Trepidacious Tuesday

I'm a little fearful today. Why? Because I'm dealing with folks in the automotive repair industry! See, I had to take the Jeep to the shop today. She's developed some kind of small/medium leak at the rear differential. I did a little online research (including finding out just what the rear differential is and where it's located -- it's at the rear) and this doesn't seem like a major repair.

In fact, several sites urge a self-repair. All you have to do, "they" say, is drain the fluid, remove all the bolts, pry apart the two halves of the differential housing, and then apply a powerful silicon gunk and put it all back together. Yes, "they" say it can be done, but I often feel "they" are evil, malicious entities who take great joy out of wrecking the mental/physical health of "normal" folks -- sort of like Zeus and his cronies sitting up on Mt. Olympus zapping folks with lightening bolts, destroying cities with krakens, and turning misbehaving mortals into sundry creatures of the forest. Okay maybe it's not that bad, but I don't trust "them".

No, instead I'm going to pay some guy to fix my problem. Being Caffeine Dad's son, I always hate to do that. What bothers me most, though, is not paying for the repair, it's that I have no way of telling just how good a repair the guy does. I leave the vehicle with them, they call me hours later, I pay them with wheelbarrows of money and hope the problem has stopped. Sure they give me a list showing a bunch of stuff they've done, but how do I know what they did? Maybe they just tightened some bolts and wiped off the accumulated grease.

My biggest fear at the shop, though, is the Johnson rod. [I think that was the name -- it was a Seinfeld thing, with George and Jerry discussing mechanics.] It's the totally unnecessary, perhaps even imaginary, part that the automotive professional claims you MUST have RIGHT NOW, else your vehicle will disintegrate as if stricken by a SciFi death ray on the drive home! Though you're often skeptical, how can you doubt them? Further, that craftily planted image of your vehicle being ruined beyond repair as a result of ignoring the mechanic's sage advice is a powerful motivator. Better safe than sorry -- the mechanics' guild must LOVE that slogan. Argh, I hate dealing with auto repairs!

Still and all, I've mostly been satisfied with my mechanic experiences. Sure I've been burned once of twice and more commonly talked into doing extra things I really don't think were necessary, but I don't think I've ever bought a Johnson rod. Let's hope today isn't my first one.

UPDATE: Lucinda is now home from the shop and it cost me less than $100.
Part of me was relieved, but part of me was pissed. If the mechanic fixes your
problem for less than $100, your problem probably was one you could have fixed
yourself. So if I could rewind time would I attempt the self-repair? Not on your
life! I'm teaching summer school, so I might as well blow the money on
something.