Silly car...

In April of this year we decided to buy a new car. Well it's not exactly a new car, but it's MUCH newer than our old car (1998 Grand Am compared to a 1983 Buick Regal). So you buy a new car and hope and pray and expect that it won't have any major problems for a while. Well, a couple of weeks ago I noticed a water leak in the passenger side of the car. Not something major and mechanical, but a pretty big annoyance. It leaked probably about 3 or 4 different times when it rained, but after that whenever we thought it might rain, I parked the car underground over night, though I still have to park it outside at work. So we decided to get it checked out by an autobody shop in Sutherland, and after spraying more water all over that car than it would EVER rain, we realized that the leak must have fixed itself. We are thinking that it may have been a plugged up drainage trough at the bottom of the windsheild that unplugged itself. So no complaints here about that!

Then last Sunday as I was driving over to my sister's place for dad's birthday supper, the 'check engine' light came on in the car. Now I have become a firm believer in the last week that they should add a separate light to the dash of the car called the 'check gas cap' light. I know at least 3 different people who have had their check engine lights come on due to a loose gas cap. When you think about a 'check engine light' it sounds like it is something majorly wrong with the engine. But no, it's just a gas cap. Now I realize that it is not ALWAYS the gas cap, but as I stated above there should be a check engine light as well as a check gas cap light....if gas caps are such a big issue :P So after tightening the gas cap the light went off. Then a few days later it came back on, so I tightened it again, and it didn't work right aways, but after tightening it one more time it went off almost immediately. If all it needs is a new gas cap, I will be happy to buy one.

It is amazing the kinds of problems you dream up about the car when the 'check engine' light is on. I kept thinking that I was hearing weird sounds, or that the car was jerking when I was gently accellerating. All in my head.....and on the way home from work today I was behind someone who was burning oil and I thought, uh oh, my car is making burned oil smell....that's not good, but no it was just the gas cap :P *sigh* Thank goodness it's the weekend.