Monday, May 08, 2006
A nice quote, mochas & car "Check Engine" problems
I was looking at archives for Deni's Time To Tell blog and was looking through her posts from last July. I always kind of wonder what others were doing while I was at the hospital holding Annie as she was dieing. I found a wonderful quote there from Steel Cowboy and he has given me permission to post it here:
"We look back at the trail we have trodden that has brought us to this point in our life, and see all that we have passed through, good and bad, and smile a wane smile... some have been left behind.
Others are up the path, waiting to be met."
I find the older I get the more I value family and friends. Go look at his blog and also check Deni's.
Becky, The Absent Minded Housewife asked in a comment this morning if I let people drink mochas in my Miata (yes and I do myself, too) and said that she would like to see a review of my thoughts on the best mocha I have found in my travels.
That is harder to answer. I have had some very good ones and some that I didn't particularly like. But I have to remember that I like what I am used to - my normal mocha has pretty much set my tastebuds for what I expect. I have found that the Starbucks chain produces a very similar product at their various locations and I suppose that is what I am most used to. I guess my all time favorite is still a mocha made with Seattle's Best Coffee, but not all of them. There is a new outlet in The Grocery Store in the Yuma Foothills they call "The Wired Cafe" which is also an Internet cafe and they use SBC coffees. The Cinnebon outlet in Don Laughlin's Riverside Casino in Laughlin, NV also uses SBC coffees & makes a good one. I think the answer is that there is no one answer that will fit everyone. We tend to like what we are used to and something with a different taste may or may not seem good to us. Just remember that it probably is good to those who drink it regularly.
Yesterday morning when I started the Miata to drive to church, the "Check Engine" light came on and didn't go off. I checked the owner's book, made sure the gas cap was tight and continued on as it wasn't blinking. If blinking they want you to turn it off and get a tow to help. I called the local Mazda dealer early this morning & the Service Rep said to bring it over at 9. The light was on when I started it at home but I stopped for a mocha at a drive through place & turned the engine off while waiting. It didn't come back on when I re-started the engine! I found the car would sit at the shop for an hour or so before they would even start on it, then it would take an hour & a half to check it for the problem. They offered to call the shuttle to drive me home and pick me up when it is ready, which I took advantage of. I haven't heard from them yet and it has been three hours, so I am glad that I came on home. I used to be able to fix most problems with my cars but those of today, with all their electronic computer controls are kind of out of range for the average hobby mechanic. It sure makes you feel at the mercy of the car dealers, though.
I just talked with the Service Rep who said the mechanic did find a service code in the computer but is at lunch now (12:18) so he won't know what is up until the mechanic gets back. Oh well, it is just money, right?
"We look back at the trail we have trodden that has brought us to this point in our life, and see all that we have passed through, good and bad, and smile a wane smile... some have been left behind.
Others are up the path, waiting to be met."
I find the older I get the more I value family and friends. Go look at his blog and also check Deni's.
Becky, The Absent Minded Housewife asked in a comment this morning if I let people drink mochas in my Miata (yes and I do myself, too) and said that she would like to see a review of my thoughts on the best mocha I have found in my travels.
That is harder to answer. I have had some very good ones and some that I didn't particularly like. But I have to remember that I like what I am used to - my normal mocha has pretty much set my tastebuds for what I expect. I have found that the Starbucks chain produces a very similar product at their various locations and I suppose that is what I am most used to. I guess my all time favorite is still a mocha made with Seattle's Best Coffee, but not all of them. There is a new outlet in The Grocery Store in the Yuma Foothills they call "The Wired Cafe" which is also an Internet cafe and they use SBC coffees. The Cinnebon outlet in Don Laughlin's Riverside Casino in Laughlin, NV also uses SBC coffees & makes a good one. I think the answer is that there is no one answer that will fit everyone. We tend to like what we are used to and something with a different taste may or may not seem good to us. Just remember that it probably is good to those who drink it regularly.
