44INAROW
07-07-2010, 06:20 PM
OK, 2334 miles later, and I am back from vacation. Whew.. we had a great time but it sure is good to be back home. I will try to go back about 20 pages and catch up on what I missed since June 28th
The trip out there was "fun-filled" 1st and foremost, we got to Daytona Beach safe and sound on Weds 30th and on time BUT not without some "drama"
Tuesday, we filled up between Lafayette and Baton Rouge at a LUVS or however you spell it. 99% of the time, we use Shell or Exxon but the LUVS was 10 cents cheaper so we figured, what the heck? Well - about 30 miles east of Baton Rouge (about 4pm) we came upon a wreck and were in stop-and-go traffic and the Expedition started sputtering and acting like it was going to stall out (while we are idleing or going 10 mph) and the "check engine light" was on (we had the car totally serviced and checked right before we left) Then it starts to rain - POURING RAIN - thank goodness, the wreck cleared up quickly and we got back to going 70+mph and the car ran just fine. We stopped somewhere between Pensacola and Tallahasse to eat and when we slowed down to park, the sputtering got really bad. It's dark now (of course) We ate (Cracker Barrell :) ) then got back in the car and drove until about 9:30 and when we pulled off IH10 onto the feeder road - the sputtering started again. (Oh, I was shutting the AC off everytime we slowed down) We got to the hotel with no problem. Got up Weds AM and held our breath that we'd get to Daytona safely. At 9:00 AM we filled up before we got back on IH10. We didn't stop until about noon (sidenote - Florida wins the "best Rest and Most Rest Area Award") When we pulled into the rest area between Tallahasse and Jacksonville, I totally forgot to shut the AC off and BAM the car totally shuts off as Mr44 is pulling into the parking spot and just to make it FUN and EXCITING - it starts to pour down raining at that precise minute. We get out and walk around and maybe say a quick prayer or two lol.. (seriously) 10 minutes later, we are back in the car, it starts right up and we are back on IH10 going 75+ mph with NO problem whatsoever. About 30 miles West of Jacksonville, there is major construction and we have to slow down to 20 mph and it's raining (but I remember to cut off the AC) We were lucky and just as it seemed the car was going to stall out, the traffic would flow again and we'd be running 75+mph again. We kept going and all was fine - then we exited onto the road to the house at Daytona and it's about 5 miles of in-town, stop and go traffic. The car was shaking and shimmying like crazy and I really thought we'd have to pull over and call a tow truck, but we made it to the beach house. Mr44 called a Ford dealership and made an appt for 1st thing Thursday AM. They found sensor or something cracked which may or may not have been the reason for the "check engine light" but they also said the fuel filter was totally filthy and it had been changed last week. They "assume" it was a bad tank of gas. Either way - it is fixed and we had no trouble coming home.
part 2 - the rain between Lake Charles and Houston today was unreal. we drove 30 and 40 mph between Sulphur LA and Baytown. I wonder how much rain the Orange/Beaumont area got today -
The trip out there was "fun-filled" 1st and foremost, we got to Daytona Beach safe and sound on Weds 30th and on time BUT not without some "drama"
Tuesday, we filled up between Lafayette and Baton Rouge at a LUVS or however you spell it. 99% of the time, we use Shell or Exxon but the LUVS was 10 cents cheaper so we figured, what the heck? Well - about 30 miles east of Baton Rouge (about 4pm) we came upon a wreck and were in stop-and-go traffic and the Expedition started sputtering and acting like it was going to stall out (while we are idleing or going 10 mph) and the "check engine light" was on (we had the car totally serviced and checked right before we left) Then it starts to rain - POURING RAIN - thank goodness, the wreck cleared up quickly and we got back to going 70+mph and the car ran just fine. We stopped somewhere between Pensacola and Tallahasse to eat and when we slowed down to park, the sputtering got really bad. It's dark now (of course) We ate (Cracker Barrell :) ) then got back in the car and drove until about 9:30 and when we pulled off IH10 onto the feeder road - the sputtering started again. (Oh, I was shutting the AC off everytime we slowed down) We got to the hotel with no problem. Got up Weds AM and held our breath that we'd get to Daytona safely. At 9:00 AM we filled up before we got back on IH10. We didn't stop until about noon (sidenote - Florida wins the "best Rest and Most Rest Area Award") When we pulled into the rest area between Tallahasse and Jacksonville, I totally forgot to shut the AC off and BAM the car totally shuts off as Mr44 is pulling into the parking spot and just to make it FUN and EXCITING - it starts to pour down raining at that precise minute. We get out and walk around and maybe say a quick prayer or two lol.. (seriously) 10 minutes later, we are back in the car, it starts right up and we are back on IH10 going 75+ mph with NO problem whatsoever. About 30 miles West of Jacksonville, there is major construction and we have to slow down to 20 mph and it's raining (but I remember to cut off the AC) We were lucky and just as it seemed the car was going to stall out, the traffic would flow again and we'd be running 75+mph again. We kept going and all was fine - then we exited onto the road to the house at Daytona and it's about 5 miles of in-town, stop and go traffic. The car was shaking and shimmying like crazy and I really thought we'd have to pull over and call a tow truck, but we made it to the beach house. Mr44 called a Ford dealership and made an appt for 1st thing Thursday AM. They found sensor or something cracked which may or may not have been the reason for the "check engine light" but they also said the fuel filter was totally filthy and it had been changed last week. They "assume" it was a bad tank of gas. Either way - it is fixed and we had no trouble coming home.
part 2 - the rain between Lake Charles and Houston today was unreal. we drove 30 and 40 mph between Sulphur LA and Baytown. I wonder how much rain the Orange/Beaumont area got today -