Friday, December 4, 2009

And a Flat Tire Makes Three!


I'll admit I'm getting pretty good at realizing when my brakes need to be looked at. Year before last I drove on a squeaky brake for two weeks before having it looked at.
Me: "No, I swear it wasn't doing that last week."
Todd: "Are you sure."
Me: "Yes."
Todd: "How could you tell with the music up that loud?"
Me: "I would know. Really. It hasn't been doing it very long."

And that episode resulted in not just new brake pads, but a complete overhaul of the braking system: new pads, new calipers, new blah blah blah to the tune of $500.

Then, last year when the other brakes started sqeaking I only let it go for, oh, one week. Again, too long to be squeaking. Again, a complete overhaul of the back-end brakes to the tune of another $500. Lesson learned: squeaking is not good. Got it?

So two days ago we get the squeak again. But not before we had a complete and total car-meltdown. Because nothing is ever simple for me and vehicles. Remember the final days of the Range Rover? The electrical "issues" we were experiencing? Or, my inability to recognize when the car needs some gas (despite the glaring yellow gas light?) Twice.   Or, perhaps the time I left my sunroof open and the car outside (two things I NEVER do normally..) and got my ass shocked by the electric seat warmers? What about the time I left the keys in the car with the sunroof open and the rain shorted out the locks and locked the keys inside the car? I had to crawl through the sunroof. And the list goes on and on.

After a day of running around there I am: leaving my parent's house with the baby and the dog mashed in the backseat of the car - because that's how I roll - I never have problems when its just me in the car. About 100 yards up the road I sense that the car just doesn't sound right. When I let go of the wheel it pulls hard to the right. Like swerve off the side of the road hard - and even I know that's not right. Upon further inspection my suspicions were confirmed: flat tire. I manage to drive the thing back to my parent's house where my dad helps me temporarily pump up the tire in order to meet Todd at Les Schwab's Tire center to promptly switch over to my winter weather all season radials. Problem solved. Or so I thought.

So, after the life-saving tire swap, the squeak was back. The bad brake squeak I've come to know so well. Back to Les Schwab yesterday. Diagnosis: New Brakes. Because I just had them replaced last year they're still under warranty! I managed to get out of there with new brakes without paying for a $500 brake rebuild job!

Oh, and the flat tire? No way to save it OR the other front tire. Two new tires to the tune of $500. Dammit anyway.

1 comment:

  1. Sounds like it is time to get a bicycle with a car seat attached to it. Jeesh! I feel bad for Todd every time you come home or call and say, "Todd, the car....". Wait a minute...you have a horse! Time to saddle up with the kid and hit the road to work and grandma and grandpa's place. With your luck with moving objects though, I would suspect you would blow out the horseshoes! "Todd, the horse was making a loud noise today when I rode it.." Sorry to hear about the car. At least now you have 2 new tires and a new set of brake pads. Take care!

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