Mile 10 South Padre, Driving Through the Surf

King Tide means driving through the surf; something my mechanic does not recommend because… It was this trip that a big wave slapped the underside of the suburban, washing over the transmission. The transmission breather hole on top  of the transmission case apparently inhaled  some sandy surf water, so my mechanic told me when I brought her in with a failing second gear because the transmission pan was full of sand. You see, when a hot transmission comes into contact with cold water, the air inside the transmission suddenly contracts, sucking air, or sandy surf water, in through the breather hole, resulting in a $3,500 new transmission. But hey, one doesn’t get shots like this while staying home.