Okay so there were FOUR things about my car I was not happy about...three are now successfully fixed .. I fixed two and Kayla helped me FINISH fixing one just tonight. With that said, the fourth one will be fixed when the parts come in "in a few days" . . .
First, the signal lights. This has been a problem since I got the car. First, the left signal light wouldn't work ... last year when I had the oil changed and got it inspected, I asked them to fix the light. Somehow they managed to fix the left one, but ..... the right one stopped working. I even went back to the place to see if they could fix it and they recommended we go to the places that "fix electrical problems" ...not happening. Well fast forward to our miserable slush on the road last week. That salt was not cool. I hadn't washed the car in so long that I don't recall the last wash, but I was not going to allow that salt to stay on it. Kayla and I went through a car wash on Thursday and it was all prettiful - this was before the phone was lost. Then, on Saturday I was telling James about this very topic (four problems I wanted to fix) and to illustrate the first one, I put the right signal on... AND IT WAS WORKING PERFECTLY!! Of course, I immediately tried the left one because it likes to tag team and ::gasp:: they are BOTH now working. (UPDATE: I forgot to add that I think that going through that automatic car wash may have somehow loosened some debris blocking the light connection...not sure)
Second problem. Lonnie-Joy Southern (my brother) and I were with Daddy and Lonnie was leaning on my trunk. I pulled the lever from inside the car and it didn't open the trunk ... and never did again. I was sad and irritated I had to unlock with a key, but I didn't know how to fix it. I looked on the internet and there wasn't a lot about that kind of thing and finally I came upon a post that said, "When I pull the lever, there is some activity at the back because I hear a click, but nothing happens." Well, apparently my vehicle is extremely quiet because I couldn't hear any clicking. I had James pull it while I was back there and it was working....hmmm. Well, I was just really deep in thought on that issue, what could be the problem? I called a couple of auto supply places to see if they had any suggestions. However, because the info you get (if you are not aware) is as good as the person's knowledge of cars, sometimes the information is OUT there, but they don't know it. It is because they don't get trained for every single scenario that could possibly come up and in my vast experiences in life I have found that people really do not care to go out of their way if they don't have to. Of course, if you know me, I'll go too FAR out of the way, but I hate an unsolved riddle. Anyway....they said they saw the cable as a replacement part, but there wasn't any other mechanism back at the lock that they sold. Hmmmm... well ... I got back there and hey why not? I decided to see if the lock thing was loose. Well, it turns out that it was pushed down and I um...flicked it up and then closed the trunk. I went to the seat and popped the trunk and it WORKED!!!! I was so freaking excited that I was almost unable to contain myself. I went in the house to get James who was being a very good student and doing work and NEEDED to not be disturbed, but I couldn't help myself. Although I was screaming inside, I honestly was very calm on the exterior. This blends in with the next problem, and it is almost confusing if I try to talk of them together, but just know this particular time in space will come up again on the next "solution". Anyway, I got him to come outside and I handed him the key and asked him if he'd go open the trunk. Meanwhile, I walk to the latch and as he rounds the car, I pop the trunk..YAY!!! He goes, "You FIXED it?" I said YESSSSSSSSss ...I had to text Lonnie and then I had to mess with Kayla when she got off work. I was quite happy.
