Auto-Matic Retardation

I’ve recently run into a little trouble concerning my car. I’m not exactly mechanically-inclined when it comes to automobiles, in fact i’m down right retarted when it comes to anything maintenance-wise. I know how to change my oil, my tires, and check fluids, but anything more complicated or extensive than that, I’m completely lost.

My car is about, oh, say two years out of inspection because of my “Check Engine Soon” light is on which in my county means that it won’t pass, for whatever dumbass reason. I recently got my tax return and decided to use the majority of the money I got back on repairing my automobile to tip-top shape.

Only it’s turned into a giant nightmare. It went from an out-of-inspection reliable auto to now a sputtering, lurching, dying peice of german engineering (I drive a VW Jetta). My friend helped me do a basic tune-up this weekend including changing the oil, sparkplugs, rotor cap, and a brand new O2 sensor (it was burned out). Only after all those rather minor replacements, the thing barely runs at all.

I know it’s nothing we did, so I assume it’s the snowball effect. You change the parts on one part of the car, it just starts this downward spiral effect of chaining everything to it, so now I’m forced to actually take it into a mechanic to have possible HUNDREDS of dollars in repairs done to it, all so I can have some stupid tag on my car so cops don’t look at me funny when I drive past them.

I couldn’t even get to work this morning. The damn thing died halfway to work and I had to reluctantly start it back up and just took it over to my friends house until he can follow me to the repair shop. Luckily my friend is also my boss, so he also gave me a ride to work.

And to top it all off, it’s Valentines Day. And a Monday, for that matter. It just keeps getting better and better.