Flat Tire, Broken Spring, New Tire, New Strut, 2011 Kia Sedona

Side wall damaged by broken spring reveals why tire went flat. 

So yesterday I took the flat tire wheel off my 2011 Kia Sedona and discovered a spring broke and the sharp end gouged through the sidewall of the tire. This was the passenger side front. This same situation occurred on the drivers side a year or so ago. I bought a replacement tire from Cheney Tire in Watertown. Price with tax & fees came to $247.66 

I then went to O'Reilly Auto Parts and bought a strut and spring assembly to the tune of $235.43    

Detail of reciept from Cheney Tire in Watertown for a Firestone all season radial tire, size 220 70R/16

 

Detail of receipt from O'Reilly Auto Parts for loaded strut assembly for 2011 Ki Sedona.

Today I removed the broken strut. It was 15 to 19 degrees outdoors today. I spent a good deal of time out there and was very combfortable. There was sun and no wind. I wore 2 shirts, a winter vest and a winter coat on top of all that. I also wore long johns and a knit hat, gloves. 

3/8 socket on brake line retainer bolt

17mm wrench on strut to steering knuckle bolt.

Strut and spring assembly removed.

View of broken spring on the strut.

Flat Tire Today

Front passenger side flat tire on my 2011 Kia Sedona van

About 10:30 this morning I pulled out of the driveway and heard a grity, grating sort of sound. I thought it was probably some ice built up in fender well and rubbing on a tire. Got a couple hundred feet down the road and heard a loud noise, maybe a bang or a snap. Got back into the driveway and discovered a flat tire on passenger side front. My tire pressure warning light never came on to alert me of low pressure. If that is defective then it's possible I drove around yesterday on an under inflated tire. Then by this morning it was totally flat. I haven't bothered to take the wheel off today. I suspect there is more wrong than just a flat tire. 

Other than that it was rather a nice day. Sun all day with some snow fall and high of 26 degrees. The snow was the light, fluffy type. Last nights low was 14. 

Later in the day I found someone's debit bank card in the parking lot of the Coffeen St Kinney Drug Store. I took it inside and gave it to one of the pharmacists. She recognized the name as someone she waited on about an hour earlier.

Found a debit card at Kinney Drug Store, Watertown NY. I altered name & account number with photoshop for the image posted here.

About 5:00 today I started a charcoal fire and grilled some hamburgers. At this time the temperature was 15 degrees.

2011 Kia Sedona Gas Leak and New Battery

I charge the battery for 24 hours to no avail. It still would not start my van.

Another repair job on my 2011 Kia Sedona van. Back in May I replaced the fuel pump. Recently I started to smell gasoline after the van idled for a few minutes. The fuel was leaking somewhere in front. I dropped the van off at D&S Garage on Patty Hill, Brownville on Wednesday the 17th.  It was ready on Monday the22nd bu the Better Half had Dr appointment in Syracuse. ( A 2week post surgery follow up with Dr. Dantu.)

Tuesday I pick the van up and it would not start. Garage guys gave me a jump and away I went. Over next couple of days the battery would not hold a charge. I charged it for 24 hours with my batter charger. Still wouldn't start. Battery was shot. Today I bought new one at Walmart for $139.00. Installed it in about15 minutes and the van started up instantly.

By the way, the fuel leak was fixed and cost $97.00

New battery from Wal-Mart, $139.00, 3 year battery

New battery from Wal-Mart, $139.00, 3 year battery, installed in my 2011 Kia Sedona.

The old battery from Auto Zone served me for 5 years.

Cold Morning today & Kia Van Brakes Repaired.

My 2011 Kia van at home after picking up our xmas tree. The next morning I got in it and a rear brake line blew right there in the driveway. 

Awoke to 2 degrees below zero at 6:00am here in Chaumont, NY. Todays high temp was 21. It was sunny too. D & S repaired blown brake lines only 2011 Kia Sedona today. Parts & labor came to $210.00. I had triple AAA tow the van from my house to the D&S garage on Friday the 9th. I was fortunate that the brakes failed in my driveway. The previous day I drove it to get our Christmas tree. I'm thankful it didn't happen then. 

I Drive Over Some Beer Bottles June 7, 2022

I drive over some beer bottles. Yikes. 

