YAY RAY!!!

A couple of days ago I mentioned that my car had developed an oil leak during our deep freeze which caused me no end of anxiety. I put off looking underneath the car until the weekend when the weather warmed up to a bearable level.

It is odd that I felt compelled to even look. I wouldn’t know what I was looking for and even if I did stumble upon the actual problem; my ignorance of things mechanical would have prevented me from identifying it anyways. I got out my jack stands and jacked the car up; only to find that I couldn’t jack it up high enough to put the jack stands in. Even if I could have managed to get the car high enough, I wasn’t sure just where you would put them anyways. I left it on the jack and slithered under the car. I had a trouble light and a rag to wipe away the oil and gunk, which I did. Just as I figured, it looked like the bottom of an engine that someone had just wiped oil off of. I crawled out from underneath and opened the hood so that I could wiggle some wires and check the oil. This was when the hopelessness set in.

Louise came out to see if I had been crushed and I asked if she would start the engine after I slithered under so that I could see where the oil poured out of. I did, she did and it didn’t! The last time I looked it was like Niagara Falls under there (a very small falls) and now, nothing. Is it because there isn’t enough oil to leak? Is it because the car is jacked up and the oil isn’t near the hole? Is it because I wouldn’t know a leak if it poured in my mouth? You know, the one thing about car maintenance that I have learned over the years is just when to give up. That moment comes about two hours past when anyone with half a brain would have given up. This was my moment.

Now all I have to do is decide who to take it to and how to get it there. Just then, my son-in-law Chris came in and gave me the number of the mechanic that he uses. The guy is supposed to be fair and only does what is needed. Thanks Chris, I will call him tomorrow. The rest of the day I spent in blissful ignorance of things mechanical and covered in oil.

This morning I called Ray of Ray’s Garage, to arrange a day later on in the week when I could get it in. He said bring it over right away and he’d look at it. HUH? I poured a litre of oil in and drove over. I parked and he said to drive it around back and bring it in bay 2. HUH? I went in and the mechanic put it on the hoist and had a look. HUH? He didn’t see a leak, and his view was way better than mine had been yesterday. We agreed to change the oil and filter and I could pick it up in a half hour. Luckily, I had asked my buddy Ken to give me a ride back home when I thought that the car would be gone for hours or days. We went for coffee and then he dropped me back at Ray’s just as the mechanic pulled the car to the front.

Ray changed the oil and oil filter and put in an air filter. The total charge including labour and GST was $59. I was expecting to pay hundreds! His policy is to make a profit but not to cheat people. He has to be able to sleep at night. I was near tears. This man believes the same as I do. That means he is either nuts or just a wonderful person. I will tell you what he is, my new mechanic.

YAY RAY!!!