I am sure that I have mentioned this before, but it does
bear repeating. Even though I think I should be able to do minor and medium
repairs on an automobile, I can’t!
I know what I have to do, I have done some
research, I have talked to friends that know about cars and I have a positive
mental attitude towards success. Something always seems to go wrong. Often, the
photo that is in the book and the engine in my car don’t look anything alike to
my eyes. I know that they are the same, but mine is covered with rust, grease,
dust and often old dried leaves. To my way of thinking, the people who write
the book should take pictures of cars like mine so that guys like me will have
some clue where to start. I don’t really want to work on the car at all; I sure
don’t want to start by spending two hours cleaning a dirty, greasy engine.
Often there is whitish green powder on the terminals
of the battery. I know the battery has nothing to do with the job I am
attempting, but why is there powder there at all? I know I can clean that off
and starting a job with a small success always makes me feel good about myself.
I get a wire brush and start scrubbing the terminals like I am shining a pair
of funeral shoes. This just spreads the powder all over the engine and some of
it takes to the air and settles deep into my nasal cavities. Ok, now I could
die from inhaling this greenish, white fucking powder. Nope, I don’t feel good
about myself, my abilities or the upcoming job.
The rad on my car sprung a leak the other day
and I was lucky enough to make it into the garage so that it could leak coolant
all over the floor. I spent a day or so feeling sorry for myself, because I
knew that I would either have to take the car to a mechanic or try to fix it myself.
I did a Google search and found numerous articles and Youtube videos on
everything to do with a leaking radiator. I narrowed the field down to using “Bars
Leaks” or replacing the radiator.
Replacing the radiator would be the perfect
solution and if I did the work myself it would cost about $100 and if I had a
mechanic do the job it would be closer to $250. There is a very good chance
that I would damage the whole car if I did the work, but I think I could do it
with a moderate amount of frustration. Plus, I would save about $150, which is
nothing to sneeze at.
“Bars Leaks” is a product that has been on
the market for decades and I think I have even used it in the past.
Unfortunately, I can’t remember if it worked or not. It is one of those
products that you either love or hate. I would read a glowing report about
someone that used it and it has been two years without a leak. The next comment
would be from someone that tells you how it will clog the rad and heater core
and it is at best a temporary fix. They say you might just as well use an egg
white or some black pepper. WTF??
How is someone to decide? I went with the
cheapest option and used the “Bars Leaks” ($4.79). Well, black pepper would
have been cheaper, but I don’t want the kids to raise their eyebrows at me when
I tell them why dad is riding his bike everywhere now. I read and re-read the
instructions and then watched a video on how to use the stuff. You shake it up,
pour it in the rad, and then fill the rad with coolant, which is just what I
did. It says to let it run for 15 to 30 minutes, so I let it go for 40. It was
still dripping coolant, but I didn’t know if it was the stuff left from the
original leak, the stuff that leaked waiting for the “Bars Leaks” to take
effect, or if God was just messing with me.
Surprisingly, the God thing happens more often
than you might think.
I let it cool down out in front of the house,
washed the residual coolant off of the engine and later took it in to get gas.
The last time I looked at the garage floor, there were no tell tale drips. It
looks like the cheap option worked! It has rarely been the cheap option that
works. Things are turning around finally, and the universe is beginning to make
sense.
Today is the first day of the rest of my life!
No comments:
Post a Comment