May 2011.The first time Voxy and I went out – the experience was a roller coaster ride of emotions. The excitement of driving your childhood dream car was surreal. The throaty roar of the engine and the nostalgic feel of the car are things you don’t find in newer cars. I was in cloud nine – unfortunately, after several kilometers – reality hit me hard. She was an old car(with an attitude) and I was new to her. Turns out she wanted to introduce herself with a bang -we stalled ! I was feeling down – losing my bearings and was quite shocked with what happened. I was surprised when a minivan pulled over - turns out that the driver also owns a VW bug and wanted to help out. He assisted me in pushing Voxy to a nearby gasoline station. Before he left, we unsuccessfully tried to start Voxy up as he shared his own VW stories, I was amazed with the bond that VW owners have and the urge to help out a fallen VW bug and his owner in times of need. When I bought Voxy, I did not just become a VW owner, I became a part of a community.
When the mechanic (Tirso) finally came, he was able to start Voxy up by just cleaning the contact points and adjusting the timing. We were all happy thinking the ordeal was over and we can all finally go home. Turns out that Voxy was just starting – after several meters – she stalled again!
After much "investigation " and troubleshooting, Tirso found out that there’s no gas flowing out of the electronic pump that the previous owner installed. There was gas in the tank so he suspected that the fuel lines might be clogged.
He removed the tank to check the fuel cock and the lines.
L A site VW owners don’t want to see.
As it turns out – the lines were okay but the pump wasn’t. Fortunately, he had a spare fuel pump that I could borrow.
After more than 3 hours – we were back on the road again! The trip back home went smoothly but filled my mind with a lot of doubts. That night, I promised Voxy that I will take care of her as long as she behaves. A week later – I dropped by Mang Nardo’s shop and replaced everything that needed to be replaced. My experience with cars and scooters has taught me that as long as you treat them well – they will never let you down. I went home that day with a big dent in my savings account but with the feeling of assurance that everything will be fine from now on – not knowing that Voxy still has something up her sleeves.
LESSONS LEARNED:
1. First thing to do after buying a second hand car - replace all the "consumables" like the sparkplugs, contact points, ignition coil, etc. do this before going on a road trip.
2. Always have your mechanic's number handy.
3. Learn how to troubleshoot car problems by yourself - not only is it convenient and handy when tings break down on the road - it will save you money! go to forums, utilize google
To Jay – the VW owner who cared enough to stop – thanks for being a good Samaritan. Rest assured I will pay it forward.
To Tirso and Ate Cora (Mang Nardo’s wife) – thanks for all the parts, discounts and help you’ve dished out for Voxy and Me – I can’t help but feel sad that you are closing your shop in Binan.
To my gurus and friends in VWCP - thanks for sharing what you know. I've solved a lot of VW mysteries just by reading your posts.
More of Voxy’s adventures in my next post!
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