Car Complaint #43,217

So, looking back on what I talk about, I have to say, my life is pretty dull. I complain about my car a lot. From another perspective, I probably complain quite a bit on my mother's richter scale. That's what I get for being her daughter I guess.

Well since we're complaining about my car's latest woes, let's see. Where are we. Ah. I see. Last time we saw our superheroes they were driving around in a car that stalled after 15 minutes of driving. Well turned out that removing the thermostat cured that s-o-b as it failed and failed closed. Then one day after a super duper long day at work, like 8pm or so (12 hr day), car was very unhappy. did not want to shift gears. at all. stopped, checked fluids. Seemed a little low on tranny fluid, so gave it a little. also needed some oil. called d, he said suck it up drive that sucker home even though you have free towing.... it's late. By then it was like 9:30 or so. Drove it home, took forever to get into third and more even into fourth, but once it did, I may have ran a changing light so I didn't have to deal with broken car - it was trembling a lot also, I could have talked any cop into leading the way home I'm sure - if I added a scared tear or two. Didn't see any though.

So still no clue as to what REALLY happened in that tranny'o'mine... but the whole time i've had it it doesn't like to shift from first to second and from second to third - just the first time through while it's cold in the morning. after it goes thru the gears once, no more issue about that for the day. so i've thought for a while that eventually the tranny would be having a heart attack on me, and i thought that was the moment. A week or so decommissioned and a grease-covered d later, tranny fluid was changed, filter changed, apparently I overfilled it when I gave it a touch and that caused a leak to spring way up high under the hood, so that metal hose was replaced.... another small oil spot was repaired too since it was right there. Pretty sure that fixed my oil leak. No more leaks??? I parked in a new spot at work to be sure. YES! Although, being that that was months ago and my oil is low already, my car must also be burning oil. I already know I have a teeny tiny fuel leak (thru the release valve under the hood, only while running).... that started after someone tried to use the valve with an incorrect tool - or else it was never used and never wanted to be used - and now is not closed all the way... I don't know about it. I never even knew it was there before!

Well at the same time someone decided to buy a new thermostat, they were talked into this "fail-proof" kind that if they fail they fail open so the car doesn't overheat. WELL.... worked good for a while. No more gallons of water each day. For a while. Now we're back to that again. Hm.... fail-proof??? My ass. Let me find that recipt.

Among other things, now both ends are blowin' in the wind. That's right, my car looks so stupid these days. So much for a classic. Bunji cords holding it from falling apart. Just a few days ago the trunk pull down motor gave up, now the trunk won't close at all. BUNJI! That freaking motor, know how much?? Ford dealer told me 475ish - from the book, but according to them it's no longer even available - cheapest i found online was a junkyard, $75. To close the freaking trunk????????????????

So for now, ugly green bunji. Hood doesn't close either. Bunji down as well. So if you see my driving along, don't laugh at me, unless you want me to run into you and blame my car falling apart on YOU. Then you'll be buying me that new tranny and new trunk pull down motor and it'll be all your fault my hood doesn't close and oh yeah - you also broke my brights, ignition switch, dashboard, interior, window motors, heater core, you certainly sprung my ac leak... and while we're at it, you broke the spring to my hood ornament. I need a whole new one, shiny and all. You put all that weathering on my ornament, it used to be so untouched looking but five minutes before you laughed at me!!!!!!!

Ok ok. I'm a little far gone. I know.

This concludes car complaint for the day.

Gingavitis

Work Fun and Car Issues Again...

Yeah, I know. You are all probably tired of hearing me say that there is something the matter with my car. Well, I like to think back on these moments and recall that I am glad in the end that I no longer have the problem and that I survived it... One day, while at work... I took my volunteer from home with me. He worked on a project all day while I worked my regular day. At end of day, he went out and went to hook up the battery. (For those of you not knowing, my car has a bad ground somewhere, and until we find it we disconnect the negative to the battery every time we stop for a while). I went out a few minutes later, and he had his tools out working on something. Uh oh.....

Turned out, for whatever reason, the hood latch broke. After trying to alter it and figure the problem out for a long time... about 6 hours in the parking lot of work.... we decided that it was not fixable and we needed to tie the hood down somehow so we could go home. But first.... we find out the battery is now dead, and at 11pm at night we must find a jump start... in the middle of the desert... yeah. Fun.

So we got a jump, went home. Shared a beer, we couldn't even finish it we were so tired - between the both of us! So I have no idea when we will get to fix it, but it is not a fun thing, don't ever let your hood latch break - I have to drive real slow or it wants to go up, and even though there is a clip there to catch it from going all the way, I am scared to death that that clip will fail and the bunjis won't hold and I will get crushed by my hood.

Otherwise... to the fun part of the story...

I have been waiting for this event at work since about October or November. It has finally come. Pet Expo, it is going to be a blast! We got to drive down into the Phoenix Stadium to unload, and then we set up, which took much longer than I thought - and now tomorrow we get to bring the last of our random little things and dogs from work and we will be ready to go! It will be so very very awesome! I want to go to bed to make the night go quicker!

Now I know before a lot of people commented on this, and it is bothering me again, so I wanted to get another opinion. At my work we have volunteers and staff. If we see volunteers doing things they should not, we are in our rights as staff to correct them. Now here is my issue: it's another religion thing. This time it is not staff, but a volunteer. She helps at the front desk, and after EVERY phone call, which is a lot at my business - she says "god bless". We are not a church. We are not a religious business. We are a non-profit animal shelter. So I make a complaint to the bosslady - remember, she is a full on christian - and she just tells me to shut it because "christians are getting stepped on everywhere these days".

What is the right thing to do? Labor board? Just deal with it? Commit murder because it's driving me quickly to insanity? Some other agency that I don't know about?

Otherwise... I will think happy thoughts today, and think about the event I get to go to tomorrow. :)

Gingavitis