In the Middle (of a run) - the saga continues - and it Blew!!
Yep, she blew.
Got on the road from Lexington, KY to Daleville, VA around 8:00 am this morning. Yesterday, when I pre-tripped this truck, I noticed the water was low. The check engine light came on briefly but went out. I added about two gallons of water to the holding tank. My company tech rep said this truck, for some reason, had been showing the check engine light occasionally. Said to put water in it, keep an eye on the gauges and head out.
I had to put another gallon in it around lunch time today, but the check engine light was not coming on and it was running OK. I was anxious to get home after being on the road most of a week, missing my bus driving appointment, and the Baton Rouge experience. About 40 miles outside of my destination, I managed to miss an exit that added about 10 miles to my trip. Approximately 3 miles from my destination, the check engine light came on and the heat gauge shot up. I was lucky enough that there was an emergency lane, for some reason, on US 220 and I was able to get completely off the road. Immediately, I was surrounded by steam coming out of the exhaust (I had already shut the engine off). I'm assuming it was a blown headgasket and that explains the water situation. A trooper pulled in behind me almost immediately. I called my company, lined up a wrecker, and was dropped off at my car which had been parked at my destination about 3 miles away - all within an hour.
I didn't get to deliver and complete the trip the way I wanted, but I did get home - finally. There were an unbelievable number of events that happened both good and bad on this 7 day journey. What I will say is, that for some reason, every time something bad happened, it was followed by something good. The sales guy who felt he'd screwed up by not having the truck to pick up at the right place so drove me there (50 miles); the tech on duty late at night who could talk me thru cranking up a boom and moving it back in to place for the first time; the hotel clerks trying to do the impossible and find me a cab in Baton Rouge; the sales rep at the other end who let me drive the truck and park it next to the bus station rather than leave it at the staging point (since no cabs were available in Baton Rouge); the passenger on the bus who volunteered, along with his ride, to take me to the Houston airport at 2:30 am and, along the way, stop at 6 or 7 hotels to see if there were rooms; the baggage handler at the airport who took pity on me and let me use her fax machine; the trooper who took me to my car; and there's more, but I'm too long again.
This was quite a trip. Being new to this, I just wonder if this is what I can expect it to continue to be like - a lot of good and some bad.
Got on the road from Lexington, KY to Daleville, VA around 8:00 am this morning. Yesterday, when I pre-tripped this truck, I noticed the water was low. The check engine light came on briefly but went out. I added about two gallons of water to the holding tank. My company tech rep said this truck, for some reason, had been showing the check engine light occasionally. Said to put water in it, keep an eye on the gauges and head out.
I had to put another gallon in it around lunch time today, but the check engine light was not coming on and it was running OK. I was anxious to get home after being on the road most of a week, missing my bus driving appointment, and the Baton Rouge experience. About 40 miles outside of my destination, I managed to miss an exit that added about 10 miles to my trip. Approximately 3 miles from my destination, the check engine light came on and the heat gauge shot up. I was lucky enough that there was an emergency lane, for some reason, on US 220 and I was able to get completely off the road. Immediately, I was surrounded by steam coming out of the exhaust (I had already shut the engine off). I'm assuming it was a blown headgasket and that explains the water situation. A trooper pulled in behind me almost immediately. I called my company, lined up a wrecker, and was dropped off at my car which had been parked at my destination about 3 miles away - all within an hour.
I didn't get to deliver and complete the trip the way I wanted, but I did get home - finally. There were an unbelievable number of events that happened both good and bad on this 7 day journey. What I will say is, that for some reason, every time something bad happened, it was followed by something good. The sales guy who felt he'd screwed up by not having the truck to pick up at the right place so drove me there (50 miles); the tech on duty late at night who could talk me thru cranking up a boom and moving it back in to place for the first time; the hotel clerks trying to do the impossible and find me a cab in Baton Rouge; the sales rep at the other end who let me drive the truck and park it next to the bus station rather than leave it at the staging point (since no cabs were available in Baton Rouge); the passenger on the bus who volunteered, along with his ride, to take me to the Houston airport at 2:30 am and, along the way, stop at 6 or 7 hotels to see if there were rooms; the baggage handler at the airport who took pity on me and let me use her fax machine; the trooper who took me to my car; and there's more, but I'm too long again.
This was quite a trip. Being new to this, I just wonder if this is what I can expect it to continue to be like - a lot of good and some bad.
posted by Harry | 12:18 AM
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