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[Spridgets] No LBC - More on premium fuel

To: Spridget list <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Subject: [Spridgets] No LBC - More on premium fuel
From: Michael Rowe <mdrowe@optonline.net>
Date: Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:21:11 -0400
>I thought you had the VW  Passat?

Speaking of Passats that require premium fuel:  This is no longer a problem 
for our daughter.

If you recall, she got stuck buying a Passat from a friend because of a time 
crunch and wondered if it would be damaged by regular fuel.  Well, she owned 
it for a month, was out of town several times with 11 days of actual driving 
time.  On her return after 10 days away, it wouldn't start, so it was towed 
to a shop.  The timing tensioner had frozen causing the timing belt to slip, 
and breaking all but one valve.  He had to send the head out; I don't yet 
know how much work it needed.

The mechanic has a daughter of the same age and took pity on her, only 
charging $3000 for a lot of work.  Finally the car was back together and 
running, but the transmission didn't work - the chip was drowned.  She had 
parked the car on a hill with gutters on the side.  We assume that rain 
water rushing down the hill hit a tire and splashed all over the 
transmission.  If that is the case, driving through any big puddle would do 
the same.

She has not yet returned to Los Angeles to pick up the car.  We don't yet 
know how much the transmission chip will cost.

So now she has spent almost as much in repairs as she paid for the car in 
the first place, after driving it for 11 days.  She will sell it as soon as 
it is working again.  It seems unlikely that she will ever buy another VW.

The only good thing that has come of this expensive mistake is that she has 
decided she needs to learn about car engines.   I don't think I could talk 
her into a Spridget.  She wants something big enough to sleep in while 
travelling - a mini-van or panel van done up in the  "flower child" manner.

Michael Rowe 
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