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Distributor Cap Teaches Lesson: Let Pros Fix itThis past spring, I was leaving on Saturday for a three-day, 2,100-mile solo trip to Colorado. After changing my car's oil on Thursday, the dude told me I should have my distributor cap changed sometime soon. OK, now where would that distributor cap be and what does it do? During the next 36 hours, I would get a lesson in what the distributor does and what you shouldn't do. I bought a distributor cap (along with a new rotor inside it) that day and put it on. Nothing happened. I'll fix it in the morning, I told myself. Mr. Denial was hard at work. Friday was a horrible day. I'll just fix the car, then pack it ;and everything will be fine, I thought. I replaced the rotor but didn't get it screwed down far enough. It ripped a hole in the side of the cap and broke off the screw down inside the rotor. I dutifully made my second trip to the auto parts store for a new rotor and distributor cap. This was getting expensive. My neighbor Russ helped me pull the broken-off screw out and, fortunately, found a screw the right size and style (after we cut it down with a saw). I got the cap on OK, but I didn't know you have to put the spark-plug wires back into the same position they were in before. This is called the firing order (see, I did learn something). However, I didn't know the right order even after asking a couple mechanics. It was like having a lock and several different people giving you the wrong combination. I was frustrated. I was livid. I was cursing my car and my life. Finally, in desperation I called my mechanic and practically begged (groveled and pleaded would also be good words) to have someone come out and help. It was now almost 5:30 on a Friday evening. A mechanic, Kurt, came out after work to fix my car. He said, "You must be good friends with the boss, because we never do house calls." My pleading had worked. Kurt got the car started within the hour, plus he found that my alternator belt had a big chunk out of it. If Kurt hadn't been diligent, I'm sure the belt would have broken on the highway the next day, because it broke on my third trip to the auto parts store. This is how I justified the expense and exasperation to my very patient wife. The belt I bought was too short, so I made a mad rush to Pep Boys, pounding on the door at closing time. Russ came back over and helped me put the belt on by the glow of my front porch light. The good new is that my car made it all the way to Colorado with no problems. My lesson learned: It's best to trust your car to professionals who know what they're doing--and don't try new things on your car before going on a long trip. This past weekend, I successfully put in a slate walkway. It could have been because I had experience in doing this. Or it could have been that the walkway didn't require a distributor cap. Slate pavers have no firing order. ***** © 2001, Dave Carlson, All Rights Reserved |
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5808 S. Rapp St., Suite 235 Littleton, CO 80120 - in the Denver Metro area - 720-922-3124 |
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