 I was moving a chair with 2011 Kia Sedona van. I had to take these beer bottles out before the chair. By the time I finished with the chair I had forgotten about the bottles. I back up and hear a wild cunching sound. . The Bottles!  Oh you dumb ass I say to myself.

Beer bottles crushed by my 2011 Kia Sedona van. What a dumb ass I say to myself.

Other than that it rained quite a bit for most of the day here in Chaumont, NY. This morning I mowed the lawn at our rental house on Clay St., Watertown. 

Garden Plants, Oil Change, Covid Test, Birthday Sunday May 22, 2022

Some of our flower pots ready to put to use. I bought flowers a week ago, hopefully have them potted tomorrow. 

Weather today: High was 71 in the morning. Cooled to 60 by late afternoon. Cloudy and overcast ll day with some light rain at times.  

It was a full day for us here in Chaumont, NY.  I finally got our tomato and cucumber plants in the garden . Still have flower pots and containers to do.  I took a break around noon and had a delicious Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA. I set the bottle down on the bench amid some flowers and was moved to snap a picture of it. Totally unplanned, a serendipitous visual moment. 

Sierra Nevada Torpedo extra IPA. One of my favorite beers. Gardening never tasted better.

After that I changed the oil in my 2011 Kia Sedona mini van. That chore was overdue and went off  without a hitch.  

For a couple of days the Better Half has been feeling tired and run down. Enough so that we decided to give her an over the counter Covid 19 test. It was a brand called iHealth. Very simple to do. Results show up in 15 minutes. Her result was negative. No Covid 19 present. An oximeter reading showed she has normal oxygen levels. 

At 5:30 we visited the Better Half's daughter B in Rutland to celebrate her daughter's 11th birthday. We had pizza, salad, and an ice cream cake from Carvel.

Tomato plants in our garden, Chaumont, NY. Planted today, Sunday May 22, 2022

April 8, 2022 Hauling Trash From Apartment House

 

Trash from our Franklin St, Watertown apartment house loaded into my 2011 Kia Sedona van.

Rain during the night and some this morning gave way to mostly sunny skies with a high temperature of 55.  I had a rather low key day. Did my usual couple hours of guitar practice, had a ham & cheese sandwich for breakfast which I ate while watching You Bet Your Life with Jay Leno. It's quite entertaining. It's a resurrection of the show that aired many years ago hosted by Groucho Marx.  

Then I went to our Franklin ST apartment house and tore up all the carpets in the upper unit. Loaded them into my 2011 Kia Sedona van along with some more trash that tenants left behind in the garage. Dropped in on my Celebrity Brother and gave him a nice folding closet door. That was something I never used and have been storing forever. I'm trying to weed out & organize. I took the trash to the Jefferson County Transfer Station. Fee for that was $23.00 and change.

Bought gas at the Valero Station in Watertown located at Arsenal & Court Streets. $4.07 a gallon. That is 32 cents a gallon cheaper than here in Chaumont.

This evening we started watching Season 5 of Better Call Saul on Netflix.

March 28, 2022 Kia mini van blows out brake line

My 2011 Kia Sedona gets loaded on a flat bed wrecker to be taken to D&S Garage in Brownville for a brake line repair.     photo copyright Gary Walts 2022

Today I had my 2011 Kia Sedona mini van towed to D&S Garage on Paddy Hill, Brownville, NY after a brake line blew out.  The brake line failed a few days ago while I was leaving the Chaumont Post Office. I was fortunate it happened there, just a couple blocks from home. I'm sure I could fix it myself, but I don't feel like it. So being a 16 year member of AAA  (Triple A) Had them tow it to the garage. The tow truck/wrecker came out of Clayton. 

On another note I stopped by Walrath Tax Service in Brownville, NY to sign and pickup codes of my 2021 income taxes. I owe NY State $400.00 and the Federal government $2,000.00 Yikes! Much of that is from making withdrawals from my 401K retirement account. The money contributions while I was working were never taxed. Now that I am using the money it is time to pay the piper. 

I had a couple of guitar lessons today at the Copley House here in Chaumont. 

It was cold, blustery and some snow today here, high temp of about 19 degrees. The low last night was 10 degrees. Currently at about 11:00pm it is 15.