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Idiopathic non-starting

Our car wouldn't start this morning. Thanks to our town's winter overnight parking ban, the car was in our very steep driveway. We managed to push it out with the other car, pull the other car out over the lawn, and leave the non-starting car on the sidewalk (sorry, pedestrians).

AAA sent the battery service truck. I said I wanted a tow, but the guy suggested battery service first -- he said I could call for a tow if it didn't work.

"Battery died?" asked the truck guy.
"I don't think it's the battery," I explained. "This has happened before -- our car wouldn't start for a couple of days, and we took it to two garages but they couldn't find anything wrong, and eventually it just started up again and has been fine for months. I think it's the same thing."
He fiddled around under the hood and had me try to start it up a few times. The fifth time it worked.
"Okay, let it run for twenty minutes," he said, putting his tools back in the truck.
"So what's wrong with it? Was it the battery?"
"No," he said. "[Something about the fuel filter being dirty, and the fuel injection not being strong enough, so the car wouldn't start.]"
"Should I get the filter replaced?"
"No."
"Do I need to get the fuel system cleaned, or anything else fixed?"
"No."
"So you're saying there is nothing wrong with the car. I shouldn't have someone look at it?"
"No, it's normal."
"It's normal for my car to just not start sometimes?"
"Yes."

I backed the car into the garage, so at least we wouldn't have to worry about parking tickets in case it wouldn't start up again, and called JW. I recounted the above conversation.
"... So it's in the garage, still running. Do you think I should take it somewhere?"
"No... we can see what happens."
"So the plan is to leave it in the garage and hope it starts again one day."
"That's right."
"As long as we have a plan."

P.S. - I am not sure why, but this is hilarious.

Full post as published by Magic Cookie on December 04, 2008 (boomark / email).