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I started today by going to one of the schools to help a psychologist with a technical issue. That was great, because the school is closer to home than the office. I could leave a little later and still get there on time. And on the way into the office, I could stop by Caribou Coffee and get a drink. When I left the school I did just that. However, upon getting into my car with my white chocolate mocha, I couldn’t get the car to start.

I tried starting the engine several times, but nothing happened. My lights would blink and the dashboard would flash, but the engine just wouldn’t turn. After a few phone calls to the dealership and a towing company, then almost 45 minutes waiting for the tow truck to arrive, the truck driver determined that it was my battery that was the problem. I had figured as much while waiting for him. So, instead of towing my car into the dealership, he jump started my car with a portable car charger. Great, I was on my way!

When I got to the office, I decided to test my car’s battery. So, I shut off the engine, then I tried to start it. Again, it didn’t turn. Crap! Well, I was already running late, so I decided I would deal with the issue later. I made a call to Rol, but he didn’t pick up his phone. After waiting a while for a call, I decided to try to book an appointment with the dealership, since I needed to get my Flex B service done anyway. I sent in a request online, and I even signed up for the online owners’ site.

When I went to lunch, the other Mark drove me over to the in-laws to pickup some jumper cables. After work, I went out to my car to drop off my stuff before going to get Chris’s dad. When I opened my car door, the dome light turned on, and my dashboard lit up like nothing was wrong. I thought, "Great, maybe it’ll start now!" It didn’t. I got the same flickering dashboard, but then my key wouldn’t turn after a few attempts. I thought perhaps my key was the problem, since it was an electronic key that talked to the ignition.

So, before trying to jump start the car, Chris’s dad drove me home so I could pick up my other set of keys. Perhaps the battery in my usual key had died, or it got damaged when I tossed it to Chris yesterday. I tried the other key, and it didn’t work. So, Chris’s dad and I tried to jump start my car, but it wouldn’t work. Finally, one of the maintenance guys saw that I was having car trouble and brought out a portable charger. He connected it to my battery, and violà! The car started up.

Even though my service appointment was first thing in the morning, Chris’s dad and I weren’t sure I would have any luck starting the car the next day. So, we brought it to the dealership so I could explain some of the problems and not have to deal with it until tomorrow. Now I’m looking at a $400+ service bill, between a possible battery replacement and my Flex B service. There goes my extra holiday money

I’m going to have to be very selective with my Christmas presents this year, and I might not be able to get those additional Wii accessories until after the new year. I guess you win some (I got a Wii) and you lose some (my car is dieing).

Update: I finally got the paperwork for my car in the mail today. The total damage was $1200! Not only that, but apparently my Flex B service included changing my wiper blades. I now have OEM blades again, and my Bosch ICON blades are gone! I have to call tomorrow to find out why the tech replaced perfectly good wiper blades that are, in my opinion, far superior to the OEM blades now on my car. This is annoying, considering the OEM blades cost just as much as the ICON blades, and I had to go through all of that trouble to get the ICON blades in the first place. AAAARGH!

So, Michelle brought Melissa home tonight in the G35. Of course, me being me, I had to jump in and give it a try. The catch was that she’s got a manual transmission in her new ride, and I’ve only driven two other cars with manuals: Adam’s Ford Cobra SVT and Roll’s Mitsubishi 3000GT. What’s even funnier is that I think I’ve only gotten worse as I spend more time with my hands and feet on a manual tranny. This occaision was no different. As I backed out of the driveway in neutral, I started running out of KE at the bottom of the driveway and I had to put it in reverse. Then, as I tried desperately to ease into first gear and get going, the car just suddenly jolted. I finally kind of got my bearings straight and was able to get the car moving at a decent speed with a couple shifts that weren’t all too bad. So I took the car all the way out to Jamie’s house via the Summit Drive, with a few bad shifts along the way and plenty of cruising. I told Michelle that she’s gotta bring the car back next weekend. I’ve gotta keep practicing with the thing until I get the hang of it. Then I shouldn’t have any problems jumping into someone else’s MT ride Anyone have any suggestions for me on making it easier to drive stick?

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers has an old (2001), but good article on its website entitled Let light be there, written by Paul Sharke, an associate editor. The article gives general answers to some of my formerly lingering questions about automotive lighting technologies. Some of the answers I knew, like how HID bulbs work, but others I did not know, such as what makes a projection lamp so special. Unfortunately for me, a Benz owner that wants to upgrade his lighting system, Paul points out the damage to my wallet that must be done first:

If today’s lighting designers get their way, engineers will one day expand their sight deeper down black roads. But doctors, lawyers, and other high rollers may see farther first. For the rest of us, the price of sophisticated auto lighting for now may be too big a cost to bear. According to Ford’s Mario Campos, a project manager at the company’s Dearborn, Mich., safety office, HID, or high energy discharge, lighting debuted in the automotive world with its 1991 installation into high-end BMWs. Mercedes, Lincoln, and Lexus followed. Recently, automotive lighting supplier Hella of Lippstadt, Germany, said it would furnish bi-xenon headlighting for the Volkswagen Passat W8. It is a system similar to that found aboard Porsche 911 Turbos.

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