I hit Vegas on Wednesday, thinking my tax appointment was for that day at 2 p.m. and I had my day planned around it. Luckily, I happened to go back and check, one more time, because for some reason age has dimmed…just about everything when it comes to times, appointments, where did I put this or that so I’d remember exactly where it was when I wanted it — yeah…right! When I checked back, I realized it was for Thursday, the next day but my plans were set for other things, like picking up my jeep.
Monte (part of the truck driving duo that doesn’t drive truck anymore) took me into Vegas and I had plans to meet the friend-mechanic at his dad’s house where my jeep had been held hostage without a motor for almost 7 weeks. We go there, Friend-mechanic started it up, sounded great and he drove off. Monte drove off. I started to drive off. Very little oomph when pushing on the pedal and it seemed to slide into 2nd and then I had a little bit of speed…plus the check engine light came on. BOO HISS!
I called friend-mechanic, he met me back at the house of origin and spent 15 minutes checking under the hood, sensor checks, and crawled underneath the jeep 3-4 times. He also checked the transmission fluid. ZIP! He went down to an auto store and came back with 3 quarts, put 1 and 1/2 in and drove it up and down the short street a few times. It still wasn’t very responsive so back underneath it, etc., etc., etc. I called Monte, just to make sure I wouldn’t be stranded in Vegas with no way home…he had a few things to do and would be available for a bit.
My lunch buddies were already at the prearranged destination and eating without me. I was to pick up my son Dan at Carole’s house where he had stayed most of 5 weeks so he’d be available to help pull the motor and take it apart, and put it back together, and, blah, blah, blah.
I asked friend-mechanic if I could drive it home and make it. “Yes.” My thought was that leaving it in Vegas would never get it running until Riot graduated from high school…that’s how it felt anyway.
I got lost trying to find Carole’s house from the location I was at. A phone call, a ‘stop and ask’ at a corner market/gas station got me to Rancho Dr. From there I was good to go. I got Dan loaded up and we headed up to Summerlin and Red Rock Canyon.
We stopped at a burger place and checked the oil. Couldn’t see any on the dipstick. Dan said friend-mechanic brought him 5 quarts and told him to put them in, he did. After we bought two more quarts at a nearby station, and put them in, we could see the sheen of the oil on the dipstick in the sunlight – new engines and rebuilds always have that I suppose, it’s only after some driving that the oil is dark and ugly. I had a manual in the jeep and Dan found the maximum oil fill on it — 6 quarts. We were a quart over. FK!
We drove up to a small shopping center and he crawled underneath the jeep and drained some of it out. Of course we left a pool of oil in the lot, yeah, we’re bad people…also, very desperate people. I was exhausted, frustrated, and ready to go crawl in a corner and see if I could sleep through this little piece of life’s history. All this waiting, all the stress of not having a vehicle, and now this. We drove slowly around the lot and checked the oil again, PERFECT! Still having to get the dipstick in the sunlight to see the sheen.
By now the jeep was shifting just fine…amazing what putting transmission fluid in it does, eh? And the check engine light went out. And we were heading the 70 miles to home. I texted Monte to let him know we were heading out and if we had a problem, we’d try to call him. There is no cell reception over Mt. Potosi and the Spring Mountains so up there, one would have to rely on someone stopping to give you an assist. There is a fire station at the top, right on the highway, and some residences so that’s helpful.
The hood latch wouldn’t ‘lock’ down. It was held down by the safety catch all the way home but we didn’t have much choice. There was no wind and we weren’t in race-mode so it worked out. Dan took that piece off shortly after we got home and fixed it. Thanks, Dan!
There are a couple of things that aren’t as they should be but it could be a ground or a fuse. As far as the engine goes, it’s so smooth and sounds absolutely great. Next month I hope to have the transmission flushed just for the sake of taking care of the vehicle. I’ll probably be driving it until I die and I’d like to keep it in good shape. I’m so-o-o-o-o-o-o happy to have my jeep back. *Joy tears*
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The moon from last night can be viewed here at Facebook – the image manager is still kaput on my blog.
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I have 20,000 or so things I’d like to get finished today. BTW, I made the tax appointment on Thursday, if any of you are in the Vegas area, I recommend Saundra Carriker at e-file tax services. If you go, please tell her I sent you — naw…no bonus for me, I just want her to know I’m thinking of her and really appreciate the great job she does for me.
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My 2nd place finish a few days ago at the WSOP.com in the $1,500 guarantee that starts nightly can be viewed here – (image manger still not working) – and I wanted 1st place but you know how that fickle Card Fairy is.
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I’m out…going to try and do at least 2 of those 20,000 or so things I’d like to finish up today.