Sometimes, a few days are just odd stuff:
1. Got a first cucumber. Mmm, good!
2. First tomato fruit on the vine. I planted late because I kept waiting for the rain to stop. It hasn't yet.
3. The flat Italian beans are finally coming in. I have some every day.
4. Watched a hornet catch some bug and eat it. I made sure not to bother it.
5. Found a dead possum in the backyard. I put it in the drainage easement (wearing heavy rubber gloves). There, it will decay fast and produce no smell as the water carries everything away.
6. Finally figured out the new car "Auto Stop&Start". The description from the dealer was useless. Finally looked it up in the manual. Obvious. Could have saved 3 months of annoyance.
7. Figured out the cruise control, too. The buttons to push made sense after looking at the manual, but icons are never clear UNTIL you see what the designer meant by it.
8. Have to call the bank. They ordered checks for me at "no charge" and charged me. I called in August and they agreed to issue a credit. And they ordered new checks because there was an error in my name. The new checks arrived perfectly, and the statement showed the credit. But then they charged me for the new checks. So, another call to fix that.
9. I called a tech support place for help in getting my AOL email to my Apple email (much easier to use). It cost #9.95 but "OK, they fixed it". But the credit card statement had another 6 charges of $0.10 each for a bunch of "charities. I issued a complaint to my credit card company. They probably wondered why I bothered about 6 $0.10 charges. Well, the charges would have continued. And the credit card company had to do all the work resolving the issue.
10. My new Subaru came with an oddly small towing hitch. 1.25" coupler bar. I ordered larger parts to adapt from Amazon. Then realized it didn't matter. The towing capacity is only that of the weakest part. Amazon let me return them for free. I love Amazon!
11. Black-eyed Susans are taking over spots in my yard. It started with a volunteer 10 years ago. They have been finding places they like better ever since. And since they bloom all Summer, I'm spreading them to let them find more places they like..
12. Same with purple coneflowers. They don't spread as quickly, but they do spread. A yardful of yellow Black-Eyed-Susans and Purple Coneflowers wouldn't be the worst thing (and I have other perrenials.
13. The Washington National baseball team is driving me crazy. They won The World Series last year, but can't win a game this year. They are the 2nd worst team. They either win by like 12-2 or lose 5-4.
14. The basement heat pump has a tube to the laundry tub for pumping out collected water. Heat pumps are also de-humidifiers. Various things can go wrong. The collection reservoir can get blocked with algae, the pan in the inside can get tilted over time and spill into the bottom (caused water to seep out at floor level. I got overflow 2 weeks ago. I cleared the tube with stiff wire, added a bit of bleach to the reservoir, and laid down old towels to absorb the floor seepage. It worked.
15. If the rain doesn't stop for a few days, I am going to go quite mad. The oil squishes everywhere I walk. The grass lawn loves it! And do the weeds everywhere. And the Asian Tiger Mosquitos!!!
16. I really have to solve the chair problem. The old one has a back to short to support my head, te new one doesn't allow me to cross my feet so the cats have "The Lap". A big recliner I bought falls forward so much I slide off it. I need to turn the big one over and limit its forward movement. It's a great chair otherwise.
There is more, but I have to stop somewhere...
Showing posts with label Car Problems. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Car Problems. Show all posts
Thursday, September 3, 2020
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Odds and Ends
1. I had to dispatch another groundhog a few days ago. I've gotten in the habit of finding their burrows, stuffing the carcass into the opening, and covering the opening with the dirt from around the burrow. Well, this last one made a weird entrance that was just under soil level. I covered the carass and tamped down the soil. I do that because I figure new varmints MUST sometimes intersect old burrows and the existence of a dead groundhog ought to discourage the new ones.
I noticed some movement around the burrow the next day, and realized there were 3 vultures standing on my toolshed! I went out (and they flew away) and discovered just a slight exposure of the groundhog from pecking at the soil.
