I told you recently that gremlins have taken over our home lately. We have had to move from one thing needing repair or replacement to the next over and over and over, all starting when we were iced in for a week and then snowed in for another week last month.
One of the important things was that our generator didn’t do its automatic weekly test. My husband was unable to start it manually, either. Thank goodness we didn’t need it while the weather was so challenging. We recharged the battery that we just bought a little over a month ago and I bought a new air filter, and we made sure the oil was good, but that wasn’t enough. My husband took out the starter motor. We called around and found a guy who fixes small motors, and drove to Ft. Smith – leaving it with him. He called later and said he was unable to fix it, but that he had a new one we could buy.
My husband went back to Ft. Smith, bought the new starter motor. On his way home he had a flat and managed to get to a tire place to buy a used tire to get him home. We ordered two new rear tires for the Vette.
My husband installed the new starter motor in the generator and tested it. It RAN! He left it set on automatic weekly testing. I put the time of 12:20 today for the test on my calendar. I set my alarm so I could open the door and HEAR it start for the test. It was 12:23 when the motor turned on and started the generator!!!!! It ran for 10 minutes and shut itself off.
ONE PROBLEM SOLVED!
We got the two new rear tires and headed for the local tire place, with me following my husband there. They installed the new tires, but told him that he needed new FRONT tires ASAP. So – we ordered new front tires…
While we were waiting for those to arrive, we took the Vette to the dealer in Ft. Smith because the turn signals weren’t working. I followed him there and we left the vehicle, asking them also to look at whatever holds the exhaust system up because it was rattling, and the headlights, which opened up, but were recalcitrant about going back down when we push the button. They called us back, wanting $1200 to fix the exhaust system and they wanted to change the headlights. My husband told them to JUST fix the turn signals. (That entails taking the whole front off the Vette). They called us later that day, so we made a second trip to Ft. Smith to pick up the Vette.) They charged us $211 for the turn signals. My husband says if the exhaust system rattles get louder, we’ll take it to Midas. He will ignore the problem on the lights, since that isn’t a safety issue.
Today we received the new front tires and have now left the Vette at the local tire place for them to put them on. They will call us when it is ready.
So we will have TWO of the several problems we have had one after the other FIXED – or as fixed as we can afford. :0)
Two remaining problems is that the heater in the shop isn’t working and the garage door opener quit. We have contacted the propane people about the shop heater and we have ordered a new garage door opener. The company wanted around $900 to install a new garage door opener, but we ordered one for $250 and will install it ourselves – we hope.
If you see the gremlins, please catch them for us. We will see if they can be appeased…
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