car troubles – Page 2 – if all else fails…use a hammer

I hate mechanics. Okay, that’s not fair. I don’t hate all mechanics, just like I don’t hate all lawyers and all journalists (though I’m pretty sure I still hate all politicians). But I absolutely despise those mechanics who install sub-standard parts and who tell you they’d checked something when, in fact, they hadn’t. (Of course there are also the ones who charge you for unnecessary work, by I haven’t had the pleasure of a run-in with one of those yet.)

I take good care of our vehicles. I never skip a service and if something major breaks I replace it immediately, even if it means that month’s budget has to be adjusted. I replace tyres before they reach the point where I’d get a warning if pulled over and make sure the shocks are in good condition. I regularly check oil, water, brake fluid and tyre pressure and after our last episode I place the bakkie‘s battery on a charger once a week if I’m not driving it much. Continue reading “Car Troubles – Chapter 2” →

At 7 this morning I settled down to work, still in my jammies as it’s winter now, I work at home, and it’s easier to go shower once it has heated up a bit. Around quarter past my wife left for school. A few minutes later she calls me from our building’s parking area downstairs. Her car has a flat tyre.

I grab my car keys and head down, thinking she could take my car and I’ll change the tyre and take it in to have fixed once I am dressed. I put my key into the ignition and turn. Nothing. Not even a click. Battery is dead, deceased, it’s spark snuffed out. My car does that in winter. It doesn’t help that I don’t drive it that regularly, preferring to walk if I need something from the shops.

I get out the jumper cables. Our parking spaces are behind each other, so my wife backs out and I push my car out as well and manoeuvre it next to hers so I can connect the cables. Turns out the battery is too flat even for jumper cables.

Eventually, realising she’s now later than she would have been had I just changed the tyre from the start, I got the jack and spare tyre out of the trunk and changed the tyre. It was -1 degrees Celsius. I was in my robe and slippers. Without gloves. At one point I feared my hands will freeze onto the lug wrench.

Now I’m waiting for her to come home so I can take her car in search of a battery charger. Then I’ll need to get my car going so I can get it back up the driveway into my parking space (at present it’s partially blocking the gate to our parking area) where I’ll leave it to recharge.

Not really any deeper point to this post. Just thought I’d share it with you.

P.S. While searching for a picture for this post I found an inordinate amount of pictures of women in skimpy outfits changing tyres while in very impractical positions. Why? Just, why?