Help!

[kellinator]

Do any of you Atlanta-area people know anything about cars? My engine's overheated, my "check engine" light is on, my father is calling me a screw-up on the phone and I'm at my wits' end. I'm sure you'll all be glad to know that Michael is attempting to cheer me up (or at least calm me down) by pouring alcohol down my throat. So, are there any aspiring mechanics out there needing a guinea pig?

Comments

[adina-atl.livejournal.com]

I'll second (or third or fourth) what other people have said about checking your oil and coolant. Wait for the car to cool down before doing either.

But I'll add another possibility with the coolant, which is that, to quote a mechanic friend of mine, "It's turned to cat piss." Atlanta's heat can cause the antifreeze to break down, and that will lead to the "Check Engine" light coming on. If this is the case then draining and refilling the coolant system will take care of the problem. My car used to do this every couple of years.

When you say your car's overheating, what precisely do you mean? Is there an "Engine Temperature" idiot light that's come on, and if so how long has it been on? Is there an engine temperature gauge that's reading too high, and if so how high? Or has the car overheated with steam billowing out from under the hood?

Your father needs to fuck off.

[lyneidas.livejournal.com]

I second the last comment, as well as the parts about oil, coolant, and driving the car today.