So, last March, my car decided to just…die. It’s a 2001 PT Cruiser and has less than 80k miles on it. I figured, ok it’s nothing big. My dad’s awesome with cars so he said he’d get it fixed up for me. Cut to now. It’s still in his garage. Up on some jacks (which I think is bad for the car but he said is fine), dust covering the entire thing and still not working. I’m beyond annoyed at this point but I feel there’s nothing I can do about it. I don’t have the money to have a professional mechanic look at it. My dad thinks he knows what’s wrong but…for some reason the piece won’t fit right or something. I don’t even know any more. All I know is that I bought a brand new battery for it last June and he hasn’t even attempted to start it since then. So now I’m worried, on top of everything else, I just threw away $120 on a battery that’s probably ruined by now. On top of all that, when he ‘towed’ it back to the house after it broke down, he managed to rip off the front fender, so that’s broke too.
I’ve mentioned it a couple of times and so has my mom. And every time he’s like “yeah, I need to figure out how to get that part to fit”. And then nothing is ever done. I don’t feel I can nag him about it, cause he’s doing it for free and I have free access to their cars to get places. But ffs dad…a year? Really? It’s not a huge deal right now, as I’m unemployed but I’m really trying hard to get a job. What’s going to happen when I do get one and my car’s still covered in dust and up on those jacks? Just so frustrated.
Get it towed to a local garage. Ask them to tell you what it needs to be roadworthy and legal. If you aren’t financially able to do this there is no easy solution to your problem.
Well I realize there’s no easy solution. I’m just really frustrated with the whole situation and I’m afraid that at this point, my car’s a wash, even outside of the original problem. I can’t imagine leaving a car up on jacks, with the hood open and never turned on for a year is good for it.
When you are employed, do as pojimba suggests. Sitting is not good for it, but it will not be the death of it, either. Explain it all to the mechanic and ask them to replace all the fluids along with making it run again. After it is up and running properly, take the car to a detailer (not a car wash, but an actual, professional detailer) and spend the money to have it completely cleaned, engine compartment and all. Then repair all the little issues and problems the car may have.
Do you own it outright or are you making payments on it every month while it sits idle? Do you have a boyfriend or a brother or an uncle who could offer to “help” your dad one weekend with the repairs? How old is your dad and how is his health? Will you be able to get a job before he dies? Are you paying the insurance on it every month? If your dad is thrifty, does he know about all the money going out of your pocket to support his procrastination? Is it too cold where you are to work on it?
Get a job and call your dad for a ride to and from work every day. He may suddenly feel the need to fix your car or help you to have someone else fix it.
He may be responding to your passivity. He’s not going to have a bigger sense of urgency than you have.
It sounds like a cool project became a chore as soon as he couldn’t get the part to work. But if he’s anything like my dad, he’s not going to admit he’s in over his head.
Ask him seriously if you think the car is toast. Tell him you’ve GOT to get some wheels ASAP if you are ever going to get a job. Phrase it so that you know it’s your problem to fix, but that you’re stuck with the solution. Tell him it’s driving you nuts that you don’t know what to do.
The solution isn’t impossible. It just seems like it because you’re afraid and feeling hopeless.
The thing is, if your dad doesn’t actually know how to fix it and he tries anyway, and messes it up more, you will be shelling out much more money to get it fixed the right way by a professional mechanic. Newer vehicles are a different breed than the old ones that any backyard mechanic could throw back together, and sometimes the simplest part can be insanely hard to get to. A good professional mechanic may be expensive, but if you need to have a vehicle, it is money well spent.
First things first:
What piece isn’t fitting?
What, besides the bumper, is wrong with the car?
So, if we can’t help, here, tell Dad “Say, Dad, what is wrong with that piece? I can go online, and ask around and see if anybody has any suggestions!”
This is a gentle way to perhaps get some action.
“It just decided to die” - can you be more specific? Maybe all you needed was a new battery, if it didn’t turn over?? You might be able to do that yourself, get some mechanics here to walk you through it.
Well, I had a nice post written out and managed to delete it. So I’ll try to keep this short and concise. The car’s paid for and essential to me getting to a job. I’ve tried offering my help to my dad but he’s (wisely) declined. I barely know where the oil stick is, there’s no way I’d be able to help him. I don’t think my dad’s in over his head, he’s just been really…lazy…about things lately. Especially cars. My mom’s been waiting 2 years for him to fix the heating on her car.
When it stopped working, I can’t recall exactly what happened, as it’s been so long. But whatever it was, he was convinced it wasn’t the battery or the starter. He ran a diagnostic, which led him to possibly pinpoint the problem. I asked him tonight what the problem was, and he said he thought it was the crank shaft position sensor. Apparently we have the part but it’s nearly impossible to get in without taking the engine out. He explained it’s a super tight fit and being unable to take the engine out, it was really hard to get it in there cause he has no leverage. His idea now is to attach a heating lap to the area and heat up the slot? So that it’ll expand and he can push the new sensor in. This is completely foreign to me, and I’m basically just repeating what he told me.
Since I brought up the topic, he said he’s going to work on it ‘soon’ but…I don’t know. I don’t want to push it too much because, while I’m not scared of my dad, I’m scared of making him angry. My personality is so non-confrontational that it’s difficult for me to approach a situation I know is going to cause a problem. Even when I need to. But my annoyance is beginning to win out and if he doesn’t start on it soon like he said, I might have to just grow a pair and push the subject.
Just google 2001 PT Cruiser crankshaft position sensor and show your Dad the results. Chances are good it is discussed in detail on a PT Cruiser forum and there might even be youtube video on how to do it.
When I say ¨help¨ I mean to say: Make it into a nice social happening, make coffee, provide cookies, make lunch, hand him the screwdriver, whatever.
That´s the carrot covered.
Now for the stick:
Make up some plausible deadline. Ask him if he can make it. Tell him ¨I can always ask Jimmy/bring the car to the local garage¨. You don´t have to have a handy friend or money for the mechanic. Your Dad will know that you are nagging him in a nice way.
