They said it wouldn't make any difference.
So I'm grooving up the 405 and the check engine light comes on.
Now in the old days, there was not such a thing. But as cars started to feature them, it turned out that many times it was just a matter of a loose gas cap. But I knew that was not the case, because I'm anal about these things, I screw the cap down tight... As a matter of fact, it takes all of my willpower not to overtighten things. Like the crown on my watch... Turns out that as long as it's screwed down at all, it's waterproof, but I only learned that after I stripped the threads and had to send it in for repair, thank god it was under warranty. And then there was that ski rack back in the sixties, the first one my father bought. He was the least handy man on the planet, so I installed it, very easy, but I kept tightening the nuts and...it still continued to work, but turns out the soft metal was no match for my arm strength.
But I just had the car serviced! I'd only driven a couple of hundred miles, not even that!
Now at this late date the consequences of a check engine light are up in the air. Some people say you can drive for eons with no harm, others say you're going to burn up the engine, so I decided to drive down to the Subaru dealer where I bring my Saab which is really a Subaru to have them take a look. After all, it was their fault, right?
Back when I owned BMWs... You always had to go back. By time you got the car home from service you noticed a problem. And now I'm always anxious when I pick my car up from service, will it really be fixed? Even worse, will they break something that was fine when I drove in?
And I pull up, expecting instant attention, and they say I've got to leave the car... But it gets worse... This was Thursday afternoon, they couldn't look at it until MONDAY!
Huh?
That's how successful Subaru now is. #1 in reliability in the latest ratings. However, for me, that's hard to believe, in my heart Toyota is still the best. But Subarus are selling like hotcakes and although they don't break the service volume is going up and...
I'm thinking this is ridiculous. But then I contemplate my schedule, if I don't drop it off now...
And they actually get back to me on Tuesday. Thank god I could drive Felice's car in the interim. And they tell me I need an oxygen sensor and an air filter.
Actually, the report says "Mass Air Flow Sensor," that's the technical term. And they send me pictures and everything. It's all done by text these days, very efficient. And the Mass Air Flow Sensor/oxygen sensor can be fixed for $383.75. The only problem is my car is so damn old they have to order the part. They've got the air filter, but that's only $39.95.
Of course I say yes. I'm not going to cheap out. I mean if the light came on...
And the car is now supposed to be ready on Friday, which it is, but they do a once-over and now they say two axle boots are cracked and leaking and they can be fixed for $671.82. Do I want to do it?
That's one thing about owning a Subaru instead of a German car. Subarus are cheap, so the people who own them are usually not rich, so oftentimes they turn down recommendations, either they can't afford it or they'll take the risk. And my instinct is to do the repair, and after doing a bit of Googling I find out I've got to do it, so I say yes. And they tell me the car will definitely be ready on Monday, ten days after I dropped it off.
Seems reasonable, then again...
So I'm about to do a podcast yesterday and I get a text, the car is ready. I should text them when I'm going to come down.
Which I do, when I'm done with the podcast.
And then Felice takes me down to the dealership... And at this point, I know the service writer, I can tell you about his marriage, their decision not to have kids, I don't feel like I'm being ripped-off, and he starts giving me an explanation of the repairs.
Now I don't doubt their necessity, but I am interested in what went on. I'm an expert on everything that's broken in a car, primarily because so much broke in my BMW 2002, even the steering wheel.
And although the money is already in the rearview mirror, the question is...should I cashier this car, get a new one?
My Saab 9-2x is 20 years old, last June. It's only got 125,000 miles on it, but nothing lasts forever. I don't want to buy a new car, because I drive mine so little and it sits on the street, out in the elements, but I will if I have to. I don't want to throw away good money, which I did with my BMW 325e, spending $2500 just before I realized I needed a new car. Maybe this is part of the process, maybe you have to spend before you bite the bullet, give up and buy a new car.
And at this point, with recent services, the total bill is close to 3k. Now I've lost track of what money is worth. In the old days, 3k...if that was the repair estimate you'd buy a new car! But today, car prices have gone through the roof. And I always rationalize it by the amount of a lease payment. I'm not going to lease, but if I did, how many months would it take to get my money back. And at this point even a reasonable lease is $750, so if I can drive the car for five months, I'm even. Never mind the money I save on registration and insurance. And the last time I did this, I needed to drive the car for a year to break even, and I was anxious, but the car didn't need anything but oil changes for five years, so I ended up way ahead of the game.
But now the car is twenty years old.
So what's up with the axle boots?
Turns out this car has eight.
WHAT?
I'm adding the figures up in my mind. Rubber doesn't last forever. You see very few decades-old cars on the road, this is why.
But then the advisor tells me not to worry, because these two axle boots failed because of the heat. They're on either side of the differential, right by the engine. And if I didn't fix them, then the differential would go next.
But since it's a four wheel drive car, there's another differential in the back, what about that?
Well, there's no heat back there, so I should be good.
So what else is wrong with the car? And he swears nothing, absolutely nothing, but you never know about tomorrow.
And there are people who drive cars 200 or 300,000 miles. My car is a baby by those standards. But age...just like people, cars don't last forever.
And then he tells me about the oxygen sensor. It meters the ratio of air to fuel. Makes sense, but funny that the check engine light went off now, just after the car was serviced. I'm not complaining, but... Seems odd I'd be cruising at 65 on the freeway and the light would come on.
And he explains what the oxygen sensor does, adjusts the ratio of air to fuel, and that's when I ask him whether it will affect performance.
And he chuckles and says no. But that I might get better gas mileage.
