lydamorehouse | I Really Want to Love Them...

Image: Cat on top of a car inside Midway's Turbo Tim's.

When I posted this picture on Facebook, I noted "Took my car to Turbo Tim's. They got their best guy on it."

I really want to love Turbo Tim's. They are queer friendly and literally within a block and a half of my house. Dropping a car off with them is easy, peasey lemon squeezy.

But I am deeply concerned that when I go an pick up my car today they will not have fixed the problem because the problem is not routine. It's actually REALLY weird. It's a mystery. Something where you have to have time and patience and a lot of expertise to figure out. I have some kind of parasitic draw sucking the juice from my battery on TOP of the fact that sometimes the wire just jiggles loose. I am very certain that the loose wire is an AND problem, not the ONLY problem.

But, inevitably (because this is the second time I've asked Tim's to look at this), they will come back with a simple diagnosis that the wiring is loose and they have tightened it and done and dusted. I saw that come through last night on my estimate, felt depressed, agreed to let them do a couple of other cheap things on their routine list of things they look at on your car and resolved that I was probably going to have to drive out to an auto place in Roseville that I used to swear by that I am 85% certain is run by Trump voting Republicans. But Tor is the kind of mechanic who can actually trace a problem like this because he is that kind of motorhead Republican who actually kind of believes his manliness is attached to his ability to perform car miracles. Which WORKS IN MY FAVOR in this instance...

...and I hate that.

I hated it so much that I decided to try to be proactive.

I called Turbo Tim's just now and said, "Look, I am really afraid that when I pick up my car, the problem will not be solved AGAIN." I told the person I talked to just now that I have actually brought the car in to them for this VERY SPECIFIC problem before, that they all did the exact same things that I can see on the list that they text me, and the problem not only continued, but has deterioriated. I do not like to have to pay for labor (although I said I would because I sincerely value labor, even unproductive labor,) when the problem isn't going to be fixed. And I will be forced to take my car elsewhere if they simply don't have the expertise to fix this or are unwilling or otherwise unable to do it. I am a used car driver. Used cars have weird, dumb, mysterious problems. If Turbo Tim's only solves the easy to fix, routine problems that new cars have, then why are they in Midway??? (See: previous description of my neighborhood as a possum.) Or for that matter Northeast??

The person on the other end at first wanted to reassure me that this is how you test for the things and my car passed the test. I said, somewhat grumpily, "I guess that's why it's a mystery." I appreciated that they used a voltmeter on my car, but my brother-in-law also owns one. Lots of people have voltmeters. I reminded them that this was their "solution" last time and the problem persisted. The person said, "Oh, you brought this in before?" I said, "Yes, and the problem wasn't fixed then either. This is why I am concerned. You have done the tests before and tightened the wire before. That is simply NOT the problem or it would have been fixed the last time."

They have now promised to get an extra pair of eyes on the issue. Who knows what this means, but it is, at least, a token effort.

I will probably still have to budget time (not to mention MONEY) to take my car to a different auto place.

Still, last time I just sucked up. This time, at least, I am doing what I can.

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See, the SAME DAMN THING happened here. Dutch's Auto is a garage near me that is run by women, and it's known to be woman- and queer-friendly. Who wouldn't want to support that? Yet I spent a lot of money and time on car repairs at Dutch's, only to have problems recur because they messed up the original issue and/or caused a new one. Finally I started taking my car to Chet's, also in the neighborhood, which is run by - to put it charitably - an underinformed voter. And yet they get my car fixed, and unlike Dutch's, they give me a ride home to wait, if I need it, and come back to fetch me later, usually in someone's personal car but occasionally in someone's wife's personal car because she also has skin in the game so she helps out. I'd much rather give my money to Dutch's, truly, but they lost a customer when they failed to do the work I needed.

Not currently a car owner, but I know someone who had good car experiences with Chet's.

(Didn't know that Dutch's existed. But alas.)

