Oh! What a Weekend! November 20-21, 2021

 

I feel like the gods have been conspiring against me, or I was cursed by the recent lunar eclipse!!!!   I am still having trouble with Suddenlink, and I have not had cable service on my primary TV since November 13.  I can live with that. After all the techs were done, I could not access wifi on it either! I am at the point that I have to call New York and can do so on Eastern time.  I would assume they open at 8 or the latest, 9 EST.  I have called several times, and the upshot is, they wanted to send a tech out, for the 5th time in a week and a half.  I said enough is enough.  It is a systems problem, and if they cannot fix it, I can live with something else. 

Saturday, my car flunked its state inspection, due to a headlight!  I went three places to try to get it replaced, but all 3 said they could not because they have to remove the front assembly to get to the light bulb.  I could not dispute that, because I could not understand the owner’s manual instructions, and could not see how I would get at the bulb, without doing so, either.  Through the magic modern technology, I was able to schedule an appointment on Friday, the 26^th (first date available) at Scoggin Dickey.  This might be the most expensive headlight replacement in the world!  

Sunday morning, when I woke up, I did not have a working furnace.  Fortunately, after a while, I was able to figure out that the programable thermostat needed new batteries.  I try to keep stocked up with everything I can image, but had to scrounge in my junk drawer but found 2 double A's.  Situation resolved.  And new supply purchased same day!

Sunday afternoon, when I started laundry, after the first load was done, it was apparent that the washing machine was not agitating or spinning.  I tried separating the amount of laundry and spun it again, no such luck.  I now have a mega load of super soaked laundry that I am nursing through my 16-year-old dryer!  I could shlep the rest of my laundry to a commercial self-service laundry but who wants to do that?   I have enough clothes to get through a 3-day work week. Again, through the miracle of modern technology I was able to schedule a repair appointment for Friday, the 26th, begging for the last appointment of the day, due to my car appointment earlier.   (They could come out Wednesday but really, I can wait.)

My ESPN+ account did not work Saturday for the men’s basketball game.  I was really frustrated, and when I went into ESPN costumer service chat, the help I received was immediate and successful.  The suggestion:  use Google Chrome for the browser.  That has been successful since!

Discount Tire

The Saturn Vue has a tire pressure sensor warning light, and mine went off this past week.  I thought it might be a response to the cold temperatures that moved in this past week, so I did not immediately get it checked out. But, I eventually went to Discount Tire, which is where I do my tire business.  They checked my tires, and the technician said I had one tire that was very low, and I should ask for a flat tire repair, which is free.  It was 5:15 PM on Friday, and they close at 6 PM, and the technician told me they had a two hour backlog.   I had hoped to get my grocery shopping done that night, so I decided to return to Discount Tire the next morning.  The technician suggested that I be in the parking lot by 7:50 AM, as they take the parking lot customers first when they open at 8 AM. I over slept, so did not get to Discount Tire until sometime after 9 AM.  The attendant who took care of my service need was very apologetic about the wait time, but saw I had a book, and I said I did not care how long I waited. It turns out he, his wife and his sons, who are in the military, are all readers.  I told him to thank his sons for their service, and said I did not care how long I waited, I had a good book.  I also told him I had had the tire checked the night before, and decided not to wait for service. He said he left at 7 PM, and the technicians were still working.

I waited less than an hour and a half. although the attendant said it could be two hours or more. I have to think the attendant was instrumental in advancing my service ticket.  He did not say it, and I did not ask, but it makes sense to me.

This is the second time I have had a tire from Discount Tire with a piece of metal in the side wall, and beyond repair, so replacement was less than $25 dollars.  I am amazed and delighted at the service.

I am not sure how they stay in business, but I am a customer for life, based on this kind of service. I also like the free air check service they offer.  I can do my own, but I will gladly wait some 40 minutes, as I did Friday night, to have it done.  It is easier on my knees and back. 

