The Demise of the 92 Ford Tempo


My car's transmission has started slipping in and out of consciousness. The other day it suddenly shifted into second while I was going 30 mph. I was only two blocks from my destination so I babied it into the parking lot and turned it off. When I got back it drove and shifted just fine. I added a couple of quarts of transmission fluid because it has had a slow leak since I got it in December of 2007 and I haven't had the time or money to fix it. That usually does the trick.

Today I got to work just fine. When I went to run an errand the speedometer read "0" and the car wouldn't shift out of second. Again, I babied it to my destination hoping that maybe things would clear up when the engine got warm. Nope. First gear all the way back to my shop.

I decided the best thing to do would be to baby it all the way home and park it in the driveway. It shifted just fine for the first six blocks until I got to a red light, once it turned green I was stuck back in first. I drove home slowly on every back street I know, borrowed Kate's car and was able to do my coffee deliveries.

So now it's time for a new car. I am hoping I will be able to funnel this one through the business, because it has more money and a better credit rating than I do as an individual -- plus it's tax deductible! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for now and I hope that soon I can get the Tempo and all of it's quirks out of my life.

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