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bktheirregularTaxi provider today (occupational hazard when living with someone who's severely sight-impaired). Simple enough, no qualms on my part.
Until, that is, I was on Route 4 westbound and heard a snap-clatter coming from under the hood of the car.
What the hey?
I turned off the highway to make a U-turn and noticed the power steering had conked out. Then I heard a pinging and saw a battery warning light on the dash. Then next to it, a yellow warning light indicating the antilock brakes had gone on the fritz. And on top of that, the temperature gauge was climbing.
Okay, it was pretty clear that bang-clatter under the hood had been something letting go, but all those problems cropping up at once? I figured there had to be at least one false positive in the bunch, so I nursed the car to pick up my mom and head for the service garage.
And just as I pulled into the mall parking lot, the engine conked out and I saw steam coming from under the hood.
Called a towtruck, called the garage, called a place where I had an appointment in Manhattan to let them know not to expect me. AAA said the truck would be there in 45 minutes.
An hour later, I called back and they said they'd be there in 15 minutes.
An hour after that, the truck finally lumbered by. Got the hookup, got the car to the garage. The mechanic popped the hood and shook his head.
Yeah, one mechanical failure could knock out all those systems ... because the engineers had put the power-steering motor, the alternator, and the coolant pump on the same drive belt ... and since that was the only belt in the engine, when the bearing let go and the belt slipped loose, that's all she wrote.
I'm home now, safe. A little torqued off at General Motors, but safe.
Until, that is, I was on Route 4 westbound and heard a snap-clatter coming from under the hood of the car.
What the hey?
I turned off the highway to make a U-turn and noticed the power steering had conked out. Then I heard a pinging and saw a battery warning light on the dash. Then next to it, a yellow warning light indicating the antilock brakes had gone on the fritz. And on top of that, the temperature gauge was climbing.
Okay, it was pretty clear that bang-clatter under the hood had been something letting go, but all those problems cropping up at once? I figured there had to be at least one false positive in the bunch, so I nursed the car to pick up my mom and head for the service garage.
And just as I pulled into the mall parking lot, the engine conked out and I saw steam coming from under the hood.
Called a towtruck, called the garage, called a place where I had an appointment in Manhattan to let them know not to expect me. AAA said the truck would be there in 45 minutes.
An hour later, I called back and they said they'd be there in 15 minutes.
An hour after that, the truck finally lumbered by. Got the hookup, got the car to the garage. The mechanic popped the hood and shook his head.
Yeah, one mechanical failure could knock out all those systems ... because the engineers had put the power-steering motor, the alternator, and the coolant pump on the same drive belt ... and since that was the only belt in the engine, when the bearing let go and the belt slipped loose, that's all she wrote.
I'm home now, safe. A little torqued off at General Motors, but safe.