Third problem, the light under the gear shifter. Okay so this isn't a big deal, right? Of course it really and truly in the scope of life is NOT a big problem, but I was on a roll of things I wanted to fix and this was the one thing I had been wondering about since I had gotten the car. Why don't I see the PRNDL2? Well, I talked to a woman at Advanced Auto Parts the other night and she told me I'd probably have to take the console out and change it. She suggested that it most likely was a bulb and even though they sell them, they'd have to have me find out "which one". Well, okay sure, no big deal, right? I find a video of a guy working on a 1998 - 2001 Altima. He made it look SO freaking easy..I was like.."I GOT THIS". Well, James and I had a few errands to do, so we had to WAIT...meaning I HAD TO WAIT. I am not very patient people, so this wasn't easy. However, I was able to contain myself...barely. When we finally got home, James started on it for me and he took out some screws and somehow popped the cover to the PRNDL2 thingie out ... but the gear shift trick just won't come out because it is held by two screws as well as this annoying cord that actually puts overdrive on for you - it is built into the shift stick so um... no it doesn't come out without a fight. Well, okay so we go and get the bulb out. Thrilled am I. I go to take Kayla to work and I go ALL OVER Walnut FREAKING Cove to try to find this blasted bulb. Do you think ANYONE in Walnut Cove sells it on a Sunday afternoon? No, no they do not. I am sure Tuttle Hardware or Western Auto may sell it, but they were closed. Anyway, I came home and was sighing a bit. I may even be guilty of pouting. Well, to divert myself, I decided to start on the FOURTH issue which I will discuss in a few. It is the one waiting for parts. Anyway, as I am diverted, I have to find a razor blade and it was precisely that moment that I fixed the trunk latch. I went in the house and was talking to James about finding a razor blade. Well, he is kind of aware that I am a bit um....impatient? And told me that I needed to be careful, there were all kinds of things in that drawer INCLUDING loose razor blades. Well, we look around and he got the blade and replaced it on the thing. Then, I blink and WHAT DO I SEE IN THIS DRAWER!? A freaking BULB! Exact size as the one I need!!!! WOW...amazing..why do we have this bulb in my house? I still don't know. Anyway, I went outside and I swear, considering we are not true mechanics, we didn't disassemble the entire console to complete this job, so well getting the bulb in was tricky because the space was a bit um small. Jordan helped me by getting his tiny fingers in there and putting the bulb in. He even looked up at me and said, "Mom, this would be the advantage to having small children." Well, miracle of all miracles that bulb was not only the right size, but it was also a GOOD bulb and it worked! I turned on the lights and BAM, for the first time ... I got to see PRNDL2 lit up. Again, I have to go bug James because he simply MUST see this, right? Well he was appropriately excited, oohed and aahed and all that and went back to work. I told him "no problem" I can definitely get that thing back together, no biggie, but I chose to get back on project four while there was a bit of daylight left. I wanted to thoroughly clean the console area before reassembling it - I mean how many times do we get to clean DEEP? Anyway, fast forward to me cleaning it and it being dry. I sit there and work and work and work and work and well it just wouldn't go back on. I came in and told James that I couldn't get it. He came outside and tried and after being out about 10 minutes, he came in and said we are going to have to wait until daylight because I am going to break it if I keep trying. We decided it was still working okay, just loose, so why not, right? Well, the next day - yesterday - we tried again. There was no way it was going back in, it simply was not going to fit. How did it come out of a spot it won't go back in? It isn't like it melted and reformed itself, the form was SET. Well, I mulled over this thing and I was VERY unhappy. Add to that the info we got when inquiring about help. James called Modern Nissan and asked them what they'd charge to "simply" pop it back in. How about $96?????? I was like HELL no, I will fix it myself somehow. I am admittedly like a "dog on a bone" when I get something in my head I want to do. I repeatedly tried to put that thing in, but it just wasn't happening. James called a local service station and the guy joked with him and said, "Oh so you want ME to break it?" And we made a time, but I didn't get there because I was slow going yesterday - had to do so many errands and some fun stuff. Anyway, today comes and well it is still not good. It is loose and I'm not happy. I go to school and on my way back I stop at two separate service stations. One place flatly told me they were "too busy" to even look at it. The second one had the guy come out and look at it and tell me that it would take at the least 30 minutes, at the most 45 minutes and he charges $80/hour. I looked at him like he had sprouted a second nose. I told him I'd mess with it a few more days and if I couldn't get it, I'd be back. I mean, he at least came out and looked at it and told me. Oh, and by the way, he said, "This is just a jigsaw puzzle." ... ummm challenge ACCEPTED. I got home and I was running out of daylight. I was determined though...SOMETHING was going down...I'd either fix it or um..mess it up? I used another word I won't put here. Anyway, I came into the house and told Kayla I'd love for her to come help me. She was less than thrilled. In fact, the look on her face was one that kind of implied I asked her to do an autopsy on herself while breathing. I wasn't going to be deterred though, so I went outside and got my flat screwdriver, the Phillips screwdriver I bought yesterday just for this purpose, and the flashlight. I got in the passenger's seat because my perception was that the problem was with the right side of that stupid part. I worked for a good 30 minutes and then I looked up and here comes my little helper. She had no intention whatsoever in actually HELPING, though. She wanted to vent. Then she went back in the house which just irritated me because I could seriously have used a flashlight holder at this point. Well I worked a few more minutes and then here she comes again. WANTING A FAVOR?!?! I looked at her like..oh REALLY? A favor for you, you say? I think NOT...how about helping ME?! Anyway, she was intrigued at my inability to get the thing in and "tried" ... to help me. Turns out, she was able to channel my Mama - the woman who could fix ANYTHING - and with a bit of help and a couple of mis-tries, she goes, "Oh, just hold this piece up and the light here and I think I can do it!" At this point really, what do I have to lose? That rascal maneuvered that thing into place. One thing fit, then another, then another and I was like YAYYYYYYY and well I didn't have confetti, but if I had..it would have been all OVER that car! So I told her she had channeled her inner Granny. (THANK YOU Mama - Mary). Okay so that is done and I will try to post pics of before and after.