I've seen nature shows that state that vultures find dead food only by sight. They are wrong. The burrow was not visible at all due to thick overhanging overgrowth. They can smell as well as see. After I covered the carcass with 4" more dirt, they came back the next day. So then I covered it with heavy boards. They haven't been back.
2. I lost power today. No storm, no lightning, it just went off for an hour. That was a surprise. The bigger surprise was that my computer went off. I have a backup battery for it, but it didn't activate. I did some chores by dim daylight (cleaned litterboxes, collected trash, prepared veggies and chicken for dinner, and listened to a battery backed-up radio. I have buried electrical cables here, so outages are rare. Which means I forget how much I depend on electricity.
I had to laugh at myself when I tried to open the garage door (electric opener), walked into rooms and flipped light switches, etc. I've read that leaving too many electrical things on after a power failure can throw circuit breakers when the power returns from sudden demand, so I went around and turned off everything I could expect for a couple lights to let me know when the power returned.
3. It has been raining for so long that my tomatoes and beans are dying. I picked all the ripe tomatoes and most are cracked open from all the water and fungal diseases are rampant. Fortunately, I have 3 tomato plants that are under the rainshadow of the overhanging roof. I means that in dry times, I have to water them more, but in rain, they do better. And they are all looking healthy and loaded with fruits.
4. The mosquitos are breeding like crazy. The ground is so wet, the larvae are surviving in places one would never expect. Even when I drain planting pot saucers carefully each day, there is enough moisture left (and new rain) to keep them alive. I even found some growing in a slight depression in a tree branch (I drilled a hole through the depression on advice from a garden site).
5. The constant rain is depressing. I stepped out on the deck yesterday just as the sun broke through briefly (must have been the one hole in the clouds for hundreds of square miles) and got a bit silly. I pretended I was burned by the strange light in the sky. As if I was Gollum tied with an Elven rope). But seriously, everytime it isn't actually raining, I let the Mews out so they don't go stir-crazy. They have been stuck inside so much for weeks, I'm cleaning the litterboxes 2 and even 3 times a day. Which tells me how much of their "business" they do outside...
6. I may have gotten the mower running again, but it isn't a happy engine. I mentioned fishing some debris out of the gas tank. It makes funny noises when it does start, so I suspect some debris has been sucked into the fuel tube. I've looked, but the fuel line is cleverly hidden from DIYers like me. I can't even figure out how to get at it. I've lived here 30 years. The first mower lasted 10 years. This one is 20 years old. It might be a good time to just buy a new one. New ones cut better and more levelly and use less gas. I might buy a "zero-turn mower". And maybe I just want a new one.
7. Speaking of "new ones", my Toyota Highlander is 13 years old. Things are starting to go wrong. It only has 28,500 miles on it (I don't drive much). But age matters too. Last year, I brought it in for regular maintenance. They did the work, but suggested I replace the timing belt, all engine belts, and the waterpump. IIRC, they suggested a cost of about $1,000.
I declined at the time, but they planted a seed of concern in my mind. Now I worry about the timing belt breaking. That means the car just STOPS and there isn't anything you can do about it. You can only have it towed somewhere to have a lot of work done.
Well, I've been thinking it was time to replace the car. I've been hoping to wait for a decent electric vehicle that could tow a small utility trailer (or even a fuel cell vehicle), but I don't think I can wait much longer.
Because I called the dealer and asked about the cost of the timing belt and the other work. Over $2,300! I'll call a non-dealer repair shop and get an estimate, but it probably won't be much different.
Which leaves me in a slight dilemma. I don't want a new car with all sorts of internet connections built in (privacy concerns plus I just wouldn't use them - but tell me why I might want them) and I don't like to buy used cars (someone traded it in for a reason).
I am considering a new Toyota Highlander (for familiarity) or a Subaru Forester. Both have top Consumer Reports ratings and I am used to SUVs. Since I drive so little, gas mileage isn't a concern. I also have some idea of buying a renovated car from my younger days plus a small electric-only vehicle for local errands.
