UNFORESEEN OPPORTUNITY

[StarryStarry]

Well, I'm here again. Sweet Pea is laying in my lap purring. Okay so here's how today went. Not going to talk about work. Nope I was driving home and I heard this really weird noise from my car. I thought it was somebody else's car but alas it was mine. Yes my luck is still following me. LMAO!!! So I get home and I asked a friend about it and he gave me great advice. So, I went back downstairs with my handy dandy flashlight, dropped to the ground (okay I'm 60 years old this was not pretty - getting up off the ground was even worse!!) and laid on the rocks and crap looking for what was making that noise. Well much to my chagrin, I found my exhaust pipe had split in two and had some kind of black dust all over it. Well driving home I felt a headache coming on - thinking it was just the stress of the day. But ALAS it was my exhaust pipe. So here is my quandry ... I read on Google (my best friend - besides Sweet Pea) and it stated that it was dangerous due to the carbon monoxide that would be entering the vehicle. Well, ironically this is the way I've wanted to go - so do I get the car fixed (at approximately $2000) or do I just get in and drive to see my little girl? This is an opportunity I may not be able to pass up. I'm not asking for you to tell me whether I should ctb or not. That's my decision. I just wanted to share this little piece of my shitty life. Thank you for listening. Sweet Pea and I wish you a good night.

 

[locked*n*loaded]

I don't think it will be effective for you. It's just the pipe? How old is your car? Newer cars have catalytic converters that remove much of the pollutants in the exhaust, including CO, so you most likely won't get enough. Another problem is it sounds like you would be moving (driving to daughters). That in and of itself is going to allow air from outside to infiltrate within the car and effectively reduce the CO concentration in the car. Also, you probably have smog controls on your car that run off the engine and reduce pollutants even before they get to the exhaust. Best bet for CO poisoning are old cars without catalytic converters and smog controls and then attaching a pipe from the exhaust right into the cabin of the car. It's still hard, though. Exhaust is HOT and the inside of your car is going to get FREAKING HOT. And there are plenty of other things other than CO (which is colorless, odorless) which DO STINK, and you'll have to be able to put up with that and the heat for some time. There are better ways to "produce" CO. Night Night.

Your life sounds like mine, actually. I think my motto is: If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all.

 

[Cathy Ames]

I don't think it will be effective for you. It's just the pipe? How old is your car? Newer cars have catalytic converters that remove much of the pollutants in the exhaust, including CO, so you most likely won't get enough.

Sure, but there is no way to know over the internet whether the catalytic converter is also damaged. I think it is possible to have an exhaust system problem result in CO in the car while driving. But a problem with CO poisoning occurring while driving is that a person could crash their car and kill or maim innocent people.

 

[locked*n*loaded]

Sure, but there is no way to know over the internet whether the catalytic converter is also damaged. I think it is possible to have an exhaust system problem result in CO in the car while driving. But a problem with CO poisoning occurring while driving is that a person could crash their car and kill or maim innocent people.

I think it's really hard with the car moving. And, I agree, there's no sense in hurting anyone else, either. you'll feel yourself nodding off most likely, but not so much that you really pass out. You'll probably get a major headache, though. I think you'd have better luck with it just idling in a garage. Actually, this was my first choice, but the more I read on it, the more I don't like it. A CO generator is a much better method, IMO. Even a BBQ in the car with charcoal is better.

 

[Cathy Ames]

I think it's really hard with the car moving. And, I agree, there's no sense in hurting anyone else, either. you'll feel yourself nodding off most likely, but not so much that you really pass out. You'll probably get a major headache, though. I think you'd have better luck with it just idling in a garage. Actually, this was my first choice, but the more I read on it, the more I don't like it. A CO generator is a much better method, IMO. Even a BBQ in the car with charcoal is better.

Here is an accidental CO poisoning that happened while driving. In the discussion, they say it is unusual but also described another case where a couple 4-year-old children in the back seat of a station wagon were poisoned, while the driver and front-seat passenger had much lower exposure. I think you're correct that it might not reliably happen.

Accidental Carbon Monoxide Poisoning While Driving: A Case Report With Review of the Literature - PubMed

Carbon monoxide (CO) is the cause of a significant percentage of fatal poisonings in many countries. It is known that fatalities resulting from CO poisoning are underreported and/or misclassified. Carbon monoxide exposure while driving can occur due to faulty exhaust systems, defective...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[locked*n*loaded]

Yeah, they only had the one case there. One of the studies on the site you linked goes way back to 1979 - 1992, when the pollution controls weren't even near what they are today in the newer cars. It makes sense that kids would be much more susceptible to CO poisoing due to their much smaller size and weight. I think you're more likely to just to damage to yourself than kill yourself.

 

[LifeHasNoOptIn]

Yeah, they only had the one case there. One of the studies on the site you linked goes way back to 1979 - 1992, when the pollution controls weren't even near what they are today in the newer cars. It makes sense that kids would be much more susceptible to CO poisoing due to their much smaller size and weight. I think you're more likely to just to damage to yourself than kill yourself.

I would second this assessment. Unless the split was before the cat which is extremely unlikely or the vehicle is exceptionally old, modern vehicle emission controls will make CO poisoning very unlikely even just idling in a closed space. Some modern cars have multiple catalytic converters as well.

I'm sorry things are not improving, but I don't think this is likely to result in anything more than a headache unless it's very old or leaking before the cat.

Hugs and love to you and Sweet Pea

 

[FuneralCry]

I'm sorry that you are suffering. This life really can be so awful. I have never considered that method personally and I know absolutely nothing about it, but I wish you the best in whatever you decide to do.