The neverending car drama

While I was out of town, we brought my car in to the shop to look at my coolant leak.  And my brakes were a little vibrate-y (that is a word ya know).  We suspected that my water pump was bad (AGAIN...that means I will be on pump #3 in 7 months). 

The verdict:   Brakes needed adjusting and cleaning (easy and cheap); new water pump (color me so surprised); and I am leaking oil; manifold intake valves need to be replaced (what exactly is a manifold anyway???)

$1100.  ANOTHER $1100.  We were expecting a few hundred, not over a thousand.

This has opened a huge can of worms.  We were told the water pump is bad because of faulty instillation.....gee, this is becoming a theme on our cars, hence the reason we aren't using the other shop anymore.  The rest is just my vehicle getting old.

To fix or not to fix....that is the question.  We drained our car account on G-man's car at 4th of July.  Since that was less than a month ago, it isn't like it has has ANY time to build.  We do have some cash available, which was reserved to fix Bossy's room....but that is on hold for the moment (that is tied to the Work story).  We could fix it in cash, but who knows when the next bomb will drop.

We have decided to file a complaint with the DMV board that governs repair shops.  We have nothing but problems for 7-8 months due to shoddy work.  We are hoping to recoup some (if not all!) of our money.  Both our cars have been in and out of the shop since December, and each time it is related to the previous repair, and now 2 different shops (the dealership, and the new repair shop) have independently from each other, on two different cars, said the problem is due to poor instillation.

So that is a whole other battle....

Back to fix or not fix.  If we don't fix it....it may limp along for a bit, but I will be on borrowed time.  This decision would mean buying a "new" car.  And by new car...I am talking about a step or two above a Beater.  I need to have a reliable car for work and the kids.  But it certainly wouldn't be my ideal car.  Enter in....a car payment. 

We have next to nothing for a car payment.  That would pretty much shoot any debt repayment plan down for awhile.  Unless Work changes.....again...that is a WHOLE other story.  G-man looked around and hasn't found anything much better than what we already have.   We are going to look around tomorrow.

But I think we will fix the car.  My friend's brother is a mechanic (this is my friend I just went to visit).  His feeling is that if fixed properly, then these issues should be solved for the life of the car.  And that a car should last 250k miles.  I am at 153k.  I was shooting for at least another 50k on my car....

I am sad to have to use more money on the car and Murphy.  In the past 2 months, this will bring our Murphy total to about $2500.  All of that (or at least 2k of it), was supposed to be for debt.  So much for that plan.

Part of me says bail on the car....part of me says just fix it.  I just don't want a car payment!!!!!

So there ya go....the next installment of Car Drama.