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Discussion starter · #81 ·
I carefully organised everything in case I needed to stay overnight and set off for my sister's house, only to get a flashing warning on the dashboard. Called in at the Ford garage a few miles down the road to be told it was an engine warning, could be major could be minor, and they couldn't even run the diagnostics for a week and a half... It certainly did not seem like a good idea to do 200+ miles on the motorway, so I took the dogs for a quick walk and came home again. My friendly local garagiste said if the light was amber, and went off once the engine warmed up, which it did, and the car was running OK, it should be safe to drive, so I've booked it in with him on the 1st November and will be staying close to home till then. My sister will post me the essentials from my jacket, guaranteed delivery and insured to the hilt.

It all means spending today at home instead of travelling, so I got the vacuum out, put Freddy in his pen, and started as far away from him as possible. He was interested but not too worried even when I got within a few feet of his bed, so I no longer have that excuse for avoiding housework! I've made him another 10' lead, bunged a load of washing on, given the dogs their lunch, and am replanning the next couple of days around no credit cards and minimal car usage. I find that I get more easily discombobulated as I get older - sudden changes of plan feel worrying, even when they are not terribly important.
 
If you are referring to the "check engine" light (amber), the worse that can happen it you get poor gas mileage. If after a series (different series for different makes/models) of driving conditions (at least 3 start/stop trips in the USA), the "fault" doesn't recur, then the light will turn off. It's not an emergency and I would keep driving it. Auto parts stores (NAPA, AutoZone, O'Reilly's, etc.) will usually plug in a diagnostics testing device and read the "fault" codes for free and may be able to suggest what the issue is. Everything that can trigger a check engine light fault is related to emissions control.
And yes. Don't go to the Ford dealer. They will be exceptionally expensive.
 
Discussion starter · #83 ·
Thanks Tom - that is reassuring. My mph has been poor recently, so that could be another symptom. If I did a higher mileage it would be worth getting a newer car, but at less than 6,000 miles a year the payback would take a while - or would have done, before the price of petrol soared!

Freddy has had a lovely walk and a very nice time digging in the garden. He then had a much needed feet and legs bath in the sink, and is now drying off in his bed.
 
Thanks Tom - that is reassuring. My mph has been poor recently, so that could be another symptom. If I did a higher mileage it would be worth getting a newer car, but at less than 6,000 miles a year the payback would take a while - or would have done, before the price of petrol soared!

Freddy has had a lovely walk and a very nice time digging in the garden. He then had a much needed feet and legs bath in the sink, and is now drying off in his bed.
Usually the fix is relatively inexpensive. $20-$100 parts, plus ½-3 hrs labor depending on what it is. On rare occasions, you could need an pretty expensive catalytic converter. This should give you an idea of what could be wrong. What To Do If Your Check Engine Light Comes On
 
Discussion starter · #85 · (Edited)
It stayed off for the rest of the day - the engine has been feeling what an acquaintance described as "roupey", a bit off when first getting going from a cold start. The car is booked in for a full service, on the understanding that any expensive repairs get cleared with me first!

Freddy meanwhile is catching up on his sleep. I baked a big batch of treats this afternoon which is always a special occasion - first there is hanging around in the kitchen to catch the ones that fly through the air as I pop them out of the moulds, then the fun of playing "Ready, Steady, Freddy, Wheeeee!" as I throw a few in the air. He is now fast asleep on the dog bed next to Sophy, while Poppy snuggles on the chair next to me. I am hoping that he and Sophy will be playing together before long, although we have her spay op to navigate along the way...
 
Sounds like Freddy is comfortable, Sophy will come round. Pia was incredibly put out when Lenny came home, as was Bea when Pia came home
 
Discussion starter · #87 ·
I think she will, Twyla - she is so much more comfortable with him after only a couple of weeks, accepting him as part of the family and enjoying having him tagging along behind her on walks, that I am really hopeful she might soon be playing happy games of chase and zoomies with him. Poppy thinks that anything that means more games for treats is a good thing, and as long as he doesn't chew her ears is happy to ignore him.
 
It is funny to watch, the polite ignoring and the indignant really you have play with that thing, I am no longer playing with you phase.
Flower's reaction was the best, nope I can't see you as I walk through a room as you try to chew on my face puppy.
 
Freddy is “all ears”, such a cute picture with the tiny ball. How I wish you had your phone camera for the tiny “three dog night”. The mental picture I have of Poppy with her paw slung over Freddy is priceless.
 
If you are referring to the "check engine" light (amber), the worse that can happen it you get poor gas mileage. If after a series (different series for different makes/models) of driving conditions (at least 3 start/stop trips in the USA), the "fault" doesn't recur, then the light will turn off. It's not an emergency and I would keep driving it. Auto parts stores (NAPA, AutoZone, O'Reilly's, etc.) will usually plug in a diagnostics testing device and read the "fault" codes for free and may be able to suggest what the issue is. Everything that can trigger a check engine light fault is related to emissions control.
And yes. Don't go to the Ford dealer. They will be exceptionally expensive.
This isn't a recommendation to do as I did, but to verify Tom's assurance. I drove my 2004 allroad for it's last 4 or more years with the amber Check Engine light on. My yearly mileage is also quite low. This was not due to negligence but rather because my husband is one of "those guys". He's been in every aspect of the car business almost all of his working life and has always restored and rebuilt his own "toys", from a Ferrari Dino to "Classic" Minis. If he tells me it's ok, then it must be ok.
When you take it for service, ask them to note the fault codes on the ticket just for information.

