Car trouble. Oh yeah, babies...I have done it now. I have jinxed myself but good. I had to be all happy about making that last car payment, didn't I? I had to talk about how great it would be to not have a car payment for at least 6 months, didn't I? Well phooey on me. Oh wait, I'm supposed to be more positive in '07 - positively phooey on me. So there.
Last Thursday I was stranded in my office parking lot in the pouring rain for 30 minutes while my car did not start. No, it's not the battery. No, it's not the alternator. No, there are no idiot lights showing. It's done this twice before. Both times the car was neatly tucked away in my garage at home. Now I'm in a parking lot in the rain. My husband, trying not to pull a complete repeat performance of "the window getting stuck down at 3:30 in the morning while it's 30 degrees" response...which was "I TOLD you to get that looked at!!!" Hmmmm, yes..helpful. Was instead even MORE helpful by saying "that's it, I'm going to take care of all of the car stuff from now on." Oh brilliant...yes...I'm glad to know that from this point forward you'll have it all under control, but that doesn't help me NOW.
The car finally did start - there must be some sort of short in the ignition/gear shift/something-or-other that makes it think it's not in park. Cars don't start when they're not in park. Well, the newer cars anyway. Maybe the older cars did. But I can tell you that mine does not.
So I take the car to the dealership this morning (wait, I thought my husband was taking care of the cars from now on??? Yeah, notsomuch)....and I ask for an oil change, too. He informs me that if they find nothing wrong, I'm going to have to pay them $90 or something like that for diagnostic work. Ummm, scuse me? What happened to getting an estimate? What happened to being able to shop around for the best price to fix my car? I'm not allowed to do that anymore? And since the car is currently starting up no problem, what if they can't find the problem? This has happened to me 3 times in the past 4 months...getting the problem to recreate itself may take some time. So how about this crabby service lane man...how about I pay you the $90 if you can't find the problem, and you pay for my tow service AND the cost to fix it when it happens again. And oh, by the way? I drive a lot...so the car may be stuck in BFE Rensselaer when it happens.
Bastards, all of them.
It was a great weekend other than the fact that I'm feeling a bit under the weather. How are YOU?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
I know! I was on the phone with our phone company because they had locked me out of my answering service. While we're talking, the rep. said, "Do you hear that popping sound on your line? Do you want me to have that checked while we're at it?" Sure. Then a woman calls back to inform me that it will cost me $35 if they don't find static in my line, just so I know. I didn't even ask for the stupid check! The rep. for the company did. Bastards, indeed.
Well, they found something wrong with my car, all right - to the tune of $350...PLUS some other things I didn't know were wrong. $1k later...ugh.
You just dropped a grand on that Impala? Ouch...I think I would have jetesoned the beast...(I just watched Armageadon (sp?))
Nicole (GF) just put $600 into her car...Fuel Pump...
Also, I don't really like to deal with Dealerships when it comes to mechanics...Unless it's under warranty. I use Gill's in Valpo...They are good honest people.
Speaking of cars, I need an oil change...
Well, I just made my last car payment...so I would like this car to last me awhile. We haven't dumped anything into it except for routine oil, tires, brakes, normal wear-n-tear stuff...I gave my hubby the option...he said to fix it. My plan is to run it into the ground...after 160k miles...I'm sort of committed...
my fucking hillbilly neighbors are abusing their fucking dogs, I wish shooting hillbillys was legal
I can so relate. Ten days before Christmas, the anti-lock and the regular brake lights start glowing. According to the owner's manual that's a sign to get thee to a mechanic. Fortunately I've got a great auto shop and they could take me and my Alero.
Regular brakes almost gone, anti-lock brake motor completely gone. Add to that an oil change and new air filter and my bank account is $1,500 lighter . . . 10 days before Christmas!
Oh and the day before the car cost marathon, my hot water heater failed catastrophically. That was another $650.
And for those reasons, I'm glad to see December go away. And also for those reasons, I'm having no problems keeping our wine drinking, ass sitting resolution, Rebecca.
Here, here, Colleen - I toast your ass-sitting, wine drinking ways.
I was actually having guilt because I stumbled into a gourmet food and wine store and spent $30 on a bottle of pinot noir, unheard of for me...but now, now I see I NEED that $30 bottle of pinot to drown my car sorrows.
oy.
Post a Comment