As is true with all good serials, I left you hanging almost two weeks ago in The Odd Case of the Exploding Tires (driving adventures -- part two).
In our last episode, I drove Omar, Yoana, and Pancho to Tepatitlán (almost six hours from Barra de Navidad) to let Omar apply for dental school and Yoana to apply for law school. Along the way, I discovered I had suspension problems that resulted in two flat tires on what was an adventure-filled day.
On the Monday after we returned, I took the car to my favorite mechanic, Cowboy (named for his sartorial footwear), to develop a repair plan. I needed four new special-order tires. But first things first. Whatever was causing the suspension problem needed fixing.
The last time I had suspension work done at Manzanillo Ford set me back 60,000 pesos. About $3,200 (USD). So, I braced myself for Cowboy's estimate. I should have known not to use my experience with Manzanillo Ford as a predictor. Cowboy said he could have my suspension in great shape for just over 4500 pesos. About $235 (USD).
The few parts that required replacement could have fit in Queen Betty's handbag. And my car was driving straight down the road.
All I needed to do now was drive to Manzanillo to buy my new tires. I was going to do it on Monday. But my battery decided that was not a good idea. When I tried to start my car in front of the post office, all I got was the tell-tale click-click-click of death.
My friend Julio gave my car a jump, and Cowboy and my friend Lou both verified that my alternator was working properly. The problem was the battery. Here on the coast, battery life is about three years. And it was three years ago that I replaced my last one.
For most cars, replacing a battery is a snap. Not so, on The Great Escape. The battery is installed in the rear of the engine compartment. Parts of the motor need to be removed before the battery can be released. It took Cruz four or five hours to replace the battery three years ago (power drain).
And that is where the SUV is right now. With Cruz. When the job is done (probably this evening), I will pick up on my trip to Manzanillo where I left off yesterday. I would say this was an unexpected episode in our serial. But every episode is unexpected in a serial, isn't it? That is what makes the genre operate.
If all goes well, I will be off to Manzanillo early tomorrow morning. While the new tires are being installed, I will drop clothes at the dry cleaner, and make advance payments to CFE, Telcel, and Telmex in anticipation of heading off to south Asia next month.
And absolutely nothing could go wrong with any of that, could it?
In our last episode, I drove Omar, Yoana, and Pancho to Tepatitlán (almost six hours from Barra de Navidad) to let Omar apply for dental school and Yoana to apply for law school. Along the way, I discovered I had suspension problems that resulted in two flat tires on what was an adventure-filled day.
On the Monday after we returned, I took the car to my favorite mechanic, Cowboy (named for his sartorial footwear), to develop a repair plan. I needed four new special-order tires. But first things first. Whatever was causing the suspension problem needed fixing.
The last time I had suspension work done at Manzanillo Ford set me back 60,000 pesos. About $3,200 (USD). So, I braced myself for Cowboy's estimate. I should have known not to use my experience with Manzanillo Ford as a predictor. Cowboy said he could have my suspension in great shape for just over 4500 pesos. About $235 (USD).
The few parts that required replacement could have fit in Queen Betty's handbag. And my car was driving straight down the road.
All I needed to do now was drive to Manzanillo to buy my new tires. I was going to do it on Monday. But my battery decided that was not a good idea. When I tried to start my car in front of the post office, all I got was the tell-tale click-click-click of death.
My friend Julio gave my car a jump, and Cowboy and my friend Lou both verified that my alternator was working properly. The problem was the battery. Here on the coast, battery life is about three years. And it was three years ago that I replaced my last one.
For most cars, replacing a battery is a snap. Not so, on The Great Escape. The battery is installed in the rear of the engine compartment. Parts of the motor need to be removed before the battery can be released. It took Cruz four or five hours to replace the battery three years ago (power drain).
And that is where the SUV is right now. With Cruz. When the job is done (probably this evening), I will pick up on my trip to Manzanillo where I left off yesterday. I would say this was an unexpected episode in our serial. But every episode is unexpected in a serial, isn't it? That is what makes the genre operate.
If all goes well, I will be off to Manzanillo early tomorrow morning. While the new tires are being installed, I will drop clothes at the dry cleaner, and make advance payments to CFE, Telcel, and Telmex in anticipation of heading off to south Asia next month.
And absolutely nothing could go wrong with any of that, could it?
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