The fourth problem is the longest running and had been kind of fixed before but never properly. Again, I had asked for a quote and it was something like $100. This time it is the back window to the rear driver's side door. The reason it is messed up is that I got the bright idea to "break into" the car and open it with sacrificing that one little window when keys could not be found. It was an excellent plan at the time I made it because there was NO WAY I was paying for a locksmith to come out and do it. Long story short, I removed that window, popped the trunk, removed the trunk lock and took it to a locksmith in Winston-Salem that made me three keys from the lock. I thought it would be simple to put that window back in, but it wasn't, so for the entire time I have driven it, the window has been in there without the proper security. I had, at one time - put some clear caulking type material on it so that it would be sealed, but I had to break in another time so it was kind of gone. However, the little clips that hold the trim on had been broken when we first got the window off and I never really got those fixed. By the way, the reason I needed a razor on Sunday was to remove the nasty looking caulking off the window. Anyway, the only big thing with this one issue is that I need the clips replaced and apparently the ONLY place that sells those is the dreaded "dealership" which kind of scares me to think about because that normally means MONEY..the other option, of course, would be going to a junk yard. Well if you go to a junk yard, how do you know you won't break them getting them off the junk car? Well I broke down and called the dealership. These clips cost $0.90/each ..I need five..WOW. That was probably the best break I had in this whole deal. The clerk ordered them for me and said they'd be in "in a few days" so I am hoping that I have it fixed by next week this time.
Phew, that's it . . . I am feeling very accomplished and really enjoy my "fixes". I can't wait to actually drive with the gearshift in the right place ..whew! ... til later
First, the signal lights. This has been a problem since I got the car. First, the left signal light wouldn't work ... last year when I had the oil changed and got it inspected, I asked them to fix the light. Somehow they managed to fix the left one, but ..... the right one stopped working. I even went back to the place to see if they could fix it and they recommended we go to the places that "fix electrical problems" ...not happening. Well fast forward to our miserable slush on the road last week. That salt was not cool. I hadn't washed the car in so long that I don't recall the last wash, but I was not going to allow that salt to stay on it. Kayla and I went through a car wash on Thursday and it was all prettiful - this was before the phone was lost. Then, on Saturday I was telling James about this very topic (four problems I wanted to fix) and to illustrate the first one, I put the right signal on... AND IT WAS WORKING PERFECTLY!! Of course, I immediately tried the left one because it likes to tag team and ::gasp:: they are BOTH now working. (UPDATE: I forgot to add that I think that going through that automatic car wash may have somehow loosened some debris blocking the light connection...not sure)
Second problem. Lonnie-Joy Southern (my brother) and I were with Daddy and Lonnie was leaning on my trunk. I pulled the lever from inside the car and it didn't open the trunk ... and never did again. I was sad and irritated I had to unlock with a key, but I didn't know how to fix it. I looked on the internet and there wasn't a lot about that kind of thing and finally I came upon a post that said, "When I pull the lever, there is some activity at the back because I hear a click, but nothing happens." Well, apparently my vehicle is extremely quiet because I couldn't hear any clicking. I had James pull it while I was back there and it was working....hmmm. Well, I was just really deep in thought on that issue, what could be the problem? I called a couple of auto supply places to see if they had any suggestions. However, because the info you get (if you are not aware) is as good as the person's knowledge of cars, sometimes the information is OUT there, but they don't know it. It is because they don't get trained for every single scenario that could possibly come up and in my vast experiences in life I have found that people really do not care to go out of their way if they don't have to. Of course, if you know me, I'll go too FAR out of the way, but I hate an unsolved riddle. Anyway....they said they saw the cable as a replacement part, but there wasn't any other mechanism back at the lock that they sold. Hmmmm... well ... I got back there and hey why not? I decided to see if the lock thing was loose. Well, it turns out that it was pushed down and I um...flicked it up and then closed the trunk. I went to the seat and popped the trunk and it WORKED!!!! I was so freaking excited that I was almost unable to contain myself. I went in the house to get James who was being a very good student and doing work and NEEDED to not be disturbed, but I couldn't help myself. Although I was screaming inside, I honestly was very calm on the exterior. This blends in with the next problem, and it is almost confusing if I try to talk of them together, but just know this particular time in space will come up again on the next "solution". Anyway, I got him to come outside and I handed him the key and asked him if he'd go open the trunk. Meanwhile, I walk to the latch and as he rounds the car, I pop the trunk..YAY!!! He goes, "You FIXED it?" I said YESSSSSSSSss ...I had to text Lonnie and then I had to mess with Kayla when she got off work. I was quite happy.
