I Blew It

So, big auto mechanic weekend for me.  I decided to install my new trailer hitch on Saturday, and to replace my cruise control on Sunday.

So Saturday I got the hitch installed ok.   So far, so good.  And I knew I should get an early start on the cruise control on Sunday.

So I went out as soon as the rain stopped on Sunday morning.  It was cloudy and cool.   Ish.  For this time of year.

Took the windshield trim off of the base of the windshield and the drain cover off of the passenger side so I could get to where the wiring would go down into the passenger compartment.   The new cruise control has bigger connectors to fit through the hole, so I needed a bigger hole.

On the previous install, we drilled the hole high up on the drain slope.  I wanted to use the old wires to pull the new ones through, but I couldn't enlarge the hole with a drill bit without tearing the wires up and losing that possibility, so I thought to myself ... hey....  I'd like that hole higher up off the drain slope so it will be less likely to leak, and it's just a couple inches.  I could grab the wires through that new, bigger hole. And pull 'em through anyway.

Now I know that there's stuff back there behind the firewall, and I know that there's air conditioner stuff back there.   I looked at where the line from the drier went in about 6" down.  So I FIGURED .... that I had enough room especially if I was careful.

So I started drilling the hole.  And I could see I was getting close to punching through and stopped the drill right as it punched through.  But it was a half second too late.

High pressure R134 spewed into the air.  Yes.  I cursed.

More than once.

Because I knew that was an $800 to $1000 job to fix (with labor, which I'm not about to try).

Well after I got my wits back together, I took option 2 and took the old wires out and expanded the old hole (the hell of it is, even if I had successfully done the new hole without doing any damage, I wouldn't have been able to use it.  Evaporator was too close.)   I pulled the wire through, then went back under the hood to figure out where to mount the new control and how to secure the cable end by the throttle.   Which took me pretty much the rest of the day.

I was hot.  I was soaked with sweat.   I hadn't eaten since breakfast.   So I left it unwired on the inside, cleaned my car out so that the mechanics would have lots of room and none of my crap (glovebox, etc) to deal with.   And then I went in.

Called the garage this morning.  They are backed up until next monday.  So no AC in the car this week, and that includes a trip to KC on Friday night Saturday.   And worse, the trip back on Sunday.

Right in the middle of the two hottest, most humid weeks so far this summer.  And a $900 car bill to boot.

And I STILL have to wire the new cruise control.   But as long as that's done before the Colorado trip.....