Fire and brimstone - another 'crap car' episode!

So...last night, in the wee small hours I drove home, bleary eyed as one does, parked up outside the house and suddenly became aware that the crap car was producing clouds of smoke and a particularly acrid burning smell!

This was not a good thing at such an hour and in the pouring rain I assure you. I knew it wasn't the brakes burning yet again, I am way too familiar with that particularly noxious 'scent', It wasn't electrical, I know that one too...but I just couldn't find from where it was coming and finally admitted defeat, having turned myself upside down on the wet road still to no avail.

Having given up I went indoors and went to bed. I didn't sleep of course, conscious, as the ex-wife of a fireman, that it's in no way unusual for faulty cars to suddenly ignite. Instead I spend the majority of what remained of the night keep poking my face out of the curtains to make sure I wasn't about to be responsible for something of a disturbance in the street.

This morning, miffed and concerned I checked all the fluid levels...poked around under the bonnet (hood for you lovely people in the U.S.), turned myself upside down underneath it again hunting for things amiss but nothing!

Next I called my brother who is way more able with things mechanical than I, he ran through a 'have you done this' list. I did what I hadn't but still nothing amiss so it was decided that best I 'suck it and see'. No other way to find out.

So, in trepidation I did, I started it up and all seemed fine...I drove it carefully into town, still no incident, I drove it further afield, still nothing! Well ok, there's lots of things falling off it and it's going to struggle to look vaguely hopeful at it's MOT next month but there was no sign of last nights fire and brimstone.....absolutely none!

How odd, cars don't fix themselves, they just don't, you know that, I know that but as if by magic mine appears to have.

This is more worrying that finding the problem in my book, particularly as I have to drive to the midlands on Friday!

Watch this space...I may yet be twittering or blogging from the hard shoulder of the M1 in which ever county I happen to be.... while the fire brigade do their stuff!

I hate having an old car, I don't give a damn that it looks a fright, it's just that it's a constant concern, completely unreliable and I hardly dare take it any distance these days, which kind of defeats it's purpose does it not?!