So my car
didn't start today. Darn it, I was hoping it'd make it to the weekend
and then I'd have time to take it to the shop. I goofed around for half
an hour because I didn't want to call Dave and make him do stuff for
me. But in the end I still thought it was my car battery so I called
him for a jump. It was like 10:30 and he estimated an hour without
talking to Julie so I knew that he might not even be able to help me
today.
It's about 12:30 and I'm making lunch. That's when Dave shows up. I
don't think he noticed I was cooking (the pan was covered and the food
was just simmering). Anyway we pushed out my car because I seldom park
as if there's going to be another car next to me in my garage. Then we
hooked up Dave's battery to mine and my car still didn't start.
Ok, we wait for the battery to charge up. Meanwhile we're talking and
such and the neighbor's kid is playing around with grandpa watching.
I'm a little worried the kid will do something curious and get himself
electrocuted or something. After a while we still can't get the my car
started. In fact it sounds worse. Initially it turned just a bit, then
it clicked a few times, now it clicks once and that's it.
We push the car (and by we I mean Dave's been doing all the pushing
while I steer) back into my garage, making room for Dave's car. Then we
let Dave's car run while we go to lunch at my favorite restaurant
within walking distance, Hong Kong Restaurant (because I love greasy
chinese food). I like Kentucky Fried Chicken more but when I say
restaurant, fast food places don't count.
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This is like the third time
I've been to HK in the two and a half years I've lived here. I come
here so rarely that I tend to order the same thing over and over -- the
beef with black bean sauce chow fun (wet of course). Dave had some sort
of Singapore chow mein noodles that had my hated bean sprouts. Meal
comes with hot and sour soup, tea, and a fortune cookie. It was good.
That takes like 45 minutes and we come back and try it again. No go. So
Dave was talking that it if it's the battery then hitting the starter
motor should do the trick. Apparently you tap the starter motor with a
hammer then start the engine and you don't need a battery for that. Not
knowing how a starter motor works, it sound really weird. Any case Dave
can't find the starter motor so we give up and I call a tow truck. Dave
has to leave at this point.
Tow truck arrives and the guy tries to get the engine started. Bang
bang bang -- apparently he knows about the starter motor thing. But
that still doesn't work so it's probably the starter motor. He gives me
a tow to Sears Auto Center. They check the car and yes it is the
starter motor. A new one plus labor is about $260 which sounds fine to
me. While I wait in the customer waiting area (with a loud television)
it takes them about an hour, including the half hour waiting for the
part.
I've been to the Sears Auto Center twice now. They've been very nice
and polite and I don't feel intimidated at all. Both times I've been
able to get help like immediately. Maybe Sears is not very popular or
maybe a location in a mall is not the best (it's at one end of
Southland Mall). But they're open 07:30 to 20:00 weekdays and about
09:00 to 18:00 weekends so that's a lot better than most mechanics. And
good service so I'll keep going to them in the future.
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