Is there anything more frustrating than car troubles?
This morning I bid my car farewell as it began its short journey to the dealership for repair. It was my first experience having a car towed. Other than the good-looking tow truck driver, it wasn’t as exciting as I imagined.
Last night the girls and I piled in the car to attend my son’s orchestra concert, and when I turned the key I got a frying electronic sound, a spark, and no engine coming on. Two more attempts produced the same results.
These things only happen:
- After car places are closed for the night.
- When I have a packed schedule of places to be.
I Need A Rental Car
Patiently waiting in line, turns out I was behind the area manager for Starbucks. After mentioning my addiction to that place, I informed him that I own at least 2 chairs at my local shop.
Taking pity on me (I guess because of my addiction issue), the Enterprise rental manager gave me a free upgrade to an SUV. Sweet! Happy to have access to a car again, I headed off to run a few errands.
Noob Driver Alert
Immediately I noticed the engine was revving up to 6 RPM before struggling to shift to the next gear. Since I wasn’t driving a race car, I thought that was kind of odd and considered turning around. Instead I went to the grocery store and took the dog to the groomers.
An hour later I was convinced there was something seriously wrong with the transmission, so I returned to the rental office.
“I think something is wrong with the car,” I stated while handing back the keys.
With all the gentleness of a Kindergarten teacher, he replied “You might be driving it wrong.”
“Really?” How could I be driving it wrong? I have over 25 years of driving experience under my belt.
At his request, I got in the car and put it in drive.
“You are in manual mode.”
“What? Manual?”
I learned to drive using a stick shift and drove one for about 10 years. Arriving at the DMV as a teen, I found the instructor bewildered because no one ever shows up in a manual for their license test. Needless to say I only had to drive half the course before he stamped “PASS” on my file.
Turns out some new cars have a manual mode. I was in first gear…all morning long…about 25 miles worth of errands. Nicccceeeee. I felt sooooo stupid.
See the +/- on the left. That’s the manual section.
This is a public service announcement. If this saves one experienced driver from feeling like they are 16 again, my job is done.
I’m trying to understand when you would want to be in manual mode unless you live in the Rocky Mountain area.
Grabbing my shades, I’m off to test out manual mode and rev up the engine in my cool sports car. Can’t you just see this soccer mom car peeling away at a light?
P.S. I’m taking applications for a best friend who is also a mechanic. This is due to the fact that dealership called to tell me my car arrived safely…and started right up.
Am I the only one that didn’t know about this?
LOL!!! We all have our moments!
Once, after being gone for a week at a work conference I got back to my car at the airport parking lot it didn’t start. I turned the key and nothing happened. The radio and lights came on fine, so I was sure it wasn’t the battery and there was plenty of gas. One of my coworkers walked up to the attendant booth to ask them to call for help. As she was doing this, I suddenly realized that I had gotten so used to driving an automatic car the past week that I forgot MY car was a manual drive. As soon as I remembered to push the clutch in, the car started right up. We had a good laugh and then drove up to the attendant to let her know we wouldn’t need any help after all.
Twitter: findingthehumor
says:
Ha Ha!!! I think I would forget that too it has been so long. Funny because it isn’t the low/high manual gears on most cars (marked 1 and 2). There was even a button on the dash for hills so I figured that was the low gear. Such a strange thing…never occurred to me that it was anything but normal drive.
Twitter: johngarrettx
says:
I don’t think I would have known about the manual thing!
Let me guess on your car…security system? That’s what mine does.
Every once in a while the car will decided it is being stolen and disable the fuel pump. At that point you have to leave the key in and let it sit for 15 minutes before you can try again.
Oh yeah, one time the car decided it was being stolen while I was on the freeway doing 75mph. Yay!
Luckily I was able to drive like Vin Deisel so I pulled it over as it was losing all steerability. Geesh, the things I go through just to get some hot dogs and a case of Colt 45!
Anyway, good luck finding that mechanic friend. when you find one send him up here, too!
John recently posted..Hypertransitory Monday Comics #7 – The Commander Series pt 2!
Twitter: findingthehumor
says:
Oh wow. That’s scary. LOL on the way to get some Colt 45.
Twitter: allandouglasdgn
says:
Sorry for your troubles, Mel – especially that “started right up” bit. I hate it when that happens. Now what? Get the car back and hope it continues to work? Leave it at the repair place until they get it to repeat and fix it? That could take a long time!
I love Enterprise. Every time we rent a car for a road trip (we own and OLD pick-up that we don’t trust for long trips) we use Enterprise and have been very happy with them.