Peace of Mind

My Saturn Vue is OnStar equipped, and I pay the $200 plus a year for the basic service. It gives me monthly updates about the functioning of the systems in my car, oil life history, and I know if I ever have an emergency I can push a button and talk to someone. I have only used it a few times, but what a relief, when I need it. 

Recently, the tire pressure gauge indicator light mal-functioned.  It indicated low tire pressure, and when I went to have the tires check, they were actually over-inflated.   OnStar told me the tire pressure gauge of the front passenger side tire was malfunctioning. I decided I wanted to spend the money to get it repaired.  One time, I got into my car in the morning, and the tire pressure indicator light was on. I went down the street to get air in the tire, without realizing the tire was almost totally deflated If the indicator light had not been on, I would not have realized the problem. 

I am willing to pay for peace of mind.  

Tire Pressure

So the major cold front blew in Thursday night.  Along with freezing rain and ice and snow.  It took me about 20 minutes to defrost and scrape the ice off of the Vue when I left work. And, as I was driving home, the tire pressure indicator light came on.  Well, this might be to be expected, as the colder the weather, the lower the air pressure in the tires.   However, I could have actually had a flat tire.  I pulled off when it was convenient, and check the tires, and there was not a really flat tire.  So, I decided to deal with it in the morning.

So, in the morning, I went to a local self service air pressure station, and succeeded in deflating the tire even more.  Around the corner was a Firestone store.  I used to use them regularly, when I trusted the service manager. When he left, I was never sure if I was being taken advantage of or not, but use them from time to time, most recently, when I needed a flat tire repaired. When I explained my problem, the service manage told me to get in line.  The service technician who inflated my tires told me they have had multiple requests per day during the cold weather. This was a free service! 

We do not get much free service these days.  I wish I trusted these people because it was so nice to use them when the service manager was one I trusted.

A Biblical Plague

I really feel like I have been infested with a Biblical plague.  I have chronicled my automobile and cell phone problems.  Thursday night, my skin infection returned from out of nowhere! And, today, while I was doing laundry, my drains backed up.   So that put the kibosh on laundry.  The drain clean out was covered with leaves, so I thought I should clean that area of the backyard.  And, of course, I ended up cleaning the entire back yard.  I did not even plan to do that this weekend. I will say that between the celebrex and my physical therapy exercises, I am getting stronger.   It only took about 2 hours to rake the entire yard, with only two rest breaks.  That is about what it used to take before my back started bothering me.  Of course, I am very sore tonight.

On the other hand, the snow and freezing rain we had last weekend and early this past week knocked most of the leaves off the trees around my house, except the Bradford Pear, to the east.  I sometimes do not even rake leaves until New Years, because I want to wait until they are all down.  The last couple of years, I have raked a couple of times for two reasons 1) I get tired of looking at the leaves and 2) it takes me so long to rake.

I still have to do the front and alley, but that is not so bad.

I did some serious house cleaning that I was not planning to do, but did not mess with the bathrooms until I can get the plumber in. Nor did I wash the kitchen floor, for the same reason.  I called, but it was about 1 PM, and the on-call guy had 8 calls ahead of me.  I will check in the morning and see what the prospect is for repairs tomorrow.  Amazing, at 10:15 PM the plumber called.  He has had a long day, but says they only take weekend call once a month.  He was willing to come out tonight, but I told him not to: the cleanout is in a corner of the backyard where there are no lights, and he will have to get on the roof to do the washing machine cleanout.  So we have an appointment for noon tomorrow. That makes me happy.  I will be able to do the laundry in the afternoon.

The car starts once, but does not hold enough of a charge to start again. I am hoping it will start Monday morning so I do not have to bother a neighbor to get a jump start, but either way I need to be able to get to the repair shop. 

The injection that Sake received last Tuesday just did not work as well as the first time.   She runs to food, but does not eat.  She smacks her lips, but does not eat.  She did eat some baby food chicken, some hard treats, some turkey wing meat, and liver tonight. Just a little of each.  It is so frustrating. She eats a little at a time, but will not go back to something she has eaten earlier in the day.  I am thinking the next step is to have her teeth extracted.  I hate to do that, because she will have so much trouble grooming. She will just have to let me help her more. 