Oddly enough, a renovated Pontiac Bonneville Convertible or Eagle Vision (my 2 favorite cars I've owned) and a small electric wouldn't cost much more than a new Highlander (and there is a shop in town that specializes in services old cars).
8. I mentioned the house is 30 years old. It needs work. I redid the roof and siding a few years ago, but the inside is OLD. 30 year old cheap carpeting is literally something to sneeze at. I'm almost afraid to vacuum it lest it just falls apart. I'm fine with most of the house. I don't need any walls removed, kitchen renovations, etc. But my furniture is like that of a college grad in his first apartment with old hand-me-down mismatched stuff from the parents and leftovers from previous roommates. I have windows that can't be opened, and plaster-patches left over from electric work 3 years ago. It is bwyond DIY work for me. I need to change all that and get a general contractor in here.
9. Time for a new Will, too. What I arranged in the 90s doesn't match what I need today. Different family needs, different charities, and my assets have changed too (the stock market I poured savings into in 2009 has been very very good to me).
10. The house is a mess. I used to clean weekly before Dad moved here in 2012, I cleaned more often when he was here (to avoid listening to his beloved Fox News), but I've been lax since he left. There may be some cobwebs in the tall corner of the staircase from his time here. I need to spend some time catching up.
11. I have 2 toolsheds. I built one 25 years ago. The other was built by a professional 10 years ago. Mine leaks. If it ever stops raining before Winter, I will replace it. Properly, this time.
Enough for now.
I noticed some movement around the burrow the next day, and realized there were 3 vultures standing on my toolshed! I went out (and they flew away) and discovered just a slight exposure of the groundhog from pecking at the soil.
I've seen nature shows that state that vultures find dead food only by sight. They are wrong. The burrow was not visible at all due to thick overhanging overgrowth. They can smell as well as see. After I covered the carcass with 4" more dirt, they came back the next day. So then I covered it with heavy boards. They haven't been back.
2. I lost power today. No storm, no lightning, it just went off for an hour. That was a surprise. The bigger surprise was that my computer went off. I have a backup battery for it, but it didn't activate. I did some chores by dim daylight (cleaned litterboxes, collected trash, prepared veggies and chicken for dinner, and listened to a battery backed-up radio. I have buried electrical cables here, so outages are rare. Which means I forget how much I depend on electricity.
I had to laugh at myself when I tried to open the garage door (electric opener), walked into rooms and flipped light switches, etc. I've read that leaving too many electrical things on after a power failure can throw circuit breakers when the power returns from sudden demand, so I went around and turned off everything I could expect for a couple lights to let me know when the power returned.
3. It has been raining for so long that my tomatoes and beans are dying. I picked all the ripe tomatoes and most are cracked open from all the water and fungal diseases are rampant. Fortunately, I have 3 tomato plants that are under the rainshadow of the overhanging roof. I means that in dry times, I have to water them more, but in rain, they do better. And they are all looking healthy and loaded with fruits.
4. The mosquitos are breeding like crazy. The ground is so wet, the larvae are surviving in places one would never expect. Even when I drain planting pot saucers carefully each day, there is enough moisture left (and new rain) to keep them alive. I even found some growing in a slight depression in a tree branch (I drilled a hole through the depression on advice from a garden site).
5. The constant rain is depressing. I stepped out on the deck yesterday just as the sun broke through briefly (must have been the one hole in the clouds for hundreds of square miles) and got a bit silly. I pretended I was burned by the strange light in the sky. As if I was Gollum tied with an Elven rope). But seriously, everytime it isn't actually raining, I let the Mews out so they don't go stir-crazy. They have been stuck inside so much for weeks, I'm cleaning the litterboxes 2 and even 3 times a day. Which tells me how much of their "business" they do outside...
