When my car, that has been running perfectly for over 130,000 miles, decides to have everything go wrong all at once.

 

 

You got that right. I have 125K+ on mine, and just put in a bunch of work (suspension related) on Friday. Turn the car on this morning and service engine light came on. D'OH!

Turn the car on this morning and service engine light came on. D'OH!

 

Those don't mean anything lol

The hell they don't!  Tell my last two Saturns that!

Turn the car on this morning and service engine light came on. D'OH!

 

Those don't mean anything lol

 

Yeah, you don't know my luck. I'm sure in this instance it's means I have to replace some ubiquitous part like an O2 sensor, or intake manifold, or some other car part that sounds important but for which I have no idea the purpose.

Turn the car on this morning and service engine light came on. D'OH!

 

Those don't mean anything lol

 

In my first car, the service engine light would come on every time I decelerated from 60 to stop.  I ignored it every day for 5 years, lol.  Then my brother got the car and killed it.

The hell they don't! Tell my last two Saturns that!

 

Too bad no light comes on when your tires are about to explode in Middle-of-Nowhere, PA.

The check engine light doesn't mean as much as it used to.  There are a lot of problems that it will light up for today that are only really problems if you live in an E-check or equivalent zone.

The check engine light doesn't mean as much as it used to. There are a lot of problems that it will light up for today that are only really problems if you live in an E-check or equivalent zone.

 

I hated paying for diagnostics just to find out there's a false positive in one of the codes being sent to the chip. It got to the point where I just didn't care anymore.

The hell they don't! Tell my last two Saturns that!

 

Too bad no light comes on when your tires are about to explode in Middle-of-Nowhere, PA.

 

That's a low blow.

Good times :) lol

Well actually I should restate what I said.  I did have to do some major repairs back in October, but that was the ONLY major repair the car had in all of its life.  It really has been a great car.  But now it failed inspection for tires and brakes.  Ok, well I have my mechanic neighbor instal the brakes and I got new tires.  But now my brake fluid is leaking on the day I was supposed to get the car looked at again for the inspection sticker... 

I guess it's just one of those weeks...

The check engine light doesn't mean as much as it used to.  There are a lot of problems that it will light up for today that are only really problems if you live in an E-check or equivalent zone.

 

I don't understand why they can install an expensive computer system that monitors all these different things and stores the information, but no way to access the information without having a special device.  I would think that a simple 50 cent LCD screen could do the trick.

The check engine light doesn't mean as much as it used to. There are a lot of problems that it will light up for today that are only really problems if you live in an E-check or equivalent zone.

 

I don't understand why they can install an expensive computer system that monitors all these different things and stores the information, but no way to access the information without having a special device. I would think that a simple 50 cent LCD screen could do the trick.

 

I was in an e-check area (Missouri), and it didn't cause me any problems.  It really was just a false positive being sent to it.  Speaking of e-check, I swear that's what caused all my problems with that car in the first place.  Since it was a '95, they had to rev it on the little treadmill thingy for like 5 minutes so it d@mn near overheated.  After that, I had to replace some CO2 gasket thingy all the time as well as deal with the persistent yet seemingly meaningless check engine light.

In Ohio having your check engine light on is an automatic failure of E-check.  When it was an issue for me I had an air valve problem that besides sending out error codes the only side effect of it was giving my car a few extra horsepower.  The car already had 170k+ miles on it at the time so my mechanic never bothered fixing it.  Instead, when E-check time came around he closed the valve, cleared the error code from the computer and told me to drive slowly to the E-check station, and all was well.

In Ohio having your check engine light on is an automatic failure of E-check. 

 

Not when you give the BMV a Columbus address  :angel: All I had to do is tell them I don't live within the e-check boundaries.

In Ohio having your check engine light on is an automatic failure of E-check.

 

Not when you give the BMV a Columbus address :angel: All I had to do is tell them I don't live within the e-check boundaries.

 

I guess that's the difference then.  Cause Missouri has a separate inspection, so all they really care about in the ECheck is emissions.  The check engine light wouldn't have presented itself in an inspection because it only turned on when I would be getting off the highway.  That and the dudes always flirted with me anyway.......

Code readers that can also clear codes range from $100 to $200. The fancy ones at the dealership are for reading real-time data about air/fuel ratios and the like. On older  domestic cars (pre-'96) all you need to read the codes is a paper clip and a standard repair manual. The check engine light will flash in a "Morse Code" of sorts which can be interpreted with the instructions in the manual.

Well actually I should restate what I said.  I did have to do some major repairs back in October, but that was the ONLY major repair the car had in all of its life.  It really has been a great car.  But now it failed inspection for tires and brakes.  Ok, well I have my mechanic neighbor instal the brakes and I got new tires.  But now my brake fluid is leaking on the day I was supposed to get the car looked at again for the inspection sticker... 

I guess it's just one of those weeks...

 

That's how cars are. By the time you reach 100K-plus miles, all the innards have reached a delicate equilibrium. Change one thing, and you unleash a cascade of problems. The more stuff you fix, the more stuff breaks.

