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 Dogs and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance
 Bjrn Ratjen

This morning the sun was shining, which is good given our seasonal depressive weather. Returning to the house after feeding the dogs I glanced back at our Volkswagen park thinking, "Oh, maybe I could wash the car later on", although the air was still cold. "Her Passat Turbo Diesel is sure a fine car."

Something wet at the left front of my wife's Passat catches my eye. As I approach the car I notice a yellowish/greenish fluid streak and a little puddle on the ground. "Oh no, not another coolant leak", I think beginning this internal conversation about my non-scientific theory that cars can have contagious illnesses. I know it sounds absurd and my rational mind has serious doubts, but ...

Not too long ago we had two white Vanagons. Hers was the Diesel and His was the Syncro Camper. The Diesel had developed a coolant leak in one of the plastic reservoirs and I believe I had ordered a new one. Yet, while she was driving one day the car started rebelling. In retrospect she described the steam she had seen, and yes, the red light had been blinking too. However, she had the car full of kids and wanted to make it home. She almost did. The engine gave up just before our driveway. I remember teasing her about the red light and she reminded me of her panic when the engine had been smoking and I had calmly put the oil filler cap on assuring her that despite the smoke and oily mess everything was okay. Well, this time it wasn't okay.

I digress slightly because every story has its context. The peculiar thing is that my Syncro developed a leak in its coolant reservoir a short time later. There was another coolant leak in a coolant pipe in both cars, one after the other. Usually the Diesel had started it. Since that time I began to watch more closely. Light bulbs seemed to go in tandem too, first one car then the other. 'The cars come from the same company (probably the lightbulbs too). They have the same shape, even the same white colour.' Part of my mind starts pondering the unbelievable. Could it be that there is more between cars than we might assume? This led to my virus theory, and yes, I know, we are still talking cars and I admit it sounds more like a projection than anything else, but what if ...?

These thoughts run through my head as I approach her fairly new Passat, 'I recently had a coolant leak in my Syncro...' I dip my finger into the little dirty puddle and smell in order to discover the sweet scent of coolant. I can't quite detect it. For a moment I ponder to taste it just to be sure, but I know it is not healthy and mixed with the dirt it does not look appealing. I decline.

I open the hood. Yes, the coolant seems to be a tad low. I bend and twist my arm to find any wet spots near the radiator. 'It seems to be over a little further under the headlight.' I can't reach the spot. 'I thought those engineers had spent some time to make the cars more serviceable. You still need an extra joint in the arm to reach those spots.'

Okay, on Monday I will phone my friend the wild mechanic and ask him to put the car on the hoist to check. I imagine the conversation: "Listen I've got a leaking headlight and I can't figure out where it's coming from." I imagine his looks and his response.

I decide to top up the coolant and wash the car to make sure that everything is clearly visible. As the car drips and dries I keep looking for traces of yellow/green coolant. Of course I have to wait until everything is dry. I look at the car later in the afternoon. Everything looks fine. I will wait. It must have been a very small leak.

The next morning I look. The car is dry. Everything is dry. I think and exclude self healing. What else could it be? What else did I do that morning? I came out of the house, let the dogs out and fed them... The dogs! The flash of a thought spelled relief (not only for the dogs) and crashed my theories. Yes, the car was fine indeed. Yes, it is the context that counts and I am sure glad I didn't taste that stuff.