6. I may have gotten the mower running again, but it isn't a happy engine. I mentioned fishing some debris out of the gas tank. It makes funny noises when it does start, so I suspect some debris has been sucked into the fuel tube. I've looked, but the fuel line is cleverly hidden from DIYers like me. I can't even figure out how to get at it. I've lived here 30 years. The first mower lasted 10 years. This one is 20 years old. It might be a good time to just buy a new one. New ones cut better and more levelly and use less gas. I might buy a "zero-turn mower". And maybe I just want a new one.
7. Speaking of "new ones", my Toyota Highlander is 13 years old. Things are starting to go wrong. It only has 28,500 miles on it (I don't drive much). But age matters too. Last year, I brought it in for regular maintenance. They did the work, but suggested I replace the timing belt, all engine belts, and the waterpump. IIRC, they suggested a cost of about $1,000.
I declined at the time, but they planted a seed of concern in my mind. Now I worry about the timing belt breaking. That means the car just STOPS and there isn't anything you can do about it. You can only have it towed somewhere to have a lot of work done.
Well, I've been thinking it was time to replace the car. I've been hoping to wait for a decent electric vehicle that could tow a small utility trailer (or even a fuel cell vehicle), but I don't think I can wait much longer.
Because I called the dealer and asked about the cost of the timing belt and the other work. Over $2,300! I'll call a non-dealer repair shop and get an estimate, but it probably won't be much different.
Which leaves me in a slight dilemma. I don't want a new car with all sorts of internet connections built in (privacy concerns plus I just wouldn't use them - but tell me why I might want them) and I don't like to buy used cars (someone traded it in for a reason).
I am considering a new Toyota Highlander (for familiarity) or a Subaru Forester. Both have top Consumer Reports ratings and I am used to SUVs. Since I drive so little, gas mileage isn't a concern. I also have some idea of buying a renovated car from my younger days plus a small electric-only vehicle for local errands.
Oddly enough, a renovated Pontiac Bonneville Convertible or Eagle Vision (my 2 favorite cars I've owned) and a small electric wouldn't cost much more than a new Highlander (and there is a shop in town that specializes in services old cars).
8. I mentioned the house is 30 years old. It needs work. I redid the roof and siding a few years ago, but the inside is OLD. 30 year old cheap carpeting is literally something to sneeze at. I'm almost afraid to vacuum it lest it just falls apart. I'm fine with most of the house. I don't need any walls removed, kitchen renovations, etc. But my furniture is like that of a college grad in his first apartment with old hand-me-down mismatched stuff from the parents and leftovers from previous roommates. I have windows that can't be opened, and plaster-patches left over from electric work 3 years ago. It is bwyond DIY work for me. I need to change all that and get a general contractor in here.
9. Time for a new Will, too. What I arranged in the 90s doesn't match what I need today. Different family needs, different charities, and my assets have changed too (the stock market I poured savings into in 2009 has been very very good to me).
10. The house is a mess. I used to clean weekly before Dad moved here in 2012, I cleaned more often when he was here (to avoid listening to his beloved Fox News), but I've been lax since he left. There may be some cobwebs in the tall corner of the staircase from his time here. I need to spend some time catching up.
11. I have 2 toolsheds. I built one 25 years ago. The other was built by a professional 10 years ago. Mine leaks. If it ever stops raining before Winter, I will replace it. Properly, this time.
Enough for now.
Sunday, October 8, 2017
A Less Than Great Week
My normal routines have gone entirely out of whack this past week or so. Too many annoyances...
Let me say clearly,that my troubles are minor compared with many peoples'. But they are MY troubles and on my mind constantly.
1. I just can't seem to get in tough with the owner of the neighboring property. The contractors won't tell me (don't want to get in trouble). The County tax records still list the previous owner and I know ownership passed to a bank and then the property was sold.
I need to talk to the actual owner or whoever is managing the contractors renovating the property. I can't find the person, though the contractor boss says 'he". I am worried every day they will start painting or tearing down MY fence when I'm not looking.
WHY I care if they paint it is a whole separate post and I will try to get to that soon. Meanwhile, it is my fence on my property and I claim the right to decide how it looks.
