Car broke down on road trip. What to do?
September 17, 2021 5:33 PM Subscribe
We just bought a used car in Bozeman, MT and we’re planning on driving it to San Francisco. The car is having difficulties and we think it can’t make it, plus all the auto shops are now closed for the weekend (and potentially longer). We’re trying to figure out our options.
Please no scolding, emotions are running high and I realize it’s possible we didn’t make the greatest choices.
The CEL came on and the codes look like they’re related to the rocker arm. It won’t get past 2800 RPMs. We took it to the dealership and they can’t check it further until Monday, and obviously we don’t know when it could get fixed after that. Other local shops we checked are booked out for weeks.
We have Geico roadside and are actually on the phone with them now, but they can’t do much for us now except cover one tow. We could drive it to the airport and get long term parking, then fly home / get a one way car rental from there, and have it towed to a repair shop once they’re open… ? Is that a thing?
We’re just looking for ideas, basically. Obviously this is a bit of a boondoggle and we would have to come back at some point, or get it towed around, or whatever. It’s not a super great car, we’re not married to the idea of keeping it, but we aren’t sure what is the smartest way to basically get back to our lives until we can either get it repaired or unload it, and how much of that we can do remotely.
Please no scolding, emotions are running high and I realize it’s possible we didn’t make the greatest choices.
The CEL came on and the codes look like they’re related to the rocker arm. It won’t get past 2800 RPMs. We took it to the dealership and they can’t check it further until Monday, and obviously we don’t know when it could get fixed after that. Other local shops we checked are booked out for weeks.
We have Geico roadside and are actually on the phone with them now, but they can’t do much for us now except cover one tow. We could drive it to the airport and get long term parking, then fly home / get a one way car rental from there, and have it towed to a repair shop once they’re open… ? Is that a thing?
We’re just looking for ideas, basically. Obviously this is a bit of a boondoggle and we would have to come back at some point, or get it towed around, or whatever. It’s not a super great car, we’re not married to the idea of keeping it, but we aren’t sure what is the smartest way to basically get back to our lives until we can either get it repaired or unload it, and how much of that we can do remotely.
I would also throw this question up on 2 subreddit...
r/Bozeman/
r/Montana/
Maybe someone local with have some good information for you.
Now I know this feels really, really terrible. It is. IT SUCKS. We have been in a bit of a similar situation. But - someday this will be a good story. Back to the situation at hand...
Can you clarify the timeline? When did you buy it?
posted by beccaj at 5:42 PM on September 17, 2021 [3 favorites]
r/Bozeman/
r/Montana/
Maybe someone local with have some good information for you.
Now I know this feels really, really terrible. It is. IT SUCKS. We have been in a bit of a similar situation. But - someday this will be a good story. Back to the situation at hand...
Can you clarify the timeline? When did you buy it?
posted by beccaj at 5:42 PM on September 17, 2021 [3 favorites]
It’s okay, these things happen, something similar happened to me on a road trip a few months ago. It’s panic inducing and makes you feel very alone.
Here are some thoughts I considered:
Can you just hang out in the town over the weekend until the dealer can look at it and plan then? If the dealer assesses the issue but can’t fix it until say next Friday, then you could call around other shops and see if they can get it done sooner.
Could you get an Uber/taxi to another town that might have cars for rent and go from there?
Do you need to get to San Francisco ASAP and the road trip was a fun way to get there? Or was it a vacation and the destination isn’t super important? No need to answer, just things to consider about timelines and goals.
posted by umwhat at 5:45 PM on September 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
Here are some thoughts I considered:
Can you just hang out in the town over the weekend until the dealer can look at it and plan then? If the dealer assesses the issue but can’t fix it until say next Friday, then you could call around other shops and see if they can get it done sooner.
Could you get an Uber/taxi to another town that might have cars for rent and go from there?
Do you need to get to San Francisco ASAP and the road trip was a fun way to get there? Or was it a vacation and the destination isn’t super important? No need to answer, just things to consider about timelines and goals.
posted by umwhat at 5:45 PM on September 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks so far everyone. We bought it a couple days ago and had some things to do locally during the week. The road trip was a fun way to get home, but we do sort of need to get back as soon as we can— we’re burning a lot of vacation and hotels are pretty expensive here. So we’re sort of optimizing for getting home as quickly as we can.
