Monday morning first day back to work after the xmas break, we're up at 5:30 as Lauren has to be at work at 6:30. After sleeping in till 9-10 each monring of the holidays it goes without saying that I was a bit of a grump. Get to work to find all sorts of things have gone wrong while I was away (I swear computers do it to me on purpose just to welcome me back). Get a phone call from lauren at 3pm ... "I can't get the key to turn in the ignition!#@!". After a bit of over the phone diagnosing I end up ducking out of work to give her a hand. As I'm driving my aircon and radio intermittently drop out and come back on. wtf? Given that it was comeing back on I figured it wasn't a fuse or anything and I wasn't looking forward to trying to diagnose an intermittent short. Get to Laurens work and can't get the key to turn either and don't have any tools with me. Oh well, ring the RAA (NRMA equivalent in SA)... "Oh we'll be there within the hour!". Great ,sitting there in the 40 degree heat I started to get a bit frustrated and continued to fiddle. 10 minutes later I manage to jiggle the key into turning so rang the RAA back and canceled. Popped the bonnet of the zed while I was there to see if I could find the aircon fault and low an behold. My brand new GZA battery tie down has decided to work it's way loose and attempt to weld itself onto the positive terminal. Aargh. Could this day get any worse. FAMOUS LAST WORDS!!! Driving back to work, I get through the front gate and get a wiff of a coolant smell. Oh ohh. Popped teh bonnet again but can find any evidence of a leak and the gauge hasn't moved so I just park it at work and get back to wrestling with comfusers. Finally leave work at 6pm and get about 5 minutes down the road and the gauge starts moving in the wrong direction. Immediately pull over and pop the bonnet to be greated with a nice vertical spray of coolant from the back of the engine!!! F*#@!@!#@*& I just replaced teh heater hoses, what could it be now. Yep that'd be right! it's the small 2-3 inch 15mm diameter hose that runs along the back of the plenum. So I let it sit for about 15 minutes and let the pressure drop enough to pop the radiator cap. There's still water in there and the gauge has dropped to normal temperature so I decide to continue for a bit. HA!! I get about 1km down the road and it starts rising again so I just pull over again and start cursing while diging for my phone. I get a tow from my father and amidst breaking tow ropes and other adventures, I manage to get the car home, by which time it is over 2 hours later. Get inside, curse and swear a bit more, eat some dinner and crawl into bed hoping tuesday will be a better day. So far so good but who knows what the day will bring!! /me ends rant and digs out simons number to order a hose kit. Hope everyone else had a good monday AB
