dogdots
Vendor
You know the old adage, the body shop guy has the ugliest car, and the mechanic's car never runs right? Well, I try not to be that guy...but today was something else 
I had to drive to Chicago today for business, I will be here all week. I waffled on whether to drive my hot rod Jetta (daily driver), my hot rod Beetle, or my 1.8t Jetta. Yesterday, I go shopping for wife's Christmas present at the jewelry store and my hot rod Jetta sprung a pretty good sized heater core leak. Bummer. I was planning to take that one in to the body shop for a repaint this winter and its almost due for a timing belt, so no biggie. I'll drive something else on my road trip...
Couldn't bring myself to drive the gasser, 20 mpg less and its a tiptronic and I hate the feel of leather seats when they are cold...
So I hop in the lifted Beetle and start my 8 hour drive. Fill up on my way out of town, a while later I notice the fuel gauge is way lower than expected, and I also notice some "smoke" every once in a while behind me, then I notice a few cars using spray wipers as they approach to pass. Bummer, must be a pretty good fuel leak. Didn't smell anything...Pulled off in the next town, popped the hood to find the injector return hose to the IP cracked and too short to cut any off.
Here's a kicker, I parked in a Wal-Mart lot, guess what? They don't carry any tubing or vac hose at all Found a farm supply store open, bought some 1/8" tubing, and I'm on my way.
Next I notice the clutch slipping in 5th when I romp it Must have gotten some of that diesel on the clutch during the fuel leak.
The stretch of I-55 from Springfield, IL to Chicago was like Kansas City rush hour the entire drive. I never did make it all the way up to the speed limit once I left I-72. I also had the unfortunate experience of seeing the very fresh aftermath of a brutal 2 vehicle crash just south of Joliet in the south bound lanes, I-55 south was completely shut down while they cleaned that up.
I finally get to Chicago, and I am hungry and tired, and 2 hours behind schedule. I drive thru a new Hardees, roll down the window, and as I am driving off it only rolls half way up and binds then returns down. Jacked with that for longer than I wanted to, the car is spending a week of overnights in a hotel parking lot so I am glad I finally got it rolled back up.
Looks like I have a heater core job, a timing belt job, a window regulator replacement, and a clutch job waiting on me when I get home
I just wanted to vent a bit, I hope everyone else had a good day today.
I had to drive to Chicago today for business, I will be here all week. I waffled on whether to drive my hot rod Jetta (daily driver), my hot rod Beetle, or my 1.8t Jetta. Yesterday, I go shopping for wife's Christmas present at the jewelry store and my hot rod Jetta sprung a pretty good sized heater core leak. Bummer. I was planning to take that one in to the body shop for a repaint this winter and its almost due for a timing belt, so no biggie. I'll drive something else on my road trip...
Couldn't bring myself to drive the gasser, 20 mpg less and its a tiptronic and I hate the feel of leather seats when they are cold...
So I hop in the lifted Beetle and start my 8 hour drive. Fill up on my way out of town, a while later I notice the fuel gauge is way lower than expected, and I also notice some "smoke" every once in a while behind me, then I notice a few cars using spray wipers as they approach to pass. Bummer, must be a pretty good fuel leak. Didn't smell anything...Pulled off in the next town, popped the hood to find the injector return hose to the IP cracked and too short to cut any off.
Here's a kicker, I parked in a Wal-Mart lot, guess what? They don't carry any tubing or vac hose at all
Found a farm supply store open, bought some 1/8" tubing, and I'm on my way.Next I notice the clutch slipping in 5th when I romp it
Must have gotten some of that diesel on the clutch during the fuel leak.The stretch of I-55 from Springfield, IL to Chicago was like Kansas City rush hour the entire drive. I never did make it all the way up to the speed limit once I left I-72. I also had the unfortunate experience of seeing the very fresh aftermath of a brutal 2 vehicle crash just south of Joliet in the south bound lanes, I-55 south was completely shut down while they cleaned that up.
I finally get to Chicago, and I am hungry and tired, and 2 hours behind schedule. I drive thru a new Hardees, roll down the window, and as I am driving off it only rolls half way up and binds then returns down. Jacked with that for longer than I wanted to, the car is spending a week of overnights in a hotel parking lot so I am glad I finally got it rolled back up.
Looks like I have a heater core job, a timing belt job, a window regulator replacement, and a clutch job waiting on me when I get home
I just wanted to vent a bit, I hope everyone else had a good day today.
