Monday was nice Little Guy and I slept a lot. Then Tuesday morning my Hubby leaves for work. A few moments later he returns and informs me that our VW Passat has a flat tire. He ventures out once more to change the airless tire. Low and behold the bolt key that is needed to remove one of the tire bolts is missing.
On every tire there is one bolt that has a unique pattern to it. This can only be removed with the help of the bolt key. We had always kept our key in the armrest of our Passat. I feared that I had accidentally thrown it way when I had last cleaned out the car. The car had been an utter mess and it was quit possible that the key went out with the junk. We looked in several different places but to no avail. Finally Hubby took our 1988 Dodge Colt to work and I was left to track down a new key.
The local VW dealership said that they could use their master set to take off the lock bolt and could order me a new key. I was ecstatic until I realized that I had to figure a way out of getting the car there. With no towing insurance I turned to my ever faithful Hubby who ran home during his lunch break to bring me a can of fix-a-flat. I had some other errands to run, so Little Guy and I took Hubby back to work and hastened to our first errand. In retrospect it should have been tire but hindsight is 20/20. After completing the first task I headed to buy stamps, when I noticed smoke coming out of the hood of The Colt. I changed coarse and turned into a gas station.
Not only smoke but a mysterious knocking had started. As I pulled into the gas station the poor Colt died and coasted in. I automatically checked the oil. No oil registered on the dipstick. This was strange because I had just had the oil changed not eight days before. I bought two liters of oil and promptly dumped them in. Leaving the hood up to let the engine cool off, I was approached by a kind older, Native American Man. He asked about my predicament. After I relayed my narrative, he recommended that I take the car back to Jiffy Lube to have them double check that the oil cap and oil filter had been placed on the vehicle correctly. After the smoke subsided and A few tries, I started the Colt and was back on the road, headed to Jiffy Lube.
After telling the Jiffy Lube attendants my story, they promptly checked the Colt. In the end they said that the oil level registered two quarts above full and suggested that I take the car to get the engine checked. They did drain the excess oil from the engine and kindly reimbursed me for the oil I had needlessly filled it with.
Driving home on the freeway, I left a message on Hubby's phone and was able to get a hold of my Dad. While discussing the symptoms of the Colt I noticed that my speed was decreasing and down shifted. No more power was found and I realized that the car was steadily slowing. On our way to the nearest exit ramp the Colt lost power completely and Little Guy and I were stranded on the side of the freeway. Still on the phone with my Dad I popped the hood and jumped out of the car to check the damage. Smoke once again was billowing from the engine. This time there was oil splattered all over the whole engine and inside of the hood. Retreating into the car from the wind and approaching traffic, my dad recommended the same things that the kind man at the gas station had. An observant Police Officer pulled behind my disheveled car and approached my passenger door. I quickly get off the phone with my concerned father to speak to the Officer.
For the fourth time that day, I relay my car trauma. The Officer's main concern was to get the car and it's occupants safely off the side of the freeway. I was in total agreement! I try Hubby one more time. He answers. YEAH!!! However, neither of us know anyone who can tow us to safety. (remember no towing insurance) Plus, now Hubby is stuck at work with no way of getting home. Getting off the phone I ask the officer if he has a number to a tow truck. Then it hits me. My home teacher!
MIRACLES AND ANGELS! MIRACLES AND ANGELS!
I just happened to have his home number in my phone. He just happens to be home. So My wonderful, marvelous home teacher is on his way to save the day! The officer knowing that help is on the way sets off to save someone else. Thank you Officer! I start thinking about my Hubby. He is stuck at work, after hours. I can't go pick him up till I get the colt home. Put fix-a-flat in the tire. Drive over to the VW dealership. Have them get my bolt lock off and order a new bolt key. Change the tire and drive to Hubby's work. I called a dear friend who's husband works near mine. She was on her way to pick him up. Perfect!!! I asked her if she would mind picking up Hubby too and taking him home. She, being a saint, accepted and was off to Hubby saving.
Lil'guy and I and our Home Teacher arrived at our apartment with the Colt the same time as Hubby, Saint and Saint's Hubby. The Hubbies helped back the Colt in a space in our parking lot. Marvelous Home Teacher and son and Saints left to save someone else another day. I did make them all banana bread as a thank you. I know that doesn't quite cut it. They will never know how grateful I really am.
Saint's Hubby came and picked up my Hubby the next morning for work. Later that morning I set out to check for the missing bolt key one last time. During the night I had the thought that it may be with the spare tire. I walked out to the parking lot and unlocked the car. Put Lil'guy inside with his toy tools( I didn't want him running around the parking lot). I went to the trunk and pulled out the spare tire, and low and behold there sat the bolt key next to the tire jack. Utter joy and elation!! Wow, The Lord is so good. What a pure miracle that was. Thanks be to God.
No more trying to get a new bolt key at the VW dealership. No messing around with Fix-a-flat. Now all I had to do was to get the old tire off the the new tire on. Yeah, you should laugh! I hadn't changed a tire for over ten years. This adventure was not over. I did have some good help and snapped a few cute pictures.
Placing the jack on the frame and lifting it up went easily. With all my needed tools and new tire in reach and Lil'guy "safely" inside the car I started the tire change. The bolts were on pretty tight. Slowly but surely I was able to get them off. I am sure it wasn't a pretty sight for my neighbors but what can you do?! When all the bolts were out I reached down to pull the flat tire off. No go. I kicked it and pulled and pulled and kicked it but to no avail. That tire wouldn't budge. I called my hubby and told him my dilemma. He gave me some advice which I tried but was not able to accomplish the goal. Out of the blue comes this older gentleman, asking me if he can be of service. OH YES YOU CAN!!! I explained my problem. Mysterious Old Guy takes one look at the tire and kicks at the base of it. Yes it fell right off. HALLELUJAH!!!!! Yet another miracle!!! He asked if I needed anymore help, which I declined. He gave me one bit of advice which I will share with all of you.
--When changing a tire, after you have removed the flat, place it near the jack, under the frame on it's side. This way if the jack should fail, the tire will catch the car.--
So when the third nephite left I was ready to finish the job. I had just placed the new tire on the car and all the bolts were losly on when I heard Lil'guy wining from inside the car. I had opened all the windows including the moon roof. I looked up to see Lil'guy's head poking all the way up through the roof of the car and the moon roof was slowly closing in on him. I jumped up and switched the roof function to open. Holy Cow!!! I was scared to death. Lil'guy was crying but totally fine. After we both settled down and I gave him a talk about not getting in the front seat or touching buttons, I went back to the tire.
I am happy to say the the bolts were tightened with out incident. I am so glad that all the adventures with the tire are finished and that no life or limb was lost during the changing of it. The Colt as yet to be professionally diagnosed but I am sure that will be a whole other story. When that time does come, I pray that the Lord will bless us with his miracles and angels then as he did with the flat tire. At least I can look back on this whole adventure and be grateful that now I can laugh at it.
