Layout:
Home > Crazy Weather and Car Problem

Crazy Weather and Car Problem

December 29th, 2011 at 01:21 am

We actually managed to have a white christmas here this year, well sort of. We got a massive storm on the afternoon of Christmas day and it there were hail almost the size of golf balls.





But our adventure actually started christmas eve. On that day DH and I did a bit of grocery shopping and then went to my mum's place to drop off the turkey, she decided to cook it at her place instead and I cooked the roast pork at my place. Anyway, on the way home DH and I talked about giving the car a wash that day, it really needed it. We got home around lunch time but decide to wash the car later that day when the sun is not as hot, it was another 30deg+ day. We decided to finally start washing it around 5pm. Half-way through washing DH found a bolt stuck to one of the back tyre (again! this happened to us few years ago, the same spot/tyre too). Again we suspect we got it from the road to/from my mum's place, there are few roadworks pretty much all the way to her place and there are a lot of crap around the road.

DH tried to replaced the tyre with the spare but he found out that the locknut key is totally worn out and will not grip. We could not do anything else that day but call my brother to ask him if he could drive us to mum for christmas lunch, it was not a problem for him since we are on the way for him.

When my brother came over he also had a look at the busted tyre he said it will only need to be patch up, which is good news since I was expecting that we might have to get a new one. My brother work for Bridgestone and know a bit about tyres. He said that if we could get it off then he will pick it up and get it fix for us at his work, which won't be until at least Wednesday since we have a 4 day weekend here for christmas and boxing day holiday (most businesses were closed except for department stores and shopping centres that are open for boxing day sales).

We had to borrow my mum's car to go and visit my friend after lunch. We wanted to just stop by to say hello to my other friend who was also visiting from the country that day. We planned to go there for couple of hours while my mum and brother had a nap, then we were going to come back for dinner at my mum again. Half an hour later when we got to my friends place the rain finally started, heavy storm was forecast and it has been threatning all morning but it never came until that afternoon. Because it has been very humid which is very unusual for us here, we normally just get a dry heat during summer, the rain actually brought with it some hail. It started with just small hail, about the size of corn kernel for about 5 mins and then it stopped for 5 mins and then it started again and now the hail is about the size of ping pong balls. I was freaking out about my mum's car, there was nothing we could do about it but watch it from the balcony, it was park on the street with no protection at all. There were about 20 other cars outside in my friend's neigbourhood. Everyone was having a christmas party some managed to cover their car with car mats.

It came and finished very quickly but did enough to make a bit of damage. My friend's kitchen started leaking and so did a couple of rooms upstairs. I found out the next day that their gutter actually came off from the weight of the ice. There was water everywhere, it got into their cabinets and appliances and on the floor.

I heard someone said that there were more bad weather coming, DH and I decided to leave right away, I wanted to put my mum's car back into her garage. Luckily, it only took us about 10-15mins to get back. When we got to my mum, it has not rain there at all. When I was telling her what happened she thought I was joking. Then 10mins later it started raining and again hail the size of ping pong, now my mum was freaking out coz it was so loud when it hit the tin roof. At this stage I was like I told you so!

Afterwards, we checked her car in the garage and there was only 1 ding that I could see and it wasn't that noticable. We were really lucky coz other people got major damage in thier car and some houses their ceiling caved in because it.

Back to our car, the next day, during Boxing Day we called for our roadside assitance company to see if they could get the locknut out, unfortunately he couldn't. He suggested that if we want he could come back on Wednesday, when car garages will be open, to pump up the tyre so DH can then drive it to get it fix. Other option DH got was to buy a new locknut key, which again we couldn't do until Wednesday. This was the better option, since we still need it if we ever need to get the other tyres out, which is very likely soon.

On Wednesday DH had to go back to work and had to walked to the train station, the closes one from our place is only 10 mins away but it is in a different zone to the one that DH normally catches the train on which cost him almost $5 more per day. The other train station would have taken half an hour walk but only few minutes to drive. Luckily it is very quiet at his work this week and had plenty of time to ring around for the locknut, the first place that DH called was closed until 3 of Jan. The second one was out of stock but they could order it but unfortunately that place is closed for business until 9 of Jan. Finally, the third one actually had the right serial number key in stock and luckily they are only few minutes from my mum's place. My mum went and bought one for us. They cost just under $33 but DH transfered $40 into my mum's bank account, I didn't have any cash with me at all.

After work yesterday, DH got the tyre off and my brother picked it up this afternoon after work, hopefully he will be able to get it fix tomorrow, they will only have half a day business tomorrow if it can't get done we will have to wait until next Tuesday coz again we have another 3 day long weekend. But at least we should be able to do some grocery shopping this Saturday once DH get the spare tyre pump up a bit, it is a bit flat at the moment. Luckily, we don't have a plan to go anywhere this NYE, again the weather is going to be very hot and I have opted to celebrate it at homw this year.


1 Responses to “Crazy Weather and Car Problem”

  1. Jerry Says:
    1325343863

    That is some crazy weather -- I have seen big hail lead to some serious damage, as well. You are lucky that her car was not more seriously dented. Does your insurance cover that damage, I wonder?
    Jerry

Leave a Reply

(Note: If you were logged in, we could automatically fill in these fields for you.)
*
Will not be published.
   

* Please spell out the number 4.  [ Why? ]

vB Code: You can use these tags: [b] [i] [u] [url] [email]