Annoyingly, we have a lot of stuff with us, so we’re trying to figure out if we can either ship it back or buy some luggage to fly with…
posted by stoneandstar at 5:58 PM on September 17, 2021
Annoyingly, we have a lot of stuff with us, so we’re trying to figure out if we can either ship it back or buy some luggage to fly with…
posted by stoneandstar at 5:58 PM on September 17, 2021
How much money do you have to throw at this/can you afford to lose on this to alleviate the stress? Can you just leave it at the dealer and have them fix it even though that may be the most expensive option? And then maybe once it's fixed pay someone to drive it out to SF, if you can't fly back and do it right away yourself? I've heard there are apps/websites that facilitate matching people who want to drive a car to another city + people who need their car transported.
posted by needs more cowbell at 6:01 PM on September 17, 2021
posted by needs more cowbell at 6:01 PM on September 17, 2021
What type of car is it? If it's a Honda that sounds like the VTEC just isn't coming on and can be a relatively simple fix. Sometimes as easy as changing the oil or topping it off. My car had code p2646, which Google sometimes along with the rocker arm actuator issue.
I drove my 2004 CRV under 3000rpm for about a month and felt very safe doing it. This included some highway trips. It should be addressed sooner rather than later, but the part itself is only ~$150.
Do not drive it if you don't feel safe.
posted by Nosmot at 6:15 PM on September 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
I drove my 2004 CRV under 3000rpm for about a month and felt very safe doing it. This included some highway trips. It should be addressed sooner rather than later, but the part itself is only ~$150.
Do not drive it if you don't feel safe.
posted by Nosmot at 6:15 PM on September 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Yep, it’s a Honda. That’s good to know, thanks! We’ve got a few thousand miles to go so we’re hesitant to keep on it but would probably be OK to find an open shop that’s out of town but not quite that far… I’m working on that now.
Unfortunately the dealer in town is closed now (we checked in there earlier and all the techs were at home), and it sounds like they’re booked up until October. They offered to look at it on Monday but we’re still not sure what to do about the time crunch.
posted by stoneandstar at 6:33 PM on September 17, 2021
Unfortunately the dealer in town is closed now (we checked in there earlier and all the techs were at home), and it sounds like they’re booked up until October. They offered to look at it on Monday but we’re still not sure what to do about the time crunch.
posted by stoneandstar at 6:33 PM on September 17, 2021
I had a car break down on a road trip and called every mechanic in the area. One of them was willing to come in on a Saturday afternoon for not much of a premium, and even let us use his bathroom to take a wash cloth bath. It’s worth a try, someone might answer the phone.
posted by sacrifix at 6:40 PM on September 17, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by sacrifix at 6:40 PM on September 17, 2021 [3 favorites]
hotels are pretty expensive here
Camp in the car.
posted by aniola at 6:48 PM on September 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
Camp in the car.
posted by aniola at 6:48 PM on September 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
Did you buy from a dealership or a private sale?
Did you check with them to see if they would take it back?
posted by Short End Of A Wishbone at 6:51 PM on September 17, 2021 [2 favorites]
Did you check with them to see if they would take it back?
posted by Short End Of A Wishbone at 6:51 PM on September 17, 2021 [2 favorites]
Are you able to check the oil level? Can you try calling local places for an oil change? I think Nosmot has a great suggestion above. If the wrong oil type was used, an oil change could help.
posted by mundo at 7:32 PM on September 17, 2021
posted by mundo at 7:32 PM on September 17, 2021
I went to Bozeman on Google maps, searched "used car", and saw lots of open places tomorrow. Whichever place gives you the best deal, sell the car to them. Then buy another car, take a plane, or ride greyhound home. Greyhound also does (did? dunno) ground shipping if you stuff is worth the cost.
posted by flimflam at 7:46 PM on September 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by flimflam at 7:46 PM on September 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
Oil changes don't really "fix" anything, but if it's the same part that gave me issues, oil level and oil cleanliness (actually there's a little filter/screen involved) are a major factor in it activating properly at 2800-3000 rpm when the VTEC wants to kick on. My car just shook or stuttered at 3000, I assume that's what you're getting?