Our last time out I did encounter the manual mode capable transmission. However, I spotted that extra position on the shifter right off and investigated, otherwise I may have followed your example. Sometimes you just want to get racy, I guess, and having a car that will play along could be fun.
I’d still prefer to have a manual transmission – but the wife has never driven a stick, so we keep to the auto. I’d teach her, but she’s afraid of having to get going from a stop light with a manual in the mountains. Roll-back’s you know. That does take some finesse!
Hope you resolve the issues soon, in the mean time crank up the tunes and rev ‘er up, racy!
Allan Douglas recently posted..The Sound of Sirens
Twitter: findingthehumor
says:
Ha Ha I remember learning in the manual and being terrified about starting on a hill. I always gave it too much gas just to be sure. Manual is more fun I agree.
I keep wondering if we would be better off riding around on horses, but I’m sure I would find some way to screw that up too.
Lisa recently posted..Halloween Costume Series: Drug Addict
Just read your post then got into my car to run an errand. Sure enough, there’s this barely visible black on black area near the D setting. Who knew? Obviously not us.
Margaret Reyes Dempsey recently posted..Ramblings on Running
Twitter: findingthehumor
says:
I’m going to miss that little car. I chickened out on trying the manual mode because…well there is no clutch and I wasn’t sure how that works.
Hi Melinda and Margaret,
This whole manual thing is so bazaar. My daughter bought a demo car from the dealer that has that little thingie on the gear shifter. She didn’t know what it was and has not used it (she has owned the car for 5 years!!). I’m sending her this link right now! Thank you for the ‘driving’ lesson this morning.
Ann recently posted..Missouri Debt Settlement
Twitter: KelleysBreakRm
says:
I’m so glad you brought that up! I never knew what that was for on my car. I’ll remember this funny post every time I look at my gear shift!
Kelley recently posted..Locked Up For Love
Twitter: findingthehumor
says:
They really should warn you about that at the rental place. Apparently I wasn’t the only one. Some of us have older cars without that fancy stuff.
Melinda, thanks for this public service announcement.
Apparently, I need a mechanic who can play chess, because I have this light that threatens to “Check Engine Soon”.
Should I castle?
Cheers,
Mitch
Mitchell Allen recently posted..Flight of Fancy
Still, manual transmigration rocks and is also more efficient, from every point of view, especially fuel consumption. And regarding Starbucks, really? addicted?
I hate my first cup recently and it tasted like bad, very bad. I would take any cup of coffee from Europe over Starbucks everyday…
That’s funny, and I do know about manual mode because my car has that. You coulda done great damage to the car; you got lucky.
Course I remember when I went to Reno and had to rent a car and they gave me a Prius. I sat in that car 10 minutes trying to figure out how to start it before my anxiety overcame my embarrassment and I finally asked someone how to turn it on. Sucker’s don’t always make noise; who knew?
Mitch Mitchell recently posted..You Probably Aren’t Going To Meet Her
My car has the plus and minus signs, too, and I had no idea what they meant until I finally looked it up in the manual. The car also locks and unlocks the doors whenever it feels like it, which is almost as creepy as those automatic seat belts they had for a while. I hope your car troubles are over by now.
Great post, Melinda, as always.
Charles Gulotta recently posted..Pressed for Time
LMAO! I feel for you girl, but you got it together! I hate car trouble and being broke down on the freeway is no joke. The worst episode for me was being out in the middle of nowhere and barely having phone service. My man and I are always on some adventure down roads-less-traveled and boom a problem with the car. Thankfully we got it started after several tries, but I was in “freak-out” mode being in no man’s land. Needless to say, I told him to get me the hell out of there and the car went to the shop immediately. $750 later I had a fixed car.
Sonia recently posted..The Cloak and Dagger Approach to Blog Post Ideas
Looks like another great experience for you! lol You’re lucky that the person whom you had talked to gave you a very diplomatic reply! For sure if you spoke with other people, they might be very rude to you.
Christina recently posted..KidKraft Outdoor Cottage Clubhouse Review – Rich In Details That Appeal
Twitter: tellingdad
says:
Once again, you are not alone!
When I test drove the Acura I wanted to buy I returned to the dealer and told him I wasn’t interested because the car wouldn’t shift. It smelled like a combination of burnt brakes and a fried clutch.
He said the same thing to me, that I wasn’t driving it right, and I took offense. I offered to prove it to him and that’s when I was introduced to the +/- shifter. I had taken my entire test drive in first gear.
I ended up buying the car but partially out of guilt.
Greg – Telling Dad recently posted..What a Doll