* do, re, me, fa, so la * unfortunately not quite in tune...I forgot whether it was Christina or IE who said I sang in the key of "Z" very minor.

Mac,

You're not very specific about where the leak is in your car. If it is a radiator hose the problem may be that cracks have formed, probably within two inches of either end. Most radiator hoses have enough slack that you can cut off the cracked part and reclamp the new end to the radiator. This "fix" may last as long as a year and will both keep your car running and postpone the financial pressure to replace the hose.

Best wishes.

.

So far, the "stop-leak" solution I bought seems to be working plus I'm driving a lot less and I avoid the freeways.

Stop Leak does work. I have used many times in the past. I guess it really takes the can of stuff and a little faith and it works.

Stop Leak does work. . .Yes, it does, on pin holes. It is a special blessing if you have to deal with holes you can't see and you don't have a few hundred dollars for radiator repair or replacement, or the car isn't worth the cost of repair. The closest thing to a real disadvantage of Stop Leak is that it coats the whole interior of the cooling system, reducing the rate of heat transfer to and from the coolant fluid. But if you never take long trips in hot weather you will probably never notice that effect.

.

MacTheWolf (imported) wrote: Sat May 05, 2007 9:37 am So far, the "stop-leak" solution I bought seems to be working plus I'm driving a lot less and I avoid the freeways.

Generally, most cooling systems have a 16 lbs test radiator cap. You best replace it with no more than 8 lbs or I think that you can get a 6 lbs test radiator cap. It will save a LOT of money in antifreeze dripping from pin-holes formed when the pressure gets too high for the old radiator tubes to handle.

Also, stay out of the mountains until you get a better radiator.

The copper tubes corrode after a time and the thin areas spring pin-hole leaks.

SO if you have one pin-hole, your radiator usually needs to be re-cored. That costs a lot IF you can find a radiator shop that will mess with you. Most make their living doing radiators for heavy equipment.

A-1 (imported) wrote: Sun May 06, 2007 11:54 am Generally, most cooling systems have a 16 lbs test radiator cap. You best replace it with no more than 8 lbs or I think that you can get a 6 lbs test radiator cap. It will save a LOT of money in antifreeze dripping from pin-holes formed when the pressure gets too high for the old radiator tubes to handle.

Also, stay out of the mountains until you get a better radiator.

The copper tubes corrode after a time and the thin areas spring pin-hole leaks.

SO if you have one pin-hole, your radiator usually needs to be re-cored. That costs a lot IF you can find a radiator shop that will mess with you. Most make their living doing radiators for heavy equipment.

Most radiators nowadays are made with a large plastics content. They don't deteriorate as easily, but do crack at seams. Of course, keep in mind that anti-freeze is also rather corrosive, and if not changed and system occasionally flushed, can cause further problems...

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE

Tonight I broke down and told my mother I have filed for conservatorship over her in the Superior Court of California and that the court date is this coming Monday, May 21, 2007, at 10:30am.

Needless to say, she was less than thrilled.

Now I have five more days to hear her complaints before the day of decision, one way or the other. On the other hand, she usually forgets things I tell her within 24-48 hours so it may not be as rough for me as I think. My fingers are crossed.

P.S. She was legally served with the paperwork two weeks ago but was so out of her head that day , she didn't even notice it.

P.P.S. And yes, I plan to keep her in her home for the duration of her life, come hell or highwater. The only difference being, if I can can secure a loan or a reverse mortgage, I'll hire somebody to stand in for me maybe three days a month, if only to prolong my sanity a wee bit longer.

Comments and criticisms to anything I've said above are welcomed and appreciated. Feel free to commit yourself...after all, who knows,. if I don't get some time off soon, I may be the one needing committment. heh heh

You might be able to get the state to pay for a respit provider... I used to be a chef for a foster home with thirteen special needs children. Well, the state of Mn paid for so many days per year for respit care so the foster parents could escape the terror they'd signed up for... I wonder if Ca would have a similar program... Being that you cannot leave her alone and she needs 24 hour care..

So far, so good. She hasn't remembered anything

My fingers are still crossed