2. My beloved 60" plasma HDTV died Wednesday. It just went *blink* and then nothing. It is only 3 1/2 years old. The soonest appointment for a repair I could get is next Wednesday. Actually, I called Samsung for trouble-shooting advice hoping for some rebooting advice. I didn't know that repairs on those things were even possible.
The Sumsung service desk says it sounds like a power supply problem. I have my doubts, since there is a little red power "on" indicator and it is lit. But maybe there is a circuit past that which can be replaced.
Anyway, the idea of having no TV at all for week was just too much, so I went to Walmart and bought a 24" model for $138. Plus, I wanted tit as a test o know if it was the TV or just some cable or the cable box etc.
Right out of the box, the new little TV came right on. It's the 60" that is having the problem. Plus I can show that to the repair person. Having a small TV isn't bad. Since I have MSNBC on most of the day, I listen to TV more than I watch it. Who needs to watch talking heads?
But The Washington Nationals baseball team are in the playoffs, and watching THAT on a small TV is annoying. But I'm old enough to remember our first family 12" B&W TV and then years later thinking a color 20" TV was just "amazing". So I pulled the TV stand closer to the chair and got used to it. 4 days of "tiny" TV isn't the worst thing. Some people drink water from polluted creeks...
But I'll still be happy to see the big screen again.
3. I mentioned a couple weeks ago getting the metal spout of a gas can stuck in the car's fuel inlet. The dealership did the job removing it just fine. How they did it is not something I expect to have to know for future situations, but they did suggest I have the timing belt and all drive belts replaced. Not from wear, but due to age. They wanted $1000 for that. My automatic response was no because there was no actual problem. It wasn't like they said "we looked at your timing belt and it is worn out".
But now everytime I start the car I worry. Some problems you can see developing. The engine is hart to start, the engine runs rough while driving, there are noises, the brakes squeal, etc. But when a timing belt breaks, everything just STOPS all at once and nothing first.
It's like falling off a cliff. The falling isn't the problem. The problem is the sudden "THUD". A broken timing belt is a "THUD". That happened on a previous car, and lucky that I was directly in front of a good local repair shop. They just pushed it into the shop and replaced the timing belt in an hour! I doubt I would be so lucky again.
I think I may pay for the whole belt assembly. I've been lucky. No sense pushing my luck. The Toyota Highlander is 12 years old. It only has about 28,000 miles on it. But it has mostly been stop-and-go traffic commuting and local errands, and that is really hard on an engine. I want to keep the current car running until there is a good SUV hybrid or fuel cell model available. I like SUVs for the height and cargo capacity. And since I don't drive much, gas mileage isn't a concern.
4. I'm listing information about Iza to bring to the vet. My thanks to everyone who mentioned things to ask about. I want to talk to the vet about a plan of exams rather that just bring Iza to the vet and say "do stuff" I want the vet to think about it, advise me of what tests he indends to perform, and them look them up before I agree.
But I'll do anything within reason to make her life (and mine) better. My regular vet of 30 years gets the first chance to identify her problems. I trust him a lot because of years of good attntion but also because HE was the one who found Ayla had almost a whole ovary after the breeder's vet did 2 failed spay operations. But he might not be so skilled/equipped at detailed tests. I know of a certified feline specialist (an annoying hour drive away because of few bridges across a river but closest - 40 road miles, 10 as the crows fly) and will go there if my regular vet can't find the problems.
But to be clear, the feline specialist vet wanted $1700 for exploratory surgery and my vet did it for $400.
Let me say clearly,that my troubles are minor compared with many peoples'. But they are MY troubles and on my mind constantly.
1. I just can't seem to get in tough with the owner of the neighboring property. The contractors won't tell me (don't want to get in trouble). The County tax records still list the previous owner and I know ownership passed to a bank and then the property was sold.
I need to talk to the actual owner or whoever is managing the contractors renovating the property. I can't find the person, though the contractor boss says 'he". I am worried every day they will start painting or tearing down MY fence when I'm not looking.
