Musings of a "repair" mind

 

Sometimes, I really wish I was a MAN! And, this thought has not come freely. It’s not a “choice” or an “opinion”. It’s when you need to get down and dirty, to find out what went wrong with your car! That’s when you realize your “dainty” hands and “clueless” brain takes a hit. Not trying to be an MCP or a feminist, but I do admit there are times when you do scream with frustration!

Believe me, there are a lot of things that as a woman, you are proud of. Completing a job and getting it “well done”. But, repairing a CAR is not one of them. How I wish, I had the chance and privilege to look under a bonnet and rip a car apart (if I could). Not like the men are going to volunteer and let me DO that. It’s more like a snowball’s chance in hell.

Battery dead. Starter modem busted. Electrical wiring. Yes. All sounds Greek and Latin to me! But, all these things did happen to me and my poor car. My Fiat Palio went down on Monday, March 12, 2012. It just refused to start. Just sat there looking “pretty” in my garage. No amount of crank ups and jump starts led to happiness. The mechanic said “battery needs to be changed”. What? When? Where? Did get the battery changed but nothing after that, too. Finally, roped in a Electrician. And after a lot of tinkering, banging and standing around the root cause was discovered. The coil inside the starter modem was burnt, shredded and beyond recognition. Now I know what the smoke and burnt smell was when I tried starting the car after the battery was changed!

Here I stand (or sit, as the occasion calls)! I need to get my starter modem changed. Oh, and the gear wire too. Not sure how that got cut in this episode. I love my car, I really do. But, I’m really re-thinking if it can survive the journey going forward. It was born in 2002 and it’s in his 10^th year running. I did have my fair share of it running low. Here is the list of repairs I had done to my lovely:

- Tune-up

- Oil Changes

- Tires changed (From tubes to tubeless). (Also a lot of puncture, included.)

- Struts

- Wheel alignment

- Entire suspension

- Ball bearings

- Rear-view mirrors changed

- Wiper blades changed

So on, and on and on and on!

But, it has stood by me through thick and thin. It has made me independent and a better driver. (Yes, women can be good drivers too). Passed on to me from my brother free of cost. Well, I did pay for the car and the music system, initially. Now I face the typical “Catch 22” situation. I shall now stay true to my heart.

Well for now, I am more confident. I am going to stand strong and stick with my lovely (for now).