TeamD Adventures

With the 2007 Thudnerbird rally only days away (the TeamD caravan will be heading north Friday) I took a few minutes this weekend to start preparing the car for the event.

Since the WRX is also a daily driver, there are a number of things I need to do to make sure it is ready for an upcoming event.  They include (but are not limited to):

Install the spare glovebox/Timewise mount.
Install the Timewise and test axle the sensors.
Wire up the HAM radio.
Swap street tires for snow tires (winter) or pack the gravel tires in the back (summer).
Charge the impact wrench (for quick wheel changes).
Make sure all the tools are in the toolbag in the back of the car.
Put the season-appropriate accessories in the back (jacks, shovel and plank for winter).

Things went relatively smoothly.  Marvin dropped off both the radio and the Timewise earlier so I would have them available for this weekend.  The old reliable Timewise was connected and both sensors are sending pulses back to the unit.  I had purchased an extension kit for the radio so we could relocate the control head somewhere in the cabin for ease of use (we usually have the entire radio under his seat but that makes it hard to adjust while driving) so I installed and tested it with no issues.  Ultimately, I want to mount the radio in the trunk and run wires for the speaker, handset, and control head up to the front of the cabin but for now I have it working with the radio still under the seat but the control face under the stereo and the handset cable attached to the console beside the gear shift.  I would do all the permanent relocation in the evening this week execpt for one problem.

The car is going to the shop tonight.

I have had an intermittent hesitation problem for a few months.  This hesitation manifests itself when the car is cold but seems to disapear when the car is warm.  I have asked my able shop (Smart Service) to take a look but they haven’t been able to pinpoint the cause.  I also have a small leak in the up-pipe or downpipe or exhaust (I can’t remember exactly where at the moment but it’s not a big deal).  During the cold snap in November/December I was smelling gas in the morning as the car started, indications of a leak tied to the temperature, perhaps a loose clamp on the fuel line.  And now, the check engine light is lit.

So off it goes back to Smart Service.  I will be dropping it off tonight so they can get to it tomorrow.  Hopefully they can experience the hesitation when they drive it first thing in the morning.  Hopefully they can figure out the cause of the Check Engine light.  Hopefully they can replace the cracked/leaking engine bit.  Hopefully they can do all this before I have to drive the car north on Friday.  Hopefully.