Car Woes
Well, I'm still without a car.
After quite a bit of trial-and-error, it's looking like there are two separate issues with my car. One of them is with my neutral control switch, which is an easy fix. As long as the starter clicks when I try to turn my car on, all I have to do is hit the brake and switch the car to neutral - it starts without an issue then.
The much bigger issue is that it's completely random whether or not the starter clicks. Which seems to imply there's some type of issue with the starter itself, although whether it's going bad or there's a loose connection somewhere remains a question.
With my particular model/year, replacing the starter is going to be somewhere in the $400-600 range. And with a 21-year-old car? It's not worth it. I've checked, and the KBB value of the car is less than $700.
So... yeah. For the time being, I'm alternating among walking, taking the bus, and catching rides with coworkers (since RB literally drives past my complex on her commute) when it comes to getting to work. Luckily, there's a grocery store a 5-8 minute walk from my apartment that has most of what I need, at least. Getting to the store where I usually get all meat other than chicken is a bit more complicated, but it's still doable. Ish. That said, I foresee myself eating less meat at home in the future.
Work hasn't moved to the new office yet but we're getting closer, which will help a lot since work will be less than half a mile away rather than two miles away. So I'm not nearly as panicked about potentially not having a car as I would have been this time last year.
I'm going to fiddle with things a bit longer, to see if I can get anything to work. I know enough about cars (thanks to basic mechanic lessons from my dad when I lived back in TN) to theoretically try a few bypasses, just to get an idea if it's the starter itself or a connection issue. And, you know, I'm still hoping against hope that I can get it fixed.
If not? Well, my car insurance is due to renew in August, so I definitely want to make a decision before then. If my car still won't turn on by summer, I'm probably going to get in touch with the local junkyard. They'll probably give me at least a few hundred for my car, since the engine itself is still in good shape and the car's old enough to be made of mostly solid metal, and - most importantly - they'll come tow it away themselves. Which is important since towing costs in this area are ridiculously high.
So, yeah, that's happening. :-/
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replies there. Comment on whichever site you prefer.
After quite a bit of trial-and-error, it's looking like there are two separate issues with my car. One of them is with my neutral control switch, which is an easy fix. As long as the starter clicks when I try to turn my car on, all I have to do is hit the brake and switch the car to neutral - it starts without an issue then.
The much bigger issue is that it's completely random whether or not the starter clicks. Which seems to imply there's some type of issue with the starter itself, although whether it's going bad or there's a loose connection somewhere remains a question.
With my particular model/year, replacing the starter is going to be somewhere in the $400-600 range. And with a 21-year-old car? It's not worth it. I've checked, and the KBB value of the car is less than $700.
So... yeah. For the time being, I'm alternating among walking, taking the bus, and catching rides with coworkers (since RB literally drives past my complex on her commute) when it comes to getting to work. Luckily, there's a grocery store a 5-8 minute walk from my apartment that has most of what I need, at least. Getting to the store where I usually get all meat other than chicken is a bit more complicated, but it's still doable. Ish. That said, I foresee myself eating less meat at home in the future.
Work hasn't moved to the new office yet but we're getting closer, which will help a lot since work will be less than half a mile away rather than two miles away. So I'm not nearly as panicked about potentially not having a car as I would have been this time last year.
I'm going to fiddle with things a bit longer, to see if I can get anything to work. I know enough about cars (thanks to basic mechanic lessons from my dad when I lived back in TN) to theoretically try a few bypasses, just to get an idea if it's the starter itself or a connection issue. And, you know, I'm still hoping against hope that I can get it fixed.
If not? Well, my car insurance is due to renew in August, so I definitely want to make a decision before then. If my car still won't turn on by summer, I'm probably going to get in touch with the local junkyard. They'll probably give me at least a few hundred for my car, since the engine itself is still in good shape and the car's old enough to be made of mostly solid metal, and - most importantly - they'll come tow it away themselves. Which is important since towing costs in this area are ridiculously high.
So, yeah, that's happening. :-/
This entry has been crossposted to Dreamwidth, and it currently has
replies there. Comment on whichever site you prefer.