Apologies if this is a long story. After my mother in Michigan gifted my daughter her 2001 VW…read moreBeetle with 48,000 miles on it, my daughter and I traveled from California to pick up the car. We headed out on Thursday morning for the 5 day drive back home to Oakland California, taking a northern route to stop by Badlands National Park and Mt Rushmore. By Saturday evening, we arrived in Cheyenne WY, where we spent the night. After looking at the weather forecast for the Sierra mountains, we decided to pick up some chains for our tires at the local Walmart in Laramie, WY, before continuing on our trip. On Sunday morning, as we got close to Laramie on I-80, the engine started sputtering, misfiring and losing power. The EPC light kept flashing and it was clear something was wrong. I was able to make it to the local Walmart parking lot, though the car stalled a few times on the way there. After I parked, I was unable to generate any power beyond idling, and the car continued to stall.
I consulted yelp and google to find a local mechanic, but none of the local shops were open on Sunday. I saw a listing for Rise High Auto Repair, which described itself as a mobile mechanic company. I called the number and spoke with the proprietor, Chris on the phone. He said he could be there in 35 minutes and would diagnose the problem for $125 ($95 diagnostic fee and $35 travel fee) in the Walmart parking lot and that the $95 diagnostic fee would count against the repair cost if we opted to have him repair the car.
When Chris arrived in his mobile truck, he was incredibly friendly and he got straight to work. He recommended replacing the spark plugs and wires, thinking that would address the issue. After finishing the repair and clearing the codes, he suggested I drive around in the parking lot a few times to reset the computer to see if the repair addressed the issue. However it did not. I made it about 200 feet and the initial problem persisted. He said he thought it could be an issue with the throttle, which he said he could clean, but if it needed replacement, I'd need to spend a couple of days in Laramie, because it was unlikely any of the local part shops would have the necessary part in inventory. He took apart the throttle, cleaned it out, and reset the computer.
We decided to take our chances and see if we could make it to Salt Lake City and then Elko NV, which was about 625 miles away. The car ran well all the way to Elko. We got to Elko around 10:30 pm, and I noticed I had a text from Chis checking in on us to see how the trip was going. On Monday morning, we continued our trip back to Oakland and arrived safely with no further issues. Again, I had a text from Chris on Monday, to see if we made it home ok. All told we drove over 1100 miles.
I can't say enough about Chris. First, he was incredibly competent. I could tell from speaking with him that he is extremely knowledgeable about automobile repairs. Watching him work, I felt like I was watching a surgeon. He made all of the repairs in the Walmart parking lot and he worked efficiently and thoroughly to ensure that he was able to repair the car. It was cold and windy on this particular Sunday and he invested over 4 hours of his time fixing our car outside. Finally, he was incredibly honest and kind. He cared enough to check in on us until we got home, something he really didn't need to do.
I unequivocally recommend using Chris and his company if you find yourself in Laramie WY.
