Smoke Screen

The only funny thing about your car blowing black smoke is that once you get the hang of it you can make it shoot a large black smokescreen on demand. On my way to the VW dealership I was blessed with the perfect specimen for implementing a plan that Maren and I had joked about all the way to So. CA. I could see in my rear view a big black Escalade weaving in and out of traffic acting like an ignoramus. The 60 year old Barbie wanna be pulled up behind me with her window rolled down, cigarette flapping in the breeze. She apparently thought I, like everyone else on the road, was going too slow; so naturally she started riding my butt. I hesitated only for a moment..should I...yes...I tapped quickly on the gas and BAM! she drove right through a cloud of black smoke. She swerved out from behind me immediately and sped passed. I only got a glimpse of her face as she passed, I was laughing so hard I could hardly see. Ohhh if only someone other then Ari would have been there to relish in the moment with me.

The car first started blowing smoke around Fillmore, the car hesitated a little then smoke screened I-15. I noticed it through my rear view mirror and thought "was that me." It only did it once until we were past Vegas, then it smoke screened often and by Barstow there was a constant stream of smoke with the occasional freeway blackout. I was in a caravan with half my parents neighborhood so we limped the car to Carlsbad where we dropped her off at the dealership. Moments after I pulled my car into the dealership I had a salesman trying to buy my car. They have a long waiting list for TDI's so he busted out all the usual salesman tactics. I told him I would gladly trade in the car for an 08 Outback (it was a VW Subie dealership) or a VW campervan...he didn't take my offer. I still have the car. For now.

The whatever whatever sensor was suppose to be done at the end of the day, and it was...then they found some hoses that needed to be replaced; they apparently had to order the part strait from Germany because they had my car for 5 days.

The dealership didn't put all the screws back in my skid plate so after dragging that to St.George and having a friend fix it the car runs like a champ. Car problems without Joe are stressful.