The Car Death Demon Strikes Again!

[cathyr19355]

I've remarked several times about how many of my friends are having major car trouble this year--either with having cars totaled, or suffering through expensive repairs. I paid $900 in May to get my steering repaired. So I thought I was done with the evil Car Demon for this year. I was wrong.

Tonight, as I was driving Eric to dinner, I stopped at my local bank, which is about 3 or 4 blocks from my house, to use the MAC machine. As usual, I parked in the driveway because it's after banking hours, the driveway runs right beside the MAC machine, and I was only going to be there a moment or two.

Or so I thought.

After I used the machine and got back in the car, I put the key back in the ignition and turned it. The car went "urrrrgh", and the dashboard lights flashed feebly. A second try produced an even feebler "urrrgh", then nothing. Yet my dome light still worked normally, as did my emergency flashers, so the battery was not dead. I had no hint that this might happen, since the car had started normally and run normally as far as the bank, when I turned it off when I hopped out to use the MAC machine. Worse still, the car had just passed its state inspection only two days ago.

So I called AAA, wrangled with them about whether my membership was current (it wasn't), paid it over the phone, and got them to send a tow truck to take my car back to my mechanic's garage. After dinner at the local sandwich shop (not quite what I'd been hoping for), I sat in my dead car with Eric until Tow Truck Guy showed up about an hour later.

Tomorrow morning, I get to call my mechanic, explain the problem, and pray that it can be fixed with an hour's hunting and a 89-cent part. But, somehow, I doubt I'm going to be that lucky.

In other news, our home HVAC system needs fixing, again--for the third time in approximately six weeks. I fear that the Air Conditioning Demon is coming for my home system, very very soon....

Comments

[jmaynard.livejournal.com]

The battery may not be completely dead; it is possible for it to have a problem that lets it put out normal voltage for a light load, but not be able to crank the engine. Pray that that's so, because that's about as inexpensive a problem as you can have.

How old is your home A/C? They're usually good for 10-15 years...

[cathyr19355.livejournal.com]

Jay, the A/C unit was not new when I *bought* my home--and that was nearly 10 years ago. Believe me, I'm not just idly speculating when I say that it's on its last legs.

[jmaynard.livejournal.com]

Yeah. You should probably go ahead and bite the bullet now, as the price won't get any cheaper. I would strongly recommend spending the money on a R-410 (Puron)-based system, as it will be much cheaper to maintain in the long run as R-22 is phased out. As for efficiency, the best suggestion I can make is to factor the cost difference against your electricity bills, and see where the numbers play out. Don't forget to ask about any rebates your electric utility may be offering; those often offset the extra cost of the higher efficiency unit.

[cathyr19355.livejournal.com]

I would, but a unit big enough to supply the central air to my home costs about $2,000, and I just don't have it. Ah well, the warm season's nearly over here in Pennsylvania, and 2006 will be another year....

[mordant23.livejournal.com]

Good luck with the car. Thankfully you weren't far from home and weren't in the middle of nowhere.

[cathyr19355.livejournal.com]

True, too true. Been there before, done that. Didn't need to do it again. Thanks for the kind thoughts.

[mirell.livejournal.com]

Despite people's comments about Ford's, mine has held up rather well over the past five years...

Admittedly, I bought it new, and have my grandfather's instilled "You must know how to take it apart, and resassemble it in five minute...blindfolded"

[jmaynard.livejournal.com]

Fords suck. I've purchased two new ones, and both nearly sent me to bankruptcy court with premature repair bills - and the Ford Motor Company doesn't stand behind its products.

[mirell.livejournal.com]

*looks at his Mustang*

Seems to be fine...

[jmaynard.livejournal.com]

Consider yourself fortunate. An abridged version of the second vehicle's story is at this page.

How'd we get on this topic, anyway?

[mirell.livejournal.com]

I mentioned Fords, because Rob and Fade's car are Fords, and they've been crapping out, and Cathy mentioned Car Demon.

[cathyr19355.livejournal.com]

But they don't.

Rob used to own a Ford (that teal-colored station wagon thing). He got rid of it after the window got smashed in. Then he bought a Pontiac Trans Am, same model as Fade's but black instead of green. GM makes Pontiacs, not Ford.

[mirell.livejournal.com]

Oh.

Right.

Sorry, the Station Wagon still scarrs my mind.

[jmaynard.livejournal.com]

Neither Rob nor Fade seem like the Trans Am type...

[cathyr19355.livejournal.com]

Both of them acquired said Trans Ams used--price was the predominant factor in the purchase. Unfortunately, sometimes when you buy a car cheap you get what you pay for. :-(

[cathyr19355.livejournal.com]

Maybe you're my long-lost cousin, then. My Uncle Pete owned a garage, and his son Pete Jr. knew how to drive before he was 12.

Because my father always bought lemons (used lemons, to boot), I grew up learning things like where all the basic parts are. I know enough to give an intelligent description to a mechanic, but I didn't inherit the "repair things" gene.