Max rides again…dammit

Sigh. I’m beginning to think that Max prefers riding to being ridden. Don’t we all…

Max started acting up again yesterday. The steering wheel would vibrate in my hand, or I’d think that the engine sounded a little rough…but when I’d pull over, turn off the radio and concentrate on it, everything appeared fine.

Steve-the-mechanic had said that Max’ new alternator and sensor might cause him to exhibit odd behaviors for the next 300 miles or so “as the computer settles in. And if it does,” he warned, “call me right then and get him in. We won’t charge you to put the car through diagnostics again. But electrical systems are complicated and if there’s something we missed, this is when it’s going to show up.”

So…did this stuff count as an odd behavior? I decided it didn’t, and turned the car for home. Max started to hiccup–like tiny backfires–and the yellow “SERVICE ENGINE SOON” light came on.

Uh-oh. I rang up Steve on the mobile and described what was going on, “…does this count as odd behavior?”

“Yep. How soon can you get here?”

30 minutes later Steve shook his head. “We’re still running the diagnostics, but this doesn’t look good. Something is interfering with the fuel injection and it’s probably the computer.”

Upshot is I don’t have a car for several days, and at the end of next week I won’t have $500, the cost of replacing an odd little valve that isn’t supposed to break, or maybe $1800, the cost of replacing the odd little valve AND the car’s computer. “You can’t drive this car,” Steve said, “Not any distance, anyway, or you’d wind up back on the I5 onramp waiting for a tow.”

We are reaching the point where enough is enough, Max. I appreciate the years of service, but…

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