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<\/p>\nOn Friday night as I was driving from the gym to the art store (I needed to pick up transfer paper so I can do away with the inefficient “grid” method I’ve been doing) I heard a faint gurgling bubbling noise.\u00a0 When I was only a few blocks from home my car flashed the dash and died.\u00a0 The engine temperature gauge just before that had shot through the roof.<\/p>\n
I started up the car (this was in the middle of traffic on sherman way) and got it home.\u00a0 While cleaning my kitchen for three hours (parents are coming in a few weeks) I debated taking the car to Tri-Point Mazda on Monday or just driving to Galpin in the morning.\u00a0 I called Galpin in the morning and was told that they were “extremely busy” but if I came out they would make sure my car got into the shop even though I might have to “wait 4-6 hours.”\u00a0 I ended up waiting nearly the full 5 before the shop foreman took a look at my car.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unlike other dealerships that cite “insurance concerns” and won’t let you into the shop – they brought me back to investigate with him.\u00a0 At first he couldn’t figure out what had happened.\u00a0 Then, with a nifty flashlight he saw coolant resting on some parts deep inside the engine bay.\u00a0 After removing the battery we found coolant all over (the transmission enclosure??).\u00a0 The culprit could immediately be seen with the battery removed, a coolant tube to the engine had snapped clean off.<\/p>\n
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The shop manager Bill Snow, an apparent long lost twin of Tom from Office Space informed me that my car would be ready at some point on Monday – and the bill with parts and labor would top out just shy of $1,000.\u00a0\u00a0 Some of you know that my financial situation has been hampered by an ongoing problem lately involving money owed to me but not paid.\u00a0 This amount has now stretched into the thousands and I’m likely going to have to go to civil court to get it resolved.\u00a0 I’m currently paying bills from emergency savings – and so another $1,000 out the door (thank goodness Galpin takes American Express) wasn’t exactly the Christmas Gift I was hoping for.<\/p>\n
Tom\/Bill:<\/p>\n