The car I use, a Toyota Camry, has a six year birthday coming up. This last week, my husband decided to drive it to work as he felt I needed a bigger( safer) car to drive me to work. My work place is farther away from our home than his.
He soon found out that driving a Camry after driving an SUV is not much fun. For one, it is a much smaller car in terms of height. A tall person will realize this soon after he changes cars . Second one feels very unsafe in a sedan. Even though the car gives you up to 120 km/hour of speed, if need be, it would be entirely at your own risk that you would be driving at that speed. It is good for a leisurely drive, very sedate and calming but not when one has a couple of honkers and tail lighters behind you, trying to make you speed against your wishes.
A few rides later, he discovered that the AC of the car doesn’t work as it should. He wondered aloud how I had been driving around with that degree of cooling or non-cooling that it provided. He doesn’t know half the things I have gone through with the Camry and not mentioned to him- these would be the unmentionables. Better they discover it themselves.
Two days later, he asked me about a red battery indicator showing on the dashboard of the Camry. I said it had been showing up since March and that it had been mentioned to him at that time. That night, he drove the car to the service station to get the battery looked into. A kilometer away from our home and about three kilometers away from the station, the car coughed, spluttered and gave up running. It seemed the long drive to the station was beyond it. It didn’t help that the temperature outside was in the 40s ( degree Centigrade).
Luckily for him I was driving behind the Camry in his Murano and so could give him a ride to the service station to get a mechanic and drive them to the location of the Camry. The Mechanic, temporarily managed to hook a new dynamo to the car engine and they drove the car to the service station, where it has been in residence for the past three days.
The service station gave hubby an ancient Toyota Prado to drive until the Camry could be repaired.
The car story didn’t end there. I was still driving the Murano to work. Yesterday after work I went to the underground parking lot of our university, to drive the car home. The door opened with the automatic key and I sat in the driving seat, turning the ignition on. Apart from a few splutters, the car didn’t start. Again a lot of red battery indicators started showing up on its dashboard. By now I was an expert in this.
I locked the car up, went back to my office and called hubby up. My phone doesn’t work in emergency situations, so I needed to call hubby from the landline office phone. I told him the battery of the Murano had given up and I didn’t know how to get the car out. He told me to get a cab and come home.
The university is in an out of the city place; everyone has his own car, there are no cabs to be had for rhyme or reason. I went back to the parking lot and found a young man called Warren there. He was driving his car out. I stopped him and asked him to look at the battery of my car. Helpful as he was, he stepped out, opened the engine of the Murano, poured some cold water on the battery ,opened a few covers here and there and bringing his car close to the Murano, recharged its battery.
Soon the Murano was alive and making all the correct noises. I could drive home, if I didn’t stop anywhere on the way. This I did and reached home, uneventfully.
Today I am back driving the Camry, which has since been repaired and the Murano is safe with my husband. The old borrowed Prado, languishes in the car shed, waiting for the repair shop man to come and get it.
Oh car story horrors. Me too. Sounds like yours are on the mend
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These sure are. But all’s well that ends well. The good thing is I might get a new car instead of the Camry.:)
Susie
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We drive a 1994 volvo and a 1996 Volvo. I think they both have their share of stranded in them. But not like yours. That is just too much in one week! What a mess! Thankful that a nice passerby helped you with the battery in the garage so you could get home.
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I know, angels appear from anywhere if we know to look. He watches over us.
Susie
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They are everywhere!!!!
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What a saga! I’m glad both of you were safe while the cars were misbehaving.
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Anne,
That’s so true and also glad that the problems didn’t show up when hubby was away for 6 months.
Susie
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Golly! You have that right! God was protecting you.
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oh goodness-I do not like car problems-they rattle me terribly-I am glad all is well with you and your camry!
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Susie, we usually keep the cars I drive for over a decade. I drive them mostly around town and once in awhile on a trip. They last a long time, but when they start to go, they go downhill fast. I have several old car stories too.
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A good topic for a post, isn’t it, Kathy ?
Susie
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Yes…I enjoyed your tale of the cars.
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I am so glad you were able to get back home! Sounds like you found a good person to help you out. I really hate when cars start acting up!
I had to chuckle when you commented that you had told your husband about the red light awhile back…..I have had that same experience….and yes…it is always good to let them experience car troubles for themselves.
I hope your wheels keep getting you where you need to be!
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Faye,
The good thing is I was not very bothered at all about this whole episode at least not as much as my husband.
Susie
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They seem to take vehicle issues personally….I am just happy when those vehicles run the way they should.
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Yes. My husband always buys new cars straight from the dealer, to avoid most repair problems. This time even the “new” ( not so new) cars started showing the wear and tear.
Susie
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Hello Susie!!! I am missing you on wordpress! And I am wondering how you are doing? Faye aka Chicken Grandma
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I just saw this message now. I am sorry for the late reply. I had been traveling – busy with college admissions for my younger daughter. No connectivity and so on.
You can send me emails at susieshy45@gmail.com.
Susie
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that is good to know!! I wasn’t sure how to ask how you were doing.
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tried sending you an email and it keeps coming back….
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Let me send you one and maybe you can reply to me on the same- what is your email id ?
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tried sending you one from my other email …which is gmail. that looks like it went through.
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Oh no! All the troubles you’ve seen! I was going to say Happy Birthday to the Toyota, but I think not. I hope you can get the AC fixed soon too!
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I have a 2014 Camry and am happy that the seat elevates so I can see out the windshield. I hope I get as much service from mine as you have from yours!
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My Camry is back with me and it serves me well still. We spent quite a bit on getting it done over and hope it will last us a while.
Susie
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