I saw that fucking little light come on in my Subaru this morning while driving down I-80. I was sipping my spiritually nourishing coffee (I can feel the flow of my morning coffee touch every molecule in my body and it is decaf. I love really good coffee.), I was listening to NPR and in a gentle mood. I looked down and the fuel light came on. My mind slowly thought of upcoming off-ramps and which had gas stations. A few minutes and one NPR story later, a second light came on. This light has never come on in over 100,000 miles.
CHECK
ENGINE
It didn't blink. It just stayed on. A very quick, one word version of "Ohshitfuck!" slipped from my lips. I instantly got that prickle shock of fear, dread, and danger to my financial well being that the light usually signifies.
I found a gas station, parked, ran my debit card, and started gassing up the Subbie. I dug out the owner's manual to see how bad the news was. If the light isn't blinking, take it immediately to an authorized Subaru dealer. FUCK!
It also mentioned that if the light came on shortly after filling the gas tank it could be the cap is not on tight enough. It came on at the end of the tank of gas, not the beginning. FUCK!
This afternoon I am going to take it my mechanic. He has the fancy $10,000 computer that will talk to my car's computer and discuss what the problem is. I am hoping it is an O2 sensor. Cheap and easy.
The computers in our cars are far more powerful than the computers that were on the Apollo moon missions. Diagnosis is faster and easier than ever. My old 1970 truck is completely analog. When something goes wrong with it, my mechanic or I have to spend a lot of time thinking, "It could be this, or this, or that. Let me disconnect this spark plug and tighten that while you adjust the throttle. If it acts this way, then it is that problem." Not as simple as a computer saying, "the engine misfired at 3000rpm due to faulty injector number 3."
I am jealous of the my car's instant answers. For the past few years, my personal "CHECK ENGINE" light has flickered on and off. I learned to put a piece of mental black tape over the light to ignore it, but I know it still comes on.
Right now, I am wondering what is broken in my life. What do I need to get fixed? I need to lose 10 lbs. Exercise is a great idea. My eating habits could be improved. My sleeping is bad. My marriage is rolling along like a ship in the waves of the stormy ocean, but at least the bow is pointed into them. My artistic angst is there, but I find I need that or I don't do anything. I am nervous about being laid off. My backyard is a mess and could use a few hard days of labor to make it presentable. My credit cards are paid off (hooray!)
So, why is my personal "CHECK ENGINE" light on? On my car, that little light instructs you to get off your ass and get it to a mechanic, ASAP. Maybe that is what my personal light is telling me too.
Dr. L wrote a great post about a her thoughts on a similar issue.
We can wait around for Godot, that someone or something to come along and give us "the answer," to bring meaning to our lives. Or we can get up off our butts and go forward to find it.
My wife has a great saying for times of indecision. I don't know if she created it or who thought of it. "You need to either shit or get off the pot." It is very crude and blunt, but effective.
So, where is that cool computer that can talk to my personal "CHECK ENGINE" light? I guess I am as analog as my old truck and am going to have to tinker with my life until I find the solutions. Damn, I wish had an owner's manual for that.
ENGINE
It didn't blink. It just stayed on. A very quick, one word version of "Ohshitfuck!" slipped from my lips. I instantly got that prickle shock of fear, dread, and danger to my financial well being that the light usually signifies.
I found a gas station, parked, ran my debit card, and started gassing up the Subbie. I dug out the owner's manual to see how bad the news was. If the light isn't blinking, take it immediately to an authorized Subaru dealer. FUCK!
It also mentioned that if the light came on shortly after filling the gas tank it could be the cap is not on tight enough. It came on at the end of the tank of gas, not the beginning. FUCK!
This afternoon I am going to take it my mechanic. He has the fancy $10,000 computer that will talk to my car's computer and discuss what the problem is. I am hoping it is an O2 sensor. Cheap and easy.
The computers in our cars are far more powerful than the computers that were on the Apollo moon missions. Diagnosis is faster and easier than ever. My old 1970 truck is completely analog. When something goes wrong with it, my mechanic or I have to spend a lot of time thinking, "It could be this, or this, or that. Let me disconnect this spark plug and tighten that while you adjust the throttle. If it acts this way, then it is that problem." Not as simple as a computer saying, "the engine misfired at 3000rpm due to faulty injector number 3."
I am jealous of the my car's instant answers. For the past few years, my personal "CHECK ENGINE" light has flickered on and off. I learned to put a piece of mental black tape over the light to ignore it, but I know it still comes on.
Right now, I am wondering what is broken in my life. What do I need to get fixed? I need to lose 10 lbs. Exercise is a great idea. My eating habits could be improved. My sleeping is bad. My marriage is rolling along like a ship in the waves of the stormy ocean, but at least the bow is pointed into them. My artistic angst is there, but I find I need that or I don't do anything. I am nervous about being laid off. My backyard is a mess and could use a few hard days of labor to make it presentable. My credit cards are paid off (hooray!)
So, why is my personal "CHECK ENGINE" light on? On my car, that little light instructs you to get off your ass and get it to a mechanic, ASAP. Maybe that is what my personal light is telling me too.
Dr. L wrote a great post about a her thoughts on a similar issue.
We can wait around for Godot, that someone or something to come along and give us "the answer," to bring meaning to our lives. Or we can get up off our butts and go forward to find it.
My wife has a great saying for times of indecision. I don't know if she created it or who thought of it. "You need to either shit or get off the pot." It is very crude and blunt, but effective.
So, where is that cool computer that can talk to my personal "CHECK ENGINE" light? I guess I am as analog as my old truck and am going to have to tinker with my life until I find the solutions. Damn, I wish had an owner's manual for that.
A little side note of interest: I own and drive a 2006 Subaru Forester. My wife leases a 2007 Subaru Impreza Outback. Very weird here. Good luck with the car. I really love mine. haven't felt this way about an automobile since I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteI love my Legacy Outback. It turned out to be a EGR issue. The mechanic is not worried and thinks the car had hiccup. He reset the code and told me to drive it around more and if it happens again, he will look it. I hope it is that simple.
ReplyDeleteShit or get off the pot is an old adage, right up there with "I'm up shit crik without a paddle." We all know what these things mean!
ReplyDeleteI spent about a hundred bucks this December to find out my engine light came on. The Toyota people think it was because I didn't properly secure the cap on my gas tank.
It has been a difficult winter for everyone. We just have to keep moving forward, so the mechanic is right - keep driving!