Of Cars and Cons
Aug. 15th, 2005 12:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
featherynscaleThe other thing about the upcoming trip is that we, being more or less broke, and more or less up to our eyeballs with various governmental agencies demanding that we pay taxes like ordinary mortal citizens, are going to drive to Atlanta rather than fly. Some would argue that the extended road-trip is a necessary part of the Con experience. Me, I could take it or leave it, but as it stands, we're doing it, so I suppose I'd better take it.
The thing about that is that after the trip to New Orleans (the last road trip, which occurred back in my green hair days), we decided that As Gods Were Our Witness, We Shall Never Drive More Than Four Hours In The Druidmobile Again! Which means that the conveyance of choice is my little civic, popularly known as Asmodeus (don't ask, don't ask).
Now, Asmodeus is a little champ of a car, no doubt, but he needs a bit of work before I expect him to manage 24+ hours of solid driving in four days.
There's this thing, where when he starts up, he goes puttputtputtputt... and I think it continues even after he gets going, but you can't tell because the general road noise is so bad. I have no idea what is making that sound. And, then, there's this other thing where when you turn hard to the right, the axle goes CLACKCLACKCLACK... and I know what that is. That's a CV boot gone bad. There are rumors that this will eventually stop all forward progress of the automobile, which does not line up well with my desire to get from here to Atlanta and back.
So I took the car to the shop on Saturday (which, for those of you keeping score, is why I was not at RfB). CV boot, yes, torn all to hell, been torn all to hell for months now, maybe a year. Have to replace the half-shaft on the passenger side completely. $300. Then, they tell me, by the way, the CV boot on the *left* side has split as well, so someday soon, you're looking at another $300 for that. Then, they tell me that the puttputtputt is happening because there's a crack in the exhaust manifold. Would I like to see it? Yes, I would. They show me the poor wounded thing -- sure enough, there's a crack running all the way from top to bottom. Now, the car's been making that noise for about two and a half, maybe three years now. This horrifying little detail will become important later. Anyway, looking at $750 for that. I tell them, look, I have $300, that's all I've got. I'll come back for the left half-shaft and the exhaust manifold.
They say, okay, no problem, I sign on the dotted line, they back my car off the lift, and I go hop in and turn on the ignition. The check engine light comes on. I say to myself, "Self, this is not right." I turn off the engine, hop out of the car, go back into the shop. "Something is not right that was not not right when I came in," I say. The mechanic behind the desk says (not "What?!", which is what I usually expect with the blatant double-negative, but no, he was sharp) "What's different?". "The 'check engine' light is on. It's never come on before." They hustle out to the car and hook up a scanner to it..... "It's throwing a code on the o2 sensor -- that's the crack in the manifold," they say. I say, "but there was a crack in the manifold when I came in, and there was no light. There was a crack in the manifold for quite some time before that, and there was no light. Now, there is a light." They shrug and tell me it's no big deal, not to worry about it.
Later, I discover that not only is there a light, but also, my car now idles at about 200 rpm. This is low enough to occasionally stall the engine. For those playing along at home, the car should idle between 800 and 1000 rpm. Now, it has always been low, but usually about 500-600, not so much 200. So something has occurred. Either they widened the crack or didn't put the cover back on the thing properly, something.
On the other hand, the car no longer goes CLACKCLACK when you turn right, and my acceleration response time has never been better (which is WEIRD). Win some, lose some, I suppose.
The thing about that is that after the trip to New Orleans (the last road trip, which occurred back in my green hair days), we decided that As Gods Were Our Witness, We Shall Never Drive More Than Four Hours In The Druidmobile Again! Which means that the conveyance of choice is my little civic, popularly known as Asmodeus (don't ask, don't ask).
Now, Asmodeus is a little champ of a car, no doubt, but he needs a bit of work before I expect him to manage 24+ hours of solid driving in four days.
There's this thing, where when he starts up, he goes puttputtputtputt... and I think it continues even after he gets going, but you can't tell because the general road noise is so bad. I have no idea what is making that sound. And, then, there's this other thing where when you turn hard to the right, the axle goes CLACKCLACKCLACK... and I know what that is. That's a CV boot gone bad. There are rumors that this will eventually stop all forward progress of the automobile, which does not line up well with my desire to get from here to Atlanta and back.
So I took the car to the shop on Saturday (which, for those of you keeping score, is why I was not at RfB). CV boot, yes, torn all to hell, been torn all to hell for months now, maybe a year. Have to replace the half-shaft on the passenger side completely. $300. Then, they tell me, by the way, the CV boot on the *left* side has split as well, so someday soon, you're looking at another $300 for that. Then, they tell me that the puttputtputt is happening because there's a crack in the exhaust manifold. Would I like to see it? Yes, I would. They show me the poor wounded thing -- sure enough, there's a crack running all the way from top to bottom. Now, the car's been making that noise for about two and a half, maybe three years now. This horrifying little detail will become important later. Anyway, looking at $750 for that. I tell them, look, I have $300, that's all I've got. I'll come back for the left half-shaft and the exhaust manifold.
They say, okay, no problem, I sign on the dotted line, they back my car off the lift, and I go hop in and turn on the ignition. The check engine light comes on. I say to myself, "Self, this is not right." I turn off the engine, hop out of the car, go back into the shop. "Something is not right that was not not right when I came in," I say. The mechanic behind the desk says (not "What?!", which is what I usually expect with the blatant double-negative, but no, he was sharp) "What's different?". "The 'check engine' light is on. It's never come on before." They hustle out to the car and hook up a scanner to it..... "It's throwing a code on the o2 sensor -- that's the crack in the manifold," they say. I say, "but there was a crack in the manifold when I came in, and there was no light. There was a crack in the manifold for quite some time before that, and there was no light. Now, there is a light." They shrug and tell me it's no big deal, not to worry about it.
Later, I discover that not only is there a light, but also, my car now idles at about 200 rpm. This is low enough to occasionally stall the engine. For those playing along at home, the car should idle between 800 and 1000 rpm. Now, it has always been low, but usually about 500-600, not so much 200. So something has occurred. Either they widened the crack or didn't put the cover back on the thing properly, something.
On the other hand, the car no longer goes CLACKCLACK when you turn right, and my acceleration response time has never been better (which is WEIRD). Win some, lose some, I suppose.
