Charlie's Top Overhaul : Day One

Have you ever felt stranded, pressured, helpless, nervous and frightened? That's how I felt when Charlie (car) broke down. I was speeding at a provincial highway going up a hill when the car suddenly lost power, and slowly died at the middle of the highway. I was rolling back down so I pulled the handbrake because the brakes wont work and turned the distress signal to alert the vehicles behind me. I quite did it fast or else the car behind me could've hit me right on. I signalled them to overtake. I thought I just need to start the car, but it wont start until I gradually caused a commotion and severe traffic.

I panicked. Some drivers opened their windows and mocked at me. When they don't even have an idea of what happened. Without asking, they discriminated me. One yelled "tangina mo ang bobo mo magdrive!" and a lot of times I heard "Ay kaya naman pala, babae kasi nagda-drive kaya tatanga tanga talaga yan." 

What do they have against female drivers? By mocking at me, does it make them better drivers? They are the men, they are supposed to be gentlemen and help me out, am I not right? It is obvious that I needed help, but I received the contrary. I didn't know what to do, if I could only pull the car away from the middle of the street but I couldn't. Thankfully there was one who went down his car and helped me. Checked the car, but since we need to get it out of the highway first he just assumed I ran out of gas and he called out to other people to help me move the car.

I called my brother, and instructed me to do some stuff like to Choke the car, (carburettor) to check if its sucking up air then we'll know what's wrong with the car. It's not sucking in air, so he instructed me to bring the cellphone near the engine so he can hear the sound it makes while I try to start the car. I asked Lyn to hold the phone for me, and I start the car. Then kuya Romy told me, that my timing belt was broken. (Until now I'm so amazed. He knew what was wrong with the car) Then a mechanic came. Kuya Joseph, he was the one who adjusted the clutch and all the adjusting I need with my car. He choked the car, opened the gasket, and there it was-- timing belt was broken. So he went home, used their car to tow Charlie to their place which was a auto repair shop. (And they have lots of cars there too). It was so near where I got stranded, it was just walking distance.

replacing timing belt, broken rocker arm and oil seals.

We all called it a night and retired for the day. I was run out by all the pressures including my thesis and school obligations. So the next day I woke up and went straight to the repair shop. Timing belt broke because of old age. It was bound to happen since the car was old the engine never had proper maintenance. Rocker arm broke and oil seals, gasket heads, and valves need to be replaced. Before this incident happened, I was originally planning to top overhaul Charlie. But things got so busy I had set it aside. I was thinking, it was a blessing in disguise. If I had changed the gasket stuff, and then the timing belt was bound to die soon, then I could've spent MORE, and double damages. The first top overhaul would be put to waste. So it's really timing, that the timing belt broke at the right timing. lol.

top overhaul

I was lucky. One of they guys said at the repair shop. "See that car?" He pointed at a car, a lancer too yet and older model. It was wrecked and the front was hardly recognized. It has been there for months already. He said that could've happened to me, I could have been anywhere when it happened. I could be in a express highway, or steep roads and I never would've known that my engine died and things unimaginable could have happened to me. I couldn't imagine any better place. The mechanic also said, you are lucky. All drivers fear having the timing belt broken. They said, "yan ang kinatatakutan ng lahat ng mga driver. Kasi kapag naputol nga naman yan, problema talaga. Sakit sa ulo. Mabuti ikaw, ngayon palang naranasan mo na kagad. Wala ka ng pro-problemahin niyan." Another one said timing belts are unpredictable, unlike the other parts of the car, it's the one you really wouldn't know when it will break. At least now that it has been replaced and top overhaul has been done, I'll be safe and confident taking my car anywhere.

get well and be home soon! :)

I am thankful that God has protected me, and everything fell into place. God really works wonders. I hope Charlie gets done soon. I can't wait to take him around again, and this time without the uneasy feeling that I've always had. =)

Posted in: Cars,Charlie