First off, to my well-wishers for a Happy Birthday: Thank you. You're very kind.
Next up, Happy Birthday
holyoutlaw! Hal's Random Will Astrology sez: "Congratulations, fellow Cancerian!"
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An explanation for the recent quiet:
We have two cars. They each have about 250K miles on them. One's a 1996 Saturn SL1, bought Christmas Eve 2001 used with about 185K on it at the time. That was bought mostly so (for those who remember) I could drive up and down between Ulrika in Orange County and here in Seattle, thereby skipping airfare and car rental.
The other is a 1994 Saturn SL, of which we've been the sole owners to date.
The '96 developed what LA fan Peter Edick would refer to as, "an expensive noise" a few months back. The transmission had been somewhat reluctant to go into second. Suddenly, it became much more reluctant to go into first -- not good, especially in glacially sculpted Seattle and its many hills.
So today was the appointment with the dealership to examine the transmission. My thought was, it was a bad clutch, and I went in with enough money for that.
I was wrong. $100 of diagnostics later, they think it needs a whole new transmission. For more than what we originally paid for the car (albeit used).
Oops.
Yes, there's the '94, and that's what we've been using as a backup. It doesn't have a Big Thing wrong with it, but it does have lots of Little Things. The most recent example: It's been tending to get very hot in the engine if stuck in traffic. Last week, it was actually beginning to steam as I was waiting out the traffic on just before the 520 bridge.
Thus, my question about Blazing Auto, earlier. I'm looking at Volvos, Subarus, and Saturns (250K miles is a lot of use, after all).
Any input is appreciated re models and/or dealers.
Next up, Happy Birthday
*^*^*
An explanation for the recent quiet:
We have two cars. They each have about 250K miles on them. One's a 1996 Saturn SL1, bought Christmas Eve 2001 used with about 185K on it at the time. That was bought mostly so (for those who remember) I could drive up and down between Ulrika in Orange County and here in Seattle, thereby skipping airfare and car rental.
The other is a 1994 Saturn SL, of which we've been the sole owners to date.
The '96 developed what LA fan Peter Edick would refer to as, "an expensive noise" a few months back. The transmission had been somewhat reluctant to go into second. Suddenly, it became much more reluctant to go into first -- not good, especially in glacially sculpted Seattle and its many hills.
So today was the appointment with the dealership to examine the transmission. My thought was, it was a bad clutch, and I went in with enough money for that.
I was wrong. $100 of diagnostics later, they think it needs a whole new transmission. For more than what we originally paid for the car (albeit used).
Oops.
Yes, there's the '94, and that's what we've been using as a backup. It doesn't have a Big Thing wrong with it, but it does have lots of Little Things. The most recent example: It's been tending to get very hot in the engine if stuck in traffic. Last week, it was actually beginning to steam as I was waiting out the traffic on just before the 520 bridge.
Thus, my question about Blazing Auto, earlier. I'm looking at Volvos, Subarus, and Saturns (250K miles is a lot of use, after all).
Any input is appreciated re models and/or dealers.