Third problem, the light under the gear shifter. Okay so this isn't a big deal, right? Of course it really and truly in the scope of life is NOT a big problem, but I was on a roll of things I wanted to fix and this was the one thing I had been wondering about since I had gotten the car. Why don't I see the PRNDL2? Well, I talked to a woman at Advanced Auto Parts the other night and she told me I'd probably have to take the console out and change it. She suggested that it most likely was a bulb and even though they sell them, they'd have to have me find out "which one". Well, okay sure, no big deal, right? I find a video of a guy working on a 1998 - 2001 Altima. He made it look SO freaking easy..I was like.."I GOT THIS". Well, James and I had a few errands to do, so we had to WAIT...meaning I HAD TO WAIT. I am not very patient people, so this wasn't easy. However, I was able to contain myself...barely. When we finally got home, James started on it for me and he took out some screws and somehow popped the cover to the PRNDL2 thingie out ... but the gear shift trick just won't come out because it is held by two screws as well as this annoying cord that actually puts overdrive on for you - it is built into the shift stick so um... no it doesn't come out without a fight. Well, okay so we go and get the bulb out. Thrilled am I. I go to take Kayla to work and I go ALL OVER Walnut FREAKING Cove to try to find this blasted bulb. Do you think ANYONE in Walnut Cove sells it on a Sunday afternoon? No, no they do not. I am sure Tuttle Hardware or Western Auto may sell it, but they were closed. Anyway, I came home and was sighing a bit. I may even be guilty of pouting. Well, to divert myself, I decided to start on the FOURTH issue which I will discuss in a few. It is the one waiting for parts. Anyway, as I am diverted, I have to find a razor blade and it was precisely that moment that I fixed the trunk latch. I went in the house and was talking to James about finding a razor blade. Well, he is kind of aware that I am a bit um....impatient? And told me that I needed to be careful, there were all kinds of things in that drawer INCLUDING loose razor blades. Well, we look around and he got the blade and replaced it on the thing. Then, I blink and WHAT DO I SEE IN THIS DRAWER!? A freaking BULB! Exact size as the one I need!!!! WOW...amazing..why do we have this bulb in my house? I still don't know. Anyway, I went outside and I swear, considering we are not true mechanics, we didn't disassemble the entire console to complete this job, so well getting the bulb in was tricky because the space was a bit um small. Jordan helped me by getting his tiny fingers in there and putting the bulb in. He even looked up at me and said, "Mom, this would be the advantage to having small children." Well, miracle of all miracles that bulb was not only the right size, but it was also a GOOD bulb and it worked! I turned on the lights and BAM, for the first time ... I got to see PRNDL2 lit up. Again, I have to go bug James because he simply MUST see this, right? Well he was appropriately excited, oohed and aahed and all that and went back to work. I told him "no problem" I can definitely get that thing back together, no biggie, but I chose to get back on project four while there was a bit of daylight left. I wanted to thoroughly clean the console area before reassembling it - I mean how many times do we get to clean DEEP? Anyway, fast forward to me cleaning it and it being dry. I sit there and work and work and work and work and well it just wouldn't go back on. I came in and told James that I couldn't get it. He came outside and tried and after being out about 10 minutes, he came in and said we are going to have to wait until daylight because I am going to break it if I keep trying. We decided it was still working okay, just loose, so why not, right? Well, the next day - yesterday - we tried again. There was no way it was going back in, it simply was not going to fit. How did it come out of a spot it won't go back in? It isn't like it melted and reformed itself, the form was SET. Well, I mulled over this thing and I was VERY unhappy. Add to that the info we got when inquiring about help. James called Modern Nissan and asked them what they'd charge to "simply" pop it back in. How about $96?????? I was like HELL no, I will fix it myself somehow. I am admittedly like a "dog on a bone" when I get something in my head I want to do. I repeatedly tried to put that thing in, but it just wasn't happening. James called a local service station and the guy joked with him and said, "Oh so you want ME to break it?" And we made a time, but I didn't get there because I was slow