A Few New Spindles

The ChevOldsmoBuiac A/C fanastically failed about this time last year, on a road trip.

I had brilliantly decided to recharge the system en-route, thus ensuring we'd be stuck with a hundred miles of squally smokey failed compressor instead of the old one that was content to just spin on it's bearings. With the onset of the first heatwave in June, I took it to the shop, and momentarily doubled the cars value. Or halved it, depending on what accounting system you use.

The girly was then able to cruise to work in frosty style.

She called one day a few weeks ago to announce that the idiot light with the battery symbol had come on. Since I rarely have my cell phone on nor on me, I missed the message, and she appeared in the driveway to tell me to check the voice mail. A quick test with the multimeter showed the battery voltage to drop about a mV every second with the engine running, a sure sign of alternator failure. There was continuity between the alternator and battery. I swetted the heat and pulled the bolts for the alternator. We got to the parts store before closing, and the clerk wired it to a test bench. Then a motor whirred and the computer screen flashed "FAIL" in freaking huge letters. No amps, I suppose. Cute.

I got another with a lifetime warranty ( I tend to win that little game), and we had burritos for dinner.

—Burritos are tubular happiness—


I spent the next morning with a cup of coffee and a socket.

There are shiny parts under the hood again.

Olds in august 2010

Olds Now