I think she will, Twyla - she is so much more comfortable with him after only a couple of weeks, accepting him as part of the family and enjoying having him tagging along behind her on walks, that I am really hopeful she might soon be playing happy games of chase and zoomies with him. Poppy thinks that anything that means more games for treats is a good thing, and as long as he doesn't chew her ears is happy to ignore him.
When I brought puppy Sassafras home, Missy was not a fan. It took some time, but the day I saw them taking turns chasing each other, I realized that I'd accidentally made the best decision for all our family, two legs and four :).
 
Discussion starter · #91 ·
Freddy asked to come onto my lap to snuggle with a chew toy. What he has actually been doing tucked into the chair beside me is shredding a paper handkerchief into damp fragments. He may be good, but he is still a puppy!
 
Discussion starter · #93 · (Edited)
Freddy has had a Busy Day. He woke up around 5am needing pee and poo, then managed to snooze till a rather more respectable time to get up. We had a quick walk by the river then I settled him in his pens and left all three dogs at home while I went to the optician (who is referring me to get both cataracts done, hurrah!). Home in time to give them all lunch, then off to pick up worming tablets and to get cuddles and treats at the vets. Then a longish walk by Devil's Bridge (where I got cross with a couple flagrantly parking in the gateway that has two large red "24 hour access needed" signs, double yellow lines, and is the essential space for both turning and passing - they yelled at me, but I noticed they also moved the car!). We took a very long time to go not very far, meeting lots of dogs and people, and Freddy was falling asleep when I carried him the last stretch to the car. He has had a few biscuits and is now fast asleep in his pen.

He weighed in at 2.3 kilos at the vets' - that is around 10% increase in 10 days.

And the engine warning light has stayed off, so another hurrah!
 
Discussion starter · #94 ·
Freddy was downright naughty this evening, bouncing and barking at Sophy in an effort to make her play. She grumbled at him, then when he came back with more antics told him off very, very firmly. By then he was in zoomy gremlin mode, so found himself in his pen with biscuits, chew toys and a comfy bed. Two minutes later he was asleep. Sophy gave a sigh of relief and settled down on her own bed.

My mother always had a rule that 8pm was her cut off point when it came to patience with children - we might succeed in staying up a little later, but only by flying under the radar. First squeal or squabble and it was off to bed. I know just how she felt...
 
Discussion starter · #96 ·
I do have to take care he doesn't tease - the girls are used to a peaceful life and it is not fair to test their patience. And, like mine, their patience begins to wear a little thin in the evenings!
 
Almost every time I've had the check engine light go on it's because I didn't seat the cap to the fuel tank properly. Once I reseated the cap the light would go off in a day or so. I had a bad sensor only one time.

My brother in law got his astigmatism corrected during his cataract surgery. He is thrilled with the results. He said it's almost like having the vision of a teenager again.
 
Discussion starter · #98 ·
I do hope my eyes are good enough to drive without correction. I have been wearing glasses since I was 10, contact lenses since I was 19 - it would be amazing to manage without them!

Freddy had a lovely run by the river after lunch - we were running late this morning and I didn't want to wake him from his nap. After another sleep I took him to the disused railway line that has been turned into a shared use linear park - full of dog walkers, bicycles, mobility scooters, etc. In the first quarter mile we met at least a dozen dogs and people, practiced waiting for bicycles half a dozen times, he had a cuddle with a nice man on a mobility scooter, played with a boy and two puppies, and did very well practicing loose leash walking. By half a mile it had all got too much and he was exhausted - "Don't want the nasty leash; Don't WANT to be carried; Go away I HATE you". I tucked him under my arm, folded the leash so he couldn't reach it, and gave him my key fob to chew. Lesson learned - turn around sooner! A meal and a sleep and all will be well, but it is almost reassuring to know that he is a Real Puppy.
 
He’s real alright:) I’m also a believer in a firm, fair and consistent schedule. Buck’s last call is 9:30PM, since we’re up at 5:00 AM. Freddy seems to be doing really well with his socialization and learning the limits of the females in the household. There will be days when he will test the limits, hopefully only a few. P.S. I think we all have cataract surgery in our future at some point.
 
Discussion starter · #100 · (Edited)
We had a lovely relaxed walk by the river this morning with Freddy running zoomies and letting off steam, then I nipped over to the doctors' surgery to get a flu jab - another thing sorted. This afternoon, trying to think of somewhere quieter than the busy path we visited yesterday, I took the dogs to the other side of the river. A friend had warned me that there were cows in the field and they had made a mess of the path, and she was right! Freddy trailed his lead through sloppy cow pats, tried to eat sloppy cow pats, sat in a sloppy cow pat, and finally waded right through the biggest one there. Meanwhile Sophy heard shooting up on the hillside and sat down, refusing to go any further. So home we came - just as well Freddy is still small enough to fit easily in the sink, and that he likes playing with water. I washed first Freddy then his leash - Freddy is in beddy, with a bowl of biscuits and his favourite mouse, and the leash is over the radiator. Again. A biothane leash looks increasingly useful!
 
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