Well, the cell phone works.  The car is safe in the garage.  I can renew my library books online or by phone tomorrow.  I did get groceries today, but had to get a jump start to get home.  It takes almost nothing to start the car, so that is weird. 

One thing that has come out of this is that I can now back the car into the garage.  I did that for the first time Wednesday night, and I bet it took me 30 minutes. Maybe not, but I sweated over it and did it inch by inch, correcting and recorrecting.   Yesterday, it did not take me that long, and today, it took even less time. Of course, I still need to be careful, but it is nice to know I have that skill.

What is really weird, is that I do not think twice about backing the car out of the garage, it is just a straight shot, but sometimes, I end up crooked off the driveway.  Well, I am glad I have learned this new skill!

All of This STUFF Happens at Once

I went to physical therapy on Monday morning. Texas Tech Health Sciences Center http://www.ttuhsc.edu/ delayed opening until 10 AM, due to the winter weather conditions, so I did not have to report to work until then. I went to PT.   There were patients at PT who cancelled, so I benefitted with more time, and the PT found somethings he could do that would help me more than what we were doing.

I had to get some paperwork for NASW for the next meeting, that the branch chair had. These documents were some that I would have kept, had I been able to attend the November meeting. However, I was attending the National Runaway and Homeless Youth Conference, in Atlanta, Georgia, as a board member representing Catholic Charities, Diocese of Lubbock. But, I did connect with the branch chair, and get the paperwork.

So, Sake stopped eating again, over the weekend of November 23, 2013.  I know now it is a gum infection that bothers her. She tries to eat, but is not interested in the food, be it chunks, or paté or pureé.  I called the vet, and we had a Tuesday morning appointment scheduled.

Monday night, the Sprint service to my phone went out at my house. I spent almost two hours online with Sprint chat, and mostly kept getting advice to upgrade my phone.  I had planned to physical therapy exercises, but finished so late with Sprint, I watched Jay Leno for the headlines, and went to bed....

As suggested, I shut my phone off, and in fact left it off overnight. But there was no resolution to  the problem in the morning. So, I sent another message to Spring (via chat) about my problems. I received a response, by email, per my request, but no real help.

I took Sake to the veterinarian on November 26, 2013, and while she was upset, she did not act out as badly as she sometimes does, so we knew she was not feeling well.  When we got home and she was able to get out of the crate, she did not hide, but actually sought comfort and solace from me.  The vet gave her more anti-biotics, but this does not seem to be helping as much as the combined antibiotics and cortisone did last time. We will have to see what happens.

Tuesday, I did not have cell phone service at home. I had cell phone service in the parking lot at work, and again called Sprint, because they did not give me a service plan or offer any help Monday night, but during that call, they cut me off because they could not assist me while I was calling from the device that needed assistance. That was about 9 AM.

Tuesday, lIfe went on, and as I drove home, I had cell service until I turned off University Avenue onto 62nd Street west. I had some errands to run, and service resumed when I got onto Indianna Avenue, due west of my house.

I called Sprint again about this, from the parking lot of Hobby Lobby.  I spent about 30 minutes on the phone with Sprint, trying to convince them that although their tower reports excellent service in my zip code, my neighborhood has no service.  Not dropped calls, not interrupted calls, but no service.  I am not sure I got through. I was very frustrated, and I know I took that frustration out on the service representative. I apologized to her several times.  But ultimately, our conversation deteriorated to her suggesting I upgrade my phone.  That was very infuriating.

While I was doing this, the battery in my car ran down. I did not realize it until I had made my purchases at Hobby Lobby.  I was able to ask someone to give me a jump start, and I had cables.  After the car started, the dash lights went out.  I had no tachometer, no gas gauge, no speedometer, no odometer, and no radio.  I drove home on side streets, and went to Auto Zone before going home.  While I was parked in the Auto Zone parking lot, I changed the fuse for the dashboard cluster, but that did not help.  I picked a place where there were people and auto parts, but did not need their service, and Auto Zone is close to my home. And the battery was holding a charge.

