Screeching Halt

Picture it. Driving down the highway and a light pops up on the dash. A warning light. But, you don't know it's a warning light. You just think it's the Parking Brake light, telling you your parking brake is on. You check it and the parking brake is not engaged. You shrug it off, thinking that the light is malfunctioning and go on with your life, which entails taking your partner to work while you look for a job.

Fast forward a week or so later. The light is still on, the parking brake is still not engaged, BUT you managed to find two part time jobs. Yay! However, you are becoming annoyed that this pesky, bright, red light is interfering with your driving at night. You pull out the 'ol owner's manual and find out why the light might be on. What you thought was the Parking Brake light is, in fact, officially the Brake System Warning light, which does indicate if the parking brake is engaged, but it's never come on in the few months you have owned the truck. You read on in the owner's manual and find this is big, bold letters:

The BRAKE light indicates that the brakes may not be

working properly. Have the brakes checked immediately!

Oh boy. Kids, the brakes are nothing to fool around with. And shame on me for ignoring that light. I contact the good people at Goodyear Auto Service Center and inform them of the situation. They say to bring the truck in immediately! All I hear as I carefully drive Francis to Goodyear is money flying out of the window. I drop her off and head back home on a bus. The day is October 14, 2011. The time is 12:00 PM on the dot. I wait for the news.

James from Goodyear calls me a little later on after fully inspecting Francis. They pinpoint the problem. There is a leak that appears to be coming from the Master Cylinder and through into the Power Brake Booster. In short, brake fluid has slowly been leaking all over components in my truck. The truck was severely low in brake fluid. No brake fluid = DANGER! James has the following recommendations:

Helpful diagram that I could have used during this time

• New Master Cylinder = $159.86 parts + $76.80 labor
• New Power Booster = $157.90 parts + $124.80 labor
• Brake Fluid Exchange Service = $20.95 parts + $79.00 labor

What choice do I have? I didn't know what any of this means! All I know is that brakes are vital in a car and if something is not working with the brakes, that should be fixed. And that's that. I manage to scrounge up a $50 off coupon for labor fees at Goodyear. At 6:53 PM that same day, I pick Francis up and drop $624.32, almost half of which was for labor and shop supplies cost.

Oh, and James still recommends the following for Francis:

• Replace wiper blades = $15.50 parts + $2.24 labor = $19.98 Total
• Repack front wheel bearings = $4.00 parts + $96.00 labor = $100 Total
• Replace front shocks = $153.96 parts + $38.40 labor = $230.76 Total
• Replace rear shocks = $153.96 parts + $38.40 labor = $230.76 Total
• Replace left and right outer tie rods = $90.96 parts + $124.80 labor = 215.76 Total
• Wheel alignment = $79.95 - $10 discount = $69.95 Total
• Power steering fluid exchange = $40.95 parts + $49 labor = $89.95

New GRAND TOTAL for recommended services = $1022.12 (including tax)

No, thanks, James. I just dropped over $600 today. There's no way I can afford another $1000. But, thanks for trying. Good day, sir. And with that, we were gone. Never to be heard from again. Until the next blog, which I promise will start to get into the actual fun stuff.