The check engine light comes on when you are driving down the highway, trying to get home. What do you do? We found out as we were about three hours into our thirteen hour drive home last week. It happened in Ohio, in the middle of nowhere. Weather was eighty degrees, and our car was packed to the gills with our stuff, coolers, three GBGV’s and two humans.
Mom decided the best thing would be to call the service advisor at our home dealership for his opinion. She has worked with him for many years and he just had the car in for service the week before we left home. Mom trusts him and that is important. We all learned a lot that day. Did you know many auto places, like Auto Zone will read car error codes for free? Brad told us he needed the codes to know what was wrong so he could tell us what we needed to do.
We drove over the river and through the woods to Auto Zone and had our codes read. Mom then called Brad, our service advisor and gave him the codes he needed to tell us what to do. Unfortunately, it was bad. He said we needed to get to a VW dealership to have it looked at. We drove another half hour to just south of Toledo and stopped at a VW dealer in Perrysburg.
Mom was really worried about the car and about how they would treat a woman with a broken car in a place she didn’t live. Her first attempt to get help was a fail. The service advisor said she should keep driving, it would be fine. He had no interest in looking at our car. Mom called Brad again and he gave her more info to bring to the other guy. This time the other guy started to seem to look like he might want to look at our car. And so it began. We all got out of the car and went inside to wait for them to check things out.
After almost two hours, the guy came back and told us we had a big problem and they would fix it before they closed at five that day. So, we waited. Mom was quite worried, but she still tried to work as did our navigator. She didn’t take the day off, so she needed to be on her computer. It was not easy since we would not sit still. We were all so bored but we had to wait.
Madison hung out with our navigator once she stopped being a Walmart greeter, wanting to meet and greet everyone that came into the dealership. Mom says the three of us pretty much took over the dealership for the afternoon.
Finally, after about five hours in that boring place, the guy said the car was fixed. He apologized for not listening to Mom initially as she was right. It was a bad problem, and we would have been stuck on the side of the road before we could get home.
Why are we posting about our car and this experience? We learned some good lessons and we think we should share them in case anyone is traveling, with or without pets.
- If a light comes on, don’t ignore it. Find out what it is telling you.
- Have someone you know and trust that can help you if you have an issue with your vehicle and you are not a car person.
- Don’t take no for an answer. You may feel like a pest, but be pushy for yourself and anyone/pets traveling with you.
- Always have extra food, water, kennels, and leashes in your car in case you break down on the side of the road.
- Keep your phone charged while driving. You may need to make a lot of calls.
We are super thankful and happy it all worked out for us, we were really lucky. It is nothing Mom did that caused the issue, it was simply a valve that quit working and started a chain reaction of troubles that would have crippled our car.
My GBGV Life is joining Brian’s Home Blog in the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
I’m so happy that you stopped and got the issue resolved and were able to get home safely. That check engine light is nothing to mess with.
Mom has never had one before and she was quite worried and scared.
Cars are way too complicated. Good thing you were able to get it taken care of that same day, and not have to stay more than those hours away from home.
It would have been a problem to find a transport to a hotel with the three of us and two humans and a car full of stuff including coolers that need to be kept cold. We are lucky.
You have the smartest mom. She always remains calm and patient. I would have left the car and rented one. Let VW work it out. It’s a new car that had just gotten serviced YAY MOM.
It isn’t a new car, it is three years old. Mom was quite panicked but she had to have her head on straight to find the best solution to a new problem.
Wow, I am so glad you all got home safely. I do follow your helpful hints for travelling. It is good to know that Auto Zone will read codes – that is very helpful.
We would never have thought about reading codes in a bizillion years, let alone know where to go for that. Now we have learned valuable info. Learn as you go, you never know when you will need things.
Good work to you all. You handled that crisis so well!!!
It worked out for the best, but if we had not acted so quickly, we would have been on a roadside at some point that day. Thank goodness for our service advisor. Mom brought him donuts yesterday.
Wow! ~ After all that time glad you all did well and Mom was the heroine and prepared too ~ I am impressed ~ glad you are safe now ~ hugs ~
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
It was not fun and Mom was a wreck, but together we all got through it.
Oh Gosh!!! Glad you had a navigator with you to back you up emotionally. Those are all good tips for driving long range. I’m glad you had a safe and happy return. We will save this information for when we get back to traveling again. Thanks!!
Lydia, Olive, and Jimmy Parker.
Mom was very happy she was not alone.
That was quite the experience for all. We are so glad you found the right people to help. We bet the pups were very popular with everyone there.
Woos – Misty and Timber
Nelson and Olivia were barking and howling at people, so they were not sure if they were friendly or not. I was the Walmart greeter, everyone liked me.
WOW, that was quite the unanticipated adventure and I’m so glad you finally were able to get it fixed and get back home again. Thanks for joining Angel Brian’s Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
We were lucky we got it in the shop when we did as it could have really been bad.
Wow, we are sorry you had to go through that…but happy your Mom knew what to do and you all got home safe and sound!
xoxo,
Sunny & Rosy
A day late and less money in the bank, but we were safe and didn’t get stranded.
Those lights always mean something, and I do mean always. I’m glad you were able to get it fixed even if it wasn’t easy.
It is hard to know who to trust when you are traveling, so being able to talk to our usual service guy was a real blessing.
Happy it worked out well in the end, though emotionally and mentally stressful getting to that “end point”. And so difficult as of course, the puppers have no understanding of the situation Mom “put them in” ~ though yours are amazing well behaved in spite of it all. Thankful you are strong and solid to handle it and were able to get the necessary assistance … and be on your way, safely.
Mom is very thankful we have our navigator along for support or Mom would probably lose it, but we do what we have to do.
Yikes, that’s scary. Glad you pressed the service guy (and extra glad your service guy back home helped out ove the phone). Bet the doggos were the hit of the day in the dealership.
Madison enjoyed the dealership and greeting all the people. Nelson and I were not so welcoming and wanted to get going but we all survived.