[cherniydiavel]

I'm very thankful for this website because it introduced me to the concept of Pulse and Glide, which allowed me to get my car to a repair shop in a pinch without a functioning coolant system.

A month ago, I was driving home from work Saturday afternoon, and as I got off the freeway I saw steam coming out of the gap between my hood and my fenders. Uh oh… I shut the motor off (check engine light did not come on thankfully, thus no damage I think) and popped the hood to let it cool quickly. I ended up patching the split hose with duct tape and wire, pouring a gallon of water into the radiator (I always have a few gallons in my trunk) and limping home. I called up my local Ford dealership, told them my situation, and they told me I could bring it in on Monday.

My problem was, I don't have a lot of money. A tow truck would cost over $100, and I only had enough money for a coolant flush, new hoses, and a thermostat replacement. So, I had to get my car to the dealership without using a tow truck.

This is how I did it: I drained what was left of the coolant (not much, most was on the driveway) and filled the radiator with ice cubes. Then I topped it off with tap water. The idea is that I would lose all of the water through leaks, and the ice would be able to trickle if the water ran out so the water pump isn't pumping pure air. Every bit helps!

I drove there by aggressively accelerating to the speed limit, then shifting into neutral, and turning the engine off every chance I could. That way the computer always assumed I was in "cold start" conditions and used rich mixture settings, cooling the block. I was able to roll into the shop 7 miles from my house without damaging my engine. When I arrived I had nothing in the radiator.

So, I know it's a long post, but I'd just like to say a general Thank You to y'all for writing the articles on here that taught me about Pulse and Gliding. It helped me out, not necessarily with MPG per say but definitely with efficient driving that morning.