Last week my car blew it’s head gasket. I was to blame, and the expensive lesson keeps teaching me.

When I’d added antifreeze two weeks earlier, I should have bled the cooling system line, which I did not know to do. I’d learned auto mechanics on an old slant six Plymouth Valiant that I could take apart and put back together again with relative ease. These new engines are too complex for me.

Because I did not bleed the antifreeze line, according to my mechanic, an air bubble caused the temperature sensor to fail, which caused the fan to fail, which caused the engine to overheat, which caused the head gasket to blow, which caused antifreeze to enter the oil system, which then ruined the aluminum engine. Consequently, I now must replace that engine.

Well, I do not happen to have an extra $2,000 laying about this month, so I’ve begun an active search for more income, such as finding new clients. I was not prepared for the absurdity waiting “out there.” Read the rest of this entry »