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Many cuts make light work
Sep. 13th, 2007 05:52 pmSo, on Tuesday I returned my car to the mechanic and left it with them for the day to resolve the oil and power steering fluid leaks. They concluded that the power steering pump was broken, and they were unsure but thought that might have been responsible for the oil leakage as well. I was less sure, because last week I had four quarts of oil added to my four quart tank, so it seems like a pretty serious leak, but still the mechanic's tracer dye didn't show any other leaks, so we'll just have to see. They replaced the pump and returned it to me.
I did notice that immediately the Service Engine Soon light was on, and asked them if they knew why that might be. We peered at the little diagnostic reader, and discovered that the engine was reporting overly low barometric pressure. I wouldn't have thought that was a major engine issue, and the mechanic wasn't worried about it, so he reset the diagnostic systems and off I went. At first (i.e. for the first hour) I was having an issue where if I let the engine revs dip too low, like say letting it idle, it would start to stall. Not necessarily a major issue, but since I spent the next hour in stop-and-go traffic it was just a bit irritating. Later I noticed that the steering was, well, like driving a boat through molasses, but I thought maybe in replacing the pump they'd drained the power steering fluid, and new fluid had yet to circulate through. But it was still having the problem when I was driving home (with somewhat fragile baked goods braced in the care, naturally), which was suspicious.
Next morning, I look under the hood and see that all the power steering fluid has leaked out over the engine, and so I take it back to the shop, where they tell me the pump was defective, and they'll have to get a new one in. Fine... then they call me around twenty of five to let me know they'll need to keep it overnight. Great. I look for rental cars but naturally it's too late, so I call a cab. Cab arrives, they call me, I go outside and cab has already left. I go back into the office, redial the company, who says that the cabbie is already on his way back to me and I should hurry to catch him...
I call last night and schedule a cab for 8 this morning. Good, no problem. Cabbie calls me at 7:30 mere moments after I roll out of bed to say he's here, am I ready? Ok, sure, no problem, hop into the cab... and he believes he's taking me to the airport. Apparently this business is fraught with miscommunication. Nonetheless, he grudgingly agrees to drive me to work instead. I now loathe cabs.
Anticlimactially, later in the morning my mechanic tells me the car is all set and I can pick it up whenever. So, it's back in my possession now and seemingly happy.
Me, I'm thinking I should carry a bike in my car at all times...
I did notice that immediately the Service Engine Soon light was on, and asked them if they knew why that might be. We peered at the little diagnostic reader, and discovered that the engine was reporting overly low barometric pressure. I wouldn't have thought that was a major engine issue, and the mechanic wasn't worried about it, so he reset the diagnostic systems and off I went. At first (i.e. for the first hour) I was having an issue where if I let the engine revs dip too low, like say letting it idle, it would start to stall. Not necessarily a major issue, but since I spent the next hour in stop-and-go traffic it was just a bit irritating. Later I noticed that the steering was, well, like driving a boat through molasses, but I thought maybe in replacing the pump they'd drained the power steering fluid, and new fluid had yet to circulate through. But it was still having the problem when I was driving home (with somewhat fragile baked goods braced in the care, naturally), which was suspicious.
Next morning, I look under the hood and see that all the power steering fluid has leaked out over the engine, and so I take it back to the shop, where they tell me the pump was defective, and they'll have to get a new one in. Fine... then they call me around twenty of five to let me know they'll need to keep it overnight. Great. I look for rental cars but naturally it's too late, so I call a cab. Cab arrives, they call me, I go outside and cab has already left. I go back into the office, redial the company, who says that the cabbie is already on his way back to me and I should hurry to catch him...
I call last night and schedule a cab for 8 this morning. Good, no problem. Cabbie calls me at 7:30 mere moments after I roll out of bed to say he's here, am I ready? Ok, sure, no problem, hop into the cab... and he believes he's taking me to the airport. Apparently this business is fraught with miscommunication. Nonetheless, he grudgingly agrees to drive me to work instead. I now loathe cabs.
Anticlimactially, later in the morning my mechanic tells me the car is all set and I can pick it up whenever. So, it's back in my possession now and seemingly happy.
Me, I'm thinking I should carry a bike in my car at all times...
