shitshow

Vehicle Woes

I had all of these plans.

Ride pony.

Take photos at the Humane Society.

Maybe sneak in some Christmas shopping alone time.

And then, driving home last night, my car lost power steering and both the battery and brake lights came on. (The "check engine" light is perpetually and permanently on.)  (What can I say?  My beloved car is a piece of shit.)

So, after finagling it home and talking to the husband, who knows even less about cars than I do, we popped the hood.  I wish I'd thought to take a photo of it.  (Ironic.)  The "front side belt", also known as the serpentine belt, was dangling.  Thankfully, it's new.  And was fine.  I almost thought I could handle putting it back on until I realized that the crank pulley was loose.  Like, loose, loose.

I drove it around the corner to a little mechanics shop that I've used in the past.  I actually had a partial engine rebuild about eight months ago by a friend, to include a tune up and all this fancy shit that was considerably cheaper than buying another (used) car.  According to Kelley Blue Book, my car is valued at about $3,500 at fifteen years old and with 165,000 miles.  The problem is that I would not be able to get the same amenities in another car for what I paid for mine ($1,100 three years ago), like cruise control and keyless entry and power everything and a working, functional CD player and, of course, a relatively pretty 5-speed.  

Roar.  This is primarily just nonsense. 

The giant pain in the ass, though, is that mine and the husband's schedules don't mesh that well.  I dropped him off at a hospital at six this morning, went home and slept on the couch for forty-five minutes, and left for work.  I'm actually taking a half day today so I can go pick him up from that hospital.  During regular hours, it'll easily take me a million years to get across town.  Hopefully my car will be finished today.  Then it's just taking the photos at the Humane Society and possibly getting a ride in, since it'll still be daylight.

I guess the fubar car might be beneficial. 

I just got a call from the mechanic.  The crank pulley has to be replaced but they found a used one for $200 less.  Unfortunately, it won't get here until Tuesday.  Damn.  Here's to some early, early mornings!

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    4 comments

    1. CarlyNovember 29, 2012 at 1:02 PM

      Used car repairs make me crazy. I'm sure I've sunk 3X more into keeping my 15yo Saturn running that it's worth...and yet I still won't buy a new/used car. It's a vicious cycle.

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      1. Beka BurkeNovember 30, 2012 at 9:13 AM

        I had a 1997 Saturn SC1! That's actually what was totaled and what financed the purchase of Archie. :) I figure that so long as the repairs are infrequent and relatively cheaper than a car payment, I'm okay. As soon as this POS starts costing me $200 a month, it's out.

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    2. KarleyNovember 29, 2012 at 3:55 PM

      blah that sucks! :( I am thankful my hubby is a mechanic so that i can avoid all that!

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      1. Beka BurkeNovember 30, 2012 at 9:14 AM

        You are seriously lucky! My friend's husband was a mechanic and he did all the work prior to this fall out, but they moved back to Colorado a few months ago. It's a shame. Don't you want to send your hubby over to do my brakes? :)

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