Why I Hate Ohio

"SteyrTMP" (SteyrTMP)
07/29/2014 at 00:46 • Filed to: None

Yesterday was a prime example of why I hate Ohio. Forget the fact that I try to drive the Seven GTR every day, yet I end up only getting what feels like 10 days a year—the rest of the time it's either raining or snowing.

Well, since I had to drive to Wisconsin and back the other day for the funeral, I borrowed my parents' 2011 Forester. It's manual, which is a plus, and it has more boot space, as well as more comfortable for the kids to ride in. It's also boring. But that's beside the point.

Yesterday my parents and us were meeting in Middlefield (Winkie Central), to trade cars, as I left my Impreza at their house. Once we swapped, the wife, kids, and I stopped at the Walmart out there, and by the time we got out, it was raining pretty strong. It only got worse.

As I headed out of Middlefield, I hit a puddle of standing water, and the Impreza sputtered, stalled, and died. The previous owner installed an Injen CAI, which resides in the front quarter panel. While it has one of those bags around it, I think the amount of water soaked the bag, and suffocated it. I restarted, and limped to a parking lot. It threw a CEL light, and I have a ScanGauge II, which said it was a MAF error. I reset it, and it went away. I saw steam coming from the exhaust, but it only lasted a few seconds, and went away. No knocking from the engine, so I wasn't so concerned.

After sitting for a while, I looked in the trunk to see if I had a spare sock floating around. I was going to unclamp the upper length of tubing, and clamp a sock over it, and drive with that until I got home, or it dried out. However, I was out of luck, so I turned around to go back to Walmart. Go figure, it was raining even harder, and I had to go ford a large river that had appeared between me and Walmart... and yes, it bogged and stalled out again. Same CEL, idle was stalling out. It was running relatively OK, as long as I kept my foot on the throttle, and kept it above 1000rpm.

I pulled into a driveway, got an umbrella, popped the hood, and disconnected the CAI about 2' from the TB. I then crossed the river, and pulled into the Advance Auto parking lot. At which point, I heard a grinding noise, and as I parked, it sounded worse. I got out of the car, and the left wheel well liner was completely detached, and rubbing around between the tire and the body. I pulled it out, and other than a few stretched holes, it's intact, so I threw it into the trunk. The water was apparently strong enough to rip it out and break all the plastic clips.

I had to buy a plug socket, but they had a rachet I could borrow, so I quickly pulled all the plugs and turned it over a few times. The employee that was helping said he didn't see much other than a little steam/mist from cylinder 2, (which is leaking around the O-ring, which may have explained part of that), so I buttoned it back up, and headed to Walmart.... which happened to be closed from water coming through the roof, and the toilets were overflowing. Go figure.

On the the dollar store. Three bucks fifty later, I was the proud owner of three pairs of crew socks. Or, more like, two and a half pairs. I slid one over the tubing, clamped it in place, and drove home.

Once I got close to home, my wife had me take the long way, to show me where she lived at one point. After pulling into a driveway, and backing out, I heard a grinding noise, and stopped to look. Sure enough, the right wheel well was about half out, exposing the CAI, and probably served as a scoop that directed water directly to it. I worked it back up under the splash shield, which has been held in place with zip-ties for a while as it is. I've been mulling over the idea of making an aluminum splash shield/skid plate for a while, now it looks like I may have a good reason to now.

Oh well. It's been idling like shit, so after work today, I pulled the battery for a while as I worked on the Seven, then put it back together and let it idle for half an hour. Overkill, I know, but I was busy welding.

I was going to send a picture of the clamped sock, but the wife is too lazy to send me it from her phone. I'll post it later.

DISCUSSION (19)

JawKnee > SteyrTMP
07/29/2014 at 01:16

that's why both my 77 Vette and 66 chevelle had snow tires. Keep your M3 & autocrossing, give me a big block and drum brakes in the snow, Ohio FTW!

Milky > SteyrTMP
07/29/2014 at 01:28

So you hate Ohio because it rains? Lol, I think you're looking for reasons to hate Ohio.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Milky
07/29/2014 at 01:40

Ohio, Idaho, whats the difference? since Idaho is a rural wasteland, that means Ohio just a gigantic rural wasteland full of potatoes.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Milky
07/29/2014 at 01:47

I'm in line and 50 miles from the city that gets the most rain a year in the U.S.. Ohio has hills and it rains less, be thankful for that. Sunshine State my ass.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
07/29/2014 at 01:52

At least you don't get the Great Lakes winters.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
07/29/2014 at 02:15

After spending a winter in Pa., I can say I'd rather have that than our steamy, muggy, humid summer sauna.

Bad Idea Hat > SteyrTMP
07/29/2014 at 06:22

Haha, my wife has family near Middlefield.

Roundbadge > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
07/29/2014 at 08:14

Not true. That area gets a lot of lake effect snow off of Lake Erie in the winter.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Roundbadge
07/29/2014 at 09:30

I was talking Florida.

Roundbadge > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
07/29/2014 at 10:33

Yes...you were....which I'd have seen if I looked at who you were replying to.

Sorry. As I've said in other posts, I'm not a smart man.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Roundbadge
07/29/2014 at 10:34

Nah, it's fine.

SteyrTMP > Bad Idea Hat
07/29/2014 at 20:49

I'm sorry.

mcseanerson > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
08/23/2014 at 21:57

I grew up in Tampa and now live in Chillicothe, Ohio. I approve this message.

mcseanerson > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
08/23/2014 at 22:00

Man you are speaking my language. Every time someone asked me why I would move from Florida to live in Ohio I tell them to imagine the hottest muggiest day of last July then I tell them to remember how nice it was when September rolls around and it starts cooling off and the leaves change color. Then I tell them to imagine September never comes and every day is that hot muggy day in July and there is no elevation changes and there are no curving roads. The street racer kids think the only places with turns are offramps. Florida was my hell growing up and I never get people, especially car people, dissing Ohio.

mcseanerson > SteyrTMP
08/23/2014 at 22:01

But we have the Hocking Hills and Nelson Ledges and Mid Ohio!

SteyrTMP > mcseanerson
08/24/2014 at 01:24

I live about ten minutes from Nelson Ledges. Too expensive for me to race, though, sadly.

mcseanerson > SteyrTMP
08/24/2014 at 19:00

Fun days are like $130. If you can't afford that you can't afford to race anywhere. You could still always volunteer and most tracks offer benefits for volunteers. Being that far north explains a little more why you hate Ohio though. Columbus and further south have much milder winters.

SteyrTMP > mcseanerson
08/26/2014 at 22:11

When you have children, and don't make a ton, things like that are out of reach, sadly. I'll probably never get to race.

mcseanerson > SteyrTMP
08/26/2014 at 22:13

I have kids and don't make much but I have messed up priorities.