going yesterday - had to do so many errands and some fun stuff. Anyway, today comes and well it is still not good. It is loose and I'm not happy. I go to school and on my way back I stop at two separate service stations. One place flatly told me they were "too busy" to even look at it. The second one had the guy come out and look at it and tell me that it would take at the least 30 minutes, at the most 45 minutes and he charges $80/hour. I looked at him like he had sprouted a second nose. I told him I'd mess with it a few more days and if I couldn't get it, I'd be back. I mean, he at least came out and looked at it and told me. Oh, and by the way, he said, "This is just a jigsaw puzzle." ... ummm challenge ACCEPTED. I got home and I was running out of daylight. I was determined though...SOMETHING was going down...I'd either fix it or um..mess it up? I used another word I won't put here. Anyway, I came into the house and told Kayla I'd love for her to come help me. She was less than thrilled. In fact, the look on her face was one that kind of implied I asked her to do an autopsy on herself while breathing. I wasn't going to be deterred though, so I went outside and got my flat screwdriver, the Phillips screwdriver I bought yesterday just for this purpose, and the flashlight. I got in the passenger's seat because my perception was that the problem was with the right side of that stupid part. I worked for a good 30 minutes and then I looked up and here comes my little helper. She had no intention whatsoever in actually HELPING, though. She wanted to vent. Then she went back in the house which just irritated me because I could seriously have used a flashlight holder at this point. Well I worked a few more minutes and then here she comes again. WANTING A FAVOR?!?! I looked at her like..oh REALLY? A favor for you, you say? I think NOT...how about helping ME?! Anyway, she was intrigued at my inability to get the thing in and "tried" ... to help me. Turns out, she was able to channel my Mama - the woman who could fix ANYTHING - and with a bit of help and a couple of mis-tries, she goes, "Oh, just hold this piece up and the light here and I think I can do it!" At this point really, what do I have to lose? That rascal maneuvered that thing into place. One thing fit, then another, then another and I was like YAYYYYYYY and well I didn't have confetti, but if I had..it would have been all OVER that car! So I told her she had channeled her inner Granny. (THANK YOU Mama - Mary). Okay so that is done and I will try to post pics of before and after.
The fourth problem is the longest running and had been kind of fixed before but never properly. Again, I had asked for a quote and it was something like $100. This time it is the back window to the rear driver's side door. The reason it is messed up is that I got the bright idea to "break into" the car and open it with sacrificing that one little window when keys could not be found. It was an excellent plan at the time I made it because there was NO WAY I was paying for a locksmith to come out and do it. Long story short, I removed that window, popped the trunk, removed the trunk lock and took it to a locksmith in Winston-Salem that made me three keys from the lock. I thought it would be simple to put that window back in, but it wasn't, so for the entire time I have driven it, the window has been in there without the proper security. I had, at one time - put some clear caulking type material on it so that it would be sealed, but I had to break in another time so it was kind of gone. However, the little clips that hold the trim on had been broken when we first got the window off and I never really got those fixed. By the way, the reason I needed a razor on Sunday was to remove the nasty looking caulking off the window. Anyway, the only big thing with this one issue is that I need the clips replaced and apparently the ONLY place that sells those is the dreaded "dealership" which kind of scares me to think about because that normally means MONEY..the other option, of course, would be going to a junk yard. Well if you go to a junk yard, how do you know you won't break them getting them off the junk car? Well I broke down and called the dealership. These clips cost $0.90/each ..I need five..WOW. That was probably the best break I had in this whole deal. The clerk ordered them for me and said they'd be in "in a few days" so I am hoping that I have it fixed by next week this time.
Phew, that's it . . . I am feeling very accomplished and really enjoy my "fixes". I can't wait to actually drive with the gearshift in the right place ..whew! ... til later
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