This is really not my time of year

[davidschroth]

Last year, one of the radiators sprung a leak.

This year, it's automobiles.

A couple of weeks ago, the beater died in front of lsanderson's. He gave me a jump, which sufficed to get it to the driveway, where it died again. Another jump a little later on enabled me to get it into the garage.

My take was that either the alternator had died (most likely), or the battery had died (less likely).

We've been a single car family since, because our schedules never aligned enough for us to get the car restarted and get it to the service station. Until yesterday evening, when mizzlaurajean insisted that we get the car out of the garage and down to the service station. Garage is at 25th and Harriet. Service station is at 34th Ave and 54th Street. Not a trip I really want to take in a car with a dead or dying alternator, especially after dark. But I got it started, and took off, with mizzlaurajean following.

I made it as far as the intersection of Bloomington and Lake, where it died. Laura Jean pulled the Matrix in front of the beater, and we managed to get it started again. This time it made it a block before dying.

So I called AAA, and they said a tow truck would be there by 1949. We got something to eat at the Mercado, and were there when the truck arrived. After a brief bout of hard-selling on the part of the driver (he wanted to take the car to his service station for repairs), the beater was towed to the service station. Where we left it, with plans to call in the morning to get them started on diagnosing and fixing what was wrong.

So I called this morning, and got them started. And the word from them on why it wouldn't start? Dead alternator and a dead battery. I told them to fix the exhaust system while they were at it.

And then mizzlaurajean and I headed off to drop me off at work, before she picked up her grandfather and took him to his appointment with his doctor. I was driving, and all was fine until we exited the freeway. There was a chunk of what looked like ice in the road, and I neglected trying to avoid it.

I don't know what it was - either an extremely hard chunk of ice, or a big chunk of rock. Didn't matter - it punched a hole in the oil pan. Which we only figured out after we'd driven a couple of blocks to a safe place to park.

Called AAA, get another tow truck out to tow us from Roseville to Bloomington. Much nicer driver this time - no hard sell, just pleasant conversation.

Both cars are now reported to be repaired. We'll attempt to retrieve them shortly, and get back here before 1900.

From now on, I think I need to plan on being somewhere else between Thanksgiving and New Years.

Comments

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but how's the plumbing?

K.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

Yeow, that's quite a series of car problems.

I've replaced a battery cable, the battery, and finally the alternator in mine chasing an electrical problem that started exhibiting back in September. I suspect the only real problem was the alternator (the battery was about 4 years old I think). At least it didn't die on the way to or from Nashville.

[mia-mcdavid.livejournal.com]

I am (painfully) reminded about the time I rammed our land yacht rear-first up a snowdrift in an attempt to get into a small parking space.

Car got stuck. Car got towed out.

Cue smell of leaking gasoline . . .

[daedala.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry this is happening....

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

I won't get into my own car problems - just to say it's clearly struggling, and I'm hesitating to commit to anything as definite as an RSVP for New Year's, given its unreliability.