Yesterday morning when I started the Miata to drive to church, the "Check Engine" light came on and didn't go off. I checked the owner's book, made sure the gas cap was tight and continued on as it wasn't blinking. If blinking they want you to turn it off and get a tow to help. I called the local Mazda dealer early this morning & the Service Rep said to bring it over at 9. The light was on when I started it at home but I stopped for a mocha at a drive through place & turned the engine off while waiting. It didn't come back on when I re-started the engine! I found the car would sit at the shop for an hour or so before they would even start on it, then it would take an hour & a half to check it for the problem. They offered to call the shuttle to drive me home and pick me up when it is ready, which I took advantage of. I haven't heard from them yet and it has been three hours, so I am glad that I came on home. I used to be able to fix most problems with my cars but those of today, with all their electronic computer controls are kind of out of range for the average hobby mechanic. It sure makes you feel at the mercy of the car dealers, though.
I just talked with the Service Rep who said the mechanic did find a service code in the computer but is at lunch now (12:18) so he won't know what is up until the mechanic gets back. Oh well, it is just money, right?
Comments:
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Hi Dick, I did some research on the engine light last year. It can mean a lot of things these day. Most car after 1996 has a computer on board to monitor initially smog related sensors. But nowadays, the computer control all function of the engine.
There are at least 10 sensors feeding the computer information and the computer would adjust and provide the best engine performance. Fuel mixing, timing, idling, optimal fuel burn are all under the computer control.
You can buy or borrow a computer OBDII code reader from some auto parts store or a friend like I did last year and fixed my fuel pump problem.
Oxygen sensors are the most common failure and turn on the engine check light; the oxygen sensor measure the O2 content in the exhaust and tell the computer what fuel mixture the fuel injector should provide. I replace a O2 sensor one time and it cost $75 for the part, the dealer might charge $200 for the job.
You answer your question if we like fishing, the answer is no but we enjoy eating fish and like camping near water. We will be rally in the North West to fish Salmon and crabbing in the fall.
There are at least 10 sensors feeding the computer information and the computer would adjust and provide the best engine performance. Fuel mixing, timing, idling, optimal fuel burn are all under the computer control.
You can buy or borrow a computer OBDII code reader from some auto parts store or a friend like I did last year and fixed my fuel pump problem.
Oxygen sensors are the most common failure and turn on the engine check light; the oxygen sensor measure the O2 content in the exhaust and tell the computer what fuel mixture the fuel injector should provide. I replace a O2 sensor one time and it cost $75 for the part, the dealer might charge $200 for the job.
You answer your question if we like fishing, the answer is no but we enjoy eating fish and like camping near water. We will be rally in the North West to fish Salmon and crabbing in the fall.
Good day Dick. Thank you for the plug and quote.
I've enjoyed browsing around a bit, though time seems to be limited. I don't get the chance to read as much as I once did, since work interferes - well, that and preparing for my wedding in June ;).
Would you be okay with me adding you to my blogroll?
Take care Sir, and may the Lord make His face to shine upon you.
I've enjoyed browsing around a bit, though time seems to be limited. I don't get the chance to read as much as I once did, since work interferes - well, that and preparing for my wedding in June ;).
Would you be okay with me adding you to my blogroll?
Take care Sir, and may the Lord make His face to shine upon you.
i wonder if the mechanics nowadays could be like the old mechanics and actually figure some thing out on a car with out a computer. it makes me think of the doctors nowadays that have to run thousands of dollars of test before they can tell you what is wrong with you.
My car did that, too, Dick! And then stopped and then nothing...absolutely nothing at all was wrong with my car. I hope they don't invent something wrong just to get your hard-earned bucks. Watch'em, Dick! ;o)
My sympathies regarding your Miata, Dick. I hope it's nothing serious, just a bad sensor or something simple. (For simple, read "Cheap!!", LOL. :-)
Have a good day, if you can after you hear from the mechanic, that is. :-)
Have a good day, if you can after you hear from the mechanic, that is. :-)
Yes, hopefully your Miata won't need too much to fix it. I am dealing with a noise my van is making that I can't seem to duplicate when my mechanic is around of course.
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