Bad year so far - car trouble. (long)

[PythonWallace]

I finished paying my car off on December 3 ($19,000, 1998 Pontiac Bonneville SSE Fully loaded). A few weeks into December my engine light went on so I brought it in to the shop I go to. I had a radiator leak and a bunch of other problems that added up to $1,200. Paid, got my car back, and the heat doesn't work. Brought it back and they said it was something in the dash, they couldn't have caused the problem, and it would be $400 to get inside to diagnose. It was the begining of January in Chicago, so I reluctantly gave the go ahead. Almost 4 weeks and $800 later I got my car back with heat.

Last Tuesday, the 13th, the engine started making noise. I had to get my emmissions tested, so I brought it to my friend's dad's house so he could check it out. He hooked it up to the computer, drove it, changed the oil and told me the engine was done. I could either trade it in for about $500, get a junked 3800 dropped in for about $3,500 or rebuild mine for a little over $2,000.

This Monday I drove it to get tested, and after making it through the line with my motor sounding like it could explode at any second, I was 2nd in line. Everyone was already staring at me, then it died. I got it to start after 3 tries, and floored it into the facility. I passed and got it home, I think mear seconds before the motor would have seized up on me, throwing it in park at every light so I could rev the engine to keep the oil pressure from dropping back to 0 and stalling. After spending the $2,000 on repairs since the end of January, I started looking at used mopeds yesterday. To suppliment the retardedness of being seen on a moped, if I am forced to go that route, I also started looking at viking helmets and goggles.

[Vomitore]

Isn't there some sort of lemon law? Did you buy it from a lot of private? I'd check into that. My car is acting up on me. If I have to sink more then 1,000 more into it, I will sell it. I'll buy a cheap truck and toss the Sentra.

[PythonWallace]

I bought it in 2001. I paid it off over 5 years. I should have sold it, hindsight 20/20. I could have got $3,750 for it in fair condition before January, now it's not worth $#!znit after dumping $2,000 into it to get 1 more month out of it. It was running great last Monday, and the body is in great condition. So I basically lost over $5k by not selling it then.

If anyone feels sorry for me I'll except donations in cash or lesser/mojave form.

[Vomitore]

Hehe. I plan on selling my car by next year. It's a 2000 and only 41k miles. I'll have money to get it repaired but I really want a truck.