Time to Get Dirty
Did I mention that this fall will be my Jeep’s fourteenth birthday? I love the thing, but it’s been making sounds lately. I often worry I should just sit in my camper and not drive it, for fear of running out of Jeep to drive.
But what is the point of this adventure if I’m too afraid to drive anywhere? How silly is that?
It only has 158,000 miles. And it’s a Jeep. It’s supposed to last for over 250,000 miles. Thank God. The engine is in great shape. You’ve seen how pretty she is, right? Lemme show you another picture. She’s one of a kind:
It’s making this clicking chug when I drive, in tempo with the speed of the car. Chuck a-chuck a-chuck a-chuck chuck-chuck-chuck-chuck-chuck. It totally freaks me out. And then it was groaning and squealing when I touched the steering wheel. I guessed I needed steering fluid (I was right!), I added some, and then felt like a baby genius mechanic. (The feeling didn’t last.)
I’m so afraid that my car is going to break down and keep me from my adventures, that I worry about it constantly. In my journal, I wrote of my first night on the road. (Forgive the pretentious writing: it’s my journal.)
I feared the rusty metal on my fourteen-year-old Jeep would crack under the weight of my possessions. It jerked down the street, lugging a two-thousand-pound camper, which I was sure would bust every bolt holding the Jeep together. My ears were peeled for a pop, my muscles braced for a sudden halt and a splat on the road while wheels rolled off in four directions, disappearing into the scoffing rows of corn.
The problem with mechanics, is that you never know which ones are going to be honest and which ones are not. The current clacking did not start until we took it to RadAir. When I took it to another RadAir and asked that they look at what the first RadAir had done to cause the rattling, the guy said they fixed the rattling “in the back.”
“What was it?” I asked.
He looked at the mechanic. “You fixed the rattling in the back, right?”
The mechanic froze, mouth open.
“The rattling,” the manager prompted. “You fixed it in the back, right?”
The mechanic obediently began nodding his head in slow motion, his eyes wide and surprised.
“That’s funny,” I said. “The rattling sounded like it was coming from the front. What did you fix?”
“Let me get you the estimate on the other stuff.”
And off he disappeared into his office. So I’m not feeling real good about mechanics at the moment. How do you trust one? How do you know they’re not going to make your car worse? And, come on, $425 to fix two bolts? I don’t understand.
So I’m ordering a Chilton’s tomorrow (I just gave one away in my big purge! I’m so annoyed at myself!) and I’m going to get to know my car so well that if it breaks, I’ll be able to fix it. I’m going to read Chilton’s from cover to cover. I’m going to crawl under the car and learn everything about it, memorize every screw and every piece of rust, so that if a mechanic tries to break something in order to get more business, I WILL KNOW. BIG SISTER IS WATCHING YOU.
I learned to change the oil in my lawn mower last year. I can crawl under a Jeep. I can use a wrench. I don’t mind getting dirty.
Tomorrow is a mini-road trip to my bank and to see an old friend. It’s going to be sunny, no clouds, so I’m taking the top off the Jeep. Yay! I can’t wait. Glenn’s plan is to replace the Jeep next year with the truck that will pull the fifth wheel. I am NOT looking forward to that.
The Jeep is one piece of stuff I want to keep forever and ever.
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Natasha Fondren is a writer traveling the U.S. in a camper with her four cats. She is currently enjoying the lizards and desert heat in Arizona.
My dad gave me one piece of advice about DIY repairs: put down a white sheet or paper towels and lay everything out in the exact order you take it off. That way, when it comes time to put it back together it’ll be a no-brainer.
That said, however, the only thing I’ve actually replaced on a car was a wheel bearing.
PS: I don’t think I’d take the jeep to that RadAir place any more. Sounds fishy.
Good advice, Elizabeth! That’s awesome! Thank you!
I’m totally impressed with the wheel bearing. I should’ve cleaned (or something like that) the wheel bearings on the camper before I left, but I’m waiting until Glenn gets home. I get lazy like that.
It’s too bad you don’t live close to Bernardl here in blog land. He’s an honest fellow who would give you the truth.
I gosh, Charles! Where does he live? I’d go out my way to find a guy like that!
I know a few good mechanics out here. Or my brother is very good, but very slow. He’s in Louisiana.
I had a noise like that once. It was coming from my steering cable and/or the odometer. Can’t remember for sure as both were fixed at the same time.
How long since you greased it? Are the CV boots cracked?
