Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Check engine

I hate to say it but I'm one of those stereotypical females that ignores the check engine light on my car.

Once it goes on, I just ignore it, hoping it goes away. It never does.

My check engine light had been on for about two months. Naively, I told myself it was just the gas cap that hadn't been tightened enough, thus triggering the light.

Or it was just a ploy by the car makers to get me to spend some money. They must have set it to go off after x-amount of miles.

Well, they aren't going to fool me.

So I pretended it wasn't there. I drove to Los Angeles. I drove to Sacramento. The light was still on, but my trusty car got me to and fro.

Then I made the mistake of telling my dad.

"You need to get that checked out," he said.

Ugh.

Yesterday, I took it to a friend's who has that trusty device that tells you the problem. And of course, the book didn't have the code. So he just reset the light and I was off.

I drove to work, happy. I drove home from work, mad. That pesky little light was back.

I had done some Internet research, and turns out the code wasn't a small thing. It was rare - yay me. But expensive.

So naturally I over react, imagining I'm going to have to promise the repairman my first child.

I scream how I hate my car and I never wanted it in the first place.

But today, I made some phone calls, took my car in. Had the computer replaced. And didn't pay anything.

Now I feel a bit foolish about panicking before I knew the results. But I also feel relieved! Hooray!

My car and I definitely have a love-hate relationship. Yesterday I hated it. Today, I love it.

Kind of.

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