I started the car a few times overnight, and it started okay.  I was able to get to physical therapy on the morning of the 27th, and then  finished running the errands I had planned to run Tuesday night. The car battery was holding the charge okay.  What a blessing.

One of the errands was to respond to the email I had received from Sprint about my complaint. Again, I had to be out of my neighborhood to call Sprint, so I sat in a parking lot about three quarters of a mile away from my home and made the suggested phone call.  Again, this person ultimately tried to convince me to upgrade my phone. At that point, I asked for a supervisor. The supervisor told me that they would try to resolve my problem in 3-5 days. I told him that I could have service from a new provider sooner than that. He told me they did not want that to happen, and would prioritize my service call.
                  
I went to the dealership for my car, and as I suspected, they could not get me in until Monday.  I just wanted to talk to a person, rather than deal with a voice about this. The battery was holding the charge, so I went on to work.  I had purchased the battery from the dealer, and I was thinking that they need to give me some sort of credit for the lack of longevity of the battery.

At the end of work November 27, 2013, I went to my car, and discovered I needed a jump start to get home from work. I took a long, slow way home, thinking to recharge the battery. I was planning to start the vehicle every couple of hours to keep the charge in the battery. As I drove to the house, the "searching for service" beeping started on my phone.  I checked my phone, and I had a voicemail.   I went again to a nearby parking lot, and listened to my voicemail.

It was a call from Sprint, about the service problems I was having. They gave me a different number to call, and a menu option to use. The representative I spoke to  "got it" that the service problem was not dropped calls or interrupted service, but that my phone was searching for service. She understood that they could not call me at home, because I had no service at home, but they could email me if they needed to. She "got it" that the problem was in a defined geographic area in my neighborhood, no matter what their towers reported regarding available service in the neighborhood.  I told her that it might not be a Sprint problem, but a blocking problem.  She acknowledged that, but said they needed to find out what was going on.  What a relief.  To speak to a person who was not spouting platitudes, but was acknowledging the individual problem I was having.  I will not say unique, someone else maybe having the same problem, but it is my problem.

Well, in the parking lot, I was stranded: the battery was no longer holding a charge.  It was late, and dark. I did not want to drive around town to find someplace where I could get a new battery. I should have purchased a new battery earlier in the day.

I went home and backed into the garage. This took me a while.  I was not able to park the car centered, but to one side. But, I did it.

My plan is to stay home on Thanksgiving Day.  And, to ask a neighbor for help to jump start the car on Friday, and get a new battery, so I can run errands, do chores and continue activity as I need to during the weekend. And, get to the dealership on Monday.

But in the mean time, I have to deal with all the STUFF that has happening. 

Flat Tire

The 2008 Saturn Vue I drive has a dashboard icon for under inflated or flat tire. The first time I saw it, I was bumfuzzled and had to get out the owner's manual. But, I was able to figure out what the icon meant, and which tire needed air, and took care of it.

I use a pressure gauge that I saw years ago on NASCAR.  It is a round dial that faces up. Of course, now, they use digital tire gauges, and maybe, some day, I will acquire a digital pressure gauge.

So, this morning, as I backed out of the garage, I realized the icon for low pressure in a tire was on.  There is a public air compressor between my house and my work, but it requires a minimum of a dollar to use it.  I opted for the compressor a little further away, and in the opposite direction from work, but it was free. This proved to be a God send. 

I did not stop to look at the tire before I drove to the compressor. In a way, that was a blessing.  If I had, I would have been filled with the dilemma of whether to drive on the tire or not.  Because it was really, really flat, and I was almost driving on the rim.  Well, when I got to the compressor, I inflated the tire to get it off the rim, but knew I had no choice but to get the tire repaired. Because I chose the public compressor I did, I was in luck. It was at the gas island of a local supermarket. In the same shopping area is a Firestone http://www.Firestone.com/ outlet. So, I drove around the corner and went to Firestone to get the tire repaired.

