Car Talk 5/31

Miss MoneyPenny has been hot under the collar because she was not looking forward to wasting her precious time down at the dealership waiting room.  I was recently notified that there were two recalls for my 2003 Honda CR-V and only the dealer could take care of it, no charge to me.  When I made the appointment I was told it would be four hours!!  Miss MoneyPenny hates to wait.

When I pulled into the service bay this morning I was pleased to see that they were ready for me.  The service manager went over what was going to be done to my car and told me there would be no charge.  I piped up with how about a complimentary oil change for my time and smiled.  He said that would be great - how about we wash your car and give you a free coffee drink of your choice while you wait, also?  I told him that would not be a problem and smiled.

As I was sitting in the waiting room drinking my free mocha and using their WIFI, I thought about how I was going to have my regular mechanic do an oil change, new belts and hoses, and change out the coolant and filters.  I usually budget around $600 for this.  And it is a pain to be without your car for the day, so I asked how much the dealer would charge.  He gave me a $350 ball park.  I said do it and throw in a new battery, while you are at it.  The grand total including the battery was $451.79 with tax.  I asked for the senior discount (10%) and got it.

Now this does not mean that I'm gonna break up with my local mechanic.  No way!!  This was just a one day stand.  Everybody enjoys a little strange now and then, don't you agree?  And it only took two hours.  Smile.