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EclairReturns 03/01/24 6:59:02 PM #1: |
On one hand, the check-engine light has been on in my car for about a month, now. I'm afraid that something bad is going to happen unless I have it inspected immediately. My next appointment to have the car repaired is in two weeks. I'm already nervous about something going wrong in the weeks preceding that new appointment. I know I shouldn't live a life ruled by fear. But I can't help it.
On the other hand, the snowstorm in Reno was intimated to be very bad. I had already felt the gusts blow and buffet me when I went to work yesterday. I was afraid that they were only going to get stronger. Moreover, there was supposed to be a bunch of snow. I wasn't sure if many would have come into the car dealership to work in this weather. I was afraid that going to retrieve my car was going to be dangerous afterwards. I was told that I could expect to have my car back in two business days, tops. I was afraid that the weather would make the trip to the dealership incredibly treacherous, even via taxicab. Also, this may be something exclusive to me. But having my car ready in frightening times provides me with some comfort. I certainly did think of it as a sanctuary from my family, and how many other things that bugged me during my time living in Hawaii. It's weird, I know. I am inclined to think of it as a misanthropic thing; I generally hate letting anyone in my car. It was my only escape during those years in which I had no privacy or security. Anyway, I know very well that it is too late to change my mind. I also know that as thirty-year-old adult, I should be capable of calling my own shots, especially now that I am living on my own, and in (unexpectedly painful) solitude like I had always dreamt of. Anyway, what do you think I should have done? I must have these answers. --- Number VI: Larxene. The Organization's Not-That-Geezer's-Heart-Tank. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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argonautweakend 03/01/24 7:10:42 PM #2: |
I'd still probably go depending on how much snow and how far away it was and how critical the appointment was. But no, in general if you are apprehensive about being out in snow that's....fairly normal, so no real worries. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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EclairReturns 03/01/24 7:13:25 PM #3: |
argonautweakend posted...
how much snow None this morning, but there was no way of telling how much there is going to be in two days when it would have come time for me to retrieve my car. argonautweakend posted... how far away it was About twelve miles. --- Number VI: Larxene. The Organization's Not-That-Geezer's-Heart-Tank. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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ParanoidObsessive 03/01/24 7:32:25 PM #4: |
EclairReturns posted...
The check-engine light has been on in my car for about a month, now. I'm afraid that something bad is going to happen unless I have it inspected immediately On modern cars, the check engine light is almost entirely meaningless. On older cars the engine light wouldn't come on unless your car was about to undergo some sort of catestrophic failure, like you were losing oil and were on the verge of thermo-locking your engine block. It was pretty much a "if this light is on pull over immediately" sort of thing. But on modern cars the check engine light is tied into the electronics and diagnostics, and can go off for any number of minor bullshit issues. It can generally light for things as mild as "your O2 sensor is slightly out of sync" (which can affect your mileage but isn't really a danger to your car) all the way to something incredibly stupid and meaningless like "you're out of wiper fluid". If the engine light is the only thing different and you're not noticing any other warnings or alerts, and there doesn't seem to be any obvious change in how your car is running and driving, you're almost certainly fine to wait to get it checked out. If it's been lit for a month and hasn't broken down yet, you're almost certainly fine waiting another week or so. --- "Wall of Text'D!" --- oldskoolplayr76 "POwned again." --- blight family ... Copied to Clipboard!
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shadowsword87 03/01/24 7:51:35 PM #5: |
For the record, if your check engine light is blinking, find somewhere to get it looked at immediately. That's the "oh no" level. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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EclairReturns 03/01/24 8:02:07 PM #6: |
shadowsword87 posted...
blinking It is not. ParanoidObsessive posted... But on modern cars the check engine light is tied into the electronics and diagnostics, and can go off for any number of minor bulls*** issues. It can generally light for things as mild as "your O2 sensor is slightly out of sync" (which can affect your mileage but isn't really a danger to your car) all the way to something incredibly stupid and meaningless like "you're out of wiper fluid". Thank you for the insight. I don't really have anyone to teach me about cars and so forth, so your feedback on the matter is very much appreciated. --- Number VI: Larxene. The Organization's Not-That-Geezer's-Heart-Tank. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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adjl 03/01/24 9:18:27 PM #7: |
shadowsword87 posted...
For the record, if your check engine light is blinking, find somewhere to get it looked at immediately. Indeed. Everything else is just "there's something wrong we don't have a dedicated light for," which is generally worth getting checked out, but probably won't hurt to leave for a little while. Blinking, however, means you should pull over and get a tow unless the garage you're going to is like 20 feet away. It won't necessarily replace going to a garage, but you can buy diagnostic code readers for cars pretty cheaply that will give you at least a partial answer for why the light is on. You'll still need a garage to actually fix the problem, but getting that answer and being able to research its implications may be more comforting for you than this vague idea that something is wrong and you don't know what. It might be worth looking into that, if you're the sort of person who feels less anxious with more information. EclairReturns posted... there was no way of telling how much there is going to be in two days when it would have come time for me to retrieve my car. You could always have left it there for a day or two until it was safe to get there. Not going out in bad snow is pretty normal (and thoroughly sensible, if you can avoid it), but there's also no harm in not picking your car up immediately, especially if it's weather in which you aren't going to be driving anyway. But delaying this appointment by two weeks isn't a big deal either, and odds are the garage would have told you if they suspected it was. --- This is my signature. It exists to keep people from skipping the last line of my posts. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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