I was not too stressed.  Lately, stuff like this, that used to really make me panic, does not bother me as much.  I was concerned for a couple of reasons: I had been late to work earlier in the week, and then had an appointment, and had to leave work early.  I had about made up my time. I have plenty of leave, so it is no big deal.  But the paperwork to take an hour or so of leave is not worth the time involved in completing the paperwork.  And, I was able to call in from the Firestone outlet (I frequently leave my cell phone at home. I cannot bring it into the prison, and the extreme heat stresses the battery, which does not keep a charge like it used to, any way.) 

But, I had committed to work at 9 AM at a bake sale we had at work. I guestimated that I should get to work close to that time. I would have, but the service manager was hung up on a couple of phone calls, and it took about 10 minutes after the car was tended to before he could check me out.

This service manager was very nice, but basically told me my front tires were ready to blow out, and would not pass a state inspection. He gave me a quote on two or four tires, and I told him I was not ready to deal with that at that time.  The thing is, in 2011, I used this Firestone outlet for the state inspection of the Vue.  They charged me about $60 for repairs as well as inspection, and told me then the front tires were in very bad condition and would not pass another inspection.  Hmm, they have passed two inspections. 

Years ago, the service manager was a man named Jim. I went to the Firestone outlet for something, and he suggested something else that would save me money, if that was the problem.  I wish I knew Jim's last name. But anyway, from then on I trusted him.  He told me he had a wife, and he did not want someone taking advantage of her. So, I used Firestone faithfully. Jim would help me, and if he was not there, and I could wait for service, I would return when he was there. He often suggested something less expensive than what I thought I needed or suggested options that were money saving. Like one time I thought I needed new brakes, because the brakes were doing something funny. He told me it was probably because of the recent rain, and they could adjust the brakes without replacing them.  Another time, I needed replacement tires. I had gotten really good wear on the original tires on my car, and said I wanted the high dollar tires rated for the same wear. He said I should try using the same tires, as I was easy on the tires, and could expect the same good wear. He was right!  

Mack and I would go to Firestone.  Depending upon what the issue was, we would wait, or walk home, and later, walk back.  Jim always offered us a ride both ways, but Mack and I liked the walk.  Once or twice, in really bad weather, I left Mack home, and took the ride.

After Jim left Firestone, I did not trust them as much. I took a car in that had air conditioner trouble. The service manager quoted me an outlandish price that included a rush delivery price, for a part, of several hundred dollars. I did not get the air conditioner repaired there, and later, it turned out to be wires that had shorted out on the alternator, and the air conditioner was was just fine!

Well, the tire was repaired, and I got to work a little after 9 AM.  My co-workers covered me for the bake sale, and all was well. I had enough work to do, so stayed long enough to put my time in for the week.

When I got home, before I drove into the garage, I checked for anything that may have deflated the tire. I could not see anything, but there was a lot of cat fuzz and trash on the garage floor, so I swept it up in a pro-active effort to find anything that might have compromised the tire.

I also checked the tread on the tires. While the tread on the front tires is worn, I am not sure it is dangerous (I will do the penny test this weekend.)  The rear tires are fine. When Saturn was still in business, I did oil changes and free tire rotations there. I know better, and should have continued with tire rotation somewhere, even if I had to pay, to maximize wear.  But, I did not.

I was talking to a co-worker about the tire problem, and she told me her father researched tire replacement for her vehicles, and said York Tire http://yorktireco.com/ in Lubbock was the best. I recall that when I was married to Lisenby, he researched tire replacement and liked York Tire, which we used more than once.

I will spend some time over the next couple of weekends getting quotes for replacement tires, including York Tire and Discount Tire http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/home.do.  I have been pleased with Discount Tire, but it is worth checking a couple of other sources.  My neighbor works for McWhorter Tire http://www.mcwhortertire.com/.  When I had the F-150, I dealt with McWhorter Tire at their various locations because the truck had Goodyear tires.  They were good, and gave good service, but since the Vue did not come with Goodyears, but did come with Bridgestones, which are affiliated with Firestone, I am not sure they will be able to give me a better deal than other places.

