adventures with autos

Wouldn't you know that a couple of days after telling green_fae how much I love my car, it decides to give me trouble? It never fails. It's like saying "What could go wrong?" Never say that. You might as well ask for something terrible to happen.

Anyhoo. I'm driving to work this morning, watching the trace of snow we got make patterns on the road, when the car starts shuddering, and the "Check Engine" light starts blinking. It's never done that before. Scared the bejeebus out of me, so I immediately pulled into a parking lot and called my mechanic. He said not to drive it, so I called AAA and waited for the tow truck to arrive. Fortunately, there was a Dunkin Donuts across the street, so I walked over and got a decaf to warm my hands, and a donut to soothe my nerves (it was chocolate, shut up, it worked). Three-quarters of an hour later (just like the nice lady at AAA said) he shows up, and off we go. While we're driving, towing my precious car behind us, this dude is talking, in various combinations, on a walkie-talkie, a cell phone, and a CB radio-type thingie. And looking at his clipboard, writing on it, and sending other drivers out on calls. Eek! Oh, and the truck had one of those camera thingies, so I could see my car on a little screen below the dash. That was cool.

My AAA membership only covers the first five miles, so the tow cost me $20.

Bob the mechanic moved my car, so I asked him if he felt the shudder, and he did (whew), and said it could be that the car needed plugs, or maybe coils, or maybe something else. Oy. (He said driving it with the light blinking like that could damage the catalytic converter, just so you know.)

So. He called me a few minutes ago, and it turns out that it *is* the plugs and wires, and it also needs a fuel filter, and gee, I'm really overdue on an oil change as well. Gonna cost me about $265. On the one hand, whew, it's not hundreds (or thousands) of dollars, but on the other hand, I don't have $265 to spare! Something's getting paid late this month. Sheesh.

I'm very lucky that it happened in daylight, in a place where I could pull off the road, and it wasn't precipitating. So I guess the best I can say is, it could've been a lot worse.

adventures with autos

Wouldn't you know that a couple of days after telling green_fae how much I love my car, it decides to give me trouble? It never fails. It's like saying "What could go wrong?" Never say that. You might as well ask for something terrible to happen.

Anyhoo. I'm driving to work this morning, watching the trace of snow we got make patterns on the road, when the car starts shuddering, and the "Check Engine" light starts blinking. It's never done that before. Scared the bejeebus out of me, so I immediately pulled into a parking lot and called my mechanic. He said not to drive it, so I called AAA and waited for the tow truck to arrive. Fortunately, there was a Dunkin Donuts across the street, so I walked over and got a decaf to warm my hands, and a donut to soothe my nerves (it was chocolate, shut up, it worked). Three-quarters of an hour later (just like the nice lady at AAA said) he shows up, and off we go. While we're driving, towing my precious car behind us, this dude is talking, in various combinations, on a walkie-talkie, a cell phone, and a CB radio-type thingie. And looking at his clipboard, writing on it, and sending other drivers out on calls. Eek! Oh, and the truck had one of those camera thingies, so I could see my car on a little screen below the dash. That was cool.

My AAA membership only covers the first five miles, so the tow cost me $20.

Bob the mechanic moved my car, so I asked him if he felt the shudder, and he did (whew), and said it could be that the car needed plugs, or maybe coils, or maybe something else. Oy. (He said driving it with the light blinking like that could damage the catalytic converter, just so you know.)

So. He called me a few minutes ago, and it turns out that it *is* the plugs and wires, and it also needs a fuel filter, and gee, I'm really overdue on an oil change as well. Gonna cost me about $265. On the one hand, whew, it's not hundreds (or thousands) of dollars, but on the other hand, I don't have $265 to spare! Something's getting paid late this month. Sheesh.

I'm very lucky that it happened in daylight, in a place where I could pull off the road, and it wasn't precipitating. So I guess the best I can say is, it could've been a lot worse.