BETTER GAS MILEAGE?
This car gets HORRIFIC gas mileage. It's not a Ferrari, but in town...about 17. On the highway only you might get in the low twenties... But the bottom line is the car is paid for, to trade it in for a new one to save money on gas...that doesn't make any sense.
And after pulling off the lot, I drive away anxious. Just waiting for a light to come on, for something to be wrong.
And I'm checking the time... They give you a free car wash down the street, and I've got to get gas after that, but if there's a problem will they still be open when I return?
I'd brought the car in dirty and about as empty as it gets. I'll be honest, I don't wash my car that often. It's black and it sits outside and it's a futile effort. As for gas... I was going to fill up on the way there, but time was a-wasting and...
I believe if the car is clean and full they respect it, give better service, but that's probably OCD.
And getting behind the wheel of this twenty year old car, I immediately notice how tight the steering is, how the car is planted.
Now I'd been driving Felice's Mercedes. Her Lexus got totaled, she wanted to buy another one, but they don't make her model anymore, just SUVs, and she doesn't want one of those.
So we call my nephew Andrew, car salesman extraordinaire, then at MBZ, and ask him what's up. He knows the landscape. And the bottom line is that almost everybody leases a Mercedes and they come back after three years and only the best are certified and resold. The rest they auction off. If it's been in an accident, it's auctioned.
So the inventory keeps on rolling. And when Felice decides to take action, there's a 350 with literally every option, from the moving seats (the bolsters tighten up on the curves), to the heads-up display, to the self-parking and... Every MBZ is different. Somebody ordered one maxed-out. But you don't really pay extra for these features when buying off lease. And sure, it's a Mercedes, and they're not trouble-free and service is expensive (Felice just got an oil change for five hundred bucks), but...
Get behind the wheel of this car and you're living. It's like a bank vault. Quiet! A BMW might handle a bit better, but an MBZ is more planted, more solid. I'm behind the wheel of that car and I feel like a king. I love it.
So now I'm behind the wheel of my sh*tbox, and one thing is for sure, it's NOISY! Even after I installed Acousti-Mat in the floor so the stereo would sound better.
Now that's one difference between my car and Felice's. She's got the upgraded Burmester stereo, pretty damn good, but I've got top of the line stuff in my piece of crap. The best Focals all around, a subwoofer, a JL amplifier and a replacement Alpine head unit. That's one thing I'd miss if I purchased a new car, the stereo. No manufacturer makes one as good as I have. Furthermore, installing an aftermarket unit in a new car... They're so computerized that you can replace the speakers, maybe get an amplifier to interface, but you can't replace the head unit and it's all very expensive.
But as good as my car stereo is, my car is still noisy.
And I'm on pins and needles driving home, just waiting for something to f*ck up. It doesn't, but...
And then last night I go out to the Palisades, the trail is now open after the fire. And as you drive further and further west on Sunset there's less and less traffic and I'm doing my best not to exceed the speed limit, but as I'm going around the curves...
That's why I own this car, which is really a gussied-up Subaru WRX, with a few STI features. Four wheel drive not for the traction, but for the performance, which is amazing. But that's all that's amazing... There's no computer, none of the features you take for granted on a new car.
And today I've got to drive to Santa Monica. And I get on the 405 and the traffic is tight and I mash the accelerator and...THE CAR TAKES OFF!
Wow, it really moves!
The turbo doesn't kick in until about 3,500 RPM, but when it does, you get a jolt. But with the new oxygen sensor, there's truly a jolt, the car BLASTS OFF!
And now I'm starting to smile. Should I merge into a slower lane?
NO, because I know I can speed up instantly to get into that space down the road.
And then on my return trip, I'm on Wilshire, heading for the freeway, and you know how drivers are today, hesitant and on their phones, so...
I decide to get in the right lane, the slow lane, and I punch it and not only do I pass a bunch of cars on the left, I make the light when no one else does.
And I'm accelerating through the curves, and then I get to the circular on-ramp, and with a suspension like this you can just push it and push it and when I merge onto the freeway...I don't have to wait for all the turkeys to figure out what they're doing, I just hit the accelerator, twist the wheel and move over a lane.
And now I'm truly happy. Wondering how long this car is really going to last.
Really, I should leave it in Vail, four wheel drive Subarus are the Colorado state automobile.
But I need a ride at home, and you can't really get away with a used car for much less than forty, not one you'd want to drive that won't immediately break.
But it's twenty years old!
But I'm living in the moment. The car is driving like it's absolutely brand new. You know, Japanese cars are not like American ones, they don't loosen up as they age. I forgot how much of a kick the turbo gave in this car. I mean with the new oxygen sensor I'm only talking about five, maybe a ten percent top end boost of the turbo, but I can feel it.
And at this point I'm glad it's a stick. I went to Craig's one night and I came out and there was my car, parked right up front... I almost felt embarrassed, the paint job sucks. I asked what was up. Turns out the guy who can drive a stick already went home!
You've got to take pleasure in the little things these days.
I love it when my gear runs right. I want my skis and boots to be PERFECT! Because you can tell the difference. My boots...last year they updated the model for the first time in decades. Stunningly, they perform even better. When I go into a turn I can feel it. Bootfitters.com always says they're the gold standard, the best you can buy...but not everybody buys them... People buy a lot of crap. But oftentimes the best is no more expensive than the crap, you've just got to do a little research.
And I bought this car because of the performance. I couldn't drive a Camry, even a Lexus after owning a BMW. And it delivered, if only on that note. And now, after getting a new oxygen sensor...IT STILL DOES!
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