Yesterday we where headed home from ma to pa. We had to stay an extra day because Kristens dad ended up in the hospital.
Somewhere around halfway home, probably 3 hours from Massachusetts 3 and 1/2 hours from home, dead middle of nowhere, all of a sudden I looked down and there's a check engine light.
That's not good. Look over the left temp gauge is pegged.
Pulled over to check the coolant level, milkshake in the overflow tank. Immediately I think head gasket. Check the oil, oil's clean.
Weird
Firstst thing I do pm JD like "how do I diagnose this one, I'm stumped?" Hahah, then fill it back up and keep on trucking.
After about 3 hours of adding water and driving and adding water and driving, I realize this ain't going to happen or if it does we are going to need WAY more water.
Pulled off the highway in search of anyplace I can get more water and find an OLD SCHOOL but busy mechanic shop. Walked in and asked to fill my jugs. We started talking about the problem..
"Is it pink" he says
"No, well....mmhmmm. maybe?"
We go look. It's pink. Not engine oil, it's tranny fluid.
The radiator and the trans cooler are one in the same in that 4 Runner..
Good news!!
I'm pretty broke. I ask the dude if I find a radiator, some tools and a parking lot and I get it swapped if they will flush the tranny for me today so I can get home.
"Sure" he says.
I find the Rad, it's 15 miles away and dude advised I don't drive that distance. Save the trans at all costs.
He calls someone, I don't know who. Puts in the order through some parts system tells the guy where the radiator was that I found, adds 10 gallons of trans fluid and ask the gentleman to deliver it to his shop.
I'm like awesome!!!! But in the back of my mind I'm thinking, your parking lot is unplowed and I can't go borrow AutoZone tools to do it if I don't drive, I also would rather make a mess in a strangers parking lot, not here.
Order goes in, dude shows me his COST and asked me if I had that much. I did. He said "alright they will be here in a bit"
I walk to the bank, come back and ask "what do you want me to do while we're waiting? I'll sweep the floors, shovel? you're helping me out put me to use till the parts get here".
I said "I'm sending Kristen to go get tools but I can help till then"
Dude said, "pull around to that bay, I'll let you in. Don't send her anywhere"
I pull in, he opens the door, his brother roles me over a tool cart, fully loaded, and dude says "see if you can get it pulled out before the new one gets here"
I could play by play the rest of this and every bit of interaction with these guys was just as amazing as the first meeting, but in the short. They let me use their shop, their tools, get parts at their cost, use their trans flushing machine.. the whole deal.
He stayed late till probably about 6:30 to help me get wrapped up before we left and he went home.
Now, for the most part, asking a mechanic to use his tools is like asking to use his girlfriend.. I'd never ask and I didnt... but here. Just a mechanic wanting to help out a stranded mechanic. Can't beat it and I'd like to think I'd do the same...
We rolled out of there. We are home before midnight and the truck is in good shape.
These things don't happen everyday, but when they happen it gives me hope in humanity




(I sent them a couple pizzas for lunch today)
Somewhere around halfway home, probably 3 hours from Massachusetts 3 and 1/2 hours from home, dead middle of nowhere, all of a sudden I looked down and there's a check engine light.
That's not good. Look over the left temp gauge is pegged.
Pulled over to check the coolant level, milkshake in the overflow tank. Immediately I think head gasket. Check the oil, oil's clean.
Weird
Firstst thing I do pm JD like "how do I diagnose this one, I'm stumped?" Hahah, then fill it back up and keep on trucking.
After about 3 hours of adding water and driving and adding water and driving, I realize this ain't going to happen or if it does we are going to need WAY more water.
Pulled off the highway in search of anyplace I can get more water and find an OLD SCHOOL but busy mechanic shop. Walked in and asked to fill my jugs. We started talking about the problem..
"Is it pink" he says
"No, well....mmhmmm. maybe?"
We go look. It's pink. Not engine oil, it's tranny fluid.
The radiator and the trans cooler are one in the same in that 4 Runner..
Good news!!
I'm pretty broke. I ask the dude if I find a radiator, some tools and a parking lot and I get it swapped if they will flush the tranny for me today so I can get home.
"Sure" he says.
I find the Rad, it's 15 miles away and dude advised I don't drive that distance. Save the trans at all costs.
He calls someone, I don't know who. Puts in the order through some parts system tells the guy where the radiator was that I found, adds 10 gallons of trans fluid and ask the gentleman to deliver it to his shop.
I'm like awesome!!!! But in the back of my mind I'm thinking, your parking lot is unplowed and I can't go borrow AutoZone tools to do it if I don't drive, I also would rather make a mess in a strangers parking lot, not here.
Order goes in, dude shows me his COST and asked me if I had that much. I did. He said "alright they will be here in a bit"
I walk to the bank, come back and ask "what do you want me to do while we're waiting? I'll sweep the floors, shovel? you're helping me out put me to use till the parts get here".
I said "I'm sending Kristen to go get tools but I can help till then"
Dude said, "pull around to that bay, I'll let you in. Don't send her anywhere"
I pull in, he opens the door, his brother roles me over a tool cart, fully loaded, and dude says "see if you can get it pulled out before the new one gets here"
I could play by play the rest of this and every bit of interaction with these guys was just as amazing as the first meeting, but in the short. They let me use their shop, their tools, get parts at their cost, use their trans flushing machine.. the whole deal.
He stayed late till probably about 6:30 to help me get wrapped up before we left and he went home.
Now, for the most part, asking a mechanic to use his tools is like asking to use his girlfriend.. I'd never ask and I didnt... but here. Just a mechanic wanting to help out a stranded mechanic. Can't beat it and I'd like to think I'd do the same...
We rolled out of there. We are home before midnight and the truck is in good shape.
These things don't happen everyday, but when they happen it gives me hope in humanity





(I sent them a couple pizzas for lunch today)
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