I hesitate to say this, since I don't want to give people the impression just changing the oil is going to cure all of an old cars ills, but my problem went away after a visit to one of the drive thru oil change places. I kept putting off the call to the actual mechanic and thought, well maybe I'll at least put fresh oil in it before I take it in, and lo..
I'd be shocked if that's all it was, but it might be quick, cheap, peace of mind tomorrow morning before trying anything else.
posted by Nosmot at 8:47 PM on September 17, 2021 [2 favorites]
I hesitate to say this, since I don't want to give people the impression just changing the oil is going to cure all of an old cars ills, but my problem went away after a visit to one of the drive thru oil change places. I kept putting off the call to the actual mechanic and thought, well maybe I'll at least put fresh oil in it before I take it in, and lo..
I'd be shocked if that's all it was, but it might be quick, cheap, peace of mind tomorrow morning before trying anything else.
posted by Nosmot at 8:47 PM on September 17, 2021 [2 favorites]
Nosmot's idea is one of those decent gambles: the 5-minute oil change isn't going to take very long and won't cost too much (don't let them upsell you on a lot of other stuff), and if it seems to fix it, fine, if it doesn't fix it you are no worse off than you were and only out a little bit of money.
Even though you seem in a little bit of a time crunch, I would plan my route home to go near as many cities/towns as possible; if you feel OK taking the interstate that might work, otherwise look for good 4-lane US highways - if you _do_ break down you won't be far from some sort of hotel. Also don't forget that hotels/motels try to keep at least a few rooms available for "drive in traffic" (my term), i.e. people who show up without reservations. Sometimes they only keep those until a certain time in late afternoon or early evening, sometimes it's longer, but I've had very few times where I've needed to do an unplanned stop for a night when I couldn't find a room.
posted by TimHare at 8:58 PM on September 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
Even though you seem in a little bit of a time crunch, I would plan my route home to go near as many cities/towns as possible; if you feel OK taking the interstate that might work, otherwise look for good 4-lane US highways - if you _do_ break down you won't be far from some sort of hotel. Also don't forget that hotels/motels try to keep at least a few rooms available for "drive in traffic" (my term), i.e. people who show up without reservations. Sometimes they only keep those until a certain time in late afternoon or early evening, sometimes it's longer, but I've had very few times where I've needed to do an unplanned stop for a night when I couldn't find a room.
posted by TimHare at 8:58 PM on September 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
People who work in Auto Parts store can sometimes offer helpful suggestions. You could try visiting or calling one. They may even have connections to local mechanics.
posted by mundo at 9:30 PM on September 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by mundo at 9:30 PM on September 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
Billings is 2 hours away. May be a long tow/ride but more options for repair people who may be open weekends or car rental sooner if you want to call around there.
posted by Crystalinne at 10:54 PM on September 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Crystalinne at 10:54 PM on September 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
Not scolding but this is why I comment on every used car purchasing askme with “you must have a prepurchase inspection done on any used car purchase unless you’re a mechanic yourself.” Just because it’s a Honda or Toyota doesn’t make it good.
Maybe it is low oil pressure preventing the VTEC valve timing from functioning. That is common and this could be a symptom of that. And a rocker arm code could be consistent with that.
But why?
I would not simply change the oil and hope for the best. There are a lot of worse places to break down between Billings and San Francisco. You do need a mechanic to look at it. ANd while you’re at it pay them to inspect the entire car.
Or ditch the car.
But yeah shit does happen. Ask me about spending 3 miserable days in godforsaken hellhole Escanaba, Michigan, waiting for an alternator.
posted by spitbull at 4:03 AM on September 18, 2021 [3 favorites]
Maybe it is low oil pressure preventing the VTEC valve timing from functioning. That is common and this could be a symptom of that. And a rocker arm code could be consistent with that.