So much comes from a flat tire.  But, praise be the tire did not blow out while I was driving at a high rate of speed.   



 

The Ongoing Saga of the Rear Windshield Wiper

As they predicted, Gene Messer Chevrolet http://www.genemesserchevrolet.com/ called me 5-13-13  and told me they had a replacement windshield wiper blade for the rear window of the Vue.  I paid for the blade, opened the box, and immediately recognized I had no idea how to install the blade.

The customer service representative, Mike came out to the Vue to see what he could do. He could not figure it out, so the more senior customer service representative, Jeff, came out. He started taking the rear windshield wiper apart, and a piece broke.  He suggested we go round to the shipping door for parts, as they had access to tools and parts, and he took the housing of the blade off, replaced the blade component, and put it all back together.  And, he told me the housing he first took off the blade was broken, and he would buy me a new one.

I am a little embarassed, because it was not Jeff's fault that this was such a complicated replacement.  He will get a thank you note after all is said and done phrased in such a way that I hope he does not get in trouble. After all, there is a reason you are a parts person and not a service person.  Service would have charged me an arm and a leg to replace the wiper blade. Parts did not .

GM will get a "gritch" note from me that this replacement was that difficult and that complicated.

Auto Zone - Shades of "Miracle on 34th Street"

There is an Auto Zone http://www.autozone.com/autozone/homePage.jsp?cmpid=Google in my neighborhood.  We have other auto parts stores in Lubbock: O'Reilly http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/home.oap and NAPA http://www.napaonline.com/ to name two major chains.  But I usually start with Auto Zone because they are conveniently located to my home.

I needed a new rear window wiper for the Vue.  I started with my owner's manual to see what it said about replacing parts and parts listings.  Some of the parts for the Vue were listed with a Saturn part number and an ACDelco http://www.acdelco.com/ part number.  Only the Saturn number was listed for the rear wiper.  The book also said just to slide the old blade out, the new in, as replacement instructions.

I went to Auto Zone and looked through their books, then had to go back out to the car to re-look at the wiper.  When I re-entered the store, an associate, Shan Alexander asked if he could help me. I told him what I was looking for, and he looked it up.  And was puzzled because nothing was listed.  We went out to the car, he took the blade out, and went back into the store, so Mr. Alexander could do some more searching.  A colleague was also helping him briefly.  They decided the part was unique to Saturn, and they did not carry it.  Mr. Alexander even called NAPA, but they did not carry the part.  He recommended GM dealers in town, including the new one, and the closest to us.  He also told me when there is build up on the window, to clean the blade, to prevent it from splitting again.

I went to Gene Messer Chevrolet http://www.genemesserchevrolet.com/: They did not have the part: it is a specialty part, and they had to order it.  They anticipated it would be in Monday.  That is convenient, I can stop on my way home from work to get the part. 

Shan Alexander did a wonderful customer service job for me.  I would have continued to start with Auto Zone in the future, any way when looking for auto parts.  I have generally had good results with them. They had to order an air filter for the Vue, and it arrived just a few days after it was ordered.  But Mr. Alexander made a hit with me.  I found a contact us link on the Auto Zone website, and let them know what a good job Mr. Alexander did!

On Star, My Car and Me

I took the time this morning to check around to find out where I had left the warranty information for the Vue.  I used to keep it at home, but one time, when I was traveling, I decided I really needed it with me, so found it where I thought it was, in the glove compartment.

Well, I was pleased when I turned the Vue on, and the check engine light was not on.  Nevertheless, I called On Star, and they did an On Demand Diagnostic Check, and found nothing.  They asked about the indicator light being on, and I explained that it was yesterday, after I put gas in the car, but realized I may not have put the gas cap on correctly, and today, no indicator light.  I really think that was the problem.

As time goes on, we shall see.

Uh Oh!

