keilb
07-16-2002, 10:47
While returning from a car show towing a 32' enclosed trailer my truck left me stranded 300 miles from home. When accelerating it would ping violently and the tach would jump several hundred RPM. Not wishing to blow a hole in a piston, I shut it down and called my service manager. He agreed that it should not be driven and offered to have it towed to the nearest dealer. I did not want to have the truck 300 miles from home so I loaded the truck in the trailer and called my good friend who came and pulled it home (with of all things an 02 PS F***). I drove the show car (an unrestored 59 pontiac convertable with over 100,000 miles which has never seen an overhaul) home. It seems strange that a new hi-tech vehicle quits after 11000 miles and I have to go to a 43 year old vehicle which has never let me down and has never had any major repair of any kind. So much for the reliability of our computerized vehicles of the 21st century. By the way the fuel pressure regulation in the pump failed causing extreme fluctuations in pressure which resulted in the ping and surge. A new pump was installed and now all seems well. I am firmly convinced though that 40 years from now my Pontiac will still be running while the truck will be long gone for lack of available parts to repair its many complicated system. Don't get me wrong, I love the truck and intend to keep it, but question the trend toward complex systems of questionable reliability/repairability