Car Crisis, Work Week

The weeks just get busier and busier. I can't wait to get rental season started (and over with).

Monday and Tuesday were normal, busy days. Lots of customers. On Tuesday night as I was driving home, my car stuttered and the check engine light came on. Greeeeat. Most garages around here close after 6pm. I was able to get home ok, and luckily my boss had given me Wednesday off to ensure that I wouldn't dip into overtime hours. Perfect. I got up early and went and sat in a Toyota dealership.

I had pulled my car into the garage and was waiting next to it for someone to sign me in. Several other people were doing the same. I was startled when a woman tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, did you know you've brought a passenger with you?" She pointed to this large bug on my rear windshield. Cool!

Soon after that I was all checked in and waiting for a diagnosis. After about an hour I was told that my ignition coil had failed and taken a bunch of fuses along with it. The problem with ignition coil failure is that that part is attached to many components of one's engine. So there was a possibility that other parts of the engine were damaged as well. They would start repairs and report problems as they went. Greeeeeat.

I had three hours to wait, so walked to a Panera for lunch, then since there were several dealerships in this area I walked through some lots and looked at cars. Just in case. My car is pretty fantastic, it's been coast to coast twice and up and down the east coast more times than I can count, through temperatures from -20F to 120F, and various altitudes, climates, and driving conditions. It's been driven HARD. If it needs some repairs finally after a decade of use, I'm willing to invest in it. But only to a certain number, you know.

Anyway, as it turned out, the repairs were manageable. I was able to drive home in the afternoon, leaving enough time for a much-needed nap.

( Read more... )