Between Three and Five Worked

 

Yesterday the Check Engine light came on in our Hyundai Sonata while we were driving near Palestine, Texas.  We didn’t panic as we were only a mile or so away from Walmart where they have an automotive department.  They checked things out and found we were a quart low on oil and suggested that rather than add a quart, perhaps it might be better to do an oil change, replace the filter and check all the fluid levels.  That sounded reasonable and we handed them the key while we went inside the store to purchase some sneakers and blue jeans.  They were finished before we had even cleared the cash register.

The Check Engine light was still blinking; but the fellow said that it didn’t appear to be associated with anything major.   That didn’t sound too reassuring so we decided to drive to O’Reilly’s on our way home where they could put their fancy computer diagnostic thingy on and tell us exactly what was wrong. 

There was definitely something wrong as we couldn’t get the car to accelerate properly.  We managed to get the car up to sixty-one miles per hour; but no further.  The speed limit on the road between Palestine and Buffalo is 70mph; going only 61mph made the hair on my back stand up.

The fancy diagnostic thingy didn’t give much of an answer, only that it might be several items that only the Hyundai folks would be able to fix; but…and this was something of a peace of mind moment…the car could be driven down to Houston without damaging anything, just no faster than 61 miles per hour.

It should be noted that here in Texas, if the speed limit reads Seventy-Five then folks interpret that to mean Eighty to Eighty-five.  Folks in a hurry or just bored tend to push that up to 90 or 95mph which tends to be the speed where the DPS steps in and reminds them to be a little less aggressive. Anyone going less than 70mph is fair game for abuse or worse. 

I decided the best way to get the car into Houston with the least amount of abuse would be to wait until all the bars had closed before heading toward the freeway entrance in Centerville. This strategy was gained from working as a night shift police officers; most drunk drivers have either been arrested for DWI, hit a tree and gone to the hospital or gotten home before 3am.

I hit the on ramp headed south just before 3am going exactly 61mph.  Traffic was very light, mostly commercial trucks that were widely spaced.  I figured I could be on the north side of Houston near the Hyundai dealership before morning rush hour started around 5am.

Most of the time while tooling on down the freeways the idea of having so many 18 wheelers to contend with wasn’t one of my favorite choices; but since these trucks are, for the most part, driven by professional drivers who know the rules of the road, then having them escort my crippled car down to Houston was just what the doctor ordered.

When I’d see headlights moving up from behind at a quarter mile or so, I’d flip on the emergency flashers for a few moments and then switch them off.  Then, as the headlights got closer, I’d flip the flashers on again so they’d figure out I was having some kind of issue.  They were courteous, using blinkers and moving over as they passed.  I flashed my high beams letting them know they’d cleared sufficiently to return to the slower lane.  This went on all the way until I reached Conroe or about an hour and a half from when I left Centerville.

There must be something about getting into a major metropolitan area that brings out the beasts.  I had to be extra careful as Mario Andretti’s kin folk darted in and out from behind large trucks that were only going 75mph.  I had no idea that many race car drivers were up practicing impromptu lane changes at half past four in the morning. 

I arrived at Denny’s at 5am, right across from the Hyundai dealership where I had my appointment scheduled for 7am.  I managed to loosen my grip on the steering wheel long enough to let the blood flow back into those fingers. 

It’s hard to beat a Grand Slam breakfast after passing the advanced driver’s test in Texas.  It was quite peaceful catching a nap in the parking lot there at the Hyundai Service Department waiting for the sun to come up and be greeted once they opened for business.