 

Preventive maintenance can start a death spiral; change the thermostat, hoses, and fan belt and flush the cooling system, and the next time you're more than a hundred miles from home you'll realize that the crud in the cooling system was all that was plugging the myriad corrosion leaks in your radiator. You'll realize it when you stop for gas and smell anti-freeze; you start looking around to see whose car is leaking, and then you look under yours and see a steady stream of green fluid emitting under the front and quickly forming a river that flows toward the nearest drain.

 

That's gonna' cost you a couple hundred bucks and a night in a lumpy-bed flea-bag motel in a town where the only night life is a dive with antlers over the bar and the smell of stale beer and cigarette smoke emanating from the front door, no two chairs that match, and a big, mean, local drunk who likes to start sh!t with strangers.

OMG Rob, that's hilarious. Hopefully that won't be the case. The leaks were caused by a bad wheel cylinder, or solenoid, that creates the pressure in the brake drum. When I found the leak, brake fluid was running down my back tire and was tracking all over the driveway. That was a simple replacement for my neighbor. The brakes are great now. I had to test them under pressure when three deer (another pet peeve of mine) ran out in front of me while I was going for a test run. The car stopped on a dime and everything that was in my back seat is now under my front seats. :lol:

My car is a great car, but like you said, this is the time when major repairs are in order. I have already put a lot of money into the car for other repairs such as a new alternator, intake leak repair, and all new hoses. I want the car to last at least another two years, and maybe by that time, I'll be able to get that Subaru I want oh so much.

GRRRRRR, who changes their promos on a Tuesday morning??? Our DVR for DISH died so I cancelled it and have been without cable for a month or so. Wife issued an ultimatum about her needing cable so I priced out everything yesterday was ready to pull the trigger on a ATT Uverse bundle (Phone, internet and TV). I went to order it this morning and the F'in promos changed.....Now I have to sweet talk my way in the deal I wanted..

 

:shoot: :shoot: :shoot:

GRRRRRR, who changes their promos on a Tuesday morning??? Our DVR for DISH died so I cancelled it and have been without cable for a month or so. Wife issued an ultimatum about her needing cable so I priced out everything yesterday was ready to pull the trigger on a ATT Uverse bundle (Phone, internet and TV). I went to order it this morning and the F'in promos changed.....Now I have to sweet talk my way in the deal I wanted..

 

 

 

:shoot: :shoot: :shoot:

 

I was all ready to pull the trigger on U-verse until I spoke to a friend the day after the super bowl. He told me how his parents, who have U-verse, had the superbowl black out right after the national anthem, and didn't come back until the Lombardi trophy presentation. Apparently when they called AT&T they said so many people turned it on at the same time that it was a bandwidth issue. That killed it for me right there. I guess I'm stuck with cable for better or worse.

I am going to give it a shot for a year....If does suck I can cancell it within 30 days. It has been availible in Lakewood for about 2 years now, so hopefully they have the kinks worked out. I know they put a ton of those huge terminal boxes on the tree lawns around town in to support it. 

 

I put my wife on the case to call AT&T sales. She drives a bargain much better than me. I bet we end up better than the promo I originally was going to pull the trigger on.

I've had it for a couple years and I'm pretty satisfied with the service, we have occasional glitches but never anything too serious. The biggest gripe I have is the customer service people don't seem capable of doing anything but suggest you reboot the system. Fortunately, rebooting the system works 90% of the time.

Well, at least by rebooting you're empowered by having an action you can take. With TWC, you're at their mercy. I called today about a service outage and got this line

 

TWC: we're aware of the outage and are working to fix the problem

Me: when do you estimate the problem will be resolved?

TWC:The problem will be fixed when the issue is resolved (that's a quote right there.)

Me: .......................................?

 

The End

Mrs. CBC called and got the deal we want plus a month of free HD and 3 months free HBO. I think the free HBO is what they give just to get you off the phone faster. Too bad it isn't Showtime, I think the new season of Weeds is starting soon.

Well, at least by rebooting you're empowered by having an action you can take. With TWC, you're at their mercy. I called today about a service outage and got this line

 

TWC: we're aware of the outage and are working to fix the problem

Me: when do you estimate the problem will be resolved?

TWC:The problem will be fixed when the issue is resolved (that's a quote right there.)

Me: .......................................?

 

The End

 

They suck. Their customer service is always rude as hell. Get "Wow!".

Too bad it isn't Showtime, I think the new season of Weeds is starting soon.

 

I love that show! lol Doug is awesome.

Mondays....

 

Ah you must have a typical week routine. If I'm at the office it's extremely odd hours. Security barging in during their rounds at 9:30 pm wondering what the hell I'm doing in here on a Saturday night but they're really cool. At least I don't drink liquor and smoke in here like some of the other tenants who have been caught. You know what I hate is Thursdays. You're burnt out from the week days already, yet you can't wait for Friday.

