For the past few months, my car has been reluctant to start yet somehow I have managed to coax it into a functioning state every time I turn the ignition. Friday night (January 20) I was going to head out to Barns and Noble to chillax with my dear friend Aprille while she waited for her hubby to get off of work. I turned the key, the engine turned over, and then died. I sighed. Again? So I turned the key again. Same thing. I dragged my roommate out of the house to listen and asked his opinion. "Probably too cold, but I'm not sure." I surmised that this was a solid opinion and resolved to try when the weather was a bit warmer.
Sunday rolls around. I see the white, cold snow outside slowly melting into nothing. This was the warmer weather I had been wishing for. I tried the car again. Same exact results. So the cold wasn't the issue and I had no idea how to figure out what it was.
Monday night, while texting with my boyfriend, I mentioned my car being on the fritz and that I was hoping the cost to repair it wasn't going to prevent me from being able to drive up to Minnesota in February. He showed his dad the text of what exactly my car was doing and asked me a couple more questions about my car. Basically, for the past few months my car had been exhibiting erratic functioning of the engine at the start and delay in starting up, which according to both Mr. Latterell and the internet, can be an indication of a faulty fuel pump relay. I did not know this. He also said that one of the prime symptoms of a faulty bad fuel pump relay is the engine cranking up but not starting. (Which is exactly what my car was doing.) Apparently, this points towards a problem with the fuel delivery system and it may be that the fuel pump relay that is the culprit. And this was a part that was easily replaced, and even someone like me could do it.
So I ordered the part from Autozone.com and had it sent to my house. While I was waiting for the part to arrive, I decided to search YouTube for a how-to on how to fix this on a 1992 Honda Accord. This is what I found.
What the frakking hell? Under my dashboard. What on earth was I thinking attempting to replace this on my own? I mean, I could have my roommate Alex do it, but that would just emphasize that I am a helpless woman who needs a man to do things for her. Screw you. I am a fully capable woman who can fix her own damn things, thank you very much.
The part arrived on Thursday, which gave me many days to fix the part before I'd need to drive my car. Thursday was nice enough, so Thursday became That Day. After searching the cupboard with all the tools and finding no ratchet set whatsoever, I first texted my friend Roger to see if he had a set. When he didn't answer, I reluctantly woke up Alex and borrowed his ratchet set. I watched the video again and decided I needed more information before I started pulling crap out from under the dash. I found a wonderfully detailed instruction list outlining exactly what it was I needed to do.
The cruise control box was unbolted and moved without issue. Now came the tough part. As far away as could possibly be from me, and at the most awkward angle to work a ratchet, sat the main relay. And the bolt sticking out was too long for the ratchet to slide over to unbolt the bolt.
So much for the capable woman who can fix her own damn things.
By then, Roger had texted me back saying he had a ratchet set. I said I didn't need his set any more. He asked how it was going so I explained what was going on and he decided to come over to check on how I was doing himself.
Well, with Roger's help, we managed to get the relay switched out and now came the test. Did this fix the problem.
In short...
no.
So now I have to actually take the damn car in and get it checked out which will take the money I had set aside for my trip to Minnesota. Depending on how much this costs, there's a good chance I won't get to see Chase in February as we have been planning since the end of November.
I need a second job. Badly.
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