WHY I care if they paint it is a whole separate post and I will try to get to that soon. Meanwhile, it is my fence on my property and I claim the right to decide how it looks.
2. My beloved 60" plasma HDTV died Wednesday. It just went *blink* and then nothing. It is only 3 1/2 years old. The soonest appointment for a repair I could get is next Wednesday. Actually, I called Samsung for trouble-shooting advice hoping for some rebooting advice. I didn't know that repairs on those things were even possible.
The Sumsung service desk says it sounds like a power supply problem. I have my doubts, since there is a little red power "on" indicator and it is lit. But maybe there is a circuit past that which can be replaced.
Anyway, the idea of having no TV at all for week was just too much, so I went to Walmart and bought a 24" model for $138. Plus, I wanted tit as a test o know if it was the TV or just some cable or the cable box etc.
Right out of the box, the new little TV came right on. It's the 60" that is having the problem. Plus I can show that to the repair person. Having a small TV isn't bad. Since I have MSNBC on most of the day, I listen to TV more than I watch it. Who needs to watch talking heads?
But The Washington Nationals baseball team are in the playoffs, and watching THAT on a small TV is annoying. But I'm old enough to remember our first family 12" B&W TV and then years later thinking a color 20" TV was just "amazing". So I pulled the TV stand closer to the chair and got used to it. 4 days of "tiny" TV isn't the worst thing. Some people drink water from polluted creeks...
But I'll still be happy to see the big screen again.
3. I mentioned a couple weeks ago getting the metal spout of a gas can stuck in the car's fuel inlet. The dealership did the job removing it just fine. How they did it is not something I expect to have to know for future situations, but they did suggest I have the timing belt and all drive belts replaced. Not from wear, but due to age. They wanted $1000 for that. My automatic response was no because there was no actual problem. It wasn't like they said "we looked at your timing belt and it is worn out".
But now everytime I start the car I worry. Some problems you can see developing. The engine is hart to start, the engine runs rough while driving, there are noises, the brakes squeal, etc. But when a timing belt breaks, everything just STOPS all at once and nothing first.
It's like falling off a cliff. The falling isn't the problem. The problem is the sudden "THUD". A broken timing belt is a "THUD". That happened on a previous car, and lucky that I was directly in front of a good local repair shop. They just pushed it into the shop and replaced the timing belt in an hour! I doubt I would be so lucky again.
I think I may pay for the whole belt assembly. I've been lucky. No sense pushing my luck. The Toyota Highlander is 12 years old. It only has about 28,000 miles on it. But it has mostly been stop-and-go traffic commuting and local errands, and that is really hard on an engine. I want to keep the current car running until there is a good SUV hybrid or fuel cell model available. I like SUVs for the height and cargo capacity. And since I don't drive much, gas mileage isn't a concern.
4. I'm listing information about Iza to bring to the vet. My thanks to everyone who mentioned things to ask about. I want to talk to the vet about a plan of exams rather that just bring Iza to the vet and say "do stuff" I want the vet to think about it, advise me of what tests he indends to perform, and them look them up before I agree.
But I'll do anything within reason to make her life (and mine) better. My regular vet of 30 years gets the first chance to identify her problems. I trust him a lot because of years of good attntion but also because HE was the one who found Ayla had almost a whole ovary after the breeder's vet did 2 failed spay operations. But he might not be so skilled/equipped at detailed tests. I know of a certified feline specialist (an annoying hour drive away because of few bridges across a river but closest - 40 road miles, 10 as the crows fly) and will go there if my regular vet can't find the problems.
But to be clear, the feline specialist vet wanted $1700 for exploratory surgery and my vet did it for $400.
Thursday, September 14, 2017
The Car
Well, the dealership got the metal spout of the gas can pulled out. The ticket manager I spoke to didn't have all the details, but she said they used some hydraulic "puller" to get it out. The mechanic who did the work wasn't available at the timer. Probably laughing his ass off to hard...
