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Yup. It's a holiday weekend:P
May. 22nd, 2015 04:45 pmUpdated at the end.
This has long been a Thing with us. Emergency rooms put on extra staff. Plumbers and other home contractors lick their chops and pick out their new boats. Don't even START with the trouble the animals get into. And, just as it happened our first Memorial Day weekend in Buffalo 21 years ago, I am entering the weekend with a dead car.
All on me. Sometime last night, I left my driver's side door open. When I saw it, and the dead dash display, I let out an "oh shit" but then remembered: it's a hybrid- big battery, right? Sure enough, it started right up without incident. And the afternoon run to the office and then for weekend errands was fine.
Until it wasn't.
Threeish miles from home, Kermit the Car lost power coming out of a slow right turn, and codes started popping. Check Engine Oil Level. (I did- 100%- just changed it last weekend.) And the ever popular Check Charging System.
AAA got there quick- it was a safe, legal side street spot- but couldn't do anything. There are TWO batteries under there, and the one I'd drained wouldn't be helped by a jump. It restarted just fine- and then re stopped just as quick.
My mechanic no could help. Two Honda dealers about the same distance apart- and no promise from either as to what, how much, and (the most key) when.
I picked the one on the right. They THINK they can get it done tomorrow- but it's at least a hundred dollar lesson, even if all they do is fully charge the small battery and reboot the computer. That, plus the 50 or so I'm gonna have to invest in an AC battery charger, since our only other car is fully electric and can't be used to charge any other kind of car.
Eleanor is on her way, Iggy will be serviceable for us both for the weekend, and I now just have to be careful around gym equipment and open flames until this holiday weekend is over.
ETA. It's back. It's fixed. They couldn't even bring themselves to charge me the $100 minimum, it was so stupid.
Last weekend, I had the oil changed, and the shop cleared a Check Engine code. In doing so, they forgot to reconnect the sensor that was causing the problem. Once plugged back in, everything was hunky and dory. Guess who will be presented with a copy of the $56 tab?
This has long been a Thing with us. Emergency rooms put on extra staff. Plumbers and other home contractors lick their chops and pick out their new boats. Don't even START with the trouble the animals get into. And, just as it happened our first Memorial Day weekend in Buffalo 21 years ago, I am entering the weekend with a dead car.
All on me. Sometime last night, I left my driver's side door open. When I saw it, and the dead dash display, I let out an "oh shit" but then remembered: it's a hybrid- big battery, right? Sure enough, it started right up without incident. And the afternoon run to the office and then for weekend errands was fine.
Until it wasn't.
Threeish miles from home, Kermit the Car lost power coming out of a slow right turn, and codes started popping. Check Engine Oil Level. (I did- 100%- just changed it last weekend.) And the ever popular Check Charging System.
AAA got there quick- it was a safe, legal side street spot- but couldn't do anything. There are TWO batteries under there, and the one I'd drained wouldn't be helped by a jump. It restarted just fine- and then re stopped just as quick.
My mechanic no could help. Two Honda dealers about the same distance apart- and no promise from either as to what, how much, and (the most key) when.
I picked the one on the right. They THINK they can get it done tomorrow- but it's at least a hundred dollar lesson, even if all they do is fully charge the small battery and reboot the computer. That, plus the 50 or so I'm gonna have to invest in an AC battery charger, since our only other car is fully electric and can't be used to charge any other kind of car.
Eleanor is on her way, Iggy will be serviceable for us both for the weekend, and I now just have to be careful around gym equipment and open flames until this holiday weekend is over.
ETA. It's back. It's fixed. They couldn't even bring themselves to charge me the $100 minimum, it was so stupid.
Last weekend, I had the oil changed, and the shop cleared a Check Engine code. In doing so, they forgot to reconnect the sensor that was causing the problem. Once plugged back in, everything was hunky and dory. Guess who will be presented with a copy of the $56 tab?