My luck with vacations?

[LearjetMinako]

Simply put, why is it that every time I get ready to leave for vacation somewhere, something has to brake. Last year when I was in New York, the Blazer's heater core went. And then 2 days before I leave New York, the Regal's battery dies. So my poor mother got left with 2 dead vehicles. Now I'm getting ready to drive to Michigan and the Ranger's A/C system decides to leak. Oddly enough, I will be driving the Blazer this time. I noticed the A/C system performance degraded a little yesterday when I picked up my mother from work. And this morning confirmed something was wrong, since the A/C compressor was cycling at idle (usually stayed engaged). After work, I went ahead and started to check everything. Max A/C is putting out 46*F (higher than the last time I tested it, 38*F). Shut off the engine and listened carefully. I heard the leak from the hi-pressure fill valve. Looked at it for a while, then I could see the little bubbles. So this is great, now I gotta spend a little over $200 to get it fixed (new compressor line, accumlator, PAG46, and O-rings). I know just having it serviced is gonna cost me $55 + the cost amount of R-134a lost.

Heres a side kicker, I just spent over $1000 for the Blazer to get it ready for the trip. Blistien shocks, spark plugs, cap & rotor, A/C repair, rotate the tires (free), found a nail in one of the tires (free repair, warranty). At least the Ranger cost less in repairs than the Blazer.

 

[r1hatman]

They are money pits! That's all I get done is working on them! That's just with 3 vehicles, imagine what's it's going to be like when all 4 of my kids start driving! I'll have to open a full time garage!

 

[feellnfroggy]

hatman let me know when you do, ill join ya. would the r134 stopleak help your blazer man?

 

[LearjetMinako]

hatman let me know when you do, ill join ya. would the r134 stopleak help your blazer man?

The Blazer's is fine right now, for the moment. Its the Ranger's A/C that started to leak. I'm going to deal with it when I get back.

Oh, and another kick in the butt. My house A/C just stopped working too. I think the constant 100*F heat that we have been getting down here is taking its toll on things.

 

[robertc1024]

That bad stuff comes in waves doesn't it? Hang in there.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

lol, sounds like my luck with vacations...

I've been planning to go to various locations for about the past 7 years. I never get to go because usually something goes wrong (truck breaks, work dries up and drains my money, too much work and I can't get free to go, etc). Maybe someday I'll actually get to take one...

 

[rockin86ranger]

What is, vacation?????????

 

[LearjetMinako]

I'm back from 2,500mile vacation trip. Went to Hale, Michigan, and then to northern part of Winsconis. The Blazer made the trip okay. No problems with it. My house A/C was a free fix, since the people that replaced the capcitor didn't replace the wiring with a proper size. My Ranger's A/C will be less than $100 now. I didn't need to replace the entire hose assemebly and accumlator. The service port came off with channel locks. And since the A/C system still had some freeon left in it, moisture in the system isn't a problem (so I don't have to replace the accumlator). A quick swap of the service port (with freeon breezing out), leak is gone. Now I just gotta take it to a service shop to have it vacuumed and re-filled.

As for the vacation, it was relaxing. Drove for miles on end. Got to see more of the country. Drove completely around Lake Michigan. Bought some wines from north Michigan to try when I get back home. Got to see Mackinaw bridge and travel across it with a 30-40mph cross wind (not fun to drive on like that). In the most of my time I spent, I was fixing my Aunts' PC's. I guess tech support doesn't stop on the phone either, but make house calls too.

 

[robertc1024]

Nice. Fixing family's computers is good Karma to boot. I bet it was cooler up there than OK City.

 

[LearjetMinako]

Nice. Fixing family's computers is good Karma to boot. I bet it was cooler up there than OK City.

Oh yes!!! It was really nice up north. No 90-100 degree temps, just a nice 50-70 degrees with a clean, fresh smelling rain. And actually straight trees that stand 100ft high. I grew up and lived in Washington state before I moved to Oklahoma. So going back up north truely felt like home. The only thing I did not like, is seeing the cancer on vehicles. Which means, those states use salt on the roads in the winter. I guess thats one good thing about Oklahoma, I get to keep my Ranger, longer.