When Vince and I started getting serious, he asked what I required to be happy and I told him three things:
- Indoor plumbing
- Air conditioning
- Dependable ar
Through our married years, he’s been on thin ice a few times. Now, it’s the car.
The Highlander is 10 years old and has 60,000 miles. In theory, it should last quite a few more years. In reality, it’s about to get replaced . . if I have my way.
Several months ago, we had the timing belt replaced due to years, not miles. Then I noticed that when the car sits for 8 – 10 days without being used, when I start it, it makes a weird grinding sound. It isn’t a belt. It feels tome like something is frozen up and it is grinding to get itself released. That’s definitely not a very good description . . not something a mechanic can easily diagnose from my description.
We don’t want to get a new car now. We don’t have a garage . . only a carport and you know the story of the cat sitting on the car, using the gasket around the sun roof for a scratching post. We want to know where we’ll be living when we retire before we buy a vehicle. If we’re living in a rural area, we need a pickup. If we’re living where there’s snow, we need four wheel drive. If we’re living in a retirement community, a car will work. OK . . scratch off the retirement community. That isn’t happening.
I want to go see Chad, Nicole and Addie but am not about to take off on a 10 hour trip with a car making a weird noise. It could be the water pump (they replaced that when they changed the timing belt and my guess is they put in a rebuilt one). According to Vince’s mechanic friends, it could be some kind of “tensioner arm”. According to my dad, it could be the compressor on the air conditioner. The mechanic we use is good and he’ll get to the bottom of it and get it fixed .. just maybe not in the time frame that makes me happy.
It’s pretty common for my car to sit 10 days without getting used so I’ve been trying to get a video of the noise. Yesterday I got it!
On my way to knitting, I took the video by and played it for them and they said “Bring in tomorrow” . . which is today . . so I did. They’re going to let it sit til early next week and then try to pinpoint where the noise is coming from and hopefully get it fixed. It’s not easy with the noise being something that the car has to sit for so long before it does it again but . . somehow, it has to be fixed and I have to feel like it’s a trustworthy vehicle to get me to MO and back or . . I’m afraid there’s going to be a very heated discussion around here and I’m going to end up with a new vehicle.
Let’s hope the mechanic can find the noise, get it fixed and we won’t have any more problems and the Highlander will make it til we’re ready to buy a new car.
Linda in NE says
Twice I’ve had an unreliable car that my husband said was good enough for me to drive. I think he just thought it would be a good way to make me stay home all the time. The upshot was that two times I went out and found a different car and bought it. One old one wasn’t even worth trading in ($75 trade-in value!!) and the other one I traded in for a few hundred $. We know when it’s time. Best of all, the cars I picked turned out to be really good cars.
marcille irwin says
It sounds like maybe Vince should take the Highlander to work once or twice a week just so the car gets driven regularly. It would be much better for the car, and might allow you to hold off until you are ready to buy a new car. My husband and I have the opposite problem, his car is 4 years old and has 130,000 miles on it and mine is 3 years old with about 65,000 miles on it. It seems like one of us is always needing to get a new car, and we would like to wait until just before we retire. (I don’t think we are going to make that)
Good luck, I hope that they are able to get it fixed! (And you can buy your new car on your timetable)
Judy Laquidara says
The car wasn’t making a noise before we had it worked on. Driving it more isn’t going to fix the problem. It’s just that it has to sit a long time before it makes the noise. I don’t think it’s normal for any car, whether sitting for 10 days or not, to make a loud grinding noise when it starts.
obed101 says
I have insisted on having a reliable car. Frank is on the road every day, for the last 42 years. So i have been on my own. Sometimes city, sometimes country, always with kid and needing to get to work. Luckily i have had few problems with vehicles. But there have been a few really hysterical episodes of trouble……
Diana in RR,TX says
You need to drive more Judy! How can you have a car that old with such low mileage. Here I am with a 2004 Tahoe and 227,500 miles! Really don’t want to buy another car yet. I do hope they can find and solve the problem
wanda j says
Funny I had a problem like that with washing machine. I told the first repair man I thought it was the belt. I’ve had machine now over 25 years ago now at least. I bought a Maytag as usual and guy said there weren’t but 3 things that could go wrong.( Belt, Motor and transmission). So I knew it was the belt due to where the noise was cming from. This 1st repair man changed timer, and several other things. Still made the noise after sitting a few days without use. Replaced more stuff but not the belt. Still making noise. Finally after 4th trip I said don’t send him again. The warranty company sent a different man. I had videoed the noise this time just in case it didn’t make it when he came. Low and behold he said it is the belt. Has it ever been changed? I told him no the other 4 repairmen never listen to me when I told them it was the belt. He changed it and guess what. No more noise. Sometimes the cellphone can be a great thing( Video). But then again listen to us when we tell you there is a noise. We know these things right ladies?
Twyla Starr says
When we travel we rent a car so that the miles are not on our vehicle and should there be a break down or heaven forbid accident, the rental place will have the problem not us. Plus we get to try out different autos.