Ryan and I are supposed to be in Po-town en route to Maine, but we're back at home. Halfway up on the Jersey turnpike my car started just revving instead of delivering power to the wheels when I pressed on the gas. It was quite unnerving as I realized I couldn't keep up with the flow of traffic and had to get over two lanes to pull over. Fortunately they have a very wide shoulder. We opened the hood and the coolant cap was off (I had just got my oil changed that morning and bet they failed to put it back on). The engine felt hot, but the coolant compartment was still full. We let the engine cool for a few minutes, then tried driving again with the same problem. We were a mile from an exit so I chugged along the shoulder at 15 mph. We found a garage not too far from the turnpike.

Since it seemed like a transmission problem, yet there was the open coolant cap, it was somewhat confusing. Normally those things are not linked. I was also expecting the worst- transmission problems are expensive. They had a look at it and figured it out: apparently the transmission fluid line runs through the radiator to cool the fluid. They are supposed to be two separate circuits, though. Somehow my radiator busted such that the coolant and transmission fluid started intermingling. And as everyone knows, mixing of fluids is how diseases get around.

So they estimated $600 for repairs and it won't be done until tomorrow. $600 actually doesn't sound that bad compared to "the worst" I had feared ($3000). We rented a car (actually a "God damn minivan") and drove home. We'll drive back the rental car and get the Neon tomorrow, then keep heading north. We're just pushing all our plans back a day, so we'll spend Saturday night in Po-town, then Sunday night in Bangor before getting to the island on Monday.

I don't know if the open coolant cap had to do with the busted radiator- probably. Don't suppose I have any legal grounds to sue Jiffy Lube. Sigh. I thought by getting an oil change before the trip I'd be doing my car a favor.