Well hi, neighbor! :)

Yeah.... there is so much about this that I hate. I hate the idea that it almost seems as if liberals just aren't good at car repair. That should just not be the case. It feels WRONG. (And I know it is! There have to be good mechanics out there who are, in fact, good allies and hard left wingers. WHERE ARE THEY??? is the problem.)

Several years and a different car ago, I had a situation where my car would start just fine at home, then refuse to start when I went back to the car after parking it for an errand. It wasn't the battery, and it wasn't anything else simple. The only clue I had was that it seemed to be related to high outside temperatures. The car got towed three times to Bobby and Steve's. The first two times they told me it was something simple and they'd fixed it -- until it happened again. The third time, I was really annoyed (but polite), and thankfully, I got a mechanic who got the bit in his teeth and finally figured out the problem and fixed it for good. I don't remember what it was, but the temperature-related issue was the clue.

Since then, Bobby & Steve's has continued to be my go-to place for repairs. (Also, they do loaners, which is great.)

Yeah, I've had car mechanics who do this, which is a huge part of my frustration with Tim's. Like, I know they're out there. They usually have weird little mom an pop shop versions of car repair shops. I'm just going to have to go to one of them to get this really fixed. (And I am collecting advice. My biggest issue is that I have ONE car, so whever I go has to be easly for me to get home from via public transportation.)

They're patting you on the head for an electrical issue? Bad garage! Bad! Bad! Bad! Intermittent electrical issues are notoriously difficult.

RIGHT?

As a butch lesbian, I am extra irritated to be texted pictures of voltmeters showing that I have a good batter. DID YOU THINK I DIDN'T KNOW THAT??

Glad you brought the issue up with them.

I am a bit concerned that they weren't aware from their own records that this is a recurring problem. Or that they didn't ask you for more details when you brought it in -- like, how long has this been going on?

I had the exact same rant about my vet a couple of months ago.

I think the truth is that ~taking~ notes is a very different skill set than ~reading~ notes.

I think Siobhan has it right. They had the notes. They just didn't read them.

It's a similar problem with listening (often to women, but can be anyone.) A lot of car mechanics say they're listening, but they deal with so many people who know NOTHING about cars that they think this person is saying "blah, blah, blah, I don't know how to change my own oil, blah, blah," when they might be someone like me who is like, "I check my oil regularly thank you very much, and this is a PROBLEM..."

Back in Ohio I found a great garage who could fix tricky issues. Then, one of the mechanics moved to a different garage and their greatness apparently moved correspondingly, unfortunately we didn't know to where they had moved. After that, I had an odd transmission issue where I actually drove a mechanic around and they told me, that's what it sounds like now a different thing has been fixed. So, I shrugged and set off home, then pulled over and called the fire department when the engine started producing plenty of smoke. In short, good luck, either with getting them to fix it or in finding somebody more adept.

I have some leads on the latter. I just wanted the convenient (and politically pleasant) garage to be a better garage.

A good car mechanic is worth their weight in gold.

This is the second "urgh, the car has deep weird problems" post on my list today.

K.

WEIRD.

I guess it's going around. I'd take this over all your water damage any day, however.

i had this happen to me with an electrician, except i haven't found the replacement electrician yet.

two cars ago, i found a mechanic who i've been using ever since. i strongly suspect he votes differently than i do--against his interests because he's an immigrant who helps immigrants, but because of his religious beliefs. i don't know. he fixes my car and i need my car. sometimes it be like that.

When you find them, you should keep them. That is becoming clear to me.

Ugh, I am sorry.

Thanks.

They kept the car an extra whole day, but reported no real success. They were going to keep it over night, and I am kind of evilly praying that when they go to try to start it THEY ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM. Fingers crossed. Only bummer is that we need the car back TODAY. No more diddling around. We have to get groceries and get to appointments, it's our ONLY car. (Another something that people really can't hear when tell them. Like when I tell people I don't have a dishwasher or a shower in my house. No one can believe it so they don't hear it.)

There is a bone-deep unease that you have to live with when your old used car is doing mysterious things. So sorry; hope they get it sorted!

So far, no joy.

I am hoping to pick it up today, regardless.

I Really Want to Love Them...

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Well!

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