But why?
I would not simply change the oil and hope for the best. There are a lot of worse places to break down between Billings and San Francisco. You do need a mechanic to look at it. ANd while you’re at it pay them to inspect the entire car.
Or ditch the car.
But yeah shit does happen. Ask me about spending 3 miserable days in godforsaken hellhole Escanaba, Michigan, waiting for an alternator.
posted by spitbull at 4:03 AM on September 18, 2021 [3 favorites]
please come back and let us know how it worked out. Good luck.
posted by Mom at 10:36 AM on September 18, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by Mom at 10:36 AM on September 18, 2021 [4 favorites]
I have a Honda. That 3 thousand RPM limit is the ECU's limp or safe mode. The suggestions for changing the oil are a good start - if the vehicle has sat for a while the oil can settle out and that can clog up some of the fancy oil based parts of the engine like the vtec everyone is talking about. The gas might be super old as well and adding a product like HEET could flush out the grud in the fuel injector system.
posted by zenon at 10:41 AM on September 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by zenon at 10:41 AM on September 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
A VERY VERY temporary fix is to disconnect the battery to reset the ECU. Beware, this also erases ANY engine diagnostic codes the repair folks need to diagnose and fix your vehicle. So I don't recommend it.
If the Check Engine Light comes right back after you waited a few minutes and reconnect the battery and start the engine, your issue is really serious, esp. if the CEL was flashing. But if the CEL stays off after a reset, you're good to go, at least until the CEL comes back. And you'd always worry why it came on in the first place...
You really need a mechanic's opinion on what can be done, both short and long term. And they can reset the codes without erasing everything.
posted by kschang at 11:26 AM on September 18, 2021
If the Check Engine Light comes right back after you waited a few minutes and reconnect the battery and start the engine, your issue is really serious, esp. if the CEL was flashing. But if the CEL stays off after a reset, you're good to go, at least until the CEL comes back. And you'd always worry why it came on in the first place...
You really need a mechanic's opinion on what can be done, both short and long term. And they can reset the codes without erasing everything.
posted by kschang at 11:26 AM on September 18, 2021
Best answer: So a bit of a twist. What if you one way rented a small moving vehicle and towed the car back to San Francisco to get it repaired there? It addresses the "lot of stuff" issue. And you could get underway to home. Costly but maybe less so than coming back for the repaired car.
posted by bhdad at 8:40 PM on September 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by bhdad at 8:40 PM on September 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Update: We dropped the car off at the dealer in Bozeman (who scheduled maintenance three weeks from now) and flew home. Was the easiest/cheapest way to get back to work and reevaluate. The problem seemed to be getting worse the more we drove it so we didn’t feel comfortable changing the oil and pressing our luck. We may very well tow it home or have it shipped— even with the additional cost the car was dirt cheap, so we’ll see. Could still be a good bumming around vehicle. If the post is still open I’ll update once we’ve resolved the issue!
posted by stoneandstar at 9:19 PM on September 19, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by stoneandstar at 9:19 PM on September 19, 2021 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Update: Car had a cracked oil pan. Wasn’t leaking oil before we bought it (from family) but was somewhat rusted out so we suspect the guy doing the tune up/oil change we got before the trip might have tightened the bolt hard enough to create a stress crack (not necessarily their fault, the car was sitting on the street for quite awhile). Most places in Bozeman (including the dealer we dropped it off with) wouldn’t touch it because of the rust (didn’t know road salt wasn’t a thing out west…) but we did find a shop to replace it, used our one free Geico tow to get it there remotely then flew back in a few weeks later and drive it the rest of the way home, where it is indeed now a good bumming around car. Success!
Would I do it again? Well, I probably wouldn’t have had a chance to eat Basque food in Elko, NV any other way…
posted by stoneandstar at 9:34 AM on December 25, 2021
Would I do it again? Well, I probably wouldn’t have had a chance to eat Basque food in Elko, NV any other way…
posted by stoneandstar at 9:34 AM on December 25, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by stoneandstar at 5:36 PM on September 17, 2021