Day 29 - Thursday 7/28/2005 -  Bad back, bad car...

As I awoke, my first thought was "No pain from my back - GREAT", and then I moved.  No better, no worse, just a nagging ache.  We needed to move on, even though we were not really sure where we were going.  More Motrin, and after a little stretching I could bend enough to pack up the site.  We started down to Redding in hopes of finding a GM dealership.  On the way, our old friend the "Service Engine Soon" light dropped in for a visit.  Now the car was running hot again, but still not to the point of overheating.

We reached Redding, and asked directions to the nearest Pontiac dealership.  At last, the car was misbehaving at the dealership - this should be an easy diagnosis.  We pull up to the service counter, and found out it would only be FOUR OR FIVE DAYS before someone could look at it.  This was the point where I considered torching the car right in the "early bird dropoff" bay and hopping the Amtrak home.  While this would gain the attention of the dealership, I'm sure a burning car would violate multitudes of California Clean Air laws, not to mention the possible molestation of some exotic endangered bird.  It just wasn't worth the headache.  After explaining my plight to the dealership (and making it subtly apparent I was going to block the service line until we were assisted), they designated a tech to determine the error code that had activated the service light.  What a surprise - it was because the engine was running hot.  Without more diagnosis, he couldn't tell if it was a faulty sensor or there was actually a problem.  Either way, it would be Monday or Tuesday before they could check it.  In the hopes that it was a "ghost" code stuck in the sensor, he cleared it for us.  I thanked them and headed down the road - resolved to drive until we could find a dealership that could identify the problem.

We did not have to drive far.  As we called ahead while driving down I-5, there was a dealership in Red Bluff that could get us in for evaluation that afternoon.  We pulled into the dealership, dropped it off, and hoofed up the road for lunch.  On the way we passed a Hampton Inn that had just opened (six days earlier).  Figuring that the dealership would need some time, and my back could use a bed, we checked in.  Afteerward, we went up the road a bit farther for a fantastic Mexican lunch.  It isn't until you eat a plate of tamales and then walk back to your hotel in 105 degree temps that you fully appreciate the importance of a siesta.

After the nap, we walked back down to the dealership.  They had been working on the car for two hours trying to get it to overheat.  They took it on the highway; they let it idle for an hour.  No problems, no errors.  They only thing the service guy could say is that "cars run hot out here since it's a dessert".  I asked them if that applied to Mt Lassen at 11pm when the temperature was 48 degrees and the car was still running hot.  He seemed non-plused with my commentary.  $88 later, and the only thing I knew was that the GM organization has reached a point where it is unable to diagnose a problem unless it is spoon-fed to a tech via an error-code.  Where it the old guy that actually identified a problem by putting his ear to a screwdriver and using his brain?

We took the car and went back to the hotel.  After a swim, we just vegged watching TV.  Hopefully my back will be better in the morning.

P.S.  Just in case anyone asks, the "Bear Box" is for storing food to protect it from the bears.  It is not for storin bears while you travel.