My car had a sadFollow

I was driving home after picking up some Edible Arrangements for a party last night when I heard a strange popping sound. It was similar to the ping you get when you hit a rock with your tire, but not quite the same. I didn't think anything of it. It wasn't super loud, but I had heard it over my CD player.

A few minutes later, I noticed my temperature guage climbing steadily toward hot. I gave it another 30 seconds to see if it was a fluke - nope, still getting warmer. When it was 3/4 of the way toward the "red" mark that triggers the temperature warning, I gave up and pulled over and called a tow truck (thank you BWC for the free tows!) I also called my mechanic and warned em that I was bringing it in.

5 minutes after I arrived, they had an answer - the faint popping sound had been an old hose blowing out. There had been a very tiny oil leak that caused it to swell and disintegrate. They were utterly amazed I had heard the noise, as it was deep behind the engine.

So why is my car so sad? This is the first time it's ever broken down on me since I got it 3 years ago, and I had just bragged about its reliability to my new boss last Monday when I was hired.

As it was being towed away, it had this really disappointed look, so sad and forlorn, as if it was saying, "Sorry I let you down..."

Glad to know I'm not the only one who personifies their vehicle. If/when my truck ever goes completely kaput (it's about 16 years old), I'll probably be bawling like someone died.

A failing radiator hose really isn't a failure of reliability. Wear items such as belts and hoses do fail. Typically, belts and hoses should be changed every 3 years or 36k miles.

It sounds more to me like the mechanic who did your check up failed you, not the car. Maybe your car was sad because you were blaming it for something that it didn't do.

It wasn't sadness, Catwho. It was reproach. How could you...?