The Mighty Taurus isn't so mighty anymore. After 19 years, it's developed several rattles and rasps and rumbles that have only gotten worse. One back door sticks, and the other doesn't respond to the master door lock/unlock button. Half of the speakers have died. We still have no idea where the coolant leaks, or why it leaks, or even what triggers it to leak.
On Friday, after work, Dad took the Mighty Taurus on the biweekly dump run. When he came back, with its usual chorus of rattles and creaks, I noticed an unusual amount of steam from the engine. It hadn't steamed that bad in a while. We checked the fluid levels and everything appeared normal. So I figured it was just being temperamental, as older cars are wont to do.
Today, I took it for a quick run to Target. It started rough, but it does that sometimes. Usually, if you let it run for a bit and warm up, it smooths out. This time, it only got rougher. Putting it in gear made it rougher still. The steering wheel shook. The engine lurched and sputtered. It didn't die, but I felt it was constantly on the verge. In the parking lot, I heard a disturbing, lingering buzz/tick after I killed the engine. The Mighty Taurus got me out and back, but it complained the whole way.
At home, I checked the transmission fluid, hoping against hope that that was the problem; we knew about the tranny leak, so I figured maybe it just needed topping off. No such luck. All fluid levels, even the coolant, checked out normal. During the transmission fluid check, I had to put it in first gear, which I never use. The car nearly died on me. I tried it again, after checking the fluid. Just as rough, and it nearly died in first again. Granted, I don't use first gear, but I can't help thinking that that's a Very Bad Sign. This isn't a car I can trust to get me to work anymore. It's not a car I can even trust to get me to the mailbox.
So it seems I'll have to speed up my car-shopping process. The Mighty Taurus may very well have driven its last mile today.
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3 comments:
Yikes!!
hangi - the person left in the lurch by a dying vehicle... related in root to nulti...
PPG - The irritating part is that, before the Taurus's little stunt, I'd already agreed to work Tuesday for extra hours, so not only do we have to play the car-juggling game, but I can't even car shop tomorrow. (I probably should've gone today, but I had other things I needed to get done; that, and the weather was much too nice to fight with car dealers.) And I'm working through Friday, so I can't hit the lots until Saturday... a day I may be hijacked into going to a rock & gem show I probably can't afford.
And I still haven't figured out how I'll pay for the stupid replacement without completely draining my bank account.
Ah, well... I've seen some newer Tauruses in my price range, though I was hoping to talk someone down on a used Fusion... or something with better mileage than a Taurus, at any rate.
dingsa - Whatsa thisa doesa tosa mysa financesa. Frellingsa hecksa...
Ick. Good luck with the car shopping - I'll let you know if I see any deals around here.
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