Friday, October 19, 2007

You know what they say about making that final car payment?

You know....that as soon as you make that last payment the car starts falling part.  Well,it's true.  We paid off my minivan two months ago. 

Then I had to get brakes.  Well, that's OK, that's just normal.

Well, transmissions aren't.

The computer on my van's transmission went out.  I went Friday afternoon to have it checked, only to be basically told "It's bad, take it back to the dealer, we don't do that kinda work."  So, I had to drive across town to the dealer, only to be told "We can't work on it until Tuesday or Wednesday."  Sigh....I told them I needed my van for a field trip an hour away on Wednesday....I had 6 passengers lined up to go with me.  He said bring it Tuesday at 8 a.m. and don't drive it if you don't have to.  (He doesn't realize I live a half hour from anything, including the dealership.)   So, I went on home and go anywhere, not even to church on Sunday.

Tuesday morning, we load up school and go to the dealership and do our schoolwork at a table while they run diagnostics.  The guy comes out to discuss the problems and says "Good news is that it's covered by the extended warranty you purchased with the car.  How many miles is on it?"  I said just over 97,000, at which he frowns and says "Let me check something."  He comes back and tells me the warranty was only valid up to 80,000.  He then give me an estimate of $525 to START!  The computer had to be ordered, so they wouldn't have it until the next day (the day of the field trip an hour away).  Once the computer was replaced, they would know if anything else was wrong.  

AND he had no loaner for me, so I had to rent a car....at my expense, albeit at a discount since my car was in the shop and Enterprise and the dealer had an "agreement."   So, I had 2008 Chrysler Town and Country Touring that I drove around for two days.  It had so many buttons, I never did learn them all!  I put the windows down right off the bat, and then couldn't figure out how to get them back up!  :rolling eyes:  I figured it out by mistake.

OK, back to my van.....after the field trip, I stopped at the dealer's to see if my van was done and they said it wasn't.  The replacement computer didn't fix the problem or perhaps it was bad and they had to order another to see which was the case.  I asked to get my photography equipment out, since I would need it for co-op the next day (yesterday) and I left.   (I'm taking photos for our year book this month.)

Yesterday, I got to the church and started to set up the backdrop, and here I failed to grab one of the pipes for my frame.  It must have rolled all the way under the seat in my van and I missed it.   So, how do you take pictures when you're missing a 3 ft. section of pipe?   You go ask the maintenance guy he has any miracles......in the form of 1.25 inch piece of PVC that can be cut to the exact size I need.  And he did!

So, I'm finally up and running at co-op and later I called the dealer and he says the second computer did the trick and I could pick her up later.  

So, $661 later (includes the rental car and the oil change) I have my van back.  Now figure out just where the money will come from when I pay the credit card bill in three weeks.

But hey, things could be worse, right?!  ;-)    I didn't have to buy a new car!  And at least I have a car, not to mention a home, food in the cupboards and the freezer, my family, my health and oh so much more.  

I am thankful my many blessings, truly I am!   \o/




2 comments:

  1. One month after we paid off our first new car (back in 1992) it caught fire in the school parking lot. Then after paying off our mini-van we had to replace the electric motors for all the windows, the water pump died, and then the transmission went. That was enough for us. We're almost done paying for our current vehicle and are afraid the car gremlins will attack soon. LOL Thanks for sharing your story.

    Blessings,

    Ginny

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  2. Oh you poor lady! I have had those days before myself!! Hang in there it will go better!

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