The 2010 Census -- I just got a letter saying that I will be getting the REAL letter and survey next week. That couldn't be handled with one mailing?

I got that too, and though a waste of money, I thought it was a good idea, so people don't just throw it away.

DirecTV.  We had to cancel because our reception was so bad.  We'd been good customers for years (separately and together) and were sad to have to switch to cable (especially TWC) and I overlooked the fact that their install guy was awful and drilled holes in the side of our house and ran cables across the floor and really made a mess of things..

 

Turns out that we still had a balance on the account when we called to cancel...so, we paid that.  They decided that since we paid the outstanding balance we must want to keep the service and never disconnected us.  We went ahead and got everything going with TWC.  Turns out they didn't disconnect us and only did so after our account went beyond the limit.  Now they've sent us to collections for a service we weren't even receiving.

 

Screw DirecTV and NFL Sunday Ticket and MLB Extra Innings and NHL Center Ice and the March Madness package (like i said, we were very good customers).

 

Time Warner has been great...my only complaint is that i don't get G4.

I got that too, and though a waste of money, I thought it was a good idea, so people don't just throw it away.

 

They can't say that on the outside of the envelope "Census Survey enclosed -- do not Pitch" ???

People who can't wait for pedestrians to get out of the crosswalk before they make their turn. Instead they either cut directly in front or behind them, or sometimes will knife their way in between a group if there is a large enough gap.

The 2010 Census -- I just got a letter saying that I will be getting the REAL letter and survey next week. That couldn't be handled with one mailing?

 

I got that too, and though a waste of money, I thought it was a good idea, so people don't just throw it away.

 

I got one too, and I agree with both of the above.

 

People who can't wait for pedestrians to get out of the crosswalk before they make their turn. Instead they either cut directly in front or behind them, or sometimes will knife their way in between a group if there is a large enough gap.

 

The "right-turn-on-red" policy creates a hazard for pedestrians, too. One morning walking to work, I had a "Walk" signal as I started across the street. A woman at the light was waiting to make a right turn and looking to the left for traffic, and I was crossing in front of her from the right when she started up. I was able to throw myself onto her hood instead of going under the car. It scared her worse than it did me, although I did get a pretty good bruise out of it.

 

On another occasion on my lunch break I was crossing the street to get to the post office. A woman in a Buick turned across my path dangerously closely. I was carrying a paper cup of crappy vending-machine coffee, and I yelled and threw the cup at her car. It hit her rear window and the coffee splattered across the glass.

 

She was headed for the post office too, and pulled into the lot. I went in and bought my stamps and mailed some letters, and when I came out, she still was sitting in her car. I just stood by the door, and eventually she gave up and left.

 

I hope my experiences have made both of them more considerate drivers.

Pedestrians always have the right of way in Ohio..... HOWEVER, you are allowed to turn with an assured clear distance between you and the pedestrians.  If your turn makes them slow down or alter there course accross the crosswalk, then you have violated their right of way.  It's really no different than turning on red in the first place... you check the traffic coming the other way and make a judgment call.  But I understand the "courtesy" angle in this particular situation and I try to wait.  But if I see some old lady with a walker enter the street and I still have 2 minutes to turn before she even gets close the side of the street I am turning on.... I am going for it.

I keep seeing people in forum using the word 'overexaggerating'....its REDUNDANT, your already exaggerating!

I keep seeing people in forum using the word 'overexaggerating'....its REDUNDANT, your already exaggerating!

 

I think we should welcome their participation, irregardless!

I think we should welcome their participation, irregardless!

for all intensive purposes.....

 

 

that doesnt bother me nearly as bad as people who add "s" to the name of products.

 

Exhibit A: "I'll take a bud's light"

"LOLA'S" is my big one there.  It's LOLA.

I think we should welcome their participation, irregardless!

for all intensive purposes.....

 

 

that doesnt bother me nearly as bad as people who add "s" to the name of products.

 

Exhibit A: "I'll take a bud's light"

 

*smack*

 

I love saying Kroger's  :-P

I think we should welcome their participation, irregardless!

for all intensive purposes.....

 

 

that doesnt bother me nearly as bad as people who add "s" to the name of products.

 

Exhibit A: "I'll take a bud's light"

I hate that! In New York sometimes people refer to Lord & Taylor as Lord & Taylors

That's because it's a name! It's Taylor's store! Dang-it.

That's because it's a name! It's Taylor's store! Dang-it.

please be consistent: Lord's & Taylor's :x

Yeah that's true.

When bush used to say "the internets".

I keep seeing people in forum using the word 'overexaggerating'....its REDUNDANT, your already exaggerating!

 

How about people who have grammatical errors in posts complaining about grammatical issues? 

When bush used to say "the internets".

then again, what the heck did he know?? After all, Al Gore actually invented it :wink:

I keep seeing people in forum using the word 'overexaggerating'....its REDUNDANT, your already exaggerating!

 

How about people who have grammatical errors in posts complaining about grammatical issues?

 

ohhhh zinggggg!

People that are changing the meaning of the phrase "beg the question".