# Effin' car!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [December 20, 2007, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697 "2007-12-20T13:57:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2007, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/1 "2007-12-20T13:57:38Z")
My car just died, less than half a mile from work – after valiantly making it 34.5 miles. (And god bless the little trouper, there are a hell of a lot worse places it could have died.)
There’s a mechanic next door to my office – he’s gonna take a look at it.
Pls. send mucho Doper mojo that it’s just the alternator…
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### Author:  [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2007, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/2 "2007-12-20T14:11:11Z")
Tulip gnaws on the bumper.
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### Author:  [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2007, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/3 "2007-12-20T14:25:05Z")
It didn’t die, it’s just taking a nap. It’s very tired.
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### Author:  [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2007, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/4 "2007-12-20T14:29:24Z")
Have you tried giving it a sound thrashing with a tree branch.
ala Basil Fawlty style
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### Author:  [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2007, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/5 "2007-12-20T14:37:18Z")
[QUOTE=Madd Maxx]
It didn’t die, it’s just taking a nap. It’s very tired.
[/QUOTE]
Yes. It’s pining for the Fords.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2007, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/6 "2007-12-20T14:38:56Z")
[QUOTE=robardin]
Yes. It’s pining for the Fords.
[/QUOTE]
Wow.
I didn’t think I was going to laugh this morning – I was wrong.
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### Author:  [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/7 "2007-12-20T14:41:09Z")
It’s just resting.
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### Author:  [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2007, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/8 "2007-12-20T14:57:31Z")
It’s only mostly dead.
You may get lucky and it may just be dirty battery terminals.
Good luck!
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### Author:  [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/9 "2007-12-20T15:08:53Z")
[QUOTE=Khadaji]
It’s only mostly dead.
[/QUOTE]
That’s not the same as all dead. If it’s all dead, the best you can do is go through the seat pockets and look for loose change.
I hope you are getting _Miracle Mechs_ to look at it - but wait the 15 minutes 😃
Si
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/10 "2007-12-20T19:16:46Z")
Ah, shit. The mechanic just called, and he can’t even get it to turn over. This is Not Looking Good.
Cease jokes, begin mojo, please!
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### Author:  [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2007, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/11 "2007-12-20T19:19:42Z")
Mojo ensues…
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### Author:  [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/12 "2007-12-20T20:16:11Z")
On the plus side, it’s not something obvious and expensive like the oil leaked out and you’ve stripped the engine, or a snapped belt. If he’s bothering to tell you it doesn’t turn over, but doesn’t know why yet, it could still be something small and subtle and easily fixed.
Just a hopefully cheery thought…
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### Author:  [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2007, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/13 "2007-12-20T21:28:10Z")
Your mom is on the roof.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2007, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/14 "2007-12-20T21:45:03Z")
I hope that it turns out to be something minor like a battery cable or any other unlikely but possible easy to fix fault.
Last night as I left work, I walk out to find my front driver side tire flat. So in the drizzle and near dark, I first tried to pump it and the air was coming out as quick as it was going in. So, time for donut. I road that poor donut 40 miles to the sears automotive center by me and they changed all 4 tires and did a wheel alignment by 8pm. That and on Tuesday they filled my heating oil tank to the tune of $600+ and I just saw the take home part of my bonus disappear that quickly. Oh well.
I am sending some positive thoughts towards your car. Tell Moriarty to stop with the negative vibes.
Jim
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### Author:  [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2007, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/15 "2007-12-20T22:00:39Z")
Positive mojo sent. No receipt required. And my mojo has kept some very unlikely cars on the road.
I’ll add some good juju as well.
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### Author:  [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2007, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/16 "2007-12-20T22:25:46Z")
This is what I get for living in California and having mostly Hispanic friends with Spanish speaking families. I kept thinking, “Why on Earth does **twickster** want her to send her sauce? 😕 I mean, mojo is delicious but I hardly see how that will help her car. . .”
:smack:
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2007, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/17 "2007-12-21T16:05:37Z")
The engine seized. $2K (or so) to replace. Not clear whether I’m still under warrantee or not.
Sigh.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2007, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/18 "2007-12-21T16:24:49Z")
[QUOTE=twickster]
The engine seized. $2K (or so) to replace. Not clear whether I’m still under warrantee or not.
Sigh.
[/QUOTE]
Aw, Crap. That stinks. Hopefully it will be under warranty. Many go 100,000 miles now for Engines.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2007, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/19 "2007-12-21T16:30:24Z")
Yeah – if you’ve been getting it serviced by the dealer and had every single bit of routine maintenance detailed – neither of which is the case.
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### Author:  [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effin-car/430697/20 "2007-12-21T18:15:32Z")
[QUOTE=twickster]
Yeah – if you’ve been getting it serviced by the dealer and had every single bit of routine maintenance detailed – neither of which is the case.
[/QUOTE]
There is no requirement that the dealer do all the servicing for the warranty to stay in effect. The services can be done by anyone, including the car owner. You may need to prove to the car maker that the services were done. This requirement may depends on the car maker, and the source of the failure. for instance requiring oil change records for a car that suffered a radiator failure would be silly. Asking for oil change records when there was a oil related failure would be common sense.
If you had your oil changes done at a local shop, have them pull their copies of the work orders. If you have to, pull credit card statements or canceled checks to recall where and when the service was done.
If on the other hand, you did not do the oil changes, shame on you. In this case consider the 2K to be a stupidity tax.