The Car

 Somewhere along the way home, from the coast clinic, or maybe it was the day after, I lost a headlight.

I knew something was off the day after, when I went to feed the boys.  It was just too dim in the approaching darkness on the drive home.  Once home, it was easy to tell, with the lights against the garage, that one headlight was out.

I also heard a bad noise, when trying to start it the day after the coast trip.  I call the noise "the dry wheezies".  The other car made the same sound, at one point, that later, at least a month later, turned into a failing starter.  I'm hoping this is just an old battery, but the car did cold start this morning in one try.  You would not think an old battery, if failing, would do that.

Anyhow, I'll get the battery checked out today at an auto parts store and get a couple headlight bulbs too, because you're supposed to change them at the same time, I read, on youtube of course, where I go to research all my strange car noises and idiosyncrisies.  I love youtube DIYer's.  I changed the other headlight bulb before, maybe two years ago.  

I think they can check the starter and alternator also, with the equipment they have at an auto parts store.

I have an appointment for the car Tuesday at the same mechanic's shop that changed the clutch a year ago.  That's to finally hopefully resolve the dash lights issue.  Ever since I got the car 3 1/2 years ago, up in NE Portland off a private seller, I've had dash lights on constantly.  At first they'd go off for awhile, then come back on if I went up or down a hill.  At a parts store, the codes for the dash lights came out as the catalytic.  There are two on this car.  But its probably an oxygen sensor at one end or the other of one of them that's bad, the mechanic told me, who replaced my clutch.  

I want the check engine light off, so that if something goes wrong, I can know.  The car has too many miles on it---205,000 miles on it now, 84,000 more than when I bought it 3 1/2 years ago.  That's too many miles to not be able to tell if something serious is going wrong and the only tool you have for that is the check engine light.  Well, besides sitting beside the road in a broken down car.

I'm going to ask the mechanic to put the rear bumper back on for me too.   I hope he can do that. That's more a body shop thing but I'm hoping he will. The one that came off when I had to suddenly straddle that tire in the middle of the fast lane a couple  months back in the dark on the way to the clinic.  And also tighten or replace the  AC belt as it makes a lot of noise, when I use the heater.

I need to go back to Schwab over the rear brake that's grinding and now squeeling sometimes.   It makes me nervous to go there.  Those brakes were replaced less than a year ago and should still be fine.  When I called to ask them about it, I got the Schwab thing--must be your driving.  I have to deal with it though.

Anyhow, that's what is currently going on and I'm looking forward to getting these things done finally on my car.   

The car had four owners before me and not much maintenance.   It had the clutch going out, two wheel bearings bad, and the dash lights coming on when I got it.  Other than those things, I've had to replace the brakes, tires, oil of course, filters, and the PCV valve.  That's not bad.  The car has carried hundreds of cats to be fixed for their people.  A very very useful car!