Some days you take one route home and some days another. Some days you get home and some days, well – some days you might have to sit and wait for the tow truck.Monday I decided to take the 401 (part of the TransCanada) and a quick way to skirt the kings-town traffic. Good choice, bad choice, who knows. Right smack dab between one on ramp and the next off ramp (less than 1k.) I heard a slight "pouf" from under the hood. In the passing lane, on the business side of a semi I was suddenly dead in the proverbial water. Thankfully I was doing a speed that left me with enough forward momentum to coast across 4 lanes and come to a not so graceful stop on the shoulder. Done like a dinner. I loved that 14 year old piece of nuts and bolts.
Two months ago my trusty mechanic said, "You should have that timing belt adjusted!" I didn't. It broke. Car died. She was 350k old. She lived a good life but …
Bought a ‘new to me’ Hyundai Tucson tonight. Clean, fair price but not my old gal. Forced to change I would have rather had the playful, turbo charged little AWD Nissan (mid life crisis) Juke. It came down to how much I was willing to pay for fun. I decided I’d ride the Star for fun and settle for the previously loved, older, more practical and much cheaper SUV the rest of the time. Hopefully she lasts as long her predecessor the SanteFe.Lesson learned. Next time I will listen to my 'learned' mechanic.
And as an aside I had quite the chat with that tow truck operator about drivers who don’t move over for emergency vehicles. Response time for the rescue 25 minutes. They prioritize motorists stranded on the freeway. They realize how dangerous it is. Slow down folks – move over. It could be me or the white knight who came to rescue me that you kill!
(Thanks Google for the pictures on todays post.)
Karen, Bummer but 350k is beyond retirement time for most cars, so have it rest in pieces ;-)
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the new (to you) car. I have heard it is quite the work horse. The Juke might have been a fun car but wait until you have to transport stuff... nothing fits in it, really. You're better off with the Tucson.
I keep telling myself that Sonja!
DeleteGlad you were able to coast to the right side of the expressway. Being stuck in the middle of traffic is pretty dangerous. 350k is pretty impressive for a timing belt. Their life is usually half of that.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new ride! Is the Tucson the newer version of the Santa Fe? And what is this "mid-life crisis" that you speak of?
Richard, the timing belt on the Santa Fe had received regular maintenance up until about the 300k mark (my bad!) The Tucson is the smaller but very similar looking 4Cyllinder version of the Santa Fe. I wanted to downsize and hopefully save a little on gas. Oh and the mid-life crisis ... it's more of an old age crisis having realized I didn't have a mid-life crisis .... I figured that must be why I wanted a sporty model. (Practical always - only choose vehicles with the where-with-all to get up the snow filled drive; perhaps I should have gotten a snow blower instead!)
DeleteNot good at all, but a 25 minute response time is excellent. I think you'll grow to love the Tucson. I have several friends with them and they all swear by them. In fact when my Escape dies (a year or two from now I hope) that's one of the cars I'll be looking at as a replacement - the other will be the Santa Fe.
ReplyDeleteCanajun - 25 minutes was an excellent response time though it seemed like forever. I've been a Santa Fe owner since late 1999. The first one had a shorter than expected lifespan when number 2 son parked/placed a telephone pole on the roof. He walked away with a scratch on his cheek from the air bag. If the Tucson lasts anything like the Santa Fe (#2) I will be happy, not sporty, but happy! Good news is - timing chain not belt ... and I still have an excellent mechanic when the remainder of the warranty is up.
DeleteHopefully those minutes waiting and the entire disruption weren't too costly.....could always have been longer and in worse conditions. Good luck with the new 350k vehicle!
ReplyDeleteCoop, in the big scheme of things this was barely a discernable blip: for sure it could have ended much worse. My fingers are crossed and I'm betting on another 350k! (In all honesty - I like the new colour way better than the old colour. The old colour was really ugly, but I never told her that!)
ReplyDeleteYikes. Glad you were able to move over safely.
ReplyDeleteAnd congrats on your new to you Tucsan.
Thanks and no kidding - could have been worse. I didn't find car shopping under pressure fun though!
DeleteGlad to read you were safely able to get out of harms way. I had an old Mustang beater that conked out in the left express lanes of the 401 in Toronto. I could only pull off to the left against the cement barrier. Sitting atop it waiting for the tow truck to arrive was a scary time. Great minds must think alike....you're the only other person I know who like the little Juke! True, we have the bikes for the "fun" and the 4 wheel contrivance needs to be practical. Good luck with the new wheels. After your experience perhaps I shouldn't dilly dally on getting mine in for service. Cheers
ReplyDeleteThankfully 'kings-town' traffic is nothing like traffic in the 'big-smoke,' though we do have our share of impatient drivers and I did manage to be on the receiving end of a few honks and, I think, a couple of rude finger gestures it ended safely. (No sitting on top of the car, but I did get to ride in a big tow truck!)
ReplyDeleteWhile I was standing in the dealership tonight waiting to be handed the keys to my 'new to me' Tucson my phone rang. It was the Nissan dealer. They had a Juke coming in next week, just what I was looking for - was I interested? Really!
As a friend of mine always tries to convince me - things happen for a reason. I keep looking out the door at the Tucson, it's a nice car I tell myself ...it's not a Juke, but it's a nice car. Things happen for a reason!
Glad you were able to get over and get stopped safely! My radiator blew on the freeway once - windshield was instantly coated in this brownish spray, scared the bejesus out of me. Luckily I was already in the right lane. Good luck with your new wheels!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathleen - at least I could see, cant imagine the experience with a windshield covered with slime.
ReplyDelete