Filed under Anecdotes

Last Week…

…did not start well

My Car_Oil Painting

Last Monday on my way into work I looked down at the electronic dash on my car and noticed that the middle panel had gone completely blank!!  It was devoid of information.

When I arrived at work I phoned the place where I normally have it serviced.  They advised me that they didn’t have a diagnostic machine in the local garage and gave me a choice of the two garages in their dealership that could do that for me.  I booked it in to the nearest of the two although I was not happy as neither location was convenient to get my car to and it would have meant taking the day off work.

I then remembered that I had recently noticed an advert for a local dealership.  I found their number and phoned to see if they could help.  They were able to look at it next day if I could leave my car there all day which was not problem. It being local meant that there were lots of options for getting too and from work.  They also concurred with my assessment that it was an electronics failure and if that was the case it would probably be expensive!!

They ran the diagnostics over it and advised a new dash was required.  Expensive, but not quite as expensive as I expected. I left the car there over night as the part was not in stock (no surprise there), but it was delivered the next day.  They also identified a problem with one of my tyres… There is a nail in it which they said was not repairable.  I took that one away to be remedied elsewhere.

When I went to drive away after picking up my car I noticed a blue light on the dash board (the temperature gauge).  I didn’t remember seeing a blue light on the dash before only red and orange warning ones!  It left me wondering if the dashboard had been faulty from the day I bought the car…

…Then there was a week of computer problems at work!

And just top the week off my camera tripod broke whilst I was folding it up after taking photographs to accompany an upcoming post.  I think I can obtain spares for repairs, but I need to check out if they are available for my model.

On the plus side I had a nice day on Saturday visiting my Aunt to celebrate her 89th birthday ;-)

11 Comments CherryPie on Feb 24th 2014

11 Responses to “Last Week…”

  1. There jobs here in United States if you call in and said “I’m having car trouble” you might as well kiss your job good bye.
    Your employer had no trouble taking the time off?

    Coffee is on

    • CherryPie says:

      I didn’t take any time off. I took my car into the dealership before work started and picked it up the following day after work finished.

      If I had taken time off it would have been out of my annual leave allowance.

  2. Astrid says:

    After reading your post, I just shook my head……… Have you ever heard of Mercury Retrograde………. http://www.findyourfate.com/astrology/year2014/2014-mercury-retrograde.html
    No, it is no Hocus Pocus……. at work we have many machinery and I always check when we are in MR, that is the biggest disaster time.
    As you know we bought a Skoda too, and it is one of our local garages.
    I am glad you finished off with a nice day at your Aunt :)
    Nice car BTW :)

    • CherryPie says:

      I had heard of Mercury Retrograde, but didn’t really understand it so thanks for the link :-) That would explain why the week prior to last week was almost as bad as last week!! One of my colleagues at work has been chuckling and commiserating with my adventures that have occurred over the past two weeks…

      My car is very comfortable and lovely to drive :-)

      • Astrid says:

        I am glad to know that your car is back to normal again. Only two colleagues I informed about the MR. One ‘believes’ me the other is kind of septic about it. But I truly believe there is such a thing. In old times, people lived by stars and planets and all of that, and when you pay attention, in the time of MR always something happens. We had many accidents on the road also….

  3. Oh my god?! How could that happen?
    Did that bird fall onto your car?! ;)
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-26331570

    • CherryPie says:

      No that bird was no where near my car and at the speed I was going it wouldn’t have had the same effect (thankfully) ;-)

      I do have a ‘my’ car and bird story though!

      It is from many years ago when cars didn’t rely on electronics and they had large grills in the bonnet…

      I was driving home from work when a small bird flashed past my windscreen and then I hear a loud clunk! I thought ‘oh no’! I didn’t like the thought of having killed a bird and the thought of having to retrieve it from the grill on the front of my car I liked even less.

      When I arrived home I checked out the front of my car. Phew, there was no sign of the bird. Then I heard some strange noises from underneath my bonnet. With a bit of trepidation I lifted the bonnet expecting to see an injured bird.

      I was taken completely by surprise when, as soon as I lifted the bonnet a little bird (it turned out to be a sparrow) flew out into a nearby tree and looked down on me.

  4. james higham says:

    Get a bike, Cherie – it will save you a lot of trouble.

    • CherryPie says:

      I have got one… It just needs a service and I also have to be sure I have regained my balance. Last time I tried it a little bit of Vertigo caused me problems…

  5. Anne says:

    OH Dear ..cars computers and cameras :-( hope you manage to get them all sorted ..my husband had a letter for a recall on his car. ( everyone who owns the same make)..must be the week:-( but as you say you got to celebrate with your Aunt :-)

    • CherryPie says:

      I think maybe Astrid explains why we are having such a week…

      It was lovely to celebrate with my Aunt. She has made a miraculous recovery from her ill health.