Exploder Exploded Explosively

[SnikPlosskin]

Wife called me Tuesday afternoon.

Wife: "Uh...there is coolant pouring out of the truck. I was inside the store (lots of unrelated random shit here) and coolant was gushing out (more unrelated stuff) and I found the radiator cap off".

Me: "WTF. I'll come and get you."

Bought two gallons of coolant and a new cap. Poured it in, screwed it on and fired it up. Temp was fine. Drove it home.

Tested it for the last two days. Had some misfiring. Didn't throw a code. Hmmm. Worried about head gasket, took it in for pressure test, compression test, oil test.

Clean as a whistle. Held pressure for over an hour on both tests. Oil tested clean of coolant.

Driving it to Wyoming later this month. If it breaks down in the heat, we'll have a dangerous situation with the dogs (keeping them cool).

Pleased that it passed the tests. But I think I'll pick up a spare coil pack. 140,750 miles on that bugger.

Taking bets. I say we will make it.

[Stangkiller]

Most rental cars come with unlimited mileage...have you considered renting a vehicle for your road trip, as opposed to being forced to fix or abandon your explorer in unfamiliar territory should anything happen to it?

[lspencer534]

Clear me up on one thing: Wife says, "I found the radiator cap off". Was it missing or what? Did you have to install a new one? If that's absolutely the only thing wrong, then you should be okay with the cap back on.

[Burro (He/Haw)]

we'll have a dangerous situation with the dogs
Most of our summer shows are outside. It's friggin' HOT. These are the things we do, and I'll swear by them. :yesnod:

Cool Coat. Fosters and Smith carries them, but you can make them pretty easy. Cool Coats (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=26729)

Crate fans. They clip on the door, battery powered. Crate fans

The last thing is a thermal shade. We open the rear hatch, all the doors and windows and wrap this thing around half the truck. It's a mesh so it still breaths. Shade (http://solarthermalfabrics.com/img/thermal_shadecloth_closup.jpg) They're for sale at every agility and conformation show I've ever been to. They work like a champ.

[VatorMan]

Ditto on Stangkillers post. If you don't trust your car, rent one.

[RED-85-Z51]

Think someone got into the car and removed the cap, knowing it would boil over..and was going to attempt to use this "breakdown" as a means to do something illegal?

Basically...the plot to the movie "breakdown" with Kurt Russel?

[Burro (He/Haw)]

Think someone got into the car and removed the cap, knowing it would boil over..and was going to attempt to use this "breakdown" as a means to do something illegal?
Do you have a chain around your refrigerator so nobody can tamper with your food when you're not home?

[Jeff '79]

Do you have a chain around your refrigerator so nobody can tamper with your food when you're not home?

No need for that...
His fridge carries...:seasix:

[Burro (He/Haw)]

No need for that...
His fridge carries...:seasix:
Booby trapped fridge. Nice.

[RED-85-Z51]

Do you have a chain around your refrigerator so nobody can tamper with your food when you're not home?

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31tpiAV8XBL.jpg

[Bill]

Do you have a chain around your refrigerator so nobody can tamper with your food when you're not home?

He'll get around to that after his new nanny moves in.

http://cdn.inquisitr.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/nanny1-1-665x385.jpg

[lspencer534]

He'll get around to that after his new nanny moves in.

http://cdn.inquisitr.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/nanny1-1-665x385.jpg

WTF is wrong with that loony anyway? I know Cali's laws make if difficult to evict someone, but she's going to eventually lose.

[Grey Ghost]

I would still consider replacing hoses, belt, thermostat, etc...before making a trip. I would also go ahead with a full coolant system flush.

[Jeff '79]

I would take it to the Ford stealership and have them do a complete checkup, and then let them fix everything that they say needs to be fixed. :seasix:

[Bill]

WTF is wrong with that loony anyway? I know Cali's laws make if difficult to evict someone, but she's going to eventually lose.

She apparently has no where else to go. She's estranged from her family, according to news reports, and was spotted sleeping in her car a few nights.

So, she really has limited options. She can just go quietly and be homeless, sleeping in the car, or she can stay, and hope she can push the family's buttons enough to get them to do something that she can sue for.

Right now she's got a place to stay and is actively trying to punch her lawsuit lotto ticket.

If anything, that woman should be a cautionary tale to everyone else.....save for your future or you might end up like her.

[Kerrmudgeon]

Bring some tools, and parts like belts and stuff that might break like that coil pack, and go. Stay on the major highways so if you do breakdown someone will be along soon. Do you have triple A coverage? :bigears:

Road trips are a blast! :hurray:

[JRD77VET]

Bring some tools, and parts like belts and stuff that might break like that coil pack, and go. Stay on the major highways so if you do breakdown someone will be along soon. Do you have triple A coverage? :bigears:

Road trips are a blast! :hurray:

Similar but less expensive is AMA membership which gives towing coverage

$49 a year with towing coverage
AMA Membership Sign-Up (http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join)

[markids77]

If it runs cool don't eff with it. Everything in the cooling system is copacetic with everything else.

Case in point... I recently bought a 90 Miata with 155,000 on the clock. Drove it about 1K trouble free, dead center of the temp gauge miles but the coolant looked like iced coffee so I had a flush and radiator hoses done. Not 50 miles later the thermostat failed closed 20 miles from home. Got that replaced, and on the second post repair junket tonight the water pump started to leak. I suspect if I had simply kept an eye on things and left well enough alone I would still be riding and smiling.

[Bill]

If it runs cool don't eff with it. Everything in the cooling system is copacetic with everything else.

Case in point... I recently bought a 90 Miata with 155,000 on the clock. Drove it about 1K trouble free, dead center of the temp gauge miles but the coolant looked like iced coffee so I had a flush and radiator hoses done. Not 50 miles later the thermostat failed closed 20 miles from home. Got that replaced, and on the second post repair junket tonight the water pump started to leak. I suspect if I had simply kept an eye on things and left well enough alone I would still be riding and smiling.

You hear the same kinds of stories with respect to replacing transmission fluid and filter on a high mileage car that has the original fluid in it.

[SnikPlosskin]

Most rental cars come with unlimited mileage...have you considered renting a vehicle for your road trip, as opposed to being forced to fix or abandon your explorer in unfamiliar territory should anything happen to it?

Runs about $1000. This trip wasn't planned. My dad wants me to come out. There is a music festival on the mountain. We are on a tight budget.

I think the truck will do fine. I guess if we get stranded, we will have it towed then rent a vehicle or some shit.

Not ruling out a rental though...

What would be great is to rent the vehicle just for the four days of driving and use my parents vehicles. But I do like having my own wheels.

On the other hand, there is absolutely nothing to do there.

[SnikPlosskin]

I would still consider replacing hoses, belt, thermostat, etc...before making a trip. I would also go ahead with a full coolant system flush.

Chris Fowler and I replaced the intake manifold about five months ago and the belt is less than a year old. Hoses are only two years old. I've kept up on the maintenance.

I will buy a coil pack and some radiator repair tape and bring some tools.