We bought a van a couple of weeks ago. Gretchen had been wanting one for a while, so we went to a parking lot sale at the mall. It was the first place we looked at, and we hadn't done any real research. Not a good combination. Also scary was the fact that none of the vehicles on the lot had price tags on them. I've since learned that means they ( Read more... )

I think it's time to say goodbye to my car. This is the Neon that we've only had for a few years, but it's having significant transmission trouble for the third time now. One time it was just a sensor, but another time the transmission was in more serious trouble. I had the shop replace it with a rebuilt transmission. That was last December, and ( Read more... )

The last few weeks have been a little abnormal for us. It feels like there is a lot going on, some good, some bad. Here's a quick rundown ( Read more... )

I didn't mention this, but we had to get Gretchen's car fixed over Thanksgiving. It was leaking transmission fluid pretty heavily, and we need that car to last a few more years. It cost a few hundred bucks, but I think it was worth it. Then a few weeks ago, it started having different, unrelated issues with the spark plugs and cylinders. Had to get ( Read more... )

Small update on the aftermath of the car accident from last month. My car is fixed. The other guy's insurance company admitted liability, paid for the repairs, arranged for a rental car, the whole works. New bumper looks way better than the old one ever did ( Read more... )

I got rear-ended yesterday. I'm fine (well, I think I am), and my car is in really good shape. I was completely stopped at an intersection, trying to turn left, and this kid came up behind me and didn't see me. Pow! Oh, I was so angry. I immediately started thinking about this accident, which was at a much lower rate of speed, but resulted in my ( Read more... )

I think I've done something car-related every day this week. I guess that's how it is when you purchase a new vehicle. Monday, I got the oil changed and did a general checkup on it. It's fine, just like we thought. Tuesday, I finished up the financing. Wednesday, I got it registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles. I guess I didn't actually ( Read more... )

Yesterday was my 400 month birthday! What did you get me? I got myself a car. No, really. Gretchen and I found a little Dodge Neon that we pretty much fell in love with. It's an '05, which might be the newest used car I've ever owned. My father-in-law checked it out and couldn't find anything wrong with it, and he said he hadn't seen any cars that ( Read more... )

Gretchen and I are finally to the point where we need to be seriously car shopping. No more glancing through the paper, no more walking past used car lots (hoping to avoid a salesperson). No, we're going to do this, and we're going to do it right. Or as right as the two of us are capable of doing, anyway. I'm going to get a month of Carfax reports ( Read more... )

We were having a great Mother's Day weekend... until the van broke down along I-84 on the way home. The oil light came on, then it started making a grinding noise, then the battery light came on, and it just finally quit. We pulled over to the side of the road, and I checked the fluids. Everything (including oil) looked pretty normal. Ok, now what ( Read more... )