A Milestone

It happened today.

For the first time.

Something that was working properly... broke.

On my watch.

Damn.

I was cruising down 520 towards the Eastside of town. Sunny, 70 degrees. Perfect weather for a drop-top excursion. I took a cursory glance at the gauges, as I was told to do during drivers ed so long ago (Smith System rule - 'Keep your eyes moving...').

No oil pressure.

Mind races and tells me to stop the car (remember the '74 Corolla).

Wait a minute.

Tachometer reads zero.

Impossible... I'm humming along quite nicely in highway traffic, doing at least...

Zero.

Hmmm....

Temperature?

Zero.

I'm sensing a trend.

Fuel?

Zero.

Stop.

Think.

Organize the following thoughts:

Given:
- The car is running nicely.
- Many indicators have failed at once, giving false readings.
Therefore:
- I likely have an electrical problem.

Damn.

I continue on to my destination, all while thinking of a good troubleshooting plan. At one point in the drive, all gauges start to work again. Great.

I tap on the brake approaching traffic. In an instant, gauges go back to zero.

Damn.

I arrive at my destination, I park, then shut off the car.

Cars need a good electrical system to start.

Cross fingers....

The car starts again. Gauges are still dead. Good. Only PART of the electrical system is dead.

I check the lights (it will be dark by the time I head home). They work. I determine that after my engagement, I'll have enough functionality to get home safely, and I do.

I've spent the better part of the summer working on improving the car. Making it better. Little repairs, detailing work, light maintenance... Today is the first time that something has gone awry since our ownership commenced in April. A true milestone. A step backward. I was due. It's a 26-year old car. What do I expect?

On the way home, I did some more troubleshooting and made a short mental list..

Works:
Ignition
Lights
Radio
Interior illumination

Doesn't work:
Gauges
Power windows
Turn Signals on dashboard
Any other dashboard warning light for that matter...

I checked my shop manual. There is a common fuse for the things that don't work, so I'll be checking that out. If it is the fuse, what causes it to blow? If not, tracking down a wiring problem will be a bear, I know.

I was just thinking that I hadn't updated the blog in a while and that it would be nice to have something to write about.

Be careful what you ask for...