I suppose it doesn't matter what they used. *I* sure didn't have one and never will. What are the chances that would ever happen again? I know for sure I will never make that mistake again.
She WAS pretty sure they had never had to make that exact repair before.
They also said I should replace a timing belt. A mere $1,050. I asked why and they said "age". Well, yeah, the car is a 2005 and I bought it new, but it only has 27,975 miles on it. I don't drive much. They seem to have just seen the years and saw "timing belt" on their list.
But great, now I have to worry about that every time I drive...
I've been trying to make this car last until I can get a functional hydrogen fuel vehicle. I probably can't make it last that long. Low mileage or not, age DOES matter. I don't really need an SUV. I could go for a hybrid mostly, but I do have to haul a trailer sometimes. I may be stuck with at least a wagon.
I'm not sure I can sit in a car that low anymore. So I may be stuck with an SUV. I had to rent a sedan for a week a few years ago, and the visual perspective was SO WEIRD! Habits form...
I had a timing belt fail once. By great luck, I was right next to a service station. It took 3 hours of sitting around. They had other cars they were already working on. But it was only a few hundred dollars. I think I will take my chances on the timing belt lasting a while.
And the new vehicles are coming out in the next couple months...
I don't like all the fancy stuff on the new cars. I'm not a heavy internet person. This desktop does about all I need. So having internet access in a car is not a deal for me, and I'm not sure I'm ready for a car that decides on it's own to stop suddenly.
I usded to laugh at people who bothered with manual transmissions because they liked the "control" it gave them. I may be doing the same, but I don't think so. The new stuff is more proactive.
I've kept cars a reasonably long time. Oh I don't men like some guy who loved his 20 year old car and kept it running 200,000 miles. But my last cars have lasted 10 years, 8 years, and 12 years. Maybe it IS time for a change. Mileage isn't "everything". I don't like a car I can't trust.
Maybe I'm talking myself into a new car...
Bet I'm looking at Consumer Reports magazine about SUVs tomorrow!
I suppose it doesn't matter what they used. *I* sure didn't have one and never will. What are the chances that would ever happen again? I know for sure I will never make that mistake again.
She WAS pretty sure they had never had to make that exact repair before.
They also said I should replace a timing belt. A mere $1,050. I asked why and they said "age". Well, yeah, the car is a 2005 and I bought it new, but it only has 27,975 miles on it. I don't drive much. They seem to have just seen the years and saw "timing belt" on their list.
But great, now I have to worry about that every time I drive...
I've been trying to make this car last until I can get a functional hydrogen fuel vehicle. I probably can't make it last that long. Low mileage or not, age DOES matter. I don't really need an SUV. I could go for a hybrid mostly, but I do have to haul a trailer sometimes. I may be stuck with at least a wagon.
I'm not sure I can sit in a car that low anymore. So I may be stuck with an SUV. I had to rent a sedan for a week a few years ago, and the visual perspective was SO WEIRD! Habits form...
I had a timing belt fail once. By great luck, I was right next to a service station. It took 3 hours of sitting around. They had other cars they were already working on. But it was only a few hundred dollars. I think I will take my chances on the timing belt lasting a while.
And the new vehicles are coming out in the next couple months...
I don't like all the fancy stuff on the new cars. I'm not a heavy internet person. This desktop does about all I need. So having internet access in a car is not a deal for me, and I'm not sure I'm ready for a car that decides on it's own to stop suddenly.
I usded to laugh at people who bothered with manual transmissions because they liked the "control" it gave them. I may be doing the same, but I don't think so. The new stuff is more proactive.
I've kept cars a reasonably long time. Oh I don't men like some guy who loved his 20 year old car and kept it running 200,000 miles. But my last cars have lasted 10 years, 8 years, and 12 years. Maybe it IS time for a change. Mileage isn't "everything". I don't like a car I can't trust.
Maybe I'm talking myself into a new car...
Bet I'm looking at Consumer Reports magazine about SUVs tomorrow!
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