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Name::April_Mommy
From::Small Town, Arizona, United States
What information would be important here without being too personal? Hmmmmmm... I am a stay at home mommy who loves her kids. I started this blog as an attempt to have fun while keeping track of important things in my life. Alright, not everything in here is important, but it is all from me.
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The ever Sultry man in my life has chosen to go by the name of Sultry Husband within the walls of my blog. Occasionally he will post his thoughts and experiences here as well.
A writer by trade as well as passion, he keeps our home a happy and inviting place.
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Friday, July 01, 2005
Mechanics and MastermindsIt is amazing to think about all of the things that I don't know. Car mechanics is one area in which I was never interested. Sure my Dad always demanded that I would check the fluids, but that is as far as I have ever wanted to go.
For the past four years we have had one car. It has been a good little car, very few breakdowns. I would remember to check the fluids often and I would get the oil changed every 3,000 miles or so. Just as we paid off the car, fate decided to throw a wrench into our plans to drive payment free.
While driving home from a family fishing trip, the car decided that it had gone far enough. Suddenly, it would go no further and we were stranded. The next day, we were informed that it was the alternator, battery, and belt. So, we had them all changed. A quick fix for a simple problem that happens to everyone.
That weekend we went to visit some family out of town. By the time we had driven the 3 hours to get there, the car decided once again that it had gone far enough. Sputtering and shuddering to a stop, we were stranded again. A different mechanic shop told us that it was the alternator. I informed him that we just had it replaced. He then told me that it must have been a bad one which "happens more often than you would think". We changed the alternator.
On our way home, the car decided that it was tired of driving, so it gave up and came to a stop. This time, we took it to a dealership to attempt to find the problem. They said it was the alternator. Sound like a theme? It was. They changed the alternator. Before I would drive my little car any further, I demanded that they test it. The mechanic said that the third new alternator was not working... it must be the computer. So we asked them to fix it. While the computer was out of the car, he decided to check the wires to see if they were in good condition and found that someone, somewhere before we bought the car had "fixed" these wires with electrical tape. Which in the four years we have had it, wore itself out. Our new best friend changed these wires and discovered that low and behold, the computer and alternator were fine. The car was fixed and we can drive it again.
What did this experience teach me? That I know nothing about cars? I already knew that. What I learned was that I don't have to feel bad that I know nothing about cars because I am in good company. Auto mechanics, those professionals who are supposed to know everything about the automobiles we drive, don't know near as much as they think they do either. I want my money back.
