just hit a large fallen rock at 60

[zoomie]

coming around a curve up a hill, in the right lane eastbound
on rt 140 near Finksburg Maryland.
hit a large rock that had fallen down a rock face next to the road
about 5 inch thick by about a foot wide..
took out the oil pan and left all the oil about a eight of a mile
up the hill, shut off the engine and coasted off to a driveway
oil ignited, fire at the back from the oil but it went out as I stopped.
Don't know yet the extent of damages. Cops stopped right behind me,
went back and closed off the right lane - huge oil slick. Had AAA pick it up
and take it to local body shop and drop it .

 

[shmoos]

my heart goes out to ya.

 

[MTGTS]

Wow, sorry to hear. At least your ok.

 

[93VIPERBOY]

Send it to Tator, Ive seen him do wonders on damaged Vipers

 

[Limit]

At least you're alright. The Viper?

 

[kcobean]

Man that's horrible. I hope there's not too much other damage. Look at it this way, this is your opportunity to install a baffle kit in the new pan! Good luck with the repairs...I think this is what insurance calls an "act of God"

 

[dave6666]

F&$K!!!!!!

Sorry. That's what people would have heard me say.

 

[Kenneth Krieger]

Had a similar thing happen to me years ago when a piece of 5" cast pipe fell off the back of a plumbers truck right in front of me and I tried to avoid it! I hit it square with my left front tire and blew the tire out on the spot. No damage to the car, thank God. Didn't get the plate number from the truck, as I had my hands full trying to steer. Cars are repairable, dead people aren't. Good luck with the repairs!

 

[Vic]

Sh*t happens!

Something similar happened to me-

A piece of wood went flying endwise into the grill area, and punctured the oil cooler. Sprayed the entire car with oil! Shut it off, coasted to a stop. Got some rags, wiped the whole car down. Put handfulls of dirt under the car to absorb the residual oil that was still dripping. Had the car flatbedded, new oil cooler put on, cleaned everything up, and voila', back on the road again. Life goes on.

 

[ELW98]

NEW oil pan in classifieds with windage tray 00-02 10 qt...........sorry,couldn't help myself

 

[RedEnuf93]

Well, that just *****....

Mark, main thing is that youre OK.
Oilpan is just an oilpan.

Take care!

 

[venms96]

Sorry this happened to your car.....but - I gotta ask zoomie, what made you drive the Viper today ? I mean, I'm all for drive it year around if that's what a car owner is into - but today, jeeeezuz ......... wind gusts upto 40mph, snow squalls, rain last night, crazy weather today and yesterday........cold as F outside today....wind chill is horrible, it's about one of the worse days we've had all winter. Tires could never warm up, no matter what.....

With that said, I feel bad your car got damaged from a freak incident, rock in the road ordeal. Not as bad as a deer, but still - damage is damage. Hope it's nothing major underneath. Doesn't sound like it should be too bad.

And don't take the first comment the wrong way, just had to ask - it's just an extreme type of day today, not the normal 30-40 degree February day.

 

[AFL in NJ]

I think fate was trying to send you a message....it's time to change your oil. I wish fate had used a post-it note though....glad you're okay.

Regards,
Aaron

 

[CROM]

Wow that *****. Hopefully your quick thinking spared the engine any damage. Did the rock hit the fascia at all?

 

[agentf1]

Sorry to hear about this. Hopefully you will get it fixed and it will be better than new.

If you need a paint shop recommendation just let me know.

 

[zoomie]

venms.. yea.. it was 40 and sunny here... dry.. car was running great, loves
cool air.. new PS2 rear skins.. hopefully only tore off the oil pan.. we'll
know tomorrow.. thanks all..

 

[tbsviper]

Sorry to read about this but glad you are alright, got it under control and boulder was not larger (trying to be positive). Hope repairs will be quick and you'll be out on the road again soon!

 

[venms96]

venms.. yea.. it was 40 and sunny here... dry.. car was running great, loves cool air.. new PS2 rear skins.. hopefully only tore off the oil pan.. we'll
know tomorrow.. thanks all..

damn, about 65 miles south of here - and it was 40 and sunny.........unreal ! There is something to that Mason-Dixon line thing then......

Git it fixed - fill er up - roll on. Crazy tho - the ol rock in the road, hardly ever happens.

