Comments on: “There Is STILL A Light…” Part 2

By: martymankins

martymankins — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:32:35 +0000

Karl: Exactly my mindset on this.

By: Karl

Karl — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:29:44 +0000

I totally get the “no car payment” thing, having paid off my car last year. If I had to regularly invest $1,000 in it to pass emissions, though, I might be tempted to start making car payments again.

By: Winter

Winter — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:15:24 +0000

I don’t have to deal with a smog again until year after next. I got off lightly this year. If it was me, and I could afford to, I’d chuck the car for something else. I was lucky when I had my 280ZX. It had NO check engine light. Ah, the joys of a classic sports car!

By: martymankins

martymankins — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 06:05:21 +0000

winter: I’m not alone. I’m not crazy… you’ve been infected by the check engine light bullshit, too.

I tend to not believe anything the dealer tells me, especially after dealing with this for the last 3 years…. so I had a good friend who is a service manager for a local used car dealer (who I trust a lot) confirm that my car really does need a catalytic converter.

Of course, one thing he couldn’t guarantee is that the light will stay off before it’s time to register it next year.

By: Winter

Winter — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 04:17:32 +0000

Dude. My check engine light fucked me up this year. They kept telling me there was no reason for it to be on except some freaky ass electrical thing. $1100 to trace it through the wiring harness blah blah blah. I don’t have that kind of dough so I waited for my tax refund. Heh. The car had other ideas. Here’s what happened:
http://winterblog.winterheart.com/2008/02/roaring-into-another-marcus-monday.html

Trust me, sometimes it’s sooo not what the mechanics tell you.

By: martymankins

martymankins — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:28:01 +0000

kapgar: Agreed. sick and wrong. I don’t mind putting money into something to keep it maintained, but all of this for a light? Seems insane… downright cruel.

By: martymankins

martymankins — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:23:26 +0000

You know, I almost bought one of those tools. The one I was looking at was $79 and came with the USB cable and Windows s/w (couldn’t find a Mac version anywhere). It was the 7-9 day shipping time that stopped me from placing the order.

If I decide to fix and keep the car, then I have made a promise to dump the car the next time the light goes off.

By: Dave2

Dave2 — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:52:59 +0000

I don’t have to pass emissions here in Washington, but my “SES Light” (which I have paid thousands to try and get fixed to no avail) bugs me enough that I went out and bought a $35 reader tool that I can use to reset the light when it comes on.

By: kapgar

kapgar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:44:28 +0000

I will be drinking early and often tonight. Lots of wine. I just forked over $450 for a new alternator and a couple other routine items of maintenance on my truck. Between my wife and I, I think we’ve spent a couple grand on our vehicles in the last year and a half. Sick and wrong.