In January, I replaced all the belts and hoses and whatnot in my Subaru (to the tune of $1,200), and now it won’t pass inspection. Why? The check-engine light is on. Amongst others, the catalytic converter code pops up on the computer, but whoa, that’s a thousand bucks. My mechanic says the spark plugs blah blah misfiring and the spark plug wires blah, and that could be what’s setting off the alarm, so “Cross your fingers that, when that’s fixed, the cat con code will disappear as well.”
I trudge around Chapel Hill for six and a half hours while they replace that stuff.
$816.
He says, “OK, it needs about seventy miles to reset. If the light doesn’t come on in seventy miles, you’re good to go. Come back and we’ll reinspect it.”
So I drive seventy miles. No light. Whew!
Eight miles later, stupid fucking light comes on.
I’m trying to keep this in perspective. Dug told me, when we first met, that his brother had cystic fibrosis and had been in the hospital for months waiting for a lung transplant. He had actually had one already a couple years ago, which seemed to be doing well, for about a year. Can you imagine? Thinking, “Hey, I’ve got working lungs!” for a year. Jesus, what a disappointment when they go on the fritz.
So this is just a car. It’s just a car. It’s just money.
Never should’ve sold my Civic.
flames, baby.
my subie needed about 2 grand in the first few years but since then . . .
my mechanic is also my inspection station. my check engine light pops on all the time. frank says it’s a minor sensor, difficult to get at and expensive to replace. just ignore it. click and clack say put a piece of black electrician’s tape over it. i gave mb a roll for her birthday last year.
maybe you should register it in VA. hmmm, that would mean . . .
Yeah, well, 2K is just the start of what I have/will have to put into the Outback. My mechanic is my inspection station too. I got an inspection waiver from the state, since I’ve spent more than $200, which will give me a year to do the catalytic converter. Better get myself out on that corner! See ya!
Wanna know what our 2 Hondas have cost in recent months? Still not done.
Stop poking a hole in my fantasy that the Civic would never have had these troubles, Granddude!
You can figure out how to turn off the check-engine light online. It’s something like: turn the key to the on position 4 times, press the gas pedal, throw some chicken bones in the backseat over your left shoulder, no, right shoulder, then wish it away. Actually, it’s easier than that — and you can just go to the sleaziest looking inspection station you see. That’s what we did. Come to Winston and we’ll get it inspected for you.
It’s the chicken bones I forgot! I have a year’s waiver, so I’ll save up the money for the cat con. Or maybe I’ll blow it on hookers and coke and then come see your mechanic.