 

[Boxer12]

Look at it like this....I am from Colorado and our definition of a 'large rock' is like the size of a house. It could have been worse, eh?

 

[zoomie]

Boxer - true.. depends on locale, reference sizes..
Went to school in C.Springs, and visit Reno/Tahoe area, remember mountain rock
falling signs. This rock not Quite that big... but big enough!
It needed an oil change soon anyway.. 47000 miles. Drive Em !

 

[DodgeViper01]

Good luck with the repair.

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

Fire you say. I bet you were thinkin' .....Oh no not again!

 

[Jim Wilson]

Maryland DOT is liable for the damage. It is their responsibility to assure that the roads are free of rockfall debris. At least that's the case here in Arizona.

 

[00prowler]

That sure makes the term ROCK ON describe your bad situation...Sorry to hear of your incident..good luck with the repair...Al

 

[Viper Specialty]

OUCH!!!

A member here had a similar incident with a curb a couple years back.

On Gen-2's, the oil pickup is part of the pan, which means you likely lost oil pressure immediately if you hit the front of the pan with the rock. I would not expect damage if you stopped the engine very quickly. The guy here DROVE his car a couple of miles, and it surprisingly didnt do much damage!

I would highly advise however pulling off the timing cover to inspect the oil pump. If you smashed the pickup, it may well have ingested a peice of aluminum from the pan- better to find out now while it is apart anyway. Other than that, engine wise, a new oil pan, set of gaskets, oil change and filter should square you away.

If in doubt, CHECK IT. Depending on the amount of time the egine was running, a new oil pump and new rod bearings never hurt anyone. We went through the local's engine with a fine tooth comb after his incident, he was very lucky to say the least.

 

[venms96]

Maryland DOT is liable for the damage. It is their responsibility to assure that the roads are free of rockfall debris. At least that's the case here in Arizona.

jeeeezuz, we should all move to AZ then ! no way are they liable for this, a rock in the road. don't know for a fact - but just my guess on this one.

That's what "comprehensive" insurance is for......in the East. In AZ, you have some serious Mountains, and maybe they are referring to some big boulders that roll down, lay on the roadway and cause more of a head-on collision, but a simple small rock on the road - I don't think that's a winner.

still not convinced about that 40 and sunny forecast, but whatever the case....fix that pan, and put more miles on it !

 

[Cobraken]

A government agency liable for "ministerial" function? Not where I come from.

 

[Jim Wilson]

Great, here we go... "don't know for fact", "just my guess" and "ministerial".

I work for the Arizona DOT and manage their rockfall database. All cut slopes are designed by either the Geotechnical Engineers employed by the State, or they are designed by consultants hired by the State (in which case the DOT approves their design). Thus, the State is responsible for the design of the slope.

Any type of collision caused by a rockfall event on a state or interstate highway is the responsibility of the agency in charge of the roadway (deficient design). Many things come into play, insufficient ditch width, too steep a slope, inadequate remedial measures such as slope mesh, cable netting, rock bolts, rockfall fence, debris flow barrier etc.

Several people have been killed here in AZ due to rockfall, and the state has paid their families millions of dollars. Do you think for a moment that the damage incurred by an individual has to reach fatality before it is considered valid?? Or a rock has to be a certain size before it is a valid claim?

I made my original post to state a fact to zoomie, and maybe help him out. Is it worth sending a bill to MD DOT verses your insurance, I don't know.

 

[venms96]

"no way are they liable for this" ........I was talking about Maryland. And it's "still my guess" that they are not liable for damage caused by a smaller, rock in the road and a no-winner in the "claims" department. A suspect area, that always has rocks falling have fences up usually, but it's not the norm over here. Comin round a bend to find one rock in the road, one time - tough to justify making the State pay for that.

In your State, it's obvious it's a "fact". Thanks for the explanation and your expertise. I've lived in the dreaded East Coast all my life, and never heard of this until now. Hell, it's great AZ. has this law.

At ease Jim, I would understand your words a little better if you were sittin in wind chills of single digits, like we are right now - but you got sunshine damn near everyday, blue skies and Sheriff Joe A!

 

[FinalEd357]

Thank the good Lord you're alright and no accident was caused. Sorry to hear about the car.