Well my car broke down.. again. This time it actually died while I was out and about job hunting.
I was in a left turn lane, preparing to turn when the light turned green. Suddenly my engine just died. Just like that. Poof! It was as if the car stalled. I tried to start it again. The car would try to start, but it wouldn’t engage.
So I called Giuliano as I put my emergency blinkers on, put the car in park and put on the break. I opened the hood to check the oil and everything else. At that time a very nice man turned into the street I was on and tried to start my car. He said he thinks it’s something electrical, because the car wants to start but can’t. Then he rolled it in reverse and down a side street so that my car would be out of the way of any traffic.
I checked the car’s fluids. Oil and coolant were both fine. I cried and sighed in disgust.
Now as things go, I was fairly lucky the car broke down where it did. It could have been much worse. The car could have stopped in the middle of an intersection. Or it could have stopped while I was driving downhill, or worse uphill.
Still it cost me $55 for a tow to the nearest car repair shop. They can’t see it until tomorrow though. Even then it’ll cost about $75/hr for labor.
Of course I’m still unemployed. Any remaining money on any credit cards went right to the cost of the tow. Giuliano is down to about $30 after paying bills and mortgage right after getting paid on Tuesday.
So now both of us are asking our families for some emergency money. Least to say this is the worst tax day ever. I can only hope my refund of $400+ will deposit into my checking account soon.
For those who do not know the woes of my car. In the past 15k miles I’ve owned my car I’ve had to replace:
– All 4 tires
– All 4 struts
– Entire exhaust system minus catalytic converter
– AC Condenser
– AC fan
– AC changed to new system
– AC fluid filled and refilled several times. AC still doesn’t work and the AC fluid somehow still leaks out when it’s in a gas form. Stopleak has been used at least twice and it still happens.
– Various other small parts.
So I’ve paid at least $2k work of repairs, not counting regular repairs cars need. I still owe about $1.5k on the car, and I originally paid $3k on it.
Right now I wish I could pay off the car. Then nothing would make me happier than seeing the car launched on a giant catapult, sailing in he sky, plummeting down a cliff, and plunge into a vat of acid.
The car probably went between 100-200 miles since I moved to GA before it broke down today. The damn thing can’t go as much as 1k without something breaking down. Damn piece of crap.
Oh the irony. I need a job for money to pay for car repairs. But if I had a job I wouldn’t be able to get to that job. Or worse I could be stranded several miles from home on a busy highway.
So now I have a revised wish list. For a combo birthday (in early Dec) and Christmas present I want a better car.
