The Puddle

About a week or so ago, I noticed a small puddle forming in our garage under my Jeep Liberty. Of course, spring is upon us in North Dakota, and I figured this puddle had simply formed from the melting of the snow and the Jeep bringing it into the garage. Shortly after discovering the puddle that wouldn’t dry, I decided to play it smart and check all my fluid levels under the hood. All checked out fine so once again, the puddle was put out of mind too.

Last evening, with Jason and his brother in Iowa for an TNA event, I decided to get a few errands done. While I was out and about, I heard a “clunk,” but since I was right behind a truck that looked like it could possibly use a tune-up, I wrote it off as coming from that. I finished my errands and headed home for the evening.

Of course, this is my weekend to work so I left the house around 7:30 this morning. Backing out of the garage, the puddle looked as if it had nearly tripled overnight. The liquid pooling on the garage floor looked practically clear so on my way I went. Weekends of work are my time for a coffee stop. The Fleet Farm convenience store also has the best caramel rolls. I stopped to pick up my monthly splurge and pulled out of the lot. As I pulled out, a cloud of dust or smoke, I wasn’t sure, plumed up around me. I pulled over to the side and the cloud seemed to disappear, so I thought it had just been dust from turning out of the lot.

I arrived at work, and as I took the Jeep out of gear, there was that cloud again. This time though, it kept circling. I realized then there was no way the wind was strong enough to be blowing that much dust around the parking lot. I turned off the ignition and got out to see steam pouring out of the grill of the Jeep. It was time to pop the hood and see what exactly was happening. A light amber colored liquid had sprayed everywhere.

Around 9:30, I used my morning break to call my dad. My guess is he was thinking I had gotten myself into yet another car accident. I explained what was going on, and one of the first things he tells me is to taste the fluid. I think he is crazy, but I do it. It’s sweet. I tell him it’s sweet. He tells me it’s the coolant. Great.

Next call, the service/dealership in which we had bought the Jeep from about 18 months ago. Much to my surprise, the manager tells me to bring it right on in and they’d look at it. I estimate that it will take me about 20-25 minutes to get there. I’ve never had a vehicle spraying coolant all over – how would I know? I follow my dad’s instructions and head off to fill the overflow tank with water so I can get where I need to go. Easy right? Not really when you are at work. The only think I could think of for water is a coffee pot. I make three trips before the level in that tank is full to the COLD mark. Oh, and did I mention that of course my gas gauge says E? Off to the gas station I go.

Jason meets me at the gas station, and he decides to follow me to the dealership. About ¾ of the way there, my battery light comes on. My temperature gauge is my main focus so I try to ignore it. Three blocks away, and I get stuck behind a Buick. If anyone has ever driven behind a Buick, you’ll know the speed usually doesn’t exceed 10 mph on city streets. Finally, it turns, and I am able to pull into dealership, steam flowing all around me. Its then my husband tells me that I have been “smoking” for at least two miles. Honestly, I am glad I didn’t know that.

So, why am I blogging about the puddle? Well, first, if you have a puddle, and it grows, don’t ignore it. Second, I love my Jeep and the service that comes with it. The puddle had been growing thanks to a bad seal on the water pump, which likely finally gave out when I heard that clunk last night. The pump needed to be replaced completely, and of course, a coolant flush and fill followed. The bill? Simply $100 for the deductible thanks to the generous power train warranty Jeep has. It totally made my day. And to top it off, the Jeep returned home on the same day as the calm of a winter storm is upon us.