Date:         Tue, 24 Jul 2001 08:50:39 EDT
Reply-To:     BenTbtstr8@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Benjamin Tan <BenTbtstr8@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: How Many Tows Does it Take to Get Canceled by AAA?  (LONG)
Comments: To: bpremack@wavetech.net
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Bud,

My 16" Syncro DoKa. Broke down on three times on the way home from LA. My
battery went dead at a gas station with helpful (rare nowadays) attendants
who push started me. Then I realized my coolant level was low at the 2nd gas
stop which also happened to be on a hill (no push starting). Finally I busted
a coolant hose right in front of three tow trucks hired by the state to take
broken down motorist off the Cuesta Grade just north on Santa Barbara. The
tow operator who picked me up turned out to also be the only AAA contractor
in town. I was towed back to San Luis Obispo to get a flatbed for the Syncro.
I hadn't eaten all day at this point. I was going to have to wait an hour for
his Cuesta Grade duty shift to end. Coincidentally, a very good Thai food
restaurant was just across the street from where I was to wait.

I considered myself lucky. I got plenty of rest sleeping in the cab of the
flatbed on the way home.

It turned out to be a stroke of luck that I had broken down then. When I got
ready to change the hose at home two days later, I discovered that 6 of the
twelve bolts securing the CV's to the output flange of the transaxle had
backed themselves out. If it weren't for the broken hose, I could have been
driving 200 miles with only half of the bolts securing my axles. A busted
hose and the added expense of the tow not covered by AAA+ is much cheaper
than one 16" axles let alone two.

'Glad you made it home.

the other Ben