it would cost, even at "shop discount" prices. unless your uncle has *another* engine laying around he can put in there

---

"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

My uncle IS professional. He's worked for Oldsmobile for as long as I can remember, and has worked on cars most of his life.

He's diagnosed the engine as a goner. *sigh*



********holds out cup*********

Alms, alms for the poor!

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

for god sakes stop starting the thing!! If it WON'T turn, don't force it!! It does sound like an oiling/cooling problem, and non-oilage is bad, bad bad bad. If you can't turn it by hand, and it sound like there are marbles in it, thats classic no-oil pressure. Several things could contribute to that, but have it professionaly checked if you want to keep it.

So, I'm driving home from work and am chugging happily down one of the busiest streets in this town. As I was slowing down for a stop light maybe 1/2 a mile from my house, I feel the return of the stuttering and ticking in the engine. It did this on the way TO work, and now on the way home. I turn off the radio to listen intently.

*chugchugchug* *silence* (Or, well, as silent as you can get on a major street.)

*stare at 'check engine' and 'check oil' lights* *put into park, restart car* *chugchugchug* *silence* Repeat.

In any case, I got her started and since I was handily at a place I could turn off the main road and onto the side streets, I did so. She behaved decently on the rest of the trip home.

I pulled into our driveway (instead of across the street, where I rent garage space) and get out to stare under the hood, for what good it will do me. I flagged my dad over and he tells me to shut it off, he wants to check the oil. I do so.

We discuss random things it could be, then he points out a cracked... uh... PCV valve? (Something like that. I may have those initials mixed up.) The oil IS a tad bit low, but it's time for an oil change, anyway. He asks me to restart it, so I get back in the car.

*revrevrev* (unusual sounding rev, too) *die* *revrevrevTHUNKCLUNKTHUNK* *die*

And here comes the bad part...

*tries starting again* *RRRT*

Nothing, it won't even turn over. You just hear it powering up, things engage, but it won't turn over. Not even a flicker of life from the motor.

My dad hooked up the battery charger, thinking the battery might be gone. Still won't crank...

So my dad's beating on things to try to get it to unlock... Not sure exactly what, he had me try to crank the engine as he did so.

Nada. Zip. Zilch.

Nary a sound of of the car except the sound of electronics powering up.

After breaking one socket (Craftsmen... yay, it will be replaced for free) trying to free up the uh... flywheel? - Something over by the belt assembly - and a short conversation with his brother who is a mechanic, he comes up with some options...

Either the oil pump died, something else died that he can't pinpoint, or *chokes* the motor died.

We wound up having to PUSH the car off to the side (oh, humiliation *pats her car soothingly*), which we haven't had to do since we PUT the motor in the car.

My poor baby!

I'm just so glad I managed to coax her home and not have her go caplooey on the street.

My poor, poor baby. I don't know what I'm going to do if I can't get her started... I can't afford a new motor OR a new car, for that matter.

It's so weird that everything was fine before I got gas yesterday... I mean, yeah, she was running a bit rough, but my dad thinks that was from the cracked valve. I filled up and patted myself cause my baby girl was getting gas from the BP instead of the lesser quality Citgo gas. (Hey, it was cheaper for once.) I don't know if it had something to do with the gas or if it was just coincidence.

In any case, I'm carless for the moment. We're going out of town for the weekend and that means we won't be able to work on her until Sunday night, which is just FAR too close to Monday morning for my comfort.

This is SO not a cool way to start off the weekend! :#(

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Hummm,
I think that was more information than I needed.

Losing brain cells...
At my age I need all I can keep...

Frank


Last edited by FRANK at 20-Aug-2005 17:34

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Peeing myself laughing (PMSL) at (@) RRRT ("RRRT", see car noise description above)

Don't ask why "myself" suddently becomes "MS" when it is clearly one word... it just does.

If you try to wrap your brain around the logic of net slang, you are gunna blow a few brain cells

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Ok, I give up...
Whats a "PMSL @ RRRT" ?


Frank


Last edited by FRANK at 20-Aug-2005 09:28

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

PMSL @ RRRT!!!

Thats the best giggle i've had all day! THANKYOU!



For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

i guess it's a good thing that you have a mechanic in the family, that means you will save a TON of money getting it fixed (if it can be fixed), and if it can't be fixed, you have someone who can tow it wherever it needs to be towed

---

"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

heidi - if it were the alternator, you'd know about it sooner - hubby had the alternator replaced in his truck..

we found out the hard way.. were driving along, and the battery level just drained... and we just died going down the street..

that and you wouldn't get that rrrrttt sound if it were - you probably wouldn't get anything.

But I don't claim to be a mechanic

What kind of car is it?