Omg I love Reg!So we're officially on vacation. Drove from Halifax to Levis, Quebec on the first leg of our journey and made it, somehow.
Just outside of Edmunston NB, I lost my alternator and power steering. Figured the car threw a belt, so I limped 2km to a gas station and pulled in. Opened the hood... nope, not the belt (which was still there, and in perfect shape)... the belt tensioner had shit itself. Bearing was fine but the swivel part exploded apart.
After standing in front of the car, thinking well shit it's a friday and we're fucked, calling auto parts places looking for another tensioner, finding out the nearest VW/Audi dealership couldn't have one until Tuesday... a few locals started stopping to help. One was a retired farmer called Reg, who had just come back from fixing someone's tractor and had some tools. I got the tensioner out of the car using his tools and sized up what happened... and he said "let's go to my garage, we'll get this thing going"
I can barely speak any french, and he can barely speak any english, but we had a pretty good laugh figuring out how to talk to each other and coming up with something. We bent a piece of steel bar scrap in a vice, and drilled a couple of holes in it:
And 300km later, it's holding up great.
Has to last 400km until we make it to Ottawa.
So we're officially on vacation. Drove from Halifax to Levis, Quebec on the first leg of our journey and made it, somehow.
Just outside of Edmunston NB, I lost my alternator and power steering. Figured the car threw a belt, so I limped 2km to a gas station and pulled in. Opened the hood... nope, not the belt (which was still there, and in perfect shape)... the belt tensioner had shit itself. Bearing was fine but the swivel part exploded apart.
After standing in front of the car, thinking well shit it's a friday and we're fucked, calling auto parts places looking for another tensioner, finding out the nearest VW/Audi dealership couldn't have one until Tuesday... a few locals started stopping to help. One was a retired farmer called Reg, who had just come back from fixing someone's tractor and had some tools. I got the tensioner out of the car using his tools and sized up what happened... and he said "let's go to my garage, we'll get this thing going"
I can barely speak any french, and he can barely speak any english, but we had a pretty good laugh figuring out how to talk to each other and coming up with something. We bent a piece of steel bar scrap in a vice, and drilled a couple of holes in it:
And 300km later, it's holding up great.
Has to last 400km until we make it to Ottawa.
What's it doing?Meh. I'm about to say Kadish for my engine.
Looks like a "Pre-Owned" is getting popped in.
Hoping for a 1 year warranty.
Not likely. 6 months is standard.
Tell me about it. That whole experience made my vacation. Saved it too.That's a good fucking story.
Canada is amazingSo we're officially on vacation. Drove from Halifax to Levis, Quebec on the first leg of our journey and made it, somehow.
Just outside of Edmunston NB, I lost my alternator and power steering. Figured the car threw a belt, so I limped 2km to a gas station and pulled in. Opened the hood... nope, not the belt (which was still there, and in perfect shape)... the belt tensioner had shit itself. Bearing was fine but the swivel part exploded apart.
After standing in front of the car, thinking well shit it's a friday and we're fucked, calling auto parts places looking for another tensioner, finding out the nearest VW/Audi dealership couldn't have one until Tuesday... a few locals started stopping to help. One was a retired farmer called Reg, who had just come back from fixing someone's tractor and had some tools. I got the tensioner out of the car using his tools and sized up what happened... and he said "let's go to my garage, we'll get this thing going"
I can barely speak any french, and he can barely speak any english, but we had a pretty good laugh figuring out how to talk to each other and coming up with something. We bent a piece of steel bar scrap in a vice, and drilled a couple of holes in it:
And 300km later, it's holding up great.
Has to last 400km until we make it to Ottawa.
Low compression. Mechanic couldn't save it. Check engine light blinking intermittently. Shopping for replacement, won't be long now.What's it doing?
Did it hold together?Tell me about it. That whole experience made my vacation. Saved it too.
Low compression. Mechanic couldn't save it. Check engine light blinking intermittently. Shopping for replacement, won't be long now.
Glad I didn't catch a 20 mile.walk home from Gastonia last night