We got up to a 6:30 wake-up call and got ready to head out! Ken loaded things in the CRV and then we had breakfast at the hotel. At 7 we called Tires Plus that was 1.6 miles down the road from the hotel and then said we should come right away and they would do a diagnosis of the problem. So we were there by 7:30 and they took the car in the garage right away. The workers there were so special and kind. After about 20 minutes we got the "verdict". Most of the systems checked out well, but the bad news was that it appeared to be a problem with the head gasket! Now what! He said we could go 10 miles or maybe 1,000 - who knows???? The unbelievable part was that they told us up front that the diagnosis would cost $89.00, but because they didn't have good news and they wanted us to get back on the road they gave us an $89.00 credit and said we should get on our way to PA! Unbelievable!!!
When we got back in the CRV we called Marty, our Honda mechanic at home for his advice! He said that this model and year rarely has a gasket issue and he really thinks it is probably the radiator. He recommended that we keep a gallon of coolant or water in the car and head home, stopping if it starts to overheat to let it cool down. So, we took his advice and were on our way home by 9:15. After driving about 100 miles, it started to overheat, so we pulled off and gave it time to cool. In about 20 minutes we were back on the road, but not sure what to think. After about another 100 miles, it happened again so we ended up on the side of the road for a 2nd time. After 20 minutes Ken removed the radiator cap, but water "shot out" and landed on his hand and arm. It was painful for awhile, but fortunately it appears to be fine. Now we began to think that we should hunt for a Honda Dealer and maybe get it "fixed". But first, we made another call to Marty. He said what we described sounds more and more like a radiator problem. He suggested we turn the heater on low as we drive and keep going! So we were on our way again!
Here is the bottom line. It did not overheat anymore today, but we did become very pro-active. We stopped about every 70 miles at rest stops or for lunch and left it "rest" for about 20 minutes. It proved to be helpful! We got to Roanoke Rapids just 11 miles from the Virginia border having traveled 425 miles today - wow! When we left GA this morning I don't think either of us thought we could possibly drive this many miles today. We are so thankful!
We really appreciate all the concerns and positive thoughts from all our friends. Your phone calls, text messages and e-mails were so helpful and were very encouraging. We really feel that if we are pro-active again tomorrow we should be able to go the 325 miles that will get us back to our apartment! Please continue the good thoughts!
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