Requiem For An SUV

Day 126

Recently I sold my Ford Explorer SUV to my brother. It was an older Explorer, a 1994 XLT model with 4 wheel drive, some rust and a few scratches but mostly in very good shape for 22 years old. It started leaking coolant one day as I was fishing at Reedsburg Dam, about 17 miles from my home. I tried to make it back but she overheated and I finally had to call my nephew to tow us the rest of the way. When I inspected it I found the heater core regulator was cracked and broke off when I touched it. I still can't understand how it could be so fractured but not leak a drop in my driveway.

The new part cost $20 and another $12 for coolant. I had hoped that would be an end to it. I was not so lucky. When I started the truck again, there was white smoke coming from the tailpipe, a sure sign of water getting into at least one cylinder. That meant a serious problem. Possibly a blown head gasket or worse. The labor alone would be too high for me to justify repairing it.

I truly loved my Explorer. I often drove it off road to fishing holes and around town. I even drove down state several times. Never did I have a breakdown and mostly it just needed maintenance done once or twice a year. She was a great and reliable vehicle and I had difficulty parting with her. She sat in my yard for months until finally my brother asked me about it for his grandson's auto shop class. He would only have to buy the parts and the labor would be free.

When the students started the truck it idled just fine. As I had told my brother it was a great running truck. Still I had my doubts. I suggested they test drive it around the parking lot. If something went wrong they would be near the shop and could push it into the work bay. They drove it around the parking lot, and sure enough, she started to smoke out of the exhaust. A sign of a problem. The class instructor doesn't want to tear down the engine this late in the semester. So my brother will have to tow it home and work on it in his garage. He enjoys mechanic work.

In the end, if it can't be fixed he can always sell the parts off of it and anything he can't sell he can take to the scrap steel buyer. A most heinous end for a trusted friend that gave me many hours and miles of service. Driving down highways, going off road exploring two tracks and always searching for new fishing holes. I hope she can be fixed. I hope she won't come to that end.

Mom's car get's great gas mileage but I just don't trust it to go off road. So I'll be searching for another Explorer XLT with 4 wheel drive and less than 120,000 miles on it, a little rust and some scratches from tree branches. With a little love she could last me another ten years.

Until tomorrow,

Ken