Also could be the shocks (do old Jeeps have struts?), especially if you have the squeaks still with the steering wheel. Hard to say and I’m no mechanic. I have done a few things to my cars over the years and long since decided it was worth it to me to pay someone to fix it.
Hah! Thanks, Sarah! See? This is why I love blogging. I’m totally checking all that stuff out as soon as I get my Chilton’s book!
No struts. I think we did just replace the shocks, though.
Glenn’s from Louisiana! If we go down that way, I’ll ask you for his name!
I know nothing about cars so I’ve taken mine to the same place for years. I have every reason to think the fellow who runs the garage is trustworthy and the particular problem that’s fixed has always stayed fixed. Of course with vehicles there’s aways something new. (Except, in my case, the vehicle, because I have never been able to afford a new one, but only used vehicles that are new to me.)
I hope the time hasn’t come for your jeep. I hate it when vehicles get old and you’re not sure what to do — put money into repairs, and end up wasting it, or look for another vehicle….and I never have enough money for either.
But it’s dangerous falling in a love with vehicles. They always betray you in the end.
You are so right about falling in love, Eric.
My stepdad had a real reasonable and honest mechanic, once, but I think he closed up shop or retired.
I bought a new Honda Civic, once. I wore it out towing a boat filled with camping equipment. (See a theme, here?) But seriously, I’d never buy a new vehicle again, unless I had money to burn. Why pay thousands of dollars more for an extra year or two with a car?
I think we live in a society too-obsessed with “new” and throwing things away instead of fixing.
I love your jeep! We drive a ’92 wrangler here and love it! Our fanbelt squeals like crazy so you can hear us coming from a mile away, lol.
Not sure what the clanking could be. Hmm… Does it sound like it is coming from the engine? Or from a wheel? Does it make the sound when it is running and stationary? Or only when driving? Could it be something on the wheel? Please keep us updated!
Oh, Nadine, that’s AWESOME! See? That totally gives me hope the Jeep and I might be able to manage a few more years.
It sounds sorta like it’s coming from the wheel. There are two little u-bolts to do with the 4 wheel drive that I think the first RadAir loosened/broke on purpose, and the second RadAir wanted to charge me $425 to fix them. It’s only when driving, and it’s in time with how fast I’m going.
Btw, it was totally instant. Like, the SECOND we drove it away from the first RadAir, it rattled, whereas when we took it in, it didn’t. Glenn didn’t go in and raise hell, which really annoyed me.
Sounds like they messed it up
That sucks.
The good news is that it doesn’t sound engine related – yay! I would have a good look at the wheels and see if you can do a self-repair. You go girl!!
Good luck figuring it all out. Our car makes a really loud squeaking noise when we turn, so you can hear us coming too. And the tires clunk when we turn too. Yes, it’s the wheels — the speed bumps here are awful!
See, this is heartening, Melanie! I just have this vision of going kersplat on the pavement, the whole thing just breaking under me. But that’s silly.
Natasha, I don’t know anything about cars. Your Jeep does look pretty, though. Good luck with the Chilton’s. I’d be afraid to go back to the RadAir guys too. It sounds like a rip-off.
They were horrid, Edie. I only liked them because they give you free cookies.
Good luck with getting it all figured out. I think it’s great that you are going to learn more about your Jeep
Those RadAir guys definitely sound like they are a far way away from being on top of things 
I’m excited, Lauren! It makes me feel less scared, LOL!
I don’t know why, but your journal entry made me laugh out loud. I absolutely loved the dramatic language. I have nothing to add about cars because I’m car retarded. I’d call Click and Clack, the Talbot brothers, on NPR if I had this problem. I’m dying to do that one day.
I know a nice little man named Von who lives here. He works at a truck place, but he does mechanic work privately for people. He’s really cheap, and honest, and he comes to my office and gives me an old clunker to use while he fixes my clunker. Maybe I should marry him.
Robin, I totally see a cartoon in my mind! The car goes splat and all the tires go rolling out. I imagine sitting on the road in the car seat on my bum, LOL!
Wow! I wish I were headed your way! I’d love Von!
The fellow Charles told you about is Bernard from Bernard’s Blog on blogspot. His email address is nilson_brothers@hotmail.com and his shop unfortunately for you is in Oakland, California. Occasionally he writes articles about his mechanical work and the people who stop by. Send him a quick note just to see what he says. He’s really helpful and he may be able to recommend someone to you.
Wow, thanks, Barbara! I’ll have to check him out!
[...] is getting the repair for $150. (Massive over-charging on the part of awful RadAir. I knew it!) I’ll feel a lot better about driving across the United States once that’s [...]