I wasn’t much fun last night, I’m afraid. I was having one of those days where things seem to break all around me – first my car, then my computer. Bleah.
My car decided on April 1 that it didn’t want to start. No, not just wouldn’t turn over, the key wouldn’t turn in the ignition, period. April Fools! Not.
takaza came over to pick me up, and after I had called the local dealer (just a half-mile away) and the national roadside service, he managed to wiggle the key enough to get it to start. We took it down to the dealer and left it with instructions to fix it (along with giving it its 12,000 maintenance, which it needed anyway). The service rep found that she, too, couldn’t turn the key after she parked it, so that confirmed the problem.
So I got a call yesterday that I could come pick up the car. I asked what was wrong with the ignition, and was told that the technician couldn’t find anything wrong with it. Fortunately, it was the same service rep, and she assured me they’d look into it, and to hold off on picking up the car. Later, I got a call that they’re having a locksmith come and look at it, but that he couldn’t be there until this morning. Which is why I’m driving a shiny new Ford Focus this morning, since they’re providing me with a freebies rental. Not a great car, but the headroom in the Focus is surprisingly large. Pity it’s slow, Spartan, and uncomfortable. Anyway, I should get a call sometime today for me to pick up my Alero and all with be right with the world. And the ignition problem is covered under warranty, thank the gods.
Then there’s the computer. The laptop took a slight spill off the coffee table over the weekend and bent the wireless networking card. Now my transfer speeds have dropped to half (or less) unless I push the card a certain way, and even that’s not a surefire fix. This definitely means I’ll be buying a new wireless card soon – that’s about a hundred bucks down the drain. Damn.
These add up to being in a crabby, unsociable mood yesterday evening. Bless his heart, Dan put up with me, and I got over it eventually. Working out helped, too – good to work out your aggressions on the bicycle and treadmill. I’m feeling much better today, fortunately, and even have a blessedly light day at work, so I don’t feel so stressed out.
Coincidence
I had exactly the same kind of problem about two months ago. I was all ready to take it to the dealership to have it worked on, then Michael suggested I try his key.
No problem.
Compare the two keys. Mine was so wore down, it’s hard to believe it works at all, let alone that a lot of wiggling, cursing, and pounding will make it work. Michael doesn’t drive. His key gets used very occasionally to unlock the trunk when I’m busy elsewhere and such. We had two extra spares in the house. I switched to one of those.
No problems since.
Admittedly, my car turned 10 this year, so that key has been through a lot of use. So this may have nothing to do with your problem.
Then again…
Re: Coincidence
Heh. That was the first thing Takaza suggested. No dice.
Turns out that they had to replace the ignition lock cylinder. Pretty strange to have to do that on a car that’s less than a year old, but I suppose weirdness happens.