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The Story of my trip to the Car Dealer for Service


Kirby

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We have a cheap bottom of the line Dodge for one of our run around vehicles at work.  The check engine light has been on more than off since we had it.  After numerous checks it would stay off for a day or so and come back on.

Today I picked it up and the light is off.  I gathered the boys and everyone had to pick the odometer reading that it will come back on.  Winner gets free coffee from each of the other four.  I had the highest number so if it can last a week or so I am in.

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I was unfortunate enough to have owned a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am.  We used to know that light as the $600 light.  Every time it came on it cost at least $600.  It was one of those vehicles that had an over 100,000 person class actions suit.  WAFD.  I am unsurprised that Pontiac went out of business.

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I had a fuse that kept blowing..turning on my service engine soon light..mechanic said don't worry about it..then one day I think the alternator was going...Anyway..in the process of troubleshooting that repair..they determined some harness thingy was bad...replaced that and no more blowing the fuse....I had gone about 2 years with that light on...missed it when it went away :whistle:  That was my last good ol truck....

Crossing my fingers on the Mazda...it is paid for now  :D

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On 6/28/2019 at 7:31 PM, Kirby said:

One old lady was surprised to hear she wasn't getting a courtesy car for weeks while they did body repair.

When my 1997 Ford Taurus was barely hit-and-run at the end of 2012 and totaled because replacing the air bags cost more than the car's Blue Book Value, State Farm informed me that I didn't have a rental car agreement in my policy - but my agent said it was THEIR fault because they never mentioned it.  So they paid for a rental for 8 days until my Honda Fit was ready for me to pick up.  Then, the Blue Book Value was $900, but they gave me $2992 for my totaled Taurus to take into account dealer mark-up, tags and taxes, etc. which was insane because that was MORE than replacing the air bags and air-bag-cracked windshield would have cost!

I also had a house fire in one room in 2005, caused by a defective laptop power supply.  State Farm paid for new vinyl siding to replace the old aluminum siding - when only a tiny area above a window had soot damage, all-new house wiring, new windows, etc.  The house was worth $40,000 more than before the fire when they were finished.

My combined homeowner's and car insurance only went up about $5/month afterward.  Some relatives told me I could probably save $20/month on insurance by switching to another company, but there's no way I'll leave State Farm.

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Service departments - My favorite distraction to browse new cars without a salesman on my heels. Park in parts area, walk into service waiting room then slide into new car area. If approached, "car in service and passing the time in the fresh air." They don't want to spoil the "up" rotation taking them to the back of the rotation, so the leave you alone.

The Mini came with a 3 yr service contract, so everything is free, including the new battery they put in so I do use them. Have one more oil change before it expires but a remaining year of warranty. The Fiat is well out of warranty and suddenly wouldn't shift so 1) concern about transmission, and 2) had to be towed as not drivable (pushed back into driveway when wouldn't shift from reverse.)  Thanks to Google and YouTube, relieved to know was not transmission but shift linkage gromlett and did it myself based on the videos.  Not in auto parts store but ordered Amazon Prime next day overpriced pieced of rubber for $24. While supposedly better than OEM, didn't hold the linkage joint. Checked the Fiat parts dept and the OEM piect was far more than a simple rubber gromlett but also the connecting parts assembled as a singe unit...and only $14. Guess what was returned to Amazon.

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