they should put that on the package!
My check engine light comes on periodically, especially when it rains. The first time it came on, back at mile 94,948.5, I took it to my mechanic all panicked. "Help! I'm poor! What does this mean!?" He hooked up his little gadget to my car and my car told him that it was my catalytic converter. He said that wasn't a big deal, it would cost about $400 and to just start saving for it because I'd probably need to replace it in a year or so.
Complaint Uno: Are those gadgets really expensive? Because I totally could just doing that hooking up thing myself and the little mini-computer could talk to me and then I could wackopedia catalytic converter. The check engine light is DUMB. In addition to lighting up, in my digital output display (where it's currently telling me OIL CHANGE REQUIRED), it could just tell me whatever it tells the mini-computer, right? RIGHT?
So after he determined what the engine error was he was able to turn off the light. He said he couldn't guarantee that it would stay off but I could always bring it in to have him turn it off again. Fast forward to now, mile 99,355, and about one million years since my last oil change. I recently learned that postponing an oil change could result in my engine BURNING UP. Awesome.
Complaint Two: How can I know if my check engine light means BURNING UP or if it's just because of the rain or if it's because of the catalytic converter or if it just because it knows that OIL CHANGE REQUIRED has been yelling at me for a long time? Isn't there a way for it to tell me exactly what it means? Say by using THE SCREEN ALREADY IN EXISTENCE THAT ALREADY TELLS ME EVERYTHING ABOUT MY CAR?
Well, I guess that was the same complaint.
Comments
Cars are almost as dumb as boys. Not quite, but almost.
Posted by: shari | March 6, 2008 9:28 AM
I have this really bad habit of ignoring weird sounds my car makes because I think if something is REALLY wrong, there'll be like a voice shouting out of the radio at me. I don't know.
Posted by: Jennie! | March 6, 2008 10:07 AM
Ya know this really freaks me out.
Time for a new car?
Posted by: Sally | March 6, 2008 3:16 PM
If Alex's and my experiences with our respective cars over the past two months have any redeeming value, perhaps it is that we can be the voice of experience to tell the world that the "Check Engine" light should be taken very, VERY seriously. It's the most annoying light on the damn dashboard because, as you so wisely pointed out, it can mean anything from "Your catalytic converter is a little grumpy" to "My wiring is malfunctioning and your engine's fine" to "You can't pass the smog check required by law in the next eight days unless you give me (OK, your mechanic) $500." That was what it meant in my car last month. However, the persnickety little bastard has to be taken seriously because this selfsame light can also mean "Your engine will soon ALTOGETHER CEASE TO FUNCTION in the middle of Beach Blvd. on a Sunday morning." And then Alex had to have her engine rebuilt. Twice.
In conclusion: my unsolicited advice is that you take it back to Honest Fred. Sooner than later. Seriously, whoever decided that ONE LIGHT would suffice for all those warnings should be taken out and shot.
Posted by: Naomi | March 6, 2008 4:28 PM
P.S. Longest comment ever. My apologies.
Posted by: Naomi | March 6, 2008 4:29 PM
Could that be dust on the consul?
Posted by: sally | March 6, 2008 8:15 PM
I thought you might want to know about this, but please don't be too sad. It's number two on the list:
http://money.aol.com/investing/brands-that-will-disappear-in-2008
Posted by: Ashley | March 7, 2008 7:01 AM
is the monster running rough-like? my car was, and i took it in to get the oil changed and the guy was all THERE IS NO OIL IN YOUR CAR, YOU STUPID BITCH and i had to sign all this stuff promising that i won't come back and haunt their shop when my car busts into flames on the freeway and kills me.
there was lots of talks about dipsticks, too, which was awesome.
Posted by: heather nicole | March 7, 2008 8:29 AM