New Tires

Car ownership can be more expensive than home ownership. Car loans, maintenance, repairs, gas, and more - it really adds up. Cars are especially expensive if you don't know how to do your own work on them. However, as the slogan says "It's not just your car, it is your freedom.", so I guess the cost is worth it.

Car ownership requires a correct mind set. A car isn't status, it isn't luxury, and it isn't fun. It is an engine that turns the tires to get you where you have to go: work, the store, etc. If it is your wife's car or something that will be transporting the kids? It has to be safe and reliable too. Otherwise, get something cheap that will last a while and won't cost much to maintain. Always try to pay cash instead of taking a loan (although loan rates are very cheap these days).

After decades of driving clunkers, I splurged on my last car. I bought a four year old car with only 18,000 miles on it. I have been fortunate that in the four years I have owned the car, I have only driven it 28,000 miles.

Since Spring, my mechanic has been warning me about cracks in my tires and low tread. If this problem was on the family car? I would have fixed it right away. But since it was my car? I have been delaying doing anything.

I have now gone through several flat tire scenarios because the tires are having difficulty holding air. I have decided it is time to break down and get the tires before my car breaks down.

I am off to Dunn Tire to get the cheapest 16" tires I can find. Tax and total? Will be around $350.

I am not happy about buying these tires but I realize that these flats are going to leave me stranded one of these times, and I am risking a blow out.

Houses are expensive. And cars are expensive.

Car Battery

I tend to be a diY guy because I am too stingy to pay someone else to do something I should be able to do. This approach works out fairly well... Unless we are talking about car repair.

I have never owned a car that was not essential so I have never had something I could tinker with. If my car is broke? I need it fixed ASAP!

My wife's battery died and with some guidance from a friend I was able to replace it. I guess that means I get to keep my Man Card for another year.

I took the old battery to the parts store and exchanged it for a new one.

The van battery is held in place in the van via a plastic clip. After putting the battery in its place, I tightened  the plastic clip's bolt.

The battery is now securely in place.

Next, I connected the first lead.

The second lead had a plastic cap that I needed to remove.

And then I was able to connect the second lead.

And that was it!

More car repairs

I don't like paying people to do work for me, especially work I feel like I should be doing myself! When it comes to car repairs, however, I mostly have no idea what to do. I have to choice but to employ a garage.

After spending $140 last week to get my car's heater fixed, my wife's car went to the shop this week. Normal service, air filter, leaking power steering, replace the transaxle, and a bad tire pressure sensor causing a valve stem to leak, I left the garage $550 poorer.

The general practice and advice is to never get the extended warranties on anything. However, when it comes to cars I disagree. I drive cars until the wheels fall off, and the extended warranties always pay for themselves.

For this trip, the warranty only covered the axel work. I was very disappointed that more wasn't covered. But regardless, I am in a positive situation where the extended warranty had paid for itself and everything else is,including the  axel work, is now in my favor.

Cars are very expensive. Expensive to buy, maintain, fuel, and insure. But life really would be difficult without them!

Another Car Repair

It's not just your car, it is your freedom! Or is it? 

My car is seven years old and has even driven, on average, 6,000 miles per year - that's it!  6,000 miles is nothing. 

And yet I have poured thousands of dollars in repairs into the car.

Most recently, the heater in the car broke. That was bother $140! And I still need more work done. Two tires are cracked, the car has a squeeze when I go over bumps, and the cabin fan has a tweet. That is a lot more work for a car with $42K miles!

Is it freedom to be tied to so many car repairs? 

Pressure

One of the joys living in the north? When the temperature changes, aluminum wheels loose their binding to the tire and the tire will lose pressure. This is worse when the temperature thrashes: hot days followed by cold days followed by hot days.

I often ask: does owning a house really meet the American Dream? Part of the American Dream is owning a car. Remember the slogan: it is not just your car, it is your freedom! Just as with owning a house, owning a car is a lot of work and very expensive.

Fall and Spring time mean careful monitoring of tire pressure due to drastic temperature changes.

Making this season worse - my wife's can has a tire with a slow leak. It looses around 5 pounds per day. I fill it to 40 pounds and wait for her to tell me when the van's dashboard complains about a low tire so I can do it again. This last time she waited until the tire was almost completely flat before saying anything!

I just need to keep filling the tire until the van's service appointment. The mechanic will take the tire off and put it in a tub of water and look for an air bubble coming out of the tire. When he finds it, he will insert a patch that will stop the leak, an then attack my wallet for the service.

Car mechanic

In addition to being a carpenter, appliance repairman, engineer, electrician, plumber, and computer technician, home ownership requires as much of being an auto mechanic as you can. Unfortunately, this is a weak area for me but there are some things I can do.

My daughter complained her car wasn't driving correctly. It was 9:30 at night so I drove the car to a gas station. Along the way I felt a vibration. If the vibration is in the steering wheel it means a problem with the front tires. If you feel the vibration in the seat, it is coming from the back. I felt it in both, but much worse in the back.

Under the lights of the gas station, and using a tire gauge, I found the rear driver's tire to be at 10 pounds instead of 35! And both front tires were around 22. And yet she told me she checked her tires just three days ago.

When I was growing up my parents were always on me because they didn't think I spent enough time maintaining my car. They checked the oil and tires and fluids every time before they drove out of town (or so they told me, which I knew was false). I find myself increasingly sounding like my parents when I talk to my daughter about her car maintenance.

For example, I have asked her three times "Is your tire gauge in you car's glove box?" And each time she answers "No, it is still in my bedroom". Having a tire gauge in your bedroom is helpful when.... Ok, it is never helpful. It belongs in your glove box!

I try not to sound like my parents but sometimes I think it is inevitable. 

Florida Project: Van Repair

Leading up to the 2009 Florida Trip, we were having van problems. The mechanic was working on the van right until we were ready to leave. And on the way to Florida the van broke down leading to a terrific family vacation that I wrote about in The Gilbert Family Vacation story.

Since then, we got a new van: a 2009 Dodge Caravan. The van has taken us on many vacations and trips. But leading up to this particular trip, the van has been having problems. First, problems with the shocks. Then, problems with the shifter. The shifter would be very hard to shift into Park. Somethings we would have to jiggle the shifter to get it into park. I took the van to the garage two times and as of yesterday? We were still having problems. So, without an appointment, I showed up to the Dodge garage and told them they needed to fix the problem because I leave for Florida tomorrow morning.

After looking at the van for several hours, I received the news: The hydrolic vaulve in the transmission was bad. It requires the transmission to be taken apart and repaired. The process will take all day. Luckily it is covered by our warranty (we paid a kazillion dollars for a huge extended warranty because Dodge vans are crap as they age).

This is starting to sound a lot like our 2009 trip! As soon as the van gets out of the shop we are going to start packing it in preparation for leaving tomorrow morning!