fix my car

change the oil, fix the wipers, pump the tyres, wash it, add water, clean engiene

Today I tied down the cable to the electrical connection of the towing hook. It was drooping untidily.

I got one of the serpentine belts replaced, so now my car doesn’t squeal when I turn it on. :)

Another thing that needs fixing. The front differential has probably lost all its oil and sustained some damage.

I never posted about this. :) I was awarded a scholarship for TAM7. This means driving to Las Vegas. I took the car in last March. I don’t like telling people how much things cost because folks on one end, primarily friends and family living in the larger cities, think I’m lucky to have paid so little because I live in Bakersfield where everything’s a lot cheaper, while folks on the other end believe I’m an idiot for paying so much for workign on such an old car when Billy-Joe-Bob down the street would have done it for pocket change. I’m in the middle – I’d rather pay for work that’s warranted, and the same work would have cost double in Oakland. And, I’d rather maintain an old car than replace it and add one to the landfills. :) So I keep the numbers private. Cost is relative to one’s life experiences.

With that said, what is now repaired are all the seals underneath for the oil pan and transmission, all of which were old and deteriorating which was why things were leaking. The transmission was serviced, and the fluids changed. Oil was changed. While they were under there with everything taken apart I told them to call me if they saw anything else that would cause a driving hazard or breakdown in the desert if not repaired. (It’s more labor costs in the long run otherwise.) They called suggesting hose repairs, the heater and radiator hoses. They were both deteriorated to where the fluid was just sweating right through. They also replaced the rear shocks (the car did not have any installed, which I knew when I bought it) and the serpentine belt, which was fraying.

And yes they had all the old parts to show me when I picked up the car the next day. :) I did not keep any of them, I have no use for that stuff, and mechanics have access to toxic waste disposal.

Since picking up the car, I have had no major electrical problems, knock on wood. It is possible that the hot leaking oil was damaging the other parts which is what caused the stalling. Car still needs a tune-up and a valve cover gasket, and once and a while the indicators will blink at strange intervals or the wipers will come on by themselves, but other than that, she’s good for Vegas.

I have a 1998 Nissan Sentra that I bought out of need because I got immediately hired for a job.
That was 4 years ago. To be honest with myself, I did not maintain it too well. The upholstery inside (the roof especifically) was galing apart and some of the plastic attached to the door (I can’t explain it any better) but it was looking trashy. The final nail in the coffin was my son saying that he felt embarrassed of me taking him to school in a car like that. I got a tune up and other parts replace and the upholstery and the plastic deal taken care of.
I paid $240. I was very happy to see the car looking better. I am very excited to buy a new car and leave this to my sister for a while while she can afford to buy her own.

I still have to do some body work on it, get my registration and inspection stickers, and clean it really well, but it is running. Yay!

and I didn’t even tell him to. He found a guy to hammer out the dent, and it only cost $80, which I was happy to pay! So now this one gets marked done, too.

• Replace my burnt out head light
• Fix the cigarette lighter fuse (Dad replaced it. I need to test my car phone charger in order to make sure this one is actually done.)

• Do a deeper cleaning of all of the garbage & perhaps vacuum and dust the car?
• Put in a new air freshener thing.
• Replace the actual heating element of my cigarette burner (the knob) because it is still not getting hot?

I drive a 94’ Plymouth Acclaim. It has been smashed a few times but that car has been so good to me. I have never had any serious problems with it. Now I feel she is in need of some TLC. What follows is a list of the things I need to do to get her back into tip-top shape:

• Replace my burnt out head light
• Fix the cigarette lighter fuse
• Get new tires and/or rims (I’m not sure as to exactly what I need yet. I will consult with an expert on the subject of motor vehicles…)
• Clean out the garbage
• Put out a new air freshener thing

I know if I put this on my list I will look at it on a regular basis and will get ‘her done.