Automotive Brain-teaser

[jtexas]

Last night just about dinnertime my brother-in-law, Art, calls and says "do you have a tow rope?"<br />"Sure," I say, "why, you need a tow?"<br />"Yep, I'm broke down out here..." and gives me his location.<br /><br />I finish my dinner and watch my new favorite show, "My Name Is Earl," set the VCR to record "Boston Legal," then decided to get the tow rope and head out to rescue Art.<br /><br />After I arrived and woke him up, he proceeded to describe what was wrong with his 1991 Delta88.<br /><br />I said, "You idiot, I can't tow your car home!"<br />"Well, can I tow yours?" he asks, "it's only a few blocks to the shop."<br />"Sure, no problem."<br /><br />So, Art used his car to tow mine to his mechanic's shop, then I gave him a ride home in my car.<br /><br />Question: what mechanical problem prevented Art from driving home in his car?

 

[mattttt25]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

no brakes?

 

[Barbee Q]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

Was he drunk?? and ran out of gas. He took a nap and left his lights on and battery ran down???? You arrived to jump his car/and bring gas and while jumping his car, your battery bubble over and had a melt down, which left you stranded.. When towed to the shop, you switched batteries to get home.. Now you only brought enough gas to get him to a shop and not all the way home..So you lend up taking your car home and leaving his until the next day..<br /><br />Did I get it? .. Maybe? .... I'm I close? ....<br /><br />What is funny about this twister is it happen to me and a friend and trying to explain it to my mother at the time was just to confusing to her..

 

[KeltonKrew]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

no brakes....he needed the car with the brakes to be the towed vehicle to stop both.<br /><br />mattttttttttttt25 hit it!

 

[oddjob]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

I go w/ matt

 

[QC]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

Originally posted by oddjob:<br /> I go w/ matt

Me too.

 

[Barbee Q]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

If he had no brakes them how did they drive home in his car with Art getting a ride..<br />And if it is the brakes a car can still be driven. Just vary carefully..

 

[mvaughn]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

Matt got, I go with brakes

 

[Barbee Q]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

It does sound like the Brakes.. Ya, I get it now..<br />Ha,ha.. All good... Never did that one before..

 

[KeltonKrew]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

BD.....if his car didn't have brakes, it becomes the lead car to pull. the rear car (with brakes) applies the brakes to stop to keep the tow rope tight. the rear car needs brakes, the front car doesn't. the front car needs to be able to pull.

 

[ColdFire]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

gotta go with Matt, no brakes

 

[Barbee Q]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

I get it, I just never done it that way..Thanks.. <br /><br />Here's one; This is what happened to me and a friend.. Went up a step hill got to the top and lost a wheel cylinder in the left wheel.. No brakes.. How do you Think we got to the bottom of the hill? <br />Now remember I always pack tools and things that are needed in bad conditions..<br />Plus there were trees everywhere...<br />Its not a brain teaser just common sence..

 

[KeltonKrew]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

use the emergency brake! it's mechanical and doesn't rely on the wheel cylinders!

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

Art's battery was bad. Swap batteries to get to shop, swap back to go home.

 

[LadyFish]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

Tied a rope around the tree and made a winch.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

Um, getting down the hill is easy, its stopping at the bottom that becomes difficult.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Ken

 

[Barbee Q]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

Originally posted by LadyFish:<br /> Tied a rope around the tree and made a winch.

RIGHT on...But it was a chain.. I could only go 5 feet at a time.. I got to tell you if that frame was bent it was straight by the time i got to the bottom of the hill. I chalked the front tires up while setting the chain. then I would kick the blocks out from under the tires, so the truck would roll.. I have a 20 ft logger chain. The next payday I bought a new winch..

 

[jtexas]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

I shoulda known this one was too easy. <br /><br />I like Barbara's answer best, he was drunk, ran out of gas, dead battery, melted my battery, etc. But mattttt's was correct obviously.<br /><br />Not a true story although I do have a BIL named Art who's dumber than dirt.<br /><br />Barbara in your case, I'm guessing maybe you walked down the hill?

 

[KeltonKrew]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

I'm trying to figure out why all the work to keep tying to a tree when the emergency brake should have worked...

 

[Barbee Q]

Re: Automotive Brain-teaser

Originally posted by KeltonKrew:<br /> use the emergency brake! it's mechanical and doesn't rely on the wheel cylinders!

I would of but it didn't work that great at the time.. My brakes were warn down so it didn't catch all that good.. I took that truck to the shop 3 times and not one of them properly adjusted my brakes or told me they needed replacing.. That is why I do must of my own work.. If I can..