As I have so often repeated, I am a creature of habit.  My habit, for years. has been to fill up the gas tank of my car once a week.  When I first got the Vue, I was so delighted with the mileage, that I would sometimes wait for two weeks to put in gas.  As it was, the indicator rarely went below three quarters empty, unless I was doing long distance driving and purposefully did not stop for gas.

But, after a couple of times, during bad winter weather, of wishing I had filled up on the weekend, I have started doing so again weekly.  The mileage is not great in the Vue, but in a typical week, I use between 6-8 gallons of gasoline, depending on how many outings I have not counting work. This is great for me, as when I had the Ford F-150, I typically used between 11-13 gallons of gasoline for an average week.

So, this morning, I filled up the gas tank.  I was startled to see that the purchase was for just over 4 gallons of gasoline.  I stood at the gas tank and wondered what I had forgotten to do this week:  Had I forgotten to go to work a couple of days? Did I meet all of my other obligations?  Even the week I took off from work in August, I used about 6 gallons of gas, given all the chores and entertaining things I did.

I was so startled, that I hastily replaced the gas cap, almost in a panic.  And, I forgot to close the lid, and had to get back out of the car to do that.  After that, the check engine light came on.  Today is the day that I received the On Star Vehicle Diagnostic Report.  It indicated immediate service was needed for the emissions system, and to call On Star for a diagnostic report.  Well, the car was in the garage, (and I have discovered On Star does not come through well in the garage) and I was not going anywhere again today, so I decided to wait until I run errands tomorrow before I do that.  But, in the mean time, an image of myself being disconcerted and surprised at the gas pump occurred to me.  So, I did go out to the car, and replace the gas cap and lid the cover again.  I can hope that was the problem.

If it was, that will be great. If it was not, well, that is why I use On Star.  I have been pleased with the alerts they have sent me over the years: several times because of low tire pressure, but also because of other systems problems. I believe twice, I had warranty work done as a result.  Nothing serious. 

It will be interesting to see what occurs tomorrow when  I take the car out and call On Star.

Minor Automotive Maintenance

Years ago, I was not intimidated by the under the hood stuff in my car.  I could do minor maintenance activities.  Certainly checking the oil level, and keeping fluid in a battery when that used to be necessary.  Also, changing an air filter.

The under the hood aspect of the Vue is a little intimidating. I do know where to check the engine oil, and add it, if needed. I know where to add windshield washer, also.  The owner's manual depicts things under the hood, but the diagrams are vague and not well labeled.

When Saturn was still in business, I used them for oil changes. The price was comparable to the quick change places, and it was not inconvenient.  After Saturn went out of business, the local GM dealer that is the designated Saturn maintenance dealer offered a year's worth of free oil changes. So, I took advantage.  Well, that has run out.  I most recently  had the oil changed at a local but very reputable quick change shop, Bolton Oil http://www.boltonoil.com/.  This company owns several shops in town, and has been in business for years. I have used them for years, and have never been disappointed in their service and professionalism. Over the 20 or maybe 30 plus years I have used them off and on, I have had a problem with an oil leak after the oil change a time or two. I just go back, and they fix it.  They, too are human and can make a mistake. But they make it right.

When you go to their shop, they offer you a drink, and check and fill the fluid levels, check the tire air pressure and fill tires as needed, and clean the windows: not all, but at least the front windshield, the rear windshield and the front windows.

This most recent trip, when they checked the air filter, they told me it could stand changing, but they did carry that filter, and it would not hurt the car to wait a while, if I could not get it changed. I decided I could change the air filter myself. I watched the technician take it out, and I realized there was some work involved but not undo able.

When the oil change was done, they made sure I reset the oil life sensors in my vehicle. I was impressed. The technician who serviced my car did not have to look up what kind of oil was recommended, and if he looked up how to reset the oil life sensor, I did not know it.

The other things I like about the Bolton's is that one of the Bolton executives is a female, and they have women service providers.  And in one of their shops, they have a beautiful mural that depicts the changes in automotive service over the years.  It is quite a mural!

So, I was once again impressed with the professionalism of the Bolton Oil Change service.  It is nice to have a local business that is up to date and doing so well.