You got a fast car

Or a tale of woe and expense filled with long bouts of boredom. Whatever you prefer.

So next weekend, I’m driving to Missouri for Memorial Day weekend. And earlier this week, I decided that it would be a good idea to get the oil changed on my car (even though I still had about 1000 miles until I had to) and have the check engine light that had come on and stayed on for about a week or more. Yeah, I know.

I drive a foreign-made car and I didn’t want to get into the whole VW authorized repairs and parts mess that sometimes happens when you don’t go to the VW service technicians. So, even though I have a love-hate (more on the hate side) relationship with the service department I take my car to, I called and made an appointment. (Part of the hatred comes from my frustration with them regarding service. I want to come in on Saturdays because it’s easier and my day off. They say no because a) they’re full or b) they only do routine service on Saturdays and might be able to diagnose my car’s problem but not fix it. Or I ask for an afternoon appointment so I can come in after work or leave work a bit early and get the service taken care of. They say I need to wait for them to open, meaning go to work later than usual, drive all the way out there, give them my car, and ride their shuttle downtown. BUT, they drop off everyone in that area first, then drive me all the way downtown to work, meaning that I’m in the shuttle for like an hour, probably car sick, and getting to work around 8:45 or 9 a.m. This is frustrating for me because I’ve usually gotten a lot of things accomplished by that time and I actually like getting to work early!)

So anyway, yesterday, I took my car in. The oil change fee was standard; no big deal. The diagnostic test was expensive (I really wish I’d gone to Auto Zone and had them hook it up for free, gotten the codes, then taken it to the service people). Then came the list of problems: a faulty ect sensor, a clogged pollen filter, a broken wire to the coil, a faulty thermostat, a failing catalytic converter, and finally, a broken latch on my console. I balked at the lengthy list and cost, and asked that they just not fix the latch. Most of the other things needed to be attended to, since it’s an evil cycle of car damage to ignore. Or at least that’s what they told me, and being the gullible un-car savvy girl I am, I believed the guys in the mechanic’s clothes.

About 3.5 hours later (I kid you not!) my car was ready. I’d spent my time doing a bit of work, watching Fox news on the TV, talking on the phone, reading The Shack, flipping through an Avon catalog, and slouching in the seat and staring into space. I got there before 2:30 p.m. and sat there until a little after 6 p.m. I thought about filing a change of address form with the post office!

But a bunch of money and hours later, the check engine light is out. And I think my car sounds better. And the poor guy handling my request at the dealership felt sorry for me, so he tried to find some ways to ease the cost and fixed my broken latch for free. I’m not in love with them yet and never will be, but they did a little to improve our relationship.