A mechanic I am NOT~

A mechanic I am not.  This fact was driven home today in more ways than one.

I stomped out to the car to go to the bank.  (Sometimes you need to check on your C notes)  As I turned the engine over a light began blinking on the dash which accompanied a persistent tone that filled the cabin of the car.  The instant the car gives negative feedback, as it was this morning; I am tumbled into a mental state of fear.  Not because I think the car might blow up, but because it means I might have to face the mechanics at the dealership.  In itself it seems like nothing to be worried about, right?  Wrong.  Those guys are a lot smarter than I am and I always assume I am being taken for a proverbial ride when I push the car in for service.

I reached for the glove compartment to find the manual so I could first look up what the meaning of this blinking and chiming light meant. I then remembered that I moved the manual to the trunk in an effort to make more room for the CD’s and other paraphernalia that I need when I operate the car. (i.e. – gum, gloves, notepads, pens, etc.)

Oh, I forgot to say that we got a dusting of snow here in Seattle last night and  the temps dipped to below freezing.  Thus, the trunk of the car was frozen shut. (Irritation level on the rise).  I stood out in the cold and banged on the trunk of the car to try and break it free from the icy hold.  Success!  Or, near success as I pulled with all of my might to open that hinged compartment.  Something else that I failed to tell you about was that when I bought this car I didn’t bother to check the trunk.  The trunk hinges have some sort of “malfunction”.  They rarely work.  You have to put your foot on the bumper and pull up as hard as you can to get the thing to open.  The situation is exacerbated when the temps dip low.  So, you can imagine what type of effort was necessary to get that bad boy open to access the repositioned car manual. (Irritation at a near all time high)

After much effort I finally had that thing and was flicking through it trying to find the hieroglyphics page that showed the symbols that blink on the dash.  Bingo!  I found the bouncing thermometer in the book.  Apparently it means that the coolant level is too low.  No problem.  We can zip up to the auto supply store and get some.  Well, upon further research wouldn’t you know that Audi and Volkswagen require a “special” formula of coolant that can only, you guessed it, be procured at a licensed Audi or Volkswagen dealership.  The situation was testing my limits and at 10:00 in the morning.  Today was sure to be a barn burner.

I stomped back into the house and fired up the computer to locate the nearest “authorized” dealer.  I phoned.  Good news they had what I needed in stock.  When I found out it cost $24 a gallon I wondered if it was laced with gold.  It wasn’t. 

So, off I go to the dealership with my $24 in hand.  The bank and my C notes would have to wait. The whole drive I was rehearsing what I would say at the desk so that I wouldn’t get talked into a “computer analysis” to be sure that it was, in fact, the coolant that was low and that they didn’t somehow lead me to believe that perhaps the sensor was malfunctioning or that maybe I just needed a new engine.  Nope, I wasn’t going to be talked into anything.  After the purchase I was almost home when I pulled up close to a car in front of me at the light.  I wish I wouldn’t have noticed what I did, but I couldn’t help it.  Only one bright light shone on the bumper of the car in front of me.  Mmmmm Hmmmm.  The passenger side daytime running lamp was burned out.  Have you ever tried to put in a new one of these bulbs in these cars that were made after the year 2000?  No picnic, kids.  So, now I need to head out in search of the overpriced headlamp.  Oh, and did you know you need to wear a glove when you change it?  Not because they want to make the challenge of actually getting an adult sized hand in the small opening allowed for the change, but because the oil in your skin can somehow render the lamp useless.  I have fumbled and banged around for thirty minutes in previous sessions when trying to change the headlamp on that car.

Maybe it is time to throw in the towel and just get a new car already.