Jett and I left the campground Sunday night at 8. We hadn’t eaten so we decided to stop for a bite. Any fast food place would have done, but we spotted a diner and decided to sit down. We left the dogs in the truck. It was a pleasant night and we left the windows open about 3 inches all around. It would be a quick meal and the dogs would be fine.
We didn’t know that some yahoo would be firing off fireworks nearby. We didn’t hear them inside. But Grace heard them and went berserk. Jett went out to check on the dogs while I was paying the check. When I got to the truck, Jett was splashing water on the rubber carpet protector from the passenger side. She was annoyed because Grace had gotten on the floor where she had put the little picnic cooler with a container of milk. The milk – just a cup or so – had spilled.
I wasn’t too pleased either, but no great harm done, right? Jett asked me to turn on the interior lights so she could mop up inside. But the light wouldn’t go on. Hmmm. I started the engine, no problem. The interior lights still wouldn’t go on. That is when I noticed a plastic cover on the floor on the driver’s side. Double hmmm. And what were those wires doing, dangling down? I took my foot off the brake to bend down to look and the engine sounded like it was launching into space. I think it got up to over 4,000 RPMs before I got my foot back on the brake.
Long story short: Grace, in her fireworks-induced frenzy, had ripped several electrical cables out from under the driver side dashboard, leaving the truck disabled. I called AAA and they hauled it to the local GMC dealer (the tow truck driver’s comment: “never seen nuthin’ like THAT before”). Jett called her sister and she hauled us home.
I have to call the dealer this morning to arrange repairs. Then I need to call my insurance agent to see if mad dog damage is covered.
Lesson learned: don’t leave the dogs in the truck. Cost of the lesson? TBD.
I have to say, though, that I am surprised that any kind of electrical problem could result in uncontrolled engine acceleration. It kind of lends credence to those “the car just accelerated on its own” stories.