Get your motor running
Head out on the highway
Looking for adventure
In whatever comes our way
Well couldn't head out to the highway cause the motor wasn't running!
I'm telling you - I got lucky once again with my car troubles meaning I wasn't out on one of my adventures or out at Grant Street and leaving at 1:00 a.m. (2 1/2 hours from home) and wasn't on the Atlantic City Expressway in the high speed traffic or anything like that.
Last Thursday I was planning on going out to Grant Street for the hook-in - Well the darn weather said we were getting a few inches of snow - so traveling that far isn't worth it in bad weather. So of course I got a bee in my bonnet and decided I needed to go somewhere - Decided to head to AC to see it snow on the ocean. Never have been by the ocean while it was snowing and thought it would be a cool to see (if you didn't already guess - I just love being by the ocean - it's just so calming) Anyway - went online and booked a free room for Thursday and Friday nite and off I went Thursday afternoon.
When I was about 20 miles from AC my "check engine" light came on. So I'm thinking I just got gas in my car maybe that's it (for some reason if the gas cap isn't on perfectly it will set the "check engine" light off and you have to get it re-set.) So I wasn't too worried - nothing was shaking, rattling or rolling. I do not panic at things like this - my thought is whatever happens happens.
I got to the parking garage and checked the cap - yep - a little crooked - been having problems with it lately - it's hard to get on and off - So I fixed that and then even checked the oil - added a quart. And then went and checked in - Spent the next two days enjoying my time and did a whole lot of walking and I was so excited - I got a room with this big old soaking tub (I just love to take bubble baths!) So on one of my walks I picked up some bath bombs - Wonderful - what a different in a tub like that compared to what we have! My one disappointment was it didn't snow down there so still have not seen it while it snows on the beach or ocean (yet we got about 6 inches at home!)
Now on to Saturday night - I was out and about ready to drop my friend off and it was 2 degrees outside - Got in the car and it wouldn't start or turn over! Oh no! Dead battery I"m thinking. So there was a fireman there and he had a big truck (about 10 times the size of my little Subaru) and he gave my car a jump and it started up and got me home.
I didn't venture out anywhere on Sunday - was just a lazy day.
Now on to this morning. My husband was off work so he calls the garage and asks if I could bring my car in to get the check engine light re-set and the battery tested. No problem - made an appointment for 11:00 - Went to Costco first and while I was driving there my "brake" light keep going on and off and on and off - What next!
Got to the garage at 11:00 - around noon they come back out - Guess what! Yep needed a new battery (Hey I think I got my monies worth out of the old one - it was from 2003! So 8 years and 130,000 miles is pretty good for a battery!), bad news is I need new front brakes and rotors - he said they probably wouldn't last me another week - OH my goodness - Usually you can tell when you need brakes - I had no clue - So is it a blessing i put the gas cap on wonky to start all this in motion? I don't know - but thank goodness- I can't even image my brakes giving out on me on a major highway or something!
So I call my husband to pick me up since I had an appointment at the bank at 1:00 (to talk rolling over 401K's and things - things that give me major headaches) and after dropping him off - went to my appointment and then to Target and the craft store for some supplies for this Saturday's class at the Cinnamon Stick, then back home to get my husband and back to the garage!
So nearly $500 later, Mike the dude at the garage told me I have a "new car" again - Brakes, fluids, oil change, new battery! OH MY!
Hope you all had a great weekend - I'll be very happy to have a drama-free week!
13 comments:
Oh My Goodness Joanne! That will be enough of that! Whew, I'm glad everything turned out ok and that you weren't stuck somewhere far from home. Glad everything is fixed, but sorry for the chunk of change it cost ya. Good for another 130,000 miles I hope!!
Looking forward to seeing you this week, providing the weather is good :)
Joanne ~
Lucky you that you and your car made it home safely! Don't you just hate car repairs? One of those inevitable, necessary evils! Like Kathy said, may it get you another 130k.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren
Whew...you're safe! Praise God.
Wow! That little car was having a nervous breakdown!!! Good thing she waits until your in a safe place! Good car! Should be set for some time now! I guess I got my answer for Saturday... say Hey to Judy for me!
Hey Joanne,
What a car story! Geesh! Those guys at the garage always seem to have 'the good news and the bad news' thing going on. I guess that's so you aren't quite so knocked down by how much they're gonna charge!
Hope you and the kitties are surviving this sub-zero weather. Hope the snow holds off for Thursday. Maybe I'll see you next week.
Good Lord, Joanne. You were lucky your brakes held out and you make it home safely. I panic when something happens to the car and since my husband (bless his heart) is NOT good with cars, I either call my son or my service advisor at Toyota, since he's a good friend.
Subaru's are great cars....we had 3 when we lived in Maine, but we don't like the dealership here so we're back to Toyotas. Our Camry is a '98 with almost 150,000 miles on it and still runs great.
Take it from one who knows....the ocean, when it's snowing, is gorgeous. That's one of the few things I miss about living in the lighthouse.
Hi Joanne - yhour car story makes me think I should do more checking on my car. The guys at my garage are very good about "kicking my tires" and telling me what I need. Glad you were not on the highway when something happened. Hope to see you soon.
Oh My Heavens Joanne!!!... so glad everything turned out okay with your car... Sorry you didn't get to see the snow at the ocean, but we sure had it here too.... Hope we can make it up to Grant Street this week, but I do not think the weather is going to cooperate, according to the weatherman... They are saying we are supposed to get snow into Thursday morning.... I really had enough of old man winter, he is starting to piss me off!... Take care see you soon!
Oh Joanne! I am so glad you didn't get stranded somewhere on the freeway! Hitchhiking is out these days you know! That song "Born to Be Wild" is your theme song I think! I'm having it put in my will to play at my funeral...... LOL!
Cathy G
Oh Josie, So glad you are safe! 500 bucks wasn't bad for a major overhaul. Seems like I can't even get my car inspected anymore for under $800. Cars are a pain in the butt! But I guess horses and buggies had their issues also!
Sometimes things like that happen and I think it is our little angel watching over us. Better to find out now then when you are on a high speed highway;)
Debbie
Ha! Drama for me too! When I was on the way to a dr. appt. Thurs. an indicator light came on on my dash. Had to stop and read the "book"...it was an emission controls malfunction. The car died on me twice but I made it to dr. and home! So I was relegated to driving our pickup. I went to a girls party Saturday night. Went out to go home. Dead battery! Drove the hostess' car home!
More drama here....after leaving me stranded in Walmart's parking lot last Thursday my van had to be towed and a new alternator put in...$379. and the very very very next day after it was fixed, the transmission went. Too many miles and too much money to put into an old (but I loved my van) car. Now I have to find something new...but old....car payments in this economy - yikes!
Joanne......you amaze me how you just "take off"...wish I had your adventurer spirit!!
Post a Comment